News Digest — 8/13/26
‘We Will Not Withdraw:’ Katz’s Order To The IDF In Lebanon
Minister of Defense Israel Katz on Wednesday (12th) visited IDF forces operating in the Lebanese villages that border Israel.
During the visit, Minister Katz received a comprehensive review from the commanders of both overt and covert operational activities in the area and discussed with them the necessary preparations for continuing the campaign against Hezbollah. Katz later spoke with soldiers in the field, voiced appreciation for their fight against the terrorists, and praised the operational achievements they accumulated.
During the visit, the Defense Minister instructed the military to prepare administratively and operationally for a long-term stay in the territory, while ensuring that the area is cleared of terrorists and underground infrastructure.
“We see here the Beaufort Ridge after the tunnels were destroyed. The IDF conducted a maneuver here through the Litani in a heroic operation and, with great skill, defeated Hezbollah and took the Beaufort, which defends Metula and the communities of the north and of IDF soldiers and threatens all Hezbollah areas on the horizon,” Katz stated.
Katz affirmed: “As the Prime Minister and I clarified unequivocally, we are not withdrawing from this security zone. I am standing here in the heart of the security zone, from the sea in the west to the Beaufort area and the slopes of Mount Hermon in the east. The IDF is here to defend the northern communities and its forces; we will clear out this entire area, and we will ensure security for the residents of the north. Under no circumstances will we withdraw from the security zones: not in Lebanon, not in Syria, and not in Gaza. The lesson learned from October 7th is that we are protecting the residents by the IDF being here, in these places, and protecting them from invasions, shooting, and everything else. This is our chance; this is our policy; this is our approach.”
Katz added: “The Beaufort fortress illustrates more than anything else the significance of this policy: we are up here, they are down there; the residents are protected, the IDF is inside, and 20,000 residents are outside. We are destroying the underground infrastructure and all the terrorist infrastructure they built with Iranian backing to invade the Galilee, and we are destroying all the homes in the area. This is our policy. We will continue it and will in no way allow jihadist enemies of this kind to threaten our residents on our borders. We are up here, they are down there, the residents are outside, the soldiers are inside, and the homes are destroyed.”
Katz was accompanied on the visit by Deputy Chief of Staff MG Tamir Yadai, Northern Command Chief MG Rafi Milo, 36th Division commander BG Yiftah Norkin, Defense Minister’s Military Secretary BG Hisham Ibrahim, and other commanders in the field.
IDF Reports Details, Daily Hamas Violations Of Trump’s Gaza Plan – Ativan Cohen
The IDF prepares a daily report detailing all Hamas violations of President Trump’s 20-point Gaza Plan. Israel sends the report to Washington to demonstrate the gap between Hamas’ public commitment to the agreement and its actions on the ground. The main violations include Hamas’ failure to disarm, continued smuggling of weapons and materials used to manufacture weapons; rebuilding underground military infrastructure; continued exercise of authority in Gaza through checkpoints and armed police forces; preparing attacks against IDF troops; planting explosive devices; recruitment, equipping and training; intelligence gathering and surveillance.
In 24 hours from Aug. 8-Aug.9, the IDF documented 14 ceasefire violations, 11 of which were classified as a “developing threat to IDF forces.” Two incidents involved the transfer of weapons, along with one incident in which an explosive device was planted near the Yellow Line
Hamas Announces Intention To Run In PA Elections
Hamas intends to run in upcoming Palestinian Authority (PA) legislative elections as part of the widest possible unified coalition, a senior official in the terror organization’s political bureau stated Wednesday (12th)
Speaking in an interview with Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV, Hussam Badran asserted that the terror group – along with most Arab factions in the PA – rejects imposing “political conditions or requiring participants to adopt a specific political program.”
Badran claimed that the PA’s Central Elections Commission and judicial bodies are functioning “to ensure Palestinians can freely choose their political program.”
Framing the upcoming vote as a pivotal turning point, Badran described the elections as a “historic opportunity” to alter the political status quo and “end two decades of unilateral decision-making on national affairs” by PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ ruling Fatah faction.
He argued that elections were severely overdue, accusing Ramallah leadership of setting dates and guidelines unilaterally rather than through detailed factional consensus, as he claimed occurred prior to the 2006 and 2021 election cycles.
Badran maintained that local residents hold “an inherent right” to select their leadership, whether through parliamentary elections within the PA or through voting for the Palestinian National Council – which he termed the “broader representative body for Palestinians.”
In July, Abbas signed a decree scheduling parliamentary elections for November 28, 2026, to be followed by the convening of the National Council and Presidential elections in 2027.
Abbas. 90, originally secured the PA chairmanship in 2005 under a four-year mandate that technically expired in 2009.
The Palestinian Legislative Council has remained completely non-functional since 2007, following Hamas’ violent military coup in the Gaza Strip that fractured the PA. Abbas officially dissolved the parliament in 2018. The last PA legislative elections took place in 2006.
Since the 2007 schism, the political structure has remained split: Hamas has maintained administrative and military control over Gaza while the Fatah-dominated PA retains civilian administration in Judea and Samaria.
General elections in the PA were scheduled for 2021, but Abbas officially announced that they would be postponed, likely due to fears that he would once again lose to Hamas.
The Arab-Islamic Formula For “peace”: Ignore Hamas, Blame Israel – Khaled Abu Toaneh
Foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries gathered in Jordan Aug. 5-6 to issue yet another series of condemnations of Israel. They included the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Reading their statements, one could easily conclude that there is only one party responsible for violence, instability, and suffering in the Middle East: Israel.
