Hamas

By Ehud Amiton/TPS • December 31, 2025

Jerusalem, 31 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — After a year of near-constant fighting on multiple fronts, Israel’s military says it carried out almost 21,000 strikes in 2025, mobilized more than 300,000 reservists and conducted operations stretching from the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon to Iran and Yemen, according to sweeping year-end numbers released Wednesday by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The IDF said it struck about 20,900 targets across all fronts during the year and conducted roughly 430 operations. Nearly 307,000 reservists were mobilized, while naval forces logged around 130,000 hours at sea and carried out 50 maritime strikes. An IDF spokesperson said the figures reflected “a sustained, multi-front campaign unlike anything the military has faced in decades.”

The Gaza Strip accounted for the vast majority of Israeli strikes. The IDF said it attacked approximately 19,530 targets there, destroying nearly 14,000 sites it defined as terror infrastructure, including weapons depots, command centers and launch facilities. The military reported killing thousands of Hamas operatives and eliminating dozens of senior commanders, including brigade, battalion and company-level leaders.

Among those killed were Mohammad Sinwar, head of Hamas’ military wing and brother of Yahya Sinwar, as well as Muhammad Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade, and several other senior figures involved in weapons production and naval operations. An IDF official said the campaign had “systematically dismantled Hamas’ chain of command,” adding that only one brigade commander from before the war remains alive.

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The body of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili remains in Gaza.

In Lebanon, where Israel is enforcing a ceasefire reached in late 2024, the IDF reported killing around 380 Hezbollah operatives and striking roughly 950 to 1,000 targets. These included launchers, weapons depots, military structures and underground shafts. The army also accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire about 1,920 times during the year. “We responded to every significant breach,” a senior officer said, “while seeking to prevent a return to full-scale war in the north.”

The ceasefire requires Hezbollah to withdraw its armed forces from southern Lebanon and prohibits it from operating south of the Litani River.

In Judea and Samaria, Israeli forces killed about 230 Palestinian terrorists and arrested approximately 7,400 terror suspects — including nearly 1,200 linked to Hamas. The military said it seized more than 1,300 weapons and confiscated about NIS 16.5 million ($5.19 million) in terror funds. Thirty suspects’ homes were demolished, and around 80 brigade-level operations were carried out. The IDF also announced the establishment of a new eastern border formation, Division 96.

The report detailed Israeli operations far beyond its borders.

In Iran, during 12 days of fighting in June, the IDF said it struck hundreds of targets and killed dozens of senior regime figures, including top commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the armed forces. The IDF also claimed responsibility for the deaths of 11 Iranian nuclear scientists.

During 12 days of fighting, Iran launched roughly 550 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, most of which were intercepted. However, at least 31 missiles struck populated areas, and one drone hit a home. The attacks killed 28 Israelis and injured more than 3,000.

In Yemen, Israel conducted about 20 major air operations against the Iran-backed Houthis, striking some 230 targets. Many of the attacks, the IDF noted, were repeat strikes after Houthis attempted to repair damaged sites. The IDF said it killed senior Houthi military and government officials, including the group’s chief of staff, Muhammad al-Ghamari.

On the intelligence front, the IDF revealed new details about Unit 504, a secretive military intelligence unit responsible for interrogations. According to the report, the unit questioned about 3,100 detainees in 2025, roughly half in detention facilities and half in field conditions.

“Field interrogations are conducted under extremely complex circumstances,” the IDF said, noting that interrogators often operate immediately after combat.

The human cost of the year was also highlighted. Ninety-one Israeli soldiers were killed in war-related circumstances, and 821 were wounded. While the numbers were lower than in the peak fighting of 2023 and 2024, the army acknowledged the toll remained heavy. “This has been a demanding year for our forces and for Israeli society,” an IDF official said.

On the home front, the military said it expanded civil defense efforts, deploying 1,500 mobile bomb shelters, renovating about 200 public shelters, and handling more than 1.5 million emergency hotline calls.

