21 june 2015
since the start of the four-year civil war there, mostly destroying weaponry that were destined for Lebanon's Shi'ite militia Hezbollah, Israel's long-time foe. Israel rarely confirms such strikes.
Hezbollah and Israel fought a 34-day war in 2006 in which hundreds of people were killed. Earlier this year, an alleged Israeli helicopter strike in Syria killed several Hezbollah members and an Iranian general. The group hit back days later with a rocket attack that killed two Israeli soldiers on the frontier with Lebanon.
Observers and Lebanese residents have sometimes seen surveillance planes over Lebanon before such strikes. The Hezbollah-run al-Manar news channel reported the explosion in Bekaa but did not give more details.
Israel raid hits crashed drone in Lebanon
Reports says the Israeli military has carried out a strike to destroy the wreckage of a drone that had earlier crashed in a remote area of Lebanon’ western Bekaa region, in another violation of Lebanese sovereignty.
Lebanon’s al-Manar television quoted a Lebanese security official as saying that the drone had crashed near the town of Saghbine in the Bekaa region overnight on Saturday.
According to the report, the Israeli military targeted the crashed drone in a Sunday morning strike in an attempt to make sure the aircraft is completely destroyed.
Lebanese officials are yet to comment on the reports.
There have been no immediate reports of casualties in the incident. The Lebanese army has dispatched a team to the site.
Hezbollah and Israel fought a 34-day war in 2006 in which hundreds of people were killed. Earlier this year, an alleged Israeli helicopter strike in Syria killed several Hezbollah members and an Iranian general. The group hit back days later with a rocket attack that killed two Israeli soldiers on the frontier with Lebanon.
Observers and Lebanese residents have sometimes seen surveillance planes over Lebanon before such strikes. The Hezbollah-run al-Manar news channel reported the explosion in Bekaa but did not give more details.
Israel raid hits crashed drone in Lebanon
Reports says the Israeli military has carried out a strike to destroy the wreckage of a drone that had earlier crashed in a remote area of Lebanon’ western Bekaa region, in another violation of Lebanese sovereignty.
Lebanon’s al-Manar television quoted a Lebanese security official as saying that the drone had crashed near the town of Saghbine in the Bekaa region overnight on Saturday.
According to the report, the Israeli military targeted the crashed drone in a Sunday morning strike in an attempt to make sure the aircraft is completely destroyed.
Lebanese officials are yet to comment on the reports.
There have been no immediate reports of casualties in the incident. The Lebanese army has dispatched a team to the site.
13 june 2015
Israeli forces carry a fellow Israeli soldier after an anti-tank missile
hit an Israeli military vehicle in an occupied area on the border with
Lebanon on January 28, 2015
Lebanon has called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to act on deterring Israel from persistently violating the Lebanese sovereignty, insisting that Tel Aviv must be forced to abide by UNSC Resolution 1701.
The move came Friday in separate letters by Lebanon’s Permanent UN Representative Nawaf Salam in which he detailed the Israeli violations, according to the Beirut-based Daily Star. The letters were addressed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and current UN Security Council President Dato Ramlan Ibrahim.
According to the letters, during 2014 the Israeli forces violated Lebanon’s airspace 698 times, and its land and sea borders 333 and 38 times, respectively.
Salam further stated that so far this year the Israeli forces have violated the Lebanese airspace 217 times and made 87 land and 44 sea incursions into the nation’s territory.
The Lebanese UN envoy also reiterated that the continuing Israeli intrusions into its territory represent a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty, international law, the UN Charter and UNSC Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the Israeli regime’s massive military invasion of Lebanon in the summer of 2006.
Additionally, Salam noted that aside from the listed violations, Israeli authorities have also engaged in making a number of serious threats against the Lebanese nation and its government.
During their 2006 military incursion into Lebanon, Israeli forces were fiercely opposed by fighters of Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement who killed more than 120 Israeli soldiers, more than what the regime had lost since it came into existence in 1948 by occupying Palestine and annexing a large part of the ancient land as well as territories in neighboring Syria, Egypt and Jordan.
Lebanon has called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to act on deterring Israel from persistently violating the Lebanese sovereignty, insisting that Tel Aviv must be forced to abide by UNSC Resolution 1701.
The move came Friday in separate letters by Lebanon’s Permanent UN Representative Nawaf Salam in which he detailed the Israeli violations, according to the Beirut-based Daily Star. The letters were addressed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and current UN Security Council President Dato Ramlan Ibrahim.
