Iran focused on Syria as lynchpin of ‘resistance’ axis - analysis

Iran is focused on propping up Syria’s regime so that it can continue to be a key part of Iran’s “resistance” axis. This takes on more weight as Israel fights Hezbollah in Lebanon and seeks to cut off Hezbollah from weapons that flow from Iran through Syria and from finances that help Hezbollah sustain itself.

Syrian state media said that more than thirty people were killed in Israeli strikes near Palmyra this week. These were Syrian regime members, as well as members of Iran’s “axis” in the region. Ali Akbar Velayati, senior international affairs adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, highlighted Syria’s pivotal role in the resistance against “Zionist forces,” Iranian media reported on Thursday. Velayati made these comments during a meeting with Syria’s new foreign minister, Bassam Sabbagh, who is visiting Tehran this week.  (Read More)

West Bank historian slain in Lebanon might have been attempting to visit tomb associated with Simeon, son of Jacob – archaeologist

Researcher Zeev Erlich, 71, who was killed yesterday after joining, in uniform, an IDF unit in Lebanon, was attempting to visit an archaeological site and tomb near the Lebanese village of Chama, southeast of Tyre and about 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) from the Israeli border, according to Prof. Aren Maeir of the Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology Department at Bar-Ilan University.

Maeir said he has seen social media posts asserting that the tomb “is identified by some as the tomb of Simeon, the son of Jacob,” but said that there is no historical or traditional connection between the site and the biblical Simeon.In the Bible, Simeon is one of the sons of the patriarch Jacob and the founder of the Tribe of Simeon, one of The Twelve Tribes of Israel. A site long thought to be Simeon’s resting place is located next to Route 6, east of Kfar Saba and across the Green Line from the West Bank village of Qalqilya.  (Read More)

IDF to build security fence after rock-throwers target Israelis outside Huwara

The Israel Defense Forces is constructing a security fence surrounding the new road that bypasses the central Samaria terrorist hotspot of Huwara, the military told reporters on Wednesday.

The decision to erect a fence around the new highway, which was opened only a year ago, was taken in response to repeated stone-throwing attacks from Arab villages, HaKol HaYehudi reported.“The decision to construct a fence around Huwara was made in accordance with security considerations and provides additional protection to residents of the Samaria sector,” the IDF said. “The IDF works defensively and offensively to counter terrorism in the Samaria area and to maintain the safety of the citizens.”  (Read More)

Smotrich: Israel must vow to stay in northern Gaza forever unless hostages returned

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Monday that Israel must reoccupy northern Gaza, and threaten to remain there indefinitely, in order to pressure the Hamas terror group to release the hostages in its captivity.

The far-right minister’s comments came amid an intense Israeli offensive in northern Gaza over the past month that has seen tens of thousands of Gazans displaced, as troops attack Hamas. They also came on the heels of dire warnings that the hostages who remain alive, some 13 months into their captivity, may not survive another winter.

 “In order to return the hostages, we need to occupy the entire northern Gaza Strip, and inform Hamas unequivocally that if the hostages are not returned home safe and sound, we will apply Israeli sovereignty there and remain forever, and Gaza will lose a third of its territory,” Smotrich told reporters in the Knesset, ahead of his Religious Zionism party’s weekly faction meeting. He maintained that the threat would give Hamas the motivation to keep the hostages alive.  (Read More)

Ukraine reportedly strikes Russia with Storm Shadow missiles as int'l embassies close in Kyiv

Ukraine struck targets inside Russia with British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for the first time, according to reporting from Bloomberg on Wednesday.

The Storm Shadow missiles are the latest new Western weapon Ukraine has been permitted to use on Russian targets. They were fired just a day after the country fired US ATACMS missiles against Russia for the first time, according to Reuters.

