OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

lousubcap

Tuesday Israel-Iran update:

"Israel’s war cabinet met yesterday to weigh possible responses to Iran’s missile and drone attack over the weekend. It comes as the United States, Britain, and other allies have strongly urged Israel to show restraint. An Israeli official briefed on the cabinet discussions said several options were being considered, ranging from diplomacy to an imminent strike, but gave no further details. Cassandra Vinograd, Isabel Kershner and Michael Levenson report for the New York Times.

The White House reiterated yesterday that President Biden is focused on preventing Iran’s attack against Israel from escalating into a wider regional conflict. “Just because Iran conducted this unprecedented attack, which we and our Israeli partners and other partners thwarted, doesn’t mean that we should just accept a constant rising escalation in the region,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told CNN. When pressed on the Biden administration’s position on whether Israel should not retaliate, Kirby said it was ultimately the Israeli government’s decision but that the United States wants to see tensions deescalate. 

U.S. officials expect a possible Israeli response to Iran’s attack over the weekend to be limited. According to four U.S. officials, it will likely involve strikes against Iranian military forces and Iranian-backed proxies outside Iran."

lousubcap

Tuesday Israel-Hamas update:
"Hamas has reduced the number of hostages it is willing to release during the first phase of a proposed ceasefire deal by more than half, according to an Israeli source. In its latest counterproposal, Hamas offered to release fewer than 20 hostages in exchange for a six-week ceasefire. It follows months of negotiations based on the release of 40 hostages and marks a major step backwards in the talks. A senior U.S. official confirmed that Hamas is focused on those 20 for the first phase of a potential deal and that Hamas is telling mediators it only has around 20 remaining hostages who are women or sick, wounded, and elderly men. Jeremy Diamond reports for CNN."

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russian forces continue to pummel eastern Ukraine in a bid to advance farther into the Donetsk region, while Ukraine continues to suffer shortages on the battlefield. The commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said yesterday that Russian forces were aiming to capture the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk by May 9, the date on which Russia commemorates Soviet victory in World War II. Holly Ellyatt reports for CNBC.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a new plea to Ukraine’s allies for air defences to protect against Russian strikes on cities and infrastructure and noted that Ukraine’s forces were facing difficult situations along the eastern front line in Chasiv Yar, west of the destroyed Russian-held town of Bakhmut, and in Pokrovsk and Kupiansk, further west and north.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi told the United Nations Security Council that “reckless attacks” on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant in Ukraine had put the world “dangerously close to a nuclear accident”. Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for the incidents over the last week but Grossi said it was “impossible” at the moment to prove who was behind them."

lousubcap

Wednesday Israel-Iran update:

"Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, warned today at an annual army parade that the “tiniest invasion” by Israel would bring a “massive and harsh” response. It comes as the region braces for a potential Israeli retaliation after Iran’s weekend attacks. 

The United States will impose new sanctions targeting Iran in the coming days, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced yesterday. “Following Iran’s unprecedented air attack against Israel, President Biden is coordinating with allies and partners, including the G7, and with bipartisan leaders in Congress, on a comprehensive response,” Sullivan said. The new sanctions will target Iran’s missile and drone program as well as entities supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran’s Defense Ministry. 

Israel has made a decision to respond to Iran’s strikes, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said today after meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. “It’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act,” Cameron told reporters, adding, “We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible.” Separately, Herzog said he held a “warm discussion” with Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. “Thank you for both the UK and Germany’s strong stand alongside Israel in the face of the reprehensible attack by Iran,” Herzog wrote in a post on X. Mithil Aggarwal reports for NBC News; Sophie Tanno reports for CNN.

The European Union is considering expanding economic sanctions against Iran’s weapons program to respond to last weekend’s attacks on Israel and to prevent an escalation of the conflict. “I’m not trying to exaggerate when I say that, in the Middle East, we are at the edge of a very deep precipice,” E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. “Member states agreed to mobilize all efforts to avoid a deadly spillover that would be “leading us into a regional war,” Borrel said. “That is what we’re trying to avoid.” 

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has denied Israel’s claims that some of Iran’s missiles were launched from Iraq on Saturday. “It was not proven to us through the military reports we’ve received that any missiles or any drones were launched from Iraq,” al-Sudani told CNN yesterday, adding, “Certainly, our position is clear; we do not allow any non-governmental body to use Iraq to bring it back into the battle. We have been taking the legal procedures to keep Iraq safe and to distance Iraq away from the conflict arena.”"

lousubcap

Wednesday Israel-Hamas update:

"Talks for a ceasefire in Gaza and hostage releases are “almost frozen,” according to a senior Arab diplomat with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The official did not attribute blame and said discussions have stalled amid tensions with Iran following Israel’s strike on an Iranian consulate building in Damascus. Richard Engel reports for NBC News.

Israeli tanks pushed back into parts of northern Gaza yesterday which they had left weeks ago, while warplanes conducted strikes on Rafah, medics and residents told Reuters. Several people were reportedly killed or wounded. Residents also reported an internet outage in areas of Beit Hanoun and Jabalia in the north of Gaza. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports."

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"A Russian missile strike killed at least 13 residents and damaged buildings and municipal infrastructure in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv today. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a lack of air defenses meant Ukraine was unable to thwart a Russian airstrike last week that destroyed the biggest power plant in the Kyiv region, saying Kyiv “ran out of all missiles” when Russia attacked the plant. 

Ukraine’s Air Force said air defence systems destroyed nine Russian drones launched over several eastern and southern regions.

The Institute for the Study of War, a United States-based think tank, said Russian troops on the front line were “breaking out of positional warfare and beginning to restore maneuver to the battlefield” because of US delays in providing military assistance to Ukraine. The think tank warned Ukrainian troops would not be able to hold their current lines “without the rapid resumption of US assistance, particularly air defense and artillery”."

lousubcap

Thursday Israel-Iran update:

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will “make its own decisions” in responding to Iran’s attacks, rebuffing allies’ calls for restraint. Britain and Germany yesterday urged Israeli leaders to avoid a wider regional conflict as they decide how to respond to last weekend’s attacks. Just before he met with Netanyahu, British foreign secretary David Cameron said, “We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible.” German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock later said, “Everyone must now act prudently and responsibly,” adding she was “not talking about giving in,” but rather exercising “a wise restraint which is nothing less than strength.” 

Iran is bracing for a retaliatory Israeli attack on its territory or proxies. Iran said yesterday it was preparing its air force for strikes and that its navy would begin escorting commercial Iranian ships in the Red Sea. Iran has also begun evacuating personnel from sites in Syria where its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has a large presence, according to Syrian and Iranian officials and advisers. The IRGC and Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah have reduced the presence of their senior officers in Syria, and midranking officers are switching locations in the country, Syrian security officials said. Rory Jones, Summer Said, and Laurence Norman report for the Wall Street Journal. 

Israel considered striking Iran on Monday but eventually decided to postpone it, five Israeli and U.S. sources told Axios. According to two Israeli officials, the Israeli war cabinet on Monday considered giving the military approval for a strike, but a decision was made not to proceed “for operational reasons” later that night. A U.S. official confirmed Israel told the Biden administration on Monday that it decided to wait, with another official saying, “We are not sure why and how close it was to an actual attack.” Barak Ravid reports."

lousubcap

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

"Qatar is reassessing its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, the country’s Prime Minister has said. While Qatar has had a key role in trying to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said, “There has been an abuse of this mediation and an abuse of this mediation in favor of narrow political interests. This means that the state of Qatar has called for a comprehensive evaluation of this role.” While Al Thani did not name individuals, some within Congress have accused Qatar of not putting enough pressure on Hamas. On Monday, Rep. Steny Honer (D-MD) said that if Qatar fails to apply pressure on Hamas to reach an agreement, “the United States must evaluate its relationship with Qatar.” Wyre Davies and David Gritten report for BBC News; Hamdi Alkhshali, Raja Razek, and Larry Register report for CNN.

