Tag Archive for: Israel News

News Update

A barrage of 8 precision rockets hit Safed early this morning. The attack targeted IDF bases around the city. One woman was killed and at least 8 people were wounded. Rockets were also fired at Kiryat Shemona and several bases in the north. The IDF is conducting intensive airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in response to the attacks.

This all comes as progress is reportedly being made to arrive at a diplomatic solution to the situation in the north. A European official told Saudi television channel Al-Hadath that “there is significant progress in negotiations for the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 in Lebanon.” Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati added, “The situation in southern Lebanon still requires caution, but things are moving toward long-term stability. We’re seeking security, peace, and enduring stability in the south.” France, yesterday, presented a written proposal to end the fighting.

No progress has been made in negotiations to release the hostages. Israel has warned Hamas that if it does not accept a temporary truce and release all of the hostages, the IDF will advance on Rafah with full force.

The IDF released video of Hamas leader Sinwar moving through the tunnel system along with his wife and children. Sinwar and the other top Hamas leaders in Gaza are moving from place to place in fear of being killed or captured. It is unlikely that they are even in contact anymore with the Hamas leaders outside of Gaza. Therefore, he might not even be aware of the current negotiations for releasing the hostages. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to facilitate an exchange of hostages for prisoners with Israel to spare Palestinian people further “catastrophe.”

For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich confirmed that he was blocking shipments of flour from being transferred into Gaza via UNRWA, to prevent them from falling into the hands of Hamas. He is working with the government to work out a different way of getting the aid into the hands of Gaza civilians.

News Update

A joint operation between the Shin Bet, Border Police and IDF early Sunday morning resulted in the rescue of 2 hostages who were held in an apartment in Rafah. The hostages, Fernando Simon Marman (60) and Louis Har (70), were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. The operation was led by the Shin Bet’s Special Operations Command and executed by the elite YAMAM (police SWAT) unit, alongside the Shin Bet’s operational teams.

The special forces stealthily entered the building complex at 1:49am on Sunday morning, fought off terrorists who attacked them from adjacent buildings and then broke into the apartment, killed the 3 terrorists guarding the hostages, and rescued the hostages. They then exited the building complex under heavy fire. The air force provided massive cover fire to allow the troops to successfully get the hostages out safely. Armored forces also assisted in the extrication of the troops and hostages. One soldier was lightly wounded from a fall. A large number of terrorists were killed in the fighting. Several structures were also destroyed. The operation lasted an hour. The hostages were evacuated by helicopter. For more on the operation, click here. 

Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Har were abducted on Oct. 7 along with 3 female family members, who were released as part of the hostage deal in November. The men were in captivity for 129 days. They were very thin, but appeared to be in good health. They were being held in an apartment where a family was living.

[Meanwhile, President Biden wants Israel to stop their advance on Rafah. Has he heard of the hostage rescue in Rafah? Does he understand that the rest of the 134 hostages are probably being held in Rafah too? And that Hamas still has thousands of armed terrorists in Rafah? He’s clearly either very confused or has traded his moral compass for the votes of the Arabs of Michigan (or both). This successful rescue operation proves that Israeli must press forward with full force to destroy Hamas in Rafah and save the hostages, or at least force Hamas into releasing them. If Biden wants an end to the war, then force Hamas to release the hostages and surrender. The only other alternative is the total destruction of Hamas — and that means getting the job done in Rafah.]

Sergeant First Class Adi Eldor, 21, from Haifa and Sergeant First Class (res.) Alon Kleinman, 21, from Tel Aviv were killed by an anti-tank missile strike in West Khan Younis on Monday.

For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.

A terrorist attempted to stab police officers in Jerusalem’s Old City yesterday. The terrorist was shot and killed by police. Also yesterday, a terrorist tried to stab soldiers patrolling a highway near the village of Husan near Beitar Illit. The terrorist was shot and neutralized. Security forces arrested 17 terror suspects in overnight raids.

News Update

Rockets and anti-tank missiles were fired at the Kiryat Shemona and Mt. Hermon area. Three soldiers were wounded. The IDF responded with airstrikes and artillery fire.

An Israeli delegation went to Cairo today to continue negotiations for a potential hostage release agreement. A Hamas delegation led by Ismail Haniyeh will also be there, along with a Qatari delegation. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that the Hamas counter proposal contained many demands that were “non starters”, but that he thinks that there is still hope for negotiating an agreement. Hamas had demnded a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of thousands of terrorists held by Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel would continue the war until victory is achieved.

Blinken met with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant and expressed humanitarian concerns regarding the situation in Gaza and the IDF advancing on Rafah.

For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.

Security forces killed 3 wanted terrorists in an operation in the Nur a-Shams refugee camp in Samaria. Meanwhile, Senior Israeli security officials held a covert meeting with their counterparts from the Palestinian Authority in Tel Aviv this week to discuss efforts to calm tensions in the West Bank ahead of Ramadan, which begins in a month. The Israeli officials said that they would reduce the number of checkpoints and arrest raids, allow several thousand workers above the age of 45 to return to their jobs in Israel, and reopen several Palestinian cities to Arab Israelis. For more, click here. 

According to data published by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, Arab families are having more children than Jewish families. For more on this, click here.

News Update

Rocket fire from Lebanon continues. Two IDF soldiers were injured in an attack. The IDF is responding with strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

[Clearly, this situation cannot continue, with constant attacks by Hezbollah making it impossible for 100,000 Israelis to return to their homes in the north. There is a slight chance that Hezbollah will voluntarily agree to withdraw at least several miles from the border and cease hostilities. There is a US sponsored proposal proposal to attempt to achieve that outcome. Israel is open to a diplomatic solution.

But the more likely scenario is that Hezbollah continues their attacks and that Israel is forced to mount a major offensive into Lebanon to materially degrade their military capabilities and to push them back to a manageable distance from the border.  Hezbollah would undoubtedly use their massive arsenal of tens of thousands of sophisticated missiles against Israeli population centers, overwhelming Israel’s missile defense systems. The IDF would eventually neutralize Hezbollah’s attack capabilities, but probably not before significant damage and casualties were inflicted on Israeli civilians and soldiers.]

The fighting in Gaza continues with Israeli forces making major headway in Khan Yunis and advancing towards Rafah, the final city and Hamas stronghold left in Gaza. The IDF has killed over half of Hamas’s fighting force. [That means thousands of terrorists still remain. Many of them are in the extensive tunnel system beneath Rafah. Some of the tunnels probably lead to Egypt, just across the border, and have been the conduit for weapons entering Gaza for years. Rafah must be cleaned of Hamas in order for this war to end.]

For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.

A terrorist shot at an IDF post near Nablus. The terrorist was shot and neutralized by soldiers.

Terrorists fired at a house in Kibbutz Meirav in the Gilboa region, from a nearby village located in northern Samaria. No one was hurt.

News Update

President Biden issued an executive order imposing sanctions against 4 Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria (settlers) involved in violence against Palestinians.  Their assets in American financial institutions will be frozen and blocked. The Prime Minister’s Office called the move “unusual and has no place” and said, “The large majority of settlers in the West Bank abide by the law, and many of them are fighting to defend Israel in recent days. Israel is acting against criminals in all places, therefore there’s no need for steps in the matter.”

According to IDF assessments, residents of the northern settlements evacuated due to the ongoing conflict will not be able to return home until the end of the current school year (June/July).

Combat operations continue in Gaza.

For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.

Despite a rumor leaked on Twitter yesterday, there is no agreement on a hostage deal yet.

Israeli fencer Yuval Freilich won a gold medal at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix in Doha on Wednesday. The Israeli national anthem was played in the arena.