Day 329 — Friday, August 30

New details shared by the rescued hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi on Thursday on his time in Hamas captivity sheds light on the tragid death of another hostage, Arie Zalmanovicz, 86, from Nir Oz.

According to Alkadi, Zalmanovicz, whose death in captivity has been confirmed in December by Israeli authorities, was alongside him until his very last moments and may have died because he was denied proper care by Hamas terrorists. On Wednesday, it was reported that Alkaid, following his rescue, recounted seeing a deceased hostage beside him during their captivity. Zalmanovicz, a founding member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was the oldest hostage held by Hamas. He leaves behind two sons and five grandchildren.

Kibbutz Nir Oz issued a statement following the revelation, blaming the Hamas captors of deliberately denying Zalmanovicz essential medicine. “About two weeks ago, a chilling video was released documenting the moments of our friend Arie Zalmanovicz’s abduction from his home. Today, we learned of Farhan Alkadi’s testimony, who was rescued from captivity. He reported seeing Arie dying beside him after being denied necessary medication and medical treatment. This account completes the painful picture for us, revealing the hellish moments Arie endured from his abduction to his tragic end. It serves as a disturbing firsthand testimony of what the remaining hostages in Gaza are experiencing”.

Alkadi was extracted from a tunnel in southern Gaza in what security officials described as a “complex operation“. During his debriefing, he disclosed for the first time that he was moved underground shortly after witnessing a murder. He explained that he was initially taken to an apartment rather than a tunnel, where he saw one of his fellow captives dying while their captors filmed the incident. Alkadi stated, “Immediately afterward, they filmed me too, and then I saw how he was killed.”

Approximately 40 days after his abduction, Hamas released a 28-second video showing Zalmanovicz lying on a bed, connected to a monitor and complaining of feeling unwell. Later footage showed him motionless and covered with a white sheet.

Earlier in August, a video and photographs were released for the first time, showing Zalmanovicz during his abduction from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz to Gaza. The footage depicts the 85-year-old being transported on a motorcycle, flanked by his captors, while surrounded by dozens of cheering Gazans attempting to approach and strike him.

israel hayom

Day 329 — Friday, August 30

With all the recent debate around Israel and the Gaza War, including questions about how much countries like the United States should support Israel taking place as part of the election cycle around the Western world, the issue of Christian support for Israel is once again being raised. 

In a recent interview with Moody Radio’s “Dawn and Steve in the Morning,” ALL ISRAEL NEWS Editor-in-Chief Joel Rosenberg was asked the question: “Is it really necessary that Evangelical, born-again believers intercede on behalf of the country and the people [of Israel]?” 

Calling it a “great question,” Rosenberg responded, “The answer is not only, yes, is it necessary, it’s commanded.” He cited Psalm 122:6, which states, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” 

He noted that throughout scripture, God commands His followers to pray for all nations, which includes Israel, but that God calls it “the apple of my eye.” 

The phrase “apple of my eye” translated in Hebrew refers to the pupil of the eye. 

“The way God sees the rest of the world is through Israel, through the lens of Israel,” Rosenberg stated. 

However, he noted that not only is prayer for Israel a commandment, but that it also works.

“We serve a prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God,” Rosenberg said.

He encouraged Christians to continue to pray for the hostages in Gaza, mentioning the recent rescue of Israeli-Arab hostage Qaid Farhan al-Qadi on Tuesday. 

After his rescue, al-Qadi thanked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling him: “You truly did sacred work. There are other people [hostages] who are waiting.” 

Rosenberg asked believers to keep praying, saying, “There are still slightly over a hundred [hostages] that are in those tunnels…so we need to keep praying and not give up.” 

He also referred to the situation on Sunday, when Israeli intelligence officials noticed that Hezbollah forces were making significant preparations for a retaliatory attack against Israel over the killing of senior commander Fuad Shukr in July. 

The IDF launched a pre-emptive strike on key Hezbollah rocket launchers, which had been readied for the strike on Israel, sparing Israel from what could have been a larger-scale Hezbollah attack. 

“Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terror army in Lebanon, was just minutes, minutes away from firing upwards of 6,000 missiles at Northern Israel, Central Israel, and Tel Aviv,” Rosenberg told hosts Steve and Dawn. He also spoke about Israel’s recent elimination of three high-level terror leaders from Hamas and Hezbollah in recent weeks. 

“What is happening?” Rosenberg asked. “To me, these are the fulfillments of God showing mercy, not primarily because Israel is praying, most Israelis are not praying,” he noted, “but Evangelicals are interceding in prayer on behalf of Israel, and God is responding to those prayers.” 

“He’s trying to get the attention of the Jewish people,” Rosenberg added.

“We are sheep who don’t understand that we have a shepherd,” Rosenberg stated about the Jewish people. “We’ve been wandering away from that shepherd, and it’s dangerous.” 

“We need the prayers of millions of Evangelicals.” 

All Israel News

Day 328 — Thursday, August 29

Israel’s UN ambassador responds to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s criticism of the ongoing counterterrorism operation in the West Bank.

Danny Danon, who started his second stint at the United Nations on August 20, tweets that “Since October 7th, Iran has been actively working to smuggle sophisticated explosive devices into Judea and Samaria, intended for use in suicide bombings in the heart of Israeli cities.” Judea and Samaria is the biblical name for what is now known as the West Bank.

“The State of Israel will not sit idly by and wait for scenes of buses and cafes exploding in city centers,” Danon adds. “The IDF’s operations in Judea and Samaria have a clear goal: preventing Iranian terror-by-proxy that would harm Israeli civilians.”

Times Of Israel

Day 328 — Thursday, August 29

Hamas leader abroad Khaled Mashaal on Wednesday called for a return to suicide terror attacks against Israelis in Judea and Samaria.

During a video address to a conference in Istanbul, Turkey, Mashaal said, “Resistance operations in the West Bank are escalating despite the harsh conditions,” according to CNN Arabic.

“We want to return to martyrdom operations. This is a situation that can only be addressed by open conflict. They are fighting us with open conflict, and we are confronting them with open conflict,” he continued.

“The enemy has opened the conflict on all fronts, seeking us all, whether we fight or not. The enemy says, ‘I am crazy,’ and it is up to the nation to assume its responsibilities. I reiterate my call for everyone to participate on multiple fronts in the actual resistance against the Zionist entity.”

The “military wings” of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist groups took responsibility for a failed suicide bombing attack in south Tel Aviv earlier this month.

In a statement, Hamas vowed to continue to carry out suicide attacks “as long as Israel continues its massacre and policy of assassinations in Gaza.”

The bomber, who was killed in the blast, was a Palestinian from the area of Nablus (Shechem) in central Samaria.

JNS

Day 327 — Wednesday, August 28

A former mayor of Rahat said rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi told him that a fellow captive died alongside him in Gaza, as details began to trickle out about his more than 10 months in Hamas captivity after he was rescued Tuesday by Israeli special forces.

The information could not immediately be verified and there was no comment from the Israel Defense Forces or from the Hostage Families Forum.

“He said that one of the hostages, who was with him for two months, died next to him,” Ata Abu Madighem said in comments to the press broadcast on Channel 12 news after meeting with the rescued hostage in the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.

“This story is breaking his heart. He has many [terrible] memories. But ultimately, he is talking about being saved, rescued.”

Abu Madighem, speaking to Kan TV, said the hostage who died was a Jewish man.

Abu Madighem said he was not allowed to give more details.

The ex-mayor also said al-Qadi told him he was not given any kind of special treatment as a Muslim by his captors. “They treated him as an Israeli in every respect,” the ex-mayor recounted. The whole time he was held hostage, “he barely saw the sun.”

Al-Qadi, 52, from a Bedouin community near the southern city of Rahat, was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen, which is some three miles (5 kilometers) from the Gaza border, when he was abducted by Hamas terrorists from an area near the nearby community of Mivtahim.

Jerusalem Post

Day 327 — Wednesday, August 28

Over 29,000 new immigrants have arrived in Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion and massacre, according to a recent report from the World Zionist Organization (WZO) in Tel Aviv.

The surge in aliyah (immigration to Israel), despite Israel’s war against the Hamas terror organization in Gaza in the south and the conflict with Hezbollah terror attacks in the north, comes amid rising antisemitism worldwide.

The report indicated a 355% increase in immigration from France alone, with over 5,500 files opened since the war began last October, compared to just 1,200 during the same period in 2023.

In the United States, the number of open immigration files rose by 62%, totaling over 6,000 people.

Canada also experienced an 87% increase, with over 800 Jews initiating a move to Israel.

Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the World Zionist Organization, welcomed over 150 additional new French olim (immigrants) at Ben-Gurion International Airport on Tuesday during this remarkable wave of aliyah.

Hagoel highlighted the new immigrants’ strong determination and deep love for Israel.

“It is incredible that since the massacre of October 7, Israel has seen a dramatic increase in olim. The arrival of over 29,000 new olim during this time of crisis demonstrates that the Jewish people are determined to continue building their future in our homeland, the land of Israel. This unprecedented aliyah is a testament to the recognition of the global Jewish community that Israel is not just a refuge, but a beacon of hope and faith.”

Hagoel noted that global antisemitism has caused Jews to feel unsafe everywhere.

“On October 7, a war erupted not against the state of Israel, but against the Jewish people. Today, in many countries around the world, it is hard to be a Jew, whether at school, at work, or at prayer,” he said.

“The war we face is not just a battle for Israel’s security but for the survival and future of the Jewish people. The strong response we are witnessing through this wave of aliyah is a powerful affirmation of our collective resolve to stand with Israel, now more than ever.”

Hagoel vowed: “We will make sure that Jews everywhere feel safe, supported, and encouraged to make aliyah.”

All Israel News

Day 326 — Tuesday, August 27

Israeli hostage Farhan al-Qadi was safely rescued by IDF special forces from Hamas captivity in one of the terror group’s tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday after more than 10 months in captivity, the military announced.

Al-Qadi, 52, was found inside a tunnel by commandos of the Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 unit and troops of the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, the military said. The operation was led by the Israel Defense Forces’ Southern Command, the Shin Bet security agency, and the IDF’s 162nd Division.

The IDF said that further details could not immediately be published, “due to issues of the security of our hostages, the security of our forces, and the security of the state.”

Al-Qadi, from a Bedouin community near the southern city of Rahat, was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen on October 7. He was abducted by Hamas terrorists from an area near the nearby community of Mivtahim.

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari described the operation as “brave and complex,” and based on precise intelligence.

Hagari denied rumors that al-Qadi managed to escape the tunnel in which he was held, saying that troops “rescued Farhan from underground, he met our forces underground.”

Al-Qadi was not discovered by Israeli special forces “by chance” as some reports described, although there was no pre-planned operation to specifically rescue him, military sources said.

The IDF had been operating in an area of the southern Gaza Strip for several days, with the assumption that hostages could be held in the area. The Shayetet 13 commandos and Shin Bet agents began to slowly search a tunnel complex in the area, where they then discovered al-Qadi.

Al-Qadi was alone in the tunnel where the special forces located him. No other hostages or Hamas terrorists were alongside him, and troops did not face any resistance.

Times Of Israel

Day 326 — Tuesday, August 27

Israel’s northern front heated up again on Monday, following over 24 hours of relative quiet across most of northern Israel following the intense exchange of fire with the Hezbollah terrorist group on Sunday morning.

The IDF thwarted a plan by Hezbollah to launch around 500-600 rockets at Israel early in the morning by striking first and bombarding over 1,000 separate targets located in over 40 rocket launch areas across southern Lebanon.

“We are very determined to continue to harm Hezbollah, to eliminate more and more commanders, and to deprive it of assets and capabilities – we are not stopping,” said IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi on Monday evening.

“Hezbollah has more capabilities and the work is not yet complete,” he added.

Northern Israel remained quiet all day except for drone infiltration sirens that were activated around the southeastern corner of the Sea of Galilee early in the morning. Army Radio reported that a drone launched from Syria was shot down.

Hezbollah resumed its attacks against Israel on Monday afternoon, with warning sirens blaring across large areas of the western and Upper Galilee indicating drone infiltrations and rocket attacks.

In response, Israel Defense Forces began striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets struck military buildings in Kafr Kila and Tayr Harfa, the military said.

Israeli media outlets continued to report more details about the IDF’s massive wave of strikes in Lebanon and Hezbollah’s foiled attack on Monday.

The IDF reportedly assessed that Hezbollah held off on launching accurate, precision-guided missiles at the IDF intelligence base in Glilot as part of the attack, fearing severe retribution by Israel.

According to Army Radio, the Israeli army believes Hezbollah intended to launch between 500-600 rockets at Israel’s north, and fire dozens of drones toward the center of the country.

Because Israeli intelligence lacked precise information about the intended targets and the scope of Hezbollah’s attack, it was decided that IAF would strike thousands of individual targets to prevent as much of the attack as possible.

Israel’s pre-emptive strikes successfully thwarted more than half of the launches, with an estimated 200 rockets being fired at Israel.

All Israel News

Day 326 — Tuesday, August 27

The Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion has been on fire in the Red Sea since August 23 after an attack by Yemen’s Houthis with no obvious signs of an oil spill, the EU Red Sea naval mission Aspides said on Monday, according to the Reuters news agency.

The EU mission published photos dated Sunday showing fire and smoke coming out of the vessel’s main deck.

The Sounion is carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil and poses an environmental hazard, shipping officials said. Aspides said part of Sounion’s superstructure was on fire and that flames were observed in at least five locations on the vessel’s main deck.

The Houthis claimed last week’s attack on the Sounion, saying it “belongs to a company that has ties with the Israeli enemy” and said it was “accurately and directly hit” with drones and missiles.

On Friday, the Houthis released video footage showing the oil tanker burning in the Red Sea after their attack.

The Iranian-backed Houthis have upped their attacks in the region since the start of the war in Gaza, having launched drones towards southern Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region.

In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.

In mid-January, with support from other countries, the US and Britain targeted just under 30 Houthi locations with 150 different weapons. They have since carried out several rounds of strikes against Houthi targets.

The Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes, saying that the campaign against the “Zionist enemy” will continue and that the attacks against the American and British ships will not stop.

Arutz Sheva

Day 325 — Monday, August 26

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, made an appeal to the UN Security Council, demanding a condemnation of Hezbollah’s aggression and a process of enforcing Resolution 1701 in a letter directed to the President of the UNSC on Sunday. 

Earlier on Sunday morning, the IAF executed a preemptive raid in southern Lebanon, striking thousands of rocket launchers positioned towards Israel and timed to fire at 5:00 am. In retaliation to the obstruction of the attack, Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets and drones toward Israel, the bulk of which the IDF successfully intercepted.

“The State of Lebanon and the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which is operating under the guidance of Iran, bear responsibility for the deterioration of the security situation on the northern front,” Danon stated in the letter. 

Since the day after the October 7 massacre, Hezbollah has launched over 7,500 rockets and hundreds of explosive UAVS at Israel, resulting in extensive damage and the ongoing evacuation of over 60,000 civilians from northern Israel, he added.

“These actions have been carried out as part of a wider strategy by the Iranian axis aimed at the destruction of Israel through attacks from multiple fronts,” Ambassador Danon continued.

“The Hezbollah attack against Israel planned for this morning unequivocally demonstrates the presence of illegal weapons in southern Lebanon, in flagrant violation of UNSCR 1701 (2006), and serves as a reminder of the threats Israelis have been facing on a daily basis for the past 11 months. This situation highlights the urgent need to demilitarize the area south of the Litani River and achieve the disarmament of Hezbollah and other armed militias operating in southern Lebanon,” Danon continued.

Danon emphasized that Israel has every right to take all “necessary and lawful measures to protect itself and its citizens” against Hezbollah and any other hostile act executed by the Iranian Axis, highlighting, however, that Israel is not interested in a full-scale war. 

“I call upon the Security Council members to condemn in the strongest terms the ongoing hostilities conducted by Hezbollah and its Iranian patron and their relentless attempts to destabilize the region.”

Danon concluded by requesting that, as UNIFIL’s mandate is being renewed, these issues are addressed and that UNIFIL effectively fulfills its task in rigorously enforcing Resolution 1701, which would ensure the disarming of Hezbollah forces south of the Litani River in Lebanon. 

Jerusalem Post

Day 325 — Monday, August 26

A record number of Americans are poised to vote for a new president on November 5 to help determine the future of the United States.

Many pressing issues drive this election cycle. According to a Gallup poll, the economy, crime and violence, and hunger and homelessness are at the forefront of voters’ minds. Americans are grappling with rising costs, making it increasingly difficult to put food on the table as inflation erodes their purchasing power. Furthermore, the ongoing border crisis has raised alarm in Congress concerning the heightened risk of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

In addition to these concerns, Bible-believing Christians must consider Israel’s significance as they head to the polls. Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists killed more than 1,200 innocent Israelis and took more than 200 hostages, Israel has been engaged in an existential battle with an enemy dedicated to its destruction. Although Israel’s geographical distance from us may create the illusion that its struggle is separate from ours, the war Israel is fighting has profound implications for the United States.

Israel stands at a critical juncture between East and West, not merely in terms of geography but also in values: democracy, human rights, religion, freedom, and liberty. In its formative years following the War of Independence and amid the Cold War, Israel grappled with whether to align itself with Western democracy or Eastern Bloc communism. Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, boldly committed the nation’s future to the West during a tumultuous period in history.

As a frontier between Western democracies and Eastern totalitarian regimes, Israel faces constant threats. The October 7 massacre and the persistent rocket fire over the last 15 years have drawn the Israel Defense Forces into a relentless conflict not only with Hamas, but also with Hamas’s supporter, Iran, a mutual adversary of Israel and the United States.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has called the United States the “Great Satan” and Israel the “Little Satan.” Iran has waged a shadow war for decades against both nations through proxy militias like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

Thus, electing U.S. leaders who steadfastly support Israel’s right to defend itself and stand firm against Hamas and Iranian aggression is crucial. A secure Israel correlates to a secure America.

Day 324 — Sunday, August 25

Israel destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rockets this morning, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the emergency national security cabinet meeting this morning at the Kirya IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.

“This morning we detected Hezbollah’s preparations to attack Israel,” he says. “In consultation with the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff, we instructed the IDF to act proactively to remove the threat.”

“The IDF has since been working intensively to thwart the threats,” he continues. “It destroyed thousands of rockets aimed at the north of the country; it’s also thwarting many other threats and is operating with great power — both in defense and on the attack.”

Netanyahu asks the public to follow instructions from the Home Front Command.

“We are determined to do everything to protect our country, return the residents of the north safely to their homes,” he says, “and continue to follow a simple rule: Whoever harms us — we harm them.”

Times Of Israel

Day 324 — Sunday, August 25

The IDF and Hezbollah entered a new, much more dangerous phase of the conflict in the North early Sunday morning, with around a hundred air force jets striking thousands of Hezbollah rocket attack platforms.

Hezbollah said it launched an attack on Israel in retaliation for the killing of Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

With Israeli intelligence observing that Hezbollah was about to launch its largest attack of the current war, including to the Tel Aviv and central Israel areas, the IDF around 5:00 a.m. preemptively struck targets where Hezbollah was on the verge of launching more deadly attacks on Israel.

Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved the preventative action against Hezbollah at IDF headquarters Saturday night and were bringing together the security cabinet around 7:00 a.m.

Starting at around 5:30 am on Sunday, Hezbollah claimed it launched around 320 rockets at northern Israel, including at areas like Safed and Acre, and at 11 military bases, which to date have mostly been left alone by the Lebanese terror group.

The IDF implied that Hezbollah’s success and volume of attacks were lower than what it was claiming while refusing to give specifics, saying this would fall into the trap of letting Hezbollah make quick adjustments.

