Israel Update 30.7.26

INTERVIEW   Lt.-Col. Ella Waweya, IDF spokesperson for the Arab world, was interviewed by Saudi Arabia’s Al Arabiya. She said (inter alia) “I am very proud to be an Arab Muslim woman who belongs to her community and culture, and at the same time, I am proud in fulfilling my duty as a spokesperson for the […]

Israel Update 22.7.26

LUTON AIRPORT Last Thursday, at (London) Luton Airport a pushback tug collided with and damaged an Israir Airbus aircraft before a scheduled flight to Tel Aviv. Around 300 passengers were left stranded aboard the plane as it sat on the runway for more than two and a half hours. They said there was no air […]

Israel Update 15.7.26

VIDEO: WHAT LIFE UNDER ROCKET FIRE LOOKS LIKE FOR ISRAELIS     An online video shows the horrendous volume of bombardment that Israelis have endured since Oct. 7, 2023, from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and the IRGC. For decades, Israelis  accepted life under the threat of rocket fire from Gaza, occasionally “mowing the lawn” when […]

Israel Update 8.7.26

TURKISH THREAT Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said last week that Israel has become a “burden that humanity can no longer bear” and called on the international community to impose sanctions on Jerusalem. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called on “the civilized world and Turkey’s NATO allies” to “unequivocally condemn this explicit call for the […]

Israel Update 1.7.26

ISRAEL-LEBANON TRILATERAL FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT    The governments of Israel and Lebanon, with the full support of the U.S., signed an agreement in Washington on June 26 in which “the two countries declare their ambition to end conflict between them, ensure the sovereignty and security of both countries, and establish peaceful neighbourly relations between the two […]

Israel Update 25.6.26

VENEZUELA   Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it is making “immediate preparations” for the possible deployment of an aid delegation to Venezuela following the devastating twin earthquakes that hit the country. The Health Ministry is also preparing to send a medical aid delegation, including forming medical, logistics, and emergency response teams. Israel’s ZAKA emergency response organization said earlier that […]

Israel Update 18.6.26

IRAN An initial agreement by the U.S. and Iran to halt their war grants Iran major economic benefits while delaying the thorniest areas of disagreement. The agreement lifts the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and grants Iran waivers to begin exporting its oil even before the negotiation of a final agreement on its nuclear […]

Israel Update 11.6.26

CONTEXT:   The latest eruption of clashes earlier this week between Iran and Israel did not suddenly arise out of the blue – they are a direct result of Hezbollah’s continued belligerence and ceasefire violations. Since October 8, 2023, Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in multiple rounds of fighting and ceasefires. Even during the ceasefires, […]

Israel Update 4.6.26

THE WAR AGAINST HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON  Another difficult week for the IDF. On Saturday, Staff Sgt. Michael Tyukin, 21, was killed by a Hizbullah drone and four other soldiers were wounded. Staff Sgt. Adam Tzarfati, 20, was killed overnight Sunday/ Monday by a drone strike. Three other soldiers were wounded, one seriously. IDF medical officer, […]

Israel Update 28.5.26

THE WAR AGAINST HIZBULLAH A very difficult week as the IDF continues to suffer casualties inflicted by Hizbullah explosive drones. On Saturday, Staff Sgt. Noam Hamburger, a technology and maintenance soldier, was killed near the Lebanese border. During that incident another IDF soldier was severely wounded, and a non-commissioned officer was lightly wounded. Sgt. Nehoray […]

Israel update 20/5/26

GAZA   The lawyers of a Palestinian Gazan man have made a formal submission to the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor demanding that 14 Hamas leaders be investigated for crimes committed against the Palestinian people. To date, the ICC has not charged any Hamas leader with crimes committed against their own civilians. This submission, therefore, marks the […]

Israel Update 14.5.26

“SILENCED NO MORE”: THE UNTOLD ATROCITIES OF OCT 7 & AGAINST HOSTAGES IN CAPTIVITY   After more than two years of work, a new report by the Civil Commission on Oct. 7 Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children describes the systematic pattern of sexual violence, humiliation and abuse committed by terrorists and civilians who […]

Israel Update 7.5.26

HEZBOLLAH (The first report was published before yesterday’s Beirut strike) The ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese government is significant, except that the war Israel is waging is against Hizbullah, with whom no ceasefire agreement was reached. Israel is deployed in a buffer zone 3 to 8 km. inside Lebanese territory, with freedom of action […]

Israel Update 30.4.26

THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE) The IDF sent an Iron Dome battery with interceptors and several dozen IDF operators to the UAE early in the war with Iran. The system intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles and was the first time Israel had sent an Iron Dome battery to another country. The Israeli Air Force also […]

Israel Update 23.4.26

ISRAEL’S MEMORIAL DAY: YOM HAZIKARON   On Monday night and Tuesday, Israelis commemorated Yom HaZikaron  Israel’s Memorial Day, a day of deep mourning and reflection for the 25,648 fallen soldiers of Israel’s warsfallen soldiers and also thousands of victims of terror. Israel lost 170 soldiers over the past year, along with 79 civilians, many during […]

Israel Update 15.4.26

As the shaky ceasefire in the Iran War holds (at the time of writing), Israel’s efforts to destroy the Hizbullah threat in Lebanon continue. While Iran has stopped launching missiles and cluster bombs at Israel since 8/4, Hezbollah continues to terrorise Israel with near daily missile bombardments. For context see Brendan O’Neill’s Spectator article in […]

Israel Update 31.3.26

Pesach sameach to my readers. Covering the entirety of the current war in the Middle East is beyond the scope of this update so the  focus is mainly on events in Israel, hugely under-reported outside the country, followed by links to relevant comment & opinion pieces. ATTACKS ON ISRAEL’S CIVILIANS BY IRAN & HEZBOLLAH   […]

Israel Update 19.3.26

Covering the entirety of the current war in the Middle East is beyond the scope of this update. This Update focusses mainly on events in Israel, hugely under-reported outside the country, followed by links to relevant comment & opinion pieces. ATTACKS ON ISRAEL’S CIVILIANS   Few outside Israel have any idea of the intensity of […]

Israel Update 12.3.26

Covering the entirety of the current war in the Middle East is beyond the scope of this update. The Update focusses mainly on events in Israel, hugely under-reported outside the country,  followed by links to relevant comment & opinion pieces. ATTACKS ON ISRAEL’S CIVILIANS   Few outside Israel have any idea of the intensity of […]

Israel Update 5.3.26

Covering the entirety of the current war in the Middle East is beyond the scope of this update. So I will provide some context, plus some news items  largely unreported outside Israel, followed by links to relevant comment & opinion pieces.   CONTEXT FOR PRE-EMPTIVE US & ISRAELI ATTACKS ON IRAN   U.S. Middle East […]

Israel Update 26.2.26

Purim Sameach to all my readers! IRANIAN THREAT   Senior IDF officials have warned their U.S. counterparts that Iran continues to expand missile production and could possess at least 5,000 ballistic missiles by the end of 2027. Iran is currently producing 100 ballistic missiles per month, with output expected to increase. Tehran is relying on […]

Israel Update 19.2.26

IRAN   PM Netanyahu told President Trump that if a deal (with Iran) is to be reached, it should have several components: 1. All (nuclear) enriched material has to leave Iran. 2. There shall be no enrichment capability – not (just) stopping the enrichment process, but dismantling the equipment and the infrastructure that allows enrichment […]

Israel Update 12.2.26

IRAN PM Netanyahu brought forward his trip to Washington against the backdrop of U.S.-Iran talks in Oman and Israel’s concern that Iran’s ballistic missile programme is not being addressed. Trump said he told Netanyahu yesterday that he “insisted that negotiations with Iran continue” over a possible deal over the country’s nuclear programme. While Trump has […]

Israel Update 5.2.26

MAJOR ELLA WAWEYA   Maj. Ella Waweya has been selected to replace Col. Avichay Adraee as the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson. Waweya, 36, who is known as “Captain Ella,” is among the most senior female Arab Muslim officers in the IDF. She was born in the central Arab town of Qalansawe and joined the IDF voluntarily […]

Israel Update 28.1.26

Please note that this Israel Update is published on Wednesday 28 January at least 24 hours before circulation.    MASTER SERGEANT RAN GVILI   The IDF announced Monday that the body of the last Gaza hostage, St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili, 24, had been returned to Israel after 843 days. Despite still recovering from a broken shoulder […]

