News Digest — 11/6/25
Danon: ISF Must Focus On Disarming Hamas, Not Becoming Another Ineffective UN Force
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon laid out Israel’s cautious support for the resolution put forth by the US regarding the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, noting, however, that the force should not become another “UNIFIL,” in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.
Danon emphasized firm conditions to ensure the force does not become “another UNIFIL,” a reference to the long-criticized peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon.
“The US draft resolution continues the spirit of the Trump plan, which Israel welcomed,” Danon said. We would like to see the involvement of other countries in the region, especially those capable of dealing with the disarmament of Hamas. But we must ensure we don’t create an ineffective mechanism kike UNIFIL.”
According to Danon, Jerusalem will closely monitor Security Council negotiations over the coming days. Israel’s immediate priorities remain clear: the return of the fallen and the hostages, and the progression to a second phase of the plan, which is the complete dismantling of Hamas’ military infrastructure. Asked whether Israel opposes a UNIFIL, Blue Helmet, UN-style peacekeeping mission, Danon was diplomatic but firm.
“We have to learn from the mistakes of the past,” he said. You want something constructive and effective, not an international presence that looks good on paper but actually destabilizes the situation.”
Danon acknowledged that several countries are reluctant to deploy forces without a Security Council mandate, suggesting the ISF could take several weeks to materialize even after a resolution is passed. It’s a process,” he said. “But Israel’s red line is effectiveness. We can’t afford a symbolic force that doesn’t act.”
The ambassador was blunt when asked whether the Palestinian Authority (PA) should be part of the ISF or future governance structures in Gaza.
“We’ve seen the weakness of the PA in Judea and Samaria,” Danon said. “Leaving aside politics and looking purely at capabilities, they simply don’t have them. They can’t control large areas even in the West Bank, so expectations for them in Gaza are unrealistic today.”
Danon, however, noted that the US plan envisions a future role for the PA, conditional on significant reforms and capacity-building. But that’s a long way off,” he added.
“For Israel, the measure of success will not be diplomatic symbolism but tangible results. Success means results on the ground, the disarmament of Hamas,” Danon stressed. “We know the tunnel infrastructure that must be dismantled. The ISF has to have the ability and the authority to act, to neutralize those tunnels, to remove Hamas’ weapons,” He warned that if Hamas is allowed to survive militarily, “it will be a failure of the entire mission.”
IDF Kills Two Terrorists Trying To Cross Yellow Line In Central Gaza Strip
IDF soldiers killed two terrorists in the central Gaza Strip who were attempting to cross the Yellow Line and approach troops stationed in the area, the military said on Wednesday (5th).
These were two separate incidents, as the terrorists were not attempting to cross together. They were killed only after being identified as threats, the military said.
“IDF troops under the Southern Command remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat,” the military said.
This was the third day in a row in which Hamas terrorists were killed by IDF troops while attempting to cross the Yellow Line.
The IDF said on Monday (3rd) that Israel air and ground forces struck a number of terrorists who crossed the Yellow Line in southern Gaza. Another terrorist was killed on Tuesday (4th), approaching IDF troops at the northern part of the Gaza demarcation line.
Hamas has demanded safe passage for terrorists stationed in underground tunnels in Rafah to move to areas within the Yellow Line, a source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, “We need to eliminate the 200 terrorists stuck in Rafah. We’re close to killing them in the tunnels,” in a Wednesday morning (5th) interview on public broadcaster KAN News’s The Kalman Liberman Show.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the army “was close to killing Hamas terrorists and destroying the organization’s tunnels.”
“Israel’s policy in Gaza is clear. The IDF is acting to destroy the tunnels and eliminate Hamas terrorists without any restrictions within the Yellow Line under our control. The goal, alongside the return of all the hostages and the casualties, is to disarm Hamas of its weapons and demilitarize Gaza,” he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that no Hamas terrorists would be allowed safe passage without the promise of disarmament.
“The prime minister continues his firm stance of disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Strip while thwarting terrorist threats against our forces,” the statement said.
After Hezbollah Defeat, Iran Building Up Iraqi Forces For War With Israel – Report
Iran is working to build up its proxies in anticipation of a new possible confrontation with Israel, Israel’s national broadcaster reported, with the hope of replacing Hezbollah as a major counterbalance to the Jewish state.
Prior to October 7, 2023, Iran’s Israel policy relied heavily on Hezbollah’s presence on Israel’s northern border.
With over 100,000 projectiles and tens of thousands of armed terrorists, Hezbollah presented a formidable threat not only to the IDF but also to Israeli communities as far south as Netanya.
Bolstered by Iran-backed militias in Syria, Hezbollah was viewed by both Israel and Tehran as a powerful deterrent to direct military action by Israel against Iran.
That changed, however, following the dismantling of Hezbollah’s senior leadership and the devastating losses to its officer corps ever since 2023.
The fall of the Assad regime last December marked the loss of another front against Israel, with pro-Iranian militias largely driven out of southern Syria.
Now, however, Iran is working to massively upgrade the offensive capabilities of its allies in Iraq, including Shiite militia groups,
According to a report Tuesday (4th) by Kan Reshet Bet, which cited Israeli officials, Iran is undertaking a major strategic shift by preparing new proxy forces capable of confronting Israel, effectively replacing Hezbollah and pro-Iranian militias in Syria.
The report also cited Iraqi sources who confirmed that Tehran has redirected its efforts to Shiite militias in Iraq in order to create viable proxies in place of Hamas, Hezbollah, and pro-Iranian forces in Syria.
While no immediate confrontation with Israel is planned, the sources said, Tehran wants to be prepared for a new round of hostilities with the Jewish state.
Some drone and missile attacks by pro-Iranian militias in Iraq have been carried out over the past two years, including several attacks launched during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.
However, due to the limited capabilities of the Iraqi militias, the attacks were very limited both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Turkey Seeks To Build A Proxy Threat Around Israel – Nadav Shragai
Turkish President Erdogan played a decisive role in securing the release of hostages by applying heavy pressure on his protege, Hamas. We found ourselves in a situation in which, to save hostages, there was no choice but to do business with the devil. But now the moment has come to understand that this is indeed the devil.
Gen. Adnan Tanriverdi, one of Erdogan’s trusted confidants, wrote a manifesto titled “How to Conquer Jerusalem in Ten Days,” calling on Muslim countries to cooperate to provide Palestinians with bases on their territory from which they can show military force against Israel, and, using Islamic geography, create a maritime corridor to Gaza and an air corridor to Ramallah.
Turkey seeks to build a proxy threat around us similar to the Iranian proxy ring. It is already militarily present in Libya and Syria. It established a drone base in Cyprus. It is trying to extend influence into Egypt, and now it is present in Gaza in the form of 13 aid organizations. For many years Turkey has been an economic and military home for Hamas.
The very thought of giving any role in Gaza to a country that still hosts Hamas headquarters on its soil, where they continue to plan attacks against us, is a severe moral distortion, Erdogan for years has aspired to revive the Ottoman empire’s days of glory and sees himself as Islam’s appointed guardian of Jerusalem. He has said, “Every day that Jerusalem remains under occupation is an insult…..We were the lords of the region for a thousand years, and we will remain so until the end of days…. Jerusalem is our city.”
Today, Turkey is a center of anti-Jewish hostility and hatred against Israel. Effigies of Netanyahu are “executed” by hanging, and Israeli flags are trampled in the streets. Erdogan frequently compares us to Hitler and repeatedly accuses Israel of genocide.
Diaspora Affairs Minister Urges New York Jews To Move To Israel
Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister, Amichai Chikli, expressed alarm over the election of Zoran Mandani as Mayor of New York City, calling him a supporter of Hamas and warning that the city is becoming increasingly unsafe for Jews.
“The city that was once a symbol of global freedom has handed over its keys to a Hamas supporter – to someone whose positions are not far from those of the jihadist fanatics who, 25 years ago, murdered 3,000 of its own people,” Chikli tweeted Wednesday morning (5th), referring to the 9/11 attacks.
Mandani, a self-described democratic socialist, has refused to condemn Hamas, proposed divesting city funds from Israel, and promised to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau.
New York City has the largest Jewish population of any city outside Israel. As of recent estimates, approximately 1.1 to 1.2 million Jews live in the city, making up roughly 13% of the total population.
Chikli described the election as a “critical turning point for the city of New York” and said the decision undermines the city’s historic role as a refuge for Jewish immigrants.
“The choice New York has made shakes the very foundations of the place that gave freedom and the opportunity for success to countless Jewish refugees since the end of the 19th century – a place that became home to the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel,” he said.
Chikli blamed a long-term cultural shift, citing an “anti-Zionist atmosphere on campuses overtaken by Qatari money” and “violent demonstrations of Hamas supporters at CUNY ( City University of New York), NYU (New York University), and especially Columbia University.”
He argued these trends culminated in the election of “the last of the bullies who back Hamas’ rapists and murderers.”
Warming of dire consequences, Chikli said, “New York will never be the same again, especially not for its Jewish community. The city is walking with open eyes into the abyss that London has already plunged into….it’s pointless to waste words claiming that everything will be fine. Nothing will be fine in this city.”
Minister Chikli then said, “ I invite the Jews of New York City to seriously consider making their new home in the Land of Israel.”
Germany Bans Islamic Group Of Calling For Caliphate, Inciting Against Israel
German authorities banned the Muslim Interaktiv association, accusing it of anti-constitutional activities in calling for the establishment of a caliphate, and searched out two other Islamic groups on similar grounds early on Wednesday (5th).
Seven properties have been searched in Hamburg since early morning and 12 more in Berlin and the state of Hesse, as part of preliminary investigations into the associations Generation Islam and Realitate Islam, the federal interior ministry said in a statement.
Under the ban, the 2020-founded Muslim Interaktiv, which organizes demonstrations and is active on various social media channels, will be disbanded and its assets will be confiscated.
The group drew national attention in early 2024 over a demonstration in Hamburg with 1,000 attenders that called for the creation of a caliphate in Germany.
“We will respond with the full force of the law to anyone who aggressively calls for a caliphate on our streets, incites hatred against the State of Israel and Jews in an intolerable manner, and despises the rights of minorities,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt in a statement.
Interaktiv is the latest of several Islamic groups involved in anti-Israel activity to be banned in Germany.
It comes amid a surge of anti-Semitism in Germany and around the world since the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel, when thousands of terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, starting the war in Gaza.
Last year, Germany banned the Hamburg Islamic center, known as IZH, a Muslim religious association that was under investigation for several months over its alleged support for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon.
