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Elite Israel Soldier Killed in Gaza Laid to Rest in Moving Ceremony
Israeli soldiers gathered in a field near the border with Gaza listen to a speech by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Photo: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun
Friends, families, and strangers gathered in the Israel city of Modi’in on Sunday for an emotional funeral for Sgt. Maj. Alon Kudriashov, who fell in battle last week fighting the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip.
“Alon, my stunning boy, I can’t believe that now I am saying goodbye to you,” said Kudriashov’s mother, Kira. “You are my heart, my soul. Alon, you are every mother’s dream. A smart, stunning boy, always tidy. You were the best friend; you gave me the right to be a happy mother for 21 years. I love you endlessly; you will always be everywhere.”
A member of the elite Egoz commando unit in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Kudriashov, 21, was hit by rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) fire on Friday, killing him and injuring 16 other member of his unit.
The incident took place in the Al-Amal neighborhood in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, where there has been extensive fighting. Terrorists shot the RPG at the top floor of the building where the troops were stationed. The IDF on Sunday announced the death of Sgt. First Class Sivan Wail, 20, from Raanana, who succumbed to his injuries from the attack.
Kudriashov’s father, Sergey, also spoke about his son during the funeral.
“You are my son and friend, the best, perfect and reliable,” he said. “We have always been a team. You learned from me, and I learned from you. We always had fun together in everything we did. You completed your task. I am proud of you and salute you.”
Kudriashov’s family said that the fallen soldier was home the weekend before, enjoying Shabbat with his parents and sister, and had plans to travel the world after he finished his service. His sister Keren said at the funeral, “We think of you every second of the day. Love of my life, love of my pure truth, I will continue to live here for you. Every step I take will be for you. You are always here with me, never leaving me. I feel you in my whole heart, in my whole body, in my whole soul.”
Kudriashov was the 254th Israeli soldier to die since the IDF entered Gaza on Oct. 27, about three weeks after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel from the neighboring Palestinian enclave, murdering 1,200 people and kidnapping 253 others as hostages. The total number of Israeli security forces — IDF, Police, Shin Bet, and Maglan — who have perished since Oct. 7 now stands at 600.
The post Elite Israel Soldier Killed in Gaza Laid to Rest in Moving Ceremony first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Caitlin Jenner to Participate in Tel Aviv Pride Parade for 1st time
Caitlyn Jenner speaking at the 2018 Champions of Jewish Values International Awards Gala. Photo: Screenshot.
i24 News – Caitlyn Jenner, the former Olympic champion and leading figure in the transgender community, will participate in the Tel Aviv Pride Parade for the first time, scheduled for June 13.
The Israeli Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, as well as the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality, will host her for three days during the city’s Pride events. The program for the media personality, who has over 15 million followers on social media, includes a press conference before the festivities. Jenner will also explore the country’s tourist attractions with a visit to Jerusalem.
This visit is part of a broader diplomatic strategy, including international journalists who will tour the country, meet with representatives of the gay community, and attend various events, hosted by the Tourism Ministry. Six delegations of LGBTQ+ influencers from around the world are expected this year by the Foreign Ministry. These groups, composed of representatives from civil society, the media, academia, and digital influencers, will visit community organizations in Jerusalem, Beersheba, Haifa, and Tel Aviv.
Authorities are presenting this initiative as a demonstration that “the Jewish state remains the only democracy in the Middle East where everyone is accepted, regardless of religion, race, or gender.” Tel Aviv is described as “a symbol of openness and acceptance of others.” The influence of Jenner, an award-winning cultural and television icon, transcends American political divides, reaching both liberal and conservative audiences.
The post Caitlin Jenner to Participate in Tel Aviv Pride Parade for 1st time first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Body of Mohammed Sinwar Recovered from Gaza, Taken to Israel
A screengrab shows according to the Israeli Army, Hamas Gaza chief Mohammed Sinwar, taken from a handout video, released Dec/ 17, 2023. Photo: Israeli Army/Handout via REUTERS
i24 News – During excavations carried out recently in the area of the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, several bodies were found – i24NEWS learned on Sunday that one belonged to late Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar, which is now being held in Israel.
On Saturday night, the Israel Defense Forces published documentation from the underground space located under the European Hospital in Khan Yunis. The tunnels include a command and control complex from which the fighting was conducted by senior Hamas commanders. During the scans, several additional bodies of terrorists were found.
About three weeks ago, Israel heavily shelled the hospital area, targeting the underground space below it, where the terrorist organization’s headquarters was located. In recent days, Israeli forces have been operating in the area, with an emphasis on underground tunnels, and have located the body. The IDF’s recovery of Sinwar’s body contradicts a previous report, according to which Hamas recovered his body from the tunnel under the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, and buried it in a tunnel in the Deir al-Balah area.
Sinwar was one of the senior and veteran figures in Hamas’ military wing, and took a significant part in the planning and execution of the murderous massacre on October 7, 2023, in which he served as head of the operations headquarters. After the assassination of military commander Mohammed Deif, Sinwar was appointed by his brother, late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, to the position. He was an influential and central factor in the organization’s decision-making, promoting Hamas’s effort to rehabilitate after IDF operations.
Now, Israel possesses the bodies of both Sinwar brothers, with much of the Hamas leadership eliminated in the more than 600 days since the war began.
The post Body of Mohammed Sinwar Recovered from Gaza, Taken to Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas Militants Kill Gaza Civilians, Publicly Asserting Brutal Control
A drone view shows buildings lying in ruins, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, Jan. 19, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Al-Basos
i24 News – The Israeli army released footage from the Gaza Strip on Sunday showing a Palestinian brutally shot dead in public by what the military claims is a Hamas militant.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, General Ghassan Alian, released the footage via military channels. According to the official statement, the brutal execution took place last weekend in a Gaza City square, in front of witnesses. Israeli military authorities described the footage as “exceptional documentation” illustrating the Islamist movement’s methods against its own population.
General Alian addressed the residents of Gaza directly in a statement – “Hamas, terrorists, and criminals are killing you and do not care about your lives,” he said. “There is no difference between a dictator who kills in silence and a terrorist who massacres openly. Both are your enemies and the enemies of life.”
Alian described the act as “a desperate, further, and failed attempt to sow public fear in order to preserve Hamas’s rule, power, and governance, while cynically trampling on and exploiting the residents of Gaza for the survival of the Hamas terrorist regime and the preservation of its rule.”
Meanwhile, the IDF is intensifying its operations in key flashpoints in Gaza, particularly in Jabalia and Khan Yunis. Military forces continue to reach areas where they were not previously present.
The post Hamas Militants Kill Gaza Civilians, Publicly Asserting Brutal Control first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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