IDF soldiers killed in Rafah, hostage talks to wait for operation to finish

The US military said on Friday it had destroyed seven Houthi radars, one drone and two uncrewed surface vessels in Yemen in the past 24 hours.

The move comes two days after a Greek-owned vessel was damaged in an attack by Houthi militants and left drifting in the Red Sea.

"These radars allow the Houthis to target maritime vessels and endanger commercial shipping," US Central Command said on the social media site X.

Yaakov Argamani, the father of rescued hostage Noa Argamani revealed he “knew” his daughter would return, despite believing Hamas does not want a deal, according to footage shown on N12’s report on Friday night.

During a meal held at the Chabad House in Tel Aviv, Yaakov Argamani said, "Deep inside, I knew Noa was coming back," followed by, "People always asked me what was happening, I said it's okay, it's a matter of a little time."

He recounted the moment when he learned that his daughter had been rescued from captivity in Gaza by Hamas, "It was such a powerful moment. When I received the message, I hit myself several times. I asked whether it was real. I thought I was about to wake up from a dream. Before they informed me, I made a wish that Noa would return, that her mother would see her at least one more time."

The Supreme Court did not yield to the state's response to a petition filed by the Adalah organization on behalf of the family of Walid Daqqah, and following a hearing held on Thursday. The court also instructed the state authorities, "To provide reasons why the deceased's body should not be released to the petitioners for immediate burial in Baqa al-Gharbiyye, according to the religious customs and beliefs of his family."

Despite the state's detailed response before the hearing to the justices Itzhak Amit and Alex Stein, they have given the state an additional month to clarify its position, and only then will they proceed with the process.

Daqqah was convicted in 1987 for kidnapping and murdering soldier Moshe Tamam. As a leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, he ordered the soldier's body to be sent to Syria for bargaining purposes. Daqqah – who was never affiliated with Hamas - passed away on April 7 of this year.

(JTA) - The Biden administration imposed sanctions Friday on an Israeli group for attacking humanitarian aid convoys destined for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, in the latest round of penalties against far-right Israelis accused by Washington of undermining efforts toward peace and stability. 

The group added to the US sanctions list is Tzav 9, which says aid should be stopped because it ends up in the hands of Hamas - a view shared by a majority of Israelis. 

For months, Tzav 9 activists have organized to block convoys, harass aid workers and damage aid trucks as well as goods meant to alleviate pervasive hunger and suffering in Gaza. The group’s name means Order 9 in Hebrew, a reference to the military’s order calling up reservists.

The war in Gaza has presented the IDF with new challenges, specifically Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones. On October 7, multiple drones breached Israel’s airspace, and since then, IDF ground forces have faced continuous threats of low-altitude drones, with the IDF announcing the operations of Spectrum Warfare teams in early June.

Spectrum Warfare teams operate covertly to disrupt a range of threats encountered by the IDF on the ground. Staff-Sergeant Y., Sergeant A., and Corporal Y. recently completed a two-week mission in Gaza, returning with three captured drones. 

"Our technology disrupts these devices," explains Sergeant A. Using terrain-adapted strategies and situational tactics, the soldiers deploy equipment to target drones and quickly neutralize threats.

The crew of a Greek-owned vessel damaged in an attack by Yemen's Houthis has been evacuated, and the abandoned ship is drifting in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Friday.

One sailor from Tutor, the Liberia-flagged coal carrier, remains missing, officials in the Philippines said.

The attack near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah on Wednesday caused severe flooding and damage to the engine room and left Tutor unable to maneuver.

Operations at the US humanitarian aid pier were shut down again on Friday night, US military officials announced. 

According to the officials, operations at the pier halted this time due to the rough waves expected in the Mediterranean Sea in the coming days.