Opposing Israel's defense establishment, Katz threatens all-out war on Palestinian Authority

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has issued a blunt warning to the Palestinian Authority: If its security forces decide to "turn their guns" on Israelis and IDF troops, Israel will respond by going to war with the PA.

There is, however, an awkward detail standing between that warning and a full-scale West Bank war: Israeli military and Shin Bet officials say they have no concrete intelligence indicating that such an attack is actually being planned.

Katz's warning came Tuesday during a security briefing on IDF preparations in Judea and Samaria. He described a scenario in which PA security forces and Fatah-affiliated Tanzim elements could suddenly decide that their uniforms and weapons are better suited for attacking Israelis than maintaining order.

Given the history of the region, it is not exactly an imaginative exercise.

"The reference scenario defined for the IDF regarding Judea and Samaria determines that preparations must be made for the possibility of an attack by jihadist elements against the settlers and IDF soldiers, as a lesson from the events of October 7 in Gaza," Katz said.

And there is the October 7 lesson.

Israel was told for years that Hamas was deterred. The threat was manageable. The border could be secured. The worst-case scenarios could remain worst-case scenarios.

Then thousands of terrorists crossed into Israel and carried out the deadliest massacre of Jews in a single day since the Holocaust.

So when Israeli officials now say they are preparing for an extreme scenario, it is difficult to blame them for refusing to place their faith in comforting assumptions.

Katz reportedly based his warning on an IDF presentation to the cabinet Monday concerning the military's preparations for extreme scenarios. When IDF sources pushed back by noting that there was no concrete intelligence indicating a PA rebellion was being planned, Katz essentially made the obvious point: October 7 was also an extreme scenario, right up until it happened.

That does not mean a PA uprising is imminent. It does mean Israel has considerably less reason than it once did to dismiss unpleasant possibilities merely because they are unpleasant.

Still, the IDF and Shin Bet apparently aren't seeing the specific threat Katz described.

Additional IDF sources told The Jerusalem Post that the military has no concrete intelligence pointing to a planned rebellion by PA security forces or Fatah-affiliated Tanzim elements. Shin Bet sources similarly said they were unaware of any concrete threat from the Palestinian Authority.

In other words, Israel's defense minister is warning about a potential Palestinian Authority insurrection while the security establishment is essentially saying, "We don't see it."

That disagreement matters.

Katz did not coordinate his remarks with the IDF, and military sources did not indicate that they supported his decision to publicly outline the scenario.

But Katz went considerably further than merely saying the military should prepare. He said that if PA forces attack Israelis or IDF troops, Israel will declare war on the Palestinian Authority.

"In such a case, war will be declared against the Palestinian Authority, and the IDF will launch a comprehensive offensive in accordance with an organized plan that was formulated and approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and by me, according to the principles outlined for the IDF," Katz said.

That is not a diplomatic warning written by committee. That is a declaration that Israel has already contemplated exactly what it would do if the PA security apparatus decides to become another enemy army. And the proposed response would be anything but symbolic.

Katz said an Israeli campaign would be "short and powerful."

"The campaign will be short and powerful and will include the use of ground and air forces and the use of special means, the targeting and expulsion of senior officials, the destruction of weapons and military equipment, and the extensive evacuation of residents and destruction of terrorist infrastructure inside the cities and in all refugee camps in Judea and Samaria, in accordance with the Gaza and Lebanon model, alongside reinforcing forces and defending the Israeli communities," he said.

That would mean bringing the Gaza and Lebanon playbook into the West Bank.

Ground forces. Airstrikes. Targeted senior officials. Weapons destroyed. Terrorist infrastructure demolished. Large-scale evacuations.

The sort of military campaign that tends to make the international community suddenly discover an urgent interest in Israel's restraint.

Katz also said the IDF was conducting "powerful activity against terrorist centers on the ground, including the evacuation of refugee camps in northern Samaria," while claiming that terrorism had fallen to its lowest level in decades. Yet he warned that the situation could deteriorate dramatically if PA forces themselves became combatants.

That possibility is precisely why the IDF has changed its thinking since October 7.

Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir has said the military will increasingly prepare according to enemy capabilities rather than relying primarily on assessments of enemy intentions. That may be one of the most important lessons Israel learned from October 7.

Intentions are difficult to read. Capabilities are not.

A government can convince itself that an enemy has no intention of attacking. It can issue reassuring intelligence assessments, hold meetings and point to the absence of obvious warning signs.

Then the enemy attacks anyway, like history has show us.

Israel has therefore conducted surprise readiness exercises designed to test whether the military can respond to a large-scale assault without the luxury of advance warning.

The stakes in Judea and Samaria are particularly high now. Tensions have increased around the third anniversary of October 7, the upcoming elections at the end of the month, continuing clashes surrounding settler violence and the broader regional confrontation involving Iran.

An IDF source told the Jerusalem Post that the military would not publicly describe an all-out war with the West Bank in the same terms Katz did because such a conflict remains an extreme scenario.

Fair enough, but Israel has already learned the price of treating extreme scenarios as somebody else's problem.

The real question is not whether a PA rebellion is currently underway. It isn't. The question is what happens if the Palestinian Authority's security forces, which possess weapons, training and organizational structures, ever decide that Israel is the enemy rather than the security partner they are supposed to be.

Katz has made his answer clear.

Israel will not wait for another October 7 to discover that the "unlikely" scenario was sitting in plain sight.

Do you blame him?

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Terrorist's posts depict his flaming anti-Semitism as Israel vows he'll pay

In a shocking turn of events that somehow managed to surprise western media analysts, a commercial flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was nearly brought down by a man who was merely seeking a peaceful debate about foreign policy at thirty thousand feet.

