Sunday, December 29, 2024

12/29 Links: Israel to submit report to UN adviser about Hamas torture of hostages; Nasrallah underestimated Israel’s willingness to assassinate him

From Ian:

Herzog: UN ‘morally obliged’ to help free Hamas hostages
The United Nations is “morally obliged” to help secure the release of the 100 hostages being held by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Sunday.

“Torture. Physical and psychological torture. Starvation. Sexual abuse. Beatings. Branding. Just some of the horrific words that jump off the pages of the Ministry of Health’s submission to the U.N. on the horrific ordeal endured by the hostages at the hands of Hamas terrorist murderers and rapists in Gaza,” said Herzog.

The Israeli Health Ministry will submit a report this week detailing the “torture and atrocities experienced by Israeli hostages since Oct. 7, [2023],” including “abhorrent instances of sexual violence,” to Alice Jill Edwards, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Israeli mission to the world body told JNS on Saturday.

The report will include “many testimonies of the hostages who returned from Hamas captivity” and “descriptions of the horrors Hamas terrorists inflicted on the hostages, including sexual abuse, starvation, neglect and humiliation,” the Israeli delegation said.

“These are the testimonies of those who have been released and rescued. But still, for 450 days 100 innocent men, women and children, babies and the elderly, have been held hostage in Gaza. With the winter upon us, their lives are in imminent danger,” said Herzog.

“The U.N. has the facts. It is morally obliged to do everything in its power to bring the hostages home now,” he added.

The report has two parts, the Israeli Health Ministry said.

“The first section details the neglect, abuse, torture and humiliation suffered by the hostages who were released or rescued from captivity in Gaza, as well as the impact of these experiences on their physical and physical and mental condition,” the ministry said.

“The second section of the report discusses rehabilitation models that have been deemed appropriate for the returnees, drawing on data collected from primary care nurses, physicians and mental health professionals who have been providing ongoing care, including through specialized clinics for returnees,” it added.

Uriel Buso, the Israeli health minister, said that the report “is a harrowing testimony to the brutal experiences suffered by the hostages in Hamas captivity—cruel violence, psychological abuse, physical torment and acts that defy comprehension.”
David Collier: BBC News bias – the tale of the three religious leaders
Anti-Israel bias at BBC News runs so deep that most people don’t see more than the tip of the iceberg. And while the Jews (the victims of BBC anti-Jewish racism) have grown tired of making complaints that are always ignored, the racist perpetrators (the elitist British supremacists and their Islamist ex-Al Jazeera buddies at BBC News) have grown so confident in their untouchability – they no longer bother to hide the bias. Anti-Jewish racists inside the BBC are now so embedded, they are trying to hound their Jewish colleagues out of their jobs.

December 23rd provided a perfect example of inexcusable anti-Jewish discrimination. I picked up on it because of a Facebook post by a Jewish Rabbi based in Jerusalem. He had been interviewed by BBC News and was annoyed at how he was treated. I went digging to see if he had cause. And this shocking exclusive is the result – the story of when the Jew, the Muslim and the Christian, were interviewed by BBC News.

A Jew, a Muslim and a Christian walk into a studio…
The starting point was this FB post by Rabbi Gideon Sylvester from Jerusalem. The post stated he had been invited to talk about celebrating Chanukah during wartime but instead had faced hostile political questions.

Rabbi Gideon Sylvester handled himself very well but given the invitation asked him to appear to talk about Chanukah – the tone and questioning of BBC’s Ben Brown seemed seriously out of place (more on this later).

In the opening Ben Brown said that they had already heard ‘from leaders of different faiths including a Christian Reverend, and a Muslim faith leader at the Al Aqsa Mosque.’ This meant that the Rabbi was the third of a set. And this presented a rare opportunity. If I tracked down the other two interviews – then I could compare the manner in which all three interviews were handled. Unlike a standalone article, a direct comparison could be made – and all things being equal – the three interviews should have been handled in a similar fashion.

It took some time because the interviews were spread out over more than three hours of BBC News reports (12:20-15:30 on the 23rd) – but what I found should be enough even for the most sceptical of audiences (uploaded in full to YouTube).

The BBC News bias hidden in plain sight


Before I break down the three interviews, there was bias hidden in plain sight that needs to be addressed. It is true that one leader from each of the three main Abrahamic religions were given a platform. But the interviews were really all about the conflict – not communities. So it wasn’t a Muslim, Christian and Jew being interviewed – it was two Palestinians, and an Israeli.

Palestinian Christian: Reverend Dr Munther Isaac
Palestinian Muslim: Dr. Imam Mustafa Abu Sway
Israeli Jew: Rabbi Gideon Sylvester

Both Munther Isaac and Mustafa Abu Sway are well known activists for the Palestinian cause. Which means the Palestinian voice was given twice as much airtime as the Israeli one. There are Christians who are far more balanced than Munther Isaac. And given there are about 4x as many Christians in Israel, as there are Christians left in the PA areas – it must have been a deliberate choice to run with a Palestinian. You may try to excuse the BBC, arguing that picking a Christian from Bethlehem is a no-brainer – but why is it never a Christian from Nazareth? Is Nazareth not part of the Jesus story?

Make no mistake about it – Israeli Christians in Nazareth have endured a terrible year – not that the BBC would ever tell you about it.

It isn’t difficult to understand. If far more Christians live in Israel – but every single time the BBC speak to a Christian they speak to one from the Palestinian Authority – it cannot be perpetually excused. Israeli Christians are being no platformed by the BBC. These things have become so normalised nobody even notices.
Blame Hamas and Hezbollah for Civilian Deaths, Not Israel
Whether it is using schools, hospitals and other public buildings that are supposed to be afforded immunity in conflict under international law, or simply using Palestinian civilians as human shields, Hamas terrorists have consistently jeopardised the well-being of those they purport to defend.

