Roughly 472,000 people have fled from Lebanon to Syria since September due to the escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, according to a report published by the UN’s refugee agency.
(…)
Lebanon hosted roughly 1.5 million Syrian refugees as of Sept. 25, the UNHCR said, which, compared to Lebanon’s relatively small population of only 5.3 million, posed a massive humanitarian challenge for the country’s already struggling economy.
Archiv: Grenzen / Kontrolle / borders / control
Israel strikes main Lebanon-Syria highway after overnight attacks on Beirut and West Bank
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beirut on Friday, the most senior international official to visit Lebanon since Nasrallah‘s killing. He arrived at Beirut’s airport, where overnight an Israeli strike landed nearby.
Mr Araghchi is confirmed to meet Prime Minister Najib Mikati and speaker of parliament Nabih Berri.
Lebanon says Israeli strike cuts off main road to Syria
Lebanon said an Israeli strike on Friday cut off the main international road to Syria, after Israel said Hezbollah was transporting weapons through the tiny Mediterranean country‘s principal land border crossing.
The strike, which Israel has not commented on, comes after 310,000 people, mostly Syrians, have in recent days fled the war pitting Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon for relative safety in neighbouring Syria.
After deadliest-in-decades airstrike in West Bank, Israel pounds Lebanon-Syria border crossing
According to AFP, the recent Israeli strikes were conducted near Lebanon’s Masnaa border crossing with Syria. Lebanon Transport Minister Ali Hamieh said that the Israeli authority struck the Lebanese side of the border, cutting off a road used by Lebanese fleeing to Syria.
UNHCR scales up support as people flee Lebanon for Syria
Thousands of Lebanese and Syrian people are fleeing Lebanon for Syria in desperation as Israeli airstrikes continue to devastate civilian lives. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is scaling up its support to the growing number of displaced people.
Hundreds of vehicles are backed up in queues at the Syrian border. Many people are also arriving on foot, carrying what they can. Large crowds, including women, young children and babies are waiting in line after spending the night outdoors in falling temperatures. Some carry fresh injuries from the recent bombardments.
Hundreds Gathered Against War at the Border with Lebanon
(8 hours ago)
Amid police threats, hundreds attended Friday afternoon, Sept 20, the Partnership for Peace “Parade against war, for peace and life” alongside route 85 at the Western Galilee near the border with Lebanon, calling for a deal to end the war in Gaza, against a third war in Lebanon and occupation of the Palestinian territories, for a deal with Hamas for the return of hostages, as well as a lasting peace agreement with the Palestinians. Hadash and Communist Party of Israel leading members also participated in the anti-war demonstration close to Kfar Yasif.
PSD says King Hussein Bridge closed by other side
An Israeli military statement was quoted by AFP as saying that the driver „exited the truck and opened fire at Israeli security forces operating at the bridge.“
The driver was shot dead by forces, the military added.
Jordanian Ministry of Interior said that the incident is under investigation.
The King Hussein Bridge crossing is the only international gateway for Palestinians from the West Bank that does not require entering Israel, which has occupied the territory since 1967.
3 killed in shooting attack on Allenby crossing with Jordan
According to the Israel Defense Forces, a gunman came in a truck from the Jordanian side. He disembarked and began firing at Israeli security forces, killing three civilians. He was neutralized by security forces stationed at the crossing.
Two of the victims were named, Yuri Birnbaum (65) and Yohanan Shchori (61).
Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago
(November 30, 2023)
The document circulated widely among Israeli military and intelligence leaders, but experts determined that an attack of that scale and ambition was beyond Hamas’s capabilities, according to documents and officials. It is unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other top political leaders saw the document, as well.
(…)
Last year, shortly after the document was obtained, officials in the Israeli military’s Gaza division, which is responsible for defending the border with Gaza, said that Hamas’s intentions were unclear.
“It is not yet possible to determine whether the plan has been fully accepted and how it will be manifested,” read a military assessment reviewed by The Times.
Egyptian militia leader Organi unveils plans for ‘Sisi City’ at Israel border
Prior to merging it with the newly declared union, Organi led the Union of Sinai Tribes (UST), a pro-government paramilitary group set up in 2015 to support the Egyptian army in its battles against a local offshoot of the Islamic State (IS). The UST’s mission in Sinai has been unclear since the IS-affiliate group known as the Sinai Province was officially defeated in 2022.
The bloody, 10-year campaign in the Sinai has almost completely razed Rafah and uprooted thousands of members of the indigenous Bedouin population, leaving most towns and villages pulverised.
Egypt detains ten pro-Palestine protesters on charges of ‚spreading fake news‘
(04.04.2024)
Wednesday’s demonstration was held in front of the Journalists‘ Syndicate in Cairo, where dozens of journalists and activists gathered to protest against the ongoing Israeli onslaught on Gaza.
Activists shared videos of one of the protesters chanting against business tycoon and government ally Ibrahim al-Organi, whose companies have been charging Palestinians thousands of dollars to exit Gaza.