According to the letters, during 2014 the Israeli forces violated Lebanon’s airspace 698 times, and its land and sea borders 333 and 38 times, respectively.
Salam further stated that so far this year the Israeli forces have violated the Lebanese airspace 217 times and made 87 land and 44 sea incursions into the nation’s territory.
The Lebanese UN envoy also reiterated that the continuing Israeli intrusions into its territory represent a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty, international law, the UN Charter and UNSC Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the Israeli regime’s massive military invasion of Lebanon in the summer of 2006.
Additionally, Salam noted that aside from the listed violations, Israeli authorities have also engaged in making a number of serious threats against the Lebanese nation and its government.
During their 2006 military incursion into Lebanon, Israeli forces were fiercely opposed by fighters of Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement who killed more than 120 Israeli soldiers, more than what the regime had lost since it came into existence in 1948 by occupying Palestine and annexing a large part of the ancient land as well as territories in neighboring Syria, Egypt and Jordan.
5 june 2015
The secretary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, has warned Israel against potential military strikes against Lebanon.
Nasrallah said the Israeli regime should not think that Hezbollah is preoccupied with the operations in Syria against terrorist groups, saying a strong response awaits Israel if it attacks Lebanon.
The Hezbollah leader said that despite all the propaganda against the resistance group, it gained many achievements in the Qalamoun region on the Lebanese-Syrian border.
He said Hezbollah fighters have liberated many areas from the Takfiri al-Nusra Front militants in the border region.
The Hezbollah fighters and the Syrian army now have the upper hand in Qalamoun, Nasrallah said.
He said the battle on the outskirts of the town of Arsal will continue, but emphasized that Hezbollah fighters do not plan to enter the town itself, the liberating of which is the responsibility of the Lebanese army.
On the Takfiri ISIL terrorist group, the Hezbollah leader said the group was originally formed in Iraq, and later spread to Syria.
Nasrallah said the ISIL group split from the al-Qaeda terrorist group, which was itself created by the US, Saudi and Pakistani intelligence agencies.
On the Saudi military strikes against Yemen, the Hezbollah leader said that Saudi Arabia does not want anyone to criticize the military aggression against its impoverished neighbor.
He said the stance of Hezbollah has from day one been to condemn the Saudi military strikes against Yemen.
Out of the goals declared by Saudi Arabia in the military aggression against Yemen, Nasrallah said, none were achieved.
“Yes, they killed, they destroyed… criminal gangs can do that; aside from that, none of the declared goals were achieved,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has to end the aggression against and the blockade against Yemen, the Hezbollah leader said.
Nasrallah said the Israeli regime should not think that Hezbollah is preoccupied with the operations in Syria against terrorist groups, saying a strong response awaits Israel if it attacks Lebanon.
The Hezbollah leader said that despite all the propaganda against the resistance group, it gained many achievements in the Qalamoun region on the Lebanese-Syrian border.
He said Hezbollah fighters have liberated many areas from the Takfiri al-Nusra Front militants in the border region.
The Hezbollah fighters and the Syrian army now have the upper hand in Qalamoun, Nasrallah said.
He said the battle on the outskirts of the town of Arsal will continue, but emphasized that Hezbollah fighters do not plan to enter the town itself, the liberating of which is the responsibility of the Lebanese army.
On the Takfiri ISIL terrorist group, the Hezbollah leader said the group was originally formed in Iraq, and later spread to Syria.
Nasrallah said the ISIL group split from the al-Qaeda terrorist group, which was itself created by the US, Saudi and Pakistani intelligence agencies.
On the Saudi military strikes against Yemen, the Hezbollah leader said that Saudi Arabia does not want anyone to criticize the military aggression against its impoverished neighbor.
He said the stance of Hezbollah has from day one been to condemn the Saudi military strikes against Yemen.
Out of the goals declared by Saudi Arabia in the military aggression against Yemen, Nasrallah said, none were achieved.
“Yes, they killed, they destroyed… criminal gangs can do that; aside from that, none of the declared goals were achieved,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has to end the aggression against and the blockade against Yemen, the Hezbollah leader said.
2 june 2015
Lebanese media says attacks took place in area where Hezbollah is fighting rebels aiming to oust Assad; Hezbollah denies attacks.
Israel Air Force jets struck targets in the are of the Lebanon-Syrian border in the Bekaa valley, Lebanese media reported Tuesday afternoon.
The reports said that there were wounded in the strikes. The intended target was initially unclear in the reports.
According to the reports, the two attacks occurred in the mountain region where Hezbollah has been fighting rebels aiming to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Hezbollah officials, in an interview with Al-Manar television and the Lebanese news website Al-Ahad, both affiliated with the organization, denied reports of the attacks in the Bekaa Valley.
According to the same sources the sound heard in the border region between Syria and Lebanon was due to the penetration of airplanes into Lebanese airspace.
If the reports are proven to be correct, Tuesday would not be the first time that Israel has struck targets in lebanon deemed to be a threat to national security. Such strikes have included the destruction of missile shipments to Hezbollah.
Israel Air Force jets struck targets in the are of the Lebanon-Syrian border in the Bekaa valley, Lebanese media reported Tuesday afternoon.
The reports said that there were wounded in the strikes. The intended target was initially unclear in the reports.
According to the reports, the two attacks occurred in the mountain region where Hezbollah has been fighting rebels aiming to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Hezbollah officials, in an interview with Al-Manar television and the Lebanese news website Al-Ahad, both affiliated with the organization, denied reports of the attacks in the Bekaa Valley.
According to the same sources the sound heard in the border region between Syria and Lebanon was due to the penetration of airplanes into Lebanese airspace.
If the reports are proven to be correct, Tuesday would not be the first time that Israel has struck targets in lebanon deemed to be a threat to national security. Such strikes have included the destruction of missile shipments to Hezbollah.
14 may 2015
The border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip
A senior Israeli military intelligence official said Wednesday Israel would likely "have to" target civilian areas in Lebanon in a future confrontation with Hezbollah, given its distribution of weapons sites.
In a briefing to foreign journalists at the defense ministry in Tel Aviv, the official also warned of a heightened threat of conflict on Israel's borders in the next two years as a result of "escalation" in the region.
The official's warning came after a Hezbollah attack killed two Israeli soldiers and a UN peacekeeper in January 2015, raising fears of another all-out war.
Hezbollah had launched the attack shortly after an Israeli strike in the occupied Golan Heights killed six Hezbollah members including a commander and son of the group's deceased military leader.
In addition to tensions with neighboring Hezbollah, Israel continues to rail against a full nuclear deal emerging between world powers and arch-foe Iran. "If we speak about a war that one country or one organization will all of a sudden start against Israel, the probability is even lower than it was two or three years ago," said the official, who requested that his name not be used.
"But the probability for war as a result of escalation... or miscalculation is much higher than it was in the past, because of the situation of organisations around Israel." The official referred specifically to Hezbollah and Iran's arming of the group, with whom Israel fought a month-long war in 2006.
"The Iranian threat is a tangible threat to Israel. Iran has an aspiration to rule, to control the Middle East. "One of the tools Iran uses in order to implement this policy is Hezbollah," he said.
The official added that a nuclear deal with Iran allowing the Islamic republic to prosper economically would likely lead to more funding of its proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah.
World powers are conducting sensitive negotiations with Iran aimed at preventing it from developing nuclear weapons, in exchange for an easing of punishing economic sanctions.
The army official warned that in a future conflict with Hezbollah, Israel would "have to" target civilian areas. He said Hezbollah currently possesses more than 100,000 rockets hidden in civilian areas in Lebanese villages that could hit northern Israel, including "hundreds" which could reach anywhere in the Jewish state."Each (village) is a military stronghold.
Next time we have a war with Hezbollah, we will have to attack each one of these targets, and we hope the population will not be there," he said.
Israel is still reeling from a report by an Israeli army veterans NGO Breaking the Silence earlier this month, in which members of Israeli forces gave testimony that the military acted with complete disregard for civilian casualties during last summer's offense on the Gaza Strip.
The military has opened investigations, including into deadly incidents where the army shelled UN schools. So far, it has charged three soldiers with looting during the war that killed over 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 73 on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.
The Palestinians are preparing to sue Israeli officials through the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes during the conflict.
A senior Israeli military intelligence official said Wednesday Israel would likely "have to" target civilian areas in Lebanon in a future confrontation with Hezbollah, given its distribution of weapons sites.
In a briefing to foreign journalists at the defense ministry in Tel Aviv, the official also warned of a heightened threat of conflict on Israel's borders in the next two years as a result of "escalation" in the region.
The official's warning came after a Hezbollah attack killed two Israeli soldiers and a UN peacekeeper in January 2015, raising fears of another all-out war.
