News Digest — 2/18/26
Israeli Police Deploying Around Temple Mount Compound During Ramadan
Israeli Police said Monday (16th) that they would deploy in force around Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins this week, as Palestinian officials accused Israel of imposing restrictions on the compound.
Over the course of the month of fasting and prayer, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Al-Aqsa – Islam’s third holiest site, located in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed, reuniting Jerusalem. Israel calls the compound the Temple Mount, as it housed both ancient Jewish Temples, making it Judaism’s holiest site.
Arad Braverman, a senior Jerusalem Police officer, said forces would be deployed “day and night” across the compound and in the surrounding area.
He said thousands of police would also be on duty for Friday (20th), which draws the largest crowds of Muslim worshippers.
Braverman said police had recommended issuing 10,000 permits to Palestinians from the West Bank, who require special permission to enter Jerusalem.
He did not say whether age limits would apply, adding that the final number of people would be decided by the government.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said in a separate statement, it had been informed that permits would again be restricted to men over 55 and women over 50, mirroring last year’s criteria.
An Islamic Waqf source said some of its employees were barred from the site in the week before Ramadan, which is slated to begin Wednesday evening (18th).
The Temple Mount compound is a frequent flashpoint. Hamas designated its invasion and massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” hoping that it would generate anti-Israel violence around the Jerusalem holy site en route to its goal of destroying Israel.
Under long-standing arrangements introduced after Israel captured the Old City from Jordan in the 1967 War and subsequently annexed the east Jerusalem area,Jews may visit the compound but are not supposed to be allowed to pray there – a policy that has been gradually ignored in recent years .
“In preparation for the blessed month of Ramadan, and as a step towards security, stability, and combating terrorism, IDF troops have in recent days begun an operation in Judea and Samaria against elements advancing incitement and terror on social media networks,” Col. Ella Waweya, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson said in a statement. She said the operation is expected to continue throughout Ramadan.
“The message is clear, Ramadan is a month of family, community and unity. Do not allow terror organizations to ruin it for you, and do not be drawn into incitement on social media networks,” Waweya said.
Released Gaza Terrorist Caught At Entrance To Mall In Central Israel
A Gaza terrorist who was released in a deal between Israel and Hamas was nabbed last week at the entrance of a mall in central Israel after he infiltrated from Samaria.
The dramatic arrest occurred at the Kanyon G shopping center in Kfar Saba when the terrorist tried to enter the mall.
A security guard posted at the entrance noted that the man had an Arabic accent, and questioned him regarding his place of residence.
When the man claimed that he lived in the Palestinian Authority-administered city of Kalkilya in Samaria, the guard pointed out that as a Palestinian Authority resident without an ID card, the man must have illegally crossed the border into Israel.
After being refused entry, the terrorist left the scene and changed his clothes and attempted to enter the mall once again.
This time he was detained and police were called to the scene.
After being detained by authorities, the terrorist was identified as Muhammad Abu Attaya, a Gazan convicted of multiple security offenses who was released as part of the 2013 deal which secured the release of Gilad Shalit, an IDF soldier abducted by Hamas terrorists during a raid into Israeli territory.
Abu Attaya was convicted in Israel and sentenced to ten years in prison for attempted murder, weapons dealing, planting explosive devices, and membership in a terrorist organization.
Police say that Abu Attaya was smuggled into Israel by a 50-year-old Israeli man.
Following Abu Attaya’s arrest, the man suspected of transporting him across the border fled the scene but was later apprehended and arrested.
Yoram Cohen, the commander of the Kfar Saba police station said the department views the incident as a foiled terrorist attack.
“As far as we are concerned, he is a terrorist in every sense, and a terror attack was prevented,” he stated.
Lebanon Sets 4-Month Window For Next Hezbollah Disarmament Phase
The Lebanese military will need at least four months to carry out the second phase of its plan to disarm the Hezbollah terrorist group and other non-state actors in the country’s south, Beirut said on Monday (16th), according to AFP.
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos made the announcement following a cabinet session, saying the government had reviewed the army’s presentation on the next stage of disarmament operations.
“There is a timeframe of four months, extendable depending on available capabilities, Israeli attacks, and hindrances on the ground.” he said.
The second phase covers the area between the Litani and Awali Rivers 25 miles south of Beirut, following the completion last month of the first phase along the southern strip between the Litani River and the Israeli border.
Lebanon’s government committed last year to disarming Hezbollah after a war with Israel in which the Iran-backed terror group suffered significant losses. Hezbollah joined the fighting on Oct. 8, 2023 – one day after Hamas led a terrorist invasion of southern Israel, killing, injuring and kidnapping thousands.
Despite a November 2024 ceasefire, Israel has retained a presence and carried out limited strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon to prevent the terror army from rebuilding its military capabilities.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem pushed back against the disarmament effort on Monday (16th) calling the government’s focus on the issue “a grave sin” and urging officials to halt what he described as successive concessions to Jerusalem’s demands.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office in a Jan. 8 statement said that while Beirut’s efforts were “an encouraging beginning,” they were “far from sufficient.”given Hezbollah’s ongoing Iran-aided rearmament efforts.
“The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed. This is imperative for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future,” Jerusalem said.
Elbit Sees Record-Breaking Sales For Laser Target Designator Systems
In 2025 Elbit Systems more than doubled its previous annual sales for its lLaser Target Designator (LTD) Systems, reflecting rising demand as militaries across the world increasingly rely on precision-guided targeting and networked battlefield systems.
LTDs use laser beams to precisely mark a target, allowing compatible weapons to lock onto and strike it accurately. All six of Elbit’s LTD systems for use on land and in the air “meet NATO laser-coding standards , enabling smooth coordination among coalition forces,” the company stated.
“Targeting with laser designators is something that takes place a lot on the modern battlefield,” an Elbit official told Defense & Tech by The Jerusalem Post, pointing to the growing need to strike mobile targets and fleeting target opportunities. “This is the main advantage of using a laser designator.”
According to the official, airborne laser designation is particularly suited for tracking moving targets. For air applications, it’s more for mobile targets and identifying opportunities,” he said, describing scenarios in which intelligence identifies a specific vehicle and an airborne payload equipped with sensors, cameras, and a laser designator locks onto the target and guides a munition from an aircraft or UAV to close the strike loop.
On land the LTD systems, which are network-enabled, interface with CAI suites. CAI, which stands for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence, “allows users to share target and laser data securely and in real time – tightening coordination, improving situational awareness, and shortening the sensor-to-shooter cycle.”
Strong-based designation, however, requires a clear line of sight as well as familiarity with terrain, the official noted, tracking coordination and positioning is critical to land operations.
Part of Elbit’s success could be attributed to the simplicity of its LTD system. According to the company, the system contains a “single-LRU, plug-and-play design.” A line-replaceable unit, known as an LRU, allows for easier operation by clients because it can be quickly removed and replaced in the field without requiring specialized tools or returning the entire system for maintenance.
The surge in demand also reflects broader shifts in warfare, particularly the proliferation of drones. “The whole battlefield has changed. We have a lot of drones in the field,” the official told D&T. Missions that were once conducted by large UAVs or ground teams with standalone designators are increasingly being carried out by smaller unmanned systems equipped with integrated laser capabilities.
Nevertheless, the official emphasized that the technological barrier to entry remains high.
“It requires a huge investment in R&D,” he said, pointing out that developing a laser designator capable of delivering precise energy to an exact point requires large research investments.
“There are not many companies in the world capable of doing that. We are one of the largest companies in the world to bring this kind of laser designation.”
The laser capabilities are part of Elbit’s ISTAR division which also develops laser range-finders integrated into vehicle sights, airborne payload, and electro-optical systems. Knowing a precise range, the official said, remains fundamental to battlefield effectiveness. The division made history along with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems when the IDF’s Iron Beam was developed in late December, 2025. Elbit provides core aspects of the laser itself.
Looking ahead, the official said the technological focus is on miniaturization and power efficiency. Today, what is important is to build a small laser with very high energy,” he said, describing ongoing efforts to reduce size and weight while maintaining output performance.
As militaries adapt to drone-heavy battlefields and shorter sensor-to-shooter cycles, demand for efficient and networked laser designators may increase in the future.
The Palestinian “Constitution” To Destroy Israel – Bassan Tawil
As part of an attempt to persuade the U.S. and the international community that the Palestinians are seeking to create a democratic state “based on the rule of law and human dignity,” the Palestinian Authority leadership last week published a 162-article draft “constitution.”
It shows if the Palestinians have a state of their own, it would be no different from the two mini-states they have had for the past two decades: the Hamas regime in Gaza, and the PA in the West Bank. Both Palestinian regimes have deprived their people of democracy, opportunity, free elections, and freedom of speech.
The new “constitution” reaffirms the “right of return” for Palestinian refugees and their descendants to their former, mostly no-longer-existent homes inside Israel; the continuation of stipends paid to Palestinian terrorists – a program also known as “Pay-for-Slay” and the perpetual denial of the Jews’ far-reaching history and religious roots in Jerusalem.
Article 3 on Jerusalem states: “The [Palestinian] state is committed to preserving its religious character and protecting its Islamic and Christian sanctities.” Notice something missing? In the eyes of the Palestinians, only Islam and Christianity have sanctities in Jerusalem. The Palestinians have been falsely claiming for many years that the Western Wall – a retaining wall of the Second Temple that was destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 CE – is not sacred to Jews because it is just another wall of the adjacent Al-Aqsa Mosque built in 1035 CE.
The new “constitution” designates the official religion of a Palestinian state as Islam, with Sharia law to be the “primary source for legislation.” For the Palestinians, the Jews simply do not exist.
Contrary to claims that the Palestinian leadership had decided to end its “pay-for-Slay” program, the program was never canceled. Instead of listing the recipients as prisoners or “martyrs,” the PA has relabeled them as civil servants, security force personnel, and pensioners, so that they continue to benefit from the funding as a legal right.
The “constitution” demonstrates that the Palestinians still have not come to terms with Israel’s right to exist, still have not abandoned their dream of destroying Israel, and are still as committed as ever to encouraging terrorists to murder more Jews. (Gatestone Institute)
The Middle East’s Emerging Sunni Coalition Is A Strategic Threat To Israel – Yoni Ben Menachem
Senior officials in Jerusalem are expressing deep concerns over Turkey’s growing regional and international standing, and Ankara’s apparent ambition to position itself as a nuclear capable regional power as it senses the early stages of erosion within the Iranian regime. On Sept. 4, 2019, President Erdogan declared, “We cannot accept a situation in which major powers possess nuclear weapons while Turkey is denied such capabilities.”
On Feb.9, 2026, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told CNN that Turkey is considering the broader strategic implications of joining a regional nuclear race. At present, Turkey is constructing its first of three planned civilian nuclear power plants.
Israeli security officials argue that Erdogan is moving rapidly to encircle Israel diplomatically. Ankara is working to consolidate the Sunni world, transforming Arab rivals, including Egypt into partners in a broader alignment that could redirect regional momentum against Israel. A coalition of Sunni Muslim states is taking shape, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and Pakistan. (Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs)
(jcfa.org)
