News Digest — 9/25/25
Netanyahu Ahead Of Flight To NYC: ‘Palestine Recognition Is Disgraceful Capitulation’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the recognition by some world leaders of a Palestinian state a “disgraceful capitulation,” ahead of his flight to New York City on Wednesday night (24th).
The prime minister is set to address the United Nations General Assembly on Friday (26th).
“The disgraceful capitulation of some leaders to Palestinian terror will not bind Israel in any way,” Netanyahu stated. “A Palestinian state will not be established.”
After his address to the UNGA, the prime minister is also expected to meet with US President Donald Trump on Monday (29th) before returning to Israel on Tuesday morning (30th).
The UN General Assembly has been the scene of a lot of talk about a two-state solution. Several Western countries have used their platform there to announce their recognition of a Palestinian state.
During his speech at the UNGA, President Trump said at the plenum that “instead of giving into Hamas’ ransom demands, we should be united with those who want real peace and get the hostages back.”
The president added that “we can’t get one or two; we need everyone, dead or alive.”
Also at the UNGA, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Italy could recognize a Palestinian state only on condition that all Israeli hostages are released and Hamas excluded from any government role.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said he was prepared to send 20,000 soldiers to Gaza as a peacekeeping force on Tuesday (23rd) during his address at the UN General Assembly, and claimed Indonesia would recognize Israel the same day that the Jewish state recognizes a Palestinian state.
Up To 50 Wounded As Houthi Drone From Yemen Hits Eilat
Approximaely 50 people were wounded on Wednesday evening (24th) when a drone launched by Houthi terrorists in Yemen struck the southern Israeli city of Eilat.
Magen David Adom said its medics treated victims at the scene and evacuated them–including two in serious condition–to the city’s Yoseftal Hospital.
Video circulating online showed people scrambling for cover as air-raid sirens sounded, with the UAV appearing to strike near a major shopping center adjacent to Eilat’s main boardwalk.
The Israeli Defense Forces said interception attempts were made, and that search -and-rescue-teams were operating at the impact site.
The Israeli Air Force opened an investigation after two Iron Dome interceptor missiles failed to down the UAV.
The Israel Police urged residents to stay away from the crash site and avoid touching debris, warning it may contain explosives.
The military urged the public to continue adhering to Home front Command guidelines.
Last Thursday (18th), an unmanned aerial vehicle that was launched toward Israel “from the east” impacted in the courtyard of a hotel in Eilat, with no injuries reported.
The Houthis have carried out missile and drone attacks on the Jewish state–including a direct missile hit near Ben-Gurion International Airport on May 4th–since the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Jerusalem has conducted several rounds of strikes against the Houthis, including an Aug. 28 operation that killed their “prime minister” and several other cabinet officials.
Defense MInister Israel Katz said on Friday (19th) that Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of the Houthis, and his government would be sent to “the depths of hell.”
“Abdul-Malik al Houthi, your time will come,” Katz said, adding that he and his subordinates will meet “all the envoys of the Axis of Evil.”
“The slogan “Death to Israel, Curse upon the Jews,” written on the Houthi flag,” Katz added, “will be replaced by the blue-and-white Israeli flag that will fly in the capital of united Yemen.”
Hamas Fires On IDF Troops From Gaza’s Largest Hospital As Israeli Forces Advance
As Operation Gideon’s Chariots II continues, the IDF on Wednesday (24th) released footage showing Hamas terrorists opening heavy fire from the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City against forces. The military described the use of a civilian structure – especially an active hospital – as further proof of the terror group’s cynical and consistent tactic of turning civilian infrastructure into manned terror hubs.
“By doing so, Hamas knowingly endangers the lives of patients, medical staff and innocent civilians in the Strip,” an IDF spokesperson said, adding, “The IDF will continue to operate resolutely to thwart terrorist activity, while adhering to international law and mitigating harm to civilians.”
Earlier Wednesday (24th), the IDF reported that a Givati Brigade commando was seriously wounded in a clash, by gunfire, in northern Gaza and evacuated to the hospital for medical treatment.
Meanwhile, Gaza City faced intense airstrikes from morning onward, with reports also noting a fire belt around Shati camp in western Gaza. Hospitals in the Strip reported 28 deaths in Gaza City from Israeli airstrikes.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry claimed over 800,000 people remain in Gaza City, warning that attacks “will double the strain on hospitals.” It noted that Al-Shifa Hospital is expected to cease operations within hours due to fuel shortage, affecting the lives of intensive care patients.
The ground offensive to take control of the city continues with renewed vigor, and Palestinians on Tuesday (23rd) shared video of an IDF tank in the upscale Rimal neighborhood, where many towers still stand despite Israel’s pre-offensive bombings.
The fighting, like previous IDF operations in a nearly two-year war, exacts a heavy price. On Tuesday (23rd), the IDF reported that Sharar Netanel Bozaglo, 27, of Migdal HaEmek, a company commander in the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion, was killed Monday (22nd) by anti-tank missile strike on his tank in southern Gaza City. He marked the first casualty in the renewed ground operation in Gaza City.
IDF Chief To Gaza Residents: Rebel Against Hamas; They Cause Your Suffering
IDf Chief of Staff LTG. Eyal Zamir toured southern Gaza City on Wednesday (24th) and called on residents to rise up against Hamas.
“We are operating with large forces, striking with strength and precision,” Zamit said. “Rebel and separate yourselves from Hamas. It is responsible for your suffering.”
Zamir toured the area together with Southern Command Chief MG. Yaniv Asor and other senior officials. He told commanders that the IDF is focusing its offensive on Gaza City “to create conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.”
“Most of Gaza’s population has already left,” Zamir said, adding that the army was moving civilians southward “for their protection.”
He praised the troops saying: “You are the defense line of the State of Israel. We will continue to protect our communities, act as a buffer between the enemy and Israel’s citizens, and fight a just and moral war. Your achievements are significant, and righteousness is with us.”
Zamir also honored Maj. Shahar Bozaglo, killed earlier this week when an RPG struck his tank in southern Gaza. Since Oct. 7, he has fought bravely and with devotion for the security of the residents of the South and the State of Israel as a whole,” Zamir said.
Addressing international criticism, Zamir referred to growing recognition of a Palestinian state: “There are nations living under a false perception, applying pressure on us instead of on Hamas, after a horrific massacre of our people.”
He concluded: “This is a war between freedom and oppression. The IDF and its soldiers are the defensive line of Israel’s citizens and the Jewish people, but also of humanity and the free world, against terror, oppression and cruelty.”
Risk To Central Israel: IDF Locates Rocket In West Bank As Incidents Increase
Security forces located an old rocket in an open area of the West Bank’s Tulkarm overnight on Wednesday (24th), likely abandoned for some time. Border Police bomb disposal experts were dispatched to neutralize it.
“The IDF is conducting searches in the area, and the incident is under review,” the military said in a statement. Initial reports suggest the rocket, found without a propelling engine, may not have been launched, and wasn’t designed for long-range use.
The find follows a pattern of rocket-related incidents, including the arrest of a cell in April 2023 and the discovery of rocket remnants in West Bank villages in May and July 2023.
Last week, security forces uncovered and destroyed a rocket factory near Ramallah before terrorists could launch it. Einek Hefer Regional Council Head Galit Shaul called the Tulkarm discovery “a serious escalation” following the Ramallah finds, saying, “The threat to our communities, like all of central Israel, is clear and immediate.”
“We demand significant troop reinforcement in Judea and Samaria, proactive intelligence gathering, preventive actions and security deployments. We can’t wait – this threat must be cut off swiftly and decisively.”
Last week, security forces in the Ramallah area exposed a cell producing rockets intended for launch in the West Bank, finding dozens of rockets–including two without warheads–along with explosives and materials linking the group to manufacturing and launch attempts.
Counter-terror officers and Shin Bet agents arrested the terrorists, with helmet-camera footage showing them storming the hideout as the suspects fired rockets and live rounds. The IDF released footage of the weapons’ destruction, including an explosion at the Ramallah site.
