Deal with Hamas Denounced

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16021027/Israeli-minister-Hamas-disarmament-Trump-massacre-Hamas.html

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-904244

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-904255

Israeli minister calls Hamas disarming deal 'tantamount to agreeing to the next massacre'

A conservative Israeli politician has denounced a deal by Hamas to hand over its weapons in return for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza as 'unacceptable'. 

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said the agreement was 'tantamount to agreeing to Hamas organising for the next massacre'.

Hamas said on Friday that it would not disarm prior to the withdrawal of the IDF forces

Conservative Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir said the latest deal was 'unacceptable'

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16021027/Israeli-minister-Hamas-disarmament-Trump-massacre-Hamas.html

A diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post that the IDF will not withdraw from its current Yellow Line position in Gaza prior to Hamas's full disarmament.

Former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot warned that the government would be “leaving Hamas in power” under the new framework from the Board of Peace (BoP) for implementing US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan.

“The State of Israel must not accept a reality in which Hamas survives, rearms, and waits for the opportunity to carry out the next massacre!”

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett also responded to the BoP’s Gaza proposal, saying Qatar has “seized command” in the Gaza Strip.

“Hamas is growing stronger rapidly. We must not allow agreements to be signed over our heads."

He added that Hamas must not be allowed to “store the weapons in warehouses when the keys are handed over to Qatar.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote that the BoP Gaza agreement is “not acceptable to Israel.”

Ben-Gvir described the proposed ceasefire as “tantamount to consenting to Hamas regrouping toward the next massacre.” 

A diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post that the IDF will not withdraw from its current Yellow Line position in Gaza prior to Hamas's full disarmament.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-904244

Gaza border leaders furious, oppose planned security force cuts

Leaders from Sderot and surrounding councils warned that reducing security personnel or readiness could come at a heavy cost for residents.

Local authority leaders in southern Israel expressed anger over plans to reduce the number of troops deployed in the Gaza border communities.

They warned that the proposed move would directly undermine residents’ security.

“The security of Gaza border residents is not an area for budget cuts,” they said. “The lessons of October 7 are not learned through declarations, but by maintaining the first line of defense for the Gaza border communities.”

Local leaders demand an immediate halt to cuts affecting civilian security teams

In the letter, the local authority heads and the Future for the Gaza Border Communities movement demanded an immediate halt to any cuts affecting civilian security squads and other security resources.

They also called for local authority leaders to be consulted before any changes are made to the civilian security system and demanded long-term stability for the civilian security squads through permanent funding and planning.

Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi said, “The lessons of October 7 require us to strengthen the first line of defense for the Gaza border communities, not weaken it.”

Davidi emphasized the importance of the local defense units, saying, “The civilian security squads are an essential security component that saves lives, and any harm to their preparedness or decisions made without discussions with the local authorities is a mistake that could come at a heavy cost.”

He added, “The security of Gaza border residents cannot be subject to budget cuts or unilateral decisions.”

Davidi then called for the proposed cuts to be halted.

“We demand that the move be halted, that genuine dialogue be held with the local authorities, and that every community be provided with all the tools needed to protect its residents at all times.”

October 7 showed that civilian security teams are essential for community safety

Ohad Cohen, CEO of the Future for the Gaza Border Communities movement, echoed Davidi’s concerns.

“The main lesson of October 7 is that the first line of defense for the Gaza border communities must not be weakened,” Cohen said.

He stressed the role played by local security personnel, saying, “The civilian security squads and community security coordinators have proven that they save lives, and therefore any reduction in their personnel or preparedness is a mistaken and dangerous step.”

Cohen concluded by urging the defense minister to reverse the planned move.

“We call on the defense minister to halt the move, uphold the commitments made to Gaza border residents, and ensure that their security is not subjected to budgetary considerations.”

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-904255

Drone Wildfire Detection System

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/431005

Israel tests AI-powered drone system for rapid wildfire detection

Israel has successfully completed the first test of a new drone-based system designed to detect wildfires within minutes of ignition, enabling emergency crews to respond before flames spread.

Israel has successfully completed the first test of a new drone-based system designed to detect wildfires within minutes of ignition, enabling emergency crews to respond before flames spread.

The project is a joint initiative involving the National Security Ministry, the Innovation Authority, the Technion, the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). During the initial test flight on Wednesday, the system successfully identified and located simulated fires. Additional trials are now underway to evaluate its performance in different operational environments and terrain.

The technology is built around IAI's APUS 25 tactical drone, which features vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities, allowing it to operate without a runway. Equipped with day and night cameras and infrared sensors, the drone can detect heat sources through heavy smoke. Artificial intelligence and advanced spectral algorithms analyze the imagery in real time, pinpointing the fire's location within a few meters and automatically alerting Fire and Rescue command centers.

Unlike battery-powered drones, the APUS 25 uses an internal combustion engine, enabling continuous flights of up to five hours. Firefighters simply designate the search area on a digital map before the drone autonomously carries out its surveillance mission.

Yaron Shein, head of technological R&D at the Office of the Chief Scientist in the National Security Ministry, said the project marks "another step in promoting advanced technological capabilities for security and emergency organizations." He said integrating drones, artificial intelligence and advanced data processing could enable earlier fire detection, improve situational awareness and shorten emergency response times while helping protect lives, property and Israel's natural resources.

Moshe Levi, director of IAI's Military Aircraft Division, said the project demonstrates how expertise in aviation, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems can be applied to address both national and international challenges. He said partnerships of this kind turn advanced technology into practical operational capabilities with real-world value.

Keren Nevo, deputy CEO of the Growth Division at the Innovation Authority, said the initiative showcases how testing advanced technologies in real operational environments can generate tangible public benefits. She said the combination of drones, artificial intelligence and terrain-adapted operations provides an innovative solution to urgent firefighting challenges.

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/431005

Special Forces Protection Against ICC Arrest

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-904002

'We have special forces protection': Netanyahu tells Hannity he's not afraid of ICC arrest warrants

Netanyahu downplayed the risk of countries enforcing ICC arrest warrants placed on him, implying that IDF Special Forces would protect or rescue him.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said he is not afraid of landing in a country that would enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants.

“You travel internationally,” Sean Hannity of Fox News asked him in an interview. “God forbid you had a medical emergency, and you need to land, and you’re about to land in a country that recognizes the ICC. It could complicate things. Do you worry about that?”

“Yeah, I think about it,” Netanyahu said. “We have special forces. You know, I served with them for five years... let’s give them a new task.”

“It’s the corruption of the international system,” he added. “It’s an unelected bureaucracy that sits in The Hague that could [not] arrest American soldiers because you don’t recognize this corrupt body any more than we do...

“They could say that the president of the US is a war criminal, that American soldiers valiantly fight next to us, shoulder-to-shoulder against the tyranny in Tehran, that they’re war criminals. They could pick them up.”

One of the best meetings

Regarding his meeting with US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu said: “It was one of the best meetings that we’ve had. We have a common commitment. We don’t want to see this fanatic regime in Tehran have nuclear weapons to threaten every American, and to threaten the peace of the world, and to threaten the existence of Israel.”

When asked by Hannity if he believes there are competing factions within Iran’s leadership, including whether there are “moderates that would like a deal,” Netanyahu said: “Well, I’m skeptical about the deal, and I say it openly. But the only way it would be achieved is if Iran understood these various factions there.”

“I think they’re not ideological factions as much as they differ on the assessment of how tough we are,” he said. “That’s it. You know, those who think that the president is very tough, and they should, you know, they say, ‘Let’s not confront this guy.’”

Israel would respond with ‘terrific force’

Netanyahu and Hannity discussed why Iran has not directly targeted Israel over recent weeks despite US Central Command (CENTCOM) hitting Iranian targets and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launching missiles and drones toward US and US-aligned facilities across the Gulf region.

“They should know that if we are attacked, we’ll respond with terrific force,” Netanyahu said, adding that he believes that is why Iran has been hesitant to launch attacks directly toward Israel.

The regime is “attacking everybody in sight,” he said. “It’s attacking Saudi Arabia. It’s attacking Kuwait. It’s attacking Bahrain. It’s attacking the UAE and others.”

“It murdered and maimed tens of thousands of its own citizens,” he added. “This is what this regime in Iran does today when it doesn’t have nuclear weapons. Now imagine what they would do to the world if they had nuclear weapons.”

Netanyahu denounced New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s attempt to call for his arrest during a visit to New York for the UN General Assembly in September.

Mamdani is a “hate-spewing elected official who is pitting one group of New Yorkers against the others,” he said. “He’s turning them against New York Jews.”

Netanyahu and Hannity also discussed other aspects of the ICC, including former prosecutor Karim Khan.

“It had a prosecutor who issued arrest warrants against me and our former defense minister [Yoav Gallant] as war criminals, supposedly for starvation – starving the people of Gaza,” he said. “We gave a million tons of food for them.”

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-904002

General Erez Winner Analyzes Security Situation

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/430893

Brig. Gen. Erez Winner warns: 'The next October 7th will be worse'

Brig. Gen. (res.) Winner analyzes the factors driving the escalating wave of terrorism in Judea and Samaria and warns that the country's greatest threat lies not in Lebanon, Gaza, or Iran.

