US President Donald Trump has given Lebanon the deadline of December 31 to disarm Hezbollah and other terror groups in the country.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel halted a planned strike against Hezbollah on Saturday evening after the Lebanese army moved quickly to address the threat, marking the first time the IDF has canceled an operation almost in real time due to action by Lebanese forces.

The incident began around 3 p.m., when the IDF issued a public warning that it intended to target Hezbollah operatives embedded in a residential area of the southern Lebanese village of Yanua.

Such notices are typically followed within hours by an airstrike, allowing civilians time to leave the area.

Instead, several hours later, the IDF released a second, unusual update saying that shortly after the warning was issued, the Lebanese army requested additional time to intervene. Israeli officials said the military is monitoring whether Lebanese forces fully neutralize the Hezbollah presence at the site.

Senior IDF officials told The Jerusalem Post earlier this year that the Lebanese army had shown notable improvement in dismantling remaining Hezbollah weapons and positions in southern Lebanon.

That assessment, however, has shifted in recent months, with Israeli officials saying progress has stalled, prompting Israel to step up operations inside Lebanon.

The incident comes just over a year since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. In spite of the truce, Israel has continued strikes against Hezbollah as the terror group refuses to disarm.

Responding to criticism over military action in Lebanon, Israeli officials have insisted that dealing with terror threats does not violate the truce and Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm as well as the Lebanese army’s failure to deal with terror threats require Israel to defend itself.

Last week, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter urged Beirut to pursue peace and help disarm Hezbollah, speaking in a video interview with the English‑language outlet This Is Beirut.

“It’s very important for me to reach out to the people of Lebanon and let you know that we very much want to pursue peace with you. We want to live together in peace and harmony,” Jerusalem’s envoy said in a recorded address.

US President Donald Trump has given Lebanon the deadline of December 31 to disarm Hezbollah and other terror groups in the country.

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The IDF said the site served as a hub for weapons instruction, live-fire drills and other combat training designed to support future terror operations.

By World Israel News Staff

Shortly before midnight Monday, IAF jets launched a series of airstrikes across southern Lebanon, striking Hezbollah infrastructure roughly 20 to 30 kilometers north of the Israeli border, including areas north of the Litani River in the Nabatieh region. According to the IDF, the operation was conducted by Northern Command together with the Air Force as part of Israel’s ongoing enforcement strikes.

The targets included a major training and qualification compound used by Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, the elite unit responsible for preparing attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians. The IDF said the site served as a hub for weapons instruction, live-fire drills and other combat training designed to support future terror operations. Additional military buildings and a launch site used to advance Hezbollah attack plans were also hit.

A security official said Israel is continuing its routine enforcement strikes, noting that the military will act wherever necessary to prevent Hezbollah from strengthening its capabilities.

Local authorities in the Upper Galilee urged residents to remain calm, stressing that there was no change in the security assessment. “At this time and for several hours, the IDF is striking in southern Lebanon. Explosions may be heard in the Western Galilee, the Eastern Galilee and even the northern Golan. There is no change in the assessment or in instructions for the civilian population. Daily routine continues throughout the region,” the message stated.

Tensions along Israel’s northern border have been rising steadily over the last few months. Israeli assessments indicate that Hezbollah has continued to expand its capabilities in Lebanon, rebuilding its ranks and replenishing missiles smuggled from Syria. Within the defense establishment, there is growing concern that the situation could develop into a prolonged campaign if conditions do not change.

Amid these developments, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Israel last week with Morgan Ortagus, President Donald Trump’s envoy for Lebanon affairs, to review the situation along the border. Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder also participated. The meeting came a year after the Lebanon ceasefire, which many view as increasingly fragile.

A security official offered a blunt assessment in comments to The Jerusalem Post: “If there is no dramatic change by the end of the agreement period, another round of fighting in the north is almost inevitable.”

The IDF stated that it will continue to act as necessary to remove threats against Israel.

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Nasrallah had led Hezbollah for 32 years, overseeing the murder of Israeli civilians and soldiers and orchestrating attacks worldwide.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The IDF’s Intelligence Directorate disclosed Saturday night that Hassan Nasrallah, the late leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, spent his final days inside a bunker constructed with Iranian technology and didn’t realize he was next on Israel’s list for assassination.

