The Pentagon has said: “We will not tolerate any attack on American forces in the Middle East”. The reference is to the attacks suffered in Syria at the al Shaddadi base.
The new US ambassador to Israel is Mike Huckabee famous for the 2017 declaration: “There is no West Bank”. According to Palestinian sources: “Trump gave Israel the Syrian lands on the Golan Heights, officially annexing them. Now it’s the West Bank’s turn. And with Gaza now under Israel’s war, Trump could be the factor that accelerates the end of the Palestinian state if Israel wins this war”.
Reinforcing this theory are statements by Israeli Finance Minister and senior official in Netanyahu’s government, Bezalel Yoel Smotrich: “2025 will be the year of [Israeli] sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.” Among Donald Trump’s appointments is Steven Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East, real estate developer and liaison with the Jewish business community during Trump’s presidential campaign. Finally, still in relation to Israel, the new president has reportedly chosen Kristi Noem as his DHS secretary. In March, Noem introduced a bill to curb criticism of Israel on the grounds of “ensuring the safety of God’s chosen people.”
The Biden administration confirms that Israel will not face political consequences for its lack of aid to Gaza following Blinken’s threat to potentially withdraw military assistance if key demands are not met within 30 days. The US has asked for 300 trucks of aid per day. Palestinians and international organizations say Israel is sending about 30 trucks per day.
Russia’s Middle East affairs envoy A.A. Kinshchak said: “The Americans are giving the Israelis time to complete their aggression in Gaza, and we will prepare a draft resolution that will end the suffering.”
The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon who was hit by a pager explosion is back on the job. And in his first public appearance, he met with the Iranian foreign minister. The ambassador lost an eye and his hand is still healing.
Lebanese authorities say the death toll in the city of Joun has risen to 15, all residents, including an entire family, Ghoson. The city of Joun, has a Shiite and Christian population. Israel has also called for the evacuation of the Laylaki area to Beirut.
The IDF Chief of Staff visited a location in southern Lebanon on November 12 and reiterated that they killed Sayyed Hassan and that they have dealt a heavy blow to Hezbollah with what they have done in recent weeks. He added that they are attacking in Beirut, in the border area, in Syria. He officially hinted that the ground operation has begun to expand, through the 36th Division. The meeting reportedly took place inside a converted civilian house that escaped demolition. The photos show Halevi, the head of the Northern Command, division commanders and others, meeting for a briefing.
After a few days of claims of Hezbollah’s defeat, War Minister Israel Katz changed his mind and declared: “We will not accept any agreement that does not guarantee Hezbollah’s disarmament.” The goal is to implement UN Resolution 1701.
The IDF, according to Israeli sources, will issue between 4,500 and 7,000 orders to join the reserves for ultra-Orthodox religious believers, including Yeshiva students. In previous orders, only a small percentage showed up at the recruitment offices.
Also on November 12, a security incident saw two soldiers injured in Bethlehem: a car hit two soldiers.
The Pentagon confirmed that the Houthis attacked two American destroyers as they were crossing the Bab al-Mandab Strait, with at least eight drones, five ballistic missiles and three cruise missiles.
Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi declared on the night of 12: “The permanence of the aircraft carrier in the seas hit by missiles and drones of the Yemeni forces confirms its aggression and the continuation of the state of war and an illegal mission to support the Israeli state in the extermination of the population of Gaza and Lebanon and for the aggression against Yemen and the Pentagon must reposition the aircraft carrier on their lands”.
According to Hezbollah’s operations room that monitors Operation “Battle of the Brave”: “The total number of rocket force operations during the battle from September 17, 2024 to November 12 has reached more than 1,020 launches. Last week alone, 125 launches were carried out. On November 6, 2024, the Islamic Resistance Rocket Force launched, for the first time in its history, the Fateh 110 missile, which targeted the Tsrifin base, 130 km from the closest point to the Lebanese-Palestinian border.
