Browsing: War in Israel

As ceasefire negotiations continue in Qatar, Hamas is reportedly demanding the release of Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for terrorist activities. Israeli officials maintain his name has not yet been formally presented in the talks. Barghouti is considered a unifying figure among Palestinians, and sources suggest Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar personally promised his wife to secure his release. Officials believe Barghouti could lead the PLO from exile and draw parallels to Yasser Arafat. The current truce proposal includes a 60-day ceasefire, release of Israeli hostages, and phased returns of Palestinian prisoners. Israel remains cautious, citing…

President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday visited the Gaza Strip for the first time since the start of the Oct. 7 “Iron Swords” War, where he met with military leaders and received a “full and detailed update” on humanitarian aid efforts in the enclave. Herzog was briefed on “the extensive efforts to ensure humanitarian aid reaches the people of Gaza – despite the danger, despite the pain of knowing our hostages are still held in brutal captivity,” he stated. President Herzog reiterated the position of the Israeli government emphasizing that “What is absolutely clear is that the true obstacle to humanitarian…

The IDF struck and eliminated the Hamas terrorist Muhammad al-‘Amour earlier today (Thursday) in the area of Khan Yunis. Al-‘Amour was responsible for the goods terminal at the Rafah Crossing. In this role, he oversaw the smuggling of hundreds of weapons and military equipment into the Gaza Strip, directly contributing to Hamas’ military buildup. Over the years, he played a key role in the smuggling network of Hamas’ military wing, coordinating and leading efforts to bring weapons into the Gaza Strip and to Hamas with the help of collaborators. Continue reading this article on israelnationalnews.com

According to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, ‘We have credible reason to believe that elements within the crowd – armed and affiliated with Hamas – deliberately fomented the unrest’ The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said that 20 people had been killed in its Khan Yunis aid distribution site on Wednesday, 19 of whom were trampled to death and another fatality who was stabbed. The US-backed organization said the incident occurred “amid a chaotic and dangerous surge, driven by agitators in the crowd. We have credible reason to believe that elements within the crowd – armed and affiliated with Hamas – deliberately fomented the…

Hamas rejected the latest 60-day cease-fire proposal with Israel on Saturday, stalling talks in Qatar while the terror group continues to push for maintaining greater territorial control in Gaza. Negotiations centered on a US-backed Qatari proposal for a temporary halt to hostilities and a partial release of hostages. Israel accepted the offer, but Hamas objected to IDF troop deployments. The latest maps show Israel keeping control of roughly one-third of Gaza, including a 1.86-mile buffer zone in Rafah. Hamas demands a total IDF withdrawal. The proposal would have released 10 hostages believed to be alive and returned the bodies of…

Israel will raise defense spending by NIS 42 billion ($12.5 billion) in 2025 and 2026, the finance and defense ministries said on Thursday, citing the ongoing wars and security challenges. The budget agreement will allow the Defense Ministry to “advance urgent and essential procurement deals critical to national security,” the ministries said in a statement. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the new defense budget “fully covers the intense fighting in Gaza, alongside comprehensive security preparations for all threats — from the south, the north, and more distant arenas.” Continue reading this article on timesofisrael.com

The IDF on Thursday struck and eliminated the terrorist Hassan Ahmad Sabra, a Naval Commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, in the area of Kfour in southern Lebanon. Additionally, a Hezbollah terrorist involved in attempts to reestablish terror infrastructure in the Al-Naqoura area in southern Lebanon was struck and eliminated. The IDF stated that terrorists’ activity constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. “The IDF will continue to operate in order to remove any threat posed to the state of Israel,” it added. Continue reading this article on israelnationalnews.com

Sirens sounded in several areas in Israel after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory early Thursday morning. The military announced that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) aerial defense systems were activated to intercept the threat, and several minutes later, the IDF said the missile was successfully intercepted. Following the interception, the Houthi rebel group claimed to have attacked Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv area with a ballistic missile. Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency response service said it had received no reports of injuries or damages from the launch.…

Romi Gonen, who was held captive by Hamas for more than a year, was released Thursday from Sheba Medical Center after five months of hospitalization and rehabilitation. Gonen, 25, was seriously wounded during the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on Oct. 7 and abducted to Gaza, where she remained without proper medical treatment for over a year. Since her return to Israel as part of a hostage release deal in January, she has undergone two major surgeries at Sheba and is expected to return in the coming months for a third. “I’ve been in Israel for almost six months now,…

A senior Israeli official said Thursday that Israeli intelligence shows that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium had not been removed from Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan before the three nuclear sites were struck by the US last month amid Israel’s 12-day war with Iran, and has not been moved since. The stockpiles of some 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent had not moved, the unnamed official told Reuters. The official suggested, however, that the Iranians might still be able to gain access to the enriched uranium at Isfahan but that it would be very difficult to remove…