IDF Chief In Gaza: ‘Unite Around Our IDF Soldiers To Achieve War Goals
IDF Chief of Staff LG Eyal Zamir conducted a situational assessment in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday (20th), after which he called on the Israeli public to “support and unite around our IDF soldiers “in order to achieve the goals of the war.”
“My trust in the soldiers is absolute,” Zamir said. “They prove that it is possible to lead with a sense of mission, with courage, determination, and in accordance with the values of the IDF.”
“I understand the price you and your families are paying,” Zamir added. “The entire nation appreciates you – you are the backbone of our national resilience.”
Zamir also made comments addressed to Gazan residents, saying: “We are not the ones that brought this destruction upon you. We are not the ones that started this war. We are not the ones who have deprived you of food, shelter and money. We do not hide in hospitals or schools. We do not live in luxury hotels while you live in hardship. This is your leadership – the ones holding our hostages. Hamas is responsible for starting this war. It is responsible for the difficult situation of the civilian population – it brought destruction, and it will not be the one to rebuild.”
The IDF launched its new offensive ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ on Friday (16th), launching strikes and deploying forces to seize swaths of land in the enclave to renew its offensive.
“Moving forward with this offensive, the IDF “is operating according to a predetermined plan and is now moving into the next stage. Hamas will pay the price for its refusal. We will expand our operation, establish operational control of additional territory, clear and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure — until Hamas is decisively defeated,” he said.
“The goals of the operation are clear,” Zamir added, “the return of the hostages to their homes, the decisive defeat of Hamas, and the dismantling of its regime.”
Netanyahu Responds To UK, Canada And France
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening (19th) issued a statement responding to the UK, Canada and France’s ultimatum to Israel to end the war in Gaza or face sanctions.
“By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities,” he said.
“The war began on October 7 when Palestinian terrorists stormed our border, murdered 1,200 innocent people and abducted over 250 more innocents to the dungeons of Gaza,” he added.
“Israel accepts President Trump’s vision and urges all European leaders to do the same. The war can end tomorrow if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled and Gaza is demilitarized. No nation can be expected to accept anything less and Israel certainly won’t,” Netanyahu stated.
“This is a war of civilization over barbarism. Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved,” he concluded.
Netanyahu’s response came after the leaders of the UK, France and Canada released a sharply worded joint statement condemning Israel’s ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip.
“We strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,” the statement read.
The leaders described Israel’s recent move to allow a basic quantity of food into Gaza as “wholly inadequate,” and demanded that the Israeli government “stop its military operations” and “immediately allow humanitarian aid” into the area.
The joint declaration accused the Israeli government of denying essential humanitarian assistance, stating such actions “risk breaching international humanitarian law.”
The leaders warned that failure by Israel to cease its renewed offensive and lift humanitarian restrictions would result in “further concrete actions.”
The statement also opposed any expansion of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, labeling such actions as illegal and detrimental to peace efforts. “We will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions,” the leaders cautioned.
The IDF’s New Border Protection Doctrine With Syria – Ron Ben-Yishai
In the Syrian Golan Heights, the buildings are riddled with holes from bullets and shells from the civil war. There is no longer any agriculture there but for a few sheep, goats and the random herder.
The IDF has succeeded in bringing a sort of normalcy to the area, based on its new border protection doctrine devised after the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7. The defense of Israeli communities would no longer begin on the border. Any future enemy would encounter the IDF before approaching the frontier, which would be defended by a land barrier.
Military commanders reminded me that Al-Sharaa’s rebel forces, like ISIS, arrived in civilian pickups and took over vast areas. Therefore, any vehicle able to travel faster than 30 km/hr is considered a threat. There are 10 new IDF forward outposts inside Syrian territory, intelligence gathering, and surveillance by drones. After diplomatic and military efforts, the other side agreed to avoid friction with the IDF and to keep their distance.
A new barrier is being built along the entire length of the border made up of boulders and ditches dug deep into the ground that would block any vehicle from overrunning Israeli communities. This will ultimately force any traffic on the Syrian side to use existing roads and not open terrain. The Israeli Druze are the first to benefit from the construction of the barrier because they own the heavy machinery used. They stand to make a fortune.
Iran Hosts Hamas Delegation As Israel Operation In Gaza Widens
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi hosted Hamas officials Basem Naim and Osama Hamdan this week , according to Iranian state media. Iran’s IRNA noted that “Naim is the former Health Minister in the Gaza Strip, and Osama Hamdan is a member of Hamas’ politburo.” The meeting is important because Iran has not been publicly hosting major Hamas delegations since Ismail Haniyeh was killed by an exploding pillow while staying at a guest house in Tehran in July 2024.
Now the Hamas leadership is back in Iran for consultations: Hamas leaders mostly reside in Qatar. Most of the Hamas leadership in Gaza has been killed in the war that Hamas launched on October 7, 2023.
Most recently, Mohammed Sinwar was likely killed in an airstrike that hit a bunker under a hospital in Gaza. Hamas is backed by Iran and Turkey, and its leaders are hosted in Qatar, which is a major non-NATO ally of the US. US President Donald Trump was recently in Doha during a trip to the Gulf. Doha has sought to mediate a hostage and ceasefire deal in recent months. However, it appears the recent talks had no results. As such, the Hamas officials are in Iran.
Iran says that it will continue to support Palestine’s resistance and its people against Israeli crimes.
IDF forces are maneuvering in northern Gaza and in other areas. The Hamas members who went to Iran, who don’t live in Gaza, claim that the resistance groups will remain steadfast against the Israeli regime until a solution is achieved that safeguards the rights of the Palestinian nation.
The Hamas officials going to Tehran illustrates that they feel safe there. Hamas doesn’t have a lot of leaders left – many of them are aging. Among the leaders who are left and who live outside of Gaza are : Mohammed Zahar, Born in 1945, Mousa Abu Marzouk and Fathi Hamad born in 1951, Khaled Mashaal, born in 1956, Khalil al-Hayya (1960), Fathi Hamad (1961), Basem Naim (1963), Osama Hamdan and Ghazi Hamid (1955), Husan Badran (1966), and Zahar Jabarin (1968).
Life On The Edge Of War – Adele Raemer
589 days ago, the life I had known imploded. The community and home I had built and lived in for my entire adult life became a fire-and-brimstone war zone and I became a refugee in my own land. Following the invasion of 150 marauding terrorists, Kibbutz Nirim was evacuated.
At first, I returned to Nirim cautiously, fearfully. Rockets were still exploding – some landing inside the kibbutz – compounding the devastation inflicted by the terrorists on October 7. But I was on a mission to raise funds for rebuilding, to share our stories with anyone willing to listen, and to reconquer and reclaim my home. I guided people through the ruins. I told the story of that day – the day when terrorists stole so much from my life. I lost more friends than I can even count.
I almost lost my daughter and granddaughters. My son and I escaped the terrorists’ murderous wrath by a sliver – they were on my front porch, breaking in through the window, before being lured away. Still, my heart clenches every time I drive past Nir Oz, to get to Nirim. The atrocities committed there – just a mile from home – are impossible to forget.
As a community, we made a decision: we wouldn’t just fix what was broken. We would rebuild. Bigger. Better. Safer. Stronger. More beautiful. We are here. We are rebuilding. We are living with the noise from the war in Gaza, the unknown and the memories. And I am certain that one day this land, and our lives, will be whole again.
The writer, an educator for 38 years in a regional school, has been living and raising her family on Kibbutz Nirim since 1975.
South Korea Inaugurates Its First Holocaust Museum: ‘A Shield Of Knowledge’
For the first time in its history, South Korea has opened the doors to a new and striking Holocaust museum, located in the heart of the city of Paju. The inauguration marks an historic moment and symbolizes the country’s commitment to remembrance and the fight against hatred.
At the ceremony – attended by public officials, diplomats and guests from across South Korea and around the world – Israeli Ambassador Rafi Harpaz said, “The Holocaust was one of the darkest chapters in human history. Six million Jews were murdered solely for being Jewish.”
“Holocaust remembrance is not a choice – it is a moral duty to the victims,” he continued, “to history and to future generations. This museum is not only a place of memory – it is also a place of education, of truth and of moral responsibility.”
Ambassador Harpaz also warned of the dangers posed by rising Holocaust denial and historical distortion. “Distorting the memory of the Holocaust is not an academic debate. It is an assault on justice, on memory and on the dignity of the victims. We have a responsibility to confront these phenomena and to educate the next generation – so they understand the destructive consequences of hatred, indifference and silence.”
The museum, established through the initiative of the Korea-Israel Bible Institute (KIBI), features a unique exhibition on the Holocaust, the Jewish people and the State of Israel. It was built after years of research and dedicated work.
Prof. Song Man-suk, a leading figure in the KIBI community and one of the museum’s founders, said: “After October 7, we witnessed a wave of hatred toward Israel and the Jews – even here in Korea. For us, this was a wake-up call: we need to educate the public about the Jewish people, about the Holocaust and about the true meaning of the term ‘genocide.’ At the same time, we wanted to send a clear message of solidarity and support for the Jewish people.”
His remarks also referenced troubling recent incidents, such as the harassment of Israel’s ambassador in South Korea, who was surrounded by protesters while dining with his family at a Seoul restaurant. “The growing extremism cannot go unanswered,” Song noted. “This museum is our response – it is a shield of knowledge, of value and of empathy.”
The ceremony concluded with heartfelt words of thanks to the many partners who helped make the dream a reality, especially Prof. Song and KIBI for their longstanding support of Israel. “This museum will stand as a testament to our commitment to truth, to remembrance and to ensuring that the words ‘Never Again’ remain a promise, not just a slogan,” Ambassador Harpaz said in closing.
