Matzav

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu made a strong declaration, stating, “nothing will deter us, we will keep going until victory,” following a drone attack on his vacation residence in northern Israel. The Israeli military continues its operations in Lebanon and Gaza.

Netanyahu, 74, was not at his Caesarea home when the drone, launched from Lebanon, targeted his property, according to his spokesperson.

The leader of Israel has already spoken with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump regarding the suspected assassination attempt, as reported by The Times of Israel.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson also contacted Netanyahu, assuring that the Israeli Prime Minister is “safe, in good spirits, and undeterred.”

“I told him America stands strong with Israel and reiterated our ongoing commitment to help counter Iran and its terrorist proxies. This is a crucial moment and America must deliver,” Johnson wrote on X.

It remains unclear whether President Biden, who was in Germany at the time, has reached out to Netanyahu. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken might visit Israel on Tuesday.

Israel might expand its military targets in Iran following the attack, an anonymous source informed Channel 12 News.

A pro-Iranian account on Telegram leaked US intelligence documents today, suggesting that Israel is preparing to deploy fighter jets and drones against Iran. According to Axios, the two leaked documents, which US officials did not dispute, revealed that Israel has been conducting drone strike exercises for weeks, seemingly in preparation for a retaliatory strike against Iran. The reports also hint that the US is closely monitoring Israel’s military movements.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have spent the last two weeks combing through southern Lebanon and discovered what they described as “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds” of Hezbollah tunnels, many of which were stocked with weapons and rocket launchers, posing a threat to nearby Israeli communities.

Israel also reported that it killed Hezbollah’s deputy commander, Nasser Rashid, in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil. According to the army, Rashid had been responsible for organizing attacks against Israel.

The drone attack on Netanyahu’s home occurred only days after Israel had eliminated Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Officials confirmed that the drone struck an undisclosed structure, though there were no casualties.

Hezbollah, which has been launching rockets and drones into Israel for over a year, including more than 100 shots from Lebanon today, did not immediately claim responsibility for the strike.

“Iran tried to eliminate the Prime Minister of Israel,” a senior Israeli official told Israel’s Channel 12.

Two additional drones that breached Israeli airspace were intercepted, the Israeli military reported.

“The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake,” Netanyahu said in a statement that evening.

“This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future.”

Netanyahu further warned that anyone who threatens Israel or its citizens will “pay a heavy price.”

Earlier on Shabbos, Netanyahu appeared in a video, emphasizing Israel’s determination to achieve victory in the ongoing conflict.

“You know, two days ago we eliminated the mass murderer [Hamas leader] Yahya Sinwar, as I’ve said, we’re in an existential war, and we’re continuing to the end,” he said in Hebrew, as reported by The Times of Israel.

The IDF released images of the underground bunker in the Tel al-Sultan area where Sinwar and his family had been staying, along with video footage showing them fleeing underground just hours before the Oct. 7 massacre.

The bunker was equipped with amenities like a TV, fans, beds, and tile flooring, according to the released images.

A photograph of Sinwar’s body, along with a warning to Hamas, was also prominently displayed in leaflets Israel dropped over the Gaza Strip today.

“Hamas will no longer rule Gaza,” the leaflets, written in Arabic, declared. “Whoever lays down his weapons and returns the kidnapped people to us, we will allow him to leave and live in peace.”

These papers echoed Netanyahu’s remarks from a Thursday night press conference in which he discussed Sinwar’s surprising elimination in Rafah.

On Friday, Iran’s speaker of parliament announced Tehran’s willingness to negotiate with France over a potential UN resolution regarding southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces are currently engaged with Hezbollah.

However, Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister dismissed this offer as a “blatant interference” in the country’s internal affairs, according to The Times of Israel.

Today, Iran issued a stern warning, stating that any Israeli military action would be met with “even stronger” retaliation.

“Our reaction to any attack by the Zionist regime is completely clear,” Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said to reporters in Damascus. “For every action, there will be a proportional and similar reaction from Iran, and even stronger.”