Hezbollah had launched the attack shortly after an Israeli strike in the occupied Golan Heights killed six Hezbollah members including a commander and son of the group's deceased military leader.
In addition to tensions with neighboring Hezbollah, Israel continues to rail against a full nuclear deal emerging between world powers and arch-foe Iran. "If we speak about a war that one country or one organization will all of a sudden start against Israel, the probability is even lower than it was two or three years ago," said the official, who requested that his name not be used.
"But the probability for war as a result of escalation... or miscalculation is much higher than it was in the past, because of the situation of organisations around Israel." The official referred specifically to Hezbollah and Iran's arming of the group, with whom Israel fought a month-long war in 2006.
"The Iranian threat is a tangible threat to Israel. Iran has an aspiration to rule, to control the Middle East. "One of the tools Iran uses in order to implement this policy is Hezbollah," he said.
The official added that a nuclear deal with Iran allowing the Islamic republic to prosper economically would likely lead to more funding of its proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah.
World powers are conducting sensitive negotiations with Iran aimed at preventing it from developing nuclear weapons, in exchange for an easing of punishing economic sanctions.
The army official warned that in a future conflict with Hezbollah, Israel would "have to" target civilian areas. He said Hezbollah currently possesses more than 100,000 rockets hidden in civilian areas in Lebanese villages that could hit northern Israel, including "hundreds" which could reach anywhere in the Jewish state."Each (village) is a military stronghold.
Next time we have a war with Hezbollah, we will have to attack each one of these targets, and we hope the population will not be there," he said.
Israel is still reeling from a report by an Israeli army veterans NGO Breaking the Silence earlier this month, in which members of Israeli forces gave testimony that the military acted with complete disregard for civilian casualties during last summer's offense on the Gaza Strip.
The military has opened investigations, including into deadly incidents where the army shelled UN schools. So far, it has charged three soldiers with looting during the war that killed over 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 73 on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.
The Palestinians are preparing to sue Israeli officials through the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes during the conflict.
12 may 2015
A picture taken on January 29, 2015 from the Lebanese side along the Lebanese-Israeli border shows a helicopter of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) flying over the divided village of Ghajar.
The Lebanese military has called for an end to the violation of the country's territorial integrity by the Israeli regime.
The call was made during a Monday meeting of military officials from Lebanon, Israel and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the southern Lebanese city of Naqoura about the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon.
“The Lebanese delegation presented [a list of] Israeli violations by air, ground, and sea, demanding [that] they halt immediately,” the Lebanese Army said in a statement.
Brigadier General Mohammad Janbeh, who headed the Lebanese delegation, also demanded the full implementation of the UN resolution.
“[The Lebanese delegation] stressed the need to resolve incidents in the field, even if they are simple, in order to prevent them from developing and causing larger incidents,” the statement read.
UNIFIL commander Major General Portolano also said all parties are required to fulfill their obligations enshrined in the resolution.
The resolution calls on Tel Aviv to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by ending violations of Lebanon's airspace.
The Lebanese government, the resistance movement of Hezbollah and the UNIFIL, have condemned Israel for repeatedly violating UN Resolution 1701 and the Lebanese territorial integrity.
Tel Aviv launched wars on Lebanon in 2000 and 2006. About 1,200 Lebanese, most of them civilians, were killed in the 33-Day War of 2006. On both occasions, however, Hezbollah fighters defeated the Israeli forces and Tel Aviv was forced to retreat without achieving any of its objectives.
The Lebanese military has called for an end to the violation of the country's territorial integrity by the Israeli regime.
The call was made during a Monday meeting of military officials from Lebanon, Israel and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the southern Lebanese city of Naqoura about the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon.
“The Lebanese delegation presented [a list of] Israeli violations by air, ground, and sea, demanding [that] they halt immediately,” the Lebanese Army said in a statement.
Brigadier General Mohammad Janbeh, who headed the Lebanese delegation, also demanded the full implementation of the UN resolution.
“[The Lebanese delegation] stressed the need to resolve incidents in the field, even if they are simple, in order to prevent them from developing and causing larger incidents,” the statement read.
UNIFIL commander Major General Portolano also said all parties are required to fulfill their obligations enshrined in the resolution.
The resolution calls on Tel Aviv to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by ending violations of Lebanon's airspace.
The Lebanese government, the resistance movement of Hezbollah and the UNIFIL, have condemned Israel for repeatedly violating UN Resolution 1701 and the Lebanese territorial integrity.