Thousands of trucks waiting in North Sinai to enter Gaza, says Sinai governor
North Sinai‘s governor, Mohamed Shousha, said 7,000 aid trucks are waiting to deliver aid into Gaza.
Shousha said in a statement that Israel‘s inspection rules had delayed the flow of aid into Gaza.
Putin says Russia will deploy troops to Finland‘s border now it is in NATO, RIA reports
„We didn‘t have troops there (at the Finnish border), now they will be there. There were no systems of destruction there, now they will appear,“ he said.
Amid Russia jitters, NATO drills flowing troops across Polish river
(05.03.2024)
Some one hundred kilometers away from Poland’s border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, forces from nine NATO member countries were busy setting up the last of their amphibious gear.
They are part of a large multi-domain operations exercise that entails a notoriously tricky river crossing in the remote northern Polish countryside here, as European officials are worried about the possibility of a Russian attack, depending on the outcome of the war in Ukraine.
They were Israel‘s eyes on the border – but their Hamas warnings went unheard
(15.01.2024)
Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago
(30.11.2023)
The document circulated widely among Israeli military and intelligence leaders, but experts determined that an attack of that scale and ambition was beyond Hamas’s capabilities, according to documents and officials. It is unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other top political leaders saw the document, as well.
(…)
Last year, shortly after the document was obtained, officials in the Israeli military’s Gaza division, which is responsible for defending the border with Gaza, said that Hamas’s intentions were unclear.
“It is not yet possible to determine whether the plan has been fully accepted and how it will be manifested,” read a military assessment reviewed by The Times.
War on Gaza: Charity says Egypt intelligence-linked firm charging $5,000 to get aid over border
An international charity with extensive experience in providing emergency aid in wars, famines and earthquakes throughout the Middle East and in Afghanistan is being forced to pay $5,000 a truck to a company linked to Egypt’s General Intelligence Service (GIS) to get aid into Gaza.
The charity, which does not want to be named to avoid obstruction to its relief efforts in Gaza, spoke to Middle East Eye in outrage at having to pay what it openly describes as a bribe to a state-linked agent.
Where Is Hamas Getting Its Weapons? Increasingly, From Israel.
But recent intelligence has shown the extent to which Hamas has been able to build many of its rockets and anti-tank weaponry out of the thousands of munitions that failed to detonate when Israel lobbed them into Gaza, according to weapons experts and Israeli and Western intelligence officials. Hamas is also arming its fighters with weapons stolen from Israeli military bases.
Intelligence gathered during months of fighting revealed that, just as the Israeli authorities misjudged Hamas’s intentions before Oct. 7, they also underestimated its ability to obtain arms.
Rafah crossing, #OpentheGatesNOW
Gaza war: Why did Arab states not join South Africa‘s case against Israel in the ICJ?
All Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have issued many statements condemning Israel‘s assault on Gaza, but they did not take any further action. Saudi Arabia and the Arab League waited for more than a month of onslaught in Gaza to hold a summit in Riyadh to discuss the issue.
The summit decided to break the siege and blockade, but Arab countries never turned this resolution into action. Instead, Egypt obeyed Israeli commands and refused to give access to move injured civilians for treatment outside of Gaza unless Israel approved their names.
They were Israel‘s eyes on the border – but their Hamas warnings went unheard
Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago
(30.11.2023)
The document circulated widely among Israeli military and intelligence leaders, but experts determined that an attack of that scale and ambition was beyond Hamas’s capabilities, according to documents and officials. It is unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other top political leaders saw the document, as well.
(…)
Last year, shortly after the document was obtained, officials in the Israeli military’s Gaza division, which is responsible for defending the border with Gaza, said that Hamas’s intentions were unclear.
“It is not yet possible to determine whether the plan has been fully accepted and how it will be manifested,” read a military assessment reviewed by The Times.
Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago
The document circulated widely among Israeli military and intelligence leaders, but experts determined that an attack of that scale and ambition was beyond Hamas’s capabilities, according to documents and officials. It is unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other top political leaders saw the document, as well.
(…)
Last year, shortly after the document was obtained, officials in the Israeli military’s Gaza division, which is responsible for defending the border with Gaza, said that Hamas’s intentions were unclear.
“It is not yet possible to determine whether the plan has been fully accepted and how it will be manifested,” read a military assessment reviewed by The Times.
New York Times zitiert Sicherheitspapier: Wusste Israel von Hamas-Angriffsplan?
(01.12.2023 16:29 Uhr)
Laut New York Times war der Bericht weiten Kreisen der israelischen Sicherheitskräfte zugänglich – neben den Angriffsplänen habe er auch geheime Informationen über die israelische Armee und deren Kommunikation enthalten. Wie die Hamas an solch sicherheitsrelevante Informationen kommen konnte, sei unklar.
Police disperse protest by bereaved families at Knesset: ‘Why didn’t anyone protect my parents?’
Police disperse a protest against the government by bereaved families outside the Knesset in Jerusalem.
“Why didn’t anyone protect my parents,” says Maoz Inon to an officer as they try to move him.
Inon’s parents, Bilha and Yakovi Inon, 78 and 75, were killed in Netiv Ha’asara on October 7.
