The IDF killed a Palestinian Authority police officer who shot and wounded a reservist in the West Bank on Thursday, the military announced on Friday evening, while confirming other terrorists had been arrested.The arrests came as part of operational activities across three areas in the Menashe and Samaria Regional Brigades, the military confirmed.In Tell, near Nablus, Yamam forces killed a terrorist who fired at and injured a reserve combat soldier during operational activity on Thursday. The terrorist was later confirmed to be an operative in the Palestinian Authority’s police force.<h3>Palestinian terrorists fire at IDF in West Bank attacks</h3>While carrying out the operational activity, the IDF killed a terrorist who fired at them with a long-range weapon. The military also arrested a terrorist, another member of the Palestinian Authority’s police force, who surrendered during the operation.<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/691255" alt="Weapons used by the terrorist in Nablus (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)"></figure>In Burqin, IDF soldiers guided by the ISA, apprehended a terrorist who fired at them during the activity in the area. Simultaneously, the Yamam forces operated in Far'a to apprehend an additional individual suspected of terror activity.&nbsp;The apprehended terrorists have since been transferred for further questioning by the ISA, all of them are operatives in the Palestinian Police.

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IDF kills Palestinian Authority police officer who shot, wounded soldier

Doctors have been instructed not to participate in the execution of convicted terrorists, under the new death penalty bill, by the Israeli Medical Association &nbsp;(IMA) on Friday.The IMA argued that the participation of doctors in executions is prohibited by professional codes. The IMA explained its stance aligns with the World Medical Association’s guidance, in particular the Tokyo Declaration, which expressly forbids physicians from participating in torture, or cruel, inhuman, or degrading procedures."Without going into the substance of the action, we must clarify that the position of the Medical Association's Ethics Bureau, which we presented to the committee, prohibits any participation by doctors in determining or carrying out the death penalty," said Dr. Yossi Walfish, chairman of the Ethics Bureau.Dr. Alberto Olchovsky, from the Israel Medical Association, claimed last week that "the World Medical Organization states that the participation of doctors in executions is ethically unacceptable at every stage, both in preparation and in consultation, and it is forbidden to use our knowledge for purposes that do not promote health and well-being."Despite the ISA’s assertion, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed he new doctors who would volunteer to execute the convicted terrorists.&nbsp;<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/690930" alt=" National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attends a Knesset committee meeting on advancing the death penalty for terrorists bill, November 19, 2025. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)"></figure>The ethical ramifications of the bill have sparked clashes in the Knesset and caused a significant reaction by MK Gilad Kariv (The Democrats), who was removed from a debate earlier this week.“A state does not operate according to feelings of revenge. You are asking to turn us into a pariah state that spits on Jewish morality. This is a racist law proposed by a racist, fanatical group that disgraces Zionism, Judaism, and the State of Israel,” Kariv said.While still subject to debates in the Knesset, the current legislative outline would see the Israel Prison Service carry out the execution by means of lethal injection within 90 days of the court’s final verdict. Under this plan, rights of appeal and commutations would be limited.<h3>Post-October 7 push to execute terrorists</h3>There has been a greater push to see terrorists executed following Hamas’s October 7 massacre and the prisoner-hostage exchanges that followed. Sinwar was serving four life sentences for the abduction and murder of two IDF soldiers at the Nafha Prison.October 7 mastermind and deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was released as part of the 2011 exchange that saw some 1,000 terrorists released in exchange for Gilad Shalit.Years before his release from Israeli prison, in 2004, Sinwar’s life was saved by an Israeli doctor who discovered he had a brain tumor. He survived as he was immediately transferred to the hospital for surgery.Dr. Yuval Bitton, who treated Sinwar at the prison clinic and facilitated his medical transfer, had known the terror leader since 1996.&nbsp;“When he explained to me what was happening to him, I diagnosed it as a stroke, and together with the general practitioner, we decided to take him to the hospital,” Bitton told CNN in 2024. “He arrived at the hospital, the diagnosis was that he had an abscess in the brain, and he was operated on that day, thus saving his life – because if it had exploded, he would have died.”&nbsp;“He also told me that on the day he was released in Shalit’s deal in 2011, he owed me his life, and one day, he will repay it,” he added.Bitton’s nephew was one of the more than 1200 murdered during the Hamas invasion planned by Sinwar.Keshet Neev contributed to this report.

