Israel Brief: Sunday, September 28
From the UN podium to Gaza’s alleys: Israel fights enemies without and illusions within.
Shavua tov, friends.
Benjamin Netanyahu stood at the United Nations and declared: “Israel will not allow you to shove a terror state down our throats.” His speech, delivered to rows of empty seats, underscored both Israel’s global isolation and its refusal to bend. At home, families of hostages branded his words hollow, even as the IDF pressed deeper into Gaza City and sanctions snapped back on Iran.
What to watch: whether Netanyahu can turn rhetoric into results—bringing the hostages home, preventing Hamas from breathing again, and setting the stage for peace that is more than a line in a speech. The battlefield stretches from the Bekaa to Baghdad, but the moral struggle runs straight through the Knesset and the streets of Jerusalem.
The War Today
Ground operation in Gaza gains force
IDF forces have intensified their ground push in Gaza City, eliminating armed terrorists and uncovering stockpiles of rockets, explosives, and anti-tank missiles. The IAF struck around 120 targets, including observation posts, gathering points, and underground infrastructure, while troops dismantled planted explosives. The army says operations will continue until Hamas’s fighting capacity is dismantled. Read more →
Israel eliminates Hamas terrorist who killed police commando Arnon Zamora in Gaza hostage rescue
The IDF and Shin Bet killed Hamas terrorist Mohammed Ahmad Yousef al-Jamal, who fatally shot Yamam officer Arnon Zamora during the June 2024 “Operation Arnon” that freed four Israeli hostages. Al-Jamal, along with associate Sari Idris Mohammed al-Akrab—an October 7 infiltrator—was tracked down and eliminated in Gaza. The army said the operation honors Zamora’s memory while ongoing IDF units continue dismantling Hamas infrastructure in Gaza City. Read more →
Iran tries to recruit Israelis by phone
Hundreds of Israelis received suspicious phone calls in broken Hebrew from numbers traced to Iranian intelligence, offering “recruitment” and attempting to spread panic. The National Cyber Directorate confirmed it was a coordinated campaign of intimidation and urged the public not to engage with the calls. Authorities are investigating while warning this is part of Iran’s broader effort to disrupt Israel’s home front during wartime. Read more →
Trump’s push to free the hostages at one time, the clause that worries Netanyahu and his choices
President Trump’s 21-point plan calls for the release of all hostages in a single operation during a 72-hour ceasefire, but Israeli officials fear the deal lacks teeth: Hamas is not explicitly required to leave Gaza or disarm. Netanyahu must decide whether to accept the plan to secure the hostages, risking Hamas’s survival, or reject it and prolong the war. Coalition partners like Ben-Gvir threaten revolt, while Lapid has offered Netanyahu a political “safety net” to support a deal. Read more →
Gaza clans struck after refusing Israeli offers to undermine Hamas – report
The Jerusalem Post cites a report in Asharq Al-Awsat claiming Israel approached Gaza’s powerful Bakr and Durmush clans with proposals to oppose Hamas in exchange for support. After the clans refused, airstrikes reportedly hit their homes, killing dozens of family members. Previous attempts to enlist clan cooperation collapsed when Hamas retaliated violently against those seen engaging with Israel. Read more →
Inside Israel
Lapid tells US gov’t that Netanyahu has ‘safety net from him for hostage deal, Gaza ceasefire’
The Jerusalem Post reports that opposition leader Yair Lapid told US officials he would back Prime Minister Netanyahu in passing a Knesset bill for a hostage deal and Gaza ceasefire, offering what he calls a “safety net.” Lapid dismissed threats from far-right ministers, saying Netanyahu already has majority support, and pointed out that he has made the same offer multiple times this year. The move highlights both Lapid’s willingness to cooperate on national security and the deep divisions among opposition leaders over how to handle the war and hostages. Read more →
Brother of slain hostage slams PM’s ’empty’ UN speech, blames him for Oct. 7 ‘holocaust’
Thousands rallied across Israel demanding a ceasefire and hostage-release deal, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of blocking progress. Hostage families denounced his UN speech as hollow, blasting him for naming only living captives and for ordering his words broadcast into Gaza by loudspeakers. Danny Elgarat, whose brother was murdered on October 7, charged Netanyahu with responsibility for the “holocaust” of that day and for abandoning both hostages and soldiers, while other speakers vowed to escalate protests if he returns from the US without a deal. Read more →
Tzuba hotel attacker: ‘I stabbed them because they are Jews’
A terrorist who worked as a hotel maintenance employee in Kibbutz Tzuba stabbed two guests, seriously injuring one and moderately wounding another. He admitted under interrogation that he attacked them “because they are Jews” and hoped police would shoot him. A vacationing officer and civilians quickly subdued him, preventing further bloodshed. Prosecutors have filed charges and an indictment is imminent. Read more →
Court sentences seven men in 2021 lynching of Lod resident Yigal Yehoshua
The Central District Court in Lod sentenced six Arab Israelis and one Palestinian to 11–17 years in prison for the fatal lynching of Yigal Yehoshua during the May 2021 riots tied to Operation Guardian of the Walls. Yehoshua, a 56-year-old Jewish resident of Lod, was struck in the head with a brick and later died of his wounds; his family donated his organs. Though the court ruled the attack a terrorist act, the men avoided murder charges under a plea deal, a decision that has sparked outrage over leniency in punishing anti-Jewish violence. Read more →
Chief Rabbis urge vaccination following measles deaths in Jerusalem
Israel’s Chief Rabbis, Rabbi David Yosef and Rabbi Kalman Ber, issued an urgent call for parents to vaccinate their children after four Jerusalem toddlers died of measles in a week. Citing halakha (Jewish law) to “guard your lives,” they framed vaccination as a religious duty, targeting communities with low uptake as the Health Ministry warns of continued spread. Read more →
Israel and the World
UN reinstates arms embargo, other sanctions on Iran
The UN Security Council has reinstated sweeping sanctions on Iran after Britain, France, and Germany accused Tehran of violating the 2015 nuclear deal. The measures restore an arms embargo, travel bans, and restrictions on uranium enrichment and missile activity, even as Russia and Iran denounced the move as illegitimate. The Rial immediately hit a record low, signaling domestic strain as Israel and the West brace for Iranian retaliation. Read more →
Tehran to ink $25bn deal with Moscow to build nuclear plants in Iran, as sanctions loom
Iran and Russia signed a $25 billion agreement for four nuclear power plants in Sirik, Hormozgan, just hours before UN “snapback” sanctions are set to return. Tehran warned it will cancel IAEA inspection access if the sanctions are reinstated, while Moscow pushes to delay punitive measures. The Times of Israel notes that Israel sees the move as a dangerous escalation: Iran has enriched uranium far beyond peaceful use, obstructed inspections, and publicly tied its nuclear program to its campaign against the Jewish state. Read more →
Report: Talks on Syria-Israel security pact stall over humanitarian corridor demand
A U.S.-brokered Syria–Israel security pact hit a snag after Jerusalem pressed for an aid corridor into Sweida to protect the Druze community; Damascus called it a sovereignty violation. The fallback now under discussion is a narrower de-escalation arrangement that would pause Israeli strikes while restricting Syrian military movements near the border. Ynet/Reuters notes Jerusalem insists on demilitarizing southwestern Syria and safeguarding Druze lives after months of regional escalation. Read more →
‘Too many questions remain’: New Zealand says it will not recognise Palestinian state for now
New Zealand’s foreign minister told the UN that recognition of a Palestinian state is premature while Hamas controls Gaza and no post-war framework exists. Wellington argued that recognition now could harden positions and derail ceasefire efforts, even as allies like Australia, Canada, and Britain moved ahead. The government insists recognition is a matter of “when, not if,” though the opposition blasted the delay as a moral failure. Read more →
Hungarian FM: EU should be smarter than to sanction Israel
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told JNS that Budapest will continue blocking European Union attempts to sanction Israel over its war against Hamas, arguing that sanctions are ineffective and damage Europe more than their targets. Hungary’s stance has frustrated Brussels but prevented punitive measures that require unanimous approval. At the same time, Hungary cultivates ties with Iran and Russia, underscoring its “pro-Hungarian” policy of balancing alliances while resisting EU pressure. Read more →
Hezbollah’s shadow over Lebanon continues to roil country - analysis
Jerusalem Post reports that Hezbollah’s projection of images of its slain leaders onto Beirut’s Raouche Rocks has reignited debate over state sovereignty and deepened Lebanon’s political fractures. The Lebanese government condemned the stunt and promised legal action, while opponents like Samir Geagea praised the response as a rare show of resolve. Yet Hezbollah’s weakened position, Iran’s financial strain, and continuing IDF strikes leave the terror group diminished—able to project symbols, but far less able to project real power. Read more →
Briefly Noted
Globes: Real estate giant Melisron is buying 51% of Rishon LeZion’s Kenyon Hazahav mall from Migdal for NIS 818 million, gaining control of one of Israel’s busiest shopping centers. Read more →
JNS: KLM resumed daily flights to Tel Aviv, with a short stop in Larnaca on the outbound route, joining several international airlines preparing to restore service after June’s war with Iran. Read more →
Times of Israel (AP): The UN Human Rights Office added 68 companies to its nonbinding blacklist targeting business in Judea and Samaria, expanding the name-and-shame database to 158 firms across 11 countries in a bid to pressure Israel and those who work with it. Read more →
JNS: Italy’s president urged Italians on the Global sumud (“steadfastness”) flotilla to abandon the Gaza run and send the cargo via the Latin Patriarchate through Cyprus, but organizers refused—underscoring a provocation aimed at Israel rather than aid delivery, as Jerusalem backed the Church transfer. Read more →
