Nov. 12: At UNSC, US envoy warns Israel not to forcibly displace or starve Gazans

Trailer for ‘The Bibi Files’ documentary featuring Netanyahu’s interrogation tapes drops

The Jolt independent film platform releases a trailer of “The Bibi Files,” an American documentary on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that features never-before-seen footage of the Israeli premier being questioned by police between 2016 and 2018.

Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing in the cases against him and claims that the charges were fabricated in a witch hunt led by the police and state prosecution, and facilitated by a weak attorney general.

“This is preposterous and insane,” the prime minister says during an investigation seen in the trailer. “You’re trying to incriminate the prime minister on nonsense.”

In another scene, he can be seen slamming his hand emphatically on the table as he denies what he calls “shameful” allegations.

The documentary is due for release on Jolt on December 11.

The recordings of Netanyahu’s corruption investigation featured in the documentary, leaked to renowned director Alex Gibney last year, include interviews with Netanyahu, his wife Sara, and his son Yair, along with friends, associates and household staff.

The film also contains interviews with former high-ranking Israeli officials, including convicted former prime minister Ehud Olmert, veteran Channel 13 journalist Raviv Drucker, and a survivor of the October 7 terrorist massacre in Kibbutz Be’eri.

Gibney has declined to comment on who gave him the interrogation recordings.

Herzog thanks Biden, calls Trump ‘champion of peace’ in speech at DC Jewish confab

President Isaac Herzog addresses the Jewish Federations of North America's General Assembly in Washington on November 11, 2024. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)

In an address to the Jewish Federations’ General Assembly, President Isaac Herzog congratulates Donald Trump on his victory in last week’s US presidential elections. The Israeli head of state’s appearance at the three-day DC confab is part of his first visit to the US since October 7.

Herzog calls the president-elect a “champion of peace and cooperation” and tells the crowd that he wished him “every success in leading Israel and the Middle East towards a future of security and prosperity” in a conversation following the elections.

“We spoke of the urgent need to bring our hostages back home, President Trump reiterated his love for Israel,” he continues.

Herzog also pays thanks to US President Joe Biden, whom he dubs his “dear friend,” for his “steadfast support from the very beginning of the war.”

Herzog plans meet with Biden tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m, to bid the outgoing president farewell.

Invoking last week’s attack on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, Herzog voices concern about the “startling wave of antisemitism,” which is “flooding the United States and the Jewish world.”

“The civilized world cannot tolerate a mob seeking out Jews, and we will not allow this to be normalized,” Herzog says.

He voices his concern for Diaspora Jewry as the president of the Jewish nation-state, calling antisemitism a “struggle which we share and a challenge we face together.”

Herzog goes on to blame Iran and its allies for contributing to the spread of anti-Jewish sentiment. Israeli authorities ruled out Iranian involvement in last week’s Amsterdam riots, though.

“For many years now we have seen the engine behind the modern-day antisemitism: the Iranian regime and its allies,” he continues. “It is truly an empire of evil, spreading hatred through its numerous proxies, social networks and agents all over the globe.”

‘Cancer Jews’: Several arrested after tram set ablaze in week’s second Amsterdam riot

In this image taken from video, police officers patrol in riot gear on the streets of Amsterdam, Monday Nov. 11, 2024, as the city is facing tensions following violence last week. (AP Photo

Police in Amsterdam have arrested several suspects after dozens of rioters clashed with officers and set a tram car on fire.

Footage from the scene caught at least one of the participants shouting, “Cancer Jews,” indicating that the violence was an extension of attacks perpetrated by Muslim and Arab rioters against Israeli soccer fans over the weekend.

The clip was posted on X by Geert Wilders, a far-right Dutch lawmaker who leads the largest party in parliament.

Another video shows a Palestinian flag hung near one of the main points of friction during the clashes.

Amsterdam vanavond.

Ze roepen “Kankerjoden!”. pic.twitter.com/YlO1lV65DB

— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) November 11, 2024

A police spokesman says a tram at the ’40-’45 Square in the west part of Amsterdam had caught fire, likely caused by fireworks thrown at it. The windows of the tram were also shattered.

No one was injured in the incident, as the tram had been empty, the spokesman says.

Footage on local TV station AT5 showed many people on the square throwing fireworks, poles and wooden pallets.

Police urged people to stay away from the square and said riot squads would remain present to restore peace.

דיווחים על מהומות באמסטרדם: קבוצה גדולה של מתפרעים הציתה תחנת טראם וירתה זיקוקים. לפי סרטון שפורסם ברשתות החברתיות, דגל פלסטין הוצב בסמוך לאחד ממוקדי החיכוך @AmichaiStein1 @itamargalit pic.twitter.com/BediytQ7ea

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) November 11, 2024

Police said it was not clear who started tonight’s unrest and whether it was related to what happened last week. But they noted the tense atmosphere since five people were treated in the hospital and dozens detained Thursday following a Maccabi Tel Aviv-Ajax match. Youths on scooters and on foot went in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them and then fleeing to evade police, according to Amsterdam’s mayor.

Trump selects Mike Waltz as national security adviser, source says

In this image from video, Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., speaks on the floor of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Thursday, April 23, 2020. (House Television via AP)

US President-elect Donald Trump has picked Republican Rep. Mike Waltz to be his national security adviser, a source familiar with the matter tells Reuters, tapping a retired Army Green Beret who has been a leading critic of China.

Waltz, a Trump loyalist who also served in the National Guard as a colonel, has criticized Chinese activity in the Asia-Pacific and has voiced the need for the United States to be ready for a potential conflict in the region.

Dermer meets Trump at Mar-a-Lago before sit-downs with top Biden aides in Washington

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer walks into the Executive Office Building next to the White House in Washington, DC on December 26, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met with US President-elect Donald Trump at the latter’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Sunday, Axios reports, saying the aim of the meeting was for the Netanyahu confidant to pass along messages regarding Israel’s plans for Gaza, Lebanon and Iran over the next two months.

“One of the things the Israelis wanted to sort out with Trump is what are the issues he prefers to see solved before January 20 and what are the issues he prefers the Israelis to wait for him,” a US official tells Axios, noting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a heads up to the Biden administration about the Mar-a-Lago meeting.

Dermer also met with Trump’s son-in-law and former senior adviser Jared Kushner, who is not slated to play a role in the next administration.

Dermer then traveled to Washington where he met on Monday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, White House Mideast czar Brett McGurk and special envoy for Lebanon Amos Hochstein.

In those meetings, the top US and Israeli officials discussed the Wednesday deadline the Biden administration gave Israel to dramatically improve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza at the risk of a partial arms embargo.

They also discussed efforts to secure ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, Axios reports.

US officials tell the news site that Netanyahu has conveyed to Washington that he wants the war in Lebanon to end within weeks.

However, Israel is demanding a side letter from the US that includes guarantees from Washington that Israel will be allowed to take military action in Lebanon against Hezbollah if the terror group manages to re-establish its military presence along the border.

The sides have made progress in drafting the letter, a US official says, but it risks opposition from Hezbollah, which has asserted that it won’t accept any deal that allows Israel to resume its military actions in Lebanon.

Report: Trump slated to pick Marco Rubio to be next US secretary of state

Sen. Marco Rubio, Republican-Florida, speaks in West Palm Beach, Florida, June 14, 2024. (Gerald Herbert/AP)

US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Republican Senator Marco Rubio as his secretary of state, The New York Times reports, citing three people familiar with the matter.

Rubio is a foreign policy hawk and staunch supporter of Israel.

Ministers approve steps to alleviate Gaza humanitarian crisis ahead of US deadline

Palestinians walk amid the destruction following an Israeli strike in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on November 10, 2024. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

The security cabinet at a Sunday meeting approved a series of steps aimed at boosting the humanitarian situation in Gaza, ahead of the Wednesday deadline set by the US for Israel to address the crisis or risk a partial embargo on weapons from Washington, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel.

The US sent Israel a letter on October 13, warning that it had 30 days to take a list of steps or risk being out of compliance with US law, which bars the transfer of offensive weapons to countries that block access to humanitarian aid.

Among the steps demanded by the US was for Israel to increase the amount of aid going into Gaza to 350 trucks per day. That number has been well under 100 on average for the past several months.

Among the list of measures approved by the security cabinet on Sunday is an unspecified increase to the amount of aid entering the Strip, but an Israeli official tells Axios that Israel won’t be able to meet the 350 truck benchmark set by the US.

Another measure approved by the cabinet is the inland expansion of the Muwasi coastal humanitarian zone, which the IDF already started widening in recent weeks.

The ministers also agreed that Israel will send a written commitment that it is not seeking to forcibly deport Gazans from combat zones, Channel 13 reports. This appears to be in response to a US demand in its letter that Israel clarify that it is not seeking to “isolate northern Gaza,” through the implementation of the so-called General’s Plan.

The plan envisions the IDF laying siege to northern Gaza in order to prevent the resurgence of Hamas, and the IDF has insisted it is not carrying it out. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly do the same, but the premier declined to do so amid pressure from his far-right coalition partners, a US official told The Times of Israel last month.