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Doctors instructed not to participate in executing terrorists by Israeli Medical Association

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar pauses for a moment before answering the first question of this interview. Not out of caution – though he has had enough of that this year – but because the year he is being asked to summarize refuses to be condensed. The past 12 months in Israeli diplomacy have been, by all accounts, among the most turbulent since the Second Intifada. Yet Sa’ar speaks calmly, without dramatics, as he reflects on a year he describes as “relentless, high-stakes, and defining.”We meet him in his Jerusalem office, when, at the beginning of the meeting, his aide shows him a tweet on X/Twitter: “Breaking news – Germany will lift its partial arms embargo on Israel.”&nbsp;“We worked on it for months,” he tells the Magazine. “This is an example of the war Israel is in the last year – in the diplomatic sphere.”&nbsp;There were many dramatic moments, Sa’ar says, but the most dramatic were those hours after the June 12 decision to strike Iran at the start of what would become the Israel-Iran War. “We were waiting for the results of the first strike, knowing what failure or success would mean not only militarily but diplomatically.”This juxtaposition – military events that reshape diplomatic landscapes – has been the defining theme of his tenure. Another dramatic moment Sa’ar mentions is a diplomatic fight that took place not in the Middle East but in Brussels. “Stopping European Union sanctions was far more difficult than the public knows. We were closer to sanctions than anyone in Israel realizes,” he says.<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/689916" alt="Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar met with MEP Hildegard Bentele and the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Israel. (credit: The office of MEP Hildegard Bentele)"></figure>Sa’ar explains that the internal dynamics inside the European Union are not well understood by the Israeli public. The “pro-Palestinian reflex” of certain Western European states is longstanding, almost institutional. But Central and Eastern European states – like Germany, the Balkan states, Czechia, Hungary, and even Italy and Austria – form the counterweight that has allowed Israel to prevent deeper isolation. “The entire backbone of Eastern Europe – starting in the south with the Balkan countries and ending in the north with the Baltic states – is friendly toward Israel and is less obsessed with the Palestinian issue than certain countries in Western Europe. Therefore, you must shift the center of gravity there.”This understanding guided one of Sa’ar’s boldest decisions: repositioning Israel’s diplomatic center. As a result, Israel closed its embassy in Ireland but opened new missions in Estonia and Moldova, and even in Zambia, in southeastern Africa. “You cannot operate with a map from the past. Europe has changed. Global politics have shifted. We must shift as well,” he says.<h3>A Palestinian state</h3>The interview with the foreign minister is taking place the same week that the UN Security Council voted on the draft resolution on the multinational force (International Stabilization Force) to be deployed to Gaza. The resolution includes the phrase “a pathway toward a Palestinian state” – a concept opposed by the governing coalition and by many in the opposition: “There will be no Palestinian state,” he says.“Clearly, this isn’t a success,” Sa’ar says, referring to the fact that quite a few countries have recognized a Palestinian state over the past year. “But our influence over the governments of Britain, Canada, or France is negligible.”&nbsp;He says the public knows which countries chose to recognize a Palestinian state but is unaware of the states he and the Foreign Ministry managed to persuade not to do so. “In countries like Germany, Croatia, the Baltic states, Italy, and elsewhere in Europe – as well as Japan, Singapore, and South Korea – we fought a very difficult battle, and we avoided a diplomatic collapse. With the diplomatic raw material we had, we managed to wage a very effective containment effort.”Sa’ar notes critically that even in previous rounds, “waves” of international recognition for a Palestinian state came after the First and Second Intifada. “Every time there is a wave of violence, it pays off politically,” he notes.Regarding the question of whether Israel will now face pressure – after the end of the Gaza war – to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority over the West Bank as well, the minister says clearly that at the moment, Israel is not under significant pressure. “Following my meetings in Washington, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on PA Chairman [Mahmoud] Abbas and other senior Palestinian officials, preventing them from attending the UN General Assembly in September. Pressure on the issue of payments to terrorists is also increasing. Abbas was forced to dismiss his finance minister over the matter of salaries for terrorists. The world accused him of misleading them.”