News Digest — 11/14/25
Deceased Hostage Returned To Israel Identified As Meny Godard, PMO Confirms
Meny Godard, 73, from Kibbutz Be’eri, was identified as the hostage whose remains were returned to Israel on Thursday (13th), the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed.
Godard was murdered by Palestinian Islamic Jihad Terrorists on Kibbutz Be’eri during the October 7 massacre, with his remains being taken into Gaza. His wife Ayelet, was also murdered during the massacre. The IDF officially confirmed Godard’s death on December 8, 2023. Meny is survived by his children Gal, Bar, Mor, and Goni, and by his seven grandchildren.
Hamas announced earlier that it would hand over the remains of one of the remaining deceased hostages as part of the prisoner exchange deal Thursday evening (13th). The Red Cross received the remains at around 8:30 pm. They were then transferred by the IDF to the forensic institute for identification.
“The Hostages and Missing Families Forum bows its head in sorrow and shares in the profound grief of the Godard family. There are no words to express the depth of this pain. The hostages have no time. We must bring them all home, now!” the forum stated in a post eulogizing Godard.
“KIbbutz Be’eri embraces the Godard family at this complex time with the news of Meny’s return from Hamas captivity. This is the closing of a circle that the family has been waiting for throughout 769 painful days, during which they held onto hope without strength for too long a period,”the Kibbutz Be’eri spokesperson eulogized.
“We hope that now you will find comfort in bringing your father to be buried in Kibbutz Be’eri, which he loved so much, to rest next to your beloved mother, Ayelet.” Kibbutz Be’eri community head Ofer Gital said in a message addressed to the Godard family.
Before Godard’s remains were taken for identification at the National Center of Forensic Medicine, the IDF held a brief military ceremony with the participation of the military;s chief rabbi.
The return of Godard’s remains means there are currently three other hostages left in Gaza: Ran Gvili, Dror Or, and Sudthisak Rinthalak.
Hamas Terror Infrastructure In Bethlehem Uncovered, 40 Arrested
The Shin Bet, in coordination with the IDF and police, announced Thursday (13th) that they had successfully dismantled a major Hamas terrorist infrastructure operating in the Bethlehem area, thwarting plans for imminent shooting attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces.
The months-long investigation led to the arrest of approximately 40 Hamas operatives during more than 15 operations, carried out by IDF reservists from the Etzion Brigade, the elite Duvdevan unit and counterterrorism forces. During the raids, weapons including M16 rifles were seized.
According to Shin Bet, senior Hamas operatives had recruited and organized terror cells, procured weapons, and actively planned to launch attacks. One of the cells was reportedly in an advanced state of readiness to carry out shootings in the immediate future.
“The dismantling of this infrastructure prevented major terror attacks and potential loss of civilian and military lives,” the security agencies said in a joint statement. “Shin Bet, the IDF, and Israel Police will continue to act decisively against Hamas’ efforts to promote terrorism and will bring those responsible to justice.”
Netanyahu Condemns Macron For Calling Abbas ‘Prince Of Peace”
Prime Minister Benjamin on Thursday (13th) sharply criticized French President Emmanuel Macron for embracing Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as a “prince of peace” during their meeting in Paris.
“To bring in such a person, embrace him and say you’re the prince of peace is the opposite of reality – it’s false,” Netanyahu told Australian journalist Erin Molan on her podcast. “You cannot build peace on falsehoods. Sooner or later, these falsehoods crash on the rocks of Middle East reality.”
The reality is that the Palestinian leader Abbas, who was feted right now in Paris, pays terrorists to kill Jews. The more Jews they kill , the more they get paid. They take care of their families,” added the prime minister.
Although the PA rebranded the payment system as “welfare support” and shifted administration to an “independent” foundation, Abbas has publicly vowed not to deduct “a single penny” from the fund.
