Israel Brief: Thursday, September 25

A new year, same enemies: Drones in Eilat, gunfire from Gaza’s largest hospital, and Iran racing sanctions.

Shana Tovah, friends.

We enter 5786 with both heartbreak and resolve. IDF soldiers have fallen in Gaza, Houthis struck Eilat again, and Hamas fired from inside Al-Shifa Hospital, turning patients into shields. Rockets, drones, and terror attacks have not ceased, because Hamas has chosen to prolong this war.

Yet Israel endures. A strong majority of Israelis back decisive moves to finish the fight and free the hostages. Abroad, the map shifts: Trump’s team advances frameworks for peace, Indonesia signals readiness to join the postwar order, and Europe piles on symbolic and financial pressure. Inside Israel, courts press terror networks, researchers push genetic frontiers, and Jerusalem strains under construction that will eventually transform it into a modern capital par excellence.

At the same time, the battle is not only in Gaza or at the UN. It is also in Washington. Anti-Israel groups are lobbying Congress to weaken support for Israel just as our soldiers fight and hostages remain captive. Your voice matters. Call your representatives today and insist they stand with Israel: callforisrael.org.

Editor’s Note: The Israel Brief runs longer today. We paused to observe Rosh Hashanah, and while Jews gathered in prayer and song, events accelerated on every front. Take the time to read — the year has begun with much at stake.

The War Today

Three drone strikes in two weeks: Iron Dome misses Eilat attack as crowds cheer in Aqaba

Ynet reports that a Houthi drone slammed into Eilat’s Mall HaYam shopping district, wounding about 20 people, including two seriously. Iron Dome interceptors failed to bring it down, and an air force jet held fire because the drone flew at low altitude. It was the third strike on the city in under two weeks, as Jordanians across the water in Aqaba were filmed cheering. Residents were urged to obey Pikud HaOref (Home Front Command) alerts and enter protected rooms when sirens sound. Read more →

Hamas fires on IDF troops from Gaza’s largest hospital as Israeli forces advance

Ynet reports that Hamas opened heavy fire on IDF troops from inside Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility, as Israeli forces pressed deeper into Gaza City under Operation Gideon’s Chariots II. The army released footage of the attack, calling it proof of Hamas’s systematic use of civilian infrastructure as cover, endangering patients and staff. Fighting intensified with airstrikes around Shati camp, while Hamas-run authorities warned Al-Shifa could soon shut down due to lack of fuel. Read more →

Soldier KIA in Gaza, bringing IDF wartime toll to 911

Maj. Shahar Netanel Bozaglo, 27, a company commander in the Armored Corps, was killed in northern Gaza when Hamas fired an RPG at his tank, JNS reports. His death follows last week’s loss of four soldiers in an IED blast, raising the IDF’s wartime toll to 465 since the ground incursion and 911 overall since Oct. 7, 2023. The IDF continues “Operation Gideon’s Chariot II,” striking Hamas cells, compounds, and senior operatives, while Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir marked Rosh Hashanah by calling the soldiers Israel’s “Iron Wall” and vowing the fight will continue until victory and the hostages’ return. Read more →

Israeli forces kill two PIJ terrorists in Samaria

JNS reports that IDF troops operating in Tammun, near Nablus, killed two Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives—Alaa Ga’udat Bani Ouda and Mohammad Qassem Suleiman—who were planning an imminent attack. In a separate clash near Jenin, soldiers shot a terrorist who threw an explosive device. The IDF also uncovered and neutralized a rocket in Tulkarem, highlighting the growing use of heavier weapons in Samaria. Read more →