πŸŽ—️Lonny's War Update- October 266, 2023 - June 28, 2024 πŸŽ—️

  

πŸŽ—️Day 266 that 120 of our hostages in Hamas captivity
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**

“I’ve never met them,
But I miss them. 
I’ve never met them,
but I think of them every second. 
I’ve never met them,
but they are my family. 
BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”



There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!
‎ΧΧ™ΧŸ Χ Χ¦Χ—Χ•ΧŸ Χ’Χ“ Χ©Χ›Χœ Χ”Χ—Χ˜Χ•Χ€Χ™Χ Χ‘Χ‘Χ™Χͺ

I am in transit to the US and traveling for the next 5 days so there may be changes to the update (time of sending and depth of content)  


Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements

*7:45pm last night - north - massive rocket no barrage - Safed, Dalton, Alma, Birya - at least 40 rockets from Lebanon on Safed- damage to houses, fire in open areas
*9:00pm last night- south - rockets Kerem Shalom, Gaza border communities
*9:25am- north- rockets Zra’it, Arab Al Aramsha
*9:35am- north- rockets Zra’it, Arab Al Aramsha

*The army announced the death of a soldier killed in battle
-Sergeant Eyal Sheins, 19 from Kibbutz Afik was killed in battle in southern Gaza
May his memory forever be a blessing

Hostage Updates 

  • Large Demonstrations last night in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Caesarea and other places around the country for the hostages and against the government

Gaza 

  • The IDF spokesperson updated that forces of the 98th Division began a divisional operation in the Shuja'iyya area in the last 24 hours - "above and below ground simultaneously". According to him, the operation began "following intelligence indicating the presence of terrorists and terror infrastructure in the area". Alongside the entry of forces, aircraft attacked dozens of Hamas terror infrastructures. In addition, the operation was preceded by several significant airstrikes in northern Gaza Strip, during which dozens of terrorists hiding in schools and facilities used by UNRWA were eliminated.

    The IDF spokesperson further reported that during the night, fighter jets attacked, under the intelligence guidance of Military Intelligence and Shin Bet, a terrorist of the Hamas terror organization who was in a building in the Deir al-Balah area. "The terrorist operated from within the humanitarian area, which the organization used as a shield for terrorist activity," it was stated. "The Hamas terror organization consistently violates international law by systematically exploiting civilian buildings and the civilian population as human shields for terrorist actions against the State of Israel."


Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria

  • American network NBC reports that the Pentagon has deployed the amphibious warship USS Wasp to the Mediterranean Sea, along with Marines, as part of preparations for evacuating American citizens, fearing that a war might break out between Israel and Hezbollah. According to the report, the ship will be ready to assist in military evacuations and additional missions - and alongside this, the arrival of the forces is also intended as a show of military force and regional deterrence.

  • American sources told NBC about growing concerns that Israel might carry out an air strike on Lebanon, and possibly even a ground operation, in the coming weeks. The sources said that Israel is determined to attack Hezbollah, despite pressure from the Biden administration - and is planning to create a 10 km buffer zone on the Lebanese border.   The Marine force, it was further written, is trained to help civilians escape from a dangerous environment. The amphibious ship has offensive and intelligence capabilities, and F-35 aircraft can take off from it. The U.S., it was also reported, is maintaining contacts with its allies to coordinate military evacuation operations together.

    According to the American sources, there is no fear of immediate escalation - but they say that a single attack or misunderstanding could quickly deteriorate. "The pressure on Israel to act from its citizens in the north is 'very serious'," an American source said. According to another source, "The Israelis feel they need to do something. They feel that the status quo is not holding."

  • The Lebanese "Al-Mayadeen" network, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that a man was killed in an Israeli attack in the village of Al-Rafid, in the south of Quneitra in Syria.

  • Hundreds of activists belonging to pro-Iranian militias undergo training and training at bases in Iraq and abroad, under the supervision of Iran, in order to prepare for a scenario of comprehensive war in the region. This is what sources in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an organization that unites pro-Iranian militias, told the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is affiliated with Hezbollah. According to the report, the training of the militias is not new, but there is now a focus during the war and there is training on new weapons that require training to operate. According to the sources, there are groups that are receiving training in Iran and are expected to return to Iraq.