Moscow has said the use of Western weapons to strike into Russian territory far from the border would be a major escalation in the conflict, especially after Russian President Vladimir Putin updated the country's nuclear doctrine on Tuesday.  (Read More)

A year after October 7, Israeli farmers from the South need help to rebuild

Since October 7, 2023, those living in the Gaza border communities have faced unimaginable hardship. The tragic events of that day not only claimed lives and destroyed homes but also ravaged fields, poultry farms, and cattle ranches that used to represent the lifeblood of the region. Fires set by Hamas, coupled with large swaths of land being designated as military zones by the IDF, have left these farmers without access to their fields, their greenhouses, and, most critically, their livelihoods.

In this time of dire need, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) has stepped up, working tirelessly to prepare 9,400 dunams (2,300 acres) of new agricultural land in the Eshkol and Merhavim regions near the border with Gaza. This effort is nothing s hort of a lifeline for these communities, offering a chance to rebuild, replant, and restore hope. KKL-JNF’s chairperson, Yifat Ovadia-Luski, underscores the importance of this mission: "The farmers of Israel, especially those in the Gaza Envelope, are the pioneers of our time, demonstrating true Zionism. Our work here is essential to ensure they can return to their fields and sustain their families and communities."   (Read More)

Misjudging the Bear: Is the West Underestimating Russia's Nuclear Threat?

When it comes to the world of geopolitics, there is always far more going on than meets the eye.  The long-range missiles that Ukraine is now firing deep into Russian territory are not going to change the course of the war.  But the Russian response to those long-range missiles might.  Hopefully the Russians will show restraint, because they may not even realize that they are being led into a trap.

Just two days after Joe Biden gave the green light, Ukraine fired six ATACMS missiles deep into Russian territory on Tuesday...

Ukraine hit a Russian weapons arsenal with US-made ATACMS missiles that it fired across the border for the first time, according to two US officials, in a major escalation on the 1,000th day of war. The attack comes just two days after the Biden administration gave Kyiv the green light to use the longer-range American weapons against targets inside Russia. (Read More)

Putin ratchets up nuclear threat after Ukraine fires US-supplied missiles at Russia

KYIV, Ukraine — Moscow said Tuesday that Ukraine had fired US-supplied long-range missiles into its territory for the first time since Washington authorized such strikes, as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree broadening the justification for using nuclear weapons.

With neither side showing any sign of relenting, Putin officially authorized the use of nuclear weapons in the case of a conventional attack by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power.

Putin signed the decree shortly before Moscow confirmed that Ukraine had fired six US-made ATACMS missiles early Tuesday at a military facility in Russia’s Bryansk region that borders Ukraine. It said air defenses shot down five of them and damaged one more.  (Read More)

G20 draft statement on Gaza stirs Israeli unease over perceived bias

The G20 Conference in Rio de Janeiro is expected to focus on its core agenda of socioeconomic and financial matters, but its final declaration may touch on the situation in Gaza.

Israel now finds itself engaging in defensive diplomacy with limited results, with the country facing harsh criticism at events like the UN General Assembly and the BRICS summit. This week’s G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, which will include representatives from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and many other countries, is likely to take a similar tone.

The G20, or Group of 20, is an intergovernmental forum that brings together 19 countries, the European Union, and the African Union. Focused on addressing global economic challenges, the G20 tackles issues such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development.
(Read More)

Cigarettes for $1,000: regulated aid in Gaza leads to rise in looters, smugglers

A report from The Washington Post highlights the growing strength of smuggling gangs in Gaza, which have capitalized on restrictions on the entry of goods. These groups now control the flow of multiple products, including tobacco. Cigarettes, in particular, have become a form of currency, reportedly selling for up to $1,000 per pack.

Last week, the Kissufim border crossing reopened for the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, alleviating some of the immense strain on residents who had endured severe shortages during October, when minimal aid was allowed in. This reopening also averted an American threat to impose an arms embargo. 

However, conditions in Gaza have drastically changed since the war began. The blockade and tightly regulated aid have led to the resurgence of the smuggling industry. Tobacco products, now more expensive than ever and in greater demand, have become a critical commodity.  (Read More)

Netanyahu says Biden’s counsel throughout the war was repeatedly off-mark

Speaking nearly two weeks after the US election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly criticized the Biden administration’s judgment and policies at major junctions in Israel’s ongoing war against Iran and its proxies.

“The US had reservations and suggested that we not enter Gaza,” said Netanyahu in the Knesset plenum on Monday. “It had reservations about entering Gaza City, Khan Younis, and, most critically, strongly opposed entry into Rafah.”

Administration officials had publicly urged Israel to calibrate its Rafah offensive to minimize civilian harm.  (Read More)

Kremlin says US ‘fueling the fire’ by allowing Ukraine to use long-range weapons

US President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with US-supplied long-range missiles was met with ominous warnings from Moscow, a hint of menace from Kyiv and nods of approval from some Western allies.

Biden’s shift in policy added an uncertain but potentially crucial new factor to the war on the eve of its 1,000-day milestone.

News of Biden’s change came on the day a Russian ballistic missile with cluster munitions struck a residential area of Sumy, a city in northern Ukraine, killing 11 people, including two children, and injuring 84 others.  (Read More) 

Biden admin sanctions more Israeli ‘settlers,’ NGOs, including key development group

The Biden administration announced a new round of sanctions on Monday against three Israelis and three organizations, including the leading Amana development group, which it accuses of undermining “peace, security and stability” in Judea and Samaria.

Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department spokesman, said that the sanctioned individuals and entities had engaged in “violence targeting civilians or in the destruction or dispossession of property. ”“Their actions, collectively and individually, undermine peace, security and stability in the West Bank and the safety of both Israelis and Palestinians,” he said. (The Biden administration and some others refer to Judea and Samaria as the “West Bank.”)

He called on Jerusalem to “take action and hold accountable those responsible for or complicit in violence, forced displacement, and the dispossession of private land.” (Read More)

US envoy Hochstein said heading to Beirut amid apparent progress in ceasefire push

US special envoy Amos Hochstein will travel to Beirut on Tuesday for talks on a truce between the Hezbollah terror group and Israel, a Lebanese political source told Reuters Monday, amid reports that Lebanon had responded positively to a ceasefire proposal submitted by the US.

Lebanon’s LBC media network reported Monday that a “positive” response to the US ceasefire proposal had been submitted to the US embassy in Beirut, and would be reviewed by Hochstein ahead of his visit to the region.

A leaked draft of the US proposal published by the Kan public broadcaster earlier this month showed that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah would include the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the establishment of an international oversight committee and the deployment of some 10,000 Lebanese Armed Forces troops along the border with Israel. (Read More)

UN says nearly 100 Gaza aid trucks looted, the war’s worst theft ‘in terms of volume’

Nearly 100 trucks carrying food for Palestinians were violently looted on November 16 after entering Gaza in one of the worst aid losses during 13 months of war in the enclave, where hunger is deepening, two UN agencies told Reuters on Monday.

The convoy transporting food provided by UN agencies UNRWA and the World Food Program was instructed by Israel to depart at short notice via an unfamiliar route from Kerem Shalom border crossing, said Louise Wateridge, UNRWA Senior Emergency Officer.

Ninety-eight of the 109 trucks in the convoy were raided and some of the transporters were injured during the incident, she said, without detailing who carried out the ambush.  (Read More)

Iranian lawmaker: Time to match US, Israel's nuclear arsenal - analysis

I

Iran should change its nuclear policy and develop “any weapon that creates deterrence,” Iranian lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian said.

Regional reports see this as a reference to Iran pursuing nuclear weapons. “Iranian lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian has underscored the need for a shift in the country’s nuclear policy to ensure deterrence against enemies, saying Tehran must be equipped with weapons possessed by the US and Israel,” Iranian IRNA state media said.

When reelected in March 2024, the Middle East Eye described him as a “Shia cleric and conservative politician best known for his radical views on foreign policy, having compared the nuclear deal with the 1828 Treaty of Turkmenchay that gave away many Persian cities in the Caucasus to Russia.”  (Read More)

Historic first: Female Israeli combat soldiers conduct Lebanon operations

For the first time in Israel’s military history, female combat soldiers entered Lebanon as part of an operational mission. Northern Command chief Maj.-Gen. Ori Gordin approved the deployment of a team from the combat intelligence battalion into southern Lebanon several weeks ago.

Since the onset of the war, the combat intelligence team, consisting of female soldiers, had been stationed near the Syrian border and in the Mount Dov region. Their tasks included gathering intelligence, identifying terrorist operatives, creating target lists, and directing fire from ground and aerial forces to neutralize threats and dismantle terrorist infrastructure.

Corporal Tehila, 21, a soldier from the "Eagle" Battalion, described her experience in several operations, including identifying individuals linked to terrorist activities.  (Read More)

Tehran signals Hezbollah to accept ceasefire deal

Tehran is telling its Lebanese terrorist proxy Hezbollah that it supports ending the war against Israel amid an American push for a ceasefire agreement, The New York Times reported over the weekend.

Ali Larijani, senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, met with senior Lebanese officials in Beirut on Nov. 15 to discuss the matter. Two Iranians affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps told the Times that Larijani conveyed messages to Hezbollah from Khamenei that he supported the end of the war and that the regime would assist with rebuilding the terror group’s forces and recovering from the war.  (Read More)

Southern Lebanon is actually northern Israel - opinion

As the IDF battles to clear southern Lebanon of Hezbollah terrorists, it is worth highlighting an intriguing historical fact, one that many seem to have forgotten.

Having grown up with an international boundary between the Jewish state and our neighbors to the north, we take it for granted that this is how it has always been and should be.

But the truth is that the current border between Israel and Lebanon is little more than a century old and is entirely artificial, a relic of a time when European colonialists whimsically drew lines on maps over a bottle of brandy in smoke-filled rooms. Historically speaking, southern Lebanon is in fact northern Israel, and the roots of the Jewish people in the area run deep. Whether or not this can or should be translated now into a political reality is a far more complex question, but there is simply no denying our connection to the land.  (Read More)

Biden approves Ukraine’s use of long-range U.S. weapons inside Russia, reversing policy

President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use a powerful American long-range weapon for limited strikes inside Russia in response to North Korea’s deployment of thousands of troops to aid Moscow’s war effort, according to two senior U.S. officials.The easing of restrictions on allowing 

Kyiv to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, to hit targets inside Russia is a significant reversal in U.S. policy and comes as some 10,000 elite North Korean troops have been sent to Kursk, a region of Russia along Ukraine’s northern border, to help Moscow’s forces retake territory gained by Ukraine.The Biden administration fears that more North Korean special forces units could follow in support of this effort. (Read More)

Iran publishes picture of Supreme Leader Khamenei after unsourced reports he was in coma

Iran publishes a picture of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei today after widespread unsourced reports on social media that he was either in a coma or had died.

The image shows him in his office talking to Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani, who was injured in Beirut in Israel’s September pager attacks against the Hezbollah terror group.

Multiple reports on social media claimed in recent days that Khamenei was in a coma. Other reports claimed that he had died or that he had nominated his son as his successor in a recent secret meeting.  (Read More)

Senior Hamas officials in Turkey after Qatar says leadership unwelcome

Senior members of Hamas's leadershipoutside of Gaza have been in Turkey in recent days, Israeli state broadcaster KAN reported on Sunday. This latest report comes after an American source confirmed to the news outlet earlier this month that Qatar had agreed to remove Hamas from its territory. It is unclear whether the two reports are related, KAN added.

The American source spoke to KAN after an earlier report from the state broadcaster claimed that Qatar had told the terrorist group, "You are not welcome here." Additionally, Reuters had also reported that the US was exerting pressure on Doha to expel Hamas weeks after the terror organization rejected the latest hostage deal/ceasefire proposal. (Read More)

Hezbollah rocket hits Haifa synagogue an hour after prayers

A Hezbollah rocket struck a synagogue in Haifa on Saturday, just one hour after the end of a prayer service. The Avot Ubanim synagogue complex suffered major damage from the strike, but no one was hurt.“This is divine providence,” Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav told Israel Hayom.

Five people were lightly injured on the way to shelters in various areas of Haifa during the barrage.Hezbollah launched 10 rockets in the barrage, setting off sirens in the Haifa Bay area, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Only some of the projectiles were intercepted.  (Read More)

Huckabee: ‘Sovereignty over Judea and Samaria is Israel’s decision to make’

Nov. 17, 2024 / JNS)

The decision to extend Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria is one “for Israel to make,” according to Mike Huckabee, who was tapped by President-elect Donald Trump last week for the post of U.S. ambassador to Israel. 

Speaking to Israel National News on Nov. 15, the former Arkansas governor said that the decision is not one the United States will impose.“ I don’t think Donald Trump is the kind of president that wants to tell other countries w(He wants to accommodate, help, encourage peaceful endeavors, strengthen alliances,” said Huckabee.His remarks echoed those he made during an interview with Israel’s Army Radio last week, when he said that “of course” annexation was a possibility during Trump’s second term.  (Read More)

Herzog canceled trip to climate confab because Turkey barred him from airspace

President Isaac Herzog reportedly canceled his planned visit to the United Nations COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, because Turkey refused to allow Israel’s state airplane, Wing of Zion, to fly though the country’s airspace.

Herzog’s office announced on Saturday that he was canceling his planned visit to Baku, saying the decision was due to “security considerations.”However, according to a Sunday report on the Ynet news site, officials in Azerbaijan took exception to the suggestion that their country was not safe for Herzog to visit, and said the real reason for the cancelation was Turkey’s refusal. Israeli officials were cited as saying that the cancelation was indeed due to security assessments, but that they at no point had said there was a security problem in Azerbaijan itself.

Azerbaijan, an Israeli ally, is bordered by Iran to the south, and a direct flight to Baku from Israel would either have to fly over Syria, Iraq and Iran, which is not possible, or over the Mediterranean Sea and through Turkey and Georgia.  (Read More)

Israel approves controversial plan to construct first power plants in West Bank

The Israeli government announced a plan at the end of October to build two power plants and to establish 200 hectares (494 acres) of solar photovoltaic (PV) fields in the West Bank.

According to Israel’s Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen, “For the first time in the history of the state, [Israel] will build power plants in Judea and Samaria.” This groundbreaking decision was included in “The Arrangements Law” for 2025, a government-sponsored proposal submitted to the Knesset every year along with the state budget. This proposition incorporates government bills and reforms that help the government fulfill its economic policy.  (Read More)

New report exposes UNRWA educators’ deep links to terror

More than 10% of principals and senior education staff employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip are members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to a report published on Thursday.

The study, by Israeli non-profit organization IMPACT-se, noted that many continued to draw a regular salary after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 massacre. Its publication comes less than two weeks after Israel’s Knesset barred UNRWA from operating in Israel over its terror ties. For the study, IMPACT-se explored educational practices in five schools whose principals are senior UNRWA education officials, and under two of which (Al-Maghazi Boys Preparatory School B and Al-Zaytun Boys Preparatory School A) Hamas tunnels were found:  (Read More)

Trump admin. plans to bankrupt Iran with 'maximum pressure' policies - report

US President-elect Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to reinstate its "maximum pressure" strategy against Iran, targeting Tehran’s economic stability and its ability to support militant proxies and nuclear development, The Financial Times reported on Saturday, citing sources close to the transition team.

The sources revealed that the administration plans to impose stricter sanctions, particularly on Iran’s oil exports, which serve as a critical revenue source. 

The anticipated sanctions could drastically reduce Iranian oil exports, which currently exceed 1.5 million barrels per day, up from a low of 400,000 barrels per day in 2020. Experts suggest that these measures would severely impact Iran’s economy. Bob McNally, an energy consultant and former US presidential adviser, indicated that reducing exports to a fraction of current levels would leave Iran in a far worse economic position than during Trump’s first term, Financial Timesreported.  (Read More)

Trump's first promise to Israel

US President-elect Donald Trump's associates have promised Israel that on his first day in office, immediately after the inauguration ceremony on Capitol Hill, he will lift any delays and any embargo on shipments of weapons and military equipment to Israel, Channel 12 News reported on Thursday evening.

There is currently a de facto US embargo on one shipment and some equipment related to the war.

Diplomatic sources claimed that there is a connection between Trump’s promise and the apparent Israeli agreement to a ceasefire in Lebanon. The sources stated that, if Israel agrees to a ceasefire for about two months, the Trump administration will enter the White House immediately afterwards and remove all obstacles in a way that will allow the IDF to fight more freely.  (Read More)

Commanding three fronts simultaneously: Navy commander describes war from a battleship

Iran had escalated its support for its allies in the "Axis of Evil," exemplified by the December 2023 attack when Yemen's Houthis launched a cruise missile and drone toward Israel. As the IDF advanced its ground operations in Gaza, the Israel Navy undertook a complex operation: transferring a Sa’ar 6-class missile ship from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea via the Suez Canal. This sensitive operation, despite Egyptian military security, posed significant challenges due to its proximity to hostile coasts.

Commander (Cmdr.) Omer Karmi, commander of the Sa’ar 6 missile boat flotilla, personally supervised the mission, ensuring readiness for any contingencies. Following the operation, Cmdr. Karmi immediately traveled north to oversee missile ship deployments near Lebanon, safeguarding vital offshore gas rigs. On the same day, a drone struck a navy facility near an anchored missile ship. "We were frustrated that we didn’t intercept it," Cmdr. Karmi told Walla in an interview. He added with a mixture of pride and caution, "A week later, we achieved the first interception by the missile boats.  (Read More)

Israeli air force strikes Hezbollah sites in Beirut suburb Dahiyeh

The Israel Air Force conducted a series of airstrikes in the Dahiyeh district in Beirut, targeting Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites, the IDF announced on Saturday.

Initially, the IDF announced it had targeted the area in a first wave of airstrikes in the morning. Later in the afternoon, the IDF reported another wave of airstrikes in the area, stressing it had attacked Hezbollah terror targets, among which were a weapons storage facility, a command center, and Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure.

Dahiyeh is a key Hezbollah terrorist stronghold in Beirut, where Hezbollah has systematically embedded its terrorist infrastructure amidst the Lebanese civilian population, according to the IDF.  (Read More)

How does the IDF designate and demolish targets in the midst of civilian infrastructure?

The IDF explained the process the military goes through before authorizing a building for an airstrike in an IDF announcement.

The IDF broke down the process of identifying, analyzing, approving, and eventually striking buildings in central Beirut without damaging surrounding civilian structures.

"Our two main goals are to damage Hezbollah's capabilities to produce precision missiles and to dismantle its weapons depots - most of them in the heart of the civilian area in Dahiyeh," a commander in the IDF's Beirut department said.  (Read More)

Trump taps Doug Burgum, pro-Israel governor with settler ties, as interior secretary

US President-elect Donald Trump nominated North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum as interior secretary in his incoming cabinet, marking another pro-Israel appointment by the former president.

Burgum visited Israel and West Bank settlements in September, calling the West Bank “the seventh front” of Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and several Iranian proxies. 

During his visit alongside Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Ganz, he expressed solidarity with settler communities facing terror threats in the West Bank but did not explicitly support the controversial enterprise, unlike some of Trump’s other recent appointees.  (Read More)

Iran, Hezbollah strongholds make Syria a 'hunting ground' for Israel

With Israeli forces in daily action in Gaza and south Lebanon, and intermittent drone and missile attacks continuing from Iraq and Yemen, one front in the regional conflict currently underway has tended to be ignored: Syria

Yet the available evidence shows that Israeli strikes against Lebanese Hezbollah and Iranian targets in Syria have increased significantly over the last two months. 

The individuals targeted in Syria have included veteran and prominent leaders and operatives of the Iran-led regional axis. (Read More)