Israel Claims Only 20 Percent of Hezbollah Rockets Remain; Knesset Rebuts Criticism of UNRWA Ban

JERUSALEM, Israel – As fighting continues in Lebanon and Hezbollah continues to launch rockets and UAVs at Israel, the Defense Ministry claims it has substantially reduced Hezbollah's arsenal. This as the Knesset is under criticism for voting to ban UNRWA from operating in Israel. 

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claims the Iranian-backed Hezbollah's rocket supply has been reduced to just 20 percent of what it was before the October 7th, 2023, Hamas attack.

That's an especially important number because Hezbollah's chief threat has been its ability to rain down tens of thousands of missiles on Israelis.

Some in the Israel Defense Forces want to wrap up the invasion of Lebanon soon. Still, other Israelis want to see it continue until Hezbollah has been eliminated as a threat to Israel's northern border communities. They've been largely evacuated for more than a year.

After the killing of Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah and his successor, Hezbollah announced it has a new leader, Sheikh Naim Kassem, who has been with the terror group since its start in 1982.

He's hiding out in Iran, hoping to avoid the fate of the two previous leaders who were killed by Israeli airstrikes in Beirut.

As for the Iranian regime controlling the proxy wars from Tehran, it is threatening to respond to Israel's retaliatory strike on some of the country's military sites this past weekend, making clear the timing will be made by the Iranians.

Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi stated, "The Israeli regime will face the consequences of its miscalculation about Iran's power, capability, and the willpower of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Of course, Iran will not delay nor rush our response."

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi warned Iran on Tuesday against another attack, hinting that Israel could hit back at more valuable Iranian targets left untouched by the previous strike, "with capabilities that we did not even use this time –  and strike very, very hard at both their capabilities and locations that we set aside for now."

When it comes to shooting down missile barrages from enemies such as Iran and Hezbollah, Israel insists it will field laser defenses known as "Iron Beam" within a year.

The highly effective Iron Dome system currently in use can cost up to $100,000 for every interception. Comparatively, each interception by Iron Beam will likely be under one hundred dollars.

Meanwhile, in northern Gaza this week, the IDF exposed the myth that every jihadist fighter would die rather than surrender. Israeli forces surrounded hundreds of Hamas terrorists in one location, and with no chance to escape, many surrendered rather than fight to the death.

The Israeli government is facing harsh international criticism for the law passed this week banning UNRWA from operating anywhere in the Jewish nation.   

U.S. State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller cautioned, "It poses risks for millions of Palestinians who rely on UNRWA for essential services, including health care and primary and secondary education."

European Union Commission Spokesperson Nabila Massrali declared, "As we see it, there is no alternative to UNRWA."

Norway's government claims it will ask the United Nations to enlist the International Court of Justice to weigh in on the Israeli laws shutting UNRWA down.

The Palestinian Observer to the U.N., Riyad Mansour, insisted many of his people in Gaza will be doomed without UNRWA feeding and caring for them.

 “Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are at risk of imminent death," he said.

However, Knesset members accuse some of the UNRWA staff of being Hamas or Hezbollah members. They also cite evidence that UNRWA members took part in the October 7th massacre against Israelis and foreign workers.

Boaz Bismuth, one of the Knesset co-sponsors of the law, pledged, "An organization or an agency that calls itself humanitarian and participates in a massacre will not function in my country."

Ron Katz from the opposition Yesh Atid party noted, “In all the actions that we know that the Hamas organization did in the State of Israel, UNRWA were an active part of it.”

Likud Party lawmaker Yuli Edelstein stated, "UNRWA and its workers participate and are involved in activities against Israel."

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon asserted, “UNRWA Gaza has become a front for Hamas."

As to international objections that only UNRWA can provide sufficient aid to Palestinians, Bismuth disagrees.

"Other people can do it and will do it, and will do it beautifully without being terrorists," Bismuth charged.

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