Israel Update 20.11.25

TERROR ATTACK

 

Aharon Cohen, 71, a resident of Kiryat Arba was murdered in a terror attack on Tuesday at a West Bank junction. Three others were wounded, a 55 year old woman seriously, a man, 30 and a boy, 15, both moderately. The 2 Palestinian assailants were shot by security forces and several explosive devices were discovered in their vehicle. Report here

 

Footnote:   WAFA, the official PA news agency, described the deadly terror attack as Palestinian victimhood. “Two Palestinian youths were killed this evening by Israeli forces’ gunfire south of Bethlehem.”  According to WAFA, there was no terror attack. No Israelis were murdered or injured. Report here

 

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (PA) CONTINUES INCITEMENT

PA school textbooks continue to glorify terror, demonize Israelis, traffic in antisemitic themes, and advance exclusivist nationalist rhetoric despite promises to implement reforms, according to a report released Wednesday by the IMPACT-se watchdog, which monitors educational content.
PA-produced texts have been flagged for years for containing content that is a key factor in inculcating hate among Palestinian youths, fuelling extremism, and undercutting efforts to foster peaceful coexistence with Israelis. The materials are used widely across the West Bank and Gaza, including in classrooms run by the UN agency UNRWA.

 

A study of WAFA’s (the official PA news agency)  English-language coverage for the month of July 2025, found that 99.9% of articles related to Israel were explicitly negative, spreading false and dangerous narratives.

 

20% of the articles mentioning Jews or in opinion columns that appeared in the official Palestinian Authority (PA) newspaper, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida,between January 2022 and August 2025 contain antisemitic content, a new Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) study revealed on Monday.
This included the denial of the very existence of the “Jewish people,” claims of Jewish control over the global economy and American elites, and comparisons between Israel and Nazism, the Crusaders, and various colonial entities.

Reports hereHere& here

 

COUNTER TERRORISM

 

 

Security forces announced  last Thursday they had successfully dismantled a major Hamas terrorist infrastructure operating in the Bethlehem area, thwarting plans for imminent shooting attacks. Some 40 Hamas operatives were arrested in 15 operations carried out by IDF reservists. Weapons including M16 rifles were seized. Report here

RETURN OF MURDERED HOSTAGE

 

 

Meny Godard, 73, a former footballer, war veteran, economist and lifeguard, was murdered by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri on Oct 7, alongside his wife Ayelet, 63, and his body abducted to Gaza. His remains were returned to Israel last Thursday night. The bodies of 3 murdered hostages still remain held in Gaza: 2 Israelis and 1 Thai national. Report here

 

THE UN, THE US & GAZA

 

 

The U.S. blueprint to secure and govern Gaza was approved by the UN Security Council on Monday in a 13-0 vote with Russia and China abstaining. The resolution authorises an international stabilization force (ISF) to provide security in Gaza, approves a transitional authority to be overseen by President Trump, and envisions a possible future path to an independent Palestinian state.
The proposal provides a wide mandate for the international stabilization force, including overseeing the borders, providing security, and demilitarizing the territory. Arab and other Muslim countries that expressed interest in providing troops for an international force had signalled that UN authorization was essential for their participation. Report here (paywall)

 

PM Netanyahu told Israel’s Cabinet on Sunday, “Our opposition to a Palestinian state on any territory has not changed.” Adding that the phrase “path to a Palestinian state” is accompanied by “a long series of conditions the Palestinians are unlikely to meet.” Israeli officials said the conditions are so stringent that the chances of Palestinian compliance are “virtually zero.” “They would have to become Sweden,” one official said. “These conditions would create, at most, a long corridor full of requirements before anything could even begin.”  Report here

 

Reportedly, an Israeli security source said that since the White House is having trouble getting commitments from other countries to participate in disarming Hamas, it has since begun pursuing “interim solutions, which are currently unacceptable to Israel…There can be no rehabilitation before demilitarization. It is contrary to Trump’s plan. Gaza must be demilitarized,” he said.
Most countries that have expressed interest in participating in the International Stabilization Force (ISF) have said they would not be willing to enforce the disarmament of terror groups in Gaza. Report here

 

Footnote

“There is an obsession in Europe. While we are dealing with terrorist states in Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen, they are proposing that we establish a Palestinian terror state in the heart of our small country. A Palestinian state would be a Hamas terror state,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told a German delegation. Report here