As Israel’s security establishment works to curb the growing wave of terror attacks in Judea and Samaria, Brig. Gen. (res.) Erez Winner, chairman of the Israel Defense and Security Forum (“HaBitachonistim"), argues that the challenge is not merely operational - but stems from a broader strategic and conceptual failure.

According to Winner, terrorism in the region did not suddenly erupt in recent days, but is rather the result of a prolonged process that has been unfolding for months, while Israel has been responding too slowly and failing to address the underlying causes.

“Everyone is talking about a new wave of terror," Winner told Arutz Sheva-Israel National News. “But I believe that this is not a new wave. For many months, there have been attempts to set farms on fire, poison livestock, and attack shepherds. The recent incidents simply received greater public attention, but this reality has existed for a long time."

Winner said that the October 7 massacre brought about a dramatic shift in the IDF’s operations in Judea and Samaria. “There was shock, and the IDF responded with force, primarily through reserve forces. We did not ignore any incident - not even a single stone-throwing attack. This determined policy significantly reduced the level of violence and friction."

However, he argued that the improvement in security conditions eventually led to complacency. “Once the situation calmed down, we eased off the pressure. At the same time, the Palestinian Authority’s incitement campaign continued unabated - through the education system, the media, and public discourse."

Winner also believes that the debate surrounding the expansion of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria has contributed to the escalation. “The stronger the communities became, the more intense the Palestinian incitement against them became as well. At the same time, there is a broad campaign focused on ‘settler violence,’ promoted by Israeli organizations together with international NGOs and various UN bodies. All of these factors create an environment that fuels further violence."

He called for a return to a more proactive security policy. “We must restore the firm approach that characterized the period following October 7 - not only through raids and arrests, but also through civilian measures. Ultimately, we are judged by the response we elicit from the other side."

According to Winner, the Palestinians view control of the land as a central objective, and Israel must respond accordingly. “If Abu Mazen has already declared that the Oslo Accords are dead, there is no reason that only Israel should continue operating as though those agreements still exist. We must understand that the Palestinian Authority is not a partner, but a hostile actor."

Winner accused the Palestinian Authority of continuing to incite and support terrorism. “This is an armed authority that incites terrorism, supports terrorism, and funds terrorism. And yet there are still those who continue to advocate strengthening it - and even returning it to power in Gaza. It is time to call things by their proper name."

He added that dozens of Palestinian Authority security personnel have been involved in terrorist activity over the past two years, and argued that Israel must stop viewing the PA as a security asset.

Winner said the central lesson of October 7 is the danger of ignoring warnings. “Before October 7, there were people who warned about Hamas, but many dismissed them as extremists or alarmists. In hindsight, they were proven right. We must not repeat the same mistake with the Palestinian Authority."

Addressing claims that a shortage of manpower is the main obstacle, Winner rejected that argument. “The issue is not the number of forces, but the way they are used. We are spreading too few soldiers across too large an area. When forces operate offensively, with focus and initiative, they can achieve far more even with fewer personnel."

He proposed concentrating efforts in specific areas, strengthening Israel’s presence on the ground, and deploying forces in a more targeted manner in cooperation with local communities. “We do not need to do everything at once. We can begin in one area, or launch an operation to collect illegal weapons in a single city. The important thing is to make a decision and begin acting."

Winner concluded with a stark warning: “The real threat facing the State of Israel is not only Gaza, Lebanon, or Iran. It is also the hundreds of thousands of weapons smuggled into the region, the criminal organizations, and the Palestinian Authority. If we fail to address this in time, October 7 may prove to have been only a preview of what is still to come."

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/430893

Pally Activists Found Guilty After Targeting Picasso

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16009811/Pro-Palestine-guilty-Picasso-National-Gallery.html

Two pro-Palestine activists who covered a Picasso masterpiece hanging in the National Gallery with a photo of a Gazan mother and child have been found guilty of criminal damage. 

NHS worker Jai Halai, 25, and politics student Monday-Malachi Rosenfeld, 23, plastered the poster over the glass cover of Picasso's 1901 painting 'Motherhood' on October 9, 2024. 

Footage shared to social media by the activist group Youth Demand showed security guards unsuccessfully attempting to pull the pair away from the painting as they unveiled the picture of the Palestinian mother. 

They then poured water-based paint over the wooden flooring before chanting 'Free Palestine' as they were removed from the gallery. 

Youth Demand, an off-shoot of Just Stop Oil, is an environmental and political activist group which calls for the British government to stop all trade with Israel.

Other notable stunts by the group include lining up fake body bags outside David Lammy's home while he was Foreign Secretary, and causing millions of pounds worth in disruption across London in April last year. 

