IMHO the IDF made a decision to husband their missile interceptors to shield more critical sites than these on the border that are too exposed even with Iron Dome being available.
They can only build so many replacement interceptors in a given time.
INTL "Israel is in an all-out war. " MAJOR Palestinian Ground Incursion From Gaza Into Israel Ongoing. Hundreds Killed. (Please watch for dups #1881)
- Thread starter jward
- Start date
- Status
IMHO the IDF made a decision to husband their missile interceptors to shield more critical sites than these on the border that are too exposed even with Iron Dome being available.
They can only build so many replacement interceptors in a given time.
Heliobas Disciple
TB Fanatic
Read the "October Rain" lyrics that may get Israel's song banned from Eurovision
The October Rain lyrics describe the feelings of Israelis during the October 7 attacks: "There's no air left to breathe / No place, no me..."
wiwibloggs.com
Read the "October Rain" lyrics that may get Israel's song banned from Eurovision
William Lee Adams
February 22, 2024
Earlier this week Israeli media reported that the broadcaster had selected the song “October Rain” for Eden Golan to sing at Eurovision 2024.
By Wednesday it was clear the European Broadcasting Union was considering banning the song for its use of political lyrics.
Now those lyrics have been revealed by Israel Hayom, paining a more complete picture of why the EBU thinks the song should be excluded.
In their report, the paper says the song is performed mostly in English. But the final three lines are in Hebrew and describe the feelings of Israeli civilians during the Hamas attack on October 7.
“There’s no air left to breathe / No place, no me from day to day.”
The “moving and powerful ballad” ends with a softer voice saying, “They were all good children, each one of them.”
Israel Hayom says the English-language verses include these lines:
“Evening/Everything is black and white/Who is the fool/ Who told you boys don’t cry/Hours and hours/ and flowers/Life is not a game for the cowards…/While time goes by/Every day/I’m losing my mind/Holding on.”
That the song references flowers is significant. That’s a slang term that references fallen soldiers from the IDF.
The Israeli broadcaster has made it clear that it will not amend the song to comply with the EBU’s rules. That means it will forgo its chance to participate in the contest, essentially disqualifying itself.
You can read their full statement below.
“After being selected in an orderly process by the professional Committee of the Israel Broadcasting Corporation, the selected song was passed annually for approval by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).”
“The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said on Wednesday that “Kan” is in dialogue with the EBU regarding the song that will represent Israel in Eurovision. It should be noted that as far as the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation is concerned there is no intention to replace the song.”
“This means that if it is not approved by the European Broadcasting Union, Israel will not be able to participate in the competition, which will take place in Sweden next May.”
Update: N12 News is reporting that it’s very unlikely that Israel will participate in Eurovision this year. That’s according to sources “privy to the details.” According to their sources, “something extreme” needs to happen to resolve the issue.
According to KAN: “The Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar earlier contacted the President of the European Broadcasting Union and requested that the body approve the Israeli song for Eurovision. In his letter, the minister wrote that Israel is in one of its most complex periods, and that this fact cannot be ignored when choosing a song to represent it in this period.”
Kan have now released the full lyrics:
October Rain lyrics — Eden Golan (Israel Eurovision 2024)
Stand with me
Look into my eyes and see
People go away but never say goodbye
Someone stole the moon tonight
Took my light
Everything is black and white
Who’s the fool who told you
Boys don’t cry
Hours and hours and flowers
Life is no game for the cowards
Why does time go wild
Every day I’m loosing my mind
Holding on in this mysterious ride
Dancing in the storm
We got nothing to hide
Take me home
And leave the world behind
And I promise you that never again
I’m still wet from this october rain
October Rain
Living in a fantasy
Ecstasy
Everything’s meant to be
We shall pass but love will never die
Hours and hours and flowers
Life is no game for the cowards
Why does time go wild
Every day I’m loosing my mind
Holding on in this mysterious ride
Dancing in the storm
We got nothing to hide
Take me home
And leave the world behind
And I promise you that never again
I’m still wet from this october rain
October Rain
October Rain
IN HEBREW
[There’s no air left to breath
There’s no space
I’m gone day by day
Everyone is good kids one by one]
jward
passin' thru
Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com
1. Hezbollah pays mounting price for ongoing conflict with Israel as IDF expands attacks in Lebanon, defense analyst @alonbd
writes in @MaarivOnline; Israeli strikes kill prominent terror operatives, gradually eliminate Hezbollah’s next generation of commanders
2. Hezbollah fails to deliver achievements: Terror squads struggle to hit Israeli troops, rockets land in Lebanese territory, Iran disappointed by mediocre performance; Hezbollah may try to boost image by launching operation to abduct IDF soldier, report says.