Palestine’s president rejected U.S. requests to hold off on an imminent U.N. membership vote. According to four Palestinian, U.S., and Israeli officials, Mahmoud Abbas rejected requests by the Biden administration to not progress with a vote at the U.N. Security Council on accepting Palestine as a full member of the United Nations. The Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution that would grant Palestine member status as early as today. U.S. and Israeli officials said that the United States is trying to prevent the Palestinians from securing the nine votes it needs to avoid a U.S. veto. Barak Ravid reports for Axios."

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"At least 17 people were killed and several injured yesterday when three Russian missiles struck a downtown district of Chernihiv, north of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said. Zelenskyy said the death toll might rise and blamed Ukraine’s lack of air defenses for the fatalities. “This would not have happened if Ukraine had received enough air defense equipment and if the world’s determination to counter Russian terror was also sufficient,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. Maria Varenikova and Marc Santora report for the New York Times.

Colonel Serhii Pakhomov, acting head of the Ukrainian military’s atomic, biological and chemical defence forces, told the Reuters news agency that Kyiv had recorded about 900 uses of riot control agents on the front line by Russia in the past six months. The gases, banned for use on the battlefield by the international Chemical Weapons Convention, are being used to try and clear trenches, Pakhomov said. Some 500 troops had required medical help after exposure to toxic substances on the battlefield and at least one soldier died after suffocating on tear gas, he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian military attacked a large Russian airfield at Dzhankoi in the north of occupied Crimea. A series of explosions were reported at the base. There were no reports of damage."

lousubcap

Friday Israel-Iran update:

"Israel conducted an aerial attack on Iran overnight, U.S. officials say. Iranian state media said explosions were heard around the central city of Isfahan early this morning and that three drones were destroyed after the country’s air defense systems were activated. An army general in Isfahan province said no damage has been reported. Isfahan is home to a large airbase, a major missile production complex, and multiple nuclear facilities. The International Atomic Energy Agency has said no nuclear sites were damaged. The Pentagon and the Israeli military have both declined to comment at the time of writing. BBC Newsreports. 

Iran played down the reported Israeli attacks and today said there were no plans to respond. Iranian media and officials have referred to the incident as an attack by “infiltrators,” rather than by Israel. “The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack,” an Iranian official said. The limited scale of the attack and Iran’s muted response appear calculated to avert an all-out war. Parisa Hafezi and James Mackenzie reports for Reuters.

The United States was given advance notification yesterday of Israel’s intended strike in the coming days but did not support the response, a senior U.S. official said."

lousubcap

Friday Israel-Hamas update:

"The United States yesterday vetoed the U.N. Security Council vote on granting Palestine full member status at the United Nations. The vote was 12 in favor of the resolution, with Washington opposing and abstentions from Britain and Switzerland. U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield today said that the new resolution would not have brought a two-state solution closer, adding, “The resolution provides for the Palestinian Authority to be a member of the U.N. Right now, the Palestinians don’t have control over a significant portion of what is supposed to be their state. It’s being controlled by a terrorist organization.” Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz said after the vote, “The shameful proposal was rejected. Terrorsim will not be rewarded.” Yonette Joseph reports for the New York Times.

The Biden administration is making a fresh push to establish Saudi-Israeli ties. According to U.S. and Saudi officials, Washington is pushing for a diplomatic deal in the coming months that presses Israel to accept a new commitment to Palestinian statehood in exchange for diplomatic recognition by Riyadh. As an incentive to recognize Israel, the White House is offering Riyadh a more formal defense relationship, assistance in acquiring civil nuclear power, and a renewed effort to push for a Palestinian state. U.S. officials say they are in the final stages of negotiating and that the successful multicountry effort to shoot down Iranian missiles and drones on Saturday should make clear to Israel that its security against threats from Tehran could be bolstered by closer relations with Saudi Arabia. Michael R. Gordon, Summer Said, and Gordon Lubold report for the Wall Street Journal. 