Authorities confirmed that an Omani co-pilot stabbed the primary captain and attempted to crash the airliner carrying 174 mostly Israeli passengers, including 20 children, in what experts initially labeled a localized misunderstanding over flight routes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the assault, stating, “As time passes, the picture is becoming clearer. The attacker underwent Islamist radicalization. He intended to crash the plane with all its passengers on board. We are now investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price.”

Despite the co-pilot’s extensive social media posting history advocating for religious violence, mainstream media outlets spent the morning investigating whether air turbulence or severe economic anxiety might have been the true instigators of the cockpit dispute.

“This was a person who was willing to commit suicide,” an Israeli official told The Times of Israel. “His social media accounts [say] clearly that he has been radicalized into jihadist ideology.” The official added, “We can’t say for sure until the investigation’s over. But it certainly seems like he was a suicide actor who was probably going to try to down that plane.”

Fortunately, the attack was interrupted when several passengers failed to wait for a properly vetted security protocol and took matters into their own hands.

Passenger Yaniv Hayun described the moment: “The door apparently wasn’t locked, and we managed to open it. What made it difficult for us was the [Indian] pilot himself. He had been stabbed and was on the other side of the door.”

Another passenger detailed how they subdued the assailant using standard consumer electronics, proving once again that wired headphones are superior to wireless models: “We jumped on the pilot with force and tied him up using headphones.”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz observed, “The serious incident aboard the Flydubai aircraft was an attempted jihadist terrorist attack, which was thwarted only thanks to the bravery of several Israeli passengers who broke into the cockpit, overpowered the terrorist, and with their own hands returned control of the aircraft to an additional flight crew that was present there.”

Capt. Machchhar and PM Modi

At the time of this posting, the suspect had been transferred to the United Arab Emirates for interrogation, while international advocacy groups drafted a stern statement condemning the passengers for using improper physical restraint and unauthorized audio accessories.

Fun Fact: the brave pilot who was flying the plane and was attacked has the name Smit Machchhar. My Indian wife tells me the word 'machchhar' means mosquito in Hindi.

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Son of Ambassador Yechiel Leiter seriously wounded in Maccabim terror attack

In a totally shocking turn of events that baffled top Middle East experts, peace in the region was briefly delayed on Wednesday when a man drove his car into a police vehicle at the Maccabim checkpoint instead of accepting a multi-million-dollar foreign aid check and launching a tech startup.

The driver, local peaceful activist Muhammad Mahmoud Suleiman, 29, was attempting to express his complex political views through the medium of vehicular assault. Israeli soldiers on the scene, who clearly failed their sensitivity training, immediately shot and killed him before he could explain the nuanced socio-economic factors behind his steering choices.

Among those injured in the sudden encounter with moderate dialogue was American citizen Neria Leiter, a reservist soldier who committed the grave microaggression of being the son of Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter.

"I am grateful to the IDF, to the medical team at Shaare Zedek who are now fighting to save the life of Neria Dov ben Chana, and for the prayers of the people of Israel," Ambassador Leiter posted on X, demonstrating a complete lack of faith in upcoming UN resolutions. "I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe that when the people of Israel unite, miracles happen. Neria needs a miracle."

"Neria continued to serve in the reserves after losing his older brother, Moshe Yedidya Leiter, of blessed memory. Since October 7, he has served hundreds of days in the reserves on multiple fronts," Leiter added. "Palestinian terrorism seeks to uproot the people of Israel from their land. They choose death – we choose life."

World leaders quickly rushed to issue statements, though many expressed deep concern that the incident might disrupt several upcoming panels on regional co-existence.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to social media to state that he and his wife, Sara, "together with all the people of Israel, are praying for a miracle," adding, "Yechiel, my dear, we are all with you."

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also weighed in on X. "Pray for Yechiel Leiter & entire family. They lost a son in Gaza, killed by Hamas. Now a Palestinian terrorist attempts to murder IDF soldiers at a checkpoint. Standing w/ Yechiel Leiter," Huckabee wrote, narrowly avoiding a reprimand from diplomats for using the word "terrorist" instead of "disgruntled motorist."

"Yechiel, my dear friend, my heart is with you, Chana, and your entire family," Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, posted online. "All of Israel is praying for your son, Neria Dov ben Chana, who was critically wounded in today’s heinous terrorist attack. May God heal him and give your family strength."

Defense Minister Israel Katz offered his own thoughts, commending the security forces while accidentally implying that ramming people with cars is a bad tactic. "Yechiel, I stand with you and your family, and I pray alongside the entire nation of Israel for your son’s recovery," Katz said. "I commend the heroic fighters who eliminated the terrorist. To the soldiers of the IDF and the security forces: I believe in you and trust you; we will not allow terror to rear its head."

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar added, "Yechiel, you are a warrior, and your sons are warriors. My heart and prayers are with you."

Meanwhile, local emergency responders arrived to ruin the terrorist's political statement by saving the victim's life. "United Hatzalah’s dispatch center sent us to the scene of a vehicular ramming attack near Bell checkpoint," paramedics Itzik Kara and Netanel Cohen reported. "Assisted by IDF medical teams, we provided initial medical treatment at the scene, including respiratory support, the administration of life-saving medication, bandaging, and splinting, to a man who was subsequently transported to the hospital in serious condition."

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan also chimed in, demanding an end to the ongoing cultural exchange programs. "We join all the residents of Samaria in praying for the victim’s recovery and offer our support to his family during this difficult time," Dagan said. "The Council will assist the victim’s family, and together with the community, we will embrace and support them in every way possible. The entire nation of Israel is united in prayer for his recovery. We must respond to murderous terrorism with a firm hand and restore deterrence. We send our support to the security forces on the front lines who are protecting the citizens of Israel."

At press time, the United Nations was preparing an emergency session to condemn the checkpoint for being in the way of the car.

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Israel's Political Class Flirts With Civilian Control Becoming Political Control

Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot (Channel 12 screenshot)

There are moments in the life of a democracy when the greatest danger does not come from an external enemy, but from the temptation of those in power to bend the state's institutions to their own political ambitions. Israel, a nation whose security depends on an independent and professional military, has once again found itself confronting that uncomfortable reality.

The latest controversy erupted after Defense Minister Israel Katz announced during a live television appearance that he was replacing IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, despite lacking the legal authority to make such a decision. Whether one supports or opposes the current government, the episode raises a far more consequential question than the fate of a single general. It asks whether political theater is beginning to eclipse the rule of law in matters of national defense.

Opposition leader and former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot wasted little time condemning the move.


"The spectacle that took place on [Channel 14] was an unprecedented lowpoint in relations between the political and military echelons, an improper and unlawful act," Eisenkot wrote on X. "The State of Israel is no one's private property, and the IDF is not a tool to be used in primaries by politicians who've lost their way."

His criticism lands at an especially delicate political moment. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party is preparing for August 17 primaries, where more than 100,000 party members will determine the party's Knesset slate ahead of Israel's October 27 general election. Katz is widely viewed as seeking a higher position on that list, making any appearance of politicizing military leadership especially damaging.

Eisenkot did not stop there. He argued that the government "is not fit to safeguard the security of the state," adding that "very soon, the people of Israel will have worthy and responsible leadership, with Israel's welfare and security as its sole concern."

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was equally unsparing, accusing the government of turning against the very institution charged with defending the nation.


"After dismantling the IDF from the outside and paving the way for mass draft evasion, the October 7 government has now decided to dismantle the IDF from within and guarantee complete chaos," Bennett wrote. "Tonight, I say to every citizen of Israel, and to all IDF soldiers and commanders, both active-duty and reservists: Hold on tight, the reinforcements are on their way. Soon, we will replace them, and together we will set things right."

Israel's security has always rested on a delicate constitutional understanding. Civilian leaders rightly command the military, but they do so through established legal authority and institutional restraint, not televised declarations or campaign calculations. Democracies survive because governments change while institutions endure.

Whether this latest dispute proves to be an isolated political misjudgment or a symptom of something more corrosive remains to be seen. But history offers a consistent lesson: once military appointments become instruments of partisan advantage, public confidence in both government and the armed forces begins to erode. That is a price Israel, surrounded by enemies and dependent upon the professionalism of the IDF, can scarcely afford to pay.

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In a first-of-its-kind, Israel seizes property tied to Gaza drone smuggling

In a rare and resolute demonstration of strategic enforcement, Israel has moved decisively to seize property linked to the smuggling of drones into Gaza—the first such action of its kind in this domain. This is not mere policing; it is a calculated strike against the shadowy financial and logistical arteries that sustain terror.

Authorities make clear the intent: to dismantle the economic scaffolding behind these operations, to interrupt the steady flow of illicit goods, and to send an unmistakable message of deterrence to those who would aid the terrorist networks entrenched in Gaza. Working in close coordination, Israel Police, the Southern District Unit, and the National Headquarters for Economic Counter Terrorism under the Defense Ministry confiscated the assets on Wednesday. The targets were vehicles tied to drone smuggling into the Strip since the beginning of the year.

What makes this operation notable is its foundation in precise intelligence and hard evidentiary material, gathered and passed on by police. The owners—residents of Bedouin communities in the Negev—were not caught red-handed, yet Defense Minister Israel Katz had no hesitation in imposing economic sanctions. In the unforgiving logic of counterterrorism, complicity does not require being caught in the act; it requires only the enabling of murder.

The measure, officials emphasize, is designed to target the financial infrastructure of smuggling, to disrupt ongoing efforts, and to bolster deterrence against all those who assist terrorist organizations in Gaza. As Katz stated: "Anyone who smuggles weapons, equipment, or funds to terrorist organizations in Gaza is part of the terrorist network itself and will pay a heavy price."

Israel Katz

Katz framed the decision as part of a broader and more sophisticated policy—one that refuses to limit its focus to the terrorists alone. Instead, it reaches into the economic and logistical ecosystems that keep them armed and operational. "This is another significant enforcement tool in our fight against smuggling infrastructures," added Southern District Unit commander Chief Superintendent Shimon Portal. "Alongside operational and intelligence activity on the ground, we are also working to damage the economic capability of those involved, thereby disrupting their activity, deterring additional actors, and preventing the strengthening of terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip."

There is a refreshing clarity here. For too long, the West has often treated terror as a problem of lone actors and isolated cells, while ignoring the vast, enabling networks that make it possible. Israel, under sustained threat, has chosen a different path: one that recognizes that the financier, the smuggler, and the logistician are as culpable as the man who fires the rocket or launches the drone. This is enforcement rooted in reality, not rhetoric—and in a world grown dangerously tolerant of euphemism, it is a model worth noting.

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Trump Nears Iran Deal As Hezbollah, Israel, And Reality Itself Complicate Things

President Trump is once again finding out that trying to bring peace to the Middle East is a little like herding cats or refereeing a bar fight where everyone has missiles and a theological grudge dating back 3,000 years.

On Sunday, Trump publicly warned Israel and Iran not to torpedo what he insists is an almost-finished peace agreement after Israel lit up Hezbollah targets in Beirut, because apparently nobody in that region can go 48 consecutive hours without setting something on fire or blowing something up.

“We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region,” Trump posted on social media, before adding the kind of thing every exhausted parent has yelled from the front seat during a family road trip: “Let’s not blow it!”

Please let us not pretend that any so called peace deal will last very long when Islamic scripture [in this case, the Hadith] demands the killing of Jews:

Sahih al-Bukhari 2926 (Narrated by Abu Huraira):
"Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say, "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."'"
Sahih Muslim 2922 (also narrated by Abu Huraira):
"The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: 'O Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him'; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews."

Smoke rose over Beirut after Israeli strikes reportedly hit Hezbollah infrastructure in the southern suburbs. Lebanon’s Civil Defense said workers pulled three bodies and six wounded people from the rubble, which is generally not the visual diplomats hope for while trying to finalize a peace agreement.

Naturally, Iran responded with threats, because Tehran treats military retaliation the way normal countries treat strongly worded press releases.

The emerging deal has reportedly left Israel less than thrilled. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has been largely sidelined while Pakistan and other regional players helped move negotiations forward, which probably feels to the Israelis like being forced to watch strangers remodel your house while assuring you they definitely know where the load-bearing walls are.

Trump, who previously suggested the agreement could be signed Sunday, has reportedly been leaning hard on Netanyahu to cool things down in Lebanon while negotiations continue. Netanyahu, being Netanyahu, appears to have treated that advice the same way most people treat the “terms and conditions” page on a software update.

Following the Beirut strike, Trump spoke with Netanyahu and made it clear he was not exactly delighted with the timing and it made him look bad.

According to Axios and Fox News interviews, Trump directly questioned the Israeli prime minister about the operation after Israel said it struck Hezbollah targets in response to drone launches aimed at northern Israel.

The Israeli military claimed Hezbollah launched three projectiles and released footage showing smoke rising after impacts. Hezbollah, meanwhile, maintained its long-standing media strategy of saying absolutely nothing until everybody else has already spent twelve hours arguing online.

“It shook it up,” Trump said of the strike’s effect on negotiations, adding that the agreement’s signing was delayed several hours but remained on track.

That sentence pretty much sums up Middle East diplomacy in 2026: everyone agrees peace is close right before somebody launches explosives into a neighboring country.

Israel defended the strikes as necessary retaliation. “Israel will not tolerate firing into its territory,” Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

Fair enough. That is generally how sovereign nations operate.

Meanwhile, civilians in Beirut’s southern suburbs were once again seen fleeing damaged neighborhoods after briefly enjoying what passed for “calm” in the region, which usually means only a few rockets a week instead of dozens.

The current conflict spiraled after Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel on March 2, shortly after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Since then, Israeli forces have pushed deeper into Lebanon than at any point in more than twenty-five years, which is the sort of escalation diplomats politely call “concerning” while privately stress-eating antacids.

Iranian officials reacted exactly the way you’d expect Iranian officials to react.

Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned on X that “if you lack the will and ability to fulfill your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible.”

Translation: everybody keeps threatening peace while simultaneously threatening each other.

Gen. Mohammad Jafar Asadi added, “Without a doubt, these crimes will not go unanswered,” proving once again that no Middle Eastern conflict is complete without at least one official statement that sounds like it was generated by an angry action movie trailer narrator.

Qatari mediators reportedly traveled to Tehran Sunday to help finalize the agreement. Regional officials cautiously suggested the U.S. and Iran might actually be approaching a framework capable of halting hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which global markets would appreciate very much because investors tend to dislike shipping lanes turning into active war zones.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the agreement could be signed Sunday, while Iranian officials suggested it may happen within days. Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen immediately after signing.

The deal itself appears less like a grand peace treaty and more like the diplomatic equivalent of duct tape holding together a leaking garden hose. It reportedly creates a sixty-day framework for further discussions on Iran’s nuclear program, missile capabilities, frozen assets, and regional proxy activity, which means the hardest issues are essentially being postponed until later.

Under the current framework, the U.S. and Israel appear to have fallen well short of their original objectives of dismantling Iran’s nuclear and missile programs entirely. Critics have noticed this small detail.

Trump attempted to reassure skeptics Saturday by posting that once things calm down, the U.S. would “downblend and destroy” Iran’s enriched uranium either inside Iran or in the United States.

That may prove more complicated than posting it on social media.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran possesses roughly 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity, which is alarmingly close to weapons-grade material. Iran continues insisting its nuclear program is peaceful, which ranks somewhere alongside “the stripper really likes me” on the list of claims that should probably invite further scrutiny.

Republican critics of the deal have already started circling. Some argue the agreement barely improves on the 2015 Obama-era nuclear deal that Trump himself withdrew from during his first term because he repeatedly called it “bad.”

Now Trump finds himself in the awkward position every president eventually reaches in foreign policy: discovering that campaign slogans are much easier than negotiating with regimes that sponsor armed militias while enriching uranium underground.

Still, if Trump somehow manages to keep Israel, Iran, Hezbollah, Pakistan, Qatar, global oil markets, and congressional Republicans from simultaneously detonating this agreement before the ink dries, it may qualify as the first genuine miracle the Middle East has seen in decades.

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Hezbollah terrorists killed, 2 IDF troops slightly wounded in close quarter combat

Two IDF soldiers were lightly wounded on Thursday during a close-quarters engagement in southern Lebanon during which the troops killed a Hezbollah terrorist, the IDF said.

The engagement came amid a “targeted ground operation” conducted by the 162nd Division to bolster the military’s forward position in the country, the IDF added.

Soldiers in the area also located "numerous weapons, including rifles, vests, grenades, and additional weapons," the IDF said.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Thursday that there was no end in sight to the war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Katz to Hezbollah chief Qassem: You will 'not live to see' Israel’s full response

Amid the operations, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem that he would not live to see the extent of the “very heavy price” the group would pay for its earlier attacks on Israel during Passover, saying he would be “at the bottom of hell” alongside slain members of Iran and its proxy network.

Katz’s comments came following a Thursday situational assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other top military officials at “the pit,” the IDF’s command center beneath the Kiyra military compound. IDF soldiers are seen operating in southern Lebanon, April 1, 2026.Earlier that morning, military sources said that the IDF had begun demolishing homes in southern Lebanese villages located along the border with Israel.

According to the sources, the houses targeted by the military were used by the Hezbollah terrorist group as bases to launch anti-tank fire and conduct reconnaissance of Israeli forces.The demolitions were being carried out in accordance with orders issued by Defense Minister Israel Katz, who last week instructed the IDF to begin destroying homes and bridges south of the Litani River.

"We have ordered an acceleration in the destruction of Lebanese homes in contact-line villages to neutralize threats to Israeli communities, in accordance with the model of Beit Hanun and Rafah in Gaza," Katz said at the time, adding that the military will continue to allow residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate northward.

IDF in Southern Lebanon April 1, 2026

IDF captures Hezbollah terrorists, sources observe 'low morale' among fightersEarlier, IDF divisions continued their ground incursion into southern Lebanon overnight on Wednesday, maneuvering deeper into Lebanese territory, security sources said.

Several Hezbollah fighters were detained as prisoners of war after surrendering to Israeli forces in the past 24 hours, sources added, saying they were transferred over for interrogation.IDF sources observed "low morale" among the terrorists who were captured, most from the capital, Beirut. Other fighters were said to have managed to flee north of the Litani River.Furthermore, the fighters were said to have employed heavy guerrilla warfare, using the demolished homes as hiding spots between rounds of fire aimed at Israeli troops.

Last week, defense sources told The Jerusalem Post that Israel plans to keep “effective control” of southern Lebanon even for an indefinite period after the current war ends, presuming that Hezbollah will not yet have disarmed.

IDF kills over 40 Hezbollah terrorists in last 24 hours

Later on Thursday, the IDF said that it had killed over 40 Hezbollah terrorists and struck dozens of terror infrastructure sites through air, naval, and ground operations in Lebanon.

"In the past 24 hours, the Israeli Air Force struck dozens of headquarters, weapons storage facilities, launch sites, and anti-tank missile positions. The Israeli Navy also conducted a precise strike targeting a Hezbollah weapons storage facility in southern Lebanon," the military said.

Additionally, ground operations included an offensive from the 91st Division, which killed a Hezbollah terrorist cell in southern Lebanon, soldiers from the 36th Division engaging and killing three Hezbollah terrorists on motorcycles, the 146th Division dismantling over 180 terror infrastructure sites, and the 162nd Division locating numerous weapons.

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IDF soldiers send 20 Lebanese terrorists to their deaths in under a day

The IDF just took out Hassan Ali Marwan, commander of the Imam Hussein Division, in Beirut, about a week after they already dropped his predecessor. Boom. One less terrorist middle manager off the board.

Listen, folks, Israel Defense Forces soldiers mowed down over 20 terrorists and wrecked dozens of Hezbollah infrastructures during ops in Southern Lebanon on Wednesday. The military put it out there plain and simple.

In one case, these Hezbollah goons tried to launch an anti-tank missile at IDF troops. Big mistake. The soldiers hit back with a rapid operational response and eliminated five of them right then and there.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force dropped in and took out two more terrorists. Clean work.Our guys on the ground confiscated a whole arsenal too, RPGs, anti-tank rockets, ammo, even a hunting rifle and other combat gear. Hezbollah's getting stripped bare.

"The IDF will continue to operate with determination against the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which chose to join the war and operate under the sponsorship of the Iranian terror regime. The IDF will not allow harm to Israeli civilians," the military warned. And they mean it.

On top of that, the IDF struck and destroyed two more bridges over the Litani River in Southern Lebanon. Defense Minister Israel Katz called it out: they were "being used to smuggle weapons and facilitate the movement of Hezbollah terrorists southward."

"This is a direct action against Hezbollah’s use of Lebanese state infrastructure to advance terror activity, and also a clear message to the Lebanese government: The State of Israel will not allow such a reality," Katz said.

"We will not permit any threat to Israeli citizens, and we will continue to act with full force until complete security is achieved in the north."

The IDF laid it out further: this Iranian terrorist proxy was using those crossings to move thousands of weapons, rockets, rocket launchers, all aimed at hitting Israel south of the Litani.They even released footage Wednesday, aerial and ground ops in Southern Lebanon as part of "Operation Roaring Lion." Troops have taken out dozens of Hezbollah operatives, blown up weapons depots, anti-tank positions, you name it, ever since Hezbollah started attacking Israeli territory "in defense of the Iranian regime." Yeah, right, defending Iran by targeting civilians. Classic.

And again, the IDF confirmed they killed Hassan Ali Marwan in Beirut, that Imam Hussein Division commander, right after his predecessor got the same treatment.This Iran-backed unit runs under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, pushing Tehran's agenda and launching attacks. Marwan was coordinating between the division, Hezbollah, and the Quds Force, overseeing missile, drone, and rocket launches straight at Israel.

Folks, this is what happens when you poke the bear long enough. Israel isn't playing games. They're dismantling Hezbollah piece by piece, commander by commander, bridge by bridge. And good riddance.

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Iran's intelligence minister not intelligent enough to duck and is eliminated in overnight strike

Well, as the saying goes, another one bites the dust. Iran's senior intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, apparently wasn't intelligent enough to know that Israel had his location and he was blown to little bitesize pieces in an overnight strike Wednesday, Israel reports.

Esmail [his friends called him "Email"] is the third senior Iranian honcho in 24 hours to not pass "Go" and has now collected his 72 virgin goats.

If his death is confirmed, his ticket to Jannah would come after that of Ali Jarijani, the head of the supreme national security apparatus, and the commander of the Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani.

Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, who reported Khatib had been killed, said he and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had authorized the IDF to kill any other senior Iranian official being targeted, without the need for additional approval, thus releasing the dogs of war with shock and awe.

“On this day, significant surprises are expected across all arenas that will escalate the war we are conducting against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon,” Katz said during a security assessment. “The intensity of the strikes in Iran is increasing.”

The US-Israeli war on the Iranian regime has now entered its third week, with at least 2,000 people reported killed, not including the vast number of Iranian citizens that have been slaughtered by the IRGC. 

However, it looks as if there might be an end in sight as the IRGC is in total disarray and some members are deserting their positions. Some have even disavowed the regime and come over to the side of the Iranian people.

Meanwhile, US forces hit Iran's anti-shi[ missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, dropping 2.5 ton bunker-buster bombs, according to CENTCOM.

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's major oil choke point and the strikes over Iran's hold of the shipping lane has grown due to Iran's threats to oil tankers.

"Hours ago, U.S. forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM posted Tuesday evening on X.

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IDF enters southern Lebanon in "limited" op against Hezbollah

Israeli forces have now crossed into southern Lebanon to conduct what the IDF describe as "limited and targeted" ground operations against Hezbollah. This is the necessary response to years of unrelenting aggression from a terrorist organization embedded in Lebanese territory, one that has turned southern Lebanon into a forward base for Iranian ambitions against Israel.

The IDF makes the purpose of the incursion clear: these actions target Hezbollah's key strongholds in order to expand and fortify Israel's forward defensive area. As the IDF statement puts it: "This activity is part of broader defensive efforts to establish and strengthen a forward defensive posture, which includes the dismantling of terrorist infrastructure and the elimination of terrorists operating in the area, to create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel."

One might almost call it common sense, if common sense had not become such a rare commodity in discussions of Israel's security. For nearly two decades, the residents of northern Israel have lived under the shadow of Hezbollah's rockets, its tunnels, and its constant menace. 

The time for passive endurance has passed.

Defence Minister Israel Katz stated plainly on Monday that the maneuver will "protect the residents of the Galilee and the North." He went further, addressing the grim demographic reality on the ground: "The hundreds of thousands of Shi'ite residents of southern Lebanon who have evacuated and are evacuating their homes from southern Lebanon and Beirut will not return to their homes south of the Litani region until the safety of the northern residents is guaranteed." 

The message could scarcely be clearer. Hezbollah has chosen to make southern Lebanon its battlefield; it has chosen to place its arsenals among civilian populations; it has chosen to fire on Israeli civilians with impunity. The consequences are now unfolding and for Hezbollah, stuff is hitting the proverbial fan.

Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have directed the IDF  "to act and destroy the terror infrastructure" in villages near the Lebanese border, "to prevent threats and the return of Hezbollah to the area, exactly as was done against Hamas in Gaza in the Rafah and Beit Hanoun areas."

The parallel is deliberate and apt. In Gaza, Israel confronted a similar enemy: a terror group that embedded itself among civilians, used human shields as doctrine, and promised Israel's destruction. The operation there was thorough, costly, and effective in degrading the threat. Hezbollah now faces the same reckoning.

Katz's final words carry the weight of inevitability: "Hezbollah will pay heavy prices for its aggression and its activity within the Iranian axis to destroy Israel. Those who sought to destroy have been destroyed and will be destroyed."

There is a moral clarity here that much of the world prefers to obscure. Israel does not seek empire or conquest in Lebanon; it seeks security for its people. It does not fire rockets indiscriminately into civilian areas; its enemies do. And when those enemies pay the price they have invited, the chorus of condemnation is predictable—yet it changes nothing about the facts on the ground.

The residents of northern Israel have waited long enough. Hezbollah's aggression has a cost, and that cost is now being exacted.

Am Yisrael Chai.

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BREAKING: 2 Murdered, 2 Wounded in Jihadi Attack in Northern Israel

(photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE) ByTZVI JASPER, JERUSALEM POST STAFF DECEMBER 26, 2025 13:41Updated: DECEMBER 26, 2025 15:55

Once again, the grim reality of life in Israel asserts itself with brutal clarity. On December 26, 2025, a Palestinian terrorist carried out a combined ramming and stabbing attack across multiple sites in the north of the country, murdering two Israeli civilians and wounding others before being neutralized.

The attack began near Beit She'an, where the terrorist deliberately rammed his vehicle into pedestrians. A 68-year-old man, later identified as Shimshon Mordechai (or Mordechai Shimshon), a resident of Beit She'an, was struck and fatally injured. Nearby, a 16-year-old boy was also hit by the vehicle, sustaining light injuries; he was treated at the scene and evacuated to hospital.

As Magen David Adom EMT Daniel Mousai recounted: "When we arrived at the scene, we saw the boy sitting inside a car, conscious and suffering from injuries to his limbs." "Citizens who were there told us that he had been hit by a fleeing vehicle and they helped him in the first moments."

Mousai continued: Just as the team was preparing to transport the boy, they received word of another victim nearby. "I immediately got to him and saw a 68-year-old man lying on the side of the road, suffering from a serious chest injury. Together with the intensive care unit team, we provided medical treatment and performed CPR, but his injury was fatal and we had to pronounce him dead on the spot."

The terrorist then fled, driving along Route 71 where he stopped to stab an 18- or 19-year-old young woman, Aviv Maor, who was killed at the scene.

Continuing toward Afula, the attacker attempted another assault. A 37-year-old man was moderately wounded there, according to a witness speaking to i24news: "The terrorist missed him and ran into an electric pole." "He got out of the vehicle, picked up a huge rock, and brought it down on his head. Immediately afterward the police arrived and took him down."

The terrorist, identified as Ahmad Abu al-Rub (or similar silly variations), a resident of Qabatiya in the West Bank, had illegally infiltrated Israel days earlier. Reports indicate he was employed by an Israeli citizen and used his employer's vehicle in the attack. He was ultimately neutralized by security forces and a civilian bystander, and evacuated to hospital in moderate condition.

In response, Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the IDF to prepare operations in Qabatiya. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for strengthened Israeli control over Judea and Samaria and an end to the employment of illegal residents. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar pointed to the Palestinian Authority's ongoing incitement and payments to terrorists.

Hamas, predictably, praised the carnage, declaring that "Resistance in all its forms is a legitimate right guaranteed by international law and humanitarian principles for peoples living under occupation."

