Israel Brief: Thursday, September 25A new year, same enemies: Drones in Eilat, gunfire from Gaza’s largest hospital, and Iran racing sanctions.
Shana Tovah, friends. We enter 5786 with both heartbreak and resolve. IDF soldiers have fallen in Gaza, Houthis struck Eilat again, and Hamas fired from inside Al-Shifa Hospital, turning patients into shields. Rockets, drones, and terror attacks have not ceased, because Hamas has chosen to prolong this war. Yet Israel endures. A strong majority of Israelis back decisive moves to finish the fight and free the hostages. Abroad, the map shifts: Trump’s team advances frameworks for peace, Indonesia signals readiness to join the postwar order, and Europe piles on symbolic and financial pressure. Inside Israel, courts press terror networks, researchers push genetic frontiers, and Jerusalem strains under construction that will eventually transform it into a modern capital par excellence. At the same time, the battle is not only in Gaza or at the UN. It is also in Washington. Anti-Israel groups are lobbying Congress to weaken support for Israel just as our soldiers fight and hostages remain captive. Your voice matters. Call your representatives today and insist they stand with Israel: callforisrael.org. Editor’s Note: The Israel Brief runs longer today. We paused to observe Rosh Hashanah, and while Jews gathered in prayer and song, events accelerated on every front. Take the time to read — the year has begun with much at stake. Subscribe now — it’s cheaper than a Tel Aviv cappuccino, and the foam here won’t collapse halfway through. The War TodayThree drone strikes in two weeks: Iron Dome misses Eilat attack as crowds cheer in AqabaYnet reports that a Houthi drone slammed into Eilat’s Mall HaYam shopping district, wounding about 20 people, including two seriously. Iron Dome interceptors failed to bring it down, and an air force jet held fire because the drone flew at low altitude. It was the third strike on the city in under two weeks, as Jordanians across the water in Aqaba were filmed cheering. Residents were urged to obey Pikud HaOref (Home Front Command) alerts and enter protected rooms when sirens sound. Read more → Hamas fires on IDF troops from Gaza’s largest hospital as Israeli forces advanceYnet reports that Hamas opened heavy fire on IDF troops from inside Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility, as Israeli forces pressed deeper into Gaza City under Operation Gideon’s Chariots II. The army released footage of the attack, calling it proof of Hamas’s systematic use of civilian infrastructure as cover, endangering patients and staff. Fighting intensified with airstrikes around Shati camp, while Hamas-run authorities warned Al-Shifa could soon shut down due to lack of fuel. Read more → Soldier KIA in Gaza, bringing IDF wartime toll to 911Maj. Shahar Netanel Bozaglo, 27, a company commander in the Armored Corps, was killed in northern Gaza when Hamas fired an RPG at his tank, JNS reports. His death follows last week’s loss of four soldiers in an IED blast, raising the IDF’s wartime toll to 465 since the ground incursion and 911 overall since Oct. 7, 2023. The IDF continues “Operation Gideon’s Chariot II,” striking Hamas cells, compounds, and senior operatives, while Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir marked Rosh Hashanah by calling the soldiers Israel’s “Iron Wall” and vowing the fight will continue until victory and the hostages’ return. Read more → Israeli forces kill two PIJ terrorists in SamariaJNS reports that IDF troops operating in Tammun, near Nablus, killed two Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives—Alaa Ga’udat Bani Ouda and Mohammad Qassem Suleiman—who were planning an imminent attack. In a separate clash near Jenin, soldiers shot a terrorist who threw an explosive device. The IDF also uncovered and neutralized a rocket in Tulkarem, highlighting the growing use of heavier weapons in Samaria. Read more → Satellite images show Iran restarting missile production sitesJNS reports that Tehran is rebuilding missile factories struck by Israel in June, though satellite images show the absence of key mixers needed to produce solid-fuel rockets. Before the war, Iran produced more than 200 such missiles per month and fired a third of its arsenal at Israel. The push comes as U.N. “snapback” sanctions are set to return Sept. 27, with European powers demanding access for inspectors and curbs on uranium enrichment. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned that a nuclear-armed Iran would be a global threat. Read more → Inside IsraelArab Israeli indicted in alleged plot to abduct soldierProsecutors charged a 22-year-old from Tayibe with preparing a terror kidnapping to leverage Israel into ending the Gaza war, after he sought accomplices, gear, and religious approval and trained with a paintball gun. The case comes amid other recent arrests for Hamas and ISIS ties, underscoring active incitement networks inside Israel’s Arab sector. Read more → Centuries of prayer to rebuild Jerusalem answered all at once as construction clogs cityJerusalem is tearing up major arteries for the Red, Green, and Blue light-rail lines, closing King George–Strauss to cars and snarling Emek Refaim, Pierre Koenig, and Hebron Road. Shopkeepers report steep revenue drops and confusion over transit, while the city argues the network will carry hundreds of thousands daily by 2030 and justify the current pain. The article captures a capital in mid-upgrade: noisy now, aiming for a cleaner, faster core later. Read more → Israeli researchers report breakthrough gene therapy for hearing and balance disordersThe Times of Israel reports that Tel Aviv University, working with Boston Children’s Hospital, used an optimized self-complementary AAV to deliver a corrected CLIC5 gene to inner-ear hair cells in mice, rapidly improving hearing and balance function. The team is mapping genetic causes of deafness across Israeli communities and screening newborns so trials can move quickly once human testing opens. Read more → Israel and the WorldUN commission accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza, seeking permanent controlA UN commission of inquiry accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and charged senior leaders—including President Herzog, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir—with direct responsibility for alleged crimes. The report, citing land seizures, demolitions, and settlement expansion, calls for dismantling settlements, ending the Gaza operation, and returning expropriated land. It is scheduled for debate at the UN General Assembly in late October, where hostile states will seize on it to intensify diplomatic pressure. Ynet reports the panel itself is mired in resignations and political infighting, undercutting its credibility. Read more → Report: Trump’s Gaza peace plan sees release of all hostages, permanent ceasefire, end to Hamas ruleYnet/Reuters reports that the Trump administration has floated a 21-point peace plan at the UN General Assembly, calling for the release of all hostages, a permanent ceasefire, and the dismantling of Hamas rule in Gaza. The plan envisions a civilian administration backed by Arab states and the Palestinian Authority, international aid, and an Israeli withdrawal. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said he was “hopeful, even confident” of a breakthrough in coming days, though talks with Qatari mediators still hinge on phased versus total hostage release. Read more → Fury after British consulate in Jerusalem changes address to ‘Palestine’The Jewish Chronicle reports that Britain’s consulate in Jerusalem quietly updated its website to list its location as “Palestine,” days after London recognized a Palestinian state. France and Canada made similar moves, with Canada even extending “Palestine” to its Tel Aviv embassy. The change sparked outrage in Israel, where officials see it as a symbolic step eroding Jewish sovereignty in Jerusalem. Read more → You can also read UK PM Keir Starmer’s defense of his ill-informed move to recognize a “Palestinian state.” Cyprus deploys IAI’s Barak MX air defense system – reportGlobes reports that Cyprus has activated Israel Aerospace Industries’ Barak MX air defense system amid mounting friction with Turkey. The deployment follows earlier deliveries and reflects Nicosia’s shift away from Russian-made systems after the Ukraine war. The Barak MX, with interceptors ranging up to 150 kilometers, provides Cyprus with layered protection against aircraft, drones, and missiles — and deepens its defense ties with Jerusalem. Read more → As Abraham Accords turn 5, Israel’s willingness to use its military might becomes concern for alliesThe Times of Israel reports that five years in, the Abraham Accords have held through war, trade is up, and embassies still work the phones. Yet Gulf partners now worry that Israel’s wide-ranging strikes from Gaza to Syria to Iran signal regional dominance, not deterrence, pushing them to lower the relationship’s profile and channel engagement into Gaza aid and Palestinian stabilization. The takeaway: the accords endure, but Jerusalem must pair strength with steady diplomacy to keep friends close. Read more → Indonesia ready to send 20,000 troops to Gaza to defend peace, president says at UNGAThe Jerusalem Post: Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto told the UN he would deploy 20,000 troops to Gaza if authorized, pairing the offer with a pledge to recognize Israel the same day Israel recognizes a Palestinian state. He affirmed Israel’s right to security, closed with “shalom,” and noted Jakarta has no ties with Jerusalem, signaling a high-visibility bid to shape postwar arrangements. Read more → Briefly Noted
Developments to Watch
|
Eiti prie turinio
Subscribed