News Update

The IDF and security establishment are entering this holiday season at high alert in Judea and Samaria, with thousands of Israelis expected to be traveling and hiking in the areas. during Yom Kippur, the IDF said forces acting on Shin Bet intelligence thwarted a significant attack planned by two Hamas-affiliated terrorists in Qabatiya.

Hours before Yom Kippur, a Hamas affiliated 35 yr. old terrorist opened fire on the vehicle of Netanel Shukrun, a father of six from the community of Ali Zahav, at a nearby spring. Shukrun was killed. His 16 year old son with him was not hurt. An IDF tracker in the area shot the terrorist, who managed to escape to a clinic, where he was then identified and captured.  An hour later, a terrorist tried to ram soldiers at a checkpoint. An hour after that, an Israeli who took a wrong turn into a village in the Hebron Hills was attacked and wounded. Forty minutes later, another attempted ramming targeted Israeli troops. Ten minutes after that, a vehicle with no license plates tried to run down two Israelis. All of these attacks occurred in Judea and Samaria.

Defense Minister Israel Katz warned today that any new abduction of an Israeli soldier or civilian would trigger the evacuation of Gaza City, saying the threat was issued in light of what he described as “various intentions and intelligence.” Katz did not elaborate on the intelligence behind the warning, but again said the IDF would not withdraw from the Yellow Line in Gaza “as long as Hamas is not removed and Gaza is not demilitarized of weapons and tunnels.”

Israeli citizen Fares Abu al-Hija, 32, a resident of Kaukab in northern Israel, was sentenced to 4½ years in prison after he was convicted of spying for Iran, including gathering intelligence on former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and traveling to Gallant’s home in Moshav Amikam, where he was arrested. For more, click here.

Prime Minister Netanyahu will land in NYC on Thursday morning, where he will address the UN General Assembly at 2pm. He will not stay overnight and will depart for Israel that evening, reportedly in order to avoid protests. In a video addressing NYC Mayor Mamdani, Netanyahu said, “Shame on you, Mr. Mamdani. Shame on you for supporting the Hamas terrorist monsters who butchered our people. Shame on you for inciting riots against New York Jews. I’m coming to the UN. I’m going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I’m going to tell the truth about you.” This comes in response to Mamdani saying in an interview, “When it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu, I have described him as I believe him to be a war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people.”

News Update

The IDF and Shin Bet killed Hamas’ Rafah Brigade commander Nayal Abu Obeid in a drone strike in southern Gaza last night. Abu Obeid took over the Rafah Brigade in May 2025 after his predecessor, Mohammed Shabana, was killed in Khan Younis alongside Mohammed Sinwar, then head of Hamas’ military wing. The strike comes amid a recent campaign to eliminate Hamas leaders.

The IDF now controls more than 64% of the Gaza Strip, including key entry points and crossings, which has drastically limited Hamas’ ability to smuggle weapons and rebuild its arsenal. But while their military capabilities and leadership have been severely degraded, Hamas still remains armed and is focused on restoring local governance and rebuilding a presence across parts of Gaza. For more, click here.

Israel is reportedly aiding Saudi Arabia with intelligence assistance amid the kingdom’s fight against the Houthis, according to diplomatic sources in the region. According to the sources, the assistance is being transferred to Riyadh through the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) and does not involve operational support or direct Israeli participation in the fighting.

The Trump administration is preparing a $2.8 billion sale of heavy bombs to Israel, including 20,000 MK-84 munitions, whose delivery was previously halted by former President Biden. The proposed package would include 40,000 two-thousand-pound bombs, half of them MK-84s and half BLU-117s, as well as 20,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads designed to penetrate fortified targets. Relevant congressional committees have been informed informally of the planned sale, but it does not require Congressional approval. Most of the package would be paid for through US Foreign Military Financing.

IDF troops detained Palestinian-American journalist Naqaa Hamed, a correspondent for Iran’s Press TV, at a checkpoint southeast of Bethlehem on Tuesday evening, with IDF sources saying she is suspected of cooperating with an enemy entity and may also be under suspicion of espionage.

News Update

Haaretz reported that, according to a forthcoming book by Shlomi Eldar and Ruti Yuval, the president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, telephoned Prime Minister Netanyahu around 10 days before October 7, 2023 and warned him that Hamas was planning some sort of very large operation. Netanyahu allegedly played down the warning and said that Hamas would most likely act in the West Bank and that Israel was ready for anything. According to the report, Netanyahu did not share the warning with Israel’s security chiefs. The Prime Minister’s Office has called the report an “absolute lie,” alleging that there was no conversation or warning. The Emiratis just issued a “no comment”.

According to a senior Egyptian source, three days before Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel, Egyptian intelligence chief Gen. Abbas Kamel contacted Netanyahu’s office and relayed a message warning that “something unusual, a horrific operation” was about to take place from Gaza. The chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee also said the Egyptian warning had indeed been passed along. The Egyptian intelligence official told ynet that Kamel “was stunned by the indifference” displayed in Israel. Egyptian sources said the response to the Egyptian intelligence chief was that the IDF and Israeli security forces were “preoccupied” with dealing with cities in the West Bank from which terrorist attacks against Israel were being carried out. According to the source, senior Israeli officials told their Egyptian counterparts that “the situation in Gaza, and particularly along the border, is under control.” Netanyahu has denied all of this.