Hamas? Barely relevant. Palestinian terrorism and incitement against Israel? Not on the agenda. The need to dismantle Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups? Evidently not a priority. What about Iran, the principal sponsor of Islamist terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East? What about Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen?
This selective outrage is dangerous. By concentrating their attacks on Israel while largely ignoring Iran and Islamist terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, Arab Islamist governments are reinforcing the extremists’ narrative that Israel, rather than jihadist terrorism and Iranian interference, is the principal source of instability in the Middle East.
Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan are members of Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace . If they want to play a constructive role, they should start by telling Hamas publicly: “The game is over. Hand over your weapons, dismantle your military and security apparatuses, and relinquish control over Gaza.” Instead their statements send Hamas exactly the opposite message: that Israel, and not the terrorist group that initiated the Oct. 7 war, remains the principal culprit.
Arab and Islamic governments also repeated their support for the establishment of an “independent, sovereign Palestinian state” and described a two-state solution” as the only path toward peace. Do the Arabs and Muslims – or the Europeans – really believe that creating a Palestinian state would automatically produce peace? Who would prevent Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from taking over such a state? Who would prevent Iran or Turkey from supplying Palestinian proxies with weapons, money and training?
Peace will not come from ignoring Hamas, demonizing Israel and Jews, or repeating slogans about a “two-state solution” as though Oct. 7had never happened. It will come only when the international community – including Arab and Islamic countries – makes it clear that armed jihadist organizations cannot be allowed to control Palestinian territory, possess private armies, or determine the future of Israelis and Palestinians through terrorism. (Gatestone Institute)
Central American Parliament Establishes Israel Alliance As Push For Observer Status Gathers Steam
The head of the Central American Parliament is working to grant Israel observer status as early as next month, she said on Tuesday (11th) as the regional political body established its first-ever alliance with Israel.
The initiative comes amid growing Israeli inroads in the region as several Latin American countries reshape their alliances toward the United States and Israel.
In a move to advance the diplomatic push for Israel to gain observer status, the Washington-based Israel Allies Foundation launched its latest Israel Allies Caucus at the Central American Parliament on Tuesday (11th), institutionalizing the relationship between Israel and the parliamentary body.
Central American Parliament President Karla Gutierrez told JNS on Tuesday (11th) that she would lobby lawmakers to approve the move as early as next month.
The Guatemala-based organization, founded in 1991, comprises 124 lawmakers representing 60 million people and works to foster regional integration, peace and cooperation.
The legislative body includes representatives from six member states: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
Several other countries and territories have observer status, including Morocco, China, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Mexico.
Granting Israel observer status would require a two-thirds majority vote among lawmakers.
“I am committed to strengthening the bonds of friendship, cooperation, and mutual understanding between our peoples while advancing the democratic and Judeo-Christian values that unite us,” said Gutierrez. “It is both a privilege and a responsibility to help build a closer partnership with Israel that will benefit our region for generations to come.”
JNS first reported the initiative last month. The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined to comment on Tuesday (11th).
“The establishment of the Israeli Allies Caucus at the Central American Parliament represents a historic milestone for the relationship between Israel and Central America,” said Leopoldo Martinez, Latin America director of the Israel Allies Foundation.
“For the first time, the entire region will have a permanent parliamentary platform dedicated to strengthening cooperation with Israel through faith-based diplomacy, shared democratic principles, and common Judeo-Christian values.”
“This marks a defining moment for faith-based diplomacy in the region,” said Josh Reinstein, president of the Israeli Allies Foundation. “Through this caucus we are actively advancing Israel’s recognition as an Observer State of the Central American Parliament, an unprecedented diplomatic breakthrough that would open a new chapter for Israel in Central America.”
(jns.org)
Israeli AI Orange-Picking Robot Could Revolutionize Citrus Farming
An Israeli startup is developing a citrus-harvesting robot that could transform agricultural work by reducing the need for human laborers to perform the arduous task of picking oranges, lemons and other fruit.
Nanovel, an Israeli agricultural technology company, is developing a system that uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to identify ripe citrus fruit and direct robotic arms to harvest it without damaging either the fruit or the tree.
Speaking to i24NEWS,Nanovel CEO Isaac Mazur said the company is currently developing technology that would allow robotic arms to locate and remove citrus fruit from trees, with AI helping the system determine which fruit is ready to be harvested and how best to pick it.
Mazur described AI as the robot’s “eyes and brain,” explaining that cameras allow the system to identify individual pieces of fruit and determine the best way to grip and harvest them.
One of the primary challenges facing automated fruit harvesting is avoiding damage to the crop. Farmers must carefully remove fruit without bruising or otherwise damaging it, making the development of sufficiently precise robotic systems particularly important.
Nanovel is initially focusing on oranges, which Mazur said are relatively well suited to robotic harvesting because of their size, visibility and durability.
“Oranges are what we call the low-hanging fruit,” Mazur said. “It’s large, it’s very visible, and it’s tough to pick for a human being. It’s okay for a robot”
Mazur also highlighted one advantage of robotic workers over their human counterparts when asked about the challenges involved in having a machine perform the physically demanding work.
“The robot,” he quipped, “doesn’t complain and simply does the job as it’s been trained.”
If successfully commercialized, the technology could help address labor shortages while lowering the cost and physical demands associated with citrus harvesting. It could also allow farmers to operate more efficiently during harvesting seasons when large numbers of workers are required to collect the fruit quickly,
The potential economic impact is significant for Israel’s agricultural sector. In 2023, Israel exported $272 million worth of citrus fruits, both fresh and dried, highlighting the importance of the crop to the country’s agricultural economy.
Citrus is also a major component of Israel’s broader fruit industry, which is valued at approximately $6 billion annually.
