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Hamas Kills IDF Soldiers: Is Israel at War or Not?
Palestinian Hamas terrorists stand guard on the day of the handover of hostages held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack, as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Hamas attacked several IDF positions in Gaza in the last few days, including with anti-tank missiles, killing (as of the time of writing this) at least two Israeli soldiers and wounding one. Israel responded with strikes on Hamas positions throughout Gaza.
As I described in a prior post, the Gaza “peace agreement” was never truly “peace” but it’s still significant. Here’s how it’s playing out.
- Hamas “denied” attacking IDF positions, but the terror group also claims it had “lost contact” with its operatives in the area. So in effect, Hamas actually admits to the attacks, but essentially claims the Hamas terrorists who carried them out don’t count as the “real” Hamas — whatever that means.
- The IDF responded with strikes on Hamas positions throughout Gaza, without attempting to figure out who is the “real” Hamas and who isn’t. Israel referred to its strikes as “punishment” for violating the ceasefire, but not an actual return to combat.
- As I mentioned, President Trump seemed to accept the Hamas explanation.
So everyone is essentially conveying the same message: that some version of Hamas attacked Israel, but we’re still in a ceasefire: one that includes, well … firing.
Clever phrasing aside, there is actually a meaningful difference between the current limited strikes versus the IDF’s major combat efforts of just a few weeks ago. That difference seems to be leading the parties toward the “Lebanon Model.”
What is the Lebanon Model?
After a series of operations in which the IDF devastated the Hezbollah terror organization late last year, Israel and Lebanon entered a “ceasefire” agreement in November 2024. Under the terms of this “ceasefire” Israel retained the right to continue firing against Hezbollah as necessary.
Why?
Any agreement requires enforcement. After the Israel-Lebanon war of 2006, Israel trusted a UN peacekeeping force called “UNIFIL” to enforce that particular ceasefire.
The result? Under UNIFIL’s watchful “supervision”:
- Hezbollah positioned some 250,000 Iranian controlled rockets and missiles, aimed at Israeli communities;
- Hezbollah developed its “Radwan” force, a special commando unit designed and trained to carry out an October 7 style attack – but on a vastly larger scale; and
- Just since October 7, 2023, Hezbollah fired thousands rockets and missiles on Israelis, displacing some 60,000 residents from their homes, and killing 45 civilians, among them 12 Druze-Israeli children on a soccer field.
This is what UN “peacekeeping” looks like.
Not surprisingly, Israel finally concluded that it may not “out-contract” its security.
Indeed, since the November 2024 ceasefire, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes against Hezbollah, which are in complete compliance with the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
What is the Gaza model?
This month’s “peace” agreement in Gaza was meant to occur in essentially two phases: first, the return of all Israeli hostages (living and deceased), an Israeli pullback to certain positions (called the “yellow line”), and the release of a massive number of convicted terrorists from Israeli prisons.
The subsequent phases were described in a vague outline, with the details to be negotiated later, including: Hamas disarming, additional Israeli pullback, reconstruction in Gaza, and some kind of international force.
The relevant parties agreed to Phase 1 and on October 13, all 20 living Israeli hostages returned home. Israel fulfilled its part by ceasing combat operations, moving back to the “yellow line” and releasing convicted terrorists from Israeli prisons. Hamas, however, breached the agreement by failing to return the bodies of most deceased hostages, or even to halt its attacks on both IDF soldiers and Gaza’s civilians, as we’ve seen in the last two days.
In effect we remain in a “ceasefire,” but Israel retains the right to continue firing as Hamas continues to breach the deal.
From here there are two major possibilities:
- Gaza stabilizes, non-Hamas powers begin to take control, and Israel continues limited strikes as necessary, in other words: the Lebanon Model; or
- The parties return to full combat.
If option #2 comes to pass, there will be one major difference from before: there are no live Israeli hostages in Gaza. Israel now has the capacity to strike Hamas positions without concern for endangering the hostages’ lives, or the need to strike a deal before the hostages die from starvation and abuse.
In other words, this would be a “reboot” of Israel’s previous “Gideon’s Chariot” operation which was meant to take Gaza City and destroy Hamas, except without hostages.
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated last month from the White House, “This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done,” a sentiment President Trump later echoed more bluntly, saying “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them.”
Daniel Pomerantz is the CEO of RealityCheck, an organization dedicated to deepening public conversation through robust research studies and public speaking.
