Israeli-Arab War

[American Patriot]

Hezbollah Appears in Control of Lebanon
Associated Press (excerpt) ^ | July 16, 2006


Hezbollah and its backers, not the government, now appear in control of Lebanon's fate.

After moderating their stance in recent years, the guerrillas surged back to the war front with a surprise attack on Israel and a sophisticated arsenal, leaving Lebanon's politicians and army looking nearly powerless. The government seems paralyzed over how to deal with Hezbollah, whose Shiite Muslim fighters have had near autonomy in the south for more than a decade.

Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah acted Sunday like the man holding Lebanon's reins, though he looked tired and stressed as he vowed that his group had only begun to fight.

"We are in our full strength and power," he said on the group's Al-Manar TV. "Hezbollah is not fighting a battle for Hezbollah or even for Lebanon. We are now fighting a battle for the (Islamic) nation."

Over the recent days, the Hezbollah TV station has aired a constant stream of martial music and images of guerrillas firing rockets at Israel. Even amid Israeli airstrikes, Hezbollah managed to keep the station on the air _ aside from a brief interruption Sunday morning _ while Beirut-run utilities failed. Electricity remained knocked out across much of the city; firefighters ran out water to extinguish burning apartment buildings.

The Western-backed, anti-Syrian prime minister Fouad Saniora held back tears as he vowed on Lebanese television Saturday night to curb the guerrillas, desperate to stop Israel's onslaught.

But on Sunday, President Emile Lahoud _ a pro-Syrian and an ally of Hezbollah _ pronounced that Lebanon "will not surrender" to Israel's attempts to batter it into submission.

~ snip ~


(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...

[American Patriot]

France Joins U.S.: ‘Israel Has a Right to Defend Itself’
www.arutzsheva.net ^ | 01:30 Jul 17, '06 / 21 Tammuz 5766

France Joins U.S.: ‘Israel Has a Right to Defend Itself’ 01:30 Jul 17, '06 / 21 Tammuz 5766

(IsraelNN.com) France joined voices with the United States on Sunday in asserting that Israel has the right of self-defense in the face of ceaseless terror and rocket attacks.

“Israel must defend itself,” said French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, “and it had the right to do so.” He added, however, that Israel should exercise restraint in dealing with the threat.

“There is an aggressive element in the Middle East,” he said, and that is Hizbullah. As friends of Israel we must advise it to maintain level-headedness and restraint.”

[American Patriot]

'Only small amount of IAF's power used' ( Israel )
The Jerusalem Post ^ | Jul. 16, 2006 | The Jerusalem Post

IAF Commander Maj.-Gen. Eliezer Shkedy said on Sunday that the IAF had only used "a small proportion of its fire power" in its attacks on Lebanon, adding that it was the IDF's prerogative how much of its military capability to use and warning that "the other side should consider all its alternatives."

"Our fighter jets have made over 1000 flights and our attack helicopters over 350," ...

"The results of our operations have been good and the targeting precise..."

The IAF commander explained that Hizbullah infrastructure had been targeted in the north, south and center of Lebanon.

Shkedy added that sea, air and land routes to and from Lebanon had been closed off, severely damaging Hizbullah's ability to operate and blocking all links with Syria.

Senior intelligence officer Yuval Halamish said that the IDF had successfully destroyed the rocket launching site pointing towards Haifa, which was responsible for killing eight people early Sunday, and that the new 250 millimeter rockets fired were Syrian made, demonstrating the strong connection between Hizbullah and Damascus.

(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...

[American Patriot]

IAF bombs PA Foreign Ministry, Hamas office in Gaza Strip
Haaretz and Reuters ^ | July 17, 2006 | Avi Issacharoff, Amos Harel and Yuval Azoulay


Israel Air Force planes bombed the Palestinian Foreign Ministry building in Gaza City early Monday, the second attack on the ministry in a week, witnesses said.

An Associated Press reporter on the scene saw clouds of smoke rising from the already damaged building after the strike by an IAF plane.

The IAF also bombed the north Gaza offices of a Hamas-led security force before dawn on Monday, witnesses said.

The air strike destroyed the offices in the Jabalya refugee camp, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

IDF troops killed six Palestinians, including a civilian woman, in separate strikes Sunday in the northern Gaza Strip.

An Israel Defense Forces strike on northern Gaza Sunday afternoon killed two armed Popular Resistance Committees militants and wounded two others.

Earlier Sunday, the IDF attacked a vehicle carrying wanted Islamic Jihad militant Khaled Sha'alen, but Sha'alen managed to escape the car without injuries. Three other militants were wounded in the strike.

Three Hamas gunmen were killed, Hamas said, and at least 11 people were wounded in IAF air strikes on Beit Hanun earlier Sunday, including a child, hospital officials said.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian woman was killed by shrapnel during IDF tank shelling overnight near the closed airport in the southern Gaza Strip, which troops took over June 28 at the start of the Gaza offensive, Palestinian officials said.

