News Digest — 9/16/25
IDF Invasion Of Gaza City Erupts As Palestinians Report Tanks In The Heart Of The Strip
The IDF Invasion Of Gaza City erupted late Monday night (15th), The Jerusalem Post confirmed.
Palestinian reports said that IDF tanks had entered the heart of the city in scenes and levels of war not seen in northern Gaza in possibly two years.
After weeks of increasing air force strikes on Gaza City, including bringing down an increasing number of tall multi-story buildings, it seems the IDF has finally reached the tipping point for a large-scale ground invasion.
As of earlier Monday (15th), an estimated more than 300,000 Gazans had fled Gaza City going southward, but around 700,000 remained.
The IDF was hoping that like in Rafah, most of the Gazan civilians would flee once Israeli ground forces truly started to penetrate the city.
Netanyahu has said that invading Gaza City will further defeat Hamas beyond the heavy defeats the terror group has received over the last two years.
In a post to Truth Social, US President Donald Trump also acknowledged the danger the hostages are in.
“I have just read a News Report that Hamas has moved the hostages above ground to use them as human shields against Israel’s ground offensive. I hope the leaders of Hamas know what they’re getting into if they do such a thing”
“This is a human atrocity, the likes of which few people have ever seen before. Don’t let this happen or ALL “BETS” ARE OFF. RELEASE ALL HOSTAGES NOW!”
Netanyahu later thanked Trump for his “unflinching support for Israel’s battle against Hamas and the release of all our hostages.”
PM: ‘If We Didn’t Act, We’d Die And The Jewish Story Would Die’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Monday (15th) at the “Fifty States – One Israel” event at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the largest bipartisan delegation of American legislators to ever visit Israel.
“Can I ask a question? How many of you are visiting Israel for the first time?” he asked the 250 lawmakers from 50 states. How many have been here before? Wow, two.”
“Well welcome to all of you. It’s very good to see you here with Foreign Minister Saar and Deputy MInister Sharren Haskel and our Ambassador to Washington, Yechiel. Stand up. Look at this man, look at him. He, Yechiel, represents the greatest military comeback in recent history,” he stated.
Netanyahu noted: “On October 7th, we were attacked with no provocation by the Hamas monsters. They murdered 1,200 of our citizens. They burnt babies alive. They raped and murdered women. They beheaded men. They took 251 hostages, grandmothers, grandchildren, Holocaust survivors, to the dungeons of Gaza.”
“I think a lot of people thought that we were on the ropes or perhaps flat on the ground and we didn’t have a chance of coming back. A day later, on October 8th, Hezbollah joined the fray. They started rocketing our cities. Again, no provocation,” he said.
“I said on that day that we will change the face of the Middle East. I said that because it was clear to me from day one that we weren’t just fighting Hamas. We were fighting the Iran axis that consisted of Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the three H’s, and a few others in between. And while we would start with Hamas, we’d have to eventually reach the patron and in one ear or the other, all the elements of the terror axis,” he added. “This is what we proceeded to do. First, by striking hard at Hamas. Then when their main forces, main organized military forces, were obliterated, we went to the North. I hope none of you have beepers. And proceeded to take out Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah, who was, in effect, the axis of the axis. He actually held this axis together. And once he was gone, the Assad, the murderous Assad regime in Syria, collapsed.”
“Because during the Syrian Civil War, it wasn’t the Syrian army that fought Assad’s enemies. It was, invariably, when the battle didn’t go well, Nasrallah would send him thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of Hezbollah troops to save his regime. Now, Nasrallah was gone, Hezbollah was crippled, so Assed fell. And once he fell, the land route that connected this axis from Tehran to the sea, Lebanon was gone,” Netanyahu said.
“And now, what happened was that the death noose that Hamas wanted to…that Iran wanted to place around our necks, was gone. That was one of their vehicles to annihilate Israel. Remember, they chanted ‘Death to America, death to Israel.’ To achieve death to America, they have to first achieve death to Israel, because we are America’s frontline here. And the only force in the Middle East that was challenging, forcibly challenging, and fighting them in their quest for domination and subordination and annihilation, but ultimately, they were geared to America,” he added.
He continued: “So, their goal was to destroy Israel, so what did they do? They began to race to the bomb. They already had enough enriched uranium, but you need the weapon around that uranium ball. And so, they began to work secretly to activate their weaponization team. We knew that if we didn’t act within a year, they’d have one atomic bomb, possibly two. So, we acted. We acted like somebody who has two lumps of cancer, one lump is the atomic cancer, the spectrum of atomic bombs, and the second one is the spectrum of 20,000 ballistic missiles; one-ton ballistic missiles that fall, Mach six to Mach eight, right from the sky. And they destroy everything that they touch. Twenty thousand of those in our state, the size of New Jersey. And the possibility of two nuclear bombs.”
“So we had to act. If we didn’t act, we’d die. And with us would die the whole story, the three and a half millennia story of the Jewish people,” Netanyahu declared. “If you don’t act, you’re not going to be here. So we acted with the incredible help of President Trump and those brave pilots of the United States.”
Netanyahu To Rubio: Qatar Strike Didn’t Fail – It Sent A Message
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday (15th) met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a day after Rubio landed in Israel.
The two met in Jerusalem before holding a press conference on the war in Gaza, Israel’s airstrike against Hamas leaders in Qatar last week, and attempts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.
Rebuffing international criticism last week, including from President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu defended Israel’s ballistic missile strike last Tuesday (9th) on a villa in Doha, Qatar, where Hamas’politburo had gathered.
While initial reports suggest the strike, carried out by Israeli fighter jets using advanced air-launched ballistic missiles, failed to kill any of Hamas’ senior leaders, Netanyahu said the attack was not a failure. Rather, he said, it sent a “clear message” that Israel would not hesitate to carry out additional targeted killings abroad.
“The strike sent a clear message to Hamas leaders: ‘You can try to run, but we will find you.’”
Netanyahu said the strike was decided upon without consultation with the US.
“The decision to strike the terrorist leadership there was entirely independent,” the prime minister said. “It was made by me, managed by us, and we take full responsibility, because terrorists cannot be given safe haven. We did this ourselves.”
Citing the United Nations to justify the strike; Netanyahu said sovereign nations were not permitted to give sanctuary to terror groups.
“There is hypocrisy and cynicism in condemning Israel. The UN approved that states should not host terrorists, and of course the U.S. acted courageously against Al Qaeda sanctuaries in Afghanistan and against Bin Laden in Pakistan.” Rubio downplayed tensions between Washington and Jerusalem over the strike, which the Trump administration criticized as an attack on an American ally.
Instead, Rubio reiterated the White House’s demand that all remaining 48 hostages be returned to Israel, adding that Hamas must be eliminated as an armed terrorist group for regional peace to be established.
“Every hostage must immediately be home,” Rubio said. “The people of Gaza deserve a better future, but that better future cannot begin until Hamas is eliminated. You can count on our unwavering support and commitment to see this come to fruition.”
Fully Exposed Pilgrimage Road Inaugurated In Jerusalem
After years of excavation, Israel on Monday (15th) unveiled the fully exposed Pilgrimage Road in the City of David, a circa first-century route linking the Pool of Siloam to the foot of the Temple Mount. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the evening ceremony alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
Rubio called it “an extraordinary archaeological site,” framing his appearance as a celebration of shared heritage. The visit came during his trip to Israel for meetings with Netanyahu and Israeli officials.
Netanyahu said the unveiling reflected the Jewish people’s ancient bond with Jerusalem and vowed the city would remain united. Huckabee praised the excavation as a moment that “lets the stones speak,” underscoring the continuity of Jewish presence in the city.
Archaeologists say the stepped street served as Jerusalem’s main thoroughfare for pilgrims during the Second Temple Period. The Israel Antiquities Authority has led the dig with the City of David organization, which operates the national park site. The stretch from the Pool of Siloam up the Tyropoeon valley to the Temple Mount measures about 600 meters and is approximately eight meters wide.
Monday’s (15th) inauguration also highlighted growing international recognition of the site. In January 2021, the US Embassy in Jerusalem, together with the US Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, recognized the City of David as a testament to America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and founding principles. In June 2025, Argentina presented a commemorative plaque at the City of David during President Javier Milei’s visit, acknowledging the site’s significance.
Ben Gurion Airport Braces For Busiest Holiday Travel Day With Expected 100,000 Passengers
Ben Gurion Airport is preparing for its busiest travel day of the Jewish holiday season, with some 100,000 passengers expected to pass through on Thursday, Sept. 18, across approximately 570 International flights, the Israel Airports Authority announced Sunday (14th).
The authority added that charter flights to Uman, Ukraine, a pilgrimage destination for many Hasidic Jews during Rosh Hashanah will begin Wednesday, Sept. 17, and continue through Sunday (21st).
The holiday travel surge is expected to bring more than 2.1 million passengers through Ben Gurion during the Tishrei holiday period. An additional 200,000 travelers are anticipated at Israel’s other airports and land crossings, including to Jordan and Egypt. In total, about 2.3 million people are expected to use the Israel Airports Authority facilities throughout the season.
Top international destinations include Greece, the United States, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates.
“This reflects the ongoing growth in passenger traffic, which peaked in August with 2.2 million international travelers passing through Ben-Gurion,” the Airports Authority said.
To accommodate the holiday crowds, the Israel Airports Authority has boosted staffing at Ben-Gurion and border crossings.
“We’re working around the clock to ensure every traveler’s experience is safe, efficient, and pleasant,” said Moshe Ben Zakan, director general of the Transportation and Road safety Ministry. “These efforts are reflected in the comprehensive operational preparations and reinforcement deployed across all airport facilities.”
Pro-Palestinian Crowd In California Beats Hostage’s Cousin For Speaking Hebrew
A group of approximately 20 pro-Palestinian protesters attacked a man speaking Hebrew at Santa Monica Pier earlier this month.
Ariel Yaakov Marciano, the cousin of murdered Gaza hostage, Guy Ilouz, whose body remains in Hamas terror captivity in the Gaza Strip, described the event to Jewish Journal, a Jewish community outlet for the Greater Los Angeles area, where Santa Monica is located.
He explained to the outlet that he was visiting Los Angeles for his cousin’s bar mitzvah when he noticed the demonstrators. He was wearing a Star of David necklace and speaking to an Israeli from Las Vegas he had just met, in Hebrew, recounting that “they realized we were Israeli.”
“At that point, they attacked me. One of them hit me on the back of the head, and I started bleeding. Others pushed me around and tore the necklace off my neck. I pushed one of the masked attackers, and then they all jumped on me,” he told the outlet.
He claimed that while he was on his way to the police station, he shouted “God Bless Israel,” and was pepper sprayed by one of the protesters.
He alleged that the police “didn’t do anything, but I can’t really blame them as there were too many demonstrators and there’s nothing much the police can do against so many.”
He also said that a “tall guy held a knife against him, and told him ‘your lucky I.m not stabbing you.’”
Marciano added that he has no intention of hiding his Jewish identity, as he has lost one cousin since October 7, 2023, and another during Operation Protective Edge, in the summer of 2014.
He also told the outlet that approximately three hours after the assault, during which the Star of David chain was torn from his neck, he was sitting in a restaurant when a Chinese man approached him and returned his necklace.
The Santa Monica Police Department released a statement shortly after the event, commenting that they are “deeply troubled by the act of violence…where a man was surrounded, assaulted, and singled out because of his religious identity.”
The Police Department added that they are investigating the event as a hate crime, and condemned all forms of hate and anti-Semitism, adding that the investigation remains active and that detectives are reviewing video footage and pursuing leads.
In turn, the Anti-Defamation League, California Chapter, also condemned the event.
“In America, targeting Israelis and Jews with violence is abhorrent and a hate crime,” Interim ADL Los Angeles Director Peter Levi said.
“We are experiencing a deplorable escalation of anti-Semitism across Southern California, warranting the immediate attention of law enforcement, community leaders, and elected officials. We call on everyone to take a stand against the violence and intimidation targeting our community,” he added.
