Lesson #173: Don't Throw Rocks at IDF Troops and Live, Throw Them and Die

Predictable outrage in the Pali world as some worthless jihadi wannabe threw one too many rocks at IDF troops so they gunned down his sorry ass.  Thus, the world has one less jackoff to deal with.  Let the Gazans cry, the rest of us can celebrate.

Moral of the story - when the IDF fires warning shots in the air, put down your rock and go home.

The story comes from YNET News.

Palestinian killed by IDF in clash on Gaza–Israel border

In the regular Friday stone-throwing from Gaza towards Israeli forces, the IDF fires; Gaza's health ministry says the shooting kills 26-year-old man.

Gaza's health ministry said that a 26-year-old Palestinian, Mohammad Abu Seada, was killed by soldiers in clashes along the border between the territory ruled by the Islamic militant group Hamas and Israel.

Another three Gazans taking part in the protests were also injured.

The IDF said dozens of Palestinians breached the buffer zone, damaged the fence, threw rocks at soldiers, burned tires and "attempted to infiltrate Israel."

It said forces at the scene fired warning shots in the air to disperse them before shooting towards central rioters and that it is investigating the incident.


Dozens of protesters hurl rocks at Israeli soldiers every Friday along the border with Gaza.

A night with Golani, a few hundred meters from Hezbollah

G_d bless the IDF.

The story comes from YNET News.

A night with Golani, a few hundred meters from Hezbollah

Mount Dov, termed "Hezbollah's playground," is full of IDF soldiers at night who are ready to ambush potential attackers from Lebanon. The 13th Battalion's commander warns that the Third Lebanon War is likely to start from there.

The sign that reads, "Stop! Border ahead" is misleading and confusing. The valley of Marjayoun and the village of Ghajar lay ahead, the Tel Dan and Hazbani Nature Reserves are behind, and this is allegedly the border with Lebanon. But opening the heavy gate only begins to describe the story of the network of mountain ridges between the Galilee Panhandle and Mount Hermon. After crossing the gate, the convoy of armored jeeps began up the back path to avoid anti-tank fire from Hezbollah. A Ynet team joined them a week ago for rare coverage of Golani soldiers' lying in wait in an Israeli enclave in the most volatile area of the border—Mount Dov.

There is no fence on the disputed border on the isolated mountain, devoid of any Israeli communities. In fact, there are no physical barriers that separates between the combat brigade's soldiers and Nasrallah's men before them. Amongst the high thickets and lush vegetation, a Hezbollah "playground" is revealed. This is where, according to assessments, the Third Lebanon War could break out.

Over the last 50 years, the mountain has seen hundreds of deaths from both sites, soldiers' kidnapping, thousands of mortars fired, serious exchanges of fire and countless roadside bombs—a never-ending sense of the battlefield. The verdant mountain is named after the late Capt. Dov Rodberg, a Golani company commander who fell there in 1970 in a battle with Fatah militants during a rescue operation for a wounded soldier.

Over the years, Hezbollah has marked the mountain as a preferred location for attacking IDF troops, and in recent years, the place has become an arena of confrontation between the army and the Shiite organization. In January of last year, Givati soldiers Maj. Yochai Kalangel and Staff Sgt. Dor Chaim Nini were killed on the mountain's slopes by anti-tank missiles from Hezbollah. The Lebanese organization has also laid a series of roadside bombs in the region for years. This is its way of avenging the assassinations of senior Hezbollah leaders that foreign reports attribute to Israel.

Hezbollah's preference for operating on the mountain comes from two principal reasons. The first is the legitimacy of attacks in a disputed area that has no Israeli civilians. Most parts of the border (marked by the Blue Line) were marked by the UN Security Council resolution that ended the Second Lebanon War. The second is the IDF's relatively limited control of the region due to its complex topography.

There's no barrier or fence there. Boulders, knolls, valleys and mountain ranges make it a complete above-ground tunnel network where penetration is more possible than in other areas. The IDF is aware of these problems, and the Northern Command has those who criticize the fact that resources have not been invested in establishing a serious barrier along the border. However, the IDF set up concrete blocks at a few locations over the past two years and blew out engineering paths supposedly marking the border.
The Rubicon has been crossed

According to all assessments, Hezbollah is not interested in a war with Israel in the foreseeable future, partly due to its bloody involvement in the Syrian civil war and the deterrence that still echoes from the Second Lebanon War. Notwithstanding that, something has changed over the past three years. The attacks that included the use of explosives and anti-tank missiles, self-confidence and the rich operational experience that Nasrallah is obtaining in Syria and Iraq have led to a certain degree to a crossing of the Rubicon.


The previous IDF chief of staff, Benny Gantz, said in reference to the wind blowing from the northern border that the likelihood of war is low, but the likelihood of deterioration due to misunderstandings in specific incidents had grown. In the opinion of Lt. Col. Yair Peli, the commander of Golani's 13th battalion that is currently responsible for the Mount Dov district, the deterioration that will lead to war could take place tomorrow morning. Without any warning, from the front yard of the Galilee Division.


'It will start here, and it could grow into war'

Peli explained, "Mount Dov is Hezbollah's playground, but we won't them play the game. They want to penetrate, enter, plant explosives, but we don't let them. We're operating on every hill, lots of nights. There's no place on Mount Dov that soldiers of the 13th Battalion aren't walking, aren't lying, aren't waiting for Hezbollah. It's possible that here, where we are, they were here yesterday."

The battalion commander's words were spoken in a whisper in the dark of a night with nearly no moon while he leaned on a rock. The potential ambush that his company commander, Capt. Shma'ur Ben Shitrit, is leading was at the preliminary stage of its operation, when its soldiers were silently taking their positions, setting boundaries in case of an encounter, studying the terrain, smelling the ground and letting their eyes adjust to the darkness.

They'll be there for at least 12 hours, near the village of Shebaa, merely a few hundred meters from Hezbollah. No fence separates the combatants. A navigation error by one of the commanders leading the force could expose them on Lebanese territory.

Peli explains, "This is a disputed area that there isn't an agreement on; they claim that it's theirs. The fact that it's a disputed area means that to Hezbollah, if they carry out something or respond, then it's the place that they usually operate. It's a great place to get back at us for what we're doing or not doing to them. Mount Dov is a wide open field for activity against us."

The World Rejoices Palestinian Killed By the IDF Today...One Less Vermin In the World

Yep, the world is less one foul piece of shit so-called Palestinian tonight as a Pali protester who was attacking an Israeli checkpoint was killed by IDF forces in the West Bank today.

Good.  Real good.

The story comes from The Jerusalem Post.

Palestinian killed, another hurt by IDF fire in West Bank


A Palestinian teen was killed in clashes with the IDF near Tulkarm late Wednesday night and another was wounded in the stomach.

Security forces were already on high alert for violence that was expected to break out on Thursday following the Hebron funeral for Palestinian prisoner Maissara Abu Hamdiyeh, 63, who died of esophageal cancer in Soroka University Medical Center on Tuesday.

Two separate autopsies by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority found that his death was caused by cancer, but that did not quell Palestinian anger at Israel. PA President Mahmoud Abbas has accused Israel of medical negligence in his death.

Hamdiyeh was jailed in 2002 and given a life sentence for his role in attempting to bomb the Caffit restaurant in Jerusalem’s German Colony.

Hamdiyeh was hailed as a martyr and a hero, and violence immediately broke out in the West Bank Tuesday and continued Wednesday.

According to the IDF, Palestinians attacked a guard station near Tulkarm late Wednesday night and threw Molotov cocktails at it. Soldiers responded with live fire, but the IDF would not confirm any deaths.

The soldiers targeted by the firebombing felt their lives to be at risk before using live fire, a senior defense source told The Jerusalem Post.

Abir Kopty of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee confirmed that according to the Red Crescent, Amer Nassar, 17, was killed by IDF fire.

