News Digest — 10/31/24
US Ceasefire Proposal Would Force Retreat Of Hezbollah From Border, Withdrawal Of IDF From Border Within One Week
An initial draft of a US ceasefire proposal calls for Hezbollah to comply with a previous agreement to retreat from Lebanon’s border with Israel and for the IDF to withdraw from Lebanon within a week as reported by Kan News.
The proposal, presented by US security official Amos Hochstein, outlines an initial 60-day truce followed by a permanent ceasefire.
One requirement is the enforcement of UN Resolution 1701, adopted at the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006, that called for “the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani River of an area free of any armed personnel, assets, and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon.”
The enforcement of Resolution 1701 would create a buffer zone free from Hezbollah and would potentially allow the safe return to their homes of over 40,000 displaced Israelis.
The current ceasefire proposal stipulates that only the Lebanese army, besides UNIFIL, would be the only armed group in Southern Lebanon.
For its part, Israel would retreat from Lebanon and refrain from carrying out any operations against military targets.
The Lebanese government would supervise sales and the production of weapons.
After the retreat of Hezbollah, 5,000 to 10,000 Lebanese army troops would be deployed at the border with Israel, and UNIFIL forces would be increased, perhaps with the addition of soldiers from France, Germany and the UK.
Following this phase, an international body will observe activity on the Lebanese-Israeli border and ensure compliance.
According to US officials, the US has agreed that if UNIFIL and the Lebanese army refuse to deal with violations by Hezbollah, the IDF would be allowed to take action against the terror group.
The third phase involves permanent efforts to prevent Iran from rearming and blocking means to transfer weapons to the terror group by air, land or sea.
Western officials said that Iran may allow or even encourage Hezbollah to agree to a ceasefire even though the war in Gaza continues.
‘Netanyahu Survived This Time:’ Hezbollah Chief Qassem Said After Drone Attack
Hezbollah’s new secretary-general, Naim Qassem, said that he intended to follow in the footsteps of the terror organization’s previous leader,Hassan Nasrallah, during his first televised speech as leader of the terror organization on Wednesday (30th).
During his speech, he referred to the drone attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Caesarea home, saying, “Netanyahu survived this time, perhaps his time hasn’t yet come.”
“My agenda is to follow Nasrallah’s agenda in all aspects,” Qassem said. “We will continue our war plan.”
He continued, “We don’t fight on behalf of anyone or for anyone’s project, we fight for Lebanon. Iran supports our project and doesn’t ask anything of us.”
Qassem spoke of former Hezbollah leaders, Hassan Nasrallah, and Hashem Safieddine, who were killed in Israeli strikes in September and October. He also spoke of former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who was eliminated earlier in October in the Gaza Strip.
He called Sinwar “an icon of heroism and resistance for Palestine, and the free people of the world, who died fighting to his last breath – steadfast, brave, faithful, righteous, honorable. And free.”
Qassem also addressed the ongoing war in Gaza, saying that Hezbollah would continue to support Hamas and confront “the danger posed by Israel to the entire region.”
The Hezbollah leader criticized various countries and regions that have supported Israel, including the US and Europe. He said that Iran supports Hezbollah, and their “beliefs are aligned.”
“International resolutions did not drive the Israeli enemy out of Lebanon; it was the resistance that forced them out,” he added.
He also discussed the pager attack launched by Israel in September, saying that the event affected “4,000 Lebanese.”
Israel Moves To Dismantle Iran’s Backbone
Professor Amatzya Baram, an expert in Middle East and Persian Gulf Studies, spoke with Maariv on Monday (28th) and raised significant points about Hezbollah’s capabilities and Iran’s policy regarding the use of precise long-range missiles.
“Hezbollah operatives are doing everything they can except for one thing – using the heavy and precise strategic missiles,” noted Baram. He estimated that the Iranians have been deliberately preserving these missiles and directing Hezbollah not to launch them.
“It is important for the Iranians that we feel the threat of missiles above our heads. Now, the Iranians are in direct confrontation with us, not through proxies. The Iranians don’t know where the confrontation will develop, so it is very important to them that Hezbollah preserves its precise long-range strategic missiles. According to their view, if Israel knows these missile threats exist – it will act with extra caution compared to if Hezbollah didn’t have these weapons.”
