Israel-Hamas War Day 258: What is happening in Gaza, Lebanon border?
Is Israel's energy sector prepared to deal with war with Hezbollah? • IDF observers share what they saw four days before Oct. 7 • Findings of Oct. 7 IDF probe leaked
New Defense Ministry program seeks to prepare, recruit diaspora youth for IDF
The Defense and Diaspora Ministry is seeking local operators for its new program to encourage recruitment to the IDF, including combat units.
The Defense Ministry is launching a new program to prepare and encourage the recruitment of diaspora Jewish youth to the IDF, according to a joint open call for operation tenders by Defense and Diaspora Ministries.
The ministries are hoping to increase the number of recruits for combat and important roles in the military.
The 12-week program for youth aged 18-21 would prepare and strengthen their connection to Israel by familiarizing them with the country and heritage sites, introducing them to Israeli society, deepening Jewish Zionist identity, Hebrew language lessons, and physical and mental preparation for military service.
Go to the full article >>Hezbollah war alert level rising: Is the IDF ready to fight in Lebanon? - analysis
Amos Hochstein, Biden's mediator for Israel-Lebanon, declared negotiations with Hezbollah futile. Tensions rise as conflict strategies evolve; IDF prepares for potential escalation.
Amos Hochstein, the envoy and mediator of the Biden administration for the Israeli-Lebanese conflict, raised the alert level in Israel on Wednesday when he announced that his efforts toward agreement between Israel and Hezbollah had reached a dead end.
Hezbollah insisted throughout the months of fighting that as long as the fighting in the Gaza Strip continues, it will keep attacking the Israeli home front. In a few weeks, the intense fighting in Rafah will end, and the IDF should transition to intelligence-based raids against terrorist activities.
However, the emerging security situation will compel the Israeli government to make decisions about the future of the conflict with Hezbollah. Options include but are not limited to waiting for a diplomatic development, escalating the fighting, or launching a full-scale war against the Shiite organization in Lebanon. This arena could see the involvement of Iran, the Houthis from Yemen, and Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria.
Go to the full article >>Only 50 hostages are still alive in Gaza, US officials say - Wall Street Journal
Only 50 out of the remaining 120 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza are believed to still be alive, the American Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday morning, citing US officials.
Go to the full article >>AOC: Congress supports Israel out of fear of AIPAC, not 'conscience'
US Congress votes in support of Israel "from fear" of AIPAC rather than from "conscience," US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.
An unspoken secret in Congress is that much of the reflexive, blind, unconditional vote support for nearly any Israeli gov action isn’t from actual agreement.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 19, 2024
It’s from fear.
Reps are terrified of this ⬇️. Of AIPAC. So they don’t vote their conscience. They vote their fear. https://t.co/0MmZnUtBTH
Go to the full article >>
Jake Sullivan to meet with Ron Dremer and Tzachi Hanegbi
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will meet with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dremer and head of the National Security Council Tzachi Hanegbi, KAN News reported on Thursday.
Go to the full article >>IDF troops arrest senior Hamas official Aziz Dweik in Hebron
Dweik is the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, a position he has held since 2006.
IDF troops arrested senior Hamas official Aziz Dweik in the West Bank city of Hebron, Israeli state broadcaster KAN reported on Thursday morning, citing Palestinian reports.
Dweik is the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, a position he has held since 2006. In 2009, Hamas stated that he should be treated as the acting president of the Palestinian Authority.
In response to Dweik's arrest, Hamas released a statement condemning the Israeli move.
Go to the full article >>'The gov't abandons them time and time again': Hostage families block Ayalon North
Families of hostages and women's rights activists blocked the northbound lanes of the Ayalon Highway under the La Guardia interchange in Tel Aviv on Thursday morning.
"120 hostages are still held by Hamas in Gaza, yet the most urgent issues on the agenda are political deals, draft exemptions, and rabbi appointments. Government of Israel, the Cabinet - wake up!" the protesters stated.
"There are hostages in Gaza who see on the news the people fighting for them while the government abandons them time and again for petty politics. The Prime Minister, who yesterday called on his ministers to get a grip, has himself not had a grip for 258 days. A deal - now."
Go to the full article >>Netanyahu: US promised to lift hold on ammunition, weapons
The Defense Ministry said that Netanyahu's speech attacking the US regarding disputes over the pace of weapons transfers took the entire defense establishment by surprise.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office said on Tuesday that the US is expected to lift its hold on the shipment of ammunition and weapons designated for the IDF
He made these statements one day after the Israeli leader accused the Biden administration of preventing the delivery of those arms.
Go to the full article >>US humanitarian pier may be rebuilt this week, unclear if WFP seems safe to restart distribution
On multiple days last week, food collected in the marshalling area on the shore without any aid organizations available for distribution.
The UN said that it's uncertain if the World Food Programme will greenlight the resumption of its operations to deliver food to Gaza through the US humanitarian pier off the enclave's coast.
However, two US officials later told Reuters that the floating pier is expected to resume operations on Thursday.
Go to the full article >>US military says it strikes targets in Houthi-controlled area of Yemen
The US military said on Wednesday it had destroyed one ground control station and one command and control node in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.
Go to the full article >>Israel-Hamas war: What you need to know
Hamas launched a massive attack on October 7, with thousands of terrorists infiltrating from the Gaza border and taking some 240 hostages into Gaza
Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, including over 350 in the Re'im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities
120 hostages remain in Gaza
43 hostages in total have been killed in captivity, IDF says