From Simmer to Boil?

21 Iyyar 5773
Day 36 of the Omer

UPDATE: UNIFIL: Hizbullah in Position along Israeli Border


Report: IDF Re-Entering Unused Golan Bases

The Israel Defense Forces have begun to staff abandoned bases in the northern and southern parts of the Golan Heights, according to a Tuesday-morning report by the Ma'ariv daily. One with strategic importance overlooks Israel's border with Syria and Jordan.

Arab media reported, about a month ago, that Syrian rebel forces conquered the area next to the southern Golan, driving out forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, taking control of a long stretch along the border.


Israeli reserves called up for Syrian, Lebanese borders. Military drill starts Sunday

The call-up of thousands of Israeli military reservists for the Syrian and Lebanese borders starting Tuesday, April 30, will continue until the end of the week, ready for the launch of a military exercise on those borders next Sunday, May 5. This is reported by DEBKAfile. These steps are expected to sent military tensions shooting up between Israel, Iran, Syria and Hizballah in Beirut.

...In a broadcast speech Tuesday night, Hizballah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah said that Israeli military moves are worrying, but should be seen in the context of the Syrian war. He sent a warning to Syrian rebels: “You can’t overturn the Damascus regime by military means. You face a long haul. Syria has true friends in the world, who won’t let Syria fall into the hands of Israel, America or al Qaeda.”
He was referring to Iran and Russia. At the same time, he distanced his Hizballah from Israel's moves.
All three parties – Israel, the US and Hizballah - appear to be playing for time before making definite military commitments in the next stage of the Syrian conflict.

...Israel’s armed forces launched a snap division-scale drill along the full length of the Syrian and Lebanese borders Tuesday, April 30, with call-up orders for thousands of reservists, DEBKAfile’s military sources report.

It was taken into account that the unannounced exercise would send military tensions shooting up on the volatile Israeli, Jordanian, Syrian and Lebanese borders. Moscow, Tehran, Damascus and Hizballah headquarters would assume that Israel is massing troops in advance of US military intervention in Syria.

...Our Washington sources report that President Barack Obama is poised for a momentous decision on whether to pursue military action against Syrian military targets, including Bashar Assad’s chemical weapons facilities....