Emboldened by President Joe Biden’s decision to cut off weapons supply to Israel amid its ongoing war against terrorist group Hamas, Iran-backed Hezbollah terror militia has ramped up rocket attacks from Lebanon into northern Israel.
“Hezbollah fired a barrage of 35 rockets from Lebanon at the northern city of Kiryat Shmona sparking fires in the surrounding areas Friday, while the military responded with a wave of strikes on the terror group’s positions,” The Times of Israel reported Saturday.
The relentless rocket and mortar barrage caused large-scale wild fires, The Jerusalem Post reports:
Following several heavy barrages from Lebanon on Friday afternoon, fires erupted in Northern Israel, according to Israeli media.The heavy rocket barrages caused the fire, which is still raging at this hour, with the arrival of Shabbat. Firefighters have not yet brought the blaze under control.The fire broke out mainly in the wooded area and in the dry vegetation on a high ridge. Due to the heat and dryness that prevailed today, the fire ignited quickly and spread.Extinguishing the fire during these hours is particularly difficult due to the mountainous terrain’s darkness and route. The abundant vegetation that grows during the rainy winter adds to the high risk of fires following the fall of rockets or interceptor parts.
The Israeli air force carried out retaliatory strikes in southern Lebanon, destroying Hezbollah terror targets and a missile launch post.
“A short while ago, the IDF completed a series of strikes on terror targets in the areas of Odaisseh, Khiam, Rab El Thalathine, Deir Siriane, Ayta ash Shab and Mhaibib in southern Lebanon,” the IDF said in a press release Satuday night. “As part of the strikes, IAF fighter jets dismantled five Hezbollah military structures, as well as an additional Hezbollah military launch post, from which launches that crossed into northern Israel were fired.”
Hezbollah’s terrorist onslaught in the north has displace tens of thousands of Israeli from their homes. Their plight has largely been ignored by so-called humanitarian groups and the mainstream media.
Close to 90,000 Israeli civilians have fled their homes in the north due to relentless Hezbollah rocket fire, figures released in February show. Many of them are “housed in collective shelters in precarious conditions,” the French newspaper Le Monde noted.
In face of growing Hezbollah aggression, the IDF conducted a drill aimed as enhancing its combat preparedness along the border with Lebanon and Syria — both countries dominated by Hezbollah and other Iranian proxy terror groups, the Israeli TV channel i24NEWS reported Saturday:
In a bid to enhance preparedness for potential threats, the Northern Command of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a series of exercises along the country’s northern border this week.The focus remained on increasing competence and readiness across various combat scenarios in the region.Notably, reserve battalions of the Etzioni Brigade (6) participated in a comprehensive brigade exercise in the Western Galilee. Led by the National Center for Land Training (MLA), the exercise simulated combat situations in Lebanon. Infantry, armor, and engineering forces honed their operational cooperation skills in mountainous and intricate terrains, utilizing camouflage and combat techniques. Additionally, logistical and ICT elements were integrated into the exercise to ensure a comprehensive approach to readiness.Since the onset of recent conflicts, the Etzioni Brigade has been actively engaged in defending Israel’s northern border, deploying fighters from the Nakra region to the Golan Heights. Meanwhile, the 91st Division Headquarters (Ozbet HaGil) conducted exercises to accelerate readiness for potential attacks in the area. Commanders and units practiced various scenarios to enhance their responsiveness and effectiveness.
After last night’s decision by Israel’s war cabinet to expand the Rafah operation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is helping more civilians to evacuate the Hamas-held stronghold and move to newly extended humanitarian zone. The military is gearing up to wrest control of more territory from Hamas in Gaza’s last remaining terrorist stronghold, news reports suggest.
“Israel called on Saturday for Palestinians in more areas of Gaza’s southern city of Rafah to evacuate and head to what it calls an expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, in a further indication that the military is pressing ahead with its plans for a ground attack on Rafah,” the i24NEWS reported.
Reporting on the ongoing operation in eastern Rafah, the IDF disclosed Sunday morning that “over the past day, IAF aircraft struck tens of terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including military structures, launch posts, observation posts, terrorist operatives and additional terrorist infrastructure.”
“IDF troops, with the direction of ISA and IDF intelligence, continue precise operational activity against Hamas terrorists and infrastructure in specific areas of eastern Rafah,” the military said in the statement. “Over the past day, IDF troops eliminated numerous terrorists in close-quarters combat and dismantled terrorist infrastructure in the area.”
“IDF troops are continuing operational activity in the area of the Gazan side of Rafah Crossing, uncovering numerous underground tunnel shafts and eliminating armed terrorists in coordination with the IAF,” the Israeli military added.
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