@IsraelRadar_com
1. Hezbollah pays mounting price for ongoing conflict with Israel as IDF expands attacks in Lebanon, defense analyst @alonbd
writes in @MaarivOnline; Israeli strikes kill prominent terror operatives, gradually eliminate Hezbollah’s next generation of commanders
2. Hezbollah fails to deliver achievements: Terror squads struggle to hit Israeli troops, rockets land in Lebanese territory, Iran disappointed by mediocre performance; Hezbollah may try to boost image by launching operation to abduct IDF soldier, report says.
jward
passin' thru
Ragıp Soylu
@ragipsoylu
WOW, it is real:
UAE will pay $35bn to Egypt to buy the town of Ras el-Hekma on its northern coast, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced on Friday after weeks of speculations
View: https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1761062576287346885?s=20
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Ragıp Soylu
@ragipsoylu
WOW, it is real:
UAE will pay $35bn to Egypt to buy the town of Ras el-Hekma on its northern coast, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced on Friday after weeks of speculations
View: https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1761062576287346885?s=20
naegling62
Veteran Member
I'd follow the money on that sale. That's gonna end up in some Egyptian's politicians pocket for sure.
Ragıp Soylu
@ragipsoylu
WOW, it is real:
UAE will pay $35bn to Egypt to buy the town of Ras el-Hekma on its northern coast, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced on Friday after weeks of speculations
View: https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1761062576287346885?s=20
Hmm, maybe they're on to something? I wonder what the US could get for Chicago, New Orleans, Baltimore, Memphis.... Oh and the negros go with the sale.
Last edited:
jward
passin' thru
Mario Nawfal
@MarioNawfal
This is Tel Aviv tonight…
View: https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1761512687995871430?s=20
@MarioNawfal
This is Tel Aviv tonight…
View: https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1761512687995871430?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Omar Abu Layla
@OALD24
Hezbollah militia rockets targeted sites in the Upper Galilee just just minutes ago...
Hezbollah is gradually entering an open war, for various reasons, the foremost being gaining control over Lebanon's decisions.
View: https://twitter.com/OALD24/status/1761508463094448487?s=20
@OALD24
Hezbollah militia rockets targeted sites in the Upper Galilee just just minutes ago...
Hezbollah is gradually entering an open war, for various reasons, the foremost being gaining control over Lebanon's decisions.
View: https://twitter.com/OALD24/status/1761508463094448487?s=20
jward
passin' thru
longwarjournal.org
Israeli Navy exercise occurs as Israel looks to threats in the north and Red Sea | FDD's Long War Journal
Seth Frantzman
The Israeli navy conducted an exercise over the last week, which the Israel Defense Forces characterized as “readiness in the northern arena.” The IDF said the drill included the Israeli Navy missile ship flotilla. The drill comes after four months of war in Gaza against Hamas and also four months of Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel. The Israeli navy has played an unprecedented role off the coast of Gaza, with new Sa’ar 6 corvettes being used for the first time and the navy often supporting ground forces with fire missions. “The exercise simulated wide-scale and multi-branch combat in the northern naval arena,” the IDF said on February 23
The four Sa’ar 6 corvettes were built in Germany and began arriving in Israel in December 2020. They were declared operational in April 2023. The ships were acquired to defend Israel’s exclusive economic zone off the coast because Israel has been developing natural gas resources over the last decade. The ships can defend against threats from Hezbollah and help project Israel’s naval power. Israel has historically had a small navy. When Hamas launched its war on October 7, the Israeli navy was pressed into action using Devora-class patrol boats based in Ashdod to help carry out missions along the coast against terrorists. In the next weeks of October 2023, the navy increased its role in the war effort, and the Sa’ar ships were used against Hamas.
In December 2023, the IDF also said it sent a Sa’ar 6 warship to the Red Sea. The Iran-backed Houthis began launching missile and drone attacks against Israel in October to support Hamas, and they increased their attacks on shipping in November 2023.
