Operation Rising Lion: Updates from Eretz Yisroel

With Operation Rising Lion in full force, Mrs. Bruria Efune shares an update on the initial attack, the Mossad’s activities, the intercepted drones from Iran, and the enemies eliminated in Iran.

By Mrs. Bruria Efune

Senior IDF officials: “We went to war, not to an operation. This is a historic and important event that we will stand together with the State of Israel behind the IDF.” (YNet)

Status in Israel:

The war with Iran is expected to last for at least two weeks (Amit Segal).

Iran launched 100 attack drones towards Israel this morning. All were intercepted before arrival.

Iran had prepared missiles to launch earlier, but the IDF destroyed them all first. However, Israel still expects Iran to fire cruise missiles and ballistic missiles in the coming hours.

The Lebanese government warned Hezbollah against joining in the attacks.

As of 10:45 am, Israelis no longer need to stay near bomb shelters. State of emergency restrictions are still enacted: no school, no workplaces, no public gatherings. Essential shops are open.

The chief rabbis issued a ruling following Homefront Command instructions: Shabbos tefilos should not be held in shuls. Daven at home, or in a bomb shelter near your home.

Brilliant Attack:

Over 200 Air Force aircraft were involved in the opening strikes on Iran, which began at 3:00 am. Fighter jets dropped over 330 munitions. All pilots made it home safely.

The airstrikes were carried out with extremely precise intelligence, and assisted by the fact that the regime was carrying out military training exercises. The initial strikes went better than expected.

Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, the most vital, was significantly damaged or destroyed. The other facilities were hit as well, though details are not yet known. Most of Iran’s air defense systems were destroyed. It appears that most of the top military leadership and nuclear scientists are also no more.

A seventh wave of strikes is ongoing.

In the year (or more) ahead of the attack, the Mossad established bases in Iran, fully equipped with attack drones and other weapons. We now know of three operations carried out by the Mossad, along with the Israeli Air Force (IAF), as reported by Amit Segal.

(1) Leading up to the war, Mossad commando teams prepared precision-guided weapons with specific targets. When the IAF approached for the first strike, the guided weapons were launched and successfully struck Iranian surface-to-air missile systems in central Iran. This prevented Iran’s air defenses from attacking Israeli fighter jets in the are.

(2) Mossad teams hid sophisticated attack weapons on vehicles in various areas in Iran. At the start of the attack, these weapons were activated, launched, and destroyed Iranian defense systems.

(3) A base of explosive drones was established near Tehran. At the start of the attack, these drones activated and attacked pre-programmed targets. The drones destroyed surface-to-surface missile launchers (SGMs) at the Asfaqabad base near Tehran. The launchers had been aimed at Israeli citizens and strategic targets, and Iran had intended to launch them the moment Israel struck. This prevented a massive first wave of attacks at Israel, of possibly 600 missiles. (The first siren activated in Israel was likely in case this mission failed.)

(That this is published indicates that all agents are safe.)

Terrorists Eliminated:

• Iran’s chief military commander Mohammad Bagheri
• IRGC chief Hossein Salami
• Head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, Gholam Ali Rashid
• Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Regime, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani
• Most top officers of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force
• Additional senior generals in the IRGC, such as General Muhammad Ja’far Asadi
• 25 Iranian nuclear scientists were targeted (Walla News), so far six are confirmed eliminated. Israel suspects that most of the others are gone too.

***

Update:

Situational Assessment in Israel:

Iran had prepared a massive initial response attack against Israel. Their first wave plan was successfully destroyed by the IDF.

The plan to destroy the regime’s initial attack setup succeeded beyond expectations—clearly with help from Above. The Home Front Command had woken up all Israelis at 3 am in preparation for what never came.

Iran launched over 100 UAVs (attack drones) towards Israel. Almost all were intercepted over Syria, Jordan, and other Arab countries. One neared northern Israel, activating sirens in the Kiryat Shemona area, before it was successfully intercepted.

Israeli surveillance drones are now freely soaring the skies of Iran to monitor any further activity from the regime. The regime is also struggling to launch new attacks due to the entire upper chain of command being destroyed.

