Israeli forces carried out an airstrike in Gaza City today targeting a vehicle believed to be transporting senior Hamas commander Raed Saad, a central planner behind the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, according to Israeli media reports and an Israeli defense official.
Gaza health authorities stated that four individuals were killed in the strike. Initial reports did not clarify whether Saad was among the dead, and Hamas officials did not provide immediate confirmation. Hours later, an IDF spokesman ended the uncertainty with a social media announcement confirming Saad’s death.
The announcement declared, “Every place where we identify that Hamas is trying to regroup, we act. Earlier today, the IDF eliminated Raad Saad, whose elimination constitutes a blow to Hamas’s attempts at regrouping and strengthening. We will not allow our enemies to regroup and rebuild their strength. We will continue to be committed to continuing the ceasefire agreement.”
The killing represents the most prominent assassination of a Hamas military leader since the ceasefire went into effect on Oct. 10.
Israeli defense officials identified Saad as the head of Hamas’ weapons production division, a key role in the group’s operational infrastructure. Hamas-linked sources have described him as effectively serving as deputy commander of the organization’s armed wing, ranking immediately below Izz al-Din al-Haddad.
Those same sources noted that Saad previously commanded Hamas’ Gaza City battalion, one of the movement’s most formidable and well-resourced units.
{Matzav.com}
Hezbollah’s deputy chief Naim Qassem launched a fierce broadside at the United States over the weekend, declaring that American attempts to push Lebanese leaders toward disarming the movement are doomed to fail. He insisted that no amount of external coercion will convince Hezbollah to relinquish its arsenal.
Speaking on Saturday, Qassem warned that Washington must grasp a simple truth: Hezbollah will confront any threat and will not bow to international forces seeking to strip it of its weapons. He said that even a global coalition arrayed in battle against Lebanon would not compel the organization to disarm.
Expanding on this point, he argued that Hezbollah’s territory, its weapons, and its ideological drive are inseparable, describing them as one unified whole. In his words, forcing the group to give up its firepower would be tantamount to “execution,” and thus entirely out of the question.
Qassem also revisited Israel’s campaign following the killing of longtime late Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and other senior figures. He asserted that Israel’s intention was nothing less than the total dismantling of Hezbollah. According to Qassem, that effort fell short because “Hezbollah fought a war against Israel and prevented it from achieving that goal.”
He maintained that Israel is now coming to terms with the fact that its own battlefield successes are slipping away. Qassem characterized this as an inevitable outcome of what he views as Israel’s strategic failure: it did not secure what it set out to accomplish, while Hezbollah remains operational and intact.
Turning to Beirut, Qassem said Hezbollah is prepared to work in full partnership with the Lebanese Army under a national defense framework that integrates the capabilities of both Lebanon’s military and Hezbollah’s forces. Still, he drew a red line, stating that the organization will never agree to any measure that resembles capitulation to Israel or the United States.
{Matzav.com}
A deadly attack in Syria claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter after their unit was ambushed near Palmyra, according to U.S. officials. The assault, believed to have been carried out by an ISIS-linked gunman, erupted during what was supposed to be a routine engagement with local leaders.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported that the attacker was ultimately shot and killed by partnered forces in the area. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell later confirmed that three additional service members were hurt during the encounter, and two U.S. officials stated that all three of the injured were American.
In a formal statement, Parnell explained, “The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement. Their mission was in support of on-going counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region.”
The incident comes at a significant moment, marking the first combat fatalities since President Donald Trump returned to office. He reacted publicly within hours, posting condolences and condemning the killers. In his message, Trump wrote, “The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Trump also insisted that the ambush was an act of terrorism, stating that it was an “ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them.” He later reinforced his stance in brief comments to reporters, reminding them as he walked off, “We will retaliate.”
Officials have not yet released the names of the fallen as families are still being notified. The tragedy stands as the deadliest U.S. event in Syria in years, representing the first American combat deaths there since 2019, when a suicide bombing in Manbij killed four Americans. Until now, ten U.S. service members had died in Syria over the years, from both hostile and accidental causes, with the most recent non-hostile loss occurring in February 2022.
{Matzav.com}
A disturbing confrontation erupted on a Melbourne train earlier this week when a Rabbi traveling with his children was met with an appalling antisemitic slur from a fellow passenger. According to footage released by the Australian Jewish Association on Friday, the woman hurled the words “Go to the gas chambers” at the family during the ride.
The recording, posted to the association’s Instagram page, shows the woman holding a bag decorated with a Palestinian flag motif. After the Rabbi calmly confronted her about what she had said, she immediately hid her face and insisted, “He’s picking on me. Why would I say something like that?”
Robert Gregory, chief executive of the Australian Jewish Association, condemned the episode with force. “This is another shocking case of antisemitism in Melbourne. It is hard to believe someone would address children with such a call,” he said, noting that the encounter is part of a troubling pattern the community has been facing.
Gregory also remarked that her use of pro-Palestinian imagery was, unfortunately, not unexpected. He went on to commend the Rabbi’s composure and refusal to let such behavior go unchallenged, emphasizing, “It is important that people do not remain indifferent to such shocking incidents.”
{Matzav.com}
