What Happens After a Terrorists Fire A Rocket Into Israel

You are going about your day, and suddenly the siren sounds. Terrorists have fired a rocket at your city. Who exactly tracks where the rocket landed, and who sends emergency forces to the scene? Meet the IDF reservists who are ready to help at a moment’s notice.

Here in Israel, we all live under the constant threat of terrorists firing rockets from the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria. Even though the Iron Dome system is in place to protect us, an unexpected event can always occur.

If a rocket does fall in a civilian area, paramedics, Home Front Command rescue teams and the police need to get there as quickly as they can, and they need someone to guide them to the location of the hit. This is the job of the Home Front Command Observations Unit.

The unit is made up entirely of reserve soldiers, and operates only in cases of emergency. The unit’s soldiers identify the type and size of the rocket that hit and what damage it caused. This helps them track down exactly where it landed, so that they can direct the rescue forces to the scene.

The unit places teams in the tallest building in every Israeli city, which gives them a 360 degree view of the area. These soldiers know their cities back to front. The unit is equipped with special protective outfits in case an unconventional bomb hits. They must continue to do their jobs no matter what.

Every district has one or two observation units. Every unit has about 120 soldiers, and in any position there are five to 10 soldiers. “All of our soldiers have a background in this field,” says Maj. Avi Bruskin, the commander of the Central District Observation Unit. “Most of them come originally from the Combat Intelligence Corps. 45 percent of the force is made up of women. We have a very close family-like atmosphere here.”

A rocket falls. What happens next?

To get the most accurate mark point, the Observation Unit uses a unique system. “Every position has a compass and binoculars, the most basic observation tools,” says Maj. Bruskin. “We also use special system called ‘Atlason’. This system combines binoculars with a screen, a laser lineup and a GPS.” The system is equipped with night vision equipment, and can use the location of the moon and the stars as a ‘natural GPS’.

But what exactly happens when a rocket falls? The laser and GPS track down exactly where it landed, and the soldiers evaluate the damage. “Most of the time we don’t even use the Atlason system, because we know the area so well, but it’s still good to have it,” Maj. Bruskin says. The team then reports the incident to the local Home Front Command situation room, which sends rescue forces. The observers also direct the rescuers if the location is difficult to find.

Operating in emergencies

The unit operates only in emergencies. “There was a lot of fear [throughout the Israeli population] during the Iraq War,” Maj. Avi notes. “But while everyone else stayed at home, we were spread across Israel’s rooftops for over a month. During Pillar of Defense, our southern units worked particularly hard.”

To stay in shape, the unit exercises together once a year, and also participates in other Home Front Command exercises. “My biggest hope is that emergencies don’t occur at all, but we are ready if they do,” he says.

“The unit is like a big family,” say Maj. Avi. “Whenever there is an emergency, everyone is very happy to help, even though they all have to leave their families and friends at home. They are always on alert, ready to protect their families and friends from the rooftops.”

http://www.idfblog.com/2014/03/03/happens-terrorists-fire-rocket-israel/

Israeli official confirms: IAF hit missile convoy entering Lebanon

Anonymous Israeli official tells TIME that IAF jets struck a missile transport destined for Hezbollah.

Israeli warplanes struck a convoy transporting surface-to-surface missiles from Syria into Lebanon on Monday in an attempt to prevent Hezbollah from obtaining certain weapons, an anonymous Israeli security official reportedly told TIME Magazine on Tuesday.

On Monday night, Lebanese media reported that IAF jets had hit a Hezbollah target near the Lebanon-Syria border.

The unnamed senior security official hinted to TIME that the Lebanese, Shi'ite terrorist organization was capable of carrying warheads heavier and more dangerous than Hezbollah'sreported stockpile currently pointed toward Israel.Thus far, the Israeli army has refused to comment on the reports.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has failed to confirm or deny reports that Israel struck targets on the Syria-Lebanon border late Monday night, cryptically stating that Israel does everything in its power to defend its citizens.

While some Lebanese reports suggested the attack was carried out against a Hezbollah missile base, others stated that the target of the bombing sorties was a key stop on the route through which arms are smuggled between Lebanon and Syria.

