Israel Braces For Increased Fire From Lebanon On Passover Eve
Against the backdrop of the multi-front war and mounting security tensions on the eve of Passover, Israel’s security establishment and political leadership are grappling with a series of challenges, from the fighting in Iran and Lebanon.
Iran:The Israeli Air Force is nearing the point at which it will have exhausted its bank of essential targets in Iran and may soon shift to secondary ones. That points to the depth of the damage inflicted on infrastructure, particularly in the field of weapons production. Even so, major question marks remain. The central one concerns the fate of roughly 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, a key objective of the war for Israel and, in the early stages, for the US as well. In Washington, however, attention has for now shifted to other issues, including the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices. In Israel, there is concern over a scenario in which the campaign ends with Iran managing to leverage its weakness to its advantage. President Donald Trump has again warned that Tehran must choose between an agreement and severe damage, but for now Iran does not appear to be rushing to comply.
Lebanon: In northern Israel, the campaign is far from simple and could develop into a prolonged confrontation. The assessment is that Hezbollah has prepared for combat better than expected, and that the blows dealt to its commanders and infrastructure have not paralyzed its operations. The coordinated launches from Iran and Lebanon point to at least partial coordination between the sides in an effort to challenge Israel’s air defense array and strike infrastructure in Israel. In the military, officials estimate that the volume of fire could increase over Passover, necessitating the need to address the Israeli Home Front.
Passover begins Wednesday evening, April 1, 2026 and ends at night fall, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
Israel Passes Law Mandating Death Penalty For Terrorists In Final Knesset Vote
Israel’s parliament approved legislation Monday evening (30th), establishing the death penalty for terrorists, with backers saying the move is aimed at deterring attacks and delivering justice for victims, The Jerusalem Post reported.
The measure cleared its final readings in the Knesset plenum by a vote of 62-48 with one lawmaker abstaining, reflecting a firm majority in support alongside significant opposition.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu entered the chamber to cast his vote in favor, publicly aligning himself with the proposal during its final passage.
The initiative was introduced by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit Party, which has advocated for stricter punitive measures in response to terrorism.
Supporters of the bill say the policy establishes capital punishment for those convicted of terrorist acts and is intended to strengthen Israel’s response framework.
They maintain that the threat of such a penalty could discourage future attacks while providing what they describe as a measure of justice for victims of terrorism.
The vote concluded the legislative process after the bill advanced through earlier stages, culminating in its approval by the full plenum on Monday night (30th),
Netanyahu’s decision to attend the vote and support the legislation emphasized its political weight, as the prime minister joined proponents at a pivotal moment in the process.
The law marks a central policy push by Ben Gvir’s party, which has prioritized tougher legal consequences for terrorism as part of its broader agenda.
Hamas Terrorist Murderer Freed In Hostage Deal Running Samaria Terror Cell From Turkey
A Hamas terrorist released in a hostage deal last year established a new terror cell in Samaria, directing its operations from abroad.
On Monday (30th), the Shin Bet security agency revealed that it had apprehended two Hamas terrorists in the village of Azzun in Samaria, accusing the two of working on behalf of an exiled terrorist living in Turkey.
According to the Shin Bet, the network was uncovered during an operation in December 2025.
The agency said that Mahmoud Radwan, a Hamas terrorist who was released in January 2025 as part of a prisoner deal and deported to Turkey, recruited Raif Shalou and Nasser Salim, both from the village of Azzun, in order to set up a new terror cell.
Investigators said Radwan met the two men at a restaurant in Turkey, where he described his continued Hamas-related activity both in Turkey and in Judea and Samaria.
During the meeting, he told them he was in contact with operatives in Samaria, expressed a desire to die as a martyr, and invited them to join his efforts. According to the Shin bet, both men agreed.
The agency also said the investigation found that Radwan told one of the suspects that the activities of deported operatives in Turkey were being monitored by Turkish security authorities.
Indictments have since been filed against the two suspects, officials said.
Radwan had been imprisoned in Israel since 2001 for his role in the murder of Yosef Afasi, an Israeli man from Gnot Shomron who had employed him and other laborers to help build his home.
According to the account cited in the reports, Radwan and three other workers abducted and murdered Afasi.
The case is likely to add to Israeli scrutiny of released security prisoners who relocate abroad and are later accused of resuming militant involvement from outside the country.
In a statement, the Shin Bet said it would continue acting against attempts by Hamas and other terror organizations, both from within and outside the region, to organize attacks against Israel.
IDF Special Forces Deep In Lebanon – Elisha Ben Kimon
The IDF’s LOTAR counterterrorism unit specializes in urban warfare. Maj. N., a company commander in the unit, said Sunday (29th): “The fighters are creating a buffer between Lebanon and residents of the north… We continue our attacks even under a barrage of mortars. Rockets sometimes land among the forces, sometimes on targets we’re on the way to clear.”
“Hezbollah also uses drones that drop explosives, so we constantly stay sharp – maintaining concealment while advancing quickly toward objectives.. When that happens, we blend into the terrain, take whatever cover is available and wait for a lull. Some cling to rocks or buildings, while armored vehicle crews move into their vehicles.”
There are relatively few instances in which troops see the enemy directly. “You’re being shot at constantly, whether direct or indirect fire. But on the other hand, you don’t encounter militants around every corner…. It’s a much weaker enemy than what we faced during the 2024 Israeli operation in the north, but it is still firing.”
“Becayse of the nature of the fighting, things change instantly. There have been many times I set out with my troops to seize a target and saw Hezbollah attacking it with heavy rocket fire. So we shift to a reverse slope, recalculate direction and re-enter , attacking from an area the enemy didn’t anticipate. That’s happened to me several times.”
Confronting Jihad’s Forever War – Dr. Dan Diker
The U.S. has confronted seemingly implacable ideological enemies before – and won. The lessons of Hiroshima, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Reagan’s Cold War strategy point to a common principle: overwhelming force, credible will, and the imposition of unsustainable costs ultimately prevail.
Iran has not surrendered. Its proxies continue to launch missiles and drones. Its parliament invokes jihad. This is the behavior of a regime that does not process war through the same conceptual framework as does the West. The question policymakers must answer is not why Iran keeps fighting – but what kind of pressure will finally make continued fighting more costly than stopping.
One of the most consequential failures of Western strategy analysis has been treating the Islamic Republic’s rhetoric as theater. It is not. Its leadership has articulated – with remarkable consistency across four decades – a vision of global, divinely ordained, open-ended struggle against Western civilization. Since 1979, Iran’s Islamic Republic has called for “Death to America” and Death to Israel.”
The Karbala Paradigm functions as the Islamic Republic’s operational code for conflict. In 680 CE; Imam Hussein Ibn Ali – grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the third Shiite Imam – rode with 72 followers into the plains of Karbala. He was surrounded by a vastly superior Umayyad army. He was offered a choice: submit to the Caliph Yazid, or die. He chose death. His followers were massacred. For Shiite Islam, this was the foundational moral event of the faith – proof that righteous resistance is sacred even when it leads to annihilation.
Any signal that Washington will negotiate the terms of Iran’s nuclear program or proxy network – rather than their elimination – will be read as confirmation that the forever war is working. Yet America does not want a forever war. Neither does Israel, the Gulf states, or the broader community of nations. The theology of jihad is formidable. The martyrdom culture of Karbala is real. But it is not more formidable than American resolve has proven to be.
The Islamic Republic has built its resistance strategy on the assumption that the West lacks the strategic patience and political will to sustain pressure long enough to defeat the regime. Now there is a narrow window to prosecute a historic change. We need to make clear – through action not rhetoric – that the forever war will end Iran’s revolution before it ends ours. The Islamic republic’s leadership has told us explicitly what they intend. The only remaining question is whether the U.S., Israel and the West have the moral and strategic will to confront this messianic jihadi phenomenon and to defeat it.
The writer is President of the Jerusalem Center,
(jcfa.org)
The Outcome Of The Iran War: A Victory Or A Pause Before The Next War? – Amb. Michael Oren
On Tuesday night (24th), as U.S. President Donald Trump declared victory over Iran during a press conference, My family and I took shelter in our safe room. Despite the close partnership between Washington and Jerusalem, and the historic cooperation between the U.S. military and the Israeli Defense Forces, America and Israel are living in entirely different realities.
From an American perspective, the near destruction of Iran’s military capabilities, damage to its nuclear infrastructure, and the elimination of senior leadership can be framed as a victory. For Israel, the standard is far stricter. Any outcome that allows Iran to rebuild its nuclear and ballistic programs, retain enough enriched uranium for multiple nuclear weapons, and continue supporting terrorist proxies is not a victory. It is a pause before Israel is forced to fight the same war again possibly alone.
During negotiations, Iran may accept principles in theory, then stall, dilute and avoid implementation in practice. We have seen this pattern before. The 20-point Gaza plan stalled when Hamas refused to disarm. The risk now is that Iran follows the same path, agreeing in principle while preserving its core capabilities. Israel cannot afford that outcome.
Israel must press for clear, enforceable guarantees before any agreement takes shape. Not vague assurances, not frameworks, but concrete commitments that address the core threat. At the same time Israel must act with urgency, both in Iran and in Lebanon, to shape the strategic environment before diplomacy locks in outcomes it cannot reverse.
The writer was Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., 2009 -13.
