News Digest — 2/10/26
Netanyahu Heads To Washington For Closed-Door Meeting With Trump: What’s He Worried About?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will depart Tuesday (10th) for Washington ahead of a closed-door meeting with US President Donald Trump, as Israeli officials express growing concern over a potential US-Iran deal they fear could sideline Israel’s strategic interests.
Netanyahu is expected to land in Washington around 1 a.m., Wednesday (11th), Israel time. The meeting with Trump is scheduled for Wednesday morning (11th) at the White House and will be held without media presence, a departure from the leaders’ past encounters, which typically included joint press events and photo ops.
The decision for a private working meeting reportedly came from the White House, contrasting with previous summits, such as their prior meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. That visit featured public remarks and a joint press conference. This time Netanyahu will be accompanied by a small delegation, including his military secretary MG Roman Gofman and acting National Security Adviser Gil Reich.
The absence of media has sparked speculation in Jerusalem that Trump may have agreed to meet Netanyahu out of diplomatic courtesy but wished to avoid the public fanfare of past meetings. One public reason, Israeli officials say, is to conceal divisions between the two over the shape of a potential agreement with Iran.
Senior Israeli officials have voiced concerns that Trump, under pressure from regional actors, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and his envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, may pursue what they call a “lightweight” nuclear deal—one focused solely on uranium enrichment, without meaningful oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Such a deal, they warn, could “lock in” Israel’s options and make it harder to take independent action against Iran.
“There’s a real concern that this is heading toward a deal that’s bad for us,” said one senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It’s not just Kushner and Witkoff—there are many players influencing Trump, and the direction is worrying.”
During the private meeting, Netanyahu is expected to outline Israel’s red lines: zero enrichment on Iranian soil, removal of enriched uranium stockpiles, reinstatement of robust international inspections and strong enforcement mechanisms. He will also press Trump to include restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile program—an issue Israeli officials say has not received sufficient attention from the US, despite its posing growing threat to both Israel and Europe.
In the background, the US continues to build up military assets in the region, should Trump decide to consider a military option against Iran. However, Netanyahu’s delegation does not include senior defense officials. Initial discussions included the possibility of bringing BG Omer Tishler, the incoming Air Force chief and the main liaison with the US military, but that idea was shelved over fears it could be seen as an effort to provoke or prepare for war.
IDF Says It Killed Four Hamas Gunmen Who Emerged From Rafah Tunnel, Fired On Troops
IDF troops on Monday (9th) killed four Palestinian gunmen who emerged from a tunnel and attacked soldiers in southern Gaza’s Rafah, the military said, with several other Palestinians reportedly killed in IDF strikes in the Strip later in the day.
According to the IDF, during mop-up operations in eastern Rafah early in the morning, four terror operatives were identified emerging from a tunnel and opening fire on troops of the 7th Armored Brigade.
The soldiers returned fire, the IDF said, “and eliminated the four terrorists.” There were no reports of Israeli casualties in the incident.
The IDF said the attack was a “blatant violation of the ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas, and it viewed the incident “gravely.”
Dozens of Hamas operatives were believed to be trapped underground in the eastern Rafah area, on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line. The IDF has reported killing or capturing some 40 of them in recent months.
The IDF said it was continuing to operate in the area to locate and eliminate all remaining terrorists in the tunnel.
Commenting on the incident, Hamas’ military wing described it as “heroic resistance,” saying that its fighters “refused humiliation or submission in the besieged Rafah valley and chose martyrdom over surrender.”
Later on Monday (9th), Palestinian media reported two dead and several wounded in an airstrike in Gaza City, on the Hamas-controlled side of the ceasefire line.
Separately, the military on Monday (9th) said that troops in northern Gaza shot and killed a Palestinian who crossed the Yellow Line and approached soldiers of the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade “in a manner that posed an immediate threat.”
“Immediately after identification, the forces eliminated the terrorist in order to remove the threat,” the army said.
Since the start of the ceasefire in October 2025, the IDF has said it has killed dozens of terror operatives and other “suspects” who have crossed the Yellow Line – demarcating the military’s withdrawal in the Strip — and approached troops. Such incidents have taken place on a near-daily basis.
First Foreign Force In Gaza: From Indonesia
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, is expected to become the first country to deploy troops to the International force slated to operate in Gaza under the Board of Peace, according to a report by KAN News.
If carried out, the deployment would be highly unusual, as Indonesia has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel.
The report says logistical preparations are already in progress. Indonesian forces are expected to be stationed in the southern Gaza Strip, in the area between Rafah and Khan Younis.
Officials familiar with the matter said the necessary ground infrastructure is already in place, and construction of living quarters and command centers for thousands of troops is set to begin in the coming days.
Initial plans call for several thousand soldiers, though officials note the force could expand significantly. In the past, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has said his country is willing to contribute as many as 20,000 troops to a peacekeeping and civilian stabilization mission in Gaza.
Subianto is expected to travel to Washington next week to participate in a meeting of the Board of Peace established by US President Donald Trump. The discussions are expected to finalize arrangements regarding troop deployment, command structure, and security coordination with the IDF along the Yellow Line.
ISA Director: Rafah Crossing Using “Palestine” Stamp Despite PMO Denial
Despite official statements denying the Palestinian Authority’s involvement in Gaza, its symbols are already appearing in practice.
Ynet reported that ISA chief David Zini told ministers during a cabinet meeting that passports of Gazans passing through the Rafah Crossing are stamped with the words “State of Palestine.” Zini’s comments came in response to a question raised by minister Orit Strock.
During the same discussion, Minister Zeev Elkin asked whether the salaries of the guards and clerks operating at the crossing are being paid by the Palestinian Authority.
Following the revelation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an immediate review of the passport stamp, instructing that it be changed so the authority approving Gazans’ entry and exit would be listed as the Board Of Peace.
The issue follows a separate controversy last week, when the board’s committee for managing Gaza published a logo that included the Palestinian Authority’s emblem. Netanyahu’s office later said the logo presented to Israel was different and emphasized that Israel would not permit the use of Palestinian Authority symbols.
“The Palestinian Authority will not be a partner in the management of Gaza,” the Prime Minister’s Office stated.
Israeli AI Turns Standard Rifles Into Drone Killers
Small, fast-moving drones are increasingly reshaping modern battlefields, posing a serious challenge for infantry units that lack affordable, portable ways to intercept them.
But Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) has developed Arbel, a computerized fire control system that turns standard AR-15 and M-4 rifles into highly effective counter-drone weapons, enabling soldiers to track and neutralize drones with unprecedented precision.
“With nearly a century of experience in small arms, we wanted to innovate the sector by putting essentially a computer chip inside a standard rifle,” Adam Fraser, Chief Product Manager at Israel Weapons Industries, told The Press Service (TPS) of Israel.
“When you are dealing with drones, timing is everything. Arbel handles that timing for the user.”
Developed in Kiryat Gat, Arbel is designed to counter the proliferation of small low-cost drones increasingly used for reconnaissance, targeting, smuggling, and explosive attacks.
Such platforms are often difficult to intercept using conventional air defense systems, which are optimized for larger threats and can be prohibitively expensive when used against inexpensive drones.
The threat escalated significantly during the October 7, 2023 attack, when Hamas used drones in coordinated ways.
Drones were employed to disable Israeli surveillance cameras, communications equipment, and remote-controlled weapons systems along the Gaza border.
The use of small drones to neutralize fixed defenses helped clear paths for the ground assaults on southern Israeli communities.
The problem is not limited to the battlefield. Defense Minister Israel Katz declared war on drone weapons smugglers along the Egyptian border in November, as the phenomenon surged in 2025.
Katz’s directives included accelerating the development of technological solutions.
Arbel offers a kinetic solution by embedding electronics, sensors, and artificial intelligence directly into a standard rifle. When the shooter pulls the trigger, the first round is discharged mechanically, as in any conventional firearm.
As long as the trigger remains pressed, the system continuously analyzes the shooter’s micro-movements and the weapon’s motion autonomously releasing follow-up rounds only when the probability of a hit is at its peak.
The approach removes one of the most difficult aspects of marksmanship in dynamic engagements: precise trigger control.
In counter-drone scenarios, where targets are small, fast moving, and maneuver unpredictability, Arbel allows the shooter to focus entirely on tracking the aerial target while the system manages the timing of each shot.
“Trigger work is one of the most complicated parts of shooting, especially under stress,” Fraser told TPS.
“By eliminating that from the equation, the shooter becomes more precise. The AI allows the user to focus on the target, without the fatigue that cognitive overload builds up over time,”
According to IWI, Arbel can intercept drones at ranges up to 450 meters during daylight conditions, and approximately 250 meters at night, giving infantry units meaningful standoff capacity using their existing weapons.
The system is designed to address the limitations of other counter-drone methods.
”With Arbel, you can take down a drone with just a few bullets instead of a missile,” Fraser said. “That reduces the cost of interception, from tens of thousands of dollars to roughly one dollar per round.”
IWI says Arbel is combat-proven and has already attracted significant international interest.
“Before Arbel, intercepting drones at the soldier level was extremely limited,” according to Fraser, but “now every infantryman can have an organic anti-drone capability without returning to base or deploying specialized platforms.”
A Second Wave Of Popular Anger Is Building In Iran – Margherita Stancati
A new wave of popular anger is rising in Iran as people enraged by last month’s mass killings of protesters vent their antipathy for the regime despite the risks of a continuing crackdown. At funerals and memorial services, crowds of mourners shout, “Death to Khamenei!”
University students in Mashhad, Tabriz, and Shiraz held memorial events last week for fellow students who were killed. Medical students in Shiraz held a sit-in for several days, chanting slogans in support of protesters who had been killed and doctors who were arrested for treating the injured.
Former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, a prominent dissident who has been under house arrest in Tehran for years, said the scale of the killing shows the Islamic Republic can’t be reformed and must be replaced. “When you were wearing the uniform of war against your own people, you were striking your own roots with the ax,” Mousaci said, marking his sharpest rebuke of the Islamic Republic to date.
More than 50,000 people have been arrested since late December, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a US-based rights group. Many of the detained people were arrested in their homes or while seeking medical treatment in the aftermath of the crackdown.
Merchants at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar – where the protests first flared up – called on shopkeepers nationwide to take to the streets again on February 17–18 to mark the end of the traditional 40-day mourning period for the killings that occurred January 8–9. The goal was to “avenge the greatest street massacre in contemporary history.” (Wall Street Journal)
(wsj.com)
