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9 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza as IDF announces less intensive phase and Lebanon border simmers
(JTA) — Nine Israeli soldiers were killed, including six in one incident, during fighting in Gaza on Monday as Israel announced a new phase that officials said would be more targeted than the campaign that has devastated the enclave.
The announcement — made first to the New York Times — came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel for the fourth time since Oct. 7, when Hamas initiated the war by invading Israel. Blinken’s aims include pressing Israel to limit additional civilian casualties in Gaza and to dial down tensions on the northern border, where Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been trading fire and the risk of a wider war is seen as growing.
A Hezbollah drone reportedly reached an IDF base in Safed on Tuesday, while Israel reportedly killed three alleged Hezbollah terrorists inside Lebanon. There were also casualties reported after a strike at the funeral of a slain Hezbollah commander, whom an Israeli minister said on Monday that Israel had killed. Another senior Hezbollah commander was killed on Tuesday, reportedly by Israel.
Monday marked one of the deadliest days for Israeli troops since the ground invasion of Gaza began in October. Israeli explosives meant to demolish a Hamas underground installation detonated unintentionally, and the explosion killed six members of an elite reserves brigade. The Israeli military is investigating the incident.
Among the dead were two study partners from a West Bank yeshiva whose funerals were scheduled for the same time on Tuesday and an American-born soldier who moved to Israel with his family.
Among the additional soldiers seriously wounded was Idan Amedi, a popular singer and actor whose credits include the hit TV show “Fauda.” Amedi was recovering from his injuries on Tuesday, according to a tweet from Avi Issacharoff, the creator of the TV series about Israeli soldiers battling Palestinian terrorists.
The latest casualties bring the military death toll in Gaza to 185, in addition to the hundreds of soldiers killed during Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, when about 1,200 Israelis were killed. More than 130 Israelis are estimated to remain hostage in Gaza, with Israeli officials signaling that some are held close to Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ chief in the territory.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, 23,000 people have been killed in the territory during the war. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel said in December that it believed at the time that one third of the casualties were combatants. Most of Gaza’s 2 million residents are displaced, with conditions harsh, food scarce and disease spreading.
The situation has led the Biden administration, which has staunchly defended Israel’s right to defend itself, to press for changes in the war. After President Joe Biden was heckled by an antiwar protester during an appearance in South Carolina on Monday, he emphasized that he was pressing Israel to scale back its offensive.
“I understand their passion, and I’ve been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza,” Biden said.
Cracks are also appearing in American Zionist organizations’ support for the war effort. On Monday, Americans for Peace Now, a left-wing pro-Israel group, called for a ceasefire — the first U.S. pro-Israel group to do so.
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The post 9 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza as IDF announces less intensive phase and Lebanon border simmers appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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UK Plans to Provide Medical Treatment for Children in Gaza
Displaced Palestinian children wait to receive free food at a tent camp, amid food shortages, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 27, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
i24 News – The United Kingdom is preparing to launch a new initiative aimed at offering urgent medical care to children from Gaza, with up to 300 expected to be transferred to the UK for specialized treatment through the National Health Service (NHS).
Each child will be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and in some cases, siblings. The Home Office will oversee biometric and security checks ahead of their arrival.
The plan is part of a broader humanitarian effort and will be formally announced in the coming weeks.
A government spokesperson said, “We are moving forward with our plans to evacuate more children in need of urgent care, including welcoming them to the UK for specialized treatment, when it is in their best interest.”
The initiative complements the work of the NGO Project Pure Hope, which has already helped three Gaza children receive private medical care in the UK. So far, about 5,000 children have been evacuated from Gaza to Egypt and Gulf states.
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Iran’s army chief says Israeli threats remain, state media say
FILE PHOTO: Iranian Army commander-in-chief Amir Hatami attends a meeting in the Iranian Army’s War Command Room at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on June 23, 2025. Photo: Iranian Army/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
The commander-in-chief of Iran’s military, Amir Hatami, said on Sunday that threats from Israel persist, according to state media.
In June, Israel and the US launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during the so-called 12-day war, in which Tehran retaliated against Israel with several barrages of missiles and drones.
“A 1 percent threat must be perceived as a 100 percent threat. We should not underestimate the enemy and consider its threats as over,” Hatami said, according to the official IRNA news agency, adding that the Islamic Republic’s missile and drone power “remains standing and ready for operations.”
Last month, Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz warned that his country would strike Iran again if threatened.
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Ben-Gvir Joined by Thousands for Prayer at Temple Mount
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir speaks at a convention in Jerusalem, Jan. 28, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – On the Jewish fast day of Tisha B’Av, which mourns the destruction of the First and Second Temples, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ascended the Temple Mount, joining thousands of Jewish visitors expected to visit and pray throughout the day.
Under Ben-Gvir’s policy, Israeli police have allowed Jewish visitors to sing, pray in the eastern section of the mount, and even prostrate, a significant shift from the longstanding status quo that prohibits overt Jewish worship at the flashpoint site.
Videos from Sunday morning showed dozens of Jewish worshippers singing and dancing openly on the mount. Police did not intervene. In one incident, an Arab man who shouted at a group of Jewish visitors was removed and arrested by security forces.
Associates of Ben-Gvir hailed the moment as “a monumental change that hasn’t happened in a thousand years,” adding that his policy is to ensure freedom of worship for Jews at all sites in Israel, including the Temple Mount. “There is no law permitting racist discrimination against Jews on the Temple Mount or anywhere else in Israel,” they said.
The Temple Mount, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, is Judaism’s holiest site and Islam’s third holiest. It houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The site remains one of the most sensitive and contested in the region, with tensions often flaring over perceived changes to the fragile status quo.
Ben-Gvir’s visits and policies have drawn sharp criticism from Arab states, international actors, and Israel’s own security establishment, which has warned that shifts in worship policy at the site could inflame tensions and endanger national security. The move has also been condemned by ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders, who oppose visiting the site on religious grounds.
Despite the criticism, Ben-Gvir has maintained that Jewish worship at the Temple Mount is a matter of basic rights and national sovereignty.