Netanyahu also pointed to Abbas’ extended rule – 21 years into what began as a four-year term – and Ramallah’s continued glorification of terrorists and use of schoolbooks promoting the destruction of Israel.
“My advice to Macron is learn the facts, stick to the facts, stick to realities and don’t try to escape it.” Netanyahu said. “When you look at the facts, the force for peace, the force for stability, the force for progress, is not the Palestinian Authority, but Israel.
During Tuesday’s (11th) meeting with Abbas, Macron announced that France will assist the PA in drafting a constitution for a future Palestinian state.
Macron said a joint committee would be established to handle “all legal aspects: constitutional, institutional, and organizational.”
He added, “It will contribute to the work of developing a new constitution, a draft of which President Abbas has presented to me, and will aim to finalize all the conditions for such a State of Palestine.”
Macron also hailed Abbas as a “partner for peace,” claiming he has “consistently” condemned terrorism including the October 7 Hamas attacks. Abbas, however, has never publicly denounced the massacre in Arabic.
France in September led an initiative in which it, along with Britain, Canada, and Australia, formally recognized a Palestinian state.
The move was denounced by both Israel and the US, which stated that unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state is a reward for the Hamas terror organization.
The PA has long urged countries to recognize “Palestine” as a means of bypassing direct talks with Israel.
While several countries have recognized “Palestine” in recent years, those moves were symbolic ones that have little, if any, actual diplomatic effect.
In World First, Israel Begins Pumping Desalinated Water Into Depleted Sea Of Galilee
The Water Authority has started channeling desalinated water to the Sea of Galilee, marking the first ever attempt anywhere in the world to top up a freshwater lake with processed seawater.
The groundbreaking project, years in the making and a sign of both Israel’s success in converting previously unusable water into a vital resource and the rapidly dropping water levels in the country’s largest freshwater reservoir, was quietly inaugurated on October 23.
The desalinated water enters the Sea of Galilee via the seasonal Tsalmon Stream, entering at the Ein Ravid spring, some 2.5 miles northwest of what is Israel’s emergency drinking source.
Firas Talhami, who is in charge of the rehabilitation of water sources in northern Israel for the Water Authority, told The Times of Israel that he expected the project to raise the lake’s level by around 0,2 inches per month.
The move has also reactivated the previously dried-out spring, allowing visitors to once again paddle down the Tsalmon Stream, which now flows with desalinated water.
On Monday (10th), the level of the lake stood at 699.9 feet below sea level, just a third (13 inches) above what is called the lower red line, the lowest point the water level can drop before pumping risks damaging the ecosystem.
Israel typically pulls hundreds of millions of cubic meters annually from the lake to supply local communities and augment its supply of desalinated water.
Talhami said the flow of desalinated water would be maintained for at least the next six months.
Two pipes are in place a few hundred meters apart to bring the water to the lake, but only one, which is designed for a lighter flow of water, is currently operational, sending 264,000 gallons per hour into the body of water.
The second, which would bring even more water into the Sea of Galilee, may be turned on in the future, depending on how much the Water Authority decides is needed.
The Authority could increase the flow to 1,500, or even 2,000 cubic meters per hour, Talhami said, depending on several factors, including the amount of rain that falls this winter, and the amount of surplus desalinated water that will be available.
Tests carried out by scientists have indicated that the project will not have any significant deleterious effect on ecosystems, though there have also been some concerns that the desalinated water could harm local ecology by diluting the lake’s relatively high salinity.
The idea for the project was born toward the end of several disastrous years, between 2013 and 2018, when the lake’s level approached an all-time low. With desalinated water already set to be piped to communities in the nearby lower Galilee, officials decided they could hook the lake into the system as well.
A pioneer in turning salty seawater into something drinkable, Israel currently desalinates enough of the wet stuff to supply most of its own population and some nearby countries as well, taking pressure off the Sea of Galilee and underground aquifers.
Last winter, just half of the yearly average rainfall fell in Israel, with many places in and around the Sea of Galilee getting just 40% of the average or less, according to Israel Meteorological Service data.
In the last year, signs of falling water levels at the lake have been starkly visible at beaches along its shrinking rim. With large expanses of sand, rock and soil normally underwater but now exposed, and lifeguard stations once licked by waves, now sitting well inland.
For the coming winter, the IMS is forecasting 80% of the annual average rainfall, although officials point out that it’s hard to be precise with long-term predictions.
As part of the efforts to refill the Sea of Galilee, only 20 million cubic meters, a tenth of the usual amount, will be pumped out of the lake for the national water carrier, which brings water from northern Israel to the more arid south.
Amid drought fears, just under 5,000 acres of agricultural fields normally fed by the lake’s water are expected to go without over the coming year.
First Rains, Storms Roll Into Israel, Ending Record-Breaking Hot Start To November
In Israel, stormy conditions began to set in on Thursday (13th), with rain, thunder, and lightning witnessed across the country, appearing to bring an end to an unusually hot and dry November.
Rains flooded roads in the northern towns of Pardes Hanna and Or Akiva, while hail was seen in Acre and Beersheba. In Hadera 9.6 mm of rain was recorded at Hadara Port by the Israel Meteorological Society.
In a rare scene, a waterspout was witnessed off the coast of Palmachim Beach, while a tree went up in flames in the town of Binyamina, after being struck by lightning.
For Friday (14th), the IMS has warned of a significant risk of flooding along Israel’s coastal plain, while it has issued thunderstorm warnings for northern and central Israel, and the northern Negev.
The IMS has also warned of the risk of flash floods around streams in the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea area.
The rainy conditions are expected to ease on Saturday (15th), though isolated showers are expected in parts of the country for the entire weekend.
The break in Israel’s heat came after the coastal plain and the country’s hills experienced record high temperatures for the first 10 days of November since measurement began, according to the IMS.
For the coming winter, the IMS is forecasting 80% of the annual average rainfall, although officials point out that long-term predictions are not precise.
While suffering a shortfall of rain last winter, the Water Authority has recently started channeling desalinated water to the Sea of Galilee, Israel’s largest freshwater reservoir.
How Hamas Is Planning To Deceive The Trump Administration – Khaled Abu Toameh
Hamas lied to President Trump when it said it had accepted his plan for ending its war against Israel. It was simply trying to buy time to reassert control over Gaza and prepare for more attacks against Israel. Now it is arguing that it needs to engage in negotiations about the implementation of most parts of the Trump plan.
Since the ceasefire in Gaza went into effect in early October, Hamas officials have repeatedly emphasized that they did not accept all the points mentioned in the Trump plan. According to these officials, Hamas only agreed to the first phase of the Trump plan, which calls for Israel to suspend military operations and release Palestinian prisoners, and for Hamas to return all Israel hostages, dead and alive within 72 hours. It has been weeks, and Hamas has not yet fulfilled that phase-one obligation.
What about the part in the Trump plan that talks about the demilitarization of Gaza and the deployment of an “International Stabilization Force” as a “long-term security solution?” Hamas insists that these issues are “up for negotiation” but that it never agreed to demilitarization or the presence of international experts and security forces in Gaza. Hamas official Osama Hamdan affirmed on Nov.10 that “What we signed was related to the first phase of the plan, the remaining phases are up for negotiations and discussions.”
For Hamas, the longer the negotiations continue, the better. Those who are familiar with Hamas’ way of handling things know that such negotiations, if and when they start, could last for months or years. Hamas will likely try to drag out negotiations until the Trump administration is replaced by another that Hamas hopes will be less interested in Gaza.
Hamas is not serious about laying down its weapons or relinquishing control over Gaza. For Hamas, the Trump plan is nothing but a temporary ceasefire that would enable it to get back on its feet to rule Gaza again. And resume its Jihad (holy war) to destroy Israel.
The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