CNN‘s Dana Bash pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the hospital situation in Gaza, efforts to get hostages released and whether he takes responsibility for failing to prevent the surprise October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.
Opposition slams Netanyahu for reportedly casting blame for Oct. 7 on IDF reservists
Yisrael Beytenu party head Avigdor Liberman and Labor chief Merav Michaeli went further in their criticism, calling on Netanyahu to resign.
אב שכול מכפר עזה, רפ״ק במילואים, מדבר על גבורת שוטרי הדרום ופונה מדם לבו אל ממ״ז ירושלים בבקשה לשמור על זכות ההפגנה ולהימנע מאלימות כלפי המפגינים.
Now in front of @Netanyahu‘s residence at 35 Gaza Road, Jerusalem, thousands demanding Netanyahu‘s ouster (@rozolyo)
There are at least two protests in Jerusalem. Demonstrators near Netanyahu‘s official residence have broken through police lines. Across from the billionaire‘s mansion where Netanyahu is holing up, signs read „Bibi Traitor of the Nation“ „Netanyahu Guilty“ and „Debacle 2023.“
Hundreds of Israeli demonstrators gathered in front of Netanyahu‘s house in Caesarea on Saturday, demanding him to resign and for an immediate prisoners’ swap for Israeli hostages in Gaza
Netanyahu slammed for post blaming intelligence chiefs for Oct. 7 failure; apologizes
“Contrary to the false claims: Under no circumstances and at no stage was Prime Minister Netanyahu warned of Hamas’s war intentions,” read the original tweet, posted shortly after 1 a.m. local time, hours after Netanyahu held a joint press conference with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister Benny Gantz.
The tweet elaborated: “On the contrary, all the security officials, including the head of military intelligence and the head of the Shin Bet, assessed that Hamas had been deterred and was looking for a settlement. This assessment was submitted again and again to the prime minister and the cabinet by all the security forces and intelligence community, up until the outbreak of the war.”
Netanyahu‘s first question from any Israeli journalist in years goes to @YaaraShapira who asks if he will take responsibility for the disaster and whether he will commit to a National Commission of Inquiry. He deflects.
A Zionist strategy for Israel
(19.03.2023)
Overall, there is, in fact, a successful Israeli „grand security strategy“ of sorts and it must be pursued with determination. It involves steadfastness, patience, and looking over the horizon for new partners while fearlessly confronting bad actors. It involves being both flexible and firm.
It means strictly securing Israel‘s borders, managing frictions with the Palestinians, and pursuing Zionist goals like continued settlement of the Land of Israel. It involves positioning Israel as a regional anchor of sanity and a global source of ingenuity.
Trapped in Gaza
Egyptian president Field Marshall Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced that “[w]hat is happening now in Gaza is an attempt to force civilian residents to take refuge and migrate to Egypt, which should not be accepted.” King Abdullah II of Jordan (which borders the West Bank, but not Gaza) was even more succinct: “No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt,” he declared.
US officials raise concerns over Israeli intelligence after Hamas attacks
(October 7, 2023)
Other US officials familiar with the matter said if the US did have intelligence suggesting an upcoming attack, it would have undoubtedly shared that information with Israel.
The Israelis historically have had dominant capabilities to monitor communications in Gaza. The Israelis also have some of the best capabilities to break into encrypted communications, US officials say.
That’s partly the reason why US officials were shocked that preparation for Saturday’s attacks weren’t detected.
Egypt intelligence official says Israel ignored repeated warnings of ‘something big’
(9 October 2023)
However, Israel was not only reportedly ignoring clear warnings from its allies.
For Palestinians in Gaza, Israel’s eyes are never very far away. Surveillance drones buzz constantly in the skies. The highly secured border is awash with security cameras and soldiers on guard. Intelligence agencies work sources and cyber capabilities to draw out information.
But Israel’s eyes appeared to have been closed in the lead-up to the surprise onslaught by the Hamas terror group, which broke through Israeli border barriers and sent hundreds of terrorists into Israel to carry out a brazen attack that killed over 700 people and wounded over 2,000.
Massive data leak reveals Israeli NSO Group’s spyware used to target activists, journalists, and political leaders globally
(July 19, 2021)
NSO Group’s spyware has been used to facilitate human rights violations around the world on a massive scale, according to a major investigation into the leak of 50,000 phone numbers of potential surveillance targets. These include heads of state, activists and journalists, including Jamal Khashoggi’s family.
Armeegeheimdienstchef: „Krieg begann mit Versagen“
Er kündigte eine tiefgreifende Untersuchung der Vorfälle an. Dann werde man die Konsequenzen ziehen. „Aber im Moment haben wir nur eine Aufgabe vor Augen – zurückschlagen und im Krieg siegen!“ Er stößt damit ins gleiche Horn wie der Chef des Inlandsgeheimdienstes Shin Bet, Ronen Bar. Der hatte bereits am Montag Verantwortung für den Fehlschlag übernommen und für die Zeit nach dem Krieg eine Untersuchung angekündigt.