GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 357

Another One Bites The Dust?

A Busy Day

Reports are flying fast and furious that Israel may have taken our the big kahuna of Hezbollah as we learn from a report from The Jerusalem Post:

The IDF targeted Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in a strike on the terror organization's central headquarters in Beirut Friday evening, the IDF reported after witnesses in Beirut told Reuters they had heard multiple blasts and saw clouds of smoke rising from the city.

Whether they can confirm that Nasrallah was taken out is not known, but he certainly was the target and those in Israel that should know have little doubts he survived:

An Israeli official also confirmed to The Jerusalem Post that the Nasrallah had been one of the targets of the attack. The official added, “Hard to believe he [Nasrallah] got out of it alive.”

Israeli officials suspect that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was in the bunker targeted in the recent bombing, and anyone inside would struggle to survive such an attack.

Prime Minister Netanyahu was consulted shortly before the strike and one source leaked that the attack was massive:

About three hours before the strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu consulted with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. A security source told the Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that "the extent of the destruction in Dahieh is enormous. Lebanon has reinforced all ambulances and dispatched them to the scene."

Of course anyone left alive in Hezbollah deny Nasrallah was killed:

Reuters reported that Nasrallah was alive, citing a source close to Hezbollah. Iran's IRGC-controlled Tasnim News Agency also reported he was alive, and an additional Hezbollah operative has also stated Nasrallah survived the attack.

Regardless of who survived or not, the building was demolished and the terrorist headquarters was smashed. It was intentionally built underneath a civilian area to maximize bad press for Israel:

"Hezbollah's central headquarters was intentionally built under residential buildings in the heart of the Dahiyeh in Beirut as part of Hezbollah's strategy of using Lebanese people as human shields," IDF Spokesman R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari stated in an evening address.

Hagari said that the targeted building was the epicenter of Hezbollah's terror activities.

All Eyes On The Prize

The strike was monitored by military leaders as one would suspect:

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, at the time of the strike, was at the Israel Air Force's (IAF) command and control center, where he monitored the strike against Hezbollah's headquarters, the Defense Ministry stated.

Other senior officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Commander of the IAF, were also present.

Netanyahu Left Early:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut his trip to New York short and plans to leave for Israel Friday night on Shabbat, following the IDF strike on Beirut that targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The IDF is watching the rubble:

Following a situation assessment after the strike, the IDF stressed that it is prepared in all offensive and defensive arenas. A senior security official told army radio that anyone in the Hezbollah headquarters will not get out alive, and they are closely following what is developing in Beirut.

Even if Nasrallah did escape the goals remain the same:

The IDF added that there was no change in the Home Front Command directives.

The US was informed:

According to Israeli sources, Israel informed the US of the strike shortly before, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the strike from New York.

But maybe they weren’t:

The Pentagon later said that the US did not have advanced warning of an Israeli strike in Beirut, and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart as the operation was ongoing, Reuters reported. Later, US President Joe Biden also said he did not know the strike would occur beforehand.

The US is known to throw Israel under the bus from time to time and denying they knew about the strike is hard to swallow. Most likely they just want to act like they didn’t know so they can negotiate a peace deal with a straight face. What is true is that the IDF is done toying with Hezbollah:

"After almost a year of Hezbollah firing rockets, missiles, and suicide drones at Israeli civilians, after almost a year of Israel warning the world and telling them that Hezbollah must be stopped, Israel is doing what every sovereign state in the world would do if they had a terror organization that seeks their destruction on their border, taking the necessary action to protect our people so that Israeli families can live in their homes, safely and securely,” Hagari said in his address.

It is no surprise that Iran isn’t happy:

In response to the Israeli strike targeting Nasrallah, the Iranian embassy in Beirut released a statement on X/Twitter calling the attack "a bloody massacre, adding that it represented "a serious escalation that changes the rules of the game, bringing upon its perpetrator the appropriate."

Maybe this time Iran will respond since Hezbollah is their strongest proxy and the most feared one. Time will only tell.

Putting Iran On Notice

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave what some called a blistering speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at roughly the same time as the IDF hit Beirut as we learn from a report from CBN.com:

After Netanyahu landed in the U.S. for his United Nations speech, he reiterated his opposition to stopping the war against Hezbollah.

