News Digest — 12/6/24
Oct. 7 Nahal Oz Attack Leader Killed In Joint IDF, Shin Bet Operation
The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) eliminated the terrorist who commanded the October 7th massacre in Nahal Oz, they announced in a joint statement on Friday (6th).
The terrorist, Majdi Aqilan, was the deputy commander of the Hamas Shati Battalion. He was eliminated as part of a week-long campaign of IAF strikes on the Shati Battalion, during which several key terrorists from the unit were killed.
Aqilan was in charge of commanding the Nahal Oz massacre on Oct. 7, and has since been behind much of the terrorist activity against IDF troops in northern and central Gaza, the IDF added.
Also eliminated were Mamdouh Mehna, a senior member of the tunneling unit in Hamas’ Gaza division who infiltrated Nahal Oz on Oct. 7, and Ahmad Suwaidan, a company commander in the Shati Battalion.
Suwaidan was involved in taking Israeli civilians hostage in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7. Mehna directed the planning and construction of Hamas tunnels, as well as underground training for operatives.
As Rebels Make Fast Advances: Netanyahu Holds Meeting To Discuss Developments In Syria
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting on Thursday (5th) with the heads of the defense establishment to discuss the developments in Syria.
The decision to hold the meeting comes after the rebels took control of Syria’s 5th largest city, Hama, and the concerns are increasing that the Assad regime may collapse.
Two senior Israeli officials told Axios that Israeli intelligence was startled by the faster-than-expected collapse of the Syrian army’s defense over the past 24 hours, with one official saying that the fall of Damascus seems more likely than it had until very recently.
According to the official, “The Syrian military forces are not really fighting.” He added that Israel currently does not “think that the regime is in immediate danger, but this is the biggest challenge for the Assad regime in the last decade.”
Israel is currently caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the possible outcomes of the fighting in Syria. On the one hand, many of the rebel groups hold radical Islamist ideologies and have even been classified as terror groups by the US and other countries; on the other hand, the Assad regime is backed by Iran, and Israel is determined to prevent the Islamic Republic from bringing more forces and weapons into the neighboring country.
As Syria Rebels Gain Ground, Israel Vows To Halt Iran’s Arms Pipeline To Hezbollah
Israeli defense officials vowed Thursday (5th) that Iran would not be allowed to arm the Syrian military or reinforce it with troops as Islamist rebels continue to make rapid gains throughout the country.
After launching a surprise offensive last week in Idlib province, the rebels have captured Aleppo and breached defenses in Hama, raising fears that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may increasingly rely on Iran and its proxies for survival.
Officials warned that Israel would act to prevent Iran from reestablishing a foothold in Syria, which could offer Hezbollah a vital military lifeline after suffering heavy losses in its war against Israel. They also noted that they have observed a surge in Iranian efforts to rearm Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Concerns are growing globally over the potential for rebel forces to seize Syria’s unconventional weapons stockpiles. According to Saudi outlet Al Hadath, Israel bombed weapons storage facilities north of Damascus overnight Thursday (5th), reportedly targeting chemical weapons to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently cautioned Assad against collaborating with Iran and Hezbollah, warning he was “playing with fire.” Following the rebel offensive, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel is closely monitoring developments and would act to protect its interests.
The Security Cabinet met on Thursday (5th) to discuss the situation in Syria, among other matters, following an early morning security assessment by Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.
Israeli officials noted Russia’s reduced military presence in Syria due to its war in Ukraine, leaving Assad without the same level of support as during the civil war. Previously, Russia, alongside Iranian fighters and militias, played a pivotal role in stabilizing Assad’s regime, enabling him to regain most of the country and confine insurgents to the northwestern Idlib province. In recent years, the fighting has slowed considerably.
The rebel offensive coincided with last week’s Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, exploiting the weakened Lebanese-based Iranian proxy and pro-Iran militias to advance. Assad’s forces retreated, allowing Sunni jihadist fighters led by Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate, to seize Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city.