Tel Aviv launched wars on Lebanon in 2000 and 2006. About 1,200 Lebanese, most of them civilians, were killed in the 33-Day War of 2006. On both occasions, however, Hezbollah fighters defeated the Israeli forces and Tel Aviv was forced to retreat without achieving any of its objectives.
29 apr 2015
Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Luciano Portolano
Israel is obliged to withdraw from the northern part of the village of Ghajar, on the border between Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights, as well as surrounding areas, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says.
UNIFIL Commander Major General Luciano Portolano said in an interview on Wednesday that Israel must retreat from the Ghajar village as well as the areas adjacent to the Blue Line, in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, the Naharnet reported.
The Blue Line is a border demarcation between occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon determined by the UN.
Israel’s presence in the area violates resolution 1701, Portolano said, stressing that the matter is “nonnegotiable as the territory is Lebanese.”
“We have been firm in discussing the issue during all our bilateral and tripartite meetings with Israel,” Portolano said.
Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched on Lebanon in 2006, calls on Tel Aviv to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The resolution stresses that Israel should end violations of Lebanon's airspace, and respect the Blue Line.
The Lebanese government, resistance movement of Hezbollah and the UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned Israel for violating UN Resolution 1701 and the Lebanese territorial integrity.
Israel is obliged to withdraw from the northern part of the village of Ghajar, on the border between Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights, as well as surrounding areas, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says.
UNIFIL Commander Major General Luciano Portolano said in an interview on Wednesday that Israel must retreat from the Ghajar village as well as the areas adjacent to the Blue Line, in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, the Naharnet reported.
The Blue Line is a border demarcation between occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon determined by the UN.
Israel’s presence in the area violates resolution 1701, Portolano said, stressing that the matter is “nonnegotiable as the territory is Lebanese.”
“We have been firm in discussing the issue during all our bilateral and tripartite meetings with Israel,” Portolano said.
Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched on Lebanon in 2006, calls on Tel Aviv to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The resolution stresses that Israel should end violations of Lebanon's airspace, and respect the Blue Line.
The Lebanese government, resistance movement of Hezbollah and the UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned Israel for violating UN Resolution 1701 and the Lebanese territorial integrity.
25 apr 2015
Al Jazeera reports IAF planes targeted 155th and 65th brigades of the Syrian army, which deal with strategic weapons and long-range missiles, on the Syrian-Lebanese border; Al Arabiya reports Israel attacked 2 weapons convoys on Wednesday.
Israeli fighter jets allegedly hit Syrian and Hezbollah targets on the Syria-Lebanon border Friday overnight, Al Jazeera reported Saturday.
According to sources quoted by Al Jazeera, the attack in al-Qalamoun targeted the 155th and 65th Brigades of the Syrian army, which deal with strategic weapons and long-range missiles.
The sources reported several explosions in the Syrian towns of Al-Qutayfah, Yabroud and Qarah on the outskirts of Damascus.
Al Arabiya reported the attack targeted Syrian weapons depots, and that on Wednesday Israel allegedly attack two weapons convoys, reportedly killing one person.
The IDF declined to respond to the reports. Syrian regime-affiliated media and Hezbollah-affiliated media have yet to report the alleged attack.
According to foreign sources, Israeli air force have allegedly carried out several raids against targets in Syria, including depots storing weapons meant for Hezbollah, since the conflict there started over four years ago.
Though Israel had maintained a policy of neutrality regarding the Syrian war, the most recent strike was said to be in January, when Hezbollah commander Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of Lebanese terrorist Imad Mughniyah, was killed along with other Hezbollah fighters and a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander.
Last December, Israeli warplanes reportedly struck weapons warehouses near Damascus.
Israel has never confirmed it carried out the strikes, but it says it has a policy of preventing arms transfers to militant groups including Hezbollah.
Israeli fighter jets allegedly hit Syrian and Hezbollah targets on the Syria-Lebanon border Friday overnight, Al Jazeera reported Saturday.
According to sources quoted by Al Jazeera, the attack in al-Qalamoun targeted the 155th and 65th Brigades of the Syrian army, which deal with strategic weapons and long-range missiles.
The sources reported several explosions in the Syrian towns of Al-Qutayfah, Yabroud and Qarah on the outskirts of Damascus.
Al Arabiya reported the attack targeted Syrian weapons depots, and that on Wednesday Israel allegedly attack two weapons convoys, reportedly killing one person.