Another area where Hamas deliberately intensifies the suffering of Palestinian civilians as a means of pressuring Israel to end its military offensive is by denying Palestinian families access to much-needed aid supplies.

When the Gazans, for whom the aid is intended, try to approach it, there have been reports of Hamas operatives shooting them.

If the Biden administration and its allies in the media, the United Nations and the European Union really want to see a peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, then they should direct their criticism of the wilful mistreatment of civilians towards Hamas and Hezbollah, and their backers, not Israel.

Ending the malign operations of terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah is the best means of ending the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon respectively, and providing ordinary Palestinians and Lebanese with a genuine opportunity to make a better life for themselves.


Israel to submit report to UN adviser about Hamas torture of hostages
Israeli Health Ministry will submit a report, which details the “torture and atrocities experienced by Israeli hostages since Oct. 7” including “abhorrent instances of sexual violence,” in the “next few days” to Alice Jill Edwards, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture, the Israeli mission to the global body told JNS on Saturday.

“The United Nations and the international community are trying to forget the torture and atrocities that took place on Oct. 7,” stated Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. “We will never forget the horrors and we will not stop until we return all the hostages home.”

The report will include “many testimonies of the hostages who returned from Hamas captivity” and “descriptions of the horrors Hamas terrorists inflicted on the hostages, including sexual abuse, starvation, neglect and humiliation,” the Israeli mission told JNS.

The Israeli Health Ministry stated that the report contains two parts.

“The first section details the neglect, abuse, torture and humiliation suffered by the hostages, who were released or rescued from captivity in Gaza, as well as the impact of these experiences on their physical and Physical and mental condition,” it said.

“The second section of the report discusses rehabilitation models that have been deemed appropriate for the returnees, drawing on data collected from primary care nurses, physicians and mental health professionals who have been providing ongoing care, including through specialized clinics for returnees,” it added.

Uriel Busso, the Israeli health minister, stated that the report “is a harrowing testimony to the brutal experiences suffered by the hostages in Hamas captivity—cruel violence, psychological abuse, physical torment and acts that defy comprehension.”

“These are actions that cannot be tolerated and demand that the world wake up and take action,” Busso stated. “The testimonies presented in this report serve as a wake-up call for the international community to apply increased pressure on Hamas and its supporters to free all the hostages without delay.”

“It is a moral and humanitarian imperative, and the time to act is running out,” Busso added.

“Women, men and children, who returned from captivity, reported that they endured severe physical and sexual abuse, such as beatings, isolation, deprivation of food and water, branding, hair-pulling and sexual assault,” the report states. “Additionally, some of them reported that the captors sexually assaulted them or forced them to undress.”

“The hostages were denied medical treatment for acute injuries caused during Oct. 7 and subsequently, in addition to for untreated chronic conditions. Fractures, shrapnel wounds and burns were treated inadequately, leading to complications which required additional surgeries, that could have been prevented with proper care,” it states. “Upon arrival in Israel, intensive treatment was given to the returned hostages.”

“The captors also tortured those injured by performing painful procedures without anesthesia,” it adds. “In one case a hostage died from untreated medical complications.”
Starvation, Sexual Abuse, and Children Beaten in Hamas Captivity
'How can you remain silent?' Hostages and Missing Families Forum respond to report
“The shocking testimonies from released hostages paint a grim reality: physical abuse, psychological torment, and dehumanizing conditions were inflicted on innocent people, some as young as children and as old as grandparents, for more than 50 excruciating days,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters said in a statement following the release of the report.

“To the world, its leaders, and humanitarian organizations: How can you watch this torture continue? How can you remain silent? The truth cannot be denied - every hostage faces mortal danger each day they remain in captivity," it added.

"This critical report underscores the urgent need to release all hostages as swiftly as possible,” Moshe Bar-Siman-Tov, Director General of the Health Ministry, said.

"We view it as both a responsibility and a privilege to provide optimal medical care and support for those who were brutally kidnapped by Hamas terrorists," Bar-Siman-Tov added. "We are hopeful for the return of all hostages—the living for treatment and rehabilitation, and the deceased for a dignified burial in Israel."

“Not a day passes without my thoughts being with the immense hardships faced by those who have returned and those still held in captivity,” Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, head of the Health Ministry’s medical directorate, said.

“The severe physical and mental states of the returnees offer the world a glimpse into the widespread atrocities committed by Hamas," he added.


Man on the inside? Details of Haniyeh assassination in the heart of Tehran revealed
The assassination of Hamas's political bureau leader, Ismail Haniyeh, required meticulous planning and a collaborator on the inside and was nearly derailed by a broken air conditioner, an exclusive Saturday N12 report revealed.

Haniyeh was staying in the Neshat compound in the Saadat Abad neighborhood of Tehran when he was killed on July 31, 2024. The complex houses high-level Iranian officials and IRGC members and is protected by some of the most advanced security systems in the world, the report said.

"The Haniyeh assassination was at an even higher level than the pager operation. We penetrated the inside and outside of the most guarded Iranian facility," Iran expert Beni Sabti of the Institute for National Security Studies told N12.

Choosing the location
Haniyeh, who lived in Doha, Qatar, used to travel to three major cities: Istanbul, Moscow, and Tehran.

Journalist Dr Ronen Bergman, an expert on Israel's targeted assassinations, explained that he could not be assassinated in Qatar as this would have harmed the hostage mediation efforts.

On top of this, "Erdogan's anger [at an assassination in Istanbul] would have led to very serious consequences, and Moscow - let's say Putin would not have been very happy," said Bergman. "This left Tehran."

Israel's operatives identified a pattern in Haniyeh's travels to the Neshat compound in the Iranian capital.

"He stayed there seven, eight, nine times," said Bergman.

"That allowed those who were planning to take his life to begin to establish the two things that are needed to kill someone: one, that he came there often, and two, that he was in a fixed location, in one particular room."