Asked during a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkelwhether IAF jets were behind the strike, Netanyahu stated, "Our policy is clear - we will not speak about reports of what we did or didn't do - but we do all that is necessary in order to defend our citizens."

Hezbollah denied the airstrike on their television network al-Manar. They said there had been "no raid on Lebanese territory," reporting only the "strong presence of enemy planes over the area north of Bekaa" in eastern Lebanon.

Netanyahu has said repeatedly that Israel would not allow the Syrian regime to transfer chemical weapons or "game-changing" weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel has reportedly struck weapons convoys traveling from Syria into Lebanon on at least three occasions in the past year.

Jerusalem post

Military Intelligence expanding to cope with jihadi threat from Syria

The IDF remains concerned that al-Qaida affiliated organizations will seek to turn their guns, bombs, and rockets against Israel in the future.

The IDF prevents Israel's enemies, such as Hezbollah, from growing stronger "almost every night," a senior security source said this week.

Despite the efforts of IDF Military Intelligence, Hezbollah is believed to be armed with some 100,000 rockets and missiles, including a small but deadly collection of satellite-guided projectiles that can be used to target key Israeli installations and national infrastructure sites in a future war.

Military Intelligence has created a fully formed list of Hezbollah targets.

Military Intelligence is also growing in size, to cope with the mushrooming of global jihadi operatives in next-door Syria. The IDF remains concerned that al-Qaida affiliated organizations will seek to turn their guns, bombs, and rockets against Israel in the future.

The security source described changes at Military Intelligence as "dramatic," adding that "a thousand people moved from place to another" as part of restructuring.

The goal is to allow the "end user," which could be a battalion or company commander, to receive the most up to date and relevant information for his battle arena.

"Intelligence is important, not just because of technology. If we don't have a clue who we should shoot at, we will end up firing in many directions," the source said, adding that good intelligence will result in a quick, accurate, and decisive blow to enemies.

In August 2013, unnamed US officials told The New York Times that a July 5 IAF strike on a Syrian warehouse near Latakia targeted Russian-made Yakhont missiles destined for Hezbollah, and that the strike failed to destroy all of the missiles.

At the end of January, foreign reports claimed that Israeli fighter jets flying over northern Lebanon struck Latakia again. Some reports speculated that the targets were S-300 air defense systems destined for Hezbollah.

THE TRUE FACE OF IRAN: Explosion in Golan Heights

Mortar shells exploded in the Golan Heights following the Israeli PM’s visit to an IDF field hospital treating Syrian civilians. The violence in the region shows the “true face of Iran,” Netanyahu said.

Prime Minister Netanyahu visits Syrian patients at IDF field hospital in Golan Heights. (Photo: GPO)

Two mortar shells exploded in the Golan Heights at the Israeli-Syrian border on Tuesday shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had visited the area with Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and IDF Chief Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz.

No injuries were reported.

The Israeli dignitaries were visiting a field hospital where IDF medics and soldiers risk their lives to treat wounded Syrians caught in the brutal fighting between the Syrian army and the rebels.

“I visited today the base where people who have been wounded in the fighting in Syria are being treated,” Netanyahu said. “On the day when talks between the major powers and Iran are being opened in Vienna, it is important that the world sees the pictures from this place, which divides the good that is in the world from the bad.

IDF field hospital treats wounded Syrians. (Photo: IDF blog)

NETANYAHU: ‘THIS IS THE TRUE FACE OF IRAN.’

“The good part is that Israel is saving the lives of those who have been wounded in the daily slaughter that is being perpetrated in Syria,” he continued. “This is the true face of Israel. The bad part is that Iran is arming those who are carrying out the slaughter. This is the true face of Iran.”

“All of the children who have been injured, to say nothing of those who have been killed, were injured as a result of Iran’s arming, financing and training the Assad regime in the massacres that it is perpetrating,” the Israeli leader stated.

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon (L) and Netanyahu at the Israeli-Syrian border. (Photo: Ariel Hermoni/FLASH90)

“From here, I would like to tell the world, today, as the talks between the major powers and Iran are being resumed, that Iran has changed neither its aggressive policy nor its brutal character. Iran is continuing to support the Assad regime which is slaughtering its own people. This is the true face of Iran. The world cannot forget this.”

