News Digest — 11/14/24
IDF Strikes Syria-Lebanon Border For Second Time In Week, Damascus Says
Syrian state media reported on Wednesday evening (13th) that Israeli Air Force fighter jets conducted aerial raids in the area of Al-Qusayr, near the Arab Republic’s western border with Lebanon.
Damascus state-run SANA news agency claimed that the country’s air defenses “confronted hostile targets in the skies of the western Homs countryside” in response to what it described as “Israeli aggression,”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based war monitor with links to the country’s opposition, reported that the IAF strikes targeted bridges and military checkpoints in the border region.
The Israeli Air Force previously carried out raids on Hezbollah targets in Al-Qysayr on Nov. 5, attacking munitions depots used by the Lebanon-based Iranian-backed terrorist army.
“Hezbollah’s Munitions Unit is responsible for storing weapons inside Lebanon and has recently expanded its activities into the area of Al-Qusayr, near the Syrian-Lebanon border,” the military confirmed on X.
Israeli jets also struck terrorism-related targets in Al-Qusayr on Oct. 31, including arms-storage facilities, and command and control centers used by Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force and its Munitions Unit.
On Sunday (10th), Arab media reported that a Hezbollah terrorist commander convicted for the 2005 murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri was eliminated in one of the IAF airstrikes on Al-Qusayr.
Israel rarely acknowledges attacking Syria, however, in February, Jerusalem revealed that it had struck more than 50 targets belonging to Hezbollah and other Iranian terror proxies in the country since Oct. 7, 2023.
Earlier this week, Israeli jets reportedly attacked Hezbollah targets near Shinshar on the outskirts of Homs, killing nine terrorist operatives.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the IAF strikes targeted an ammunition storage facility on the Homs-Damascus road.
Six Golani Soldiers Fall In Southern Lebanon, IDF Announces
Five Israeli soldiers from the Golani Brigade fell in combat in southern Lebanon, the IDF announced on Wednesday evening (13th). All five were from the Golani’s 51st Battalion.
The soldiers were Captain Itay Marcovich, Staff Sergeant Dror Hen, Staff Sergeant Straya Elbom, Staff Sergeant Nir Gofer, and Sergeant Shalev Itzhak Sarog.
Captain Itay Marcovich, aged 22, was a Platoon Commander from Kochav Yair; Staff Sergeant Straya Elbom, aged 21, a Squad Commander, was from Mehola; Staff Sergeant Dror Hen, aged 20, a Squad Sergeant, was from Gan Haim; Staff Sergeant Nir Gofer, aged 20, was from Dimona; and Sergeant Shalev Itzhak Sarog, aged 21, was from Sderot.
A sixth soldier was also killed in southern Lebanon, and his family was notified, but his name has not yet been cleared for publication, Israeli media reported. Israeli media also noted that an additional soldier was wounded in the same incident that killed the six soldiers.
Israeli Navy Submarines Join Ground Forces In Deadly Strikes On Hezbollah In Lebanon
The IDF on Wednesday evening (13th) released footage of Navy operations amid ongoing fighting in Lebanon showcasing defensive and offensive missions at sea, where submarines and missile boats joined ground forces to eliminate terrorists.
In one video, Navy forces, with intelligence assistance from Shin Bet and Naval Intelligence, killed Said Alaa Naif Ali, a senior operative in Hamas’ military wing in Lebanon, who was responsible for planning attacks against Israeli targets and recruiting operatives for Hamas in Lebanon.
In a separate strike led by Air Force Intelligence, the IDF confirmed it had killed Ali Barakat, a central figure in Hezbollah’s Unit 127, specializing in aerial operations. The operations were coordinated through the Navy’s fire control center in close collaboration with the Northern Command, the Air Force and MIlitary Intelligence.
In another operation led by Naval intelligence, Israeli fighter jets targeted Hezbollah’s main naval base in Beirut. The facility, serving as a key operational center, housed dozens of vessels and was used for training Hezbollah’s naval force in attacks on Israeli maritime and strategic targets.
Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official told Ynet on Wednesday (13th) that talks with the United States on a political arrangement to end fighting against Hezbollah on the northern border are in their final drafting stages, with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer leading the efforts with Washington.
At the center of the talks is a supplement intended to secure Israel’s operational freedom in case of violations by Lebanon. “This is the most important thing for Israel,” the official stressed.
“We have clear understandings with the Americans,” he added. “In cases of weapons smuggling from Syria, Hezbollah’s rearmament or attempts at attacks – we’ll have backing to act.” He noted that the agreement with Washington is especially significant amid the ongoing tensions between the countries.
“The arrangement and legitimacy to act are very important to us (Israel).”
Danon To UNRWA Chief: ‘Look Hostage’s Mother In The Eye And Ask Forgiveness’
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon spoke on Wednesday (13th) at a special UNRWA conference accompanied by Ayelet Samerano, the mother of Yonaton Samerano, who was murdered during the October 7 massacre and whose body was stolen to Gaza by an UNRWA employee.
Danon addressed UNRWA Director-General Philippe Lazzarini and said, “Look Ayelet in the eyes, Commissioner, explain to her how this happened, how an UNRWA employee intruded into Israel and took her son, how UNRWA could be infiltrated by Hamas, and how you have failed to take accountability.”
“You speak about evidence?” he demanded. “We have a video of this terrorist kidnapping Yonaton. You don’t need more evidence than that.”