<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/690924" alt="Palestinians walk among piles of rubble and damaged buildings, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the northern Gaza Strip November 19, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa)"></figure><h3>Gaza</h3>“If Hamas does not disarm, the United States will support renewed military action,” the minister explains. Therefore, he says, contrary to Israel’s instinct to treat every Hamas violation as grounds for immediately breaking the ceasefire, Israel must give this process a chance. “Israel has to show that it gave the Trump plan a real opportunity – to convince the world that we are trying to achieve the war’s objectives first through diplomatic means. If that fails, we can act militarily and with much stronger international legitimacy. That is Israel’s clear strategic interest right now.”Sa’ar admits he is skeptical that Hamas can be disarmed through diplomacy. “We see how the Lebanese government is struggling to do this with Hezbollah. But in the end, we must show the world that we are giving this a chance.”&nbsp;The US does not make decisions in Gaza on Israel’s behalf, he emphasizes. “We have responded – and will respond – firmly when there are violations. But right now, maintaining the ceasefire is in Israel’s interest. I’ll remind you that the Israeli government once defined the goals for ending the war, and they were reflected in the Trump plan.”<h3>Violence by extremists in the West Bank</h3>“We simply cannot accept this,” Sa’ar says unequivocally when asked about recent violence by Jewish extremists in the West Bank. “Beyond the fact that we cannot tolerate violence against soldiers or civilians, it causes enormous damage to the entire settlement enterprise.”However, he criticizes the European Union, saying it is exaggerating the number of incidents. “The EU has a preconceived narrative; it wants a Palestinian state. There is also an attempt to ‘create new issues’ now that the Gaza topic has faded somewhat with the ceasefire.”<h3>Abraham Accords and Turkey</h3>“I want to tell you something interesting,” Sa’ar says. “During the two years of the war, trade between Israel and the UAE did not decline – it actually increased.” He describes the Emiratis’ desire to maintain normalcy even after Oct 7. “They kept airline flights operating as usual. I visited there publicly twice during the war.”Now, after the ceasefire, the foreign minister says that other Abraham Accords countries are slowly returning to public engagement with Israel. “Morocco is renewing flights; Bahrain is sending an ambassador. I hope we will soon see a call or meeting between Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and Egyptian President [Abdel Fattah] al-Sisi. It’s a gradual warming – everyone is watching Gaza to see if the ceasefire holds.“In the end,” the minister says, “despite the images from Gaza and despite public opinion in the Arab world, not a single country that signed a peace agreement with Israel cut diplomatic ties. That is worth noting. For them, too, the relationship is important.” Sa’ar says he believes that eventually more countries will join the accords, but “it requires patience and distance from the Gaza situation.”According to Sa’ar, there is one country in the region, with which Israel has diplomatic relations, where it is hard to envision improvement: Turkey. “Just a few days ago, Turkey issued arrest warrants for the prime minister, the defense minister, and IDF generals. It is a country with an anti-Israel policy. They will not be part of the multinational force in Gaza – Israel will not change its position.”Sa’ar also reveals that Israel expressed opposition in talks with senior US officials to the possibility of an F-35 fighter jet sale to Turkey. “I think our American friends understand the difficulties such a deal would pose.”Regarding the US administration’s desire to advance F-35 deals with other regional states – including Saudi Arabia – Sa’ar says Israel can explain the importance of its aerial superiority, but there is a limit to what Israel can block. “We can influence up to a certain point. The situation is not as some claim, with antisemitic undertones – that Israel controls the US. President [Donald] Trump has his own interests, and there are issues where our perspectives differ.”<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/690035" alt="An Iranian cleric visits the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Museum in Tehran, Iran, November 12, 2025. (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)"></figure><h3>Iran</h3>In recent months, satellite images and reports have shown Iran working to rebuild its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. “They are acting to restore the program, and even now they can produce ballistic missiles to some extent – but clearly not at the scale they once did, nor at what they intended.” Sa’ar acknowledges that Israel has no illusions that the Iranian threat will disappear – but at the moment, Israel does not intend to strike Iran.At the end of the interview, Sa’ar discusses “the year after the ceasefire.” “We must respond to global public opinion and the criticism directed at Israel. It’s a very difficult battle.”aHe reveals that ahead of the budget discussions, he already knows where he wants to open new embassies. “In the end, the world understands Israel’s values and its importance – and it seeks closer ties.” &nbsp;■

