News Digest — 6/10/25
Israel’s Navy Strikes Houthi Targets In Port City Of Hudaydah
The Israeli Navy struck the port city of Hudaydah on Tuesday morning (10th). The strikes followed the warning Monday evening (9th) to civilians present at several Yemeni ports controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi movement, citing their use for terrorist activity.
The strikes were conducted by the Israeli Navy rather than the IAF.
Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, named the ports of Ras Isa, Al-Hudaydah and Al-Salif as areas of concern. In a statement published on social media, Adraee urged all individuals currently in those areas to leave immediately.
“Due to the Houthis’ use of these ports for terror activity, we call on all those present to evacuate and distance themselves for their own safety until further notice,” he said.
The Houthis have launched repeated drone and missile attacks against Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza on Oct. 8. 2023. The warnings suggested that Israel was preparing to attack Houthi infrastructure in Yemen again.
The group, formally known as Ansar Allah, has controlled parts of northern Yemen, including its capital Sanaa, since 2014. The ports in question are key hubs for both humanitarian aid and commercial shipping in the region.
There was no immediate response from Houthi officials to the Israeli warnings Monday (9th) or Tuesday morning’s (10th) attack by the Israel Navy.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the operation was “a clear message” to the Houthis regarding the terror group’s targeting of Israel.
Argentina’s President Sheds A Tear At The Western Wall On Second Official Visit
Immediately upon landing in Israel on Monday evening (9th) Argentine president Javier Milei visited the Western Wall for prayer, marking the start of his second official visit to Israel since taking office.
As in his previous visit, the president chose to begin his visit at the Western Wall. He was accompanied by a senior Argentine delegation, including Foreign Minister Gerardo Wertheim, Presidential General Secretary Karina Milei, Argentina’s Ambassador to Israel Shimon Axel Wahnish, and the ambassador’s wife.
President Milei was welcomed by Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites and Mordechai Eliav, CEO at the western Wall Heritage Foundation.
Both leaders expressed appreciation for Milei’s support for the State of Israel and the Jewish people, and they praised the strong ties he maintains with Jewish communities worldwide.
During the visit, Milei recited a chapter of Psalms and offered a special prayer for the return of the hostages to their families.
Standing before the ancient stones, the Argentine President was seen wiping away tears. “I thank you for the warm and heartfelt welcome. I will always support the people of Israel wholeheartedly, because this is a just cause for the West as well,” Milei said.
At the conclusion of his visit, he wrote in the Western Wall guest book: “Freedom for Zion.”
Trump’s Phone Call With Netanyahu On Iran Concluded, Security Meeting Next
US President Donald Trump spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday (9th) regarding Iran, a White House official said.
The call came as Trump had been trying to accelerate aid into Gaza and had been trying to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear program.
Following the conversation between the two world leaders, Netanyahu will hold a security meeting with the participation of Defense Minister Israel Katz, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The meeting will also include Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, as well as senior security officials, including the Chief of Staff, the head of the Mossad, and the head of the Shin Bet, Israeli media reported.
In a previous phone call in May, following the shooting attack on two Israeli embassy workers in Washington, Trump warned Netanyahu against taking actions that could harm the negotiations between the US and Iran regarding the nuclear deal, The Jerusalem Post previously reported.
Trump’s message to Netanyahu was that “this is not the time to escalate the situation while he is trying to resolve the issues.”
According to a senior White House official, Trump told Netanyahu that he wanted to reach a diplomatic solution with Iran and that he “did not want anything to interfere with that.”
The official said Trump’s message to Netanyahu was that “this is not the time to escalate the situation while he is trying to resolve the issues.”
Trump emphasized to Netanyahu that “the second option is still on the table,” but he preferred to explore a diplomatic solution first.
The senior official said Trump “encouraged Netanyahu to act cautiously” during the call.
Less Rockets, More UAVs : Hezbollah Refocuses Drone Efforts To Target Israel
Inspired by the Ukraine-Russia war and facing disruptions to Iranian supply chains, Hezbollah has ramped up its domestic production of drones—an easier and cheaper alternative to rockets and missiles.
In response, the IDF carried out a targeted airstrike Thursday (4th) on five Hezbollah drone manufacturing sites in Beirut’s Dahieh district and in Ain Qana in southern Lebanon. The operation, months in the making, was approved despite internal debate among Israeli leadership.
The IDF had been monitoring the sites for some time before Arabic-language military spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee issued a public evacuation warning to civilians in the targeted buildings. Initial assessments indicate that the strikes successfully hit their intended targets, destroying hundreds of drones.
According to IDF intelligence, Hezbollah has shifted its rehabilitation budget in 2025 toward developing explosive-laden UAVs and attack or reconnaissance drones, investing less in precision missiles and rockets. Israeli Air Force commander MG Tomer Bar has held frequent operational meetings to tighten pressure on Hezbollah’s drone unit and prevent its resurgence.
Drone assembly is simpler, faster and cheaper than missile production and often uses civilian parts ordered online. Drones, which are harder for Israeli air defense systems to immediately detect and classify, can be launched from hidden locations like ravines and fly in unpredictable paths. Hezbollah has drawn tactical inspiration from the effectiveness of drones in Ukraine.
Despite Israeli advances in detection and interception – including a new laser defense system that has already downed about 40 Hezbollah drones – the IDF has yet to face a mass swarm attack combining drones with a barrage of rockets, especially from nearby southern Lebanon. That’s why Israel continues to prioritize preemptive strikes.
Maj. A., the Air Force officer overseeing efforts against Hezbollah’s covert UAV Unit 127, said the Thursday (4th) strike was a continuation of last year’s interception operation, during which Israel reportedly destroyed 70% of Hezbollah’s drone arsenal and killed senior figures in the unit. “We precisely hit underground workshops and storage sites without collapsing nearby buildings,” he said. “We’ll strike again when more sites are identified.”
According to Maj. A., Hezbollah is aiming for greater self-sufficiency and less reliance on Iran. Following the IDF’s warning Thursday (4th), Lebanese Army soldiers entered the targeted buildings in Dahieh, then quickly exited – likely verifying drone production on site before Israel launched precision strikes.
The episode highlights the role of the US-Lebanese-backed ceasefire oversight mechanism in southern Lebanon. Military sources say it’s possible that the Lebanese Army was sent in to confirm the presence of Hezbollah drone workshops producing thousands of units annually. “We expected this,” said Maj. A., “Even the Shiite community understands Hezbollah is a danger to Lebanon.”
US Congressman Torres: ‘Israeli Arabs Enjoy Far More Rights Than Jews Did In Arab Countries’
US Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY), one of Israel’s strongest defenders in the Democratic Party, praised Israel’s treatment of its minorities, in particular the Israel-Arab population.
“Arabs in the Jewish state enjoy far more rights than Jews ever did – or still do – in Arab states, to the extent that any Jews remain there at all,” Torres wrote on X.
“The ethnic cleansing of Jews from the Arab world was so thorough that virtually none remain. In 2021 for example, the last Jew fled Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power – ending more than 2,500 years of continuous Jewish presence stretching back to the Babylonian exile,” he added, noting that Afghanistan is a Muslim country but not an Arab one.
This is not the first time Torres has praised Israel’s human rights record. In March he published a post commending Israel’s commitment to religious pluralism and freedom during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
“Israel has been a responsible guardian of the Abrahamic tradition, transforming Jerusalem into a miraculous mosaic of religious pluralism among the most devout Jews, Christians, and Muslims,” Torres wrote on X.
He noted, “Under Israeli sovereignty, 80,000 Muslims freely prayed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first day of Ramadan. By contrast, during Jordan control over East Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967, Jews were strictly prohibited from even entering the Old City, let alone praying at the Western Wall.”
”Israel’s unprecedented commitment to religious liberty and diversity in the world’s holiest city is among the unacknowledged virtues of the Jewish state,” Torres stated.
India To Receive New Fighter Jet With Israeli Tech After Pakistan Conflict
The Indian Air Force is set to receive its new fighter jet, the HALTejas, later this month. The delivery, delayed by more than a year, has become critical following the recent conflict with Pakistan.
India’s decision to select a domestically produced aircraft to replace its aging MiG-21 and Jaguar fighter jets is one of the reasons the country currently fields just 31 fighter squadrons instead of the planned 42.
The Indian Air Force has already received 40 Tejas aircraft from the initial production run. Now, it is set to receive the advanced A1 variant, which brings it closer to Western standards, largely thanks to Israeli technology.
The Tejas is equipped with AESA (active electronic scanned array) technology made by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace industries, replacing an earlier Israeli radar.
Elta is also providing an electronic warfare system. Pilots will use the latest helmet-mounted sight from Elbit, while the planes will carry Rafael’s radar-guided Derby missile.
Each of the 83 aircraft ordered in the new variant will be fitted with multi-million-dollar Israeli systems manufactured in India in partnership with local companies, in line with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” policy, which requires local production of all defense equipment.
In fact the Tejas will be more “Israeli” than the Israeli Air Force’s own jets, which are equipped with American radars due to a US veto on the installation of Israeli radars.
The initial deliveries of the aircraft were scheduled two years ago. However, delays – primarily in the delivery of the US-made General Electric F404 engines – held back production, although at one point Israeli industries were also blamed for delays.
India is still grappling with internal debates over buying foreign systems versus local development, which is often criticized for poor quality. The Defense Ministry’s development aim in New Delhi continues to nurture homegrown products, but the military often prefers imported, higher quality systems.
Meanwhile, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., is developing the next version of the Tejas, which will feature canard wings for improved maneuverability, extended range, and enhanced systems. Israeli, French and American companies are already vying to supply these systems.
