News Digest — 10/28/24
1 Killed, 5 Seriously Injured In Ramming Incident Near Tel Aviv
A truck rammed into a crowded bus stop on a major highway north of Tel Aviv Sunday morning (27th), leaving 1 dead and dozens wounded, with five in serious condition, in what police are investigating as a likely terror attack.
Emergency services rushed to the Gelilot Junction Sunday morning (27th) after a truck plowed into a busy bus stop, leaving dozens wounded. First responders treated multiple casualties, with preliminary reports indicating at least six people suffering serious injuries with several victims trapped beneath the wreckage.
“All casualties were evacuated,” Eli Bin, Director General of Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s emergency medical service, said right after the incident around noon. “We’re dealing with 23 injured people – seven moderate, six severe, and the rest have light injuries. Additionally 14 people were treated for anxiety.” The fatality was announced shortly after 2:30 p.m.
Law enforcement officials say they were investigating the incident as a suspected terror attack, although it was still unclear if the driver’s motive was nationalistic.
Police are still investigating the circumstances, focusing on terror motivations. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire in the area, apparently directed at an individual, the suspected perpetrator, Rammy Natur, a Qalansawe (Arab town in Israel) resident.
Hezbollah Beginning To Crack: Wave Of Desertions Threaten Lebanese Terror Group – Report
After over a year of launching aerial attacks against northern Israel, Hezbollah has reportedly begun to crack as the Iran-backed terror group has experienced a wave of desertions, sources told the Arabic independent online newspaper Elaph in a report published Sunday (27th).
Hezbollah’s membership was reportedly shaken after pager explosions saw 1000s of its members wounded, its leadership eliminated in Israeli airstrikes, including Hezbollah head Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and now an Israeli ground operation into southern Lebanon.
Those defecting, according to the source, are not reporting when summoned by senior terrorists and not waiting in their assigned locations. Other terrorists have reportedly fled to Syrian territory with their families, attempting to avoid any confrontation with Israel at close range.
Trying to survive its members’ abandonment, sources told Elaph that the terror group has begun sending reinforcements to southern Lebanon to confront Israeli soldiers.
As a result of combatants abandoning their posts, Hezbollah is now reportedly struggling to communicate with its men on the ground. There are also fears that the defections, now mainly a phenomenon in southern Lebanon, will spread to terrorists throughout the country, the source claimed.
The confrontations on the southern border and escape by Hezbollah combatants have reportedly left the group struggling to recruit new terrorists to fuel its fight against Israel.
Hezbollah began firing on Israel only a day after Hamas’ October 7 massacre in southern Israel – forming part of Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance.’ In addition to some soldiers, the rocket fire has killed a number of civilians, including 12 Druze children in Majdal Shams, and forced tens of thousands of Israelis to evacuate their homes.
The constant fire and increasing civilian toll eventually pushed the war cabinet to expand the goals of the Israel-Hamas war to include the safe return of Israel’s northern residents.
The ground operations, which were not without controversy from Israel’s Western allies and the United Nations, have seen numerous Hezbollah structures destroyed – including tunnels that would have enabled the terror group to reenact its own October 7 attacks in the North.
Israel Marks Official Anniversary Of Oct. 7 Attacks
Top Israeli Officials and bereaved families convened Sunday (27th) at Mount Herzl’s Great Leaders Plaza for the national memorial ceremony commemorating the fallen soldiers of the Iron Swords War. The ceremony drew President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Amir Ahama, Acting Supreme Court President Justice Yitzhak Amit, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff LTG Herzi Halevi, Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, cabinet ministers, and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion.
In his address, Netanyahu emphasized Israel’s unwavering commitment to its war objectives. “We find ourselves amid a prolonged, challenging existential war that demands painful sacrifices. Our pursuit of those responsible and their commanders will continue without respite. Through the valor of our exceptional fighters, we stand united against those who seek our destruction. Last Simchat Torah, we experienced an atrocity of biblical magnitude. No words can capture the depth of the horror, the unconscionable brutality, the abduction of civilians from their homes. Our response has been decisive, and we continue to respond with determination.”
Breaking his silence on recent military operations, Netanyahu addressed the strike on Iran. “When faced with a war of annihilation, we responded with a war of resurgence across seven fronts against the axis of evil. Our Air Force conducted operations throughout Iran, significantly degrading their defense capabilities and missile production facilities. To Iran’s citizens: Our conflict is not with you but with the oppressive regime controlling your country. The operation in Iran was executed with precision and methodology, achieving every intended objective. Significant challenges remain ahead. Today, we remember our hostages and our commitment to securing their return remains absolute.”