France’s involvement in the Middle East conflict also became more precarious over the weekend, with Netanyahu publicly criticizing French President Emanuel Macron, calling him a “disgrace” for his continued calls for an arms embargo on Israel.

“The axis of terror stands together. But countries who supposedly oppose this [axis] call for an arms embargo on Israel,” Netanyahu said with scorn.

Today, Israeli airstrikes targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, marking the first such attack on Hezbollah strongholds in three days.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged Israel to “scale back” its operations in the Lebanese capital, warning that “the number of civilian casualties have been far too high.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday night briefed his American counterpart Lloyd Austin on the successful elimination of Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip.

Gallant “stressed his commitment to ensuring that 101 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza return to Israel,” while noting “the urgency and unique opportunity that has been created.” To this end, he called on Hamas terrorists “to cease fire and immediately release the hostages,” according to a statement from his office.

Gallant described Sinwar’s demise as an “extraordinary operational achievement and strategic game-changer,” and expressed his appreciation to Austin for his supportive message to the IDF and the State of Israel.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday night phoned Israeli President Isaac Herzog to congratulate him on Sinwar’s death.

The secretary noted “that justice had been served, and the world was now a better place without a man who was responsible for the deaths of many civilians and who obstructed any peace process in the region,” according to a statement from Herzog’s office.

For his part, the president emphasized that “the issue of returning the hostages must be a top priority, and now there was an important opportunity to focus all resources and efforts on bringing the hostages back home.”

The secretary agreed that “a year after the horrific massacre, they must work together to swiftly return the hostages to their homes,” adding that “the U.S. intended to significantly focus its efforts to achieve this goal.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

Watch former President Trump’s reaction following the killing of Hamas terror leader Yahya Sinwar by the IDF in southern Gaza.

The killing of Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar will strengthen the “spirit of resistance” in the Islamic world, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said on Thursday.

“When Muslims look up to martyr Sinwar standing on the battlefield—in combat attire and out in the open, not in a hideout, facing the enemy—the spirit of resistance will be strengthened. He will become a model for the youth and children who will carry forward his path toward the liberation of Palestine,” the mission tweeted.

“As long as occupation and aggression exist, resistance will endure, for the martyr remains alive and a source of inspiration,” it added.

Sinwar’s predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran in July.

Last week, The New York Times reported that Hamas pleaded with Iran to join its Oct. 7, 2023, attack months in advance, citing documents seized by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza back in January.

According to the report, the deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau, Khalil al-Hayya, informed Mohammed Said Izadi, head of the Palestinian Office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, of the plot in July 2023, in Lebanon.

Although the Iranians denied any involvement in the Oct. 7 invasion, Hamas leadership meetings, obtained in transcribed form and verified by the Times, reveal that al-Hayya asked Izadi to strike sensitive sites in Israel in “the first hour” of the attack.

The documents further reveal that Hamas also intended to convene with Hezbollah’s then-leader Hassan Nasrallah, but that the meeting was postponed. It was not clear whether a later meeting was held in person.

According to the recordings, Izadi said that Iran and Hezbollah sanctioned the attack in principle, but that more time was needed “to prepare the environment.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

“Early this morning, Israeli authorities informed my national security team that a mission they conducted in Gaza likely killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. DNA tests have now confirmed that Sinwar is dead. This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world.

“As the leader of the terrorist group Hamas, Sinwar was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Israelis, Palestinians, Americans and citizens from over 30 countries. He was the mastermind of the October 7 massacres, rapes and kidnappings. It was on his orders that Hamas terrorists invaded Israel to intentionally—and with unspeakable savagery—kill and massacre civilians, a Holocaust survivor, children in front of their parents, and parents in front of their children.

“Over 1,200 people were killed on that day, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, including 46 Americans. More than 250 were taken hostage, with 101 still missing. That number includes seven Americans, four of whom are believed to still be alive and held by Hamas terrorists. Sinwar is the man most responsible for this, and for so much of what followed.

“Shortly after the October 7 massacres, I directed Special Operations personnel and our intelligence professionals to work side-by-side with their Israeli counterparts to help locate and track Sinwar and other Hamas leaders hiding in Gaza.

“With our intelligence help, the IDF relentlessly pursued Hamas’s leaders, flushing them out of their hiding places and forcing them onto the run. There has rarely been a military campaign like this, with Hamas leaders living and moving through hundreds of miles of tunnels, organized in multiple stories underground, determined to protect themselves with no care for the civilians suffering above ground. Today, however, proves once again that no terrorists anywhere in the world can escape justice, no matter how long it takes.

“To my Israeli friends, this is no doubt a day of relief and reminiscence, similar to the scenes witnessed throughout the United States after President Obama ordered the raid to kill Osama bin Laden in 2011.

“Israel has had every right to eliminate the leadership and military structure of Hamas. Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another October 7.

“I will be speaking soon with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to congratulate them, to discuss the pathway for bringing the hostages home to their families, and for ending this war once and for all, which has caused so much devastation to innocent people.

“There is now the opportunity for a ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Yahya Sinwar was an insurmountable obstacle to achieving all of those goals. That obstacle no longer exists. But much work remains before us.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

Five Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed fighting Hezbollah terrorists in Southern Lebanon, the military announced on Thursday.

The slain men were named as Maj. Ofek Bachar, 24, from Ness Ziona; Capt. Elad Siman Tov, 23, from Tzofim; Staff Sgt. Elyashiv Eitan Wieder, 22, from Yerushalayim; Staff Sgt. Yakov Hillel, 21, from Yerushalayim; and Staff Sgt. Yehudah Dror Yahalom, 21, from Chebron.

All five served in the Golani Brigade’s elite Reconnaissance Battalion.

Eight soldiers were wounded in Southern Lebanon on Wednesday and Thursday, while another sustained wounds in Gaza, the military added.

On Monday night, the IDF announced that Sgt. Koren Bitan, 19, was killed while fighting Hamas terrorists in the southern Gaza Strip.

One day earlier, Hezbollah terrorists killed four soldiers in a drone strike on the Golani Brigade training base near Binyamina. The IDF identified them as Sgt. Omri Tamari, 19, from Mazkeret Batya; Sgt. Yosef Hieb, 19, from Tuba-Zangariyye; Sgt. Yoav Agmon, 19, from Binyamina-Giv’at Ada; and Sgt. Alon Amitay, 19, from Ramot Naftali.

On Oct. 11, a soldier was killed in southern Gaza. Staff Sgt. Ittai Fogel, 22, served as a tank commander in the 46th Armored Battalion of the 401st “Iron Tracks” Brigade. He was from Yakir in Shomron.

On Oct. 10, three reservists were killed and two others seriously wounded when their vehicle hit an explosive in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza.

The slain men were named as Master Sgt. (res.) Ori Moshe Borenstein, 32, from Moreshet; Master Sgt. (res.) Tzvi Matityahu Marantz, 32, from Bnei Adam; and Maj. (res.) Netanel Hershkovitz, 37, from Yerushalayim. All three were part of the 5460th support unit of the 460th Brigade.

The total death toll among Israeli soldiers since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre now stands at 745, according to official figures.

Additionally, Ch. Insp. Arnon Zamora, a member of the Border Police’s Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit, was fatally wounded during a hostage-rescue mission in Gaza in June, and civilian defense contractor Liron Yitzhak was mortally wounded in the Strip in May.

(JNS)

“Today, Israel confirmed that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, is dead and justice has been served, and the United States, Israel, and the entire world are better off as a result.

“Sinwar was responsible for the killing of thousands of innocent people, including the victims of October 7 and hostages killed in Gaza. He had American blood on his hands.

“Today, I can only hope that the families of the victims of Hamas feel a sense and measure of relief.

“Sinwar was the mastermind of October 7, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust—a terrorist attack that killed 1,200 innocent people and included horrific sexual violence and more than 250 hostages taken into Gaza, including seven Americans, living and deceased, who remain in captivity; a terrorist attack that triggered a devastating war in Gaza—a war that has led to unconscionable suffering of many innocent Palestinians and greater instability throughout the Middle East.