According to him, while Hezbollah operates many tools, including drones, missiles, and rockets, these are limited in their range and barely reach significant distances, like Tel Aviv.
“In my opinion, they have very few heavy rockets left for long ranges – they can reach the Krayot, Acre, Nahariya, and even Carmiel, but struggle to reach Haifa and deeper into the country. In practice, the scope of launches they carry out is significantly lower than IDF estimates before the war broke out. The Military thought that Iron Dome wouldn’t be able to keep up with the launch-rate at all,” Baram claimed.
“The IDF’s pre-war assessment of Hezbollah’s launch-rate was about 1,500 missiles per day – while today there are about 200 Hezbollah launches toward Israel each day,” Baram added.
“This fact indicates severe damage to the terrorist organization’s launch positions and manpower.”
Baram emphasized that the ability to manage missile salvos is even more limited due to the lack of an organized command backbone and consistent coordination.
“The IDF has taken out about 3,000 Hezbollah field operatives, who were eliminated or wounded. We severely hit operators and the command structure, but there are still terrorist cells of the organization that can independently operate missiles and drones. As we see, they are capable of sending missile salvos. This action shows some degree of coordination between Hezbollah cells,” he said.
“The Iranians are struggling to regain control over the organization and its details, including military mechanisms,” he said. “Part of the Iranian command in Lebanon and Syria, including Quds Force officers, were hit. This fact made it difficult to transfer ammunition to Hezbollah and created gaps in command. Among those eliminated was the deputy commander of the Quds Force, who directly supervised Hezbollah and particularly the transfer of weapons from Syria to Lebanon. Thus, it’s not surprising that the Iranians are facing difficulties in trying to concentrate and command Hezbollah.”
However, he estimated that Iran may try to reorganize Hezbollah over the coming months, build a strong command structure, and increase its grip.
“This is the time to exploit the disruptions and strike the organization as much as possible,” Baram argued. According to him, it’s important to hit command structures while Iranian forces are undergoing reorganization.
Professor Baran added interesting information about the Quds Force’s struggle with the assassinations of senior command, which has undermined its activities and caused fear of crisis.
Recently, Iran has been dealing with unclear internal challenges in the Quds Force. Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force , disappeared mysteriously, and for a certain period there was concern that he was either eliminated or suspected of treason. He reappeared publicly at the memorial ceremony for the eliminated Quds Force deputy, but then disappeared again. There’s a feeling that the Quds Force is undergoing significant structural changes.”
Baram concluded by saying that this situation has delayed Hezbollah’s reorganization and emphasized the importance of attacking Hezbollah in its current state, aiming to disrupt rehabilitation efforts.
“Hezbollah is currently at its weakest point since Khamenei created it in 1982, and we must exploit this weakness.”
Minister Gallant In Rafah: ‘Military Pressure Creating Conditions To Free Hostages’
Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant entered the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning (30th) and joined troops deployed in Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor.
Minister Gallant was shown the location where Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was eliminated. He also held an operational situation assessment together with the General of the Southern Command, Commander of the Gaza Division, and additional senior officials.
“In any place where Hamas rears its head, it meets the IDF – whether in Rafah, Khan Younis, or Jabaliya – wherever Hamas rises, it is taken down. Your military actions led to the conditions that ultimately caused Sinwar to make a mistake, leading to his elimination,” Gallant told the troops.
“The central issue here is to continue exerting as much pressure on Hamas as possible, in order to create the conditions necessary to ensure the return of the hostages. Your duty is to exert military pressure and eliminate and imprison terrorists.”
“The political echelon must do what is necessary to bring about a deal. You (referring to the troops) must apply military pressure and do what is necessary to create the conditions required for us to carry out a deal. This is our most important mission in Gaza at this time,” he continued.
Gallant added: “We have routine tasks as well – defending Israeli communities and troops and maintaining our freedom of operation in Gaza. You apply pressure – do what is necessary and we will bring about a deal because you created the conditions for us to carry it out, and I hope that we can do it.”
