News Digest — 11/21/25
Hamas Views Its Survival As A Victory
Hamas is claiming that it is struggling to locate the bodies of the last three fallen hostages – Dror Or, Ran Gvili, and Sudthisak Rinthalak – due to the destruction in the Gaza Strip.
This assessment comes after the terror group transferred “findings” instead of a body on November 17, dragging out the conclusion of the implementation of the Oct. 10 ceasefire’s first-stage.
Until now, in exchange for the bodies of deceased hostages – Hamas has handed over 25 0f the 28 it is committed to return – Israel has returned to Gaza the bodies of an unknown number of terrorists killed in the fighting. Without saying how many, an IDF spokeswoman told JNS that “all the bodies returned so far are Hamas terrorists who were eliminated within the Gaza Strip. The IDF holds the bodies of terrorists. This is according to the decisions of the Security Cabinet, and in accordance with the directives of the political echelon.”
Shalom Arbel, a former senior member of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) who served from 1988 to 2013 in roles involving human intelligence recruitment and operations, told JNS that the current situation is part of a calculated long-term survival and recovery strategy by Hamas.
“I believe that there are objective difficulties in finding the three bodies. But at the same time, Hamas is not too frustrated by this. It is not angry about it, and it does not make sounds of despair that it is having difficulty, This arranges things nicely for it,” he assessed.
This, Arbel argued, is part of Hamas’ wider agenda of “stretching out time to survive and rebuild.”
“On the other hand,” he said “Hamas says it has failed to find the three bodies, but on the other, it is pleased it hasn’t found them.”
“That is exactly the Hamas madness or the contradictions that they live with,” said Arbel.
“On the one hand, Hamas tells the United States, Israel and anyone asking them where the bodies are, that there are objective difficulties in locating them. Yet if someone from home asks what is happening, ‘why are we not finding them,’ Hamas says that it is delaying the process and it is good to drag out time.”
Arbel, who served as a major in the IDF reserves in Lebanon, Gaza, and Judea and Samaria, noted that this duality is inherent to the movement and difficult for Western observers to decipher.
“There is this inherent duality all the time, it is part of the Muslim Brotherhood,” he said.
“You sometimes think you are speaking with a schizophrenic, but this is not the case. They know how to navigate between the two paths, or between the two agendas. It is very difficult for Westerners and Israelis to grasp. The Qatari way, for example , is exactly this.”
“On the one hand,” he said, “Qatar embraces Hamas and whispers in its ear to continue committing terrorism and continue building tunnels in exchange for money, while on the other hand, it sits with the United States as a mediator in negotiations, presenting itself as ‘moderate.’”
The goal of such conduct, said Arbel, is to advance from one point to the next toward its greater goals.
Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood are, he assessed, in fact making progress vis-a-vis the West in this goal, despite the catastrophic damage they incurred on Gaza.
According to Arbel, this strategy has yielded results despite the devastating war, as the terror group defines victory differently than Israel does.
“The status of Hamas today is better than it was before Oct. 7. True, there were Gazans killed and the Gaza Strip is ruined, but of course there is also the future,” he said, noting that after the recent United Nations Security Council decision approving President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, negotiations were scheduled between US Special Envoy Steve Wiitkoff and Hamas senior member Khalil al-Hayya in Turkey.
“This is excellent for Hamas,” he said. “These are tremendous achievements.”
The very fact that Hamas survived as a terror regime and armed entity in Gaza is seen by it as “a victory,” Arbel assessed.
“They are the leaders of the Palestinians. They are promoting endless terror attacks in Judea and Samaria. They are meeting US officials. The UN decision allows a path to a Palestinian state. What do they need more than this?”
“While Hamas’ ultimate goal remains the same,” he added, “it supports the concept of a hudna (temporary truce) for an allotted number of years to enable it to become stronger and gather forces to fight the enemy again. That is exactly the story.”
While negotiations stall and Hamas continues to violate the ceasefire, the IDF has extended its operations on the ground across the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday (19th), terrorists opened fire from the Khan Yunis area of southern Gaza toward IDF troops operating near the Yellow Line separating Hamas-controlled Gaza from the Israeli-controlled part. No casualties were reported.
In a rapid and widespread response, the IDF, led by the Southern Command and guided by the Shin Bet, launched a wave of airstrikes and artillery fire against Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip.
Earlier this week, IDF troops from the Nahal Brigade Battle team identified two terrorists who crossed the Yellow Line and approached forces deployed in the southern Gaza Strip, constituting an immediate threat. The soldiers immediately fired and eliminated both terrorists, the military said.
Israel Prepares For Simultaneous Threats From Gaza, Lebanon, And Syria As Regional Enemies Rebuild
Israel is planning for the possibility of another multi-front confrontation, similar to the assault it faced after the Hamas-led October 7 massacres, as regional adversaries in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria appear to be rebuilding their capabilities and tensions continue to escalate .According to a report in the Hebrew-language Walla, Hamas is working in coordination with Iran and regional proxies — including Lebanon-based Hezbollah and militias operating in Syria — to rehabilitate the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” which suffered significant blows during nearly two years of war with Israel.
Intelligence and security sources told Walla that Hezbollah’s repeated and blatant violations of the ceasefire suggest the terror group is preparing for a renewed round of conflict with Israel. The organization is leveraging Iranian financing to rebuild its military infrastructure, replenish its stockpile of missiles, and recruit new operatives.
While the Trump administration has expressed optimism that regional calm will take hold, Israeli officials are preparing for the possibility of fighting erupting simultaneously on multi-fronts.
On Wednesday (19th) , Israel carried out a series of intense airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza, killing a senior commander after the terror group openly violated the ceasefire by firing at IDF troops.
Although Hamas is required to disarm under the Trump-brokered ceasefire signed in October, the organization has repeatedly stalled and appears to be obtaining and storing additional weapons for a future confrontation with Israel.
The Israel Air Force has also intensified its strikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, as the terror group continues to insist it will not disarm — even after the Lebanese government passed a resolution demanding it do so.
Meanwhile, the White House has signaled hope that a security agreement between Syria and Israel may soon be finalized, which would involve an Israeli withdrawal from strategic outposts in southern Syria. Israeli officials, however, have no intention of approving such a move.
In southern Syria, Iranian-backed militias are being trained and funded by Tehran, raising Israeli concern that these forces could coordinate with Hezbollah and other proxies to launch a simultaneous, large-scale assault on Israel.
Saudi Arabia To Receive Less Advanced F-35 Jets Than Israel, US Officials Said
US officials and defense experts told Reuters on Wednesday (19th) that the F-35 fighter jets to be sold to Saudi Arabia will be less advanced than those used by the IDF, after Israel expressed concerns about how the agreement would affect its qualitative military edge in the region.
The unnamed officials told Reuters that the jets Riyadh will receive will not have some of the advanced weapons systems and equipment that Israel’s fleet possesses, as every jet is customized for the designated recipient.
They added that while Israel already has two squadrons of the US-made jets and another on order, Saudi Arabia will be limited to two squadrons only.
The officials also noted that any final sales to Saudi Arabia would have to be approved by Congress.
Meanwhile, a White House official told Channel 12 news on Wednesday (19th) that the Trump administration will hold further talks with Israel about the agreement, in order to ensure the deal is balanced.
Israel, which is currently the only country in the Middle East that has F-35s, has expressed concern over the US sale of the fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, fearing that it will compromise its military superiority.
The unnamed official told Channel 12 that “the Trump administration is committed to the law that says the US will maintain the IDF’s advantage in the Middle East” and assured the outlet that the administration would not break that promise.
At the same time, Channel 12 reported, the US is not willing to condition its sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia on normalization with Israel, as Jerusalem had hoped, and Saudi officials have said there is no connection between the deal and any kind of agreement with the Jewish state. Riyadh has expressed interest in normalization of ties with Israel, but has long conditioned it on clear steps toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The US and Saudi Arabia agreed on the sale of F-35 jets during a White House visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Tuesday (18th).
Other deals agreed by bin Salman and Trump covered a joint declaration on civil nuclear energy and the sale of nearly 300 tanks to Riyadh.
Trump also said he was designating Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally, a status that only 19 other countries, including Israel have received.
The IDF submitted a formal position paper to israel’s political echelon after the US-Saudi deal was announced, in which the Israeli Air Force presented an explicit objection to the US’ sale of the advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
According to the document, Israel’s air superiority could be eroded if other countries in the Middle East possess the advanced stealth aircraft, a point over which Israel has expressed concern several times in the past.
Israel is anxious to preserve its qualitative military edge in the region by having the most advanced aircraft, and in the past worked to prevent the sale of the F-35 to other nearby countries, including Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
Even if the sale goes through, it will likely take at least seven years for the first aircraft to be delivered, which Channel 12 noted gives Israel ample time to further negotiate the terms of the sale with the US.
Israel, US To Accelerate Production Of Iron Dome, Iron Beam Laser, David’s Sling Missiles
Amid concerns Israel could run out of Iron Dome interceptors and be left defenseless,the government announced it will accelerate the deployment of the Iron Beam System.
The Defense Ministry and various US officials on Thursday (20th) announced the acceleration of Iron Dome, Iron Beam, and David’s Sling production for future air defense purposes.
There has been concern that after the tens of thousands of rockets and drones Iron Dome had to intercept during the 2023-2025 Middle East War, Israel could be left vulnerable simply by running out of interceptors for future threats.
The current deal appears to address such concerns.
Defense Ministry Director – MG. (res.) Amir Baram said, “We remain committed to strengthening the readiness and operational capacity of the IDF in an increasingly complex security environment.” Notably, he said that “The Iron Dome system has fundamentally transformed the battlefield, demonstrating unprecedented interception capabilities on a global scale against a vast spectrum of threats. This contract will dramatically enhance the multi-layered defense posture and strategic stability of the State of Israel. Joint production in Israel and the United States exemplifies the potential of our technological and industrial partnership.”
Baram signed a procurement order to accelerate the production of the Iron Dome defense system in the presence of Defense Minister Israel Katz, the Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D) Head BG. Dr. Daniel Gold, US Defense Attache, MG. Aaron Drake, Executive Vice President, marketing & Business Development at Rafael, BG. (res.) Nir Halamish, and Legal Advisor to the Defense Establishment, attorney Hila Erlich Omer.
President and CEO of Rafael Yoav Tourgeman noted that soon Iron Dome and David’s Sling “will be joined by the first operational laser-based defense system emerging from Rafael’s production lines. The expanded procurement reflects renewed confidence in Iron Dome, which has become a global benchmark for air-defense systems. Rafael remains firmly committed to fulfilling its mission and serving as a central pillar in Israel’s national security.”
The $8.7 billion US aid package, approved by Congress in April 2024, includes a dedicated $5.2 billion allocation to enhance Israel’s air defense systems, including Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the high- powered Laser Defense system, which is currently in its final phase of development.
The ministry statement said that the “Iron Dome system, developed in Israel and manufactured in collaboration with the US government, provides defense against short and medium-range rocket and missile threats, as well as UAV threats. Throughout the recent war, the system has exhibited outstanding performance with remarkable interception rates, delivering crucial protection to Israel’s home front against missile, rocket, UAV, and cruise missile attacks.”
According to the ministry, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is the prime contractor for the Iron Dome defense system, collaborating with ELTA Systems, a division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and mPrest. The US MDA maintains a pivotal role in developing and producing Israel’s multi-layered defense systems, including David’s Sling and Arrow, while manufacturing Iron Dome components.
While there were points during the war when Iron Dome had trouble tracking small Hezbollah drones, the IDF enhanced the system’s tracking capabilities and also started to employ retro technologies like the Vulcan anti-aircraft system, which had been retired in the 1980s, to better combat the retro drone threat.
Aspects of Iron Beam’s laser defense were already deployed in October 2024, and additional elements have started to be deployed and will continue to be deployed in the near future and throughout 2026.
Israeli Doctors Restore Woman’s Sight With 3D-Printed Cornea – Conor Hale
Precise Bio has reported the first successful human implantation of its 3D-printed cornea implant, constructed of functional human eye cells cultured in a laboratory. Its approach could potentially turn a single donated cornea into hundreds of lab-grown grafts. Currently, there is only one available cornea for every 70 patients who need one to see.
“This achievement marks a turning point for regenerative ophthalmology – a moment of real hope for millions living with corneal blindness, “ said Aryeh Batt, Precise Bio co-founder and CEO. “For the first time, a corneal implant manufactured entirely in the lab from cultured human corneal cells, rather than direct donor tissue, has been successfully implanted in a patient.”
Dr. Michael Mimouni, director of the cornea unit at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel, who performed the procedure, said, “It was an unforgettable moment – a glimpse into a future where no one will have to live in darkness because of a shortage of donor tissue. This is a game changer.” (Fierce Biotech)