It is unclear if the written commitment described by Channel 13 will suffice what the US was seeking from Israel.

The US letter made a separate, seemingly lower-tier request for Israel to allow the Red Cross to visit Palestinian security prisoners amid mounting reports of abuse in Israeli prisons.

Channel 13 reports that this request was denied by the security cabinet. Hamas has refused to allow the Red Cross to visit the remaining 101 hostages in Gaza.

Ministers during the security cabinet meeting pressed Netanyahu on why these measures were necessary, given that US President Joe Biden is on his way out and that Trump is unlikely to implement any sort of arms embargo against Israel, especially on his first days in office.

Netanyahu responded that Biden still can take steps against Israel in his final two-plus months in office and that boosting the Gaza humanitarian situation would be important in mitigating such moves, Channel 13 says.

A US official tells The Times of Israel that Israel has met some of the demands that the administration made in its letter but has fallen well short of others thus far.

Four soldiers killed fighting in northern Gaza on Monday, IDF announces

Soldiers killed in the northern Gaza Strip on November 11, 2024: (L-R) Staff Sgt. Ofir Eliyahu, Staff Sgt. Nave Yair Asulin, Staff Sgt. Gary Lalhruaikima Zolat, and Staff Sgt. Orr Katz. (Israel Defense Forces)

Four soldiers were killed during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday, the IDF announces.

The slain troops are named as:

Staff Sgt. Orr Katz, 20, from Ma’ale Adumim.

Staff Sgt. Nave Yair Asulin, 21, from Carmit.

Staff Sgt. Gary Lalhruaikima Zolat, 21, from Afula.

Staff Sgt. Ofir Eliyahu, 20, from Holon.

The soldiers all served with the Kfir Brigade’s Shimshon Battalion.

Their deaths bring Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and during operations along the border to 375.

Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense says 14 people killed in strikes

Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency says Tuesday at least 14 people were killed and dozens injured in Israeli strikes on the Palestinian territory.

Spokesman Mahmoud Bassal does not offer details.

Body of man with stab wound found on Ashkelon beach

The body of a man in his 40s has been found on an Ashkelon beach.

The body had a stab wound. Paramedics declared the man dead at the scene.

Police have opened an investigation.

Defense Minister Katz: No ceasefire and no pause in Lebanon until war objectives met

Defense Minister Israel Katz says “there will be no ceasefire and no pause in Lebanon” until war objectives are met.

On X, Katz says Israel’s offensive actions “must continue to weaken Hezbollah’s capabilities and achieve the fruits of victory.”

“We will continue to strike Hezbollah with full force until the war’s objectives are achieved. Israel will not agree to any arrangement that does not guarantee its right to enforce and prevent terrorism independently, ensuring the war’s goals in Lebanon are met, including disarming Hezbollah, pushing them beyond the Litani River, and allowing northern residents to return to their homes safely.”

בהמשך פגישתי אתמול עם פורום מטכ"ל הדגשתי את מדיניות ישראל לגבי לבנון:

הפעילות המזהירה והעוצמתית שבוצעה ע"י צה"ל וגופי הביטחון מול החיזבאללה וחיסול נסראללה מהווים תמונת ניצחון וצריך להמשיך את הפעילות ההתקפית, כדי להוסיף ולגרוע את יכולות החיזבאללה ולממש את פירות הניצחון.

בלבנון… pic.twitter.com/ALTCOqD3IG

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) November 12, 2024

Lawmakers advance long-stalled municipal rabbis bill through first reading

View of a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, July 22, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Lawmakers have advanced the so-called Rabbis Bill II in its first reading in the Knesset plenum, 52-39, following months of delays caused by coalition infighting.

The bill, an amendment to the Religious Services Law, aims to regulate how much the government and municipalities contribute to the budgets of the bodies providing communal religious services at the city and regional council levels. Critics say it will enable excess government spending on rabbinical jobs.

The bill states that the religious services minister, currently Shas’s Michael Malkieli, will be allowed, with the agreement of the finance minister, to pay for “salary expenses and positions beyond what is stated” in the law.

According to the bill’s explanatory notes, the legislation would allow the government to help pay the “salaries of regional rabbis, rabbis of moshavim and ritual bath attendants without burdening the regional authorities and councils” — both within communities featuring religious councils and those without such a body.

The legislation will now advance to the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee to be prepared for the second and third readings necessary for it to become law.

This bill “gives the minister the capacity to hire as many rabbis as he wants without any limit” and is “essentially a jobs bill with a blank check,” Rabbi Seth Farber, the director of the ITIM nonprofit, which helps Israelis navigate the country’s religious bureaucracy, told The Times of Israel ahead of the vote. “It’s a total political scam.”

Responding to criticism of the legislation, sponsor Erez Malul (Shas) slammed “populist” incitement, telling lawmakers that the bill “simply regulates” budgeting and that local communities will be the ones to determine who serves as their rabbis rather than the Religious Services Minister — “and only if [they] want a rabbi.”

An initial version of the proposal would have created hundreds of publicly funded jobs for Orthodox rabbis, while giving the Chief Rabbinate considerable say in the appointment of all new municipal rabbis, reversing changes instituted in 2022 by the previous government. After that bill was blocked by coalition lawmakers, the current amended version was advanced, but was repeatedly blocked by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. However, it was placed back on the Knesset agenda after he backtracked on his objections to the bill.

Despite Ben Gvir’s approval, the bill still faced obstacles before its first reading, with United Torah Judaism arguing that it was being advanced by Shas without coordination. In the end, UTJ set aside its objection as long as it was consulted before future readings.

Gantz to PM: Enough evasions — state inquiry into Oct. 7 is your moral duty to the dead

Leader of the National Unity Party MK Benny Gantz leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on November 11, 2024 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

National Unity party leader Benny Gantz criticizes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over reports he seeks to form a “special committee” to investigate the failures of Oct. 7, 2023, rather than a state commission of inquiry.

“The worst disaster we faced since Israel’s founding cannot end with a window-dressing committee, and no in any other format that seeks to evade responsibility,” he writes on X.

“Netanyahu, enough with the inventions and evasions. As the person at the top, it is your moral duty to the murdered, the fallen, the bereaved families, the wounded, the hostages, and the entire nation to establish a state commission of inquiry.”

Drone sirens sound in Western Galilee, IDF tracking several targets

Sirens warning of a drone infiltration sound in the Western Galilee, as the IDF says it is tracking several targets that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon.

“The incident is still ongoing,” the IDF says.

Video shows Hezbollah drone flying over Haifa area

Footage posted to social media shows a Hezbollah drone flying over the Haifa area a short while ago.

The IDF said it was tracking several targets that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon, as drone sirens sounded in the Western Galilee and Haifa Bay area.

Footage shows a Hezbollah drone flying over the Haifa area a short while ago. https://t.co/rqATUWkhAV pic.twitter.com/auqvNbC8Lx

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 12, 2024

Hezbollah drone apparently strikes Haifa suburb of Nesher

A Hezbollah drone from Lebanon apparently struck the Haifa suburb of Nesher.

An explosion was heard in the area. The Fire and Rescue Service says it is searching the scene.

There are no immediate reports of injuries.

IDF tells Lebanese near 11 buildings in Beirut’s Dahiyeh to immediately leave

The IDF is calling on Lebanese civilians near 11 buildings in Beirut’s southern suburb to immediately evacuate ahead of airstrikes on Hezbollah assets.

Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, publishes maps alongside the announcement, which call on civilians to distance themselves at least 500 meters from the sites in Dahiyeh.

#عاجل إلى جميع السكان المتواجدين في منطقة الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المرفقة والمباني المجاورة لها في منطقة حارة حريك

⭕️أنتم تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع بقوة على المدى الزمني القريب

⭕️من أجل سلامتكم… pic.twitter.com/ptOQB8CrDq

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 12, 2024

Hezbollah drone hits kindergarten yard in Nesher; none hurt

The Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon struck the yard of a kindergarten in the Haifa suburb of Nesher, police and local authorities say.

Slight damage was caused to a building by the blast, and there were no injuries.

Sirens did not sound in Nesher during the attack.

The Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon struck the yard of a kindergarten in the Haifa suburb of Nesher, police and local authorities say.

Slight damage was caused to a building by the blast, and there are no injuries.

Sirens did not sound in Nesher amid the attack. https://t.co/qkXoXWwVyn pic.twitter.com/tmUxHkheG7

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 12, 2024

Nesher Mayor Roi Levi says the children were unharmed and they were moved to another kindergarten following the attack.

Reports: Kids at kindergarten hit by drone were in shelter despite lack of siren

Reports from Nesher indicate that, apparently aware of drone alerts in the area, staff at the kindergarten had led children into the facility’s reinforced room even though no sirens sounded there.

IDF investigating why sirens didn’t sound ahead of drone strike on kindergarten

The IDF says it is investigating after sirens were not activated in Nesher before an explosive-laden drone launched by Hezbollah hit a kindergarten in the Haifa suburb.

Sirens were activated in the Western Galilee and areas near Haifa amid the incident, but not in Nesher.

