News Digest — 8/13/24
The Fast Of Tisha B’Av Began At Sundown Monday Evening
Police officers, security forces, and security volunteers have been deployed around the Old City of Jerusalem to guard the thousands of worshipers who visit the Western Wall during the fast day.
Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, is a day of mourning for the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE, both of which took place on this day. The destruction of the Holy Temple was accompanied by the destruction of the Jewish Kingdoms that had existed in the Land of Israel at those times and the exiling of a large part of the Jewish population.
Other historical tragedies, including the Jews expulsion from Spain in 1492, occurred at or around the time of Tisha B’Av
Due to the nature of the tragedies that befell the Jewish people and the intensity of the mourning on this day, the fast is stricter than other fast days throughout the year, and lasts from sunset to the following nightfall, or about 25 hours. Many of the prohibitions that apply to Yom Kippur also apply to Tisha B’Av.
Tisha B’Av began Monday evening (12th) and will conclude Tuesday evening (13th) at nightfall.
Regional Quake: 5.2M Earthquake Hits Northern, Central Israel And Surrounding Countries
A 5.2M earthquake hit central and northern Israel, along with surrounding countries on Monday night (12th), Israel media and scientific organizations reported.
According to a Walla report, the earthquake in Israel was of magnitude 5.2
In Salamiya, a town approximately 18.5 miles from Hama city, residents rushed out into the dark streets out of fear, said Nasser Duyub, a state employee living there.
“My son was sleeping, I don’t know how I grabbed him and gpt out of the house,” Duyub told Reuters. Residents said they saw a balcony collapse and ambulances treating people who had fainted.
Others in Syria said they had immediate flashbacks to 2023, when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed more than 50,000 – mostly in Turkey but with thousands also perishing in northern Syria. The quake also left widespread destruction in both countries.
At least 25 people sustained minor to moderate injuries due to stampeding following the quake, the Syrian city of Hama’s health Director Maher Younis said early Tuesday (13th).
Jordan’s state news agency reported a 3.9 magnitude aftershock less than an hour after the initial quake.
An earthquake was felt three weeks ago in the Dead Sea area and Jerusalem, and a 3.8M hit in March.
A State Comptroller report from January warned that Israel was not prepared for a major earthquake like the ones seen in Morocco, Turkey and Syria last year.
Comptroller Matanyahu Englman wrote “A strong earthquake in Israel is a matter of time, and the state is still not adequately prepared for an earthquake event.”
80% of Israel’s hospitals are not resistant to earthquakes, and only approximately 5% of schools and other educational institutions have been or are being reinforced.
MDA spokesman Zaki Haller commented on the earthquake, saying, “No reports of injuries or damage have been received at MDA’s 101 hotline. There are only a few calls from citizens to MDA’s 101 about feelings of anxiety.”
Foreign Minister Katz: ‘Iran Establishing New Front On Israel’s Eastern Border
Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel Katz commented Monday (12th) on Iran’s efforts to smuggle arms into Israel for use in attacks against Israeli citizens.
“A serious and dangerous situation is unfolding as Iran works to establish a new eastern terror front against Israel’s major population centers. Iranian Revolutionary Guard units are collaborating with Hamas operatives in Lebanon to smuggle weapons and funds into Jordan with the aim of destabilizing the regime,” Katz stated.
“From Jordan, these weapons are then smuggled across the eastern border, flooding Judea and Samaria, particularly refugee camps, with dangerous weapons and huge sums of money – aiming to create a pro-Iranian Islamic terror front, as they have done in Gaza, Lebanon, and other areas, targeting Tel Aviv and Israel’s major population centers,” he continued.
According to Katz, “The Iranian axis of evil today effectively controls refugee camps in Judea and Samaria through its proxies, leaving the Palestinian Authority powerless to act.”
“We must take terror hubs like the Jenin refugee camp and carry out a thorough operational campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure in the camp.
He noted that this is a “shared interest of Israel, many regional states, and the entire free world – to halt the spread of Iran’s axis of evil.”
“At the same time, the construction of the eastern barrier along the border with Jordan must be expedited to prevent the smuggling of weapons from Jordan into Israel, which threatens both the Jordanian regime and the State of Israel,” he added.
Hezbollah Reportedly Clears Out Entire Operation From Beirut Headquarters
Hezbollah has entirely evacuated its headquarters in the Beirut suburb of Dahieh as a precaution against a possible Israeli response to the Lebanese terror group’s threatened revenge attack on Israel, Lebanese media reported on Monday (12th).
Outlet Al Joumhouria reported that Hezbollah has moved its entire operation – personnel, computers, and other equipment – out of Beirut, including its political wing.
The move came as Hezbollah is threatening to make Israel pay for the recent killing of the terror group’s top military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut. The report indicated Hezbollah is “preparing for the worst” with regard to Israel’s response to an attack by the Iran-backed group.
Hezbollah deputy chief Fuad Shukr was killed on July 30 in an Israeli airstrike on the terror group’s south Beirut stronghold. Hezbollah has pledged to avenge Shukr, whom Israel blamed for a July 27 missile attack that killed 12 children in the Golan Heights. A day after Shukr was killed, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran.