The military said it successfully shot down huge numbers of attempted Hezbollah attacks without giving specific numbers.

A small number of incidents on the Israeli side were under gag order.

The group said its attacks came in response to Israel’s killing of the group’s top commander in a strike on a Beirut suburb last month.

“The first stage has been fully completed with complete success. This stage involved targeting Israeli barracks and sites to facilitate the passage of attack drones towards their intended destination deep within the entity [Israel],” the group wrote. “The number of Katyusha rockets fired so far has exceeded 320 rockets directed at the enemy’s positions.”

Jerusalem Post

Day 324 — Sunday, August 25

Israeli Air Force fighter jets are currently striking targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization that posed an imminent threat to the citizens of the State of Israel, IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said early Sunday morning.

Following the strikes, and in accordance with the IDF Home Front Command’s situational assessment, life-saving guidelines for the public in certain areas of Israel will be published.

“A short while ago, the IDF identified the Hezbollah terrorist organization preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory,” said Hagari.

“‌‏In a self-defense act to remove these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians. ‌‏This follows more than 6,700 rockets, missiles, and explosive UAVs fired by Hezbollah at Israeli families, homes, and communities since October 8th.”

“Hezbollah will soon fire rockets, and possibly missiles and UAVs, towards Israeli territory. ‌‏We will shortly update the Home Front Command Defensive guidelines for those in Israel,” continued the IDF Spokesperson.

“‌‏From right next to the homes of Lebanese civilians in the South of Lebanon, we can see that Hezbollah is preparing to launch an extensive attack on Israel, while endangering the Lebanese civilians. ‌‏We warn the civilians located in the areas where Hezbollah is operating, to move out of harm’s way immediately for their own safety,” he stated.

“Hezbollah’s ongoing aggression risks dragging the people of Lebanon, the people of Israel- and the whole region- into a wider escalation. ‌‏Israel will not tolerate Hezbollah’s attacks on our civilians,” Hagari made clear.
“‌‏We are operating in self defense from Hezbollah – and any other enemy that joins in their attacks against us- and we are ready to do everything we need to defend the people of Israel.”

The preventive action against Hezbollah was approved in discussions that took place overnight. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are in the Kirya base in Tel Aviv. The security cabinet will convene on Sunday morning at 7:00 a.m.

Sources in Lebanon reported that about 40 targets were attacked by the IDF.

In the meantime, sirens were sounded in a number of towns in the Upper Galilee. Several explosions were detected, there were no injuries.

Following the IDF’s announcement, residents of the conflict line and towns in the Golan were asked to stay close to shelters.

The Israel Airports Authority stated, “Due to the security situation, the departures this morning from Ben Gurion Airport will be delayed, and will not take off in the next few hours.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 323 — Saturday, August 24

Speaking on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, outgoing US President Joe Biden blabbered, “Those protestors out in the street, they have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.”

By “those people” Biden was referring to the pro-Hamas mobs calling for “intifada revolution” and “smashing the Zionist entity.” He was referring to people chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” barking “Bibi, we’re at your gate, we’re taking back ’48,” bellowing that “Hamas is coming,” and promising that October 7 would be repeated “10,000 times and every day.”

Biden was referring to rioters screaming “Stop arming Israel” and calling for “Death to Zionists.” 

Speaking on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, outgoing US President Joe Biden blabbered, “Those protestors out in the street, they have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.”

By “those people” Biden was referring to the pro-Hamas mobs calling for “intifada revolution” and “smashing the Zionist entity.” He was referring to people chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” barking “Bibi, we’re at your gate, we’re taking back ’48,” bellowing that “Hamas is coming,” and promising that October 7 would be repeated “10,000 times and every day.”

Biden was referring to rioters screaming “Stop arming Israel” and calling for “Death to Zionists.” 

But Biden says “they have a point” because “a lot of innocent people” have been killed on “both sides,” seeming to suggest that Hamas and Israel are correspondingly culpable: The jubilant murderers of Hamas and the heroic civilian soldiers of the Jewish state, he suggests have both shed “a lot of innocent” blood and are similarly at fault for the continuation of the Gaza war. That is how it sounded to me.

Well, no, Joe, the people who say they support October 7 don’t have a point. 

What they are really demanding is the elimination of Israel and the exclusion of Jews from American life. They are wrong, and you should be calling them out, not coddling them. Instead, you insinuated a horrifying moral equivalency between the Palestinian butchers of Gaza and the defenders of Israel.

I am sure that President Biden didn’t intend to do so. He knows better. But what he was trying to do, and this is the problem, was thread a needle: To signal to both supporters of Israel and to those who genocidally oppose it, that the Democrats sympathize with their positions.

By equivocating, Biden was trying to help Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign through the Mideast minefield. Biden and his handlers (former president Barack Obama?) apparently think it better not to judge whether people waving Hezbollah and Hamas flags and burning Israeli and American flags are a constituency to be appeased or extremist radicals to be rejected.

This is weak-kneed leadership, verging on political debauchery. It portends a slide into policy that is hostage to the most rabidly anti-Israel forces in America.

Jerusalem Post

Day 323 — Saturday, August 24

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor on Friday called on judges to “urgently” rule on his request for arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others linked to the Israel-Hamas war, saying the court has jurisdiction.

“It is settled law that the court has jurisdiction in this situation,” Prosecutor Karim Khan wrote in a 49-page legal brief.

Khan called on a panel of ICC pretrial judges to “urgently render its decisions” on the requests he filed in May for warrants for Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three leaders of Hamas, two of whom have since been killed.

The brief filed by Khan came in response to legal arguments filed by dozens of countries, academics, victims’ groups and rights groups either rejecting or supporting the court’s power to issue arrest warrants in its investigation into the war in Gaza and the October 7 terror atrocities by Hamas that started the ongoing conflict.

In his May request for arrest warrants, Khan accused Netanyahu, Gallant and three Hamas leaders — Yahya Sinwar, Muhammad Deif and Ismail Haniyeh — of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Haniyeh and Deif have since been killed. Sinwar, Hamas’s top official in Gaza who masterminded the October 7 attack, was subsequently named the terror group’s new leader.

Netanyahu called the prosecutor’s accusations against him a “disgrace,” and an attack on the Israeli military and all of Israel. He vowed to press ahead with Israel’s war against Hamas, with the aim of destroying the Gaza-ruling terrorist organization and returning the remaining hostages in Gaza. Hamas also denounced Khan’s actions, characterizing the request to arrest its leaders as equating “the victim with the executioner.”

Israel is not a member of the court, so even if the arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant do not face any immediate risk of prosecution. But the threat of arrest could make it difficult for the Israeli leaders to travel abroad.