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As war reshapes Middle East, FM Gideon Sa'ar bets on Israel's new diplomatic center of gravity

The IDF killed 13 Hamas terrorists in an airstrike on southern Lebanon on Tuesday, the IDF announced on Friday afternoon.&nbsp;The terrorists were killed in a precise strike targeting a Hamas training compound in Ain al-Hilweh, the military stated.Among the terrorists killed was Jawad Sidawi, who the military stated was involved in training terrorists in order to carry out terror attacks from Lebanese territory against IDF troops and the State of Israel.The IDF noted that Lebanon has yet to disarm Palestinian factions in the country, despite their pledge to do so.Despite the denials of Hamas, the training facility is clear proof of the organization’s attempts to establish itself in Lebanon, the military claimed.This is a developing story.

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Fighting terrorists on the northern front: IDF strikes Hamas training compound in southern Lebanon

Israel’s most recent soccer national team campaign came to an end this week with a dominant 4-1 win over Moldova. Over the course of the eight 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the blue-and-white earned a respectable record of four wins and four losses with no draws, good for 12 points and third place in Group I.Those results, however, were not good enough to avoid being eliminated from contention.Norway finished in first place with a perfect 32 points and a ticket to the big show in North America this coming summer, while Italy came in second and will feature in the Play-off round.Head coach Ran Ben Shimon promised a much more dynamic squad with entertaining play, and in a sense, he delivered on that goal. However, by playing a more wide-open style, Israel also conceded 2.5 goals per game, which was the most since its first-ever European campaign in the early 1990s.The 5-0 loss to Norway in October was no question a difficult defeat to digest, so there’s no question that Israel’s defense will need to improve should it hope to punch its ticket to the 2028 European Championship that will be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/685297" alt="Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - Israel Training - Bluenergy Stadium, Udine, Italy - October 13, 2025 Israel's Manor Solomon during training (credit: Matteo Ciambelli/Reuters)"></figure>The bench boss is well aware of both his side’s positives and negatives as he went back to sum up the entire campaign by beginning to look back at the win over Moldova to end on a sweet note.“If you take care of yourself and don’t let the opponent control the game, you’ll eventually find a way to score,” noted Ben Shimon. “This is a very important win as we really wanted to win and finish the campaign on a good note. It was important that we look good, move the ball, and press. I think that in a match where the result isn’t critical, the players still managed to maintain amazing seriousness.”The 54-year-old coach didn’t shy away from accountability.<h3>The harshest criticism we hear is the criticism we direct at ourselves</h3>“The harshest criticism we’ll hear is the criticism we direct at ourselves. We have a goal, and we know and will know how to reach it. I’m very proud of the players, of their approach. You come into the matches against Lithuania and Moldova, games that seemed less critical, with the most serious and committed attitude, and for a moment it felt to me like it was our most important match,” he added.One of the highlights of the campaign was, without a doubt, the crazy game against Italy that saw nine goals scored between the two squads. Giacomo Raspadori gave the Azzurri a 4-2 lead in the 81st minute, but then Alessandro Bastoni scored an own-goal to make it 4-3.With Israel pressing and fans on the edge of their seats, Dor Peretz astonishingly drew Israel even at 4-4 as he beat all-world ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Unfortunately, those incredible moments of ecstasy lasted all of a minute, when Sandro Tonali scored an unforgettable strike to give the Italians the victory.“The 5–4 match against Italy was a very impressive performance by us,” said Ben Shimon. “We lost because of small mistakes; we were no worse than they were. The next step is to win these kinds of games, games in which we’re actually better. We’ve gotten closer to those teams ahead of us and moved further away from those below us. The team has improved and we need to keep improving, but not get carried away.“Ben Shimon especially commented on the national pride associated with the side.“This is a very genuine national team. I feel the crowd in Israel as I go around the country and many people feel connected to the team. There’s a good vibe around the national team. Home matches will help us a lot in the future. I have a mission, I’m focused on it and I don’t allow background noise to get in or negative energy from the outside. We need to maintain quiet inside our camp and carry out a process that I hope will be good and lead to results.”The bench boss preached unity and that the team is not an individual here or an individual there but a collective unit.“I don’t believe there’s one person or one player or one chairman who will lead us to achievement. There are amazing teams here and each one has its importance. We need to move forward together – sometimes it’s slower, but it’s a safer way to reach our goal. We will be in a major tournament, I have no doubt about that.”There were a number of players who had impressive campaigns, including Manor Solomon, Dan Bitton, as well as both Dor Peretz and Eliel Peretz, but Ben Shimon didn’t want to single out an individual player but rather the team as a whole, including all of the staff and players.“I’m the biggest believer in this national tea,m and I’m sure we’ll reach a major tournament. We need to be like a team and maintain that, because only then can we achieve great things.”See more Israeli sports coverage at www.sportsrabbi.com/en

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‘We’ll reach a major tournament’: Coach confident despite Israel's exit from World Cup qualifiers

Students at the Max Fein Vocational High School in Tel Aviv are used to overcoming challenges.The school has long been known as a place where students who have fallen through the cracks in Israel’s state educational system, whether due to trauma, family problems, mental health struggles or socioeconomic hardship, get an opportunity to rewrite their life trajectories.Children come from diverse backgrounds, including immigrants, refugees, and students who dropped out or were expelled from their previous schools.But when the school was damaged by Iranian missile strikes during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, it brought a new kind of hardship.“In the heart of Tel Aviv, where missiles have fallen and protests flood the streets, our students are fighting personal battles just as fierce,” Ofir Levy, the school principal, who spent 10 months in military combat reserve duty since Oct. 7, 2023, said at the time.<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/691175" alt="In December 2024, 11th graders at the Max Fein school in Tel Aviv launched a campaign protesting the world’s silence in the face of the sexual violence committed against Israeli women on Oct. 7. (credit: Courtesy of Amal)"></figure>“They have been amazing about it. Because this school is more than a classroom. It’s a home, a sanctuary and a second chance.”<h3>Max Fein: A home, sanctuary, and second chance in Tel Aviv</h3>Israel’s longest-ever war may be at its end, but two years of conflict have left their mark on Max Fein.Like others in Israel, students had to deal with personal losses, including relatives killed in the war, and frequent air raid sirens. The school came under particularly heavy fire during the Iran-Israel war because it’s located right next to Israel’s military headquarters in Tel Aviv.And the prolonged absence of Levy, an IDF company commander, left the school without its leader during one of the most turbulent periods in its history.Now the school is using these challenges as an opportunity for renewal, renovating rocket-damaged areas into new creative spaces, including building a podcast and music recording studio as well as a long-awaited gym.In this sense, the Max Fein school is a mirror of Israeli society: It took a hit, but thanks to the strength of its community, it’s bouncing back and rebuilding.In November, the school inaugurated the MaxFun Center, a new space for conferences, arts and sports meant to foster creativity, culture and resilience. The center is currently hosting an exhibition of artworks by graduates that reflect the school’s role as a home and creative sanctuary for students from diverse and often challenging backgrounds.During the war, students said that having their principal in uniform, facing the same dangers as their brothers, cousins, and neighbours, brought both anxiety and pride.When Levy returned between military deployments, he reminded students that resilience was not just a lesson in their textbooks but something lived together in classrooms, bomb shelters and the front lines.Even during missile attacks, classes moved into bomb shelters and lessons continued, turning war-related disruptions into moments of strength. When the school was struck by Iranian missiles, the building was empty because all schools in Israel were closed at the time due to the war.“When the missiles hit, it was terrifying to think what could have happened if students had been inside,” Levy said.“We walked through the rubble of a classroom that, in normal times, would have been full of teenagers. The fact that the building was empty saved lives, but it also reminded us just how fragile normalcy is. For our community, it was a wake-up call that education here is always under fire, literally, and yet that makes our mission all the more urgent.”Max Fein aims to be an oasis of sorts for its 160 students, including both high school and a two-year post-high school track with courses in vocational subjects like electrical engineering, mechanics, sound production and fashion design. At Max Fein, students spend two days a week working and three in class.The school is part of Amal, a national network of 50 schools focused on populations at the periphery of Israeli society: the disadvantaged, immigrants, Arabs, haredim and others.Traditionally positioned as a network of vocational schools, Amal has focused in recent years on helping heal Israel’s societal rifts and strengthening democratic values among its more than 3,000 teachers and 26,000 students. In addition to receiving state funding, Amal relies on support from the private sector and Jewish communities worldwide.“These are not easy times in Israel,” said Amal’s director general, Karen Tal, an award-winning educator.“Schools like Max Fein show us what’s possible: that we can be inclusive, that we can be strong, that we can build a better society, student by student. We are creating a new blueprint for Israel: one rooted in compassion, shared responsibility, and a belief that every child, no matter where they come from, deserves the tools to shape the future.”Today, Amal is Israel’s most diverse high school network, both geographically and demographically, as well as in the types of schools it operates. As Amal approaches its 100th anniversary year in 2028, it’s aiming also to be a top-tier network for civics and science-technology education.At Max Fein, vocational programs in electrical engineering, carpentry, and culinary arts are tied directly to workplace apprenticeships.The school’s annual fashion show is both a creative and emotional outlet. When student Tamar Idan designed a garment in tribute to Liri Albag, a young Israeli taken hostage on Oct. 7 and later released, Idan wrote.“Liri radiates inner strength and courage. I chose the pansy flower to represent her: small but striking, able to bloom in hard conditions. It symbolizes both sensitivity and resilience, just like her.”Last December, 11th graders launched a campaign protesting the world’s silence in the face of the sexual violence committed against Israeli women on Oct. 7, designing Barbie-themed posters and outfits.“We wanted to give a voice to women who could no longer speak for themselves,” one student explained. “Fashion was our way of shouting back and saying that silence is unforgivable.”Shir Bachar, who leads the school’s fashion design track, said, “We live and teach in the thick of it. Our students absorb everything: politics, war, anxiety, and confusion. And yet, somehow, they show up. That presence and togetherness are what get us through.”The school is deeply embedded in the local community. Local high-tech companies donate time and materials to the school, and local law firms offer pro bono classes.One of the Amal network’s guiding principles is closing educational gaps between disadvantaged students and Israel’s privileged.“These are students who have been rejected by the system,” Levy said. “At Max Fein, they’re not only welcomed. They’re celebrated.”

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At Tel Aviv school of last resort, missile damage from war bring challenges, opportunities

Marwan al-Hams, a senior official in the Hamas-run Health Ministry who was arrested in July, knew where the remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin were being held, the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) confirmed Thursday night."Hams was involved in the determination of Lt. Hadar Goldin's death," the statement explained, " and was suspected of knowing the location of his burial in the 'White-Crowned' tunnel in Rafah."The apprehension operation was part of dozens of confidential operations conducted in the past six months and was part of a broader effort by the IDF and Shin Bet to retrieve Lt. Hadar Goldin and return him for burial in Israel."&nbsp;Goldin's remains were returned by Hamas to Israel with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as an intermediary earlier this month as part of US President Donald Trump's Gaza deal.Among the soldiers in the honor guard receiving Goldin’s coffin were reservists who served alongside him in 2014, the military confirmed.&nbsp;<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/689166" alt="IDF honor guard stands over the coffin of Lt. Hadar Goldin after his return from 11 years of captivity in Gaza, November 9, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)"></figure><h3>IDF detains Marwan al-Hams outside Rafah field hospital</h3>Hams was detained by Israeli security forces outside of an ICRC field hospital in the southern Gaza Strip in July. Gaza's Health Ministry released a statement shortly after, claiming an Israeli force had “abducted” him after opening fire, killing one person and wounding another civilian nearby.At the time, multiple IDF sources declined to address the reports.&nbsp;A spokesman for the ICRC told WT in July that some of its personnel had witnessed the arrest and the shootings and had provided medical care to some of those shot afterward.However, the ICRC did not have more specific information about Hams before and after the incident.Yonah Jeremy Bob and James Genn contributed to this report.

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Detained Hamas terrorist knew where Hadar Goldin's remains held - IDF, Shin Bet

Former Gaza hostages Gali and Ziv Berman of Kibbutz Kfar Aza will present US President Donald Trump with the mezuzah that survived the fire in their home during a visit to Washington, DC, the Hostage Families Forum stated on Thursday.According to the forum and the Berman family, the twins recently returned to their burned-down house in Kfar Aza. They recovered the original mezuzah from Gali’s bedroom door and intend to gift it to Trump in gratitude for efforts that aided their release.“We came to say thank you to the president of the United States for the many actions he took for our release," the Berman twins said in a statement.<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/691149" alt="Former Gaza hostages Gali and Ziv Berman of Kibbutz Kfar will present US President Donald Trump with the mezuzah that survived the fire in their Kfar Aza home. (credit: ZIV KOREN)"></figure>"At the same time, the mission is not finished. There are three fallen hostages whose bodies are still held in Gaza. Until everyone returns, we cannot begin to heal as a society and a nation.”<h3>Berman twins held by Hamas for over two years</h3>Gali and Ziv Berman were abducted from Kfar Aza during the Oct. 7 massacre and spent more than two years in captivity before their release in October 2025.&nbsp;Kfar Aza was among the hardest-hit communities in the October 7 massacre, suffering heavy loss of life and widespread destruction. Residents and leaders have continued to commemorate victims and press for accountability as they rebuild.&nbsp;

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Gali, Ziv Berman to gift Trump mezuzah from destroyed Kfar Aza home

For the first time since the Russian invasion to Ukraine in 2022, a senior Ukrainian official at the level of a minister will arrive in Israel at the head of a delegation aimed at advancing economic cooperation.Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister responsible for European integration and trade, will head a delegation to Israel in two weeks to hold discussions as part of the Joint Ukrainian-Israeli Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation – meetings that have not taken place since 2021.“We are planning the delegation to be led by the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European integration and trade, and this is a very important event for us. I very much hope it will be successful,” Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, told the Post.On the Israeli side, Ze'ev Elkin, a minister in the Finance Ministry, will head the talks. “We will discuss issues that can bring immediate, positive results to relations between the two countries – such as agriculture, the economy, and AI technologies. I’m looking forward to the meetings.”In 2024, trade volume between Israel and Ukraine rose sharply – by about 65% compared to 2023 – reaching nearly 1 billion USD.&nbsp;<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/658939" alt="Ukrainian police officers seen in the frontline town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk, Ukraine, April 12, 2025 (credit: REUTERS/ANATOLII STEPANOV)"></figure><h3>Ukraine, Israel move to expand economic cooperation</h3>The ambassador said he hopes the meetings will elevate Israel–Ukraine cooperation to a new level and further increase bilateral trade. He added that he believes the majority of Israelis support Ukraine.“People understand who the aggressor is and who the victim is,” he said.Korniychuk told the Post that during the delegation’s visit, a monument commemorating the Holodomor – the 1932–1933 famine in Ukraine that killed millions and is widely attributed to Soviet policies – will be inaugurated in Jerusalem.“It’s a major monument honoring the great famine in Ukraine that took the lives of 6 million Ukrainians, including several hundred thousand Jews. It is something very important for us – and important to remember.”

