1. Six Katyushas Strike North
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu and Hana Levi Julian
Katyusha fire has returned to Israel's northern border with Lebanon.
At least four Katyusha rockets hit northwestern Israel, in the area of the coastal city of Nahariya, around 7:35 a.m. Thursday morning. One of the missiles hit the roof of an old age facility in Nahariya.
Later in the morning, at approximately 11:00 a.m., two Katyusha rockets also exploded near the town of Shlomi, a town of approximately 5,100 residents. On July 12, 2006, the town was hit by a barrage of Katyushas fired by Hizbullah terrorists as a diversion while operatives carried out a cross-border raid elsewhere along Israel's northern border. Two IDF reservists, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, were kidnapped during that raid, which ultimately ignited the Second Lebanon War.
The IDF has been on alert for rocket fire from Hizbullah since the beginning of Operation Cast Lead and has been investigating areas of impact and searching for the source of the rocket fire. Schools in Nahariyah were ordered closed, and Lebanon also closed schools in Beirut out of fear of IDF retaliation.
Two elderly people from the old-age facility are being treated in Nahariya Hospital for light shrapnel wounds in the legs, and four others are being treated for shock.
The Home Front Command has ordered residents to enter shelters.
Hizbullah's Al Manar television station reported that Israel retaliated with five mortar shells, and the IDF confirmed that artillery fire was aimed at the source of the rocket firings.
Hizbullah has smuggled in from Syria three times more rockets than it possessed before the Second Lebanon War two years ago. It has not taken responsibility for the rocket attacks, which may have been initiated by another terrorist group with the approval of Hizbullah. Israeli media reported that the rockets were older models and probably were fired bya small terrorist group.
In the south, sirens warning of incoming Gaza terrorist rockets were activated at around 8:00 a.m. in Ashdod and Ashdod. No one was wounded and there were no reports of property damage.
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by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu and Hana Levi Julian
Katyusha fire has returned to Israel's northern border with Lebanon.
At least four Katyusha rockets hit northwestern Israel, in the area of the coastal city of Nahariya, around 7:35 a.m. Thursday morning. One of the missiles hit the roof of an old age facility in Nahariya.
Later in the morning, at approximately 11:00 a.m., two Katyusha rockets also exploded near the town of Shlomi, a town of approximately 5,100 residents. On July 12, 2006, the town was hit by a barrage of Katyushas fired by Hizbullah terrorists as a diversion while operatives carried out a cross-border raid elsewhere along Israel's northern border. Two IDF reservists, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, were kidnapped during that raid, which ultimately ignited the Second Lebanon War.
The IDF has been on alert for rocket fire from Hizbullah since the beginning of Operation Cast Lead and has been investigating areas of impact and searching for the source of the rocket fire. Schools in Nahariyah were ordered closed, and Lebanon also closed schools in Beirut out of fear of IDF retaliation.
Two elderly people from the old-age facility are being treated in Nahariya Hospital for light shrapnel wounds in the legs, and four others are being treated for shock.
The Home Front Command has ordered residents to enter shelters.
Hizbullah's Al Manar television station reported that Israel retaliated with five mortar shells, and the IDF confirmed that artillery fire was aimed at the source of the rocket firings.
Hizbullah has smuggled in from Syria three times more rockets than it possessed before the Second Lebanon War two years ago. It has not taken responsibility for the rocket attacks, which may have been initiated by another terrorist group with the approval of Hizbullah. Israeli media reported that the rockets were older models and probably were fired bya small terrorist group.
In the south, sirens warning of incoming Gaza terrorist rockets were activated at around 8:00 a.m. in Ashdod and Ashdod. No one was wounded and there were no reports of property damage.
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2. IAF Pounds 60 Gaza Targets
by Hillel Fendel
Despite an announcement by the French President of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza on Wednesday, Israel Air Force aircraft pounded away at some 60 Hamas targets during the course of the night. A three-hour humanitarian ceasefire will be observed by the IDF in the afternoon.
Among Wednesday night’s IAF targets, chosen based on intelligence provided by the IDF and General Security Service, were the homes of Yasser Natat and Muhammad Sanuar. Natan was in charge of the rocket firing program in the Rafah area in southern Gaza, and Natat is the commander of the Hamas Khan Yunis Brigade.
