News Digest — 9/3/24
IDF Kills Nukhba Commander Who Oversaw Oct. 7 Massacre In Netiv Haasara
The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) eliminated on Tuesday (3rd) Ahmed Gozi Nazer Muhammad Wadia, the commander of the Nukhba company who oversaw the massacre in Netiv Haasara on October 7, the military said.
Wadia was eliminated along with eight Hamas terrorists of the Daraj Tuffah Battalion in an Israel Air Force strike on a compound in Gaza City, which was located in the vicinity of the Al-Ahli Hospital compound, the IDF added.
On October 7, Wadia, an operative in Hamas’ Paraglider Array, reportedly raided Netiv Haasara, an Israeli community on the Gaza border, using a paraglider and oversaw the killings on site.
The military further stated that Wadia sat in the home of Gil Taasa, who was murdered during the massacre, and drank a beverage in front of Taasa’s children.
An additional terrorist who was eliminated in the strike was responsible for the Daraj Tuffah Battalion’s engineering, sniping, and anti-tank operations, the IDF noted. He was reportedly in charge of supplying the explosives with which the security fence at the Gaza border was detonated on Oct. 7.
The IDF said that the attack was carried out in a precise strike outside of the hospital precincts.
The military added that before the strike, it took measures to prevent civilian harm.
“My sons are happy, and that’s the most important thing,” Gill Taasa’s wife, Sabin, told Channel 12 on Tuesday (3rd) following the announcement of Wadia’s elimination.
Sabin added that one of her sons said, “I personally would come full circle only when knowing that all Hamas terrorists had been eliminated,” including the terror group’s chief, Yahya Sinwar.”
Netanyahu: “We Should Withdraw From Philadelphi Corridor After Hamas Murdered 6 Hostages?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an address to the nation on Monday evening (2nd) following the murder of six Israeli hostages by Hamas terrorists in Rafah last week.
“We are in the midst of an existential war, the first step is unity,” he began.
“I ask for forgiveness from the families, that we were not able to bring them back alive. We were close, but we didn’t make it,” Netanyahu said. He was on the verge of tears as he read out the names of the six murdered hostages.
“We must be united against a cruel enemy who wants to destroy us all,” Netanyahu said.
He vowed that Israel “would not go back to normal” following the execution of the six hostages and that “Hamas will pay a heavy price” for these murders.
Netanyahu stated that Israel must retain control of the Philadelphi Corridor on the border between Gaza and Egypt, saying, “The road to achieving the goals of the war passes through the Philadelphi Corridor.”
“They tell me to leave and then we’ll come back, I’ve already been in this movie before. If we leave – we won’t come back,” the prime minister added.
Netanyahu emphasized that “the axis of evil needs the Philadelphi Corridor. I insist that we will be there. We must establish this fact.”
He noted that “only when we entered the Philadelphi Corridor did we feel a change in the war. For months Hamas did not budge in negotiations for a deal. The first crack came after we entered Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor.”
He wondered how anyone could call for Israel to abandon the Corridor now “after they killed six of our hostages in cold blood? What message does that send to Hamas?”
“Unfortunately, voices began to be heard from within the cabinet that suggested leaving the Philadelphi Corridor, so I had to bring this to a decision in the cabinet. I was amazed to hear from among us that we can leave after the massacre of the six hostages. Every minister must speak his mind. I encourage everyone to speak their mind. But from the moment a decision is made it is binding. The message that we will change a strategic decision under pressure and after the murder of our hostages is an incentive for terrorism and will not happen,” Netanyahu stated.
Opinion: Only One Moral End: Hamas Surrenders, Releases All Hostages Unconditionally -Einat Wilf
We are facing a total ideology, known as Palestinianism, executed by Hamas and its enablers, that seek nothing less than ending the humiliating specter of sovereign Jews.
Our enemy is dedicated, by all means necessary, to teach a final lesson to those Jews who dared imagine themselves equal, sovereign, and masters of their fate in their own state on their ancestral land – so that they never attempt to do it again.
We are up against an enemy that not only invaded our country and our homes to gleefully murder and mutilate the most peace-loving people in their beds, but went on to kidnap hundreds of them to ensure they face no consequences for what they did on October 7.
The brutal executors of the ideology of Palestinianisn, Hamas, did not kidnap people for the limited goal of releasing murderers from Israeli jails. Rather, they did so to ensure that they would pay no price for what they did, enabling them to do it again, and again, and again.
Make no mistake: as far as Hamas is concerned, it has paid no price and suffered no consequences for October 7. The devastation in Gaza and the people killed are all meaningless to Hamas. Buoyed by global pressure to provide it with ongoing supplies even as it conducts a total war, Hamas remains in firm control of Gaza and its people.
It has secured a position as a legitimate negotiating partner. At the same time, all the pressure is placed on Israel to yield to its demands to return to the status quo of October 6 – with no consequences for its actions. Nothing is being done against the backers of Hamas – Qatar, Egypt, and Iran – with the first two being falsely portrayed as helpful (they’re not) and the latter as uninvolved.
Once Hamas exchanged the women and children it kidnapped – who were, above all, a liability for their total cause – for guaranteed ongoing supplies that secure its rule in Gaza, the only additional deal to which it would agree, as it has repeatedly made clear, is one that returns to October 6: That Hamas remains in charge of Gaza, including the border with Egypt that has been the site of endless supplies for its army and economy, that Israel withdraws completely, and Hamas continues receiving billions from the world through UNRWA and other channels, allowing it to become even more effective in executing acts of mass murder in the future.
Hamas executes hostages or attempts to do so when Israeli soldiers are close to rescuing them because the one thing they cannot accept is the idea of lowly Jews rescuing their own people. The kidnapped hostages are Hamas’ insurance policy to continue fighting until there is no more Israel.
In the face of a totalizing ideology that plays a long game with an annihilationist goal, there is only one moral position for any government or international organization to pursue (and it should have been the policy from October 8):
1. Unconditional release of the hostages.
2. Unconditional surrender of Hamas.
That is the only way to end the immediate war. (Ending Palestinianism as the ideology that negates a sovereign Jewish state in any borders is necessary to end the century-long war.)
Until then? It is a war and should be waged as such, with no illusions about the enemy we face.
Einat Wilf is a former Israeli politician and author who has served as a member of the Knesset.
Iran’s War Against Israel From The West Bank – Khaled Abu Toameh
Armed and Funded by Iran, new armed “battalions,” whose members are affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and the ruling Fatah faction headed by Palestinian Authority Leader Mahmoud Abbas, began operating in the northern West Bank more than three years ago. Gunmen belonging to these groups have carried out countless attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Recently, the gunmen started using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against Israeli civilian and military vehicles. Some of these militias are based only a few hundred meters away from Israeli communities, both in the West Bank and inside Israel. In May, Hamas terrorists in Tulkarm recorded themselves shooting toward Bat Hefer, an Israeli town near the border of the West Bank.
PA security forces haven’t really done anything to disband or disarm the militias in the areas under their control. The PA’s failure to crack down on the “battalions” means that now Iran has a small army in the West Bank. Those who persist in advocating for the establishment of a Palestinian state next to Israel must take into consideration that doing so would lead to the rise of more Iran-backed “battalions” in the West Bank and other areas over which the PA is given control.
The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs.
The Murder Of Israeli Police Officers In West Bank Is Wake Up Call – Analysis
The murder of three Israeli police officers in the West Bank is a major escalation by terrorists. Roni Shakuri, Hadas Branch, and Arik Ben Eliyahu were murdered Sunday (1st) nearTarqumiya. This is an area northwest of Hebron. It is also the site of a major checkpoint for traffic entering Israel, including Palestinian workers and trade goods. The killings are part of a wider and growing campaign of West Bank attacks. Most of this growing insurgency has taken place in the northern area. It began in Jenin two years ago with a wave of terror that Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other groups such as Lion’s Den in Nablus were responsible for. The IDF launched an operation in 2023 against the growing wave of terror.
The terrorists have nevertheless branched out into Tulkarm and Qalqilya, and into Tubas and have set up shop in Fara’a camp and other areas overlooking the Jordan valley. They have imported smuggled rifles, primarily M-4 and AR types, and have now become proficient in explosives. Several attempts to build car bombs are evidence of this.
They have also placed IEDs on roadsides in various areas and have increased their attacks to include the Jordan Valley. Israel’s chief-of-staff visited the Jordan valley last week due to this rise in terror. The IDF then launched a major operation in late August. So far, one IDF soldier has been killed in clashes in Jenin.
Now the terrorists are carrying out more attacks. There were two attacks over this past weekend (August 31-September 1) and then an attempted car bombing attack at Ateret on September 2.
The IDF was quick to respond to the murder of the police officers on Sunday (1st), saying that its “forces encircled the residence in Hebron where the terrorist was operating and eliminated him during exchanges of fire. An M-16 rifle was located alongside the terrorist, who was identified as Muhammad Al-Easud, a 31-year-old man from Idhna, who was a reported Fatah member and served in the Palestinian Presidential Guard of the Palestinian National Security Forces. The investigation into the attack continues.”
This is important but it also shows escalation. Groups of men close to Fatah have increasingly been involved in terror attacks. This shows that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is in danger of splintering. Almost two decades of the US-backed training of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces has not resulted in stability, but instead, the PA is unable to control parts of the West Bank. Hamas and PIJ, with Iranian backing, are taking advantage of this. But there may be worse to come in places like Hebron. Hebron is a city with a tradition of religious devotion.
So far it has been relatively quiet, but the massive sprawling city could be bubbling up into large clashes with the IDF. In addition, Hamas has historically had cells in some of these areas, such as the Hebron Hills, Dura, and other villages. If Hamas can set down roots again in this area and increase attacks, it will mean the growing insurgency has expanded from the northern West Bank to the south. It will also mean these groups have more weapons, such as M-16s, and more know-how in terms of explosives.
Meanwhile, Hamas leaders abroad who fly back and forth from Turkey to Qatar, two western allies, are calling for more attacks. This potentially could lead to greater escalation in the area. The murder of three Israeli police officers is a major attack and should be seen that way.
Iran Is Topic Of New Study Program In Holon High School And The Teachers Are Ex-Shin Bet Members
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, “Black Friday,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s policies, and the demographic relationship between Muslim Shiites and Sunnis are just a few of the topics that will be explored in the new Iran studies program launched this school year at Navon High School in Holon.
Fifteen students accepted into the program will also study the Persian language and delve into Iranian culture. Additionally, they will gain a deep understanding of Israeli security and intelligence topics, including intelligence gathering, identifying threats, counterterrorism and source evaluation.
The Iran Studies Program, also known as Security and Research (SR) will begin this year at the Navon Gymnasium in Kiryat Yitzhak Rabin, making it one of the most relevant and innovative programs today.
Etty Evoda Kazula, the principal of the six-year-school, explains that together with the program coordinator Shai Shoshani, they managed to recruit a range of former security experts – including from the Shin Bet, Mossad and Unit 8200 – to serve as instructors.
“The program is designed for outstanding students. They will study information and data analysis, intelligence gathering, and the Persian language,” she explained.
“This won’t be like learning English or French in school. We’re teaching 60% of the language and 40% of the culture,” she added.
“This is not an easy road. We identified a select group of 15 students who are up to the challenge. They must have a high English level (Persian is closely linked to English), be enrolled in 4 or preferably 5 units of mathematics, have unique analytical skills, the ability to analyze situations and presence in front of an audience.”
“We want the students to graduate with a comprehensive set of tools. For us, the program is a flagship one, which will ultimately benefit the students.”
“We have a teacher from within the school who will teach information and intelligence, another teacher who works with the Defense Ministry and IDF and teaches Persian, and someone else from Israel’s intelligence community.”
Guy Konax, Shani Kaner, Hillel Rafaeli and Rotem Ben Tov, four of the program’s students, shared their reason for choosing this field, and their aspirations.
“Security and intelligence have always interested me. I really love researching and learning new things, and I felt that this program would fill that gap for me in school,” Kaner said. “I want to learn new skills and expand my thinking to new horizons, and the program I chose meets that need. On top of that, I really enjoy discovering new cultures and learning foreign languages, so this is perfect for me, added Rafaeli”
Konax is also interested in the field of intelligence, and his curiosity concerning it grew even more amid the war. “I want to focus on the field,” he said. “This program provides the opportunity to develop my abilities, expand my knowledge and ultimately make an impact and contribute to the country through the critical role of intelligence, which we’ve seen play a significant part in wartime, and especially in the past month.”
“It’s a very unique field and I’m looking forward to the school year starting so we can begin learning and exploring the topic,” Ben Tov added.