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Senior Ukrainian minister to visit Israel as countries renew economic cooperation talks

The around 130 foreign military officials visiting IDF installations and receiving classified briefings about IDF tactics can become "ambassadors" on behalf of Israel in their home countries, IDF Commander Training OC Col. "A" told WT on Thursday.Although the basic goal of this week's visit by foreign military officials from the US, Canada, England, France, Germany, India, Morocco, Finland, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Estonia, Japan, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia is to share with them military tactics and technologies which could be useful for them to employ, there is a not-so-secret goal also of increasing foreign militaries' understanding of Israel's narrative and tactics regarding its multi-front war.'A' said that the foreign military officials have been impressed by the IDF's presentations and discussed incorporating its tactics."There is no question that this is a major achievement. They will go back to their country having seen how we fought. They can now pass on the details: how Gaza looks, what happened at the Nova music festival, and how the IDF conducted its invasion within an urban area, as well as the challenges of evacuating civilians."&nbsp;He said that the officials have complimented the IDF's "use of precise warfare to maximize only striking those who do not need to be struck."<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/691152" alt="Foreign military officials visit IDF installations and receiving classified briefings, taken November 2025 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)"></figure>Continuing, he stated that many of the visiting officers were "combat officers who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, so they understand the complexities and when they see what we did, they say they will learn from this for urban warfare. This is a professional approach and understanding the complexities of still needing to win despite the urban and tunnel-related challenges."There are some differences between foreign military officials' experience and current challenges versus those being faced by Israel.<h3>Israel's challenges can help prepare Europe for Russia rendezvous </h3>When the Post, embedded with the foreign military officials and the IDF on Tuesday, many officials talked about turning back the clock to emphasizing large scale army, maneuvers and tactics in case Russia ever invaded deeper into Europe, as opposed to only invading Ukraine.'A' agreed, saying that ever military must prepare for their own unique threat scenarios, whether the US, Germany, or other nations."They need to build their own forces and to ask what aspects of the conflict are similar and what are different: the distance factor , the use of drones. Israel used drones and technology well against Hamas. Hamas also used technology against us. They [foreign officials] need to take what they can and apply it to their situations, since urban warfare is unique."Still, 'A' said that anyone who faces tunnel warfare must face "similar dilemmas, must evaluate what the obstacles are, who the enemy is, and then develop a strategy."Pressed that it may be harder for some foreign officials who face less terrorism than Israel to understand the Jewish state's challenges, 'A' said that this trip will help them understand that Israel can't exist without fully defending itself from "terror groups which are mini militaries and which build deep sources of weaponry and capabilities, such as with Hamas and Hezbollah," who are on Israel's border and "whose whole purpose is to destroy the State of Israel."Rather, he stated, "the IDF must deal with it, which is very different from a legitimate state building an army for defense purposes and to help maintain control of its territory."<h3>Morocco's participation in visits to IDF bases an 'advantage'</h3>In addition, 'A' discussed the participation of Morocco, a member of the Abraham Accords agreement with Israel, noting, "these are very important relations. Any country which wants peaceful relations will be invited to be a friend, but building relations beyond peace, a serious partnership, this is an advantage - it helps them and it helps us."'A' said that the program for this week has been worked on by himself and other officials for months, including gathering the lessons of October 7 itself as well as from the war after October 7.&nbsp;

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Foreign military officials can become Israel's ambassadors, senior IDF commander tells 'Post'