Breaking through IRGC security
The elite Ansar al-Mahdi unit of the IRGC was in charge of guarding Haniyeh. "These guards are selected after a great many tests and security investigations," explained Sabti.

"They are rigorously tested to ensure that they are not in contact with foreign or enemy parties, and they are highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat and weapons. For them, a senior member of a terrorist organization is equal in importance to the president of Iran."
Nasrallah underestimated Israel’s willingness to assassinate him
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah underestimated Israel’s willingness to assassinate him, believing that Jerusalem wanted to avoid a full-scale war, according to a New York Times investigation published on Sunday.

Despite warnings from his aides, he remained in a Beirut bunker 40 feet underground on Sept. 27, which is where Israeli F-15 fighter jets dropped massive explosives, ending the life of the longtime leader of Iran’s Lebanese terrorist proxy along with other senior Hezbollah leaders.

His body was found the next day, buried in the rubble in the embrace of a top Iranian general based in Lebanon, both having died of suffocation, according to Israeli intelligence reports.

The Times investigation showed the extent of Israel’s decades-long penetration into the radical Shi’ite movement, closely tracking the terrorist group’s commanders and culminating in the targeted killing of Nasrallah, which was preceded by weeks earlier by the remote detonation of thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah.

Drawing on interviews with more than two dozen current and former officials from Israel, the United States, and Europe, the Times article paints a picture of an organization deeply compromised by Israeli espionage efforts.

“They recruited people to plant listening devices in Hezbollah bunkers, tracked meetings between one top commander and his four mistresses, and had near constant visibility into the movements of the militia group’s leaders,” the authors of the article wrote.
Internal espionage: How Israeli spies infiltrated Hezbollah for decades
Operations during the 2006 Lebanon War, based on Israeli intelligence gathering, formed the foundation for the country’s extensive infiltration into Hezbollah.

One operation planted tracking devices on Hezbollah’s Fajr missiles that gave Israel information about munitions hidden inside secret military bases, civilian storage facilities, and private homes, according to three former Israeli officials. In the 2006 war, the Israeli Air Force bombed the sites, destroying the missiles.

As Hezbollah rebuilt, the Mossad expanded a network of human sources inside the terror group, according to 10 current and former American and Israeli officials. Specifically, the Mossad recruited people in Lebanon to help Hezbollah build secret facilities after the war. The Mossad sources fed the Israelis information about the locations of hide-outs and assisted in monitoring them, two officials said. The Israelis generally shared Hezbollah intelligence with the United States and European allies, NYT added.

A significant breakthrough occurred in 2012, when Unit 8200 obtained information about the specific whereabouts of Hezbollah leaders, their hide-outs, and the group’s batteries of missiles and rockets, according to five current and former Israeli defense and European officials, adding that this raised confidence within Israeli intelligence agencies that the Israeli military could help neuter Hezbollah's ability to retaliate to an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear sites.

During the years that followed, Israeli spy agencies worked to refine the intelligence gathered from the earlier operation to produce information that could be used in the event of a war with Hezbollah.

According to two Israeli defense officials with knowledge of the intelligence, when the 2006 war ended, Israel had “target portfolios” for just under 200 Hezbollah leaders, operatives, weapons caches, and missile locations. By the time Israel launched its campaign in September, it was tens of thousands.
Israel’s deeply-entrenched spy network uncovered elusive Hezbollah commander’s 4 mistresses – and plans to marry them: report
Israel’s spy network infiltrated so deeply into all aspects of Hezbollah’s leadership that the Jewish state knew about one senior commander’s four mistresses and his desperate plan to marry all of them over the phone, according to a new report.

Fuad Shukr, a Hezbollah co-founder was a key figure in the terror group’s command chain and Israel’s intelligence service Mossad spent decades collecting information on him until agents could track his every move.

As part of its surveillance, Mossad soon learned Shukr juggled four different mistresses — something he allegedly felt guilty about and sought to correct by marrying all four women, Israel and European officials with knowledge on the spying told the New York Times.

Shukr, who had been seen as ever-elusive following the deadly 1983 bombings in Beirut that killed 241 American Marines, was among the hundreds of Hezbollah commanders being tracked by Israel since the end of the 2006 war.

As Israel built its profile on Shukr, intelligence officers learned of his extramarital affairs, which the Hezbollah commander kept hidden until he sought help in 2024 from the group’s highest religious cleric, Hashem Safieddine, according to the Times.

Safieddine, who was also killed in an airstrike after being named the successor to slain leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, allegedly gave Shukr advice, with the men settling on the unorthodox solution.

The cleric then set up four separate over-the-phone wedding ceremonies for Shukr and each of his mistresses.

It remains unclear when wedding ceremonies took place, but the unions did not last.

Shukr became Israel’s prime target following a missile attack in Majdal Shams in July, where dozens of Israelis, including school children, were killed.

On July 30, Shukr reportedly received a phone call luring him out of his secret hiding place in the southern Beirut neighborhood of Dahiyeh, where an Israeli missile struck, killing him.

Lebanese officials said Shukr was killed along with one of his wives, two children, and two other women. Several Arabic media outlets claimed the wife who was killed was one of the mistresses Shukr had married.


Israel blasts UN chief for comments on Yemen strikes
Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Friday lambasted U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres for his criticism of IDF’s retaliatory airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi terrorists.

“This is unbelievable. Just read the text of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ statement. Can you think of a country that is conspicuously missing from the paragraph that describes the Houthis attacks? Mr. Secretary-General, why can’t you utter the word ‘Israel’ when it comes to terror attacks?” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein wrote on X.

“Israel has been attacked hundreds of times by Houthi terrorists. Millions of Israelis are being terrorized by Houthis missile attacks every night. All of these attacks on Israel were unprovoked and carried out by terrorists operating 2,000 kilometers [1,250 miles] away from Israel,” Marmorstein continued.

“And yet, Secretary-General Guterres couldn’t bring himself to mention that the State of Israel and its citizens have been relentlessly attacked by the Houthis—and that Israel was acting in self-defense. What a disgrace,” he added.