The report comes exactly a year after the leader of the Lebanese terror group was killed by an Israeli strike

According to the Directorate, Nasrallah remained in the underground facility following the elimination of senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil and after Israel’s “beeper” operation targeting the group’s communications network.

Despite warnings, he chose not to relocate, continuing to plan counterattacks and attempting to rebuild the organization’s capabilities.

Each effort, officials said, was thwarted by Israeli forces.

The bunker, described as one of Hezbollah’s most secretive and compartmentalized sites, was identified through years of intelligence gathering.

On September 27, 2024, at 18:21, as part of Operation “New Order,” the Israeli Air Force struck the site with 83 bombs simultaneously, killing Nasrallah along with Ali Karkhi, commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front, and additional senior terrorists.

IAF commander Tomer Bar, speaking after the strike, said: “We will reach them all, continue with the same professionalism, maintain the same composure, we are on the right path.”

Nasrallah had led Hezbollah for 32 years, overseeing the murder of Israeli civilians and soldiers and orchestrating attacks worldwide.

He played a central role in directing terrorist operations across multiple countries and was regarded as the organization’s strategic decision-maker.

Hezbollah joined Hamas in its war against Israel on October 8, 2023, launching daily attacks from Lebanon that drew the region into wider conflict.

The IDF said Nasrallah’s refusal to leave his Iranian-built bunker highlighted the effectiveness of its intelligence and the precision of its targeting campaign.

The strike marked one of the most significant blows to Hezbollah in decades, removing its long-serving leader and several top commanders, while reinforcing Israel’s vow to continue dismantling the group’s military capabilities.

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The Trump administration has acknowledged that reaching a new deal will be difficult without Qatar’s participation.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Qatar demands that Israel issue an apology for the attempted strike against Hamas leaders in Doha earlier this month and a return to negotiations over a new ceasefire–hostage agreement, two sources familiar with the matter told N12 on Saturday.

Qatar has been the central mediator between Israel, Hamas, and the United States since the October 7, 2023 assault, when 251 people were abducted in Hamas’s cross-border rampage.

Through Qatari involvement, several agreements have been reached, resulting in the release of hostages, rescue operations, and the recovery of remains. Despite these efforts, 48 Israelis remain in captivity nearly two years later.

The Trump administration has acknowledged that reaching a new deal will be difficult without Qatar’s participation.

However, frustration in Doha has grown since the strike in the Qatari capital, carried out with U.S. knowledge, which targeted Hamas leaders after months of stalled talks.

According to the sources, Hamas had demanded international guarantees for a permanent end to the war in exchange for releasing hostages — terms that Israel rejected as unacceptable because they would allow the terror group to remain armed and in control of Gaza.

The breakdown of those talks was followed by the Israeli strike, which triggered Doha’s demand for an apology.

One source said Qatar is “waiting for an apology” and may be flexible on its wording, recognizing the political challenges such a concession would pose for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allies.

At the same time, the source noted that it is unclear whether an Israeli apology would affect Doha’s consideration of legal action at the International Court of Justice over the strike.

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A draft resolution from a summit in Qatar warned that Israel’s actions could jeopardize present and future normalization efforts with Arab nations, including existing agreements.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Qatar’s prime minister accused Israel of “state terrorism” over last week’s strike in Doha but nonetheless said his country would continue to act as a mediator for a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who also serves as foreign minister, said the September 9 attack targeting Hamas leaders was an “attack against the principle of mediation itself.”

He made his comments Sunday during a preparatory session for an Arab-Islamic emergency summit scheduled for the next day in the Qatari capital.

“This attack can only be described as state terrorism, an approach pursued by the current extremist Israeli government, which flouts international law,” Al-Thani said.

He argued that it was time for the international community to impose consequences on Israel, calling for punishment over what he described as crimes.

“It is time for the international community to stop applying double standards and punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed,” he said in remarks later released from the closed-door meeting.

However, he emphasized that Doha, together with Egypt and the United States, would not abandon mediation efforts.

Foreign ministers drafting a resolution ahead of the summit condemned Israel’s actions as a destabilizing escalation. A draft seen by Reuters criticized Israeli policies and warned that they could undermine peace and coexistence. However, the text stopped short of outlining diplomatic or economic penalties, leaving room for changes before leaders convene on Monday.

