News Digest — 8/28/24
11 Terrorists Said Killed As IDF Launches Major Anti-Terror Raid In West Bank
The IDF launched a major counterterrorism operation in West Bank refugee camps near Jenin, Tulkarm, and the Far’a camp in the Jordan Valley early Wednesday (28th). At least 11 terrorists have been reportedly killed, mostly in Jenin.
According to Palestinian sources, at least six terrorists were reported killed in intense clashes in Jenin, including four who died in an airstrike targeting a vehicle: Ahmad al-Sous, Saeed al-Wahdan, Mohammed Abu Zamiru and Ahmad Hussein Yacoub. The Palestinian Health Authority also reported the deaths of Qassam Jabareen and Aseem al-Dabaia in Jenin, with additional terrorists wounded. Five more terrorists were killed in the nearby city of Tubas.
This operation comes in response to a recent attack in Tel Aviv, launched from the Tulkarm area, which is currently a focus of the IDF’s efforts. The operation, involving two brigade-level combat teams, is expected to continue for several days. Three of the terrorists killed in Tulkarm were targeted in an airstrike.
“Security forces have initiated a counterterrorism operation in Jenin and Tulkarm,” the IDF said in a statement. “Forces are surrounding local hospitals to prevent terrorists from seeking refuge inside.”
Hundreds of soldiers, supported by military air cover, are participating in the operation, with efforts being made to allow local civilians to leave the targeted areas. Palestinian reports indicate that the military has blocked entrances to the city of Jenin.
Earlier on Wednesday (28th), the IDF confirmed that five terrorists were eliminated in a drone strike on Monday (26th) in Nur a-Shams, targeting a compound used as a command center for attacks. One of the dead was Jibril Jibril, a 20-year-old from Qalqilya affiliated with Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades. He was released from an Israeli prison as part of a hostage exchange deal in November and quickly became involved in several shooting incidents, making him a wanted man.
The Palestinians claimed the strike hit a warehouse filled with explosives.
According to Palestinian sources, the bombed warehouse was located behind the home of Abu Shuja, the commander of the Tulkarm Battalion of Islamic Jihad, who has previously been the target of assassination attempts. In April, Palestinians reported that Abu Shuja was killed by IDF forces along with four other terrorists, but it was later revealed that these reports were incorrect.
Since October 7, more than 70 airstrikes have been carried out by the IDF in the West Bank.
IDF Spokesperson Hagari: ‘Hostage Rescued From Tunnel Thanks To Precise Intelligence’
IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari released a statement on Tuesday (27th) after the rescue of Qaid Farhan Al-Qadi from Hamas captivity in Gaza.
“Today, Israeli special forces successfully rescued one of our hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza. During a complex mission, Qaid Farhan Al-Qadi from the Bedouin community of Rahat, who was kidnapped from Israel by Hamas terrorists during their massacre on October 7th, has been rescued.
“He is alive. He is back home in Israel,” Hagari stated.
“We cannot go into many details of this special operation but I can share that Israeli commandos rescued Qaid Darhan Al-Qadi from an underground tunnel, following accurate intelligence,” he added.
Hagari noted that “his medical condition is stable and he will undergo examinations in the hospital.”
“His family had been waiting 326 days to receive the news they did today. But there are still 108 hostages, whose families are still waiting to hear news that their loved ones are home. And they should know that we will not rest until we fulfill our mission to bring all our hostages back home. We will pursue the return of our hostages through all means possible – I repeat through all means possible,” he concluded.
Speaking to the media in Hebrew, Hagari noted: “We questioned Farhan on the ground to receive initial details. We will learn more from him later.”
“I ask not to spread information on social media for the safety of the soldiers and hostages.” Later, answering a question by the media, Hagari stated that “The IDF’s job is to create conditions for the return of the hostages. We present the options to the political echelon.”
Israeli Leaders ‘Overjoyed’ At ‘Daring, Courageous’ Rescue Of Hostage
Israeli leaders welcomed the rescue of Qaid Farhan al-Qadi, who was brought back to Israel on Tuesday (27th) after being held as a hostage in Gaza for nearly eleven months.
President Isaac Herzog said “I am overjoyed by the successful rescue of hostage Qaid Farhan al-Qadi. Qaid, a Muslim resident of the Bedouin Israeli community in the Negev was kidnapped on Oct. 7 from where he worked in Kibbutz Magen when Hamas terrorists came to abduct, murder, and rape – without distinction between race or religion.”
“I congratulate the IDF, the Shin Bet, and all the security services, and send my blessings to his family on his return – which is a moment of joy for the State of Israel and Israeli society as a whole,” the president stated. “I wish for the immediate and swift return of all our hostages who are being held cruelly in captivity in Gaza.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated, “The IDF and ISA have rescued Qaid Farhan al-Qadi from Gaza where he was held hostage, and brought him to his family in Israel. This operation was part of the IDF’s daring and courageous activities conducted deep inside the Gaza Strip.”
“This operation joins a series of actions taken by the IDF that brings us close to achieving the goals of this war. I would like to reiterate and emphasize: Israel is committed to taking advantage of every opportunity to return the hostages home to Israel,” Gallant said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Farhan al-Qadi in the hospital.
The Prime Minister congratulated al-Qadi and told him that the entire people of Israel were moved by his freedom. Natanyahu made it clear that he would continue to do everything to return “all of our hostages home.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu also issued the following statement: “Welcome home, Farhan al-Qadi.”
He said, “I commend the IDF and the ISA for another successful rescue operation. We are working relentlessly to return all of our hostages. We are doing this in two main ways: Negotiations and rescue operations. The two of these together require our military presence on the ground, and constant military pressure.”
“We will continue to act until we return all of them home,” Netanyahu said.
Jews Saving Muslims Is The Reality Of Israel – Emirati Analyst
A photo of a rescued Bedouin hostage being treated by a religiously observant Jewish doctor was posted by a prominent Emirati analyst, who pointed to the image as evidence that Israel is a beacon of coexistence in the region.
The image released by Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, depicts hostage Qaid Farhan al-Qadi, a Bedouin citizen of Israel, who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists from southern Israel on October 7.
In the photograph, a doctor wearing a kippah (Jewish head covering) is seen at Al-Qadi’s bedside, as the hostage’s relative – who is dressed in traditional Muslim garb – joyously grasps his hand.
Al-Qadi was extracted from a subterranean tunnel in southern Gaza by IDF soldiers on Tuesday (27th) after more than 10 months of captivity.
“First, in the Middle East, this is a moment for all to celebrate,” Amjad Taha wrote on social media platform X, sharing the photo with his 500,000 followers. “Congratulations to Israel and to humanity.”
“Second, this picture powerfully illustrates the reality: the so-called ‘apartheid’ Jewish state, where a Jewish doctor is treating a Muslim Arab who was held hostage by Hamas-ISIS Islamist terrorists in Gaza,” he added.
Taha noted that Israel had risked the lives of its soldiers in order to save a Muslim citizen, challenging the narrative that the state only values Jewish lives.
“Israel, this ‘apartheid’ state, dispatched 18 Jewish soldiers to rescue the Muslim Arab Bedouin and reunite him with his [eleven] children,” he continued.
Taha then slammed anti-Israel protest movements in the West, calling on participants to reevaluate their stance on the conflict.
“If you live in New York, Paris or London, you might be confused because your media won’t show you this reality of the Middle East. Instead, go protest against McDonald’s burgers and Starbucks chai lattes.”
In a statement to Hebrew-language media, Al-Qadi thanked the State of Israel and IDF soldiers for rescuing him.
30,000 New Immigrants To Israel Since October 7th Massacre
Nearly 30,000 new immigrants have arrived in Israel since the October 7th massacre, according to figures released Tuesday (27th) by the World Zionist Organization.
The wave of aliyah coincides with the nearly 11-month war against Hamas in Gaza and a surge in global anti-Semitism, including in North America. The war began when thousands of Hamas terrorists infiltrated southern Israel, slaughtering 1,200 people and abducting another 251. Of these, 108 still remain captive in the Strip.
On Oct. 7, a war erupted not against the State of Israel but against the Jewish people,” said WZO chairman Yaakov Hagoel, who greeted the latest group of French immigrants upon their arrival at Ben-Gurion International Airport on Monday (26th). “Today, in many countries around the world, it is hard to be a Jew, whether at school, at work, or at prayer.”
Hagoel noted that Israel has seen a “dramatic increase” in aliyah in the wake of the massacre, which he said, “is a testament to the recognition of the global Jewish community that Israel is not just a refuge, but a beacon of hope and faith.”
A recent report details a 355% increase in potential immigrants opening aliyah files in France, compared to the same period last year. In the United States, the number of immigration files rose by 62%, totaling 6,000 people, while Canada saw an 87% uptick, or some 800 people, expressing their desire to move to Israel.
“The strong response we are witnessing through this wave of aliyah is a powerful affirmation of our collective resolve to stand with Israel, now more than ever,” he said.
The Jihad To Destroy Israel -Khaled Abu Toameh
A letter sent recently by the Palestinian “resistance” groups in Gaza to Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia, serves as a reminder that Iran and its terror proxies view the conflict with Israel as a Jihad (holy war) to eliminate the Jewish State.
For Iran and its allies, the conflict does not concern borders, refugees, prisoners, settlements or checkpoints. It is actually about their contention that Israel has no right to exist on Muslim-owned territory and that all Muslims must work toward wiping out Israel. In their eyes, this is a religious war between Muslims and non-Muslims.
Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad regularly describe their slain members as “mujahideen” (warriors or Jihadists), devout Muslims who sacrificed their lives against the “enemies of Allah and Islam.”
In mourning its slain men, Hezbollah has announced that each of them was killed “on the road to Jerusalem.” These Muslim warriors were on a sacred mission to liberate Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Jews. By calling its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” Hamas is reminding everyone that the conflict against Israel is a religious one. Accordingly, any ceasefire or truce will only serve as a reprieve before they resume the Jihad to destroy Israel.
The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Center. (Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs)
(jcpa.org)
Historical Truths About Israel -Avi Benlolo
Jews are not Colonizers in their ancestral homeland. Indeed, the Jewish people are indigenous to the Land of Israel, a fact that’s deeply rooted in history.
It is an incontrovertible historical truth that the Arab states rejected the UN partition plan and launched an attack on Israel immediately following its declaration of independence in 1948. Equally undeniable is the fact that prior to 1948, there was no Palestinian state – no flag, no national anthem, no sovereign identity.
The so-called Nakba, often cited as a catastrophe, was, in reality, a consequence of the Arab states’ decision to wage war against the nascent Jewish state. Moreover, few mention the expulsion of over 850,000 Jews from Arab lands, including my own family. Somehow, the world tolerates an uncompromising and violent Palestinian discourse calling for the genocide of the Jewish people. (National Post-Canada)