C.I.A. director Williams Burns has blamed Hamas for stalling ceasefire talks. Burns said yesterday that negotiations for a ceasefire and another round of hostage releases have stalled because Hamas rejected the latest proposal by Israel, Qatar, and Egypt, placing blame for the lack of progress squarely on the group. "

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine’s military spy agency said its attack on Wednesday on Russia’s Dzhankoi airfield in occupied Crimea seriously damaged four missile launchers, three radar stations and other equipment. It said it was still assessing damage to aircraft. Russia has not commented on the attack.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said air defences brought down what it described as five Ukrainian balloons – three over the Voronezh region and two over the Belgorod region.  According to Russian news reports, the balloons are equipped with a GPS module and carry explosives.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that officials at Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant reported a new attempted drone attack on the facility’s training centre. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that no damage or injuries were reported.

Ukraine said that it downed a long-range bomber in Russian territory for the first time."

fishlessman

lousubcap said:

Friday Israel-Iran update:

"Israel conducted an aerial attack on Iran overnight, U.S. officials say. Iranian state media said explosions were heard around the central city of Isfahan early this morning and that three drones were destroyed after the country’s air defense systems were activated. An army general in Isfahan province said no damage has been reported. Isfahan is home to a large airbase, a major missile production complex, and multiple nuclear facilities. The International Atomic Energy Agency has said no nuclear sites were damaged. The Pentagon and the Israeli military have both declined to comment at the time of writing. BBC Newsreports. 

Iran played down the reported Israeli attacks and today said there were no plans to respond. Iranian media and officials have referred to the incident as an attack by “infiltrators,” rather than by Israel. “The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack,” an Iranian official said. The limited scale of the attack and Iran’s muted response appear calculated to avert an all-out war. Parisa Hafezi and James Mackenzie reports for Reuters.

The United States was given advance notification yesterday of Israel’s intended strike in the coming days but did not support the response, a senior U.S. official said."

i wonder if this ends or if iran now gets bombed every time an iranian proxy group hits israel

HeavyG

fishlessman said:

lousubcap said:

Friday Israel-Iran update:

"Israel conducted an aerial attack on Iran overnight, U.S. officials say. Iranian state media said explosions were heard around the central city of Isfahan early this morning and that three drones were destroyed after the country’s air defense systems were activated. An army general in Isfahan province said no damage has been reported. Isfahan is home to a large airbase, a major missile production complex, and multiple nuclear facilities. The International Atomic Energy Agency has said no nuclear sites were damaged. The Pentagon and the Israeli military have both declined to comment at the time of writing. BBC Newsreports. 

Iran played down the reported Israeli attacks and today said there were no plans to respond. Iranian media and officials have referred to the incident as an attack by “infiltrators,” rather than by Israel. “The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack,” an Iranian official said. The limited scale of the attack and Iran’s muted response appear calculated to avert an all-out war. Parisa Hafezi and James Mackenzie reports for Reuters.

The United States was given advance notification yesterday of Israel’s intended strike in the coming days but did not support the response, a senior U.S. official said."

i wonder if this ends or if iran now gets bombed every time an iranian proxy group hits israel

Neither side really wants all of this to end.

lousubcap

A good overview of Israel-Iran and the drivers in this latest shoot 'em up:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68811276?at_campaign_type=owned&at_. 

lousubcap

Monday Israel-Iran update: (This could be the last update until things change.)
Israel had planned a bigger attack on Iran, but after intense pressure from allies, agreed to scale it down. According to three senior Israeli officials, Israel abandoned plans for an extensive counterstrike on Iran after concerted diplomatic pressure from the United States and other foreign allies and because Iran’s assault on Israeli soil had been mostly foiled. The officials said Israeli leaders initially discussed bombarding several military targets across Iran, including near Tehran, in response to Iran’s strikes on April 13. Israel’s intention was to allow Iran to move on without responding in kind, while signaling that Israel had developed the ability to strike Iran without entering its airspace, the officials added. Ronen Bergman and Patrick Kingsley report for the New York Times.

lousubcap

Monday Israel-Hamas update:

"The Israeli military’s intelligence chief has resigned, saying he took responsibility for the failures before Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva will officially leave the role once his successor is selected. “The military intelligence directorate under my command did not live up to our mission,” Haliva wrote in a letter. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that Israel would soon land “additional and painful blows” and it would increase “military and political pressure” on Hamas to free Israeli hostages held in Gaza. CNN reports. 

The United States is set to sanction an IDF unit for human rights violations in the West Bank. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to within days announce sanctions against the IDF “Netzah Yehuda” battalion, an all-male special unit for ultra orthodox soldiers, three U.S. sources told Axios. According to the sources, the sanctions will ban the battalion from receiving any kind of U.S. military assistance or training. It would mark the first time Washington has sanctioned an Israeli military unit, and follows ProPublic reporting on Thursday that Blinken was sitting on staff recommendations to sanction Israeli military units that have been credibly accused of human rights abuses. 

Netanyahu called the possibility of the Biden administration sanctioning the Israeli military “the peak of absurdity and a moral low.” In a post on X, he said the Israeli government would “act by all means” against any such move. Netanyahu also said yesterday he “will fight with all [his] strength” against the measure. In a statement today, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “I call on the U.S. administration to withdraw its intention to impose sanctions on the Netzach Yehuda battalion.”"

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russia has warned of a direct clash with the West over Ukraine. Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, today said that U.S., British, and French military support for Ukraine has pushed the world to the brink of a direct conflict between the world’s biggest nuclear powers. “The Westerners are teetering dangerously on the brink of a direct military clash between nuclear powers, which is fraught with catastrophic consequences,” Lavrov said. Separately, a Russian foreign ministry spokesperson said yesterday, “Washington’s deeper and deeper immersion in the hybrid war against Russia will turn into a loud and humiliating fiasco for United States such as Vietnam and Afghanistan.” Guy Faulconbridge reports for Reuters. 

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its forces had taken control of the settlement of Bohdanivka in the Donetsk region. Bohdanivka is located just to the west of the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, in its evening report, mentioned Bohdanivka as one of a series of villages where it said Ukrainian forces repelled 13 enemy attacks. It gave no specific details.

Ukraine’s Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said the navy had struck and damaged the Kommuna, a Russian rescue vessel, in Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea. The Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol said Russian forces had repelled an antiship missile attack on one of its vessels in the port, and that there was a small fire."

lousubcap

From David Frum of The Atlantic:

Trump Deflates

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-deflates/ar-AA1nmzAd?utm_source=substack&utm_

lousubcap

Tuesday Israel-Hamas update:

"A tent compound is rising in southern Gaza ahead of a possible Israeli offensive in Rafah. Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press appear to show a new compound of tents being built near Khan Younis, as the Israeli military continues to signal its plans to launch an offensive on the southern city of Rafah. Israel has said it plans to evacuate civilians during a possible Rafah offensive, but the Israeli military said it was not involved in the tent construction. The Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, without attributing the information, said that Egypt was constructing the tent compound.

Mass arrests were made as protests over the war in Gaza spread across U.S. universities. Last night, police moved to break up a protest at NYU and made a number of arrests. Meanwhile, dozens of students were arrested at Yale earlier in the day, while Columbia canceled in-person classes. Similar “encampments” have sprung up at Berkeley, MIT, and other top colleges across the country. When asked about the protests, President Biden said yesterday that he condemned both “the antisemitic protests” as well as “those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.” James Fitzgerald and Bernd Debusmann Jr report for BBC News.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there is no “double standard” for Israel ahead of expected sanctions on an Israeli military unit. Speaking yesterday, Blinken said the State Department investigation into allegations of Israeli human rights violations and the role of U.S. weapons in potential abuses is being carried out to the same standard as that for any other country. “Do we have a double standard?"