An updated version of the draft resolution went further, warning that Israel’s strike in Doha and continued actions could jeopardize present and future normalization efforts with Arab nations, including existing agreements.

In Jerusalem, President Isaac Herzog urged Israel to preserve its regional relationships despite disagreements.

Speaking at a national memorial, he said, “Israel must act diplomatically and with public diplomacy, with purpose and determination, not neglecting any arena, speaking with everyone, and being proactive. We must not forsake our ties. We must not burn our bridges.”

He acknowledged growing hostility toward Israel but stressed the importance of maintaining strategic and economic partnerships, with a source from his office pointing in particular to the United Arab Emirates.

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Netanyahu’s remarks framed Hamas’s senior command abroad as a persistent barrier to any diplomatic breakthrough and signaled that Israel intends to keep pursuing them.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to suggest that Israel did not manage to kill Hamas leaders in Doha when he referred to them in the present tense and said eliminating them would be a step towards a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages, in an X post on Saturday.

“The Hamas terrorist chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza,” he said, accusing the group’s leadership of blocking ceasefire efforts “in order to drag out the war endlessly.” He added that eliminating them would remove “the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war.”

Since the strike on Tuesday, Israel has not confirmed or denied that the operation killed Hamas leaders. Hamas has claimed Israel’s operation failed and that its leaders are still alive.

The remarks framed Hamas’s senior command abroad as a persistent barrier to any diplomatic breakthrough and signaled that Israel intends to keep pursuing them.

Netanyahu’s comments followed an Israeli strike in Doha on Tuesday that prompted international criticism.

By Wednesday, Israeli security officials expressed pessimism that the strike had eliminated Hamas leaders.

“Right now there’s no indication that the terrorists were killed,” an anonymous official told Channel 12, while cautioning that the battle damage review was still underway.

Ynet cited intelligence figures who expressed doubt that the strike killed all or any of the Hamas leaders.

However, one source said the operation conveyed a broader message to Hamas leaders that they can’t hide from Israel.

Hamas has asserted that its leaders survived the attack. Israeli authorities have not publicly confirmed either fatalities or survivals pending completion of their review.

President Donald Trump criticized the strike on Hamas leaders, posting on Truth Social that it “does not advance Israel or America’s goals.” He added that eliminating Hamas remained “a worthy goal.”

Trump stated that the US military had alerted him ahead of the operation and that he had sent envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar, but the warning arrived too late.

Reports said the Hamas officials were meeting at the time to discuss a US-backed hostage agreement when the strike took place.

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Pressed on whether sanctions were under consideration, the foreign minister replied, “We will continue to evaluate our next steps.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Canada is reassessing its ties with Israel following the attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters during a Liberal Party meeting in Edmonton, Anand described the strike as “unacceptable,” noting that Qatar has been involved in efforts to mediate the conflict.

“We are evaluating our relationship with Israel,” she said. Pressed on whether sanctions were under consideration, she replied, “We will continue to evaluate our next steps.”

Her remarks followed moves in Europe, where the European Commission said it would propose suspending trade-related provisions in its agreement with Israel.

Questions have since arisen over whether Canada could take similar measures.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has also criticized Israel’s recent actions.

On Tuesday, he called the Doha strike “an intolerable expansion of violence” that risked further escalation across the region.

He has previously said that Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City was “wrong.”

The Israeli strike targeted Hamas’s political leadership in Doha, killing several members of the group but leaving senior figures alive.

Hamas confirmed that the son of senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya was among the dead. Qatar, which reported one of its own security forces was killed, denounced Israel and announced the withdrawal of its mediators from hostage talks.

The incident triggered swift diplomatic activity, with regional leaders visiting Qatar in a show of solidarity.

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President Trump distances himself from Israeli airstrikes on Hamas meeting in Doha, says Netanyahu made the decision without him but suggests bombing could “serve as an opportunity for peace.”

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

President Donald Trump distanced himself from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to strike Hamas terrorists gathering in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday and claimed he had sought to give Qatar advance warning of the attack.

In his first public comments on the Israeli strikes, Trump said Israel had conducted the bombing “unilaterally.”

