No Shortcuts In This War

[Personal update: This is why we will always survive (with G-d's help, of course). Abbagav writes about how his family is hosting a family from the north. They don't have a car. They had to take a taxi from the north (two hour drive!) and they will stay with his family indefinitely. Did I mention that they are complete strangers? Please go to his post and see how you can help in this effort.]

10:02 am Israel time: Gal Shaket will be in use over Shabbat in the north. This is where the army picks one station which only broadcasts when there is a warning to go into bomb shelters. This way the Sabbath observers, who usually do not listen to radio on this day of rest, can leave the radio on, and will only hear when there is a warning. Two Kassam rockets fall in western Negev, no injuries.

8:01 am Israel time: Fighting continues now in Marun Aras and in nearby villages in south Lebanon.

7:39 am Israel time: IDF has now announced that four (instead of two) soldiers died as a result of the fighting in south Lebanon yesterday.

I woke up this morning to the news: Nasrallah is alive and was interviewed on Al-Jazeera television last night. The IDF announced that two soldiers were killed yesterday in heavy fighting north of Moshav Avivim. Two IAF helicopters collided last night and one pilot was killed, and three others injured.

Reports on the fighting yesterday detailed the situation. Hizballah has dug tunnels and bunkers, sometimes under civilian homes, and their terrorists are hiding there with the rockets. They come out, launch the rockets, and go back into hiding. The IDF also found rockets stored in a mosque in Marun Aras.

Thousands of soldiers are fighting in Lebanon now, and there are calls to call up even more.

In the south, the IDF has left Gaza after their recent operation there.