Israel News for 11-13-2024

News Update

Two men in their 40s were killed in a direct rocket hit on a warehouse in Nahariya yesterday. The rocket was part of a larger barrage fired at northern and central Israel by Hezbollah. The IDF has expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon.

Islamic Jihad released a video of hostage Sasha Trufanov, who this week marked his 29th birthday, his second in his 404 day captivity. Trufanov, who has Russian citizenship, was abducted on October 7 along with his mother Yelena, his grandmother Irena Tati, and his friend Sapir Cohen, from the family home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. The 3 women were released in the hostage deal at the end of last November. His father was murdered on October 7. The families of hostages who are also U.S. citizens are set to meet with President Biden at the White House today. To see the video, click here. 

President Isaac Herzog met with President Biden at the White House yesterday and expressed gratitude for his ongoing support of Israel during his presidency. Herzog acknowledged Biden’s efforts toward securing the release of hostages and emphasized that while Israel is working to ensure a stable “day after” in the Gaza Strip, the return of the hostages remains the top priority.

The U.S. State Department is reportedly considering imposing sanctions on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir during the final months of President Biden’s term. State Department officials are urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to endorse the sanctions against Ben-Gvir, which would mark the first time that the U.S. would impose sanctions on a sitting government minister. The move would likely encourage other countries to impose sanctions as well. While the new Trump administration would most likely remove the sanctions, the other countries won’t.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will be the nest U.S. ambassador to Israel. He is a staunch supporter of Israel and its right to settle Judea and Samaria. He said, “I have been a frequent visitor to Judea and Samaria, and I also firmly believe that the people of Israel deserve a safe country. Anything I can do to accommodate that that would be a big privilege for me.”