Either God is giving Israel some of their promised land in these mini wars, or Israel and the U.S are getting ready to Bomb Irans Nuclear sites and possibly Syria.
Israel Shuts Down Lebanon in Response to Hizbullah Barrage
By Hillel Fendel(Arutz-7 NEWS)
Dozens of Hizbullah-fired Katyusha rockets struck all over the north Thursday morning, killing two. Northern Israel had six years of quiet, and Hizbullah had six years to build up its rocket forces.Israel has essentially imposed a total blockade on Lebanon, having taken out the runways of the Beirut International Airport and imposing a naval blockade of Lebanese seaports.Israel also continues to attack dozens of targets throughout Lebanon, destroying bridges, roads, military positions, arms storehouses and missile battery locations. The city of Baalbek - the main Hizbullah stronghold in Lebanon, some 100 kilometers north of Israel - was also bombed.
Close to 50 Lebanese have been reported killed in the Israeli attacks.
The Israel Air Force also hit the Al-Manar terrorist television studios. The station, however, apparently anticipated the attack, and moved its broadcasts to an unknown location ahead of time. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz says that Israel has warned residents of a southern Beirut suburb - home to Hizbullah chief Sheikh Nasrallah and many other leading Hizbullah terrorists - to evacuate the area. It is unreasonable to assume that they will be allowed to live there in serenity for much longer, Halutz said.
Hizbullah threatens to bomb Haifa if southern Beirut is bombed. The Beirut-Damascus highway is also a target that will be taken care of, IDF sources said.Interior Minister Roni Bar-On (Kadima), a staunch supporter of the Disengagement plan, said today, There is only one possible outcome: the victory of [our] army, leadership and nation.
Israeli officials said the purpose of Israel's offensive is to eradicate Hizbullah, and pressure Lebanon to withdraw its tacit support for the terrorist organization in its midst.The names of the two soldiers who were abducted by Hizbullah yesterday were released this afternoon. They are Ehud Goldwasser, 31, of Nahariya, and Eldad Regev, 26, from Kiryat Motzkin.
Early Afternoon Attacks
After Hizbullah's initial Katyusha attack this morning, it continued firing afterwards at northern Israel, firing a total of more than 50 Katyushas. Rockets hit Beit Hillel again and caused a fire - one of several that were caused by the rockets - and struck other areas as well. Katyushas fell in Kfar Nasi in the Galilee and in Kibbutz Mahanayim, deeper into Israel than ever before. The hospital in Nahariya, operating on an emergency basis, has moved all of its hundreds of patients to underground floors, for fear of a Katyusha attack.After a lull of 3-4 hours, another four Katyushas hit the city of Tzfat. Two people were hurt, with critical and moderate wounds,
respectively, and several others were treated for shock. Rockets were also fired at Shlomi, in the northwestern Galilee, this afternoon.Government and military officials say that the offensive in Lebanon will take weeks, and will be qualitatively different than any Israeli offensive since the 1982 Peace for Galilee War.
Israel's Retaliation Followed by Morning Katyusha Barrage
Israel attacked Hizbullah throughout yesterday (Wednesday) and over the night, following Hizbullah's killing of eight soldiers and its abduction of two others Wednesday morning. Israel's retaliation included more than 100 aerial attacks in southern Lebanon Wednesday night and early Thursday. Hizbullah's response to the retaliation, as expected and long-planned, was quick to come: Shortly after 7 AM this morning (Thursday), a barrage of Katyusha rockets began, hitting an IDF position in Mount Meron, not far from Tzfat. No one was hurt, but soon afterwards, four more rockets hit the other side of the Galilee - the coastal city of Nahariya.
One Katyusha hit the porch of a home where a woman was eating breakfast; she was killed on the spot. Within minutes it became clear that Nahariya and Mt. Meron were not isolated attacks. Nahariya was rocketed again, as were many other locations throughout the north, including Rosh Pina, Tzfat, Margaliot, Machanayim, Machanayim Airport, Beit Hillel, Kfar HaNasi, and Mishmar HaYarden. The IDF Northern Command Headquarters was also hit. Ten Katyushas hit Tel Chai between 8 and 9 AM.
The total number of injured is close to 70.
The IDF has instructed residents throughout the north - hundreds of thousands of people - to enter their shelters and reinforced rooms. The orders have been largely ignored, however, and army officials have stepped up their tone, practically imploring residents to protect themselves. If until now Nahariya and Kiryat Shmonah were always in range of Hizbullah's Katyusha rockets, communities further to the south are now in range as well - but the IDF estimates that Hizbullah has not even fired its longest-range Katyushas as of yet. The army is considering ordering the residents of towns and cities further to the south into their shelters.Israel Police was placed on a level-3 alert, just one level below a state of emergency, anticipating a possible attempt by Palestinian terrorists to attack in the homefront.
The Israeli Offensive
Among the Lebanese targets attacked by Israel's air force over the night were a dozen bridges and much of southern Lebanon's highway infrastructure. One strike hit a vehicle in which two Hizbullah terrorists were traveling. Israel has announced that it views the Lebanese government as responsible for the attacks from within its borders, including the rockets and abduction of the two IDF soldiers. The IDF announced the formation of a one-kilometer buffer zone, and any Lebanese seen in the area will be shot on sight.
Until now, Hizbullah has stationed many outposts all along the border with Israel, practically adjacent to Israeli positions. Defense Minister Amir Peretz said that Israel would not allow Hizbullah to return to its former positions. "The only body that can operate there is the Lebanese Army, Peretz said. Last night, Gen. Udi Adam, the Commander of the Northern Command, said he was unsure whether Hizbullah would be permitted to rebuild its positions. Just a few weeks ago, the IAF destroyed many Hizbullah positions, but allowed the terrorists to begin rebuilding immediately afterwards.
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