Ambassador Danny Danon announced a “victory for Israel in the Security Council” regarding the adoption of a new resolution forcing the UN peacekeeping mission to act against Hezbollah’s buildup.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon on Wednesday welcomed the adoption of a new Security Council resolution regarding UNIFIL’s mandate.

According to the decision made upon the annual renewal of this mandate, UNIFIL, the UN’s peacekeeping mission, is now required to expand its reports to the Security Council and take deliberate action against Hezbollah’s violations. UNIFIL’s presence on the ground will increase significantly, and troops will be required to tour the Hezbollah-controlled areas of southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL must also report all instances of Hezbollah’s violations and attempts to deny access immediately.

“This is a significant diplomatic achievement that could change the situation in southern Lebanon and expose the terror infrastructure that Hezbollah set up on the border with Israel,” Danon stated. “The resolution requires UNIFIL to open its eyes, and forces it to act against Hezbollah’s terror buildup in the area. We will continue the fight against Hezbollah and ensure that UNIFIL fulfills its duties on the ground.”

The Security Council’s decision includes two main elements: higher presence of forces on the ground and reliable and timely reporting. Until now, and especially in the last few years, UNIFIL forces have rarely patrolled the area in southern Lebanon, refrained from entering villages widely agreed to be Hezbollah terrorist strongholds, and failed to report Hezbollah’s violations in real time. As such, from now on, UN forces will be required to demonstrate a robust physical presence on the ground, to enter every village and to report, in real time, Hezbollah’s violations of Security Council Resolution 1701.

Hezbollah’s Failed Attempt to be Seen as Legitimate

In addition, this landmark decision will dissolve Hezbollah’s longstanding attempt to be seen as a legitimate organization within the international arena.

The approval of this decision comes after many months of intense diplomatic activity by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN, led by Ambassador Danon. This past June, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley visited the Lebanese border and was briefed on UNIFIL’s limited operations and the arming of Hezbollah by Ambassador Danon and Deputy Chief of Staff of the IDF, Aviv Kochavi. Since the visit, Ambassadors Haley and Danon have insisted on changing the mandate to the other members of the Security Council. As part of these efforts, Israel revealed classified materials to representatives of the various member states, and senior IDF intelligence officials delivered security briefings to UN ambassadors according to Danon’s request.

“I thank the United States for leading this important effort, and for standing up for Israel’s security interests,” Danon stated. “I also thank France for facilitating the negotiations along with the passing of the resolution. The United Nations Secretary-General and Security Council members have made the right decision to serve the most fundamental principle of the United Nations: combating terrorism and maintaining stability and tranquility.”

By: World Israel News
With files from Israel’s Mission to the U.N.

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Two IDF soldiers were killed and three others were wounded when a grenade exploded in an accident in the Golan Heights on Israel’s border with Syria on Sunday.

An initial investigation indicates that a hand-grenade went off at their post on Mount Hermon, causing the casualties. It is yet unclear what caused the grenade to go off.

The IDF named the casualties as Sgt. Shlomo Rindenow, 20, of New Jersey, a member of the Combat Engineers Corps, and Staff Sgt. Hussam Tappash, 24, from Beit Jan and a member of the Druze community.

Their families have been notified.

The three wounded soldiers, one suffering from moderate wounds and the two others form light injuries, were evacuated to Rambam hospital in Haifa by helicopter.

Major-General Aviv Cochavi, head of the IDF’s Northern Command, appointed a panel to investigate the incident.

A senior officer involved in the investigation told Israel’s NRG news that the circumstances of the incident were very odd.

One of the soldiers, the driver, got out of his jeep while holding the grenade and walked to the front of the vehicle. “We don’t’ know why he was holding a grenade. A driver does not have a grenade in his possession, only combat soldiers. This story needs further examining.”

“The group stopped and has some sort of discussion about the grenade. It is unclear what was said there. Then the explosion happened,” he added.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

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Preparing for all eventualities, the IDF has concluded a mass training exercise simulating all-out war in the north.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot seen during the exercise. (IDF Spokesperson/Flash90)

Israel’s military has concluded a two-week drill to prepare it for simultaneous combat and face multiple threats along its northern border with Syria and Lebanon.

An IDF spokesman stated  Wednesday the exercise that combined air, ground and naval forces and was aimed at “preparing troops for a long-term multi-front conflict.”

Northern Command chief Aviv Kochavi said the exercise “demonstrated IDF’s ability to implement operational plans in all arenas while facing Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) both in Syria and Lebanon. In this framework we simulated vast maneuvers, substantial fire power, and attack of thousands of targets in all combat areas, with high efficiency, including residential areas exploited by the enemy.”

Israel fought a month-long war against Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorists in 2006. Hezbollah has since been building its military capabilities in preparation for another attack on Israel.

Also on Wednesday, Israel revealed it thwarted a plot by Hezbollah to recruit Palestinian terrorists and establish a network in Samaria to attack Israelis.

On the border with Syria, Israel has been warily watching the Islamic State’s (ISIS) advanced towards its borders, and the IDF estimates it will have to face their threat in the near future.

IDF Chief of Staff Eisenkot stated Monday that Israel’s most formidable military threat is the Lebanon-based Hezbollah , and the advent of ISIS in the Middle East has become the most influential factor in the region, and in that context Israel must be prepared to face ISIS militarily on a short notice.

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