Edit to add the following:

"Will an offensive in Rafah solve Bibi’s problems? Almost certainly not. However, Israeli officials believe Hamas’ remaining four battalions worth of fighters are hiding in Rafah (that’s an estimated 4,000 troops). But Israel is probably going to need to evacuate the nearly one million civilians also living in Rafah or else risk even more isolation on the world stage. 

 Developing: Officials in Cairo say Israel wants the U.S., Egypt, the UAE and others to help evacuate Rafah, and they think it can be done in two to three weeks—ahead of a ground campaign the Israelis think will take just six weeks, according to the Journal. "

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:
"President Biden yesterday assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the United States will provide more aid as soon as the Senate passes the national security package. According to the White House, Biden told Zelenskyy that Washington has a “lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression” and that “his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraine’s urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law.” Alex Gangitano reports for The Hill.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Russian missile attack that destroyed Kharkiv’s 240-metre (787-foot) television tower was part of a deliberate effort by Moscow to make Ukraine’s second-largest city uninhabitable.

Nazar Voloshyn, a spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern military command, described the situation around Chasiv Yar and its surrounding villages as “difficult” but “controllable” as a Russian force of about 20,000-25,000 troops tries to storm the eastern Ukrainian town, which lies on strategic high ground in the partially-occupied Donetsk region.

Ukraine denied Russian claims that it had taken control of Novomykhailivka in eastern Ukraine, saying its forces were still in control of the village, some 40km (25 miles) southwest of the Ukrainian city of Donetsk."

lousubcap

Wednesday Israel-Iran update:

"Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi said yesterday “there will be nothing left” of Israel if Iran is attacked again. “There will be nothing left of that entity,” Iranian state news agency IRNA reported Raisi as saying. Raisi’s comments were made on the second of his three-day official visit to Pakistan, where he warned that if Israel “commits another mistake and violates the sovereignty of the holy Iranian lands, the situation will be different.” Ruba Alhenawi reports for CNN.

Iran has reduced its military footprint in Syria after a series of suspected Israeli strikes, according to a source close to the Iran-backed Lebanese group, Hezbollah. Iran has provided military support to Syrian government forces through over a decade of civil war, but a series of strikes targeting its commanders in recent months has prompted a reshaping of its presence, the sources told Agence France-Presse. “Iran withdrew its forces from southern Syria,” including Quneitra and Daraa provinces, which abut the Israeli-held Golan Heights, the source said, adding that Tehran still maintains a presence in other parts of the country. The Times of Israel reports. "

lousubcap

Wednesday Israel-Hamas update:

"A Hamas military spokesperson yesterday vowed to continue attacks on Israel. Abu Obaida, the spokesperson of Hamas’s military wing Al Qassam Brigades, said in his first video message in more than six weeks, “We will keep attacking the enemy with different techniques as long as the aggression continues on our land.” Obaida also praised Iran’s strikes on Israel earlier this month and blamed Israel for stalled ceasefire and hostage release talks, saying Israel is “trying to renounce all his promises” and wants to “gain more time.” Ruba Alhenawi reports for CNN.

Israeli intensified strikes across Gaza yesterday and ordered new evacuations in the north. Airstrikes and shelling from tanks on the ground were reported across the strip, in what residents said were almost 24 hours of non-stop bombardments. Meanwhile, the Israeli army ordered fresh evacuations in the north of the enclave, warning civilians they were in a “dangerous combat zone.” In a post on X, an Israeli military spokesperson urged residents of four zones in Beit Lahiya to move to two designated areas, saying the military “will work with extreme force against terrorist infrastructure and subversive elements” in the region. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters."

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:
"Russia will intensify attacks on Western weapons stored in Ukraine, Russia’s defense minister warned yesterday. “We will increase the intensity of attacks on logistics centers and storage bases for Western weapons,” Sergei Shoigu said, according to Russian state-owned media outlet RIA Novosti. The Kremlin’s reaction comes days after the United States approved a new package of military aid to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s full-scale invasion. Pierre Emmanuel Ngendakumana reports for POLITICO.