Some 200 Palestinians rioted in Hebron, where they threw stones and scores of Molotov cocktails at IDF forces near the police checkpoint, which is often the flashpoint for such violence.

An IDF officer was lightly wounded.

Stones were also thrown at security forces near the Palestinian village of Beit Omar and the settlements of Migdal Oz and Efrat.

In Nablus, Palestinians held a protest march that ended near the Hawara checkpoint, where they clashed with the IDF, which reported that stones were thrown at its soldiers. Palestinians also declared a commercial strike, closing their shops in the cities of Hebron, Nablus and in east Jerusalem.

On Tuesday, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails declared a three-day hunger strike, in solidarity with Hamdiyeh.

Prisons Service spokesman Sivan Weitzman said Wednesday that a total of 4,620 security prisoners – nearly all of those held in Israel’s prisons – sent back all three of their meals on Wednesday, in a show of solidarity.

As usual in such cases, Weitzman said that the Prisons Service does not see it as a hunger strike, rather a “meal refusal,” adding that she thinks it will probably only last up to three days, as is usually the case with such protests.

She added that the Prisons Service had deployed extra officers to the security blocks, in case the situation gets violent, and has gone on a higher level of readiness, due to the possibility of worsening protests.

Robert Serry, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said Wednesday that he was worried by continued tensions over unresolved prisoner issues.

Separately, in the West Bank, Palestinians threw stones at Israeli vehicles, damaging two buses near Nablus and a car near the village of Halhoul.

80 Rockets, Shells Fired From Gaza And The World Is Silent On The Barrage!

By Findalis

Why not?  After all the victims are Jews not Arabs.  After all to the UN, the Lame Stream Media, the State Department, only Arabs can be victims.  Jews are never to be considered victims no matter how many rockets are fired, how many babies are murdered.

New salvos hit the south Wednesday afternoon; school canceled for the day; residents ordered to stay close to ‘secure rooms’; three foreign workers hurt in morning hit on chicken coop.

Palestinian terrorists in Gaza continued their rocket assault on Israel Wednesday afternoon after a three-hour pause in the attacks, which have seen dozens of missiles target the south in the past two days. More than 80 rockets and shells had been fired into Israel Wednesday by late afternoon.

Israeli leaders warned of a much intensified military response if the attacks continued. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of “a more extensive” response. Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the army was ready for “a far, far greater and wider response.” Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said Israel would not maintain its restraint for many more days, and that Israel was “facing a serious escalation.”

A salvo of eight rockets fell on Hof Ashkelon just after midday, shattering the quiet that had descended for a few hours after a series of rocket attacks in the morning. Another two projectiles were fired at the Hevel Eshkol area. In late afternoon, another missile strike was recorded. There were no reports of injury or damage in the latest attacks.

Three foreign workers were injured, two of them seriously, in Wednesday morning attacks when a rocket hit the chicken coop they were working in, and several houses were damaged by other missiles. At least two other people were reported lightly injured in the strikes. Some of those hurt in the attacks were flown by helicopter to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.

School was cancelled in areas close to Gaza on Wednesday, and residents were told to remain within 15 seconds of “secure rooms” in case of further attacks.

Netanyahu, on a tour of the Iron Dome missile defense facility near the coastal town of Ashkelon, said, “It was not Israel that initiated this escalation, but if it goes on we are prepared to take far more extensive action.” Those who fire on Israel, he said, should know that “they have sealed their own fate.”

He also promised to fortify every building in communities 4.5 to 7 kilometers from the Strip, where until now only educational facilities had been protected.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak, speaking to Army Radio, said, “There are about 1,700 households that need fortification, but that said, the situation was a lot more difficult in the past because there was no Iron Dome.”

On Wednesday morning, Iron Dome intercepted seven Grads fired at Ashkelon. In the afternoon the system stopped another missile fired at the city.

France sharply condemned the rocket fire on Israel, urging restraint from both sides.

Since Tuesday afternoon Palestinian terror groups in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip have fired dozens of rockets and mortar shells at southern Israel. The incoming missiles were a mix of Gaza-produced Kassam missiles and military-grade Grad rockets that have a longer range and larger warhead.

The IDF has responded to the barrages by targeting terror cells and Hamas installations in the Gaza Strip. Three Palestinians were killed in overnight airstrikes.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz called a meeting Tuesday to assess the situation and toured some of the sites that were hit in attacks.

Barak said he could not rule out a ground invasion if fire continued. “If we need a ground operation there will be a ground operation. We will do whatever necessary to stop this wave” of violence, he told Army Radio on Wednesday.

“It’s important for the government to think before it decides. This move will bring escalation and not peace — there is no way to reconcile with the terror from Gaza. We are considering everything we need and examining everything. If there will be no choice and the fire continues, they will be struck hard, nothing is impossible,” he said.

Liberman said Israel was facing “a serious escalation” in the south. Speaking before a meeting with visiting EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, he said the situation was “unacceptable” and that Israel would “not suffer” the ongoing rocket fire for much longer.

Source

I wonder if France would be as accommodating if it were their cities being bombed, their people being killed.  Oops, I forgot, they were when Germans were doing it.

I also wonder how long will Israel go until they send in ground troops to finish the job they started in Operation Cast Lead.  An operation they stopped to be nice to Barack Hussein Obama and not have riots at his inauguration.  Bad move.

Pray for the people of Israel under constant barrage from Gaza.  And if you can, throw a few dollars, Euros, etc... to the people of the Sderot Media Center.  Serving the people of Sderot and Southern Israel for over a decade.  Just click here.

IDF Cancelling All Passover Leaves

Some thing's up.  Chief of Staff Benny Gantz has done something that hasn't been done in many years.  He has cancelled ALL leaves for Passover.

Chief of Staff Benny Gantz has ordered all IDF units to cancel their traditional Passover breaks so that they can operate in full capacity over the upcoming holiday, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Wednesday.

The implication of the decision is that for the first time in many years, all IDF units will maintain their regular operations and remain on full alert throughout the holiday.

As result of the unexpected decision, thousands of soldiers at various IDF headquarters and bases will have to report for duty as usual in order to allow their units to operate with no interruption.

IDF officials dismissed suggestions that the decision is related to operational circumstances or preparations for military maneuvers. The army said Chief of Staff Gantz made the call after asserting that he does not accept the notion of an army-wide Passover vacation.

However, IDF soldiers who received the news Tuesday could not be convinced that the timing of the decision was arbitrary.

Notably, German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere on Tuesday said that after meeting Israeli counterpart Ehud Barak, he was more concerned about the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iran.

Over the years, an army-wide break during Passover became a tradition followed by all major military units, including the Air Force, Navy and intelligence corps. The IDF's headquarters in Tel Aviv is also traditionally deserted during the holiday.

But as noted, the longtime tradition will be broken this year, as soldiers will have to divide their vacation days among themselves in order to ensure that their units maintain their full capacity to operate if needed.

Source

Every military man will tell you that if you want rumors to run rampant you cancel all leaves.  I could speculate for hours on this but I won't.  I'll let you, my truth seekers to put 2+2 together.  I hope it equals 4.

Hezbollah Threats Prompt IDF To Renew Security of Former IDF Head

The peons at Hezbollah just can't get over that assassination of their #1 terror boy, Mughniyeh, back in 2008...and they have issued more threats that have caused Israel's IDF to take back up the security of its former IDF head, Gabi Ashkenazi.

From the report at The Jerusalem Post:

The IDF has decided to renew its security over former chief of staff Lt.-Gen (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi amid concerns that he could be targeted by Hezbollah ahead of the fourth anniversary of the assassination of the guerrilla group’s military commander.

Ashkenazi retired from the IDF in February and continued to be protected until about four months ago. Several weeks ago, however, the defense establishment decided to renew his security detail amid new intelligence indicating that the former chief of staff could be targeted by Hezbollah.