Smuggling Tunnel Network Bombarded
A large part of the air onslaught was concentrated in Rafah, a city divided in half by the Egyptian-Gaza border, under which is found most of the arms-smuggling tunnel network that has supplied Hamas with arms, weapons and explosives for years.
The Arabs of Rafah were warned late Wednesday afternoon of the impending attack via leaflets dropped from Israeli planes. The residents in fact fled their homes, many of which concealed tunnel entrances, and dozens of buildings hiding the tunnels, and many tunnels themselves, were destroyed. Hundreds of tunnels still remain.
The arms-smuggling tunnels network between Egypt and Rafah has long been considered the main source of war materiel in Gaza. IDF officials generally agree that destroying the tunnels under the Philadelphi Route, between Gaza and Egypt, means cutting off Gaza terrorism's lifeline.
Yisrael Beiteinu party leader MK Avigdor Lieberman wrote this week, “No one will be a subcontractor for the State of Israel. We must control the border between Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula completely, and then move to the next stage – knocking out the Hamas regime."
Even many Israelis who supported Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 opposed Israel’s cession of control of the Philadelphi Route.
The targets bombed last night included:
§ A mosque used as a weapons storage facility and as a meeting place for Hamas terror operatives * A Hamas police structure
§ Fifteen launching sites and underground launching pads used to fire mortar shells at IDF forces
§ Fifteen tunnels used by Hamas terrorists against IDF forces, some of which were located under houses
§ Ten weapons storage facilities
§ Several armed terrorists
As the IDF's Cast Lead anti-terror offensive nears the end of its second week, IDF infantry corps, armored corps, engineering corps, artillery corps and field intelligence corps forces continue to operate in large numbers throughout the Gaza Strip, with air and naval support of the Israel Air Force and the Israel Navy.
Humanitarian 3-Hour Ceasefire
The IDF announced that for the second day in a row, it would hold its fire for three hours this afternoon (Thursday) to allow Gazan civilians to replenish their supplies and to enable humanitarian missions. In addition, approximately 100 trucks will be transferred to Gaza via the Kerem Shalom and Erez Crossings, and some 500,000 liters of heavy duty diesel for the Gaza power station are scheduled to be conveyed to Gaza via the Nachal Oz fuel depot.
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by Hillel Fendel
Despite an announcement by the French President of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza on Wednesday, Israel Air Force aircraft pounded away at some 60 Hamas targets during the course of the night. A three-hour humanitarian ceasefire will be observed by the IDF in the afternoon.
Among Wednesday night’s IAF targets, chosen based on intelligence provided by the IDF and General Security Service, were the homes of Yasser Natat and Muhammad Sanuar. Natan was in charge of the rocket firing program in the Rafah area in southern Gaza, and Natat is the commander of the Hamas Khan Yunis Brigade.
Smuggling Tunnel Network Bombarded
A large part of the air onslaught was concentrated in Rafah, a city divided in half by the Egyptian-Gaza border, under which is found most of the arms-smuggling tunnel network that has supplied Hamas with arms, weapons and explosives for years.
The Arabs of Rafah were warned late Wednesday afternoon of the impending attack via leaflets dropped from Israeli planes. The residents in fact fled their homes, many of which concealed tunnel entrances, and dozens of buildings hiding the tunnels, and many tunnels themselves, were destroyed. Hundreds of tunnels still remain.
The arms-smuggling tunnels network between Egypt and Rafah has long been considered the main source of war materiel in Gaza. IDF officials generally agree that destroying the tunnels under the Philadelphi Route, between Gaza and Egypt, means cutting off Gaza terrorism's lifeline.
Yisrael Beiteinu party leader MK Avigdor Lieberman wrote this week, “No one will be a subcontractor for the State of Israel. We must control the border between Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula completely, and then move to the next stage – knocking out the Hamas regime."
Even many Israelis who supported Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 opposed Israel’s cession of control of the Philadelphi Route.