Times of Israel: Zelensky said a Patriot from Israel is already guarding Ukraine, but Jerusalem stresses the system was returned to the U.S. and re-exported, highlighting Israel’s line of bolstering Kyiv’s air defenses without a direct arms transfer that could jeopardize vital deconfliction with Moscow in Syria. Read more →
Jerusalem Post: An opinion essay argues that Egypt’s military buildup in Sinai, weapons smuggling, and rising public hostility risk unraveling the 1979 peace treaty, urging Washington to condition aid on de-escalation and renewed compliance with Camp David. Read more →
Jerusalem Post: Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused Washington of “violating international law” after the US revoked his visa in response to his pro-Palestinian rally outside the UN. Read more →
Ynet: A Palestinian refugee in Spain filed a legal complaint accusing an IDF combat engineer visiting Madrid of genocide and crimes against humanity, citing his Instagram posts from Gaza demolitions. Lawyers admit the odds of arrest are negligible but say the case is meant to “send a message.” Read more →
Ynet: China has deepened hostility toward Israel since October 7—controlling Haifa’s Bay Port, supplying arms to Iran, spreading propaganda, and pressuring Israeli politics—while experts warn Beijing’s influence threatens national security. Read more →
Times of Israel: Tel Aviv University and Ichilov validated a nonverbal eye-tracking memory test that reads gaze anticipation and pupil changes to gauge recall, enabling fast assessments for infants, severe Alzheimer’s patients, and head-injury cases. Read more →
Jerusalem Post: In an opinion piece, Middle East scholar Mordechai Kedar argues that Iran has shifted from fierce opposition to cautious diplomacy on the Zangezur Corridor, rebranding it as a “transport route” and stressing Armenia’s sovereignty. Tehran’s softer tone reflects domestic strain and a desire to avoid another regional confrontation while balancing ties with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, the US, and Russia. Read more →
Jerusalem Post: A female Trump administration HHS official says a woman harassed and followed her into a UN restroom during UNGA while shouting pro-Palestinian insults; NYPD arrested the suspect, a snapshot of the poisonous climate around Israel at the UN. Read more →
Developments to Watch
Hezbollah production site hit – The IDF struck a Hezbollah missile facility in Lebanon’s Bekaa; explosions heard across the Galilee and Golan were Israeli strikes. Hezbollah’s Qassem responded: “We will not give up our weapons.” LIKELY TO ESCALATE.
Iraq militias on alert – Netanyahu warned at the UN that Israel will eliminate Iran-backed militias in Iraq; Baghdad blasted the threat as “crossing red lines,” and militia leaders evacuated sensitive sites and ditched phones. A wider shadow war is brewing. LIKELY TO ESCALATE.
Sinai launchers deployed – Egypt positioned dozens of medium-range missile launchers in Sinai; the direction of aim is obvious even if unspoken.
Houthis fire at IAF – After Israeli strikes in Yemen, the Houthis launched three missiles at Israeli jets; Israel vows more offensives after repeated drone and missile attacks. Red Sea theater remains hot.
Anti-Hamas militias emerging – Multiple local armed groups in Rafah, Khan Yunis, Shuja’iyya, Beit Lahia and the north are challenging Hamas control; Israel appears to be letting them run, even tacitly backing some. Power fragmentation could reshape day-after dynamics.
Microsoft locks 8200 out – Microsoft blocked IDF access over alleged ToS violations tied to surveillance data. Israeli sources say backups and contingencies are in place. Tech platforms are now battlefields; Israel adapts, as it must.
Airport impostors stopped – Thirty-eight Georgian nationals tried to infiltrate via Ben-Gurion by posing as airport staff with fake badges; all were caught and expelled.
Last week ended with Netanyahu insisting Israel is fighting not only for itself but for the free world. His critics hear bombast, his supporters hear defiance. Either way, the choices ahead—on hostages, on Iran, on the Palestinian question—will shape Israel’s security for decades.
Three takeaways.
Momentum in Gaza matters more than applause lines in New York. Gaza City operations and the targeted strike on Arnon Zamora’s killer show persistence, not theatrics. Expect more methodical work against tunnels, cells, and bombmakers.
The outer rings are restless. Hezbollah, Iraqi militias, Houthis, and new anti-Hamas factions inside Gaza create a moving map. Sanctions will squeeze Tehran; proxies will test boundaries.
Politics is a tool, not a religion. Hostage families will not let the government hide behind speeches. If there is a real path to free every hostage, use every lawful coalition available. Save lives now, argue later.
Recommendations: stay alert for hostile calls and report them (for those of you in Israel); support resilience work for evacuees and soldiers’ families; press leaders for clear end-states that protect Israeli security without rewarding murderers.
Shalom!
— Uri Zehavi · Intelligence Editor
With Modi Zehavi · Data + Research Analyst
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