According to the military, a drone launched from Lebanon struck a kindergarten, causing slight damage but no injuries. The children were in the shelter despite the lack of a siren. Staff may have received a Home Front Command alert on their phones, or heard the sirens in other areas from afar.

The IDF says the incident is over, and it is under further investigation.

Lebanese media reports Israeli airstrikes in Beirut after IDF evacuation orders

After the IDF issued evacuation orders for 11 buildings in Beirut’s southern suburb, Lebanese media reports Israeli airstrikes in the area.

The IDF says it is targeting Hezbollah assets.

غارة "إسـ ـرائـ ـيلية" استهدفت حارة حريك في الضاحية الجنوبية لبيروت#ملحق pic.twitter.com/Obix9O1tjF

— Mulhak – ملحق (@Mulhak) November 12, 2024

2 Palestinians turn themselves in after allegedly ramming soldiers in West Bank

The IDF says two Palestinian suspects were detained for allegedly ramming their car into Israeli soldiers in the West Bank town of al-Khader last night.

Two soldiers hit by the car were taken to a hospital in light and moderate condition.

The suspects initially fled the scene after hitting the soldiers. They later turned themselves in to security forces and were detained, the IDF says.

Ukraine’s air force says it shot down 46 Russian drones overnight

Ukraine’s air force says it shot down 46 out of 110 Russian drones fired overnight.

The air force says 60 Russian drones were lost in Ukrainian air space and two more left toward Belarus. Russian forces also used three missiles during the overnight attack, the air force adds.

Report: Thailand on alert for attack on Israelis in popular destination Koh Phangan

In this July 5, 2020, file photo, fishing vessels and boats used to ferry tourists sit idle along a deserted beach on the popular tourist island of Koh Phangan, Thailand. (AP Photo/Adam Schreck)

Ynet reports that Thai police have warned in internal documents of fears of a plot to carry out a terror attack against Israelis in the country.

Specifically, the alert is said to focus on the famous monthly Full Moon Party in the Island of Koh Phangan, to be held on November 15. The island, and its parties, are incredibly popular with young Israelis.

According to Ynet local police are carrying out intensive operations in recent days over the alerts, which are based on concrete information.

Ynet cites an Israeli security source as saying the National Security Council is expected to issue a warning on the matter soon.

There is no immediate comment from Israeli officials.

Iran, Russia link bank card systems in latest move to overcome sanctions

Iranian bank cards can now be used in Russia, state television reports, as the two countries link their banking systems in the latest bid to counteract sanctions.

Iranian banks have been excluded since 2018 from the SWIFT international financial messaging service, which governs the vast majority of transactions worldwide. The move is part of a raft of sanctions that were re-imposed on Iran after the United States withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Iranian bank cards can now be used in Russia, state television channel IRINN says, showing the withdrawal of money using an Iranian bank card from an ATM in Russia.

The operation was made possible by connecting Iran’s interbank network Shetab to its Russian equivalent Mir, the channel says.

Iranians can currently withdraw money in Russia, and will in the future be able to use their cards to pay for in-store purchases, it adds.

“The plan is also going to be implemented in other countries that have a wide range of financial and social interactions with Iran, for example Iraq, Afghanistan and Turkey,” it says.

Both Iran and Russia have sought to counteract the effects of sanctions on their economies.

Israel says new Kissufim Crossing into southern Gaza opened for aid delivery

The Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announces that the new Kissufim Crossing between Israel and the southern Gaza Strip has been opened for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.

The crossing was opened “in accordance with the directive of the political echelon, and as part of the effort and commitment to increase the amount and routes of aid to the Gaza Strip,” COGAT says.

Trucks carrying food, water, medical equipment and equipment for shelters for southern and central Gaza passed through the new crossing after being inspected by authorities at the Kerem Shalom Crossing.

Aid enters the Gaza Strip via the Kissufim Crossing, November 12, 2024. (COGAT)

French FM reprimands Israeli envoy after incident at French-owned church in Jerusalem

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot poses for photographers overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives, during his visit to Jerusalem, November 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Israel’s Ambassador to France Joshua Zarka is meeting in Paris with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot today for a reprimand after a diplomatic incident at a French-owned church in Jerusalem last week.

On Thursday, Israeli police officers arrested two French guards with diplomatic visas during a scuffle ahead of Barrot’s visit to the Eleona Church on the Mount of Olives. A French statement said that “without having been authorized to do so, Israeli security forces entered the site armed. The minister did not wish to visit the site under these conditions.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that two security guards were detained after refusing to identify themselves, but were released after showing their diplomatic identify cards. France said the two men, staffers from the French Consulate in Jerusalem, were released upon Barrot’s intervention.

Israeli officials say no current change to Thailand threat level but urge vigilance

In this July 5, 2020, file photo, fishing vessels and boats used to ferry tourists sit idle along a deserted beach on the popular tourist island of Koh Phangan, Thailand. (AP Photo/Adam Schreck)

In response to the report on terror alerts against Israelis in Thailand, the Mossad and National Security Council say in a statement: “Over recent months, Israeli security services in cooperation with Thai security have acted to thwart several incidents” in the country.

“Since Oct. 7 and the war [in Gaza] Iran and its proxies have intensified their efforts to harm Israeli and Jewish targets around the world.”

The National Security Council says that it has not changed its threat level in Thailand at this time but calls on Israelis to remain alert; avoid outwardly displaying Israeli or Jewish identity; avoid large-scale events known to be associated with Israelis; avoid publishing their travel plans in advance on social media; and contact local security regarding any suspicions of hostile action targeting Israelis or Jews.

Earlier, Ynet reported that Thai police have warned internally they fear plans to carry out a terror attack against Israelis on the Island of Koh Phangan, potentially during the coming Full Moon Party on November 15. The island is very popular with Israelis.

According to Ynet local police have been carrying out intensive operations in recent days over the alerts, which are based on concrete information.

PM’s office: Suspects in leaked documents scandal being pressured to implicate Netanyahu

Eli Feldstein, a spokesman with the Prime Minister's Office named as a suspect in an investigation of an alleged leak of sensitive information. (Social media / used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

In a none-too-subtle attack on law enforcement agencies, the Prime Minister’s Office implies that suspects in the leaked documents scandal have been pressured to implicate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the affair.

“We are greatly pained that they are destroying the lives of young men with baseless claims in order to harm right-wing governance,” the PMO says in a statement to the press.

“In a democratic country people are not detained for 20 days in a basement because of a leak while being prevented from meeting a lawyer for days on end, just in order to extract from them false claims against the prime minister.”

Investigators suspect that service members unlawfully removed sensitive intelligence documents and handed them over to a spokesman working with the prime minister, who then allegedly leaked them to the foreign press, endangering intelligence sources.

Earlier today, the attorney for one of the IDF soldiers suspected of having a role in the affair said that spokesman Eli Feldstein, the main suspect in the case, had told the soldier he had passed the materials on to Netanyahu, who had asked for more and said he planned to “clear out an entire day” for the matter.

Feldstein has been in detention since October 27, for part of that time without access to a lawyer, and his remand will be reviewed again on Wednesday.

The PMO asserts that “this abuse is even more outrageous” given that there have been no criminal investigations into what it alleges is the “deluge of criminal leaks” from the security cabinet and the hostage negotiation team during the course of the current conflict.

“These criminal leaks exposed to Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas sensitive security information and did great damage to Israeli security and the effort to release the hostages,” the PMO asserts. It does not cite any specific leak.

Aid groups: Israel has failed to meet US deadline to boost aid for Gaza

Trucks with humanitarian aid from the European Union idle at the Erez Crossing into Gaza, on November 11, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)

Israel has failed to meet US demands to allow greater humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, where conditions are worse than at any point in the 13-month-old war, international aid organizations say.

The Biden administration last month called on Israel to “surge” more food and other emergency aid into the Palestinian territory, giving it a 30-day deadline that expires today. The administration warned that failure to comply could trigger US laws requiring it to scale back military support as Israel wages offensives against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel has announced a series of steps toward improving the situation. But US officials recently signaled that Israel still isn’t doing enough, though they haven’t said if they will take any action.

Israel’s new foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, appeared to downplay the deadline, telling reporters yesterday that he was confident “the issue would be solved.”

Today’s report, authored by eight international aid organizations, lists 19 measures of compliance with the US demands. It says that Israel failed to comply with 15 and only partially complied with four.

“Israel not only failed to meet the US criteria that would indicate support to the humanitarian response, but concurrently took actions that dramatically worsened the situation on the ground, particularly in northern Gaza,” the report says. “That situation is in an even more dire state today than a month ago.”

Earlier today Israel said it opened a new crossing to allow more aid into Gaza.

COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, says that a drop in the number of aid trucks in October was because of closures of the crossings for the Jewish High Holidays and memorials marking the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the war.

“October was a very weak month,” an Israeli official says on condition of anonymity in line with military briefing rules. “But if you look at the November numbers, we are holding steady at around 50 trucks per day to northern Gaza and 150 per day to the rest of Gaza.”

