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IDF Releases Footage of Joint Operation to Rescue 4 Israeli Hostages from Hamas Captivity
Israeli forces provide cover with an Mk 47 grenade launcher during the rescue operation. Photo: IDF
i24 News – Israel has waited more than eight months for the four hostages rescued on Saturday to return, yet the road to success required heroism, fast thinking by commanders, and massive amounts of fire.
Media reports linked together on Sunday paint a picture of a complex operation that cost the life of Chief Inspector Arnon Zmora, a member of the Border Police’s elite Yamam unit, after whom the operation was named.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he authorized the operation on Thursday after months of intelligence gathering.
The paratrooper brigade spearheaded the rescue effort, supported by a coalition of specialized units including the Parachute Patrol, Mobility Unit (5515), 13th Fleet, Givati Patrol, and Armored Battalion (532). Operating under intense gunfire, these forces successfully extracted the hostages and swiftly transported them to safety via helicopter.
Over the preceding days, the Kafir Brigade’s battle team, bolstered by paratroopers and special forces from the Dovdevan unit, had maintained a strategic presence in the area.
Simultaneously, the 7th Brigade’s battle team, comprising armored and engineering forces along with fighters from the Rotem Battalion, worked tirelessly to neutralize terrorists and dismantle their infrastructure, clearing the path for the rescue operation.
Critical air support provided by the Air Force targeted numerous military objectives, enhancing the operation’s success rate. The operation itself was the culmination of weeks of meticulous intelligence gathering by the Shin Bet and Amn, shedding light on the abductees’ whereabouts and providing crucial insights into the operational dynamics of the rescue mission.
The joint operation, launched in collaboration with the elite police unit Yamam, reached its climax as teams stormed two separate locations in the Nuseirat refugee camp. While the extraction of Noa Argamani proceeded smoothly, the mission to retrieve Shlomi Ziv, Andrey Kozlov, and Almog Meir-Jan encountered fierce resistance. Commanding Yamam officer Zamora, leading the charge, sustained injuries during a close-range firefight but remained instrumental in ensuring the hostages’ safe evacuation.
Southern Command Colonel “Y” emerged as a pivotal figure in orchestrating the operation’s success, underscoring the collaborative efforts and strategic acumen of Israel’s defense apparatus in safeguarding its citizens against threats from hostile adversaries.
He was tasked with securing the exit point by providing cover fire against known targets, including anti-tank positions, military bases, terrorist apartments, and more. Colonel “Y” was also responsible for the swift exit of the hostages and their rescuers from the refugee camp under fire.
But as the team with the rescued hostages and Zamora tried to exit Nuseirat, their vehicles got stuck in a crowded area. At this time, drones flying overhead spotted dozens of terrorists gathering in several points to attack the Israelis.
Colonel “Y” gave swift approval to attack the terrorists, with IDF fire hitting some 30 feet away from the Israeli forces.
This allowed Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers (APC) to enter the refugee camp and tow away the vehicle that was stuck. Meanwhile, the team transferred to an APC where they were taxied to the Gazan beach. The Yamam doctor fought all the while to provide first aid to Zamora. Due to the high risk of a surface-to-air attack, the helicopter was ordered to wait while the Israeli forces were out of danger.
It was only once he was back in Israel that doctors pronounced Zamora dead.
According to a security source quoted by Walla, the mission succeeded thanks to the “iron nerves” of Colonel “Y” and the dedicated assistance of the Israel Air Force and Armored Corps.
The post IDF Releases Footage of Joint Operation to Rescue 4 Israeli Hostages from Hamas Captivity first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Washington Warns UK, France Against Recognizing Palestinian Statehood
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy leaves Downing Street, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville
i24 News – The United States has warned the UK and France not to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at a UN conference scheduled for June 17 in New York, the Middle East Eye reported Tuesday.
France and Saudi Arabia will co-host this conference on the two-state solution, with Paris reportedly preparing to unilaterally recognize Palestine. France is also pressuring London to follow this path, according to sources from the British Foreign Office.