Israel update 22.1.26

PHASE 2 OF GAZA CEASEFIRE DEAL President Trump’s oversight structure is divided into several layers: The Board of Peace (The Umbrella Body) Mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2803, this is the top-level body intended to oversee postwar management until the end of 2027. Members: Includes leaders from the U.S., Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, […]

Israel Update 15.1.26

Much of the news from the region is currently focussed on Iran and consequently is outside the remit of this Update, although Israel remains tense and on high alert in this highly volatile situation.   IRAN THREAT    Iran’s parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned Sunday that U.S. military bases and Israel would be “legitimate […]

Israel Update 31.12.25

No Israel Update next week. Hopefully, the next Update will be on January 15th TRUMP/NETANYAHU MEETING   After meeting Israel’s PM Netanyahu in Florida on Monday, President Trump said “I’m not concerned about anything that Israel is doing,” warning that Iran would face military strikes should it seek to replenish ballistic missiles or restart its […]

Israel Update 24.12.25

AFTERMATH OF BONDI ATROCITY Heroism An Israeli, Gefen Biton, 30, ran towards the gunfire to help others and was critically wounded. His friend Tom Cohen said, “The video shows Gefen’s mentality. He was unarmed, but he chose to confront the danger, put himself in the line of fire and try to save others. He had […]

Israel Update 18.12.25

OUT OF DARKNESS INTO THE LIGHT: FREED HOSTAGES CELEBRATE CHANUKAH At the Western Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem, Segev Kalfon — who was held hostage in Gaza for 738 days, before being among the last 20 living hostage returned to Israel on October 13 — lit the first candle at the holy site’s central menorah. He […]

Israel Update 11.12.25

GAZA   Phase 2 of President Trump’s ceasefire agreement includes a requirement for Hamas to disarm.   Hamas will not disarm, give up its weapons, rule of Gaza, or permit external oversight in Gaza, including the International Stabilization Force (ISF), terror leader Khaled Mashaal said during a video address to an Istanbul conference on Sunday. […]

Israel Update 4.12.25

RETURN OF MURDERED THAI HOSTAGE.   Gaza hostage Sudthisak Rinthalak’s remains were returned to Israel and positively identified on Thursday, bringing closure to his family and Thai authorities after more than two years of captivity. Rinthalak worked on Kibbutz Be’eri’s farm for just three months before Oct 7. Previously, he had been working in Israel since […]

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 […]

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 […]

Israel Update 13.11.25

HOMECOMING FOR TWO MORE MURDERED HOSTAGES    IDF Lt. Hadar Goldin was laid to rest on Tuesday, more than 4,000 days after he fell during “Operation Protective Edge” in 2014.  Hamas killed Goldin on Aug. 1, 2014, two hours after a ceasefire had taken effect and held his body for over 11 years. The funeral […]

Israel Update 6.11.25

ISRAELI AID FOR JAMAICA AFTER HURRICANE MELISSA  An Israeli medical delegation left for Jamaica on Wednesday to provide humanitarian assistance. The Health Ministry deputy director general and the Shaare Zedek Medical Centre director are leading 30 doctors, nurses and paramedical staff. Report here   IsraAID, Israel’s leading independent humanitarian organization, sent a six-person emergency response […]

Israel Update 30.10.25

ANOTHER HAMAS CEASEFIRE BREACH     Master Sgt. (res.) Yona Efraim Feldbaum, 37, a heavy machinery operator, was killed in an attack in the Rafah area of southern Gaza on Tuesday. Last week, two soldiers were killed in a similar attack in the same neighbourhood. Israel blamed Hamas for both attacks. Report here     […]

Israel Update 23.10.25

GAZA “CEASEFIRE”   IDF Major Yaniv Kula, 26, and Staff-Sgt. Itay Yavetz, 21, were killed and a reservist was seriously wounded on Sunday by anti-tank missiles fired by terrorists emerging from a tunnel in Rafah in southern Gaza, breaking the ceasefire agreement.  918 IDF soldiers have been killed on or since Oct. 7, 2023. Report […]

