Latest news with #Unit127
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel says it forewarned Beirut of Hezbollah strike yet gov't, army did not act
Israeli officials informed Lebanon of its intended strike on Hezbollah terror targets in Dahiyeh a week prior. Beirut did not respond to Israel's forewarning that it planned to strike terror targets from Hezbollah's Aerial Unit in Dahiyeh, Israeli officials said on Saturday, according to a report from KAN. Israel officials informed Lebanon of its intent to strike Hezbollah's Unit 127 drone infrastructure a week prior, KAN said, however, no response was taken by the Lebanese government or army. The attack on Unit 127 took place on Thursday. Israeli Air Force's "head of Lebanon affairs," intelligence officer Lieutenant Colonel N., had been tracking Hezbollah's Unit 127 for over two years. The unit is responsible for importing, manufacturing, and deploying various unmanned aerial vehicles (AUVs) from Lebanon into Israel. "We hit seven targets: five in Beirut and two in southern Lebanon," Lt. Col. N. confirmed. The IDF specifically targeted Al-Hadath, Haret Hreik, and Burj Al-Barajneh in the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh, as well as several specific buildings, IDF Arabic Spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on Thursday. The sites were "deliberately established in the heart of the civilian population in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut," the IDF said. Evacuation warnings were issued to Lebanese residents prior to the attack. "The Lebanese government must disarm the terrorist organization in Hezbollah. You must ensure that the Lebanese army truly enforces the ceasefire agreement and not through coordinated displays," Defense Minister Israel Katz said in response to condemnations of the attack by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, KAN alleged. The French Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the attack in a post of Twitter/X on Friday, calling for "all the parties to abide by the ceasefire."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Behind the scenes: How Israeli intel uncovered Hezbollah's drone network
A glimpse into the hunt for Hezbollah's Unit 127, which during the war managed to attack deep inside Israeli territory. An intelligence officer, Lieutenant Colonel N., head of "Lebanon affairs" in the Israeli Air Force's intelligence division, has been tracking Hezbollah's Unit 127 for over two years, the same unit the IDF attacked on Thursday in Beirut's southern suburb, Dahiyeh. This unit is responsible for importing, manufacturing, and deploying various unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Lebanon into Israel. During the war, the terrorists succeeded in striking locations within Israel and killing civilians and soldiers, most notably in the Golani base attack, which claimed soldiers' lives. At the height of the northern conflict, Lt. Col. N. led efforts to uncover the secrets of this small Hezbollah unit, significantly disrupting its leadership, key figures, and infrastructure. About six weeks ago, he used intelligence gathered with his team to strike targets in Lebanon. On Thursday, the Israeli Air Force launched a major attack in the heart of Dahiyeh targeting Unit 127's drone infrastructure. What has happened in recent months with Hezbollah's Unit 127? 'Hezbollah took a significant beating over the course of the war and is now attempting to regroup by all means. They identified the threat posed by UAVs and invested heavily in them with Iranian support. We detected the plans and their desire to increase production. We are trying to surround Hezbollah with a tightening ring—not only militarily, but also economically, particularly regarding their weapons access and mass production efforts,' the Israeli intelligence source said. Why did you attack last night? Lt. Col. N. responded: 'There was compelling evidence of [the location of] sites involved in UAV manufacturing. The operation was complicated because it took place in a civilian area—Hezbollah operates beneath the civilian population in Dahiyeh. They believed civilians would shield them, preventing us from attacking. But thanks to our intelligence, we ensured extensive evacuations; no munitions were deployed before we confirmed that no civilians were present. We made a genuine effort to preserve human life while carrying out our strikes.' What did you target? 'We hit seven targets: five in Beirut and two in southern Lebanon,' Lt. Col. N. confirmed. How is Hezbollah operating differently from the peak of the war? 'I believe they're trying to evade Israeli detection now. But there's no magic solution for them. To build and deploy UAVs, they must go through several stages that we can detect and counter. They assumed civilians would protect them, but we must constantly innovate against this cruel enemy,' the intelligence source stated. What will the future hold? 'This is an ongoing contest. Our goal is always to remain one step ahead. These strikes are the best form of defense - preventing the enemy from obtaining sufficient capabilities in numbers or quality to pose a real threat,' Lt. Col. N. said. What was Lebanon's reaction to last night's strikes in Dahiyeh, the heart of Hezbollah country? 'So far, it's quiet. Northern Israeli residents did not feel that the attack happened. We hope this calm continues. As far as I'm concerned, the fact that Israeli civilians can travel in the north today is itself an important achievement,' Lt. Col. N. concluded. No official Lebanese response has been issued yet.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Israeli airstrikes rain down in Beirut after IDF urged civilians to evacuate as it targeted 'Hezbollah's underground drone factories hidden in the heart of neighbourhoods'