It would not be the first time that Hezbollah has tried to target Ashkenazi. In 2010, an Israeli-Arab from Tira was sentenced to five years in prison after he was convicted of spying on Ashkenazi for Hezbollah.

Rawi Sultani followed Ashkenazi to the gym he worked out at in Kfar Saba and passed on information about the chief of staff’s security detail to his Hezbollah handlers.

Nothing got Hezbollah's goat more than that killing of Mughniyeh - I'm not sure anything could anger them as much even now other than the Israelis taking out Nasrallah himself at this point. So, it's pretty clear why the IDF is doing this to protect their own but in the meantime, I think the Israelis should concentrate just as much on phase two and three of these assassinations - start picking Hezbollah apart, slowly but surely.

Sooner or later, Hezbollah always makes mistakes out of emotion and anger...the key is to get them to that point.

Hezbollah threat prompts security for Ashkenazi


The IDF has decided to renew its security over former chief of staff Lt.-Gen (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi amid concerns that he could be targeted by Hezbollah ahead of the fourth anniversary of the assassination of the guerrilla group’s military commander.

Ashkenazi retired from the IDF in February and continued to be protected until about four months ago. Several weeks ago, however, the defense establishment decided to renew his security detail amid new intelligence indicating that the former chief of staff could be targeted by Hezbollah.

It would not be the first time that Hezbollah has tried to target Ashkenazi. In 2010, an Israeli-Arab from Tira was sentenced to five years in prison after he was convicted of spying on Ashkenazi for Hezbollah.

Rawi Sultani followed Ashkenazi to the gym he worked out at in Kfar Saba and passed on information about the chief of staff’s security detail to his Hezbollah handlers.

Hezbollah is believed to be actively seeking revenge for the February 2008 assassination of its military commander Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus, which it attributes to Israel. Over the years, there have been reports of a number of plots that were thwarted to avenge the assassination including an attempt to bomb the Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan.

Israel's Shin Bet Nabs Hamas Terror Cell Plotting To Kidnap IDF Soldiers

For those new to Shin Bet, it is the internal security service and counter-intelligence agency in Israel....a bit like a combination of our FBI and CIA...and they foiled quite a plot by Hamas regarding the planned abduction of IDF soldiers. The Shin Bet operation actually happened earlier this year but is just now being revealed.

Hamas of course are the culprits in the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit a number of years ago and apparently they wanted to repeat that except on a bigger scale.

From the story at The Jerusalem Post:

A Hamas terror cell in the West Bank was captured earlier this year for allegedly plotting to kidnap IDF soldiers and use them as bargaining chips in a bid to release Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) released for publication on Wednesday.

The cell consisted of three Hamas operatives, including a former member of the Palestinian Authority security forces who was arrested by Israel in 2006 and released last February for planning a similar scheme five years ago. Another member of the cell from the village of Bido was also released from Israeli prison last December.

According to the Shin Bet, the three Hamas operatives planned to purchase a plot of land in the Ramallah area and to dig a tunnel or cave underneath it in which they planned to store soldiers they planned to kidnap.

This shows how intent Hamas still is on getting those they want out of Israeli prisons - we know that one of the last negotiations for Gilad Shalit's release included HUNDREDS of palestinians to be released but Hamas has their eyes on some big fish that are behind Israeli bars.

Which brings me to the real interest in these plans to abduct IDF soldiers - Hamas is try to replicate the capture of the IDF's Goldwasser and Regev by Hezbollah where the end result was the Israelis releasing one of the most vile Lebanese prisoners held in Samir Kuntar. The whole event was humiliating to Israel in that they got the bodies of Goldwasser and Regev back only to find that they had been tortured and their dead bodies desecrated and in return, Hezbollah got back the killer of Jewish children.

This is what Hamas wants - they want enough IDF soldiers to force Israel to give up the biggest Pali terrorist leaders they have in prison - it's all about humiliation, it's all about the stage that has been set.

Thank G_d for Shin Bet. And as for the three captured Hamas...ummm...don't let them out again unless you plant a timed bomb inside of each of their bodies.

Shin Bet nabs Hamas terror cell planning kidnappings


A Hamas terror cell in the West Bank was captured earlier this year for allegedly plotting to kidnap IDF soldiers and use them as bargaining chips in a bid to release Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) released for publication on Wednesday.

The cell consisted of three Hamas operatives, including a former member of the Palestinian Authority security forces who was arrested by Israel in 2006 and released last February for planning a similar scheme five years ago. Another member of the cell from the village of Bido was also released from Israeli prison last December.

According to the Shin Bet, the three Hamas operatives planned to purchase a plot of land in the Ramallah area and to dig a tunnel or cave underneath it in which they planned to store soldiers they planned to kidnap.

One of the operatives was supposed to live in the house on top and care for the kidnapped soldier. The three were arrested in January and were charged in a military court last month.

IDF: "if war breaks out, Hezbollah will be able to launch between 500 and 600 rockets at Israel every day"

The IDF has submitted evidence, mouth-dropping evidence of just how busy Hezbollah has been since the last Israel-Lebanon War - the evidence shows bunkers and munitions installments and rocket deployments numbering in the tens of thousands, and remember, ALL of this violates the U.N. peace treaty that was signed ending the last war.

From the report at The Long War Journal:

The Israeli Defense Forces recently released a map detailing the location of more than 950 facilities, including bunkers, underground facilities, and weapons storage sites in southern Lebanon built by Hezbollah since the end of the Second Hezbollah War in the summer of 2006. Many of Hezbollah's facilities "are located near hospitals, private homes and schools," the IDF said. The map is reprinted below. From the IDF website:

The Hezbollah terrorist organization is spread out between as many as 1,000 facilities in southern Lebanon, located in 270 civilian villages. The organization continues to acquire munitions and strengthen, funded by Syria which is also smuggling weapons to it. This includes weapons which can reach populations in the center of Israel in cities like Tel Aviv.

According to IDF intelligence, since the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006, Hezbollah has built as many as 550 bunkers in the southern Lebanon region, holding various weapons. In addition, the organization has built 300 underground facilities and 100 storage units for munitions including rockets, missiles and other weapons.

Many of these terror centers are located near hospitals, private homes and schools, Hezbollah's way of taking advantage of the civilian population of Lebanon. According to the IDF Northern Command, Hezbollah militants have doubled in number since the end of the last war.

Today, Hezbollah is estimated to have an arsenal of more than 40,000 rockets. This being the case, if war breaks out, Hezbollah will be able to launch between 500 and 600 rockets at Israel every day. One of the organization's main civilian centers for storing munitions is the village of Al Khiyam in southern Lebanon, where hundreds of rockets and mortar shells with varying ranges are stored. More than 100 Hezbollah militants operate in the village, including special forces ready for combat with IDF soldiers.

Now, we all know that the United Nations and everybody else in the whole world could give a shit less about this evidence presented by the Israelis - Israel is on her own, especially at this time in history but I think the Israelis have made this information public because they truly fear that an attack is imminent - an attack by Hezbollah and Iran and Syria and perhaps others. By putting this out there, the IDF is telling Hezbollah that they know where their stuff is and that much of it can be taken out off the bat.

Many might say that the Israelis should have kept this quiet so they could use it as a surprise if Hezbollah did begin an attack - but we have to understand the Israelis...they realize they must do everything to AVOID an attack. I truly feel that the Israelis understand that this next skirmish with Hezbollah will not be like any before - there are too many enemies with substantial force just waiting for the shoe to drop. The Israelis need as much time as possible. In fact, I'd say the Israelis need about a year and a half and hope to hell that they have a new President in America who will actually have their back.

