News Digest — 11/5/24
Hezbollah Launches Rocket Attack On Acre, Haifa And Surrounding Areas
Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets and missiles at the coastal cities of Acre and Haifa and their surrounding areas on Tuesday (5th), sending hundreds of thousands of Israelis into shelters in the early morning hours.
The attack came after a relatively quiet night with the last barrage targeting the Upper Galilee region including the northern city of Safed. The IDF said it intercepted a drone that crossed into Israeli territory from the Syrian border overnight.
Residents of the Jezreel Valley region said they heard loud sounds of explosions likely from aerial defenses intercepting the incoming threats.
According to the military two projectiles were shot down and emergency services said there were no immediate reports of injuries in the attack.
Also the military said Tuesday morning (5th) that a soldier was badly hurt in the fighting in South Lebanon as the IDF continues its operation to uproot Hezbollah terrorists from the area, destroy its infrastructure and prevent it from attacking the Galilee.
IDF Heightens State Of Alert In Anticipation Of Iranian Response
The IDF has heightened its readiness in anticipation of a possible Iranian response to the recent Israeli strike, military sources said on Monday (4th).
This increased vigilance includes daily situational assessments across all branches and divisions of the IDF General Staff, including the Home Front Command.
Intelligence gathering efforts have been intensified through various methods involving the entire intelligence community. At the same time, the Israeli Air Force remains on high alert, focusing on its control and air defense systems.
“The presence of hundreds of American soldiers in Israel operating the THAAD missile defense system underscores the close cooperation between the IDF and US forces stationed here,” a military official noted.
Deputy Chiefof Staff MG Amir Baram has also strengthened cooperative ties with his counterparts at US CENTCOM headquarters to prepare for various scenarios.
They further stressed that Iran is still considering its options for retaliation and evaluating the scale of its response.
The IDF has not ruled out the possibility of an Iranian response from Syria, Yemen, or Iraq rather than directly from Iran.
Additionally, security officials are not discounting the possibility of Iranian attempts to target senior Israeli figures both domestically and abroad.
Security officials pointed out that Iran is likely weighing US warnings carefully while testing the limits, particularly during the American election period.
“An Iranian attack on Israel could impact the US elections, as Israel is deeply embedded in the political narratives of both Democratic and Republican campaigns,” one source explained.
Military sources confirmed that, despite assessments suggesting that the US elections might delay any Iranian response by at least a few days, the IDF has strategically reinforced its detection, warning, air defense, intelligence, and operational systems within the General Staff.
Report: Nevatim Base Commander Given Extra Security Over Iranian Assassination Plot
A high-ranking general in the Israel Air Force (IAF) has been placed under heightened security following an Iranian plot to assassinate him, foreign media reported.
According to Iran International, an opposition Iranian news site based in the UK, the target of the plot is Brigadier General Yotam Sigler, the commander of the Nevatim Air Force Base.
“The commander is a very wanted target because Nevatim is in itself such a strong target for Iran. It’s not just fighters, it’s intelligence, it’s a multi-disciplinary and strategic base,” an Israeli source told Iran International.
Sigler was allegedly targeted by a cell of Azeri-Israelis who had been working for Iran for several years with the purpose of gathering intelligence on Israeli sites and officials.
Last week, it was revealed that a Bnei Brak man along with a couple from Lod were charged with acting as agents for Iran.
Last month, an alleged “Azerbaijani spy ring” operating under Iranian influence was revealed. The case involved seven Israeli citizens, including a father and son, who are suspected of maintaining contact with Iranian agents for two years. They allegedly gathered intelligence on Israeli military bases and tracked senior Israeli officials and their families as part of a planned assassination plot. Some of the suspects were caught surveilling a senior Israeli official and his son, who were reportedly targeted for an Iranian missile strike.
The seven defendants are accused of carrying out missions for the Iranians. The missions are divided into three main tracks: collection against sensitive facilities in the State of Israel, against military bases, and against human targets – all for the purpose of Iranian harm.
According to the indictment, in the past two years, the defendants performed numerous tasks for a person identifying as Elan Agayev, on behalf of Iranian intelligence officials, and another foreign agent nicknamed “Orhan.” The two operatives were in constant contact with the defendants and recruited them for various missions aimed at collecting intelligence for Iran, including photographing and collecting information on civilian infrastructures, military bases, defense systems, and IDF weapons systems, as well as tracking different individuals.
The defendants carried out hundreds of tasks of photographing bases, including Nevatim, Ramat David, Tel Nof, and Palmachim Air Force bases, Meron and Mitzpe Ramon, as well as bases in Be’er Tuvia, Kiryat Gat, Emek Hefer, Glilot compound, and others.
In addition, the defendants photographed, according to Iranian handlers’ instructions, Iron Dome systems in Haifa, and Krayot areas, Haifa Government Complex, Haifa, Ashdod, and Eilat Ports, Hadera power station, and the IDF observation balloon at Golani Junction area.
The Iranian handlers also sent the minor defendant coordinates of several military bases and strategic sites for future photography tasks, including the Golani Basic Training Camp and a pinpoint location of the dining hall in the base, Rafael’s David Institute, and more.
The head of the cell was asked to inquire about a specialist in gas engineering and Caucasus issues from the University of Haifa, whose lectures regarding Iran are published online. Among other things, he was asked to find out details about her relatives, her vehicle, her schedule and more.
