Bill and Joe are joined by Seth Frantzman — FDD adjunct fellow and LWJ contributor as well as acting news editor and senior middle east correspondent for The Jerusalem Post — to get his first-hand account of goings on in Israel on and since the attacks on October 7, 2023.
Three members of Lebanese Hezbollah, including a pro-Assad fighter have been killed by a reported Israeli airstrike in southern Syria. One of the Hezbollah members killed is Hassan Ali Daqduq, son of infamous Hebzollah commander Ali Musa Daqduq.
Bill and Joe discuss the latest surrounding Israel at war after the resumption of fighting one week ago and since Israel’s expansion of its ground incursion into southern Gaza.
IDF forces fought In Khan Yunis, Dier al-Balah and Shujaiaya and uncovered terrorist infrastructure in Rimal and Shati in northern Gaza. Elite counter-terror forces bolstered IDF units in Shujaiaya, while a hostage rescue operation resulted in injured IDF soldiers. Hezbollah escalated attacks in the north and tensions rose at the Syrian border on December 7 and December 8.
Bill is joined by Stu Velasco and Zach Popp of The Boardwalk Podcast (also hosted by Kyle Reynolds who couldn’t make it, shoutout Kyle Reynolds) to discuss the trials and tribulations of their time in service to the U.S. during the long war.
Israel fights in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza and also in neighborhoods around Gaza city. The son of former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot was killed in battle in Gaza. Hezbollah attacks in the north killed an Israeli civilian. Hamas fired rockets from near humanitarian safety area in Gaza, the IDF said on December 7.
Israel eliminated Hamas battalion commanders and targeted Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s home in Gaza. A Houthi missile was fired at Eilat and Israel’s Defense Minister discussed the importance of preventing Hezbollah threats to Israeli communities in the north. In the West Bank a raid uncovered tunnel shafts in Jenin.
Israeli forces expanded operations into Khan Yunis in southern Gaza on Tuesday, December 5. IDF Southern Command head Maj. General Yaron Finkelman called December 5 the most intense day of fighting since the beginning of the ground operation. The IDF is also focusing on defeating remaining Hamas units in Jabalya and Shujaiya, adjacent to Gaza City. Israel has detained over 1,200 Hamas operatives in the West Bank since October 7, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said.
Extensive fortifications helped Russia thwart Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Ukraine may now take a page from Russia’s book heading into a tough 2024.
Bill and Joe are joined again by FDD Senior Fellow and Iran expert Behnam Ben Taleblu to discuss the latest regional updates surrounding Israel’s war against Hamas (and then some).
Israel expanded operations in Gaza, targeting Khan Yunis and areas in the southern Gaza Strip. In northern Gaza the IDF focused on defeating the Shujaiya battalion of Hamas. Threats from Hezbollah expanded since the renewal of fighting in Gaza and Iran-backed Houthis also escalated their attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
The attack is the latest by the Houthis against international shipping and U.S. Navy warships. The U.S. military has yet to respond to repeated attacks on U.S. warships and commercial vessels.
Bill and Joe are back with an update on Israel’s now-resumed war in Gaza, and they’re joined by FDD Senior Fellow and Hezbollah expert David Daoud. They discuss the latest activity from Hezbollah at Israel’s border with Lebanon, U.S. funding to the Lebanese Armed Forces (or as Bill calls it: “giving crack to a crackhead”), the pieces in play on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s regional chessboard, and more.
The much-anticipated GLSDB will not arrive in Ukraine until early 2024. It will offer Ukraine a cost-effective weapon against targets up to 150 km away.
Hamas renewed rocket fire on Israel just before 06:00 local time on Friday, December 1, ending a pause in fighting that had held for one week. The Israel Defense Forces said the Iron Dome air defense system had been activated to intercept rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, and Israel responded with airstrikes on Gaza soon after the rocket launch began.