By TPS-IL • December 23, 2025

Jerusalem, 23 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — As Christians around the world prepare to mark Christmas, a holiday centered on peace and reconciliation, a special investigation by The Press Service of Israel has found that prominent Christian leaders in the Holy Land and abroad publicly justified acts of terrorism against Israel, including Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023, assault. The findings reveal a network of church figures and affiliated organizations whose rhetoric, critics say, reframes violence against Israeli civilians as legitimate resistance and erodes Jewish-Christian relations.

The investigation highlights the roles of two Palestinian Christian clerics and a senior international church leader. These figures are affiliated with major Christian bodies, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and the World Council of Churches (WCC), a global ecumenical organization.

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The body of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is the last remaining in Gaza.

Asked to comment on the revelations, Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Centre in Jerusalem and a prominent U.S. Evangelical leader, told The Press Service of Israel that Christians who justify violence are “fake Christians.”

“You can’t love Jesus without loving the Jewish people because Jesus was Jewish. Professing Christians who excuse or justify active terror are not real Christians; they are fake Christians,” he said.

Rev. Sally Azar: ‘Resistance is Justified’

Rev. Sally Azar is the first female Palestinian pastor in the Holy Land, ordained by the ELCJHL in January 2023, and serves as a pastor at the Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem’s Old City. She shared content on social media that framed the October 7 attack as justified resistance. Her posts caught the eye of Gerald Hetzel, a member of the Protestant Lutheran Church in Germany, who shared them with TPS-IL. Hetzel regularly visits Israel and attends church events through his involvement in German-Israeli friendship initiatives.

Another post Azar shared that day was a tweet by Egyptian politician Mohammed ElBaradei. He argued that it was “naive and self deceiving” to expect Gazans not to “resort to violence” as a last option.

No rational decent human being can accept or endorse violence as a means to resolve conflicts, particularly it’s use against civilians.

In the same breath no rational decent human being can condone a situation where people are living under the yoke of occupation for more than…

— Mohamed ElBaradei (@ElBaradei) October 7, 2023

Another post shared by Azar weeks later came from the Instagram account of Gazangirl, stating “This resistance is 100 percent predictable and justified if you are someone who is paying attention.” This post expired after 24 hours, but Hetzel shared his screengrab with TPS-IL.

In 2024, Azar would go on to further criticize German church institutions for altering programs in ways that she said “removed Israel as the perpetrator.”

Azar is the daughter of Sani Ibrahim Azar, bishop of the ELCJHL and co-moderator of the WCC-affiliated Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). Bishop Azar drew international criticism in October 2025 after accusing Israel of genocide during a sermon at the Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem, prompting the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany to walk out.

In response to inquiries from TPS-IL regarding her social media activity, the ELCJHL stated, “Pastor Sally is busy now with Christmas preparations. She has not issued any statements towards that day or posted anything on social media. You can look up the church’s statements if needed; that is what she stands by.”

Munther Isaac: Oct. 7 a ‘Natural Response’ to Israel

Munther Isaac, a Lutheran pastor serving Bethlehem and Beit Sahour, also publicly justified the violence. On October 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas massacre, Isaac delivered a sermon describing the attack as a natural response to the Gaza “siege,” noting the “strength of the Palestinian man who defied his siege.”

On October 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas massacre, Isaac delivered a sermon that framed the attack as an understandable reaction to the Gaza siege. He mentioned “the strength of the Palestinian man who defied his siege.” According to media analyst Eitan Fischberger, who published excerpts of the now-removed sermon, and Jewish Insider correspondent Lahav Harkov, Isaac further stated in the sermon that the violence represented an embodiment of injustice dating back to the “Nakba,” using the Arabic word for “catastrophe” to mark Israel’s establishment in 1948.

Here’s footage of him on October 8th justifying the massacre that had just taken place (footage courtesy of @JordanSchachtel).

You can find his full remarks online, but here’s a transcript of the relevant part:

“What is happening is an embodiment of the injustice that has… pic.twitter.com/ciAvI7RFi7

— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) March 29, 2025

 

Isaac is a board member of Kairos Palestine, an organization founded in 2009 whose document has drawn criticism for antisemitic themes, including replacement theology that denies Jewish historical and religious claims to Israel. The document also characterizes the First Intifada — a period of widespread attacks on Israeli civilians — as a peaceful struggle. Today, Kairos Palestine labels the 2023 Gaza war as genocide and advocates international boycotts of Israel.

