“Shelling sounded out along Israel’s volatile northern border with Lebanon for
a third consecutive day Tuesday, stoking fears on both sides of a repeat of
2006, when Israel fought a bloody monthlong war with Hezbollah, the Shiite
group committed to the destruction of the Jewish state. Although paling in
comparison to the fighting that has taken place around Gaza, in the country’s
southwest, the continued clashes on Israel’s northern border have deepened
unease over the possibility that the conflict — already the broadest invasion
in 50 years — could spread to multiple fronts. There were signs late Tuesday
that could happen: The Israeli Army said it had identified a number of launches
from Syria into Israeli territory, the first time that fire had been exchanged
across that border since fighting erupted on Saturday. There were no immediate
reports of casualties. The Israeli military said the projectiles apparently
fell in an open area and that it had been firing artillery and mortar shells in
return. Along the Israel-Lebanon border, the day had begun with residents
assessing the aftermath of clashes Monday, when Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an
armed group based in Gaza, sent fighters into Israel, two of whom died. Funeral
processions were held in southern Lebanon for three Hezbollah fighters also
killed amid the skirmish by Israeli shelling.”











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Eye on Extremism



October 11, 2023



The New York Times: Along Israel’s Borders With Lebanon And Syria, Clashes
Raise Fears Of Another Front
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“Shelling sounded out along Israel’s volatile northern border with Lebanon for
a third consecutive day Tuesday, stoking fears on both sides of a repeat of
2006, when Israel fought a bloody monthlong war with Hezbollah, the Shiite
group committed to the destruction of the Jewish state. Although paling in
comparison to the fighting that has taken place around Gaza, in the country’s
southwest, the continued clashes on Israel’s northern border have deepened
unease over the possibility that the conflict — already the broadest invasion
in 50 years — could spread to multiple fronts. There were signs late Tuesday
that could happen: The Israeli Army said it had identified a number of launches
from Syria into Israeli territory, the first time that fire had been exchanged
across that border since fighting erupted on Saturday. There were no immediate
reports of casualties. The Israeli military said the projectiles apparently
fell in an open area and that it had been firing artillery and mortar shells in
return. Along the Israel-Lebanon border, the day had begun with residents
assessing the aftermath of clashes Monday, when Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an
armed group based in Gaza, sent fighters into Israel, two of whom died. Funeral
processions were held in southern Lebanon for three Hezbollah fighters also
killed amid the skirmish by Israeli shelling.”



NBC: U.S. Investigating Whether Iran Gave Advanced Training To Hamas Militants
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“American officials are investigating whether some of the Hamas militants who
carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel received advanced training from
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to current and former U.S.
officials. They are also examining whether Hamas used recent Palestinian
protests along the Gaza border fence as cover to place explosives that were
later used to breach the Israeli barrier. The advanced training and placement
of explosives, if confirmed, would be the latest example of decades of support
that Iran has provided to Hamas. The attack, which was far more sophisticated
than past Hamas operations, would not have been possible without the decades of
funding, weapons and training Iran has supplied to the militant group, current
and former U.S. officials say. “Hamas could not be a fraction of the group that
it is — neither a political, social or religious entity nor a terrorist and
militant entity — without Iran’s financial support, provision of weapons and
training,” said Matthew Levitt, a former senior official in the Treasury and
State departments who focused on counterterrorism.”





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Yemen



Reuters: Yemen's Houthis Warn They Will Fire Missiles, Drones If US Intervenes
In Gaza Conflict
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“Yemen's Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi said on Tuesday that if the U.S.
intervenes in the Gaza conflict directly, the group will respond by firing
drones and missiles, and take other military options. "There are red lines when
it comes to Gaza," he said, adding that the Houthis were ready to coordinate
with other groups and intervene.”



Lebanon



Reuters: Israeli Shelling Hits South Lebanon After Hezbollah Rocket Fire
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“Israeli shelling hit southern Lebanese towns on Wednesday in response to a
fresh rocket attack by powerful armed group Hezbollah, as cross-border violence
extended into a fourth day. Hezbollah said it had fired precision missiles at
an Israeli position in response to the killing of its members in Israeli
shelling earlier this week, pledging "decisive" responses to attacks on
Lebanese territory, especially deadly ones. The Israeli military said it was
attacking Lebanon after one of its northern positions near the Israeli town of
Arab al-Aramshe was targeted with anti-tank fire on Wednesday. It did not
immediately provide details on casualties. A Lebanese security source said
Hezbollah fired two precision missiles into Israel, which the group considers
its sworn enemy. Residents of the southern Lebanese town of Rmeish said Israeli
shelling hit nearby. A security source told Reuters that Israeli artillery
rounds were hitting the rocket launch point around Dhayra, across from Arab
al-Aramshe. Lebanese in those towns say the recent violence has brought back
memories of the summer of 2006, when Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel fought a
brutal month-long war.”



Middle East



The U.S. Sun: 'VOICE OF TERROR' Who Is Mohammed Deif? One-Eyed Hamas Chief
Dubbed ‘The Guest’ Who Dodged Israeli Bombs To Send Killers To Slaughter
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“…The decision for Hamas to take at least 100 Israeli hostages, Sir Ivor
Roberts states would have "carefully planned" by Deif "with the aim of securing
the release of thousands of Palestinians". The adviser to the Counter Extremism
Project (CEP) said: "He knows full well that Israeli public opinion will put
pressure on the government to pay a very heavy price in numbers of prisoners
they're prepared to give up for even one Israeli". He added that Deif now
wields a "tremendous bargaining tool". “



Reuters: How An Israeli Kibbutz 'Paradise' Turned Into Hell In Hamas Attack
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“A baby's crushed crib lying outside a burnt-out home. Corpses strewn on
streets. Body bags lined up on an outdoor basketball court. The stench of death
everywhere. Just a few days ago this was the sleepy, scenic kibbutz of Kfar
Aza, an Israeli farming community of about 750 people, many of them families
with young children. Now it's become a charnel house after Hamas gunmen burst
out of the Gaza Strip on Saturday and laid waste to the village. "Mothers,
fathers, babies, young families killed in their beds, in the protection room,
in the dining room, in their garden," Israeli Major General Itai Veruv said on
Tuesday, the seasoned soldier visibly shaken as troops went door-to-door to
collect the bodies of residents killed in their homes. "It's not a war, it's
not a battlefield. It's a massacre," Veruv said. Some victims were decapitated,
he added. "I've never seen anything like this, and I've served for 40 years."”



ABC: 'No One Feels Safe': Palestinians In Fear As Israeli Airstrikes In Gaza
Kill At Least 490 Women And Children
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“Hundreds of targets have been hit in Gaza by Israel following the Saturday
incursion from Hamas terrorists, the group that controls the Palestinian
territory of Gaza. More than 200 targets were struck in Gaza by Israeli forces
in just one day, according to authorities. In Gaza, at least 950 people have
died -- among them 260 children and 230 women -- and another 5,000 have been
wounded since Saturday, according to the latest numbers from Palestinian
officials. In Israel, at least 1,200 people have been killed and 2,900 others
injured. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip say they are living in fear as Israel
retaliates for the actions of the militant terrorist group, with nowhere for
them go. There are no bomb shelters for Palestinians to hide from airstrikes.
An Israeli airstrike hit nearby the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and
Gaza on Tuesday for the second time in two days, according to the the interior
ministry in Gaza said. "Gaza is a closed zone. There's nowhere people can
evacuate to -- there's no shelters," said Laila El-Haddad, 45, a
Palestinian-American living in Maryland whose family is currently in Gaza.”



United Kingdom



The Guardian: Four British Men Freed By Taliban After Being Held In Afghanistan

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“Four British nationals who were held in Taliban custody in Afghanistan have
been released and are to return to the UK on Tuesday. The Presidium Network, a
British not-for-profit organisation that works in conflict zones and has
assisted the men, named three of them as Kevin Cornwell, a charity medic; Miles
Routledge and Ian Purchase. The other cannot be named for legal reasons. The
men were all detained over allegedly breaking the country’s laws earlier this
year. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said
the UK government “regrets this episode”. They said: “On behalf of families of
the British nationals, we express their apologies to the current administration
of Afghanistan for any violations of the laws of the country.” Scott Richards,
co-founder of the Presidium Network, said the men were returning to the UK on
Tuesday. Richards wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): “Mr Cornwell and the
three other British nationals, which includes Miles Routledge have been
released and have left Afghanistan. They are coming home! Thank you to everyone
for their support of these men during this difficult period. We are all
relieved.”



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