News Digest — 3/4/25
IDF Strikes Military Compound In Northern Syria
The IDF, Monday night, (3rd) targeted a military site, Qardaha in the mountains of Latakia province in northwest Syria, where weapons belonging to the previous regime were stored.
According to an IDF statement, the attack was carried out “due to recent developments in the area.” The statement added that the IDF continues to monitor the situation in Syria and will take all necessary measures to protect Israeli civilians.
Syrian sources said the raids struck three former Syrian army assets, a radar station north of the city, a weapons depot and a berth near Syria’s Mediterranean port of Tartus, which is driving distance away from Latakia.
Syrian state news agency SANA also confirmed the strikes in the vicinity of Tartus, which it said caused no casualties.
Roughly two hours after the Tartus strike, Al-Jazeera reported another Israeli attack in the Janta area, near the Syrian-Lebanon border. The IDF has previously carried out strikes in this region to prevent arms smuggling by Hezbollah
Meanwhile Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented on recent statements by Israeli leaders extending IDF protection over Syria’s Druze community against government forces and the demilitarization of the southern border region. Without mentioning Israel by name, Erdogan said, “Those who seek to benefit from Syria’s instability must know they will not achieve their goals. We will not allow Syria to be divided as they envision.”
His remarks followed warnings issued by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday (2nd), cautioning the Syrian government against harming the Druze population in the city of Jaramana, near Damascus. “We will not allow the extremist Islamic regime in Syria to harm the Druze. If they do, they will face consequences,” the two officials warned.
Since the fall of the regime of former president Bashar Assad, Israel has maintained ties with Syria’s Druze community. The Foreign Ministry recently delivered 8,000 humanitarian aid packages to Syrian Druze, each valued at approximately $80.
The Israeli warning to Syria came against the backdrop of escalating clashes in Jaramana between government forces and Druze armed groups. Arab media reported that Syrian government security forces launched an operation around the city after one of their members was killed by gunmen.
A Druze resident of Jaramana described the situation as “very dire,” and called on Israel to intervene. Speaking to Ynet, he said, “We need Israel to act as soon as possible. We cannot live in an Islamic state, and we do not want one. The situation is terrible–there is no water or electricity. We buy drinking water, and we stay up at night to protect our families.”
Despite Syria’s change in leadership, Israel continues to carry out strikes across the country. Under the Assad regime, Israel’s attacks targeted Iranian entrenchment efforts as well as Syrian military infrastructure. In recent days, Israel has reportedly conveyed to Syria’s new leadership that it expects the border region–from Damascus soutjhward–to remain demilitarized.
“Any attempt by Syrian regime forces or terrorist organizations to establish a presence in the southern security zone will be met with fire,” Defense Minister Katz warned following Israel’s latest strikes.
Why Israel Doesn’t Trust Hamas’ Hostage Deal Proposals – Ariel Kahana
Israel refuses to accept Hamas’ demands to end the war in exchange for all hostages, citing a fundamental lack of trust that the organization would honor such an agreement. A diplomatic source told Israel Hayom that Hamas leadership understands the remaining hostages represent their final insurance policy against complete destruction.
“It is unrealistic to expect they would genuinely commit to an agreement, or subsequently honor it. If it includes releasing all hostages,” the source explained, “Israel and the terrorist organization appear deadlocked over the talks to proceed to Phase 2 of the hostage deal, days after Phase 1 was completed.” The diplomatic source believes Hamas will instead employ delay tactics during negotiations or demand robust international guarantees, such as a Security Council resolution, that would effectively prevent Israel from resuming military operations afterward.
This assessment explains why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues pursuing a phased approach to hostage releases. “We learned on October 7 that we are not dealing with idiots. They understand that returning all hostages would end their protection, which is why we don’t believe that’s their actual intention,” the diplomatic source said.
The source revealed that Israel has developed a graduated pressure campaign against Hamas, including the previously reported measures to restrict electricity and water supplies to Gaza. According to the source, additional civilian and military measures have been prepared, with full-scale war resumption representing the most extreme option. The senior Israeli official emphasized that current government actions aim primarily to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages rather than destroying the organization outright.
However, the source made it clear there are limits to Israel’s patience, stressing, “We will not permit a ceasefire without hostage releases. The current situation cannot continue indefinitely.”
Houthis Eye Renewed Attacks As Damage Caused By Israeli Airstrikes Revealed
Senior Houthi figures have once again stated that they are preparing to resume missile and drone launches toward Israel due to the Israel-Hamas stalemate over the continuation of a hostage deal and the potential reignition of armed conflict between the sides. But they might want to check out Google Maps first, considering the current state of their port following Israeli airstrikes.
Recent updates to Google Maps provide a remarkably clear view of the heavy damage to the port of Hodeidah, including its fuel facilities and petrochemical infrastructure. Satellite images vividly capture the extensive destruction inflicted on Yemen, particularly at the Hodeidah port.
Israel has targeted the Houthis in Yemen five times during the ongoing conflict. The most recent strike occurred on January 10. The initial attack took place on July 20, 2023, followed by additional strikes on September 29, December 19, and December 26. The port of Hodeidah was repeatedly hit in these airstrikes.
