News Digest — 6/25/26
Netanyahu: ‘There Are Times You Must Tell Even The US President What We Stand For’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Federation of Local Authorities In Israel Conference on Wednesday (24th), defending the major military decisions made during the war and vowing that Israel will continue to act independently against threats from Iran, Hezbollah and other enemies.
Speaking about the situation in Lebanon, Netanyahu said Israel’s operations have dramatically changed the security reality in the north.
“It’s true Hezbollah is still in Lebanon, but there is something else there now. Today, there is a security zone there that prevents Hezbollah and its remnants from invading the Galilee, because that was the plan.”
“We are destroying all of the underground infrastructure. I was there in southern Lebanon and I saw it; it’s unbelievable. It is simply different,” he added.
The prime minister noted that Israel still faces significant challenges particularly the threat posed by explosive drones.
“We still have work to do, especially on what I call the ‘Manhattan Project – we will be the first in the world to solve the explosive drone problem, which is a global issue, and we are solving it,” he stated.
Responding to critics who opposed the continuation of military operations, Netanyahu argued that Israel’s achievements came precisely because it refused to stop prematurely.
“If we had followed your suggestion to stop at Rafah, we would have gotten nada, zero, gornisht, nothing Zero, That is not who we are,” he said.
Netanyahu also addressed Israel’s operations in Syria, saying that despite warnings from opponents, Israel acted decisively.
“They told us not to enter; they said it wasn’t wise. We entered with all our might, and we also saved our Druze brothers, whom I salute,” he said. “We will protect our Druze brothers and we will never abandon them.”
Turning to Iran, Netanyahu said Preventing the Islamic Republic from obtaining nuclear weapons has been one of the defining missions of his life.
“Over the years, I have dedicated most of my adult life to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons; I saw it as an existential threat to our survival,” he said.
“I do not want the thousands-of-years-old existence of the Jewish people to be cut short by these Ayatollahs acquiring nuclear weapons.”
Netanyahu said that while Israel had carried out numerous covert operations inside Iran over the years, he ultimately made the decision to launch a direct military campaign despite warnings from opponents.
“They told us: ‘A military operation in Iran? You are forbidden from doing that. Eliminating the leadership of Iran? No, mo mot that.’ So I did not listen to them, and led Operation Rising Lion,” Netanyahu said.
Explaining the name of the operation, he added: “I chose this name, ‘A people shall rise like a lion’ – because we have a nation of lions and an army of lions.”
Netanyahu revealed that he informed US President Donald Trump ahead of the operation, but did not request approval.
“I told him: ‘We are going into Iran, because I am not waiting for these oppressors who declare openly that they want to destroy us. I will not let that happen. Therefore we are taking action.’ I didn’t ask for permission; I simply informed him of our plan,” he said.
The prime minister also recalled his disagreement with the Biden administration over the operation in Rafah.
“When they told me , ‘Do not enter Rafah,’ the President of the United States said he would halt the weapons supply,” Netanyahu said. “I said I respect him very much, and he even came here at the beginning of the war, but we have no choice, we will enter – and if we must, we will fight with our fingernails.”
“Because there are moments when you must know how to tell even the President of the United States what we stand for,” he added.
Netanyahu criticized those who opposed Israel’s military moves and now claim the achievements were insufficient.
“The very same people who told us don’t enter Gaza, don’t enter Rafah, don’t enter Lebanon, don’t enter Syria, don’t enter Iran… today, they come and tell us, ‘But you didn’t finish the job,” he said.
“They who wanted zero, come and tell us, ‘You didn’t achieve 100% – only 80-90%.’”
Not Just Lebanon: Iran Pushing To Include Gaza In US Nuke Deal
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a senior Hamas official that Tehran is raising Israel’s actions in Gaza during its ongoing negotiations with the United States, according to a Hamas statement issued after a phone call between the two sides.
Hamas said Araghchi spoke Tuesday (23rd) with Basem Naim, deputy head of the group’s Office for Arab and Islamic Relations, as Iran and the US continue talks aimed at turning a recently reached framework agreement into a final deal.
According to Hamas, the two discussed “the latest developments in the Iran-US negotiations and the Palestinian issue, particularly developments related to the Gaza Strip.”
Naim congratulated Tehran on what the group described as “ the achievement of the framework agreement.”
He also expressed Hamas’ appreciation for Iran’s “steadfastness in confronting the American-Zionist aggression” and praised the Islamic Republic’s “firm and unwavering position on the Palestinian cause and its continued support for the Palestinian people.”
Hamas said Naim stressed the importance of maintaining Iranian support for Palestinians, “especially for the Gaza Strip, as the Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people continues despite the ceasefire signed in Sharm el-Sheikh last October.”
Araghchi said Iran “will continue supporting the Palestinian people and their just cause until they attain all of their legitimate national rights.”
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran’s negotiating team is bringing up Gaza in its international diplomacy and in the talks with Washington.
“He explained that the Iranian leadership, expressed by its negotiating delegation, raises the issue of the continuing Zionist aggression against Gaza, the occupation’s ongoing violations, despite the signing of the ceasefire, in all international forums, as well as with the mediators and the American side during the ongoing negotiations,” Hamas said.
Araghchi also called for “broad international political action” against Israel, “especially in the Gaza Strip,” the group said.