IMPORTANT INFORMATION The Israel Update for 23rd October 2025 may be found at this link: https://ksds.org.uk/2025/10/23/israel-update-23-10-25/                           HOSTAGE RELEASE    On Monday Israel rejoiced as the last 20 living hostages were released from Gaza, after 738 days in captivity, under the ceasefire agreement […]

Israel Update 10.10.25

Chag Succot Sameach to all my readers. Here is the link to last week’s Israel Update, featuring the “NO-AID FLOTILLA” Link here THE TRUMP DEAL   Israel and Hamas agreed Wednesday to a deal that would (inter alia) release all Israeli hostages held in Gaza after two years of war. The breakthrough came less than […]

Israel Update 3.10.25

THE NO-AID FLOTILLA None of the 40 vessels participating in the Global Sumad Flotilla, which Israel intercepted on Yom Kippur, was carrying humanitarian aid, according to the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry. The ministry also released a video by the Israeli Police spokesman  showing the empty interior of one of the flotilla’s largest vessels, in which […]

Israel update 25.9.25

G’Mar Chatima Tovah to all my readers. HRG.   EILAT AGAIN ATTACKED BY HOUTHIS   Forty-eight civilians were wounded, including two men who are in serious condition and seventeen others who were lightly wounded by shrapnel, after a drone launched by the Houthi terrorist organization crashed in Eilat on Wednesday afternoon. The Israeli air force […]

Israel Update 18.9.25

Shana Tovah greetings to all my readers who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah this coming week. HRG.   GAZA WAR AGAINST HAMAS   IDF Reservist: We’ve had necessary military operations aborted abruptly to avoid killing civilians. That’s why we reject “war crime” accusations and the “genocide” libel. Our commanders keep choosing between destroying the enemy’s infrastructure […]

Israel Update 11.9.25

Here’s the link to last week’s Israel Update which was not circulated: https://ksds.org.uk/2025/09/04/israel-update-4-9-25/ DOHA STRIKE   An Israeli strike on Tuesday targeted Hamas’s senior political-terrorist leadership in Doha, Qatar. Israel said the targeted leaders have been directing the war, are directly responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, and that measures were taken to mitigate harm […]

Israel Update 4.9.25

THE HOUTHI THREAT   Context   The Houthis are an extremist Shia-Islamist movement designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN.  Backed by Iran, they control approximately one-third of Yemen’s territory and more than two-thirds of the country’s population and have been attacking Israel since Nov. 2023. Since March 18 2025 they have launched over […]

Israel Update 28.8.25

MORE MEDIA DECEPTION    The IDF Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) on Sunday published evidence documenting that a Gazan toddler featured on the front page of the UK’s Daily Mirror on Friday suffered from a genetic disease, not malnutrition. The photo of Karim Ali Fouad Abu Mu’amar, 3, in frail physical condition, was headlined: […]

Israel Update 20.8.25

Update is earlier than usual due to travel plans. HRG. GAZA AID  Israeli security officials say a massive influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza in recent weeks has flooded the Strip with flour, rice, sugar, and other staples. A kilogram (kg) of flour, which cost NIS 80-100 three weeks ago, now costs NIS 18. Kgs […]

Israel Update 14.8.25

HAMAS TERRORIST POSED AS “JOURNALIST”   On Sunday, Israel targeted Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif in Gaza and provided evidence of his Hamas affiliation. The IDF presented internal Hamas documents in which al-Sharif was registered as a soldier and team commander and which included rosters, terrorist training lists, and his salary records, as well as a photo showing him […]

Israel Update 7.8.25

TWO GERMAN NEWSPAPERS EXPOSE MORE HAMAS DECEPTION   Süddeutsche Zeitung has published an investigative report revealing how Hamas manipulates imagery to shape international opinion, detailing how the group stages images of hunger and despair in Gaza, using professional photographers and emphasizing that many widely circulated images of emaciated children do not accurately reflect current conditions. […]

Israel Update 31.7.25

HAMAS DECEPTION FOOLS THE WORLD   In the past 2 weeks, Hamas has stepped up its disinformation campaign against Israel, using photographs of children it claims are suffering from malnutrition. However, several of these photos are not of “starving” children but of victims of serious genetic illnesses. Investigations reveal normal well-fed adults and sometimes siblings […]

