Archive for category: news

News Update

Today is the start of the month of Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays, during which we are meant to repent for our sins, beseech the Almighty for forgiveness and strengthen our relationship with Him. Sadly, Israel is divided much like it was prior to October 7th.

The six hostages who were brutally executed by Hamas in a tunnel beneath Rafah, shortly before they were discovered by IDF forces searching the tunnels, were laid to rest yesterday. Hundreds of thousands of Israel’s took to the streets to demonstrate against the government and condemn Prime Minister Netanyahu for not agreeing to a deal with Hamas that would have ostensibly saved the lives of the six, who managed to stay alive for 331 days under the most inhumane conditions before being murdered. The Histadrut, the primary labor union in the country, called on its 800,000 members to strike yesterday. Most did.

But the Prime Minister continues to insist that the only way to ensure Israel’s security and to force Hamas to free the hostages is to continue military pressure against them and to retain Israeli troops along the Philadelphi corridor, the area along the Gaza-Egypt border through, and under, which Hamas has been able to smuggle the bulk of its weapons. He asserts that Hamas will never release any hostages unless it’s back is to the wall and it has no other way out, and that the demonstrations and divisiveness in Israel is playing directly into the hands of Hamas — it is exactly what Hamas is trying to foment as a way to weaken the country and force it to give up the fight and allow Hamas to continue to exist as the ruling force in Gaza.

The majority of Israel, including some families of hostages, still seems to support the Prime Minister, even though the IDF and the Defense Minister have said that troops should be withdrawn from the Philadelphi corridor in order to reach a deal.

Foreign Minister Katz instructed Israeli embassies around the world to urge top officials around the world to take action against Hamas and Iran. Many Republican US members of Congress are urging the Biden Administration to pressure Iran to force Hamas to release the hostages. Iran is, after all, Hamas’ main sponsor and puppet master. Why then isn’t the White House threatening to start destroying Iranian oilfields if the hostages are not released — specifically the 7 Americans still in captivity? Doesn’t the administration have a responsibility to bring those American’s home?

Instead of simply pressuring and criticizing  and threatening Israel, whoever is actually running the country should give Iran an ultimatum — either get those hostages freed or lose your oil. My guess is that there’d be a very good chance that this nightmare would come to an end, quickly.

Unfortunately, the current administration has decided to pledge its full support for Israel’s right to defend itself from extinction, but not for Israel to defeat Hamas and Hezbollah and live with the kind of security that every country deserves. So it continues to pressure Israel and accept Iranian, Hezbollah and Hamas terror.

Israel needs to stand united now more than ever, as Hamas and its worldwide supporters attempt to divide and dishearten us.

News Update

The IDF is continuing an extensive operation against terrorists in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas, in northern Samaria. Troops are being supported by combat helicopters and drones. Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that Iran is working to establish an eastern terrorist front in Judea and Samaria, including financing and arming terrorists and smuggling advanced weapons from Jordan. Overnight, IDF forces eliminated 5 terrorists who were hiding in a mosque in Tulkarm, including Muhammad Jaber, also known as Abu Shujaa, who led a terrorist network of about 30 members in Nur Shams and was involved in multiple attacks. A senior member of Islamic Jihad was also arrested by an undercover IDF unit.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Israel to end the operation. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon responded, “Since October 7th, Iran has been actively working to smuggle sophisticated explosive devices into Judea and Samaria intended for use in suicide bombings in the heart of Israeli cities. The State of Israel will not sit idly by and wait for scenes of buses and cafes exploding in city centers.”

Since October 7, IDF troops have arrested around 4,850 wanted terrorists across the West Bank, including more than 1,960 affiliated with Hamas. Over 600 terrorists have been killed.

IDF forces killed Islamic Jihad Intelligence Unit Commander Osama Jadallah in southern Gaza. Jadallah took part in the October 7th massacre. Combat operations continue in central and southern Gaza, with the IDF eliminating dozens of terrorists and terror infrastructure.

Master Sergeant (Res.) Yohay Hay Glam, 32, from Netanya, a soldier from the 6310th Reconnaissance Battalion, “Jerusalem” Brigade (16th), was killed Wednesday by sniper fire near the Netzarim Corridor in the central Gaza Strip.

The IDF recovered the body of a soldier who was killed in the October 7th massacre and held captive in Gaza. The soldier’s body was found buried in the ground. A key factor in locating the body was intelligence gathered from the interrogation of a Shin Bet detainee.

Aryeh Zalmanovich, the 86 year old founding member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was the hostage who was held along with recently rescued hostage Farhan Alkadi. Zalmanovich died at the hands of Hamas after being denied the medical care he needed.

News Update

Elite IDF special forces rescued Qaid Farhan al-Qadi, 52, from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip. Al-Qadi, from a Bedouin community near Rahat and a father of 11, was abducted by Hamas on October 7 while working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen. He was being held alone. He was reported to be in stable condition and was transferred to Soroka hospital in Beersheva. The IDF is not releasing any details about the rescue operation, for security reasons.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “As part of the bold and determined operations of the IDF and Shin Bet forces deep in the Gaza Strip, our fighters succeeded in rescuing Farhan Alkadi and returning him to his family in Israel. This operation joins a series of impressive operational activities that bring us closer to achieving all the goals of the war.”

Hezbollah continues to fire rockets and launch drones at northern Israel.

At least five terrorists were killed in an IDF drone strike in the Nur al-Shams camp near the city of Tulkarm, in Samaria. One of the dead is Jibril Jibril, 20, from Qalqilya, a member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, who was released from prison in Israel as part of the hostage release deal in November. A weapons warehouse was also destroyed.

News Update

Following a massive rocket barrage on the city of Katzrin in the Golan yesterday, the IDF carried out extensive airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon overnight.

An Israeli airstrike in the Tulkarm refugee camp today reportedly killed three terrorists during an anti-terror IDF operation there.

The Shin Bet and Israel Police arrested four suspects, including one minor, for their involvement in several violent attacks against Palestinians, including last weeks riot in the village of Jit in which 1 Palestinian was killed and 1 injured. The riot was condemned by government officials, including the Prime Minister, and the IDF and security services.

Muhammad Azzam, 34, a doctor at the Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva, was indicted for swearing allegiance to ISIS. He was arrested a month ago by the Shin Bet and police. Azzam is from Narazeth and lives in Be’er Sheva. After the October 7 massacre, Azzam decided to join ISIS and pledged allegiance to Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the leader of the Islamic State. During the surprise attack by Hamas, he sent his friends footage of the atrocities and joyfully commented on them. [This is even more unsettling since a significant percentage of doctors, nurses and other staff at Israel’s hospitals are Arabs. Israel’s medical infrastructure is dependent on Arab personnel. The consequences of an Israeli Arab intifada would be disastrous, especially it was coordinated with an uprising in Judea and Samaria, continued fighting in Gaza and an attack by Hezbollah.]

According to The Washington Post, Iran appears to have been deterred by the U.S. show of force and has decided to postpone any retaliation against Israel. Iran is, however, encouraging Hezbollah to launch a major attack against Israel, which Hezbollah seems reluctant to do for fear of the consequences. Meanwhile, Hamas isn’t cooperating with the Americans nor with the mediators in the hostage negotiations and “waiting” for an Iranian attack.

According to an Egyptian official, any hostage agreement accepted by Hamas would have to include guarantees for Sinwar’s safety. Other issues making an agreement unlikely also still exist. For more, click here.

Some of the bodies of the hostages retrieved from Khan Younis earlier this week had bullets in them, indicating that they were likely shot by their Hamas captors.