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Nigeria Seeks French Help to Combat Insecurity, Macron Says
French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Sept. 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Pool
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has sought more help from France to fight widespread violence in the north of the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday, weeks after the United States threatened to intervene to protect Nigeria’s Christians.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has witnessed an upsurge in attacks in volatile northern areas in the past month, including mass kidnappings from schools and a church.
US President Donald Trump has raised the prospect of possible military action in Nigeria, accusing it of mistreating Christians. The government says the allegations misrepresent a complex security situation in which armed groups target both faith groups.
Macron said he had a phone call with Tinubu on Sunday, where he conveyed France’s support to Nigeria as it grapples with several security challenges, “particularly the terrorist threat in the North.”
“At his request, we will strengthen our partnership with the authorities and our support for the affected populations. We call on all our partners to step up their engagement,” Macron said in a post on X.
Macron did not say what help would be offered by France, which has withdrawn its troops from West and Central Africa and plans to focus on training, intelligence sharing and responding to requests from countries for assistance.
Nigeria is grappling with a long-running Islamist insurgency in the northeast, armed kidnapping gangs in the northwest and deadly clashes between largely Muslim cattle herders and mostly Christian farmers in the central parts of the country, stretching its security forces.
Washington said last month that it was considering actions such as sanctions and Pentagon engagement on counterterrorism as part of a plan to compel Nigeria to better protect its Christian communities.
The Nigerian government has said it welcomes help to fight insecurity as long as its sovereignty is respected. France has previously supported efforts to curtail the actions of armed groups, the US has shared intelligence and sold arms, including fighter jets, and Britain has trained Nigerian troops.
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Netanyahu Says He Will Not Quit Politics if He Receives a Pardon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participates in the state memorial ceremony for the fallen of the Iron Swords War on Mount Herzl, Jerusalem on Oct. 16, 2025. Photo: Alex Kolomoisky/POOL/Pool via REUTERS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he would not retire from politics if he receives a pardon from the country’s president in his years-long corruption trial.
Asked by a reporter if planned on retiring from political life if he receives a pardon, Netanyahu replied: “no”.
Netanyahu last month asked President Isaac Herzog for a pardon, with lawyers for the prime minister arguing that frequent court appearances were hindering Netanyahu’s ability to govern and that a pardon would be good for the country.
Pardons in Israel have typically been granted only after legal proceedings have concluded and the accused has been convicted. There is no precedent for issuing a pardon mid-trial.
Netanyahu has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in response to the charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, and his lawyers have said that the prime minister still believes the legal proceedings, if concluded, would result in a complete acquittal.
US President Donald Trump wrote to Herzog, before Netanyahu made his request, urging the Israeli president to consider granting the prime minister a pardon.
Some Israeli opposition politicians have argued that any pardon should be conditional on Netanyahu retiring from politics and admitting guilt. Others have said the prime minister must first call national elections, which are due by October 2026.
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Report: Washington Hosts Trilateral Talks Between Israel and Qatar After Doha Strike
A Qatari flag is seen at a park near the Doha Corniche, in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 17, 2018. Photo: Reuters / Ibraheem al Omari.
i24 News – The United States, Israel, and Qatar convened a high-level trilateral meeting in New York on Sunday aimed at restoring strained relations following a controversial Israeli strike in Doha, Axios reports.
The meeting marks the highest-level engagement between the three nations since Qatar helped mediate the ceasefire that ended the war in Gaza. The talks coincide with the Trump administration’s plans to announce a new phase of the Gaza peace initiative.
The meeting is being chaired by White House envoy Steve Witkoff, with Israel represented by Mossad chief David Barnea and a senior Qatari official also participating, according to sources cited by Axios.
Tensions between the countries escalated after Israeli jets struck Hamas leaders in Doha on September 9. While the top Hamas figures survived, a Qatari security guard was killed, prompting Qatar to temporarily step back from its mediating role. The incident drew widespread Arab criticism of Israel and pressure on the United States to intervene. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later apologized to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at President Trump’s urging, allowing Qatar to resume its mediation role, though mistrust has persisted.
The New York talks are part of a US-proposed trilateral framework designed to improve coordination, resolve disputes, and strengthen joint security efforts. Sources indicate that Netanyahu is expected to raise concerns over Qatar’s alleged support for the Muslim Brotherhood, critical coverage of Israel by Al Jazeera, and Qatari influence on American university campuses.
Despite these issues, the core focus of the discussions is expected to be the implementation of the Gaza peace agreement, including the disarmament of Hamas — a key element of the second phase of the plan.