Israel Update 22.5.25

WASHINGTON D.C. MURDERS

Two young staff members at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, Yaron Lischinsky, who worked in the political department, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who worked in the embassy’s department of public diplomacy. were murdered Wednesday night near the Capital Jewish Museum. Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said the victims were a “young couple about to be engaged. The young man had purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem.”

The (alleged) murderer is an active member of a far-left Marxist, pro-Palestine group called the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Reports here& here

OCT 7

Shortly before the Oct 7 attacks, on Oct. 2, 2023, Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s Gaza chief, said at a high-level meeting that an “extraordinary act” was required to derail the normalization talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia, according to minutes of the meeting discovered in a tunnel by the IDF.
The Wall Street Journal has reported on another meeting on Oct. 2 in Beirut involving representatives of Hamas and Iranian security officials, where Iran approved the planned attack. Senior officials from Iran and Hizbullah had been discussing attack options with Hamas since the summer of 2021.Report here (paywall)

HEARTBREAKING NEWS OF MORE OCT 7 VICTIMS

Tamar Kutz, whose son and his entire family were murdered in Kibbutz Kfar Aza by terrorists on October 7, 2023, died Monday. An acquaintance said she had been heartbroken since the massacre. She and her husband, Benny, were among the early founders of the kibbutz, which was established in the 1950s and worked for many years as a kindergarten teacher and school teacher. Hamas terrorists slaughtered 64 of the kibbutz’s 787 residents, among them Tamar’s son Aviv, 53, his wife Livnat, 49, their 18-year-old daughter Rotem, and their sons Yonatan, 16, and Yiftach, 14. Nineteen other kibbutz residents were abducted to Gaza. Report here

St.-Sgt.-Maj. Igor Pivnev, a policeman praised for his bravery during the Oct 7 attacks took his own life on Tuesday, leaving behind a grieving family and community. He encountered terrorists 5 times, killing 13 of them before reaching his home moshav’s emergency fighting squad. Report here

GAZA WAR AGAINST HAMAS

Sgt. Yosef Yehuda Chirak, 22, was killed fighting in northern Gaza on Monday.Report here

Staff Sgt. Danilo Mocanu, 20, was killed Tuesday when a booby-trappedbuilding collapsed. Report here

Hamas recently informed the family of Muhammad Sinwar, the military commander of Hamas in Gaza, that he was killed in a tunnel in Khan Yunis on May 13, after he was targeted by the IDF in a series of airstrikes.Report here

Three rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel on Wednesday all fell short, within Gaza.Report here

IDF troops killed dozens of terrorists and destroyed multiple terror infrastructures in northern Gaza, including a 2-km.-long tunnel, the IDF announced Saturday. They also located several mines, rocket launchers, and missiles.Report here

The IDF launched simultaneous ground manoeuvres in northern and southern Gaza following a week-long aerial bombardment campaign, it announced Sunday. In the next phase, the IDF plans to scale up the relocation of the Palestinian civilian population from the north and centre of Gaza to the south, to specific locations where the army has established four logistical centres where Gazans can obtain food and humanitarian supplies. According to the IDF, there is no starvation in Gaza at this time, and “there is enough for the near future.” . Israeli forces operating on the ground have killed dozens of terrorists. Report here Report here

The IDF Arabic spokesperson on Monday called on residents of Khan Yunis, the second largest city in Gaza, to evacuate westward, as the IDF would be operating against terror groups in the area. Report here

Gazan journalists face beatings and threats by Hamas while covering anti-Hamas protests and dissent in the Strip, forcing them to self-censor to ensure their safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists has reported, adding that this phenomenon has been “vastly underreported.” Report here

The renewed supply of humanitarian aid to Gaza was part of a promise made by the U.S. to Hamas, as part of the arrangements surrounding American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander’s release, sources said. The focus would be on infant formula, medical supplies, fuel for bakeries and hospital generators, and other basic foodstuffs…However, all parties acknowledge that, as in the past, Hamas will likely seize a significant portion of the goods. An Israeli official noted that Washington is aware of this problem but considers the arrangement a necessary evil to maintain support for Israel’s military operation. Report here

Anti-Hamas protests erupted in the Gaza Strip for a third straight day on Wednesday with hundreds calling for an end to the war. Report here

GAZA CLAIM REFUTED

After a top UN official told the BBC that some 14,000 babies in Gaza could die in the next 48 hours if aid does not reach them in time, the British broadcaster clarified that this claim was false and based on an incorrect interpretation of a report issued by the UN’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification…The claim had been widely reported in international media outlets and was repeatedly cited by UK MPs during a House of Commons debate.Report here