Times Of Israel

Day 329 — Friday, August 30

New details shared by the rescued hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi on Thursday on his time in Hamas captivity sheds light on the tragid death of another hostage, Arie Zalmanovicz, 86, from Nir Oz.

According to Alkadi, Zalmanovicz, whose death in captivity has been confirmed in December by Israeli authorities, was alongside him until his very last moments and may have died because he was denied proper care by Hamas terrorists. On Wednesday, it was reported that Alkaid, following his rescue, recounted seeing a deceased hostage beside him during their captivity. Zalmanovicz, a founding member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was the oldest hostage held by Hamas. He leaves behind two sons and five grandchildren.

Kibbutz Nir Oz issued a statement following the revelation, blaming the Hamas captors of deliberately denying Zalmanovicz essential medicine. “About two weeks ago, a chilling video was released documenting the moments of our friend Arie Zalmanovicz’s abduction from his home. Today, we learned of Farhan Alkadi’s testimony, who was rescued from captivity. He reported seeing Arie dying beside him after being denied necessary medication and medical treatment. This account completes the painful picture for us, revealing the hellish moments Arie endured from his abduction to his tragic end. It serves as a disturbing firsthand testimony of what the remaining hostages in Gaza are experiencing”.

Alkadi was extracted from a tunnel in southern Gaza in what security officials described as a “complex operation“. During his debriefing, he disclosed for the first time that he was moved underground shortly after witnessing a murder. He explained that he was initially taken to an apartment rather than a tunnel, where he saw one of his fellow captives dying while their captors filmed the incident. Alkadi stated, “Immediately afterward, they filmed me too, and then I saw how he was killed.”

Approximately 40 days after his abduction, Hamas released a 28-second video showing Zalmanovicz lying on a bed, connected to a monitor and complaining of feeling unwell. Later footage showed him motionless and covered with a white sheet.

Earlier in August, a video and photographs were released for the first time, showing Zalmanovicz during his abduction from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz to Gaza. The footage depicts the 85-year-old being transported on a motorcycle, flanked by his captors, while surrounded by dozens of cheering Gazans attempting to approach and strike him.

israel hayom

Day 329 — Friday, August 30

With all the recent debate around Israel and the Gaza War, including questions about how much countries like the United States should support Israel taking place as part of the election cycle around the Western world, the issue of Christian support for Israel is once again being raised. 

In a recent interview with Moody Radio’s “Dawn and Steve in the Morning,” ALL ISRAEL NEWS Editor-in-Chief Joel Rosenberg was asked the question: “Is it really necessary that Evangelical, born-again believers intercede on behalf of the country and the people [of Israel]?” 

Calling it a “great question,” Rosenberg responded, “The answer is not only, yes, is it necessary, it’s commanded.” He cited Psalm 122:6, which states, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” 

He noted that throughout scripture, God commands His followers to pray for all nations, which includes Israel, but that God calls it “the apple of my eye.” 

The phrase “apple of my eye” translated in Hebrew refers to the pupil of the eye. 

“The way God sees the rest of the world is through Israel, through the lens of Israel,” Rosenberg stated. 

However, he noted that not only is prayer for Israel a commandment, but that it also works.

“We serve a prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God,” Rosenberg said.

He encouraged Christians to continue to pray for the hostages in Gaza, mentioning the recent rescue of Israeli-Arab hostage Qaid Farhan al-Qadi on Tuesday. 

After his rescue, al-Qadi thanked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling him: “You truly did sacred work. There are other people [hostages] who are waiting.” 

Rosenberg asked believers to keep praying, saying, “There are still slightly over a hundred [hostages] that are in those tunnels…so we need to keep praying and not give up.” 

He also referred to the situation on Sunday, when Israeli intelligence officials noticed that Hezbollah forces were making significant preparations for a retaliatory attack against Israel over the killing of senior commander Fuad Shukr in July. 

The IDF launched a pre-emptive strike on key Hezbollah rocket launchers, which had been readied for the strike on Israel, sparing Israel from what could have been a larger-scale Hezbollah attack. 

“Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terror army in Lebanon, was just minutes, minutes away from firing upwards of 6,000 missiles at Northern Israel, Central Israel, and Tel Aviv,” Rosenberg told hosts Steve and Dawn. He also spoke about Israel’s recent elimination of three high-level terror leaders from Hamas and Hezbollah in recent weeks. 

“What is happening?” Rosenberg asked. “To me, these are the fulfillments of God showing mercy, not primarily because Israel is praying, most Israelis are not praying,” he noted, “but Evangelicals are interceding in prayer on behalf of Israel, and God is responding to those prayers.” 

“He’s trying to get the attention of the Jewish people,” Rosenberg added.

“We are sheep who don’t understand that we have a shepherd,” Rosenberg stated about the Jewish people. “We’ve been wandering away from that shepherd, and it’s dangerous.” 

“We need the prayers of millions of Evangelicals.” 

All Israel News

Day 328 — Thursday, August 29

Israel’s UN ambassador responds to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s criticism of the ongoing counterterrorism operation in the West Bank.

Danny Danon, who started his second stint at the United Nations on August 20, tweets that “Since October 7th, Iran has been actively working to smuggle sophisticated explosive devices into Judea and Samaria, intended for use in suicide bombings in the heart of Israeli cities.” Judea and Samaria is the biblical name for what is now known as the West Bank.

“The State of Israel will not sit idly by and wait for scenes of buses and cafes exploding in city centers,” Danon adds. “The IDF’s operations in Judea and Samaria have a clear goal: preventing Iranian terror-by-proxy that would harm Israeli civilians.”

Times Of Israel

Day 328 — Thursday, August 29

Hamas leader abroad Khaled Mashaal on Wednesday called for a return to suicide terror attacks against Israelis in Judea and Samaria.

During a video address to a conference in Istanbul, Turkey, Mashaal said, “Resistance operations in the West Bank are escalating despite the harsh conditions,” according to CNN Arabic.

“We want to return to martyrdom operations. This is a situation that can only be addressed by open conflict. They are fighting us with open conflict, and we are confronting them with open conflict,” he continued.

“The enemy has opened the conflict on all fronts, seeking us all, whether we fight or not. The enemy says, ‘I am crazy,’ and it is up to the nation to assume its responsibilities. I reiterate my call for everyone to participate on multiple fronts in the actual resistance against the Zionist entity.”

The “military wings” of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist groups took responsibility for a failed suicide bombing attack in south Tel Aviv earlier this month.

In a statement, Hamas vowed to continue to carry out suicide attacks “as long as Israel continues its massacre and policy of assassinations in Gaza.”

The bomber, who was killed in the blast, was a Palestinian from the area of Nablus (Shechem) in central Samaria.

JNS

Day 327 — Wednesday, August 28

A former mayor of Rahat said rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi told him that a fellow captive died alongside him in Gaza, as details began to trickle out about his more than 10 months in Hamas captivity after he was rescued Tuesday by Israeli special forces.

The information could not immediately be verified and there was no comment from the Israel Defense Forces or from the Hostage Families Forum.

“He said that one of the hostages, who was with him for two months, died next to him,” Ata Abu Madighem said in comments to the press broadcast on Channel 12 news after meeting with the rescued hostage in the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.

“This story is breaking his heart. He has many [terrible] memories. But ultimately, he is talking about being saved, rescued.”

Abu Madighem, speaking to Kan TV, said the hostage who died was a Jewish man.

Abu Madighem said he was not allowed to give more details.

The ex-mayor also said al-Qadi told him he was not given any kind of special treatment as a Muslim by his captors. “They treated him as an Israeli in every respect,” the ex-mayor recounted. The whole time he was held hostage, “he barely saw the sun.”

Al-Qadi, 52, from a Bedouin community near the southern city of Rahat, was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen, which is some three miles (5 kilometers) from the Gaza border, when he was abducted by Hamas terrorists from an area near the nearby community of Mivtahim.

Jerusalem Post

Day 327 — Wednesday, August 28

Over 29,000 new immigrants have arrived in Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion and massacre, according to a recent report from the World Zionist Organization (WZO) in Tel Aviv.

The surge in aliyah (immigration to Israel), despite Israel’s war against the Hamas terror organization in Gaza in the south and the conflict with Hezbollah terror attacks in the north, comes amid rising antisemitism worldwide.

The report indicated a 355% increase in immigration from France alone, with over 5,500 files opened since the war began last October, compared to just 1,200 during the same period in 2023.

In the United States, the number of open immigration files rose by 62%, totaling over 6,000 people.

Canada also experienced an 87% increase, with over 800 Jews initiating a move to Israel.

Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the World Zionist Organization, welcomed over 150 additional new French olim (immigrants) at Ben-Gurion International Airport on Tuesday during this remarkable wave of aliyah.

Hagoel highlighted the new immigrants’ strong determination and deep love for Israel.

“It is incredible that since the massacre of October 7, Israel has seen a dramatic increase in olim. The arrival of over 29,000 new olim during this time of crisis demonstrates that the Jewish people are determined to continue building their future in our homeland, the land of Israel. This unprecedented aliyah is a testament to the recognition of the global Jewish community that Israel is not just a refuge, but a beacon of hope and faith.”

Hagoel noted that global antisemitism has caused Jews to feel unsafe everywhere.

“On October 7, a war erupted not against the state of Israel, but against the Jewish people. Today, in many countries around the world, it is hard to be a Jew, whether at school, at work, or at prayer,” he said.

“The war we face is not just a battle for Israel’s security but for the survival and future of the Jewish people. The strong response we are witnessing through this wave of aliyah is a powerful affirmation of our collective resolve to stand with Israel, now more than ever.”

Hagoel vowed: “We will make sure that Jews everywhere feel safe, supported, and encouraged to make aliyah.”

All Israel News

Day 326 — Tuesday, August 27

Israeli hostage Farhan al-Qadi was safely rescued by IDF special forces from Hamas captivity in one of the terror group’s tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday after more than 10 months in captivity, the military announced.

Al-Qadi, 52, was found inside a tunnel by commandos of the Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 unit and troops of the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, the military said. The operation was led by the Israel Defense Forces’ Southern Command, the Shin Bet security agency, and the IDF’s 162nd Division.

The IDF said that further details could not immediately be published, “due to issues of the security of our hostages, the security of our forces, and the security of the state.”

Al-Qadi, from a Bedouin community near the southern city of Rahat, was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen on October 7. He was abducted by Hamas terrorists from an area near the nearby community of Mivtahim.

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari described the operation as “brave and complex,” and based on precise intelligence.

Hagari denied rumors that al-Qadi managed to escape the tunnel in which he was held, saying that troops “rescued Farhan from underground, he met our forces underground.”

Al-Qadi was not discovered by Israeli special forces “by chance” as some reports described, although there was no pre-planned operation to specifically rescue him, military sources said.

The IDF had been operating in an area of the southern Gaza Strip for several days, with the assumption that hostages could be held in the area. The Shayetet 13 commandos and Shin Bet agents began to slowly search a tunnel complex in the area, where they then discovered al-Qadi.

Al-Qadi was alone in the tunnel where the special forces located him. No other hostages or Hamas terrorists were alongside him, and troops did not face any resistance.

Times Of Israel

Day 326 — Tuesday, August 27

Israel’s northern front heated up again on Monday, following over 24 hours of relative quiet across most of northern Israel following the intense exchange of fire with the Hezbollah terrorist group on Sunday morning.

The IDF thwarted a plan by Hezbollah to launch around 500-600 rockets at Israel early in the morning by striking first and bombarding over 1,000 separate targets located in over 40 rocket launch areas across southern Lebanon.

“We are very determined to continue to harm Hezbollah, to eliminate more and more commanders, and to deprive it of assets and capabilities – we are not stopping,” said IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi on Monday evening.

“Hezbollah has more capabilities and the work is not yet complete,” he added.

Northern Israel remained quiet all day except for drone infiltration sirens that were activated around the southeastern corner of the Sea of Galilee early in the morning. Army Radio reported that a drone launched from Syria was shot down.

Hezbollah resumed its attacks against Israel on Monday afternoon, with warning sirens blaring across large areas of the western and Upper Galilee indicating drone infiltrations and rocket attacks.

In response, Israel Defense Forces began striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets struck military buildings in Kafr Kila and Tayr Harfa, the military said.

Israeli media outlets continued to report more details about the IDF’s massive wave of strikes in Lebanon and Hezbollah’s foiled attack on Monday.

The IDF reportedly assessed that Hezbollah held off on launching accurate, precision-guided missiles at the IDF intelligence base in Glilot as part of the attack, fearing severe retribution by Israel.

According to Army Radio, the Israeli army believes Hezbollah intended to launch between 500-600 rockets at Israel’s north, and fire dozens of drones toward the center of the country.

Because Israeli intelligence lacked precise information about the intended targets and the scope of Hezbollah’s attack, it was decided that IAF would strike thousands of individual targets to prevent as much of the attack as possible.

Israel’s pre-emptive strikes successfully thwarted more than half of the launches, with an estimated 200 rockets being fired at Israel.

All Israel News

Day 326 — Tuesday, August 27

The Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion has been on fire in the Red Sea since August 23 after an attack by Yemen’s Houthis with no obvious signs of an oil spill, the EU Red Sea naval mission Aspides said on Monday, according to the Reuters news agency.

