News Digest — 6/3/26
IDF Eliminated Terrorist Who Captured Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eliya Cohen, Alon Ohel And Or Levy
Israel Defense Forces said it killed Yousef Ayesh Awad Ramadan, a Hamas Nukhba cell commander who participated in the October 7 kidnapping of American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, as well as Eliya Cohen, Alon Ohel, and Or levy from a bomb shelter at the Re’im Junction.
Ramadan was involved in the abduction of the four hostages after they had taken refuge in the shelter during the Hamas-led attack.
Footage that later circulated from the scene showed Hersh Goldberg-Polin being loaded into the back of a truck after a grenade blast had severed his arm while he was hiding in the shelter.
The IDF said Ramadan continued to play an operational role throughout the war and was involved in planning attacks against Israel forces and civilians.
According to the military, Ramadan had “advanced attack plans against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians” during the conflict and in recent weeks, and was considered a threat to Israeli troops operating in Gaza.
The military said the strike was carried out after intelligence indicated an immediate threat posed by Hamas terrorists in the area.
According to the statement, before the operation, the two Hamas terrorists attempted to carry out attacks against Israeli troops operating nearby, prompting what the military described as precision strikes.
“Prior to the strikes, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance,” the IDF said
The announcement drew a response from Alon Ohel, one of the hostages abducted from the Re’im Junction shelter and later released in October 2025 as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Ohel addressed the operation in a post on Instagram and called on the military to continue operations against Hamas. He urged the IDF to continue “until the last terrorist.”
‘You Are Not Safe:’ IDF Reveals Hezbollah Terrorists Are Hiding In Tyre’s Christian Neighborhood
The IDF revealed on Tuesday (2nd) that the Hezbollah terrorist organization has been embedded inside the Christian neighborhood of the city of Tyre, after fleeing other areas of the southern Lebanon city.
The IDF said that it had issued evacuation notices for several areas of Tyre, but didn’t include the Christian neighborhood.
“In recent days the IDF has observed activity in dozens of elements affiliated with the Hezbollah terror organization inside,“ the IDF Arabic Spokesperson Lt. Col. Ella Waweya explained.
“This is not the first time we have exposed Hezbollah activity from within Christian areas, based on its belief that these areas provide it with a safer haven,” she added.
She also told the members of the Tyre Christian community that “for your safety and security, demand the removal of the organization’s terrorists from your areas.”
“And to the elements of the Hezbollah terror organization present in the city of Tryre: you are not safe here. If you continue to stay and operate from inside this area, the IDF will issue instructions to evacuate the Christian neighborhood and will take the necessary measures against you,” Waweya warned.
Earlier on Tuesday (2nd) , the IDF said that an attack against Hezbollah terror infrastructure in Tyre on Monday (1st) caused some damage to a civilian hospital in the area, after reviewing footage from the strike.
“It should be emphasized that the hospital was not targeted and was apparently damaged incidentally as a result of the strikes,” the military clarified.
Additionally, the IDF pointed out that Hezbollah “systematically embeds itself within civilian infrastructure and population centers,” while it had positioned itself near medical facilities in the past, endangering the lives of patients, medical staff, and civilians in the area.
The IDF added that “it is operating solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and is taking all feasible measures to minimize harm to civilian infrastructure, as well as medical facilities and personnel.”
The IDF revealed on Tuesday (2nd) that soldiers from the Givati Brigade established positions within the areas of Zawtar al-Sharqiya and Zawtar al-Gharbiyah north of the Litani River.
The military said it killed more than 20 terrorists and conducted 100 strikes during ground operations north of the Litani River.
The operations were conducted in order “to remove the direct threat to Israeli communities in the Galilee Panhandle and in Metula and to strengthen operational activity in southern Lebanon,” the military said.
The IDF Arabic Spokesperson, Lt. Col. Ella Waweya said on Monday (1st) that the IDF would continue to attack across Lebanon “from the southern suburbs of Beirut to Tyre” in order to guarantee the security of Israel’s citizens.
“We are working to tighten the noose of Hezbollah’s capabilities and continue to deepen the targeted strikes,” said Waweya in a recorded statement shared on social media.
Israel Sets Record $19.2b In Defense Exports In 2025
Israel set a new all-time defense export record in 2025, reaching $19.22 billion, marking the fifth consecutive year of growth, according to Defense Ministry figures released on Tuesday (2nd).
“The fact that Israel continues to break defense report records even in the midst of a third year of war speaks to the tremendous respect and confidence the global community has placed in Israel’s defense establishment,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
“These achievements are built on the [Israel Defense Forces] capabilities and those of our broader security forces – in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen. Defense exports are a mirror of Israeli strength, ingenuity, and the ability to think differently”
The ministry said about $10 billion came from government-to-government agreements, a record high that accounted for more than half of total activity. Hundreds of contracts were signed worldwide, with more than half classified as mega-deals, valued at over $100 million.
Geographically, the largest percentage of sales, 36%, was with Europe, while Asia and the Pacific accounted for another 32%.
Defense exports were led by missile, rocket and air defense systems, which made up 29% of total volume.
Observation and optronics systems – electro-optical surveillance and imaging technologies – saw a major rise, climbing to 22%, from 6% the previous year.
(res.) Amir Baram, Director General of the Ministry of Defense, said the growth reflects both operational success and policy reform,
“The sharp surge in defense exports reflects the quality of Israel’s defense ministry, global demands, the IDF’s operational successes, and our unique ecosystem – but it’s also the result of a deep reform carried out by the Ministry over the past year to reduce regulation and open new markets, which led to landmark deals.”
International demand for Israeli military technology has surged as European countries increased their defense budgets in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“The 2025 export data, totaling over $19 billion – an all-time record – tells a simple story: many countries around the world have increased their defense and procurement budgets, and are interested in Israel’s defense industry,” said BG..(res.) Yair Kulas, head of the ministry’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT)
SIBAT is the ministry unit responsible for managing and facilitating Israel’s defense exports.
Israel has quietly climbed the ranks to become the world’s seventh-largest arms exporter. In March, it surpassed Britain in global defense sales, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Some deals have made headlines for their sale. Germany purchased the Arrow missile defense system, the largest arms sale in Israeli history.
India also agreed to roughly $10 billion in defense contracts with Israel for drones and air defense systems during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in February.
The IRGC Keeps Hezbollah In Power Despite Its Military Losses – Hanin Ghaddar
With its military infrastructure substantially degraded, its communication networks heavily infiltrated by Israeli intelligence and its command structure shattered, Hezbollah is a shaky, tired shadow of itself at the moment. Its goal is to survive and rebuild while maintaining a minimal level of kinetic action against Israel.
One crucial factor in achieving this goal is continued Iranian funding. Tehran was still able to send Hezbollah $1 billion in 2025 in the period between major Israeli campaigns. The group used that money to import military material, produce more missiles and large quantities of cheap unjammable drones, recruit more fighters, and pay salaries to its existing fighters and essential staff.
When Lebanon formed a new government in February 2025,Hezbollah, enabled by its top political ally, parliament speaker Nabih Berri, insisted on choosing friendly officials to head the General Security Directorate (GSD) and the Ministry of Finance. As long as Hezbollah retains these domestic levers and access to its patrons in Iran, it will find a way to rebuild. As the Trump administration works to finalize the terms of an agreement on ending the Iran war, it should not let Tehran introduce any provisions related to the negotiations in Lebanon.
The writer is a Senior Fellow in the Washington Institute’s Program on Arab Politics (Institute for Near East Policy)
“It Will Take Them Years:’ Danon Tells Piers Morgan “Israel Is Winning:
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon appeared on British journalist Piers Morgan’s show and explained to him how Israel is winning the war in Iran, after Morgan appeared to downplay Israel’s achievements.
“I would remind you that Iran was marching toward a nuclear bomb. They had the facilities, they had the Uranium, they had the technology, and it was only a matter of weeks or months before the breaking point, and they are not there today. It will take them years to rebuild that capability again,” said Danon.
He continued, “Iran tried to march to a nuclear bomb. It did not happen – it will not happen. The US and Israel actually showed them that we are determined, we are serious about it. You know, it would have been much, much easier to ignore it and to say, ‘You know what? It’s not happening, maybe next year we’ll deal with that.’ That’s what too many leaders did, and look what happened to North Korea”
Why Any Deal With Iran Is A Mistake – Khaled Abu Toameh
There can be no “good” deal with a jihadist regime that openly sponsors terrorism across the Middle East, brutalizes its own people, calls for the destruction of Israel, and continues to chant “Death to America.”
An agreement will not moderate them. It will embolden them, The Iranian regime and its terror proxies will interpret any deal as a victory over the U.S. and the West. They will see it as proof that terrorism, missile attacks, hostage-taking, nuclear blackmail, and claiming control of the Strait of Hormuz forced Western powers into concessions.
This is exactly what happened when the Obama administration signed the 2015 “nuclear deal,” that provided Tehran with Sanctions relief and access to billions of dollars while merely delaying its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The Iranian regime never changed its behavior. Instead, it expanded its ballistic missile program, increased support for terrorist organizations, intensified regional aggression, and steadily advanced its nuclear capabilities. Why should anyone believe that this time will be different?
The Iranian regime does not view negotiations the way Western democracies do. Tehran sees diplomacy as a tactical weapon: a means to buy time, get intrusive foreign governments off their backs, weaken international opposition, divide Western allies, and secure economic relief – all while continuing its long-term strategic objectives as fast as the circumstances after President Trump’s term in office will allow.
For the Islamist rulers in Tehran, hostility toward the U.S. and Israel is not rhetoric. It is a core pillar of the regime’s ideology and identity – its entire reason for being. Any agreement that eases sanctions will only strengthen the IRGC, finance terrorism, and fuel new wars across the Middle East. More money for Tehran means more drones and rockets for Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The only realistic strategy is one based on sustained maximum pressure – including kinetic actions if necessary – diplomatic isolation, economic sanctions, and decisive measures aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs permanently. Anything less will simply postpone the next crisis while making the Iranian regime richer, stronger, and more dangerous. (Gatestone Institute)