The IDF said it had no immediate comment.

The IAF destroyed a tunnel dug by Palestinians underneath the fence on the Gaza Strip border early Sunday afternoon. The IDF said the tunnel was meant to allow militants to carry out terror attacks in Israel.

(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...

[American Patriot]

Jezreel Valley under fire
www.ynetnews.com ^ | Latest Update: 07.17.06, 00:18 | Sharon Roffe-Ophir

Jezreel Valley under fire

Afula, Nazrat Illit, Migdal Haemek and Jezreel Valley bombed Sunday night shortly after 11:00 p.m. Attack first of its kind on valley area; frightened citizens report they heard alert signals, followed by blasts; apparently no wounded or damages Sharon Roffe-Ophir

Valley under fire: Afula, Nazrat Illit, Migdal Haemek and Jezreel Valley communities were bombed Sunday night shortly after 11:00 p.m. The attack was the first of its kind on the valley area. Frightened citizens from around the area reported that alert signals sounded in the town, followed by the echoes of rocket blasts. The rockets apparently landed in open areas.

Earlier, at 10:15 p.m. rockets were fired towards Shomra in the Western Galilee. The rockets landed in open areas, but sparked a fire near the town. Fifteen soldiers were lightly injured from smoke inhalation.

The army assessed that Hizbullah was focusing efforts on attacking during daylight hours to increase the likelihood of hitting civilian populations, hence the brief abatement in attacks Sunday evening.

Shortly afterwards rocket barrages landed near Ramat Yishai east of Haifa, officials say. No one was injured and no damage was reported.

Liat, a resident of Migdal Haemek, told Ynet, “We heard the alarm, and then came the blasts. We’re sitting in our secured room, we don’t know when we can come out. We’re close to Nahalel Junction, and so far we haven’t heard any ambulance sirens or police. I hope no one was hurt.”

An Afula resident, Liora, said she heard two explosions. “We live in lower Afula. It didn’t sound close, but we heard them. The alarm started on the second hit. We’re sitting in the protected room, the kids are sleeping, and I guess we’ll sleep the night here. I experience the Scuds (during the Gulf War) from Ramat Gan, but it’s still very unpleasant.”

Liron Cohen, 22 from Nazrat Illit hear the sirens too. “We went into the secured area – a hallway with no windows, and after 15 minutes we came out to see what happened. We heard explosion but didn’t see anything. Everyone here is panicked. I don’t know if I’m going to work tomorrow, because I work in Afula. They haven’t informed us of anything yet,” she said.

Magen David Adom reported that medical teams were in the field to ascertain there were no wounded. So far no casualties have been reported, MDA spokespeople said. Security forces are searching the area, and residents were requested to take shelter in protected areas.

First Published: 07.16.06, 22:59 Latest Update: 07.17.06, 00:18

[American Patriot]

Majority of Israelis Under Fire as Afula and Nazareth Hit
www.arutzsheva.net ^ | 00:24 Jul 17, '06 / 21 Tammuz 5766 | Ezra HaLevi

Majority of Israelis Under Fire as Afula and Nazareth Hit 00:24 Jul 17, '06 / 21 Tammuz 5766 by Ezra HaLevi

Missiles landed in Afula, Upper Nazareth and the environs shortly before midnight Sunday. A majority of Israelis spent the night under threat of missile attack as Tel Aviv prepares for the worst.

From 11 PM until shortly before midnight missiles fell in the communities surrounding Afula and the Jezreel Valley, including Upper Nazareth, Migdal Ha'emek and Givat Ela - the farthest south the missiles have yet reached at 31 miles from the northern border.

Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah's television appearance Sunday afternoon promised attacks on more Israeli cities, prompting a majority of Israel’s citizens to spend the night under threat of missiles.

Residents of Tel Aviv and communities to the north of the city were told on Sunday to “be alert” and that they would have a one-minute warning of any impending rocket attack in which to make their way to a shelter.

Pundits on Israel Radio discussed the ambiguous advice of the Home Front Command to "be alert," opining that they would not advise people to go about their normal business Monday, as residents of Haifa did Sunday - resulting in the deaths of eight workers at a train garage when a missile crashed through the roof.

“We surprised you in Haifa and promise to surprise you far past Haifa,” Nasrallah said in a televised statement.

IDF officials said an air-raid siren will sound in the event of an attack on the area. Anyone who is unable to make it into a shelter is being instructed to move into a stairwell or stand close to a wall. Anyone caught outside and too far from a building was told to lie flat and not to move. The public was told by the Home Front Command that there would be updates and to await further instruction.

A 48-hour emergency status for communities from the Golan across northern Israel to the Galilee was declared on Sunday in the wake of a lethal rocket attack on Haifa that left eight dead in a direct hit on the city’s train station.