“In the past year, American special operations and intelligence personnel have worked closely with their Israeli counterparts to locate and track Sinwar and other Hamas leaders, and I commend their work.

“And I will say to any terrorist who kills Americans, threatens the American people, or threatens our troops or our interests, know this: We will always bring you to justice.

“Israel has a right to defend itself, and the threat Hamas poses to Israel must be eliminated. Today, there is clear progress toward that goal.  Hamas is decimated, and its leadership is eliminated.

“This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza, and it must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.  And it is time for the day after to begin without Hamas in power.

“We will not give up on these goals, and I will always work to create a future of peace, dignity and security for all.”

(JNS)

“One year ago, Yahya Sinwar, the terrorist chief of Hamas, launched the October 7th massacre against Israel.

“It was the bloodiest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. It was the worst attack on the Jewish state since the founding of Israel.

“Sinwar’s terrorists murdered in cold blood 1,200 people. That’s elderly people, Holocaust survivors, children. They brutally raped women. They beheaded men. They burned babies alive. And they took 251 women, men and children hostage to the dungeons of Gaza.

“Today, the mastermind of this day of sheer evil is no more. Yahya Sinwar is dead. He was killed in Rafah by the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces.

“While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it’s the beginning of the end.

“To the people of Gaza, I have a simple message: This war can end tomorrow. It can end if Hamas lays down its arms and returns our hostages.

“Hamas is holding 101 hostages in Gaza, who are citizens of 23 countries; citizens of Israel, but citizens of many other countries. Israel is committed to doing everything in our power to bring all of them home. And Israel will guarantee the safety of all those who return our hostages.

“But to those who would harm our hostages, I have another message: Israel will hunt you down and bring you to justice.

“I also have a message of hope to the peoples of the region: The axis of terror that was built by Iran is collapsing before our eyes. [Hezbollah chief Hassan] Nasrallah is gone. His deputy [Fuad Shukr, aka Al-Hajj] Mohsen is gone. [Sinwar’s predecessor as Hamas chief Ismail] Haniyeh is gone. [Hamas ‘military’ commander Muhammed] Deif is gone. Sinwar is gone.

“The reign of terror that the Iranian regime has imposed on its own people and on the peoples of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen—this too will come to an end.

“All those who seek a future of prosperity and peace in the Middle East should unite to build a better future. Together, we can push back the forces of darkness and create a future of light and hope for all of us.”

(JNS)

The IDF spokesperson unveiled new details and footage from the death in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip, of Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas and the chief architect of the Oct. 7 massacre.

In a video, captured by an Israeli drone, shows Sinwar sitting on a couch inside a destroyed building. Upon noticing the drone hovering above him, Sinwar, who had lost a hand from earlier gunfire, throws a piece of wood at the drone in an effort to knock it down.

IDF soldiers at the scene of Sinwar’s elimination. Photo: Usage in accordance with Section 27A of the Copyright Law.

In his statement, the IDF spokesperson said: “For months, IDF and Shin Bet forces have been working to gather intelligence in order to eliminate Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organization and one of the founders of its [Al-Qassam Brigades] ‘military’ wing. Sinwar had been hiding in an area our forces surrounded for an extended period.

“We didn’t know he was there, but we continued to act with determination. The forces found Sinwar with a [tactical] vest, a pistol and 40,000 shekels [nearly $11,000] in cash. He tried to flee, and our forces eliminated him.”

Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar’s belongings when he died. Credit: IDF.

“There were no hostages with the terrorists we eliminated [Sinwar and two others, apparently his body guards],” the spokesperson clarified. “The forces are now scanning the area and are proceeding with the necessary caution.”

Regarding Sinwar’s earlier presence in the Rafah tunnel where the bodies of the six hostages, who were murdered in captivity, were discovered last month, he added: “After an investigation, we can confirm that Sinwar’s DNA was found in an underground tunnel, a few hundred meters from the tunnel where the hostages were killed.

“We had known Sinwar’s estimated location for some time despite the high level of secrecy that Hamas employed regarding his whereabouts,” military sources stated. “We knew he had been in Rafah, and we have been extracting information from underground tunnels there to understand where he was.”

