News Digest — 10/18/24
Netanyahu: ‘This Is The Beginning Of The Day After Hamas In Gaza’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement on Thursday (17th) following the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, saying:
“Citizens of Israel, a year ago, we celebrated Sukkot. At the same exact time, Yahya Sinwar dealt with planning the October 7th massacre. I stand before you today to notify you that Yahya Sinwar was eliminated. The one that committed the worst massacre in our nation’s history since the Holocaust, the mass murderer who murdered thousands of Israelis and abducted hundreds of our citizens, was killed today by our heroic soldiers,” Netanyahu began.
Today, as we promised we would do, we settled the score with him. Today evil was dealt a blow, but the mission before us has not been completed. To the dear families of the hostages, I say: This is an important moment in the war. We will continue with full force to bring your loved ones, who are our loved ones, home. This is our top obligation. This is my top obligation. To the residents of Gaza, I say: Sinwar ruined your lives. He told you that he was a lion, but in fact, he hid in a dark tunnel – and he was eliminated as he fled in fear from our soldiers. His elimination is an important milestone in the fall of Hamas’ evil rule. I want to say again as clearly as possible: Hamas won’t rule Gaza anymore. This is the beginning of the day after Hamas, this is an opportunity for you, residents of Gaza, to finally break free of its tyranny.
“To the terrorists of Hamas, I say: Your leaders are fleeing and are being eliminated. I call on all those who hold our hostages: To those who put down their weapons and return the hostages, we will allow them to leave and live. And in the same sense, I say: whoever hurts the hostages will get what they deserve. The return of the hostages is an opportunity to reach all of our goals and it brings the end of the war closer. To the nations of the region, I say: In Gaza, Beirut, and across the entire region – darkness is retreating and light is rising. Deif, Haniyeh, Sinwar, Nasrallah, Mohsen, Aqil, and many of their partners are no longer. I call on you, the nations of the region: We face a great opportunity to stop the axis of evil and to create a different future. A future of peace, a future of prosperity for the entire region. Together, we can push away the curse and promote a blessing.”
Netnayhau added: “Now it is clear to all in Israel and the world, why we insisted not to end the war. Why did we insist, against all the pressure, to go into Rafah – Hamas’ fortified stronghold where Sinwar and many mass murderers hid? I wish to express my great appreciation to the soldiers of the IDF and ISA and their commander for their determined and brave work. There’s no one better than them.”
“Today we again made clear what happens to those who harm us. Today we again showed the world the victory of the good over the bad. But the war, my friends, is not over yet. It is difficult and it takes a heavy toll. I wish to express my condolences to the families who lost loved ones. I wish to embrace the families of our fallen heroes. Their supreme sacrifice, including in recent days, brings us closer to victory. As King David said: ‘I pursued my enemies and wiped them out, I did not turn back till I destroyed them.’ Citizens of Israel, we are in the war of revival. Difficult challenges lay before us. We must be patient, united, brave, and stand strong. Together we will fight, and with God’s help, together we will win.” he concluded.
Chief Of Staff In Gaza: ‘One Year Later, We Have Settled The Score
IDF Chief Of Staff LTG Herzi Halevi and the Head of the ISA, Ronen Bar arrived at the location Where Yahya Sinwar was eliminated with the Commanding Officer of the Southern Command, MG Yaron Finkelman , the Head of the Operations Directorate (J3), MG Oded Nasiuk and the Commanding Officer of the Gaza Division, BG Barak Hiram.
“This man planned, initiated, gave orders, and executed, and I assume that if we had left him alive he would have continued to do so in the future,” Halevi stated.
“Everywhere, IDF soldiers and commanders are acting with true determination and are initiating contact. I think what’s particularly special here is the operational approach and the determination of the Southern Command and the Gaza Division to effectively take hold of the area, and the right actions of the Bislach Brigade and the battalions to be very proactive and push forward. And look, we conducted many special operations in this war where we had excellent information and we deployed forces prepared with pinpoint accuracy on where to go. Here, we didn’t have that and the response was very, very strong. This is your professionalism, your determination, your sharp identification followed by alertness,” the Chief of Staff noted.
“We’re just after Oct. 7th and a bit before Simchat Torah, and in these eleven days between the Hebrew calendar year and the Gregorian calendar year, we are settling the score with Sinwar, who is responsible for that very difficult day a year ago,” he concluded.”
Iran: Sinwar ‘Will Become A Role Model For Youth, Children’ In Fight For Palestinian Liberation
The Iranian Mission to the United Nations has warned that Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar will serve to “strengthen “the spirit of resistance” of the Palestinian population against Israel.
The mission highlighted that Sinwar “will become a role model for the youth and the children who will follow his path.”
It further stated that “as long as occupation and aggression exist, resistance will endure, for the martyr remains alive and a source of inspiration,” emphasizing Yahya Sinwar’s role as a model for future generations.
The Iranian Mission emphasized that when Muslims see Yahya Sinwar “standing on the battlefield, in combat attire and outdoors, not hidden, confronting the enemy,” their “spirit of resistance” will be strengthened.”
