Browsing: Middle East

The IDF confirmed Thursday it killed Ahmed Ali Balout, commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, in an airstrike a day earlier in the Dahieh district of Beirut. The military said Balout was killed in a precise strike in the Hezbollah stronghold, the first such attack there in weeks, while a ceasefire remained in place and amid reports of contacts between the United States and Iran over a potential arrangement that would see the cessation of hostilities across the Middle East, including in Lebanon. According to the IDF, Balout held several positions over the years in the Radwan Force, Hezbollah’s elite…

Late on Wednesday night, a Hezbollah terrorist launched rockets that fell adjacent to IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon. No IDF injuries were reported. In footage now revealed, Hezbollah’s method of operation can be observed. Following the rocket launches, the IDF identified that the terrorist concealed the launcher inside a civilian structure in the Jwaya area in southern Lebanon. Subsequently, the IDF struck the structure and eliminated the terrorist in order to remove the threat. Following the strike, secondary explosions were identified, indicating the presence of weapons inside the structure. Continue reading this article on israelnationalnews.com

Israel’s Cabinet on Sunday, April 26, unanimously approved the appointment of Michael Lotem as the Jewish state’s first ambassador to Somaliland. Lotem, a senior diplomat, was announced as Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s pick for the post on April 15. He finished a three-year tour as ambassador to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and the Seychelles in August 2025, and has since served as a non-resident economic ambassador to Africa. Lotem had previously served as ambassador to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. The posting will initially be non-resident—Lotem will be based in Jerusalem rather than in Somaliland, managing the bilateral relationship through visits and…

Iron Dome was just used outside Israel for the first time in history — deployed to the UAE as Iran fired 560+ missiles at the Gulf state. Here’s what this means for the region and the Abraham Accords. This week’s Israel and Middle East news briefing covers four major developments you need to know about. The Israeli Air Force eliminated a Hamas cell in central Gaza — including Hazem Rami Ali Aidi, a Hamas commander confirmed to have participated in the October 7, 2023, massacre. Also killed were a platoon commander and a Hamas military intelligence operative. Israel continues to…

Hezbollah is looking for new ways to fight the IDF. The Lebanon-based terror group is now launching small drones controlled by fiber-optic cables to avoid electronic detection. These particular drones are not controlled remotely, but rather have thin cables directly connected to them, making it impossible to electronically jam them. Cord-connected drones have been widely used in the war in Ukraine, are small and hard to track. Hezbollah says it began using these fiber-optic guided drones for the first time back in early March, airing videos of its use on their social media platforms and its Al-Manar TV station. Continue…

The IDF on Wednesday struck and eliminated Ibrahim Abu Tzakar, a Hamas terrorist, a military statement said. Abu Tzakar had planned to carry out an imminent terror attack against IDF troops. Throughout the war, he led and advanced numerous attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel. In parallel to his terrorist activity, Abu Tzakar operated under the cover of a paramedic in the medical array of the Hamas terrorist organization, thereby exploiting and endangering the medical system and the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. “The terrorist posed an immediate threat to IDF troops and was eliminated in…

IDF combat teams in southern Lebanon discovered a hidden Hezbollah stronghold 25 meters underground inside a clothing store, according to a Thursday statement. According to the military, the site was used by Hezbollah operatives to manage combat activity and store weapons. Soldiers found weapons and several rooms inside the underground complex that were used for Hezbollah’s operational management. Continue reading this article on jpost.com

A missile fired by Hezbollah terrorists from Lebanon on Friday evening, April 10, caused damage to a roughly 1,400-year-old Byzantine-era church in Nahariya. The church dates back to the early 7th century and was originally destroyed in 614 during the Persian conquest of parts of the land of Israel from the Christian Byzantine rulers. The Israel Antiquities Authority said an initial inspection indicated the ancient mosaic floor itself was not damaged but was covered by debris from the modern protective structure built above it. The mosaic features more than 100 medallions—of which 87 remain—depicting animals, birds, and human figures. At…

IDF soldiers of the Commando Brigade are operating under the command of the 98th Division to dismantle terror infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon. On Wednesday, during an operational activity in the Bint Jbeil area, IDF soldiers from the Egoz Unit conducted a targeted raid on a combat compound used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization. The soldiers located dozens of weapons that were used by the organization’s terrorists to advance terror activity from within a civilian area. Among the weapons located were RPGs, Kalashnikov rifles, ammunition, grenades, an anti-aircraft missile, surveillance equipment, and combat equipment. Continue reading this article on israelnationalnews.com

The Iranian hacking group Handala said Thursday that it had deeply and covertly penetrated the phone of former IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi in an alleged new cyber incident that could rattle the defense establishment. In a statement, the group said the operation lasted for years and resulted in the theft of about 19,000 sensitive files. According to the group, the material includes visual documentation of secret meetings, strategic maps and personal details from Halevi’s private home. The hackers said the material in their possession does not consist only of documents, but also live visual records from…