“A resolute new generation has emerged from Israel’s soil, carrying the banner ‘now it’s our turn.’ Future generations will study this era and draw strength from our resilience. On this hallowed day, we extend our embrace to the families of the fallen. Just as we prevailed in our War of Independence, with divine providence, we shall triumph in this war of renewal,” Netanyahu concluded.
President Herzog delivered his remarks against the backdrop of recent events in Gelilot. “For an entire year now, our lives have been enveloped in profound and continuous mourning for our sons and daughters lost in battle,” he said. Herzog shared a personal account of bidding farewell to Captain Roi Nahari, a 23-year-old paratrooper who fell defending Kfar Aza. “Throughout this past year, we have met thousands of bereaved families, both civilian and military. Each encounter revealed stories of valor and sacrifice – embodying the finest qualities of Israeli society,” Herzog reflected.
“Standing before you as President of Israel, I acknowledge that no words can mend a world torn asunder,” Herzog told the bereaved families, underscoring the nation’s unity in grief. “We witness an extraordinary generation, one that fulfills the ancient prophecy of rising ‘like a lion.’ These are individuals who abandoned everything – absolutely everything – to defend our collective home,” he added.
Herzog emphasized the imperative of returning the hostages, suggesting that the elimination of Yahya Sinwar and other senior commanders has created “a strategic opportunity that we must seize.” “The cry of our captive brothers resonates deeply. Their rescue represents our highest moral obligation without which our nation and state remain incomplete,” the president declared. He concluded by calling for strengthened national unity, highlighting the importance of supporting displaced communities and providing comprehensive care for the wounded and bereaved families.
The ceremony marks an official national day of mourning commemorating the Simchat Torah attack and the subsequent outbreak of the Iron Swords War. The decision to establish this additional memorial day, separate from the October 7 observance, sparked considerable public debate. While many bereaved families questioned the necessity of a second memorial day, Transportation Minister Miri Regev responsible for state ceremonies, maintained its importance.
Earlier in the day, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi reflected on the significance of the commemoration: “A nation’s quest for freedom in its homeland carries a heavy toll. The heroism of our fallen and wounded, both in body and spirit, has secured our continued existence.”
Our Enemies Thought They Could Break Us – Jason D. Greenblatt
In the wake of Oct. 7, when the unthinkable happened and Israel was brutally attacked, many Jews felt an overwhelming sense of abandonment from outside the Jewish world. We had long allied with and supported various groups, governments, and individuals who had spoken of friendship, support, and shared values. Yet when Jewish blood was spilled, the reactions of many were muted, ambiguous, or even hostile.
But in the year that followed, Jews of all stripes began to come together in ways we hadn’t seen in years. It was a unity based on mutual responsibility and survival. Suddenly, the divisions that often define Jewish discourse and politics seemed to fade, revealing a shared sense of peoplehood with an unwavering commitment to communal self-sufficiency.
Yes, we still disagree about important things. Yet, we know something more important: We are an eternal people who stand for our shared safety and prosperity. Our enemies have attempted to divide us, to sow fear and hatred. But in their efforts to harm us, they have inadvertently made us stronger and more determined.
We know that those who hate us, those who wish to see the Jewish people eradicated, will exploit any cracks in our coalition. If they can divide us, they believe they can destroy us. But we will not allow our disagreements to weaken our resolve or our commitment to each other. Our enemies thought they could do more than kill us – they thought they could break us. But they do not understand what it means to be Jewish. They only served to bring us closer together.
The writer, Assistant to the U.s. President and Special Representative for International Negotiations (2017-2019), played a key role in developing the Abraham Accords.
Israel Strike Could Create Deterrence – Ron Ben-Yishai
Israel has apparently inflicted severe damage on Iran’s air defense systems. It is reasonable to assume that they were significantly impaired in the initial wave of attacks, given that the Iranians barely intercepted any missiles or Israeli fighter jets. With its air defenses neutralized in several critical areas, Iranian leaders will have to carefully consider whether to launch a strong attack on Israel and risk a counter response they cannot stop.
The Israeli strike was deliberately designed to offer the Iranian regime the option to avoid retaliation. The IDF spokesperson explicitly stated the strike was “focused,” and Israel has no interest in prolonging the exchange of blows.
The Israeli strikes aimed to achieve a tangible impact on Iranian military capabilities, a clear signal to the regime that it is exposed and vulnerable, which strengthens deterrence, and a severe blow to its prestige in the eyes of its citizens, all while carefully giving Tehran a “ladder to climb down from the tree,” providing a justification to halt the cycle of retaliation. Neither Israel, the U.S. nor Iran currently desires a regional war.
