Israel Update 27.11.25

RETURN OF MURDERED HOSTAGE

 

The remains of Dror Or murdered and abducted by Palestinian Islamic Jihad on Oct 7 were returned to Israel on Tuesday. He was 48 and is survived by his three children, Yahli, (who was away on Oct 7) and Noam and Alma who were also abducted and released two years ago. His wife, Yonat Or, was also killed in the massacre Dror, a native of Kibbutz Be’eri managed and co-founded Be’eri Dairy, an artisanal cheesemaking operation, and studied cheesemaking in Italy. He was also a chef, a certified yoga instructor, and a loving and supportive father and husband.

The two deceased hostages who remain in Gaza are Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak and St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili. Report here

 

GAZA

 

No nation has expressed readiness to have its forces directly engage Hamas fighters to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2803, approved last week, designed to disarm Hamas.   Last week PM Netanyahu told the Cabinet that President Trump’s representatives have agreed that if no alternative actor emerges to eliminate Hamas, and if the organization refuses voluntary disarmament, Israel will assume the mission. The Israel Security Agency told the Cabinet, “Hamas is exploiting the ceasefire to strengthen its power to prepare against us. According to sources close to the White House, presidential advisor Jared Kushner currently doesn’t expect Gaza rehabilitation to begin before the military threat posed by Hamas is removed. Report here

 

Israeli officials now believe they may be forced to dismantle Hamas on their own, after delays in forming a U.S.-backed International Stabilization Force (ISF).  Report here

 

The U.S. is pushing for the rapid construction of a number of residential compounds for Gazans in Israeli-controlled parts of Gaza. U.S. officials are calling them “Alternative Safe Communities.”
Most Gazans are currently in the Hamas-controlled part of Gaza where the U.S. and Israel are not yet allowing any reconstruction. U.S. officials hope Palestinians will feel encouraged to move to the new compounds, drawn to the prospect of greater security, freedom from Hamas, job opportunities, and a chance to rebuild their lives.
The proposal reflects the lack of progress in ousting and disarming Hamas, leaving U.S. and Israeli officials to do what they can where they can.  Report here (paywall)

 

A patchwork of armed groups have emerged to fight Hamas in Gaza over recent months. They include groups based around family clans, criminal gangs, and new militias, some backed by Israel. But these militias, each operating in its own local area inside the Gaza territory currently controlled by Israeli forces, have not been officially included in the U.S. peace plan, which calls for an International Stabilization Force and a newly-trained Palestinian police force to secure Gaza. Hossam al-Astal, who leads a militia called the Counter-Terrorism Strike Force near Khan Yunis, told Israeli media this week that “U.S. representatives” had confirmed his group would have a role in Gaza’s future police force. Report here

 

Over the past week, more than 20 Hamas terrorists have been killed and eight others arrested while attempting to escape the tunnel network in Rafah in southern Gaza. With time, Israeli forces are steadily shrinking the tunnel zone – using various methods to force the terrorists to surface.

Israel and the U.S. have discussed how to deal with the terrorists trapped in the Rafah tunnel network. One proposal, which would have allowed them to be deported, collapsed after no foreign state – including Turkey and Qatar – agreed to accept them. Report here Report here

 

 

Israel reportedly conveyed a proposal to Hamas last week that would allow the release of dozens of Hamas fighters believed to be trapped in tunnels in an IDF-controlled area of eastern Rafah, as long as they surrendered and agreed to be transferred to Israeli prisons. They would later be eligible for release and relocation to the Hamas-controlled area of the Gaza Strip, on the condition that they pledge not to return to terrorism and agree to disarm. Since the proposal was made, the operatives have not surrendered and have on multiple occasions emerged from tunnels in attempts to flee or attack IDF forces. Report here

 

Footnote:

New iPhone 17 devices — including gold-plated models — are being sold in the Gaza Strip “at exorbitant prices,” after retailers managed to import the latest Apple smartphone through recently opened border crossings. According to unnamed sources the more well-to-do Gazans who can afford them are mostly Hamas members.  Report here