The president called the location of Israel’s attacks “unfortunate,” while also emphasizing that the killing of Hamas leaders was a “worthy goal.”

“This morning, the Trump Administration was notified by the United States Military that Israel was attacking Hamas which, very unfortunately, was located in a section of Doha, the Capital of Qatar,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account Tuesday.

“This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me. Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals. However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”

Trump claimed he instructed his Mideast envoy to warn Qatar of the incoming Israeli strikes but did not say whether he received advance notice from Jerusalem.

“I immediately directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did, however, unfortunately, too late to stop the attack. I view Qatar as a strong Ally and friend of the U.S., and feel very badly about the location of the attack. I want ALL of the Hostages, and bodies of the dead, released, and this War to END, NOW!”

Doha said the US did not notify them of the strikes until after the bombing had already begun.

Shortly after the attack, Trump spoke with Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

Following his conversation with the Israeli premier, Trump said that the “unfortunate” attack could nevertheless serve as an “opportunity for peace.”

“I also spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu after the attack. The Prime Minister told me that he wants to make Peace. I believe this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for PEACE. I also spoke to the Emir and Prime Minister of Qatar, and thanked them for their support and friendship to our Country,” Trump wrote.

“I assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil. I have directed Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to finalize the Defense Cooperation Agreement with Qatar. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Tuesday’s airstrikes, which targeted a gathering of Hamas’ most senior leaders in Doha, killed six people, according to a statement by Hamas. The dead included Humam al-Hayya, the son of the co-chairman of the terror group’s politburo; al-Hayya’s office director; three bodyguards; and a Qatari security officer. Hamas denied that any of its high-ranking officials at Tuesday’s meeting were killed.

The bombings marked the first time Israel has carried out airstrikes in Qatari territory.

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While the officials themselves left their phones behind, their guards and drivers carried devices that were compromised and used to pinpoint the location.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli intelligence hacked the mobile phones of Iranian bodyguards, enabling an airstrike last June that targeted a secret meeting of Iran’s top leaders in a Tehran bunker, The New York Times reported.

The June 16 meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council was being held in an underground chamber west of the capital, 100 feet beneath a mountain slope.

Present were President Masoud Pezeshkian, the heads of the judiciary and intelligence ministry, and senior Revolutionary Guards commanders.

While the officials themselves left their phones behind, their guards and drivers carried devices that were compromised and used to pinpoint the location.

Israeli jets struck the site shortly after the meeting began, dropping six bombs that destroyed entrances and killed several guards.

Those inside the bunker survived, though Pezeshkian sustained a leg injury and the interior minister required hospital treatment for breathing difficulties after escaping through debris.

Iran later admitted the lapse and moved to ban phones among security details protecting senior officials, military commanders, and nuclear scientists. The revelation underscored how Israel has repeatedly exploited electronic surveillance to penetrate Iran’s most secure circles.

The strike came amid a wider Israeli campaign that killed dozens of Iranian commanders and more than a dozen nuclear scientists in the opening week of fighting.

Tehran has since executed one scientist accused of spying for Israel and detained numerous officials and Revolutionary Guards officers on suspicion of collaboration.

Former Vice President Mostafa Hashemi Taba said infiltration had reached “the highest echelons of our decision making.” Analysts in Tehran described the failure to control bodyguards’ phones as a major security breach.

Reflecting on the attack, Pezeshkian later told clerics that had the strike succeeded in killing the entire leadership, the country could have descended into chaos. “Life hinges on one second,” he said. “If Israel had killed us all, people would have lost hope.”

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Always appearing masked in his televised messages, he has become a key figure in the group’s propaganda, issuing warnings and threats against Israel.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli security sources said Saturday that a precision airstrike in Gaza City may have struck Abu Obaida, the longtime spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing.

While his death has not been confirmed, officials described the initial assessment as “cautiously optimistic,” suggesting that the outcome of the operation appeared favorable.

The Israel Defense Forces, working alongside the Shin Bet security agency, said the strike was directed by Military Intelligence and carried out under the authority of the Southern Command.

The target was in the Rimal neighborhood, a central district of Gaza City. According to officials, the attack relied on real-time intelligence and precision munitions in order to limit collateral damage.