Guterres has frequently criticized Israel for carrying out strikes against its enemies over the past 15 months in its multi-front war, while largely remaining silent when Israel sustains attacks.


Over 68,000 displaced Israelis to receive housing extension through Feb. 2025
The Israeli government plans to approve extended state-funded housing for 68,000 people, offering continued help to those displaced by the ongoing fighting in the North and South, Israel's Tourism Ministry shared on Saturday.

Currently, about 13,580 people are staying in state-funded hotels and temporary housing. Another 54,555 evacuees are living in communities, including around 4,200 from southern Israel, and are receiving financial support for their living expenses.

The Tourism Ministry, led by Minister Haim Katz, has been handling the evacuation efforts for over a year. Evacuees are staying in hundreds of hotels and thousands of other places across the country.

So far, the cost of evacuating people has gone over NIS 9 billion. Out of this, NIS 6 billion was paid to hotels and private property owners. Katz came up with an idea to let displaced people choose self-housing grants instead.

These grants are NIS 200 per adult and NIS 100 per child each day.

This plan has saved the government more than NIS 5 billion. The savings occurred because self-housing is substantially cheaper than staying in hotels. October 7 massacre

Since last year’s October 7 attacks, more than 250,000 Israelis have been displaced from their homes around Israel’s borders in the North and South due to the conflict, The Media Line reported in late October.

Many have returned to their homes after months of displacement, but tens of thousands are still in temporary housing.

In a study carried out by the Maagar Mochot research institution in October, 70% of evacuees from northern Israel had considered not returning home, and 3% have already left their communities permanently.
Delays in Lebanese Army deployment could force IDF to stay
The slow deployment of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River, the persistent discovery of Hezbollah weaponry and infrastructure there, and the terrorist group’s ongoing efforts to rebuild its capabilities with Iranian support are prompting Israel to consider maintaining IDF troops in strategic positions in Southern Lebanon beyond the 60-day deadline set in the ceasefire agreement.

This option has been raised in recent high-level security and political discussions.

Israel is struggling to understand the delays in the Lebanese Army’s deployment. One possibility is operational difficulties related to dispatching large, capable forces to the south. Another factor could be Hezbollah pressuring the Lebanese Army to avoid taking positions in Southern Lebanon, leaving a vacuum for Hezbollah to exploit later.

In recent weeks, Israel has repeatedly complained to international bodies about the slow pace of the Lebanese Army’s actions, warning that if Beirut does not fulfill its obligations under the agreement, the IDF may need to stay in Southern Lebanon to safeguard communities in the Galilee and Golan Heights.

Over the weekend, the IDF identified and destroyed additional Hezbollah infrastructure in Southern Lebanon, including a tactical tunnel and various weaponry. It is believed that more armaments and facilities remain, and significant efforts are being made to locate and neutralize them in the coming weeks. Simultaneously, Israel continues operations along the Lebanon-Syria border to prevent Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons from smuggling weapons into Lebanon from Syria before they fall into the hands of the new regime (the former rebels).

In line with this, the Israeli Air Force carried out several strikes last week on Hezbollah targets along the Syria-Lebanon border. Israeli officials believe Iran may seek alternative routes for smuggling advanced weapons to Hezbollah, including direct flights to Beirut International Airport, circumventing the tightened land and sea routes.

Should Iran pursue such direct smuggling methods, Israel faces complex dilemmas ranging from intercepting civilian aircraft concealing arms to resuming airstrikes in Beirut. Jerusalem would likely alert the U.S. and other nations that such smuggling violates the ceasefire agreement, potentially prompting unilateral Israeli action.


Soldier KIA in Gaza, bringing IDF wartime toll to 824
An Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed battling Palestinian terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip, the military announced on Sunday.

The slain soldier was named as Staff Sgt. Yuval Shoham, 22, of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 9th Battalion, from Jerusalem.

The death toll among Israeli troops since the start of the Gaza ground incursion on Oct. 27, 2023, stands at 392, and at 824 on all fronts since the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023.

Additionally, Ch. Insp. Arnon Zamora, a member of the Israel Border Police’s Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit, was fatally wounded during a hostage-rescue mission in Gaza in June, and civilian defense contractor Liron Yitzhak was mortally wounded there in May.


Houthis Target Jerusalem & Israel’s Airport | JLMinute
The Houthis continue to fire missiles at Israel’s population - this time targeting Ben Gurion airport and Jerusalem. Israel and the US have responded to attacks with major bombings in Yemen, but what can be done in order to ultimately defeat the terrorist group?
This and other major stories
Israel takes over hospital in Gaza
Hezbollah rearming in Lebanon
Hostage deal developments
Don’t miss up-to-the-minute news on JLMinute


Seth Frantzman: Despite over a year of war, Hamas still holds large parts of Gaza
First operation in the hospital
During the first operation against terrorists near the hospital, similar incidents took place. On December 13, 2023, more than a year ago, the IDF said that it had raided an area near the hospital. “During engagements with terrorists in the area of the hospital, a number of terrorists were killed by IDF troops,” the IDF said.

Then in late October 2024, the IDF had to re-enter the area near Kamal Adwan. The first raid on the hospital took place in the context of the IDF’s opening operations in northern Gaza in October, November and December. At the time the IDF estimated it had dismantled around ten of the Hamas battalions in Gaza. In fact, many of these Hamas units were then subsequently reconstituted and had to be defeated two or three times since.

The second battle took place in late October. The IDF had begun operations in Jabaliya in early October 2024 and as a result of the moves by various IDF units to isolate Jabaliya, terrorists were also confronted in Kamal Adwan.

During the late October incidents, the IDF said that Hamas had used the medical center for command and control. Hamas also used ambulances. Around 40 terrorists were detained. The IDF’s Shayetet 13 also took part in this operation.