The IDF declined to respond to the reports. Syrian regime-affiliated media and Hezbollah-affiliated media have yet to report the alleged attack.
According to foreign sources, Israeli air force have allegedly carried out several raids against targets in Syria, including depots storing weapons meant for Hezbollah, since the conflict there started over four years ago.
Though Israel had maintained a policy of neutrality regarding the Syrian war, the most recent strike was said to be in January, when Hezbollah commander Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of Lebanese terrorist Imad Mughniyah, was killed along with other Hezbollah fighters and a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander.
Last December, Israeli warplanes reportedly struck weapons warehouses near Damascus.
Israel has never confirmed it carried out the strikes, but it says it has a policy of preventing arms transfers to militant groups including Hezbollah.
19 apr 2015
|
Lebanon has commemorated the 19th anniversary of the massacre of over 100 civilians by Israeli military forces in the southern village of Qana, Press TV reports.
The massacre took place on April 18, 1996 when Israeli warplanes shelled a United Nation compound in Qana in southern Lebanon, killing 106 civilians, many of them women and children, and wounding 116 others. On Saturday, a group of Lebanese people and officials, including families of the martyrs, attended a ceremony in Qana to commemorate the martyrs of the attack. |
Mohammad Ja’afar, who was then an interpreter for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and a survivor of the Israeli aggression, said he never forgets that bloody afternoon.
“I can’t forget to remember because it’s a continuous nightmare since that day,” he said, adding that both the ISIL Takfiri group and the Israeli regime are two “faces for one coin.”
“I can’t forget to remember because it’s a continuous nightmare since that day,” he said, adding that both the ISIL Takfiri group and the Israeli regime are two “faces for one coin.”
Randa Berri, head of the Lebanese Welfare Association for the Disabled, told Press TV that Israeli terrorism is one facet of the international terrorism.
“What happened in Qana is happening in the world, in the Middle East, in Europe in all of the countries. I think terrorism is now not under the control and we should be very aware,” she added.
“What happened in Qana is happening in the world, in the Middle East, in Europe in all of the countries. I think terrorism is now not under the control and we should be very aware,” she added.
Khadijah Atweh, an elderly woman who survived with her two granddaughters, said the liberation of south Lebanon and the continuous victories of the resistance movement against Israel were blessed by the blood of the innocent martyrs of Qana.
The Israeli regime continues to claim that the deadly shelling was a "technical error." However, a United Nations investigation has confirmed that it was very unlikely that Tel Aviv shelled the compound by mistake.
The unprecedented attack was in clear violation of international conventions and widely condemned by human rights organizations. However, the US again blocked any UN Security Council action against the Israeli regime.
The Israeli regime continues to claim that the deadly shelling was a "technical error." However, a United Nations investigation has confirmed that it was very unlikely that Tel Aviv shelled the compound by mistake.
The unprecedented attack was in clear violation of international conventions and widely condemned by human rights organizations. However, the US again blocked any UN Security Council action against the Israeli regime.
5 apr 2015
Spanish UN peacekeepers drive an armored emergency vehicle after picking up the body of a 36-year-old Spanish UN soldier who was killed as Israel shelled border areas in the Lebanese village of Abbassiyeh, January 28, 2015
A new report has revealed that Israel forces intentionally shelled a United Nations watchtower in southern Lebanon, which left a Spanish peacekeeper dead back in January.
The El Pais newspaper article published on Sunday cited extracts from a confidential Spanish military report on the incident, saying the Israeli forces corrected the trajectory of the artillery fire to hit the UN post. Thirty-six-year-old corporal Javier Soria Toledo was killed in the attack.
According to the report, Corporal Ivan Lopez Sanchez, a Spanish soldier stationed near the post, told investigators it was clear that the UN position was being targeted, noting, "Every time, they corrected the trajectory from Majidiye to the 4-28" post, where the United Nations Interim Force Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers were stationed.
A second Spanish solider confirmed Sanchez’s report, saying the first salvo of shells landed some 500 meters north of the UN post and then Israel "corrected the trajectory towards the position."
A third solider added that the fragmentation bombs used in the attack targeted the post’s main watchtower.
The newspaper also quoted a UN report as saying that around 20 artillery shells, 90 mortar grenades and five projectiles were fired at the UN post during the attack.
Spain and Israel have agreed to carry out a joint investigation into the incident.
The UNIFIL has some 10,000-troops, from 36 nations, which include some 600 Spanish soldiers
A new report has revealed that Israel forces intentionally shelled a United Nations watchtower in southern Lebanon, which left a Spanish peacekeeper dead back in January.
The El Pais newspaper article published on Sunday cited extracts from a confidential Spanish military report on the incident, saying the Israeli forces corrected the trajectory of the artillery fire to hit the UN post. Thirty-six-year-old corporal Javier Soria Toledo was killed in the attack.
According to the report, Corporal Ivan Lopez Sanchez, a Spanish soldier stationed near the post, told investigators it was clear that the UN position was being targeted, noting, "Every time, they corrected the trajectory from Majidiye to the 4-28" post, where the United Nations Interim Force Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers were stationed.
A second Spanish solider confirmed Sanchez’s report, saying the first salvo of shells landed some 500 meters north of the UN post and then Israel "corrected the trajectory towards the position."
A third solider added that the fragmentation bombs used in the attack targeted the post’s main watchtower.
The newspaper also quoted a UN report as saying that around 20 artillery shells, 90 mortar grenades and five projectiles were fired at the UN post during the attack.
Spain and Israel have agreed to carry out a joint investigation into the incident.
The UNIFIL has some 10,000-troops, from 36 nations, which include some 600 Spanish soldiers
31 mar 2015
Assessment visualizes war with Hezbollah that will involve 1,200 rockets a day and hundreds of Israeli deaths; government will have to decide whether to protect strategic sites or population centers with Iron Dome; 1 in 4 Israelis do not have shelters in their residences.
For the first time in Israel since 2007, the Home Front Command and the Planning Directorate have drafted a new "reference scenario", visualizing a potential Third Lebanon War that includes an average of 1,200 rockets per day launched from Lebanon and hundreds of Israeli dying over the course of the battle.
The scenario – an up-to-date forecast upon which the state bases its investment in troops and battle preparedness, and not necessarily a prognosis of what will actually occur – was distributed to mayors and mostly involves local authorities.
It includes predictions of casualty numbers, damage to buildings, and the amount of rockets launched, based on the assesment of a senior Home Front Command official.
The official used the scenario supplied to the Kiryat Biyalik Municipality as an example: "Dozens of rocket hits in the city on the worst day of the war, out of several hundred during the whole war. Tens of thousands of buildings will be damaged lightly or very lightly, hundreds moderately, a few dozen heavily, and very heavily in isolated cases. Hundreds will be wounded while only a small number will die, a few dozen will be moderately to critically wounded, and hundreds will be lightly wounded or victims of anxiety."
The senior Home Front Command officer said local authorities were asked to provide operational solutions for their residents, with an emphasis on protecting continuity of municipal activities during wartime – ensuring that garbage is collected, stores remain open, cash is in the cash machine, and citizens' required services are received. The official reported a disturbing figure showing that there has been no significant change in recent years in the number of citizens living without a residential shelter. The rate of citizens without a shelter actually rose from 24 percent to 27 percent in 2014. "If the citizen receives advance warning from us and has shelter, there's a 90 percent chance he will stay alive," said the source.
While the Iron Dome system made hundreds of interceptions during Operation Edge and prevented rockets from landing in city centers, the situation in the north will likely be different. The political echelon is the body expected to decide, based on a situation assessment, where to distribute 10 Iron Dome batteries and whether it would be preferable to deploy them to protect strategic sites like power stations, water pumps, and air bases, or to protect population centers.
The IDF estimates that in contrast to Hamas, Hezbollah possesses hundreds of precise missiles with GPS capability, in addition to an advanced arsenal of sophisticated suicide drones that could hit virtually any target in northern or central Israel. "Protection of strategic sites has been a drop in the ocean in the last few years," said the official. "The situation is not good."
Regarding the potential evacuation of towns near the borders in the north and south, where Hamas and Hezbollah are expected to concentrate their fire, the official said that "we have the capability to absorb tens of thousands of citizens in military installations, and meanwhile we are formulating a national evacuation plan. Each municipality that is asked to help with the problem will be required to absorb evacuees at a rate of four percent of its size." Meanwhile, on Tuesday Eyal Eizenberg, the head of the Home Front Command, left office after a four-year term that included two operations in Gaza, among many other crises.
Eizenberg, who will be replaced by Brig. Gen. Yoel Strick, opposed the existence of the Home Front Defense Ministry (which was disbanded last year) during his tenure, recommending instead that the Home Front Command remain the responsibility of the IDF and Ministry of Defense. "The Home Front has become the central front and the enemy will pin all its hopes on damaging it," said Eizenberg, who is leaving the IDF after 34 years of service.