Abu Obaida, whose real name is Hudayfa Samir Abdallah al-Kahlout, has been the public face of Hamas’s military branch for years.

Always appearing masked in his televised messages, he has become a key figure in the group’s propaganda, issuing warnings and threats against Israel.

At the beginning of the current war, the IDF disclosed his true identity and accused him of hiding in tunnels and using Gaza’s civilian population as cover.

Hamas responded by claiming that the Israeli strike hit a residential building in Rimal, causing “dozens of deaths and injuries.”

In a statement, the group accused Israel of waging a campaign to “eradicate Gaza City” and called on the United Nations and Arab states to intervene.

Israeli officials rejected those claims, insisting that the military took “numerous steps” to reduce civilian casualties, including aerial surveillance and careful targeting.

They accused Hamas of operating from civilian sites and embedding its leadership in residential areas in violation of international law.

This is not the first attempt to eliminate Abu Obaida. Earlier this year, Israeli forces targeted a site in Khan Younis where he was believed to be present with Mohammed Sinwar, a senior Hamas commander who was killed in that strike.

The latest operation comes as Israel prepares for a wider push into Gaza City. On Friday, seven Israeli soldiers were wounded when their armored personnel carrier was hit by an explosive device in the Zeitoun neighborhood.

If confirmed, Abu Obaida’s death would represent one of Israel’s most significant successes against Hamas leadership since the war began.

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Israeli airstrike on Gaza City kills the commander of Hamas’ naval forces in the northern Gaza Strip, along with several terrorists responsible for mortar attacks on Israel.

By World Israel News Staff

The IDF killed a senior officer in Hamas’ naval force last week, an IDF spokesperson announced Sunday afternoon.

Last Monday, an Israeli warplane carried out an airstrike on Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip, at the direction of the Israeli navy and based on intelligence gathered by the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate.

The strike, an army spokesperson revealed, targeted and killed Ramzi Ramadan Abd Ali Salah, the commander of Hamas’ naval units in the northern Gaza Strip.

According to the Israeli military, Salah was “a central source of knowledge within the Hamas terrorist organization” and, in recent weeks, had been promoting and planning maritime terror activities against IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip.

Salah was eliminated in Gaza City while inside a building with several other terrorists.

The strike killed at least two other Hamas operatives, identified by the IDF as Hisham Ayman Atiya Mansour and Nassim Muhammad Suleiman Abu Sabha.

Both Mansour and Abu Sabha were involved in mortar attacks on Israel, the IDF said.

The IDF said Mansour had served as deputy commander of a Hamas mortar force, while Abu Sabha was also involved in the mortar unit.

An Israeli army spokesperson emphasized that prior to the strike, steps were taken to reduce the likelihood of civilian casualties, including the use of precision-guided munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence information.

Hamas claimed the strike which killed the three was carried out on the Al-Baqa cafe, located in Gaza City’s seaside promenade.

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claimed 24 people were killed in the strike.

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Over 200 Israeli Air Force jets launched a coordinated, preemptive strike early Friday, targeting dozens of locations in Iran, including military installations and nuclear facilities.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Heads of State in Germany and the Czech Republic affirmed Israel’s right to take steps to ensure its security following Israeli airstrikes that devastated Iran’s nuclear facilities and killed three high-ranking Iranian officers.

Although France expressed concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, its statement that Israel had the right to defend itself against “an attack” didn’t clarify whether or not Paris supported the strikes on Friday morning.

Over 200 Israeli Air Force jets launched a coordinated, preemptive strike early Friday, targeting dozens of locations in Iran—including military installations and nuclear facilities—as part of a precise and comprehensive offensive against Iran’s nuclear program.

Following the strikes, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reaffirmed Israel’s “right to defend its existence and the security of its citizens” in a statement.

Merz also said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s security cabinet and promised to increase security at Jewish and Israel-affiliated sites in Germany.

Germany expressed concern over Iran’s nuclear weapons program and called on both sides to avoid escalating the conflict without blaming Israel.

“Just yesterday, the International Atomic Energy Agency, in a resolution introduced by Germany together with France and the United Kingdom, reiterated that Iran continues to fail to fulfill its obligations to disclose its work on enriching nuclear-capable material,” the statement continued.