Now that the ships have played a key role in the Red Sea and off the Gaza coast, often supporting ground forces in their maneuver operations near Gaza’s beaches and coastal road, Israel decided to conduct more drills for the navy as fighting has been reduced in Gaza. “This week, a wide-scale exercise of the Israeli Navy Missile Ship Flotilla in the northern arena was conducted,” the IDF said on February 23. “The exercise involved cooperation between the Missile Ship Flotilla and the Israeli Air Force, including a joint exercise with the 193rd Squadron, which operates the ‘Atalef’ (AS-565 Panther) helicopters.” The navy has used the Panthers with its Sa’ar 5 corvettes since 1996, although they were briefly grounded in 2022. The Israeli navy is acquiring new Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawks for the Sa’ar 6 ships.
During the recent naval drill, the navy practiced countering drone threats, as well as “conducting aerial rescue capability from vessels and refueling a missile ship while at sea.” The Israeli navy has also conducted drills off the coast with its Devora-class patrol boats. Those boats have a stabilized Typhoon main gun on the bow, a .50 caliber machine on the stern, and 1.27mm machine guns on the sides of the ship.
The naval drill came as Israel sent fighter jets to strike Hezbollah in several locations in Lebanon on February 23. The aircraft hit terrorist infrastructure, and “military structures.” An Israeli tank also fired at an “imminent threat” in Lebanon. In southern Israel, the Arrow 3 air defense system, the top tier of Israel’s air defenses, intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis in Yemen on February 22. The IDF said it is the seventh interception by the Arrow system since October. The strikes on the Lebanese border and the interception near Israel’s southern city of Eilat show how large the potential arena of multi-front combat has become for Israel since the Hamas attack in October.
Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal. He is the acting news editor and senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post.
Tags: hezbollah, IDF, Israel, lebanon
Israeli Navy exercise occurs as Israel looks to threats in the north and Red Sea | FDD's Long War Journal
Seth Frantzman
The Israeli navy conducted an exercise over the last week, which the Israel Defense Forces characterized as “readiness in the northern arena.” The IDF said the drill included the Israeli Navy missile ship flotilla. The drill comes after four months of war in Gaza against Hamas and also four months of Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel. The Israeli navy has played an unprecedented role off the coast of Gaza, with new Sa’ar 6 corvettes being used for the first time and the navy often supporting ground forces with fire missions. “The exercise simulated wide-scale and multi-branch combat in the northern naval arena,” the IDF said on February 23
The four Sa’ar 6 corvettes were built in Germany and began arriving in Israel in December 2020. They were declared operational in April 2023. The ships were acquired to defend Israel’s exclusive economic zone off the coast because Israel has been developing natural gas resources over the last decade. The ships can defend against threats from Hezbollah and help project Israel’s naval power. Israel has historically had a small navy. When Hamas launched its war on October 7, the Israeli navy was pressed into action using Devora-class patrol boats based in Ashdod to help carry out missions along the coast against terrorists. In the next weeks of October 2023, the navy increased its role in the war effort, and the Sa’ar ships were used against Hamas.
In December 2023, the IDF also said it sent a Sa’ar 6 warship to the Red Sea. The Iran-backed Houthis began launching missile and drone attacks against Israel in October to support Hamas, and they increased their attacks on shipping in November 2023.
Now that the ships have played a key role in the Red Sea and off the Gaza coast, often supporting ground forces in their maneuver operations near Gaza’s beaches and coastal road, Israel decided to conduct more drills for the navy as fighting has been reduced in Gaza. “This week, a wide-scale exercise of the Israeli Navy Missile Ship Flotilla in the northern arena was conducted,” the IDF said on February 23. “The exercise involved cooperation between the Missile Ship Flotilla and the Israeli Air Force, including a joint exercise with the 193rd Squadron, which operates the ‘Atalef’ (AS-565 Panther) helicopters.” The navy has used the Panthers with its Sa’ar 5 corvettes since 1996, although they were briefly grounded in 2022. The Israeli navy is acquiring new Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawks for the Sa’ar 6 ships.
During the recent naval drill, the navy practiced countering drone threats, as well as “conducting aerial rescue capability from vessels and refueling a missile ship while at sea.” The Israeli navy has also conducted drills off the coast with its Devora-class patrol boats. Those boats have a stabilized Typhoon main gun on the bow, a .50 caliber machine on the stern, and 1.27mm machine guns on the sides of the ship.