French media reports indicate that French authorities believe they have the agreement of the British government. Meanwhile, Arab states are encouraging this move, measuring the success of the conference by the recognitions obtained.
This initiative deeply divides Western allies. If France and the UK were to carry out this recognition, they would become the first G7 nations to take this step, causing a “political earthquake” according to observers, given their historical ties with Israel. The Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer threatened last week to annex parts of the West Bank if this recognition took place, according to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
In the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary David Lammy publicly opposes unilateral recognition, stating that London would only recognize a Palestinian state when we know that it is going to happen and that it is in view.
However, pressure is mounting within the Labour Party. MP Uma Kumaran, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the government was elected on a platform that promised to recognize Palestine as a step towards a just and lasting peace. Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, believes that there is no legitimate reason for the United States to interfere in a sovereign decision of recognition, while highlighting the unpredictability of US President Donald Trump on this issue.
The post Washington Warns UK, France Against Recognizing Palestinian Statehood first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Police, Shin Bet Thwart Suspected Iranian Attempt Perpetrate Terror Attack
A small number of Jewish worshipers pray during the priestly blessing, a traditional prayer which usually attracts thousands of worshipers at the Western Wall on the holiday of Passover during 2020, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 12, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Ronen Zvulun.
i24 News – The Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police thwarted another Iranian attempt to recruit Israelis, according to a statement on Tuesday, arresting a resident of East Jerusalem for allegedly carrying out missions for the Islamic Republic.
Iranian agents recruited the suspect, who in turn recruited members of his family. He is a resident of the Isawiya neighborhood in his 30s, and is accused of maintaining contact with a hostile foreign entity to harm the state by carrying out a terrorist attack against Jews.
The suspect had already begun perpetrating acts of sabotage and espionage, including collecting intelligence about areas in Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and Mahane Yehuda Market. He also hung signs, burned Israeli army uniforms, and more in exchange for payment totaling thousands of shekels.
He was also charged with planning a terror attack in central Israel, including setting fire to a forest, and was told to transfer weapons to terrorist elements in the West Bank.
The suspect’s sought the help of family members, including his mother. A search at his home revealed sums of cash, a spray can used in some of his activities, airsoft guns, suspected illegal drugs, and more.
His indictment is expected to be filed by the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office.
The statement said that the case is yet another example of Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis. “We will continue to coordinate efforts to thwart terrorism and terrorist elements, including those operating outside Israel, while attempting to mobilize local elements in order to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” the Shin Bet and Police said.
The post Police, Shin Bet Thwart Suspected Iranian Attempt Perpetrate Terror Attack first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Pro-Russian, Anti-Israeli Hackers Pose Biggest Cybercrime Threats in Germany
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt holds a chart showing the development of antisemitic crime, during a press conference on Figures for Politically Motivated Crime in the Country, in Berlin, Germany, May 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Cybercrime in Germany rose to a record level last year, driven by hacker attacks from pro-Russian and anti-Israeli groups, the BKA Federal Crime Office reported on Tuesday as the government said it would boost countermeasures to combat it.
“Cybercrime is an increasing threat to our security,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. “It is getting more aggressive but our counter-strategies are also becoming more professional,” he said.
Some 131,391 cases of cybercrime took place in Germany last year and a further 201,877 cases were committed from abroad or an unknown location, a BKA report said.
The actors behind the hacker attacks on German targets were primarily either pro-Russian or anti-Israeli, said the BKA, adding targets were mostly public and federal institutions.
Ransomware, when criminals copy and encrypt data, is one of the main threats, said the BKA, with 950 companies and institutes reporting cases in 2024.
German digital association Bitkom said damage caused by cyberattacks here totaled 178.6 billion euros ($203.87 billion) last year, some 30.4 billion euros more than in the previous year.
Dobrindt said the government planned to extend the legal capabilities authorities could use to combat cybercrime and set higher security standards for companies.
The post Pro-Russian, Anti-Israeli Hackers Pose Biggest Cybercrime Threats in Germany first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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