“Iran has subsequently threatened to further accelerate uranium enrichment. This nuclear program violates the provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and poses a serious threat to the entire region, especially to the State of Israel.”

After the strikes, France was more circumspect in its remarks, falling short of expressing full support for the strikes, but affirming Israel had the right to defend itself “against an attack.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot released a statement that said, “We call on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any escalation that could compromise regional stability.”

“We have repeatedly expressed our serious concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program, notably in the resolution recently adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We reaffirm Israel’s right to defend itself against any attack.”

The Czech Republic was more direct in its support for Israel’s military action; Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky told reporters in Prague that Israel’s strikes were a “reasonable reaction” to Iran’s growing nuclear threat.

“Iran is supporting so many players, including the Hezbollah and Hamas movements, with the intention to destroy the state of Israel, and also seeking a nuclear bomb,” he said.

“And I see that this was a reasonable reaction from the state of Israel towards a possible threat of a nuclear bomb,” he adds.

“I have a great deal of understanding for, let’s say, military action aimed at preventing the production of a nuclear bomb in the region,” Lipavsky continued.

“Iran has long failed to fulfill its obligations to the international community, is building up its nuclear program, and, at the same time, uses rhetoric aimed at destroying the state of Israel,” he added.

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IDF jets struck Houthi terror infrastructure in the port of Hodeidah and the “Bajil” concrete plant in Yemen, 2,000 km from Israel.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel’s strike on Monday on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah was carried out in retaliation for the Houthis’ attack on Saturday on Ben Gurion Airport, in which a ballistic missile from Yemen lightly to moderately wounded six people nearby and caused significant disruptions to takeoffs and arrivals.

The IDF reported that its  jets struck Houthi terror infrastructure in the port of Hodeidah and the “Bajil” concrete plant in Yemen, 2,000 km from Israel.

The strike was intended as retaliation for the Houthi aggression as well as to prevent “the transfer of Iranian weapons, equipment for military needs, and other terrorist purposes,” the military said.

The IDF targeted the Bajil concrete factory, which is a “crucial economic resource for the Houthi terror group and is instrumental for the construction of tunnels and military infrastructure,” the IDF said.

The strikes “constitute a blow to the regime’s economy and its military buildup,” the IDF stated.

Monday’s operation marks the sixth time that Israel has struck the Houthis since the beginning of the war and the first time since January.

Senior Houthi Nasr al-Din Amer said, “The Zionist-American attacks on civilian facilities will not affect our military operations against the Zionist entity. This Yemeni position will continue and escalate, and the naval and air blockade on the entity will not be lifted until the aggression stops and the blockade on Gaza ends.”

Following the attack on Ben Gurion Airport, Houthi terrorists threatened on Sunday to impose a “comprehensive aerial blockade” on Israel by stepping up attacks on Israel’s international airports, according to Arabic media reports.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree, in a statement, called on all airlines to “take into consideration the contents of this statement from the moment of its announcement and publication and to cancel all scheduled flights” to the Jewish state, the reports said.

Saree’s remarks came hours after a ballistic missile from Yemen lightly to moderately wounded six people and caused significant disruptions to takeoffs and arrivals at Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.

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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar denies reports Israel has decided carry out strike on Iranian nuclear program next month, says Jerusalem still open to diplomatic path to resolve crisis.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel has made no decision regarding airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, Israel’s foreign minister said over the weekend, denying reports that Jerusalem has resolved to strike Iran’s nuclear program as early as next month.

Speaking to the UK newspaper The Telegraph in an interview published on Saturday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar (New Hope) appeared to push back against claims last week that Israel had settled on a plan to strike Iran, possibly in May, and that President Donald Trump rejected Israeli overtures for the US to take part.

Last Wednesday, The New York Times newspaper published a report claiming that Israel’s government had backed a plan to hit Iranian nuclear facilities sometime in the coming weeks, most likely in May, with Trump pushing instead for the nuclear talks with Iran, being conducted in Oman, to run their course.

“I am a member of the security cabinet, and all the intimate forums, and I don’t remember such a decision,” Sa’ar said, adding that while Israel is committed to ensuring Iran never acquires nuclear weapons, Jerusalem still believes negotiations can resolve the issue.