The naval drill came as Israel sent fighter jets to strike Hezbollah in several locations in Lebanon on February 23. The aircraft hit terrorist infrastructure, and “military structures.” An Israeli tank also fired at an “imminent threat” in Lebanon. In southern Israel, the Arrow 3 air defense system, the top tier of Israel’s air defenses, intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis in Yemen on February 22. The IDF said it is the seventh interception by the Arrow system since October. The strikes on the Lebanese border and the interception near Israel’s southern city of Eilat show how large the potential arena of multi-front combat has become for Israel since the Hamas attack in October.
Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal. He is the acting news editor and senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post.
Tags: hezbollah, IDF, Israel, lebanon
Israeli Navy exercise occurs as Israel looks to threats in the north and Red Sea | FDD's Long War Journal
Israel’s navy conducted a drill aimed toward “readiness in the northern arena” as threats from Hezbollah continue. The navy practiced countering drone threats and refueling at sea. Israeli aircraft struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in Lebanon and Israel’s Arrow air defense system...
www.longwarjournal.org
jward
passin' thru
WAR - Israel looks to ‘day after’ in Gaza | FDD's Long War Journal
Israel looks to ‘day after’ in Gaza | FDD's Long War Journal Seth Frantzman Israel is beginning to shape plans for what will happen after the war in Gaza. It is not yet clear if the war will culminate in a battle that marks the clear end, because Hamas continues to control areas in Rafah...
somewherepress
Has No Life - Lives on TB
View: https://twitter.com/Worldsource24/status/1761777797024882881
World Source News 24/7
@Worldsource24
#BREAKING: The mayor of Kiryat Shmona calls on residents to leave and says that Hezbollah is advancing rapidly and it is dangerous to remain in the city
9:38 AM · Feb 25, 2024
World Source News 24/7
@Worldsource24
#BREAKING: The mayor of Kiryat Shmona calls on residents to leave and says that Hezbollah is advancing rapidly and it is dangerous to remain in the city
9:38 AM · Feb 25, 2024
jward
passin' thru
Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com
Israel will extend eviction of communities near Lebanon border until July or August 2024, @ynetalerts
reports; this signals that IDF prepares for ongoing clashes with Hezbollah and/or large-scale military conflict.
9:00 AM · Feb 25, 2024
6,078
Views
@IsraelRadar_com
Israel will extend eviction of communities near Lebanon border until July or August 2024, @ynetalerts
reports; this signals that IDF prepares for ongoing clashes with Hezbollah and/or large-scale military conflict.
9:00 AM · Feb 25, 2024
6,078
Views
jward
passin' thru
The Spectator Index
@spectatorindex
BREAKING: IDF spokesperson writes in the Wall Street Journal that their military has 'discovered that most homes in Gaza have terror tunnels underneath or weapon caches inside, and the majority of schools, mosques, hospitals and international institutions have been used by Hamas for their military operations'
6:03 PM · Feb 25, 2024
162.1K
Views
@spectatorindex
BREAKING: IDF spokesperson writes in the Wall Street Journal that their military has 'discovered that most homes in Gaza have terror tunnels underneath or weapon caches inside, and the majority of schools, mosques, hospitals and international institutions have been used by Hamas for their military operations'
6:03 PM · Feb 25, 2024
162.1K
Views
a real shocker --huh
jward
passin' thru
jpost.com
IDF presents Rafah military operation and evacuation plan to war cabinet
By TOVAH LAZAROFF
In addition, the cabinet approved a plan late Sunday night to provide “humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip in a manner that will prevent the looting that has occurred in the northern Strip.
FEBRUARY 25, 2024 16:37
Updated: FEBRUARY 26, 2024 02:09
The IDF presented to the War Cabinet its plan to both evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah and to militarily destroy some of the last Hamas battalions in the area of Gaza near the Egyptian border.
In addition, the cabinet approved a plan late Sunday night to provide “humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip in a manner that will prevent the looting that has occurred in the northern Strip and other areas,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Earlier in the day Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with CBS’s "Face the Nation" about the importance of a Rafah operation in ensuring an IDF victory over Hamas.
“We’re not going to give it up,” Netanyahu said.