United with Israel 

Israel moves closer to deploying laser shield against rockets

With technology reminiscent of 'Star Wars', Iron Beam designed to take out threats not in the air long enough for Iron Dome to intercept.

Israel's national weapons manufacturer is showcasing its new Iron Beam laser shield against rocket fire, and says deployment of the "Star Wars" style technology is closer to becoming a reality. 

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems said development of the system was advanced enough for the company to be comfortable with publicizing it at this week's Singapore Airshow, which is Asia's largest aerospace and defense exhibition.

 

The laser technology behind the missile shield is not that far removed from fiction.

 

"It's exactly like what you see in Star Wars," said company spokesman Amit Zimmer. "You see the lasers go up so quickly like a flash and the target is finished."

 

Iron Beam is designed to intercept close-range drones, rockets and mortars which might not remain in the air long enough for Israel's current Iron Dome missile defense system to intercept.

 

Iron Dome batteries have shot down hundreds of rockets launched by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip at Israeli cities. With no peace deal in sight and also threatened by Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel wants to beef up that system and develop further protection.

 

Avnish Patel, an expert in military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, said Iron Beam is potentially an effective addition to Israel's defenses rather than a drastic change.

 

"Essentially, its military and tactical utility will be particularly useful in complementing the already proven Iron Dome system in tackling very short range threats such as rockets and mortar fire and in close quarter engagements," he said.

 

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems said test data show Iron Beam lasers are blasting away more than 90 percent of their targets. The new system can also be modified so that multiple lasers can be used to hit a target, according to the company. But officials remain tight lipped as to when and how the Iron Beam will be deployed.

 

Zimmer, the company spokesman, said it took 15 engineers about five years to work on the technology involving solid-state lasers. It works by shooting laser beams at targets which are heated so rapidly they disintegrate in an instant.

 

"It's very accurate and will help avoid collateral damage," Zimmer said at the company's booth at the airshow exhibition hall. "When you use lasers, you have an unlimited magazine."

 

Besides Iron Beam and Iron Dome, Israel is also developing the next phase of its Arrow system which can intercept missiles in space and the upcoming David's Sling, which shoots down short and mid-range ballistic missiles.

 

But some feel Israel, which gets significant funding from key ally the U.S. for missile defense capabilities, is going overboard.

 

Fanar Haddad, a research fellow from the Middle East Institute in Singapore, said Israeli military superiority in the region was so firmly established that Iron Beam was unlikely to change anything in the short or medium term.

 

"The development of another layer says more about Israeli paranoia," he said. "The possibility of a conventional attack against Israel is next to nil and there is hardly a need for five layers of missile defense systems."

 

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems would not comment on how much Iron Beam would cost or how much has been invested in it so far.

 

"It's very hard to say. We're still testing and it can be modified in many different ways," Zimmer said.

 

Other nations and private companies may be keen on using the laser based technology to protect against attacks.

 

Israel has become one of the world's leading weapons exporters. Israeli arms companies often point out that they bring with them years of firsthand experience from conflicts with Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, jihadists in Egypt's Sinai desert and Hezbollah fighters.

IDF soldiers shoot and reportedly kill suspected terrorists attempting to damage Gaza fence

Group of possible terrorist suspects enter closed security zone and begin sabotaging security fence, despite challenges from soldiers.

IDF soldiers fired on Palestinian suspects who approached a closed security zone on the border between northern Gaza and Israel on Thursday, and attempted to damage the fence.

Palestinian sources said that one man was killed and another wounded in the incident.

An army spokeswoman said a group of suspects entered the zone and began sabotaging the security fence, and that soldiers dispatched to the area attempted to persuade them to leave.

The conducted themselves professionally and after challenging then and trying to get then away, the soldiers opened fire, striking one or possibly two suspects. 

The Palestinian men then evacuated the area on their own. 

An army spokeswoman said a group of suspects entered the zone and began sabotaging the security fence, and that soldiers dispatched to the area attempted to persuade them to leave.

According to the Palestinian Ma'an News Agency, Ibrahim Suleiman Mansour, 26, was the man killed by the IDF fire.