The EU mission published photos dated Sunday showing fire and smoke coming out of the vessel’s main deck.

The Sounion is carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil and poses an environmental hazard, shipping officials said. Aspides said part of Sounion’s superstructure was on fire and that flames were observed in at least five locations on the vessel’s main deck.

The Houthis claimed last week’s attack on the Sounion, saying it “belongs to a company that has ties with the Israeli enemy” and said it was “accurately and directly hit” with drones and missiles.

On Friday, the Houthis released video footage showing the oil tanker burning in the Red Sea after their attack.

The Iranian-backed Houthis have upped their attacks in the region since the start of the war in Gaza, having launched drones towards southern Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region.

In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.

In mid-January, with support from other countries, the US and Britain targeted just under 30 Houthi locations with 150 different weapons. They have since carried out several rounds of strikes against Houthi targets.

The Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes, saying that the campaign against the “Zionist enemy” will continue and that the attacks against the American and British ships will not stop.

Arutz Sheva

Day 325 — Monday, August 26

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, made an appeal to the UN Security Council, demanding a condemnation of Hezbollah’s aggression and a process of enforcing Resolution 1701 in a letter directed to the President of the UNSC on Sunday. 

Earlier on Sunday morning, the IAF executed a preemptive raid in southern Lebanon, striking thousands of rocket launchers positioned towards Israel and timed to fire at 5:00 am. In retaliation to the obstruction of the attack, Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets and drones toward Israel, the bulk of which the IDF successfully intercepted.

“The State of Lebanon and the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which is operating under the guidance of Iran, bear responsibility for the deterioration of the security situation on the northern front,” Danon stated in the letter. 

Since the day after the October 7 massacre, Hezbollah has launched over 7,500 rockets and hundreds of explosive UAVS at Israel, resulting in extensive damage and the ongoing evacuation of over 60,000 civilians from northern Israel, he added.

“These actions have been carried out as part of a wider strategy by the Iranian axis aimed at the destruction of Israel through attacks from multiple fronts,” Ambassador Danon continued.

“The Hezbollah attack against Israel planned for this morning unequivocally demonstrates the presence of illegal weapons in southern Lebanon, in flagrant violation of UNSCR 1701 (2006), and serves as a reminder of the threats Israelis have been facing on a daily basis for the past 11 months. This situation highlights the urgent need to demilitarize the area south of the Litani River and achieve the disarmament of Hezbollah and other armed militias operating in southern Lebanon,” Danon continued.

Danon emphasized that Israel has every right to take all “necessary and lawful measures to protect itself and its citizens” against Hezbollah and any other hostile act executed by the Iranian Axis, highlighting, however, that Israel is not interested in a full-scale war. 

“I call upon the Security Council members to condemn in the strongest terms the ongoing hostilities conducted by Hezbollah and its Iranian patron and their relentless attempts to destabilize the region.”

Danon concluded by requesting that, as UNIFIL’s mandate is being renewed, these issues are addressed and that UNIFIL effectively fulfills its task in rigorously enforcing Resolution 1701, which would ensure the disarming of Hezbollah forces south of the Litani River in Lebanon. 

Jerusalem Post

Day 325 — Monday, August 26

A record number of Americans are poised to vote for a new president on November 5 to help determine the future of the United States.

Many pressing issues drive this election cycle. According to a Gallup poll, the economy, crime and violence, and hunger and homelessness are at the forefront of voters’ minds. Americans are grappling with rising costs, making it increasingly difficult to put food on the table as inflation erodes their purchasing power. Furthermore, the ongoing border crisis has raised alarm in Congress concerning the heightened risk of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

In addition to these concerns, Bible-believing Christians must consider Israel’s significance as they head to the polls. Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists killed more than 1,200 innocent Israelis and took more than 200 hostages, Israel has been engaged in an existential battle with an enemy dedicated to its destruction. Although Israel’s geographical distance from us may create the illusion that its struggle is separate from ours, the war Israel is fighting has profound implications for the United States.

Israel stands at a critical juncture between East and West, not merely in terms of geography but also in values: democracy, human rights, religion, freedom, and liberty. In its formative years following the War of Independence and amid the Cold War, Israel grappled with whether to align itself with Western democracy or Eastern Bloc communism. Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, boldly committed the nation’s future to the West during a tumultuous period in history.

As a frontier between Western democracies and Eastern totalitarian regimes, Israel faces constant threats. The October 7 massacre and the persistent rocket fire over the last 15 years have drawn the Israel Defense Forces into a relentless conflict not only with Hamas, but also with Hamas’s supporter, Iran, a mutual adversary of Israel and the United States.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has called the United States the “Great Satan” and Israel the “Little Satan.” Iran has waged a shadow war for decades against both nations through proxy militias like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

Thus, electing U.S. leaders who steadfastly support Israel’s right to defend itself and stand firm against Hamas and Iranian aggression is crucial. A secure Israel correlates to a secure America.

Day 324 — Sunday, August 25

Israel destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rockets this morning, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the emergency national security cabinet meeting this morning at the Kirya IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.

“This morning we detected Hezbollah’s preparations to attack Israel,” he says. “In consultation with the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff, we instructed the IDF to act proactively to remove the threat.”

“The IDF has since been working intensively to thwart the threats,” he continues. “It destroyed thousands of rockets aimed at the north of the country; it’s also thwarting many other threats and is operating with great power — both in defense and on the attack.”

Netanyahu asks the public to follow instructions from the Home Front Command.

“We are determined to do everything to protect our country, return the residents of the north safely to their homes,” he says, “and continue to follow a simple rule: Whoever harms us — we harm them.”

Times Of Israel

Day 324 — Sunday, August 25

The IDF and Hezbollah entered a new, much more dangerous phase of the conflict in the North early Sunday morning, with around a hundred air force jets striking thousands of Hezbollah rocket attack platforms.

Hezbollah said it launched an attack on Israel in retaliation for the killing of Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

With Israeli intelligence observing that Hezbollah was about to launch its largest attack of the current war, including to the Tel Aviv and central Israel areas, the IDF around 5:00 a.m. preemptively struck targets where Hezbollah was on the verge of launching more deadly attacks on Israel.

Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved the preventative action against Hezbollah at IDF headquarters Saturday night and were bringing together the security cabinet around 7:00 a.m.

Starting at around 5:30 am on Sunday, Hezbollah claimed it launched around 320 rockets at northern Israel, including at areas like Safed and Acre, and at 11 military bases, which to date have mostly been left alone by the Lebanese terror group.

The IDF implied that Hezbollah’s success and volume of attacks were lower than what it was claiming while refusing to give specifics, saying this would fall into the trap of letting Hezbollah make quick adjustments.