Israel’s Iron Dome Performs Overseas As Marines Adopt System
The US Marine Corps has successfully completed its first live-fire test of an air defense system incorporating the Iron Dome interceptor. The system combines American and Israeli technology: US-made radar and command-and-control-center, alongside Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ Iron Dome interceptor (the Tamir model) and mobile launcher Raytheon serves as the prime contractor for the project.
During the exercise, Marine Corps personnel operated the system fully through target interception and tested the continuous launch capability of the interceptors from the new mobile launcher. The successful test demonstrated both the forces’ proficiency in operating the system and its effectiveness in challenging interception scenarios.
The Tamir interceptor can counter various threats including cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), rockets, artillery shells, and Mortar rounds. The test marks a significant milestone toward deploying the Marines’ first prototype battery and demonstrates Iron Dome technology’s ability to integrate with foreign air defense systems.
The system, which has proven its operational capabilities with thousands of successful interceptions in a little over a decade, continues to protect lives during the current Iron Swords War. It forms part of Israel’s multi-tiered defense array, which includes the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow 2, and Arrow 3 systems.
Moshe Patel, Director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), said “The Marine Corps live-fire test provides another proof of the Iron Dome interceptor’s capability, together with its ground array, to quickly and effectively integrate with any relevant aid defense system and intercept various aerial threats in complex scenarios. The Defense Ministry welcomes all air defense cooperation with US military branches.”
U.S. Contractor Chosen To Deliver Aid To Gaza To End Hamas’ Looting – Itamar Eichner
Moti Kahana, an American-Israeli businessman and CEO of the American logistics company GDC, says his company has been chosen to serve as a contractor “to secure humanitarian aid and ensure that civilians in Gaza receive it and that Hamas and other criminals don’t steal it. This will… allow Israel to focus on fighting terrorism where it needs to. The US Army sometimes brings in contractors and that’s how we should be seen too.”
“GDC is made up of former soldiers from elite units in the US, UK and France. The common denominator is that none of them are Jewish.” Kahana says his employees have extensive experience in Iran and Afghanistan. “The company is made up of ‘war junkies,’ people who love fighting bad guys. They really believe this is the right thing to do… These are people who have fought terrorism their whole lives.”
“This will begin stabilizing post-war Gaza so that people there will understand there’s free food available. There isn’t a starvation problem in Gaza. The problem is that criminals (Hamas) steal food and sell it, becoming very rich. The American plan is to flood Gaza with so much food that the price of sugar won’t make it worth stealing.”
Jewish Man Severely Wounded In Brooklyn Stabbing As Perpetrator Remains At Large
A visibly Jewish man was slashed in the face as he was walking through downtown Brooklyn, New York on Tuesday morning (29th).
The victim, a resident of Crown Heights in his late 20s, was approached by a black male in a ski mask who stabbed him without any provocation, according to a report from COLlive.com, an Orthodox Jewish news outlet. The victim survived and was taken to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
“This is a very serious incident, and the Jewish Future Alliance is deeply concerned about it,” said Yaacov Berman, a liaison for Chabad Headquarters, on X/Twitter.
“Witnesses at the scene testified that it was unprovoked. I just spoke to the family; he is hospitalized and requires surgery. The attacker allegedly yelled hateful rhetoric,” added Berman.
Crown Heights Shmira, a public safety organization, is assisting the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in making sure the perpetrator is apprehended, according to COLlive.
Tuesday’s (29th) attack came two months after New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released an analysis showing that anti-Semitic incidents accounted for a striking 65% of all felony hate crime incidents in New York City last year.
3.5 million American Jews experienced anti-Semitism since October 7th, studies find.
Across the entire state, meanwhile, nearly 44% of all recorded hate crime incidents and 88% of religious-based hate crimes targeted Jewish victims.
The surge in anti-Semitism in New York was also seen nationwide.
Anti-Jewish hate crimes in the US spiked to a record high last year, and American Jews were the most targeted of any religious group in the country, according to a report published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) last month.
Other reports have shown most of the anti-Semitic outrages occurred after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’ massacre across southern Israel last October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza.