 

HAMAS

 

On Wednesday after Hamas gunmen violated the ceasefire agreement by opening fire on Israeli troops operating along the designated “yellow line” buffer zone near Khan Yunis, the IDF launched a series of retaliatory airstrikes across Gaza, hitting Hamas targets.   Report here

 

Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza have rejected the UNSC resolution that establishes an international stabilization force in the territory, saying that it “paves the way for field arrangements imposed outside the Palestinian national will.” Report here

 

Reportedly, Hamas has started stockpiling weapons in African countries, Yemen, and other sympathetic nations so that they can later be smuggled to locations, including Gaza, where Hamas can access them. Report here

LEBANON

 

 

The IDF said Wednesday it has identified cooperation between the Lebanese Army and Hizbullah in southern Lebanon. This has involved the transfer of Hizbullah equipment in Lebanese Army vehicles, as well as overlooking the introduction of Hizbullah engineering equipment into sites previously used by the group. Hizbullah is seeking to rebuild its military capabilities in southern Lebanon, in violation of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The IDF said Hizbullah is accelerating weapons smuggling, and the Lebanese Army is failing to keep pace. In response, the IDF on Wednesday stepped up strikes in Lebanon to destroy terror infrastructure and weapons stockpiles, targeting locations where enforcement is lacking.Report here (paywall)

 

 

On Tuesday an Israeli drone struck a Hamas training compound near Sidon used by Hamas terrorists for training and exercises in order to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel. Report here

THE US & SAUDI ARABIA

 

 

On Nov. 18, President Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman finalized a series of landmark agreements that deepen the U.S.-Saudi strategic partnership. President Trump approved a major defence sale package, including future F-35 deliveries and the purchase of nearly 300 American tanks. White House fact sheet here

 

Not only politicians and defence officials in Israel are expressing concern about this (F-35) deal and questioning whether normalisation with the kingdom will compensate for the damage to what is defined as Israel’s “qualitative military edge.” Intelligence agencies and the Pentagon are also sceptical about the deal out of fear that knowledge of the aircraft’s capabilities and features (generation 5, the most advanced as of now) might leak to China, which has trade and co-operation agreements with Saudi Arabia. Report here

EGYPT: DRONE SMUGGLING THREAT

 

 

On some days, as many as 20 drones fly across the Egyptian border into Israel. Egyptian smugglers may be sending hundreds of weapon-laden drones per month into Israel. IDF sources have said most of the drones originate in Israel. Smugglers send them to Egypt, where they are loaded with weapons and then sent back.
To counter the drones, the Iron Dome has gotten better at tracking and shooting them down, the Iron Beam is now in the mix for specific border threats, and a variety of electronic-warfare weapons are now available to down or hack and take control of enemy drones. Israel has made significant strides in setting back the drone weapons-smuggling threat from Egypt, but the battle is far from won. Report here

DEFENCE CO-OPERATION

 

 

This week, Israel has been hosting 130 officials from foreign militaries to present lessons and warfare techniques from the 2023-2025 Middle East war. They witnessed an IDF war games exercise and visited IDF bases displaying long-range firepower techniques. They included a large contingent from the U.S., with contingents from Canada, Britain, France, Germany, India, Morocco, Finland, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Estonia, Japan, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia.

The IDF’s new battle tactics were demonstrated during a military exercise.  Reports here& here

 

UPDATE ON THE WORK OF “SAVE A CHILD’S HEART” (SACH)

 

The Israeli humanitarian organization SACH at the Sylvan Adams Children’s Hospital at Wolfson Medical Centre in Holon, founded in 1995, has treated almost 8,000 children from 73 countries where access to paediatric cardiac care is limited or non-existent.

SACH also runs a fellowship training programme for medical professionals, primarily from Africa, who then return to their home countries to provide advanced medical services.

