Browsing: Middle East

Intense diplomatic talks are underway ahead of the expected opening of the Rafah crossing in the coming days, as a U.S.-backed plan to transfer governance of Gaza to a technocratic council under the Board of Peace enters a decisive phase, officials involved in the process said. Despite assessments in Israel that the crossing could reopen as early as Sunday, no final date has been agreed upon, according to officials familiar with the discussions. The opening of the crossing is expected to mark the first entry of the technocratic governing body into Gaza, a move intended to replace Hamas’ control of…

Following a failed projectile launched toward the Israel from the Gaza City, the Israeli military eliminated terrorists affiliated with Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Palestinian enclave. On Friday, the IDF named the terrorists eliminated as Kamal Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Awad, who served as Hamas’s head of the anti-tank missile operation; Ahmad Thabet, a key figure in Hamas’s weapons manufacturing operation. In addition, the IDF said it targeted Ahmad Abd al-Fattah Saeed Maghdalawi, a terrorist with the Nukhba brigades, who infiltrated Israel and took part in the deadly October 7 massacre, including the butchery at site of the Nova music festival.…

Following weekend situation assessments led by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, the IDF emphasized that it is closely monitoring developments in Iran while maintaining high operational readiness. The army’s message was clear: while the protests are an internal Iranian matter, Israel is prepared to defend itself and respond with strength if necessary to protect its citizens. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced solidarity with the Iranian people, expressing hope for a future of freedom and better relations between the nations. Israel’s defense posture blends vigilance with restraint—keeping forces ready, refining air-defense and intelligence coordination, and ensuring rapid response capabilities…

The Israel Defense Forces announced on Tuesday that its troops had been attacked by a group of Hamas terrorists in the area of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, in a violation of the ceasefire agreement. Two Israeli soldiers were wounded in the ensuing firefight, but the IDF wasn’t sure whether the terrorists had managed to escape or not. On Wednesday morning, the military said that after conducting searches in the area of the firefight, six Hamas gunmen were found to have been killed during the engagement, and that multiple weapons were found on the fighters. The incident occurred on…

The IDF announced on Thursday that it had launched a wave of airstrikes in several areas in Lebanon. According to the military, the strikes are in response to Hezbollah’s repeated violations of the ceasefire understandings. Local media outlets reported that the strikes targeted the village of Sahmar in the western Bekaa valley, publishing footage of explosions in the village. Shortly before the strikes, IDF Arabic Language Spokesman Avichay Adraee issued a warning to residents of Sahmar, stating that the IDF “will attack in the near term infrastructure belonging to the terrorist Hezbollah and that to deal with its prohibited attempts…

The Lebanese army announced Thursday that it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, covering the area in the country’s south between the Israeli border and the Litani River. The announcement marked a potential milestone more than a year after a ceasefire ended a year-long war between the terror group and Israel. For decades, Hezbollah had been the most powerful force in Lebanon’s south. But Israel, which maintains a troop presence in a number of key locations in southern Lebanon to defend the border, was skeptical about the Lebanese claim. Continue reading this article on timesofisrael.com

On Friday, January 2, the IDF carried out strikes on several Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including a training compound used by the terror group’s Radwan Force and nearby weapons depots. Images from the Jezzine district showed smoke rising after Israeli planes targeted positions in the Rihan Heights as part of ongoing efforts to blunt cross-border threats. The army said the targets were linked to efforts by Hezbollah to regenerate capabilities near the frontier. Recent weeks have seen periodic escalations, with Israel emphasizing that strikes are aimed at preventing rearmament and deterring incursions while maintaining readiness along the northern border.…

The IDF struck terror operatives in the western part of Gaza City on Thursday afternoon, Palestinian sources reported a “belt of fire” following the attack, in retaliation for the second violation of the ceasefire in less than a day. Earlier Thursday, a rocket was fired from northern Gaza and fell inside the territory near Israeli military positions — a launch that the military said was “unsuccessful.” The IDF said it detected the rocket launch toward Israel, but the projectile landed inside Gaza near a hospital. In a rapid response, the military said it targeted the launch site. “The IDF strongly…

Golani Brigade troops uncovered a reinforced, walkable Hamas tunnel about half a mile from the Gaza fence opposite Kissufim after ground collapsed in heavy storms, raising concerns it was meant to move terrorists or hostages toward nearby refugee camp. The Israel Defense Forces has released the first documentation from inside a large Hamas tunnel uncovered near the Gaza border opposite Kibbutz Kissufim, after part of the ground collapsed during recent severe weather. In recent days, as weather conditions improved, the IDF renewed its examination of the tunnel, which was discovered about a week ago in central Gaza. Combat engineers from…

In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the possibility of moving to stage two in the Gaza peace plan, stating the main condition for this development as the disarmament of Hamas. According to Netanyahu, there are currently about 20,000 armed Hamas operatives in the Strip with Kalashnikov weapons, who, combined, possess roughly 60,000 weapons and use them against Gaza civilians who oppose their continued rule. “They kill a lot of people who don’t want them,” he said in the interview. “Disarmament means taking away all their weapons and disposing of them, as well as dismantling the hundreds…