News Digest — 9/15/25
Civilians To Remain In Harms Way-COGAT
Hamas officials have been attempting to flee the Gaza Strip as the group simultaneously calls on residents to remain and serve as human shields for the terror organization, COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) shared in a Sunday (14th) post on X.
“While Hamas calls the residents of Gaza City NOT to move south, its operatives fear for their own lives and are seeking to leave the Gaza Strip” COGAT wrote. “They are using residents of northern Gaza as human shields while looking out for their own interests.”
COGAT is the unit of Israel’s Defense Ministry responsible for coordinating civilian issues with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
“Two weeks ago a member of the Gaza City Council, Anwar Atallah, fled the Gaza Strip together with his family through the mechanism operated by Israel that allows Gazans to exit via Jordan to a third country,” COGAT added.
“Many other senior officials have submitted requests for their families to leave the Strip, and some have even asked to leave themselves, but their requests were denied by Israel. Israel continues to call on residents of northern Gaza to move south for their protection.”
Following the COGAT’s publication of the update, Major-General Ghassan Alian, who heads COGAT, shared on the unit’s Facebook page, Al-Munasseq, an evacuation call posted to X by IDF Arabic language spokesperson, Lt.-Col. Avichay Adraee. Adraee’s post urged Gaza residents of places in the Gaza Port area and the Al-Rimal neighborhood of the Gaza Strip to evacuate.
The spokesperson noted that the IDF was set to strike a building highlighted in the post because it contained Hamas infrastructure.
Adraee’s evacuation call was the fourth such call published on Sunday (14th).
Evacuation calls came as the IDF escalated strikes on Hamas assets in Gaza City and prepared to push its ground assets into the city.
As of Sunday (14th), some 300,000 residents of Gaza City had left the area.
Later on Sunday (14th), Muhammed Al-Madhoun, a minister in the Hamas government who was named in the COGAT announcement as one of those who had requested to leave the Gaza Strip, published a press release denying the claims.
Al Madhoun labeled the COGAT report “false and baseless,” adding that the unit’s claims were “lies” and “psychological warfare.” The Hamas official added, “his family will remain in the homeland, steadfast next to the graves of three of his sons who were martyred in the brutal aggression, and they will not leave their land, no matter how severe the siege or how great the sacrifices.”
Ahead Of Holidays, Israel Warns Of Iran-Backed Terror Threats To Israelis And Jews Abroad
The National Security Council on Sunday (14th) warned of terror threats against Israelis and Jews abroad ahead of the Jewish holiday season and singled out the upcoming anniversary of the October 7, 2023 massacre, for special concern, warning them to exercise caution and refrain from displaying Israeli or Jewish symbols.
The notice outlined “key trends in global terrorist activity” but did not issue specific new travel warnings for any locations.
According to the NSC, which is part of the Prime Minister’s Office, Iran and its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah, and global jihadi groups Islamic State, al-Qaeda and al-Shabab, remain highly motivated to target Israelis and Jews worldwide.
“Hamas is also expanding its own activities beyond the war in Gaza to establish terrorist infrastructure and carry out terrorist attacks against Jews and Israelis abroad,” the report said.
The assessment also warned of the wider threat posed by Tehran, noting that “Iran is increasingly motivated by retaliation” after the recent war with Israel.
The council warned that October 7 – the second anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel – could “again this year serve as a significant date for terror organizations, particularly Hamas and global jihadi elements to carry out attacks against Israeli/Jewish targets abroad – whether through planned operations or local initiatives/lone attackers.”
The NSC noted a rise in violent anti-Semitic incidents alongside incitement on social media, fueled by what it describes as anti-Israel campaigns since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
It urged Israelis to continue to exercise extreme caution abroad by avoiding displaying Israeli or Jewish symbols, speaking Hebrew in public, joining large unsecured gatherings, or sharing any content about military service or locations on social media.
The council advised against travel to high-risk countries including Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, – which is in any case forbidden by law – as well as Egypt, including the Sinai, Turkey, Jordan, and others.
The NSC has issued similar assessments during the last few major Jewish holiday seasons, pointing to a heightened risk for Jews and Israelis abroad since the war in Gaza started nearly two years ago, after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks.
Many Israelis take trips abroad during the High Holy Days period that begins next week with the start of Rosh Hashanah and ends three weeks later with the conclusion of Sukkot.
PM Praises Yamam Units For Historic Hostage Rescue Missions
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Yamam, the Israeli Police National Counter-Terrorism unit, at its base on Sunday (14th), commending it for decades of excellence in adverse missions in enemy territory.
The meeting, which was meant to celebrate 50 years since the establishment of the unit, was pushed back a year, due to the war.
“We are now marking 50 years of operations, breakthroughs, covert cooperation with the best units, and 50 years of saving lives,” Netanyahu said during his address.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel Police Inspector General Dani Levy, and Commander of Border Police Yitzhak Brik also attended the meeting alongside other senior army officials and soldiers.
“The National Counter-Terrorism Unit is a pillar of our national security,” stated Netanyahu, who pledged full backing to the unit in support of Israel’s war on terrorism.
He made an honorable mention of two noteworthy missions, Operation “Golden Hand’ and Operation “Arnon,” which resulted in the successful rescue of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
“Operation Golden hand” involved the rescue of Fernando Marman and Louis Har, while “Operation Arnon,” named after Arnon Zamora, a Yamam commando chief inspector who was killed during the operation which resulted in the rescue of Noa Argamani, Almog Meir. Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv.
Netanyahu attributed the success of both missions to Yamam’s progress and resourcefulness, noting that the unit has a close history of cooperation with the IDF and Shin Bet in numerous counter-terrorism operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
Netanyahu vowed his full trust to the unit, promising not to cancel a single operation. “I rely on you, the people of Israel rely on you, and the Government of Israel relies on you.”
Israeli Air Defense Lasers Could Soon Be Placed Near Critical Sites
In the near future, Israeli-manufactured dedicated laser air defense systems for the local protection of key sites could be taking part in the response to enemy drone attacks.
Tal Inbar, a senior research fellow at the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, and an expert on missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and space capabilities, told JNS, in the aftermath of the recent Houthi attack on Ramon Airport in southern Israel, that local area defense laser cannons have a role to play, as part of a multi-layered defense system.
“The biggest challenge with the UAV issue is detection, identification and classification,” Inbar stated. “Once an attacking vehicle has been identified as hostile, the probability of shooting it down is very high.”
Inbar explained that while the ideal scenario is to intercept threats far from Israeli territory using aircraft (fighter jets and helicopters), and ground-based, guided anti-aircraft guns, or missile interceptors like Iron Dome, there is also a clear role for dedicated systems to protect high-value sites as a final backstop.
“There is no fundamental problem with placing dedicated systems for the defense of important facilities, even those located in an urban environment – as a last resort for interception,” he said.
Laser systems are distinguished by their power, which depends on their output. Smaller systems are more suitable for ‘point [localized] defense,’ while systems with much higher power can provide a more significant defensive shield,” Inbar explained.
The drone attack by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Israel’s Ramon Airport on Sept. 7 highlighted the challenge of correctly classifying the threat of low-flying, long-range enemy UAVs.
The incident occurred after a Houthi drone struck the airport area after being detected by Israel’s air defense system, but mistakenly not classified as hostile, according to an Israeli Air Force after-action review.
The UAV was detected by the IAF systems but was not classified as a hostile UAV, and accordingly the interception and alert systems were not activated. There is no indication of a technical malfunction in the existing detection systems.” the Israel Defense Forces stated after the incident.
The failure of classification, not interception, is what allowed the Houthi drone to reach its target, highlighting the critical need not just to see the threat but to recognize it, sometimes in crowded skies, in a matter of seconds.
Israel possesses a multi-layered and highly effective air defense array, which has intercepted the large majority of UAVs fired by Iran and its proxies at Israel over the past two years.
Moe than 99% of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) fired by Iran during the June war with Israel were intercepted successfully, according to figures by the Defense Ministry.
Meanwhile, Israel is due to receive its first fully operational Iron Beam laser defense systems by the end of the year, which are made by Rafael.
In a major announcement on May 29, the Defense Ministry revealed that the Israeli Air Force had carried out the first successful battlefield interceptions with high-power laser weapons that belong to a smaller laser system in the same laser family.
That smaller system carried out over 40 real operational interventions performed during the war.
Daniel Gold, head of the Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), stated in late May that the larger Iron Beam system is in the final stages of development and would be delivered by the end of the year.
A separate initiative by Elbit and the Defense Ministry is aimed at developing an airborne laser positioned on a large drone to fire on targets, like rockets and enemy UAVs, from above.
The Iron Beam, designed to complement the Iron Dome, is expected to use a 100-kilowatt laser to intercept rockets, mortars, and UAVs at a range of up to 10 kilometers. Its primary advantage is its cost–effectiveness–an estimated $5 per interception, essentially the cost of the electricity required to fire it.
This is a game-changing consideration when compared to the high cost of Kinetic interceptors like Iron Dome’s Tamir interceptor, which is estimated at around $50,000 per shot.
However, defense officials have stressed, lasers are a complimentary capability, not a replacement. Their shorter range and ability to focus on one threat at a time mean they are best suited for layered defense.
Dedicated laser weapons, positioned near a strategic site such as an airport or military base, could therefore provide the final interception opportunity to destroy the incoming drone, if previous attempts fail.
Israel Withdrew From Gaza Once. It Got Oct. 7 In Return – Jake Wallis Simons
20 years ago, Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza. which has a rich Jewish history, and handed the keys to the Palestinians. IDF troops deployed to take Jews living in Gaza from their homes and hand their villages to the Arabs. Their flourishing businesses, such as commercial greenhouses, were abandoned intact for the benefit of the new Palestinian owners. Even Jewish graves were disinterred, the bodies transferred to Israel.
After the painful Gaza pull-out, there was a feeling on the Israeli side that they would finally be granted international legitimacy and support. After all, Israel had voluntarily accepted all demands upon it, regardless of Palestinian weakness, corruption, and extremism.
This is a democracy that did all it could simply to survive in peace; and when the rockets inevitably flew, the world betrayed it once again. Is it any wonder that it rages against the international community today, which continues to demand “solutions” that Israel has so painfully tried and failed? However much Israel and the West may yearn for peace, it cannot be won with naivete or wishful thinking, but only determination, resilience, conviction and creativity. Peace through strength. (Telegraph-UK)
Israel Won’t Sit By As Terror Leaders Walk Free In Qatar – Editorial
Israel’s daring attack on Hamas leaders in Doha last week was a justified gamble. Israel attacked a sovereign country that has hosted the leadership of a terrorist organization for over a decade.
Israel’s decision to strike in Qatar shows that the negotiations over the hostages – in which Qatar has played a leading role – were at a dead end. Hamas, with Qatar’s acquiescence, has delayed time and time again any progress toward a ceasefire or an end to the war that would see the remaining hostages return home. As long as Hamas had Qatar in its corner, there was no urgency in reaching a deal.
N12’s Middle East analyst Ehud Yaari said after the attack that, despite public criticism, Middle East countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia were “100%” privately pleased that Israel had undertaken the mission. Israel’s Western allies appear to be more upset than the countries in our neighborhood.
Israel could have plodded along, sending negotiating teams to Qatar, and continuing to get stonewalled by Hamas intransigence as the hostages continue to languish in Gaza tunnels. That charade is over. The U.S. and Israel’s Western friends would do well to change their tune, back Israel’s actions, and start putting pressure on Hamas and their interlocutors: Qatar. (Jerusalem Post)