(JNS)

Israel Defense Forces soldiers killed Hamas terror master Yahya Sinwar in a firefight in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Sinwar “was eliminated after hiding for the past year behind the civilian population of Gaza, both above and below ground in Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF and Shin Bet stated.

According to the announcement, increased military operations in southern Gaza in recent weeks “restricted Yahya Sinwar’s operational movement as he was pursued by the forces and led to his elimination.

“After completing the process of identifying the body, it can be confirmed that Yahya Sinwar was eliminated,” the statement to the press concluded.

The Israel Police positively identified the corpse of Sinwar, who was killed on Wednesday. The Hamas leader was reportedly identified by his teeth.

The Israel Defense Forces said earlier that it was investigating whether Sinwar was one of three terrorists killed by Israeli soldiers in the Palestinian enclave.

According to initial reports, the Hamas leader was killed by tank fire called in by IDF soldiers who had identified armed terrorists in a building.

When the soldiers subsequently searched the premises, they discovered that one of the bodies bore a striking resemblance to Sinwar.

“We will reach every terrorist and eliminate them,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tweeted on Thursday.

“You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword,” added Gallant, quoting Vayikra 26:7.

The X post included pictures of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated in an IDF strike in Beirut last month, and former Hamas “military”/Al-Qassam Brigades chief Mohammed Deif, who was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis in July.

Later on Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Ronen Bar held a situation assessment.

The military said that while no hostages were found in the building where the three terrorists were killed, “forces continue to operate with the necessary caution in the area.”

Netanyahu instructed the IDF to inform hostage families that there was no indication any hostages were hurt during the battle.

Efrat Machikawa, the niece of captive Gadi Moses, told JNS on Thursday, “I hope all Israelis including the government will remain modest and humble. While this is a military achievement, the most important thing remains saving lives, and by that I mean returning the hostages.”

While the Hamas leader’s elimination is “very important, I remain extremely concerned about [the hostages’] fate. They are in my head and my heart every second since Oct. 7. They are the only ones I think about,” Machikawa added.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid called on the Netanyahu government to “take advantage of the opportunity for a decisive move regarding the hostages.

“Strive for a comprehensive deal and offer monetary rewards and safe passage to anyone who brings captives to our forces,” he tweeted.

Qatari officials involved in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas have told family members of hostages that Sinwar had surrounded himself with captives.

Channel 12 reported that Sinwar had been hiding with the six hostages who were executed and then recovered by the IDF on Aug. 31. The hostages were identified as Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Almog Sarusi, 25, Alexander Lobanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Master Sgt. Ori Danino, 25.

Hamas still holds 101 hostages, including 97 of the 251 taken during the Palestinian terror group’s massacre of some 1,200 people in the northwestern Negev just over a year ago.

“We need to thank the IDF if Sinwar is indeed dead. It also means that there is a lot of anxiety regarding the fate of the 101 hostages,” Ruby Chen, the father of captive Itay Chen, told JNS on Thursday. “Now is the time to leverage this military action for a deal to get them out.

“We received an update from IDF sources confirming that there were no hostages in the vicinity with regards to the incident,” he continued. “My message is that now is the time to get a deal done and put an end to all of this.”

Earlier this month, Sinwar reportedly renewed contacts with mediators in Qatar to find out the chances that he could receive immunity in any ceasefire-for-hostages-and-terrorists-release deal.

Similarly, in August, Ynet reported that Sinwar wanted protection against the possibility of an Israeli assassination. “Sinwar insists on guarantees for his safety and life” a senior Egyptian official said.

Two threats from Qatar led to Sinwar’s emergence from a long silence, according to Channel 12.

Sinwar was convicted on multiple murder counts by an Israeli court and sentenced to five life sentences, which he was supposed to serve until his death. However, in October 2011, he was released from prison—having served 22 years—as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange.

Following his release, Sinwar gained power and popularity within Hamas, becoming its Gaza leader in 2017 by defeating Ismail Haniyeh in a vote.

In August, Sinwar was chosen to lead Hamas’s so-called political bureau, replacing Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran on July 31. JNS

{Matzav.com}