West Bank and Jerusalem

  •  Due to a major shortage of prison space, the security services have had to cancel operations in the West Bank to arrest wanted terrorist. In addition, many Palestinians who are in prisons under administrative detentions (no charges have been made against them. They can be held for 6 months and then get unlimited extensions of prison time without a trial) are being released to make room for more dangerous prisoners. The Prisons come under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Internal 'insecurity' Ben Gvir and the security services have been warning for most of the war of the needs for more prison space and little has been done.

  • Smotrich claims cabinet okayed outpost legalization, sanctions against PA officials

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says the security cabinet has approved his proposal to legalize five West Bank outposts and a series of sanctions against the Palestinian Authority, according to a statement carried by Hebrew-language media outlets.

The apparent announcement comes after the security cabinet was said to break for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to consult with advisers, amid concern approving the moves could worsen tensions with the United States. There is no official confirmation from the government or Netanyahu’s office.

The outposts reportedly set to be legalized are Evyatar in the northern West Bank, Sde Efraim and Givat Asaf in the central West Bank and Heletz and Adorayim in the southern part of the territory. The cabinet also okayed the publication of tenders for thousands more homes in settlements, according to the statement.

Among the steps proposed by Smotrich against the PA are the cancellation of exit visas for PA officials and restrictions on their movement and the transfer of enforcement responsibilities from the PA to Israel over a nature preserve in the Judean desert that the right-wing groups — including one founded by the minister — claim has seen unbridled Palestinian building activity damaging heritage sites and the environment. link All of Smotrich's actions have been in direct disagreement with the security establishment which sees everyone of them to be dangerous and counterproductive in every arena: keeping things quiet in the West Bank, further weakening of the Palestinian Authority which continues to have security cooperation with our security forces despite the war and all of the IDF/Shin Bet activities in the West Bank, The US Administration and even Netanyahu's planned 'strengthening' of the PA prior to his address to congress. All of Smotrich's actions are fully in line with his never ending quest to completely settle the West Bank and force the Palestinians from their lands in his messianic goals of a 'Complete Israel with no regard to any ramifications, implications or the havoc and chaos that his actions can bring.

Politics 

  •  Netanyahu said set to offer new stance on Palestinian state in speech to CongressPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present a new position on Palestinian statehood during his speech in Washington in July that will allow normalization with Saudi Arabia to progress, according to a Tuesday evening report.

    Senior aides to the Israeli leader have told the White House that Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress will contain elements that back United States President Joe Biden’s grand vision for the Middle East, Channel 13 news reported.

    That plan includes a ceasefire-for-hostages deal to end the fighting in Gaza, a diplomatic solution for the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon, a pathway toward a Palestinian state, and diplomatic ties between Riyadh and Jerusalem.

    Biden’s Middle East vision takes on additional urgency as presidential elections loom in November. According to a Tuesday New York Times poll, Republican challenger Donald Trump leads Biden in seven key swing states, and would triumph by 312 electoral votes to Biden’s 226 according to the current polling.

    Engineering a Saudi-Israel normalization deal would be a diplomatic masterstroke, one that could blunt criticism of Biden’s policies in Gaza and in Ukraine.  The Prime Minister’s Office pushed back on the report in comments to The Times of Israel, saying that Netanyahu “opposes a Palestinian state and will not change his position in his address to Congress.” At the same time, the PMO response did leave some maneuvering space for Netanyahu to offer rhetorical support for a vague process that leads toward increased Palestinian autonomy short of a state.

    Last month, the US and Saudi Arabia discusseda “semi-final” version of wide-ranging security agreements between the countries. The agreements are considered a major part of Washington’s efforts to bring Riyadh around to recognizing Israel for the first time. Saudi Arabia and the US have been clear that movement toward Palestinian statehood is a condition for an agreement.

    A bilateral deal between Saudi Arabia and the US that cuts Israel out is seen as unlikely. The US Constitution demands a two-thirds Senate majority for a formal defense pact, one that both parties have reason to reject without the Israel element.

    Netanyahu’s July 24 speech is causing consternation among many Democrats, many of whom are torn between their long-standing support for Israel and dismay over the way Israel has conducted military operations in Gaza.