The military said it successfully shot down huge numbers of attempted Hezbollah attacks without giving specific numbers.

A small number of incidents on the Israeli side were under gag order.

The group said its attacks came in response to Israel’s killing of the group’s top commander in a strike on a Beirut suburb last month.

“The first stage has been fully completed with complete success. This stage involved targeting Israeli barracks and sites to facilitate the passage of attack drones towards their intended destination deep within the entity [Israel],” the group wrote. “The number of Katyusha rockets fired so far has exceeded 320 rockets directed at the enemy’s positions.”

Jerusalem Post

Day 324 — Sunday, August 25

Israeli Air Force fighter jets are currently striking targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization that posed an imminent threat to the citizens of the State of Israel, IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said early Sunday morning.

Following the strikes, and in accordance with the IDF Home Front Command’s situational assessment, life-saving guidelines for the public in certain areas of Israel will be published.

“A short while ago, the IDF identified the Hezbollah terrorist organization preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory,” said Hagari.

“‌‏In a self-defense act to remove these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians. ‌‏This follows more than 6,700 rockets, missiles, and explosive UAVs fired by Hezbollah at Israeli families, homes, and communities since October 8th.”

“Hezbollah will soon fire rockets, and possibly missiles and UAVs, towards Israeli territory. ‌‏We will shortly update the Home Front Command Defensive guidelines for those in Israel,” continued the IDF Spokesperson.

“‌‏From right next to the homes of Lebanese civilians in the South of Lebanon, we can see that Hezbollah is preparing to launch an extensive attack on Israel, while endangering the Lebanese civilians. ‌‏We warn the civilians located in the areas where Hezbollah is operating, to move out of harm’s way immediately for their own safety,” he stated.

“Hezbollah’s ongoing aggression risks dragging the people of Lebanon, the people of Israel- and the whole region- into a wider escalation. ‌‏Israel will not tolerate Hezbollah’s attacks on our civilians,” Hagari made clear.
“‌‏We are operating in self defense from Hezbollah – and any other enemy that joins in their attacks against us- and we are ready to do everything we need to defend the people of Israel.”

The preventive action against Hezbollah was approved in discussions that took place overnight. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are in the Kirya base in Tel Aviv. The security cabinet will convene on Sunday morning at 7:00 a.m.

Sources in Lebanon reported that about 40 targets were attacked by the IDF.

In the meantime, sirens were sounded in a number of towns in the Upper Galilee. Several explosions were detected, there were no injuries.

Following the IDF’s announcement, residents of the conflict line and towns in the Golan were asked to stay close to shelters.

The Israel Airports Authority stated, “Due to the security situation, the departures this morning from Ben Gurion Airport will be delayed, and will not take off in the next few hours.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 323 — Saturday, August 24

Speaking on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, outgoing US President Joe Biden blabbered, “Those protestors out in the street, they have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.”

By “those people” Biden was referring to the pro-Hamas mobs calling for “intifada revolution” and “smashing the Zionist entity.” He was referring to people chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” barking “Bibi, we’re at your gate, we’re taking back ’48,” bellowing that “Hamas is coming,” and promising that October 7 would be repeated “10,000 times and every day.”

Biden was referring to rioters screaming “Stop arming Israel” and calling for “Death to Zionists.” 

Speaking on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, outgoing US President Joe Biden blabbered, “Those protestors out in the street, they have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.”

By “those people” Biden was referring to the pro-Hamas mobs calling for “intifada revolution” and “smashing the Zionist entity.” He was referring to people chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” barking “Bibi, we’re at your gate, we’re taking back ’48,” bellowing that “Hamas is coming,” and promising that October 7 would be repeated “10,000 times and every day.”

Biden was referring to rioters screaming “Stop arming Israel” and calling for “Death to Zionists.” 

But Biden says “they have a point” because “a lot of innocent people” have been killed on “both sides,” seeming to suggest that Hamas and Israel are correspondingly culpable: The jubilant murderers of Hamas and the heroic civilian soldiers of the Jewish state, he suggests have both shed “a lot of innocent” blood and are similarly at fault for the continuation of the Gaza war. That is how it sounded to me.

Well, no, Joe, the people who say they support October 7 don’t have a point. 

What they are really demanding is the elimination of Israel and the exclusion of Jews from American life. They are wrong, and you should be calling them out, not coddling them. Instead, you insinuated a horrifying moral equivalency between the Palestinian butchers of Gaza and the defenders of Israel.

I am sure that President Biden didn’t intend to do so. He knows better. But what he was trying to do, and this is the problem, was thread a needle: To signal to both supporters of Israel and to those who genocidally oppose it, that the Democrats sympathize with their positions.

By equivocating, Biden was trying to help Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign through the Mideast minefield. Biden and his handlers (former president Barack Obama?) apparently think it better not to judge whether people waving Hezbollah and Hamas flags and burning Israeli and American flags are a constituency to be appeased or extremist radicals to be rejected.

This is weak-kneed leadership, verging on political debauchery. It portends a slide into policy that is hostage to the most rabidly anti-Israel forces in America.

Jerusalem Post

Day 323 — Saturday, August 24

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor on Friday called on judges to “urgently” rule on his request for arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others linked to the Israel-Hamas war, saying the court has jurisdiction.

“It is settled law that the court has jurisdiction in this situation,” Prosecutor Karim Khan wrote in a 49-page legal brief.

Khan called on a panel of ICC pretrial judges to “urgently render its decisions” on the requests he filed in May for warrants for Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three leaders of Hamas, two of whom have since been killed.

The brief filed by Khan came in response to legal arguments filed by dozens of countries, academics, victims’ groups and rights groups either rejecting or supporting the court’s power to issue arrest warrants in its investigation into the war in Gaza and the October 7 terror atrocities by Hamas that started the ongoing conflict.

In his May request for arrest warrants, Khan accused Netanyahu, Gallant and three Hamas leaders — Yahya Sinwar, Muhammad Deif and Ismail Haniyeh — of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Haniyeh and Deif have since been killed. Sinwar, Hamas’s top official in Gaza who masterminded the October 7 attack, was subsequently named the terror group’s new leader.

Netanyahu called the prosecutor’s accusations against him a “disgrace,” and an attack on the Israeli military and all of Israel. He vowed to press ahead with Israel’s war against Hamas, with the aim of destroying the Gaza-ruling terrorist organization and returning the remaining hostages in Gaza. Hamas also denounced Khan’s actions, characterizing the request to arrest its leaders as equating “the victim with the executioner.”

Israel is not a member of the court, so even if the arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant do not face any immediate risk of prosecution. But the threat of arrest could make it difficult for the Israeli leaders to travel abroad.

Times Of Israel