YNetNews has the lowdown:

Shortly after 8:30 p.m. Friday night, it was reported that the stern of an Israeli navy war ship suffered a direct hit in an attack by Hizbullah, which damaged the helicopter landing pad area. The hit caused a conflagration, which was extinguished. No one was hurt in the fire.

Shortly afterwards, crewmembers assessed the damage to the ship and discovered the hit was more severe than originally thought, and had caused damage to the ship’s internal operating systems. The security establishment was checking the possibility that the ship was hit by a drone loaded with explosives, or by rocket fire.

Nasrallah crows:

Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah was the first to report of the attack on the Israeli warship.

Speaking defiantly in an audiotape aired on Hizbullah’s Al-Manar television, Nasrallah addressed himself to Israelis, saying: “You wanted an open war and we are ready for an open war.”

“Soon you will find how stupid your new government is and how it is incapable of reading the situation. It has no experience. You said in your opinion polls that you believe me more than anyone else. Believe me now – you attacked every house in Lebanon and you will pay for that,” he said.

“Look at the warship that has attacked Beirut, while it burns and sinks before your very eyes,” Nasrallah said. It was not clear whether he meant that the warship had already been attacked. Officials would not give the vessel’s exact location.

Nasrallah spoke after Israeli missiles struck Hizbullah headquarters and his house in southern Beirut. His address, however, appeared to be pre-recorded, and Nasrallah did not refer to the missile attack on his offices and residence.

Good background here at the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs site. (hat tip - reader Lorelei)

LGF and the Waterglass monitor Israel-hatred over at the Daily Kos.

Chris Muir’s Day By Day Cartoon (now available on cellphone!) addresses the day’s events.

David Horowitz wonders: Will this war go nuclear?

A schedule of rallies for Israel here.

Pam at Atlas Shrugs invites you to a Stand For Israel event on Monday:

Join me for a rally to condemn terrorism and demonstrate our solidarity with the people of Israel, sponsored by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.

Monday, July 17, 2006 Across from the United Nations First Avenue at 42nd Street 12:00 noon

Not much happened at the ANSWER rally at the Israeli embassy, reports Charles Ryder. They must be exhausted from their “fasting.”

Truth Laid Bear tracks the Middle East crisis.

Lawhawk notes:

Hizbullah is also threatening more attacks against Haifa after Israel leveled its headquarters in Lebanon. Well, considering Hizbullah has repeatedly called for Israel’s destruction, they’re setting their sights kinda low. All the same, more than 100 rockets were fired at Israel in just the past 24 hours, and two more Israelis were killed in the Meron area.

Now, it’s also interesting to note that Nasrallah is pumping the media with this pablum:

Shortly before the strike, Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said in a telephone call to Hizbullah media outlets that Israel’s ongoing operations in Lebanon were a campaign of revenge over its “defeat,” as he referred to the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.

Let me rephrase this: Israel was defeated because it withdrew from Lebanon on its own accord. Another way to put this is that Israel no longer occupies Lebanon and the only reason that they’re back acting in and around Lebanon is because Hizbullah just unleashed Israel’s full fury against Hizbullah. Still another way to put it is that Israel was minding its own business until Hizbullah attacked Israel completely unprovoked. That’s why Lebanese are hoping Israel can deal Hizbullah a fatal blow.

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