Emergency status means that workers in “essential” factories and service industries are required to be “on alert” on the job. Essential industries include pharmacies, banks, refrigeration facilities, food production factories, transportation services and other industries.

The status may be extended by an additional five days by the government and the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. It will also allow workers in “non-essential” employment to stay home for security reasons and still receive a paycheck from the National Insurance Institute.

Israelis abroad have been warned by the National Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Unit to refrain from visiting Islamic and Arab countries (aside from Mauritania and the Comoro Islands) and to be wary of accepting “enticing and/or unexpected proposals abroad…gifts and invitations to free vacations from suspect and/or unknown elements.”

The IDF censor has also issued a sharply worded reminder to the multitude of journalists in Israel to cover the war, reminding them that broadcasting the precise location of missile impacts in real-time assists Hizbollah to aim its rockets and violates Israeli law, which requires such matters to be cleared by the military censor. A news team from the Al-Jazeera Arab news network was detained after the organization violated censorship for the first time in the years it has been reporting from Israel.

The chief military censor also said that reports regarding visits of Israeli Government and IDF officials to northern Israel will not be approved until such visits are over, “due to the clear connection between officials' visits and missile attacks on the area in question.”

The visit of Shaul Mofaz, current Minister of Transportation, to Haifa was covered live by all of Israel’s news channels – possibly spurring the reminder.

Published: 19:57 July 16, 2006 Last Update: 00:24 July 17, 2

[Jag]

"Russia" could put out the fire by threatening Syria, Iran and Israel. But nah! Putin the fire.



I hope Israel has decent coordinates on wmd and emps on target. Shema Israel.

Jul. 17, 2006 3:23Putin: Russia trying to secure soldiers' release


Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday at the G8 summit in St. Petersburg that his country was in contact with a number of groups in an effort to secure the release of the three kidnapped IDF soldiers. Putin added that he had reason to believe that the efforts were not in vain, Army Radio reported.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...cle%2FShowFull

Jag

[samizdat]

Is brother Vlad trying to liberate captives? When I was in prison you visited me?

Didn't Pontius Pilate try to free Jesus? Lord have mercy- shorten the time.

With some pathos, the Hizballah leader said:” We are not asking anyone to help us,” – a veiled SOS to the (cough, deep)Iranian supreme national security council meeting Sunday night on the Lebanon crisis.
(debkafile)

[American Patriot]

Israel denies aircraft lost near Beirut
ap ^ | 7/17/06 | ap

BEIRUT, Lebanon - A Lebanese TV station showed video Monday of an object falling from the sky, but Israel said that reports that it was an Israeli aircraft were false. The video, aired by Lebanese Broadcasting Corp., showed a burning object spiraling down to the ground in the Jamhour district near the Hezbollah stronghold of southern Beirut, which have been under Israeli air attack for several days.

It described the object as an F-16 fighter jet, while Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said the aircraft was a helicopter gunship.

But the Israeli army says reports of Israeli aircraft being shot down over Beirut are false, and Israel's Channel 10 TV reported that the object apparently was a container of leaflets that fell from an Israeli military plane.

Israel has been dropping propaganda leaflets over areas of Lebanon during its incursion, sometimes in a bid to warn residents of an impending airstrike.

[American Patriot]

Blair, Annan call for Mideast peacekeepers
AP ^ | 7/17/2006 | MARTIN CRUTSINGER


ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called Monday for the deployment of international forces to stop Hezbollah from bombing Israel, a proposal that Israel quickly rejected. ADVERTISEMENT

The escalating violence overshadowed the summit of world leaders where President Bush, not realizing his remarks were being picked up by a microphone, bluntly expressed his frustration with Hezbollah, a militant Islamic group believed backed by Iran and Syria.

"See the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this s--- and it's over," Bush told Blair in a discussion before the Group of Eight leaders began their final lunch.

Bush also suggested that Annan call Syrian President Bashar Assad to "make something happen."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...

[Sean Osborne]

This map should also serve us all quite well. Notice the location of Hermel in the northern section of the Bekaa Valley. This is where the Hezbollah top tier leadership is currently bunkered.

[American Patriot]

Prepping the Battlespace
Op-for ^ | 7/17/2006 | John

Prepping the Battlespace By John

One of the lessons America, and the world, drew from the lightning campaigns of Gulf Wars I & II was the importance of battlesplace preparation. That is, the conditioning of the battlefield's environment prior to initiating full scale military operations.

What we are witnessing in southern Lebanon is concurrent with actions designed to prep a battlefield for the insertion of ground forces. So far, Israel has relied on its dominance in sea and air forces to isolate Hezbollah, rather than focusing their brunt of their superior forces on actual enemy positions. By blockading the coast, neutralizing Beruit's airport, and damaging roads and bridges into and out of Lebanon, the IDF has cut off Hezbollah's supply routes by land, sea, and air, and blocked all lines of escape.