Oleksandr Pivnenko, the commander of Ukraine’s National Guard, said Russia was preparing “unpleasant surprises” and could try to advance on the northeastern city of Kharkiv, the second-biggest in the country, in the coming months. Pivnenko said Kyiv’s forces were prepared to thwart any assault.

Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched a total of 16 attack drones and two short-range Iskander ballistic missiles in the attack, which was also aimed at Kyiv, but all were shot down. One person was injured by falling drone debris in the Mykolaiv region."

lousubcap

Update on restoring access to Baltimore Harbour (nod)
https://gcaptain.com/baltimore-bridge-salvage-and-wreck-removal-megathread/?subscriber=true&goal=0_ .

lousubcap

Just saw this from Politico:

The US secretly sent long-range ATACMS to Ukraine — and Kyiv used them

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/24/us-long-range-missiles-ukraine-00154110?nname=playbook-

fishlessman

lousubcap said:

Update on restoring access to Baltimore Harbour (nod)
https://gcaptain.com/baltimore-bridge-salvage-and-wreck-removal-megathread/?subscriber=true&goal=0_ .

saw that boom claw a coupe days ago, that things massive

lousubcap

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

"A top Hamas official said the group would lay down its weapons if a two-state solution is implemented. The official told The Associated Press the group is willing to agree to a ceasefire of five years or more with Israel and that it would convert into a political party if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders. If that happens, Hamas’s military wing would dissolve, the official said. Abby Swell reports. 

Top Israeli and Egyptian officials secretly met in Cairo yesterday to discuss a possible Rafah invasion, according to three senior Israeli officials. Egyptian officials are concerned an Israeli offensive in Rafah would lead to displaced civilians entering their territory en masse, potentially involving a breach of the border that would endanger Egypt’s security. Israeli officials have said close military and diplomatic coordination with Egypt is a basic prerequisite for an offensive in Rafah. Barak Ravid reports for Axios."

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:
"President Biden said yesterday that weapons would begin to flow to Ukraine “within hours” as he signed a $95.3 billion package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports for the New York Times.Ukraine has begun using long-range ballistic missiles against Russia secretly provided by the United States, according to U.S. officials. The weapons were sent as part of a U.S. aid package from March, and arrived in Kyiv this month. “I can confirm that the United States provided Ukraine with long-range ATACMS at the president’s direct direction,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said yesterday. U.S. media reports they were used for the first time last week to strike Russian targets in occupied Crimea, and again on Tuesday in an attack on Russian troops in the occupied port city Berdyansk. Kathryn Armstrong reports for BBC News.

Ukrainian intelligence sources told the Reuters news agency its drones had struck two Rosneft-owned oil depots in Russia’s Smolensk region, west of Moscow, as well as a major steel factory in the southern Lipetsk region. Russian regional officials said fires had broken out at the oil facilities following the attack, while a drone had come down in an industrial zone in the Lipetsk region. They did not say whether there was any damage."

lousubcap

The Houthis are at it again:

"CAIRO/DUBAI, April 24 (Reuters) – Houthi militants in Yemen have attacked what they said were two American ships and an Israeli vessel, the group’s military spokesman said on Wednesday, the first such attack in more than two weeks. 

The Iran-aligned group said it targeted the U.S. ship Maersk Yorktown, an American destroyer in the Gulf of Aden and Israeli ship MSC Veracruz in the Indian Ocean, the spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said in a televised speech.

And this from Centcom:

A coalition vessel yesterday stopped an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from Yemen by the Houthis, CENTCOM said. It added that the missile was “likely targeting” a “U.S. flagged, owned, and operated vessel with 18 U.S. and four Greek crew members.” No damage or injuries were reported. Separately, CENTCOM said it “successfully destroyed” four unmanned aerial vehicles over Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen."