News Digest — 8/7/25
IDF Conducts Airstrikes On Southern Lebanon – Report
The Israel Air Force conducted airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday night (6th), according to reports in Israeli media.
The IDF said that it struck Hezbollah weapons storage facilities, a missile launcher, and Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure that stored engineering tools.
“The Hezbollah terrorist organization continues attempting to re-establish terrorist infrastructure throughout Lebanon using the Lebanese population as human shields. The presence of weapons and the activity of Hezbollah in the area constitutes a violation of the understanding between Israel and Lebanon,” an IDF spokesperson’s unit statement read.
Maariv reported that Air Force jets conducted multiple waves of strikes in an hour. The sound of explosions was heard throughout the Galilee region, and regional councils told residents that the security situation remained the same.
“At this time, intense strikes have begun in the Lebanon sector as part of enforcement efforts. There is no change in policy. There are no unusual instructions for the civilian area. All planned events are approved as scheduled. We will provide updates on any changes,” the Upper Galilee Council stated.
On Tuesday night (5th), the Lebanese government introduced a measure to establish a monopoly on weapons in the country in order to promote Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Meanwhile, the IDF killed Hezbollah terrorist Hassam Kassam Ghraib in the Beka Valley in eastern Lebanon on Tuesday night (5th), the military said on Wednesday (6th).
Ghraib was directing terrorist cells in Syria to launch rockets at the Golan Heights.
The targeting of the Hezbollah terrorist comes amid increased security concerns regarding southern Syria, where tensions have erupted into clashes between Druze and Bedouin armed groups.
It also comes following Hezbollah’s recent threats against the Jewish state.
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said that, should Israel engage in a “large-scale aggression” against Lebanon, Hezbollah, Lebanon’s army, and Lebanon’s people would defend themselves.
“This defense will lead to missiles falling inside the Israeli entity, and all the security they have built over eight months will collapse within an hour,” he said.
Sa’ar At UN: ‘Satanic Hamas Must Be Pressured, Not Given Free Gifts’
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar spoke to reporters Tuesday (5th) ahead of the UN Security Council’s meeting on the ongoing hostage crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Danon noted that Israel had called for the Security Council to meet “after we saw the horrific footage last week of hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski in terrible conditions. Innocent souls who remain in Hamas terror tunnels.”
He declared that Israel “will not allow them to be forgotten.”
Minister Sa’ar stated, “I came to the United Nations today because our hostages are still being starved and tortured by Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the dungeons of Gaza. I came here to put the issue of the hostages front and center on the world stage. They cannot be forgotten.”
“I came to call for the immediate and unconditional release of our hostages,” Sa’ar said. On October 7th Hamas committed evil crimes like the Nazis and ISIS did. They took 251 hostages into cruel captivity. 50 of them are still there.
“This past weekend, the world witnessed the cruel starvation of Evyatar David and Dom Braslavski, tortured deliberately by Hamas and Islamic Jihad,” he continued. “The world saw their terrible condition, bones, standing out in their skin like living skeletons. Evyatar was forced to dig his own grave. This is satanic! Hamas and Islamic Jihad use the starvation and torture as part of a deliberate and well-planned sadistic propaganda campaign.”
Sa’ar stated that the truth must be told: “Israel is facilitating huge amounts of aid into Gaza. No other country acts this way in war, under such difficult circumstances.”
The foreign minister criticized those nations that seek to recognize a Palestinian state while Hamas continues to starve and torture hostages. “The world has been turned upside down. There are countries that acted – also in this building – to pressure Israel instead of Hamas, during sensitive days in the negotiations. By attacking Israel. Campaigning against Israel. And their announcement to recognize a virtual Palestinian state.”
“They gave Hamas free gifts and an incentive to continue this war,” he accused. “They directly assassinated the hostage deal and ceasefire. They gave Hamas free gifts.”
“Let me be clear,” he added. “These countries prolonged the war. Hamas is responsible for beginning this war – by invading Israel and committing the October 7th atrocities. Hamas is also responsible for the continuation of this war – by refusing to release our hostages and lay down its arms.”
“The international pressure must be on Hamas. Anything else – only prolongs the war,” Sa’ar concluded.
The International Red Cross: Abandoning The People It Was Established To Protect – Adam Kredo
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has done little to help the Israeli hostages in Gaza to secure medical care and food despite its core mission to support hostages and prisoners of war. U.S. officials point to hostage release ceremonies earlier this year when Hamas paraded starving Israeli captives before jeering Gaza mobs and the Red Cross, which boasts of its neutrality, appeared on stage with Hamas terrorists to shake hands and sign paperwork.
A senior Trump administration official said they were horrified by the recent videos showing two emaciated Israeli captives. “The ICRC is abandoning the very people it was established to protect. Almost two years since Oct. 7, it still hasn’t delivered humanitarian aid and medical care to the hostages in Gaza. It’s shameful that the Red Cross is still standing on the war’s sidelines while civilians are starved and tortured in captivity. That the Red Cross keeps shunning aid for the hostages but participates in Hamas’ propaganda ceremonies tells you everything you need to know about whose side they’re on.”
A former senior Israeli defense official said, “Once again, when it comes to Jews being kidnapped, raped, starved, and murdered, the Red Cross is simply MIA. What a disgrace. For 666 days they’ve sat on the sidelines while Israeli civilians have been held in Holocaust-like conditions” (Washington free beacon)
‘You Feel Part Of Something Bigger’ – Immigrants Volunteer To Support Israeli Soldiers
As Israel faces an unprecedented manpower shortage in its military support units, new immigrants from Russia and Ukraine are stepping up to fill the critical gap.
With thousands of reservists stretched thin after months on active duty, the recently arrived volunteers still navigating their place in Israeli society, are helping sustain the soldiers on the front lines.
This week, a busload of volunteers arrived in the army’s Tzrifin food base near Rishon LeZion, toured the facility and received a briefing before launching into their tasks.
The operation unfolded like a well-oiled assembly line; some packed canned goods into boxes, others included plastic cutlery and napkins, while another group stacked the completed boxes on pallets for shipment.
“The atmosphere was warm and united,” said Elianora, who immigrated from Ukraine a year and a half ago.
“I could see it in everyone’s eyes–we knew this wasn’t just about food. We were sending a message to our soldiers: we are here for you.”
For Grisha, 38, who immigrated from Russia two years ago, volunteering was a personal declaration of commitment.
“I’m too old to begin serving in the army, but that doesn’t mean I can’t serve my country,” he said with a smile.
“I took a day off to be here. My boss asked why, and I told him, ‘because my soldiers are out there, and this is what I can do for them.”
Grisha admitted that the transition to Israeli life was challenging at first.
“I didn’t know the language well. I didn’t know the customs. But days like this…you feel Israeli. You feel you are part of something bigger than yourself.”
Linda Pardes Friedburg, founder of Shishi Shabbat Yisraeli, which organized the initiative said: “New immigrants often tell me they want to help but don’t know where to start. They come here, leave their entire world behind, and sometimes feel like they are standing on the outside of Israeli life, looking in.”
“Volunteering to help the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) changes that. It turns uncertainty into purpose and strangers into teammates.”
Shishi Shabbat Yisraeli is a grassroots initiative that connects Russian-speaking immigrants with Israeli life and volunteer opportunities.
“The timing of these volunteer efforts is critical, The IDF has plenty of equipment, but it doesn’t pack itself,” Friedburg noted.
“With so many reservists exhausted, the manpower gap is real. Every box packed by a volunteer means soldiers can stay focused on the front instead of worrying about logistics.”
For the volunteers, a lunch break turned into an impromptu storytelling session, with volunteers bonding over shared experiences of immigration, war, and the universal desire to contribute.
By day’s end, dozens of pallets stood ready for shipment. The base commander personally thanked the volunteers,emphasizing that their work was “as important as any operation happening in the field.”
The packing usually takes place every two weeks, sometimes more often when there’s a demand.
Elianora described the experience as deeply meaningful. “When I came to Israel, I often felt lost. I didn’t know if I truly belonged, but today, I didn’t just feel like a guest in this country, I felt like a citizen, a partner, someone who matters here.”
Friedburg sees this initiative as a vital part of integration. “This is integration in its purist form,” she said.
“Not through speeches or policies, but through shared action. Shoulder to shoulder, Israelis by birth and by choice, working together for one goal – protecting the home we share.”
Pro-Palestinian “Day Of Rage” In Greece To Target Israeli Tourists
Anti-Israel activists are planning to target Israeli tourists in Greece next Sunday, August 10, as part of a “Day of Rage” against the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
According to Hebrew-language media reports, demonstrations are being organized at numerous locations across the Greek Islands in protest of Israel’s military campaign against the Hamas terror group.
The left-wing demonstrators – many affiliated with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement – are reportedly being encouraged to confront Israeli tourists directly over alleged war crimes.
“Let’s turn the islands, beaches, alleys, mountaintops, and shelters into places of solidarity – not relaxation for the murderous IDF soldiers,” read an Instagram post from one of the groups organizing the protest.
“The organized effort to make Greece a ‘refuge’ for those who participate in or support the massacre in Palestine will not pass!”
In a separate statement, organizers vowed that “the Greek people will not remain silent in the face of genocide committed by Israel with the support of the West and the Greek government.”
They added that Greece should not serve as a “safe haven” for “Genocidal people,” presumably referring to everyone holding Israeli citizenship.
Anti-Israel sentiment in Greece has boiled over in recent weeks, with several violent incidents making international headlines.
Last week, a Syrian migrant bit off part of an Israeli tourist’s ear while praising Hamas and shouting expletives about the Jewish state.
Other recent incidents include the vandalism of a kosher burger restaurant in Athens, whose patrons were threatened by masked assailants, and an assault on two coaches from Israel’s national soccer team for speaking Hebrew in public.
In late July, a cruise ship carrying approximately 1,500 Israelis was blocked from docking at the Port of Syros after anti-Israel protesters gathered at the harbor.
Israel’s Ambassador to Greece, Noam Katz, recently raised concerns over anti-Semitic and anti-Israel graffiti appearing throughout Athens.
In response, Athens’ Mayor, Haris Doukas, slammed Israel over its actions in Gaza.
“We don’t take lessons in democracy from those who kill civilians standing in food lines,” Doukas wrote in a social media post addressed to the ambassador.
Gaza Starvation And The Jenin Massacre Hoax – Gerald M. Steinberg
For those who remember the April 2002 Jenin “massacre” hoax, the whirlwind of accusations of genocide, starvation and mass killings in Gaza are familiar. Then, as now, there is very little verifiable information, but, relying on Palestinian “sources,” with their UN and NGO industry allies, Israel is again pronounced guilty. The Jenin massacre hoax serves as an object lesson for how a concerted campaign can turn propaganda and lies – parroted in a closed echo chamber – into unquestioned fact.
Israeli forces were accused of a large-scale massacre in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. The dense urban area was the center of a Palestinian terror network that had carried out mass bombings, including a Passover night attack in Netanya that killed 30 Israeli civilians (a real massacre). Because of the bombings, Israeli casualties numbered hundreds of dead, and thousands with major injuries.
Immediately after IDF forces entered Jenin, Palestinian officials and NGO “experts” rushed to the BBC and CNN, where they authoritatively declared that Israel forces killed 500 or even 1,300 civilians. They described IDF tanks allegedly bulldozing homes and executing civilians. The UN Human Rights Commission held an emergency session to demand that Israel open the area to “international observers.” NGOs lobbied intensively for the creation of an “independent investigation commission” to examine the evidence of Israeli war crimes. (The hundreds of Israeli victims of the Palestinian mass bombing campaign were of no interest to these human rights stalwarts).
But it was all a lie. Only 50 confirmed names of dead Palestinians were published (most affiliated with terror groups). 23 Israeli soldiers were killed in the fighting. But there were no consequences for the journalists, UN or NGO officials who spread the lies and added anti-Israel hate propaganda.
The storm regarding the food distribution process in Gaza features the same combination of unverified claims and the central role of NGOs like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch in spreading the myths. As in Jenin, it could take months to discern and separate the facts in Gaza from the lies. It is important to maintain a healthy skepticism regarding unverified rumors.
The writer is founder and president of NGO Monitor and professor emeritus of political studies at Bar-Ilan University. (Los Angeles Jewish Journal)
