A notable event occurred in Lebanon today: For the first time in this war, Israel eliminated a senior Fatah/Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades member in Lebanon. He is identified as Khalil al-Maqdah. Israel accused al-Maqdah of orchestrating weapons smuggling to the West Bank under the direction of the IRGC. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades issued a statement mourning the death saying he was martyred in a cowardly assassination operation carried out by treacherous Zionist aircraft on Sidon..while he was performing his duty in the struggle within the Battle of the Flood of Al-Aqsa.

The attempted suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, claimed by Hamas & Islamic Jihad, produces a lot of questions. Both actors felt compelled to claim responsibility despite the attack failed. The attempt is a one-off either. There have been attempts to carry out bombings earlier this yr. So far, the perpetrator has yet to be named by the groups. There is no video testament of the bomber claiming responsibility for the attack, nor has there been evidence produced by the groups to support the claim.

Thread: Now that it has been a few days that Hamas selected Yahya Sinwar to fill Ismail Haniyeh's role as politburo chief and overall leader of the organization, I have some thoughts to share. What should we make of Sinwar's appointment? It's both surprising and not surprising all at once. Let me explain further. Hamas selected Yahya Sinwar as its leader due to his accomplishments.

Hassan Nasrallah in a memorial speech for fallen Hezbollah fighters: The invasion of the Galilee (northern Israel) remains an option should war erupt. Nasrallah: We have a large number of new weapons and drones and we're manufacturing our drones and some types of rockets in Lebanon.

How do we know that the Israeli military is doing an effective job at destroying Hamas' ability to fire rockets from Gaza? The last Hamas declaration of responsibility for firing rockets at Israel was over a month ago on March 25. On that day, they fired rockets at Ashdod. Sporadic rocket fire continues on southern Israel but it is being carried out by smaller Palestinian terrorist organizations. It's also noteworthy to mention the groups are not firing significant barrages. They are firing a handful at a time at best.

President Biden and his national-security team watched with mounting alarm on April 13 as monitors in the White House Situation Room showed 30, then 60, then over 100 Iranian ballistic missiles streaking toward Israel. wsj.com/articles/white… Iranian cruise missiles and a swarm of drones were already in the air, timed to arrive at the same time as the missiles—a massive barrage that Biden and his aides feared could overwhelm the strengthened defenses they and Israel had spent more than a week preparing.

The Israeli military released updated figures, including the number of rockets fired into Israeli territory and terrorists killed.
Rockets that crossed into Israel:
Gaza: ~ 9,100
Lebanon: ~3,100
Syria: ~35 Eliminations of terrorist.
Gaza:
12,000+ terrorists eliminated.
5 terrorist brigade commanders eliminated.
20+ terrorist battalion commanders eliminated.
100+ terrorist company commanders eliminated.

The United Nations Human Rights Office in the Occupied Territories said (@OHCHR_Palestine) in a December statement that it verified Israel killed journalist, founder, and director of Gaza Now, Mustafa Ayyash. However, Gaza Now stated today he was arrested in Austria. Moreover, the journalist and his media organization were slapped with sanctions by the Treasury department for raising funds that went to terrorism a few days ago. home.treasury.gov/news/press-rel…

1/ Almost four months into the war Hamas started with Israel, Palestinian armed groups are showing signs of increased cooperation. Terrorist organizations like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, PFLP, and others, are publishing statements and evidence claiming joint attacks against Israel. 2/ There are several possible reasons for this change. Rocket and mortar supply is finite, and 120 days of fighting has likely dwindled the ammunition of most, if not all, terror groups. By cooperating, groups can share resources and attack Israeli targets more effectively.

From my conversations with folks here in Israel, a response is expected following the targeted killing of Saleh al-Arouri and company earlier tonight. However, Hamas is unlikely to have the capability to mount a large-scale, days long attack like it could have before October 7. Additionally, Hamas may mount attacks from southern Lebanon. Nevertheless, Hezbollah is the key factor. Despite Arouri being killed in Beirut, the operation was very clean. Little collateral damage occurred to Hezbollah.

IDF troops have secured Hamas' "Elite Quarter" in the center of Gaza City, including the area of Palestine Square, from where Hamas’ administrative & military leadership operated. The complex includes a large network of tunnels & apartments belonging to Hamas’ senior leadership. Shaldag forces operating in Gaza City locate a tunnel inside the home of Yahya Sinwar's military assistant.

"Today, there were four attacks against three separate commercial vessels operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea." - CENTCOM "At approximately 12 p.m., and while in international waters, CARNEY engaged and shot down a UAV launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. The drone was headed toward CARNEY although its specific target is not clear." - CENTCOM

IDF releases video of a hostage from Israel taken to Shifa Hospital during the terror attack in southern Israel on October 7. Additional video.

Nasrallah's speech has started. He begins with honoring members of several armed groups who have died, including the families of martyrs.

As the ground invasion in Gaza continues to escalate, I'd like to share some key thoughts. Firstly, it's essential to note that Israel is not solely battling against Hamas, but also a range of approximately twelve other armed groups. Additionally, there are salafi-jihadist groups operating in Gaza that oppose both Hamas and Israel, but will likely join the fighting against Israeli soldiers. The majority of the groups engaged in the current conflict were also present during the 2014 ground invasion.

My Latest at FDD's Long War Journal discusses the Shadow Unit. A specialized Hamas unit that is in charge of prisoners of war. This group is likely holding Israeli, American and other nationalities hostage after the October 7 attack in southern Israel. longwarjournal.org/archives/2023/…
"The number of hostages held by the group remains unknown, but there are growing concerns that the unit lacks the necessary resources to manage a significant number of captives."

This thread identifies and provides evidence demonstrating which Palestinian terrorist organizations are involved in the barbaric attack that occurred in Israel on October 7. Researchers, journalists, and government agencies are advised to refer to this supporting material. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades:

🧵 Due to the ongoing Hamas-led border riots at the Gaza-Israel border, I will be routinely updating this thread with evidence happening on the ground. Palestinians affiliated with armed groups launch incendiary-laden balloons and condoms towards southern Israel. Don't ask me about the makeshift airplane, I've been trying to figure this out since 2018.

At @FDD, we put a visual together demonstrating 19 Iran-backed organizations operating on Israel's borders. Some of these actors are sanctioned by the U.S. & other Western nations. While others like the Popular Resistance Committees has yet to be designated. The Popular Resistance Committees is based in Gaza and was founded in 2000. The armed group is responsible for attacking American and Israeli citizens for over two decades.

🧵 Based on open source research, it appears that at least 10/12 Palestinians killed in the IDF operation in Jenin are either members of militant groups or were involved in clashes with Israeli troops. Samih Abu al-Wafa, claimed by Islamic Jihad. https://t.co/HKdnVHdktot.me/sarayajneen/712

Two militants killed overnight in Qabatiya during an Israeli forces operation. Islamic Jihad in Jenin releases a video showing recent clashes with Israeli forces. Civilians, including children place themselves in danger by standing beside gunmen firing at Israeli forces. Also, militants carrying fire extinguishers rigged to explode appear to be used.