Since 2012, Isaac has also served as director of Christ at the Checkpoint, a Bethlehem-based evangelical initiative. According to NGO-Monitor, a Jerusalem-based non-profit that monitors the activities of non-governmental organizations, Christ at the Checkpoint promotes a theological and political framework portraying Israel as an oppressor while questioning Jewish ties to the land, and hosts speakers who justify violence against Israelis and deny Israel’s right to exist. Funding for these organizations is largely faith-based, stemming from church networks and WCC-affiliated bodies.

Isaac responded to TPS-IL via email, stating, “My views on October 7, and violence in general, including that against civilians, are all explained in detail in my book Christ in the Rubble—chapter 1 (especially pages 32-35). The sermon you mentioned is cited in chapter 3 of the book.”

A look at that chapter notes, “For those who are quick to condemn the violence of Palestinians of October 7, I ask you to try walking in our shoes before lecturing us on how we should respond. Try living under the same circumstances, not for seventeen years, but for seventeen months–or even days–before saying how Gazans ought to respond to so many years of brutal mistreatment. For the majority of Gazans, the siege, which renders Gaza the world’s biggest open-air prison, is the only reality they’ve known.”

Bishop Henrik Stubkjaer: Like ‘Resistance’ to the Nazis

International church leadership also appears to have provided rhetorical support for Palestinian violence.

Bishop Henrik Stubkjaer, president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), visited the Holy Land in November 2025, on what the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land described as a solidarity visit with the Palestinian people. The LWF serves as the global umbrella organization for Lutheran churches, shaping theological positions as well as humanitarian and political advocacy on behalf of nearly 80 million Lutherans worldwide.

Hetzel later recalled an encounter with Stubkjaer after the bishop gave a sermon at the Augusta Victoria Church and Hospital in Jerusalem on November 9.

When Hetzel challenged the bishop on what he perceived as a one-sided message, Stubkjaer responded by comparing Palestinian actions to Danish resistance against German occupation during World War Two.

“I told him that I believe his speech at the church was very biased and that he said only bad things about Israel, and didn’t put a critical perspective on the Palestinians. And then he claimed that I don’t see the suffering of the Palestinians,” Hetzel recalled to TPS-IL. “And then I told him that I see the situation of the Palestinians also, but I have a different perspective than him. And then he said that he is from Denmark, and in Denmark there was in World War Two a resistance against the German occupation…and he thinks the Palestinians now are in a comparable situation to the Danish people in World War Two, and that I would not criticize the Danish people for their resistance against the Germans.”

Hetzel added that this conversation took place in the presence of LWF Jerusalem representative Sieglinde Weinbrenner, who later asked him to stop engaging the bishop. Hetzel said Weinbrenner dismissed his objections as “radical ideology.” Neither Stubkjaer nor the LWF responded to TPS-IL’s requests for comment.

Church Bodies Normalizing Violence

These individual actions are part of a broader institutional network. Both the ELCJHL and the LWF are members of the World Council of Churches, which has faced sustained criticism for anti-Israel advocacy through programs such as EAPPI and support for initiatives like Kairos Palestine. The Jerusalem-based NGO-Monitor has documented that the WCC frequently portrays Israel as the primary aggressor in conflicts while minimizing or omitting Palestinian violence, and supports boycott and divestment initiatives targeting Israel.

Itai Reuveni, director of communications at NGO-Monitor, said of the WCC, “The anti-Israeli sentiment has always been present in the WCC from the outset. It became more vocal after the Second Intifada and has since radicalized, with conferences and campaigns, including around Christmas. It is not always done directly by WCC officials, but it exists within the same theological network of the WCC, including related churches, clergy, and funded initiatives. There is no formal hierarchy. It functions more like a beehive.”

Reuveni added that the WCC operates on a distinct organizational concept. “The basic concept is that the sin that some Christians have attributed to the Jews [killing Jesus] is exactly what Israel is doing now to the Palestinians. They managed to combine theological propositions with current national Palestinian claims.”

The patterns identified in this investigation echo prior TPS-IL reporting on religious incidents in the Holy Land, such as a fire at the Byzantine-period Church of St. George in Taybeh in July. Leaders of the Greek Orthodox and Latin Patriarchates blamed “radical Israelis.” But a TPS-IL investigation found that the fire was not started by Jews and that the fire did not damage the 1,500 year-old structure.

The findings underscore a growing divide among Christian leadership in the Holy Land. While some senior leaders exercise caution and diplomatic restraint, particularly within the Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches, other figures are publicly advancing narratives that frame Israel as the aggressor and Palestinian violence as justified.

Elias Zarina, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy and long-time Christian activist, told TPS-IL, “At the bottom line, [church leaders] understand that the Christian community inside Israel is far more stable and flourishing than the Christian community under the Palestinian Authority, which is steadily shrinking. What prevents them from expressing full solidarity with Israel and with Jews is fear of severe backlash against Christians living in the Palestinian territories.”

Critics of the church leaders argue that public statements justifying attacks on civilians not only distort historical and contemporary realities but also risk inflaming tensions and undermining interfaith relations.

For example, in Germany, Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar’s October 2025 sermon drew widespread condemnation from Jewish organizations and media scrutiny. Likewise, Munther Isaac’s October 8 sermon and his broader activism have been cited internationally to justify Palestinian violence.

Through these networks, the World Council of Churches, along with its member bodies, plays a central role in shaping international Christian discourse on Israel and Palestine. From church-sponsored programs in the Holy Land to participation in U.S.-based interfaith events, the WCC’s influence extends across continents, affecting public perceptions and interfaith engagement.

The World Council of Churches did not respond to queries by TPS-IL.

By Pesach Benson • December 21, 2025

Jerusalem, 21 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israeli security officials said three Gaza men recently detained in the southern city of Rahat were not involved in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, contradicting an earlier announcement by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

According to the officials, there is no evidence that the men crossed into Israel during the assault. Instead, they entered Israel legally before the war under valid work permits and stayed after hostilities began, even after israeli authorities revoked all entry permits for Gazan laborers.

Prior to the outbreak of fighting with Hamas, approximately 17,000 Gazans were authorized to work inside Israel. The three detainees are believed to have been among those already present in the country when the permits were canceled.

The arrests were part of a broader enforcement campaign launched about a month ago targeting violent crime and weapons offenses in the Bedouin sector. The operation involved multiple specialized police units and included dozens of raids on compounds linked to rival clans. Over the course of the campaign, more than 250 suspects were detained on suspicion of illegal possession, use, or theft of weapons, as well as involvement in violent disputes.

With a population of roughly 80,000–85,000 residents, Rahat is the world’s largest recognized Bedouin city.

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The body of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is the last remaining in Gaza.

By Pesach Benson and Omer Novoselsky • December 11, 2025

Jerusalem, 11 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — A comprehensive study released Thursday finds that about 60% of individuals identified as journalists killed during the war in Gaza were members of or affiliated with terrorist organizations, primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The findings contradict claims by Hamas and various NGOs that 220–256 journalists were killed over two years of fighting.

The research, conducted by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, examined 266 media workers reported killed between October 7, 2023, and November 30, 2025. Of these, 157 — roughly 60% — were either members of terrorist groups or worked for outlets affiliated with them. At least 47 belonged to Hamas’s military wing and 45 were linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, including 18 confirmed operatives.

“The issue of Hamas’s propaganda is a high priority, and it uses a lot of media outlets abroad to talk about it,” Shlomo Mofaz, the center’s director, told The Press Service of Israel. “The narrative of harming journalists is like the number of deaths — when you check the facts and figures, it’s not like that. About 60% is definitely a very high figure.”

Researchers described a widespread “dual identity” phenomenon in which media workers simultaneously served as armed operatives.

The report highlighted systematic coordination between Hamas and the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network.

Several Al Jazeera correspondents, including Anas al-Sharif, were identified as members of Hamas’s East Jabaliya Battalion. Sharif headed a cell responsible for firing guided rockets.

Additional seized documents showed organized collaboration between Al Jazeera and Hamas, including directives on covering specific incidents and a hotline enabling direct contact during emergencies.