Israel update 24.7.25

HAMAS FAMINE CLAIMS DENIED   A senior Israeli security official on Tuesday denied famine claims by Hamas, while stressing that actions need to be taken to “stabilize the humanitarian situation.” He acknowledged that recently there has been a significant drop in the amount of aid reaching Palestinians in the Strip, but blamed UN agencies for […]

Israel Update 17.7.25

ISRAEL’S INTERVENTION TO SAVE SYRIAN DRUZE   Thursday afternoon: PM Netanyahu said: “As a result of our intensified action, a ceasefire has been established, and Syrian forces withdrew back to Damascus… We have established a clear policy, the demilitarization of the area south of Damascus, and the protection of our brothers, the Druze.” Report here Previously: […]

Israel Update 9.7.25

THE DINAH PROJECT     A new report by the Dinah Project confirms that Hamas systematically used rape and sexual violence during the massacre as part of a broader campaign of terror, collective humiliation, and dehumanization of Israeli society. Titled, “A Quest for Justice: October 7 and Beyond,” it is the first report to offer […]

Israel Update 19.6.25

Due to travel, I’m unable to circulate an Israel Update for the next 2 weeks. Hopefully back on July 9. In these unprecedented times, for news updates I recommend Israel News Highlights which sends WhatsApp messages around 3 times daily. To join, paste this link into WhatsApp: New State of Israel website : Operation Rising Lion. […]

Israel Update 12.6.25

GAZA AID WORKERS & CENTRES ATTACKED BY HAMAS   The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said today, Thursday that eight of its “local team members and volunteers” had been killed when Hamas gunmen attacked a bus transporting its Gazan staffers,. Others were injured and the are fears that some team members had been taken hostage… “This […]

Israel Update 5.6.25

Israel Update 5.6.25   HAMAS CLAIMS DEBUNKED   U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee: Reckless and irresponsible reporting by major U.S. news outlets are contributing to the antisemitic climate that has resulted in the murder of two young people at an Israeli Embassy event in Washington last month and the terror attack on a group […]

Israel Update 29.5.25

Shavuot (Pentecost) greetings to my readers.   TRAGIC AFTERMATH OF 14 MAY TERROR ATTACK   Ravid Haim, the infant delivered in an emergency Caesarean section following the terrorist murder of his mother Tzeela Gez, died yesterday, Wednesday. He had been in critical condition since birth, receiving intensive care in the neonatal intensive care unit at […]

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 […]

Israel Update 15.5.25

HOSTAGE RELEASE   IDF soldier Edan Alexander, who spent 584 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza, was released on Monday. Reportedly he was subjected to severe torture during lengthy interrogations and was held, confined to a tunnel with no daylight. For a prolonged period, he was locked in a cage, with his hands and feet […]

Israel Update 1.5.25

No Israel Update next week – hopefully back on 15 May   NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED IN ISRAEL DUE TO WILDFIRES   On Wednesday, uncontrolled wildfires spread across the hills of Jerusalem, leading Israel to declare a national emergency as it requested international assistance to battle the blaze. A huge fire broke out on Wednesday morning […]

Israel update 24.4.25

YOM HASHOAH (ISRAEL’S HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY)   Today at 10.00 am Israel came to a standstill when Israelis nationwide stood in silence as a two-minute siren commemorated the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. Eight Holocaust survivors, including six torchlighters, participated in Yad Vashem’s Yom HaShoah ceremony.                          […]

Israel update 10.4.25

  No Israel Update next week as I am taking a break over Pesach (Passover). Chag sameach.   SYRIA   More than 100 chemical weapons sites are suspected to remain in Syria, left behind after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, according to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which seeks to enter […]

Israel Update 3.4.25

A HOSTAGE’S STORY   Eight months into Omer Wenkert’s captivity in Gaza, one of his guards turned violent. He opened the door to the underground concrete dungeon where Wenkert, 22, was being held – less than 6 feet tall and around 3 feet wide – and kicked Wenkert three times in his head and twice […]