IDF map details more than 950 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon


The Israeli Defense Forces recently released a map detailing the location of more than 950 facilities, including bunkers, underground facilities, and weapons storage sites in southern Lebanon built by Hezbollah since the end of the Second Hezbollah War in the summer of 2006. Many of Hezbollah's facilities "are located near hospitals, private homes and schools," the IDF said. The map is reprinted below. From the IDF website:

The Hezbollah terrorist organization is spread out between as many as 1,000 facilities in southern Lebanon, located in 270 civilian villages. The organization continues to acquire munitions and strengthen, funded by Syria which is also smuggling weapons to it. This includes weapons which can reach populations in the center of Israel in cities like Tel Aviv.

According to IDF intelligence, since the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006, Hezbollah has built as many as 550 bunkers in the southern Lebanon region, holding various weapons. In addition, the organization has built 300 underground facilities and 100 storage units for munitions including rockets, missiles and other weapons.

Many of these terror centers are located near hospitals, private homes and schools, Hezbollah's way of taking advantage of the civilian population of Lebanon. According to the IDF Northern Command, Hezbollah militants have doubled in number since the end of the last war.

Today, Hezbollah is estimated to have an arsenal of more than 40,000 rockets. This being the case, if war breaks out, Hezbollah will be able to launch between 500 and 600 rockets at Israel every day. One of the organization's main civilian centers for storing munitions is the village of Al Khiyam in southern Lebanon, where hundreds of rockets and mortar shells with varying ranges are stored. More than 100 Hezbollah militants operate in the village, including special forces ready for combat with IDF soldiers.

Hezbollah is thus trying to distort the balance of power in Lebanon and return to full, routine militant activity in southeast Lebanon, similar to its activity levels just prior to the war in 2006. Hezbollah militant activities are based in southern Lebanon, funded and maintained by Syria and Iran. All of these are in direct violation to the UN Security Council's 1701 decision, carried out on August 12th, 2006, at the end of the Second Lebanon War.

Right Hook To al Jazeera!

By Findalis

This video is from 2009 but it could have been yesterday or today.

Captain Avichai Adra'i  (IDF) is not only impressive in what he says, but in how he says it.  He speaks clearly and forcefully to the Muslim world.  No PC or Diplomatic double speak.  He basically reads the Muslim world the riot act.  On al Jazeera to boot.

H/T Elder of Ziyon

Israel Ignores Hamas Call for Ceasefire, IDF Takes Out Islamic Jihad Rocket Crew

While Hamas is scrambling to try and derail an Israeli military response to their terror actions and rocket attacks from Gaza, the IDF yesterday zeroed in on a rocket crew from the terror group Islamic Jihad and wiped them out killing two of the terrorists and wounding two others.

From the article at Israel National News:

The IDF scored direct hits on Islamic Jihad terrorists preparing to attack the Negev with more rockets Sunday morning, killng two terrorist and wounding two others.

On Saturday, terrorists in Hamas-controlled Gaza fired three rockets on the western Negev, causing damage but no injuries.

Hamas has offered another ceasefire on condition that the IDF does not strike. Several ceasefire declarations by Hamas over the past four years have been short-lived. The latest offer already has been rejected by Islamic Jihad terrorist leaders. Hamas, as the de facto ruler of the region, is responsible for all attacks from Gaza.

The Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency, which is linked to the Palestinian Authority, reported Saturday that factions in Gaza agreed “to commit to a truce with Israel if its military stopped attacking the coastal enclave.” However, the list of those agreeing to a ceasefire omitted Islamic Jihad. Half a dozen other terrorist groups, including Fatah’s terrorist wing, did not attend a meeting with Hamas leaders Saturday.

The lack of unity in Gaza reflects a statement by the head of the IDF Southern Command, Tal Russo, who said Saturday, "Gaza's terror organizations are in a state of anarchy, and that includes Hamas. They don't really talk to each other; they speak in artillery fire."

This is now a bad spot for Hamas - they have no control over the actions of Islamic Jihad and some of the smaller splinter terror groups in Gaza and Hamas knows that any rockets that go into Israel, no matter who fired them off, will be blamed on Hamas by the Israelis and thus, Hamas targets will be fair game.

Hamas is finding out that being the politically controlling entity in Gaza has its downsides.

Hopefully, the Israelis will push forward with retaliatory force this next week - it's my hope that precision attacks on Hamas leadership and known rocket crews will be consistent and lethal. Hamas doesn't need a ceasefire, what they are doing now is bitching amongst themselves that they may have gone too far this time and have awoken the IDF beast. It's time that Hamas pay another toll. A very heavy toll.

IDF Bombs Terrorists After ‘Ceasefire’ Offer and Rocket Attacks


The IDF scored direct hits on Islamic Jihad terrorists preparing to attack the Negev with more rockets Sunday morning, killng two terrorist and wounding two others.

On Saturday, terrorists in Hamas-controlled Gaza fired three rockets on the western Negev, causing damage but no injuries.

Hamas has offered another ceasefire on condition that the IDF does not strike. Several ceasefire declarations by Hamas over the past four years have been short-lived. The latest offer already has been rejected by Islamic Jihad terrorist leaders. Hamas, as the de facto ruler of the region, is responsible for all attacks from Gaza.

The Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency, which is linked to the Palestinian Authority, reported Saturday that factions in Gaza agreed “to commit to a truce with Israel if its military stopped attacking the coastal enclave.” However, the list of those agreeing to a ceasefire omitted Islamic Jihad. Half a dozen other terrorist groups, including Fatah’s terrorist wing, did not attend a meeting with Hamas leaders Saturday.

The lack of unity in Gaza reflects a statement by the head of the IDF Southern Command, Tal Russo, who said Saturday, "Gaza's terror organizations are in a state of anarchy, and that includes Hamas. They don't really talk to each other; they speak in artillery fire."

Responding directly to the ceasefire offer, military spokespersons said Saturday night, “The Israeli defense system is pleased with the agreement of the Palestinian factions to stop the firing at Israel but emphasizes that the test of the agreement is in the field. A military source emphasized that Israel will not initiate an escalation of the situation if the quiet is maintained.”

Sunday’ morning’s attack on the terror cell preparing to fire rockets is a signal clear that Israel will not allow a ceasefire to prevent the IDF from stopping terrorist attacks.

Israelis Blow Two More Terrorists To Bits In Gaza

In this report from DAWN, there are details of the latest IDF/IAF strike on Gaza that killed two more islamic terrorists - the DAWN article doesn't have the confirmation from the IDF that Israel did conduct that strike but it has been confirmed.

It's truly wonderful to see the Israelis taking the upper hand in first strike offensive on what seems to be some reassembling of the worst militant terrorists in Gaza. The signal should be pretty plain to Hamas and all the other gangs in Gaza that now isn't the time to start over again - unless they want another Operation Cast Lead on their hands.

UPDATE: I've added a new excerpt below the DAWN article from DEBKA - this has more details about the connection of the two dead terrorists to the Army of Islam in Gaza. These weren't two crew boys either - these were higher ups on the al Qaeda -linked Army of Islam.

Two killed as Israeli warplane targets car in Gaza


GAZA CITY: Two people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a car in Gaza City during the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday on Wednesday, a Palestinian medical source said.

Emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya confirmed two men had been killed in the strike, naming them as Mohammed Yassin and his brother, Islam, telling AFP they had died “in an Israeli strike on a car in the Samer area of Gaza City.”

The brothers were critically wounded in the strike, which completely obliterated the back of their car, and were rushed to Gaza City’s Shifa hospital where they both died shortly afterwards.

A witness told AFP he saw an Israeli warplane fire at a white car in the city centre.

The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the raid, which was the fourth air strike on Gaza within two weeks.

On November 3, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at another car in Gaza City, killing Mohammed al-Nemnem, a senior militant with the Army of Islam, a radical group that espouses an ideology similar to Al-Qaeda.

The army confirmed the strike, describing Nemnem as a “ticking bomb” in what appeared to signal a return to the army’s policy of targeted killings.

A month earlier, Israel admitted targeting another militant in an air strike on Gaza City but the man escaped unharmed.

