Today’s Image
This is the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut. According to The Telegraph, it has become a major arms storage facility for inbound rockets and missiles arriving from Iran. More details below. The irony is that Rafic Hariri was the Prime Minster of Lebanon from 1992 through 1998 and from 2000 until 2004. He actually did great things on behalf of his country, including kicking out the Syrians and then the Israelis. But like many good leaders in the Middle East, he was murdered in 2005…. by Hezbollah.
Gaza Rockets
No rockets launched from Gaza landed inside Israel in the past 24 hours.
Casualties
No IDF casualties were reported in the past 24 hours.
Gaza Operations
Yesterday, I reported on the targeted missile attack on Hamas’s #4 in Gaza, Raad Saad. There was an attack on two buildings not far from each other. According to IDF intelligence reports there were high level meetings underway and the IDF managed to not only kill Saad, but also more than 30 members of his staff. Proving that it was Saad will take a long time, if ever, since the bodies are buried under a great deal of rubble. But, if we do not hear about the guy in the next two weeks almost certainly we can assume he is dead.
Today, the Israeli Air Force struck a former UNRWA headquarters building in Gaza City that was being used by both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad combatants for use as a facility for meeting/coordinating attacks. Before striking the IDF ensured that civilians were not around. It was reported by Gazan sources that more than 30 combatants were killed.
In ongoing operations in Rafah, the IDF is now in control of about 70% of the city. Today troops demolished an Hamas training complex including offices for officers and staging areas including armament storage facilities. Before blowing everything up, the IDF troops secured al the personal computers and documents so they can be gleaned for intelligence.
About one month ago I reported that Israel’s Supreme Court requested that the IDF provide a full report on its Sde Teiman makeshift prison facility. There were reports coming out of very poor prison conditions for the interned Hamas combatant prisoners. Israel was not prepared for holding so many prisoners so this facility was created on a temporary basis. Based on the last inquiry the IDF promised to relocate the prisoners to a better facility that was “under construction”. Today the court issues a request for an updated on the situation.
Lebanon Operations
Ordinary staff at the Lebanese Rafik Hariri International Airport started reporting to foreign and Lebanese media that they were seeing the accumulation of a large number of crates originating from Iran that they suspected contained arms being shipped to Hezbollah. According to these detailed reports in The Telegraph, a British publications, the stored arms included Iranian made Falaq artillery rockets, short range missiles and much more. Such weapons are impossible to hide in a public place the airport. In response, the Lebanese Minister of Transportation, a member of Hezbollah, invited freight press to visit the airport to see for themselves. I will update any changes to this story.
In a kamikaze drone attack conducted by Hezbollah an IDF soldier was seriously wounded in the northern town of Ayelet Hashachar earlier today. There were other drones launched, including one aimed at a military base. The others were intercepted by Iron Dome before they could reach their targets. Earlier in the day, in a different wave of kamikaze drones launched by Hezbollah, one attempted to penetrate the airspace of a factory operated by one of Israel’s Defense Contractors. It was shot down before reaching its target.
Many Israeli hardware stores are reporting that in the past two weeks there has been a rush to purchase diesel powered generators by private citizens, mostly in the northern part of the country. This is in response to public statements being made by some of the independent power generation companies in Israel that a strike on their facilities by Hezbollah could lead to power outages. The leading spokesperson who made these statements has now expressed public regret for making them, but “you can’t put it back in the bottle”.
Hassan Nasrallah released this video earlier today as part of its propaganda campaign intended to frighten Israel. You can view it here. The published it with both English and Hebrew subtitles, and provided accompanying music.
Yemen Operations
The captain of a Commerical ship called his crew to abandon ship today after it was struck by drones fired by the Iranian proxy Houthis. This makes the third ship hit and sunk. It was only 96 nautical miles from port so the crew can easily make it to safety on their powered life boats. By tomorrow I should have more information on the identity and nature of the crew.
US CENTCOM announced early this morning that over the past couple of days it had destroyed Houthi unmanned marine vessels operating in the Red Sea.
And the Houthis claim that they successfully attacked four ships docked in Haifa Port. But no one here has any clue what they are talking about. Maybe there is another Haifa somewhere else they are attacking??
Egypt/Syria/Iraq
Yesterday, I reported on an attack on Iranian Proxy positions in eastern Syria, more than 100 km from the border with Israel and along the Iraqi border. More information came out today. It turns out that it was a convoy of arms making its way from Iraq to Lebanon via Syria. There were 10 trucks in all and all were destroyed. No one claimed responsibility.
A drone launched by Iraqi based Iranian proxies was shot down earlier this morning by an IDF fighter jet long before it could reach Israeli air space. The terrorist group attempted to penetrate Israeli air space near the southern city of Eilat.
And some Iraqi terror group calling itself Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada has announced that it would participate in any war which broke out between Hezbollah and Israel, in support of the Iranian proxy.
Aid
Today, 108 aid trucks unloaded their pallets on the Gaza side of the border. Most entered through the northern Erez border crossing, but 39 carted aid supplied unloaded using the US build floating pier. Aid agencies inside Gaza picked up 76 trucks worth of aid for distribution so aid is still accumulating inside Gaza.
Hostages/Ceasefire
There is a view being expressed within government sources here that it is believed that Hamas leaders in Gaza are holding off making any proposals on the Biden “Three Stage Hostage/Ceasefire Proposal” because they believe that war is about to break out on the Lebanese border and their negotiating position would improve accordingly.
Politics/Protests
The Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, is circulating a bill that should result in a temporary law extending the terms of service of reservists. In itself, there is nothing controversial. However, within the context that there is a different bill circulating that will change the age of exemption for the ultra-orthodox eligible for the draft means that there is likely to be some hot words exchanged on the floor of the Knesset before it is passed.
International
And my favorite UN official is at it again. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese is now accusing Israel of systematically using human shields during the course of its military operations. She is a real piece of work. She must get a bonus each time she opens her mouth. Yesterday, during an IDF operation in Samaria (West Bank) a platoon of IDF soldiers tied a captured Hamas combatant to the top of their jeep. Immediately, the IDF launched an investigation since it countermands all IDF regulations to do such a thing. I have no idea if this is what she is trying to make into an International Affair or not. But, for sure the soldiers responsible will be reprimanded for this action, perhaps spend time in jail. I will follow up when I learn more.
And In Your Copious Spare Time…
Here is a thorough analysis of the dilemma on our northern border written by Jonathan Spyer, a very knowledgeable military analyst living here in Israel. Unfortunately, he offers no real solutions, just summarizes the predicament.
And here a reporter embedded himself for a day with an IDF infantry unit conducting operations inside Rafah. You can get a more in-depth view of the daily routine in reading it. And here is another.
On February 28, 2024 in my daily post, I reported on a story involving an Israeli doctor who saved Yahya Sinwar’s life when he connected brain surgery on the terrorist leader. And then I reported that Sinwar’s murderous thugs killed this surgeon’s son. Here you can read more about Dr. Yuval Button and his perspective on the man who murdered his son on October 7, 2023.