 

 

“GAZA” PROPAGANDA EXPOSED ON “X”

 

The X social network’s new feature displays users’ locations and additional information, enabling the identification of fake behaviour and bots impersonating real users, and exposing worldwide fake accounts and user manipulations.
Some presented themselves as Gazans, some raised funds, and others posed as journalists from Gaza while actually reporting from other countries.
For example, user @noor_jomaa01 presented herself as a Gazan and raised tens of thousands of dollars, but it turns out her origin was Nigerian.
The prominent anti-Israeli account “Khalisi” was exposed as tweeting from Pakistan. Numerous accounts of “journalists from Gaza” were exposed as actually operating from the U.S. Report here

 

Footnote:

Following New York Mayor-elect Mamdani’s electoral victory, a network of accounts supposedly representing orthodox antizionist Jews shared almost identical messages of praise and denying Jewish concerns about his administration. One of these, Torah Judaism, was indicated to actually be based in the Philippines. Report here

 

 

GAZA FAMINE CLAIMS AGAIN REFUTED

 

 

Data released by an authoritative global malnutrition tracking organization (Global Nutrition Cluster’s State of Palestine department) has demonstrated that a crucial hunger threshold was never breached in Gaza during a period in which a famine declaration fuelled intense criticism of Israel and played a key role in the country’s isolation on the world stage. Report here

 

HAMAS TERROR PLOTS FOILED IN EUROPE

 

Recently foiled Hamas terrorist plots in Europe were planned in Qatar and possibly Turkey.  Mossad carried out the investigation alongside European counterparts that resulted in the arrest of terror suspects and weapons stockpiles “intended for use by Hamas cells to harm innocent civilians.”Report here

 

HIZBOLLAH

 

The IDF on Sunday eliminated Hizbullah’s No. 2 and its acting military chief, Ali Tabatabai, in his hideout in Beirut.    In recent weeks Israel has carried out near-daily attacks intended to block Hizbullah from rebuilding its military infrastructure along the border. Report here

 

Footnote:

A senior American official said, “It is clear that Hizbullah is a designated terrorist organization by the U.S., with a great deal of American blood on its hands, so no one is mourning the loss (of Tabatabai)….I do not think eliminating the head of the terrorist organization’s military wing undermines the effort to demilitarize Lebanon.”  Report here

 

 

THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

 

 

After a Palestinian police officer shot and wounded an Israeli reservist soldier near Nablus on Thursday, the attacker was killed by the IDF.  Other terrorists had been arrested as part of operational activities across three areas. Report here

 

As part of Gaza peace efforts, many governments are pressing hard for the PA to have a central role in building a new Gaza. Yet, what is being taught today in PA-run schools in the West Bank is hatred of Israel and Jews, and the glorification of violence. A new study by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education found that no reforms are underway to deal with previous findings of textbook content that promotes violence and incites hatred. According to the report, “antisemitism remains a central feature of the curriculum. Hate and collective accusations specifically directed toward Jewish people appear across grades and subjects….Religiously-motivated violence is promoted and celebrated….Science, mathematics and grammar exercises are politicized to transmit hostility and normalize violence….Maps and language in Palestinian textbooks erase Israel entirely.” Report here

 

 

SYRIA

 

 

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has started to build a growing military presence in Syria, with the Syrian regime’s full awareness and comes as Hamas bolsters its strength in Lebanon through increased cooperation with Hizbullah. Report here

 

DEFENCE

 

 Israel’s Defence Ministry and U.S. officials have announced the acceleration of Iron Dome, Iron Beam, and David’s Sling production for future air defence against rockets and drones.
The U.S. aid package approved by Congress in April 2024 includes $5.2 billion to enhance Israel’s air defence systems.Report here

 

CAMBODIA

 

 

