News Digest — 7/10/26
‘Not Forgotten:’ US Envoy Huckabee, Yarden Bibas Dedicate Tree To Murdered Bibas Family
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Nuckabee and former Gaza hostage Yarden Bibas together dedicated an olive tree to murdered Gaza hostages Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas at a ceremony in the northern Israeli community of Moshav HaYogev on Thursday (9th).
“The sacrifice that your family made for the people of Israel is one that obviously is not being forgotten,” Huckabee told Yarden and Ofri during the dedication. The moving event was done through the MY Tree in Israel initiative, through which Huckabee , US President Donald Trump, and many others have trees sponsored in their names.
“With the plaque on the tree, it’s a reminder that life is still coming. The olives, every year, will produce wonderful, beautiful olive oil that you’ll be able to have and share, and know that it’s in memory of Shiri and your two sons.”
Yarden Bibas and his wife Shiri, along with their sons, four-year-old Ariel and 9-month-old Kfir, were taken hostage during the October 7 Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel. Only Yarden was returned alive.
The event also saw the dedication of a tree to Ambassador Huckabee’s daughter, Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The sign on Ambassador Huckabee’s tree was also updated to reflect his position as ambassador, replacing the former “Governor Mike Huckabee” sign.
Also at the event, Avi Harush, the father of Sgt. Reef Harush, a soldier who was killed in combat in southern Gaza in April 2024, presented Huckabee and his wife, Janet, with a tree that was planted in his memory.
Harush , who was 20 years old when he fell in battle along with three other soldiers in the Oz Brigade, had been undergoing training in the commando training school.
Speaking to Harush, Huckabee commended his son’s sacrifice, saying that Sgt. Harush’s sacrifice was also made on behalf of Americans.
“Anything that happens to Israel is going to happen to Americans because there are so many of us who are here,” he said. “When someone falls in battle, they’re certainly fighting for Israel, but they are also defending the 70,000 US citizens who are here as well.”
Following the ceremony, MY Tree in Israel CEO Kobi Assaf hosted the ambassador for a tour of the local olive press facility, which My Tree in Israel says is the largest in the Middle East.
Iran Launches Missile Attack On Jordan
Iran launched a missile attack toward Jordan on Thursday (9th), with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claiming targeted the US-operated Muwaffaq Air Base as the confrontation between Washington and Tehran continued to spread across the region.
Jordan’s military said it intercepted eight Iranian missiles launched toward the kingdom, preventing them from reaching their intended targets.
The US Embassy in Amman issued a nationwide security alert, warning of missiles, drones or rockets” in Jordanian airspace and instructing US citizens to seek immediate shelter.
The missile launches temporarily disrupted air travel, with all flights at Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport delayed as Jordan responded to the aerial threat.
The attack followed a broader Iranian retaliatory campaign earlier Thursday (9th). Iran announced it had launched a large-scale barrage of missiles and explosive drones at US military installations in Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, claiming to have struck an aerial early warning system in Qatar, fuel storage facilities in Bahrain, and a Patriot missile battery in Kuwait.
The latest attacks came as the United States continued its military campaign against Iran. Iranian media reported explosions Thursday (9th) in several cities, including Kerman, Bushehr, Asaluyeh, and Bandar Abbas.
The widening exchange follows consecutive nights of US strikes on Iranian military infrastructure after Tehran targeted commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, fueling concerns that the conflict is expanding into a broader regional war.
IDF Chief: ‘Jets On Immediate Takeoff Alert To Act In Iran’
IDF Chief Of Staff Eyal Zamir delivered an address on Thursday (9th) at the graduation of the 192nd Israeli Air Force Pilots Course. In the address, he summed up the IAF’s activities during the war, mentioning the various operations, the lessons learned from the October 7 Massacre, and the IDF’s preparations for the future.
Zamir opened his remarks, stating that “a clear line of initiative, creativity, professionalism, and heroic courage connects the chapters of exemplary operations of the IDF and the Air Force over the years.
He mentioned the Entebbe hostage rescue operation, Second Lebanon War, and Operations Rising Lion and Roaring Lion, saying they “are a demonstration of Israel’s unique offensive and defensive technological might, a testament to the Israel Air Force’s unique ability to reinvent itself against every threat, to turn the impossible into a sophisticated operational plan, and to execute it with remarkable precision at the moment of truth.”
The Chief of Staff emphasized that the military obtained its achievements thanks to broad inter-branch collaboration. “Everyone works together for a joint goal.” According to Zamir, “It is difficult to describe in words the multi-arena missions conducted by IAF pilots in the skies of the Middle East in the past two and a half years. We struck every arena.”
Later in the address, he detailed the IAF’s achievements: “We achieved a superiority that allowed us to fly over any area of our choosing. In a surprise attack, we eliminated the leaders of the ayatollah regime, the nuclear officials, the weapons industry, the surface-to-surface missile batteries, and the surface-to-surface launchers. We turned the third perimeter into a fist perimeter and caused the enemy in Gaza, Beirut, Sanaa, and Tehran to feel the same sense of persecution.”
According to Zamir, “At the same time, the IAF also led the aerial defense effort with unprecedented success rates that allowed us to continue to fight. We distanced the existential threats a short time before they became tangible.”
He added that “in a unique collaboration between the IDF and the US Military, our ally, the biggest superpower in the world, we flew wing-to-wing…a historic joint combat procedure which led to unprecedented capabilities that proved the IAF’s purpose: to be Israel’s strategic and multi-arena wing.
Addressing the course graduates, Zamir said, “Dear graduates, today you inherit this proud legacy to dare, to innovate, to surprise, and to achieve victory.”
At the same time, he stressed, “We never forget our point of departure. The failure of October 7 will forever be remembered as a national disaster and a systemic failure. We looked directly at the root causes of the shortcomings throughout the IDF, and we did the same within the Air Force. Without compromise, and with the required humility, we worked to uncover the truth, to internalize the lessons, and implement them. As a result, we remain constantly prepared and alert in accordance with the evolving security assessment.”
The IDF Chief of Staff noted that “in recent weeks, hundreds of Air Force aircraft have been on immediate takeoff alert,” adding, “Even at this moment, we are closely monitoring developments in Iran and Lebanon and are prepared for immediate action. Against anyone who attempts to harm us, we will respond with overwhelming force.”
He also addressed the growing integration between the Air Force and ground forces. “A major change that has taken place within the Air Force over the past two and a half years is the deep partnership with the ground forces. Fighter jets and attack helicopters carried out thousands of strikes during the ground campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon, providing closer support than ever before to maneuvering forces. ‘Sa’ar’helicopters transported troops to the front and evacuated wounded soldiers directly from the battlefield.”
Zamir also paid tribute to those killed and wounded in the war. “‘Even a fist was once an open hand and fingers,’ wrote the poet Yehuda Amichai, and we remember that well. We remember the fallen, our finest sons and daughters, who gave their lives in fierce battles. We embrace the bereaved families and stand alongside those wounded in body and spirit, who bear the scars of war. Their memory and heroism are the compass that obligates us to continue, to fight, and to prevail.”
Turning to the future of the Air Force, he said, “Graduates of Pilots Course 192, our Air Force is in the midst of a dramatic force-building process, a broad expansion that is being accelerated even under fire. New squadrons are being established, we are acquiring new transport and attack helicopters and our aerial refueling and intelligence capabilities are being enhanced to ensure Israel’s absolute air superiority for generations to come. These aircraft and their capabilities are now waiting for you. I have complete confidence in the skills you have acquired to join the ranks of our air crews and take to the skies at any hour in defense of the homeland.
He ended with a message to the graduates: “New air warriors , fly with determination, fight with courage, and always remember the justice of our cause, the depth of your responsibility, and the people on the ground for whom you serve as a shield of protection. Soar high, ‘knights of the skies, brave and noble,’ and always return home safely. Today we salute you with pride and great expectations for what lies ahead.”
Israel Sees “huge Achievement” In Lebanon, Deepens Control In Gaza – Itamar Eichner
Assessments presented to Israel’s security cabinet described Israel’s situation in Lebanon as “excellent.” Under the Israel-Lebanon agreement, Israeli officials say Israel received international legitimacy to remain in a security zone 8-10 km. deep inside Lebanese territory and continue clearing and dismantling terrorist infrastructure until Hezbollah is dismantled. “This is a huge achievement for Israel, remaining in the territory with authority and permission while the IDF continues to operate and dismantle infrastructure,” a senior Israeli official said.
The IDF is expected to hand over two pilot areas to the Lebanese Army. According to a senior Israeli official, it will take at least several weeks before the Lebanese Army is ready to assume responsibility for them,
However, the official said, “We assess that the Lebanese Army cannot dismantle Hezbollah and that ultimately we will have to do it ourselves, on our own timetable. We will prepare ourselves with intelligence and everything else that is needed. But at least during this period we remain in a security zone, keep the enemy away from our communities, remove the threat and thoroughly clear the entire area for complete sterilization, something that has never happened before.”
In Gaza, Israel is pushing Hamas into a smaller area along the coast in order to clear the territory, the Israeli official said. “We drill, destroy tunnels, and gradually deepen the clearing and purification of all terrorist infrastructure in Gaza…Gaza is in ruins. There is no reconstruction… We have full freedom of action. All the headlines claiming Hamas is rebuilding are completely nonsense. It has very limited ability to rebuild because we control everything that enters. So yes, it has some smuggling here and there, but it is not a dramatic development that changes reality.”
Hamas’ Latest Trick: Leaving Government, Keeping Weapons – Khaled Abu Toameh
Hamas has announced it is dissolving its de facto governing body and is prepared to hand authority to a committee of Palestinian technocrats. The announcement is merely Hamas’ latest attempt to deceive the international community into believing that it is complying with the requirements of the Trump peace initiative, while preserving its military power. The key question is not who sits in the ministerial offices in Gaza, but rather who holds the guns.
Hamas admits that its ministries and thousands of employees will remain in place. Moreover, Hamas says it will continue overseeing security and policing in the area still under its control. In other words, nothing essential has changed. As long as Hamas retains its military forces, every future civilian administration in Gaza will operate under the shadow of Hamas’ guns. No technocratic government will be able to function independently.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar wrote: “Hamas’ apparent willingness to make room for a technocratic government is designed to prevent its own disarmament.” He warned that Hamas seeks to replicate the Hezbollah model in Gaza.
This is simply outsourcing civilian responsibilities while preserving the machinery of jihad (holy war). Both Israelis and Palestinians have already paid an unbearable price for repeatedly believing Hamas’ promises. They cannot afford to make the same mistake again.
