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Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis: Multi-Front Terror Assault Impacting Israeli Food Security, Expert Warns
Smoke rises as seen from the Israel-Lebanon border in northern Israel, Nov. 12, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza to the south, together with the ongoing clashes with Hezbollah to the north and Houthi rebels attacking Red Sea shipping from Yemen, has created an impending food security crisis for the Jewish state, according to an expert who spoke to The Algemeiner.
“Israel is heavily reliant on imports for highly consumed food such as beef and fish … More than 70 percent of our food is imported by sea, as well as 85 percent of beef,” said Alla Voldman-Rantzer, vice president of strategy at the Good Food Institute (GFI) in Israel, which is part of an international nonprofit aimed towards building a sustainable, healthy, and just food system.
The institute, explained Voldman-Rantzer, works to “bring forward technology that assists with alternative forms of beef, chicken, fish, and eggs.” Its work has played a role in the growing alternative meat sector, of which Israel is a major global player, birthing companies such as Aleph Farms and Redefine Meat. GFI provides scientific resources for researchers, investors, and startups, all with the common goal of “making Israel a leader” in the food production space and improving the country’s overall food security — defined as a country’s ability to provide adequate access of nutritious and sufficient food to its population.
However, the war in Gaza sparked by the Hamas terror group’s Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel has presented a direct threat to that vision.
“The ongoing war has created a serious crisis,” she said, noting that Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control much of Yemen including the capital, have since October attacked several ships in the Red Sea they say have Israeli links or are sailing to Israel, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The rebel movement — whose slogan is “death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory to Islam” — has also claimed responsibility for attempted drone and missile strikes targeting Israel itself.
As a result of the Red Sea attacks, a number of major shipping lines have announced they would forgo the vital trade route and instead opt for a longer, pricier journey around Africa.
The result, said Voldman-Rantzer, is “higher prices and lower supply” for the Israeli consumer.
Her organization has also been urging the Israeli government to make sure plans are made before a potential full-scale war opens up in the north with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terror group based in Lebanon. The Israel-Lebanon border has seen intense fighting between Israeli and Hezbollah forces since Oct. 7.
Such instability at Israel’s borders poses a threat to food that’s not only imported but also grown domestically.
“Most of Israel’s farms are located in the periphery areas, outside of the center of the country … [and] the periphery is very unstable,” she explained.
According to government statistics, roughly 75 percent of all of the country’s crops are grown in the areas around the Gaza border. In the north, meanwhile, it is estimated by the Agricultural Ministry that 70 percent of the eggs originate from areas under risk or evacuated due to Hezbollah rocket fire.
Israel generally has a strong agricultural sector, with a majority of the country’s fruits and vegetables grown domestically — although with out-of-season products imported.
Due to the war, however, many of these farms have been left desolate with crops completely abandoned. Those that are possible to be harvested have been heavily burdened by the fact that Palestinian and foreign laborers are not working.
Palestinian workers have not been allowed in Israel since Palestinian terrorists led by Hamas invaded the Jewish state on Oct. 7 and massacred 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The terrorists also abducted 240 people as hostages back to Hamas-ruled Gaza. Meanwhile, many foreign workers have returned to their countries of origin since the outbreak of the war — for example, the more than 25,000 Thai workers in Israel before Oct. 7 has dwindled significantly.
Many Israelis have tried to fill the gap, but it may not be enough to ensure the security of the country’s food supply, which according to Voldman-Rantzer must “be addressed urgently.”
“The Agriculture Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the government … everyone is saying a lot but no one party has stepped to the plate to make a difference,” she said.
The GFI is hoping the government creates an emergency plan to address food security — a step that critics say is long overdue, noting Israel is the only member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) without one.
According to Voldman-Rantzer, it is essential for Israel to “strengthen the resilience of the food industry.”
The post Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis: Multi-Front Terror Assault Impacting Israeli Food Security, Expert Warns first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Pounds Gaza City Suburbs, Vows to Press on with Offensive
Smoke rises following an Israeli strike, in Gaza City, August 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Israeli planes and tanks pounded the eastern and northern outskirts of Gaza City overnight Saturday to Sunday, destroying buildings and homes, residents said, as Israeli leaders vowed to press on with a planned offensive on the city.
Witnesses reported the sound of explosions non-stop overnight in the areas of Zeitoun and Shejaia, while tanks shelled houses and roads in the nearby Sabra neighborhood and several buildings were blown up in the northern town of Jabalia.
Fire lit the skies from the direction of the explosions, causing panic, prompting some families to stream out of the city. Others said they would prefer to die and not leave.
