News Digest — 10/29/25
Israel Decides To Expand Its Area Of Control In Gaza
The area Israel controls in the Gaza Strip will be expanded beyond the so-called ‘yellow line.’ The decision was made Tuesday evening (28th) at the conclusion of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security consultation on responses to Hamas’ repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement.
The discussion included Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, MG (res) Nitzan Alon – who coordinates the intelligence effort on the captives and missing persons, and Shin Bet chief David Zini.
KAN News reported Tuesday evening (28th) that in recent days there were meetings between Israeli, Qatari, and American representatives in several Western countries attempting to find solutions to the crisis of violations of the agreement and the failure to return the fallen hostages.
Those trilateral talks also addressed which countries and actors would join an international force to operate in Gaza. According to an official, the mediators proposed that professional teams of representatives from five countries – the United States, Israel, Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt – enter the Strip to assist in locating the remains. However Israel demurred and only approved an Egyptian team to enter last Saturday (25th).
The IDF released footage on Tuesday (28th) showing Hamas operatives burying remains from the body of fallen hostage Ofir Tzarfati, whose body had been returned to Israel in a military operation about two years ago. After burying the remains, the militants staged their removal from the ground and then returned them to Israel through the Red Cross.
Meanwhile, families of murdered hostages demanded on Tuesday (28th) an immediate meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu “in light of Hamas’ violations, its abhorrent actions, the cynical use of the hostages and within that, the deception of the Red Cross.
The families said: “Hamas’ repeated violations and the IDF footage proves what we have said plainly and firmly. Hamas knows the locations of all the hostages and continues to act with contempt, deceiving the US and the mediators and violating the dignity of our loved ones. The government of Israel can not and must not ignore this and must act decisively against these violations. We demand an urgent, immediate meeting with the Prime Minister in which he will detail the full plan.”
IDF Carries Out Powerful Strikes In Gaza Following Hamas Ceasefire Breach, PMO Confirms
The IDF struck Hamas-used infrastructure in southern Gaza after members of the terror group fired at soldiers, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed on Tuesday (28th).
Hamas fired an anti-tank missile and gunshots at IDF troops in Rafah, marking an additional ceasefire violation by the terrorist group.
The IDF announced that M. Sgt. Yona Efraim Feldbaum was killed bv Hamas fire in the attack, when Hamas terrorists shot at troops.
He was a soldier from the IDF Gaza Division’s Combat Engineering Corps.
Feldbaum was 37, from Zavit Raanan in the Bimyamin region of the West Bank. He is survived by his wife and five children.
“The response to Hamas’ current violations will be much more significant than the response last time,” an Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post.
The IDF is returning fire in order to stop Hamas from further endangering soldiers on the Israeli side of the yellow line, according to a military source.
Following a situational assessment, and with the approval of Defense Minister Israel Katz, the security restrictions that have been in place in the Gaza border communities since October 7 by the IDF have been lifted.
Israel is working on five options in case Hamas fails to deliver on returning the hostages’ remains, Israeli security officials said on Monday (27th), including extending operational control, targeted escalation, hostage-remains-retrieval operations, diplomatic pressure, and ending existing agreements.
Hamas is also capable of returning a double-digit number of deceased hostages’ remains and is not making enough effort to return the remains despite knowing their burial locations, an Israeli source told public broadcaster KAN News two weeks ago.
Jerusalem Leads In Immigrant Absorption: ‘The Unity In Jerusalem Is Stronger Than Anything In France’
Rina Dray doesn’t miss the Champs-Elysees. What excites her far more these days is walking through the plaza near Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem. Dray, a mother of two who immigrated to Israel from France last June at age 65, is one of about 3,000 new immigrants who made Jerusalem their home over the past year – and she says she has no regrets.
“The only thing I miss is my children,” she said. “The unity among people here is greater than what we had in France – even among Jews themselves.”
As of 2025, about 24,000 immigrants who arrived in the past decade now live in Jerusalem, coming from many different countries. According to data from the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, Jerusalem ranks first in immigrant absorption, with more than 75% of new arrivals choosing to remain and live in the capital.
Israel is making Aliyah Day on Wednesday (29th), the seventh of Heshvan, as it does every year. In Jerusalem, events will be held in community centers in multiple languages. Dray, an artist by profession, plans to take part.
She said, “Every time I rode the Metro in Paris, I imagined myself on the Jerusalem light rail.”
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion said the municipality is making significant efforts to help new immigrants feel at home. “The city invests greatly in providing new arrivals with a warm and supportive environment that helps them integrate and feel at home,” he said. “Aliyah Day is an opportunity to recognize their contribution.”
Taiwan President: Israel’s Defense Strategy A Valuable Model For Taiwan
Israel is a model for Taiwan to learn from in strengthening its defenses, President Lai Ching-te said in remarks released on Tuesday (28th), citing the Biblical story of David versus Goliath on the need to stand up to authoritarianism.
Taiwan has been a strong backer of Israel since the 2023 Hamas-led attack on the country, which triggered the war in Gaza, though Israel, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Attending a Monday night (27th) dinner in Taiwan of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Lai, who has also been courting conservative US media in an effort to win support from the White House, said that Jewish people have suffered constant persecution over their history.
“The Taiwanese people often look to the example of the Jewish people when facing challenges to our international standing and threats to our sovereignty from China. The people of Taiwan have never become discouraged,” he said, in comments his office released on Tuesday (28th).