The second man, a 21-year-old, suffered moderate wounds to his right foot in the incident, according to Ma'an.

Israeli soldiers are constantly getting fired upon from the fence and surrounding areas.

Conducted with help from Jerusalem post

Feiglin: Lapid’s ‘Contribution’ was a Loss to Army MK Feiglin slamsequal service ‘stupidity,’ warns of ‘hidden unemployment’ that drains IDF’s power.

Yair Lapid

Flash 90

The attempts to force hareidi men to enlist in the IDF are a move in the wrong direction, MK Moshe Feiglin (Likud) declared Tuesday.

In his usual blunt style, Feiglin argued that some soldiers detract from Israel’s security – and named Yair Lapid, the head of Yesh Atid, as one of them.

“Tell me please, who contributed more to Israel’s security – Yair Lapid or Yisrael Eichler?” he asked in a post to his Facebook page. MK Eichler, who is hareidi, did not serve in the military.

“I don’t mean to start a discussion on the importance of Torah learning – which I definitely believe in – but let’s say Eichler learned Chinese all day. Who contributed more to defense – him or Lapid?” he continued.
“Of course it was Eichler,” he argued, explaining, “When Eichler reached age 18, he didn’t bother anyone, there was no need to deal with him for three years in exchange for zero productive contribution to Israel’s defense. Eichler didn’t steal resources at the expense of security.

“So Eichler contributed more than Lapid,” Feiglin concluded.

Lapid served in the army as a military correspondent for the IDF’s Bamahaneh magazine. He is a vocal proponent of imposing criminal sanctions on hareidi men who do not enlist in the IDF.

Most soldiers currently serving in the army take more in terms of state resources than they contribute in terms of defense, Feiglin argued. The solution, he said, is a professional, volunteer army.

“All this stupidity of ‘equal burden of service’ means increasing the hidden unemployment in the army, increasing the national debt, and worst of all – weakening our defense,” he argued.
“We need a professional volunteer army – not political populism,” he concluded.

Arutz7

Preparing for the northern arena: Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion

The Jerusalem Post' joins soldiers from the one of the IDF's special forces units on the final leg of their grueling combat training.

Dozens of soldiers stormed concrete structures in the middle of the desert, firing blanks. They took cover in the doorways, moving from one gray single-story building to the next, crouching stealthily under the winter sun, and broadcasting messages on radio networks as the sounds of shots fired peppered the air.

The exercise represented an assault on a built-up area, in a battle arena to the north of Israel. It was soon followed by an aerial evacuation of soldiers “injured” in the “battle.”

These warlike scenes, played out in southern Israel in recent days, at the Nahal BrigadeTraining Base at Tel Arad, represent the final acts in an eight-month advanced training course for the brigade’s Reconnaissance Battalion, an elite unit whose specialized combat skills should prove vital in any future conflict with Hezbollah, or in counter-terrorism operations in Syria.One after the other, massive Yasur helicopters, piloted by the air force’s 669 Airborne Rescue and Evacuation Unit, descended on to the desert surface, blowing sand and small rocks in all directions. Soldiers secured the landing zones from simulated enemy artillery and anti-tank fire.

The battalion’s companies will also play a key role in sensitive security arrests in the West Bank, and complex daily border security missions in the North. The soldiers train eight months longer than their ordinary infantry counterparts.

“We have a few minutes to treat the wounded and secure the landing zones for the helicopters,” Maj. Niv Assaf, commander of the Battalion’s Training School, told The Jerusalem Post as he watched his soldiers in action.

Assaf watched as “wounded” soldiers were loaded onto stretchers and rushed to the waiting helicopters, for a simulated airlift to the hospital from enemy territory.

He gave an account of the missions completed thus far during the non-stop, grueling training.

“We’re in the fourth day of fighting, after 36-straight hours. We’ve conquered a military target in Sansana Forest, launched a lookout and containment operation, and continued onwards, conquering an enemy command [represented by a structure in a nearby Beduin town]. Then we took on a rocket firing cell, using live fire to engage them,” Assaf said.

The forces moving in the desert were made up of three companies: one Reconnaissance Company, and two Orev Companies, which specialize in destroying tanks and armored fighting vehicles.