These isolation actions are eerily similiar to Coalition movements prior to Operation Hail Mary during the first Gulf War, where allied aircraft severed supply lines to foward deployed Iraqi Army units.

The end result is a battlespace that traps the now ill-equipped enemy force, the ideal environment for Israel to crush Hezbollah forces.

I think that in the coming days, we will see a sizable Israeli ground incursion into southern Lebanon, a campaign designed to exploit the favorable conditions that Israel has created for itself. I have the feeling that once that invasion comes, Hezbollah's ability to launch rocket attacks into Israel proper will be severly reduced, if not eliminated.

Endstate: IDF holds the territory until it is satisfied that the Lebanese Army is A) free from Syrian control and B) capable of holding the southern border on their own.

[American Patriot]

War in the Mid-East Hezbollah Declares “Open War” on Israel
Israel ^

http://www.realtruth.org/news/rtalert-060713-war.html

I n the worst conflict the area has seen in more than 20 years, Israel is now fighting a two-front war. As the majority of world leaders condemn Israel’s recent invasion of Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, the crisis in the Middle East continues to escalate.

Summary of events for Saturday, July 15:

• Israel declared a state of emergency and its northern section is now under martial law.

• The Lebanese prime minister signaled that he may send armed forces into southern Lebanon to overtake Hezbollah.

• Syria is openly standing behind Hezbollah against Israel.

• One Israeli sailor was killed and three are still missing after a Hezbollah missile struck an Israeli naval ship on Friday.

• Another 75 rockets were fired into Israeli cities and, for the first time, Tel Aviv is said to be at risk.

• More than 500 Israeli citizens have been wounded since Hezbollah stepped up its attacks.

• Nations throughout Europe have plans underway to use buses, airplanes and ferries to evacuate visiting citizens out of Lebanon. 6,000 French are reported to be visiting Lebanon. The U.S. State Department and the Pentagon are working on an “air bridge” idea to move 25,000 citizens out of Lebanon and into Cyprus. Planes would be used in rapid succession to carry people out. Once in Cyprus, they could then travel freely.

---end----

Open-Ended Aggression” On July 12, the terrorist organization launched rocket attacks across Israel’s northern border, killing three Israeli soldiers and capturing two. Soon after, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) invaded Lebanon in an effort to force Hezbollah to release the captured soldiers. The terrorist group has demanded the release of prisoners being held by Israel.

The IDF reported that more than 700 Katyusha rockets have been fired into Israel by Hezbollah. More than 220,000 Israelis were forced to take cover in bomb shelters.

Calling on reserve troops, Israel crippled Lebanon’s International Airport and placed a blockade on Lebanese air, land and sea. Israel warned residents in Beirut to evacuate, and has since hit more than 100 sites across the country including, bridges, television stations, crucial infrastructure and Hezbollah’s headquarters. Israeli officials have stated that this offensive is going to be a long campaign to ensure the nation’s security.

“We should not consider this a matter of days,” said Israeli Brig. Gen. Amir Eshel. “This blockade will last as long as the conflict goes on.”

Claiming to possess 13,000 rockets, Hezbollah militants fired at least 100 into northern Israel on Thursday, killing 2 Israelis and wounding 42. “The Islamic resistance warns against targeting civilians and the infrastructure,” read a statement on Hezbollah television. “It specifically announces that it will quickly shell the city of Haifa and nearby areas if the southern suburbs and the city of Beirut are subjected to any direct Israeli aggression.”

---end---

Hezbollah has followed up on this threat, increasing rocket attacks against Israel’s third largest city, Haifa and others. With these continued attacks, Israel’s cabinet has approved further military action in Lebanon.

Nonetheless, Lebanon is calling for an immediate stop to Israel’s “open-ended aggression”, while UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is preparing to send a three-person delegation to the region to push for all parties to show restraint.

On Friday, a resolution from the United Nations Security Council, demanding that Israel end its “disproportionate use of force” and Hezbollah release its captured soldiers, was vetoed by the United States. Ten countries voted to pass the resolution with four abstaining. Meanwhile, the Security Council has called an emergency meeting to discuss the recent conflict.

---end---

Israel’s Demands Israel has set three conditions to a ceasefire. Hezbollah must first release two Israeli soldiers being held. Next, they must immediately stop firing rockets into Israel and, lastly, the Lebanese government must begin drafting a UN resolution demanding that Hezbollah disarm. A spokeswoman for the Israeli Prime Minister has said, “If these conditions are met, we are ready to cooperate with a United Nations delegation.”

Israel has stated that it is looking to completely remove any Hezbollah presence in southern Lebanon, while its top army chief warned that no part of Lebanon is safe.

Since the terrorist attacks increased, more than 100 Lebanese and 15 Israelis have been killed.

---end---

Iran Connection An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman reported that the Hezbollah militants behind the recent capture of two Israeli soldiers are planning to send them to Iran.

