Israeli security forces, including the ISA (Shin Bet) and the IDF, recently uncovered and seized a large cache of advanced weapons originating in Iran, intended for terrorist operatives in the Jenin area of Yehuda and Shomron. Among the seized arsenal were advanced weaponry and explosives, including rockets, 40 powerful Claymore mines (some equipped with wireless activation systems), bombs, mortar launchers, sniper rifles, and other arms. The weapons were reportedly intended to bolster terrorist activity against Israeli civilians and IDF forces in the region. The smuggling operation was orchestrated by Iran’s 4000th Division—part of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Organization—and the Quds Force’s Special Operations Unit in Syria.

IDF Col. (res.) Yoav Yarom, chief of staff of the Golani Brigade, resigned on Monday following the death of renowned archaeologist Maj. (res.) Ze’ev Erlich HY’D, who was killed by Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon after Yarom permitted him to enter the area against army protocol. Yarom took responsibility for the incident, citing it as the reason for stepping down after 33 years of service. The incident occurred on Nov. 20, when Erlich, 71, entered an ancient fortress located approximately four miles from Israel’s northern border. Hezbollah terrorists opened fire, killing both Erlich and IDF Sgt. Gur Kehati. Yarom was also injured in the attack.

Hours before the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on Tuesday, the IDF launched a major airstrike targeting Hezbollah’s largest precision-guided missile production facility in the Janta area of the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border. Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, operating under the direction of the Intelligence Directorate, struck the sprawling underground complex, which spanned 1.4 kilometers. The facility was a key site for producing surface-to-surface missiles, manufacturing weapons components, and storing precision-guided weaponry intended for attacks on Israel. The facility’s location near the Syrian border made it a critical hub for smuggling weapons and personnel between Syria and Lebanon.

French President  Emmanuel Macron has not acted as a friend to the Jewish state since October 7, instead acting with audacity by repeating lies about Israel’s actions in Gaza and even calling for an arms embargo on Israel. This hypocritical double standard belies its status as a major arms exporter to brutal autocracies in Africa and the Middle East. There are many questions regarding the reasons behind Macron’s stance on Israel, including France’s suspect ties with Iran and its deep involvement in Lebanon, its former protectorate. France has raised millions of dollars for Lebanese “humanitarian” needs, much of which ends up in the hands of the murderous Hezbollah terror organization, which is officially part of the Lebanese government.

The Biden administration kept President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration closely apprised of its efforts to broker the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah that took effect early Wednesday, according to the outgoing Democratic administration. Trump’s team, meanwhile, was quick to spike the football and claim credit for the rare spot of good news for a Democratic administration that’s been dragged down by the grinding Mideast conflict. “Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,” Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s choice for his national security adviser, said in a post on X on Tuesday, shortly before the Israel Cabinet signed off on the agreement. “His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won’t be tolerated.

Lebanese residents of villages in southern Lebanon began returning to their homes on Wednesday despite the IDF issuing warnings not to do so. IDF spokesperson in Arabic Avichay Adraee issued a warning after the ceasefire went into effect, ordering Lebanese residents of evacuated southern villages not to return yet.  “With the agreement coming into effect, the IDF remains deployed in its positions in southern Lebanon,” he wrote. The IDF responded to the Lebanese civlians who ignored the warning by firing mortars in several border villages. A video of Lebanese civilians walking just meters away from an IDF tank circulated on Israeli social media. One Israeli who posted the video stated: “We’re doing a ceasefire with them? Simply embarrassing and worrisome.

DF forces shot warning shots on Wednesday morning at Hezbollah terrorists who approached Kfar Kila, a Lebanese border village overlooking Metula, only hours after a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect at 4 a.m. The head of the Metula Local Council, David Azoulay, reported: “Just a few minutes ago, eight Hezbollah vehicles and a motorcycle arrived in Kfar Kila. The IDF fired warning shots to drive them away. Nothing has changed since October 7.” Defense Minster Yisrael Katz ordered the IDF to respond forcefully to the presence of any Hezbollah members, issuing a statement saying: “In light of the entry of Hezbollah members into Kfar Kila, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz instructed the IDF to operate decisively and uncompromisingly against such phenomena.

A senior Hamas official announced the group’s readiness to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, following the start of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon early Wednesday morning. “We have informed mediators in Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners,” the official told AFP, accusing Israel of blocking progress toward a deal. The announcement comes as international mediators expressed cautious optimism that the Lebanon ceasefire, which ended months of conflict with Hezbollah, might pressure Hamas to pursue peace. U.S. and Israeli officials have previously expressed hopes that Hezbollah’s withdrawal of military support would weaken Hamas’s position. However, obstacles remain.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect at 4:00 a.m. Wednesday local time, ending over a year of conflict along Israel’s northern border. The fighting, initiated by Hezbollah after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel, had resulted in massive death, destruction and displacement on both sides. The ceasefire comes after months of escalating violence that displaced some 60,000 northern Israeli residents and caused widespread damage in Lebanon. The Israeli security cabinet approved the agreement in a 10-to-1 vote late Tuesday. The deal, brokered with U.S. involvement, includes a 60-day transition period during which Israeli forces will withdraw from southern Lebanon.

Rav Nachman Holtzberg, who lost his son Gabi, H’yd, and daughter-in-law Rivka, H’yd, in a terror attack in Mumbai 16 years ago, recently suffered a new personal loss, the murder of Tzvi Kogan, H’yd, his granddaughter’s husband. He shared some of his feelings with Israel’s Kol B’Ramah. “We don’t question HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s ways but this is a difficult nisayon,” he said, adding that Tzvi, H’yd, reminded him of Gabi. “He used to always mention Gabi, H’yd, to me. It’s impossible to understand. Despite being very busy, Tzvi, z’l, never missed a shiur or a kiruv opportunity.” Rav Holtzberg also spoke to Ynet, saying: “We feel as if the whole tragedy is happening all over again. It’s simply incomprehensible.