“I don’t think that such a decision was taken. But Israel is committed to the objective of preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons. If that objective can be achieved by a diplomatic path, it is accepted,”  said the  FM.

Nevertheless, Sa’ar warned against any potential “partial agreements” between the Trump administration and Iran, saying that Tehran has in the past failed to live up to its obligations.

Turning to Trump’s Gaza resettlement plan, which calls for the voluntary mass relocation of the coastal enclave’s population of roughly two million people, Sa’ar hinted that a number of countries are prepared to take in large numbers of refugees.

“I don’t want to reveal [which ones] ahead of time, but there are countries I believe will be ready to do so. There are countries that are doing it already, now in very low numbers, and there are countries willing to do that in bigger numbers.”

In recent weeks, thousands of Gazans have departed the Gaza Strip via Israel, travelling through Rimon Airport in the south or the Allenby Crossing into Jordan, to third-party countries.

However, the rate of departures has been limited by conditions imposed by the host countries, which have thus far limited migration to injured Gazans, Gazans who already hold citizenship in the host country or have relatives there to petition for residency, or a small number permitted into Indonesia as part of a pilot program.

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The IDF explained that the incident was the result of a “technical malfunction” that occurred while the fighter jet was attempting an airstrike within Gaza. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

On Tuesday night, an Israeli fighter jet accidentally dropped a munition close to a community near Israel’s border with Gaza.

The bomb fell outside Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, just 3 km (2 miles) from Gaza. There were no reported injuries.

The IDF explained that the incident was the result of a “technical malfunction” that occurred while the fighter jet was attempting an airstrike within Gaza.

“A short while ago, a munition fell from an IDF fighter jet that was on its way to a mission in the Gaza Strip. The munition landed in an open area near Nir Yitzhak due to a technical malfunction,” the Israeli military said in a brief statement.

The IDF is currently reviewing the incident which occurred close the community of 550 people.

Hamas attacked Nir Yitzhak on October 7th, 2023; nearly half of the community’s population has returned since October 7th.

Residents said they heard a loud blast when the bomb made impact and that it created a crater in a field.

The kibbutz said in a statement that it was it was in “continuous contact with military officials and expects a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the incident.”

Although such accidents are rare, there was a similar incident in May of 2024 when an Israeli fighter jet dropped a half-to Moshav Yated.

In that case, the bomb did not detonate and was removed by Israeli forces.

In June of 2024, an Israeli tank operating in Gaza fired a shell that missed its target, impacting a border fence and damaging a car with shrapnel.

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Abu Obeida accused Israel of deliberately targeting the only surviving American hostage to avoid pressure from the Trump administration.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Hamas claims it has lost contact with the terrorists holding American-Israeli Edan Alexander, alleging that an Israeli airstrike was to blame.

Hudhaifa Kahlout, also known by his nom de guerre, Abu Obeida, serves as the spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades. “We have lost communication with the unit assigned to guard soldier Edan Alexander after an Israeli airstrike directly hit their position. Efforts to re-establish contact are ongoing,” he stated.

Abu Obeida accused Israel of deliberately targeting the only surviving American hostage to avoid pressure from the Trump Administration.

“It appears the occupying army is intentionally attempting to kill him, aiming to eliminate the burden posed by dual-national captives and to free its hands to continue the ongoing genocide against our people,” he claimed.

Contrary to Hamas’ allegations, Israel’s military has repeatedly emphasized that it refrains from operating in areas where it suspects hostages are being held.

Alexander has been featured in two propaganda videos released by Hamas, the most recent one released last Saturday.

The IDF soldier was captured on October 7, 2023, when he was stationed close to the Gaza border.

Last month, the US extended an offer to Hamas to secure the release of Alexander and the bodies of four deceased American hostages. In exchange for Alexander’s release, the US said it would push for quiet in the region and a return to ceasefire negotiations.

An Arab diplomat was doubtful that Hamas would release Alexander in exchange for a statement that Israel may choose not to heed.

Alexander is one of 59 hostages remaining in Gaza, 24 of whom are thought to be still alive.

There is concern over reports of Alexander’s medical condition. He is being held in a tunnel with no sunlight and very little nourishment.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas’ claim to release Alexander was not made in good faith. Trump administration Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff blasted the terror group for its “unrealistic demands” in exchange for the American captives.

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