News Digest — 9/11/25
Netanyahu On Doha Strike: ‘On 9/11 We Remember, Israel Acts Against Terror As America Did’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on Wednesday (10th) ahead of the American September 11th anniversary, linking the Islamist attack on the United States in 2001 with the October 7th massacre in Israel, and addressing Qatar’s harboring of Hamas leaders.
“Tomorrow is September 11th. We remember September 11th. On that day, Islamist terrorists committed the worst savagery on American soil since the founding of the United States. Israel also has a September 11th. We remember October 7th. On that day Islamist terrorists committed the worst savagery against the Jewish people since the Holocaust,: Netanyhau said.
Referring to the US response in 2001, Hetanyahu asked: “What did America do in the wake of September 11th? It promised to hunt down the terrorists who committed the heinous crimes, wherever they may be. And it also passed a resolution in the Security Council of the UN, two weeks later, that said that governments cannot give harbor to terrorists.”
Well, yesterday (Tuesday, 9th), we acted along those lines. We went after the terrorist masterminds who committed the October 7th massacre. And we did so in Qatar which gives safe haven, it harbors the terrorists, it finances Hamas, it gives its terrorist chieftains sumptuous villas. It gives them everything,” Netanyahu continued.
He compared Israel’s actions to those taken by the US against Al Qaida: “So we did exactly what America did when it went after the Al Qaida terrorists in Afghanistan and after they went and killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.”
Addressing international criticism, the prime minister said, “Now, the various countries of the world condemn Israel. They should be ashamed of themselves. What did they do after America took out Osama bin Laden? Did they say, ‘Oh, what a terrible thing was done to Afghanistan or to Pakistan?’ No, they applauded. They should applaud Israel for standing up to the same principles and carrying them out.”
Netanyahu concluded with a direct warning: “I say to Qatar and all nations who harbor terrorists, you either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will.”
Furthest Strike Since War Began: Israel Strikes Houthi Targets 1460 Miles Away From Israel
The IDF confirmed on Wednesday (10th) that the IAF struck military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist region in the areas of Sanaa and Al Jawf in Yemen. Among the targets struck were military camps in which operatives of the terrorist regime were identified, the Houthis’ Military Public Relations Headquarters, and a fuel storage facility that was used by the terrorist regime for terrorist activity.
The IDF noted that the strikes were conducted in response to attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel, including launching UAVs and surface-to-surface missiles toward Israel.
At over 1460 miles, this was the longest flight by IAF jets since the war began. More than 10 fighter jets participated in the strike, dropping over 30 munitions on 15 targets. In addition, the jets refueled mid-air several times during the operation.
The Houthi Public Relations Department is responsible for distributing and disseminating propaganda messages in the media, including speeches of the Houthi leader Abd al-Malik and the spokesman Yahya Sari’s statements. During the war, the headquarters led the propaganda efforts and the terrorist regime’s psychological terror.
The IDF explained that the military camps that were struck served the Houthi regime to plan and execute terrorist attacks against the State of Israel. Additionally, the military camps included operation and intelligence rooms.
“The Houthis terrorist regime operates under the direction and funding of the Iranian regime, in order to harm the State of Israel and its allies. The regime exploits the maritime domain to project force and carry out terror activity against the global shipping and trade routes,” the IDF wrote in a statement.
Defense Minister Israel Katz commented,”We promised further blows, and today we struck another painful one against the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen.
Minister Katz confirmed: “The IDF has just attacked in Sana’a and additional locations across Yemen, targeting military camps manned by Houthi operatives, including the Houthi propaganda apparatus, as part of Operation ‘Ringing Bells.’
He added: “The long arm of the State of Israel will reach and strike terrorism wherever it may be and from any place that poses a threat to our citizens.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the strikes: “A few days ago, we eliminated most members of the Houthi terror government. In response, the Houthis fired at Ramon Airport two days ago. This did not weaken our hand – today we struck them again from the air, hitting their terror facilities, their terror bases filled with many terrorists, as well as other sites. We will continue to strike. Whoever strikes us, whoever attacks us – we will reach them.”
Two weeks ago, the IDF carried out one of its most significant strikes on the Yemen capital, killing 12 senior Houthi officials.
On Tuesday (9th), the IAF intercepted a missile that was launched from Yemen toward Israel. The missile set off sirens in several locations in Israel.
On Monday (8th) the IAF intercepted a Houthi UAV in the Arava region and two UAVs near Dimona in the Negev.
On Sunday (7th), a UAV from Yemen struck Ramon Airport in southern Israel. As a result, two airport employees were injured: a 63-year old man from shrapnel wounds, and a 52-year-old woman who fell. Several individuals suffered shock.
A Lion-Hearted Friend: Israeli Officials Mourn Charlie Kirk’s Death
Numerous Israeli officials gave their condolences and condemned the assassination of conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk between Wednesday (10th) and Thursday morning (11th).
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he had spoken to Kirk two weeks ago and invited him to Israel, describing him as a lion-hearted friend of the Jewish state. “Sadly that visit will not take place, he said.”
“Kirk was murdered for speaking the truth and defending freedom,” he added in a post on X. “He fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization. We lost an incredible human being. His boundless pride in America and his valiant belief in free speech will leave a lasting impact. Rest in peace.”
Netanyahu’s son, Yair said that Kirk “recognized that our shared Judeo-Christian civilization is under existential threat from both radical Islam and the radical left.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog lamented the assassination, stating that, “Israel has lost a true friend and huge ally. I strongly condemn this terrible act of violence, and together with all the Israeli people, send my thoughts and prayers to Charlie’s wife , children, and all his loved ones.”
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana said, “ I never had the privilege of meeting Charlie Kirk, but I had the privilege of hearing him. Like many millions around the world, I enjoyed listening to his reasoned explanations, his clear thinking, and his ironclad arguments with which he fought for the entire free world,” he added.
“The collision between the global left and radical Islam is the greatest danger to humanity today,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said in his own statement, regarding Kirk’s assassination. “Charlie Kirk saw the danger and warned about it. But the bullets of the despicable murderer struck him. Thank you, Charlie, for your support of Israel and for your struggle for a better world.”
Transportation Minister Miri Revev commented that Kirk was murdered “only because the propaganda machine couldn’t handle him. Charlie was a true friend and one of Israel’s biggest supporters. He raised a brave voice and fought lies for the sake of truth and justice.”
Education Minister Yoav Kisch said that Kirk’s murder “is the direct result of the dangerous incitement taking place on US campuses.”
Blue and White Chairman MK Benny Gantz, before the official announcement of Kirk’s death, announced that: “The vile and despicable shooting of Charlie Kirk, unwavering friend of Israel, in Utah, is a narrowing reminder of how violence threatens democracies.”
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said that the political commentator’s voice, “influenced many young people in the US and left an indelible mark on an entire generation”
Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar spoke on the assassination, stating that, “Only vile cowards, incapable of confronting the truth, resort to such deeds and commit cold-blooded murder. We must continue to fight for the truth and amplify the important voices that Charlie raised against the web of lies spread by anti-Semitic haters of Israel.”
IDF Drops Leaflets, Texts, Sends Recording To Palestinians Saying ‘Leave Gaza Now’
The IDF on Wednesday (10th) announced that it was dropping large numbers of leaflets as well as sending text messages and recorded warnings to Palestinian civilians to leave Gaza City, pending the ever more imminent Israeli ground invasion.
Special Unit 504, also known as “the IDF’s Mossad,” has handled much of the operation given its expertise in Arabic and Palestinian culture.
At the start of the war, the IDF sent millions of such warnings to Gazans before invading new parts of the Strip.
But after seeing what the IDF did in invading northern Gaza in the fall of 2023, Palestinian civilians mostly complied faster with more general warnings to leave other areas since then, without the need for such a voluminous warning effort.
Some social media accounts affiliated with Hamas’ propaganda posted images of fake leaflets distributed in Gaza City, falsely claiming the establishment of a humanitarian zone in Gaza City.
The IDF said that, “This is yet another attempt by Hamas to lie to the people of Gaza and put them in the line of fire as human shields. Our war is with Hamas, not the people of Gaza.”
The IDF on Tuesday morning (9th) issued its largest-ever evacuation order yet for Gaza City, but the warning was a general one on social media, and not a targeted personal warning as on Wednesday (10th).
The scope and immediacy of the order signaled that the military’s full-scale invasion may finally be close but apparently still required broader efforts on Wednesday (10th).
Until Tuesday (9th), Israeli political and military officials had spent weeks encouraging Palestinian civilians to evacuate Gaza City, but only around 100,000 out of around one million had left, leaving the timing of the invasion in question.
A senior defense official has said that Hamas actively blocks many Palestinian civilians from evacuating.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that taking over Gaza City will convince Hamas to give up the remaining hostages and will lead to the group’s defeat.
Others are concerned for the Hostages’ safety and feel that even if Hamas’ overall strength is diminished, the group will manage to continue its guerrilla-style tactics.
Israel Has The Right To Destroy Hamas To Prevent Another Oct. 7 – Amb. David Friedman
Genocide is defined as the deliberate killing of a large number of an ethnic group with the intention of eliminating that group. Israel’s conduct plainly does not meet that definition. First, Israel is responding to an unprovoked, barbaric attack within its borders on Oct. 7, 2023. Second, Israel has shown no intention of eliminating the Palestinians in Gaza, as evidenced by the smallest percentage of civilians relative to militant casualties of any urban warfare.
Third, Israel clearly has the military power to destroy Gaza, but it never would because genocide decidedly is against the Israeli ethos and values. Fourth, Palestinian communities under Israeli control have grown nearly 10-fold since Israel took over. Fifth, 20% of Israeli citizens are Palestinian Arabs and under Israeli rule – they have ascended to the highest echelons of business, law, medicine, and academia.
If you don’t believe that Israel has the right to destroy Hamas in order to prevent another Oct. 7, then you just hate Jews, and there is nothing more to discuss. If you believe that Israel has such a right but believe that Israel is killing too many people, then you have an obligation to identify a less lethal way to destroy Hamas. I have yet to hear a single critic of Israel offer such a method.
The writer is a former US Ambassador to Israel. (JNS)
(jns.org)