President Isaac Herzog conveyed condolences to local leaders, while the IDF Chief of Staff conducted assessments.

This is yet another reminder—were one needed—of the persistent ideology that drives such acts: an unyielding refusal to accept Jewish sovereignty in any part of the land, coupled with a culture that too often celebrates the murderer as martyr. While the world rushes to equivocate or look away, Israelis bury their dead and carry on. 

This story remains developing.

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IAF blows up Houthi leadership in a single strategic bombing

The Israeli Air Force [IAF] always seems to get a big bang for their shekel. They dropped a helluva surprise party on Houthi bigwigs in Sanaa, Yemen, last week, changing the Houthi prime minister's pronouns into 'was/ were.' The defense minister, and chief of the general staff were also eliminated in the airstrike as were the top ranking members of the government. All that's left are four low-ranking flunkies who probably wish they never joined the military.

This was a masterclass in seizing the moment. The Israelis caught wind of a rare Houthi pow-wow, where the top brass gathered to nod along to a rambling screed from their head honcho, Abdul Malik al-Houthi. One well-timed strike later, and boom—the Houthi org chart got a serious trim. Whispers on X suggest Israel pulled a slick bait-and-switch, luring the Houthi elite to one spot with a deception op straight out of a spy thriller. Think How Israel Lured Iran's Top Generals to Their Deaths Will Blow Your Mind—same vibe, different desert.

The body count? At least 10 Houthi heavyweights, including Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi, Defense Minister Major General Mohamed al-Atifi, and Chief of General Staff Major General Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari. The Houthis, true to form, are screaming “fake news!”—claiming it was all civilians, or if it happened, it was just a scratch. Sure, guys, tell it to the crater.This all kicked off after the Houthis got cocky last Friday, lobbing a cluster munition at Israel. Bad move. Israel had been brushing off their drone swarms like annoying flies, but cluster bombs aimed at cities? That’s a red line. By Sunday, Israel was back, hammering a military site near a presidential palace, a fuel depot, and two power stations in Yemen. Call it a message, delivered with a side of high explosives.

Codenamed “Drop of Luck,” the Thursday strike used standoff weapons—no warning, just instant chaos. Maximum surprise, minimum chit-chat.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz didn’t mince words: “As we warned the Houthis in Yemen: ‘After the plague of darkness comes the plague of death.’ Whoever raises a hand against Israel, their hand will be cut off.” Biblical, brutal, and on-brand.

Let’s not kid ourselves—this won’t make the Houthis pack up their missiles and go home. They’re too stubborn for that. But it sure as hell spikes their operating costs and turns their leaders’ lives into a high-stakes game of “where’s the next boom?” Exciting times in Sanaa.

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Bibi Netanyahu gives the go-ahead to a military offensive

Let us be absolutely clear about the grim necessity unfolding in Gaza, where the clash of civilizations plays out in brutal clarity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given the nod to a military offensive on Gaza City, a decision that carries the weight of existential stakes. 

The Israel Defense Forces, under the steely gaze of Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, are poised to strike, having toured the Strip on Thursday with Southern Command’s Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor and other senior officers. This is no mere maneuver; it is a prelude to a campaign aimed at crushing Hamas's grip on the city while, in a delicate parallel, pursuing talks to free 50 hostages still languishing in the hands of Palestinian terrorists. Of those hostages, President Trump had recently predicted that he believes around 20 or less are still alive.

Netanyahu, with the precision of a man who knows the world's eyes are on him, declared, "We are at the stage of decision. I came today to the [IDF] Gaza Division to approve the plans presented to me and the defense minister by the IDF to take control of Gaza City and to defeat Hamas." Yet, in a nod to the moral complexity of this conflict, he added, "At the same time, I directed that immediate negotiations begin for the release of all our hostages and to end the war under conditions acceptable to Israel. These two things: defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages go hand in hand." This is not the language of a leader threading the needle between vengeance and humanity.

Across the Atlantic, the Trump administration has thrown its weight behind a ceasefire proposal, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming on Tuesday that Hamas has, at least on paper, accepted it. But President Trump himself, never one for diplomatic niceties, laid bare the stakes on Truth Social: "The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be." He insists that the hostages' return hinges on Hamas being "confronted and destroyed." 

U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, with a candor that cuts through the fog of diplomacy, noted, "Three weeks ago, that proposal was on the table, and they slow-played us, Hamas. And the president put out his Truth statement saying that he wasn't going to tolerate it anymore, and guess what happened? There's been a major break." 

The proposal, as reported by Arab media, includes an Israeli pullout from parts of Gaza, the release of 10 of the 20 living hostages, and the freeing of over 200 Palestinian terrorists during a 60-day ceasefire. A grim barter, but one that reflects the brutal arithmetic of this war.

Defense Minister Israel Katz, with a rhetoric that could make the devil flinch, warned on Friday, "Soon the gates of hell will open on the heads of Hamas's murderers and rapists in Gaza, until they agree to Israel's conditions for ending the war, chief among them the release of all hostages and their disarmament." He added, with chilling resolve, "If they don't agree, Gaza, the capital of Hamas, will become Rafah and Beit Hanoun. Just as I promised, so it will be." 

This is the language of a nation that has endured the barbarity of October 7, 2023, and will tolerate no more.

Zamir, surveying the battlefield, said: “We are advancing with the efforts toward operations in Gaza City. We already have troops operating on the outskirts of the city, and more forces will join them later on." His mission is twofold and non-negotiable: "Our missions remain the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas; we will not rest and we will not stop until we complete them. Achieving these missions is vital for our future and for our values as a society." 

The Lt. General noted that Hamas, once a formidable terrorist machine, has been reduced to a guerrilla force since the October 7 massacre. Yet, like a wounded beast, it remains dangerous, and Israel will hunt it relentlessly, "for as long and wherever necessary."