The multiple battles at this same hospital and the area around it reveal two things. Hamas always returns to these areas. It often returns almost immediately. It knows the IDF comes and goes and it waits and returns. Each time it may lose dozens of men, but it doesn’t matter to Hamas. It recruits and returns. Each time it is the same cycle. The clashes around this hospital in the winter of 2023 are the same as in the winter of 2024.

Very little has changed. There is little evidence that much will change. The Hamas control of medical facilities is part of the fabric and status quo of Gaza. International organizations never mention the presence of gunmen in and around the hospitals. They never mention how Hamas infiltrates the area. They have an unspoken agreement never to mention the presence of Hamas. This enables Hamas to continue using hospitals.

The return of Hamas to the area
At the same time, the IDF’s tactic of raiding and leaving enables Hamas to always return. The same thing has happened in Beit Hanun in northern Gaza. The IDF has had to launch yet another operation in this area in the last weeks. The Kfir brigade went into an area west of Beit Hanun, the IDF said last week. The Nahal brigade also operates in Beit Hanun.

As IDF troops closed in, several long-range missiles were launched from this area. Beit Hanun is very close to Sderot. There is no clear reason why this area continues to be a threat despite a year of war. And yet, there are still terrorists in Beit Hanun.

There are still threats in northern Gaza despite months of operations. This illustrates how difficult it is to uproot Hamas. In many cases ,civilians also seem to find a way to return to these areas, despite previous evacuation orders, and the terrorists return with them. In Jabaliya, for instance, thousands of terrorists were eliminated and detained, according to estimates. It’s unclear if this will end the Hamas presence in this area.

In essence, Hamas continues to control a large part of Gaza despite a year and months of war. Hamas controls central Gaza. It controls most of Gaza City. It has returned to areas in Khan Younis. It controls the humanitarian area of Mawasi. It will likely return to Kamal Adwan and other areas unless it is prevented systematically from doing so. Kamal Adwan is an example of the challenge of fighting the terror group in Gaza and how confident Hamas feels that it can always exploit areas such as hospitals to continue its control of Gaza.
Gazan terrorists fire five rockets at Israel
Palestinian terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip fired five rockets on Sunday at Israeli communities in the “Gaza Envelope,” the area near the coastal enclave.

Two rockets were intercepted, according to the Israel Defense Forces, with the others apparently hitting open areas.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The Israeli Air Force on Saturday downed two rockets launched by Palestinian terrorists in northern Gaza towards Jerusalem.

The attacks triggered air-raid sirens in the capital, the Western Negev and the Judean Foothills (the Shfela). There were no reports of injuries.

Overnight, IAF fighter jets targeted the launchers involved in Saturday’s rocket attack, supported by firepower from the 933rd “Nahal” Brigade operating in the Strip.

“The targeted launchers contained a rocket ready for launch towards Israel,” the IDF said on Sunday morning. “Following the strike, a rocket was observed being fired from the launch site.”

The IDF’s year-plus-long offensive against Hamas has greatly curbed rocket fire from the Strip, although Palestinian terrorists still intermittently target the Jewish state.
Israeli Air Force strikes Gaza launcher, causing rocket to fire
The Israeli Air Force on Saturday struck the rocket launchers in Gaza that were used to fire rockets at the Jerusalem, Yehuda, Western Negev, Lachish, HaShfela, and Yarkon areas of Israel earlier that day, the IDF stated on Sunday morning.

The IAF struck a launcher containing a rocket that was ready to be fired, causing the rocket to be launched. The military did not note how far or where the rocket subsequently traveled or if it caused damage within Israeli territory or Gaza.

On Saturday, the IDF intercepted two rockets fired from Gaza over Israeli airspace before they reached their destination. The military noted they had been fired from the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza, triggering rocket alarms across the country.

“The widespread alerts stemmed from concerns over interception debris,” military officials stated.

Expansion of Gaza operations
The strike in Gaza comes amid orders to expand IDF operations in the Strip. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi told the army on Saturday to reallocate forces from other sectors.

On Saturday, the IDF reported that the Nahal Brigade had concluded its operations in Rafah and had commenced operations against terror targets in Beit Hanoun.
IDF eliminates 14 Hamas terrorists, including six who invaded Israel on October 7
The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) killed 14 Hamas terrorists, including six who took part in the October 7 massacre over the course of extensive operations in Jabalya, Gaza, the military announced on Sunday.

In coordinated operations conducted by the IDF and ISA, several Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7 massacre were neutralized in Jabalya and Beit Lahiya, Gaza. The 162nd Division, guided by intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate, Shin Bet, and the Southern Command, spearheaded the targeted actions.

On November 27, 2024, the Givati Brigade executed a precision raid in the Jabalya area. The operation eliminated Hamas terrorist Mohammed Abd al-Hamid Salah, who had infiltrated Israeli territory and actively participated in the October 7 massacre. Two additional Hamas commanders were also neutralized during the operation.

A day earlier, on November 26, 2024, the brigade carried out an intelligence-led strike in Jabalya. This operation resulted in the elimination of several key Hamas figures, including Rasem Judeh, a company commander in the Jabalya area, Zaher Abd Rabbo Mohammed Shahab, and Ali Magad Ali Ramadan, all of whom were involved in the October 7 attacks. Two additional Hamas commanders were also eliminated in the strike.


IDF detains hundreds of terrorists at Hamas hospital base
Security forces apprehended more than 240 terrorists in a targeted operation against a Hamas command center in Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said in a joint statement on Saturday.

Fifteen among those arrested at the command center in Jabalia infiltrated Israel during the Oct. 7, 2023 invasion, the IDF and Shin Bet said.

“Despite repeated calls to refrain from allowing terrorists to exploit hospitals for military activities, IDF and Shin Bet intelligence identified that terrorists were once again using Kamal Adwan Hospital as a command center for its military operations in Jabalia,” the statement read.

ׅ“Following this intelligence, the IDF conducted and completed a targeted operation against the Hamas terror stronghold inside Kamal Adwan Hospital,” the military and Shin Bet added.

The IDF’s 401st Brigade encircled Kamal Adwan Hospital and killed terrorists in the vicinity, with Shayetet 13 (“Flotilla 13”) naval commandos entering the hospital and locating and confiscating weapons in the area, including grenades, guns, munitions and other military equipment, the statement continued.

Outside the hospital, “terrorists fired anti-tank missiles and RPGs at the troops and attempted to carry out additional attacks against the troops. The troops swiftly eliminated the terrorists. In addition, the [Israeli Air Force] conducted strikes that eliminated terrorists attempting to flee the area. There were no IDF casualties,” the military said.

Some Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist group members tried to pose as patients or flee in ambulances, according to the statement.

The hospital’s director, Hussam Abu Safiya, was taken into custody as a Hamas terrorist suspect, the IDF and Shin Bet stated.

Before the operation, 350 patients and medical staff were safely evacuated from the hospital in a coordinated effort with the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit.


IDF: 19 terrorists, no known civilians, killed in Gaza hospital raid; Hamas said 50 dead
The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that a military raid, completed Saturday, on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza had killed 19 terror operatives, without any known civilian casualties, after Hamas-run health authorities previously claimed — and some international media reported — that 50 people had been killed, including hospital staff.

While providing new details on Sunday about the operation, army sources indicated that, with the raid complete, the IDF was close to wrapping up its operations in northern Gaza’s Jabalia.

Kamal Adwan Hospital was described by the IDF as “Hamas’s last bastion in Jabalia,” after hundreds of terror operatives allegedly used the medical facility as a shelter from Israeli strikes.

According to the military, the terror operatives returned to Kamal Adwan after the IDF last operated in the medical center in late October.

The IDF said that, of 940 Palestinians who passed through an army checkpoint outside the hospital, 240 were detained for being alleged members of terror groups. In all, some 600 civilians and another 95 patients, caregivers, and medical personnel were evacuated from Kamal Adwan.

Of the 240 terror operatives, the IDF said that at least 15 participated in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which started the ongoing war. Several others are considered to be prominent commanders in the Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups, the military said.


Pro-Palestine group whose director is accused of Hamas links hosted in Parliament
A pro-Palestinian campaign group was hosted in Parliament despite the fact that the organisation’s director has been accused of being “one of the senior Hamas members in Europe”.

The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) was welcomed to the House of Commons last month by Shockat Adam, the independent MP for Leicester South.

Mr Adam, who won his seat running on a pro-Gaza ticket, posted on social media that it had been an “honour” to chair the group’s discussion on “Defending Palestinian Rights: Humanitarian and Legal Perspectives”.

The PRC said Majed al-Zeer has not held any position with the organisation since 2019 and denied it has any links to Hamas.

The event took place on Nov 26, weeks after the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control named Mr Zeer as a “prominent international financial supporter of Hamas”.

Mr Zeer is “one of the senior Hamas members in Europe and has played a central role in the terrorist group’s European fundraising”, according to the official US statement on his designation.

“He has appeared publicly with other senior Hamas members in order to generate funding and other support for Hamas. Al-Zeer has also served in Hamas delegations in the Middle East along with Adel Doughman and [Mohammad] Hannoun.”

‘Key liaison in Europe’
Mr Zeer is listed on Companies House as the sole director of the PRC, which describes itself as a consultancy which promotes Palestinians’ rights including their “right to return” to Israel.

His designation by the US, in October, came after accusations last year from German authorities that he was Hamas’s key liaison in Europe with numerous alleged links to the terrorist organisation.

A file from the German interior ministry, as first reported by the newspaper Der Spiegel, alleged Mr Zeer was the “person responsible for Hamas” in Germany and across Europe.

Israel has long accused the PRC of being associated with Hamas. In 2010, Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister at the time, signed a decree declaring the PRC an illegal association, accusing it of promoting Hamas’s agenda in Europe and directly interacting with its leadership in Gaza and the Gulf states. The PRC is not proscribed in the UK or elsewhere.


UKLFI: Doctor suspended by GMC following complaints by UKLFI
Dr Rehiana Ali has been suspended on an interim basis by the UK medical regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC), following complaints by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) about her social media posts. Her suspension for 18 months subject to review has been ordered pending the conclusion of a full GMC investigation into her behaviour.

The interim suspension does not constitute a definitive finding by the GMC of any misconduct on the part of Dr Ali. Allegations of misconduct and Dr Ali’s response to them will be considered by the GMC in the full investigation.

Dr Ali is a consultant neurologist, who lists herself as freelance on her LinkedIn profile. Previously she worked as a Clinical Research Fellow at Imperial College London for 10 years. Dr Ali stood as an independent for the Bradford South constituency at the general election this year, coming fifth out of nine candidates.

A GMC spokesperson said:
“Dr Rehiana Ali has been interim suspended pending the conclusion of a full GMC investigation.

An Interim Orders Tribunal of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service imposed the interim suspension on her practice on Friday (20 December).

We are acutely aware of the concerns that have been raised regarding Dr Ali, and we will take action where concerns suggest patient safety or the public’s confidence in doctors may be at risk.”

Dr Ali posted a plethora of messages and images on her personal social media account on X (formerly Twitter): @Rehiana1980.

UKLFI was alerted to a number of these posts by GnasherJew as well as by various individuals.

On 26 October 2024 Dr Ali wrote: “Now let’s just say that Hamas are not terrorists and are legitimate Palestinian resistance. That the UK law was abused at the behest of the Israeli lobby and they need to be de-proscribed. Here’s a helping hand – it was written in Oct 2023. In case it takes you another year to state the obvious. It IS legal to disagree with the alw whilst abiding bit it – however ridiculous it is” She posted this above Arabic writing on a green background.

On 24 October 2024 she wrote: “Israel will lose. They’ve just turned Sinwar into a legend. A male role model”.


