Browsing: War in Israel

A massive wildfire broke out on Wednesday in Israel in the forests between Eshtaol and Latrun, west of Jerusalem, forcing evacuations and road closures as thousands gathered across the Jewish state for Memorial Day observances. Fanned by high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds, the fire, believed to have been set intentionally, spread rapidly through multiple locations across Israel. “It’s a terror attack on Israel,” Eli Beer, president of the United Hatzalah emergency response organization, told The Media Line. He noted that fires were started in 20 separate locations. A security source also confirmed to The Media Line that a…

An Arab source told i24NEWS that Hamas has submitted to Egypt a proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip “in which it would give up its heavy weapons” such as rockets. Inn addition, it would give up on “tunnel digging, training, recruitment, development of warfare means and the like.” Hamas would be willing to deposit its stockpile, which includes medium and long-range missiles, “under the supervision and control of Egypt,” said the source, based on senior sources in Hamas. “However, the organization refuses to deposit what it calls ‘personal weapons’ and ‘defensive weapons,’ including sniper weapons, explosives, and short-range rockets.” Hamas,…

Hamas told Arab mediators last week that it is willing to enter a long-term truce with Israel during which it would halt all military operations, including the development of weapons and the digging of tunnels, two officials familiar with the matter told Israeli media on Sunday, April 20. The truce would be part of a comprehensive deal that the terror group is seeking to end the Gaza war sparked by its October 7, 2023, onslaught, a senior Palestinian official and a diplomat from an Arab mediating country said. Hamas is also willing to cede governing control of Gaza to an…

The head of U.S. Central Command arrived in Israel on Thursday for high-level talks, as talks between Washington and Tehran on the latter’s nuclear program continue. Gen. Michael Kurilla’s visit comes as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza and conducts strikes in Lebanon and Syria, while the U.S. carries out a campaign against Houthi targets in Yemen. Meanwhile, Washington is quietly engaging Tehran in renewed efforts to reach a nuclear agreement—an effort Israeli officials view with growing alarm. Israeli defense and political leaders continue to treat Iran’s nuclear program as their most urgent national security threat. Kurilla’s trip, seen…

The Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, conducted a field tour and situational assessment in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip. He was accompanied by Major General Yaniv Asor, Commanding Officer of the Southern Command; Brigadier General Moran Omer, Commanding Officer of the 36th Division; Brigadier General Barak Hiram, Commanding Officer of the Gaza Division; and other senior commanders. During the visit, LTG Zamir met with soldiers on the ground, expressed his appreciation for their dedication, and was briefed on operational plans for ongoing defensive and offensive actions. In his remarks, LTG Zamir stated: “We continue…

Survivor Tal Shoham shared the story of his captivity in the Gaza Strip with the Associated Press on Thursday, detailing his capture and torment by terrorists. Shoham recounted that he felt “many times that I separated from life and … tried to accept death. There are so many ways to die there.” About half of his time in captivity was spend in apartments above ground and about half in tunnels. Shoham discovered at one point that his wife and children, who were released in the first hostage release deal after 50 days in captivity, were still alive. He received a letter from…

Troops of the Golani Brigade have been operating in the Rafah area to locate and dismantle Hamas terrorist infrastructure both above and below ground. During the operation, IDF troops located a tunnel shaft belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization within a compound that had previously served as a kindergarten, and approximately 100 meters from another compound that had previously served as a civilian school in the Rafah area. Troops of the Yahalom Unit, under the Golani Brigade’s command, examined the tunnel shaft, which led to a booby-trapped underground route stretching for dozens of meters and connecting to a central route…

Hamas is facing a severe financial crisis in the Gaza Strip, unable to pay salaries to its fighters and government workers as targeted Israeli strikes and a halt in humanitarian aid have drained its resources, according to officials and analysts. The terror group has been left nearly bankrupt following a series of Israeli assassinations of key political, military and administrative figures, as well as the suspension of aid deliveries that officials say Hamas had diverted and resold for profit. The crisis has disrupted the group’s operations and exposed growing dysfunction, with intelligence officials telling The Wall Street Journal that salary…

Member of Knesset (Israeli parliament) Zvi Sukkot  of the Religious Zionism party visited and prayed on the Temple Mount on Thursday, despite a ban on Jewish prayer at the religious site. Afterwards, he wrote on his X account that he was “privileged to ascend in honor of the holiday,” as his visit coincided with Passover. He said the visit was marked by his “tremendous gratitude for miracles and victories, and in deep-hearted prayer for all the missing to be returned and for a crushing victory in the war.” The Temple Mount administration reported this is the first time Sukkot has…

The IDF and ISA confirmed on Thursday that earlier in the week, they struck and eliminated in the area of Khan Yunis the terrorist Yahya Fathi Abd al-Qader Abu Shaar, the head of Hamas’ weapons smuggling network. The IDF explained that in recent years, the terrorist had operated to smuggle weapons and military equipment used by Hamas into the Gaza Strip. These arms were also used during the October 7th massacre carried out by Hamas. Last week, the IDF and ISA struck and eliminated, in the area of Khan Yunis, the terrorist Mazen Ibrahim Mahfouz Farra, a key Islamic Jihad…