“Once we begin the Rafah operation, the intense phase of the fighting is weeks away from completion, not months, weeks away from completion,” Netanyahu said, as he indicated that the Israel-Hamas war could be wrapped up this spring.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on February 19, 2024. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
“We’ve already destroyed 18 of the 24 Hamas terrorist battalions, and four of them are concentrated in Rafah. We can’t leave the last Hamas stronghold without taking care of it, obviously, we have to do it,” Netanyahu said as he defended the pending operation which has drawn worldwide condemnation even before it has begun.
Concern is high for the fate of over 1.3 million Palestinians in that area, many of whom fled there to escape IDF bombing in the north of Gaza.
Hostage deal will delay, not stop, Rafah operation
Netanyahu spoke as Israel has expressed cautious optimism about the possibility of a deal for the release of the remaining 134 hostages out of the 253 Hamas seized during its massacre in southern Israel on October 7, which sparked the Gaza war.
Those involved in the negotiations for a deal have used the pending Rafah military operation as a pressure lever to sway Hamas to make a deal before the Ramadan holiday, which begins on March 10.
Netanyahu confirmed to CBS that a deal would delay the operation. “If we have a deal, it’ll be delayed somewhat. But it’ll happen,” Netanyahu said. He stressed, however, that “If we don’t have a deal, we’ll do it anyway. It has to be done. Because total victory is our goal, and total victory is within reach. Not months away, weeks away once we begin the operation.”
He spoke with the US network after CIA Director William Burns held a meeting in Paris on Friday night, that included high-level officials from Israel and the two countries mediating the deal: Egypt and Qatar.
Those participating in the meeting included Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, Hostage Affairs Coordinator Nitzan Alon, the head of IDF Strategic Affairs Division Oren Sefer, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed al-Thani and Egyptian Intelligence chief Major General Abbas Kamel.
A lower-level Israeli delegation is expected to head to Qatar this week to continue the talks. Egyptian security sources said there would be more talks this week in Doha, with mediators shuttling between Hamas and Israeli delegates, and a follow-up round in Cairo. There was no immediate confirmation of that from Israel, Hamas, or Qatar.
Hamas has in the past insisted that a deal could only occur if Israel agreed to a permanent ceasefire and to withdraw the IDF from Gaza. Israel has rejected both demands.
It’s widely understood that any deal would involve a pause to the war and the release of Palestinian security prisoners, including terrorists with “blood on their hands.”
Reports have circulated throughout about details of the deal, for which the two sides have yet to agree. According to Kan News, Israel has asked for a list of those hostages who are still alive as a trust-building measure to help the sides reach an agreement. Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu wants those terrorists responsible for killing Israelis, who would be freed during the deal, to be exiled to Qatar, which is already home to the top Hamas leaders abroad. According to Channel 12, the Israeli delegation to the Doha talks has a limited mandate.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party) told the 21st Jerusalem Conference that he was opposed to “making a deal with the devil.” He had supported the previous deal in November that saw the exchange of a female hostage or a child, for three Palestinian security prisoners that were either female or minors. Smotrich noted that Israel had been asked to pay a higher price for this second deal when due to its military success in Gaza, it should be looking at lower terms.
“I am against a deal where the keys [demands] are larger, the truce is longer. It makes no sense,” Smotrich stated.
In his interview with CBS, Netanyahu said that Israel wants to free the captives and has “already brought half of them back” and was working with the US for the release of the rest.
“I can’t tell you if we’ll have” a deal, Netanyahu stated, as he blamed Hamas for the protracted talks.
“If Hamas goes down from its delusional claims and … can bring them down to earth, then we’ll have the progress that we all want. “
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed to CNN that Israel, Egypt, and Qatar had come to an understanding in Paris about the “basic contours of a hostage deal for a temporary ceasefire.”
There will now “be indirect discussions by Qatar and Egypt with Hamas because ultimately they will have to agree to release the hostages. That work is underway. And we hope that in the coming days, we can drive to a point where there is a firm and final agreement.”
With respect to the Rafah operation, Sullivan stressed to NBC’s "Meet the Press" the importance of the war cabinet’s passage of a viable plan for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians, noting that this was the only way to secure US support.
“We’ve been clear that we do not believe that a major military operation should proceed in Rafah unless there is a clear and executable plan to protect those civilians, to get them to safety and to feed, clothe and house them. And we have not seen a plan like that,” Sullivan said.
Netanyahu told CBS that Israel had already done more than any other nation would to preserve civilian life during its military operation to destroy Hamas. He spoke as Israel has defended itself against charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice due to the high fatality count in Gaza.
Hamas has asserted that close to 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, of whom Israel has claimed that some 11,00 combatants have been killed.
The war itself was sparked by the Hamas-led October 7 massacre in which over 1,200 people were killed in Israel.
Netanyahu said, “This war has been forced upon us by a cynical enemy that not only targets our civilians, has raped, beheaded, burnt babies alive, killed children in front of their parents and parents in front of their children. This enemy not only targets civilians but hides behind civilians.”
If America had suffered a similar attack, Netanyahu stated, “You’d be doing a hell of a lot more” by way of a military response.
“Israel has gone to extraordinary lengths, calling up people, civilians, Palestinians in Gaza, telling them leave your home, sending pamphlets, we have done that effort, Hamas tries to keep them at gunpoint, we’ll clear them out of harm’s way, we’ll complete the job and achieve total victory, which is necessary to give a secure future for Israel, a better future for Gaza, a better future for the Middle East, and a setback for the Iran terror axis.
“That’s in all our interests. It’s in America’s interest too,” Netanyahu concluded.
www.jpost.com
IDF presents Rafah military operation and evacuation plan to war cabinet
By TOVAH LAZAROFF
In addition, the cabinet approved a plan late Sunday night to provide “humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip in a manner that will prevent the looting that has occurred in the northern Strip.
FEBRUARY 25, 2024 16:37
Updated: FEBRUARY 26, 2024 02:09
The IDF presented to the War Cabinet its plan to both evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah and to militarily destroy some of the last Hamas battalions in the area of Gaza near the Egyptian border.
In addition, the cabinet approved a plan late Sunday night to provide “humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip in a manner that will prevent the looting that has occurred in the northern Strip and other areas,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Earlier in the day Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with CBS’s "Face the Nation" about the importance of a Rafah operation in ensuring an IDF victory over Hamas.
“We’re not going to give it up,” Netanyahu said.
“Once we begin the Rafah operation, the intense phase of the fighting is weeks away from completion, not months, weeks away from completion,” Netanyahu said, as he indicated that the Israel-Hamas war could be wrapped up this spring.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on February 19, 2024. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
“We’ve already destroyed 18 of the 24 Hamas terrorist battalions, and four of them are concentrated in Rafah. We can’t leave the last Hamas stronghold without taking care of it, obviously, we have to do it,” Netanyahu said as he defended the pending operation which has drawn worldwide condemnation even before it has begun.
Concern is high for the fate of over 1.3 million Palestinians in that area, many of whom fled there to escape IDF bombing in the north of Gaza.
Hostage deal will delay, not stop, Rafah operation
Netanyahu spoke as Israel has expressed cautious optimism about the possibility of a deal for the release of the remaining 134 hostages out of the 253 Hamas seized during its massacre in southern Israel on October 7, which sparked the Gaza war.
Those involved in the negotiations for a deal have used the pending Rafah military operation as a pressure lever to sway Hamas to make a deal before the Ramadan holiday, which begins on March 10.
Netanyahu confirmed to CBS that a deal would delay the operation. “If we have a deal, it’ll be delayed somewhat. But it’ll happen,” Netanyahu said. He stressed, however, that “If we don’t have a deal, we’ll do it anyway. It has to be done. Because total victory is our goal, and total victory is within reach. Not months away, weeks away once we begin the operation.”
He spoke with the US network after CIA Director William Burns held a meeting in Paris on Friday night, that included high-level officials from Israel and the two countries mediating the deal: Egypt and Qatar.
Those participating in the meeting included Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, Hostage Affairs Coordinator Nitzan Alon, the head of IDF Strategic Affairs Division Oren Sefer, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed al-Thani and Egyptian Intelligence chief Major General Abbas Kamel.
A lower-level Israeli delegation is expected to head to Qatar this week to continue the talks. Egyptian security sources said there would be more talks this week in Doha, with mediators shuttling between Hamas and Israeli delegates, and a follow-up round in Cairo. There was no immediate confirmation of that from Israel, Hamas, or Qatar.
Hamas has in the past insisted that a deal could only occur if Israel agreed to a permanent ceasefire and to withdraw the IDF from Gaza. Israel has rejected both demands.
It’s widely understood that any deal would involve a pause to the war and the release of Palestinian security prisoners, including terrorists with “blood on their hands.”
