IDF Strikes Military Capabilities At Syrian Military Bases
The IDF struck military capabilities at the Syrian military bases of Tadmur and T4 early Tuesday morning (25th).
“The IDF will continue to act in order to remove any threat posed to the citizens of the State of Israel,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement.
This marks the second time in recent days that the IDF has struck these same bases in Syria. A similar strike targeting military strategic capabilities occurred on Friday night (21st).
The Israel Air Force, in recent weeks, struck dozens of military targets belonging to the old Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad, which was ousted by rebels in December.
The operation is intended to further degrade the military infrastructure of the old Syrian regime, for fear that it would fall to hostile elements operating in the country’s territory.
In late February, Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Israel was striking targets in Syria, saying, “The air force is currently striking with force in southern Syria as part of the new policy we have defined of demilitarizing southern Syria–and the message is clear, we will not allow southern Syria to turn into southern Lebanon.”
“We will not compromise the security of our citizens. Any attempt by Syrian regime forces or terrorist organizations in the country to establish themselves in the security zone in southern Syria will be met with fire,” he added.
That confirmation came as the IDF struck military targets in southern Syria, including command centers and multiple sites containing weapons.
Meanwhile, Red Alert sirens were activated Monday evening (24th) in central Israel, the Gush Etzion area, and more areas in Israel following the launch of a missile from Yemen. The missile was intercepted over Jordanian airspace.
The IDF stated, “Following the sirens that sounded Monday evening (24th) in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory.”
Residents in Gush Etzion reported hearing explosions.
Earlier Monday (24th), sirens were activated in Sderot and the Gaza periphery following rocket attacks by terrorist organizations from the Gaza Strip.
The IDF stated that the IAF intercepted two rockets. The military wing of Islam Jihad claimed responsibility for the rocket fire.
Israeli Murdered, IDF Soldier Wounded In Bus Stop Terror Attack In North
An 85-year-old Israeli man was killed and a 20-year-old soldier was wounded in a terror ramming, stabbing and shooting attack that occurred near HaTishbi junction on Route 66 on Monday (24th), police and Magen David Adom reported.
MDA paramedics initially provided medical treatment to Moshe Horn, 85, from Kibbutz Hazorea. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene. His 51-year-old son was with him in the vehicle and, according to local media, attempted to thwart the terrorist with his own personal weapon.
The military later said that a wounded 20-year-old man was an IDF soldier and that he was evacuated to the Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa in serious condition.
Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levi said the terrorist, an Israeli Arab, accelerated and rammed his vehicle into pedestrians at a bus stop and then exited the car with a knife and stabbed a soldier who was at the stop. The terrorist then took the soldier’s weapon and opened fire on civilians and vehicles.
“We are in the midst of the month of Ramadan and are deployed together with all security forces in all sectors to maintain the safety of the residents of the State of Israel,” Levi added.
The terrorist was thwarted by police. Local media reports said police officers were passing by the scene on their way to unit training when they noticed a terrorist armed with a weapon firing at civilians.
The terrorist was identified as Karem Jabarin, 25, from Ma’aleh Iron in northern Israel.
MDA paramedic Ofer Vinik recounted what he saw upon arrival at the scene. “We arrived at the location and saw an elderly male and a male around 20 near the bus stop. Both were suffering from penetrating wounds. We performed medical examinations on the elderly male, but he had no pulse and was not breathing, and unfortunately, we had to pronounce him dead at the scene.
“Additional MDA teams provided medical treatment to the 20-year-old, who was conscious, and urgently evacuated him in an MDA mobile intensive care unit to the hospital in serious but stable condition,” he added.
The Border police officer who thwarted the terrorist told KAN Reshet Bet: “Anyone who wasn’t there at the time cannot understand what I experienced at that moment. I was sitting in a car, a civilian said there was a terrorist in the area. We got out and eliminated the terrorist; preventing a major attack.”
Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack on Monday (24th).
According to a statement from the Kibbutz, Horn was a father of four, grandfather of 10, and “one of the pillars of Kibbutz Hazorea.”
“My heart aches for the Horn family and the entire Kibbutz Hazorea community,” President Isaac Herzog wrote in a post on X, following the attack.
“In this difficult time, I extend my support to his son, who was with him during these horrific moments, and send my heartfelt condolences to his family, and wish a full recovery to the soldier injured in this despicable attack.”
Scene Of October 7th Massacre Becomes Most Visited NJF Site In Israel
The scene of the deadliest of the massacres on October 7, 2023, is now a popular venue for visitors drawing thousands each day to commemorate the victims of the Hamas invasion.
The memorial site for the victims of the Nova Festival began as an initiative by bereaved families who sought to commemorate their loved ones who were murdered in the horrific massacre at the festival on October 7, 2023. The memorial site features pillars displaying the victims photographs alongside Israeli flags.
In discussions with the families and with the aim of making the site more accessible while preserving the memory of the victims, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) allocated 4million shekels to improve the Re’im parking lot.
Enhancements include the construction of accessible pathways, restroom facilities, durable and appropriate signage, educational spaces, a memorial grove, and more.
Over the past six months (September 2024-February 2025), the site has become a destination for thousands of visitors, receiving approximately 7,000 visitors per day.
As a result, in this tragic reality, it has become KKL-NJF’s most visited site across Israel in the past half year.
“We are proud to play a significant role in one of the most visited sites in Israel today,” said Yaniv Malmon, KKL-JNF Southern Region Director and the leader of this initiative.
“This site holds great national importance. Furthermore, many memories of KKL-JNF’s Southern Region team, who are responsible for the site’s maintenance, were personally affected by the events of October7, adding to their deep personal and emotional commitment to this site.”
“This place is not just a memory of what was–-it is a living testament to the resilience, unity, and sorrow of Israeli society as a whole,” said Ifat Ovadia-Luski, KKL-JNF Chairwoman.
“We witness the tens of thousands of visitors arriving here each week, the tears, the embraces, and the public’s deep need to remember and never forget. This only strengthens our commitment to continue maintaining this site with the honor it deserves.”
Meir Zohar, who lost his daughter Bar in the massacre, emphasized the importance of the memorial to relatives of the victims.
“As a father who lost his daughter in the horrific Nova massacre, this place is not just a memorial site for me and the other bereaved families–it is a space where we feel that our pain is seen and heard.”
“KKL-JNF has undertaken an immense mission: to preserve the memory of the victims, make sure the site is accessible, and provide families with a dignified place to connect with their loved ones. I am deeply grateful to everyone working to ensure that his place remains honorable, accessible, and worthy–so that the victims’ story is never forgotten.
Israel Plans International Airport Near Beersheva
A Knesset committee on Sunday (23rd) approved plans to build a new international airport in southern Israel, in a major economic boost for the Negev region.
The cross-party initiative, which is expected to be greenlighted by the parliament’s full plenum next week, envisions the airport being built in Moshav Nevatim, five miles south of Beersheva within seven years.
The airport, which will be able to handle up to 15 million passengers annually, would create around 50,000 jobs, according to the legislation’s explanatory notes.
“The construction of a new international airport in the Negev Desert is the right thing to do from both a Zionist and a future planning point of view,” Knesset member Ram Ben-Barak, a member of opposition leader Yair Lapid”s Yesh Atid Party, told JNS on Sunday (23rd).
Ben-Barak, co-sponsor of the bill and a former deputy director of the Mossad, said that the proposal pre-dates the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught on southern Israel, and was selected over a competing initiative for the construction of an international airport in northern Israel, which is more heavily populated.
“This bill is a game-changer for the future of the Negev, which has endured years of unfulfilled promises,” said Dimona Mayor Benny Biton who attended the parliamentary hearing.
However, a travel expert questioned the feasibility of such a major project due to its location.
“I don’t mean to be snide but what incoming tourist will want to fly into Beersheva and then travel up to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv or down to Eilat,” Mark Feldman, Jerusalem director of Diesenhaus Tours, told JNS. “Sorry but this seems like a pie-in-the-sky scheme and hopefully that’s where it will stay.”
The site of the proposed civilian airport is adjacent to the Israeli Air Force Nevatim base, which is home to F-35 fighter jets and was targeted by Iran last year.
The future airport at Nevatim is intended to ease congestion at Ben-Gurion International Airport east of Tel Aviv, nearly 60 miles away. Ben-Gurion, Israel’s main international gateway, has an annual capacity of 40 million passengers.
Israel opened Ramon Airport near the Red Sea resort city of Eilat in 2019 with an initial capacity of two million passengers per year and room to expand to more than twice that if needed, but it has failed to generate traction with flyers.
Lebanese Public Yearns, with an initial capacity For Calm Amid Growing Calls For Peace With Israel – Smadar Perry
Lebanese Parliament member Paula Yacoubian made a clear and unequivocal statement this week in a series of televised interviews in Beirut, declaring, “It’s time to seriously consider peace with Israel.”
A contact in Beirut, after visiting local cafes, shared a similar sentiment, noting that peace with Israel has become a central topic of discussion among the public, in parliament and in government offices.
However, much of the public debate revolves around five high ground positions that Israel continues to hold within what Lebanon considers its sovereign territory. While these locations may be unfamiliar to Israelis, they are strategic hills near the border that provide direct observation over Kiryat Shmona, Metula, Zar’it, Shomera, Manara, and Misgav Am.
One of these sites, unnamed here, was previously used as a Hezbollah intelligence base. Defense Minister Israel Katz has made it clear that the IDF has no intention of withdrawing from these positions in the foreseeable future.
Despite suffering heavy blows, Hezbollah maintains a vocal parliamentary presence. The terror group’s leader, Naim Qassem, said that Hezbollah has no intention of surrendering its weapons to the Lebanese army.
Meanwhile, Lebanon has appointed a new army chief, Rudolf Haykal, a Maronite Christian with a distinguished military career. He received his new rank from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who will continue overseeing the Lebanese Armed Forces from the Presidential Palace.
Notably, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reinserted himself into Lebanon’s political landscape, playing a significant behind the scene role.
Bin Salman, despite pausing normalization efforts with Israel, appears to view Lebanon as a strategic vantage point ahead of potential negotiations with Jerusalem. The US and France are both involved in mediation efforts between Israel and Lebanon, facilitating direct talks where Israeli and Lebanese officers meet in separate rooms under American mediation.
There is little significant opposition to expanding relations with Israel. The main question is timing – whether to move forward in the near future or wait until Israeli Air Force overflights in Lebanese airspace cease. While Aoun quietly supports improving ties with Israel, he insists it should not be labeled as “normalization.”
In contrast, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is known for his hardline stance against Israel and staunchly opposes any agreement.
As long as Saudi Arabia refrains from making a decisive move, and Hezbollah continues issuing threats, Lebanon is unlikely to respond to Israel’s proposal for a full cessation of hostilities – an arrangement that could eventually lead to peace.
At the same time, the Lebanese army is intensifying its efforts against Hezbollah in the south. In recent days, 4,500 young Lebanese citizens have enlisted in the military.
A senior official in Lebanon’s new government said that over 70% of Lebanese citizens support an “open agreement” with Israel – one that would facilitate relations, particularly in trade. Unfortunately, Israel has yet to engage in serious discussions on this matter with its American and French counterparts. There is much to talk about.
