Hezbollah Fires Guided Missiles At Israeli Settlement After Heavy Strikes On Lebanon
South Front, Jun 26 2024
The IOF carried out on Jun 26 yet another wave of strikes against targets of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israeli fighter jets struck a building used by Hezbollah, an observation post, and additional infrastructure in the towns of Kfarchouba, Ayta al-Shaab and Khiam, the IOF said in a statement, adding that its troops also shelled several other areas in south Lebanon with artillery. Lebanese media didn’t report any civilian casualties following the strikes. There were also no losses announced by Hezbollah.
In response to the strikes, Hezbollah said in a statement that its fighters targeted several houses occupied by IOF troops in the settlement of Metula on Lebanon’s border. The group claimed that several soldiers were wounded or killed. Several fires were observed in Metula after the attack. Hebrew media said that at least five anti-tank guided missiles were launched at the settlement. Later, Hezbollah announced in another statement that its fighters destroyed surveillance systems of the IOF in the Barkat Risha site.
Shocking Footage Shows Israeli Army Dog Attacking Elderly Palestinian Woman In Gaza
South Front, Jun 26 2024
Al Jazeera aired on Jun 25 shocking footage showing a dog of the IOF attacking an elderly Palestinian woman in her apartment in the Gaza Strip. The Qatari news channel said that the attack took place in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza a few weeks ago. The channel didn’t reveal how it managed to obtain the footage from the camera that was mounted on the IOF dog. It is possible that the camera was captured by Palestinian fighters from the Gaza-ruling Hamas Movement or other factions after killing the dog in one of the recent confrontations. The victime, Dawlat al-Tanani, told Al Jazeera that Israeli troops released the dog to attack her after she refused to leave her apartment. She said that the dog bit her in one of her hands and dragged her to the entrance during the attack. Despite sustaining a severe injury in her hand, the victim is yet to receive proper treatment due to the shortages facing Gaza’s hospitals.
The IDF maintains a dedicated canine special force, known as the Oketz Unit. Oketz operators are often assigned to other units when said units are in need of their skills. The incident was revealed just a week after the head of the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, Dr Mounir Al-Barsh, alleged that a number of Palestinian prisoners were raped by trained dogs while in IDF custody. Israel has not responded yet to these allegations. Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza last October there have been near-daily reports of a wide range of human rights violations by the IOF against Palestinians in the Strip. The war has so far claimed the lives of 37,718 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the latest update by the health ministry in Gaza. More than 86,377 others have been wounded so far. In addition, most of the Strip has been destroyed. Despite failing to achieve any of its objectives and facing mounting international pressure, Israel appears to be determined to go on with the war.
Israel Warns Syrian Army After Shelling Town On Golan Front
South Front, Jun 26 2024
The IOF dropped leaflets over the southern Syria governorate of al-Qunitra on Jun 25, claiming responsibility for recent artillery strikes and warning the Syrian Arab Army against violating “existing agreements.” A series of artillery strikes targeted the outskirts of the town of al-Hmidaiah, which is located right on the front with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on Jun 24, causing material losses only. The IDF didn’t make any announcement at the time. However, in the leaflets dropped over al-Qunitra the next day, the IDF acknowledged the strikes, warning the SAA against illegitimate military presence on the front. The leaflets also included vague aerial photos showing an unidentified individual wearing civilian clothes and carrying what appears to be a camera in a residential building. One of the leaflets read:
To the commanders and troops of the Syrian army: We attacked the al-Hmidaiah area. We do not accept a military presence that violates the existing agreements! We do not accept violations in any form! This is the price!
The agreement cited by the IDF is likely the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria, which prevents the SAA from operating in a UN-observed buffer zone on the Syrian side of the front. This 235 sq km zone includes al-Hmidaiah. Last week, an Israeli drone strike on a military site near the town of Saidah in al-Qunitral claimed the life of an SAA officer. Before that, an IOF drone crashed in the governorate for unknown reasons. Israel could escalate further against Syria as an alternative to a costly military operation against Hezbollah. Russian forces in Syria have already established a series of observation posts along the front with Israel in order to prevent such a catastrophic scenario.
Houthis Announce Attack On Israel-Linked Ship 246 NM Off Yemen’s Coast With New Missile
South Front, Jun 26 2024
Yemen’s Houthis (Ansar Allah) said on Jun 25 that they used a new anti-ship ballistic missile to hit the MSC Sarah V vessel in the Arabian Sea, claiming responsibility for the attack that was reported a day earlier. Houthi spox Brig-Gen Yahya Sari claimed a “accurate and direct” hit on the ship, describing the vessel as “Israeli.” The attack was carried out with “a new ballistic missile” deployed after successful tests, he said, adding that the missile showcased its ability to hit targets accurately and over long distances. He also stressed:
The AnsarAllah forces will continue to develop their military capabilities to support the Palestinian resistance militarily and to defend Yemen in the face of the US-UK aggression. They will not stop until the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip is stopped and the siege on the Palestinian people in the enclave is lifted.
The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Joint Maritime Information Center said on Jun 24 that the Liberian-flagged vessel was targeted by a missile in the Arabian Sea, but was not hit. It noted that the vessel was likely attacked due to perceived Israeli association. From its side, the UKMTO said one the same day that the vessel was attacked while sailing 246 nautical miles off Yemen’s southeastern coastal town of Nishtun. According to the agency statement, the captain reported an explosion in the vicinity of the vessel. The crew is reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call, UKMTO said in an advisory notice.
Chinese Anti-Tank Guided Missile Makes Surprise Appearance With Hamas In Gaza
The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas Movement, has released video footage showing its fighters using a Chinese-made HJ-8L anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) against the IOF in the Gaza Strip for the first time ever. The ATGM attack took place in the area of Tell Zaroub near Rafah on Jun 23. At the time, the al-Qassam Brigades claimed that the missile was fired from an Ofek command and control armored vehicle. However, footage released the next day revealed that the target was the combat engineering version of the Namer APC. The HJ-8L is a lighter version of the original HJ-8 that can be carried by just two fighters. The system can fire two types of missiles, one with a range of 3 km and another with a range of 4 km. Both missiles are thought to be armed with tandem high-explosive anti-tank warheads. The missile scored a direct hit against the IDF’s Namer APC. The Windbreaker active protection system installed on the vehicle didn’t work. It is unclear however if the ATGM attack resulted in any casualties. HJ-8L was not spotted with al-Qassam Brigades or any other Palestinian armed factions in Gaza before. This suggests that the system was supplied recently. It remains unclear how the system found its way into Gaza. One possibility is that it came from Sudan, which produces a licensed copy of the HJ-8L dubbed “Sarib.” Iran’s IRGC was accused of smuggling weapons to Gaza from Sudan via Egypt in the past. Overall, the surprise appearance of the HJ-8L in Gaza represents a blow to the IOF, which has clearly failed to stop the flow of weapons into Gaza even after occupying the Strip’s border with Egypt.
Niqnaq 