The call came as Washington and Tehran are engaged in a high-stakes diplomatic process following an interim memorandum of understanding intended to halt the wider regional war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Last week the White House had sent Congress the text of a 14-point interim US-Iran agreement, which gives the sides up to 60 days to negotiate a final deal.
The draft agreement says the US and Iran and their allies in the current war, would declare the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon,” and would commit not to initiate military action against each other. It also addresses the removal of the US naval blockade, Iranian oil exports, frozen assets, sanctions and future talks over Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran has demanded that the emerging deal with the US include explicit steps to prevent Israel from using military force against Hezbollah terrorists and a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
IDF Surrounds Hezbollah Fighters In Village Of Tebnit As Fears Rise Of Possible Kidnapping Attempt
Amid growing concerns over a potential kidnapping attempt in southern Lebanon, Israeli security officials said Tuesday (23rd) that senior officials reviewed the situation involving dozens of Hezbollah terrorists trapped in the village of Tebnit.
The IDF recently succeeded in cornering dozens of Hezbollah terrorists in an underground complex in Tebnit. Shortly thereafter, troops managed to seal off the entrances to the underground system, and messages were subsequently relayed to Israel through various mediating parties in an effort to secure the safe exit of those inside.
According to a security source, “Israel’s response to all mediating parties was clear: surrender or be killed inside the underground system.
Additional sources involved in the details of the negotiations told Walla that under the current ceasefire framework, the militants have the option to surrender to the IDF, but at this stage, they are choosing to remain inside the underground system.
“Things can change in an instant, but until then, it is important to understand that Israel sees significance in an effective model that will enable the demilitarization of the area from militants and Hezbollah terror infrastructure. Therefore, the focus is on a pilot program,” a source familiar with the details told Walla.
The source added that a similar scenario previously unfolded with Hamas operatives who were trapped in Rafah, and who ultimately were forced to emerge and either fight or surrender.
Meanwhile, concern is rising among Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon that Radwan Force operatives in the area, who are currently avoiding direct confrontations and close-range engagements with Israeli troops, may attempt to identify an operational opportunity on the ground and carry out a kidnapping attack against IDF soldiers in order to facilitate negotiations.
Troops on the ground have been briefed and instructed to move in pairs or groups of three at all times, and to ensure rapid coordination between air and ground forces in the event of an attempted attack or assault on a tank, armored vehicle, jeep, or building.
A military source told Walla that “Some of Hezbollah’s underground systems in southern Lebanon could be intended to facilitate a kidnapping attack during an assault on IDF soldiers and assist in escape or holding captives.” The source emphasized that most of the entrances to the underground systems are camouflaged and difficult to locate.
Colombia’s President-Elect Vows To Work With Israel Like Never Before
Colombia’s new right-wing president-elect Abelardo De la Espriella said Wednesday (24th) that his country and Israel will share a relationship “like never before” once he takes office.
Del la Espriella won Sunday’s (21st) runoff presidential vote by less than a percentage point and has promised to strengthen the South American country’s ties to the United States and Israel.
Bogota’s relations with Jerusalem nosedived under Colombia’s first-ever leftist government led by President Gustavo Petro, an ardent critic of israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which he cast as a genocide – a charge vehemently denied by Israel.
Petro severed diplomatic ties, halted coal exports and suspended the purchase of weaponry from Israel – formerly one of Colombia’s main military partners. Colombia had long depended on Israel for military hardware that includes assault rifles, intelligence equipment and even fighter jets.
De la Espriella has said he will reverse these decisions, and one of his main campaign pledges was to “renew a strategic alliance with the State of Israel,” open an embassy in Jerusalem, and “defend the Judeo-Christian principles that form the foundation of Western civilization.”
“Colombia will restore and strengthen its relationship with the State of Israel like never before,” the millionaire lawyer posted on X following a phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideom Sa’ar.
In his own post, Sa’ar called De la Espriella “a true friend of the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” and said his win “creates hope and possibility for a better future.”
Nicknamed “The Tiger.” De la Espriella holds dual Colombian and US citizenship. He is a Trump supporter and a member of the US Republican Party. He has never held public office before and will take the reins from Petro in August.
Colombia is enduring the worst levels of violence in a decade, and the president-elect won the election by looking to shrink the size of the state, conduct a bombing campaign against Colombia’s myriad armed groups and review the Latin American country’s involvement in international organizations including the United Nations.
He wants to build 10 mega-prisons where people would be held underground and fed only “bread and water.”
In an interview with AFP during the campaign, he said he would seek US and Israeli support to conduct bombing campaigns on guerrillas.
Experts consulted by AFP have cast doubt on De la Espriella’s ability to fulfill his promises.
He’s taking the helm of a deeply divided country, with the political left – which won almost half the votes on Sunday (21st) – threatening massive protests against his policies, including his vow to restore ties with Israel.
Iran Steps Up Hangings Of Dissidents – Henna Moussavi
At least 45 people have been executed in Iran this year on political charges, ranging from spreading propaganda to espionage, according to human-rights groups and Iranian state media. Other loosely-defined capital offenses used against political dissenters include “enmity against God” and “corruption on Earth.”
Most of the death sentences have been carried out in the past three months, as the authorities have hurried to send a message that dissent won’t be tolerated. In addition to the hangings, thousands of alleged traitors and spies have been arrested in recent months, according to Ahmad-Reza Radan, head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Command. (Wall Street Journal)
(wsj.com)
