Updates from Israel - Thursday July 20

12:40 AM I'm going to bed - signing off now. Reporting tomorrow (Friday) will be less than usual because it's erev shabbat.

A quiet shabbat to us all.

--Jameel.

Reports of 2 soldiers killed in helicopter crash. Unconfirmed reports as well of IDF casulties near Avivim. I'm not staying up now to sustantiate the reports now...they should be on YNETnews soon.

12:22 AM Unconfirmed reports of TWO IAF helicopters colliding in Israel near Ramot Naftali (in Israel, not South Lebanon). Reports say it was a collision of the 2 helicopters and they were NOT shot down as Hizbolla is claiming.

12:09 AM Unconfirmed Reports of IAF helicopter down in South Lebanon. Checking sources...

11:46 PM Rallies for Israel in San Francisco and San Jose

COMMUNITY WIDE RALLY

12:00 noon - Sunday, July 23, 2006 Justin Herman Plaza - San Francisco (at the foot of Market street and the Embarcadero) More information:415.957.1551

Also Israel Solidarity Rally in SAN JOSE
Sunday, July 23 at 5:00 pm Tentatively planned for either Plaza de Caesar Chavez or City Hall. You will be notified of the exact location. For more information:(408) 366-9108


11:41 PM Rally for Israel in Toronto, CANADA

Stand With Israel - Join the Rally
Wednesday July 26, 7:30 pm
Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge Street

11:34 PM Qassam Rocket lands in Karmiya (Southern Israel)

11:30 PM Israel TV (CH10) reports that the interview with Nasralla was not live on Al-Jazeera, but previously recorded.

11:28 PM Someone sent me a website pointing to a film, “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West” www.obsessionthemovie.com. Has anyone seen this movie or know anything about it? Worth seeing? Thanks...

11:10 PM Air Raid sirens heard in Carmiel and Tzefat

11:06 PM Nasralla appearing on live TV interview on
Al-Jazeera Television -- and says not one member of the
Hizbolla leadership has been hurt. (corrected)

11:04 PM More pictures of Katyusha rocket damage in Haifa











10:52 PM Sirens heard in the Western Galilee. Four Katyusha rockets land in Rosh Pina. No Injuries. Rumor from Lebanon that Nasralla will make a TV appearance this evening.

10:50 PM Some pictures of Katyusha damage to Haifa (click picture for full screen) More pictures coming soon.







10:18 PM Released for publication by military censor. Some of the terrorists arrested yesterday at the Palestinian Authority Muqata in Shechem, were working for Hizbolla.

9:38 PM Lots to post, but have to run to shiur.

Eilat Hotels at 100% capacity, due to influx of guest from the North. The IDF checkpoint at the Northern entrance to Eilat had a 7 kilometer traffic jam, as thousands of people flock to Eilat. Hotel occupancy in the North is at an all time low.

Intense Firefight continues up North on the border near Avivim. IDF troops kill at least 10 Hizbolla terrorists, while the IDF has some wounded and casulties reported.

Check back around 10:45 PM, Israel time -- as I have lots of pictures to post.

6:10 PM Going off-line now...be back around 8:30 PM, Israel time

6:06 PM Reports of 6 wounded IDF soldiers in ongoing firefight near Avivim.

6:03 PM Rockets landing everywhere up North. Sirens sounding in Chatzor, Tzfat, Avivim, Akko, Carmiel. Heavy fighting near Avivim.

5:49 PM A few minutes ago, Katyusha Rockets fell in the Upper Galilee. No damage or injuries.

5:42 PM Instructions upon Hearing the Air Raid Siren (Homefront Command/Pikud HaOref website -- they should probably contract me to re-write their website)

At the launch of rockets directed against said areas of residence, a siren will sound.

Upon hearing the siren, act according to the following instrcutions:
1. If indoors: immediately enter a secure space or an interior room with as few openings, windows and exterior walls as possible.

2. If outdoors: enter a stairwell of a building or assume a prone position next to the nearest wall or other shelter.


5:40 PM Funeral time announced for fallen IDF soldier Yotam Gilboa -- Friday, 10:45 AM, Kibbutz Maoz Chaim. Yotam was also a volunteer EMT for MDA.

5:36 PM Firefights between IDF and Hizbolla continue to rage on Israel's northern border.

3:24 PM Israeli IDF tank soldiers prepare for mission on Israel's Northern Border. Tefillat HaDerech/Prayer for a safe journey, recited in their tank. The soldier reads off the prayer from a card connected to is dog tag.





Kudos to Oleh Yashan for the video editing.


3:15 PM "Red Dawn" system activated in Ashkelon..incoming Qassam rocket.

3:00 PM In previous firefight today near Moshav Avivim -- 3 Hizbolla terrorists killed by IDF. One person lightly wounded by Qassam strike in Southern Israel. IDF Chief of Staff says war may take a long time.

After warning South Lebanese to move northwards, the IDF dumps leaflets on Gaza warning residents that any home with weapons in it, is liable to get destroyed.

2:45 PM Reported Rocket Strikes in Haifa

1:47 PM For those of you who were upset at the picture I posted a few days ago of Israeli girls signing missiles for launching at Lebanon, Lisa provides the full background story. (It was sort of a set-up)

1:43 PM No missile strikes in Haifa or surrounding areas.

1:32 PM 230 New Olim arrived in Israel this morning from North America through Nefesh B'Nefesh. Welcome Home -- Ken Yirbu!

1:30 PM Air Raid sirens in Hafia and Nahariya -- no reports of Katysuha hits.

1:15 PM Qassam strike in fields of Kibbutz Nir Am (Southern Israel) -- fire breaks out as a result.

1:12 PM Picture from Avivim (in the north!) from yesterday's fire (result of Katyusha strike in the middle of Avivim during heavy firefight between IDF and Hizbolla). Credit - rotter.net



12:55 PM Geographically Challenged? You read Muqata updates about all these places around Israel and Lebabon, but you have no clue where they really are. Is Avivim North or South...and is Tzomet Amiad in the east or west of the Galil...and where is Maalot? How far is Sderot from Gaza...?

We at the Muqata understand...and will be now introducing a feature...the war in maps. Using GoogleEarth technology, we'll help pinpoint the different locations in Israel (and Lebanon as well) to help acquaint you with the locations in the news.

Our first image map is here...click for a full screen. More to follow....



12:44 PM Qassam Rockets Landing in Sderot.

11:49 AM One of Israel's largest Internet Service Providers, Netvision, is having technical problems with it's DNS. That means...many many news providers, bloggers and websites are experiencing slowdowns and service interruptions. It should be fixed soon...

11:31 AM Fierce fighting around the Northern Border between IDF soldiers and Hizbolla. CNN reports that US Marines have arrived in Lebanon to assist in evacuating American citizens who wish to leave. IDF radio reports that many South Lebanese are leaving their homes and going north in accordance to IDF instructions. Katyushas all over the north...3 IDF soldiers wounded in fighting 1 serious, 2 moderately. Still no word on Nasralla after Israel's bombing of a Hizbolla bunker late last night in Beirut.

11:04 AM Rocket Landed near Tzomet Amiad, no damage, no injuries.

10:48 AM Senior IDF artillery commander tells YNET: We have already shot over 10,000 shells at terrorist targets in South Lebanon over the past week.

10:22 AM Administrative Message: Do you live in Israel, have good hebrew skills (reading and comrehension), and think you're blog savvy? I need a volunteer or two to help run this blog, since it's taking up too much of my time...Drop me an email...Thanks! (muqata@gmail.com)

10:21 PM One Minute Video From Aish HaTorah -- correlating the 3 weeks to the current situation. See it here

10:21 AM Rockets feel a few minutes ago in Tverya and Carmiel.

10:06 AM While Natzrat town leaders publically complained yesterday that the air raid sirens are not working in Natzrat -- the reason was explained last night. Since the sirens automatically go off twice a year on Yom HaShoah and Yom Hazikaron, and the town requested for the sirens NOT to go off that day -- to honor their request, they were disconnected from the national IDF Homefront command system. They are being reconnected now...

10:05 AM Earlier this morning, 2 Qassam rockets fired at Sderot; 2 lightly wounded, and 2 Qassam rockets fired at Negev Kibbutzim. Not damage or injuries. Ari Raid sirens heard in Haifa, but no Katyushas landed.

10:03 AM Good Morning - going to be a busy day today with updates more hourly than by the minute.



Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael