News Digest — 9/4/25
Missile Fired From Yemen Falls In Open Area
Early Thursday morning (4th) at 5:40 a.m., the IDF identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory.
Defense systems were activated to intercept the threat and the public was instructed to follow the guidelines of the Home Front Command.
The IDF later updated that the missile fell in an open area outside of Israeli territory. No sirens were sounded in accordance with protocol.
On Wednesday evening (3rd), a missile launched from Yemen toward Israeli territory was intercepted.
Air raid sirens were activated in dozens of communities and cities, including Jerusalem, Mevaseret Zion, Beit Shemesh, Ma’ale Adumim, Kiryat Arba, Efrat, the Dead Sea, Arad, and other communities across Judea and the Negev.
Magen David Adom (MDA) said that no calls had been received at their 101 emergency hotline regarding impacts or injuries.
On Wednesday morning (3rd), the Houthis had also launched a missile from Yemen toward Israel. Sirens were triggered in the Sharon, Shfela, Yarkon, Lachish, Judea Lowlands, Samaria, and the Dan regions. That missile was also successfully intercepted.
The Houthi attacks follow the elimination of their Prime Minister, Ahmed al-Rahawi, along with several government ministers in Sanaa last Thursday (8/28).
In recent days, the Houthis have attempted to launch additional missiles and drones at Israeli territory, all of which have failed. Early Wednesday morning (3rd), two missiles fired by the Houthis exploded in Saudi Arabia.
IDF Chief Tours Gaza Ahead Of Planned Gaza City Assault, As Hamas Launches Retaliatory Campaign
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff LTG. Eyal Zamir toured the Gaza Strip on Wednesday (3rd) as preparations intensified for the second stage of Operation Gideon’s Chariots, which includes plans to capture Gaza City.
Zamir visited the field with Southern Command chief MG. Yaron Finkelman and other commanders, observing Gaza City and receiving an operational briefing from the IDF’s 162nd Division.
“We are intensifying the fighting in the central arena, in the Gaza Strip, and deepening our blows against the Hamas terror organization,” Zamir said. “IDF forces are operating in the areas overlooking the city. Yesterday we began a significant call-up of reservists to continue intensifying the strike against Hamas.”
The army chief addressed commanders and soldiers directly: “You are facing one of the greatest challenges in the history of the State of Israel. You are the finest of our people, acting with courage, determination and dedication in the heart of enemy territory. We have entered the second phase of Operation Gideon’s Chariots to fulfill the goals of this war. Bringing back our hostages is a moral and national mission. We will continue to strike Hamas’ centers of gravity until its defeat, and we are creating a sense of persecution for them everywhere.”
In response, a senior commander from Hamas’ Izz as-Din al Qassem Brigades told Al-Jazeera: “We are launching Operation Moses’ Staff in response to Gideon’s Chariots ll. Our first actions took place in the Zeitoun and Jabaliya neighborhoods, hours after the enemy announced the start of its operation. The enemy saw firsthand the readiness of our fighters, and this is only the tip of the iceberg of what awaits them in Gaza. Just as the David’s Stone operations thwarted Gideon’s Chariots; as the occupation itself admitted, so Moses’Staff will work wonders.”
Separately, the Israeli Air Force held a change-of-command ceremony at Tel Nof Air Base. Air Force Commander MG. Tomer Bar said: “We are in a critical stage of the war, in which the hostages’ time is running out. I promise we will continue to do everything to bring them home. This is the most urgent mission for us.”
Hamas Prevents Evacuation From Gaza City With Threats And Attacks On Civilians
A senior defense source on Wednesday (3rd) said that Hamas is working hard to block Palestinian civilians from evacuating from Gaza City in northern Gaza despite the military’s two-week effort to encourage them to leave as the clock ticks down to an expected large-scale invasion.
To date, there are varying estimates between Israel and the UN, but around 60,000-80,000 Palestinians have evacuated from Gaza City since the IDF started to press for this.
Those numbers come from a total of around one million Palestinians currently present in the Gaza City area.
According to the defense source, Hamas wants to keep as many civilians as possible in Gaza City, both to serve directly as human shields from IDF attacks and also to place more diplomatic pressure on Israel to end the war in the event Palestinian civilians are caught up in the crossfire.
In the senior defense official’s view, Hamas views the deaths of its own population as a strategic asset to play against Israel’s reputation globally.
Hamas’ tactics to prevent Palestinians from leaving Gaza City have varied from scaring them by falsely claiming that conditions in southern Gaza are worse in terms of insufficient tents, food, and medical care, versus physically shooting or beating those Palestinians who do try to flee.
In addition, Hamas’ public relations units are working to reassure Palestinians in Gaza City with the idea that it is their patriotic duty to stay in Gaza City as Hamas prepares to try to repel the IDF’s invasion.
Questioned about what happened to protests against Hamas from some months ago, the source acknowledged that those had eventually died down.
The senior defense official did add that there are still parts of Gaza which Hamas has weaker control due to resistance by tribal clans or gangs, but that these are limited problems for Hamas and had not taken a broader toll on its control over Gaza.
Despite Hamas’ efforts, the senior defense source expressed optimism that, closer to the real start of hostilities, most Palestinian civilians will flee.
The source added that possibly around 200,000 civilians might stay longer, and some might only flee as artillery fire and aerial bombs start falling.
Next the defense official said that there are now 100,000 tents designated to receive the fleeing population.
In addition, the source said that there are already around one million Palestinians living in other tents throughout the Strip.
Two Hezbollah-Linked Operatives Killed In Strikes On Southern Lebanon
The Israeli military said Wednesday (3rd) that the Air Force struck and killed two Hezbollah-linked operatives in southern Lebanon within the span of two hours.
One of the men, identified as Al-Munim Musa Sweidan, was targeted in the southern town of Yater.
The military described him as Hezbollah’s local representative in the town, responsible for coordinating with residents and facilitating the group’s use of private properties to store weapons and conduct surveillance.
Separately, another operative from the Hezbollah-affiliated “Lebanese Resistance Brigades” was killed in a strike in the village of Shebaa, the IDF said.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted when the Iranian-backed terror group began launching rockets at northern Israel in support of Hamas after it led the October 7 massacre in southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken to Gaza.
Hezbollah’s rocket attacks displaced some 60,000 residents of northern Israel. In September, 2024 Israel stepped up operations in Lebanon, leading to an open war between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended with a ceasefire at the end of November that year.
Israeli troops have remained stationed in several points in southern Lebanon following the ceasefire. The IDF says it carries out strikes in response to violations of the ceasefire.
Israel Successfully Launches Ofek-19 Spy Satellite, An ‘Eye On Our Enemies’
The “Ofek 19” satellite successfully launched into space late Tuesday (2nd), and initial tests showed it was performing as planned, the Defense Ministry, in collaboration with the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Aerospace Industries, announced.
The satellite, which will be used for military reconnaissance, was launched at 10:30 pm from Palmachim airbase in central Israel.
In an update Wednesday morning (3rd), the Defense Ministry said the spacecraft successfully entered orbit, began transmitting data, and passed a series of initial tests.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the successful launch served not only as a technological milestone but also as a warning to Israel’s adversaries.
“The launch of the Ofek-19 satellite yesterday is an achievement of the highest global standard… it is also a message to all our enemies, wherever they may be – we are watching you at all times and in all circumstances,” he wrote on X.
Katz also extended an invitation to regional powers to cooperate with Israel in harnessing such capabilities “for a better shared future for us all” while stressing that Israel will continue to invest heavily in space and satellite programs to strengthen its security edge.
The Defense Ministry said a “Shavit” launcher lofted the satellite into space, where it entered the planned orbit.
“Ofek-19 is a synthetic aperture radar observation satellite with advanced capabilities, designed to provide high-resolution imaging for intelligence and surveillance purposes.
Engineers from the Defense Ministry’s Space Department and IAI’s Space Division are continuing a series of pre-planned checks before the satellite enters full operational service in the near future. Responsibility for operating it will then be transferred to the IDF’s Unit 9900, which specializes in VISINT, or visual intelligence.
The launch, carried out in cooperation with the IDF and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), was attended by Katz, President Isaac Herzog, Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram and other defense officials.
Herzog hailed the launch as proof of Israel’s innovation: “We are not only a Start-Up Nation, we are a Space Nation. Israel must be in space – that is where the future of humanity lies, and it holds the most important strategic capabilities… This is yet another proof that we are a unique and exceptional people – there is no country like Israel.”
Katz called the launch “a moment of immense national pride,” saying that the Ofek-19 represents “another layer of Israel’s strength even in the third circle [long-range threats], and expresses the advanced capabilities of the Ministry of Defense, the IDF, and IAI… Israel continues to soar, to lead, and to ensure our security with pride and strength.”
The launch is part of an ongoing program led by the Defense Ministry’s Defense Research and Development Directorate, in cooperation with the IDF, including Unit 9900 of the Intelligence Directorate and the Israeli Air Force.
“Ofek-19” follows “Ofek-13” which was launched in March 2023, continuing Israel’s efforts to maintain advanced space-based observation capabilities, the ministry noted.
Survival First, Truth Second: Why Gazan Journalists Are Unreliable – Itamar Marcus
The foreign media is uniformly blaming Israel for the so-called starvation in Gaza, often broadcasting completely fictitious images. The impact on Israel’s image in the world has been terrible, with polls showing that even American support for Israel is eroding. Most reporters working for the international media in Gaza are themselves Palestinians and thus are anxious to present Israel negatively.
Another important reason was spelled out by Nasser Abu Bakr, chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, speaking on official PA TV: “There are indeed attacks against journalists. We are monitoring and recording daily attacks by Hamas and the ‘Arrow Battalion.’ It is a known group that belongs to Hamas and attacks journalists, arrests journalists, [even] in hospitals and institutions.”
Thus, journalists in Gaza know that deviating from Hamas’ version of events places their freedom and even their lives in danger. Survival comes first; truth comes second. This explains why the foreign media are megaphones for Hamas’ lies. Out of concern for their future, their safety, and their lives, the journalists hired by these media outlets must publish Hamas propaganda that makes Israel look immoral or evil.
The writer is director of Palestinian Media Watch.
Argentina Officials Recover Missing Painting Stolen By Nazis, Ending 80-Year-Old Mystery
Argentina officials on Wednesday (3rd) announced they had recovered a painting stolen decades ago by the Nazis following days of international intrigue and raids to track down the work of art after it was spotted in a real estate photo.
The portrait of Contessa Colleoni by Italian artist Giuseppe Ghislandi was displayed in a room at the federal prosecutor’s office in the coastal city of Mar del Plata, where officials told journalists they would soon reveal more details about the painting’s recovery.
The Italian masterpiece is featured on a database of works of art stolen by the Nazis and has been missing for 80 years.
A judicial official in Mar de Plata told Reuters that Patricia Kadgien, daughter of a former Nazi official, and her husband handed over the painting to the prosecutor’s office via their attorney.
Art experts who have been following the case will be responsible for securing it to preserve the artwork, the official said.
Argentinian authorities raided a house in Mar de Plata last week after the painting was shown hanging on a wall in a photo on a real estate listing, but were not able to immediately locate it.
The case captured international attention after Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad first reported that the home in the real estate listing belonged to Patricia Kadgien, daughter of Friedrich Kadgien, a senior official in Adolf Hitler’s government who moved to Argentina from Germany after World War Two. He died in 1979.
A federal court ordered house arrest for Patricia Kadgien and her husband for 72 hours starting Monday (8th) . A judicial official told Reuters they would be questioned on accusations they had obstructed the investigation to locate the painting.
The portrait of Contessa Colleoni was among more than 1,000 works of art stolen by the Nazis from Amsterdam-based art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, who died in 1940.
