Author: AFSI Staff

A woman in her early seventies was hit in the arm by shrapnel during a midday rocket attack on Haifa launched by Lebanon’s Iranian proxy, Hezbollah. Six other people were injured while seeking shelter during the attack, and five more suffered severe anxiety.

Hezbollah fired a barrage of around 85 rockets at the northern port city and its surrounding suburbs just after 12 noon, and another barrage of 20 rockets about 30 minutes later. The ancient coastal city of Akko was also targeted, along with other communities in the Upper Galilee.

Although most of the rockets were intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array, some managed to evade the radar and land in populated areas, causing damage in Kiryat Yam and Kiryat Motzkin, police said.

Hezbollah is continuing to rain down rockets on residents in northern Israel, and to a certain extent, those living in central Israel as well.

Late Monday night, the terrorist army fired a barrage of five long-range missiles at Tel Aviv and its surrounding cities in the Dan and Sharon regions, sending millions of Israelis racing for shelter.

By 11 pm Monday night, Hezbollah had launched at least 190 rockets and missiles across Lebanon’s border with Israel.

By 3 pm Tuesday, the terror army had fired more than 135 additional rockets at northern Israel.

Red Alert sirens disrupted the sleep of residents in northern Israel shortly after midnight, warning of attacks that continued across the region for at least an hour. The attacks were renewed, as were the sirens, at around 4:45 am.

Source:
1 Wounded as Hezbollah Rains Down Rocket Fire on Northern, Central Israel, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, October 8, 2024

The Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee unanimously approved two legislative proposals on Sunday aimed at curbing the activities of UNRWA within Israel. The committee’s decision marks a significant step in the ongoing discourse surrounding UNRWA’s role and operations.

“UNRWA is out!” Committee Chairman MK Yuli Edelstein declared at the end of the vote. “The problem of UNRWA did not begin on October 7; it has long been a concern that has surfaced in all its malignancy. For many years, lawmakers from across the political spectrum have raised the issue and advanced legislative proposals.”

The scrutiny of UNRWA intensified following revelations that members of its staff allegedly participated in the October 7 attacks.

With the Knesset poised to finalize the legislation, the implications for UNRWA’s future operations and funding remain uncertain. Israeli officials are advocating for a restructuring of refugee aid, calling for Palestinian refugees to fall under the mandate of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, as they assert that the current setup is unsustainable and detrimental to Israeli security.

Source:
‘UNRWA is Out’: Knesset Committee Moves to Curb UNRWA Activities in Israel, by Sveta Listratov/TPS-IL, October 6, 2024

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah last week, a group of Jews smuggled shofarot onto the Temple Mount and, despite police efforts to stop them, blew all of the requisite shofar blasts for the holiday.

Josh Wander, a resident of the Mount of Olives said, “The sound was not very loud or beautiful, but it was the first time a shofar had been sounded at Judaism’s holiest site since the Second Temple was destroyed.”

Worshippers continued praying and blowing the shofar despite repeated attempts by the police to confiscate the shofars and removed at least six men from the Temple Mount. Despite this, all of the requisite one hundred shofar blasts were completely sounded. Nobody was charged and all shofarot were returned.

Source:
For the First Time Since the Second Temple: Shofar Sounded on Temple Mount; Silver Trumpet Sounded as Call to War, by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz/Israel365News

Senior Israeli officials vowed Tuesday evening that Jerusalem will not remain silent following Iran’s large-scale missile attack. A defense official promised a “severe response,” while another Israeli official warned, “What Iran has suffered so far is only a fraction of what it will face now.”

A high-ranking government official added, “Israel has full legitimacy for an unprecedented strike on Iranian soil—this is the time to strike at the head of the Iranian snake.”

Shortly after the missile barrage began, and minutes after the Home Front Command lifted the order to remain in shelters, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari addressed the nation, saying, “There will be consequences for the missile fire from Iran.”

As part of the Iranian assault, approximately 180 ballistic missiles were fired on Israel, which had repeatedly warned in recent days that any attack from Tehran would trigger a harsh response, and earlier Tuesday, the United States also warned Iran of “severe consequences” should it launch an attack. Against this backdrop, Israeli threats of retaliation were issued throughout the evening.

Despite the heavy Iranian missile barrage, Israel’s air defense systems, potentially with assistance from foreign forces, appeared to have successfully intercepted most of the rockets. The Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulance service reported that two people were lightly injured from shrapnel near Tel Aviv, and several others were injured while rushing to shelters across the country.

Source:
‘Response will be severe; what Iran faced so far is just a fraction,’ Israeli official says, by Itamar, Yossi Yehoshua/Ynetnews, October 1, 2024

Israel National News – Arutz Sheva has received dozens of complaints regarding an untenable reality: There are no bomb shelters or protected spaces in dozens of young settlements in Judea and Samaria.

“Other than a select few, most of the residents in our town have no bomb shelters,” the residents said. “It is unnecessary to add that the vast majority of the young settlements are caravans and prefabricated construction, so in times of emergency we are helpless and forced to rely only on Heavenly mercy.”

A number of local authorities who were advised of this urgent matter said they are aware of the issues, but budgets have not yet been issued and processes have not yet been implemented on the matter. So, the upshot is that there is no solution in sight.