On Sunday, (2nd) senior Houthis official Nasser al-Din Amer issued a warning on his X account: “Our eyes are on Gaza, our hands are on the trigger, and our missiles, drones and all military units are on high alert. The directive from our leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, is clear.”
Another Houthi official, Hazem al-Assad, added that American interests could also become targets. “If the war in Gaza resumes, we are ready for a full-scale war against US interests in the region, should the United States attempt to defend Israel, support its aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza, or attack our nation.”
On Friday (2/28), during his near-weekly speech, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi also issued threats, specifically referencing Israel’s decision not to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor. “The enemy’s refusal to withdraw from Rapha represents a serious breach of the agreement,” he said. “If the war in Gaza resumes, the entire Zionist entity, starting with Tel Aviv, will be under fire. We will intervene and provide support through various military means.”
When Arabs Kill Arabs, No One Bats An Eye
Lual Ahmed, a Yemeni-born Swedish journalist active on social media, told the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) last week, “I ask the UN, the Arab League, and everyone who has been waving the Palestinian flag since Oct. 7: ‘Where is the flag of Yemen?’ Half a million people have died there in the last 10 years. The biggest famine and humanitarian crisis in modern history. Why does no one care when half a million Yemenis die?” Ahmed also referenced Sudan and Syria where there are ongoing humanitarian crises, accusing the UN body of only acknowledging such crimes where Israel could be blamed.
“Why is it, when Arabs kill millions of Arabs, no one bats an eye? Why does your report mention Israel 188 times – yet fails to mention the Islamic Republic in Iran even once? How can you speak about the Gaza conflict while ignoring the party who armed, trained and founded the terror proxies – Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis – who have been bombing Israel thousands of times?”
Argentine President Milei To Visit Israel This Month
Argentina President Javier Milei is scheduled to visit Israel later this month in his second visit to the country in as many years.
The March 23 visit , which is to include a landmark address to the Knesset, comes as the Argentinian leader has emerged as one of Israel’s most vocal supporters, firmly aligning himself with both Jerusalem and Washington.
Milei is also expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Israeli officials.
The planned trip follows an invitation to formally address the Israeli parliament extended to Milei last month by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.
The South American leader has broken with decades of Argentinian foreign policy tradition by firmly siding with Israel since taking office over a year ago, propelling relations between the two nations to unprecedented heights.
Diplomatic ties between the two countries were first established 75 years ago.
Last year, in one of his first official trips as President, Milei paid a wartime solidarity visit to Israel, where he reiterated his pledge to move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem.
An iconoclast and political outsider, Milei was elected in November 2023 amid a burgeoning economic crisis and skyrocketing inflation that has long beleaguered the large South American country, which is making major strides toward recovery under his leadership.
A week after his election victory, he visited the United States for government meetings, stopping at the grave in New York of the late Lubavitcher Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. It was his third such visit that year.
Since taking office, he has listed Hamas as a terrorist organization and called out Iran’s terrorism, vowing to try in absentia Iranian suspects in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
Last month, Milei declared two days of national mourning for the Bibas children, Ariel, 4, and nine-month-old baby Kfir, who were murdered in captivity by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, along with their mother Shiri.
The family, which held Israeli, Argentine and German citizenship, had become symbols of the plight of the 250 hostages abducted by Hamas during the terrorist group’s October 7, 2023 massacre.
Israel Assumes Presidency Of IHRA, Marking 80 Years Since End Of Holocaust
Israel has assumed the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, replacing its predecessor, the UK, Yad Vashem announced on Monday (3rd),
The term will last one year, until February 2026, and will be chaired by Dani Dayan – Yad Vashem’s chairman.
Yad Vashem said the new leadership holds special significance given that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Holocaust, as well as the 25th anniversary of the IHRA’s establishment.
“We are at a crossroads of generations, and the responsibility of preserving the memory and sharing the stories of the Holocaust will soon rest solely on our shoulders,” said Dayan. “The voices of victims and survivors demand that we honor their legacy by standing firm against Holocaust denial, distortion, and hatred.”
Israel’s presidency will focus on the theme of “The Crossroads of Generations,” which encapsulates the need to adapt Holocaust education to a rapidly changing world, soon without Holocaust survivors and firsthand witnesses.
Yad Vashem added that, with new technologies, the IHRA can find novel ways to engage learners and preserve testimonies.
Israel will host two IHRA plenary sessions with delegations from member and observer states, first in June 2025 in Jerusalem at Yad Vashem and at the Foreign Ministry, and then in Haifa in December 2025.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said, “Today, 80 years after the end of World War II and the Holocaust, the State of Israel assumes the leadership of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
“It is our duty not only to remember the Holocaust but also to ensure the existence of the Jewish State, which serves as the guarantee of Jewish community for generations to come, while also preserving and passing on the memory of the Holocaust to future generations.
The IHRA is an intergovernmental organization comprising 35 member states, eight observer states, and nine partner organizations. The IHRA works to promote Holocaust education, research, and remembrance and to combat anti-Semitism. The IHRA definition of anti-Semitism has been accepted by 40 countries and 1,200 cultural and academic institutions worldwide.