Welcoming the new Israeli Ambassador Alona-Fisher Kamm, the King conveyed his appreciation to the government and people of Israel for their longstanding collaboration with Cambodia, noting Israel’s active support in commerce, tourism, education, and agriculture. On Nov. 25, Kamm met the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, who encouraged the Israeli side to expand support for Cambodian agricultural students in Israel, enabling them to gain practical skills and comprehensive knowledge. The Israeli government provides 11-month scholarships for Cambodian students to study and gain firsthand experience in the modern agricultural sector in Israel.  Report here

 

 

INTERNATIONAL MAYORS’ CONFERENCE

 

 

Last week, mayors and municipal leaders from 15 countries gathered in Jerusalem for the 34th International Mayors Conference, organized by the American Jewish Congress  (AJC) and the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The five-day trip, gave the participants the chance to engage in civil diplomacy, discuss shared urban challenges, and take a look at Israel’s latest technical innovations.

The impact on participants proved immediate and profound. One recounted the transformation of the mayor of Entebbe, Uganda, who arrived with preconceptions shaped by mainstream media coverage. The mayor, who has connections to incoming New York Mayor-elect Mamdani through shared Ugandan heritage, experienced a dramatic shift in perspective. Another mayor said “As we were leaving Jerusalem, before we’d even gotten to Tel Aviv, he (the Entebbe mayor) said, ‘Let me tell you, you’ve changed me. You have changed me wholly and completely…‘I am distraught to learn that the narrative I have been given is just not true… You’ve turned me from a pessimist into an ambassador.’”  Report here

 

 

THE UK

 

 

British police used false information to justify a ban on Israeli fans attending a game in Birmingham earlier this month, according to Dutch law enforcement officers who dismissed as untrue accusations that Maccabi Tel Aviv’s supporters included “highly organised, skilled fighters” who threw people into a river. However, the only known case of a man thrown into a river was that of a Maccabi Tel Aviv fan attacked by a mob. Report here (paywall) Report here

 

Footnote: Confusion over military conference.

Last week a Jerusalem Post military correspondent embedded at the event, reported that a number of countries including “Britain” had sent representatives when Israel hosted around 130 officials from foreign militaries to present some of its lessons and latest warfare techniques from the 2023-2025 Middle East war. Report here

However, the UK press reported that “ The British Army has pointedly stayed away from a major international conference hosted by Israel to share military insights from the war in Gaza although the US, France, Germany and Canada were among the nations that sent officers” A Conservative source said “Israel is an ally. Whatever your view is of the conflict, they’re incredibly experienced and you would want to know what lessons they have learned…My gut says it is a completely naive view from a Government that puts ideology over national security.” Report here (paywall)

 

 

MEDICAL

 

 

A recently released study from the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Immunotherapy Research Centre highlights the discovery of a new class of immune-activating molecules that could help the body’s immune system fight cancer.The report by Weizmann director Prof. Ido Amit comes just five months after an Iranian ballistic missile hit the institute’s Wolfson building, which housed Amit’s lab. “We lost 70% of our materials…Almost nothing was left. And despite that, we improvised and used innovation to continue our research with even more conviction.” Amit said. Report here

 

 

COMMENT & OPINION

 

 

Gaza War

 

 

Khaled Abu Toameh: Hamas is not the only terror group operating inside Gaza. Among the other groups are Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Popular Resistance Committees, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (affiliated with the Fatah faction headed by PA President Mahmoud Abbas), Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, and Palestinian Freedom Movement. Some of these groups were also involved in kidnapping Israeli and foreign hostages on Oct. 7…
It is imperative that the Trump administration insist on the disarmament of all the terror groups operating in Gaza, not only Hamas… Moreover, the U.S. needs to make sure that members of all these terror groups are not incorporated into any new Palestinian police force established in Gaza. Recruiting Islamist jihadis and terrorists to such a police force would allow them to pursue their Jihad (holy war) against Israel with new uniforms and guns supplied by the international community, and the deradicalization of Gaza will never take place. Article here