Bus 78, packed with young Ethiopian Jews, fills with excited chatter as countless Jerusalemites make their way to Tayelet Haas Promenade’s annual Sigd festivities.&nbsp;Ethiopian Jews celebrate Sigd, one of the biggest holidays in Ethiopian Jewish culture 50 days after Yom Kippur, commemorating the renewal of the covenant between God and the Jewish people and the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses by God.&nbsp;According to their tradition, Ethiopian Jews, also known as Beta Israel (literally “house of Israel”), descend from emigrants from the Land of Israel during the times of King Solomon.&nbsp;<h3>Beta Israel developed their own traditions in isolation</h3>Living in isolation and forming their own stream of Judaism, the community had little contact with or knowledge of the rest of the Jewish world until the late 19th century.&nbsp;As a result of their early divergence from the main Jewish world, the Beta Israel developed its own traditions and holidays, including Sigd.&nbsp;<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/691106" alt="Ethiopian Jews take part in Sigd celebrations, November 2025 (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)"></figure>On Sigd, declared a national holiday in Israel in 2008, some members of the Ethiopian Jewish community fast and recite tehillim. Countless members of the community from all across Israel gather in Jerusalem where Kessim (the priestly class) read from their sacred text, the Orita.As well as celebrating the religious importance, the events of the day included an appearance from recently released hostage, Avera Mengistu, and a manifestation raising awareness for Haymanut Kasau, a young Ethiopian girl who disappeared in early 2024.&nbsp;<h3>Attendees to Sigd explain its significance</h3>Yonatan from Toronto, attending Sigd with his Israeli cousins, told WT that the purpose of Sigd is to replicate the experience of ascension, or finding, literally, the highest peak in the area.He explained that to many, the holiday is “just about finding time to be with friends and family.” “It's less about the religiousness of the holiday and a little more about the spirituality and remembering our historical journey back to Israel,” he continued.&nbsp;<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/691107" alt="Ethiopian Jews take part in Sigd celebrations, November 2025 (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)"></figure>He also noted that Sigd is a time to honor the memory of the thousands of Ethiopian Jews who died on the way to Israel.&nbsp;Many others echoed that same appreciation for how the event brought their community together.&nbsp;Natanel, a young man from Holon, said that “his favorite tradition about Sigd was just being together as a group” and that the event was instrumental in “getting [the community] to remember where they came from.”Others emphasized the religious significance of the event and its impact on many Ethiopian Jews’ connection to God. Selam, a yearly attendee, said that while celebrating she can “feel the presence of God,” explaining the holiday as a way to renew ones’ connection to God.The significance of the holiday leads many Ethiopian Jews to urge others to recognize the importance and value of Sigd to the Jewish people on a global scale.&nbsp;As Yonatan put it, “Diaspora Jews should do a lot, lot more to celebrate Sigd."&nbsp;

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Sigd celebrations bring thousands of Ethiopian Israelis to Jerusalem

The IDF on Thursday revealed the full underground terror network under the northern Gaza city of Beit Hanun.According to the IDF, "The city of Beit Hanun is a central Hamas terror stronghold in Gaza...Beneath civilian homes, Hamas built an extensive tunnel network."Next, the IDF stated that, "Above ground: Thousands of structures served as weapons storage facilities, firing positions, and command centers for terrorists. Additionally, armed terrorists operated from inside an elementary school, and beneath it, a tunnel shaft led to an underground tunnel."<h3>Beit Hanun was almost entirely destroyed during multiple rounds of fighting.&nbsp;</h3>By July, the last traces of Hamas's forces in Beit Hanun had been killed or surrendered, and almost the entire city had been destroyed during the multiple rounds of fighting there dating back to October 2023.During a visit to a secret IDF position nearby with a view of Beit Hanun, dubbed "Israela," WT saw the full extent of the destruction, and aspects of the tunnel warfare and tactics were described to the Post from the position's strategic overview lookout point.<figure><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/642083" alt=" Soldiers from the IDF's Nahal Brigade dismantle Hamas tunnels in Beit Hanun, Gaza Strip, Janury 3 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)"></figure>The position was designed both to project power forward and to serve as an additional forward defense line to prevent any potential invasion from reaching residential Israel.The position, along with two other nearby positions, gave a unique strategic high ground view of Beit Hanun, Beit Lahiya, Jabalia, and, in the distance, Gaza City.At a professional military level, IDF Lt. Col. (res.) Battalion 969 Commander "T" told the Post in July that he was proud of the hard work that his unit had invested in building the new position and is focused on still taking the fight to Hamas terrorists in Beit Hanun in northern Gaza.Battalion 969 is part of the northern Gaza brigade and Division 99, led by Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram.T had declined any terminology of defining the position as part of an anticipated Israeli perimeter following an IDF withdrawal from deeper parts of Gaza, expressing the hope that the political echelon would support his battalion holding the position for the foreseeable future.It was unclear why the IDF was revealing its findings regarding Beit Hanun in mid-November, six weeks after the war seemed to have ended.It was possible that the new revelation was part of efforts to rally world public opinion behind moves to disarm Hamas in the future.

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IDF uncovers Hamas' massive underground terror city under Gaza's Beit Hanun