State Attorney’s Office tells court it opposes Netanyahu’s request to delay testimony

The State Attorney’s Office tells the Jerusalem District Court that it opposes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to postpone his testimony in his criminal trial on corruption charges, which is currently set to begin on December 2.

Netanyahu’s legal team filed a request this week to delay his testimony by two and a half months, claiming that the security situation had made it impossible to properly prepare the prime minister.

But the State Attorney’s Office insists he has been given enough time by the court to prepare already, and that it is in the public interest for the trial to proceed to a conclusion as quickly as possible.

In its submission to the court, the State Attorney’s Office notes that the court already gave Netanyahu and his legal team five months to prepare when, in July, it set the start date for his testimony for December 2.

“Now after five months have gone by, and just three weeks before the date set for the beginning of the testimony… the defense requests a delay of another 10 weeks,” it says.

Prosecutors also point out that the trial has already taken five years and says that “the public interest in this case is that the trial be concluded as quickly as possible” and that the principle be upheld that “everyone is equal before the law.”

IDF intercepts drone from Lebanon; two rockets hit open areas

The IDF says it intercepted a drone launched from Lebanon over the Western Galilee around half an hour ago.

Separately, two rockets fired toward the Haifa Bay area shortly before 1 p.m. hit open areas, according to the military.

Fresh sirens warning of a drone infiltration sounded a short while ago in the Western Galilee.

Drone ‘hit right where we’d been’: Kindergarten teacher recalls decision that saved kids

Sarah Yasour, a teacher at a kindergarten in Nesher that was hit by a drone, speaks to the media, November 12, 2024 (Ynet video screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Sarah Yasour, a teacher at the kindergarten that was hit by a drone in Nesher earlier, tells media at the scene: “We had a miracle of miracles.”

“We heard a very distant siren… and said ‘alright let’s go in.’ We were just starting the morning meeting with the kids. Everyone was together. But the moment we heard the siren and I saw that a drone [alert] had come out, we said we’re not taking any chances now, and within a few seconds we were all in the shelter.”

She goes on: “We suddenly heard a huge noise and understood it must be close… Only when we got out did we realize the scale of the miracle. It hit exactly where we had been.”

Man who impersonated security personnel to enter Gaza freed after 11 months in jail

A man who impersonated a soldier, a policeman and a Shin Bet operative to enter the Gaza Strip last December and had his photo taken with the prime minister has been released from prison after 11 months.

Roi Yifrach, 35, was accused of taking advantage of the chaos after Hamas’s deadly October 7 attack to steal weapons with the intent to sell them on the black market. However, under an eventual plea deal he was convicted only of illegal possession of a weapon. He was sentenced to 15 months and freed early on good behavior.

In his sentencing, the judge noted testimony in the trial that pointed to heroic actions he took during the October 7 attacks, when he threw himself into the fight in southern Israel and endangered himself to assist civilians and security personnel.

בלעדי: רועי יפרח הנאשם בהתחזות ללוחם וגנבת נשק – תועד חמוש לצד רה"מ נתניהוhttps://t.co/n6oy02pVn9 | @guypch2news pic.twitter.com/0xnPB6tvcQ

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) December 31, 2023

Drone from Lebanon hits open area near Nahariya

A drone launched from Lebanon struck an open area in the northern community of Ben Ami, close to Nahariya, the IDF says.

There are no injuries in the attack.

IDF soldier injured as settlers attack troops evacuating West Bank outpost

An IDF soldier has been wounded after a group of some 50 settlers hurled stones and glass bottles at troops, following the evacuation of an illegal West Bank outpost.

The Tzur Harel outpost, close to Givat Asaf, east of Ramallah, was evacuated by authorities this morning for the second time in a day, prompting a riot by the settlers.

The soldier was hit in the head by a glass bottle and taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem for treatment, according to a military source.

לוחם צה"ל נפצע בינוני בראשו לאחר שפורעים יהודים זרקו עליו בקבוק זכוכית במהלך התפרעויות אלימות לאחר הריסת מבנים במאחז עוז ציון@hod_barel pic.twitter.com/JcCXNPhoR0

— גלצ (@GLZRadio) November 12, 2024

IDF forces destroy Hamas launcher pointed at Israeli towns, kill fighters in north Gaza

Troops of the Kfir Brigade operate in northern Gaza's Beit Lahiya, in a handout photo issued on November 12, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Troops of the Kfir Brigade operating in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya have discovered and demolished a Hamas rocket launcher primed for an attack on Israeli border communities, the military says.

The IDF says the soldiers also killed several gunmen who were holed up in a building in the area. The building, which the military says served as a command center for the terror operatives, was later demolished.

The Kfir Brigade has been operating in the Beit Lahiya area, close to Jabalia, amid an ongoing operation against Hamas in northern Gaza. Yesterday, four soldiers of the brigade were killed during the fighting.

Iran says it’s building ‘defensive tunnel’ in Tehran after Israeli strikes

Iran is building a “defensive tunnel” in the capital Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reports, following strikes by Israel on military targets in the country.

The tunnel, located near the city center, will link a station on the Tehran metro to the Imam Khomeini hospital, thus allowing direct underground access to the medical facility.

“For the first time in the country, a tunnel with defensive applications is being built in Tehran,” the head of transport for Tehran City Council tells Tasnim.

Last month, Israel carried out its first officially recognized strikes in Iran, hitting missile factories, air defenses and other sites near Tehran and in the country’s west, as a response to Iran’s October 1 ballistic missile attack on Israel.

Dutch police detain more people defying Amsterdam protest ban following attacks on Israelis

Dutch police detain several people in Amsterdam who were defying a protest ban enforced after attacks by local Arab and Muslim youths on Israeli soccer fans last week, and who were holding up white banners in front of city hall.

Dutch news agency ANP reports six people have been detained. A police spokesperson cannot immediately confirm this number.

Tensions remain high in Amsterdam since violence erupted before and after a soccer match between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and local team Ajax on Thursday.

Police have said that hit-and-run actions were held against visiting Israeli fans Thursday night. At least five people were injured in assaults that Dutch authorities and foreign leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have denounced as antisemitic.

Following the violence, local authorities imposed a protest ban until this coming Thursday morning.

Last night, riot police arrested several people after a tram at a square in west Amsterdam caught fire, likely as a result of having fireworks thrown at it. No one was hurt, though the windows of the tram were shattered.

IDF says forces have reached ‘new targets’ belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon

Troops of the 36th Division operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued on November 12, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF’s 36th Division has reached “new targets” belonging to the Hezbollah terror group during the ongoing ground operation in southern Lebanon, the military says.

The IDF says troops with the division have located rocket launchers primed for an attack on Israel, and demolished sites belonging to the terror group.

Also in the past day, the military says the Air Force struck some 100 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including dozens of operatives, rocket launchers, weapon depots, and other infrastructure.

Yesterday, fighter jets struck a Hezbollah military site in the Beqaa Valley, which the IDF says included tunnel infrastructure with underground rocket launchers aimed at Israel.

IDF said probing possible violations of international law by troops in northern Gaza

The IDF is reportedly investigating possible violations of international law by Israeli forces amid a new offensive in the northern Gaza Strip.

According to a report by the Haaretz daily, the IDF’s high-level General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism is looking into 16 separate incidents between October 21 and November 2 in northern Gaza.

The mechanism is an independent military body responsible for investigating unusual incidents during the war. It has probed numerous incidents since October 7, 2023.

Palestinian attempts to stab IDF troops in West Bank, is shot; no Israelis hurt

The scene of an attempted stabbing attack by a Palestinian against IDF soldiers near the West Bank town of Dayr Sharaf, November 12, 2024. (Rescuers Without Borders)

A Palestinian suspect who attempted to stab IDF soldiers near the West Bank town of Dayr Sharaf has been shot.

The assailant’s condition isn’t immediately clear.

There are no other injuries in the incident.

Sirens sound in central Israel after rocket fire from Lebanon

A rocket attack from Lebanon is intercepted over central Israel on November 6, 2024. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

Sirens are sounding in central Israel following long-range rocket fire from Lebanon.

The IDF is looking into the details.

Sirnes also sound in the Western Galilee.

Amsterdam mayor: Attacks on Israelis a ‘poisonous cocktail of antisemitism and hooliganism’

Amsterdam's Mayor Femke Halsema, center, acting Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla, left, and head of the Amsterdam public prosecutor's office René de Beukelaer hold a news conference after Israeli fans were attacked overnight after a soccer match, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Nov, 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Corder)

The attacks against Israeli fans after a soccer match in Amsterdam last week were a “poisonous cocktail” of antisemitism and hooligan behavior, the city’s mayor says.

“The incident was a poisonous cocktail of antisemitism and hooliganism,” Femke Halsema says, but she adds that “injustice has been done to both Jews in our city as well as people of minorities who sympathize with the Palestinians.”

IDF says 3 rockets from Lebanon were intercepted; no casualties reported

The IDF says three rockets launched from Lebanon at central Israel were successfully intercepted by air defenses.

There are no reports of injuries.

2 men killed in Nahariya by rocket from Lebanon

A rocket from Lebanon impacts in Nahariya, November 12, 2024. (Moti Gonen)

Two people were killed in a rocket impact in the northern coastal city of Nahariya a short while ago, medics say.

Magen David Adom says the victims are two men in their 40s, and they were both declared dead at the scene.

In Kibbutz Kabri, MDA says, another two men in their 30s were lightly hurt by shrapnel in another impact.

According to the IDF, 10 rockets were launched from Lebanon in the attack, some of which were intercepted while others struck inside towns in the Western Galilee or open areas.

Surveillance camera footage shows the deadly impact in Nahariya.

Medics are responding to reports of two critically wounded in a rocket impact in the northern coastal city of Nahariya a short while ago.

According to the IDF, 10 rockets were launched in the attack, some of which were intercepted and others which struck inside towns in the… pic.twitter.com/i3ZG3BqGBn

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 12, 2024

IDF confirms series of airstrikes in Beirut, says they targeted Hezbollah sites

Israeli fighter jets carried out a series of airstrikes on Hezbollah sites in Beirut’s southern suburbs earlier today, the IDF says.

According to the military, the targets included command centers, weapon manufacturing plans, and other military infrastructure.

The Hezbollah sites were located “in the heart of a civilian population,” the military says, accusing the terror group of using human shields.

Before the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.

Israeli fighter jets carried out a series of airstrikes on Hezbollah sites in Beirut's southern suburbs earlier today, the IDF says.

According to the military, the targets included command centers, weapon manufacturing plans, and other military infrastructure.

The Hezbollah… pic.twitter.com/21h6uvhRdW

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 12, 2024

IDF still planning to issue 7,000 draft orders to Haredim after Gallant’s firing

Defense Minister Israel Katz (right) meets with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (left) and members of the General Staff Forum at the Defense Ministry, November 11, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/ Defense Ministry)

The IDF still plans to send out 7,000 draft orders to members of the ultra-Orthodox community after the firing of former defense minister Yoav Gallant.

Gallant had approved sending out the controversial draft orders only a day before he was fired.

New Defense Minister Israel Katz has not canceled the move. Therefore, the IDF still plans to send them out at the start of next week.

Reichman University to open new medical school, calling shortage of doctors ‘critical’

Reichman University campus. (courtesy)

Herzliya’s Reichman University will open a new medical school in 2025 to address the “critical shortage” of doctors in Israel and “a health crisis brought on by the war,” the university and Education Minister Yoav Kisch say.

The four-year program at the university’s Dina Recanati School of Medicine will open in February with some 80 students, and a second cohort is scheduled to begin in November next year.

The medical school — a partnership between Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, Rabin Medical Center, Clalit Health Services, Maccabi Healthcare Services, and the university — is designed to “ensure that Israel’s residents receive quality medical care in the years to come,” the university says.

The founding president and chairman of the Board of Directors of Reichman University, Prof. Uriel Reichman, says the university “mobilized to expand the possibilities” for medical studies in Israel.

“Training the next generation of doctors is a vital mission for Israeli society,” he says.

Kisch adds that the opening of the medical school is a “significant academic achievement and a crucial step toward securing the future of healthcare in Israel.”

The new medical school will introduce clinical training in community medicine starting from the first week of the curriculum, the university says. The medical students will also have opportunities to incorporate entrepreneurship into their medical education.

The Israeli Council for Higher Education has approved the school’s opening following a comprehensive review and successful compliance with all the council’s standards.

IDF says it’s tracking suspected drone over Jezreel Valley

Sirens warning of a drone infiltration sound in the Jezreel Valley, as the IDF says it is tracking a target that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon.

“The incident is still ongoing,” the IDF says.

Lebanon says five killed in Israeli strike on southern village

Lebanon’s health ministry says five people were killed in an Israeli strike on a village about 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the Israeli border, which state-run media says targeted a house.

“The Israeli enemy strike on Tefahta killed five people,” the ministry says in a statement, with the official National News Agency reporting that “enemy aircraft launched a strike a short while ago on the town of Tefahta, targeting an inhabited house.”

The ministry doesn’t say if those killed are civilians or Hezbollah operatives. Israel says its strikes are directed against the latter.

High Court adopts position that Ben Gvir’s ministry unlawfully issued gun permits, tells state to respond

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attends a committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, October 29, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The High Court of Justice adopts the position of petitioners that the National Security Ministry under Itamar Ben Gvir issued firearms permits without authority, as the justices order the government to file its position to the court on whether the unlawfully issued permits can be suspended.

After the court says the licenses were issued “seemingly without authority,” the Movement for Quality Government watchdog group welcomes the decision, stating that it “hopes that the state will suspend the weapons licenses that were distributed without authority.”

A final ruling is expected at some point after the state submits its response.

Responding to the decision, Ben Gvir slams the court which “is now considering canceling thousands of lawfully issued weapons licenses and even interfering with the ministry’s procedures.”

“It has been proven that weapons save lives, it has been proven that thanks to the weapons, many lives of citizens have been saved,” he claims, adding that the decision means that “185,000 citizens who received a weapon or conditional approval are now concerned that the court will revoke their licenses and prevent them from protecting themselves and their families.”

Requests for gun permits surged following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. In the wake of the attack, the National Security Ministry granted temporary authority to approve gun license applications to Ben Gvir’s personal staff appointees, Knesset employees and others.

The Haaretz daily reported last December that thousands of licenses were granted illegally, and that Ben Gvir intervened personally to help Jonathan Pollard, who served decades in US prison after spying for Israel, overcome police and court objections to his obtaining a gun license.

Ben Gvir, who has previously been convicted for incitement to racism and supporting a terror organization, has himself threatened people with his own personal handgun on more than one occasion.

Last November, the United States reportedly delayed a shipment of 4,500 M-16 rifles due to concerns that Ben Gvir would use them to arm settlers in the West Bank and that he was inappropriately distributing the weapons at political events.

Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.

Hezbollah claims to have fired missiles at central Israel air base near Tel Aviv

Hezbollah claims it fired missiles at an air base south of Tel Aviv after the IDF said it intercepted three projectiles fired from Lebanon at central Israel.

Hezbollah fighters targeted an “air base south of Tel Aviv… with a salvo of quality missiles,” the terror group says.

IDF says Jezreel Valley sirens were false alarm; drone downed over Lebanon earlier

The IDF says drone infiltration sirens that sounded in the Jezreel Valley a short while ago were false alarms.

Separately, a drone was shot down by air defenses an hour ago over Lebanon, before crossing into Israeli airspace, the IDF adds.

בהמשך להתרעות שהופעלו במרחב גליל עליון בשעה 17:11, חיל האוויר יירט כלי טיס בלתי מאויש שעשה את דרכו משטח לבנון.
הכלי יורט טרם חצה לשטח הארץ.

כמו כן, בהמשך להתרעות שהופעלו בשעה 17:31 במרחב העמקים, המפרץ וואדי ערה, מדובר בזיהוי שווא. pic.twitter.com/yGUDweLw53

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) November 12, 2024

Herzog arrives at White House for meeting with Biden

President Isaac Herzog arrives at the White House for his meeting with US President Joe Biden on November 12, 2024. (Screen capture/YouTube)

President Isaac Herzog has arrived at the White House for his meeting with US President Joe Biden.

The two are slated to discuss efforts to end the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon, tensions between Israel and Iran, and a 30-day deadline that the US gave Israel to address the humanitarian crisis or risk a partial arms embargo.

That deadline expires tomorrow.

Report by top Amsterdam officials says 10 of those arrested last Thursday are Israeli

In this image taken from video, police stand guard forming a line near the Ajax stadium, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, November 7, 2024. Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were targeted by anti-Israel rioters in an apparently pre-planned attack following a soccer match in the Ajax stadium. (AP Photo InterVision)

Ten Israelis were arrested ahead of an Amsterdam soccer match last week that preceded antisemitic attacks on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, the Dutch capital’s top officials say in a report.

According to the report from the city’s mayor, police chief and top prosecutor, which offers a blow-by-blow account of events leading up to the match and in their aftermath, all but four people of the 62 arrested around the match have been released. Of the four, three are suspected of attacking police and one is accused of “public violence.”

The post-mortem says that city officials considered calling off the match the morning before it was played on Thursday, but decided instead to simply open the soccer stadium early and herd Israeli fans there rather than allow them to remain in the city center. Officials had expressed concerns “due to the aggression of Maccabi supporters” who had vandalized a taxi in the city Wednesday night, sparking online calls for taxi drivers to head to a casino where hundreds of Israeli tourists were gathered, though police managed to largely head off the clash.

The report also reveals that Amsterdam city officials were unable to reach Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof at 3 a.m. on Friday after Israel’s ambassador said Israeli government officials were planning to fly to the Netherlands in reaction to the attacks.

Israeli officials said 10 people were injured in the overnight violence by local Arab and Muslim gangs against Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans. Hundreds more Israelis huddled in their hotels for hours, fearing they could be attacked. Many said that Dutch security forces were nowhere to be found, as the Israeli tourists were ambushed by gangs of masked assailants who shouted pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel slogans while they hunted, beat and harassed them.

The report says police prevented many incidents, but struggled to track down perpetrators carrying out hit-and-run attacks and so around 2 a.m. decided to instead round up Israelis and take them to hotels.

The document notes that police are continuing to investigate and expect more arrests, while also sounding alarms on an uptick of anti-Muslim violence in the city as well.

Newly appointed Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told reporters in Jerusalem on Monday that Israel deemed the number of arrests over clashes in Amsterdam last week “very low.”

Dutch authorities appear to express annoyance at Sa’ar in the report, writing that they went to great lengths to quickly organize a stop for him at the Anne Frank House, only for Sa’ar to skip the visit.

IDF says it has destroyed most of Hezbollah’s arms production and storage sites in Beirut

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs on November 12, 2024. (ANWAR AMRO / AFP)

The IDF announces that it has demolished the majority of Hezbollah’s weapons manufacturing and storage facilities in Beirut, after carrying out dozens of airstrikes on the Lebanese capital in recent months.

According to the military, over the past two decades, the Lebanese terror group constructed dozens of weapons manufacturing plants and depots under buildings in Beirut’s southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh.

The facilities were used by Hezbollah to manufacture and store hundreds of missiles and rockets of different kinds.

In a statement, the IDF says that in recent months it focused on demolishing the sites in a series of airstrikes carried out by fighter jets. During the strikes, secondary blasts were seen, confirming the IDF’s intelligence that the buildings were used by Hezbollah and contained explosives.

One of the main Hezbollah weapons manufacturing plants that was struck recently had been revealed by Israel at the United Nations in 2020, along with other facilities.

According to the IDF, that complex was built under five residential buildings in Beirut, which housed some 50 families. The site was also located close to a school.

The IDF says that Hezbollah would manufacture various components at the site, including parts for precision missiles.

Before each of the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the corresponding area.

The military says Hezbollah’s use of civilian sites for weapon storage and manufacturing “directly endangers the residents of Beirut, as many explosives are hidden under the citizens, often without their knowledge.”

The IDF in its statement also notes the deadly 2020 Beirut port blast, which occurred after some 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored there exploded. The military says that the ammonium nitrate was being “used as a component in Hezbollah’s munitions production process.” More than 220 people were killed in the explosion.

Yemen’s Houthis say they launched hours-long attacks against US naval vessels

Yemen’s Houthis say they have conducted two military operations against US naval vessels in the Red and Arabian seas which the group’s military spokesperson says lasted for eight hours.

The first operation targeted a US aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea with a number of missiles and drones, while the second operation launched missiles and drones at two US destroyers in the Red Sea, Yahya Saree says.

Netanyahu to Iranians: Your regime fears you; another attack on Israel would paralyze Iran’s economy

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in a video statement addressed to the Iranian people, November 12, 2024. (Screenshot/GPO)

In an English-language video statement addressed to the Iranian people, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that a third Iranian attack on Israel “would simply cripple Iran’s economy.”

“It would rob you of many more billions of dollars,” he says, after claiming that the October ballistic missile attack on Israel cost Tehran $2.3 billion.

A special message from me to the Iranian people: there’s one thing Khamenei’s regime fears more than Israel. It’s you — the people of Iran. Don’t lose hope.

پیام ویژه‌ای از من برای مردم ایران: یک چیز هست که رژیم خامنه‌ای بیش از اسرائیل از آن می‌ترسد. آن شما هستید — مردم ایران.… pic.twitter.com/iADxSjNXCs

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 12, 2024

The statement can also be interpreted as a threat that if Iran attacks again, Israel will seek to cause significant economic damage to Iran.

Iran has threatened to strike Israel again after Israel retaliated last month with an airstrike on Iranian air defense batteries and military sites protecting crucial energy facilities.

Netanyahu says that the October attack “did marginal damage to Israel.”

“But what damage did [it] do to you?” he asks. “That sum could have added billions to your transportation budget. It could have added billions to your education budget.”
‎‏
Netanyahu argues that Iranians’ lives would be transformed if the regime spent money on education, infrastructure and health care instead of on wars with Israel.
‎‏‏
“I know that you don’t want this war,” says Netanyahu. “I don’t want this war either. The people of Israel don’t want this war. There is one force putting your family in grave danger: the tyrants of Tehran. That’s it.”

‎‏While the Iranian regime gets weaker, says Netanyahu, Israel gets stronger. “The world has seen but a fraction of our power,” he says.

“Yet there’s one thing Khamenei’s regime fears more than Israel. You know what it is? It’s you — the people of Iran. That’s why they spend so much time and money trying to crush your hopes and curb your dreams.”

Looking to a future in which there is peace between Israel and Iran, Netanyahu says: “Don’t lose hope. And know that Israel and others in the free world stand with you.”

Herzog praises Biden’s support for Israel after Oct. 7, says he’s ‘clearly a Zionist’

President Isaac Herzog, left, shakes hands with US President Joe Biden in the Oval Office on November 12, 2024. (Screen capture/YouTube)

President Isaac Herzog uses much of his remarks to reporters at the top of his Oval Office meeting with Joe Biden to thank the outgoing US president for his support for Israel.

“I’m here on behalf of the people of Israel and the State of Israel to say to you, Mr. President, thank you very much. As we say in Hebrew, ‘Todah Rabah,'” says Herzog, who may well be the last Israeli official to meet Biden before the end of his term.

“You’ve been an incredible friend of Israel and the Jewish people for decades, and we will never forget, ever in history, how you stood up with us in our darkest hour, which became our finest hour — how you came to Israel a few days after the barbaric attack of October 7, how you helped us and supported us with words and deeds,” Herzog says, adding that it solidified the US president’s “great legacy.”

Herzog presents Biden with a gift, an archaeological finding from the foot of the Temple Mount inscribed with the name “Joseph,” an apparent reference to the biblical figure.

“In the Bible, it says that Joseph will strengthen Israel. And clearly, Mr. President, you’ve done that,” Herzog says.

Biden thanks Herzog for the kind words, adding that he wishes that his father — a “righteous Christian” who thought the Allies should have moved quicker against the Nazis during World War II — had been there to hear the Israeli president’s praise.

Again bucking some progressive critics, Biden reiterates his belief that “You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist.”

“You are clearly a Zionist, Mr. President,” Herzog responds.

“God loves you,” says a smiling Biden in return as he extends his arm for a handshake with Herzog. “Thanks for being here.”

Meeting Biden, Herzog stresses urgent need to return Gaza hostages, combat Iran

President Isaac Herzog, left, and US President Joe Biden in the Oval Office on November 12, 2024. (Screen capture/YouTube)

Sitting beside US President Joe Biden in the Oval Office, President Isaac Herzog begins his remarks in front of reporters by noting the tragic events in Israel earlier today in northern Israel, where two people in the border town of Nahariya were killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack and a kindergarten was hit in a drone attack in Haifa.

“This is what we’re going through from Lebanon, Mr. President,” Herzog says, adding that the IDF will continue defending the Israeli people and acknowledging Biden’s efforts to end that conflict in a way where “there will be first and foremost security for the people of Israel, as well as for the people of Lebanon.”

Turning to Gaza, Herzog laments that 101 hostages remain in Hamas captivity after over 400 days. He thanks Biden for his efforts to try and secure their release. He acknowledges the US president’s desire to plan for the postwar management of Gaza and expresses his desire that those efforts will provide a “trajectory of hope to the people of the region… to live in security and peace.”

“But first and foremost, we have to get the hostages back,” the Israeli president asserts before stressing that the primary problem for the region is Iran, which seeks to destabilize the Mideast directly, through its proxies, by calling for the annihilation of Israel and by seeking nuclear weapons.

Combating Tehran “has to be a major objective all throughout your term and the next term of the next president because we have to make sure that they cannot fulfill their evil intentions,” Herzog says.

Herzog brands Tehran “a major engine of antisemitism,” using the opportunity to thank Biden for his efforts to combat antisemitism as president.

Biden’s prepared remarks opening the meeting are far shorter. He welcomes back Herzog to the White House, calls him a close friend and reiterates his “ironclad” commitment to the state of Israel.

Neither of them takes questions from shouting reporters.

In 1st, Smotrich visits Oct. 7-ravaged Nir Oz, says he’s been feeling ‘responsibility and guilt’

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, left, visits a home in Nir Oz destroyed in Hamas's October 7, 2023, onslaught, accompanied by Nir Metzger, son of slain hostage Yoram Metzger, in an image from the visit provided jointly by Smotrich's office and Nir Oz, November 12, 2024. (Courtesy)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich paid a visit today to Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the Israeli communities hit the worst in Hamas’s onslaught of October 7, 2023, and met families of local hostages as well as former captives, Smotrich’s office and Nir Oz say in a joint statement.

It is Smotrich’s first visit to Nir Oz, more than 13 months after Palestinian terrorists rampaged there, killing or kidnapping 117 out of its 400 residents. There are still 29 hostages from Nir Oz held captive in Gaza.

After visiting torched and destroyed homes where atrocities were committed that day and hearing the concerns and accusations of hostage relatives, Smotrich meets Nir Oz officials, promises to do whatever he can to help rebuild the community, and talks about the guilt and feeling of responsibility he has been feeling regarding the failure to prevent the massacre.

“I thank you for opening your door and your heart, this isn’t taken for granted,” he says. “This isn’t trivial, I’m not sure that in your shoes I would have been able to invite, welcome and look in the eyes of someone who after all is among those responsible for a horrific failure.”

“On a personal level, I’ve been living it and for a year I’ve been going to sleep with this and getting up in the morning with this,” he adds. “This is a different experience to yours, but [I’ve been living] with the feeling of responsibility and guilt, and mainly with the commitment to fixing whatever we can.”

The hardline minister, who has been attacked by many relatives of hostages for his opposition to most proposed deals to free their loved ones, expresses his appreciation of the residents of Israeli kibbutzim before the attack and of their “nobility” and resolve to rebuild their shattered community and return.

“We are committed to returning the hostages home,” Smotrich says.

While Smotrich has previously acknowledged responsibility for the failures before and during the October 7 attack, today is the first time he has spoken about feeling guilt.

On the contrary, in June he told the Kan public broadcaster that “the massacre has nothing to do with me, I’m not guilty,” casting the failure as solely a military and intelligence one.

IDF names its newest, yet-to-be-delivered submarine ‘Dragon’

The name of the Israeli Navy's INS Drakon is revealed at Kiel shipyard in Germany, November 12, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

A ceremony was held earlier today in Germany to officially name the Israeli Navy’s sixth submarine, INS “Drakon” — or Dragon — though the vessel will not be delivered until 2025, the military says.

The Dolphin 2-class submarine is still undergoing tests and manufacturing at the Kiel shipyard in Germany.

The originally proposed name was Dakar, after an Israeli submarine that sank in 1968. Dragon is meant to be a compromise after some of the families of the fallen sailors from the original Dakar protested the proposal to recycle the name.

The Navy notes that, in Hebrew, Drakon contains the letters that make up Dakar and thus preserves the sunken submarine’s memory.

“Dakar” will instead be reserved for the name of the overall class of the Navy’s future submarines, which are scheduled for delivery at the beginning of the next decade.

The INS Drakon is to be “equipped with unique systems, including groundbreaking technologies that expand the range of the IDF’s capabilities across various arenas,” the military says.

‘There is a shot’: US envoy Hochstein voices hope Israel-Hezbollah truce can be clinched soon

US envoy Amos Hochstein leaves after attending a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon, October 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

The US special envoy for Lebanon Amos Hochstein tells reporters at the White House that “there is a shot” to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah soon and that he is “hopeful” about the prospects for such a deal.

Hochstein met earlier today in the White House with visiting Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer who presented Israel’s updated position regarding the ceasefire proposal currently on the table.

Hochstein tells reporters that the US will now wait to hear back from the Lebanese side.

The US envoy says he won’t necessarily need to take another trip to the region in order to secure a deal.

Hochstein stresses that there won’t be any Russian involvement in the agreement amid reports that Israel is seeking Moscow’s assistance in ensuring that Iran won’t be able to continue transferring weapons to Hezbollah via Syria once a ceasefire is in place.

US said to decide not to withhold weapons from Israel, deeming progress on Gaza aid adequate

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, on May 25, 2021. (Marc Israel Sellem/POOL)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reportedly decided against withholding weapons from Israel for the time being ahead of tomorrow’s deadline for Jerusalem to significantly address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Two US officials tell Axios that important steps have been taken by Israel to address the crisis, while stressing that they expect to see more done in the coming days.

On October 13, the Biden administration sent Israel a letter warning that Jerusalem could be out of compliance with US law that bars the transfer of offensive weapons to countries that block the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in conflict zones. The letter gave Israel 30 days to take a series of steps that would alleviate the mounting humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

But following Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election last week, the Biden administration saw its leverage over Israel wane considerably, given that the president-elect would likely reverse any holds on weapon transfers to Israel upon returning to office in just over two months.

State Department says Dermer updated Blinken on efforts to improve Gaza’s humanitarian situation

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) hosts Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, August 17, 2023. (Secretary of State Blinken, via Twitter)

During their meeting Monday in Washington, the State Department says that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer updated US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the steps Israel has taken to address the Gaza humanitarian crisis, ahead of tomorrow’s deadline for Jerusalem to do so at the risk of facing a partial arms embargo.

A US readout on the meeting — issued before a report was published saying that Washington has decided against withholding the weapons in question — says Dermer updated the operational changes made by Israeli security forces along with the decisions made by the political echelon to address the demands laid out by the US in an October 13 letter that gave Israel 30 days to significantly improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Failure to do so could place Israel out of compliance with US law that bars the transfer of weapons to countries that block the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in conflict zones.

Blinken “emphasized the importance of ensuring those changes lead to an actual improvement in the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, including through the delivery of additional assistance to civilians throughout Gaza,” the readout says. He also reiterates “the importance that Israel take every possible step to minimize civilian harm” amid mounting reports of mass civilian casualties in a series of recent Israeli strikes throughout Gaza.

In one such strike last month in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya, the IDF said it sought to target a Hamas operative but accidentally took down the entire building, reportedly killing dozens of Palestinians, many of them women and children.

Blinken also reiterates the need for a hostage deal to end the war in Gaza and asserts that planning for the post-war management of Gaza is “the only way to ensure lasting peace and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians,” per the US readout.

The pair also discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon so that Israelis and Lebanese civilians living near the Blue Line can return to their homes, the State Department says.

US hostage families set to meet top Biden aide in White House

The families of the seven remaining American-Israeli hostages in Gaza will meet later today with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan at the White House, a National Security Council spokesperson tells The Times of Israel.

“Sullivan has regularly met with the families of hostages taken by Hamas throughout the past year, and we continue to work to get a deal done as soon as possible to bring the hostages home to their families,” the spokesperson says.

Hostage talks have been at an extended impasse, leading the US to ask Qatar to oust Hamas officials from Doha late last month.

In Lebanon, IDF chief hails successes against Hezbollah on the ground and in airstrikes

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi speaks with officers in southern Lebanon, November 12, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Speaking to troops in southern Lebanon earlier today, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says that the military is “working very hard” and striking Hezbollah across Lebanon and Syria.

“From [Hassan] Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s Jihad Council, the commanders of the various units and areas… and a great many operatives… we have taken away a lot of capabilities,” Halevi says.

He says that it is “very very important” that ground forces are capturing large amounts of Hezbollah weapons in southern Lebanon, and “at the same time the IDF is working very hard, striking heavily in Beirut, Hezbollah targets.”

“We are striking deep [in Lebanon] and we are striking a lot in Syria and on the Syria-Lebanon border, so that weapons do not reach Hezbollah,” Halevi says.

The IDF’s 36th Division expanded its ground operations in southern Lebanon today, reaching new areas and Hezbollah assets, the military says.

Around 60 drones fired at Israel since start of month, IDF says

A drone seen over the Haifa area on November 12, 2024. (Video screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Some 60 drones have been launched at Israel since the beginning of November, according to new IDF data.

The UAVs were launched at Israel from Lebanon and Iraq.

The military says that 90% of the drones were intercepted by air defenses.

There has been a sharp rise in drone attacks on Israel by Iran-backed groups in recent months.

Since the beginning of the war, some 1,300 drones have been launched at Israel, from all fronts — Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Iran.

Trump picks Mike Huckabee as next US ambassador to Israel

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R) lays bricks at a housing complex in the West Bank settlement of Efrat on August 1, 2018. (Jacob Magid/Times of Israel)

US President-elect Donald Trump announces his decision to nominate former Arkansas governor and longtime backer of the settlement enterprise Mike Huckabee to the be next US ambassador to Israel.

“He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!” Trump says in a statement.

Huckabee has been one of the evangelical Christian community’s most ardent supporters of Israel.

‘Help us,’ IAEA chief urges Iran ahead of meetings on nuclear program

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi speaks during an interview with AFP in Baku on November 12, 2024, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference. (Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)

BAKU, Azerbaijan — UN atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi appeals to Iran’s leadership to take steps to resolve longstanding issues with his agency a day before he arrives in the Iranian capital for crunch talks over its nuclear program.

The International Atomic Energy Agency head has for months sought progress with Iran on issues including a push for more monitoring cooperation at nuclear sites and an explanation of uranium traces found at undeclared sites.

But little has come from Grossi’s efforts and with the return of US President-elect Donald Trump, who is widely expected to restore a maximum-pressure policy on Iran, Grossi’s trip tomorrow should provide indications of how Iran wants to proceed in the coming months.

“I am far from being able to tell the international community…what is happening. I would be in a very difficult position. So it’s like they (Iran) have to help us, to help them to a certain extent,” Grossi tells Reuters on the sidelines of the COP29 climate summit in Baku.

Iran has stepped up nuclear activity since 2019, after Trump during his first term abandoned a 2015 deal Iran had reached with world powers under which it curbed enrichment and restored tough US sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Iran’s work on enrichment has been seen by the West as a disguised effort to develop nuclear weapons capability.

