News Digest — 3/24/26
Netanyahu Says Israel Will Safeguard Interests As Trump Pursues Talks With Iran
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will safeguard its interests even as US President Donald Trump pursues talks with Iran aimed at ending the war, following a call between the two leaders on Monday (23rd).
“Earlier today, I spoke with our friend, President Trump. He believes there is an opportunity to leverage the tremendous achievements of the IDF and the US military in order to achieve the objectives of the war through an agreement that will preserve our vital interests,” Netanyahu said.
He added, “At the same time, we continue to strike both in Iran and in Lebanon, dismantling the missile and nuclear program piece by piece and continuing to deal severe blows to Hezbollah.”
Netanyahu said recent operations included targeting individuals tied to Iran’s nuclear program. “Just a few days ago, we eliminated two more nuclear scientists, and more actions are forthcoming. We will safeguard our vital interests under all circumstances,” he said.
Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday (23rd) that the United States has held “very good and productive conversations” with Iran in recent days aimed at reaching a “complete and total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East.”
He continued, “I am pleased to report that the United States of America and the country of Iran, have had, over the last two days, very good and productive conversations,” adding that the discussions focused on ending the conflict. He said the talks were “in depth, detailed and constructive” and would continue throughout the week.
Citing what he described a s the “tenor and tone” of the exchanges, Trump said he had ordered a temporary halt to planned military action. “I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period,” he wrote, noting the pause would depend on the outcome of ongoing discussions.
The announcement signaled a possible diplomatic track, with the delay in strikes tied to whether the talks continue to progress.
Hezbollah Radwan Force Commanders Surrender, Captured By IDF Troops In Southern Lebanon
Several Hezbollah Radwan Force commandos surrendered and were captured by Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, the IDF said Tuesday (24th).
According to the military, troops from the Givati Brigade, during an operation to locate weapons in the area, identified a group of armed operatives who were preparing to fire an anti-tank missile at Israeli forces and establish a launch position on targeting communities in northern Israel.
Shortly after being detected, the suspects surrendered and were taken into custody. Troops seized a large quantity of weapons and equipment and later destroyed the structure from which the operatives had been operating.
The IDF said the terrorists surrendered after recognizing the scale of Israeli military activity in the area, which is focused on dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure.
Since the start of the war, hundreds of Hezbollah elite Radwan Force operatives have moved south to conduct defensive operations following the entry of Israeli troops into the area.
According to the military, much of the unit’s infrastructure and equipment, originally intended for an assault on northern Israeli communities, was destroyed in earlier operations.
The remaining operatives are now deployed in small cells within village areas, often avoiding direct engagement with Israeli forces.
The IDF has increasingly relied on heavy preparatory fire, including artillery and airstrikes, before ground maneuvers, a tactic drawn from its experience in Gaza.
Initial findings from the IDF’s Unit 504 interrogators indicate that the operatives arrived in southern Lebanon from the Beqaa Valley at the start of Operation Roaring Lion.
The military said this movement contradicts claims by the Lebanese Armed Forces that they have established operational control over the area south of the Litani River.
“This case once again demonstrates that the Lebanese Army has failed to prevent the transfer of terrorists and weapons into the area south of the Litani,” the IDF said.
The IDF added that it continues targeted ground operations in southern Lebanon as part of its response to Hezbollah attacks, saying its actions are aimed at removing threats to Israeli civilians.
Bahrain Seeks UN Mandate To Counter Iran Threats In Strait Of Hormuz
Bahrain has submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council that would authorize member states to employ “all necessary means” – a diplomatic term indicating the potential use of military force to safeguard commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the draft text, reviewed by the Reuters news agency on Monday (23rd), the proposal is supported by other Gulf Arab nations and the United States.
Diplomats indicated, however, that its adoption appears unlikely due to probable vetoes from Iran’s allies, Russia and China.
The initiative highlights growing regional alarm over Iran’s persistent threats to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital strategic passage through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies flow, forming a cornerstone of Gulf economies.
Iran has long identified the closure of the Strait as a primary strategic goal. Commercial shipping in the waterway has clearly ceased following Iranian strikes on vessels amid its ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.
The draft declares Iran’s conduct a threat to international peace and security. It would permit countries, either independently or via voluntary multinational naval coalitions, to apply all necessary means in and around the Strait of Hormuz – including within the territorial waters of coastal states – to guarantee safe passage and block any efforts to obstruct or interfere with international navigation.
The draft text “demands that the Islamic republic of Iran immediately cease all attacks against merchant and commercial vessels and any attempt to impede lawful transit passage or freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Two European and one Western diplomat stated that the chances of the resolution passing in the Security Council are slim, as Russia and China would likely exercise their veto power if necessary.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday (21st) issued an ultimatum to Iran, demanding that it reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face strikes on its power plants.
The ultimatum was set to expire on Monday (23rd), but Trump announced it would be extended in order to allow for talks between the US and Iran.
Trump stated that the US is reaching out to “very solid” figures inside Iran to conduct the talks. Subsequent reports indicated that Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was representing Iran in the talks with the US.
Belgium Soldiers Deployed In Jewish Neighborhoods
The Belgian Ministry of Defense has deployed soldiers outside synagogues and Jewish schools in Antwerp, in cooperation with the federal police.
The decision follows a wave of anti-Semitic incidents across Europe, including an explosion outside a synagogue in Belgium and an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in the Netherlands.
Interior and Defense Ministers Bernard Quintin and Theo Francken made the decision after the attack on a synagogue in Liege, as well as several anti-Semitic incidents in Norway and the Netherlands, including explosions and an attempted synagogue arson.
On March 9, an explosion occurred near a synagogue in Liege. A few days later, incidents took place in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, where a fire was set at a synagogue and an explosion occurred at a Jewish school.
In Norway, on March 8, an explosion took place at the United States Embassy in Norway. Yesterday, four ambulances belonging to a Jewish emergency organization in Golder’s Green, London, were burned in an anti-Semitic incident that has alarmed the Jewish community.
Member of Parliament Michael Freilich, who pushed for deploying soldiers in Belgium Jewish neighborhoods, wrote after the decision: “The federal police have called on the army to guard Jewish sites now that the threat is real. It is good to finally see action taken following a series of attacks on Jewish institutions. It is important that this step was taken. Safety must come first.” The local JID, which fights anti-Semitism, also worked extensively to bring soldiers into the city streets.
Another Member of Parliament, Sam Van Roov of the right-wing Vlaams Belang party, a strong supporter of Israel, also worked to promote the deployment. He previously said: “The more I studied, the more I understood what is being said in mosques, what is taught in schools, what politicians from Fatah and Hamas say, and when you deeply understand the history – you arrive at an understanding of the Israel position.”
Israel Is America’s Best Ally – We Must Reject The Evil Of Anti-Semitism – Hugh Hewitt
The stunning and ominous rise in anti-Semitism in the U.S. cannot be disputed, but can be resisted. It is particularly the obligation of genuine Christians to participate in the repression through education of the ancient evil. It is the particular obligation of Christian institutions to do their part in making this sin once again an obvious source of shame and to help cure those who suffer from it and, where it cannot be cured, to force it back by shaming and shunning into the deepest shadows where it belongs.
In a dangerous world, even the dominant superpower – the U.S. – needs allies. Israel is objectively the most important ally of the U.S. It is the equal of any military on the globe in its ability to strike far and hard and to dominate its region. It’s an intelligence superpower and an engine of technological excellence and ever-increasing breakthroughs. If any country had to pick one strong ally not named the U.S., it would be Israel.
Israel is also a reliable and fully-integrated-into-our-military ally. Israel takes what the U.S. makes and improves on it, as had been the case with the F-35 fighter. It sometimes takes the rudiments of a technology and develops them to scale and deploys them as with Iron Dome and Iron Beam. Those advancements will return to America as the Golden Dome and Golden Beam.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Israel shares America’s founding values of individual liberty and democratic governance. Freedom of speech is as robust there as it is here. Human rights are respected there as they are here. It is a “Western nation” in every respect.
Begging Hamas To Disarm – The Misguided Approach Of Trump’s “Board of Peace” – Khaled Abu Toameh
President Trump’s “Board of Peace” reportedly presented Hamas with a written proposal on how it could lay down its weapons, at meetings in Cairo over the past weekend attended by Nikolay Mladenov, the “Board of Peace” envoy to Gaza, and Aryeh Lightstone, a U.S. aide to special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Some one needs to inform Mladenov that Hamas has already made a decision to reject disarmament. Over the past few months, Hamas leaders have consistently characterized disarmament as a “red line.” There is something deeply misguided – if not outright dangerous – about the idea that the U.S, should beg Hamas to lay down its weapons. To ask Hamas politely to disarm is a fantasyland approach.
Hamas is a terrorist group whose foundational principles and actions are centered on the use of violent jihad (holy war) and the destruction of Israel. It cannot achieve its goal without holding onto its weapons. Hamas’ 1988 Charter rejects any negotiated peace settlement, and emphasizes that jihad is the “only solution.”
On the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, Hamas’ Izz a-Din al-Qassam Brigade released a video pledging to continue the fight “until the complete liberation of Palestine” – the elimination of Israel. “Every sacrifice brings Palestinians one step closer to their goal of complete liberation.”
Hamas will disarm only when it realizes that the cost of holding onto weapons exceeds the benefits. Treating disarmament as a voluntary goodwill gesture rather than a non-negotiable prerequisite is unfortunately a non-starter. Disarmament is a condition that must be enforced to prevent countless more Oct. 7, 2023-style massacres against Jews. (Gatestone Institute)