The targets bombed last night included:
§ A mosque used as a weapons storage facility and as a meeting place for Hamas terror operatives * A Hamas police structure
§ Fifteen launching sites and underground launching pads used to fire mortar shells at IDF forces
§ Fifteen tunnels used by Hamas terrorists against IDF forces, some of which were located under houses
§ Ten weapons storage facilities
§ Several armed terrorists
As the IDF's Cast Lead anti-terror offensive nears the end of its second week, IDF infantry corps, armored corps, engineering corps, artillery corps and field intelligence corps forces continue to operate in large numbers throughout the Gaza Strip, with air and naval support of the Israel Air Force and the Israel Navy.
Humanitarian 3-Hour Ceasefire
The IDF announced that for the second day in a row, it would hold its fire for three hours this afternoon (Thursday) to allow Gazan civilians to replenish their supplies and to enable humanitarian missions. In addition, approximately 100 trucks will be transferred to Gaza via the Kerem Shalom and Erez Crossings, and some 500,000 liters of heavy duty diesel for the Gaza power station are scheduled to be conveyed to Gaza via the Nachal Oz fuel depot.
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3. Hamas Fired Mortars from School
by IsraelNN Staff
An IDF investigation has found that Hamas fired mortars from the UNRWA school which was hit by an IDF bomb Tuesday.
Can't see the video player? Click here.
After the terrorists fired mortar shells from the school in Jebaliya , the IDF retaliated, killing Hamas terrorists as well as civilian adults and children who were used as human shields.
At least 30 were killed by the IDF bombing.
Proof has also emerged that the school was being used to store weapons. Secondary explosions were witnessed following the primary explosion from IDF fire.
UNRWA is the United Nations' Relief Works Agency.
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by IsraelNN Staff
An IDF investigation has found that Hamas fired mortars from the UNRWA school which was hit by an IDF bomb Tuesday.
Can't see the video player? Click here.
After the terrorists fired mortar shells from the school in Jebaliya , the IDF retaliated, killing Hamas terrorists as well as civilian adults and children who were used as human shields.
At least 30 were killed by the IDF bombing.
Proof has also emerged that the school was being used to store weapons. Secondary explosions were witnessed following the primary explosion from IDF fire.
UNRWA is the United Nations' Relief Works Agency.
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4. IDF Officer Killed in Battle
by Hana Levi Julian
IDF Major Ro'i Rozner met his death in a battle with Hamas terrorists on the ruins of the former Jewish community of Netzarim. His family has been notified. Rozner, 27, was from Holon.
Several other soldiers, all from the Kfir Brigade, were also wounded after their unit was hit by anti-tank missiles fired by Hamas guerrillas. Their families were notified that they had been injured.
The fatality marks the eighth death since the start of Operation Cast Lead, and the seventh since ground operations began last Saturday night.
Heavy fighting was reported elsewhere in the region as soldiers hunt down wanted terrorist leaders and search from house to house for smuggling tunnels, through which weapons, ammunition, operatives, cash and countless other contraband are brought into Gaza.
A number of other soldiers were wounded during the course of the morning as well. They were evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva.
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by Hana Levi Julian
IDF Major Ro'i Rozner met his death in a battle with Hamas terrorists on the ruins of the former Jewish community of Netzarim. His family has been notified. Rozner, 27, was from Holon.
Several other soldiers, all from the Kfir Brigade, were also wounded after their unit was hit by anti-tank missiles fired by Hamas guerrillas. Their families were notified that they had been injured.
The fatality marks the eighth death since the start of Operation Cast Lead, and the seventh since ground operations began last Saturday night.
Heavy fighting was reported elsewhere in the region as soldiers hunt down wanted terrorist leaders and search from house to house for smuggling tunnels, through which weapons, ammunition, operatives, cash and countless other contraband are brought into Gaza.
A number of other soldiers were wounded during the course of the morning as well. They were evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva.
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5. Dear IDF - From an Israeli Youth
by IsraelNN Staff
As an Israel news outlet, the internet staff is sharing the following letter from an Israeli youth. The identity of the writer was verified by our staff.
My name is Michael Ben-Tzur. I am 17 years old, living in the Jordan Valley. I made aliyah [immigrated to Israe in 2002 from America. I will be proudly joining the IDF in 2010. I wanted to write this letter to the IDF soldiers in Gaza to show how much I appreciate their actions and sacrifices. I am hoping this letter will reach them, raise their morale, and help them keep their chins up during this difficult time.