Israel strike in Gaza kills two Al Qaeda-linked Army of Islam chiefs


Just two weeks after Mohammed Namnam was killed in a combined Israel-US-Egyptian targeted assassination in Gaza City, an Israeli airborne missile struck again Wednesday, Nov. 17, and killed two more commanders of the Al Qaeda-linked Army of Islam. debkafile's counter-terror sources name them as brothers, Islam Yasin and Muhammad Yasin. They were in the middle for preparations for a new wave of terrorist attacks in Sinai aimed at hitting US military targets and kidnapping Israelis vacationing in Sinai for ransom in Gaza.
Our military sources add that the Israeli missile hit the Subaru car in which they drove in the center of Gaza City. That the preparations continued after Namnam's death is a measure of Al Qaeda's determination to bring its plans forward. The Yasin brothers worked according to the original plan which was due for imminent execution - only adding more targets. They were plotting to abduct Israeli holidaymakers in Sinai and spirit them to the Gaza Strip through Hamas's arms smuggling tunnels. Our sources note that the Army of Islam also took part in Hamas's abduction of Gilead Shalit more four years ago.

Israeli travelers in Sinai are warned they are still in danger and advised to leave.
The plot included an attack on the Multinational Force and Observers North Base base under US command at El Gorah, 37 kilometers southeast of the Sinai port of El Arish.

The plot was revealed during the interrogation of 25 Army of Islam accomplices captured by Egyptian intelligence units at Sheikh Zuwayid in North Sinai. The high number of helpers points to the large scale of attacks the Al Qaeda-linked terrorists were planning.

In another counter-terror operation on the West Bank Wednesday, Palestinian Authority security forces in Nablus rolled up a Hamas terrorist network, whose members were getting ready for a series of suicide attacks.

debkafile's sources report that, contrary to other reports, this network had not targeted Jerusalem but had rigged a suicide bomb-car for the assassination of the Palestinian governor of the city Jibril Baker.

This attack was to have kicked off Hamas' operations against the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank.

Retired IDF General Says Targeted Killings of Hamas Are the "correct method"

Yeah, I like this guy....retired Brigadier-General of the IDF, Yechiam Sasson, has come out fully in favor of the IDF targeted killings of Hamas terrorists and other jihadis in Israel's daily battle against the islamic threats. And of course, I couldn't agree more with this man's take on things.

From the report at Israel National News:

Retired IDF Brigadier-General Yechiam Sasson, the former head of the IDF's counter-terrorism division, said on Thursday that the IDF’s return to targeted killings of terrorists is a “very correct decision.”

Speaking to Arutz7 a day after the IDF and the ISA killed 27-year-old terrorist Mohammed Jamal a-Nahmnam in Gaza, Sasson said: “[Targeted killing] is the correct method to work with, because as long as there are no valid and updated agreements with Hamas, and as long as Gilad Shalit is being held captive, it is the correct thing to do to continue to harm them. Their political leaders as well as their military leaders should be targeted. We cannot rely on a truce or cease-fire agreement; the IDF must continue to act all the time.”

He did not rule out future military operations with objectives beyond targeted killings. “I assume that the enemy knows well that the IDF could reach it. Right now we do not engage in military operations. I believe our strength now is more in the field of targeted killings, but the option of taking over land is an option which still exists.”

Let's face it, one of the best weapons that Israel has ever had against Hamas and Hezbollah and al Qaeda and Islamic Jihad has been their "reach" - the fact that everyone in all of those terrorist organizations knows that they are NEVER outside the reach of the IDF and Israel's covert forces. It's probably uncountable the number of islamic terror operations that were stopped by the jihadis themselves simply because of the fear of backlash by the Israelis - I'm talking about jihadi leaders who know they will be on the chopping block just minutes after the carnage is over.

These terrorists respect only one thing in this world - unbridled, all out retaliatory force. The minute you show them a "peace accord" or you show no response, that is when they see the green light to more and more attacks. I've said it a hundred times - if you want to keep Hamas docile as a sheep, you simply periodically eradicate one of their leaders at random. Let's hope this strategy not only continues but blossoms.

“The Targeted Killings Have Proven Themselves”


Retired IDF Brigadier-General Yechiam Sasson, the former head of the IDF's counter-terrorism division, said on Thursday that the IDF’s return to targeted killings of terrorists is a “very correct decision.”

Speaking to Arutz7 a day after the IDF and the ISA killed 27-year-old terrorist Mohammed Jamal a-Nahmnam in Gaza, Sasson said: “[Targeted killing] is the correct method to work with, because as long as there are no valid and updated agreements with Hamas, and as long as Gilad Shalit is being held captive, it is the correct thing to do to continue to harm them. Their political leaders as well as their military leaders should be targeted. We cannot rely on a truce or cease-fire agreement; the IDF must continue to act all the time.”

A-Nahmnam, a senior Al-Qaeda terrorist, was killed by a car bomb near the Hamas police station in Gaza City. He was involved in past terrorist attacks on Israel, and was plotting attacks against Israel and American targets in Sinai, Egypt, in coordination with Hamas.

A-Nahmnam belonged to the Army of Islam, one of several small Gaza terrorist groups which are affiliated with Al-Qaeda. Then Army of Islam also took part in an attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing in June of 2006 in which IDF soldier Gilad Shalit was kidnapped.

Sasson said that a ceasefire with Hamas is nothing but an illusion. “All these temporary agreements are ultimately a a stopgap measure made with those who have a murderous interest in the terrorist market. We do not gain anything from it, aside from the fact that terrorist organizations use the lull to continue to equip and strengthen themselves in order to come stronger and better prepared for the next military campaign.”

Sasson believes that targeted killings are an effective deterrent, but added that Israel should try to make sure that it does not hurt those who need not be hurt. He did not rule out future military operations with objectives beyond targeted killings. “I assume that the enemy knows well that the IDF could reach it. Right now we do not engage in military operations. I believe our strength now is more in the field of targeted killings, but the option of taking over land is an option which still exists.”

Israeli Troops Kill West Bank Hamas Commander and His Lieutenant In Operation To Avenge Attacks

The Israelis, and specifically the IDF and Shin Bet, decided yesterday to move into Hebron and snuff out the Hamas leadership responsible for some of the latest attacks on Israeli citizens that have left the likes of Israeli pregnant women dead in drive by ambushes. And the IDF found their targets. And they killed them.

From the article at DEBKA:

Israel's manhunt for the Hamas terrorists responsible for the latest string of West Bank attacks ended Friday, Oct. 8 in a gun battle in Hebron and the deaths of Hamas' West Bank commander Nashat Al-Karmi and his lieutenant Mamoun Al-Natshe, thereby snapping Hamas' militant backbone in the territory and cutting short its drive to sabotage Israel-Palestinian talks with violence. debkafile's counter-terror sources report that the Hamas cell leader smuggled in from Syria for the drive-by attacks which killed four Israelis and injured two others, managed to escape. The pursuit for him continues.

The two were killed when Israeli troops backed by Shin Bet operatives, air cover and the police anti-terror squad closed in on three Hebron houses in which the wanted Hamas terrorists were holed up and refused to surrender. One of the houses was bulldozed and several occupants detained.

You can see from the article that the Israelis didn't exactly get all those they were looking for but the message has been sent and the escapee is probably going to spend the next ten years of his life looking over his shoulder and jumping at the slightest bump in the night.

Another behind the scenes aspect of this operation is revealed later in the article:

debkafile's sources stress that by wiping out Hamas' top West Bank command, Israel has also shown up as spurious Hamas' latest propaganda effort to demonstrate its superiority to Israel's Shin Bet and claim to have smashed Israel's covert networks in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas leaders were about to hold a news conference and lay out an array of covert gadgets, specially-rigged walkie-talkies and telephones, electronic bugs and surveillance gear, claiming they had been found in the possession of Shin Bet undercover agents. This campaign took several months to set up. It hit a high point Thursday, the day before Israel's Hebron operation, when the Egyptian Al Ahram ran a story describing how Hamas unmasked an Israeli agent who had penetrated top Hamas ranks and hoped to find the secret prison where Gilead Shalit, the Israeli soldier Hamas kidnapped in 2006 is held.

