IDF announces fallen soldier, Israel kills senior terrorists in West Bank
Al-Hayya reportedly takes helm of Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades • IDF strikes terrorists in Gaza, journalists reported among those hit
WATCH: IDF demolishes an underground tunnel in Jabalya, northern Gaza.
IDF announces fallen soldier Captain (res.) Amit Levi, killed in Gaza
The IDF said Captain Levi's funeral would be held on Thursday at the Mount Herzl military cemetery.
Captain (res.) Amit Levi, 35, from kibbutz Shomria, was killed during combat in Gaza, the IDF announced on Thursday.
Levi was a fighter in the 6551st Patrol Battalion of the 551st Brigade. He fell in central Gaza.
Go to the full article >>Al-Hayya takes helm of Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades as talks near 'finish line' - report
The al-Qassam Brigades field leadership has committed to providing al-Hayya with its full support, Al Araby Al Jadeed cited the Hamas official as saying.
As hostage deal and ceasefire negotiations approach "the finish line," Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya has taken the helm of the terror group's military wing, the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, a senior Hamas official told the UK-based Qatari news organization, Al Araby Al Jadeed, on Wednesday.
Al-Hayya is Hamas’s top negotiator in the talks and serves as the organization’s senior leader in Gaza.
The al-Qassam Brigades field leadership has committed to providing al-Hayya with its full support, Al Araby Al Jadeed cited the Hamas official as saying.
Go to the full article >>IDF strikes Hamas, PIJ terrorists in Gaza, journalists reported among those hit
Israel's military said that the Hamas terrorists it hit exploited the area to "plan and execute an explosive drone attack."
Israeli aircraft and artillery struck Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza on Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning, the IDF reported.
After both these strikes, Arab media and Reuters claimed that journalists were killed.
Go to the full article >>Israel eliminates senior West Bank terrorists in two-day operation
The IDF, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and Israel Border Police completed a two-day joint counter-terrorism operation in the West Bank, the military said on Thursday morning.
During the operation, an Israel Air Force aircraft struck a number of armed terrorist cells on several occasions, the IDF added.
The military identified the terrorists it killed as Qusai Amin Ibrahim Oqasha, a senior terrorist in the Tulkarm terrorist network. Oqasha replaced the terrorist Tarek Doush, who was eliminated last week in a joint IDF and Shin Bet aerial strike.
Along with Oqasha, the terrorists Jomaa Salam Ubaid and Imran Harun, another senior terrorist in the network, were reportedly killed.
The IDF added that its soldiers killed two additional terrorists during "close-quarter encounters." The forces also "dismantled dozens of improvised explosive devices hidden beneath roads, apprehended a number of suspects, and confiscated weapons."
Go to the full article >>Bethlehem municipality downplays Christmas celebrations for second year in a row
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa greeted the crowd in Bethlehem in the West Bank Tuesday, where he led the annual Christmas Eve procession to the Church of the Nativity.
The basilica was devoid of decorations and lacked a Christmas tree. Children marching in the cortege held up signs reading, “We want life, not death,” and “Stop the Gaza genocide now!”
This is the second subsequent year that the Bethlehem municipality has elected to downplay Christmas celebrations.
Go to the full article >>Women as slaves, children shown footage of Oct. 7: Israel to submit UN hostage abuse report - N12
Along with highlighting the abuse suffered by hostages in Hamas captivity, the report also outlined hostages' struggles after their release and return home.
Israel has drafted an official report to be submitted to the United Nations that details the abuse inflicted upon hostages who survived Hamas captivity, N12 news site reported on Wednesday.
The report specifically outlines the conditions of hostages released in the November 2023 deal, the Israeli media outlet noted.
N12 stated that the report includes extensive testimonies from released hostages who were deliberately separated from their family members who were also taken hostage on October 7.
Go to the full article >>Netanyahu at candle-lighting: The Houthis will learn what Hamas, Hezbollah, and others understood
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during the official candle-lighting on Wednesday evening that the Houthis will learn from what Hamas, Hezbollah, the Assad Regime, and others have understood.
החות'ים ילמדו את מה שלמדו החמאס, חיזבאללה, משטר אסד ואחרים. חנוכה שמח! pic.twitter.com/4tjZA3AGCQ
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) December 25, 2024
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Katz: Security control over Philadelphi Corridor will remain in IDF hands
Katz stated that there would be "no Hamas governance in Gaza," adding that this will be an entirely different reality.
Defense Minister Israel Katz affirmed that security in the Philadelphi Corridor and throughout Gaza would remain in IDF hands when he visited the Philadelphi Corridor on Wednesday.
"I came for a visit within Gaza," Katz explained in the footage as he stood at the Philadelphi Corridor wearing a bulletproof vest. He added that the reason for the trip was "to meet the commanders and soldiers who were doing incredible work."
Katz then stated that Israel would allow no Hamas governance at the Phildephi Corridor or throughout Gaza.
"Security will remain in the hands of the IDF, which will be able to act in any way necessary to eliminate threats, prevent tunneling, disrupt terror infrastructure, and thwart terrorist organizations attempting to harm Israel or IDF soldiers," Katz said.
Go to the full article >>IDF strikes Hamas terrorists in Gaza City area
The IDF and IAF conducted a precise strike on Hamas terrorists located in Gaza City, Israel's military said on Wednesday evening.
It added that the terrorists it struck exploited the area they were in to execute an "explosive drone attack against IDF troops in an imminent time frame."
It also noted that before the strike on the terrorists, various steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians.
Go to the full article >>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 at the Re'im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities
- 100 hostages remain in Gaza
- 49 hostages in total have been killed in captivity, IDF says
- The IDF launched a ground invasion of Lebanon on September 30
- The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire came into effect on November 27 at 4:00 a.m.