Hezbollah

Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., October 30, 2023)

During the past day, ground activity in the Gaza Strip was expanded and additional forces entered the territory, including infantry, tanks, artillery and engineering forces, while airstrikes on terrorist targets continued. Mohammad Bagheri, Iranian army chief of staff, claimed that the airstrikes had no military value and indicated Israel's defeat; even if they lasted a year Israel would lose on the battlefield, he claimed. The Palestinian terrorist organizations continue firing rockets at Israel. Negotiations continue to open humanitarian corridors for the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah's attacks on IDF posts and the Israeli cities, towns and villages near the Lebanese border continued. The IDF continued its counterterrorism activities, focusing on Jenin.
Read more...

Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., October 29, 2023)

The IDF intensified its air, ground and sea operations against the Gaza Strip, and armored forces entered the northern part of the Strip. In response to the IDF activity, Hamas claimed the "Palestinian resistancehad prepared ambushes to attack IDF forces on several fronts. The military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) said its forces were on the front lines and confronting the "enemy forces." The Palestinian terrorist organizations continued firing rockets at Israel, focusing on the cities in the center of the country. Hamas claimed it was willing to exchange its captives for the Palestinian terrorist prisoners in Israeli jails. According to reports, the humanitarian situation is deteriorating. The IDF spokesman revealed that Hamas operatives used the al-Shifaa' and other hospitals for terrorist-operational purposes while using the population as a human shield. Hezbollah continued attacking military and civilian targets on the northern border
Read more...

Operation Iron Swords The development of Iranian-Hamas-Hezbollah cooperation

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging war against the "axis of resistance," led by Iran and two of its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran's support for Hamas and Hezbollah goes beyond the current war and previous rounds of conflict between Israel and the terrorist organizations in Gaza. It considers its network of proxies part of its military strength and deterrent capability. Controlling a network of armed terrorist organizations, which includes Hamas, the Islamic Jihad in Palestine (PIJ), and Hezbollah, allows Iran to act against its opponents, primarily but not exclusively Israel and the United States, with room for plausible deniability, reducing the risk of escalation to the point of direct military confrontation with its enemies.
Read more...

Palestinian-Arab perspective on the delay of the IDF ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip

The Palestinian and Arab media have given extensive coverage to the IDF's preparations for the next phase of the war in the Gaza Strip, i.e. the ground maneuver. The media follow the preparations, including the increased number and deployment along the Gaza Strip border. They also ask why the ground maneuver has not yet begun. Monitoring Hamas, Palestinian and Arab sources has revealed the following: Hamas shows great confidence in its military capabilities and its ability to prevent Israel from achieving its objectives in the war. It has identified the difficulty Israel is having in making decisions, hesitancy at the military and political levels and considerable embarrassment, difficulty in dealing with international pressure and the hostage situation along with concern of ground warfare against the skilled military operatives in the Gaza Strip, who are equipped with special weapons. The Palestinian media publish cartoons warning the IDF against a ground incursion into Gaza and even mocking it for its "cowardice." Various Palestinian sources disagree as to whether the IDF will actually carry out the ground maneuver because of the complexity of the operation and the expected number of casualties. The Arab media review a variety of reasons, including international reasons, for the delay in the ground maneuver.
Read more...

Iron Swords Operation (Updated to 1 p.m., October 25, 2023)

The Israeli Air Force continued aerial attacks on terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, including the Hamas security forces. IDF forces, led by the Israeli Navy, prevented a terrorist squad from reaching the Zikim area from the sea to carry out an attack. Rocket fire continued, although less intensively than initially. Barrages were launched towards the center of the country, the coastal plain and Samaria. More than 1,400 civilian and soldier deaths have been reported; 220 civilians and soldier abductees are still being held by the Palestinian terrorist organizations in Gaza. A senior Hamas figure warned Hamas would not release more hostages unless medical equipment and fuel were allowed to enter the Gaza Strip.Sources in the Gaza Strip warn of a worsening humanitarian situation. In Lebanon, the shooting at IDF posts and Israeli cities, towns and villages near the border continued. In Judea and Samaria The IDF continued counterterrorism activities, focusing on the Jenin refugee camp. Senior Iranian officials called on the Islamic regimes for a united position against Israel. “
Read more...

The Iron Swords War (Updated to 1 p.m., October 23, 2023)

The Israeli Air Force continued to carry out massive air strikes on terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians called them “unprecedented” and heaviest attacks since the beginning of the war. Ground forces operated along the Gazan border to counter terrorism, clear the area of terrorists in preparation for a ground attack, and attempt to collect additional information about the missing and abducted. An anti-tank missile killed one IDF soldier and injured three. The Palestinian terrorist organizations continued launching rockets at Israel, although at a relatively slower pace.So far, more than 1,400 civilian and soldier deaths have been reported, and 222 civilian and soldiers abductees are being held by terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Hamas continues to insist that in any negotiation for their release a distinction will be made between civilians and soldiers.According to reports in Gaza, the humanitarian situation is deteriorating. Hezbollah squads continue attacking IDF posts and Israeli cities, towns and villages along and near the Lebanese border with anti-tank missiles, rockets and mortar shells.
Read more...