Following 11 months of non-stop attacks on Israeli civilians and decades of Iran arming Hezbollah with 150,000 rockets and missiles, Israel launched an extensive and unprecedented military campaign against Hezbollah today.
The new operation — which has been named Operation Northern Arrows — is the largest attack against Hezbollah since the 2006 Lebanon War.
The IDF has already struck more than 1,300 targets in less than 24 hours, including advanced weapons and terrorists.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said the military had dismantled military capabilities that Hezbollah had built up for 20 years, calling the strikes "very significant."
Watch the massive secondary explosions following an Israeli strike on a Hezbollah weapons depot in southern Lebanon:
Israel also targeted Ali Karaki — Hezbollah’s third in command and the last remaining top military advisor to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. It remains unclear whether Karaki was successfully killed or injured in the attack.
Today’s operation followed early-morning messages from the IDF warning Lebanese residents "in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes" to immediately evacuate their homes ahead of "intensive precise strikes against terror targets which have been embedded widely throughout Lebanon."
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced this morning that Israel has entered a "new stage" in the war against Hezbollah: "We are deepening our attacks in Lebanon, the sequence of operations continues, and will continue until we achieve our goal of returning the residents of the north safely to their homes."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added that the IDF is operating to "change the balance of power in the north" by taking out Hezbollah’s military infrastructure. "For those who have not yet understood, I want to clarify Israel’s policy. We do not wait for a threat, we anticipate it. Everywhere, in every theater, at any time."
Meanwhile, more than 3 million Israelis today were forced into shelters by more than 200 Hezbollah rockets and missiles, including the first long-range rockets fired from Lebanon since October 8. All of Israel was put at heightened emergency levels, as air raid sirens blared further south today than they have at any point since the war began, including in Israel’s third-largest city of Haifa.
Israel is combining military and diplomatic pressure on Hezbollah to stop the Iranian-backed attacks that began on October 8, push the terrorist group back, and return the 80,000+ Israelis who have been displaced from their homes for the past 11 months.
America must stand with our ally Israel and ensure it has the offensive and defensive weapons needed to keep its people safe.
America increasing military presence in Middle East to deter broader war
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced today that additional troops are being sent to the region "in light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution."
President Joe Biden told journalists yesterday that his administration will "do everything we can to keep a wider war from breaking out. And we’re still pushing hard."
The aircraft carrier USS Truman, two destroyers and a cruiser left Virginia today for a regularly scheduled deployment to the Mediterranean. It is unclear if the U.S. intends to keep both the Truman and the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is currently in the Gulf of Oman, in the region.
Update on other Iranian fronts against Israel
As Israel continues to operate against Hezbollah in Lebanon, it’s also confronting Iran’s other terror proxies throughout the region.
Early this morning, Iranian-backed terrorists in Iraq launched a drone at Israel, which was intercepted by IDF fighter jets. It was at least the sixth attack from Iraq within 24 hours.
In Gaza, the IDF conducted a precise strike targeting Hamas terrorists who were operating out of a command-and-control center inside a school in central Gaza. The terrorists were using the school compound to plan and execute terrorist attacks.
The IDF also announced that the terrorists likely responsible for executing the six hostages in a tunnel last month were killed by Israeli troops. DNA evidence ties the terrorists to the execution.
Meanwhile, Hamas continues to reject a hostage-ceasefire agreement. Yesterday, National Security Communications Coordinator John Kirby made clear: "It's certainly apparent to us that Mr. Sinwar remains the big obstacle here to getting a deal, and it certainly is the case that he has done nothing in the recent weeks to prove that he's willing to move this forward in a good faith way. He is the major obstacle, no question about it."
"Hey J Street, You Can’t Fool Us Again"
Today, Rabbi Felipe Goodman published a new op-ed dismantling the ridiculous lie that J Street represents "mainstream" pro-Israel views:
"I know of no mainstream pro-Israel voice that celebrates those who call Israel 'racist' or accuse it of committing 'genocide,' as J Street’s 'champions' in Congress do."
"It’s not mainstream to embrace Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen’s vision of cutting off American security assistance to Israel, or endorse candidates who voted against funding Iron Dome. Yet J Street does."
"When President Biden asked Congress to approve $14 billion in vital security aid to Israel, Democrats strongly backed our ally and Biden... yet J Street still fundraises for 28 of the mere 37 who voted against it. How is that promoting mainstream pro-Israel values?"
The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
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