Israel has attacked sites in Lebanon's capital Beirut that it claims are Hezbollah factories producing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The IDF today claimed the proscribed terror group has established five sites in the Dahieh neighbourhood of Beirut that is producing 'thousands of UAVs, with the direction and funding of Iranian terrorists.' The military claims the underground facilities belong to Hezbollah's Unit 127. It said in a statement: 'Following Hezbollah's extensive use of UAV's as a central component of its terrorist attacks on the state of Israel, the terrorist organization is operating to increase production of UAV's for the next war.' In November 2023, Hezbollah, which maintains control over much of Lebanon, signed a ceasefire agreement with Israel following 13 months of conflict that began after the paramilitary group attacked the nation on October 8, a day after Hamas ' deadly attack. Israel claimed that the purported UAV factories on the Beirut sites 'constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.' It added: 'The IDF will operate against every threat posed to the state of Israel and its civilians, and will prevent all attempts of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation to reestablish itself.' Smoke was tonight seen rising from the sites highlighted by the IDF, as civilians desperately tried to leave the area following a warning from the military. The IDF has so far not provided proof of the existence of the factories, only sharing their locations and a computer-generated image of two men apparently making drones in a basement. But the warning of an imminent attack was real, with IDF spokespeople warning civilians in the area to leave immediately. Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee said: 'You are located near facilities belonging to the terrorist organisation Hezbollah. For your safety and the safety of your families, you must evacuate these buildings immediately and stay at least 300 meters away.' Footage shared online from the Dahieh neighbourhood showed scores of people in cars desperately trying to leave the area, sounding their horns in panic. According to Israeli media, Unit 127 works with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to produce and use drones for intelligence gathering and military attacks. It was reportedly responsible for a drone strike on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence in Caesarea last October. Netanyahu and his family were not at the house at the time. Unit 127 operates a range of drones produced by Iran, including the Ziad 107 'kamikaze' drone with GPS-guided capabilities. They also use Shadaa 101 and Mohajer drones. Israel's strike on a dense civilian centre risks the killing of more innocent people, which it has already come under fire for in Gaza. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli attacks killed at least 37 people on Thursday alone. The Israeli military has recently stepped up its campaign in Gaza in what it says is a renewed push to defeat Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war. But Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva rejected the term 'war' to describe the conflict in the devastated Palestinian territory, accusing Israel instead of carrying out 'premeditated genocide'. The IDF has so far not provided proof of the existence of the factories, only sharing their locations and a computer-generated image of two men apparently making drones in a basement People fire live rounds into the air as a warning, following Israeli threats of an impending attack on Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, June 5, 2025 Gaza civil defence official Mohammed al-Mughayyir said that '37 people have been martyred in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip', reporting attacks up and down the length of the territory. Calls have mounted for a negotiated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but indirect talks between the parties have failed to yield a breakthrough since the collapse of the last brief truce in March. 'What is happening in Gaza is not a war. It's a genocide being carried out by a highly prepared army against women and children,' said Brazil's Lula, who has previously used the legal term to describe the conflict. 'It's no longer possible to accept,' he added. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has declined to use the term himself, vowed at a joint appearance with Lula to 'ramp up pressure in coordination with the Americans to obtain a ceasefire'. France is due later this month to co-host with Saudi Arabia a United Nations conference in New York on a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Shafaq News
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Netanyahu: Israel won't tolerate fire from Lebanon
Shafaq News/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on Friday that Israel will not allow any gunfire to be directed at its territory, "even intermittently." Following Israeli airstrikes on southern Beirut and southern Lebanon, Netanyahu stated, 'Anyone who has not yet realized the new reality in Lebanon received another example today of Israel's determination,' referring to the recent airstrikes carried out by the Israeli military in Beirut. He further asserted that Israel will continue to enforce a ceasefire "with force" and will target "any threat to the state, anywhere within Lebanon,' stressing that his government will ensure the safe return of all residents in the northern regions to their homes. On Friday, the Israeli military conducted an airstrike on a target in southern Beirut, hitting a civilian building claiming it includes 'infrastructure used by Hezbollah's air unit (Unit 127) for storing drones.' Earlier, the Israeli military had bombed villages in southern Lebanon after intercepting a missile launched from north Litani river located village, although Hezbollah denied responsibility for the attack. Israel has vowed to retaliate strongly to protect its security, further undermining the fragile ceasefire agreement that ended a year-long war, which was an extension of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
