UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza, saying: “The humanitarian situation in Gaza is a moral shame for all of us.”
The International Court of Justice will announce its advisory opinion on Israel today.
The US military announces the end of the “floating dock” mission off the coast of Gaza. The US military announced the end of the floating dock mission built off the coast of the Gaza Strip, purporting to bring aid to the Strip, stressing that “the aid will be transported via ships sailing from Cyprus to the port of Ashdod.”
Ministers of Azerbaijan and Israel met to discuss new space cooperation.
Ali Bakri Keni, Iran’s interim foreign minister, said at the UN Security Council: “Expanding the war to Lebanon would be a serious miscalculation and would bring the situation in the region out of control, I warn against an adventure like that. Israel’s invasion of Lebanon will meet a strong and regrettable response from the international community, regional countries and resistance groups.”
Israeli media reported that for the first time since October 7, a majority of the Israeli public expressed distrust in the military and senior military leaders, with more than 55 percent of those surveyed. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the Israeli army is ready to launch an offensive in Lebanon at any moment. According to Gallant, everything depends on the actions of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement and further negotiations.
Israel is demanding a commitment from the United States that it has the right to respond to any violation by Hezbollah in the event of a comprehensive agreement between Israel and Lebanon, source Israeli Broadcasting Company. Israel’s Channel 12 published an investigation by the Israeli military intelligence division, according to which Hamas began preparations for the Al-Aqsa Flood operation in 2015, 8 years ago.
According to the newspaper Haaretz: “The Knesset has passed a resolution expressing the Israeli parliament’s principled opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.” And again, the General Assembly of the Knesset approved at first reading, on July 18, the bill extending the regular service of soldiers in the army for a period of five years.
Benjamin Netanyahu is working behind the scenes to win Donald Trump’s favor, according to the American website Axios, which confirmed the Israeli Prime Minister’s attempts to mend relations with the former US president and Republican candidate have shown some progress after the attempt to assassinate Trump.
In the early hours of the morning, American air strikes were recorded against Hodeidah International Airport, according to Yemeni sources there were three raids by US-British planes on Hodeidah International Airport.
As usual on Thursday the Houthi leader, Abul Malik al Houti gave a speech: “God desired jihad for his sake and explained its importance, results and great and great gains.” “The brutality of the Israeli enemy in Gaza is a clear picture of the path of the criminals against whom God has commanded us to wage jihad.”
Harsh criticism of Arab countries geographically close to the Palestinian people who are supporting Israel such as Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Country in the Houthis’ sights and attacks are expected soon by Ansar Allah together with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance.
Al Houthis praised the Al-Qassam Brigades, along with the Al-Quds Brigades and the rest of the factions in the Gaza Strip, because: “they were able to adapt to the battlefield”. Al Houthis also spoke of new recruitment and manufacturing of weapons by the Palestinian resistance “under a very strict blockade on the delivery of weapons to Gaza.” According to the Houthis: “The level of impact of the operations in Gaza has reached the point of preventing the enemy from settling in any axis in which he wanted to settle.” He also mentioned the issue of south Lebanon-north Israel. “The Hezbollah front is an important, active, hot and influential front against the Israeli enemy.”
Regarding the operations conducted by the Houthis, Abdul Malik al Houthi said: “This week, the Iraqi Front carried out drone operations towards the port of Haifa and against targets in the Umm al-Rashrash area (Eilat). The operations of the Yemeni Front in the Battle of Promised Conquest and Holy Jihad this week were carried out with 25 ballistic and winged missiles, a drone and a warship”. While: “The total number of targeted ships linked to Americans, Israelis and British has reached 170 ships.” Ansar Allah’s operations range from the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab. And now he explains to the Houthis: “We seek, God willing, to strengthen operations in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean after it becomes a field under control. […] we will move the level of escalation and influence increasingly towards the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea”.
And now a look at the worsening Israel – Hamas – Hezbollah updated at 16:00 on 18 July.
Between the early hours and late afternoon of July 18, Israel attacked two cars killing their passengers in southern Lebanon, among the dead were two leaders, one of Hamas and one of Hezbollah. The first attack occurred in the western Bekaa. The Hamas movement mourns the representative in the Palestinian Legislative Council, Muhammad Shihab Abu Abd al-Rahman; in the Jabal al-Battam area, Hassan Ali Mhanna, a resident of the village of Jebal al-Battam, died. According to the IDF, an IAF plane hit and eliminated Mohammed Jabarah, a member of Hamas in Lebanon, in the Beqaa area. Mohammed Jabarah was responsible for terrorist attacks and missile launches against the State of Israel, including attacks coordinated with the terrorist organization Jamaa Islamiya.
Additionally, Israeli artillery targeted the following villages in southern Lebanon: Al-Bustan, Kfar Hammam, Marwahin, Kfarkila, Blida.
The IDF also wrote in a statement that the IAF hit Hezbollah infrastructure in the Ain El Tineh area and two Hezbollah military positions in the Zibqin and Maryamine areas in southern Lebanon. Additionally, IDF artillery struck the Blida area in southern Lebanon to eliminate a threat.
Starting at 05:54 in the morning on July 18, the sirens entered communities near the Gaza Strip and in the Nir Am area, and it was determined that this was a false identification.
Also in Gaza, the IDF and the ISA eliminated the commander of the Islamic Jihad naval forces, Anas Murad and another Hamas element, Ahmad Almasri, who participated in the October 7 massacre.
IDF troops continue operational activity in the Rafah area. Over the past day, IDF troops have located several tunnel shafts in the area. Furthermore, in coordination with the IAF, several Hamas elements were killed. The sniper who killed Sergeant First Class Tal Lahat was also neutralized. In a joint IDF and ISA operation, approximately 20 Hamas men from the Al-Shati battalion, including al Nukhba men, surveillance personnel, engineers and snipers, were hit by the IAF and eliminated, including Ismael Shakshak, who participated in the attack on Israeli territory on 7 October.
In southern Gaza, the Al-Qassam Brigades attacked Israeli soldiers stationed in the “Al-Izba” area, south-west of the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in the city of Rafah, with mortar fire, together with the Al-Nasser Brigades.
In the West Bank, the al-Qassam brigades claim responsibility for shooting and wounding three Israeli soldiers east of Tulkarem The Al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility on Tuesday for the Tulkarem operation, which led to the wounding of three settlers. There would have been 14 resistance actions in the West Bank in 24 hours by militias affiliated with Hamas.
On July 18, Israelis were injured by a bomb in an Israeli vehicle in Hermish, west of Jenin near the Barta’a checkpoint. North of the West Bank, at least three people were injured.
Fifty citizens were displaced from their homes after the demolition of 5 houses in Al-Walaja village in Jerusalem.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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