You know, Hamas can never be accused of being the brightest bulbs on the tree...and it's amazing that their leadership seems to have forgotten what Operation Cast Lead did to their terror organization but perhaps it's about that mark on the calendar where they need a more significant reminder. At the time of Operation Cast Lead, I was upset that the Israelis did not continue that operation for another month and simply eradicate Hamas from Gaza completely...now we are seeing signs that leaving even one Hamas can lead to a heavy price.

Israeli troops kill Hamas' West Bank commanders, hunt "Syrian" cell leader


Israel's manhunt for the Hamas terrorists responsible for the latest string of West Bank attacks ended Friday, Oct. 8 in a gun battle in Hebron and the deaths of Hamas' West Bank commander Nashat Al-Karmi and his lieutenant Mamoun Al-Natshe, thereby snapping Hamas' militant backbone in the territory and cutting short its drive to sabotage Israel-Palestinian talks with violence. debkafile's counter-terror sources report that the Hamas cell leader smuggled in from Syria for the drive-by attacks which killed four Israelis and injured two others, managed to escape. The pursuit for him continues.

The two were killed when Israeli troops backed by Shin Bet operatives, air cover and the police anti-terror squad closed in on three Hebron houses in which the wanted Hamas terrorists were holed up and refused to surrender. One of the houses was bulldozed and several occupants detained.
debkafile's counter-terror sources reveal: Nashat Al-Karmi, aged 34, was born in Hebron and lived there with his wife. He graduated from the local college with a degree in technological engineering. His first brush with Israeli troops occurred in 1999 when he was picked up in a counter-terror swoop and spent three years in jail. In 2004 he suffered a serious gunshot wound to the stomach and was confined to a wheelchair.

Exceptionally secretive, Al-Karmi escaped having his photo taken, never used a telephone or even a cell and preferred to go into terrorist action solo.

On Sept. 17, an Israeli unit raid on the Nur al-Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm, failed to discover Al-Karmi but killed another Hamas operative.
Our intelligence sources disclose that the Hamas terrorist showed his hand once too often this year in a shooting attack on two Israeli vehicles at the Omarim junction south of Hebron on Sept. 26, in which two Israelis were injured. The attack took place on the day Israel's settlement construction freeze expired. It was clearly the work of a lone shooter, Al-Karmi's most distinctive hallmark, and gave his Israeli pursuers a solid lead to the hand behind the latest outbreak of terrorist activity on the West Bank.

debkafile's sources stress that by wiping out Hamas' top West Bank command, Israel has also shown up as spurious Hamas' latest propaganda effort to demonstrate its superiority to Israel's Shin Bet and claim to have smashed Israel's covert networks in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas leaders were about to hold a news conference and lay out an array of covert gadgets, specially-rigged walkie-talkies and telephones, electronic bugs and surveillance gear, claiming they had been found in the possession of Shin Bet undercover agents. This campaign took several months to set up. It hit a high point Thursday, the day before Israel's Hebron operation, when the Egyptian Al Ahram ran a story describing how Hamas unmasked an Israeli agent who had penetrated top Hamas ranks and hoped to find the secret prison where Gilead Shalit, the Israeli soldier Hamas kidnapped in 2006 is held.

Al Ahram appended its own epilogue to the Hamas tale. The Shin Bet pulled its agent out of the Gaza Strip before Hamas security officials could lay hands on him, said the Cairo paper. Clearly, Egypt is not inclined to let Hamas get away with posing as masters of intelligence. While Hamas has vowed revenge for the Israeli operation in Hebron, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak congratulated the army and Shin Bet unit for their success in hunting down the terrorists who murdered Yitzhak and Talia Imus, Cochava Even-Haim and Avishi Schindler of Beit Haggai on the road near the Ben-Naim junction near Hebron on Aug. 31. A second attack left a couple seriously injured.

Father Of The Merkava Dead At 86

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Israel Tal, father of the Merkava, and Israeli Armor, passed away yesterday at the age of 86.

Major General Israel Tal (res.), one of the Israel Defense Force's most prominent commanders and military theorists, died Wednesday, after suffering from a prolonged illness.

Tal, who was a week shy of his 86th birthday, is known as the "father" of Israel's main battle tank, the Merkava, and served as the commander of the IDF's Armored Corps during Israel's "War over the Water" in the 1960s, as well as the commander of the armored division which broke through the northern Sinai in the Six Day War.

The former Major General eventually reached the portion of deputy IDF chief of staff and the commander of Israel's southern front against Egypt in the final stages of the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

In one famous incident Tal, as commander of the southern front, refused an order by then IDF chief of staff David Elazar and defense minster Moshe Dayan to engage Egyptian forces after the war had ended, insisting on receiving authorization from then prime minister Golda Meir and the Supreme Court.

While Tal eventually won the argument, the incident virtually eliminated Tal's chances of being nominated chief of staff after Elazar stepped down in the wake of the report by the Agarnat commission, which investigated the conduct of Israeli political and military officials during the war.

Upon his release, Tal was nominated deputy minister of defense under Shimon Peres, and remained in that position even after returning to active duty during Ezer Weizman's stint as defense minister.

During this period Tal, following Weizman's request, prepared plans for central ground forces command, an offer which was intercepted by two chiefs of staff, Mordechai Gur and Rafael Eitan, fearing Tal would be named chief of staff following the command's establishment.

Later, defense minister Moshe Arena erected a downsized version of Tal's command, which was later restructured as the GOC Army Headquarters.

In 1999 Tal suffered from a stroke, following an argument over the Yom Kippur War with Maj. General Doron Almog. Following a rehabilitation process the former top IDF officer partially regained his health, only to fall ill again a few months ago.

Tal left a wife, daughter, son, and grandchildren. His military funeral is expected to take place on Sunday.

President Shimon Peres said in response to Tal's passing on Wednesday that regardless "of which rank he bore on his shoulders he was, and will remain, a man above others. In his eyes, moral considerations were equally important to technological advances."

"The tank he designed, was meant to be the best in the world, and it seems that it so regarded," Peres added, saying that Tal, above anyone else, was able to articulate a "strategy that distinguished between the need to save the country and to fortify it."

The president added that the former IDF officer knew that "there wasn't an alternative to victory, but he also believed that the alternative to war is the sought-after peace, which was at hand."

"He was Israel's inexhaustible dew ['Tal,' in Hebrew]. May his memory be blessed," Peres said.

At the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor at Fort Knox, Kentucky there is a wall with several framed portraits-prints mounted on a black cloth background. This is known as the International Commander’s Wall.

The wall, created by the Armor Association and the Patton Museum Foundation, recognizes the boldest and most innovative Armor leaders. It bears witness to their courage, skill and tactical genius, and recognizes the contribution to the art of war reflected in operations of modern mechanized forces – armor and cavalry of the 20th Century.

These leaders are recognized simply by name, and while they fought many battles, one of the most noteworthy for each appears on his print. They are: General Field Marshall Erwin Rommelat the 1942 siege of Tobruk; Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr. at the 1943 battle of El Guettar; Lieutenant Colonel Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. at the 1944 battle to relieve Bastogne; Major General Israel Tal, Israeli Defense Force, as commander of the “Steel Division” in the 1967 Six Day War; Major General Moshe “Musa” Peled, Israeli Defense Force, leading his division attack along “The Road to Damascus” in defense of the Golan Heights, in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

When asked which tank would win in battle General Tal replied:  "The one with the best tank crew."  Thus summing up his philosophy and that of the IDF.

The Merkava In Action

IDF Soldiers Told Not To Eat, Smoke or Drink In Front of Muslims During Ramadan

Well, I had to read this story twice to believe it. But apparently the IDF higher ups have released an order to IDF soldiers telling them to be sensitive to the muslim holiday of Ramadan where muslims refrain from eating and other life's pleasures and necessities and said soldiers are not to eat, smoke or drink in front of muslims if at all possible.

You know, this sounds like some kind of crock of shit that some commie islamic-appeaser in the Obama administration would come up with, not the likes of the IDF leadership.

Here's some of the story from Israel National News:

Instructions issued by the IDF for the Muslim month of Ramadan forbid soldiers from eating, drinking or smoking in front of the Arabs of Judea and Samaria. A statement issued by the IDF Spokesman said that as the Muslim holiday approaches, representatives of the Civilian Administration "briefed the forces operating in the field about the holidays and customs of Ramadan.”

The grassroots Samaria Residents' Council was not happy with the instructions issued to the soldiers. “It is sad to see how the Minister of Defense shows such grand consideration for the Muslim faith, and at the same time sends IDF soldiers and Border Police to tear down synagogues, beat up rabbis of communities, issue demolition orders for yeshivas and drag Jewish youths by their earlocks.”

I don't know about you folks but I am utterly and completely sick and tired of the world's population having to adjust their damn lifestyle because there happen to be fucking muslims walking this Earth. I mean, give me a break here. We have how many Israeli families who bear the scars of islamic terror imposed upon their lives at some time or another? Whether it be during a war with Egypt or a suicide bombing by a Hamas terrorist or a Hezbollah rocket that struck an Israeli tank...the Israeli people and certainly the IDF have earned the right to not pay any homage to the ideology of Mo.

I am a Christian. I've gotten to experience seeing the likeness of my Messiah encased in a vile of urine, I've gotten to experience people ripping The Holy Bible to shreds, I've gotten to experience my sisters and brothers in this country and other countries across the world being slaughtered for their devotion to the Christ. And I have never lashed out, nor complained, nor protested over it. Because my faith is true, my faith is strong, and I was told by the Son and the Father to expect it.

But if you are a muslim who believes in the fairytale of the Qur'an and you are never at peace with yourself due to it, then the whole damn world has to accomodate your paranoia and insecurity.

It's my hope that the IDF leadership will reconsider this - those IDF soldiers sacrifice enough to protect the Israeli people to have to worry about what spot in the street they decide to grab a smoke or an afternoon snack.

Ramadan: Soldiers Told Not to Eat or Smoke in Front of Arabs


Instructions issued by the IDF for the Muslim month of Ramadan forbid soldiers from eating, drinking or smoking in front of the Arabs of Judea and Samaria. A statement issued by the IDF Spokesman said that as the Muslim holiday approaches, representatives of the Civilian Administration "briefed the forces operating in the field about the holidays and customs of Ramadan.”

"The soldiers were instructed to show greater consideration toward the residents, and to refrain as much as possible from eating, drinking and smoking in public in front of the population, especially at the crossing points, and to be alert and accommodating.”

Devout Muslims refrain from eating, drinking or smoking during the daytime hours of Ramadan.

Several checkpoints will operate until later hours because of Ramadan. In addition, first-degree relatives of Arabs living in pre-1967 Israel will be allowed to visit them for a one-week period during the month of Ramadan.

Two hundred entry permits for foreigners from Arab countries will be issued for “humanitarian cases.”

The grassroots Samaria Residents' Council was not happy with the instructions issued to the soldiers. “It is sad to see how the Minister of Defense shows such grand consideration for the Muslim faith, and at the same time sends IDF soldiers and Border Police to tear down synagogues, beat up rabbis of communities, issue demolition orders for yeshivas and drag Jewish youths by their earlocks.”

The Council asks: “Is he Ehud Barak or Ahmed Barak?”

Israel Issues Ultimatum To Lebanon: Either Court-martial Commander Who Ordered Fire on IDF or Israel Will Destroy All Border Positions

Strong, strong words coming out of Israel the other day and all justified as the Israelis have now given the Lebanese government and military a choice - either Lebanon court-martials the local commander in southern Lebanon who ordered his troops to fire on IDF soldiers earlier this week that killed one IDF soldier, or Lebanese border positions will be taken out by the Israelis. Now, this is information coming from behind the scenes so you won't see this as an official stance from the Israeli government but I put stock in it - the Israelis are not going to pussyfoot around on this

From the story at DEBKA:

Israel has handed Lebanon an ultimatum. Before a line can be drawn on the Lebanese-Israeli clash which flared Tuesday, Aug. 3, the Lebanese Army 9th Brigade commander responsible for sending snipers to shoot at Israeli troops clearing brush on their side of the border and killing Lt. Col. (Res.) Dov Harari, must be dismissed or court-martialed, debkafile's military sources report.
This burst of Lebanese sniper fire triggered the clash.
The ultimatum was delivered at a three-way meeting at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqura on Wednesday night, August 4, attended by UN, IDF and Lebanese Army officers, after Israel learned that the guilty Lebanese officer is a Shiite who hangs out with Hizballah commanders in South Lebanon. The possibility is not precluded that his Hizballah friends tipped him off to the presence of high Israeli officers within firing distance from the Lebanese border.
This information runs contrary to the IDF's official line on the incident, which absolved Hizballah of involvement in the clash and claimed the Shiite terrorists were taken by surprise no less than the Israeli military
UNIFIL carried a warning to Beirut that if the Lebanese army failed to punish the officer, Israel would deem it an enemy force and feel free to destroy its military positions along their border.

Our military sources reveal that the Naqura conference was also attended unofficially by the American, French and German military attachés stationed at their embassies in Beirut. They were sent to apply the brakes on any further escalation of the Israeli-Lebanese military showdown.

Earlier this week, I mentioned that Lebanon is finding itself in a new and dangerous position because of their new inclusion of Hezbollah in the government's dealings...well, this is case in point of that precarious position they now find themselves in. Israel is talking about destroying Lebanese military outposts and if Lebanese soldiers don't evacuate, they'll be killed. Gone are the days when Lebanon can just point the finger at Hezbollah and say that the government had nothing to do with their bad behavior.

Personally, I think this exactly the right time to push both the Lebanese military and Hezbollah back about 100 miles from the Israeli border - turn that section of land into a glass parking lot - afterall, when Israel needs to go full force into Lebanon, it'll be a much smoother ride for Israeli tanks.

Israel threatens to destroy hostile Lebanese border positions

Israel has handed Lebanon an ultimatum. Before a line can be drawn on the Lebanese-Israeli clash which flared Tuesday, Aug. 3, the Lebanese Army 9th Brigade commander responsible for sending snipers to shoot at Israeli troops clearing brush on their side of the border and killing Lt. Col. (Res.) Dov Harari, must be dismissed or court-martialed, debkafile's military sources report.
This burst of Lebanese sniper fire triggered the clash.
The ultimatum was delivered at a three-way meeting at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqura on Wednesday night, August 4, attended by UN, IDF and Lebanese Army officers, after Israel learned that the guilty Lebanese officer is a Shiite who hangs out with Hizballah commanders in South Lebanon. The possibility is not precluded that his Hizballah friends tipped him off to the presence of high Israeli officers within firing distance from the Lebanese border.
This information runs contrary to the IDF's official line on the incident, which absolved Hizballah of involvement in the clash and claimed the Shiite terrorists were taken by surprise no less than the Israeli military
UNIFIL carried a warning to Beirut that if the Lebanese army failed to punish the officer, Israel would deem it an enemy force and feel free to destroy its military positions along their border.

