⚔️ LEBANON COMBAT PREPARATIONS; IRAN DEADLINE EXPIRES, QABATIYA RAID & COLOMBIA RESCUE
🕑 Published: August 18, 2026 · 12:36 PM Israel time
⚔️ IDF PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE DAYS OF COMBAT IN LEBANON: Israeli forces are preparing for the possibility of several days of fighting as operations continue on the Ali Taher Ridge and Beaufort, according to N12. The IDF intends to complete the destruction of military infrastructure and compounds in the area, with some facilities already neutralized and others reportedly still active.
Several dozen Hezbollah personnel are reportedly trapped underground at the Ali Taher Ridge. The IDF says it has intercepted efforts to provide them assistance as Hezbollah attempts to target Israeli forces and maintain control over the sector.
🛡️ FALSE TARGET NEAR ZAR'IT: An interceptor was launched earlier toward a false target in the Zar'it area. No sirens were sounded in accordance with protocol. There is no security incident, and the event is under review.
✈️ APACHE SQUADRON RELOCATING NORTH: The IDF warns that increased helicopter activity will be noticeable this afternoon as the 190th Squadron permanently relocates from Ramon Airbase in southern Israel to Ramat David Airbase in the north. The squadron operates AH-64A Apache helicopters, known in the Israeli Air Force as Peten. "As part of the transfer, increased aircraft activity will be noticeable in the skies over the country," the IDF says, adding that "there is no concern of a security incident" as the relocation was pre-planned.
⚠️ IRAN SAYS 60-DAY NUCLEAR TALKS DEADLINE NO LONGER RELEVANT: Following the expiration of the 60-day period for nuclear talks, Iran declared the deadline no longer relevant and said its military was closely monitoring developments.
Crude oil opened the week little changed as markets braced for a heavy week of geopolitical risk, with President Trump threatening new Iran sanctions and musing about declaring the Strait of Hormuz a US territory.
❌ QABATIYA OPERATION: TWO TERRORISTS ARRESTED, ~100 BUILDINGS SEARCHED: Security forces and Duvdevan Unit troops, directed by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), operated Monday morning in Qabatiya and the Far'a Camp in the Menashe Brigade sector, arresting two terrorists suspected of planning and advancing terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF forces.
During the brigade-level operation in Qabatiya, Menashe Brigade forces searched approximately 100 buildings, arrested terrorists and questioned additional suspects.
🇨🇴 ISRAELI RESCUE TEAM: SURVIVOR CHANCES DWINDLING IN COLOMBIA: A week after the 7.4-magnitude earthquake in western Colombia killed nearly 300 people and injured almost 4,000, at least 140 remain missing.
Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yossi Pinto, commander of the IDF National Search and Rescue Unit, said five sites in Cali have severe destruction with people still trapped or missing, with Israel's delegation operating at three. As the eighth day approaches, Pinto said the chances of finding survivors alive are decreasing and expects search and rescue efforts to largely conclude within the next two days as Colombian authorities increasingly shift toward rehabilitation.
Israel's 80-member Brit Re'im ("Covenant of Friends") delegation, comprising IDF personnel and representatives of the Defense and Foreign Ministries, is the largest international aid delegation currently operating in Colombia, according to Pinto. Alongside rescue operations, Israeli teams are assessing damaged public buildings and schools to help restore them to use, with inspections of medical facilities planned at Colombia's request.
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