More than 160 doctors and nurses have participated in the programme over the years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, eight doctors are interns at the children’s hospital. Article here

 

JAMAICA

 

A team of 30 Israeli medical professionals who were deployed to Jamaica to assist the local population in the aftermath of the deadly Hurricane Melissa returned home to Israel on Tuesday, and its leader Professor Ofer Merin described the challenges they faced as well as the devastation on the Caribbean island. Article here

VIETNAM

 

This week marks the first anniversary of the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement.
Total trade turnover between Vietnam and Israel exceeded $3 billion in the first 10 months of 2025 and included the fields of electronics, medical devices, chemicals and especially fresh agricultural products.Report here

MEDICAL

 

Precise Bio has reported the first successful human implantation of its 3D-printed cornea implant, constructed of functional human eye cells cultured in a laboratory by Dr. Michael Mimouni, director of the cornea unit at Rambam Medical Centre in Haifa, Israel. Aryeh Batt, Precise Bio co-founder and CEO said “This achievement marks a turning point for regenerative ophthalmology – a moment of real hope for millions living with corneal blindness” Report here

 

 

In a world first, Israeli scientists have used RNA-based gene therapy to stop ALS (motor neurone disease) deterioration. By adding a microRNA molecule to ALS models, Tel Aviv University, Ben Gurion University and Weizmann Institute researchers say that the damaged nerve cells “even regenerated”. Report here

 

 

Israeli researchers have discovered a plant-based molecule that can effectively combat pathogenic fungi and serve as a foundation for developing environmentally friendly treatments. The study was led by Dr. Ofri Levi of the MIGAL Galilee Research Institute and Tel-Hai College’s Faculty of Sciences, together with Prof. Benny Horwitz of the Technion’s Faculty of Biology.  Their findings offer a new approach to addressing one of the fastest-growing threats to public health and agriculture: fungi that have developed resistance to medications and pesticides. Report here

 

 

SPORT

 

At the European Ninja Championships held in Poland, Israelis May Yahalom, Hila Gilboa & Darian Toren won Gold, silver & bronze medals respectively in the Elite women category. Video here

Other recent gold medal winners were:

Rotem Ben Natan at the U16 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship

Neriya Almasi at the Jiu Jitsu World Championships in Thailand

Gili Sharir at the Zagreb Grand Prix judo

Source:Follow Team Israel on FaceBook

 

TRAVEL

 

Israel’s Six Senses Shaharut desert resort has been voted one of the Top 10 Hotels & Resorts in the Middle East by the readership of Conde Nast Traveller magazine.(TY Michael) Article here

A VOLUNTEER’S STORY

 

Dr. Ira Savetsky, an American plastic surgeon and expert in trauma reconstruction, volunteered at Soroka Hospital, Beersheba during the Israel-Hamas war, as well as providing free plastic surgery to survivors of antisemitic violence in the USA.

He said : “Given that Soroka is the closest tertiary-care hospital to Gaza, many of the soldiers who were wounded while protecting all of us were brought there… So many of the wounded required reconstructive surgery, burn treatment and complex care for the injuries they sustained in battle, I felt called to be there, to use my surgical skills in a meaningful way. Truly, it was one of the highlights of my career…What makes Soroka even more remarkable is the diversity of its staff, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze and Bedouin, people from every background, work side by side to deliver the best possible care to every patient, regardless of religion, race, or identity.”

During the war, the hospital has treated over 4,400 casualties, including more than 3,300 wounded soldiers.

During the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June, Soroka University Medical Centre’s surgical ward suffered a direct hit from an Iranian missile, injuring more than 80 people and wrecking eight operating rooms along with six research laboratories. Article here

COMMENT & OPINION

 

The US & Gaza

 

Washington Post Editorial:  Hamas announced its rejection of the terms (of the UN’s endorsement of Trump’s Gaza peace plan) because the plan places an international trusteeship over Gaza and because the next stage calls for Hamas to lay down its weapons or be disarmed by force. Without the terrorist group’s compliance, most countries will be highly unlikely to send troops to Gaza.
Disarming Hamas, which started the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, has always been the thorniest step in the peace plan. There are still many miles of tunnel infrastructure for hiding weaponry. And there seems to be no plan for separating fighters from civilians. Hamas militants can blend in with the population.
Hamas control over Gaza has to change for the other phases of the peace plan to have any chance of moving forward. If the Arab and Muslim countries are unwilling to step up and do the tough business of disarmament, Israel may be forced to return. Editorial here (paywall)

 

 

