Browsing: Middle East

Remains of Ravid Katz, Oren Goldin, Maya Goren, Staff Sgt. Tomer Yaakov Ahimas and Sgt. Kiril Brodski were held hostage in Khan Younis tunnel The bodies of five Israelis killed and taken hostage by terrorists on October 7 were recovered by troops operating in the southern Gaza Strip and brought back to Israel on Wednesday, officials said. Ravid Katz, 51, Oren Goldin, 33, Maya Goren, 56, Sgt. Kiril Brodski, 19, and Staff Sgt. Tomer Yaakov Ahimas, 20, were all previously declared dead by the Israel Defense Forces, though their bodies continued to be held in Gaza. All five were killed…

Hezbollah will launch attacks on Israeli towns that haven’t been targeted yet, according to threats from Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese terror organization. Israel Defense Forces eliminated a senior operative in another terror group allied with Hezbollah in central Lebanon. Speaking during a celebration of the Shi’ite Muslim Ashura holiday, Nasrallah said: “Continuing to target civilians will push the Resistance [Hezbollah] to launch missiles at settlements that were not previously targeted.” The reference pointed to the alleged killing of five civilians, including three children, by Israeli strikes the day before. In his televised speech, he added that there…

Avi Issacharoff said that Israel should take advantage of the fact that Hamas needs a ceasefire to advance a hostage deal. Arab affair analyst Avi Issacharoff believes that Hamas is at its lowest point militarily since the war began. Issacharoff wrote in an article on Ynet that “now of all times, when Hamas needs a ceasefire, Israel must take the opportunity to push for a hostage deal. “Hamas is at its lowest point militarily since the war began,” Issacharoff wrote and quickly emphasized that “it’s still not a breaking point, and we’re not expecting to see Yahya Sinwar leave his tunnel with…

US, Israeli officials say terror group short on weapons, desperate for ceasefire, emboldening PM to play hardball; Mossad chief said to back him; others say demands ‘will prevent deal’ Hamas has softened some of its stances in hostage talks, with intelligence assessments indicating the terror group wants a ceasefire in Gaza due to its weakening military position, the Axios outlet reported Thursday, citing Israeli and American officials. An Israeli official involved in the negotiations told Axios that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in turn, has toughened Israel’s demands for a deal as a result of this intelligence, explaining that the premier “is trying…

The Israel Defense Forces will not stop “until we return the hostages,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi stated, as the the army continued operating in several arenas across the Gaza Strip. After announcing the mission in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood, which started around two weeks earlier was completed, the IDF said troops are continuing operations against terrorists “embedded in UNRWA’s Headquarters in central Gaza.” Over the past day, the military said its troops located weapons in the headquarters, including explosive drones, grenades, explosive devices, sniper equipment, mortar shells, rockets, and RPGs. During the same operation, troops directed an aerial strike on…

In a poignant and powerful video released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the mothers of 13 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza deliver emotional messages to their captive children. The women, representing a fraction of the 120 hostages, conveyed their unwavering hope and determination for the safe return of their loved ones. “Naama, I know you. You have the strength. You have strength,” says Ayelet Levi, whose daughter Naama has been held captive since October 7. “Keep praying, and strengthen everyone,” pleads Merav Berger to her daughter Agam, one of the IDF observers whose capture was among the…

Lebanese terror chief says Hamas is negotiating on behalf of entire Iran-led ‘axis of resistance,’ claims ramped-up drone and rocket strikes show ‘Hezbollah doesn’t fear war’ Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday his Lebanese terror group would accept Palestinian ally Hamas’s decision on Gaza hostage negotiations and would stop cross-border attacks on Israel if a ceasefire were reached. Hezbollah has traded almost daily fire with Israeli forces in support of Hamas since the Palestinian terror group’s October 7 attack on Israel triggered war in the Gaza Strip, stoking fears of a full-blown conflict in the north. “Hamas is negotiating ……

John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, stated that Israel is being held to “double and triple standards” in the war against Hamas. “Israel is being measured by double and triple standards” that “does not exist anywhere in the world,” Spencer said at a Jerusalem Institute for Public and State Affairs (JCPA) briefing. He added, “The IDF uses tactics that no army has ever seen to prevent harm to civilians and still fulfill its mission.” Spencer declared the accusations that Israel is engaged in indiscriminate bombing, war crimes, or genocide “all a…

Iran warned Israel of an “obliterating war” if it embarks on a military ground campaign in Lebanon against Hezbollah, as regional alarm grows over the prospect of a third Lebanon war. “Albeit Iran deems as psychological warfare the Zionist regime’s propaganda about intending to attack Lebanon,” Iran’s mission to the UN wrote in a post on X, “Should it embark on full-scale military aggression, an obliterating war will ensue. All options, [including] the full involvement of all Resistance Fronts, are on the table.” Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded on Saturday night, June 29, saying, “If Hezbollah does not cease…

The Iranian regime has significantly increased its weapons shipments to the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah in recent months, despite diplomatic efforts by the United States and European countries to prevent the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel from escalating into a full-blown war. Among the most significant weapons systems Iran recently supplied are additional anti-aircraft defense systems, which could threaten Israel’s air superiority, according to Ynet News. In recent months, Hezbollah forces have attempted to shoot down Israeli aircraft numerous times, successfully hitting and intercepting five IDF drones. Continue reading this article on allisrael.com