 

 

Maj. (ret.) Andrew Fox: The vast majority of those criticizing Israel have not seen firsthand evidence. Most have only seen carefully curated Hamas propaganda, filtered through complicit media working with Hamas, amplified and repeated unwittingly by other news outlets, and turbocharged by social media…
People do not understand the true depth of the horror of Oct. 7, nor do they understand what a war looks like when fought against a terrorist state on your own border. War is a terrible thing, in which civilians and children always suffer the most, especially when forced into harm’s way by their own leaders’ policy of human sacrifice for PR gains.
People deny what I have seen with my own eyes, based on things they themselves have only seen on social media. And because I represent the rational narrative, I am told that I am uniquely evil – with all the death threats and insults that come with that designation. I will continue to share what I believe to be true because when the dust settles from Gaza, a just outcome needs the truth in its corner. Article here

 

 

Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, said that Washington’s basic assumption that Hamas can be induced into a demilitarized political arrangement is flawed.
For Michael, Hamas’s behaviour during and after the fighting shows that it sees any ceasefire not as an end state, but as a tactical pause. “They continued recruiting people, training them, rebuilding tunnels, and reconstructing their capacities from the first day of the ceasefire.”
“As long as Hamas remains in control and is committed to another Oct. 7, the American ceasefire framework will not get anywhere. You cannot build a stable peace with a partner that openly prepares for the next massacre. At some point, the United States will have to recognize that Hamas is the obstacle, not part of the solution.”
“Hamas will regroup simultaneously in Gaza, the West Bank, and other countries, rebuild its capacities, and look for the second opportunity for another Oct. 7. This is exactly the reason we have to crush them and dismantle them. As long as they hold on to their weapons and ideology, no ceasefire framework, American or UN, will produce real peace.”  Article here

 

 

Ludovic Hood: Israel’s response to the October 2023 Hamas-led massacres and kidnappings of over one thousand civilians, as well as to missile and drone attacks from Iran and its regional militias, has been vigorous.
Pursuing victory – ending the threats to Israeli towns and cities from Hamas in Gaza, Hizbullah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and the regime in Tehran – requires the application of determined, and at times overwhelming, military force.
In Gaza, Israel’s army has been operating in some of the most difficult urban warfare conditions in history.
Tragically, thousands of Palestinian civilians have died during the fighting over the past two years. But here is a simple truth: Hamas’s leaders could have released the hostages and ordered their men to lay down their arms at any point.
Pre-eminent news outlets routinely accept Hamas’s allegations and lies at face value and downplay or overlook the group’s actions, whether its use of human shields that have caused thousands of civilian deaths or its vicious tyranny and misogyny.
The coverage and political gesturing in the West have been, at best, disproportionate and prejudiced, and, at worst, dishonest, malicious, and likely to extend the war and the suffering..Article here

 

 

The Palestinian Authority (PA) – financial corruption

 

 

Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch:The PA took over  Makassed Hospital in Jerusalem which is funded predominantly by the Al-Makassed Islamic Charitable Society, an NGO registered in Israel…In recent years, the UAE has donated tens of millions of dollars to the hospital, but these donations are entirely absent from the NGO’s financial reports, which are required by Israeli law to include donations from abroad. What happened to all the money donated by the UAE? And what happened to the money donated by the other foreign organizations?
In 2016, the PA launched an international campaign to raise $250 million to build the Khaled Hasan Cancer Centre. Promotional plans were drawn up and the international community donated tens of millions of dollars. The hospital was never built and the funds disappeared.
If the international community is genuine in its desire to provide aid to the Palestinian people and not to further line corrupt PA officials’ pockets, it should reconsider the manner in which the aid is provided. Article here

 

 

Film

James Heartfield: Palestine 36 is an insult to history.

A film about Palestinian Arab anti-colonial resistance in the late 1930s is eye-catching, moving and utterly untrue. Article here