AND GAZA CLAIMS DISPUTED

Despite war-related shortages and disruptions, food remains available in many areas, and videos show bustling food stalls, especially in Gaza City’s Al-Zawiya market. “Even during the worst times in northern Gaza, people could still buy things – it was just expensive,” said Jackie Peleg, director of Imshin, a project documenting life in Gaza.
Peleg added that the narrative of starvation in Gaza long predates the war. “Even when the crossings were open and supplies came in, people still claimed they were being starved.” Video of Gaza City food market embedded in this article

Footnote:

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories reported that 93 UN trucks containing humanitarian aid including flour, baby food, medical equipment and medicines were transferred Tuesday through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza.Report here

HOUTHIS IN YEMEN

Attacks included a ballistic rocket attack on central Israel last Thursday night.

15 Israeli jets carried out a wave of airstrikes in Yemen on Friday, targeting Houthi-controlled ports in response to the ongoing missile and drone attacks. Report here

Israel intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile at 2 a.m. on Sunday. Warning sirens sounded across central Israel, sending nearly a million residents to bomb shelters. The Houthis claimed that 2 missiles were launched which suggests that one fell short.Report here

Two more Houthi missiles targeted central Israel within 9 hours today, Thursday, at 3 a,m, and again around noon. Both were intercepted outside Israel’s airspace.Reports here & here

SYRIA

Some 2,500 documents and personal items belonging to legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen were returned to Israel from Syria in a covert operation carried out by the Mossad. The announcement coincided with the 60th anniversary of Cohen’s public execution in Damascus on May 18, 1965, and was made during a ceremony in which PM Netanyahu and Mossad Director David Barnea presented the materials to Cohen’s widow, Nadia Cohen who subsequently said:

“This is not closure for me, but a real earthquake… I am very proud of Eli for what he did, but… I feel he was murdered before my eyes and left me with three young children who never got to know him.”
Report here Photo here

INDIA/ISRAEL RELATIONS

In the ongoing cross-border tension between India and Pakistan, Israeli-made defence systems have featured prominently in India’s military operations. Lauren Dagan Amoss, an academic expert on India said “For years, Indian officials were cautious about invoking Israel too directly in their domestic security discourse. That caution now appears to have faded….Israel is no longer just a behind-the-scenes partner. For many in India – especially among nationalist circles – it is a benchmark for how a sovereign democracy should confront terror.” Report here

MOTOR SPORT

An Israeli driver will have pole position at the Indianapolis 500 next week after 25-year-old Robert Shwartzman won qualifiers at the premier IndyCar race.Report here

THE NATURAL WORLD

Israeli and Cypriot researchers have teamed up on an extreme cave makeover for rare mink seals. A rehabilitation project in northern Israel aims to provide safe and dry breeding places for the endangered marine mammals of which only 600-700 remain.Report here

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2025

Israel’s Yuval Raphael, 24, finished in 2nd place at the Eurovision 2025 grand final song contest on Saturday night. She is a survivor of the Oct. 7 Nova music festival massacre, hiding for eight hours in a bomb shelter under bodies as 40 people around her were murdered.

Israel was number 1 in the public vote, while in 14th place among the official juries in the 25 participating countries, having received the maximum 12 points in the public vote in Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, UK, Portugal, Sweden, Luxembourg, Germany, Netherlands, France, Azerbaijan and the Rest of the World category. Israel received 10 points in the public vote in Czechia, Norway San Marino, Finland, Cyprus and Ireland.Report here Statistics here

Despite calls from some public broadcasters to ban Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, reportedly the German public broadcaster ARD threatened to withdraw from the contest if the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided to exclude Israel.Report here

COMMENT & OPINION

D.C. Murders

Brendan O’Neill: We are living through the most ruthless, most relentless demonisation of the Jewish State in the entire 77 years of its existence. And it is hard to see last night’s double slaughter as anything other than the militarisation of that fashionable spite, the armed wing of a loathing for Israel that long ago crossed the line from political critique into neo-medieval hysteria. Full article here

Statement by UK, France & Canada

Brendan O’Neill: There’s a surefire way to know you’re on the wrong side of history: you get praised by Hamas. This ignominious fate befell Britain, France and Canada this week. The three big hitters of the West’s liberal conscience issued a statement condemning Israel and…These nations have taken ‘a significant step in the right direction’, gushed (Hamas)

