This morning (Wednesday, 21.08.24) Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant entered the Gaza Strip together with troops from the IDF’s Division 162, which are deployed to the Rafah area and the Philadelphi route. Minister Gallant held an operational situation assessment together with senior IDF officials. He was briefed on the operational activity that enabled the defeat of the [Hamas] Rafah division and the destruction of over 150 tunnels in the area. Minister Gallant instructed the forces to concentrate efforts in the coming period on completing the destruction of remaining tunnels. Excerpts from the Minister’s remarks: “[Referring to the troops] I came here first and foremost to express my appreciation.

American Airlines is suspending flights to Israel through late March, extending a break in service that started in the early days of the war in Gaza. A spokesperson for the airline says that customers with tickets for flights to Tel Aviv can rebook at no extra charge or cancel their trip and get a refund. The airline says flights to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv will be suspended through March 29. The airline updated a travel advisory on its website over the weekend. “We will continue to work closely with our partner airlines to assist customers traveling between Israel and European cities with service to the US,” the spokesperson says. (AP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Wednesday, 21 August 2024), visited the Ramat David Air Force Base in the north where he held a discussion with senior Air Force officers, including the Air Force Chief-of-Staff Brig.-Gen. Omer Tischler and Air Defense Array Commander Brig.-Gen. Gilad Biran. During the discussion, the Prime Minister received a comprehensive briefing on the readiness of the Air Force in all sectors, but especially the north. Prime Minister Netanyahu viewed an exhibition of combat systems at the base, including attack helicopter and jets. He was also shown the offensive capabilities of the various systems as well as their importance in carrying out the Air Force’s many defensive and offensive missions against both near and distant threats.

Hezbollah has confirmed the deaths of four of its members, referring to them as martyrs “on the road to Jerusalem,” a phrase the group uses to describe those killed by Israeli forces. The announcement follows an Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah cell in a building located in Matmoura, southern Lebanon, earlier today. These recent casualties bring the total number of Hezbollah members killed since the onset of the Gaza conflict to at least 419.

TRUMP: “I bet inside [Kamala] was laughing last night when she saw the way Joe Biden left…That was a coup. It was a vicious, violent overthrow of a President of the United States.”

Footage shows a Hezbollah site in eastern Lebanon exploding after being struck by the Israeli Air Force.

“In my perfect world, every Republican is out of the country and all the immigrants come in. That’s what I want.” – DNC attendee

Sen. JD Vance on the DNC: “Tim Walz has been going around saying that he served in war and maybe they did it in Chicago so that he could actually, accurately say he visited a combat zone.

Thirteen people were arrested during protests on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, most them related to a “brief breach” of security fencing “within sight and sound of the United Center,” the city’s police superintendent said Tuesday. More protests were planned throughout the week, including one Tuesday night outside the Israeli Consulate. However, attendance at the main rally on Monday was far below estimates of organizers who had predicted more than 20,000 would show up. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Tuesday that the crowd was around 3,500 strong.