September 20, 2009: Egyptian police located and destroyed ten smuggling tunnels into Gaza, when they caught a major smuggler and got him to talk. The Egyptians have new American sonar equipment installed, but it's not yet covering the entire 14 kilometer long border. Thus the best source of information still remains people in the smuggling gangs.
Up in Lebanon, Hezbollah is toning down the hate talk, saying that they are ready for peace with Israel. The cause for this is not just a better prepared Israeli armed forces, but mainly growing hostility to Hezbollah back in Iran. The democratic/reformist opposition in Iran is protesting rigged elections, and the amount of money spent to subsidize foreign terror groups, like Hezbollah. Iran is exercising increasing direct control over Hezbollah, but this costs more money, and angers more people in Iran and Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah has a growing list of problems. The majority of Lebanese are getting fed-up with Hezbollah for, in effect, partitioning the country. While no one wants another civil war, that's where things are headed. Then there's Salah Ezzedine, a wealthy Shia businessman and longtime ally of Hezbollah, who was recently revealed to be running a huge Ponzi scheme. He's taken and lost over a billion dollars from his fellow Shia. Hezbollah is being held responsible. But it gets worse. It's becoming clear that Israel has revamped its military training and tactics, with an eye towards smashing Hezbollah if there is another war. The ease with which the Israelis tore up Hamas forces this past January, scared many Hezbollah leaders. That because Hezbollah is a major backer of Hamas, and provided with them training and tactical advice.
The Lebanese government feels attacked on all sides. Hezbollah used force to obtain the right to veto all government decisions. Meanwhile, Israel appears eager to destroy the Hezbollah threat (Hezbollah will not even recognize Israel and demands that Israel be destroyed) , and the UN peacekeepers shows no sign of being able to stop another Israeli invasion. Lebanese efforts to get the rest of the world to halt "Israeli aggression" (defending itself), are not working.
September 19, 2009: Two rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel.
September 11, 2009: Two 122mm rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel. The launchers were found, equipped with timers, 15 kilometers from the border, and about nine kilometers from the coast. Israel fired a dozen artillery shells towards the firing site. The rockets were fired by an al Qaeda affiliated group operating out of a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon.