“Appeasement has never been the way to stop authoritarian governments, and the concept of peace through strength is a maxim that Israeli, US, and Taiwanese societies have had for years,” Lai added.
“Israel’s determination and capacity to defend its territory provides a valuable model for Taiwan. I have always believed that Taiwan needs to channel the Spirit of David against Goliath in standing up to authoritarian coercion.”
Taiwan has a de facto embassy in Tel Aviv, while Israel has a similar representative office in Taipei. There is no similar arrangement between Taiwan and the Palestinians, with whom China has a close relationship. China recognized a Palestinian state in 1988.
Lai, earlier this month announced a new multi-layered air defense system called “T-Dome” to defend itself against a possible future attack by Beijing, which claims the democratically governed island as its own territory.
Lai told the dinner that T-Dome had been inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, as well as US President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense shield.
“I believe that trilateral Taiwan, US, Israel cooperation can help achieve regional peace, stability, and prosperity,” he said.
Lai and his government reject Beijing’s territorial claims. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said on Tuesday (28th) he was not worried that US President Trump, who is touring Asia, would “abandon” the island.
President Lai Ching-te definitely gets it right. Citing David and Goliath is appropriate, since Israel with a population of 10 million stands against a Muslim world of 1.9 billion. More to the point however, is that Israel is a model of defense and for its way of life.
Israeli Lecturer Hospitalized After Anti-Semitic Assault in New York
An Israeli lecturer visiting the United States was brutally beaten in an anti-Semitic assault after his assailant spotted his yarmulke.
The attack occurred Monday (27th) in Midtown Manhattan when Rami Glickstein, a 58-year-old resident of the town of Ofra, north of Jerusalem, was walking toward the Mr. Broadway kosher restaurant.
As he walked down the street, Glickstein was accosted by a man who pointed to Glickstein’s yarmulke, “Tell me what your religion is,” the assailant demanded.
Glickstein walked away from the man, who then ran after Glickstein and grabbed his yarmulke, threw it on the ground, and spat on it.
When Glickstein reached down to pick up his yarmulke, the man beat him, punching him in the face. The assailant then fled the scene on foot.
A number of passersby helped Glickstein reach the restaurant and call for an ambulance, which evacuated him to a local hospital for treatment.
Glickstein filed a complaint with police, who have yet to apprehend the assailant.
The Israeli consul general in New York City, Ofir Akunis, spoke with Glickstein and his wife following the attack.
“The attack is a direct result of the daily incitement worldwide, including in the United States, against Jews and Israel,” Akunis said after the conversation with Glickstein, alluding to New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mandani’s refusal to condemn calls to “globalize the intifada,” without mentioning the candidate by name.
“Lies, verbal violence, calls to carry out another October 7 massacre, and blood libels that are spread without any restraint—such as the false blood libel about Gaza—influence many, some of whom do not hesitate to attack physically.”
“All US public leaders must immediately and forcefully condemn the attack and the calls for violence such as to ‘globalize the intifada.’ ”
“A Technocratic” Government For Gaza: The Mother Of All Deceptions – Khaled Abu Toameh
Are Egypt and Qatar working to ensureHamas’ continued rule overGaza by allowing the terror group to choose members of a new technocratic government? Hamas submitted a list of more than 40 “independent national figures” as potential candidates to form a technocratic body to administer Gaza, including figures sympathetic to the terror group, while the Palestinian Authority chose the rest. “Hamas inserted about half of the technocratic government’s composition, choosing individuals who support Hamas and its principles,” according to Israel’s Channel 11.
That Hamas and other terror groups are involved in the discussions over the formation of the new government in Gaza is problematic. The terrorists who launched the war should not be allowed to have a say in Gaza’s future governance.
The talk about “independent” Palestinian figures being part of the technocratic government is laughable. If you are chosen by a terrorist group to serve in the government, that means it views you as someone it can trust to prioritize its interests.
Moreover, negotiating with Hamas and other terror groups over the future governance of Gaza grants them legitimacy. At the same time, Hamas leaders have repeatedly emphasized that their group has no intention to disarm.
The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
No One Knows How To Pull Off The Gaza Peace Deal – Graeme Wood
The Oct. 13 peace summit in Sharm al-Sheikh – where Donald Trump assembled more than 30 world leaders – achieved, for about two hours, general agreement on a 20-point plan for Gaza. It immediately freed the remaining 20 living remaining hostages in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, plus assurances of an Israel military withdrawal.
Yet the remaining steps of the plan – disarming Hamas, fielding an international security force – will be a challenge since no one knows how to do them. “It’s not going to happen,” a former Israeli intelligence official told me. Disarming Hamas is a task that only the Israeli military can handle, he said.
The plan’s 13th point calls for the permanent destruction of the 500 miles of tunnels built by Hamas under Gaza. Israel has destroyed 200 miles of tunnels. Who will destroy the rest? And how, if Hamas shoots at the engineers who are destroying them?
The countries currently being considered for the International Stabilization Force have no relevant experience. And many of them, including Indonesia and Pakistan, don’t know a word of Arabic. What will happen the first time an Indonesian or Pakistani military contingent gets hit by a rocket, or sees Hamas preparing for an attack and fails to prevent it? (Atlantic)