Reports have circulated throughout about details of the deal, for which the two sides have yet to agree. According to Kan News, Israel has asked for a list of those hostages who are still alive as a trust-building measure to help the sides reach an agreement. Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu wants those terrorists responsible for killing Israelis, who would be freed during the deal, to be exiled to Qatar, which is already home to the top Hamas leaders abroad. According to Channel 12, the Israeli delegation to the Doha talks has a limited mandate.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party) told the 21st Jerusalem Conference that he was opposed to “making a deal with the devil.” He had supported the previous deal in November that saw the exchange of a female hostage or a child, for three Palestinian security prisoners that were either female or minors. Smotrich noted that Israel had been asked to pay a higher price for this second deal when due to its military success in Gaza, it should be looking at lower terms.
“I am against a deal where the keys [demands] are larger, the truce is longer. It makes no sense,” Smotrich stated.
In his interview with CBS, Netanyahu said that Israel wants to free the captives and has “already brought half of them back” and was working with the US for the release of the rest.
“I can’t tell you if we’ll have” a deal, Netanyahu stated, as he blamed Hamas for the protracted talks.
“If Hamas goes down from its delusional claims and … can bring them down to earth, then we’ll have the progress that we all want. “
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed to CNN that Israel, Egypt, and Qatar had come to an understanding in Paris about the “basic contours of a hostage deal for a temporary ceasefire.”
There will now “be indirect discussions by Qatar and Egypt with Hamas because ultimately they will have to agree to release the hostages. That work is underway. And we hope that in the coming days, we can drive to a point where there is a firm and final agreement.”
With respect to the Rafah operation, Sullivan stressed to NBC’s "Meet the Press" the importance of the war cabinet’s passage of a viable plan for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians, noting that this was the only way to secure US support.
“We’ve been clear that we do not believe that a major military operation should proceed in Rafah unless there is a clear and executable plan to protect those civilians, to get them to safety and to feed, clothe and house them. And we have not seen a plan like that,” Sullivan said.
Netanyahu told CBS that Israel had already done more than any other nation would to preserve civilian life during its military operation to destroy Hamas. He spoke as Israel has defended itself against charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice due to the high fatality count in Gaza.
Hamas has asserted that close to 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, of whom Israel has claimed that some 11,00 combatants have been killed.
The war itself was sparked by the Hamas-led October 7 massacre in which over 1,200 people were killed in Israel.
Netanyahu said, “This war has been forced upon us by a cynical enemy that not only targets our civilians, has raped, beheaded, burnt babies alive, killed children in front of their parents and parents in front of their children. This enemy not only targets civilians but hides behind civilians.”
If America had suffered a similar attack, Netanyahu stated, “You’d be doing a hell of a lot more” by way of a military response.
“Israel has gone to extraordinary lengths, calling up people, civilians, Palestinians in Gaza, telling them leave your home, sending pamphlets, we have done that effort, Hamas tries to keep them at gunpoint, we’ll clear them out of harm’s way, we’ll complete the job and achieve total victory, which is necessary to give a secure future for Israel, a better future for Gaza, a better future for the Middle East, and a setback for the Iran terror axis.
“That’s in all our interests. It’s in America’s interest too,” Netanyahu concluded.
IDF presents Rafah military operation and evacuation plan to war cabinet
In addition, the cabinet approved a plan late Sunday night to provide “humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip in a manner that will prevent the looting that has occurred in the northern Strip.
www.jpost.com
Knoxville's Joker
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Which is why Israel was having so many issues rooting out the bad guys.
jward
passin' thru
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian
@manniefabian
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says Israel will increase its strikes on Hezbollah in response to the terror groups daily attacks on northern Israel, including amid a potential temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
"We are planning to increase the firepower against Hezbollah, which is unable to find replacements for the commanders we are eliminating," Gallant says during a visit to the IDF Northern Command headquarters in Safed. "In the event of a temporary truce in Gaza, we will increase the fire in the north, and will continue until the full withdrawal of Hezbollah [from the border] and the return of the residents to their homes," he says, referring to some 80,000 Israelis displaced by Hezbollah's attacks.
"The goal is simple - to push Hezbollah back to where it should be. Either by agreement, or we will do it by force," Gallant adds.
