Browsing: Middle East

Hamas released a new video showing hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal alongside a second captive, a move Israeli officials describe as part of the group’s ongoing psychological warfare. The footage, said to have been filmed recently, depicts the hostages being moved within Gaza City and references additional captives believed to be held there. The publication comes as Hamas continues to leverage media releases to pressure Israel and sow fear among families. Relatives of the hostages expressed a painful mix of relief and renewed anguish at seeing signs of life while noting deep concern for their loved ones’ safety. The clip was circulated…

Israeli airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen killed at least 35 people on Wednesday, after the terror group had attacked Israel repeatedly in recent days. “Several days ago we eliminated most of the members of the terrorist Houthi government. In response, the Houthis fired two days ago at the Ramon Airport,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “This did not weaken our resolve – we struck them again today from the air, their terror facilities, their terror bases with a great number of terrorists, and other facilities as well. We will continue to strike. Whoever strikes us, whoever attacks us –…

This Wednesday, September 10, is a painful date for several Israeli families. Three hostages held in Gaza since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, are marking their birthdays in captivity: twins Gali and Ziv Berman, who turned 28, and Yosef Haim Ohana, who is now 25. In a statement released by the Family Center for the Return of Kidnapped and Missing Persons, the Bermans’ family expressed their anguish at what they called a “second anniversary in hell.” They recalled past birthdays celebrated “surrounded by good friends” in a festive atmosphere, a stark contrast to today’s grim reality. “You have…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back on Wednesday against mounting international criticism over Israel’s strike against Hamas leaders in Qatar the previous day, and compared the operation to US actions in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, despite the strike ostensibly failing to kill any of its intended targets. The premier took a defiant tone in an English-language video defending Israel’s actions, and warned Qatar that either it must “expel” the Hamas politburo members or “bring them to justice, because if you don’t, we will.” Comparing the Hamas-led assault of October 7, 2023, to the September 11…

An Israeli strike in Sanaa was reported to have killed the Houthi movement’s prime minister along with several senior officials, marking one of the most consequential blows to the Iran-backed group since it entrenched control over parts of Yemen. Initial reports on Sunday, August 31, 2025, said the attack hit a high-level meeting in the capital and left the rebel leadership scrambling to assess casualties and continuity of command. The development followed months of Houthi missile and drone launches toward Israel and attacks on maritime targets in regional shipping lanes. Regional outlets noted that the strike focused on command-and-control nodes…

Israeli security forces thwarted several attempts to smuggle illicit equipment hidden in humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza in recent days, as the recent surge of aid has made it significantly harder to prevent Hamas from smuggling contraband in the thousands of containers entering the enclave every day. Currently, a daily average of some 300-400 trucks are entering the Gaza Strip, each carrying dozens of individual containers, packets and parcels. On Wednesday, COGAT said that almost 300 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza, while more than 380 trucks were collected and distributed by the UN and international organizations inside the strip. According…

Israeli security forces announced Wednesday that they had thwarted an assassination attempt on National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, dismantling a Hamas cell operating in the Hebron area. According to the Shin Bet, Hamas operatives directed by a branch of the group based in Turkey planned to use drones fitted with explosives to target the minister. Several drones intended for the attack were seized during the arrests. The suspects were detained after weeks of covert surveillance and operational monitoring. Investigators are now working to uncover the full scope of the network and determine whether accomplices in the West Bank or…

Israel identified a third missile lauched from Yemen since Wednesday by the Houthis. One of the missiles launched in the past 24 hours contained a cluster warhead, prompting Israel to send a warning message to the public to adhere to Homefront Command protocol. Both missiles launched Wednesday were intercepted by the IDF, and the missile launched on Thursday fell in an open area outside of Israeli territory. No sirens were sounded Thursday, according to protocol. Meanwhile, Hamas sent out a new statement Wednesday evening following United States (US) President Trump’s post, claiming it is willing to release all the hostages…

A former senior officer in Israel’s Military Intelligence warned on Sunday, August 24, 2025, that Tehran is preparing for a “second round,” while Hezbollah positions itself for potential escalation. In a broadcast interview, he said Iran is attempting to rebuild deterrence and exploit perceived openings across the region. He cautioned that the quiet of recent weeks should not be mistaken for de-escalation. Instead, intelligence indicators point to increased preparations by Iran’s network of proxies, from Lebanon to Syria and beyond. The official said that while Israel has degraded hostile capabilities, significant threats remain, particularly from precision missiles and drones. The…

Israel has had and has a wide range of capabilities for combating close and distant threats. That said, unquestionably one of the most critical of these abilities, especially against Iran and the Houthis, is its satellite fleet. The core piece of the Israeli-made satellite fleet for national security and intelligence collection purposes is the Ofek-class satellite system. In keeping with this, there are also older Eros-class satellites with exceptional surveillance capabilities. The most recent addition to this satellite fleet is the Dror 1 satellite, which provides communication capabilities. All three of the above satellites were manufactured by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Continue…