Israeli Government Instructs IDF To Present Plan Preventing Hamas’ Aid Looting
The IDF must present a plan within 48-hours to prevent Hamas from taking control of humanitarian aid in Gaza, according to a joint statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday (26th).
This follows recent reports of Hamas terrorists once again taking control of aid in the Gaza Strip and stealing it from civilians, the statement read.
Shortly before the announcement, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich issued an ultimatum, saying he would resign from the government if aid to the Gaza Strip was not immediately halted, journalist Amit Segal reported.
Additionally, former prime minister Naftali Bennett shared a post on X on Wednesday (25th) featuring a video of Hamas terrorists taking control of food trucks that the Israeli government had allowed into Gaza.
On Tuesday (24th) the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) urged the United Nations to “publicly condemn the targeting of humanitarian workers in Gaza” and to partner with the group on a new system for getting food “straight to Palestinian families,” according to a letter delivered to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The letter also called on the UN to condemn attacks on aid workers and blockages imposed by “Hamas and other factions” and to “engage directly” with GHF to facilitate increased deliveries based on a proven distribution model, that The Jerusalem Post previously reported.
The military added: “Hamas is a ruthless terrorist organization that starves its own people and puts them at risk to maintain its hold on power in Gaza.”
The IDF explained that its presence enables the GHF to operate independently, ensuring aid is distributed in an organized manner and that GHF aid does not end up in the hands of Hamas.
IDF Eliminates Hezbollah Financier Tied To Iranian Funds
The IDF said Wednesday (25th) its forces killed the head of a currency exchange company in southern Lebanon who was responsible for transferring funds from Iran to Hezbollah
According to the military, Haytham Abdullah Bakri, head of the Al-Sadiq Currency Exchange, played a central role in Hezbollah’s financial network, which facilitated the transfer and storage of Iranian funds.
The military said the money, originating from Iran’s Quds Force, was used to purchase weapons, manufacture military equipment and pay salaries to Hezbollah operatives.
The IDF said the operation dealt a significant blow to Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure.
Last week, the military said that during recent hostilities with Iran, a targeted strike killed Behnam Shahriyari, who it identified as a senior figure overseeing the financial mechanisms that transferred hundreds of millions of dollars annually from the Quds Force to its proxies across the Middle East.
These mechanisms reportedly included money transfer routes operating through currency exchanges in Turkey, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates, which were then offset through exchanges in Lebanon.
The IDF described the actions as a major disruption to Iranian funding channels supporting Hezbollah.
Chief of Staff: IDF Commando Forces Operated In Iran
IDF Chief of Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir , revealed Wednesday night (25th) that ground command forces of the IDF – not only Mossad – operated covertly in Iran during the war.
“We achieved full control over the skies of Iran and in every place we chose to operate. This was made possible, in part, due to the integration and tactics performed by air forces and ground commandos,” Zamir said in a special statement.
“According to the assessment of senior officials in the IDF Intelligence Directorate, the damage to the nuclear program was not a pinpoint attack but a systematic blow – the accumulated success allows us to state that the Iranian nuclear project has suffered a severe, broad, and deep setback, and has been pushed back years. We will not allow Iran to produce weapons of mass destruction,” Zamir added.
“We launched Operation Rising Lion with a clear mission in mind – to remove the existential threat to the State of Israel. After 12 days of unprecedented fighting, I can say that the IDF performed at its best and fully achieved the objectives of the operation,” said Zamir.
He described the Iranian threat as a “plan to destroy the State of Israel,” based on three key components: ‘First, the nuclear program, which had reached critical stages, with a rapid ability to break through to nuclear weapons. Second, the long-range missile program, involving the production of thousands of missiles aimed at paralyzing Israel and spreading destruction and death among the population. The third, ‘the plan to destroy Israel,’ in the months leading up to the war, Iran advanced a plan based on massive fire from the enemy alongside a multi-theater ground invasion. All these plans had one common goal: the destruction of the State of Israel. They were not merely theoretical ideas, but an existential threat to our lives in the country. The threat became real. We are fighting for our existence with strength, and we are transferring the fire to enemy territory. We act and initiate according to the moral directive “if someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first.”
Zamir described the nature of the operation: “After years of preparation and months of meticulous and accelerated readiness in the IDF, our opening strike was surprising and decisive. The opening strike threw the enemy off balance and was a central component of the overall success of the campaign. We hit all the targets we planned, and even more. We deepened the achievement beyond the plans we set out with.”
Regarding the nuclear program, the Chief of Staff stated, “According to assessments from senior IDF Intelligence and our nuclear experts, the strike on the nuclear program was a systematic blow. We hit the main facilities, factories, industries, and knowledge centers. The accumulated success allows us to say that the Iranian nuclear project was dealt a severe blow.”
He emphasized the American contribution to the operations: “Our achievements were enhanced thanks to the actions of the U.S. military. The actions of the U.S. forces were precise, powerful, and impressive. Throughout all stages of the operation, I maintained close contact with my counterparts in the U.S. military. The coordination between the armies is a strategic asset for the State of Israel.
Addressing the citizens of Israel, Zamir said: “The resilience and responsibility you have shown are worthy of admiration. They will continue to serve as a strong foundation for our ability to face any challenge together. Our hearts are with the families of the fallen, and I wish a speedy recovery to all the wounded.”
He also emphasized that fighting in the Gaza Strip continues: “In Gaza the fighting continues. Our fighters – infantry, armor, combat engineers, artillery, and commando forces – continue to operate with courage in close combat in a complex environment to protect our communities. We must continue to act to achieve the goals of the war – the return of the 50 hostages and the dismantling of Hamas’ rule.”
‘You Are Not Alone:’ Taiwan Rallies Behind Israel Following Iran Strikes
In the wake of the heavy Iranian rocket barrages and widespread damage across Israel, the country has received powerful gestures of international solidarity from governments and organizations seeking to support Israel and its people during this challenging time.
This week, Abby (Ya-Ping) Lee, the head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel Aviv—Taiwan’s mission to Israel—visited the central city of Bat Yam to witness firsthand the extensive destruction caused by an Iranian missile that hit the city a week earlier. She was accompanied by Bat Yam Mayor Zvika Brot and Members of Knesset Boaz Toporovsky, Efrat Rayten and Matan Kahana.
“Immediately following the Oct.7 terrorist attack on Israel, Taiwan was among the first to express solidarity and provide essential assistance,” Lee said during the visit. “And now, amid the difficult period of Iranian missile attacks, Taiwan is once again among the first to work with civil organizations to save lives. We are sending a very clear message of solidarity to our Israeli friends. You are not alone,”
Lee emphasized the shared values between Taiwan and Israel. “Taiwan and Israel share the same values and a belief in defending a way of life under threat. Though both are small nations, no country is too small to deserve freedom or to stand on the right side of history.”
The partnership between Taiwan’s representative office and the humanitarian organization Pitchon Lev offers a powerful example of solidarity in action. Pitchon Lev CEO Eli Cohen explained: “The purpose of the visit to Bat Yam is to bring hope to a scene of destruction. Our cooperation with Taiwan’s office began even before Oct. 7 and continues now, driven by the deep commitment of Taiwan’s government and people to the people of Israel.”
Mayor Brot also expressed deep gratitude to the Taiwanese government. “This international support strengthens the municipality’s ability to respond immediately and comprehensively to residents in need. Our partnership with the Taiwanese office is a true example of international solidarity in a time of crisis.”
As part of the ongoing humanitarian partnership, the Taiwanese government donated an additional $160,000 to the ZAKA emergency response organization for the purchase of advanced mobile lighting equipment. This equipment will allow volunteers to operate swiftly and safely during nighttime rescue operations in areas hit by missile strikes.
The Unsung Heroes Who Make Israeli Victory Possible – Danail Polisar
Anyone wanting to get a full picture of what has enabled Israel to carry out and sustain its attacks on Iran needs to look at the role of the reservists, the tens of thousands of fighters who contribute mightily to their country’s defenses and show extraordinary dedication and sacrifice to an unparalleled degree.
These are army veterans who completed their full service and then entered civilian life as students, members of the work force, spouses and parents. They have provided the bulk of the combat troops largely responsible for Israel’s successes during a multi-front war that has been going on for more than twenty months.
Reserve brigades and reservists holding key positions in regular conscript units, and played a crucial role in every stage of degrading Hamas in Gaza. Reservists did the lion’s share of defending the northern border against Hezbollah until the IDF was ready to shift its resources to decapitate and defang that terror organization. They likewise played a crucial role in the ground operation against Hezbollah that helped force it into a humiliating ceasefire.
The removal of the threat of parallel attacks by Hezbollah and Hamas, coupled with creating the conditions to enable Israeli pilots to fly safely over Syrian airspace en route to and from Iran, made Iran more vulnerable to Israeli attack, paving the way for the recent Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic.
The conflict with Iran has highlighted, yet again, the extraordinary sacrifice willingly undertaken by the combat reservists, who effectively are volunteers since there are no sanctions on those who choose not to report for duty.
V., a freshman at Shalem College, is a company commander in the IDF’s search-and-rescue-unit. Since Oct. 7, she has been in the reserves for more than 270 days. When the IDF commenced its attacks on Iran, she and her entire company were called up for immediate service, although they had finished their previous round only two months earlier. 98% of her soldiers reported for duty.
Although Israelis have a reputation for enjoying the good life and are highly sensitive to casualties among their soldiers, when the going gets tough the citizens of the Jewish state are willing to pay a steep price to defend themselves against brutal enemies and protect their hard-earned freedom and sovereignty.
The writer is co-founder and executive vice-president of Shalem College in Jerusalem. (Mosaic)
The “Forever War” We Should Really Be Worried About – Brendan O’Neill
• On Sunday (22nd), America’s airforce pummeled nuclear sites in Iran. On the same day, the IDF announced it had recovered the body of Ofra Kedar, 70, from Gaza. On Oct. 7, Ofra was taking her usual morning walk in Kibbutz Be’eri when she happened upon men from the 6,000-strong army of Islamo-fascists that invaded Israel that day. In the moment they drew their guns, Ofra’s daughter-in-law phoned her. She later recounted Ofra’s last words. “Why are you shooting at me? What did I do?” The call ended.
• The cruel demise of this good woman at the hands of an invading army reminds us that this was started 625 days ago. Her brutal death stands as a fierce rebuke to the moral infantilism of those who accuse Israel of launching an unprovoked war of aggression against Iran.
• From beyond the grave, this Jewish woman, who perished along with 1,200 others in a pogrom of the like we hadn’t seen since the Nazis, pleads with us to do what is right and just and think honestly about the origins of this war. The depiction of Iran as the victim of unjust violence represents a sickening erasure of Jews like Ofra Kedar who were put to death by a militia sponsored by Iran.
• Irish novelist Sally Rooney, writing in the Guardian, accuses Israel and the U.S. of launching “a series of unprovoked” attacks on Iran. Was the murder of Ofra Kedar not a provocation? Was the Iranian-approved invasion of Israel for the purposes of raping and murdering a thousand Jews not a provocation? To say the strikes on Iran are “unprovoked” is to say the mass murder of Jews is not an especially important event. It’s not worth avenging.
• What worries me right now is the blindness of political actors across the West to the true Forever War, the one that started this current war. This is the war of Iran against the Jewish nation, the war of Islamism against the Jews, the war of tyrannical theocracy against democracy.
• For 46 years, the Islamic Republic has been devoted to the destruction of the Jewish state. Iranian children are taught to hate Israel. The Israeli flag is set alight at official parades. The proxies of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis are funded and trained to attack Israel and slaughter its people. There’s your Forever War – Iran’s almost 50-year mission to lay apocalyptic waste to the world’s only Jewish nation.