Meanwhile, after two missiles struck unusually deep into the Israeli city of Haifa, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Dan Gillerman, said many of these rockets had been made in Iran. “Many of the long-range missiles fired into Israel in the recent days were Iranian missiles made by the same regime that is now trying to possess nuclear weapons,” he stated.

In this instance, Hezbollah has denied launching the missiles.

When asked about Syria and Iran’s role in these recent attacks, Mr. Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese Prime Minister, said it would be unusual for Hezbollah to have acted alone.

The Iranian President has long called for the destruction of Israel.

---end---

Gaza Last month, Hamas captured Lt. Cpl. Galid Shalit, demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners. As a result, Israel launched a major offensive into the Gaza Strip, continuing to maintain its policy of non-negotiation with terrorists. After arresting scores of top Hamas government officials in late June, Israeli warplanes on Thursday destroyed Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar’s office. He is reported to be in critical condition. Mr. al-Zahar has been wanted by the Israeli government for at least a decade.

Since the capture of Lt. Cpl. Shalit, 54 Palestinians have been killed.

A Palestinian newspaper reported that “the circle of war is getting larger and larger… Israel’s war in Gaza and southern Lebanon is paving the way to all-out war unless someone takes a courageous decision that negotiations are better than this war, violence and hatred.”

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “On this hard day we must remember the basic facts: Israel is a strong state; the people of Israel are a strong people; the IDF is a strong army. The policy of the government of Israel is the weak link. The time has come to change direction. The policy of unilateral withdrawal followed by that of restraint and shutting the eyes is what enabled the terrorist organizations to dare to hit our soldiers in the north and in the south.” As a result of recent violence, oil prices have hit record highs, up to $78 a barrel.

---end---

World Reaction The European Union stated that Israel has no justification for its air and sea blockade on Lebanon. The EU presidency said, “Actions, which are contrary to international humanitarian law, can only aggravate the vicious circle of violence and retribution.”

The Vatican condemned Israel’s recent actions in a statement made by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano, “In particular, the Holy See deplores right now the attack on Lebanon, a free and sovereign nation, and assures its closeness to these people who already have suffered so much to defend their independence.”

Russia, Italy and France have all agreed with the EU, calling Israel’s actions against Lebanon “disproportionate.” Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that “all sides…immediately end their military actions.”

United States President George W. Bush, at the request of the Lebanese Prime Minister, is urging Israel to “contain the damage” to Lebanon. Earlier, he stated that Israel had the right to defend itself and blamed Syria and Iran for supporting Hezbollah, the group behind the capture of two Israeli soldiers.

The U.S. Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, has said that “All militias in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, must disarm and disband immediately, and the Lebanese government must extend and exercise its sole and exclusive control over all Lebanese territory.”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stated that if Israel were to attack Syria it would be an attack on the entire Islamic world and would warrant a “fierce response” from Iran.

A spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that the “British government hopes that actions will be proportionate.”

However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was quick to point out that the attacks started when Israeli soldiers had been captured. “The attacks did not start from the Israeli side, but from Hezbollah’s side.”

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that he believes “Israel's response under the circumstances has been measured,” and that the fault lies entirely on the terrorists behind the capture of the Israeli soldiers.

Greece urged Hezbollah to release the captured soldiers and for Israel to stop the “inordinate” and “pointless” violence.

---end---

Chronology of Recent Events June 25, 2006: Palestinian militants attack an army post on the Israel-Gaza border, killing two soldiers and capturing a third. Israel starts to increase forces around Gaza.

June 26: Three militant Palestinian organizations—the Popular Resistance Committees, the Army of Islam and the armed wing of Hamas—claim to have captured a 19-year-old Israeli soldier, demanding that Israel free detained women and minors.

June 27: Hamas signs an agreement aimed at ending internal conflict; it also implicitly recognizes Israel’s existence.

Palestinian activists abduct a second Israeli youth from a Jewish settlement in the West Bank.

Israeli aircraft attack key points in the Gaza Strip, destroying bridges and knocking out the territory’s only power station, cutting off electricity to many of the 1.4 million residents.

June 28: Israeli troops enter the Gaza Strip to recover the captured soldier.

The Popular Resistance Committees threaten to kill the West Bank settler if the troops are not withdrawn. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says Israel will use “extreme measures” to rescue the prisoner.

Though urging caution, the U.S. says that Israel has the right to defend itself.

Israeli aircraft fly over Syria, home to several exiled Hamas leaders.

June 29: Israel detains dozens of Hamas officials, including a third of the Palestinian cabinet and several lawmakers.

The abducted settler is found shot dead in the West Bank.

As Israel suspends a ground offensive expected in northern Gaza, Egypt tries to mediate a solution, stating that Hamas agrees to secure the soldier’s release, but only under certain conditions.

June 30: Targeting radical militants in Gaza City, an Israeli air strike sets the Interior Ministry ablaze. Three Palestinians are wounded.

Israel revokes the Jerusalem residency rights of a Hamas minister and three MPs.

Prime Minister Ismail Haniya vows that his Hamas-led government will not fall. Insisting that they are working to free the captured soldier, he accuses Israel of jeopardizing their efforts by attacking Gaza.

July 1: Israel rejects Palestinian demands to free 1,000 prisoners. The captured soldier is said to have been treated by a Palestinian doctor for three bullet wounds.

July 2: Mr. Haniya condemns Israel’s air raid on the Palestinian government’s Gaza office, urging the international community to take action against Israel.

Prime Minister Olmert warns that his forces will use all their power to free Shalit.

A spokesman for Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas says mediation efforts are nearing an impasse.

July 3: Groups holding the Israeli soldier issue a 24-hour deadline. Israel rejects the ultimatum.

Israeli troops and armored divisions enter the northern Gaza Strip after a series of air raids; one Palestinian militant is killed.

Israel raids charity associations linked to Hamas in the West Bank, seizing paperwork and equipment.

July 4: A nighttime air raid kills a Hamas activist in northern Gaza while troops advance into the area in a “limited” operation.

For the first time, Hamas militants fire a rocket into Ashkelon, a southern Israeli coastal town. There are no casualties.

July 5: Israeli warplanes strike the interior ministry in Gaza City for the second time.

Israel’s security cabinet orders the military to intensify air raids against Hamas and “targeted killings” of militants.

July 6: Israel enters deeper into the northern Gaza Strip, reoccupying areas evacuated 10 months ago; 22 Palestinian civilians and militants and one Israeli soldier are killed.

---end---

Two 16-year-old Palestinians are killed in an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank town of Jenin.

The UN Security Council debates a draft resolution demanding an immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of detained Palestinian officials. The United States describes the resolution as “unbalanced.”

July 7: In another air raid on northern Gaza, an armed Palestinian is killed. Another two are killed in the Beit Lahiya area.

Mr. Abbas says Israel is committing “new crimes against humanity.”

July 8: Israeli forces advance toward Gaza City, killing four Palestinians. Other units pull back from northern Gaza to a security zone.

Palestinian premier Ismail Haniya calls for a mutual ceasefire.

July 9: Since July 5, air strikes on Gaza raise the death toll to 41 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier. Defense Minister Amir Peretz acknowledges that “so far there has been no success” in the military operation.

Mr. Abbas sends two envoys to Hamas’s exiled political leader Khaled Meshaal and Syrian authorities to discuss the crisis.

July 10: Mr. Meshaal says the captured Israeli soldier will not be freed without a prisoner swap, but pledges that his life will be protected.

--end--

Responding to international criticism, Mr. Olmert defends Israel’s offensive in Gaza, saying he has no set timetable for the operation.

Two Palestinians in south Gaza are killed by Israeli aircraft.

July 12: Hezbollah militants kidnap two Israeli soldiers patrolling along the northern Israel border. Three soldiers are killed and five more die in subsequent confrontations inside Lebanon. In a failed attempt to prevent the transportation of the kidnapped soldiers, Israeli forces attack installations and Hezbollah positions.

Hezbollah demands the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners and one Lebanese prisoner.

Israel files a complaint, urging the UN to enforce council resolutions calling on the Lebanese government to disarm all militias within its borders and to extend its authority throughout its territory.

Source: JPost; AP; CNN; Reuters; BBC; The New York Times

[American Patriot]

Fox currently is listening to Lebonese PM screaming and hollering about Israel killing innocent people etc. His name is Fouad Siniora.

He was pretty frustrated, angry.. perhaps even livid. He failed, from what I heard to bring any attention to Hizzbulah, but instead spent his time screaming mostly about Israel being "wrong".....

Basically he is asking for an immediate cease fire. Not gonna happen I dont think.

As I posted a bit ago, it looks to me as if this is a way for Israel to soften up the area, so they can walk in with ground forces and hold Lebanon, clean up the terrorists.



Also someone else posted this:

The Lebanese prime minister just had a screech-fest on Fox, in which he blames all problems in the Middle East on Israel and demanded that "the world stop Israel from killing women and children and destroying all Lebanese Christians and the country's infrastructure." The hysterical rant went on and on blaming Israel for all of the Middle East's problems. The attack upon Israel and kidnapping of soldiers? Israel's fault. The rocketing of Israel by Hizbolla? Israel's fault. he went on and on in one screeching, unbroken sentence, spooling-up in as hateful a rant against Jews as I've seen in a long time. Any fault on the part of the Arabs? None. Just Israel's complete fault by existing. He in fact defended Hizbolla and Iran's attack upon Israel and demanded Israel be stopped. Quite a performance.

When he finally ran out of breath a Fox reporter asked if the reporter could ask any questions. The PM said "no!" and hung-up.

People, the violence in the Middle East will not stop until all the terrorists are dead. And Israel knows it.

