News Digest — 11/10/25
After 11 Years In Hamas Captivity: Lt. Hadar Goldin Returned To Israel
After 11 years since Lieutenant Hadar Goldin was killed and kidnapped during Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip in 2014, Israeli authorities formally identified him following his return to Israel at noon, Sunday (9th).
The Prime Minister’s Office said, “Following completion of the identification process by the National Center for Forensic medicine, in coordination with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, IDF representatives notified the family of the deceased hostage, Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, that their loved one had been returned to Israel and his identification had been completed. The government of Israel shares in the profound grief of the Goldin family and all the families of the deceased hostages. The government and the entire security establishment of the State of Israel are determined, committed, and are working endlessly to return all our deceased hostages for proper burial in their homeland. The Hamas terrorist organization is required to meet its obligations to the mediators and return them as part of implementing the agreement. We will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until we return all the hostages, every last one of them.”
President Isaac Herzog said, “After 11 painful and far too long years, Lieutenant Hadar Goldin , may his memory be blessed, hero of Israel, returned to the land today. In the 11 years that have passed since he fell in battle and was kidnapped in Operation Protective Edge, Hadar’s picture stood on my desk in the various roles I have filled, and his image remained constantly engraved in my heart. The people of Israel embrace them with deep love and endless appreciation for their steadfast and tireless struggles for Hadar’s return, for the hope that never faded, for the dignity, for Zionism, and for the faith that was a light unto their feet. We will remember and commemorate beloved Hadar, and may his memory be blessed. Thanks to the United States President Donald Trump, his team, and the mediators for their significant contribution during the process that led to the end of this painful chapter. We will continue to work in every way to return the four deceased hostages still held by the murderers, until the last one.”
Lt. Hadar Goldin was held captive for over 11 years after he was killed and kidnapped by Hamas during a ceasefire in Gaza during the 2014 Operation Protective Edge. His remains were recovered following a decade of relentless intelligence and operational efforts by the IDF and ISA.
Hamas Confirms Report That About 200 Of Its Terrorists Are Trapped In A Tunnel Network Under Rafah in Southern Gaza, Says The Terrorists Will Fight To The Death Rather Than Surrender
The Hamas terror organization’s military wing confirmed on Sunday (9th) reports that a number of its operatives are trapped in underground tunnel networks in Israel-controlled territory in southern Gaza.
Earlier this month, reports circulated in Israeli media that some 200 Hamas terrorists were holed up in areas on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line in southern Gaza.
A report by Al Jazeera later claimed that the terrorists are located in tunnel networks under the city of Rafah.
The Israeli government reportedly considered plans to grant the terrorists safe passage out of Rafah to Hamas-controlled areas in exchange for the return of the remains of Hadar Goldin.
The Prime Minister’s Office later clarified that Israel would not permit armed terrorists to safely leave Rafah, fueling speculation that talks were underway to facilitate the terrorists’ peaceful disarming.
On Sunday (9th), however, the Al-Qassam Brigades confirmed the presence of its operatives in Rafah, but emphasized that under no circumstances would they surrender to Israeli forces.
The occupation bears full responsibility for the clashes with our fighters in Rafah, who are defending themselves within an area under its control,” the armed wing of Hamas said Sunday morning (9th).
The statement came as the terror group announced it was returning Goldin’s body Sunday (9th) around noon. Hamas is said to have unearthed the body during searches inside Rafah on Saturday afternoon (8th).
The recovery operation, conducted deep inside Israeli-controlled territory, was permitted by the IDF, in order to facilitate the return of slain hostages.
A coffin which Hamas claimed carried the remains of Hadar Goldin was handed over to the international Committee of the Red Cross on Sunday (9th) before being transferred to Israel for identification and burial.
Sharaa In US For 1st Official Visit Of Syrian President, Shoots Hoops With Centcom Chief
WASHINGTON, United States – Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa arrived in the United States on Saturday (8th) for a landmark official visit, his country’s state news agency reported, a day after Washington removed him from a terrorism blacklist.
Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, is due to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday (10th).
It’s the first such visit by a Syrian President since the country’s independence in 1946, according to analysts.
The interim leader met Trump for the first time in Riyadh during the US president’s regional tour in May.
After his arrival in the United States , Sharaa shared a video on social media of him playing basketball with CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper and Kevin Lambert, the head of the international anti-IS operation in Iraq, alongside the caption “work hard, play harder.”
US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said earlier this month that Sharaa would “hopefully” sign an agreement to join the international US-led alliance against the Islamic State (IS) group.
The United States plans to establish a military base near Damascus “to coordinate humanitarian aid and observe developments between Syria and Israel,” a diplomatic source in Syria told AFP.
The State Department”s decision Friday (7th) to remove Sharaa from the blacklist was widely expected.
Sharaa’s Washington trip comes after his landmark visit to the United Nations in September – his first time on US soil – where the ex-jihadist became the first Syrian president in decades to address the UN General Assembly in New York.
Since taking power, Syria’s new leaders have sought to break from their violent past and present a moderate image more tolerable to ordinary Syrians and foreign powers.
The White House visit “is further testament to the US commitment to the new Syria and a hugely symbolic moment for the country’s new leader, who thus marks another step in his astonishing transformation from militant leader to global statesman,” International Crisis Group US program director Michael Hanna said.
Sharaa is expected to seek funds for Syria, which faces significant challenges in rebuilding after 13 years of a brutal civil war.
In October, the World Bank put a “conservative best estimate” of the cost of rebuilding Syria at $216 billion.
US Official: Iran Still Funnels Billions To Hezbollah
The United States is seeking to capitalize on a strategic “moment” in Lebanon to cut Iranian funding to Hezbollah and press the terror group to disarm, according to US treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley.
In an interview with Reuters over the weekend, Hurley revealed that Iran has funneled approximately $1 billion to Hezbollah this year, despite extensive Western sanctions that have severely impacted Tehran’s economy..
The US continues to implement a “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at curbing iIan’s uranium enrichment and regional influence, particularly in Lebanon, where Hezbollah’s military capabilities were shattered during the 2023-2024 war with Israel.
“There’s a moment in Lebanon now, if we could get Hezbollah to disarm, the Lebanese people could get their country back,” Hurley told Reuters.
“The key to that is to drive out the Iranian influence and control that starts with all the money that they are pumping into Hezbollah,” he added, speaking from Istanbul during a regional tour that includes Turkey, Lebanon, the UAE and Israel.
“Even with everything Iran has been through, even with the economy not in great shape, they’re still pumping a lot of money to their terrorist proxies,” Hurley said.
Last week, Washington imposed sanctions on two individuals accused of using money exchanges to fund Hezbollah, which is designated a terrorist organization by the US, several Western governments, and Gulf states.
Israel continues to monitor Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild its arsenal, which it has done despite a ceasefire agreement reached a year ago.
Last week, during a security briefing convened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, senior defense officials issued grave warnings that Hezbollah is undergoing a rapid process of rearmament and infrastructure reconstruction in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah was to disarm under the terms of the ceasefire reached with Israel last November, but its leader, Naim Qassem has repeatedly stressed that the group would not do so.
Lebanon’s cabinet recently tasked the army with formulating a plan of disarming Hezbollah by the end of 2025. Qassem quickly rejected the move.
Israeli Survivors Of Kristallnacht Mark 87th Anniversary Of Nazi Riots Amid Rising Anti-Semitism – Melanie Lidman
Walter Bingham was 14 when Nazis plundered Jewish businesses and places of worship across Germany and Austria in what became known as Kristallnacht, or the “Night of Broken Glass” on November 9, 1938. Bingham is among the Holocaust survivors who marked the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht on Sunday (9th), at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise. “We live in an era equivalent to 1938, where synagogues are burned, and people in the streets are attacked,” said Bingham , now 101.
During the Kristallnacht riots, the Nazis killed at least 91 people, vandalized 7,500 Jewish businesses, and set fire to more than 1,400 synagogues. Up to 30,000 Jewish men were arrested, many taken to concentration camps. Hundreds died years before official mass deportations began.
Bingham said he can remember every detail of the aftermath of the Kristallnacht attack. He was walking to school in Mannheim. When he got to the synagogue where his classes were held, it was a smoldering wreck. He watched as firefighters let the synagogue burn while dousing neighboring properties to ensure the fire didn’t spread.
Months later he was put on a kindertransport from Germany to England. Bingham’s father died in the Warsaw Ghetto, and Bingham never saw his mother again. (AP)
“America First” And Israel – Cynical Publius
“Are you America First or Israel First?”is a false dilemma. It is precisely because I am “America First” that I wholly support current US policies regarding Israel. Support for Israel is solidly in America’s best interests.
I lived for extended periods in the Middle East and in other Islamic nations both in military and civilian capacities and I know the ideas and policies that define the region. The entire history of Islam, literally since its inception, is a history of conquering other lands to force their inhabitants to become Muslims.
In Muslim Arab countries, it is possible to become friends with highly educated, highly rational people who are some of the smartest humans you will ever meet. Yet, sadly, when the subject of Israel and/or Judaism come up, they suddenly lapse into astonishingly irrational beings, asserting wildly anti-Semitic tropes straight out of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Islamic nations have views on personal liberty that are completely and utterly opposed to Western civilization. Every nation but one in the Middle East offers only totalitarian, tyrannical governance. Israel is the only nation in the region that shares Western values of democracy, self-governance, the rule of law, and guarantees personal liberties.
Israel is a tremendous military ally to the US, sharing military intelligence and technology. The only intelligence service that rivals the CIA and the UK’s M16 is Mossad, and the intelligence we share with each other is greatly beneficial to both nations.
Since its inception in its modern form, Israel has been surrounded by Muslim states with a singular purpose of destroying Israel and all of its Jewish inhabitants. Yet the citizens of Israel made the desert bloom and built an economic and military powerhouse out of nothing. We Americans who understand our own pioneering history can see the similarity to our own nation and cannot help but admire it.
Israel has a technology industry that is second only to Silicon Valley, and when it comes to cybersecurity, arguably better. The US and world economies depend greatly on the innovation and products of the Israeli people. Right now, if you are reading this, the only reason you can do so safely without divulging your bank account and other deeply personal information is thanks to Israel.
“Gaza genocide” is a nonsense myth. Israel had for decades offered peace and compromises, and Hamas and Gaza citizens rejected all of that in favor of death and destruction. Israel’s response in Gaza was EXACTLY what the US would have done when faced with a similar situation. To a certain extent, Israel has fought jihad so you and I do not have to. Israel’s continued existence benefits America in every way imaginable. So please don’t pretend that support for Israel is anti-American.
The writer is a retired US Army colonel and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan who is a practicing corporate law attorney. (American Greatness)