Delegates from 24 countries including Israel, the United States and 12 Arab countries, including states that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, gathered in Washington on Tuesday for the fourth MEAD conference, a closely guarded forum focused on regional security and cooperation. The event brings together political leaders, senior policymakers and other officials for discussions intended to strengthen alliances, encourage dialogue and develop strategic approaches to regional challenges. Discussions cover security, intelligence, technology, business, energy, finance and governance, with a broader focus on strengthening U.S. engagement in the Middle East and encouraging greater regional integration.

The IDF and Shin Bet that they had destroyed three weapons depots and a rocket launch pit in Gaza, belonging to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, that had been used to fire rockets at Israel during the war. A statement said, “The terrorist organizations stored dozens of different kinds of weapons inside the storage facilities, including rockets, Kalachnikov rifles, and additional combat equipment. Furthermore, the IDF identified that recently, Hamas terrorists have been arriving at the storage facilities and using the weapons stored inside them to establish control in the Gaza Strip and carry out operations.”

Great Britain yesterday imposed sanctions on products produced in Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and on the individuals Bentzi Gopstein, Baruch Marzel, Meir Mordechai Ettinger, Avichai Suissa and Eliav Libi, calling them “extremist settlers”. In response, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar ordered the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, the removal of British representatives from the Gaza coordination headquarters in the southern city of Kiryat Gat and an end to British involvement in training Palestinian Authority security forces in Ramallah. Israel also barred 12 Britons from entering the country, accusing them of involvement in antisemitic and anti-Israel activities and of denying Israel’s right to exist. Despite a warning from U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, the U.S. did not protest the new British sanctions.

According to the latest Central Bureau of Statistics figures ahead of Rosh Hashanah, Israel’s population is at an estimated 10.305 million, with 7.828 million Jews and 2.173 million are Arabs. For more, click here.

News Update

A senior Hamas terrorist who headed the organization’s general security apparatus and oversaw counterintelligence and intelligence operations was captured in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday and brought wounded to Israel. According to Israeli officials, the operation was carried out under Southern Command by local militias operating around Gaza City. No IDF ground troops participated in the operation, but drone strikes were used to neutralize threats. Defense Minister Katz said, “A short while ago, a senior Hamas terrorist was arrested, and this is our policy: We do not wait for threats, but pursue Hamas terrorists, thwart them and destroy their terror infrastructure. The response to every launch from Gaza will be powerful and clear. The test will not be their launches but our response, and it will be severe.”

Ra’am, the Islamist Arab party that had previously been part of the government led by Naftali Bennet and Yair Lapid, announced that former Deputy Public Security Minister Yoav Segalovitz will join its Knesset slate in the number 2 spot. Segalovitz will join Ra’am’s Knesset slate and parliamentary faction but will not become a member of the party itself, and no changes are planned to Ra’am’s constitution or internal decision-making mechanisms. This is the first time a Jewish Israeli has run on an Arab party list. Under the understandings reached between Segalovitz and Abbas, Segalovitz is expected to retain freedom to vote independently on issues including religion and state, national security and LGBTQ rights. He is also expected to promote a framework for national-civilian service in Arab society. Ra’am, for its part, is not seeking the National Security Ministry for him, but rather a role overseeing the fight against crime and violence. The primary reason for this move is most likely to increase the chances of allowing the party to potentially be included in a coalition government. For more, click here.

Police and the Shin Bet are continuing to investigate the weekend violence in Qusra, during which dozens of Jewish rioters entered the village, barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian home and also attacked foreign journalists, though none of them were arrested. The names of several suspects are known to security agencies, and attempts have already been made to arrest them. For more, click here.

Israeli students headed back to school today for the start of a new year.

News Update

Israel and Greece are set to sign a deal next week for Greece to purchase advanced Israeli systems, including Spyder, Barak MX and David’s Sling, which would be integrated into the country’s existing defense systems. The project is called “Achilles’ Shield,” with an estimated cost of about 3.1 billion euros. The expected signing on Monday marks another significant stage in the defense relationship between Israel and Greece.

Finance Minister Smotrich is promising that his Religious Zionist party would demand control, in the next government, of the Planning Administration and the Israel Land Authority, the state bodies that play central roles in planning, development and management of most of Israel’s land, and then implement a plan to dramatically expand Jewish settlement in the Negev and Galilee by 1 million people through the establishment of 40 new communities, dozens of agricultural farms, major expansions of existing towns and hundreds of thousands of new housing units. A major section of Smotrich’s program also focuses on crime, illegal weapons and state authority in Arab communities. Israeli Arab politicians condemned the plan. [But what’s wrong with strengthening Jewish communities in the Galilee and Negev?]

Prime Minister Netanyahu would like Smotrich and Ben Gvir to unite their parties in the upcoming election like they did in the last election. Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party quickly responded to the invitation, stating, “The Otzma Yehudit party and the Religious Zionist Party will not run together in the upcoming Knesset elections. This decision is final and absolute and will not change under any circumstances.There will be no negotiations, meetings, or discussions on the matter, either directly or indirectly.”

The UK government under new prime minister Andy Burnham is preparing a comprehensive package of sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria. Such measures have already been taken by Spain and the Netherlands, and are being considered by other European countries. The Netherlands adopted a particularly strict law not only banning imports of goods from Israeli settlements but also forbidding their sale and purchase, making that an offence that could result in a prison sentence of up to six years. The Dutch law will come into effect on September 22. Meanwhile, Israel’s minister of foreign affairs, Gideon Sa’ar, has ordered that the expulsion of representatives of the Netherlands from the International Support Center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat.