Sartaba, or Alexandrium in Latin, is an ancient hilltop fortress located approximately 2,100 feet above sea level, between Beit She’an in the north and the capital Jerusalem, and built by the Hasmoneans in the first century BCE.

By Amelie Botbol, JNS

The flag of the Jewish state was raised for the first time at Mount Sartaba in the Jordan Valley, the site of an ancient Hasmonean fortress, during a ceremony led by Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu on Monday.

The ministry’s move was part of a series of symbolic actions across Judea and Samaria aimed at strengthening Israel’s hold on heritage sites in the historically Jewish but often disputed area.

“We are raising the flag in Sartaba, one of the most significant points for controlling the Jordan Valley,” Eliyahu said in a video posted to social media.

“From here, our ancestors entered the Land of Israel. From here, the Hasmoneans guarded the border, the gateway to the land—security for the Jordan Valley. Here we tell the story of this people,” he continued.

“We at the Heritage Ministry, together with the [Defense Ministry Civil Administration’s] Archaeology Unit, are not only content with words, but take action,” the minister said. “When there is presence, there is Jewish strength.”

Sartaba, or Alexandrium in Latin, is an ancient hilltop fortress located approximately 2,100 feet above sea level, between Beit She’an in the north and the capital Jerusalem, and built by the Hasmoneans in the first century BCE.

During the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods, Mount Sartaba served as a key station in a chain of beacon fires used to signal the sanctification of the new month from Jerusalem to Jewish communities in Babylon, a practice dating back to the Second Temple period (539 BCE–70 CE).

“The message is that we are retaking what is ours,” Eliyahu told JNS.

The minister said that on the first day of the month of Nissan, which this years falls on March 19, he plans to “renew on the summit the custom of lighting torches as in the days of the Mishnah: lighting a fire that, then and now, conveys a clear message to the Jews of the world: The people of Israel are alive, and they are marching throughout their historic land.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has headed an unprecedented drive to expand Israel’s hold on Judea and Samaria.

As of Jan. 1, 2026, 529,704 Jews lived in Judea and Samaria, amounting to approximately 5.28% of the Jewish state’s population.

Nearly 70% of Israeli citizens want Jerusalem to extend full legal sovereignty over the region, according to a poll conducted on Jan. 29, 2025.

Fifty-eight percent of Israeli Jews believe that communities in Judea and Samaria contribute to the security of the country, according to a survey the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) published on March 11, 2025.

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Hinting at possible war, government minister says Israel already has assets operating on the ground inside Iran.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli agents are already operating on the ground inside Iran, an Israeli government minister said Thursday morning, hinting at the possibility of a new conflict between the two countries.

Speaking with Galei Tzahal, Israel’s army radio, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu (Otzma Yehudit) discussed Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June and the preparations Israeli assets operating in the Islamic Republic made to help facilitate the air campaign.

“When we attacked in Iran during [Operation] ‘Rising Lion,’ we were on its soil and knew how to lay the groundwork for a strike,” Eliyahu said.

The minister then added that Israel has agents operating in Iran at this time.

“I can assure you that we have some of our people operating there right now.”

Eliyahu went on to say that the scope of Israel’s operations inside Iran is limited to defensive missions aimed at preventing Iran from striking Israel.

“Are they now acting directly to topple the regime? No. Are they acting to ensure that Iran cannot threaten us from all other aspects? Yes.”

On Wednesday, Iran executed a man accused of working as a Mossad agent.

The suspected spy, Ali Ardestani, was hanged after the Iranian Supreme Court upheld his death sentence for allegedly relaying sensitive information to Israel’s intelligence agency.

Days earlier, Iranian authorities arrested a man accused of recruiting operatives for the Mossad.

A day before the Galei Tzahal interview, the Shin Bet security agency assigned a security detail to Minister Eliyahu, in response to threats against his life.

The minister will, for the time being, be transported exclusively in an armored vehicle.

Arutz Sheva, which broke the story, did not provide details on the threats facing Eliyahu.

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Eliyahu: “The government is moving forward to wipe out Gaza,” he said. “Thank God, we’re removing this evil. Eventually, all of Gaza will be Jewish.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel’s Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu spoke Thursday on Kol Berama radio, addressing Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip.

He defended the government’s approach, insisting it targets only those who pose a threat to Israeli lives. “We’re not acting out of racism,” Eliyahu stated. “We are fighting people who want to kill us.”

Eliyahu went further, expressing a radical vision for the future of Gaza. “The government is moving forward to wipe out Gaza,” he said. “Thank God, we’re removing this evil. Eventually, all of Gaza will be Jewish.”

Responding to growing international concern over hunger in the region, Eliyahu dismissed reports of famine as part of a broader effort to pressure Israel.

“This is their campaign,” he claimed. “There are plenty of aid trucks in Gaza. Let the international community take care of them.”

Drawing a striking historical comparison, Eliyahu said, “The British didn’t feed the Nazis during World War II. That’s how a country defends itself. We are not responsible for feeding Gaza.”

A number of government ministers have urged Israel to take control of Gaza after the war, notably Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Last November, during a Religious Zionist Party meeting, he declared, “It’s time to take control of Gaza and strip Hamas of its civilian authority, cutting off its lifeline,” he stated.

Smotrich pointed out the fall of Assad’s regime to rebel forces as inspiration to take swift and decisive action against Hamas.

“We’ve seen in Syria how regime leaders scatter like rats once they realize they’ve lost control. The same can happen in Gaza. We’re close—we’ve already made substantial progress. We need to take the next step to achieve a decisive and clear victory,” Smotrich said.

He also condemned partial hostage deals that only release a few at a time rather than all of the captives at once.

Instead of negotiating partial deals that leave hostages behind, undermine the progress we’ve made in the war, and reduce our chances of victory, we must push forward. We must stop fearing the unknown and do what is necessary,” he said.

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Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu suspended from government, claims he did not suggest Israel should literally nuke Gaza.

By JNS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday suspended Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu for suggesting that dropping a nuclear bomb on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip was within the realm of possibility.

Netanyahu has barred Eliyahu from attending Cabinet meetings indefinitely.

“Amichai Eliyahu’s words are detached from reality. Israel and the IDF are acting in accordance with the highest standards of international law in order to prevent harm to uninvolved people, and we will continue to do that all the way to victory,” said Netanyahu in a statement.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid similarly took Eliyahu to task, describing the claim as “a horrifying and insane remark by an irresponsible minister.”

With his remark, “[Eliyahu] offended the families of the [241 Gaza] captives, offended Israeli society and harmed our international standing,” said Lapid, adding: “Netanyahu must fire him this morning.”

Eliyahu subsequently walked back his statement, arguing that “it is clear to all sensible people that the statement about the atom [bomb] is metaphorical.”

However, he continued, “A strong and disproportionate response to terrorism is definitely required, which will clarify to the Nazis and their supporters that terrorism is not worthwhile. This is the only formula that democratic states can use to deal with terrorism.

“At the same time, it is clear that the State of Israel is committed to doing everything possible to return the hostages safe and sound,” he said.

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