@manniefabian
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says Israel will increase its strikes on Hezbollah in response to the terror groups daily attacks on northern Israel, including amid a potential temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
"We are planning to increase the firepower against Hezbollah, which is unable to find replacements for the commanders we are eliminating," Gallant says during a visit to the IDF Northern Command headquarters in Safed. "In the event of a temporary truce in Gaza, we will increase the fire in the north, and will continue until the full withdrawal of Hezbollah [from the border] and the return of the residents to their homes," he says, referring to some 80,000 Israelis displaced by Hezbollah's attacks.
"The goal is simple - to push Hezbollah back to where it should be. Either by agreement, or we will do it by force," Gallant adds.
jward
passin' thru
VivaRevolt and Jason Brodsky follow
Jokerman Intel
@JokermanIntel
Israeli @kann_news reports on a growing dispute between Tehran and their Lebanese proxy Hezbollah:
Senior officials in the Iranian Quds Force are reportedly critical of Hezbollah's combat performance and achievements.
This criticism arises particularly because Israel has been seizing numerous assets from Hezbollah, which were supplied by Iran.
Tehran had previously shown interest in maintaining a situation that could lead to an all-out war, a scenario Hezbollah desperately wants to avoid.
Hashem Safi al-Din, the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council and a close associate of Nasrallah, recently addressed this issue in Lebanon. Without directly mentioning Iran, he stated, "Today, after the war in Gaza, Hezbollah's need to obtain weapons, especially larger advanced ones, has increased.”
Despite these tensions and challenges, it is believed that Nasrallah and Khamenei will continue to work closely together, a situation that remains significant and noteworthy for those concerned.
@mayarachlin
@kaisos1987
1:46 PM · Feb 25, 2024
36.1K
Views
Jokerman Intel
@JokermanIntel
Israeli @kann_news reports on a growing dispute between Tehran and their Lebanese proxy Hezbollah:
Senior officials in the Iranian Quds Force are reportedly critical of Hezbollah's combat performance and achievements.
This criticism arises particularly because Israel has been seizing numerous assets from Hezbollah, which were supplied by Iran.
Tehran had previously shown interest in maintaining a situation that could lead to an all-out war, a scenario Hezbollah desperately wants to avoid.
Hashem Safi al-Din, the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council and a close associate of Nasrallah, recently addressed this issue in Lebanon. Without directly mentioning Iran, he stated, "Today, after the war in Gaza, Hezbollah's need to obtain weapons, especially larger advanced ones, has increased.”
Despite these tensions and challenges, it is believed that Nasrallah and Khamenei will continue to work closely together, a situation that remains significant and noteworthy for those concerned.
@mayarachlin
@kaisos1987
1:46 PM · Feb 25, 2024
36.1K
Views
helen
Panic Sex Lady
223shootersc
Veteran Member
Thanks for all the updates!
jward
passin' thru
you are welcome!
somewherepress
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Aleph א
@no_itsmyturn
Saudi Al-Hadath: Israeli strikes in Al-Majdil, Lebanon eliminate Hassan Salama, commander of Hezbollah’s east sector
9:05 AM · Feb 26, 2024
@no_itsmyturn
Saudi Al-Hadath: Israeli strikes in Al-Majdil, Lebanon eliminate Hassan Salama, commander of Hezbollah’s east sector
9:05 AM · Feb 26, 2024
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh resigns, pushes ‘urgent need for inter-Palestinian consensus’
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74rbhmOQuYU
1min 28 seconds
danielboon
TB Fanatic
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
·
IDF strikes deeper in Lebanon than for years after Hezbollah shoots down military drone https://timesofisrael.com/hezbollah-shoots-down-idf-drone-over-south-lebanon/… via @timesofisrael
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian
@manniefabian
Footage circulating on social media shows rockets launched from Lebanon impacting close to a bus in the Golan Heights. Hezbollah said it fired some 60 Katyusha rockets at an army base in the area. There are no reports of injuries in the barrage. View: https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/1762139330116554992
danielboon
TB Fanatic
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
·
Statement by the Israeli army: We eliminated Hezbollah’s official in the “Hujair” area
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Israel Defense Forces
@IDF
·
Another terrorist tunnel network in Gaza was discovered passing underneath a hospital and a university by IDF troops—running for over 10km between northern and southern Gaza. This tunnel network is used by Hamas terrorists to move between different areas in Gaza.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Israel Defense Forces
@IDF
Inside the tunnels, IDF troops located storage facilities for weapons and combat equipment, as well as the bodies of terrorists. View: https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1762152607475191861
- Status