The two activists walked into room 43 of the National Gallery just after midday and plastered a photograph of a Gazan mother clutching her child over the protective glass 

Giving evidence earlier in the trial, Michael Willie, head of security and facilities at the National Gallery, earlier told jurors that no costs would have been incurred if not for paint poured on the floor

The pair covered Picasso's 'Motherhood' painting in the National Gallery with a poster of a Gazan mother and child 

Halai and Rosenfeld, who are both members of Youth Demand, denied but were convicted of criminal damage by a jury at Southwark Crown Court after more than nine hours of deliberation by jurors. 

Judge David Tomlinson released the pair on bail ahead of sentencing on a date to be fixed in September. 

Giving evidence earlier in the trial, Michael Willie, head of security and facilities at the National Gallery, told jurors that no costs would have been incurred if not for paint poured on the floor. 

He said: 'Paint was on the marble skirting, stanchion, rope barriers, and it was seeping into the sockets.' 

Asked by prosecutor Toby Manhire how serious the damage was, he said: 'Just staining in the grains of the marble the mastic joint, we had to replace it in its entirety. 

'It is safe to assume [the paint] could be cleaned away enough to reopen the gallery.' 

Asked if there was an 'obvious case of permanent damage', he said: 'No, not at that point.' 

While the stunt was billed at £8,000 in total, just £271.59 was attributed to cleaning. 

The activists chanted 'free Palestine' as they were escorted out of the gallery 

Footage shared by Youth Demand to social media showed security guards unsuccessfully attempting to pull the pair away from the painting 

Jurors heard four workers were paid £120 an hour that evening 'putting the floor back as a result of the cleaning process that the gallery has undertaken.' 

Mr Willie said the works were necessary to 'ensure the Gallery was presentable to members of the public the next morning.' 

He said the works included sanding down the flooring and giving it a new finish because otherwise there would be 'patches' left from the cleaning. 

Jurors were told the National Gallery incurred £250.28 for 'response costs', meaning the 'time taken to reopen the gallery.' 

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16009811/Pro-Palestine-guilty-Picasso-National-Gallery.html

Spectacular Waterfall Trail Reopens

https://www.jpost.com/travel/article-903782

Spectacular waterfall trail in the North reopens

Hikers will once again be able to enjoy a circular route overlooking Tanur Waterfall and the Hula Valley, and choose among three trails with varying levels of difficulty.

A decade after it was destroyed by a powerful flood, the trail descending from the Gafni Lookout in the Nahal Iyon Nature Reserve has reopened to hikers. The Nature and Parks Authority has completed complex restoration work, and visitors can once again hike a circular route featuring new views of the Tanur Waterfall and the Hula Valley.

The path collapsed following a particularly stormy winter about ten years ago, and since then, hikers who reached the lookout were forced to return the same way they came. Now, after restoration, development, and regulation efforts, one of the most popular hiking trails in the Upper Galilee is returning to operation.

The Gafni Lookout overlooks the Hula Valley, and the renewed trail offers unique views of the Tanur Waterfall, one of the most impressive waterfalls in Israel. Along the descent, the waterfall accompanies hikers from new angles, providing a close-to-nature walking experience and spectacular photo opportunities.

"The result is a simply amazing trail"

Naji Rashash, manager of the Nahal Iyon Nature Reserve at the Nature and Parks Authority, said, "After years during which the medium-length trail was closed, the site's team mobilized to prepare it anew, regulate the pass, and design a beautiful and inviting route. The hard work on the ground paid off, and the result is a safe and simply amazing trail. We are excited to reopen it to the general public and invite everyone to come, hike, and enjoy a unique Israeli experience and views you don't see everywhere."

    Before restoration

Three trails to choose from

With the opening of the renewed trail, visitors can choose among three hiking options:

The long trail: About 2.5 km, which runs along the reserve and includes all four waterfalls. The trail begins at the Weiss Grove in Metula and ends at the Tanur Waterfall.

The medium-length trail (the renewed route): About 1.5 km on a circular path. It includes a climb of about 90 steps to the Gafni Lookout, followed by a descent of about 90 steps on the new trail. The trail is defined as medium difficulty, suitable for families and hikers, but is not accessible for strollers or individuals with mobility limitations. Departure and return are from the Tanur Waterfall parking area.

The short trail: An accessible route about 400 meters in each direction, leading from the Tanur Waterfall parking area to the waterfall and back.

The Nature and Parks Authority noted that the opening of the path expands hiking options in the reserve, which reopened after a long period during which it was closed due to the war, and invites the public to come and enjoy one of the most beautiful nature spots in Israel.

The authority reminds hikers to strictly walk only on marked trails, arrive during operating hours, and come equipped with water, a hat, and appropriate equipment - especially during hot summer days.

https://www.jpost.com/travel/article-903782