The strikes on facilities for the development and production of surface-to-surface missiles and rocket engines were carried out around 2:00 a.m., when no civilians were present. Attacks in Ilam and Khuzestan provinces targeted surface-to-surface missile launch facilities and arrays, from which ballistic missiles were launched at Israel in the two previous Iranian attacks.
Iran To Jail Citizens For Filming Its Military Humiliation
Iran is threatening to jail any citizens who share footage of Israel’s strikes, with authorities warning that distributing images or information to “hostile media affiliated with the Zionist regime could result in sentences ranging from one to ten years in prison” reports the Telegraph.
Despite the Islamic regime’s strict censorship laws, many Iranians continue to circumvent restrictions using VPNs, enabling access to social media platforms where footage of missiles flying over Tehran has been circulating.
Iran’s crackdown on Information-sharing comes as details of Saturday’s (26th) early morning Israeli strikes remain uncertain.
What is known is that the attacks targeted air defense systems and missile production facilities across Iran, though the precise number of targets and extent of damage have not been disclosed by the IDF.
Notably, there are no credible reports of Iranian air defenses successfully intercepting any Israeli missiles during the operation, or of fighter jets being scrambled to counter the threat.
While the Islamic Republic’s establishment attempts to downplay the strikes as ineffective and praise Iran’s air defenses, the regime faces mounting pressure from hardliners demanding retaliation.
However, Iran’s response-options appear limited. Having already launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel twice this year with minimal impact, and lacking an effective air force, the country’s retaliatory capabilities are largely restricted to medium-range ballistic missiles of uncertain accuracy.
According to Iran International, while the Islamic Republic possesses approximately 3,000 missiles at its disposal, the core issue isn’t weapon availability but rather Iran’s vulnerability to Israeli counterstrikes.
Any significant retaliation could prompt Israel to target critical economic infrastructure, particularly Iran’s domestic oil refineries.
The destruction of even one of Iran’s two major refineries could trigger serious domestic problems as winter approaches.
Furthermore, Iran’s traditional strategy of confronting Israel through its terror proxies has also shown signs of weakening.
Both Hezbollah and Hamas have been significantly degraded by recent Israeli operations, with Hezbollah unable to launch the massive rocket barrages that many analysts feared could overwhelm Israeli air defenses.
Pilots Who Led Strikes On Iran: ‘An Honor To Fly Through The Dark For Israel’
“It was an honor to fly through the dark desert, knowing every moment in the air was a step toward a new dawn for Israel.”
These are the words of Lt.Col. “Y,” commander of the 119 Squadron, breaking his silence on the harrowing details of Operation Days of Repentance, the mission that marked Israel’s largest strike on Iran in decades.
On the morning of October 26, pilots from 201 Squadron launched three waves of airstrikes targeting critical Iranian military sites. The operation targeted air defense batteries, a UAV production facility, and missile manufacturing sites.
This intense series of strikes was a direct response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel earlier in the month, which escalated tensions between the two nations. By dawn, all Israeli aircraft had safely returned, in what the IDF described as a highly successful mission.
For the pilots involved, the mission was not just a professional operation but a personal testament to their commitment to the defense of Israel.
“The Bat Squadron has operated continuously across all combat fronts this past year, day and night, through fog and haze,” said Lt. Col. “Y.”
“This mission was no different, but the strike felt higher. Every second in that cockpit felt like a lifetime.”
Alongside Lt. Col. “Y,” the mission was co-led by Maj. “N.” and Maj. “S.,” two of the squadron’s most experienced pilots.
Maj. “N.,” who had recently served as deputy commander of the squadron, navigated this high-stakes mission – a role she first trained for under Lt. Col. “Y.,” years prior.
“Yesterday, we came full circle,” she reflected, describing the unique partnership they shared during the operation.
For Maj. “S.,” a lone soldier from Chicago, the mission was a realization of his Zionist values.
“This is why I came here – to defend the country that has become my home,” he said. “Flying through the darkness, carrying out this mission for Israel, is something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.”
Their collective experience reflects years of commitment and training, qualities Lt. Col. “Y.” credits for their skill in executing such a complex mission. “Their service has molded them into sharp, capable leaders and fighters. It was an honor to fly alongside them.”
Operation Days of Repentance stands as a reminder of Israel’s determination to protect its people in the face of growing threats in the region. As Lt. Col. “Y.” put it, “We will continue as long as necessary until peace and security are restored for our citizens, the evacuees return to their homes, and the hostages are reunited with their families.”
For these pilots, speaking out now brings into sharp focus the quiet resolve and immense dedication behind Israel’s air force.