To all IDF soldiers in Gaza as well as other parts of Israel:
I just want to say thank you for what you are doing. You are all heroes and brave warriors in my eyes.
Ever since I made aliyah from America, I have not seen many glorifying deeds done by our military – although I believe this is due to political decisions, not our troops. During the second Lebanon war, we were given an order to retreat and pull back into Israel so that the UN could force us to sit down with the Hizbullah leaders and "stop this bloodshed."
I was extremely disappointed with this decision. I said to myself, "If these were British or American soldiers fighting in Lebanon, the world would have sat quietly and not said anything." But, because it was IDF soldiers, the world decided Israel was not allowed to fight and defend itself.
Today, I don't see the same thing happening in Gaza – a replay of Lebanon. I see our commanders and soldiers determined to fight and defend ourselves to the end. I hope we will not allow the other nations to tell us how to run our country and how to protect our people. I hope we will not bow to the pressure they are placing on us, that they will leave us alone, let us do what we need to do in order to bring true peace to our country – peace that will stay, will never leave, that there will be no more Hamas, Hizbullah, Al Quaeda, Taliban, or Fatah in Israel.
You are all doing the will of the country, and more importantly, you're doing the will of G-d. Don't ever forget that. You are all my brothers and my sisters, and G-d willing, I will meet you soon. I hope to join the Givati Unit. G-d willing, you will all come home safe.
I pray for you, all the residents of the south, as well as the rest of Israel, to live in peace. I love you all a lot and am jealous of your chance to stand tall for your country.
I am your biggest fan.
Michael Ben-Tzur
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by IsraelNN Staff
As an Israel news outlet, the internet staff is sharing the following letter from an Israeli youth. The identity of the writer was verified by our staff.
My name is Michael Ben-Tzur. I am 17 years old, living in the Jordan Valley. I made aliyah [immigrated to Israe in 2002 from America. I will be proudly joining the IDF in 2010. I wanted to write this letter to the IDF soldiers in Gaza to show how much I appreciate their actions and sacrifices. I am hoping this letter will reach them, raise their morale, and help them keep their chins up during this difficult time.
To all IDF soldiers in Gaza as well as other parts of Israel:
I just want to say thank you for what you are doing. You are all heroes and brave warriors in my eyes.
Ever since I made aliyah from America, I have not seen many glorifying deeds done by our military – although I believe this is due to political decisions, not our troops. During the second Lebanon war, we were given an order to retreat and pull back into Israel so that the UN could force us to sit down with the Hizbullah leaders and "stop this bloodshed."
I was extremely disappointed with this decision. I said to myself, "If these were British or American soldiers fighting in Lebanon, the world would have sat quietly and not said anything." But, because it was IDF soldiers, the world decided Israel was not allowed to fight and defend itself.
Today, I don't see the same thing happening in Gaza – a replay of Lebanon. I see our commanders and soldiers determined to fight and defend ourselves to the end. I hope we will not allow the other nations to tell us how to run our country and how to protect our people. I hope we will not bow to the pressure they are placing on us, that they will leave us alone, let us do what we need to do in order to bring true peace to our country – peace that will stay, will never leave, that there will be no more Hamas, Hizbullah, Al Quaeda, Taliban, or Fatah in Israel.
You are all doing the will of the country, and more importantly, you're doing the will of G-d. Don't ever forget that. You are all my brothers and my sisters, and G-d willing, I will meet you soon. I hope to join the Givati Unit. G-d willing, you will all come home safe.
I pray for you, all the residents of the south, as well as the rest of Israel, to live in peace. I love you all a lot and am jealous of your chance to stand tall for your country.
I am your biggest fan.
Michael Ben-Tzur
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6. Rayyan Trained His Kids to Die
by Maayana Miskin
When Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan was assassinated in an IAF strike last week, his four wives and 11 of his children died with him. According to his surviving children, the death of the Rayyan family children was not an accident: Rayyan had trained his wives and children to die with him as "martyrs."
Surviving family members spoke to local Arab media and said that in the days before his death, Rayyan had repeatedly asked his children, "Who wants to die with me as a martyr?" The children would respond, "Yes, daddy, we all want to be with you alive or dead."