Israel Update 27.3.25

FREED HOSTAGE ASKS THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL: WHERE WAS THE UN? WHERE WAS THE RED CROSS?   Eli Sharabi, 53, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, who was abducted on Oct. 7 and held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for 491 days, addressed the UN Security Council last Thursday. Hamas terrorists murdered his British-Israeli wife, Lianne, […]

ISRAEL UPDATE 20.3.25

HOUTHI ATTACKS ON ISRAEL     Sirens sounded across central Israel following a missile launch from Yemen around 4 am today Thursday morning. The missile was intercepted by the IAF before entering Israeli territory. Report here     On Tuesday evening the IAF had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen outside Israeli airspace. Air raid sirens were […]

Israel update 6.3.25

ISRAEL UPDATE 26.2.25   TWO FATAL TERROR ATTACKS   Last Thursday, Palestinian terrorist rammed into 14 pedestrians at a bus stop near Pardes Hannah in northern Israel before being eliminated by police. Yaheli Gur, 17, who was critically injured, died on Wednesday.report here   An Israeli man, Hassan Karim Dahamsheh, 70, a resident of the […]

Israel Update 26.2.25

ISRAEL UPDATE 26.2.25 Due to travel plans, the Israel Update is being circulated one day early this week.   At the time of writing, Wednesday evening, reportedly, the bodies of four Israeli hostages will be returned from Gaza at 11:00 p.m. without the exchange ceremonies Hamas has regularly held. Israel clarified that the names of […]

Israel Update 20.2.25

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:   Chris Kenney (Sky News Australia) while reading an announcement that Hamas will return the bodies of four hostages, including members of the Bibas family: “If you need any clarification about the horrors of the Middle East conflict and the sheer brutality of Hamas and its supporters, today’s announcement makes it […]

Israel update 13.2.25

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:   Danny Danon at the UN “But the images tell the truth: Hamas terrorists and the Gaza crowd gathered there to humiliate them appear in a very well condition, while the Israeli hostages alone bear the unmistakable signs of starvation.” Report here   HOSTAGE RELEASE   On Saturday, Hamas released three […]

Israel Update 6.2.25

HOSTAGE RELEASE   American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65; Yarden Bibas, 35; and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54, were released from Hamas captivity on Saturday after 484 days.Report here   Yarden Bibas, came home not knowing the fate of his wife and sons who are on the list of hostages being freed in this first phase, but who […]

Israel update 30.1.25

No Israel Update next week – hopefully back on 13th February. HRG QUOTE OF THE WEEK   Liri Albag, one of the four IDF women soldiers released on Saturday after 477 days as a captive of Hamas in Gaza, told her father, “Dad, there are two million terrorists there, make no mistake. I sat with […]

Israel update 23.1.25

Quote of the week: “Never before in history has a side claimed that they suffered a genocide and at the same time that they won the war they had started” Hillel Neuer of UN Watch. Video here   CEASEFIRE DEAL   The first stage of the agreement provided for the release of 33 Israeli hostages […]

Israel Update 15.1.25

Due to travel plans, I’m circulating this week’s Update a day early. At the time of writing, Wednesday afternoon, there is talk of a Gaza ceasefire & hostage release deal but in the current absence of any confirmed agreement, this Update will not be covering rumours and speculation.   GAZA   A very difficult week […]

Israel Update 9.1.25

HOSTAGES   The IDF announced Wednesday it had recovered the body of Youssef Ziyadne, an Israeli Bedouin hostage abducted on Oct. 7, from an underground tunnel in Rafah. Evidence was found indicating that Youssef’s son, Hamza Ziyadne, was also dead. Youssef and Hamza, from Rahat, were abducted from Kibbutz Holit, where they were working on […]

Israel Update 2.1.25

The cumulative effect of continued unpredictable middle-of-the-night rude awakenings on the Israeli civilian population as Houthi terrorists launch ballistic missiles at Central Israel is hard to describe and goes largely unreported by international media – except when Israel strikes back.  In the past 2 weeks, millions of Israelis have had to dash to shelters multiple […]

Israel update 26.12.24

Chanukah Sameach to my readers. At the time of writing, Thursday afternoon, reports are coming in of Israeli airstrikes against targets in Yemen including Sanaa airport, a power station and other sites. See below in 3rd item reports of multiple Houthi attacks on Israel this past week alone.   HANNA KATZIR OBITUARY   Hanna Katzir, […]