‘NYT’ misspells Chanukah, cites challah, brisket, kugel as holiday’s foods
The New York Times drew ridicule on social media for its Strands word search game, whose theme on Sunday was “Hannukah Foods.”

Social media users noted that Times style guide calls for spelling the Jewish holiday “Hanukkah.”

Some of the puzzle answers are Chanukah foods, such as “latkes” and “apple sauce,” about which there is a debate if it is indeed a good latke companion. But the Times also cited “challah,” “brisket” and “kugel” as Chanukah foods, although they aren’t associated with the holiday.

In the Seinfeld episode “The Fatigues,” a kosher style menu at a Jewish singles event includes a similar hodgepodge: hamantaschen, kishka and latkes.

“Not only did the New York Times games department misspell Hanukkah in today’s Strands game, some of the answers are not particularly associated with the holiday and are just commonly eaten Jewish foods which are actually associated with Shabbat,” wrote Rand Levin, executive director of Congregation Beth Sholom, a nearly 100-year-old Orthodox synagogue in Lawrence, N.Y.

“Thanks for the stereotyping,” he added.

Elie Landau, general manager of the Museum of Broadway, wrote that “the ignorance of New York Times Games in today’s ‘Strands’—unable to distinguish between traditionally ‘Jewish’ foods and those specific to Chanukah—is astonishing. Akin to the local supermarket.”

“Indeed, seeing this stupidity, I was only surprised that one of the words wasn’t ‘matzoh,'” he wrote.


Palestinian journalist shot dead in Jenin; family blames PA, which blames ‘outlaws’
A Palestinian journalist was shot dead overnight at the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, with her family on Sunday accusing the Palestinian Authority’s security forces of killing her while she was with her mother and two small children.

Shatha al-Sabbagh, a journalism student and independent reporter in her early 20s, was killed by a bullet to the head, which her family said was fired by a security forces sniper while there was no fighting going on in the vicinity.

The security forces of the PA, however, blamed local Palestinian terror group fighters, saying she was shot during nighttime clashes at the camp.

PA security forces have been carrying out an operation against terror groups in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, killing and detaining members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, seizing weapons, and neutralizing explosive devices.

The crackdown came after terror operatives stole two PA vehicles and paraded them through Jenin earlier this month.

The Palestinian Authority security forces said in a statement Sunday that the “heinous crime was committed by outlaws inside the Jenin camp.”

But her family insisted that the PA security forces were responsible.


Secret Assad Files Show Syria Put Children on Trial
Secret intelligence documents uncovered by the Sunday Times in Syria have revealed the terrifying extent of Bashar al-Assad's surveillance state, where family members spied on each other and the slightest suspicion could result in ordinary people - including children - being swept into a network of prisons notorious for torture and executions, with victims buried in mass graves.

Thousands of files detail the way the regime infiltrated protest and rebel groups since 2011. They reveal details about the vast network of informants that reported to the regime, and how the intelligence services forced the people they arrested to give up names of alleged collaborators - who would in turn be detained. The security services tapped phones, hacked computers and sent agents to surveil suspects.

One document notes the detention of a 12-year-old boy, brought in "for tearing up a sheet of paper bearing a picture of the president." The boy claimed that he had torn up the paper without noticing the picture of the president. He told interrogators he didn't have bad intentions and didn't intend to offend anyone. Nonetheless, he was sent to stand trial in court.


Afghan Taliban forces target ‘several points’ in Pakistan in retaliation for airstrikes, Afghan defense ministry says
Afghan Taliban forces targeted “several points” in neighboring Pakistan, Afghanistan’s defense ministry said on Saturday, days after Pakistani aircraft carried out aerial bombardment inside Afghanistan.

The statement from the Defense Ministry did not specify Pakistan but said the strikes were conducted “beyond the ‘hypothetical line’” – an expression used by Afghan authorities to refer to a border with Pakistan that they have long disputed.

“Several points beyond the hypothetical line, serving as centers and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organized and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan, were targeted in retaliation from the southeastern direction of the country,” the ministry said.

Asked whether the statement referred to Pakistan, ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khowarazmi said: “We do not consider it to be the territory of Pakistan, therefore, we cannot confirm the territory, but it was on the other side of the hypothetical line.”

Afghanistan has for decades rejected the border, known as the Durand Line, drawn by British colonial authorities in the 19th century through the mountainous and often lawless tribal belt between what is now Afghanistan and Pakistan.

No details of casualties or specific areas targeted were provided. The Pakistani military’s public relations wing and a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Afghan authorities warned on Wednesday they would retaliate after the Pakistani bombardment, which they said had killed civilians. Islamabad said it had targeted hideouts of Islamist militants along the border.

The neighbors have a strained relationship, with Pakistan saying that several militant attacks that have occurred in its country have been launched from Afghan soil – a charge the Afghan Taliban denies.


Iran's Race to Nuclear Bombs: The Mullahs Have Got to Go
In addition, now that Syria has been closed off as a supply route to rearm Hezbollah, Iran is reportedly considering weapons airlifts directly to Lebanon to resupply Hezbollah, so they both can continue their shared goal of eliminating Israel. The mullahs have got to go. So long as they remain in power, the chances for enduring peace in the region is zero.

Iran's recent losses have left the regime clinging to the hope that nuclear weapons will enable it to secure its reign and dominate the Middle East, then the rest of the world, using Venezuela and the Caribbean to incapacitate the "Great Satan," the United States.

Allowing Iran to succeed in these endeavors is not a great idea. Both the Iranian people and the entire region need to be freed from a future of tyranny. The future of a nuclear-armed Iran, run by mullahs on a mission, must be averted; the opportunity will not be there forever.
Report: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard plotted to lure and kidnap Israeli journalist
The opposition news outlet IranWire reported Saturday that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) planned to kidnap Babak Eshaghi, an Israeli journalist working for the Saudi-funded opposition channel Iran International.

