According to Israeli media, the head of CENTCOM is visiting Israel to discuss cooperation. The United States has promised to support Israel through the already deployed THAAD system and the AEGIS AD system deployed aboard 3 ships near the Israeli coast. The visit includes a discussion on how the United States will commit to supporting rescue fighters from inside Iran in the event they are shot down in any future attacks inside the country.
US envoy Amos Hochstein and President Biden’s advisor Brett McGurk met with ministers Ron Dermer and Yoav Gallant to review the framework agreement for the ceasefire in Lebanon. “Prime Minister Netanyahu does not believe in a written ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. Netanyahu believes it is better to physically remove Hezbollah from the border, rather than reach a written agreement with them on paper.”
LF leader Charles Jabbour: “The Israelis are now 95% on the front lines, in some areas they have advanced 10 km, they have destroyed Hezbollah’s tunnels and arsenal. In my opinion there is another 20% and Hezbollah will be defeated militarily.” LBC reporter Yazbek Wehbe responds: “You are accepting the Israeli claims, that is what Gallant said.”
Israeli Interior Ministry cuts off all communications with Haaretz following Amos Shoken’s speech on war.
US sources say Iran may respond to recent Israeli attacks before US presidential elections, CNN reports.
Israeli sources say the IDF plans to deploy a new division and position it on the border with Jordan. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi held a briefing with officers managing operations in Lebanon. He discussed the urgent need to strengthen the IDF, both the regular and reserve forces. Halevi says he knows the difficulties of the reserves, which have been worn out for more than 200 days, and is trying to find solutions. He stresses that recruiting ultra-Orthodox will help with this.
Lebanese PM Mikati: “We are waiting to hear from Hochstein the results of his contacts, knowing that the escalation and the Israeli position do not inspire optimism.” The chances of a ceasefire are zero in view of the winter; until the end of the US elections; end of the Iranian-Israeli round of escalation; or failure of Israel to advance or heavy losses
According to official Syrian news, the Israeli army attacked several buildings in the town of Qusayr in Homs. According to the same sources, the Israeli aggression caused material damage to the industrial zone and some residential neighborhoods in the town of Al-Qusayr in the Homs countryside.
And now a look at the front line between Israel and Lebanon updated at 15:00 on October 31.
Clashes in the Khiyam area. On the day As of October 30, the Israeli army has carried out more than 12 airstrikes on the city alone, targeting countless homes and locations. Officially, the IDF has entered the southern neighborhoods of Khiyam and clashes are ongoing in this area.
According to Al-Manar TV: “Israeli airstrikes intensified and artillery shelling became severe during the night until 5 a.m. on the center of Khiyam city due to the resistance and clashes faced during the incursion into the southern and eastern neighborhoods of the city.” Also according to Hezbollah TV, IDF bulldozers are creating fortifications outside the city of Khiyam, in the Wata’ al-Khiyam area (south of it) to surround and protect the tanks.
With protection from ATGMs, the tanks will provide the close support that the infantry needs by shelling the area in front of them. Hezbollah has announced artillery fire (probably mortars) towards the Wata’ al-Khiyam area. There were 4 separate close-range bursts against the Israeli military.
The Al-Khiyam prison area where the Israeli army is trying to reach is located on a high hill in the town of Al-Khiyam. It is a fortified position overlooking northern Palestine on one side and the Syrian Golan Heights on the other, ensuring fire control on both sides.
According to some reports, there are 20 civilians trapped in Wata al-Khiyam and they are in desperate need of evacuation. A Lebanese Druze MP, from the anti-Hezbollah opposition in southern Lebanon, reported this on X: “The Lebanese army and the UN forces did not go because the IDF refused to allow them access to the area.”
After a brief retreat in the early afternoon to attack the area, renewed clashes are reported in the eastern neighborhood of the city of Khiyam. In a strange message, Lebanese reporter Ali Shoeib said that “the Israeli army has just set foot in Khiyam and the rotten smell of the SLA has started to spread from a village in the eastern sector.” The SLA is the Lebanese army that defected and joined the IDF in the occupation of southern Lebanon.
The latest wave of attacks in Lebanon has targeted fuel depots, but also large electricity generators. Contrary to what the IDF has claimed, many of these are privately owned enterprises, to provide electricity to the cities due to the shortage of EDL. They attacked eight in Baalbek, six in Nabatieh and two in other locations.
On October 30, Hezbollah claimed 32 attacks against Israel: 23 attacks against Israeli military bases in southern Lebanon and northern Israel; 9 attacks against Israeli bases and settlements; 2 attempts to threaten Israeli aircraft and drones. Some of the attacks targeted Israeli forces outside the town of Khiyan, and one involved an ATGM attack against a group of 12 Israeli soldiers between Kfarkila and Dier Memas. This is the first time the IDF has spoken out in the direction of this town.
On October 31, the first attack claimed by Hezbollah at 00:10 was against Israeli soldiers east of the town of Khiyam. Al Manar on the afternoon of the 31st reported machine gun clashes east of Al-Khiam prison between resistance fighters and Israeli occupation forces who are trying to advance into the eastern neighborhood of the town.
The Israeli army advanced from the Hamams and Al-Amra areas. By 5:30 a.m. on October 30, the incursions had calmed down and the sound of artillery fire had stopped, but the sound of bullets had increased inside homes in the eastern neighborhood toward the vicinity of the old prison from the Israeli occupation era. Israeli infantry forces were moving without tanks and engaged in house-to-house confrontations. Gunfire is heard along with Israeli drone strikes in support of the soldiers.
Israeli tanks were spotted towards the Al-Sadana Hills in the Chebaa area. This is probably the first push in this sector. Chebaa is a Lebanese Sunni Muslim town. Israeli positions were attacked in Chebaa with a rocket attack.
The Israeli army issued a large-scale evacuation order throughout the Baalbek governorate. This area is over 45 km2 and is home to hundreds of thousands of people. This was followed by a series of Israeli air strikes in the town of Sohmor, in the western Beqaa.
In the far north, Israeli air strikes are ongoing in villages in the Baalbek governorate, especially Youneen. Israeli strikes in Bar’cheet, A’dcheet and Bint Jbeil. A drone strike targeted a motorcycle on the road connecting Tyre to Naqoura.
The Israeli army has issued a new widespread evacuation order for 10 Lebanese towns on the coastal area near Tyre. Air strike in the Housh neighborhood of Tyre.
For the third consecutive day, the Lebanese army will detonate unexploded Israeli bombs in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
A swarm of drones launched from Lebanon has crossed the border and has now reached Hadera, after a long flight crossing all major cities such as Nahariyya, Acre, Haifa and the Wadi Ara area. One of the air defense attempts over Hadera exploded over the city, very low, demonstrating how the drone is flying. At least three drones were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel on the night of October 30, one of which was intercepted by air defenses, according to the military.
Hezbollah claims drone strike, says it targeted 3 Israeli bases; Ain Shemer: Shragha: Elakim. Drone impacts are indeed confirmed in two of these bases. There is damage but the extent is unknown.
IDF: “Following sirens sounded at 11:37 in Metula, two projectiles were identified as coming from Lebanon and landing in an open area. Details are being reviewed. One Israeli dead and four foreigners all factory workers. Red alert in Sakhnin, Ma’a lot Tarshicha, Karmiel, Deir al-Asad, Misgav, Ma’ale Yosef. Red alerts in Kiryat east of Haifa. One impact recorded in Kiryat Ata.”
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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