Rayyan's adult daughter, Wala, said even the younger children wished to die with their father. "If you had asked my four-year-old sister Aisha, who died in the attack, she would have told you that she preferred to die as a martyr," Wala told Ma'an news.
One of Rayyan's daughter-in-laws said she was offered the chance to die with the family. She stopped by the family's large home in Jabaliya and was asked by Rayyan if she wished to die with him, his wives and their children. She agreed to die, but later left the building, shortly before the IAF strike.
As it turned out, when Rayyan offered his daughter-in-law the "opportunity" to die he had already received a phone call from the IDF warning him to evacuate his house due to an impending airstrike.
The 11 children who died with Nizar Rayyan ranged in age from one year old to 16. Another son died years earlier when Rayyan sent him to carry out a suicide bombing in Gaza. Two Israelis were murdered in that attack.
Rayyan was one of Hamas' extremist preachers, and believed that those who die fighting Israel die as "martyrs" and go directly to paradise. He encouraged his followers to have several wives and as many children as possible, in order to provide future soldiers in the fight against Israel. He also encouraged Hamas to take over Judea and Samaria and carry out suicide attacks targeting Jews.
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by Maayana Miskin
When Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan was assassinated in an IAF strike last week, his four wives and 11 of his children died with him. According to his surviving children, the death of the Rayyan family children was not an accident: Rayyan had trained his wives and children to die with him as "martyrs."
Surviving family members spoke to local Arab media and said that in the days before his death, Rayyan had repeatedly asked his children, "Who wants to die with me as a martyr?" The children would respond, "Yes, daddy, we all want to be with you alive or dead."
Rayyan's adult daughter, Wala, said even the younger children wished to die with their father. "If you had asked my four-year-old sister Aisha, who died in the attack, she would have told you that she preferred to die as a martyr," Wala told Ma'an news.
One of Rayyan's daughter-in-laws said she was offered the chance to die with the family. She stopped by the family's large home in Jabaliya and was asked by Rayyan if she wished to die with him, his wives and their children. She agreed to die, but later left the building, shortly before the IAF strike.
As it turned out, when Rayyan offered his daughter-in-law the "opportunity" to die he had already received a phone call from the IDF warning him to evacuate his house due to an impending airstrike.
The 11 children who died with Nizar Rayyan ranged in age from one year old to 16. Another son died years earlier when Rayyan sent him to carry out a suicide bombing in Gaza. Two Israelis were murdered in that attack.
Rayyan was one of Hamas' extremist preachers, and believed that those who die fighting Israel die as "martyrs" and go directly to paradise. He encouraged his followers to have several wives and as many children as possible, in order to provide future soldiers in the fight against Israel. He also encouraged Hamas to take over Judea and Samaria and carry out suicide attacks targeting Jews.
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7. Protesters: Close Down UNRWA
by IsraelNationalNews Staff
Members of the National Union party, including MK Aryeh Eldad, picketed Tuesday outside the Jerusalem headquarters of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief Works Agency.
Can't see video player? Click here.
"UNRWA is a nest for education of hatred and for incitement against Israel and against the Jews," Eldad said. The UNRWA schools teach Arab children to become terrorists, he added.
"UNRWA has been exacerbating the Middle East conflict for over six decades," the National Union party activist Yehuda HaKohen said.
The protesters wrote a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in which they called for shutting down UNRWA and allowing the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to take over UNRWA's operations. The UNHCR is the UN body which deals with all the world's refugee problems, except for the Arabs of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza which have their own separate United Nations agency - UNRWA.
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by IsraelNationalNews Staff
Members of the National Union party, including MK Aryeh Eldad, picketed Tuesday outside the Jerusalem headquarters of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief Works Agency.
Can't see video player? Click here.
"UNRWA is a nest for education of hatred and for incitement against Israel and against the Jews," Eldad said. The UNRWA schools teach Arab children to become terrorists, he added.
"UNRWA has been exacerbating the Middle East conflict for over six decades," the National Union party activist Yehuda HaKohen said.
The protesters wrote a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in which they called for shutting down UNRWA and allowing the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to take over UNRWA's operations. The UNHCR is the UN body which deals with all the world's refugee problems, except for the Arabs of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza which have their own separate United Nations agency - UNRWA.
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