News Updates: 7/14/06

(Source: Jpost)

6:51 PM: Arutz 7 is reporting that Hezbollah has fired at least 1 anti-tank rocket at an IDF position on the Northern Border. There are no injuries reported.

Hezbollah terrorists have also attempted to shoot down IAF fighter jets targeting strategic locations in Southern Beirut. None of the jets were injured.

Rabbis across the country have called upon Jews from around the world to say a special prayer on behalf of all the soldiers that have been taken hostage.

They have also requested that Jews around the world say a special prayer for all Jews in harm's way in Northern Israel. They are also requesting that when women light candles tonight, they say a special prayer for the 3 kidnapped soldiers:
Gilad ben Aviva (Shalit)
Eldad ben Tova (Regev)
Ehud ben Malka (Goldwasser)

6:38 PM: Fox News is reporting that White House Officials are not confirming reports that President Bush told the Lebanese Prime Minister that he would ask Israeli Prime Minister Olmert to stem his attack on Lebanon.

There is currently an open session of the United Nations Security Council in which each of the countries are being allowed to voice their opinions on what is going on between Israel and Lebanon. As of now, there is no Security Resolution circulating in which Israel would be required to a cease-fire with Lebanon.

There is a chance that the UN Security Council will call an emergency session some time over the course of this week-end.

US Ambassador to the United States, John Bolton, said that the only way for the current conflict to end is for Hezbollah to immediately disarm and disband.


5:45 PM: Jpost is reporting that 13 people have been wounded as a result of this afternoon's Katyusha attacks on Nahariya and Tzfat. Two of the injured from Tzfat suffered moderate injuries, with the other 8 being lightly injured. The injured from Nahariya all suffered light injuries.

As of now, a total of 49 people today have been reported wounded since the start of this morning's rocket attacks.

One of the rockets that landed in Nahariya also started a light brush fire in an open area.

As of now, over 700 Katyusha rockets and mortars have been fired into Israel.

One of the Katyusha that hit Kiryat Shmona hit a house, but there are no reported injuries.

In Lebanon, the IDF continued bombing strategic points. They destroyed two bridges over the Hazharani River, bombed a Hizbollah anti-aircraft base, and also bombed a fuel depot in Talusia.

5:26 PM: Channel 2 is reporting that there is an immediate warning of rockets being launched at Haifa.

Jpost is reporting that 3 Katyushas have hit Kiryat Shmona. No injuries were reported, but fire-fighters are battling flames that were caused by one of the rockets hitting the industrial zone of the city.

The 3 Kassam rockets that hit the Western Negev has resulted in fires breaking out in the areas. Still no reports of injury.

Arutz 7 has reported that there is one serious injury as a result of the Katyusha that landed in Yesod HaMa’aleh.

4:39 PM: After President Bush's statements of strong support and Israel's right to defend herself, Arutz 7 is reporting that President Bush has spoken with the Lebanese Prime Minister that he would press Israel to limit the damage of their attacks against Hezbollah targets. However, he rejected pleas to urge Israel into a cease-fire.

Officials in the Palestinian Authority have come out today accusing Israel of using "toxic weapons" in their attacks on terrorist targets and infrastructure in Gaza. One of the official had this to say: "These Israeli bombings are entering the body and fragmenting, causing internal combustion leading to up to fourth degree internal burns, exposing the bone, and affecting the tissue and skin," he charged. "When entering the body they spark like a combustion firearm, but not chemically." The IDF is vehemently denying any such allegation, and no other foreign body or media is reporting this.

Lebanese officials are moving some of their civilian aircraft to the airport in Amman, Jordan as the IAF continues its attacks on the Beirut Airport. According to Ynet News, eyewittnesses have been seeing the IAF attacking the airport every few minutes. the Lebanese officials are afraid that Israel will either target or accidently hit their civilian aircraft.

Jpost is reporting that Iranian President Ahmadinejad has warned Israel that if they attack Syria, Iran will attack Israel. He said, "If the occupying regime of Jerusalem attacks Syria, it will be equivalent to an attack on the whole Islamic world and the regime (Israel) will face a crushing response".

3:16 PM: Channel 1 is reporting that there are renewed Katyusha barrages falling down on Nahariya and Tzfat. Katyusha rockets have been falling in Naharyia as the funeral has been going on there for one of the city's victims killed in yesterday's attacks.

Jpost is reporting a BBC report in which the Syrian Ambassador to London has called on Hezbollah to stop their rocket attacks and attempt to come to an agreement with Israel for the exchange of the kidnapped soldiers. He also attempted to allay European fears by stating that Syria is not interested in getting involved in what is going on in Lebanon.

Arutz 7 is reporting that just a few momements ago, several Katyusha rained down on cities and towns in the Western Galilee, including the Druze village of Pekayin. They are reporting several injuries. The extent of which are unknown at this time.

Maalot has suffered its first rocket attacks this afternoon, just moments ago. There are, as of yet, no reported injuries.

The Mayor of Tzfat is urging the Knesset to consider his city to be classified as a disaster area. He is also strongly requesting that any-one who can and is able to leave the city to please evacuate the city. He is also recommending that any-one who is forced to stay can extra assistance.

Minutes ago, Arutz 7 is reporting that several rockets have hit the Carmiel area. These barrages come after a relatively calm morning. There are no reports of any injury.

Several Kassam rockets hit open areas in the Western Negev. There are no reported injuries.

The IAF has reported that they have hit the offices of several HAMAS lawmakers. As Israel fights on two fronts, the IAF has continued to hit strategic targets in Gaza as ground troops evacuated central Gaza.

At least two of the Kassam rockets fired from Gaza today hit the town of Sderot, with one landing in the residential area and the other landing in the industrial area. There have been no reports of serious injury outside of those suffering from shock.

2:21 PM: Bibi Netanyahu is on Fox News right now. (I will paraphrase him.) He is surprised by the EU's claim of disproportionate use of force. He uses the analogy that the US countered the World Trade Attack by taking out two regime powers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Israel has the right to respond with just as much force as any other country that's been attacked. Israel left Lebanon 6 years ago on the promise the UN Security Resolution 1559 would be enforced. Israel kept their part, but Lebanon has not kept theirs. He believes that what Israel has to do right now is to destroy HAMAS' rocket infrastructure. He says the main problem is that HAMAS not only indiscriminately targets civilians but also hides behind and amongst civilians, so even the most precise strategic and surgical strike will result in civilan casualties. (Commercial Break.) Before coming back to Bibi, Nahariya has been informed that more Katyusha rockets are coming their way.

Bibi continues by saying that Hezbollah must be dismantles, and Lebanon has not fulfilled its obligation to dismantle them. Also, dismantling Hezbollah will be a huge benefit to the Lebanese people, because they are threatening Lebanon's sovereignty. Therefore, Israel's actions should be supported. Hezbollah is a foreign entity that is controlled by Syria and Iran. Therefore, it is in Lebanon's best interest that Hezbollah be dismantled within their territory. Israel is not against Lebanon, but they have not fulfilled their obligations, so now Israel must do the job for them.

2:07: Fox News is live, broadcasting from Nahariya. 2 Katyushas have falled on after the other; one of them hitting right in the middle of the war next to where the reporter was standing. The reporter was also just hurt by some-one running past him to the scene. As this is happening live, there are, as of yet, no reports of injury. MADA medics are trying to get an elderly woman to be checked out by the ambulance, but she's waving them away, saying that she's fine.

Arutz 7 has gotten a statement from the Foreign Ministry saying that their website has been getting a surprising number of Arab support for Israel and condemnation against Hezbollah.

Due to the repeated rocket attacks against Tzfat, their electrical grid has been damaged. There are downed power lines, and the Electrical Company is working hard to fix the problem. Residents are being urged to be careful outside and stay away from the downed power lines.

The Home-front Command Commanding General has stated that their units were not surprised and fully prepared for the attacks on Haifa yesterday and the rest of the North. He stated that Home-front prepares extensively for these kinds of attacks and is very well equipped and prepared to handle these kinds of situations. (As my father-in-law is a commanding Officer in Home-front Command, I can very well attest that the General's statements are very very scarily true. It's freaky how well they are prepared for this, and what kind of worst night-mare scenarios they practice.)

Finally, right now at least, an IDF spokesman has clarified that the reason the IAF is continuously attacking the Beirut Airport is to prevent Hezbollah shipments from reaching the organization. Hezbollah regularly recieves shipments of arms and strategic goods via the International Airport. The IDF is eliminating the threat of any futher weapons and infrastructure from reaching Hezbollah personelle, thereby reducing the threat to Israel and the IDF soldiers. (Just fyi, once a terrorist organization uses a civilian facility for its military means, that facility is no longer a civilian target.)

1:50 PM: Jpost is reporting that another Katyusha has struck the Nahariya area. No-one is reported to be injured.

A Kassam landed near a Kibbutz in the Western Negav. There are no reports of injuries.

Finland's Foreign Minister has come out with a statement expressing his fear and concern that Syria might get directly involved in the conflict in Lebanon, alluding to a possibility of a repeat of the situation that occurred over 20 years ago in which the Syrian Army interjected in the Labanese Civil War and fight with Israel and ended up militarily occupying the country until only slightly more than a year ago. The entire EU expressed a similar concern.

The Home-front Command has allowed certain Northern communities, including Haifa and the Krayot, to leave their homes and go shopping. However, they have recommended that only one family member go out at a time and limit the amount of time they spend out of the house.

Likud leader, Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that there has been no further discussions about have a joint Emergency Coalition Government. He also stated that he has no intentions of having further talks. He said, "Israel is not in a crisis like the Six Day or Yom Kippur wars".

The IDF has issued a statement stating that the identification of the killed soldiers, from Wednesday's fighting, has been completed. The families have also been officially notified.

(*Sorry for the late start, folks. Got to sleep very late or very early, depending on how you look at it, but I'll post everything that's happened up until now.*)

12:33 PM: Jpost is reporting that Katyushas have continued to fall on the Northern cities throughout this morning. Among them, at least two have fallen near Rosh Pina and another two near Tzfat. So far, no injuries have been reported

Jpost is reporting that there was another fatality from the Tzfat rocket attacks yesterday. A 33 year old man was seriourly injured when a Katyusha fell near his motorcycle. He later died in the hospital from his wounds.

The IAF continued to bomb Southern Beirut targets throughout the night and also bombed the Beirut International Airport for the second day in a row. They also continued to bomb the Beirut-Damascus roads to decrease the chances of Hizbollah terrorists being able to transport the kidnapped soldiers to Iran via Syria, which is what intelligence has said they are planning to do. Iran denies this claim.

Jpost is also reporting that IDF forces were able to stop an infiltration by Hizbollah forces this morning. They were spotted by an IDF post on the border. A clash insued.

Lastly, Arutz 7 is reporting that the Israeli Navy attacked Tripoli Harbor this morning. No further information is available at this time.