“How would you feel if your son was kidnapped by terrorists – if the monster who did that to your child returned home with a payslip signed by the UN?” he wondered.
“Commissioner Lazzarini, there are no more coverups. You have lost all plausible deniability,” Danon declared. “Your disguise as an aid organization has fallen. If you have any decency, resign in shame and ask Ayelet, the Samerano family, and all victims of your so-called ‘employees’ for forgiveness.”
“For the sake of Yonaton, of Ayelet, of every family shattered by the terror your agency has fostered, stand down. Or be remembered as the face of an organization that traded humanity for bloodshed,” Danon said.
Israeli Assessment: Operation “Days Of Repentance” Devastated Iran Missile Production
The question of Iran’s response to the Israeli counterattack on October 26 may have faded somewhat from headlines recently. However, Israel’s defense establishment believes that despite the time elapsed, Iranian leadership is still deeply mired in the dilemma of whether and how to react. While the Israeli action did not create fiery images within Iran, it dealt a precise, significant blow to strategic Iranian infrastructure.
Reports so far indicate that Israel targeted Iran’s air defense systems – primarily the Russian-made S-300 – and its ground-to-ground missile production capabilities. According to assessments in Israel, the Israel attack damaged solid explosives used in Iran’s ground-to-ground missiles, reducing Iran’s missile production capacity to around 10% of its pre-strike level.
As a result, until Iran manages to restore its missile production capabilities, it is expected to adopt a more conservative policy regarding its long-range missile launches. While estimates indicate that Iran still holds several hundred long-range missiles that it could launch at Israel, it is unlikely to do so all at once, as the rate of fire also depends on the number of launchers at its disposal.
Moreover, Iran’s decision-making factors must account for the fact that Israel’s strike on Iran’s advanced air defense systems has left the country nearly exposed to another potential Israeli strike. It is likely that the Iranian regime understands Israel still has an extensive target bank within Iran, including oil reserves and, naturally, its nuclear sites.
According to Israeli assessments, Iran could technically reach nuclear breakout capability within weeks, though it has yet to make a final decision to do so and is proceeding cautiously. As is known, Tehran measures its deterrence against Israel not only in Hebrew but primarily in English. Assuming Trump lives up to the expectations placed on him by Israel’s government, his term could provide an opportunity to confront Iran’s nuclear threat – whether through military action or a credible military threat by Israel and the US that would pressure Tehran’s regime to change course.
Opinion: Israel Must Seize Historic Opportunity To Welcome One Million Olim In 2025 – Dan Tendler
In the early 1990s, one million new olim (immigrants) arrived in Israel and gave it a big boost forward. In 2025 we should and can bring the next million.
In the early 1990s, the unprecedented wave of aliyah followed the fall of the USSR. A million olim came to Israel and ensured that the country would keep growing. Academics, doctors, teachers, and others pushed Israel to become an emerging country in the West and one of the most promising.
Israel is now on the verge of a similar opportunity – in 2025, a million Jews could arrive in Israel. A combination of tragic circumstances – the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, a nearly unprecedented rise in anti-Semitism and violence against Jews in the US and Europe, and an awakening of Zionist sentiments among the Jewish people – have created an historic opportunity for Zionism.
Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War, over 30,000 Jewish people worldwide have applied for aliyah. Reports in the US say that since October 7, there has been an increase of 200% in anti-Semitic incidents. And on American campuses? We’ve seen the face of leaders from the most prestigious universities in the US refusing to admit that calling for the murder of the Jewish people is racism. This might explain a rise of 500% in anti-Semitic incidents on campuses this past year.
The pogrom in Amsterdam, one of the safest cities for Jews in Europe, has shown that under the surface, the hatred of Jews and Israel is worse than it has been in a long time. In France, anti-Semitic incidents have become four times more common in the last year. And the result? Some 38% of French Jews, or about 200,000 people, are now considering leaving the country.
Key people in the Jewish community whom I know personally, who work in tech, medicine and academia, have started talking positively about making aliyah. Some of them are families of Israelis who have already emigrated to the US: some are Jews who have never spent a day in Israel, but all of them decide it is time to come back.
Many have children who have already made aliyah so that they can be conscripted into the army. They’ve joined elite combat units, despite and because of the times we live in.
What has Israel done to take advantage of this opportunity? Basically, nothing.
The new state budget is making a dramatic cut in the “absorption basket” of financial assistance given to new olim. It boggles the mind to read these clauses hiding in the new Economic Arrangements legislation.
The State of Israel must do two things immediately:
1. Launch a campaign to encourage aliyah. Use Israeli public diplomacy and communication platforms – both the official government one (which for some reason has yet to be established), and the unofficial one (social media influencers and the organizations that citizens have started this past year) to reach Jews worldwide through social media. Take advantage of the ability of the Jewish Agency and other international organizations to attract Jews from all over the world to Israel.
2. Set generous benefits for olim. The Aliyah and Integration Ministry should, through the finance minister, cancel the benefit cuts. Instead, the government should triple the size of the absorption basket that new olim receive. Olim who own many assets must be encouraged more, not less.
The goal: One million olim in 2025. It’s possible, it’s necessary, it’s time.
The writer is a tech entrepreneur and a social entrepreneur. He is a senior vice president at Palo Alto Networks, founder and chairman of the social initiative Place-IL, and founder of the Israeli Tech Negev Fund.