Mofaz said the study relied on Arabic-language sources, social media profiles, and captured Hamas documents. A roster from Hamas’ Gaza Brigade confirmed that eight individuals previously listed as unidentified journalists were actually Hamas members.

‘No Special Protection for Journalists’

Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch, Director of the Initiative for Palestinian Authority Accountability and Reform at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, who was not involved in the research, provided legal context to TPS-IL.

“I have bad news for you — there is no special protection for journalists,” Hirsch said. “A journalist is supposedly a civilian, non-combatant, not participating in the fighting. Therefore, from the point of view of international law, it is forbidden to intentionally harm someone who is not participating in the fighting, but as soon as a person participates in the fighting in one way or another, even if it is just gathering intelligence, like journalistic reports sometimes, it makes the person a legitimate target for all intents and purposes.”

Hirsch added that terror groups deliberately exploit journalistic status.

The research documented several cases where these dual-role operatives received advance warning of the October 7 attack and accompanied the terrorists to provide live coverage of the assault.

Experts told TPS-IL in 2024 that Palestinian photographers who crossed into Israel on October 7 committed war crimes.

“Of course, media companies are not supposed to employ terrorists, and they need due diligence to ensure that those they employ in combat zones are not terrorists. But unfortunately, there are elements like Al-Jazeera, which is an organization in a country that supports terrorism and Hamas, that not only have no problem including Hamas terrorists as ‘journalists,’” Hirsch added.

The study concluded that this dual-role phenomenon “undermines trust in media personnel and the credibility of their reports” and “changes the status of journalists according to international law and puts them in danger.”

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The body of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is the last remaining in Gaza.

By Ehud Amiton/TPS • December 4, 2025

Jerusalem, 4 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday confirmed the death of the commander of Hamas’s East Rafah Battalion, his deputy, and a company commander during an operation in southern Gaza.

The senior operatives were among four terrorists who were spotted attempting to flee from an underground tunnel system in eastern Rafah on Sunday.

The IDF identified the eliminated commanders as Muhammad Jawad Muhammad al-Ba’ab, commander of Hamas’s East Rafah Battalion, and his deputy, Ismail Kanan Abd al-Hay Abu-Labdah. Both men were involved in planning the battalion’s role in the October 7 assault on southern communities.

Also killed were Abdullah Ghazi Ahmed Hamad, a member of the battalion and son of senior Hamas political bureau official Razi Hamad, and Tawfiq Khaled Tawfiq Salem, a company commander in the unit.

The IDF said the operation was part of a broader campaign underway since the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, during which forces have been encircling the area and demolishing Hamas infrastructure above and below ground with air support.

More than 40 Hamas operatives have been killed in the East Rafah tunnel zone during this period, the IDF added. Southern Command forces remain deployed “in accordance with the agreement” and will continue acting against immediate threats, the statement said.

Earlier on Thursday, Israel confirmed the return of the remains of Thai agricultural worker sudthisak rinthalak. The 42-year-old Rinthalak, 42, was murdered by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in the orchards of Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, and his body taken to Gaza. Israel determined his death in May 2024 based on intelligence. Israel will coordinate arrangements to return Rinthalak’s body for burial in Thailand with the Thai Embassy.

Sudthisak is survived by his parents, Thong Ma and Orn, and his older brother, Thepporn. He was previously divorced, and had no children.

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The body of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is the last remaining in Gaza.

By Pesach Benson • December 4, 2025

Jerusalem, 4 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s National Center for Forensic Medicine confirmed on Thursday morning that the body returned by Hamas the previous day was Sudthisak Rinthalak, a Thai agricultural worker, the Israel Defense Forces announced.

Rinthalak, 42, was murdered by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in the orchards of Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, and his body taken to Gaza.

Israel determined his death in May 2024 based on intelligence.

Sudthisak is survived by his parents, Thong Ma and Orn, and his older brother, Thepporn. He was previously divorced, and had no children.

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The body of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is the last remaining in Gaza.

By Pesach Benson • November 26, 2025

Jerusalem, 26 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — An internal Israel Defense Forces probe released on Wednesday credited the civilian defenders of Moshav Yated for confronting Hamas terrorists who infiltrated the agricultural community during the attack of October 7, 2023. The report concluded that the army failed to protect the residents, while the local standby squad on its own prevented what could have been a massacre.

