Five IDF soldiers were killed and 14 more were wounded when three Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs) were detonated in Beit Hanun in northern Gaza. The three IEDs were set off in succession in order to kill those who were rushing to give aid to the victims of the initial strike. Killed were Sgt. Moshe Nissim Frech, 20, Staff-Sgt. Meir Shimon Amar, 20, Staff-Sgt. Noam Aharon Musgadian, 20, Sgt. (res.) Benyamin Asulin, 20, and Staff-Sgt. Moshe Shmuel Noll, 21. The IDF has now begun heavily targeting the Beit Hanun area, after issuing multiple evacuation orders.
A report was issued Tuesday that detailed Hamas’s use of rape and sexual violence during the attack of October 7, 2023. Titled “A Quest for Justice: October 7 and Beyond,” the study lays out a legal groundwork for the prosecution of sexual violence when used as a weapon of war. The details contained in the work are far too graphic for me to communicate here. Reading it made me physically ill, and I weep for the women and men who were subjected to such brutality.
Sure and Steady Dismantling of Hezbollah
Tuesday night saw the IDF eliminate the man who headed the firepower of the Zahrani Sector in Hezbollah’s Badr Unit. Hussein Ali Mezhir was killed by a strike in the southern Lebanon area of Al-Babliyah. His efforts directed attacks toward Israel, and he was responsible for establishing artillery capabilities in southern Lebanon.
The targeted killing of Mezhir is part of the continuing dismantling of the Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The troops of the 91st division are tirelessly working on their defensive mission along the Lebanese border to prevent any possibility of terrorist incursions into Israel. Part and parcel to this is the neutralizing of terrorists and the dismantling of Hezbollah’s infrastructure.
IDF Takes Down Syrian Cell
Along with the regular destruction of terrorist infrastructure in southern Syria, the IDF has carried out a special operation targeting a terror cell operated by the Iranian Quds Force. Located in the Tel Kudna area of Syria’s south, this group was being prepared by Iran to cross the southern border into Israel. However, before they could carry out their plans, they were apprehended by the IDF.
The Terrorist Group that Just Won’t Die
In this week’s edition of Random Houthi Violence, the terrorist group sunk the Eternity C, a Liberia-flagged, Greek-operated vessel off the coast of Yemen. Why? Because it was there and that’s just what the drugged-up Houthis do. Four of the 25 crewmembers were killed and 15 are still missing. Now the report has come in that the terrorist group has taken hostage a number of the surviving crew. They are truly a menace.
Since the rest of the world refuses to respond to the Houthis and the U.S. has said they will only attack if an American ship is hit, it is left to Israel to make the terrorists pay for their crimes – crimes which include continuing to fire missiles at Israel. This past week, the IDF launched a strong attack with 20 fighter jets which deployed more than 50 munitions directed at both Houthi and Yemeni infrastructure.
Netanyahu’s Washington Victory Tour
Early Monday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington, D.C. After spending time with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, the PM traveled to the White House for an extended dinner meeting with President Donald Trump. At that meeting, Netanyahu presented Trump with a copy of a letter he had submitted nominating the president for the Nobel Peace Prize for the great work that he has accomplished in the Middle East. He also gave him a mezuzah made from parts of an Iranian missile which had been shaped to look like a B-2 bomber. Their discussions were long and fruitful, covering Iran, Gaza, Syria, and other situations from the region.
On Tuesday, Bibi met with Vice President J.D. Vance, before joining Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and other members of congress. In the afternoon, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance cooperation between Israel and the United States in the fields of energy and AI. That evening, he was back at the White House with President Trump. On Wednesday, Netanyahu and his wife met with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his wife at the Pentagon.
All in all, it has been a very productive trip for the Prime Minister. He and his wife are scheduled to depart the U.S. today and arrive back in Israel on Friday.
Is Iran Considering Restarting Its Nuclear Program?
The leadership in Tehran has already expressed its plans to continue its nuclear program. There are two primary questions surrounding this possibility. First, would Iran really start up their program given what happened the first time? Second, even if they wanted to, do they have the capabilities, facilities, and scientific brainpower left to do so.
Prime Minister Netanyahu recently said that he doesn’t think that Iran will renew its efforts, citing the fact that they are a defeated nation despite their big talk. He also said that Israel is aware of where the uranium is buried underground and that it is constantly being monitored. In case Iran does renew its nuclear efforts, President Trump has already given a green light for additional Israeli strikes if the Iranians try to retrieve enriched uranium from inside the attacked nuclear facilities or if they attempt to restore their enrichment program. Considering the facts that Iran’s economy has collapsed and their stock market is in freefall, it seems that the ayatollahs should have other priorities to attend to.
Russian Crosshairs are Aimed both Inside and Outside the Country
Ukraine’s skies were filled with UAVs Tuesday night. The Russian military launched a record 728 drones, along with 13 missiles. Unfortunately for them, their success was limited. Ukrainian defenses shot down 296 of the UAVs and another 415 were jammed or lost due to electronic warfare.
The Russian president’s enemies inside the nation were less fortunate. Roman Starovoit, Transport Minister since May 2024, was sacked by Putin on Monday. No official reason was given, but there was much talk that there had been corruption charges leveled against him. Later that evening, Starovoit was found shot dead in his car with a gun that he had received as an official gift sitting next to him. The official cause of death is suicide, but one wonders if the methodology was the very Russian phenomenon of killing oneself with a self-inflicted gunshot to the back of the head.
Texas Flooding takes Scores of Lives
Flash flooding in central Texas has taken 119 lives at last count. But with more than 173 still missing, that number is expected to rise. Of the dead, thirty-six are children largely due to waters sweeping through Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls that has been around since 1926. The rains continue and the danger remains in many parts of Texas and New Mexico. Our hearts go out to the families of those lost, and we pray for God’s peace and blessing on them as they endure this tragedy.
Elon Musk Launches a New Political Party
In one more chapter in the growing feud between billionaire tech geek Elon Musk and billionaire U.S. president Donald Trump, the former has said that he is creating a new political party to challenge the latter. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom,” tweeted Musk on his own platform, X. It’s no surprise to see these two men have a falling out. Two billionaires in one room is typically one billionaire too many, particularly for the money men themselves. It’ll be interesting to see how deeply Musk throws himself into this new project before he is distracted by something else, like researching teleportation or developing warp speed.