“The Islamic Resistance Air Force” continues to target Israeli military sites and bases, as well as the assembly and positioning points of its officers and soldiers. The total number of “Air Force operations in the Islamic Resistance” since the beginning of the battle of Al-Aqsa until 12-11-2024 amounts to more than 315 operations, during which more than 1,000 drones of various sizes and missions were launched. Of these, more than 105 operations were launched, during which more than 300 drones were launched, from the beginning of the battle of the brave on September 17, 2024 until November 12. The cumulative toll of Israeli losses, as monitored by the Islamic Resistance since the beginning of what Israel called the “ground maneuver in southern Lebanon” on October 01, was: More than 100 officers and soldiers of the enemy army killed and 1,000 wounded. 43 Merkava tanks, 8 military bulldozers, 2 Hummers, 2 armored vehicles and 2 troop carriers were destroyed. Four Hormuz 450 drones and two Hormuz 900 drones were shot down. This count does not include the losses of the Israeli enemy in the occupied bases, sites, military barracks, settlements and cities.”
The Operations Room also stated: “The decision taken by the Israeli army leadership to move to the second phase of the “ground maneuver” in southern Lebanon will only be doomed to disappointment, and its inevitable harvest will be more losses and failures.
And now a look at the lines of the front: Western sector, Hezbollah continues to engage Israeli forces in the Labbouneh area and outside Naqoura, where the 146th Division is trying to reach Wadi Hamoul. There have been no new attempts to push towards the villages in this sector since October 28 [close to when the battle of Khiyam began].
The Israeli army continues to bombard those areas with artillery and jets, including the second row of cities: Teir Harfa, Jebayn, Sheheen, etc.
For the Maroun a-Ras and Yaroun sectors, Hezbollah carried out approximately 26 attacks on Israeli forces in the eastern part of the city, where they maintain a presence. Hezbollah defended itself from an Israeli attempt to advance from Yaroun towards the western neighborhood of Maroun al-Ras. Hezbollah also defended itself from an Israeli attempt from eastern Maroun and Aitaroun towards Aynatha. This is the area where the 36th Division operates, which has begun to operate more deeply. On the 13th, Hezbollah attempted to strike Israeli soldiers in Maroun al-Ras. The IDF continues to maintain a stable force there that has fortified itself. Other strikes targeted settlements, including Maalot Tarshiha, and Israeli bases. IDF security incident recorded on November 13 between Aynatha and Bint Jbeil, then an advance of Maroun al-Ras. There is no confirmation from the Israeli side.
Eastern sector: The IDF withdrew from Mays al-Jabal, Markaba, Reb Tlateen, Odaiseh and Khiyam. They also announced that they attacked with rockets the Israeli forces of the 91st division in Hula, where the engineering forces are operating. As for Kfarkila, they talk about the 98th division and the engineering effort that the IDF is making to demolish civilian homes. They announced to attack them. Hezbollah has made several statements about the ATGM attacks. On November 13, the IDF claimed to have eliminated Hezbollah field commanders of KhYam, Tebnit and Ghajar and the commander of the anti-tank missiles in the Hajir area.
As for Israel’s version of the ground invasion, there is now official Israeli confirmation that they have expanded the operation, under the command of the 36th and 91st divisions. Some brigades will now remain in defensive lines in the first border villages in Lebanon, while others will begin to advance and make incursions (as they have already done) towards the second line. There are still no reports in Lebanon indicating where, and no information of clashes, but Aynatha and Bint Jbeil are on the list.
On November 12 and again on November 13, intense Israeli attacks on the city of Beirut, Dahieh area. Moreover from the raids Bir al-Abed, Dar al-Hawra and Qard al-Hassan were hit. Casualties recorded in Nabatieh.
Since the late afternoon of November 12, drone sirens have been sounding in Israel in Zevulun near Haifa, Metulla and in the Finger of Galilee. The Islamic Resistance has claimed 20 operations, including a penthouse in the Al-Malikiyah settlement with a missile launcher. Rockets fired from Gaza toward Kfar Aza.
Also the Islamic Resistance attacked a gathering of Israeli army forces in Khirbet (between the sites of Miskav’am and Al-Abad): Israeli media reported an explosion in the area of Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev. The resistance also claimed responsibility for a drone swarm attack against the Yekneam Illit factory (a military technological production factory unit), 50 km from the Lebanese-Palestinian border, southeast of the occupied city of Haifa. On November 13, sirens went off in: Ramat Magshimim, in northern Galilee and in northern Israel in Avivim and Yir’on, Sde Eliezer and Ayelet HaShahar, Ghajar. Sirens also sounded at Kibbutz Nir Am, in southern Israel.
In Gaza The Al-Quds Brigades say they bombed settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip. The IDF says it struck a Hamas cell in Shejaiya in the Gaza Strip. During the day, the IAF struck over 120 Hamas and Hezbollah targets in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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