Israel Update 19.12.24

CENTRAL ISRAEL TARGETED TWICE IN 4 DAYS BY HOUTHI TERRORISTS     Today Thursday, at 02.36 am air raid sirens were triggered across central Israel, jolting millions of Israelis out of bed as they rushed to take shelter. Israel’s Arrow missile defence system intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen. A school in Ramat Gan, suffered […]

Israel Update 12.12.24

SYRIAN REBELS THREATEN ISRAEL     On Sunday, video footage from a mosque in Damascus showed Syrian rebels vowing to march on Jerusalem. “This is the land of Islam, this is Damascus, the Muslim stronghold. From here to Jerusalem. We’re coming for Jerusalem. Patience, people of Gaza, patience,” vows an Islamist rebel spokesman surrounded by […]

Israel Update 5.12.24

HOSTAGES : DIFFICULT NEWS   Gladys Siegel, 97, the mother of American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel 65, passed away this week,  424 days after her son was kidnapped from his Kfar Aza home. Keith’s daughter Elan wrote “My father’s mother passed away, and my father couldn’t say goodbye to her because he has been a hostage […]

Israel Update 28.11.24

CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT in the Hizbullah war  came into effect 4 a.m. Wednesday   Text of the 13 articles of the ceasefire agreement. An appendix includes a map defining the area where Hizbullah forces are prohibited from operating and where the Lebanese army must dismantle remaining unauthorized facilities. Article here     Inter alia the agreement […]

Israel Update 21.11.24

WOMEN IN THE IDF   This week two ground-breaking events underscored the IDF’s leadership in empowering women. For the first time, female combat soldiers have carried out an operational mission in southern Lebanon. Their work involved intelligence gathering, pinpointing anti-tank missile sites, and guiding fire against Hezbollah positions, showcasing their operational effectiveness in high-stakes scenarios. […]

Israel Update 7.11.24

SURVIVOR     A father of three from Bat Yam who was seriously wounded when Hamas terrorists stormed the Nova music festival on Oct 7 was released from hospital on Monday after over a year of medical treatment. Hospital staff cheered and rang bells to bid farewell to Nati Ganon, 40, as he was discharged, […]

Israel Update 31.10.24

HIZBULLAH’S WAR ON ISRAEL –MULTIPLE ISRAELI CIVILIAN CASUALTIES     Daily heavy rocket barrages continue to target Israel’s northern communities.   Today, Thursday, a Hezbollah rocket attack near Metula killed 5 civilians in an orchard: an Israeli farmer and 4 foreign workers. A sixth person was seriously wounded. Also today two civilians  were killed by […]

Israel Update 23.10.24

IRAN     The Oct 1 missile attack  by Iran on Israel caused an estimated 150 billion to 200 billion shekels ($40 million to $53 million) in damage to private property. Some 2,500 claims were submitted following the Oct. 1 attack, more than half for damage to apartments and several businesses near north Tel Aviv. One of the […]

Israel Update 16.10.24

No Update next week as it’s Shemini Atzeret (Simchat Torah in Israel)     UN INTERIM FORCE IN LEBANON (UNIFIL)     The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has utterly failed in its core mission of monitoring Hizbullah’s activities in southern Lebanon and enforcing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which bans non-government military forces […]

Israel Update 10.10.24

No Update next week as it’s Succot. Wishing all my readers G’mar Chatimah Tovah & Well over the Fast. A YEAR OF WAR A dynamic graphic shows daily rocket launches against Israel from 7 fronts Oct. 7, 2023- Oct 6 2024. View here   War statistics here   TERROR ATTACKS IN ISRAEL   Seven people […]

Israel Update 26.9.24

No Update next week as it’s Rosh Hashanah. Shanah Tovah to all my readers.   WAR AGAINST HIZBULLAH   CONTEXT   UN Security Council Resolution 1701which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War mandated that no armed actor (apart from the Lebanese army & UNIFIL) could be present in Lebanon south of the Litani River. Neither […]