IDF forces, led by the Binyamin Brigade, Central Command’s combat engineering unit and additional forces destroyed the rockets, explosives and materials found in the Ramallah complex. Two weeks ago, a test launch from the Palestinian village of Ni’ma targeted Jewish settlements in the West Bank but fell off mark.
Lebanese MP Ashraf Rifi Says Hezbollah Must Be Prosecuted, Disarmed
Lebanese Member of Parliament Ashraf Rifi, a former justice minister, intends to pursue legal action against the Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah over the group’s crimes against the country, the Saudi state-owned Al-Arabiya reported on Wednesday (24th).
According to the report, the intended prosecution of the group comes in response to, among other things, Hezbollah’s killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri, former Brigadier General Wissam Adnan al-Hassan, and Lieutenant Samer Hanna, an officer in Lebanon’s air force.
As a first step in seeking to prosecute the group, Rifi would reportedly consider disarming Hezbollah . Legal action, for which the case files are ready against the group, would follow, the Saudi outlet reported.
Accountability for Hezbollah is essential to Lebanon’s future, former justice minister Ashraf Rifi argued, warning that without justice for the group’s actions, the country cannot function as a true state.
Rifi continued, stating that Hezbollah has accomplished nothing for the Palestinians, whom the terror group uses to justify its possession and use of arms it acquired from Iran, Al-Arabiya cited him as saying.
“With nothing but our bare chests, I can say the Lebanese have managed to contain it,” Rifi reportedly said, referring to how Hezbollah has turned these weapons on the Lebanese people.
He said Hezbollah’s disarmament is occurring and slowly moving toward a “happy ending,” adding that neither Lebanon, the Arab world, nor the west would accept Iranian weapons in Lebanon, weapons that were never really tools of “resistance,” the Saudi outlet reported.
“Put your head on your shoulders and your feet on the ground. You have fallen. The weapons you claim protect us could not protect your leaders, nor protect you personally, nor protect your family or your community,” Rifi reportedly said in a message to Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem. “We, the pluralistic Lebanese society, are protected by the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces. Any weapons outside state authority that defies national consensus is, in my view, a liability, not an asset. There is no need for stubbornness. Save what remains of your people. Save what remains of Lebanese society. Save what remains of Lebanon. Enough with reckless adventures and empty claims.”
The Lebanese politician continued, saying Hezbollah has been severely weakened, without strong leadership, and accused the group of having turned Lebanon from the “Switzerland of the East” into a terrorist camp and a hub for Captagon production.
Gaza War Drives Young Israelis Toward Deeper Faith And Spirituality, Study Finds
War doesn’t just reshape cities and communities – it can also transform the inner lives of those who live through it. A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem shows that the ongoing conflict in Gaza is prompting significant shifts in religion and spirituality among young Israelis, revealing how trauma can drive some toward faith while pushing others away.
Researchers Yaakov Greenwald, Prof. Mario Mikulincer, and Prof. Ariel Knafo Noam surveyed more than 1,200 Jewish-Israeli university students between 2023 and 2025. About half reported changes in their religious or spiritual beliefs, with increases more common than decreases. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed international journal for the Psychology of Religion.
According to the study, roughly one in four university students became more religious, while one in three described themselves as more spiritual.
“Periods of protracted stress doesn’t just strengthen faith for everyone,” Greenwald said. “For some, it brings people closer to ‘religion,’ but for others, they reinforce secular values or spark spiritual searching outside of organized religion.”
Direct exposure to war – including injuries, loss of loved ones, or living under rocket fire – was linked to stronger religious or spiritual engagement.. According to the researchers, “The more directly individuals are touched by war, the more likely they are to re-examine and reshape their belief systems.”
Using Terror Management Theory (TMT) the study suggests that constant reminders of mortality – through rocket attacks, media coverage, and military service – can drive people to seek meaning through cultural or spiritual values, though the direction depends on their personal and community context.
Unlike earlier studies conducted long after conflicts ended, this research captured changes in real time offering a rare glimpse into how beliefs change during the first months of war, the authors said.