"My policy – our policy is clear. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force," he stated, "and we will not stop until we reach all our goals – chief among them, the return of the residents of the north securely to their homes."

The PM defended their attacks on both Hamas and Hezbollah:

In his U.N. speech, the prime minister argued that Israel's offensive attacks on Hezbollah and Hamas are a justified defense against the terror groups' efforts to wipe out Jews and the Jewish state.

The day before the Palestinian Authority (PA) president defiantly said they will remove all Jews from the area:

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the U.N. on Thursday. Even as he paid lip service to a two-state solution, he hinted at kicking the Jews out of what he called "Palestine."

"It will remain ours. And if anyone were to leave, it would be the occupying usurpers," Abbas declared.

Abbas then claimed that Al Aqsa Mosque was the sole property of Muslims at the same time that a large amount of Jews prayed there:

He also claimed the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a most holy site to Jews, is the "exclusive property of Muslims."

Nearly 50,000 Jews gathered next to the Temple Mount Thursday to pray for the swift return of the Hamas-held hostages in Gaza, the safety of Israel's soldiers, and for the security and unity of the people of Israel.

Going back to the speech given at the UNGA by the PM we get more details about his feelings on things including what he thinks about the UN as we see in an article from the Jerusalem News Syndicate:

A defiant Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly on Friday morning that he had a message for “the tyrants of Tehran: If you strike us, we will strike you,” adding that “there is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that is true of the entire Middle East.”

Nothing Has Changed

Netanyahu was not shy when he said nothing has changed since his first address at the UN:

…the Israeli prime minister, pointing to his maiden address as Israel’s U.N. ambassador some 40 years ago in which he defended Israel against a proposal to expel it from the organization, said on Friday that “there is nothing new at the United Nations.”

He accused the world body, which he referred to as an “anti-Israel Flat Earth Society,” along with member states, of attempting to strip Israel of its ability to defend itself. “If you can’t defend yourself,” he stated plainly, referring to the Middle East, “you can’t exist—not in our neighborhood.”

Ultimately, Netanyahu said the global diplomatic assault against Israel since Oct. 7 is “not about Gaza. It’s about Israel. It’s always been about Israel—Israel’s very existence.”

Some in attendance left which was no surprise once you realize who did:

Dozens of diplomats left the General Assembly Hall as Netanyahu took to the podium. The Palestinians, Iranians and Saudis were among those who left their seats empty.

Netanyahu sadly talked about what could have been if Hamas hadn’t attacked:

Netanyahu lamented on Friday how close Israel and Saudi Arabia were to normalization prior to the massacre by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7. Much of Netanyahu’s 2023 speech to the General Assembly reflected the hope at that time that an agreement was within reach.

“This is an opportunity that we and the world should not let go by,” he said about the potential of further normalization with the Arab and Muslim world.

The PM then used visual aids to describe the two paths for the area:

During his talk, he displayed two maps titled “The Blessing” and “The Curse,” respectively.

“The Blessing,” he said, represented a land bridge connecting the Middle East with Asia and Europe that would carry railways, energy pipelines and fiber optics—all possible through peace agreements that were close to being finalized before the events on Oct. 7.

He then pivoted to the other view:

Meanwhile, “The Curse” showed Iran’s footprint in the region.

“If you think this map is only a curse for Israel, you should think again,” said Netanyahu, adding that Iran’s aggression, unchecked, would have global implications since the Islamic Republic already funding terror networks on five continents.

Netanyahu briefly addressed the war:

He insisted that “we are winning” the six-front war organized by Iran while focusing on “mopping up” Hamas’s remaining capabilities in the Gaza Strip and on “our sacred mission, bringing the hostages home.”

He said he is in favor of a local administration in Gaza “committed to peaceful coexistence” taking over once Hamas’s rule is finished, though he did not specifically say he welcomed or barred the Palestinian Authority from playing a role.

His message to the captors of the remaining hostages—dead and alive—was brief. “Let them go,” he exclaimed, as he acknowledged the families of several hostages who had traveled with him to New York, relaying some of their stories to those in attendance.

He then talked about why they are hitting Hezbollah so hard right now:

Netanyahu told the General Assembly that Israel was taking apart Hezbollah’s chain of command, including their “replacements and the replacements of replacements.”

As you pray for the peace of Jerusalem, factor all these developments. And add that rather than the war fronts winding down, they could on the precipice of ramping up greatly.