The inquiry, led by Brig. Gen. (res.) Itamar Ben-Haim a is one of dozens of probes examining how thousands of Hamas gunmen crossed into Israel, killed approximately 1,200 people and abducted 251 others. Investigators drew on interviews with residents, local security personnel, military radio logs, video footage, intelligence files and reenactments.

According to the report, 11 terrorists infiltrated Yated. The IDF was unable to deploy forces in time due to widespread breakdowns in command, communications and situational awareness.

In the absence of army protection, the moshav’s security coordinator and standby squad mobilized within minutes and, together with armed civilians, detained or neutralized the infiltrators. Their actions, the investigators wrote, prevented mass casualties and blocked further penetration into the community.

The report also detailed heavy fighting outside the moshav on Route 232, where an outnumbered IDF force from the Paran Regional Brigade and the LOTAR regional counter-terror team battled dozens of gunmen attempting to reach Yated. During those engagements, reservist Cpt. (res.) Iftach Gorny, 51, was killed while trying to prevent terrorists from seizing military equipment.

“Without this battle, the moshav would have faced a triple-digit number of terrorists. Gorny’s death was not in vain,” the report said.

The timeline released by the IDF shows that the community was first hit at 6:29 a.m., when Hamas launched a massive rocket barrage across southern Israel. Eleven minutes later, Yated’s security coordinator activated the local standby squad, locked the gates, opened shelters and deployed armed residents. By 9:15 a.m., patrols had detained the first infiltrator, who was discovered near the fence and surrendered.

Minutes later, defenders rushed to a nearby home after a resident reported an Arabic-speaking stranger at her door. Security team members identified a terrorist crawling between houses and opened fire as he fled into nearby brush. Additional infiltrators slipped under the gate and attempted to hide among the houses, but residents encircled them. By 9:45 a.m., four gunmen were subdued in a thicket, while one escaped. All captured assailants were secured in a private home until military forces arrived.

Meanwhile, at 9:40 a.m., the Paran Brigade force advancing on Route 232 came under intense fire from terrorists disguised in military-style clothing. Gorny remained near vehicles to stop the attackers from reaching the brigade’s command equipment. He was shot while moving between jeeps to retrieve keys and was pulled to cover by fellow soldiers, but medics could not save him. At about 10:05 a.m., a Caracal Battalion tank arrived and opened fire under the brigade commander’s direction, reportedly killing about 20 terrorists. A combat helicopter reached the area roughly 40 minutes after first being requested.

The following morning, while military forces continued searching the fields for additional infiltrators, a Yated resident discovered five unarmed gunmen lying on the ground near a breach in the fence. They surrendered immediately and were handcuffed by the standby squad and a Caracal team. Residents were evacuated later that day in escorted convoys.

The IDF’s report concludes bluntly that “the army failed in protecting the moshav” during the critical early hours. At the same time, investigators praised the civilian defenders. “They made correct decisions and acted as expected,” the report states, adding that the volunteer spirit displayed by armed residents was “remarkable.”

In a statement, Moshav Yated said its residents “do not forget those who fell in the battle for the moshav’s defense,” naming Gorny and other victims. The community expressed gratitude both to the local rapid-reaction squad and to the Paran Brigade, saying their actions “saved Yated from catastrophe.”

The IDF has released a series of detailed internal probes examining how roughly 5,000 terrorists from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were able to storm Israeli communities and overrun military positions. The reports reveal that the army’s chain of command collapsed amid the chaos as soldiers found themselves vastly outnumbered. Investigators concluded that the IDF misread Hamas’s intentions and misinterpreted intelligence warnings in the days leading up to October 7, while much of the military’s attention remained directed toward potential threats from Iran and its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.

However, an external review of 25 of the reports by a panel of former senior military officers found that many were incomplete or unsatisfactory

The IDF probes only address issues of operations, intelligence, and command—not decisions made by the political echelon.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has resisted calls for a formal state commission of inquiry, calling it “politically biased.” Critics accuse him of delaying and weakening the probe. Such commissions, led by senior Supreme Court justices, can summon witnesses, collect evidence, and make recommendations, though the government is not required to follow them.