Tehran is now enriching uranium to up to 60 percent fissile purity, close to the roughly 90% required for a nuclear bomb. It has enough higher-enriched uranium to produce about four nuclear bombs if refined further, according to an IAEA yardstick.

Iran has long denied any nuclear bomb ambitions, saying it is enriching uranium for civilian energy uses only.

Suspected drone alert sounds in Mitzpe Ramon in southern Israel

Suspected drone infiltration sirens are sounding in Mitzpe Ramon in southern Israel.

The IDF is looking into the details.

Victims of rocket impact in Nahariya named as Ziv Belfer and Shimon Najm

The two men killed earlier today by a rocket from Lebanon that landed in Nahariya are named by the city’s municipality.

They are Ziv Belfer, 52, and Shimon Najm, 54, both residents of the northern coastal city.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene, next to the warehouse that suffered a direct hit.

Najm had been a member of the Southern Lebanon Army, and moved to Israel in 2000.

Rocket fired from northern Gaza shot down, IDF says

A rocket launched from the northern Gaza Strip was successfully intercepted by air defenses, the IDF says.

Sirens sounded in Kfar Aza amid the attack.

There are no reports of injuries.

US deems Israel not in violation of law on Gaza aid, despite only partially meeting demands

Aid enters the Gaza Strip via the new Kissufim Crossing, November 12, 2024. (COGAT)

US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel appears to confirm a report that Joe Biden’s administration will not, for now, withhold weapons shipments to Israel, amid today’s deadline it put in place for Jerusalem to take a series of steps to improve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Patel acknowledges during a press briefing that Israel addressed some, but not all, of the measures demanded by the US in the letter, which gave Jerusalem 30 days to improve the humanitarian crisis or risk being deemed out of compliance with US law that bars offensive weapons from being transferred to countries that block aid from reaching civilians.

Nonetheless, he states that the US has not, at this time, “made an assessment that the Israelis are in violation of US law.”

Patel points to steps taken by Israel over the past 30 days, including the reopening of the Erez Crossing into northern Gaza, the opening of the Kissufim Crossing into central Gaza, the waiving of certain customs requirements for aid organizations, the opening of new aid delivery routes within Gaza, the resumption of aid delivery to northern Gaza after a near-monthlong siege, the inland expansion of the coastal Mawasi humanitarian zone, and the institution of periodic humanitarian pauses.

The State Department spokesperson stresses that the US will continue monitoring Israel’s compliance with US law and will act accordingly if it deems that Jerusalem has failed to do so.

The US said it wanted to see 350 trucks enter Gaza every day. The average number of aid trucks that entered Gaza in October was 37, and Patel admits that only 404 trucks crossed into Gaza between November 1 and November 9.

IDF says incident over after drone launched ‘from the east’ triggered sirens in Mitzpe Ramon

The IDF says it identified a suspected drone launched “from the east,” usually code for Iraq, that crossed into Israeli airspace in southern Israel.

The suspected drone set off sirens in Mitzpe Ramon.

The military says the incident is over, without elaborating further.

The drone possibly crashed in an open area, although this is still under investigation.

There have been no reports of injuries or damage.

US slams Smotrich’s vow to annex parts of West Bank following Trump’s win

Chairman of the Religious Zionism party MK Bezalel Smotrich and party members visit Netiv Haavot neighborhood in Gush Etzion, West Bank, on October 26, 2022. (Gershon Elinson/Flash90)

US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel condemns far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s pledge to annex large parts of the West Bank following Donald Trump’s presidential election victory last week.

“The comments that were made by this minister certainly are not conducive to building an enduring peace, and they are incredibly inconsistent with the principles that Secretary Blinken laid out in Tokyo,” Patel says during a press briefing, referring to the Biden administration’s efforts to advance a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 lines following the war in Gaza.

“President Biden and Secretary Blinken have reiterated consistently the clear position of the United States in support of a two-state solution as part of a negotiated process that ultimately will provide an independent Palestinian state, with appropriate security guarantees for Israel,” Patel adds.

Report: Haredi parties say PM promised them Katz would nix new batch of enlistment orders

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, right, arriving for a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on September 27, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/ Flash90)

After the army’s announcement today that it plans to send out 7,000 draft orders to members of the ultra-Orthodox community, the Kan public broadcaster reports that ultra-Orthodox parties say this goes against a pledge made to them last week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

New Defense Minister Israel Katz has not canceled the move, which was approved by his predecessor Yoav Gallant only a day before he was fired, meaning the IDF still plans to send them out at the start of next week.

But according to Kan, as Netanyahu confirmed Katz as Gallant’s replacement, he conveyed a message to the Haredi parties — who fiercely oppose ultra-Orthodox enlistment to the military — that Katz would cancel the decision to issue the new orders.

The network says Netanyahu’s office is denying conveying such a message, but notes that his ultra-Orthodox partners are insisting this is what they were promised.

UN official: Israel committing ‘acts reminiscent of the gravest international crimes’ in Gaza

A top UN official condemns what she terms “daily cruelty” in Gaza, describing “acts reminiscent of the gravest international crimes.”

“What distinction was made, and what precautions were taken, if more than 70% of civilian housing is either damaged or destroyed?” Joyce Msuya, interim chief of the OCHA humanitarian agency, tells the Security Council. “We are witnessing acts reminiscent of the gravest international crimes.”

AG contends IDF must immediately issue 7,000 draft orders to Haredim, including yeshiva students

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attends a farewell ceremony in honor of outgoing police commissioner Kobi Shabtai at the National Police Academy in Beit Shemesh, July 14, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has told top legal, political and military officials that 7,000 enlistment orders to ultra-Orthodox men must be issued immediately — as the IDF has said it plans to do at the start of next week — in order to comply with the law and the state’s pledges before relevant courts.

According to Hebrew media reports, Baharav-Miara voiced this opinion in a meeting today.

She contends that any delay or limiting of the orders is unlawful, adding that 4,500 of them must be issued without taking into account whether they are yeshiva students or not.

The army has already sent 3,000 draft orders, primarily to Haredi men who are employed and aren’t full-time yeshiva students. Only 273 of them showed up at IDF recruitment centers and even fewer of them, 48, have since enlisted, reflecting the strong opposition within the community to joining the military.

US warships repelled attack from Yemen’s Houthis, Pentagon says

US warships shot down drones and missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthis while they were transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Pentagon says.

Earlier today, the Houthis said they conducted two military operations against US naval vessels in the Red and Arabian seas which the group’s military spokesperson said lasted for eight hours.

Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder says that two US warships were attacked yesterday by at least eight drones, five anti-ship ballistic missiles and three anti-ship cruise missiles. The warships brought down the projectiles and there was no damage to the vessels.

Ryder says he is not aware of any attacks against the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln.

Suspected drone sirens sound in Nahariya area

A suspected drone alert is activated in Nahariya and the nearby Kibbutz Sa’ar.

No immediate additional information is available.

Previous suspected drone sirens in the north this evening have been declared false alarms.

Report: Some hostage families say they’re receiving less and less info on loved ones’ whereabouts

Some relatives of hostages being held by terrorists in Gaza for over 13 months say that indications of signs of life from their loved ones have waned significantly recently, according to Channel 12 news.

The network says it has spoken to several unidentified families who say that in the past, they would periodically get information about their relatives’ whereabouts, obtained either via returned hostages or by other means.

But as time goes by, less and less information is coming by, to the point that some families report not having received any potential sign of life for months.

At Security Council, US envoy warns Israel not to forcibly displace or starve Gazans

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks during a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on September 25, 2024. (Leonardo Munoz/AFP)

The United States stresses at the United Nations that “there must be no forcible displacement, nor policy of starvation in Gaza” by Israel, warning that this would have grave implications under US and international law.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says that “thanks to intervention by the United States, Israel has taken some important steps” toward addressing “the undisputed humanitarian crisis” in the Strip.

“Still, Israel must ensure its actions are fully implemented — and its improvements sustained over time,” she tells the UN Security Council.

IDF issues evacuation order ahead of strike on Hezbollah site in Beirut

The IDF has issued a fresh evacuation order for Lebanese civilians in the vicinity of a building in Beirut’s southern suburbs, ahead of an airstrike against Hezbollah assets.

#عاجل إلى جميع السكان المتواجدين في منطقة الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا في المبنى المحدد في الخريطة المرفقة والمباني المجاورة له في منطقة حارة حريك

⭕️أنتم تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع بقوة على المدى الزمني القريب

⭕️من أجل سلامتكم… pic.twitter.com/CwWKuSmilf

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 12, 2024

Hamas claims US not halting arms transfer to Israel means it’s complicit in Gaza ‘genocide’

Palestinian terror group Hamas accuses the United States of complicity in the “war of genocide” in the Gaza Strip after Washington said Israel is not violating US law on the level of aid entering the territory, meaning it won’t halt arms transfers.

Hamas condemns Washington’s “claims” that Israel is “taking measures to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza” and claims in a statement that it is “a confirmation of the full partnership of [US] President [Joe] Biden’s administration in the brutal war of genocide against our people.”