Israel Update 19.9.24

As context, I repeat last week’s Introduction: While the world’s attention is focussed on Gaza, Israel’s North continues to suffer devastating and escalating attacks by Hezbollah and other terrorist groups in Lebanon. Further, a reminder that around 80,000 Israelis have been displaced from their homes in Northern Israel for over 11 months, unable to return […]

Israel Update 12.9.24

While the world’s attention is focussed on Gaza, Israel’s North continues to suffer devastating and escalating attacks by Hezbollah and other terrorist groups in Lebanon.   ISRAEL’S NORTHERN BORDER     Hezbollah on Monday launched explosive-laden drones at northern Israel, one of which hit a high-rise residential building in Nahariya, destroying two apartments.  Short video here […]

Israel Update 5.9.24

First Update for a month due to travel arrangements. HRG    HOSTAGES   The IDF on Saturday recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages from a Hamas tunnel in Rafah who had been murdered by their captors a day or two earlier.  They are Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Ori Danino, 25; Alex Lubnov, […]

Israel Update 8.8.24

There will be no further updates until early September.    TENSE SITUATION IN ISRAEL   Over a week since Israel killed Hezbollah’s military commander Fuad Shukr and allegedly killed Hamas’s leader Ismail Haniyeh in pinpoint attacks in Beirut and Tehran respectively, all of Israel remains braced for a repeatedly threatened major response by the Iranian […]

Israel Update 31.7.24

Circulating this Update Wednesday afternoon  due to commitments tomorrow. HRG    OVERNIGHT DEVELOPMENTS TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY     Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the early hours of the morning in Iran, hours after he attended a swearing-in ceremony for the country’s new president. Hours after the assassination, there were scant details of what exactly […]

Israel Update 25.7.24

THE UK: NEW GOVERNMENT – NEW POSITION?     The new UK Labour government is reportedly expected to back away from the last government’s objections to the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant against Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu over the war in Gaza, with the decision likely to come by the end […]

Israel Update 18.7.24

Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along Israel’s northern border on a near-daily basis. Other Iran-aligned groups in the region, including Shiite armed factions in Syria and Iraq and Yemen’s Houthis, have also been firing on Israel since shortly after Hamas’s brutal October 7 massacre.   HEZBOLLAH’S WAR AGAINST […]

Israel Update 11.7.24

  HEZBOLLAH’S WAR AGAINST ISRAEL     Two Israeli civilians, Noa and Nir Baranes from Kibbutz Ortal, both aged 46,  were killed were killed after their vehicle sustained a direct hit from a Hizbullah rocket strike in the Golan Heights on Tuesday evening, amid a barrage of some 40 rockets fired by Hezbollah. They leave […]

Israel Update 4.7.24

  THE UK     Britain has challenged the right of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and Yoav Gallant, its defence minister, whom its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has accused of war crimes. The UK claims the ICC does not have jurisdiction over the Israeli […]

Israel Update 27 June 2024

  HIZBULLAH’S WAR ON ISRAEL   Daily attacks on northern Israeli communities continue.   Hezbollah terrorists launched several explosive-laden drones at northern Israel on Sunday, seriously wounding a soldier as the IDF said it shot down an unmanned aerial aircraft heading toward the country from Iraq. Sunday’s drone launches came amid fears of a wider […]

Israel Update 20.6.24

HEZBOLLAH WAR ON ISRAEL     Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday that nowhere in Israel would be safe if a full-fledged war breaks out, while also threatening Cyprus and other parts of the Mediterranean. He said that “an invasion of the Galilee remains on the table if the confrontation escalates.” Reports hereand here   […]

Israel Update 13.6.24

HEZBOLLAH’S  WAR ON ISRAEL     After Hezbollah fired some 80 rockets at northern Israeli communities throughout Tuesday, the terror group announced the death of a senior commander in an alleged Israeli airstrike on Tuesday night. Hezbollah launched some 215 rockets and several more missiles and drones at northern Israel on Wednesday, the largest attack […]

Israel Update 6.6.24

  ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS     Today, Thursday, in heavy early morning fog, a group of terrorists attempted to infiltrate Israel from Gaza. Sergeant Major Zeed Mazarib, a Bedouin IDF tracker was killed in an exchange of fire. Report here     The IDF estimates that between 20 and 30 Hamas and Islamic Jihad […]