Additionally, in case they were caught photographing at prohibited sites, the cell’s leader created a cover story for the cell as if they were tour guides.
In return for completing the tasks, the defendants received payments and reimbursement ranging from $500 to $1,200 for each task. The total payment they received amounted to $300.000 which was divided among the cell members.
Israel Strikes Hezbollah Intelligence Site Near Damascus, IDF Says
The IDF said on Monday (4th) that it attacked a Hezbollah intelligence site near Damascus. The compound includes an independent intelligence gathering, coordination, and assessment network and was under the direct command of Hezbollah’s Head of Intelligence, Hassan Ali al-Zaima who was assassinated in a strike on Beirut’s Dahieh last September along with the designated leader of the terror group Hashem Safieddine.
According to the military, in that same strike, chief of Hezbollah’s intelligence branch in Syria Mahmoud Mohammed Shaheen was also killed.
“According to initial reports, an Israeli aggression targeted the area around Sayeda Zeinab,” the official SANA news agency said, without providing additional details. Three sites were targeted, Syrian radio said in a report.
News outlets affiliated with the opposition said sources close to the Assad regime reported that at least two members of Hezbollah were killed and five others were injured in the attack on a farm belonging to Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Sayeda Zeinab, a stronghold of the Iran-backed terror group and the site of a major Shi’ite shrine, has been targeted in previous strikes.
Syrian and Western intelligence sources say Israeli attacks in Syria have killed numerous Hezbollah and pro-Iranian militia fighters based around the eastern outskirts of Damascus and to the south of the city.
The sources say the neighborhood remains a target due to the presence of high-ranking militia leaders.
IDF Considers Forming Anti-Tank Units Using Captured Hezbollah Material
The IDF is examining the possibility of establishing new anti-tank units using material seized as spoils from Hezbollah, including tens of thousands of Kornet and Almas anti-tank missiles, equivalent to the Israel-made Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Gil system. This initiative comes following the capture of an unprecedented quantity of missiles from southern Lebanon, Israel Hayom learned on Sunday (3rd).
After removing weapons from areas previously controlled by Radwan forces, the IDF initially considered destroying some equipment due to the vast quantity but ultimately decided to transfer a significant portion to Israel. During the operation, dozens of trucks loaded with weapons were removed from numerous villages, to deny Hezbollah’s Radwan forces access to these resources.
These weapons were intended to provide Hezbollah teams with long-range combat capabilities against IDF forces, primarily consisting of advanced missiles such as the Almas – optical anti-tank missiles with reverse engineering capabilities based on Rafael’s Gil missile, featuring “fire-and-forget” mechanisms effective at ranges of several miles. In addition to the Almas, the IDF also seized a significant quantity of Kornet missiles, which have been fired toward northern Israeli communities over the past year. These Russian manufactured missiles, enhanced in their Iranian version, can reach ranges up to 7.5 miles, with clear operational significance for the IDF.
The possibility of converting this massive cache into dedicated long-range units is currently under consideration, following the IDF’s historical precedent of utilizing spoils from previous wars.
Danon Blasts Turkey For Asking UN For Israel Arms Embargo: Driven By Malice
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, responded on Monday (4th) to a letter sent by Turkey to the UN in which it calls for an arms embargo against Israel.
“The letter was signed by more than 52 countries in support of the request. This is another move by the axis of evil to act against Israel in the international arena,” said Danon.
“But what can you expect from a country like Turkey whose actions are driven by malice to perpetuate conflicts with the support of the axis of evil countries?” he added.
This letter is further proof that the UN is led by sinister nations and not by liberal countries that support the values of justice and morality. We will continue to fight for the interests of the State of Israel in the face of any political and military attack,” stated the Israeli Ambassador.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Sunday (3rd) that his country had submitted a letter to the United Nations, endorsed by 52 countries and two organizations, urging a halt to arms deliveries to Israel.
“We have written a joint letter calling on all countries to stop the sale of arms and ammunition to Israel. We delivered this letter, which has 54 signatures, to the UN on November 1,” Fidan said at a press conference in Djibouti.
“We must repeat at every opportunity that selling arms to Israel means participating in its genocide,” Fidan continued, adding that the letter represents “an initiative launched by Turkey.”
The signatories include Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Algeria, China, Iran, and Russia, along with the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, according to the AFP news agency.
After years of tension, Israel and Turkey were headed towards reconciliation before Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, but Erdogan has resumed his frequent verbal attacks on Israel since that time.
In one speech, the Turkish President said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “committed one of the greatest atrocities of this century in Gaza and has already put his name down in history as the butcher of Gaza.”
In July, Erdogan threatened to invade Israel, saying, “We must be strong so Israel won’t be able to do these things. Just as we entered Karabakh in Libya, we will do the same to Israel. There’s nothing left to do, we must be strong.”
He then continued to lash out at Israel, claiming that it “committed acts of barbarism” and that “Gaza has become the world’s largest concentration camp.”
Last month, Erdogan called on the United Nations General Assembly to invoke the use of force, referencing a resolution passed in 1950, if the UN Security Council is unable to halt Israel’s strikes in Gaza and Lebanon.
Several weeks later, he claimed that “Israel is the most concrete threat to regional and global peace.”
