News Digest — 2/4/26
IDF Reserve Officer Severely Wounded By Terrorist Gunfire Near Gaza Yellow Line
An IDF reserve officer was severely wounded before dawn Wednesday (4th) during operational activity near the Yellow Line in northern Gaza after terrorists opened fire on troops, the military confirmed on Wednesday (4th).
The officer was evacuated to the hospital and the family was notified, according to the military. The IDF said armored units and Israeli Air Force aircraft struck targets in the area and called the incident a blatant violation of the current ceasefire agreement.
The incident reportedly occurred in the Tuffah quarter on the northeastern side of the Old City of Gaza near the Muslim cemetery where the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza, Ran Gvili, were recently found.
In contrast to most neighborhoods on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line, the Tuffah Quarter still has a number of buildings standing intact.
Additionally, earlier on Tuesday (3rd), terrorists in Jericho threw rocks at IDF soldiers, who responded by opening fire, killing one of the terrorists and injuring several others. No IDF injuries were reported during the incident.
Terrorist activity continues in Gaza and the West Bank as Phase II of the ceasefire moves forward.
This week, Israel fully reopened the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt for pedestrians, the first step in moving toward Phase II of the US-backed ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
On Tuesday (3rd), US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss, among other things, Hamas’ disarmament and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
IDF Finds Huge Amount Of Mortar Rounds In UNRWA Blankets
The IDF on Tuesday (3rd) announced it found a huge haul of around 110 mortar rounds as well as some rockets and other military items, concealed within UNRWA blankets and humanitarian aid in southern Gaza.
A statement said that the IDF’s 7th armored brigade found the weapons – one of the most extensive single finds of longer-range weapons since Trump’s 2025 Gaza ceasefire deal in October – during its standard patrols within Israel-held territory east of the Yellow Line.
Since Oct. 2025, Israel has controlled 53% of Gaza, while Hamas has controlled 47%, including almost all of Gaza’s two-million-plus population.
The IDF has continued to find tunnels and other hidden weapons throughout this period. Typically it finds small amounts of guns or other low-grade weapons.
Finding such a large haul of mortars, weapons which can be fired from Gaza into Israel, even if likely only to the near border towns, is unusual.
The find was doubly significant since it was made within UNRWA humanitarian aid.
Israel has made exposing UNRWA’s double-dealing with Hamas, working as an aid group and looking the other way, when it hides weapons in their facilities or aid, a major global message and mission during and after the war.
Despite heavy global criticism, it has banned UNRWA from operating within Israel.
The Jerusalem Post has clarified with the IDF that the weapons were found within aid that was delivered before the ceasefire.
‘Anyone Who Works With Hamas Will Pay:’ Anti-Hamas Militias Are Policing Rafah Crossing, Warn Gaza Residents
Palestinian residents returning to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing describe a new reality on the ground, with local militias stepping into the governing vacuum, setting up oversight and interrogation mechanisms for returnees and openly challenging Hamas rule.
Local sources said the militias have been contacting family members of Hamas operatives and employees of Hamas-run institutions, urging them to sever ties with their relatives and warning that the militias now see themselves as responsible to maintain public order in Gaza.
Testimonies aired on the Al-Araby television channel included accounts from Gaza residents who said they were subjected to harsh treatment upon return. One woman said, “They didn’t allow food, water, perfume, nothing at all. We couldn’t bring anything to make our children happy. Everything was taken from us. They allowed only one bag of clothes per person.”
A further witness directly accused the Abu Shabab militia, which Israel has acknowledged cooperating with. “The Abu Shabab gang took the men and handed them over to the Jews,” she claimed. “They told us, ‘you are not leaving.’ “They said they would hold us until we gave them the names of those who entered Israel on October 7. They said they wouldn’t let us go into Gaza at all.”
Against the backdrop of those accusations, the new leader of the Al Shabab militia, Rassan al-Dheini told Ynet that “the Fifth Unit under my command will play an important security role regarding entry and exit through the Rafah Crossing.” He stressed that it is “a Palestinian body operating exclusively inside the Gaza Strip.”
Meanwhile, Hussam al-Astal, commander of the al-Malida militia in Khan Younis, issued even more explicit threats.
“Any family that has a son or relative working in Hamas security forces or institutions, including civilian ones, must know that their role has ended,” he said in a statement. “We have decided to decisively defeat Hamas in all arenas, without exception.”
Anyone who continues to cooperate with Hamas, he warned, “will bear responsibility for their arrest or death. This is the final warning. The phase of decisive action is approaching.”
At the same time, Al Shaat, head of the Gaza administration committee, which has yet to physically enter the Strip, said the reopening of the Rafah crossing “marks the beginning of a path that reconnects what was severed and opens a real window of hope for Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the power vacuum persists, and concerns grow over Hamas’ efforts to regroup and rebuild with internal tensions in Gaza continuing to intensify.
Herzog Receives Credentials From Fiji, Thai Ambassadors
Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday (4th) received the diplomatic credentials of the new ambassadors to Israel of Fiji and Thailand in formal ceremonies at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.
Herzog congratulated the Pacific Island nation on its decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem, calling it a historic milestone in bilateral relations.
“This is a fantastic moment, and we are very moved. Fiji is a dear friend of Israel, and we pray for and love your country. The future of so many important global issues depends on the Pacific region, including in the maritime sphere, climate and energy,” he said.
Jesoni Vitusagavulu conveyed the best wishes of the people of Fiji, stating “I am honored to be the first resident ambassador of Fiji to Israel. We share our prayers for security and peace for Israel, and we stand together with Israel.”
Herzog also received the credentials of Thailand’s new ambassador, Boonyarit Vichienpintu, and praised the strong ties between the two countries, highlighting opportunities to expand cooperation in innovation, agriculture and tourism.
“Israel loves Thailand. During the war, due to the tragedies that occurred, Thai citizens resident in Israel became a part of our family,” Herzog said, referring to the 46 Thai workers killed during the Gaza conflict.
“Captain Ella” Appointed IDF Arabic Spokesperson
Major Ella Waweya, widely known in the Arab world as “Captain Ella” has been appointed the Israel Defense Forces’ Arabic-language spokesperson. She will replace Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, who is retiring from the IDF after two decades of service. As part of the appointment, Waweya will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Waweya grew up in the Arab city of Qalansawe in central Israel. At around the age of 22, she chose to perform national service, serving at Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba. Two years later, she decided to enlist in the IDF, joining the Arabic Communications Department of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, where she served as a new-media officer.
During her service, Waweya became a prominent figure in Arabic-language IDF outreach, particularly on social media platforms. In 2018, she received an Outstanding Service Award from the head of the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate, then MG Aharon Haliva, in recognition of her work.
Speaking in July at a security and public service conference organized by Ynet, Yediioth Ahronoth, and the institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Waweya described the media arena as a central front in modern conflict. “The media arena is a battlefield,” she said. “This is a war that is no less difficult than other arenas.” Waweya emphasized the role of the media in shaping public perception. “They entered Israel with cameras with the aim of changing consciousness and creating a circle of hatred,” she said. “We come and present our truth. We expose what the other side is doing and show our reality, with courage. It is no less a battle over consciousness and truth.”
Waweya also outlined the scope of her media activity, noting that “different platforms reach different audiences. On Tik Tok, the focus is more on Judea and Samaria and Gaza,” she said. “On Instagram, it’s more mixed – audiences from the West, from Israel, and from Arab society more broadly, including Lebanon. The target audience is the Arab public across the Middle East.”
Who Deserves The Credit For Iron Dome: Israel Or America?
On Jan. 21, 2026, President Donald Trump, referring to the Iron Dome rocket interception system, said, “Bibi, stop taking credit for the dome. That’s our technology, that’s our stuff.” The response in Israel was one of astonishment.
In August 2005, the decision to begin the Iron Dome program was made by BG, Danny Gold, then head of the Directorate of Defense Research & Development in Israel’s Ministry of Defense. In April 2007, Israeli Defense Technology Company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Ministry of Defense signed an agreement for the development and procurement of Iron Dome. In April 2011, an Iron Dome battery in Ashkelon carried out the system’s first operational interception.
Rafael led development of the interceptor missile and the launcher. Israel Aerospace Industries unit Elta developed the radar, and the Israeli company mPrest Systems developed the command and control system. Yossi Druker, formerly VP and head of Air Superiority Systems at Rafael says, “Without exception, Iron Dome was developed with Israeli money and the technology is entirely Israeli.”
Dr. Yehoshua Kalisky, a senior researcher at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies, says, “Adding radar to the missiles, the controls and the connections between them that turn everything into one system, that is an Israeli development. The people at Rafael did the simulations and Israeli scientists led these processes. They took the technology and made the great leap forward, and so Iron Dome is by definition an Israeli development.”
Today, the Americans do have a share in the project, not in the technological aspect but in the funding. Its interceptor missiles are manufactured both in Israel and the U.S. “Part of the U.S. military aid goes to the American factories that produce Iron Dome’s interceptor missile, the Tamir. They financed that pretty much from the start,” said Kalisky.
Since 2012, Israel has received extensive funding for development of Iron Dome and other air defense systems. “Today the Americans do help Israel a great deal,” says Druker. “The financing of the development was wholly Israeli, a large part of it from Rafael’s internal development funds – and production is entirely U.S. financed.”