The Israeli military said on Sunday that its forces have returned to combat in the Jabalia area in recent days, to dismantle militant tunnels and strengthen control of the area.
It added that the operation there “enables the expansion of combat into additional areas and prevents Hamas terrorists from returning to operate in these areas.”
Israel approved a plan this month to seize control of Gaza City, describing it as the last bastion of Hamas. It is not expected to begin for a few weeks, leaving room for mediators Egypt and Qatar to try and resume ceasefire talks.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday vowed to press on with the offensive on the city where famine has been declared, which has raised alarm abroad and objections at home. Katz has said that Gaza City will be razed unless Hamas agrees to end the war on Israel’s terms and release all hostages.
Hamas said in a statement on Sunday that Israel’s plan to take over Gaza City showed it wasn’t serious about a ceasefire.
It said a ceasefire agreement was “the only way to return the hostages,” holding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for their lives.
The proposal on the table calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages held in Gaza and of 18 bodies. In turn, Israel would release about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Once a temporary ceasefire begins, the proposal is for Hamas and Israel to begin negotiations on a permanent ceasefire that would include the return of the remaining hostages.
On Thursday, Netanyahu said that Israel would immediately resume negotiations for the release of all 50 hostages – of whom Israel believes around 20 are still living – and an end to the nearly two-year-old war but on terms acceptable to Israel.
‘HUNGRY AND AFRAID’
Around half of the enclave’s two million people currently live in Gaza City. A few thousand have already left, carrying their belongings on vehicles and rickshaws.
“I stopped counting the times I had to take my wife and three daughters and leave my home in Gaza City,” said Mohammad, 40, via a chat app. “No place is safe, but I can’t take the risk. If they suddenly begin the invasion, they will use heavy fire.”
Others said they will not leave, no matter what.
“We are not leaving, let them bomb us at home,” said Aya, 31, who has a family of eight, adding that they couldn’t afford to buy a tent or pay for the transportation, even if they did try to leave. “We are hungry, afraid and don’t have money.”
A global hunger monitor said on Friday that Gaza City and surrounding areas are officially suffering from famine that will likely spread. Israel has rejected the assessment and says it ignores steps it has taken since late July to increase aid.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led gunmen burst into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
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Iran Signals Willingness to Scale Back Uranium Enrichment to Ease Tensions
Atomic symbol and USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
i24 News – Iran may be prepared to significantly reduce its uranium enrichment levels in a bid to stave off renewed UN sanctions and limit the risk of further strikes by Israel and the United States, according to a report published Sunday in The Telegraph.
Citing Iranian sources, the paper said Tehran is considering lowering enrichment from 60% to 20%.
The move is reportedly being championed by Ali Larijani, the newly appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who is holding talks with regime leaders.
“Larijani is trying to convince the system to reduce the level of enrichment in order to avoid further war,” a senior Iranian official told the paper.
The proposal, however, faces stiff resistance from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has long opposed concessions on the nuclear program. Still, the report suggests Iran’s leadership may be open to greater flexibility, including the possibility of reviving engagement with Western powers.
Last month, i24NEWS reported exclusively that a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to travel to Iran. The team of technical experts would seek to resume monitoring of nuclear sites, inspections that have been heavily restricted in recent years.
The development comes amid mounting regional tensions and could represent a critical turning point in the long-running nuclear standoff.
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Major Brush Fire Erupts Near Jerusalem, Evacuations Underway
A view of the new Tel Aviv-Jerusalem fast train seen over the HaArazim Valley (“Valley of Cedars”) just outside of Jerusalem, Sept. 25, 2018. Photo: Yossi Zamir/Flash90.
i24 News – A large brush fire broke out Sunday in the Cedars Valley area, near Route 1 and the Motza interchange, prompting an emergency response from Jerusalem district fire services. Several water-bombing planes were dispatched, and authorities have declared a “fire emergency.”
As a precaution, residents of Mevaseret Zion are being evacuated. Access to the town from Route 1 has already been blocked, and officials are weighing a full closure of the major highway.
Fire crews from the Ha’uma station are on site working to contain the flames, while motorists in the area are urged to heed traffic updates and follow instructions from emergency services.
Eight firefighting aircraft are currently operating above the blaze in support of ground teams. The fire comes amid one of the hottest, driest summers on record, with conditions fueling a series of destructive wildfires across the country.
Officials warn the situation remains critical, as the blaze threatens a vital transportation corridor leading into Jerusalem.