News Digest — 6/2/25
‘This Is Our Place’: Over 43,000 Olim Arrived In Israel Since October 7
The Jewish Holiday of Shavuot, which began Sunday evening (1st), symbolizes a deep connection to Israel, the land and agriculture. For many new olim that arrived during the war in Gaza, it also marks a new beginning – a realization of the Zionist dream in one of the country’s most difficult periods.
According to the Jewish Agency, more than 43,000 olim from dozens of countries have arrived in Israel since October 7, 2023. About one-third are between the ages of 18 and 35. Many have been absorbed through government supported programs which help newcomers settle in kibbutzim.
Jewish Agency Chairman MG Doron Almog said “aliyah to Israel is of strategic and existential importance,” reinforcing Israeli society in all areas. “Behind every new oleh is a story of mutual responsibility and shared destiny between the Jewish people and our country: these stories reflect courage, Zionism and unconditional love for Israel.”
Jewish Agency Director-General Yehuda Stone added: “In every encounter with new olim – especially those who chose to tie their fate to ours after October 7 – I feel their deep sense of belonging and belief in our future. That’s the essence of Zionism: the understanding that we’re one people with one story and one mission.”
“Over 43,000 olim from around the world since the war began are learning, working, serving – and most importantly, helping rebuild Israeli society. Every story is a beacon of hope. Every family strengthens our national resilience. The Jewish Agency will continue to guide, support and connect – so we can rebuild the face of a renewed Israel together,” he concluded.
The Jewish holiday of Shavuot ends on Tuesday evening (3rd) at nightfall.
Chief Of Staff Visits Gaza, Orders Expansion Of Maneuvers
IDF Chief Of Staff Eyal Zamir on Sunday (1st), the eve of the holiday of Shavuot, conducted a situational assessment and field tour in the southern Gaza Strip with the Commander of the Southern Command, MG Yaniv Asor, the Commander of the Air Force, MG Tomer Bar, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, MG Ghassan Ailan, the Commander of the Gaza Division, BG Barak Hiram, and other commanders.
Following the situational assessment, the Chief of Staff praised the forces for their operations and instructed an expansion of the maneuver to additional areas in the south and north of the Gaza Strip, until conditions are created for the return of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.
Additionally, the Chief of Staff directed the establishment of further distribution and dispersal centers.
“We are in the midst of a powerful and uncompromising campaign – thanks to you, Hamas is losing control. We eliminated the arch murderer Mohammed Sinwar, and to all the other murderers of October 7th, we are sending a clear message: “Your day will come,” said Zamir.
“The IDF continues to seize and clear vast areas of enemy presence and terrorist infrastructure. The effort continues on all fronts, according to a systematic plan and at an appropriate pace – until all combat objectives are achieved: the return of all our hostages and the elimination of Hamas’ governing and military capabilities,” he stated.
“We “strike” to protect the citizens of the State of Israel – the mission is defense, the method is offense,” the Chief of Staff continued.
“A quiet and safe Shavuot to you, the soldiers, to your families, and to the citizens of Israel. Special appreciation goes to the reserve forces and their families, who are operating under significant strain, and to the residents of the settlements on the borders and in the contact zones, who have demonstrated, since October 7th, a spirit of heroism and perseverance,” he concluded.
Earlier on Sunday (1st), Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he had ordered the IDF to continue the war against the terror organizations in the Gaza Strip, regardless of developments to the hostage negotiations.
“On the eve of Shavuot, the IDF is operating with great force, crushing the enemy, and clearing a path for the maneuvering forces,” he stated.
“I have ordered the IDF to continue moving forward to all objectives, regardless of any negotiations, and to use every tool, from the air, ground, and sea, to protect the IDF soldiers and to remove and crush the Hamas terrorists,” Katz added.
He concluded,” Those who massacre and fight us will pay the full price. As I said: either Hamas lets the hostages go, or it will be destroyed.”
IDF Says Drone Strike Killed Hezbollah Anti-Tank Missile Operator In South Lebanon
An Israeli drone strike killed a Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon on Sunday morning (1st) the Israel Defense Forces said, marking the latest in a string of deadly exchanges that continue to strain a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed terrorist group, Hezbollah.
The IDF said the strike, carried out in the village of Arnoun in Lebanon’s Nabatish region, targeted a member of Hezbollah’s anti-tank unit. Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed one fatality in the attack, which it described as an “Israeli enemy strike” on a motorcycle. Arnoun lies just three miles from the Israeli border..
It said another person was killed in an Israeli raid that “targeted a vehicle on the Debl Road” in the Bint Jbeil district.
Since the initiation of a ceasefire agreement in November 2024, which expired in mid-February, Israel has continued to launch targeted strikes on Hezbollah operatives and infrastructures, claiming violations of the truce by the terrorist organization. According to the IDF, over 180 Hezbollah operatives have been killed in Israeli strikes since the deal was reached.
The November truce followed over a year of cross-border violence that began when Hezbollah started attacking Israel a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas’ October 7, 2023 terror onslaught. The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah included two months of open warfare, and the ceasefire was based on the framework of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
The resolution required Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani River – about 19 miles from the border – and dismantle all military infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Israel , in turn, was to withdraw its troops, though it has maintained five positions along the frontier it considers “strategic.”
Hezbollah, which maintains strong political and military ties with Iran and enjoys support from pro Iran factions in Iraq, has not publicly commented on Sunday’s (1st) strike.
The developments come amid heightened uncertainty over the long-term viability of the ceasefire, with tensions simmering along the border and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate appearing increasingly strained.
Despite Hamas Claims, Security Camera Footage From Gaza Aid Center Shows No Shooting
The IDF on Sunday (1st) denied that it had attacked a food line in Rafah after Hamas claimed dozens were killed in an Israeli strike.
The Qatari-based Al Jazeera Network quoted sources in Gaza who said 30 people were killed and over 100 wounded in a strike near the distribution center operated by the American Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The Reuters news agency also said dozens were killed, basing their report on the Palestinian news agency WAFA and Hamas affiliated media.
Other major news outlets, including the BBC, CNN, Sky News, The Washington Post, to name but a few, were quick to repeat the claim.
“The IDF is currently unaware of injuries caused by IDF fire within the Humanitarian Aid distribution site,” the military said in a statement. “The matter is still under review.
GHF said there was no IDF fire in the area of the distribution center. GHF CEO John Ackery said on Saturday (5/31) that there have been no fatalities or injuries in the aid distribution centers his group operates despite rumors consistently spread. “These false reports harm the work of our teams on the ground. There have not been any cases of deaths since our distribution efforts began,” he said.
The IDF said earlier that troops identified three terrorists transporting explosives they intended to use to rig an area in Khan Younis. The forces opened fire and killed the terrorist squad. The military also said its engineering corps destroyed a 765 yard long underground tunnel, dug 100 feet below ground.
As Hamas Falters In Gaza, Rival Gangs Fight For Control
As IDF operations continue to weaken Hamas in the Gaza Strip, rival gangs are reasserting themselves to gain control.
Al Hadath,a Saudi news publication, has reported that Hamas has lost security control in Gaza and factions are looting aid, stealing, and attacking residents.
The IDF reports that these groups behave like militias, are armed, steal from rivals and regular citizens, and defend themselves against Hamas.
Many of the gangs have existed for a long time and have been involved in smuggling electronics, drugs, and weapons from Egypt and Israel.
Hamas has made deals with many of these factions and even invited them to participate in the looting and Massacre on October 7th.
However, Hamas is increasingly losing control over these gangs, who resisted Hamas’ reassertion of power in Gaza during the winter truce.
As the terror group tried to regain control of the northern and southern areas of the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire, rival clans resisted with knee shootings, torture and murder.
The Abu Shabab clan, led by Yasser Abu Shabab of the Tarabin family, is one of the most notorious of the clans and regularly seizes humanitarian aid convoys and loots them. This gang originated in Rafah and now operates in both the northern and southern areas of the Gaza Strip.
Another major player is the Dughmush clan, also known as Dajmash, from Tel al-Hawa and al-Sabra in Gaza City. This clan was involved in the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit in 2006 and is regularly involved in violent clashes with Hamas.
Hamas killed the head of the Dughmush gang over suspicions of collaborating with Israel.
Israeli security experts say that the gangs are motivated by financial gain and power rather than ideology.
One security official said: “There is no vacuum in Gaza. If Hamas terrorists are not present, clan members will try to impose their own order. In the event of a ceasefire, Hamas will have to confront this perennial problem. If not, the clans will only grow stronger. They are not waiting for anyone.”
The West’s Lies About Israel Are Falling Apart – Brendan O’Neill
Mohammed Sinwar, the de facto chief of Hamas in Gaza, has been eliminated, says Israel. Mohammed was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, who was leader of Hamas in Gaza from 2017 until October 2024, Yahya masterminded the pogrom of Oct. 7, 2023, Mohammed succeeded him.
Hamas really has been decapitated. The Sinwars are dead. Mohammed Deif, head of the al-Qassam Brigades, was slain in an airstrike in July 2024. In that same month, Ismail Haniyeh. Hamas’ political boss, was taken out in a targeted strike in Tehran. This has been the most successful anti-fascist operation of the 21st century so far.
Mohammed Sinwar was meeting with his fellow neo-fascists in a bunker under the courtyard of the European Hospital. That’s a hospital that was set up with a grant from the European Union and run by the UN through its local Palestinian Agency, UNRWA,
Let that sink in: a mass murderer of Jews, the leader of a movement that carried out the worst act of anti-Semitic slaughter since the Nazis, found refuge under a facility funded by the globalist outfits that are forever wagging a finger at “genocidal” Israel. This murderous anti-Semite took physical cover in the institution birthed by the EU.
The “Zionists” did not strike the European Hospital because they lust for the blood of innocents. They attacked it because Jew-hating militants were gathered there. Their target was not sick children but sicko fascists. They fired targeted missiles at men who organized the mass rape and murder of Jews.
The media-elite handwringing over the strike on the European Hospital was more than misinformation – it was a complete inversion of truth. It was Hamas that was using the hospital for military purposes. It was Hamas that endangered the lives of sick kids by turning their facility into an outpost in a war. It is Hamas whose gunmen happily hide behind patients in a hospital, using the ill and wounded as human shields. Our cultural establishment falsely charges Israel with crimes that are actually committed by Hamas. (Spiked-UK)