Both Hezbollah and Iran vowed revenge for the killings, which came amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip.
Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament and a Hezbollah ally, stated Monday (12th) that “the response is inevitable,” adding that “revenge is a dish best served cold.”
Commenting on Lebanese domestic affairs, Berri said that the conflict with Israel should serve as an incentive to expedite consultations for the election of a new president to strengthen the internal front. Lebanon has now been without an effective president for over two years, with 12 rounds of voting in parliament failing to elect a new leader.
Several Hebrew media reports Sunday (11th) indicated that Israel was expecting a major Iranian attack to be launched within days, in a reversal of the previous assumption, which had been that the Islamic Republic – under heavy international pressure – had given up its initial intention to launch an imminent large-scale strike in response to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh.
It was thought that Iran expected to leave the response to Hezbollah, its proxy terror group in Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s daily attacks continued on Monday (12th) with the terror group firing 30 rockets at northern Israel the day after the IDF killed several Hezbollah operatives in a drone strike in Lebanon. There were no injuries from the Hezbollah barrage.
Foreign Doctors Answer Call To Help In Israel’s Hospitals And Rehab Centers – Diana Bletter
Retired US Army Brig.-Gen. Robert Ezenauer, 70, a pediatric ophthalmologist, volunteered to fill in for two weeks at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba to replace doctors who had been called up for reserve duty. Since the beginning of the war, approximately 400 doctors and 30 health professionals from the US and other countries have arrived in Israel to assist in treating the large number of injured or to fill in for Israeli medical staff who are called to military duty.
Some 7,000 doctors registered to volunteer at a website launched shortly after the war began for medical professionals. They will be contacted if needed. Since the start of the war, 26 doctors – mostly from the US, but also from Canada, Hungary, and France – have volunteered at Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya. Three have come back for a second round.
Dr. Mark Kissin, a vascular surgeon in New York, came to volunteer in October, together with thoracic surgeon Dr. David Zeltsman. “This was the most meaningful thing I’ve done in my professional life,” Kissin said. Dr. Samuel Esterson, a physical therapist, came two times to volunteer at the Kaylie Rehabilitation Medical Center adjacent to Ofakim. (Times of israel)
Israel Identifies 12 More Terrorists Killed In Gaza School Command Center Bombing
The IDF and Shin Bet on Monday (12th) revealed the identity of 12 more Hamas terrorists killed in the bombing of the Tabeen school complex in central Gaza City, after 19 were previously named, bringing the total of terrorists the IDF said were killed there, to 31.
The bombing drew sharp international criticism over Palestinian claims that displaced persons used the compound to shelter there, and that many civilians were killed.
According to the IDF, Hamas and Islamic Jihad used the school and its mosque as a command center from which attacks were launched.
“The strike was carried out using three precise munitions, which according to professional analysis cannot cause the amount of damage that is being reported by the Hamas-Government Information Office in Gaza,” the military said in a statement. “Furthermore, no severe damage was caused to the compound where the terrorists were situated.
The military said precautions were taken Saturday (10th) to minimize civilian casualties, including using precision munitions with reduced warheads and gathering accurate intelligence.
“The Hamas terror organization systematically violates international law and operates from within civilian infrastructure and shelters, brutally exploiting the civilian population and institutions as human shields for their terror activities,” the statement added.
Israel To Begin Manufacturing Aircraft Munitions
Israel will soon begin to manufacture heavy bombs for the Air Force ro overcome supply delays and establish independence in weapons development.
According to Israel Hayom, one of the most significant lessons Israel has drawn from the war is that it must manufacture and develop critical munitions for the IDF itself. Until now, Israel has purchased some of the munitions from foreign countries, with emphasis on the United States, but now, according to the report, it has decided to develop and manufacture heavy-weight bombs, for the Air Force, including one-ton bombs similar to the American MK-84, whose supply has been delayed for several months by direct order of the White House.
The development and production of the new bombs is expected to take two to three years.
Concurrently, the Ministry of Defense is expanding the domestic production of additional munitions, including tank ammunition (of which there is a shortage worldwide) and 155mm artillery shells. Recently the Ministry announced a series of mega-deals, including a 1.5 billion shekel deal with Elbit for the purchase of ammunition, and the establishment of a dedicated plant for this purpose at Ramat Baka.
Prior to that, the Ministry of defense announced another deal with Elbit Systems, for the purchase of 815 million shekels worth of Iron String mortar shells – a precision mortar shell that combines laser guidance and GPS. Plans are being made to maintain minimal production lines over time, in order to preserve the ability to increase production in case of need.
Additional heavy armored vehicles will also be developed, including Merkava tanks and Namer and Eitan APCs, made more urgent by the intent to open a new division.
Prior to the war, armored fighting vehicles were being produced at a rate of about 24 per year, and now production would be stepped up. In addition, as soon as possible, a comprehensive rehabilitation and maintenance program would be undertaken for the armored fighting vehicles that had been used by the IDF in the war.
In addition, the IDF is awaiting the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Procurement for the purchase of a new F-15 squadron from the United States and new Rafael-class ships for the Navy.
