Defense news
IDF Probe: Hezbollah Explosive Drone Caused Tank Tragedy That Killed Four
The IDF said Sunday evening that a preliminary investigation into the June 19 tank disaster in southern Lebanon found that a Hezbollah explosive drone, likely carrying an anti-tank warhead, struck the 52nd Battalion command tank. The attack killed Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, 32, and Staff Sgts. Nave Habshoosh, Yoav Klein and Liav Kababia. Defense correspondents reported the drone hit the fuel tank near the Ali Tahr ridge south of Nabatieh, causing a blast that penetrated the crew compartment. The Armored Corps is still investigating how the drone defeated the Merkava's defenses, a sober lesson as Israel adapts to Hezbollah's Iranian-supplied aerial threat.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)(4)Capt. David Hazutt, 21, Killed in Hezbollah Ambush in Deir Siryan
Capt. David Hazutt, 21, of Ashkelon, a platoon commander in the Golani Brigade's 12th Battalion, was killed at roughly 2 a.m. Sunday when a Hezbollah operative concealed in a stairwell opened fire on his troops as they searched a suspicious structure in Deir Siryan, southern Lebanon. A second soldier was lightly wounded. Hazutt is the first IDF fatality since the US-brokered Israel-Lebanon trilateral framework was signed Friday, June 26. The IDF launched an immediate manhunt and later confirmed killing the gunman, while the IAF and ground forces struck additional Hezbollah targets near Taybeh and Shebaa. Hazutt was laid to rest Sunday at the military cemetery in Ashkelon.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)(4)IDF Demolishes 200-Meter Iranian-Built Hezbollah Drone Tunnel in Majdal Zoun
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz jointly announced Sunday night that the IDF destroyed a major Hezbollah underground complex beneath the southern Lebanese village of Majdal Zoun. The 200-meter tunnel, dug more than 25 meters deep with Iranian planning and funding, housed roughly 50 attack UAVs, explosives, and launch shafts aimed at Israeli cities. Soldiers of the 551st Brigade and Yahalom combat engineers carried out the demolition, sending a blast audible across the Galilee. Netanyahu and Katz stressed that Washington and the US envoy in Lebanon were notified in advance, after earlier strikes had been postponed under American ceasefire pressure, signaling Israel will continue dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure inside the security zone.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)IDF and Shin Bet Kill Hamas Naval Police Chief Shahtout in Maghazi Strike
The IDF and Shin Bet announced Sunday that a Friday airstrike on a vehicle in the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza eliminated Mansour Sami Mahmoud Shahtout, commander of Hamas's naval police in the Central Camps, alongside two other Hamas naval police commanders, Mahdi Jabr and Mohammad Noufal. The three were traveling armed in a single vehicle when an IAF drone fired at least two missiles. The IDF said the naval police 'operates under Hamas's military wing and advances and directs terror attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel,' adding that Shahtout had recently worked to plan attacks on Israeli soldiers. The strike fits the pattern of intensified precision operations against Hamas operatives rebuilding their capabilities in violation of the October 2025 ceasefire framework, and validates the IDF's expanded targeting authorities approved by the Trump administration.
Primary:(1)Secondary:(2)(3)(4)IDF Troops at Syria Buffer Zone Post Fired Upon for First Time, Return Fire With Mortars and Helicopter
Israeli troops stationed inside Israel's buffer zone in southern Syria came under direct fire on Sunday, the first such incident at the fortified posts since deployment, with the IDF Spokesperson's Unit confirming no soldiers were injured. Forces returned fire with mortars and an IDF helicopter struck the open area where the gunfire originated. The incident is separate from the previous day's clash in which the 6th Etzioni Brigade killed two armed terrorists approaching from the Druze town of Hader. The IDF maintains nine fortified posts in southern Syria established after the December 2024 collapse of the Assad regime. Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed earlier this month that troops will remain in security zones in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza 'without any time limit' until Israel's northern and southern borders are secure.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)IDF Expands Gaza Targeting to Low-Rank Hamas Gunmen After Disarmament Deadline Missed
The IDF has shifted its Gaza targeting policy to strike even low-ranked armed Hamas members in Hamas-controlled areas, regardless of whether they pose an immediate threat to Israeli forces, according to analysis published Sunday by the Jerusalem Post. The change follows Hamas's missing of the 100-day disarmament deadline under the Trump-brokered October 2025 ceasefire and its rejection of subsequent Board of Peace offers. With senior and mid-level commanders largely eliminated, the IDF is now aiming to pressure Hamas into resuming disarmament talks by sustained pressure on rank-and-file gunmen. The Trump administration has authorized the broader airstrike posture provided strikes do not produce mass civilian casualties or require renewed ground invasions, marking a clear loosening of the more restrictive early-ceasefire rules and reaffirming the IDF's freedom of action.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)Trump Warns "Islamic Republic Will No Longer Exist" as US Hits Iran Again
President Trump declared on Saturday that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist" if Washington is forced to "militarily complete the job," issuing the threat hours after US Central Command struck Iranian missile and drone storage sites, coastal radar installations, and minelayer capabilities in response to Tehran's drone attack on the Panama-flagged tanker M/T Kiku. The strikes followed Iranian missile and drone barrages against the US Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait and Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, all of which failed to inflict American casualties. Trump's posture vindicates Jerusalem's long-standing warning that the regime in Tehran respects only overwhelming force. Israel welcomed the show of American resolve as the IRGC threatened to walk away from negotiations.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)Hundreds of Gazans Defy Hamas Threats in Largest Anti-Hamas Protests in a Year
Hundreds of Gazans took to the streets on June 26 in the largest visible anti-Hamas mobilization since the 2025 protest wave, defying an industrial-scale Hamas campaign of intimidation, kidnappings, and death threats. Branded the "June 26 Peaceful Revolution," the coordinated effort spanned 18 sites including Gaza City, Khan Yunis, displaced-person camps, and major hospitals, with organizers demanding an end to Hamas rule, dignified living conditions, and accountable governance. Hamas deployed police, intelligence units, and al-Qassam Brigade militias to crush dissent, issuing religious edicts branding protesters as collaborators with Israel, a capital offense. The mobilization confirms what Israel has long maintained: ordinary Gazans hold Hamas responsible for their suffering and yearn to be free of the terror group's grip.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)IDF, Shin Bet Eliminate Walid Haniyeh, Oct. 7 Nukhba Commander and Nephew of Ismail Haniyeh
The IDF and Shin Bet announced the elimination of Walid Haniyeh, deputy commander of a Nukhba company in Hamas's military wing and a nephew of slain former Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, in a precise strike in Gaza. Walid Haniyeh personally led a terrorist cell that infiltrated Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, directing operatives as they dragged Israeli civilians into captivity in the Strip. In the period since, he worked to recruit fresh Hamas operatives and oversaw military training for his unit, keeping the Nukhba threat alive. The targeted strike removes another senior architect of the October 7 massacre and underscores Israel's resolve to pursue every perpetrator to the end.
Sources:(1)(2)IDF Hunts Down and Kills Hezbollah Gunman Who Murdered Capt. Hazutt in Deir Siryan
Israeli forces eliminated the Hezbollah terrorist responsible for the ambush killing of Captain David Hazutt, a 21-year-old Golani Brigade platoon commander from Ashkelon, just hours after the attack in southern Lebanon. The Hezbollah operative had hidden in a stairwell of a suspicious structure in Deir Siryan around 2 a.m., opening fire on Hazutt's platoon at close range during a search operation before fleeing. Following extensive searches across the area, Golani Combat Team soldiers located the gunman in a nearby building and killed him. The Israeli Air Force also struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the vicinity, demonstrating that Israel's retaliatory reach remains intact even under the new trilateral framework with Lebanon and the United States.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)IDF Resumes Syria Strikes After 3-Month Pause, Hits Targets on All Three Fronts
The IDF announced operations across Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza in a single day, ending a three-month public silence on Syria activity that began after the March 20 strike. Reservists of the 6th Etzioni Brigade, operating under the 210th Division, killed armed terrorists who crossed into Israel's buffer zone in southern Syria near the Druze town of Hader, roughly a kilometer from the border fence. In Lebanon, troops eliminated several Hezbollah operatives carrying rocket-propelled grenades near Nabatiya and demolished a 200-meter Iranian-supplied UAV tunnel beneath Majdal Zoun. The coordinated tempo signals a recalibrated forward defense doctrine, with the IDF reaffirming full freedom of action across all three theaters.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)IDF Confirms Killing of Oct. 7 Nukhba Commander Ziyada and Khan Younis Tunnel Chief Najjar
The IDF on Sunday confirmed the elimination of two senior Hamas operatives in coordinated precision strikes carried out the previous Wednesday inside the Gaza Strip. Abd al-Rahman Maher Abd al-Karim Ziyada, a commander in the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades' elite Nukhba Force, was killed in the al-Shati area; he had participated in the October 7, 2023 massacre, infiltrating Israeli territory and looting an IDF military vehicle, and was photographed celebrating beside a captured tank. In a separate strike on Khan Younis, the IDF eliminated Kamal Mohammad Hamdan Najjar, head of Hamas's Khan Younis tunnel unit, dismantling critical underground infrastructure. The military stated both posed immediate threats to Israeli forces operating in the sector.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)IDF destroys massive Hezbollah tunnel in Majdal Zoun with 80 tons of explosives
In Operation Closing Verse, the IDF demolished a Hezbollah underground complex in the southern Lebanon village of Majdal Zoun that the military classified as one of Hezbollah's most significant strategic assets in the sector. The 200-meter tunnel reached over 25 meters deep, with blast doors, four launch shafts, twelve storage rooms, disassembled Iranian-made drones, warheads and explosives. More than 20 Hezbollah operatives, including roughly ten elite Radwan Force members, were eliminated during operations on the complex. Israel notified Washington and the US envoy to Lebanon before the demolition, demonstrating that the security annex signed Friday preserves full IDF freedom of action across the southern Lebanon security zone.
Primary:(1)Secondary:(2)(3)(4)(5)Iran fires missiles, drones at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain
Iran's IRGC said it launched coordinated ballistic-missile and drone strikes against eight US military facilities across the Gulf, including Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait and the US Fifth Fleet site at Port Salman in Bahrain, in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian coastal sites. Kuwait said it intercepted Iranian drones and two missiles without injuries or damage; Bahrain said a residential building in Muharraq was damaged but no one was killed, while Qatar separately reported a civilian killed by shrapnel after a vessel failed to return. The escalation underscores why Israel insists the joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran's nuclear and missile complex must continue: Tehran remains willing to attack American bases on Arab soil, vindicating Jerusalem's view that no durable Middle East stability is possible while the regime stays in power.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)IDF intelligence warns Zamir Hamas is rebuilding and preparing renewed war in Gaza
Senior officers in the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate and Southern Command formally warned Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir that Hamas's military wing is rebuilding and preparing for renewed war with Israel. The group is producing hundreds of explosive devices and anti-tank missiles every month, recruiting fighters aged 18 to 22, resuming Nukhba force training, smuggling drones and communications gear in from Sinai, and restoring underground infrastructure across the Strip. Officers assess Hamas remains firmly in control of Gaza with no internal challenger and no intention of relinquishing power. The IDF believes the war must resume to finish dismantling Hamas's military capability; the Trump administration prefers preserving the current status quo while advancing the Board of Peace initiative.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)(4)Capt. David Hazutt, 21, killed by Hezbollah terrorist in southern Lebanon ambush
Capt. David Hazutt of Ashkelon, a platoon commander in the Golani Brigade's 12th Battalion, was killed around 2 a.m. Sunday when a Hezbollah terrorist hiding in a stairwell of a suspicious structure in the Deir Siryan area opened fire at close range. A second Israeli soldier was lightly wounded. Hazutt is the first IDF soldier killed by Hezbollah since Israel and Lebanon signed the trilateral framework on June 26, underscoring why Jerusalem insists the IDF remain in the southern Lebanon security zone until the Iran-backed group is fully disarmed.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)IDF chief Zamir: 'historic' Lebanon framework was enabled by Israeli military achievements
Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told troops the trilateral agreement signed in Washington is 'historic and significant,' and credited 'the operational strength and military achievements the IDF has secured in recent months' for creating the conditions that made it possible. Zamir said the real test will be 'the actions of both sides' and confirmed he approved continued IDF operations inside the southern Lebanon security zone in line with the deal. The remarks frame the framework as a direct dividend of Israeli pressure on Hezbollah rather than a diplomatic concession.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)Netanyahu: 'many indications' of Iranian regime collapse following Operation Roaring Lion
At a Thursday press conference, Prime Minister Netanyahu said 'there are many indications of the collapse of the Iranian regime, many,' adding that Israel cannot guarantee the regime will fall but has worked 'to create the conditions' for that outcome. He warned that even if the regime survives, 'it will be much weaker, there is no comparison.' The remarks underscore Israel's view that the joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran's nuclear and missile infrastructure, together with the Lebanon framework that severs Tehran's western flank, has structurally degraded the Islamic Republic's regional grip.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)(4)IAF strikes Hezbollah RPG cell in Nabatieh hours after Lebanon framework signed
The Israeli Air Force struck and killed several Hezbollah operatives armed with RPGs operating close to IDF troops in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon, the first IDF strike since the trilateral framework was announced. The military said the cell 'posed an imminent threat' to Israeli forces and was eliminated together with the structure it was operating from. Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated that the framework imposes 'no restrictions' on the IDF's right to neutralize active threats in the security zone, while Hezbollah's continued armed posture vindicates Israel's insistence on conditional, not timetabled, withdrawal.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)IDF kills two armed terrorists infiltrating southern Syria buffer zone near Hader
Reservists of the Etzioni Brigade spotted two armed terrorists approaching the border fence from the Druze town of Hader, about a kilometer inside Israel's southern Syria buffer zone. Soldiers opened fire and killed both, and their bodies were recovered for identification. The IDF maintains the buffer zone, established after Assad's fall, to keep Iranian proxies, Hezbollah cells and jihadist groups from re-entrenching on the Golan frontier; this is a rare direct engagement in an area Israel has otherwise stabilized through deterrent strikes.
Sources:(1)(2)Beit Aryeh on six-hour lockdown after suspected terrorist infiltration in Samaria
Residents of the Samaria community of Beit Aryeh were ordered into their homes at 4:30 a.m. after a local resident spotted two suspicious figures near the perimeter fence. IDF forces deployed in strength, found tampering evidence at the fence and reviewed surveillance footage of the suspects, who appeared to have fled. The community emergency squad and the army gave the all-clear at 11 a.m. The episode illustrates the layered Samaria defensive model, with civilian rapid-response squads serving as the first line until IDF reinforcements arrive, which has prevented mass-casualty infiltrations across Judea and Samaria settlements since October 7.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)Israeli officials hail Lebanon framework: 'Hezbollah is out, and the road to peace is in'
At the signing of the trilateral framework, Prime Minister Netanyahu called the agreement 'a major achievement for the State of Israel' and said the IDF would remain in a southern Lebanon security zone until the Lebanese army could assume responsibility. Ambassador Yechiel Leiter declared that 'Hezbollah is out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in.' The framework pairs an initial IDF withdrawal from two pilot zones, one south and one north of the Litani, with verified Lebanese action to dismantle Hezbollah weapons infrastructure.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)US strikes Iran after IRGC drone hits cargo ship in Strait of Hormuz
US Central Command struck Iranian targets after Iran's IRGC launched four one-way attack drones at the Strait of Hormuz, one of which hit the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely cargo vessel, which President Trump called a 'foolish violation' of the 60-day US-Iran memorandum of understanding. Iran retaliated against US facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, and Washington widened strikes the following day. The episode validates Israel's longstanding warning that Tehran cannot be trusted to honor ceasefires while its proxy and missile networks remain intact.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)(4)IDF strike in northern Gaza kills Nukhba terrorist who held Omer Shem Tov hostage on Oct. 7
An IAF strike in northern Gaza killed Sabai Zaher Abd al-Hamid Abu Hasna, a Hamas Nukhba operative who infiltrated Israel on October 7, helped hold hostage Omer Shem Tov, and was the terrorist Shem Tov was forced to kiss on the head during Hamas's staged February 2025 release ceremony. The IDF said Abu Hasna had planted explosive devices during the war and was planning fresh attacks against Israeli troops when he was eliminated. The operation continues Israel's systematic targeting of October 7 perpetrators, a campaign that has now reached commanders, infiltrators and propaganda handlers alike.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)IDF Chief Zamir restates Lebanon mission: 'defending the north'
Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, on a Northern Command tour, said the IDF's objective in southern Lebanon remains 'clear and unchanged — defending the northern communities and the citizens of Israel.' The visit came as Israel continued enforcing the Lebanon ceasefire against Hezbollah activity near the border.