Around 1,200 people were killed and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The bodies of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili and Thai agricultural worker Sudthisak Rinthalak remain in Gaza.

By Pesach Benson • November 26, 2025

Jerusalem, 26 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s National Center for Forensic Medicine confirmed on Wednesday morning that the body returned by Hamas the previous day was Dror Or of Kibbutz Be’eri.

Or, 49, was a chef and award-winning cheesemaker. Dror was seen being taken captive with his wife and two of their three children from their burning home.

The body of his wife, Yonat, was found several days after the attack. The children, Noam and Alma, were release during a temporary ceasefire in November 2023. Another son, Yahli, was not at Be’eri that day.

Israel confirmed Or’s death based on intelligence in May 2024.

Or is survived by his three children, his parents, and two siblings.

Around 1,200 people were killed and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The bodies of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili and Thai agricultural worker Sudthisak Rinthalak remain in Gaza.

s and one Thai national are still held in Gaza.

By TPS-IL • November 25, 2025

Jerusalem, 25 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Two years after Iran-backed Hamas terrorists stormed southern Israel, residents of Sderot — one of the hardest-hit communities — launched its first-ever film festival dedicated to Iranian cinema.

The two-day event, which opened on Monday, has already drawn criticism from the Iranian news agency Fars, which accused “Zionists” of taking Iranian films “hostage.”

Dana Sameach, the Israeli founder of the festival, and Younes Sadaghiani, an Iranian-born political analyst hosted by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, told The Press Service of Israel that the festival is about cultural connection, not political confrontation.

“We wanted to do this festival for two reasons: first, to show that from the area of the worst catastrophe in the history of Israel, there is not only grief but culture, with people who know how to reach out their hand in peace and hope for a better future. Second, we wanted to honor Farsi culture. There are many Israelis of Farsi origin, and we want to honor the culture of the Iranian people,” Sameach explained.

Sadaghiani emphasized that Persians and Israelis are not enemies.

“I think the Persian culture and Israeli culture are very, very similar. So when people say they want to make us enemies, we are not enemies. Persians and Israelis are not enemies. It’s the Islamic Republic that is the issue, so we need to get rid of the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic is not Iran,” he told TPS-IL.

They shared with TPS-IL a report from the Fars website claiming Israel “is attempting to take another Iranian film hostage.” It was referring to the possibility that a film by Asghar Farhadi, one of the most prominent Iranian directors, will be screened at the festival’s closing ceremony.

The report also accused Israel of “killing more than a thousand Iranians during the sacred twelve days of war,” referencing the 12-day air confrontation between israel and Iran last June.

Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on June 13, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached “a point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. During 12 days of fighting, Iranian missile strikes killed 28 Israelis and injured over 3,000.

The festival includes not only award-winning Iranian films but also Persian music, food, talks, and cultural performances. The program has received full encouragement from Sderot’s municipality, Sameach said, and hundreds are expected to attend.

Sameach added she hopes the festival, titled “Nowruz,” which means “new day” in Farsi, will signal a new dawn in relations with the Iranian people and grow into a yearly cultural tradition in a city still rebuilding from October 7.

By Pesach Benson • November 25, 2025

Jerusalem, 25 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday condemned what he called an unacceptable delay by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in returning the body of a hostage found in central Gaza, saying the hold-up violates existing understandings.

“In light of the Islamic Jihad’s announcement regarding the location of findings related to a deceased hostage, Israel views with severity the delay in their immediate transfer into its hands,” Netanyahu’s office said. “This constitutes a further violation of the agreement. Israel demands the immediate return of the three deceased hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip.”

More than 24 hours have passed since Islamic Jihad confirmed Al Jazeera’s report that the body of a hostage was discovered near Nuseirat on Monday.

Hamas typically announces plans to transfer recovered remains, even when they are held by Islamic Jihad. However, Hamas has not issued any statement, and Islamic Jihad has given no indication it intends to hand over the body. Neither terror group has been in touch with the International Red Cross, which transfers remains between the terror groups and the Israel Defense Forces.

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The bodies of two Israelis — Dror Or and Master Sgt. Ran Gvili — and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak are still in Gaza.