Give yourselves a pat on the back, Starmer, Carney and Macron: you’ve made a gang of racist mass murderers very happy…we now have a horrifying situation where Britain, France and Canada are on the same page as Hamas…

The depiction of Operation Gideon’s Chariots as a cruel ‘targeting of Palestinians’ (Hamas) that will kill thousands of babies (UN) is way off. In truth, this is a military push by Israel against an enemy that poses a direct and imminent threat to its people and its territory. It is war. Israel says it has taken out dozens of Hamas terrorists in recent days, reportedly including leading figures. Yes, this war, like every war in history, has awful impacts on civilians. Britain and France should be well aware of the tragic scourge of ‘collateral damage’, given how many hundreds of thousands of innocents have perished in their often unjust wars in recent decades. For them now to lecture Israel for having the temerity to go after the neo-fascists who slaughtered 1,200 people in its territory is hypocrisy of the most sick-making variety. What’s really ‘egregious’, Starmer and Macron, is your global shaming of the Jewish nation as it fights for its survival against the racist tyrants on its borders.Full article here

Richard Kemp: Britain, France and Canada’s lifeline to Hamas is a dangerous blunder.

Their joint statement demanding Israel halt its operations in Gaza is nothing less than a call for Israel to surrender: cease operations, withdraw forces, leave Hamas to rebuild and get ready for another October 7…

They call the IDF’s renewed offensive “disproportionate.” It is nothing of the kind. Israel is fighting a defensive war to protect its population from further attacks. That requires the destruction of Hamas’s military capabilities and the removal of it and its kind from controlling terrain that would again threaten Israel if given half a chance.Full article here

Jake Wallis Simons; Labour’s Attack on Israel is completely unjustified.

The government has been edging the country towards a position that is hostile towards Jerusalem. If this continues, we can bid farewell to our security cooperation. British troops were supplied with the Spike NLOS missile directly from IDF stocks to defend bases in Iraq and Afghanistan against enemies firing rockets at them or planting bombs nearby. It prevented attacks and saved British lives.
Our servicemen have also trained with Israel’s high-tech Rhino mobile command and control centre. The RAF has conducted numerous exercises with the Israelis, which has been of huge benefit; Israeli forces are unique in actually putting their kit and training to the test in high-stress, real world environments…Britain may have the luxury of suggesting that Israel downs weapons before it finishes the job, but that’s only because our people aren’t the ones who will be raped, kidnapped, butchered and mutilated – again – if Hamas is able to regroup.Full article here (paywall)

JC Editorial: The UK, France and Canada threatened Israel with sanctions on Monday unless the Jewish state halts its military campaign in Gaza. These are the same Western powers that helped reduce Raqqa and Mosul to rubble to defeat ISIS. Now they cite humanitarian concerns to shield Hamas from the same fate – which is exactly what Gaza’s jihadis were counting on….Imagine if the UK, France, Canada and other Western leaders had said this: Hamas alone is responsible for every death in this war. The path to peace begins with its defeat. Perhaps Gaza would already be rebuilding. Unless Hamas is defeated, this war won’t end – it will only pause, until the next massacre. Full article here

Gaza

Robert Killick: Israel is still the world’s scapegoat. No other nation has faced so many spurious allegations of war crimes, just for defending itself. Full article here

Tom Gross: The BBC has quietly walked back its “14,000 babies will die in the next 48 hours in Gaza” misinformation it was spreading all day yesterday (Tuesday).

Different BBC correspondents repeated Tom Fletcher’s claims across multiple BBC platforms.

The BBC should know by now that certain prominent UN officials have a track record of spreading pro-Hamas misinformation and vastly exaggerated statistics.

On May 24, private American military contractors are due to enter Gaza with food to make sure it is given directly to Palestinian civilians and not to Hamas.

View Tom Gross video here

Yaakov Katz:
The international press has spent the past few weeks zeroing in on a single story: the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Each day brought a new headline and condemnation. Within days of the Oct. 7 massacre, the Biden administration began pressuring Israel to allow truckloads of food, fuel and supplies into the Strip.
That much of that aid ended up in Hamas’s hands made little difference to Washington or Europe. And that’s what happened – with one hand, Israel struck Hamas targets and hunted its leaders and with the other, it sent in food and fuel, effectively helping to sustain the very terrorist group it was trying to destroy… Under international law, Israel’s actions are permitted and there is no legal obligation to provide supplies if they are known to reach the enemy…. If not handled correctly, aid will become less about saving civilians and more about saving Hamas. It is hard for Israelis to accept lectures from a world that seems to forget who started this war and who is still holding the hostages. Humanitarian aid is important. But so is moral consistency. And if the world wants this war to end, it must ensure that its interventions do not end up sustaining the very terrorists that need to be erased from this earth. Full article here

Dr. Fiamma Nirenstein: (Israel’s) goal of the war in Gaza is to corner Hamas until it relinquishes its weapons and returns the hostages. If Hamas were to surrender its hostages and weapons, the fighting would end. What kind of twisted logic imagines that Israel fights for pleasure? This is a war for survival. In the near-unanimous global condemnation of Netanyahu’s refusal to capitulate there lies an implicit endorsement of the Oct. 7 atrocities, and a disturbing societal absorption of lies about supposed Israeli war crimes.
It was Hamas that made the humanitarian situation in Gaza catastrophic by seizing food at gunpoint. Video evidence confirms this, even as Israel is scapegoated. Civilian casualties are the direct result of Hamas’s militarization of homes, schools, hospitals, children’s bedrooms, and its deliberate policy of preventing civilians from sheltering in its underground tunnels. Israel cannot allow this terror regime to survive. Full article here

Dror Eydar:We possess damning evidence not only against Hamas’s military but also against the cooperation of the so-called “uninvolved” Gazan population in acts of murder, looting, rape, and actively hiding our hostages in residential homes.
As German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told the Bundestag in October 2024: “Self-defence means, of course, not just attacking terrorists, but eliminating them….We will not back down [from supporting Israel]. I made it clear to the UN that civilian facilities can lose their protected status when terrorists exploit them. This is Germany’s position and our understanding of Israel’s security.”
This should be our core message to all our allies…We expect them to support our right to destroy our enemies… Numerous violent conflicts rage worldwide, yet Europeans elevate the plight of Gazans above all. Why? Because they happen to be fighting Jews. Muslims killing Muslims doesn’t attract global concern. But Jews fighting and defeating their enemies – that demands a reckoning.
…This war is not about the right to defend our lives, it is about eliminating the terrorists and uprooting the threat. Just as no rational person would live at the foot of a volcano that erupts every few years, Israelis will not return to normal life as long as the barbarians remain just a few kilometres away.
Full article here

Col. (ret.) Richard Kemp: Two of Israel’s war aims are to destroy Hamas’s military capabilities and prevent it from continuing to govern Gaza. Last week, the IDF began an intensive campaign to finish off the terrorist group. This has been prepared over the past 11 weeks by blocking supplies into Gaza.
That has been necessary because until now Hamas has been hijacking food and other aid entering the Strip, stockpiling some for its own use and selling the rest to the population at inflated prices. The proceeds of aid sales have been essential for Hamas to fund its terrorist activities.
Hamas’s control of aid distribution is the most powerful tool it has to retain a stranglehold over the Gaza population. A new U.S.-Israel initiative aims to put a stop to that by establishing secure aid posts inside Gaza from where those in need would collect food under strict control.
I know of no other conflict in which the UN has not actively encouraged the removal of populations from a dangerous combat zone. The same applies to the failure of the UN or any major power to pressure Egypt into opening its borders to allow temporary refuge. There have been few other conflicts worldwide where neighbouring countries have not opened their borders to let civilians escape to safety. Refusing to co-operate in proposals to get civilians to safety so that Hamas terrorists can be killed while minimizing collateral damage certainly helps frustrate Israel’s war efforts.
The best way to end this war and get the hostages out is the rapid and efficient defeat of Hamas, and that depends to a very large extent on the success of the new food-distribution project. All responsible governments and humanitarian bodies have a duty to support it. Full article here (paywall)

A Kibbutznik’s Story

Adele Raemer: 589 days ago, the life I had known imploded. The community and home I had built and lived in for my entire adult life became a fire-and-brimstone war zone and I became a refugee in my own land.
Following the invasion of 150 marauding terrorists, Kibbutz Nirim was evacuated…. I almost lost my daughter and granddaughters. My son and I escaped the terrorists’ murderous wrath by a sliver – they were on my front porch, breaking in through the window, before being lured away…

As a community, we made a decision: we wouldn’t just fix what was broken. We would rebuild. Bigger. Better. Safer. Stronger. More beautiful. Full article here

Further reading: Dr. Alex Safian The Nakba Myth

The Palestinian nakba narrative is a potent myth, a massive collection of blatant falsehoods intended to stand history on its head, and turn the victim into the perpetrator. Article here