Source:
Residents complain: ‘There are no bomb shelters in young settlements’, by Dvir Amar/Israel National News, October 2, 2024

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night related to the elimination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, calling him the “central engine” of Iran’s axis of evil.

Beginning his speech, Netanyahu quoted, “‘If someone rises up to kill you – rise up early and kill him first.’ Yesterday, the State of Israel eliminated the mass murderer Hassan Nasrallah. We evened the score with the one who is responsible for the murder of an immeasurable number of Israelis and many citizens of other countries, including hundreds of Americans and dozens of French,” Netanyahu said.

“Nasrallah was not just another terrorist – he was THE terrorist. He was the axis of the axis, the central engine of Iran’s axis of evil. He and his men were the architects of the plan to destroy Israel. He was not just activated by Iran – many times he activated Iran.

Turning to Israelis, Netanyahu stressed: “Citizens of Israel, these are important days. We are in what seems to be an historic turning point.”

This military operation increased Israel’s prestige in this war and weakened Iran’s. It also brings the residents of the north a step closer to returning to their homes and another day closer to the safe release of ALL the hostages. U.S. officials have reported that the IDF has begun conducting a “limited” ground operation in Lebanon with the goal of clearing out the terrorist infrastructure. Nasrallah’s elimination alone has caused tremendous embarrassment to Iran. Hezbollah was always Iran’s strength, and many see Iran as the weaker entity. While Hezbollah plans to announce a successor to Nasrallah, it remains to be seen how Iran will carry on and what its fate will be now that Israel has significantly destroyed Hezbollah.

Source:
Netanyahu on Nasrallah elimination: These are important days, an historic turning point, by Israel National News, September 28, 2024

Hezbollah is reeling from the death of leader Hassan Nasrallah and top commanders. Over the past two weeks, Israel has systematically killed or removed from the battlefield thousands of Hezbollah fighters and commanders.

If Israel wants to defeat Hezbollah, however, it must not only defeat it on the battlefield; it must also dry up its resources so the terrorist group no longer can launder money, fund salaries or subsidize goods for its members. This will require economic warfare beyond the sanctions Western countries now slap on the group. Hezbollah’s financial networks, spanning continents and infiltrating legitimate businesses, demand the multi-pronged pursuit of economic warfare against the group. Hezbollah’s labyrinth of front companies and shell corporations needs unraveling.

Just last week Israeli Police confiscated 2,400,000 shekels ($648,000) suspected of being destined for terror financing after officers stopped a suspicious Palestinian driver, the police said on Monday.

Sources:
Choke the money flow: The next step in the war against Hezbollah, by Gregg Roman/Middle East Forum, September 28, 2024

Israeli Police Seize 2.4 Million Shekels in Terror Money, by Pesach Benson/TPS-IL

The High Court of Justice on Monday unanimously rejected a petition filed against Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the Political-Security Cabinet over their decision to hold the body of terrorist Walid Deka for the purpose of negotiations for the release of the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Judges Yitzhak Amit, Ofer Grosskopf, and Gila Kanafi-Steinitz ruled that the decision of the minister and the cabinet did not deviate from the limits of reasonableness and proportionality, and therefore there was no reason for the court’s intervention.

The verdict also stated that Deka had been adopted as a symbol by the terrorist organization Hamas, which gave added credence to the minister’s decision.

Source:
High Court Sides with Israel, Rejects Release of Terrorist’s Body before the Hostages Go Free, by David Israel/Jewish Press, September 30, 2024

Hezbollah continued firing missiles at Israel on Thursday after several countries proposed a ceasefire to resolve the crisis diplomatically. However, any claims of an impending ceasefire with Hezbollah were immediately rejected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Office,

The proposed ceasefire would last 21 days and take effect immediately “to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement.” The statement, signed by the US, EU, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar did not mention Israel or Hezbollah by name. Critics said it did not take into account Iran’s support for Hezbollah.

It seems those who crafted this newest ceasefire proposal did so while Prime Minister Netanyahu was en route to New York City to deliver his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. Maybe they tried to pull a fast one once again and make it look like a surefire deal was on the table. Circulating stories also tell us that there is a 50%-50% chance of Netanyahu’s UN speech taking place. Conflicting stories everywhere. The one thing we do know with certainty is that the residents in the North are under fire and must be returned safely to their homes.

Sources:
Hezbollah Continues Missile Barrages as West Proposes Ceasefire, by Pesach Benson/TPS-IL, September 26, 2024

Live updates: IDF strikes in Beirut reportedly target top Hezbollah commander, by Israel National News, September 26, 2024

Argentine President Javier Milei criticized the United Nations for what he said was its anti-Israeli bias during a fiery address at the General Debate of the General Assembly’s 79th session in New York on Tuesday.

He called out the world body for systematically voting against the Jewish state, “the only democracy in the Middle East, which protects liberal democracy,” adding that the United Nations has “simultaneously shown a total inability to respond to the scourge of terrorism.”

Following the speech, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon thanked him for supporting the Jewish state. “President Milei, you are a true friend of the State of Israel. In this hall, where we were slandered all day, you showed courage and supported Israel! Thank you!”

AFSI thanks you too, President Milei.

Source:
Argentina’s Milei scorches UN for anti-Israel bias, by JNS Update Desk, September 25, 2024