The human cost of this operation looms large. Some 800,000 to 1 million residents of Gaza City will be evacuated south to Al-Mawasi near Rafah, a humanitarian corridor carved out amidst the chaos. The IDF's Gaza District Coordination and Liaison Unit has begun warning medical officials and aid organizations, ensuring hospital infrastructure in the south is ready to receive the sick and wounded. Two additional field hospitals and four more Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution centers are planned, with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee stating the goal is to scale up to 16 such sites. 

This is not compassion for its own sake but a recognition that the world watches, and Israel must balance its sword with a shield of humanity.

The IDF's dominance is undeniable. Over 75% of the Gaza Strip is under Israeli control, with 2,000 terrorists killed since ground operations resumed five months ago. Since March 18, 10,000 terrorist targets have been struck, and strategic corridors, Morag and Magen Oz, have sliced through Hamas's strongholds. 

Five IDF divisions, supported by air and naval forces, have dismantled tunnels, neutralized cells, and eliminated senior commanders complicit in the October 7 barbaric atrocities. To sustain this offensive, Katz has authorized the mobilization of 60,000 reservists and extended service for 20,000 more, freeing active-duty troops for what may be a decisive assault on one of Hamas’s last bastions, potentially as early as September.

This is a war of necessity, not choice. Zamir, addressing the Kfir Infantry Brigade and other units, underscored the gravity: "Our struggle is still long, and many challenges lie ahead. All of Israel is looking at you and relying on you. We have no alternative but victory." 

For Israel, this is not merely a fight for territory but for survival, for the right to exist without the shadow of terror. The world may wring its hands, but Israel's resolve is unshakable, and the gates of hell, as Katz promised, are creaking open.

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Bibi’s Big Play: Full Deal or Bust for Hostages, War’s End

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu dropped a bombshell Saturday night, throwing his weight behind a deal to end the Gaza war, but only if it ticks every box on Israel's wishlist. 

"We will agree to an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war, which include the disarmament of Hamas, the demilitarization of the Strip, Israeli control of the perimeter, and the establishment of a governing authority that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority, and that will live in peace with Israel," Bibi declared, per his office. 

No half-measures, no compromises, just the whole enchilada.

This comes after whispers from Netanyahu's adviser hinted at openness to a partial deal. Israel's Channel 12 News spilled the tea, reporting that the negotiating team sees a shift in Hamas's stance over the past week, potentially opening the door to phased talks based on U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff's outline. The defense establishment's all in for a partial deal, and some Likud ministers are pushing not to slam that door shut. But Bibi, alongside heavyweights like Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, is holding firm: it's all hostages, all conditions, or no deal.

Meanwhile, a Qatari delegation's rolled into Egypt, trying to drag everyone back to the table. Over at IDF Southern Command, brass held a powwow Saturday night, prepping operational plans for a Gaza City offensive to present to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. Zamir's set to green-light options for Defense Minister Israel Katz's final say-so. The IDF's already been busy, hitting Gaza City’s southwestern Zeitoun quarter, smoking out explosives, gunmen, and terror infrastructure above and below ground. They’re also gearing up to move residents south before the offensive kicks off.

The stakes? Palestinian terror groups still hold 50 hostages in Gaza, with 20 believed alive, per Israeli authorities. This traces back to the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, invasion of the western Negev, when 251 people were snatched. Oh, and Hamas is still clutching the body of IDF Lt. Hadar Goldin from 2014. No word on whether Bibi's hardline stance will break the deadlock or just keep the fires burning.

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Israel considers new Gaza offensive as hostage talks weaken

According to a report from Walla cited by The Jerusalem Post, the Israeli military is mulling over what could be the largest civilian displacement in Gaza since the war kicked off. That’s no small potatoes, and it’s got big implications for both the battlefield and the diplomatic chessboard. 

The Post’s Amir Bohbot lays it out: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to huddle with Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir today, Sunday, to hash out what’s next in Gaza, including “potential steps to embark on a wider military operation differing from previous offenses.”

What’s driving this? 

The IDF’s got a ticking clock on hostage negotiations. If those talks don’t break through soon, the military’s gearing up for a broader operation. But here’s where it gets messy: inside the IDF, there’s a split. Some brass want to double down and keep pounding Hamas, while others argue the main goals are already in the bag: Hamas’s military infrastructure is toast, senior commanders (minus Gaza City Brigade Commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who’s still on the Shin Bet’s hit list) are gone, tunnels and weapons systems are wrecked, and Israel’s grabbed over half of Gaza’s territory. Oh, and they’ve choked off major smuggling routes from Sinai and the Mediterranean. Not exactly a bad day’s work.

But the hawks in the room aren’t quite ready to pop the champagne. They’re pushing for a full-scale ground maneuver, which would mean a massive civilian evacuation. 

Military sources told Walla that plans are in the works to move Gazans out of key areas, and here’s the kicker: with Hamas at its weakest since seizing Gaza in 2007, “a mass evacuation could turn public sentiment in Gaza against the group’s leadership.” That’s a bold play, but it’s not without risks. 

Urban warfare in Gaza’s tunnel-riddled, fortified neighborhoods would be a meat grinder, with “significant IDF casualties” expected, military officials said. And this wouldn’t be a small operation, with five fully manned divisions and a fresh wave of reserve call-ups under Tzav 8. 

The IDF’s calculus is shaped by recent history, too. A senior defense official, reflecting on Israel’s 12-day clash with Iran, put it bluntly: “The operation in Iran taught Hamas that one must also know when to end fighting.” Hamas, battered and bruised, is reportedly shifting from bullets to backroom diplomacy. But with Israel green-lighting 22 new West Bank settlements amid this Gaza fight and global chatter about a Palestinian state, the pressure’s on. 

Is this the moment to go all-in, or is it time to declare victory and pivot? Netanyahu’s got a tough call ahead, and the world’s watching.

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