[American Patriot]

By the NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story...
Monday, July 17, 2006 7:49 a.m. EDT

Bush Curses Hezbollah at G-8 Luncheon

It wasn't meant to be overheard. Private luncheon conversations among world leaders, picked up by a microphone, provided a rare window into both banter and substance - including President Bush cursing Hezbollah's attacks against Israel.

Bush expressed his frustration with the United Nations and his disgust with the militant Islamic group and its backers in Syria as he talked to British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the closing lunch at the Group of Eight summit.

"See the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this (expletive) and it's over," Bush told Blair as he chewed on a buttered roll.

He told Blair he felt like telling U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who visited the gathered leaders, to get on the phone with Syrian President Bashar Assad to "make something happen." He suggested Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice might visit the region soon.

[American Patriot]

GROUND OFFENSIVE DENIED (Israel Denies Troops Enter Lebanon)
SKY NEWS ^ | 7/17/06


Hizbollah missiles rain down on Haifa in northern Israel
Hizbollah missiles rain down on Haifa in northern Israel
Ground Offensive Denied
Updated: 13:03, Monday July 17, 2006

Israel has denied reports its troops have launched a ground offensive in Lebanon against Hizbollah militants.

Wire reports initially said its soldiers were hunting out Hizbollah missile bases.

But it later went back on the account and also denied reports that an Israeli F16 jet had been shot down over Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Hizbollah missiles have again been falling on Haifa, in northern Israel.

Israel has already warned it will knock out Lebanon's electricity grid if the rocket attacks continue.
Bomb damage in Beirut
Bomb damage in Beirut

Israeli continued its bombardment of Lebanon overnight and this morning.

Three missiles hit the capital's southern suburbs while an attack on Beirut's port triggered a large fire.

Israel said it had launched 60 strikes from jets and artillery overnight. Attacks on Sunday destroyed two army posts on the northern Lebanese coast, killing nine Lebanese soldiers.
Israeli bombing campaign has reached northern Lebanon
Israeli bombing campaign has reached northern Lebanon

The raids also damaged the homes of Hizbollah officials in the east of the country, killing five people. The air strikes came after Hizbollah rocket attacks killed eight people in the Israeli city of Haifa on Sunday.

Hizbollah leader Spayed Hassan Nasrallah said the strike on Israel's third-biggest city was retaliatory and promised more "surprises".

Meanwhile, 40 Britons have been airlifted out of Beirut, the Foreign Office said. There are 10,000 Britons in the country.

Israel's military campaign in Lebanon was launched after Hizbollah captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others.

Over 160 Lebanese have been killed in the fighting, nearly all civilians. There have been around 24 Israeli casualties, including 12 civilians hit in rocket attacks.

[American Patriot]

Israel sends ground forces into Lebanon
AP via Yahoo! ^ | 07/17/06 | HAMZA HENDAWI and LEE KEATH

Israeli ground forces entered southern Lebanon to attack Hezbollah bases there, an Israeli government spokesman said Monday. The announcement came after Israeli fighter bombers pummeled Lebanese infrastructure Monday, setting Beirut's port ablaze and hitting a Hezbollah stronghold in attacks that killed at least 17 people.

Hezbollah retaliated by firing rockets that flew farther into Israel than ever before.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for the deployment of international forces to stop the bombardment of Israel and to persuade the Jewish state to stop attacks on Hezbollah, while the European Union said it was considering the deployment of a peacekeeping force.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also arrived in Syria for talks with the government on the crisis. Syria and Iran have applauded Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers, which triggered the offensive.

The Katyusha rockets landed in the town of Atlit, about 35 miles south of the border and five miles south of the port city of Haifa, but nobody was hurt.

Hezbollah fired more rockets Monday at Haifa, but no injuries were immediately reported, according to Israeli security officials and medics. Rockets fired by Hezbollah killed eight people there Sunday.

Israeli planes and artillery guns killed 17 people and wounded at least 53 others in overnight attacks, Lebanese security officials said as the death toll from the conflict rose to more than 200 — 196 in Lebanon and 24 in Israel.

Israel also kept up pressure in the Gaza Strip as it searched for a kidnapped soldier, bombing the empty Palestinian Foreign Ministry building for the second time in less than a week in what it said was a warning to the ruling Hamas party.

Israel launched the offensive June 28 after Hamas-linked militants carried out a cross-border attack on a military outpost, killing two soldiers and capturing another. Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas joined the fray last week, attacking a military patrol in northern Israel, killing eight soldiers and capturing two.

Israel said its planes and artillery struck 60 targets in Lebanon overnight as its military sought punishment for the barrage of 20 rockets on Haifa, the country's third-largest city and one that had not been hit before the current round of fighting began July 12.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed "far-reaching consequences" for the Haifa attack. The eight deaths made it Hezbollah's deadliest strike ever on Israel.

Israeli officials accused Syria and Iran of providing Lebanese guerrillas with sophisticated weapons, saying the missiles that hit Haifa had greater range and heavier warheads than those Hezbollah had fired before.

Speaking on the margin of the Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, Blair said the fighting would not stop until the conditions for a cease-fire were created.

"The only way is if we have a deployment of international forces that can stop bombardment coming into Israel," he said.

Annan appealed to Israel to spare civilian lives and infrastructure. The G-8 nations, who had struggled to reach a consensus on the escalating warfare between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, have expressed concern on the "rising civilian casualties" and urged both sides to stop the violence.

President Bush, not realizing his remarks were being picked up by a microphone, also bluntly expressed his frustration with the actions of Hezbollah, a militant Islamic group believed backed by Iran and Syria that is engaged in escalating warfare with Israel.

"See, the irony is what they really need to do is to get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this (expletive)," Bush told Blair before the Group of Eight leaders began their lunch.

Foreigners continued to flee and several nations moved to get their citizens out. Russia sent an airliner to Jordan on Monday as it prepared to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. Britain also airlifted 40 of its citizens from Lebanon over the weekend and another group was taken out Monday, Ambassador James Watt said. A French ship was due to arrive in the port later Monday to evacuate Europeans.

In their raids on Beirut Monday, Israeli planes killed two people in the harbor and started a large fire that was later extinguished.

The Israeli jets also set fire to a gas storage tank in the northern neighborhood of Dawra and another fuel storage tank at Beirut airport, sending up plumes of smoke. The airport has been closed since Thursday, when Israeli jets blasted its runways.

Israeli missiles also hit southern Beirut, causing three explosions that shook the city. The targets were not immediately clear, but Hezbollah has a host of offices, clinics, schools, social clubs and the homes of its leaders in the southern suburbs.

Elsewhere in Lebanon, Israeli planes again hit the Beirut-to-Damascus highway, which has been targeted as part of a strategy of severing Lebanon's links to the outside world. Monday's attacks struck the highway in the eastern Bekaa Valley and killed two people.

In another attack, eight Lebanese soldiers were killed when Israeli aircraft attacked a small fishing port at Abdeh in northern Lebanon near a highway leading to Syria. Witnesses and security officials said 12 Lebanese soldiers were wounded.

An Israeli army spokesman said his force was investigating the attack. "In principle, the Israeli military does not target Lebanese soldiers," he said.

Hezbollah is not known to operate in northern Lebanon, but the Israeli army said it had targeted radar stations there because they had been used by Hezbollah to hit a warship Friday. It all but accused the Lebanese military of lending its support to Hezbollah.

"The attacks ... are against radar stations used, among other things, in the attack on the Israeli missile boat, by Hezbollah in cooperation with the Lebanese military," the Israeli army spokesman told The Associated Press.

Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said Sunday that despite Israel's attacks, the guerrillas were "in their full strength and power" and that their "missile stockpiles are still full."

"When the Zionists behave like there are no rules and no red lines and no limits to the confrontation, it is our right to behave in the same way," Nasrallah said in a televised address, looking tired. He said Hezbollah had hit Haifa because of Israel's strikes on Lebanese civilians.

The Israeli military warned residents of south Lebanon to flee, promising heavy retaliation after the Haifa assault.

In one airstrike on southern Lebanon early Monday, an Israeli missile missed its apparent target — a Hezbollah site — and hit a private house, killing two people, according to security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

[American Patriot]

Sky News Reporting Israel Officer Says Offensive will end in Days

Just coming across the wires...

[American Patriot]

Russia to Consider Mideast Peacekeepers
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/17/D8ITNUSG8.html ^ | July 17, 2006 | Breitbart

Russia to Consider Mideast Peacekeepers Jul 17 8:14 AM US/Eastern Email this story

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia

President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia would consider contributing troops to an international peacekeeping force in the Middle East if the United Nations approves its deployment.

"So far there is no decision yet on sending peacekeeping troops. When there will be a decision we will consider whether to take part," Putin said.

Putin said he was not certain that the return of three abducted Israeli soldiers would stop the fighting in the Middle East. Israel is fighting Hezbollah militants operating in Lebanon and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

"I don't think the situation has gotten out of control, but I don't have the certainty that the return of the soldiers will stop the conflict," Putin said.

Putin spoke at the end of a summit of the Group of Eight industrial nations. The G-8 leaders on Sunday called for the Israeli soldiers abducted in Gaza and Lebanon to be released.

Their statement also called for the shelling of Israeli territory to end; Israeli military operations to cease and Israeli forces to withdraw early from Gaza; and for arrested Palestinian ministers and legislators to be released.

[American Patriot]

Al-Aqsa: We kidnapped a soldier in the West Bank
Ynet News ^ | 7/17/06

Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades, Fatah's military wing, issued a statement claiming that their operatives had kidnapped a soldier from the Border Guard Police in the West Bank.

The statement also contained the name of the allegedly kidnapped soldier. (Ali Waked)