Eizenberg, who will be replaced by Brig. Gen. Yoel Strick, opposed the existence of the Home Front Defense Ministry (which was disbanded last year) during his tenure, recommending instead that the Home Front Command remain the responsibility of the IDF and Ministry of Defense. "The Home Front has become the central front and the enemy will pin all its hopes on damaging it," said Eizenberg, who is leaving the IDF after 34 years of service.
On the fact that one in four Israelis does not have immediate shelter, Eizenkot said that "there are other life-saving measures such as stairwells, shelters in nearby locations, underground parking lots, and public shelters."
For the first time in Israel since 2007, the Home Front Command and the Planning Directorate have drafted a new "reference scenario", visualizing a potential Third Lebanon War that includes an average of 1,200 rockets per day launched from Lebanon and hundreds of Israeli dying over the course of the battle.
The scenario – an up-to-date forecast upon which the state bases its investment in troops and battle preparedness, and not necessarily a prognosis of what will actually occur – was distributed to mayors and mostly involves local authorities.
It includes predictions of casualty numbers, damage to buildings, and the amount of rockets launched, based on the assesment of a senior Home Front Command official.
The official used the scenario supplied to the Kiryat Biyalik Municipality as an example: "Dozens of rocket hits in the city on the worst day of the war, out of several hundred during the whole war. Tens of thousands of buildings will be damaged lightly or very lightly, hundreds moderately, a few dozen heavily, and very heavily in isolated cases. Hundreds will be wounded while only a small number will die, a few dozen will be moderately to critically wounded, and hundreds will be lightly wounded or victims of anxiety."
The senior Home Front Command officer said local authorities were asked to provide operational solutions for their residents, with an emphasis on protecting continuity of municipal activities during wartime – ensuring that garbage is collected, stores remain open, cash is in the cash machine, and citizens' required services are received. The official reported a disturbing figure showing that there has been no significant change in recent years in the number of citizens living without a residential shelter. The rate of citizens without a shelter actually rose from 24 percent to 27 percent in 2014. "If the citizen receives advance warning from us and has shelter, there's a 90 percent chance he will stay alive," said the source.
While the Iron Dome system made hundreds of interceptions during Operation Edge and prevented rockets from landing in city centers, the situation in the north will likely be different. The political echelon is the body expected to decide, based on a situation assessment, where to distribute 10 Iron Dome batteries and whether it would be preferable to deploy them to protect strategic sites like power stations, water pumps, and air bases, or to protect population centers.
The IDF estimates that in contrast to Hamas, Hezbollah possesses hundreds of precise missiles with GPS capability, in addition to an advanced arsenal of sophisticated suicide drones that could hit virtually any target in northern or central Israel. "Protection of strategic sites has been a drop in the ocean in the last few years," said the official. "The situation is not good."
Regarding the potential evacuation of towns near the borders in the north and south, where Hamas and Hezbollah are expected to concentrate their fire, the official said that "we have the capability to absorb tens of thousands of citizens in military installations, and meanwhile we are formulating a national evacuation plan. Each municipality that is asked to help with the problem will be required to absorb evacuees at a rate of four percent of its size." Meanwhile, on Tuesday Eyal Eizenberg, the head of the Home Front Command, left office after a four-year term that included two operations in Gaza, among many other crises.
Eizenberg, who will be replaced by Brig. Gen. Yoel Strick, opposed the existence of the Home Front Defense Ministry (which was disbanded last year) during his tenure, recommending instead that the Home Front Command remain the responsibility of the IDF and Ministry of Defense. "The Home Front has become the central front and the enemy will pin all its hopes on damaging it," said Eizenberg, who is leaving the IDF after 34 years of service.
Eizenberg, who will be replaced by Brig. Gen. Yoel Strick, opposed the existence of the Home Front Defense Ministry (which was disbanded last year) during his tenure, recommending instead that the Home Front Command remain the responsibility of the IDF and Ministry of Defense. "The Home Front has become the central front and the enemy will pin all its hopes on damaging it," said Eizenberg, who is leaving the IDF after 34 years of service.
On the fact that one in four Israelis does not have immediate shelter, Eizenkot said that "there are other life-saving measures such as stairwells, shelters in nearby locations, underground parking lots, and public shelters."