The companies themselves were made up a variety of soldiers; snipers, and troops bearing the Gil shoulder- fired missile, known internationally as the Spike man portable fire-and-forget guided missile. With electro- optic sensors, and a range of four kilometers, “it’s an expensive missile, to be fired only at quality targets like enemy command centers,” Assaf said.

Most soldiers carried the Micro Tavor assault rifle, while others were armed with the Negev light machine gun, FN MAG machine guns, Law shoulder-fired rockets, and grenade launchers. Many were carrying 50 kilograms on their back, and had been moving the weight around for days on end.

“This is a week of war,” said Sec.-Lt. Ely Halevi, a squad commander with a hoarse voice. “We’ve been marching a lot and not sleeping for 36 hours. The will to win is a driving force.”

Assaf stressed that training in urban warfare was crucial for the challenges he believed the IDF would be facing soon.

“The training is about getting everyone moving though a built-up area and in closed, confined spaces, where the enemy is recognized only when it is near, and engaged from close range. Fighting in orchards, forests and built-up areas all counts as closed spaces, where you can’t see more than 30 meters out.”

He listed additional activities undertaken in the training: “We simulated an attack-and-destroy mission against a rocket launching site, moved on to combat in open territory, and opened up a logistical route. There, the soldiers rested. Last night, we attacked a site used as a rocket firing center, and carried out a company-wide exercise in open territory, before conquering additional areas simulating a northern battleground.”

Later that night, the forces went on to launch a mock nocturnal attack, and were airlifted by Unit 669 to the nighttime combat zone.

On Thursday night, the soldiers walked up Kanaim Mountain for the all-important ceremony marking the completion of their advanced training.

“Training today has a new level of intensity. There are many more missions, due to an understanding that this is what will be required of us, to fight continuously.

This is what we understand we will encounter when we meet the enemy in a northern arena,” Assaf said.

Improving the battalion’s cooperation with the air force is also very important for battlefield performance, the commander argued.

Every squad had its own Digital Ground Army command- and-control system, which generates an interactive digital map, and informed squad commanders of the location of enemy positions.

“These are new command-and-control capabilities. We’ve never had them at the squad level before,” Assaf said.

“All of this hard work means that the combat soldiers will feel ready for the mission, and their confidence will grow. Now, they’re tired and hungry, and they covered a lot of ground. But on the weekend, they’ll feel much better,” he added.

The added training is what turns the soldiers into commandos, Assaf continued. “This is an elite unit. It fires better, it is more deadly with a range of weapons, and it knows how to get to combat sectors faster.”

Capt. Moshiko Gutliv, a company commander from the training school, took a momentary break from the training to speak to the Post. His face was covered in camouflage paint, and his uniform was coated with desert dust. “The guys here are working hard to complete this program. It’s turned them into professionals, and it’s been a pleasure to watch,” he said.

Tom Brodsky, 19, one of the trainees, spoke of the long marches with heavy weights on his back. He said, “We’re close to the end. War is a very extreme thing, and we’re preparing for it as accurately as possible.”

“Those who signed up for the Reconnaissance Battalion wanted to be here, and gave that much extra every day. Whether it’s taking on the weight on our back, or adhering to the extra discipline,” he said.

After training, the companies will divide up, and go on to serve in their various roles. They will spend eight months securing the northern West Bank, before being rotated to a different sector, likely a northern border.

Chaos and heavily armed adversaries lurk on the other side of these frontiers.

Jerusalem post

Arab Christian, Determined To Defend Israel

WATCH: Monaliza Abdo is Arab, Christian, Israeli and a brave defender of Jews and minorities alike. She wasn’t required to enlist in the Israeli army, but her determination to protect Israel motivated her to volunteer.

As a fighter on Israel’s southern border, she rose through the ranks to become a commander, teaching soldiers how to combat terrorism and other threats. Just over a month ago, she honorably completed three years of service – one more than the required number for Israeli women.

We had the chance to join Monaliza on the day of her release from the IDF. In this video, she speaks to us entirely in Arabic, explaining her commitment to serve the State of Israel and protect all of its citizens. “I keep the country of Israel safe, not only for the Jews but for the Arabs, too,” she says. “I came [to the IDF] to serve my country and my home.”

http://www.idfblog.com/

IDF officer Capt. Tal Nachman killed by friendly fire near Gaza border

Nachman's father to Army Radio: It was supposed to be his last day in Gaza; Nachman shot in back while asleep in case of mistaken identity.

IDF Captain Tal Nachman, 21, from Ness Ziona was shot dead by friendly fire early Tuesday morning after being mistaken for a terrorist near the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip.

The incident occurred during a routine security operation on the border with northern Gaza, in which a Combat Intelligence Collection unit set up a mobile observation post in an armored personnel carrier that is especially designed for surveillance.

During one of the security patrols, at around two a.m. on Tuesday morning, a Givati soldier identified what he believed to be suspicious movement on top of the APC containing the Combat Intelligence Collection soldiers. According to an initial IDF investigation, the movement was caused by an intelligence officer who descended into the APC's cabin to fetch an object.At the same time, soldiers from the Givati Brigade's Reconnaissance Battalion were in the area, in a separate armored personnel carrier, from which they launched occasional foot patrols.

The soldier initiated a procedure to arrest security suspects, during which he opened fire at the officer, believing him to be a terrorist who was trying to get into the APC.

The shots, fired from a range of ten to twelve meters, struck Nachman who was sleeping on the APC's top deck. The sleeping officer was fully equipped with protective body gear, in accordance with regulations, the IDF has found. Nevertheless, he was struck in the back, and evacuated to hospital, where he died of his injuries.

"Tal was killed by friendly fire for nothing," Nachman's father Nasi told Army Radio. "A soldier from Givati shot him by accident. It wasn't even in war. I guess God had other plans. Our greatest fear was to become a bereaved family, but the statistics caught up with us."

"Tal was the baby of the family," he added. "We were so proud of him. I guess we didn't take good enough care of him."

His father described him as a gifted student who followed his brother into the intelligence reconnaissance unit. Nachman was in the process of training to be a company commander, and Tuesday was to be his last day in Gaza before being transferred to a quieter area for training.

The Battalion Commander of the Combat Intelligence Collection unit involved in the friendly fire incident has visited the home of the bereaved family in Ness Ziona, and provided them with an account of what transpired.

IDF sources say a full investigation is underway that will closely examine the actions of the infantry soldier who opened fire.

Nachman was promoted to the rank of captain posthumously. He will be laid to rest on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the military section of the Ness Ziona cemetery.

Last week, an explosive device was detonatedalong the southern portion of the security fence separating Israel from the Gaza Strip, the army said. No Israeli soldiers were injured.

Also on Tuesday morning, a Code Red missile alert siren sounded in Eshkol Regional Council near the Gaza Strip. No fallen missiles were located in the area.

IDF: Dramatic increase in Gaza terror in January

Over 28 rockets were launched at Israel from Gaza this month, says IDF Spokesperson's Office.

There was a dramatic increase in terror activity from Gaza in January, according a press release from the IDF Spokesperson's Office put out on Friday.

Fourteen rockets landed in southern Israel, and five were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system as they were approaching the area surrounding Ashkelon, the statement said.

The Israeli Air Force launched airstrikes at three suspected terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip before dawn on Friday, an IDF spokesman said.

Seven Palestinians were injured in the strikes, reported Palestinian news agency Ma'an."In response to the rocket fire at Israel, IAF aircraft targeted overnight a terror activity site and a weapon manufacturing facility in the northern Gaza strip and a weapon storage facility in the southern Gaza Strip," the IDF said. "Direct hits were confirmed."

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, currently on a business trip in Germany, released a statement on the airstrikes.

"We will not tolerate rocket fire towards Israel or any attempt to return to the situation before Operation Pillar of Defense," he said.

The defense minister stressed that Israel holds Hamas responsible to everything that happens in the Gaza Strip, and that the organization will pay the price for any rocket shooting or terror attacks against Israel.

Earlier in January, the IAF struck and killed Islamic Jihad terrorist Ahmed Sa'ad and PLO terrorist Ahmed Za'anin, both of whom "were extensively involved" in the planning and carrying out of rocket attacks on southern Israel as well as other attacks on IDF soldiers, an IDF spokesperson said.

Three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were found next to the Gaza security fence in the last month alone. The IEDs were detonated with the aim of harming IDF soldiers in the area safeguarding Israeli communities close to the border, an IDF spokesperson said.

"Israelis cannot be held at the mercy of these hideous terrorists operating from Hamas Gaza Strip," the spokesperson continued. "The bases of Gaza terrorism and its industry of death will not be immune while our citizens are being attacked. It is our responsibility, right and obligation to defend Israel from Gaza-based aggression."

Shin Bet, police arrest 16 Hamas activists in Jerusalem

Members of Islamist movement are accused of setting up learning program on Temple Mount that caused public disturbances.

A group of 16 east Jerusalem residents was arrested by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the Israel Police on suspicion of belonging to a Hamas cell operating in the capital’s eastern neighborhoods and the Temple Mount, the security service stated on Tuesday.

The Shin Bet said the suspects include activists from the northern branch of the Israel Islamic Movement, who were involved with Hamas at the Temple Mount compound.

The 16 suspects are “prominent operatives with Hamas in east Jerusalem and members of its operations branch, and among the leaders of its activities at the Temple Mount,” the Shin Bet said.

The suspects named include 39-year-old Rami Zachariya Ibrahim Barakeh, a senior Hamas member in east Jerusalem who has served a prison term for membership in the organization. Three other main suspects include a resident of Abu Tor and two brothers from the Old City, all of whom have served prison terms for belonging to Hamas.

The Shin Bet said that while investigating the cell they found that the Islamic Movement was operating educational courses on the Temple Mount and paying people to maintain a presence there, in order to “increase the tension and cause disturbances, especially during Jewish holidays.” They added that the courses were a major contributing factor to recent disturbances in the vicinity of the Mount.

The Shin Bet added that the study program was operated in line with Hamas directives, citing an online video showing Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh praising the study program and saying that his organization is funding it.

The security organization said that the investigation revealed “another effort by Hamas to expand its influence among the Palestinian population in Jerusalem and the West Bank, during which the organization uses Jerusalem and the Temple Mount and the cooperation of other Islamic movements.”

In April, the Shin Bet and Israel Police shut down two Hamas offices in east Jerusalem, both of which they said were part of the Islamic Movement in Israel, and managed from Nazareth and Umm el- Fahm. One of the groups, the Al-Quds Development center had been closed by Israel In 2010, after information surfaced that it was being used to organize Hamas activities in Jerusalem. It reopened in 2012 after the time-limited ban on its activities expired.

After learning that Amara al-Aska assists Hamas operations as well, the Shin Bet moved to close it, and this “led to violence against forces and visitors to the Temple Mount,” the agency said. One of the goals of the center was to prevent Jews from visiting the Temple Mount, the Shin Bet added.

Jeruselam post

VIDEO: Israeli Soldiers Under Hail of Stones

Today's report on the rise in terrorist incidents in 2013 merely provides raw, dry figures. But Israelis have to deal with this violence in a very personal way, as the video below demonstrates.

In the following video, a gang of Arab youths can be seen hurling stones at Israeli soldiers who arrived to protect ambushed Jewish motorists. The Arab youths attack brutally and with no apparent thought for or concern of being injured themselves.

The incident occurred on October 4 of last year, when Arab rioters proceeded to a main highway in Palestinian-controlled territory and began to attack Jewish civilian cars.

Watch the video:

Israel Today 

Yadlin: Israel should consider 'coordinated unilateral' action if peacetalks fail

Former MI chief warns of "diplomatic intifada" and describes fallback plan for Israel in the event of talks with PA failing.

With the chances of success in the Israeli-Palestinian talks "very small," and as the Palestinians have a detailed Plan B for when the talks fail, Israel needs to be proactive and consider a "coordinated unilateral" withdrawal to lines it deems suitable, Amos Yadlin said Monday.

Yadlin, a former chief of Military Intelligence who today heads the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, said that although unilateralism got a "bad name" in Israel because of the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza and the 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon, "it is not necessarily a bad strategy" if done right.

He said that one of the lessons learned from the Gaza withdrawal was that it was a mistake to withdraw from 100 percent of the territory, because then there is no incentive for the other side to continue to negotiate.Yadlin, speaking at a briefing marking his think tank's publication of its 2013-2014 Strategic Survey for Israel, and a day prior to the organization's annual two-day international conference, said that a unilateral step in the West Bank would not be Israel's first option, and that it would prefer an agreement. But if that is not possible, Israel should consider withdrawing to the security barrier, leaving some 15 percent of the West Bank – including the Jordan Valley – in its hands.

Yadlin said unilateral steps should only be done after there is a genuine attempt to reach an agreement, including generous offers from Israel. If the Palestinians push that off - which he believes they will do because they are unlikely to agree to an agreement that will end the conflict, forfeit Palestinian claims of a "right of return," and take into consideration Israel's security demands - then Israel should get the US, France, Germany and England behind the idea of unilateral Israeli steps toward a two-state solution.

Yadlin criticized Israel for making tactical mistakes during the current negotiations – specifically allowing the settlements to be turned into a major international issue – ensuring that regardless of what the Palestinians do, if the talks break down, Israel will be blamed. "We are losing the blame game," he said.

Yadlin said that if indeed the talks do collapse, he does not expect a "third intifada," because the Palestinians realize that would not serve their interests, but rather a "diplomatic intifada" which will include taking their cause to the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, as well as encouraging steps to hurt Israel's economy.

"That is something they think will get them a lot of support, and push Israel into a corner," he said.

Regarding Iran, Yadlin said that just as there was a small likelihood that Israel and Palestinians would reach an agreement, there was an equally small chance that Iran and the world powers led by the US would reach a long term accord in the six months allocated under the interim agreement reached in Geneva in November.

He spelled out three possible scenarios. The first is that that an "acceptable" agreement would be reached whereby the time that it would take for Iran to make a bomb after deciding to do so would be extended from several months to several years. From Israel's point of view, he said, this would be preferable to having to take military action against Iran.

The second scenario would be a "bad agreement," or one whereby the interim agreement that has stopped Iran's program, but not pushed it farther away from the break-out point, will turn into the final agreement.

And the third scenario is that that talks would blow up, and the sides would return to where they were before the Geneva accord.

Yadlin said that both the complete breakdown of the talks, as well as a bad agreement, would necessitate a Plan B. That plan, he said, should be a return to a very harsh sanctions regime, including ratcheting up measures to include a boycott of Iran's diplomats and possibly a naval blockade. "And at the end of the day, if they are running toward a bomb, the military option should be on the table," he said.

Despite the Iranian and Palestinian situations, Yadlin said 2013 was a "very good year for Israel's national security." As a result, he said, Israel is in a position where it could take some calculated risks, as long as the country's security interests were preserved. He listed 12 reasons for Israel's strong national security position, including:

* Israel's borders were among the quietest they have ever been.

* The peace agreements with Jordan and Egypt held, despite concern that they would be swept aside in the turmoil roiling the Arab world.

* The US-Israeli security cooperation, including $3 billion in US military aid, remains firmly intact.

* The Syrian army, for two decades Israel's most worrisome conventional threat, has been significantly weakened.

* Hezbollah has been hurt,  both militarily and its status in the Arab world, because of its backing of Syria President Bashar Assad.

* Hamas has been weakened, having first lost Iranian and Syrian backing, and now Egyptian backing and even Turkish and to a lesser extent Qatari backing.

* The sanctions on Iran have forced Teheran to enter negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement, and not just buy more time, because Iran is very keen on ending the sanctions regime that is badly hurting its economy.

* Israel and the Persian Gulf states - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar – have a striking similarity of interest regarding Iran, Syria and Egypt.

* Sinai and the Golan Heights did not, contrary to some expectations, turn into staging grounds for attacks against Israel by Islamic Jihadists

* There was movement toward ending the crisis with Turkey, and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's domestic troubles lessens the enmity between the two countries because it was driven to a large degree by Erdogan.

* The beginning of the flow of Israeli natural gas has far reaching geo-political potential for Israel. 

Ynetnews