Despite Russian airstrikes, the rebels continued their advances. Damascus has not confirmed the fall of Hama, though Assad’s troops have withdrawn, claiming to “redeploy on the outskirts to avoid urban warfare and protect civilians.”
The loss of Hama would be a significant blow, potentially isolating the regime’s coastal strongholds in Tartus and Latakia. Latakia, home to Assad’s Alawite sect and a Russian naval base, is strategically and symbolically critical to the regime’s survival.
Hama’s location on the route between Aleppo and Damascus also opens the way for rebel forces to advance on Homs. The rebels announced their intent to move on the city, urging its population to rise against the government. “Your time has come,” they declared on social media.
The Al Arabiya network reported airstrikes, likely by the Syrian air force, targeting a strategic bridge near Homs to slow the rebel’s advance.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein will meet his Syrian and Iranian counterparts Friday (6th) to discuss the escalating situation in Syria, according to the Iraqi state news agency.
Senator Tom Cotton Introduces Bill To Replace ‘West Bank’ With Judea And Samaria
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced legislation to eliminate federal use of the term ‘West Bank,’ according to a statement his office released on Thursday (5th).
“Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Retiring the Egregious Confusion Over the Genuine Name of Israel’s Zone of Influence by Necessitating Government use of Judea and Samaria (RECOGNIZING Judea and Samaria) Act, legislation to require all official US documents and materials to use the historically accurate term ‘Judea and Samaria’ instead of the West Bank,” the statement read.
“The Jewish people’s legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria go back thousands of years. The US should stop using the politically charged term West Bank to refer to the biblical heartland of Israel,” Cotton added.
According to the statement issued by Cotton’s office, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney noted, “The Israeli people have an undeniable and indisputable historical and legal claim over Judea and Samaria, and at this critical moment in history, the United States must reaffirm this.”
Melbourne Synagogue Set On Fire, Significant Damage Reported
In the early morning hours on Friday (6th), a synagogue in Melbourne was set on fire in what Victoria police are investigating as an anti-Semitic attack.
Addas Israel Synagogue of Melbourne in Ripponiea, in the city’s southeast, apparently was targeted by arsonists.
Witnesses told Sky News Australia that they saw masked men pouring petrol on the building before setting it on fire.
There were reportedly people inside the building at the time of the fire, but they were successfully evacuated and no injuries were reported.
The Rescue Victoria firefighters spent over an hour putting out the blaze, which caused significant damage to the synagogue.
The fire team declared the area has been shut down and declared a crime scene.
Victoria Fire Rescue Incident Controller Braydon Sinnamon told Sunrise, “The damage inside is quite significant. It did go throughout the building, but crews are inside, checking for hotspots and fire extension.”
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley described the incident as “very, very concerning.”
“I feel for the Jewish community today, waking up to this news and let’s see what develops from it. It makes me feel quite sick,” she told Sunrise.
This incident comes a little more than a year after another synagogue in Melbourne was evacuated after a pro-Palestinian demonstration turned violent.
The Central Shul in Caulfield – a neighborhood home to 40% of Melbourne’s Jewish population – was evacuated halfway through Friday (6th) services when police and security recommended worshipers leave as a safety measure. There were 150 congregants in the synagogue at the time.
Concerns over impending violence proved to be valid as violent clashes broke out in the neighboring park between several hundred pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators.
A fight erupted late Friday (6th) at Princes Park among 400 demonstrators, 200 on each side. The police dispersed the crowds with pepper spray. One man experienced injuries after being hit with a rock.
Only Survivor Of 6,000 Jewish Children Deported From France Dies, Aged 97
Henri Borlant, the sole survivor of the 6,000 Jewish children under the age of 16 who were deported from France to Auschwitz in 1942, died on Dec. 3, aged 97.
Borlant spoke often of his experiences to schools. In 2011, he published a book, “Merci D’avoir Survecu” (“Thank You For Surviving”). The title came from a note he received from a 15-year-old boy who heard the story of his deportation.
The Shoah Memorial saluted his memory in a tweet.
Born Hirsh Borlant in Paris on June 5, 1927, Henri was the fourth of 10 children. His parents were naturalized French citizens from Russia.
In 1939, the French authorities evacuated Paris’ 13th arrondissement and in August, his family fled to Maine-et-Loire in Anjou in Western France.
Borlant recounted that they were warmly welcomed by the locals and had no idea what lay in store for them. As a precaution, the children, who were educated at a Catholic school, were baptized. Borlant became a Catholic.
On July 15, 1942, his mother, brother Bernard, sister Denise and he were arrested by German soldiers. They had a list and took everyone who was between 15 and 50 years old,” he said.
Two days later, his mother Rachel, was released and replaced by his father, Aron. No explanation was given, according to an interview he gave to the Maine-et-Loire region website.
On July 20, 1942, Henri, his brother, sister, and father were crammed into cattle cars with 824 others and deported in convoy No. 8 from Angers to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Shoah Memorial said.
As he was being transported, he tossed out a note: “Dear Mom, it seems that we are going to Ukraine to harvest.” The letter reached his mother thanks to a railway worker.
Upon arrival at Auschwitz, his sister was killed immediately. His father and brother also would not survive the camp.
“Our extermination was planned, programmed,” he wrote in his book. “We knew that we were living our last moments. The hope that all this would be known one day fueled our will to survive.”
As the Red Army closed in, he was transferred by train to the Sachsenhausen camp, then sent to the Oranienburg camp to work in the Heinkel aircraft factory. In November 1944, Henri was transferred to Ohrdruf-Buchenwald, a Buchenwald annex camp.
Borlant managed to escape from Ohrdruf-Buchenwald shortly before the Americans arrived, hiding with an anti-Nazi meat seller.
He was repatriated to France on April 16, 1945, and reunited with his mother and siblings, who were not deported and survived.
Borlant suffered from Tuberculosis on his return, but managed to study medicine and become a doctor.
Like many survivors, he kept his experiences secret, but in the 1990s, he began to speak of what he endured and collect testimonies within the association Temoignage Pour Memoire.
He was a member of the Foundation for the Memory of the Deportation and served on the educational commission of the Shoah Memorial.
Arabs No Longer Buying The Lies Of Hamas, Hezbollah – Bassam Tawil
After the recent ceasefire deal with Israel, supporters of Hezbollah claimed “victory.” This declaration is similar to that of Hamas, when after earlier rounds of fighting, its commanders would typically emerge from the debris and proclaim “victory.” Even now, Hamas continues to pretend that it is winning the war.
After Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal announced Hamas’ victory in the Gaza war, Egyptian political analyst Abdul Latif Al-Manawi wrote in Al Arabiya on Oct. 10, 2024: “Is this how Mashaal sums up a whole year of devastation inflicted on the Palestinian people?… Victory, Khaled Mashaal, is not like this… Victory is not bringing back the era of illusory speeches and false victories.”
Hezbollah leaders said they would stop their rocket and drone attacks against Israel only if it ended the war against Hamas in Gaza. Yet in the ceasefire agreement, reached on November 27, Hezbollah agreed to disconnect itself from the war in Gaza and to withdraw its men from the border with Israel. This reversal is precisely why many Arabs cannot understand Hezbollah’s claim to “victory,” especially in light of the elimination of most of the group’s top political and military leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah.
Many Arabs are no longer fooled by the lies and propaganda of Iran’s terror proxies. Over the past 14 months, Hamas and Hezbollah have dragged the Palestinians and Lebanese into wars that have claimed the lives of thousands of people – all to serve their patrons in Iran. The terrorists are continuing to sell imaginary victories to the Arabs to encourage them to join the Jihad (holy war) against Israel. (Gatestone Institute)