Dr. Michael Milshtein: The dominant actor in postwar Gaza is no longer Israel but the Americans. Washington’s forward base in Kiryat Gat signals unprecedented involvement in the conflict. Every step the U.S. advances is designed to cement a new reality on the ground that will restrict Israel’s freedom of action and make a return to full-scale war very difficult.
A U.S.-sponsored resolution at the UN Security Council on the deployment of foreign forces in Gaza includes the PA and mentions a potential Palestinian state. U.S. eagerness to preserve the ceasefire may push Washington to accept compromises – even at Israel’s expense.
Israel has two choices: confront Trump and set red lines (a path that risks a heavy price) or accept the changing reality and attempt to preserve maximum operational freedom, and retain a veto over decisions that sharply conflict with Israeli interests. Article here

 

 

Nadav Shragai: … Phase 2 of the Gaza ceasefire agreement has emerged so far as an illusion. Hamas, just like Hizbullah, harbours no dreams of disarmament (and) is reconstructing command and control systems, having already redeployed 7,500 operatives across the Gaza territory remaining under its authority.

It has resumed street patrols, salary payments, and tax collection. Its members break arms and legs of anyone questioning their continued rule, restore tunnels, manufacture weapons anew, and settle accounts with armed clans that assisted Israel before the ceasefire.

Gaza isn’t simply a minor irritant…A senior military intelligence official recently informed cabinet ministers that “the plan to annihilate Israel remains alive and operational, with October 7 continuing to inspire all Israel’s regional enemies.”

Trump’s America presumes that economic enticements provide the key, and that every problem features a deal awaiting signature once proper incentives materialize. But business principles don’t govern everything… The hatred culture centred on Israel’s destruction cannot be eliminated through financial means. Israel and its military possess genuine motivation and capability – now with no living hostages remaining in Gaza – to complete the mission there and strip Hamas of weaponry. Trump’s peace vision might potentially materialize only after Hamas’s Gaza elimination. Article here

 

 

David M. Halbfinger: The International Stabilization Force (ISF)  is meant to ensure the demilitarization of Gaza – Israel’s price for pulling its troops from the territory in the future…
Hamas said Tuesday that involving the ISF in disarming it would turn the force into “a party to the conflict on behalf of” Israel.
The problem of demilitarizing Gaza is so daunting that the U.S. has begun planning for a situation in which Hamas retains control of the western half of Gaza, and keeps its weaponry, while reconstruction begins in the Israel-controlled eastern half Article here (paywall)

Turkey

 

Amit Segal: Israel’s embassy in Ankara has been closed since Oct. 7. At the same time, the Turks have 30 diplomats in Tel Aviv and 20 in Jerusalem, working to undermine Israel from within.
The Turkish cultural institute in eastern Jerusalem is a hub of incitement. 37% of Turks see Israel as an existential threat.
Turkey has not abandoned dreams of imperial expansion. Turkey builds military bases in Sri Lanka, supplies air defence systems to Bangladesh, and aids Pakistan against India. X post here

 

 

Jonathan Spyer: The Turks have expressed a desire to play a role in the International Stabilization Force (ISF) which is supposed to take over ground security control of Gaza from the IDF (and Hamas)… Israel is absolutely opposed to any Turkish role in future security arrangements in Gaza. This is because Israel identifies Turkey in its current form as something very close to an enemy state. Ankara allows Hamas to maintain a large office in Istanbul, from which it has planned both military and terror activities and political and media campaigns.
Turkey also facilitates the unimpeded travel of Hamas officials by supplying them with Turkish passports. Turkish President Erdogan has never condemned the massacres of 7 October 2023, describing d Hamas as a liberation group.

Israel suspects that Turkey wishes to make use of the ISF in Gaza as a platform by which it can reinsert Turkish troops into the Israeli-Palestinian context. However, the current U.S. administration shares little or none of Israel’s perception of Turkey.Article here (paywall)

Palestinians

Khaled Abu Toameh:
According to Arab media reports, 145 Palestinians who arrived in Cairo upon their release from Israeli prison “did not find any Arab or Islamic country willing to host them.” Some Arab leaders, especially in neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon, are apparently concerned that the prisoners, who were serving one or more life terms for deadly attacks on Israelis, would pose a threat to their security and political stability. So far, no country other than Turkey and Malaysia has received Palestinian prisoners.
Arab leaders often make strong statements, issue condemnations of Israel, and attend summits that express solidarity with the Palestinians. Their gestures, however, are often not matched by decisive steps. By now, most Arab heads of state see Palestinians as having caused immeasurable harm wherever they have gone and as having rewarded with treachery whoever stretched out a hand to them. Article here