The IDF revealed on Tuesday that a Hezbollah commander surrendered to Golani forces about two weeks ago and provided valuable intelligence information to his interrogators. While operating in southern Lebanon two weeks ago, Golani forces found a tunnel inside a Hezbollah command post in Ayta ash-Shab. Several terrorists were cornered in the tunnel, including Hassan Akil Javad, the commander of Hezbollah’s Ayta ash-Shab region. The forces surrounded the military command post, and after the terrorists surrendered [as seen in the video below], they were captured, detained, and interrogated by field investigators from Unit 504 [IDF intelligence]. They were then taken to the unit’s detention facility for further questioning.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited the Ramon Air Force on Tuesday and spoke to the air and ground crews who participated in Operation Days of Return, Israel’s recent attack on Iran. Halevi said, “If Iran makes the mistake of firing another barrage of missiles at Israel, we’ll know how to reach Iran again, even with capabilities we didn’t use this time, and hit very, very hard – both in terms of our capabilities and places we didn’t hit this time.” “We did this for a very simple reason: because we may need to do it again.

Hours after the Hezbollah terror organization officially announced the appointment of Naim Qassem as its new leader, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a direct threat to his life on his X account. Gallant posted a photo of Qassen on X on Tuesday afternoon and stated:  “The appointment is temporary. The countdown has begun.” Last week, the UAE’s Erem News reported that Qassen fled Lebanon for Tehran on October 5 due to fears of the IDF eliminating him. According to the report, Qassem’s most recent speeches were from his residence in Tehran. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an IDF strike about a month ago.

IDF reserve soldier Yedidya Bloch, H’yd, 32, who was seriously injured in battle in southern Lebanon on Simchas Torah morning, died of his wounds on Tuesday. Yedidya, z’l, left behind his wife, who is in her eighth month of pregnancy, his parents, and seven siblings. He was a resident of the Mevo Choron yishuv in Binyamin, The head of the Binyamin Regional Council, Yisrael Gantz, stated: “We’ve been davening for our dear Yedidya, z’l. He went into battle with selflessness and lived an honorable life, and that’s how he fought and died for Am Yisrael and for their complete victory. At this moment, we embrace his wife, Sapir, and his parents and siblings and we ask to support the community of Mevo Choron.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Chaim Treitel, a Charedi soldier in the IDF’s Givati Brigade who sustained serious injuries on Chol Hamoed while serving in Gaza, has been released from the hospital and transferred to a rehabilitation facility. Though still requiring assistance to walk, Treitel is making a rapid recovery, doctors say. During his hospitalization, Treitel received visits from Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. In a defiant message posted on social media, Treitel addressed Hamas directly, writing, “This is a message to Hamas and all our haters, you failed to kill me and you will not succeed. I left the hospital and will soon return to fight against the terrorists.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The IDF announced today that four soldiers were killed and an officer was seriously injured during ongoing operations in the northern Gaza Strip. The fallen soldiers were members of the elite Multidomain Unit, also known as the “Ghost” Unit, which specializes in complex combat operations across various domains. The soldiers have been identified as: Cpt. Yehonatan “Joni” Keren hy”d, 22, from Moledet Staff Sgt. Nisim Meytal hy”d, 20, from Hadera Staff Sgt. Aviv Gilboa hy”d, 21, from Neve Tzuf Staff Sgt. Naor Haimov hy”d, 22, from Rosh Haayin The IDF said that it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Details about the operation and the events leading to the casualties have not yet been released.

HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein on Monday joined the call of the Roshei Yeshivos of Slabodka to begin the winter zman early. In a special letter the Gadol wrote on Monday morning, he stated: “To the dear and precious bnei yeshivos, shalom and bracha.

With barely a week to go until the 2024 presidential election, new poll averages from Decision Desk HQ/The Hill reveal former President Donald Trump holding a narrow lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in every key battleground state. The data, which includes averages from dozens of recent polls, shows Trump gaining ground in states critical to securing an Electoral College victory. In Florida, where 26 polls were analyzed, Trump leads Harris with 51.7% to her 45.1%, a margin of 6.6 points. This represents a significant shift in Trump’s favor, with a 2.0-point increase since last month. Nevada also shows a close race, with Trump narrowly leading Harris 48.1% to 47.2% based on 43 polls.

Chicago police are not pursuing hate crime charges against a Muslim man who shot and injured a visibly Jewish man as he made his way to shul on Shabbos morning – despite video obtained by YWN showing the suspect shouting “Allah Akbar” as he fired at police and paramedics in a subsequent shootout. The suspect, identified by police as 22-year-old Chicago resident Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, faces over a dozen serious felony charges, including six counts of attempted first-degree murder and seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm at police officers. After allegedly shooting the 39-year-old Jewish man in the 2600 block of West Farwell Avenue around 9:30 a.m., Abdallahi engaged in an exchange of gunfire with responding police officers, who ultimately shot and apprehended him.

Israel’s groundbreaking laser interception system, known as the Iron Beam, is expected to enter operational service within a year, according to Eyal Zamir, the Defense Ministry’s director general. Zamir made the announcement during the signing of a NIS 2 billion ($535 million) contract with Israeli defense companies Rafael and Elbit, who are manufacturing the system. “The first capability of the ground laser system…is expected to enter operational service in a year from today,” Zamir stated at the event, highlighting Iron Beam’s role in Israel’s layered defense strategy. Iron Beam is being developed to complement Israel’s existing defense systems, such as the Iron Dome, by targeting smaller projectiles like rockets, mortars, and drones.