The IDF announced that it had killed Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organization, in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military stated that after a year-long hunt, troops had on Thursday (17th) “eliminated Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terror organization, in an operation in southern Gaza.
Israel called Sinwar’s death a “heavy blow” to Hamas, the Palestinian group it has been fighting for more than a year.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed to crush Hamas at the start of the war, hailed Sinwar’s killing: stating “It is not the end of the war in Gaza; it is the beginning of the end,” while calling the killing of Sinwar an “important landmark in the decline of the evil rule of Hamas.” He also declared, “Today, evil has suffered a heavy blow.”
Yahya Sinwar was the chief of Hamas in Gaza at the time of the October 7th attack and is considered by Israel to be the mastermind of those attacks, in which over 1,200 people were killed and another 251 were taken hostage. The October 7 attacks made Yahya Sinwar the most wanted man in Israel.
IDF Names 5 Golani Commandos Killed In Fierce Battle In Southern Lebanon Village
Five Elite Golani Brigade soldiers were killed on Wednesday (16th) during an intense firefight in a southern Lebanese village near the Israeli border, the IDF reported on Thursday (17th).
Among the fallen in the Golani Brigade reconnaissance Unit were : Maj. Ofek Bachar, 24, a company commander from Nes Ziona; Capt. Elad Siman Tov, 23, a platoon commander from Tzofim; Staff Sgt. Elyashiv Eitan Wieder, 22, a squad commander from Jerusalem; Staff Sgt. Yaakov Hillel, 21, from Jerusalem; and Staff Sgt. Yehudah Dror Yahalom, 21, from Hebron.
According to an initial IDF probe, the Golani Reconnaissance Unit entered a multi-story building in a Lebanese village near the western sector of the border at around 5 p.m. The mission was based on intelligence reports indicating the presence of terrorist infrastructure. As the unit approached, the building came under aerial fire.
Roughly 30 minutes into the search, during which the soldiers discovered several weapons caches and underground positions, gunfire erupted from a stairwell. Four Hezbollah terrorists, who had concealed themselves in the building, opened fire at close range, The ensuing firefight resulted in the deaths of the five soldiers, including the company commander. The Golani troops returned fire, killing the terrorists.
Three soldiers were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others later succumbed from their injuries at the hospital. Five additional soldiers were wounded, including the company’s deputy commander, with three sustaining serious injuries.
Air support provided cover fire, allowing medevac helicopters to extract the casualties to a hospital in Israel. The IDF is now investigating how the Hezbollah terrorists evaded detection during the building sweep, despite the soldiers’ professional conduct.
Golani Brigade forces have been operating in southern Lebanon for two weeks, initially in the village of Maroun al-Ras before expanding to other areas to neutralize Hezbollah’s Radwan forces, which pose an invasion threat to northern Israel. The troops have uncovered and destroyed advanced Hezbollah weaponry near the border and killed more than 10 Hezbollah militants in recent days.
In separate incidents, a soldier from the Golani Brigade’s 12th Battalion and a reservist officer from the 6th Brigade’s 8173rd Battalion were seriously wounded in fighting in southern Lebanon. Two additional reservists from the 8173rd Battalion were also wounded.
Report: Israel Eyes Somaliland Base Bid To Counter Threats From Yemen’s Houthis, Bolster Security
Israel is interested in establishing a military base in northern Somalia in order to keep tabs on Yemen and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Middle East Monitor, the Qatari state-funded news site reported on Tuesday (15th).
According to the report, in exchange, Israel would establish relations with Somaliland, which controls northern Somalia but is not currently recognized by Israel.
The Middle East Monitor noted that Somaliland is geographically strategic. It is a former British colony that borders Ethiopia. Somalia, and Djibouti. Somaliland was considered an autonomous region of Somalia that declared independence in 1991.
Somaliland is positioned in the Gulf of Aden and near the entrance to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, through which nearly a third of the world’s maritime cargo passes.
Somaliland has 740 kilometers of coastline along the Gulf of Aden and could play a key role in safeguarding the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea from piracy, terrorism, and smuggling, the Middle East Monitor wrote.
Various international shipping companies have grown hesitant to charter merchant vessels through the Bab al-Mandab Strait due to attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, disrupting global trade and triggering international naval action.
Traders are scrambling to find alternative shipping routes to get consumer goods to retailers, with journeys around Africa adding roughly 10 days to voyage times.
According to the report, Israel seeks to enhance its national security from afar and challenge the Houthis presence in Yemen, along with other potential economic opportunities that could be spurred from diplomatic relations.
Potential economic opportunities include growing investments in agriculture, energy, and infrastructure. Israel’s historic success in agriculture and knowledge of this field, such as its kibbutz model, could be used to leverage and secure a military base in Somaliland, the Middle East Monitor stated.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ties with both Israel and Somaliland and has maintained a base in Somaliland since 2017. The UAE was one of the first countries in the region to recognize the Republic of Somaliland and has invested in the area, the Middle East Monitor wrote.
The UAE is mediating on behalf of Israel to establish a military base in Somaliland, the Monitor reported, citing diplomatic sources that were not verified.