    While some Democrats are saying they will attend out of respect for Israel, a larger and growing faction wants no part in it, creating an extraordinarily charged atmosphere at a gathering that normally amounts to a ceremonial, bipartisan show of support for an American ally.  The invitation from House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, to Netanyahu came after consultation with the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive subject. As of now, no meeting with Biden has been scheduled during Netanyahu’s Washington visit, that person said.

    On Wednesday, a group of prominent Israeli figures, including former prime minister Ehud Barak, called on Washington to withdraw the invitation.

    In a New York Times opinion piece, they cast the invitation as a “terrible mistake,” warning that the prime minister’s speech “will not represent the State of Israel and its citizens, and it will reward his scandalous and destructive conduct toward our country.”

    “Inviting Mr. Netanyahu will reward his contempt for US efforts to establish a peace plan, allow more aid to the beleaguered people of Gaza and do a better job of sparing civilians,” the article read.

    The piece was signed by Barak; David Harel, the president of Israel’s Academy of Sciences and Humanities; Tamir Pardo, a former Mossad spy agency director; Talia Sasson, a former prosecutor in the State Attorney’s Office; Aaron Ciechanover, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2004; and writer David Grossman. Full article  Netanyahu speaks differently in English and Hebrew. His English message will be attempts to appease the US Administration as well as the Saudis in order to move forward with normalization. He has a history of giving messages of appeasement in English but then is shown to have lied and manipulated them. The truer messages are in Hebrew and in Hebrew, he will not say anything that could be seen as moving towards a Palestinian State which would bring his government down.  He knows that there are enough American politicians who will buy into every word he says (mostly the Republicans) but the Administration knows who they are dealing with  As do the Saudis. They will definitely listen to what he says in English but they will pay close attention to what he says after that in Hebrew  in any case, the normalization agreements are all in English and they would be expected to be binding agreements. Even so, the discussions could break down based on what Netanyahu will say in Hebrew  


The Region and the World
  •   **Iranian Weapons Warehouses in Jordan and Concerns over Rocket Transfer to the Territories**
Iranian "fingerprints" were found in two explosives warehouses discovered by authorities in Jordan near the capital Amman. Weapons and funds are also leaking through the country to Judea and Samaria: "Hamas could launch advanced rockets from there within a year"
Iran and its proxies are behind two explosives warehouses located by security mechanisms in Jordan in the area of the capital Amman.
The first warehouse was discovered over the weekend in the southeastern suburb of the capital, not far from an airport used by the U.S. military, and the second was exposed two days ago in the same area.
This is an unusual affair about which Jordan officially provides very little information. The authorities are imposing a blackout on the case, and thus, among other things, it is not known if there are any arrests in connection with it. Kan News has learned that the prevailing assessment is that Tehran and its proxies are linked to the exposed warehouses, and that there are Iranian fingerprints on the explosives found in them - according to a source familiar with the case.
A senior Jordanian source told Kan News that the investigation is still ongoing, but mentioned in the same breath that in recent months there have been ongoing attempts by Iranian-linked militias to smuggle drugs and weapons into Jordan, mainly through Syria, and the army and security forces are thwarting these attempts.
 
 
**Senior Security Officials in the Palestinian Authority: Hamas Will Succeed in Launching Rockets from the West Bank Within a Year**
Meanwhile, it was also reported in tonight's edition that senior officials in the Palestinian security mechanisms told Kan News that they estimate that at the current rate of smuggling, Hamas and Islamic Jihad will succeed in producing knowledge and capability to launch rockets from the West Bank into Israel within a year. The sources clarified that this does not refer to the firing of primitive rockets like those fired towards Israel in the past year from Jenin, but to rockets reminiscent of those fired from Gaza towards the border communities.
On Friday's news, it was revealed that explosives, funds, and knowledge in this field are leaking, among other routes, from Lebanon through Jordan to Judea and Samaria under Iranian guidance. It can be assumed that the effort of the IDF and Shin Bet in Tulkarem and Qalqilya bordering the Green Line is being done, among other reasons, as part of the struggle against this development.  link
 

  • The US Army's Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had successfully intercepted a drone that the Houthi rebels, Iran's proxies in Yemen, had launched towards the Red Sea. "The UAV posed an immediate risk to merchant ships and the forces of the United States and its coalition in the region."

  • The United Kingdom's Maritime Trade Operations Agency (UKMTO) announced that it had received a report of an "incident" about 318 km northwest of the port city of Al-Hudaydah in Yemen.


Personal Stories

We Promised to Dance Again: The Massive Nova Festival Event in Yarkon Park

Almost 9 months after Hamas' deadly attack on the border communities and the Nova party, the organizers of the festival that turned into a bloodbath held a massive event in Yarkon Park with Israel's leading artists and top DJs from the trance scene, making tens of thousands of celebrants dance and stirring emotions. Maya Shem, who was released from Hamas captivity, addressed tens of thousands of partygoers: "We all need to do everything, they're coming home"


**Tonight they danced again:** The massive event organized by the Nova Festival, first revealed, took place tonight in Yarkon Park. In front of tens of thousands of revelers, leading artists such as Berry Sakharof, "The Jews", Mosh Ben Ari, Marina Maximilian, and "Girafot" performed, alongside some of the leading names in the Israeli trance scene: Captain Hook, Darwish, Astrix, and more.

Almost 9 months have passed since the black day when despicable Hamas terrorists stormed the Gaza border communities and the Nova party near Kibbutz Re'im. The utopian and peaceful nature party, which people from all corners of Israeli society attended to dance and unite, turned into a bloodbath within moments where hundreds were murdered and dozens kidnapped. The trance community in Israel experienced a blow it couldn't have imagined in its worst nightmares, but already in the statement released by the Nova organizers in November, just weeks after the attack, they promised: "We will dance again". Tonight was their time to do so.

Maya Shem continues her words: "210 days have passed since then (since her release) and they're still there. Without air, without daylight, without hope. Praying and waiting to be released. I promised them I'd do everything so they won't be forgotten. We all need to do everything to bring our brothers and sisters home, to their families," she says to the cheers of the crowd. "We must not lose faith for a moment, they will return. We won't stop and won't cease fighting for them. They're coming home!"

But along with the party, no one forgets the hostages for a moment. Maya Shem, who was released after 55 days in captivity, addressed the large crowd in the park: "I was in captivity for 55 days. The last 5 days of which they took me down to the tunnels, where I met other female hostages. Deep deep underground, without air to breathe and without daylight and without hope, I remember we all stood, held hands. I recited Shir Lama'alot and they repeated after me. We prayed to get out of there. We cried out for our release. It was one of the most powerful moments I've experienced."

Nimrod Arnin, one of the founders of Nova, speaks: "With each passing day, the pain grows like a wound that refuses to heal... I stand here tonight with great excitement. Nova is a magical place where time stands still. On that Saturday in early October, our light was put to the test. A test that in our worst nightmares we never imagined we'd have to go through, the ultimate darkness challenged the great light of the Nova tribe". At the end of his speech, the large crowd at the venue stood for a minute of silence in memory of the murdered.

"In a moment of clarity, we understood what the essence of our lives would be from now on: We will dance again!" Arnin calls out to the cheers of thousands of celebrants in Yarkon Park. "They can hurt us, but they can never defeat us. We were stronger than them, and so it will remain."

The performances haven't started yet, but the place is, of course, packed with people. The crowd is far from being just the trance scene crowd: The artists performing today come from the heart of the Israeli mainstream, and all profits are donated, so many came to support. Before the performances begin, you can see memorial corners in memory of the Nova murdered that were set up at the venue, with candles in their memory and photos of the murdered.

The hostages were not forgotten, of course, by the event organizers, and a giant banner is displayed at the venue with photos of the hostages and the all-too-familiar call: Bring them home now. full article


Acronyms and Glossary

COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories

ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague

IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague

MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp

PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen

PMO- Prime Minister's Office

UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission

Join my Whatsapp update group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IQ3OtwE6ydxBeBAxWNziB0 
Twitter - @LonnyB58 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

This is the question that everyone has - October 7 - How Did We Get Here?

πŸŽ—️Lonny's War Update- October 260, 2023 - June 22, 2024 πŸŽ—️

πŸŽ—️Lonny's War Update- October 239, 2023 - June 1, 2024 πŸŽ—️