Israel News for 7-25-2024
News Update
The IDF said that a soldier died and two others were seriously injured in southern Gaza, in what the army is investigating as an accident. Staff Sgt. Noam Douek, 19, from Kiryat Motzkin, who served in the 401st Armored Brigade’s 9th Battalion died and 2 other soldiers from the 9th Battalion are in serious condition from toxic fumes from a generator in their sleeping quarters overnight.
Cpt. Ariel Topaz, a 24-year-old from Pardes Hana who was an officer in the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Research division, has died from severe injuries sustained in a car-ramming attack outside a military base in central Israel earlier this month. Topaz was among four off-duty soldiers injured in the terror attack on July 14 at the Nir Tzvi junction.
Three soldiers securing a route near Nabi Ilyas, near Qalqilya, were injured when terrorists in a passing vehicle fired upon them. The IDF is actively pursuing the attackers and strengthening security in the surrounding routes and towns.
IDF forces retrieved the bodies of 5 hostages from Khan Younis yesterday:
- Maya Goren, 56, a kindergarten teacher from Nir Oz, was killed and her body was taken by Hamas terrorists on October 7 while she was preparing the kibbutz kindergarten.
- Oren Goldin, 33, a member of the Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak security team, was killed fighting the terrorists, and his body was taken to Gaza.
- Sgt. Kiril Brodski, 19, was part of the forward command team under Col. Asaf Hamami of the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade. He was killed and his body abducted near Kibbutz Nirim during the attack.
- Staff Sgt. Tomer Yaakov Ahimas, 20, also served in the forward command team of Col. Hamami. He was killed and his body abducted along with Sgt. Brodski near Kibbutz Nirim.
- Ravid Katz, a member of the Kibbutz Nir Oz security team, was killed while fighting the terrorists on October 7, and his body was taken by Hamas.
Hezbollah attacks and IDF strikes continue in the north.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. The V.P. did not attend Netanyahu’s rousing address to Congress yesterday. About half of the Democrats in Congress boycotted Netanyahu’s speech (100 out of 212 in the House and 27 out of 51 in the Senate), including Nancy Pelosi. Democratic Party leaders that did attend criticized the speech for not being bipartisan and for failing to address a realistic vision for ending the war in Gaza. Thousands of protestors demonstrated outside the Capitol, with some burning American flags and effigies of Netanyahu and committing acts of vandalism. There were, however, many signs of overwhelming bipartisan support for Israel throughout the speech.
A senior official from the Biden administration indicated optimism about a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, suggesting that the agreement is nearing its final stages. The President will discuss the ongoing negotiations with Prime Minister Netanyahu. For more, click here.