However, the threat is in no way gone. Emergency Home Front Command directives are still in place, and Israeli defenses are at the highest level of alert.

Israelis need to stay alert and prepared to move to bomb shelters at any moment. Staircases and innermost rooms should not be relied on. Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that Israelis may soon need to stay in bomb shelters for a “prolonged period of time.”

IDF reservists have been stationed throughout the country, with Home Front Command rescue teams in every city and region. Hospitals are prepared, and mass blood donation clinics have been set up, with thousands lining up to donate.

Ben Gurion Airport is evacuated and is expected to remain closed for at least 3 days, all flights to and from Israel have been canceled. The war is estimated to last for two weeks.

Operations in Iran:

Israel is still freely striking Iran for more than 14 hours straight.

U.S. President Trump gave the Iranian regime one last warning to surrender their nuclear ambitions, warning that this is just the beginning, and Israel’s attacks are about to get far worse for the regime.

Iran is not surrendering. Mohammad Pakpour, the brand new commander of the Revolutionary Guards who replaced Hossein Salami, who was assassinated this morning, issued his first statement: “A painful fate awaits Israel.”

Trump was fully aware of Israel’s attack plans in advanced, and played along with Israel in deceptive methods to catch the regime off guard.

Netanyahu says that the operation was originally planned for April, when it becomes clear that Tehran was working towards a nuclear weapon. For various reasons it was delayed until it couldn’t be delayed any more.

The war will not just be airstrikes. National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi says that it is impossible to destroy Iran’s nuclear program with force alone. “The goal is to make the Iranians [civilians] understand that they will have to stop the nuclear program,” he explained. “This is just the beginning of the beginning.”

Major Targets Hit:

The IDF is hitting dozens (maybe hundreds—we don’t know yet) of targets. Some are hidden in deep bunkers, and require many bunker buster bombs to destroy.

Below are just some of the major targets hit, all essential components in Iran’s nuclear and missile program:

• Natanz nuclear enrichment site
• Weaponization research centers in Tehran & Parchin
• Major missile fuel storage facility in Tabriz
• Kermanshah underground facility
• International airport in Tehran
• The Major Port in Bushehr

Targeted Eliminations:

An Israeli security source says that Israel succeeded in eliminating the entire Iranian Air Force senior command after tricking them into gathering for a meeting—where they were all hit in one blow.

The top confirmed eliminations include the entire senior command of Iran’s military, and other senior terrorists:

Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid
Head of Emergency Command and Central Headquarters

Maj. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri
Iran’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces
Most senior military officer in Iran

R. Adm. Ali Shamkhani
Sec. of Supreme Nat’l Sec. Council
Sr. Advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander
Responsible for safeguarding Ayatollah regime & global terror attacks

Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh
Commander of IRGC Air Force

Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani
Commander of IRGC Quds Force

Brig. Gen. Davood Sheikhlian
Deputy for Operations, IRGC Air Force

Brig. Gen. Taher-Pour
Commander UAV force, IRGC Air Force

Prof. Fereydoun Abbas
Lead Nuclear Scientist

Mehdi Tahrani
Lead Nuclear Scientist.

Other:

France has surrendered: President Macron postponed his planned conference to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian State.

Words from the Lubavitcher Rebbe:

On January 17, 1991, the Gulf War broke out. The next day, Friday, when missiles were launched toward central cities, there was widespread panic in Israel and deep concern about a possible chemical attack.

Shortly before Shabbat, the Rebbe sent a Telegram to Chassidim in Israel. It said the following:

“Shabbat Shalom and blessings. As ruled by our holy Torah — the Torah of light and the Torah of truth — ‘And on your days of rejoicing, these are the Sabbaths,’ in clear terms: visible and revealed joy.”

The verse “And on your days of rejoicing” appears exactly in this week’s Torah portion.

Whether you’re near a bomb shelter in Israel, or praying for us from abroad—may you have a joyous Shabbat, full of miracles!

Continue praying for Israel!

VIDEO: Israeli strikes on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility

More footage of the ballistic missile storage site that Israel attacked in Tabriz, northern Iran. See the continuous secondary explosions.