Our military sources reveal that the Naqura conference was also attended unofficially by the American, French and German military attachés stationed at their embassies in Beirut. They were sent to apply the brakes on any further escalation of the Israeli-Lebanese military showdown.
A UNIFIL spokesman announced early Thursday morning, August 5 that Israel and Lebanon had both pledged to work with the UN to avoid violent incidents in the future. However, on the quiet, our sources report the UN peacekeepers agreed to convey the Israeli ultimatum and warning to Beirut with their own recommendation to remove the Lebanese officer responsible for the outbreak from the South in the interests of restoring calm.
The ultimatum did not give the Lebanese army a deadline for punishing the officer or say what action Israel would take if it was not met, but the Israeli officers at Naqura presented a tough and unyielding front. Jerusalem will not let the death of a high officer go unpunished.

The Lebanese high command and Hizballah were reminded of Israel's reprisal Saturday Aug. 1 against Hamas, for firing a Grad missile at Ashkelon on July 30: Israeli Air Force bombers struck a number of targets across the Gaza Strip, one of which killed the high-ranking Hamas commander, Issa Batran, commander of the organization's missile batteries.
It was to avenge his death that Hamas' military wing, Izzedin al-Qassam, launched half a dozen Grad missiles from Sinai against Eilat on Monday, August 2. (In the event, they missed their aim and hit Aqaba, killing one Jordanian.)

Far from winding down the Lebanese-Israel border crisis, the Israeli ultimatum looks more like the opening move for the next round. The Beirut government is not expected in Jerusalem, Washington or Naqura to punish the Shiite 9th Brigade officer lest Hizballah throw its weight behind him and canonize him as a national Shiite hero. Israel will then feel free to exercise its options for the Lebanese act of aggression.

The state of play between Israel and Lebanon was described by high Israeli military sources Thursday, Aug. 5, as fluid and incendiary. A single tree or rocket could blow up into a major conflagration and spread across the Middle East.
Time is rushing toward another flashpoint: Hizballah's secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, has threatened to pass the buck for the five-year old assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri to Israel to ease the pressure of guilt preying on his own organization. He promises to present "proof" of Israeli secret service complicity at a press conference on Monday, August 9.

Western military and intelligence circles in the Middle East agreed Thursday that Israel cannot afford to let a second casus belli from Lebanon go unanswered after the unprovoked death of its officer.
A tense Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set the scene Thursday night with his first ever videotaped speech that was broadcast on three Israeli TV channels.
He held Hamas and the Lebanese government responsible for three cross-border attacks in as many days. While the third was staged by Lebanon, Netanyahu placed the Grad attacks on Ashkelon and Eilat squarely at the door of the Palestinian Hamas.
He made it clear that Israel would make both answerable when he said: "Don’t test our resolve to defend our citizens."

Israeli Air Strike, In Retaliation For Hamas Rocket Attack, Kills Top Level Hamas Commander

Yesssssssssss! One of the top five Hamas military commanders met his end last night as an Israeli air strike hit his convoy and ended his life of terror - the pig is dead and gone, good riddance. The Israeli response was due to a rocket attack on the Israeli city of Askelon and once again, we see the Netanyahu government wastes NO time in retaliating against Hamas or any other terrorist attack from Gaza.

From the article at Haaretz:

Hamas on Saturday vowed revenge after one of its senior commanders was killed in Israeli air strikes on Hamas-linked targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday night.

The Hamas operative, a 40-year-old member of Hamas' military wing, was killed in an explosion near the Nuseirat refugee camp south of Gaza City in the center of the Hamas-controlled strip. Another 13 Palestinians were hurt.

The dead man is believed to be Issa al-Batran, a commander of Hamas forces in the central Gaza region.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the air-strike, which the army said targeted a Hamas-linked site in the northern Gaza Strip, a weapons-manufacturing warehouse in the central Gaza Strip and a weapons-smuggling tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip.

Now, first of all, I apologize for the ridiculous Haaretz article here - the pansy-assed, terrorist appeasing Israeli agency did a shit job on this attack but I had some issues with trying to load the other accounts of this successful retaliatory strike. But no matter how Haaretz wants to dress this thing up, the fact of the matter is this - Hamas lost a key operative commander that stings 'em bad.

The other effect of this strike by the Israelis is that seed of fear that is once again put into the minds of Hamas senior leaders - once the rocket attack occurred at Ashkelon, it wasn't long when all of a sudden al-Batran is taken out - as in the IDF knew EXACTLY where he was the whole time so if you are a Hamas leader today and some fly by night jihadi group fires a katyusha rocket into Israel, chances are good you've got a laser on your ass and the JDAM or hellfire isn't far behind. Comforting, isn't it? Mwahahahaha!

Hamas vows revenge after Israel kills commander in Gaza strike


Hamas on Saturday vowed revenge after one of its senior commanders was killed in Israeli air strikes on Hamas-linked targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday night.

"This new stupidity won't easily pass. We promise revenge for the blood of our martyr," the al-Qassam Brigades said in a leaflet faxed to reporters.

The Hamas operative, a 40-year-old member of Hamas' military wing, was killed in an explosion near the Nuseirat refugee camp south of Gaza City in the center of the Hamas-controlled strip. Another 13 Palestinians were hurt.

The dead man is believed to be Issa al-Batran, a commander of Hamas forces in the central Gaza region.

Batran, thought to have been involved in manufaturing rockets, has been the target of a number of Israeli assassination attempts, the most recent of which, in January, killed wife and five children.

The strikes on Gaza, which Palestinian sources described as the heaviest since Operation Cast Lead, Israel's two-week assault on the Gaza Strip a year and a half ago, came after a rocket fired from the Palestinian territory exploded in the city of Ashkelon earlier in the day.

The National Resistance Committee, a group which supports the Hamas government in Gaza, claimed reposnsbility for the rocket attack, Israel Radio reported on Saturday

Later in the day, the IDF shot at and wounded two Palestinians near the Erez crossing on Gaza border after they ignored warnings to retreat, the broadcaster said.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the air-strike, which the army said targeted a Hamas-linked site in the northern Gaza Strip, a weapons-manufacturing warehouse in the central Gaza Strip and a weapons-smuggling tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip.

Earlier Friday, Israel lodged a complaint to the United Nations about rocket and mortar attacks launched from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel.

A Grad-type rocket fired by Palestinian militants in Gaza struck close to an apartment building in a residential area of Ashkelon on Friday morning, while two mortar shells exploded in the western Negev just a few hours later.

"These recent attacks on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip seriously violate international law and should be adequately addressed and condemned by the international community," Israel's ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev wrote in a letter to UN chief Ban ki-Moon. "In response to the escalating threat of terrorism, Israel will exercise its right of self-defense and will continue to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens."

Shalev wrote that the attacks highlighted the dangers emanating from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

The Katyusha rocket hit the populated neighborhood just after 8:30 A.M., causing some damage to the nearby building and to a number of parked cars. There were no casualties in the incident, but at least two people were treated for shock. Residents said that the Color Red rocket alert sounded prior to the explosion.

At around 12:30 P.M., two mortar shells hit the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council.

The Israeli military believes that Hamas was not responsible for the Grad attack and that the Islamist organization which controls the Gaza Strip is not interested in escalating tensions in the area, Army Radio reported.

The attack on Ashkelon was one of the first to strike the city after months of quiet since Israel launched a three week military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in late 2008, called Operation Cast Lead in Israel.

"No doubt this is the most serious event that happened since Operation Cast Lead," Ashkelon mayor Benny Vaknin told Israel Radio. The city is located about 12 km (7 miles) up the coast from the Gaza Strip and has some 125,000 residents.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement from his office: "Israel takes the firing on Ashkelon very seriously."

While rocket fire has continued since the devastating war, much of it has targeted smaller towns closer to the border. Four Qassam rockets and two mortar shells were fired at Israel last weekend, none of them causing any casualties as they hit open areas of the western Negev.

Israel often carries out strikes against smuggling tunnels or outposts of Hamas after such attacks.

No group in Gaza claimed responsibility for the rocket fire. Hamas has said it is trying to stop militants from firing at Israel, but smaller groups have continued the attacks.