According to IranWire, the IRGC devised a scheme to lure several Iran International journalists to a border region near Iran and abduct them into Iranian territory. The outlet based its report on details from the interrogation of Mohammad Hashemzadeh, a former Iranian political prisoner currently detained in Armenia.

The investigation revealed that members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard pressured Hashemzadeh and an associate to lure several Iran International journalists to a border city near Iran, where they would be abducted into the Islamic Republic.

Hashemzadeh, originally from the southeastern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, relocated to Armenia after working in Antalya, Turkey.

During his interrogation in Armenia, he disclosed that while imprisoned in Iran, Revolutionary Guard operatives tried to persuade him and his cellmate—who was formerly a friend of Eshaghi—to entice Eshaghi and another Iran International reporter to travel to the border city for the abduction. According to the report, the plan failed due to the refusal of Hashemzadeh and his cellmate, Mehdi Behnam, who had been sentenced to five years in prison in Iran.

In response to Ynet, Eshaghi said: “This is not the first time the Islamic regime in Iran has tried to harm Iran International journalists. We are the free, true and independent voice of news in Iran and the world. A few months ago, regime operatives stabbed my colleague Pouria Zarati in London, and last year, there was a revealed plan to attack our channel’s building and harm our journalists. As an Israeli journalist, I trust my country’s intelligence and security services. I will continue my work with the channel.”


Protests break out in Tehran’s historic bazaar over inflation, rial devaluation
Business owners and employees in Tehran’s historic bazaar staged a rare strike on Sunday against runaway inflation and soaring foreign currency rates, spurring protests in other commercial hubs in the capital.

Unrest in Iran's historic heart of commerce reflects the bleak outlook of the country as it faces dire economic straits. In 1979, protests in the bazaar heralded the onset of the Islamic Revolution which toppled Iran's monarch.

The strike, which began with shoe sellers in the 15th Khordad area, quickly spread to other sectors.

Videos shared with Iran International show merchants in the bazaar chanting “Don’t be afraid, close up,” and “Brave merchants, support, support".

A fabric merchant who joined the protest cited the impact of surging raw material costs, exacerbated by the devaluation of Iran’s currency.

“With the dollar now above 810,000 rials, our expenses have skyrocketed,” the merchant said. “Many workshops have shut down, and even those still running are struggling to sell goods in such a sluggish market.”

The protests soon expanded to key commercial hubs, including Abbasabad Market and Baghe Sepahsalar, known for fabric and shoe vendors.

Hamidreza Rastgar, head of Tehran’s Chamber of Guilds, acknowledged the discontent among manufacturers.

"Producers fear that items priced at these exchange rates will simply be out of reach for most consumers,” he said.

The Iranian rial’s sharp depreciation has had ripple effects across the economy. For merchants, it has created an untenable mix of higher costs and reduced consumer demand as at least one third of Iran is now living below the poverty line.


Assad’s fall enables access to ruined 2,700-year-old Damascus synagogue; only 9 Jews remain
In this Damascus suburb, the handful of remaining Jews in Syria can again make pilgrimages to one of the world’s oldest synagogues where people from throughout the region once came to pray.

Syria’s 13-year civil war left the synagogue largely destroyed. Walls and roofs have collapsed. Some artifacts are missing. A marble sign in Arabic at the gate says it was first built 720 years before Christ.

Since insurgents overthrew president Bashar al-Assad in early December, people have been able to safely visit the widely destroyed Jobar suburb that was pounded for years by government forces while in the hands of opposition fighters.

Syria was once home to one of the world’s largest Jewish communities. Those numbers have shrunk dramatically, especially after the State of Israel was created in 1948 and following anti-Jewish riots and persecution.

Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of the community, almost all older men and women. The community believes that no Syrian Jews will remain in the country in a few years.

One of the people visiting the Jobar Synagogue, also known as Eliyahu Hanavi synagogue, on Thursday was gray-haired Bakhour Chamntoub, the head of the community in Syria.

“This synagogue means a lot to us,” the 74-year-old told The Associated Press during his first visit in 15 years.

Chamntoub had heard the synagogue was damaged, but he did not expect to see that part of it had been reduced to a pile of debris.

“I am frankly disturbed,” he said.

Chamntoub said Jewish people from around the world have been calling him to say they are ready to help rebuild.

He had refused to leave Syria during the war, while all 12 of his siblings left. He said he was happy in Syria and surrounded by people who respect him.

Chamntoub said he had been one of the few Jews who openly spoke about his faith, adding that he never faced discrimination. He said other Jews preferred not to speak openly for safety reasons amid the animosity in Syria toward Israel and fears of being labeled spies or collaborators.
‘Miracle’ hoard of Hasmonean coins discovered during Hanukkah in Jordan Valley dig
In what they called an “archaeological Hanukkah miracle,” a University of Haifa team discovered on Friday a rare hoard of some 160 coins, dating from the Hasmonean period, during a dig in the Jordan Valley, the university said Sunday.

The coins were discovered in what is thought to have been a roadside station, on what was then a main road along Nahal Tirzah that ascended to the Alexandrion Fortress, also known as Sarbata, north of Jericho in what is now the West Bank.

The coins were dated by experts to the reign of “King Alexander Jannaeus, whose Hebrew name was Jonathan… He reigned from 104–76 BCE. He was the son of Johanan Hyrcanus, [and] the grandson of Simon the Hasmonean (brother of Judah Maccabee),” the statement said, noting that the Alexandrion Fortress, near where the coins were discovered, was built by Jannaeus.

Judah Maccabee was the famous leader of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire and Hellenistic influence on Jewish life, which broke out in 167 BCE, which ultimately led to the cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem and the later establishment of the Hanukkah holiday, currently being celebrated by Jewish communities worldwide.

“The students and volunteer excavators were very excited to find such a Hasmonean hoard, especially during the Hanukkah holiday,” the researchers said.




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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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