GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 349

Hezbollah Is Mad

This Is Serious

In a speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vows to take revenge on Israel for the pager explosions over the last two day as we read in an article by i24news.tv. First we hear about the damage that was done:

While Lebanon officially reports 26 deaths over two days from pager and walkie-talkie explosions, other estimates suggest a much heavier toll.

What kind of toll? Massive:

According to Israeli reports, the pager attack alone would have caused "dozens of deaths, if not more" among Hezbollah members. Hezbollah's elite Radwan force is reported to have suffered significant losses, losing "a large part of its command structure" that was either killed or maimed. At least 450 people were injured in the walkie-talkie explosions on Wednesday, adding to the more than 3,000 Hezbollah operatives wounded in the pager explosions a day before.

There will be a counter attack:

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, is scheduled to speak on Thursday for the first time since the incidents, which went beyond Lebanese borders and affected terrorists in Syria. Hezbollah has not yet officially responded, but a high-ranking member of the group, Hashm Safi Al Din, threatened Israel with retaliation: "We are facing a new phase, punishment will inevitably come."

He went on to say that if Israel intends to move troops from Rafah to fight against them in the north Hamas will somehow get stronger and fight back:

"We say to the enemy - if your goal is to wind the Gaza campaign down, know that it will only intensify in strength and determination," he said, possibly referring to Israeli forces moved from the Gaza Strip to the border with Lebanon. "The punishment for aggression will certainly come, and there will be retribution," he added.

According to reports inside Lebanon, Iran was affected:

According to Lebanese reports, hospitals are overloaded following the many injuries from the explosions. The Lebanese channel MTV reported that 95 injured people, including the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon who lost sight in one eye, were transferred to Iran with their families for additional medical care. An Iranian source told Tasnim news agency that "most of the injured have suffered serious injuries to their hands and eyes."

Lebanon wants international sympathy, mainly because they were hit harder than most think:

Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that his government has filed a complaint with the UN Security Council.

"The Israeli enemy ignores all international laws," he said. "We will do everything in our power to prevent a war in Lebanon." Diplomatic sources told Al Jazeera that the Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Friday evening on the developments in Lebanon.

And as I told you yesterday, more than people were hit:

The Lebanese Civil Defense reported extinguishing fires in 60 houses and stores, 15 cars, and dozens of motorcycles following the explosions.

From The Horse’s Mouth

We turn to a report from The Jerusalem Post to hear words from the Hezbollah leader himself where he actually wants Israel to invade them:

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addressed the recent explosions of Hezbollah devices in Lebanon and dared Israel to invade the country during his speech delivered on Thursday.

"Israel's foolish Northern Command leader talks about a security zone inside Lebanese territory – we are waiting for you to enter Lebanese territory. We are waiting for your tanks, and we will see this as a historic opportunity," Nasrallah declared as he slammed the IDF commander.

Apparently he knew about the second wave of explosions:

Additionally, Nasrallah admitted that he was in touch with Israel about the attacks that took place on both Tuesday and Wednesday. He noted that he knew there would be another round of explosions on Wednesday after the first round.

"On Tuesday, I received messages from Israel to stop the attacks. Otherwise, there would be another strike on Wednesday," Nasrallah explained.

As we should know, Nasrallah will frame things to make him and Hezbollah to look better and encourage his people after what we now see was not just small attack: He directly mentioned Israelis displaced by their constant bombing and how Netanyahu vows the let them move back:

Nasrallah addressed the displaced citizens in Israel's North. He stated, "The enemy's [Israel's] talk about shifting the weight to the north is mixed after expanding the war's objectives by returning its settlers to the north of occupied Palestine."

"Can you return the displaced to the North?" Nasrallah asked. "We accept this challenge, and you will not be able to return them and do whatever you want. The only way to return the displaced to the North is to stop the aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank."

The Hezbollah leader first thanked those who are helping them to recover:

Nasrallah opened his speech by thanking "the Lebanese government, the Ministry of Health, and the civil defense institutions for their efforts. What has happened over the past two days deserves recognition and a firm response. There are many eye injuries, and hospitals are under pressure as they work tirelessly. I commend the families of the martyrs, both at home and on the southern front, for accepting the honor of martyrdom, and I wish the injured a swift recovery."

He then said that Israel has crossed all red lines which sounds an awful lot like a war cry:

Nasrallah also expressed gratitude to Iran, Iraq, and Syria for their medical support in the aftermath of the attacks. He went on to accuse Israel, stating, "Israel issued thousands of summonses and detonated them simultaneously. The Israeli enemy has violated all laws, regulations, and red lines. Numerous bombings targeted hospitals, markets, public roads, homes, and other areas heavily populated by civilians."

In an attempt to get compassion from the world and make Israel look uncaring and inconsiderate he said this, leaving out that those civilians were put in harm’s way by themselves:

He continued, "We expect the number of casualties to rise due to these radio bombings. Dozens of deaths and countless injuries have yet to be fully reported, but the toll is very high. The enemy is aware that there are 4,000 beeper holders, all of whom are Hezbollah members, meaning they deliberately killed 4,000 in an instant. Israel showed no regard for the fact that these beeper holders were in civilian areas or using civilian means."

And if Nasrallah wasn’t being clear about how they view these attacks, he went on to say this:

"What happened was a major terrorist operation," Nasrallah declared. "We will define the events of Tuesday and Wednesday as massacres. We have established several internal investigation committees, explored all scenarios and possibilities, and have reached an almost final conclusion: these massacres amount to war crimes or a declaration of war."

Nasrallah also vowed to punish Israel for the attacks, stating that the country would face "a crushing response from the axis of resistance."

In some circles them sound like fightin’ words.

An Unusual Offer

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the latest offer from Israel to Hamas, one they would be wise to accept, which we learn from a report by the Jerusalem News Syndicate:

Israel has submitted a new proposal to the United States to end the war in Gaza by freeing all of the remaining hostages held by Hamas and allowing the terror group’s leader Yahya Sinwar to exit the enclave, Kan News reported on Thursday.

Here are the details:

The framework for the deal, which would be achieved all in one phase, also includes safe passage out of Gaza for other senior Hamas terrorists, the release of Palestinian security prisoners, demilitarization of the Strip and a new system of governance in Gaza.

Hostage families seem to like the deal:

Israel’s Coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons, Gal Hirsch, met with families of the hostages and updated them on the proposal, according to the report. Some of the relatives told Kan that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should present the proposal to the United Nations.

Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver a speech to the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 27.

Hirsh said that the deal has already been given to the US leaders:

In the meeting with the families, Hirsch reportedly said that the proposal was presented during his meetings last week with American officials at the White House and State Department.

The proposal has been dubbed the “Safe Passage Deal,” according to sources who met with Hirsch.

An Israeli source that this is a win for all parties:

“In light of the difficulties in the negotiations and the ticking clock of the hostages’ lives, we seek to propose a ‘secondary plan’ that will shorten the stages and allow for a quicker deal. This will happen if Sinwar leaves and brings an end to the war. It will also allow us to meet the objectives of the war while enabling Hamas leadership in Gaza to exit safely to a secure location,” an Israeli official told Kan.

Hostage families will also be in New York City and will support the offer there as well:

More than 30 families of hostages are expected to attend next week’s U.N. General Assembly to meet with international officials and promote the release of their loved ones.

“We welcome the new Netanyahu proposal, which strengthens security in Israel and allows for a comprehensive regional arrangement. The prime minister must lead this proposal with courage, determination and speed,” said Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum.