News Digest — 5/14/26
IDF Eliminates Hamas Commander Who Infiltrated Nahal Oz On Oct. 7
In a significant “closing of the circle,” the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed Wednesday (13th) the elimination of Hamza Sharbatsi, a high-ranking commander in Hamas’ Shuja’iyya Battalion.
Sharbatsi was a key figure in the October 7 invasion and was famously documented in chilling footage inside a civilian bomb shelter in the Nahal Oz outpost during the height of the slaughter. The elimination took place last week during a joint surgical strike by the IAF and Southern Command.
Sharbatsi was identified not only as a participant in the initial massacre but as an active leader who continued to direct terror cells against IDF forces currently operating in northern Gaza.
Sharbatsi was among the first terrorists to breach the border fence on the morning of Oct. 7th.
Following his death, security forces released a haunting image of him armed inside the Nahal Oz outpost shelter, a location where numerous IDF soldiers were killed and abducted.
A Secondary Target: Eliminated alongside him was Azzam al-Haya, a senior operative in the elite Nukhba force.
Security sources say al-Haya held a pivotal role in Hamas’ command-and-control structure in northern Gaza.
The strike occurred near the so-called “Yellow Line,” an area where Sharbatsi had recently been attempting to reorganize Hamas infrastructure.
Military officials emphasized that this operation is part of an ongoing, uncompromising manhunt for every individual involved in the atrocities on Oct. 7.
The IDF and Shin Bet will continue to hunt down every terrorist who participated in the massacre, regardless of where they hide,” a security official stated.
“This elimination strikes another blow to Hamas’ ability to govern or regroup in the northern Strip.”
The operation underscores a strategic priority of the current war: using advanced intelligence and “in-the-loop” technology to ensure that the perpetrators of crimes against Israeli civilians and soldiers face direct consequences, even years after the event.
IDF Chief Of Staff: ‘We Are Prepared From Judea And Samaria To Tehran
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir conducted a situational assessment tour Wednesday (13th) in northern Samaria.
Accompanying the Chief of Staff were Command chief MG Avi Bluth, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories MG Yoam Halevi, and additional senior officials from the Civil Administration and the regional brigades operating in the area.
During the visit, brigade commanders presented the current regional situation and operational activity from recent weeks. Zamir spoke with battalion commanders and soldiers in the field and expressed strong appreciation for their achievements and for the close cooperation among all security bodies in counterterrorism efforts.
In his remarks, Zamir stressed that the IDF is operating proactively and offensively across all arenas. “The IDF is operating in all arenas with initiative and offensiveness . We have created a new security reality – we continue fighting in Lebanon, operating in the Litani area and additional sectors, and eliminating dozens of terrorists and terror infrastructures every day.”
The Chief of Staff added that forces are also operating continuously in Gaza and the Judea and Samaria region to eliminate terrorists.
“In Gaza as well, we are operating offensively and eliminating terrorists, and here in Judea and Samaria we are acting nonstop and achieving results. There is no containment – only initiative. The campaign is not over. The IDF is prepared to renew fighting if required and remains in constant readiness and alertness in both defense and offense – from Judea and Samaria to Tehran.”
According to Zamir, the northern Samaria area is undergoing a significant transformation thanks to extensive offensive and counterterrorism activity led by Central Command: “The northern Samaria area is in the midst of a significant change. Central Command is leading broad offensive and counterterrorism operations alongside preparations for optimal defense of the area.”.
Zamir concluded by saying: “This is a period in which the level of terrorism in Judea and Samaria is among the lowest in recent years – thanks to continuous, proactive, and offensive counterterrorism, including operations in refugee camps.”
“The Nahal Brigade, which completed intense fighting in Lebanon only a month ago, immediately redeployed afterward for missions in Judea and Samaria. I am confident it will achieve success here as well,” he concluded
Netanyahu Secretly Visited UAE During Iran War
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that at the height of Operation Roaring Lion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates, about 155 miles from Iran, where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. The Prime Minister’s Office said the visit led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE.
Israel Hayom has learned that only a few people in Netanyahu’s close circle knew about the visit, due to the high security risk involved in traveling so close to Iran in the middle of the war, and for only a few hours.
An Emirati source told the news site: “Bibi came here because he wanted to show that he does not leave his allies alone. He is proving that he stands by his allies. Even his enemies here admit that.”
However, the UAE Foreign Ministry denied the reports that Netanyahu had visited the country and said they were inaccurate. In an official statement, it said that “relations with Israel are public and were established within the framework of the well-known and declared Abraham Accords.” The UAE stressed that all diplomatic activity is conducted through recognized official channels, and rejected the claims that a secret meeting had taken place during the fighting.
The Prime Minister’s Office Statement revealed another aspect of relations between the two countries during the war against Iran. Until now, it appeared that the coordination was only tactical, between the heads of the intelligence agencies, the Mossad and the Shin Bet security agency, as was cleared for publication only early Wednesday (13th). But in the evening, it emerged that the prime minister himself also made the trip to the Emirates.
In addition, The Wall Street Journal reported that the head of the Mossad had visited the UAE twice to coordinate the war against Iran. At the same time, following the report in the US, Kan public broadcaster’s radio station revealed that Shin Bet chief David Zin had also been in the Emirates.
According to the report, the visits testify to the depth of the increasingly close security partnership between Israel and the UAE. Israel sent Iron Dome batteries and dozens of soldiers to operate them to the UAE, to defend against Iranian missiles and drones. At the same time, the UAE carried out military strikes on Iranian territory, including an attack on a refinery facility on Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf.
Dominican Republic Designates Iran’s IRGC, Hezbollah As Terrorist Organizations
The Dominican Republic has designated Hezbollah and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as terrorist organizations, its Foreign Affairs Ministry announced in a Tuesday (12th) statement.
The designation was made in the framework of the Dominican Republic’s commitment to fighting global terrorism, the Inter-American against Terrorism and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
“The Government of the Dominican Republic reiterates its willingness to continue strengthening its cooperative relations with the United States of America and with the other states of the hemisphere, in favor of regional security, stability, and prosperity,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that also detailed measures against drug trafficking and law enforcement cooperation with the U.S.
Israeli Foreign MinisterGideon Sa’ar said on X Tuesday (12th) that the designation was part of an international front against terrorism.
“The important decision sends a clear message against the terrorist policies of Iran and its proxies and demonstrates a commitment to regional and global security,” said Sa’ar.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon also echoed the sentiment on social media on Wednesday (13th).
“This is an important decision that aligns with dozens of countries that have already done the right thing,” Danon said. “The world increasingly understands that the terror led by Iran is not only a threat to Israel – it is a global threat.”
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader had met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog this week according to the Caribbean nation’s foreign ministry. They reportedly discussed Israeli cooperation with agriculture, irrigation, and business development, and an upcoming Latin American Forum Against Antisemitism.
Berlin Holocaust Memorial Vandalized In Latest Antisemitic Vandalism Incident
The Deportation Monument on the Putlitz Bridge in Berlin, a Holocaust Memorial to Jews sent to concentration and death camps, was vandalized on Tuesday evening (12th) in the latest defacement of the site.
The memorial for Berlin Jews deported from the Moabit Station during the Shoah was defaced with several graffiti tags, according to the Berlin Police.
The Department for Research and Information on Antisemitism Berlin (RAS Berlin) told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday (13th) that it considers the vandalization of remembrance sites, such as the case of the deportation memorial, to be “targeted antisemitic property damage.”
“Such incidents are directed against the memorial sites themselves but also deliberately disrupt the commemoration and remembrance of the victims of the Shoah,” RAS Berlin said.
The memorial for the 32,000 deported Jews has faced repeated vandalism since its creation, with it being splashed with white paint and covered in parcel tape in August. In November 2024, Berlin Police said a memorial wreath laid at the site was thrown over the railway railing, and candles were destroyed. The memorial was damaged by a bomb in 1992 and restored the following year, according to the Center for Jewish Art.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul visited the Holocaust Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, in Berlin inJune, 2025.
The deportation memorial’s defacement is also the latest in a series of recent antisemitic incidents in the German city.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was discovered vandalized last Tuesday morning, (5th), according to the Berlin Police and the German Holocaust Memorial’s caretaking organization.
A stele at the Berlin memorial was discovered covered in green graffiti containing “inflammatory content.”
On April 26, in the Berlin-Pankow borough, several instances of antisemitic graffiti on apartment buildings were discovered, according to Berlin Police.
“Kill all Jews” was painted on one wall, according to a photograph published by Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor. According to Judische Allgemeine, Jewish community members also saw a graffiti swastika and the statement “Only a dead Jew is a good Jew.”
RAS Berlin, which is publishing its annual report on antisemitic incidents next Wednesday (20th), said that, in 2024, there were 89 registered incidents at memorial sites, and in 2025, there were 61.
Who Has The Upper Hand In Iran? – Maj. (ret.) John Spencer
One of the strongest habits in modern war analysis is how quickly survival gets confused with victory. Iran has not collapsed overnight. The regime still broadcasts threats, launches missiles and drones, and floods television and social media with declarations of imagined strength. Much of the analysis mistakes continued existence for strategic success and ignores nearly every measurable indicator of national power.
Wars are judged through military capability, economic endurance, political cohesion, freedom of action, strategic leverage, and the ability to sustain power while degrading an opponent’s. By those standards, Iran is substantially weaker today than it was before the war began. The foundations of Iranian power have been systematically reduced in ways that will take years to rebuild, if they can be rebuilt at all.
The scale of military destruction alone is extraordinary. Much of the senior leadership structure that spent decades constructing Iran’s regional military network is dead, including senior IRGC commanders, missile force leaders, intelligence officials, nuclear scientists, operational planners, and even the Supreme leader himself. Nuclear facilities that represented decades of investment now sit buried under rubble. Its missile enterprise has suffered similar devastation. Large portions of the Iranian Navy and IRGC maritime forces were destroyed.
The debate over the Strait of Hormuz reflects a broader misunderstanding about power. By openly threatening the world economy through coercion, Iran reinforced for regional governments and global powers why the regime can never again be allowed to hold that level of leverage unchecked. Governments that once viewed Iran as a difficult but necessary regional power increasingly see it as the primary source of instability threatening economic growth and long-term security.
Some analysts continue to argue that because Iran can still fire missiles, threaten shipping, or survive politically, the U.S. is strategically cornered and desperate for an exit. That argument confuses the ability to inflict pain with the ability to achieve strategic success. Those narratives avoid confronting the measurable destruction Iran has suffered, and the strategic value of preventing a terrorist regime from reaching a threshold in nuclear weapons capability and missile production. They also dismiss the importance of degrading a state that spent decades funding terrorism and destabilizing the Middle East.
The writer is chair of urban warfare studies at West Point’s Modern War Institute. (X)
(x.com)