Sources:(1)(2)IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in Beirut's Dahiyeh for a second time
After renewed Hezbollah fire toward Israeli territory, the IDF again struck Hezbollah command infrastructure in Beirut's Dahiyeh quarter. PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not tolerate fire directed at its territory and ordered the strike in response to Hezbollah launches toward northern Israel.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)IDF downs Houthi drone over Eilat after renewed launches from Yemen
The IDF intercepted a Houthi one-way attack drone over Eilat shortly after midnight, after sirens sounded across the southern city. No injuries or damage were reported. The launch followed earlier Houthi fire toward Israel, including ballistic missiles during the Iran escalation, and kept Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi front active against Israel's south.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)IDF strikes Hezbollah command center in Beirut's Dahiyeh quarter
Following repeated Hezbollah violations of the US-brokered ceasefire, PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to strike a Hezbollah command center in Beirut's Dahiyeh quarter, the first strike on the Lebanese capital since the ceasefire was renewed. Israeli officials said the strike responded to cross-border fire toward northern Israel.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)Cabinet approves new F-35I 'Adir' and F-15IA 'Ra'am II' squadrons
The Ministerial Procurement Committee approved the simultaneous acquisition of a fourth F-35I Adir squadron from Lockheed Martin and a second F-15IA Ra'am II squadron from Boeing. The deals are valued at tens of billions of shekels and include fleet integration into the Israeli Air Force, sustainment, spare parts and logistics support.
Sources:(1)(2)Yom HaZikaron: Israel honors its fallen as Memorial Day siren sounds nationwide
At 8:00 p.m., a one-minute siren sounded to open Yom HaZikaron and Israel paused in remembrance of fallen soldiers and terror victims. The state ceremony began at the Western Wall, with additional ceremonies scheduled for military cemeteries after the two-minute siren the following morning.
Sources:(1)(2)IDF launches targeted ground operation in southern Lebanon
The IDF's 91st Division launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and create a security buffer for communities along Israel's northern border. Jerusalem Post reported that officials described a dramatic escalation but pushed back against claims that forces were advancing all the way to the Litani River.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)David's Sling tests expand Israel's mid-range missile-defense envelope
The Ministry of Defense and Rafael announced successful David's Sling interception tests against multiple simulated future threats. The ministry said the trials proved upgraded capabilities for Israel's multi-layered air-defense system, which faces rockets, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles from Iranian-backed fronts.
Sources:(1)IDF recovers Ran Gvili's body — all October 7 hostages are home
The IDF said Alexandroni Brigade reservists, the Yahalom engineering unit, the Military Rabbinate and forensic teams recovered Ran Gvili's remains from the al-Batesh cemetery in Gaza City's Shuja'iyya neighborhood. Gvili, a police officer killed while defending Kibbutz Alumim on October 7, 2023, was the last of the 251 people abducted that day whose body remained in Gaza.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)Three new F-35I 'Adir' jets land at Nevatim, fleet grows to 48
Three additional F-35I Adir stealth fighters touched down at Nevatim Air Force Base, bringing the IAF's operational Adir fleet to 48. The jets are part of Israel's existing F-35 procurement, with two more aircraft from the current tranche expected to complete the 50-plane fleet.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)Zamir unveils 'Hoshen' multi-year IDF plan for 2026-2030
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir unveiled the 'Hoshen' multi-year plan, built on three pillars: readiness for war, return to fitness and force-building. The IDF described a roughly NIS 350 billion resource framework over the coming decade, with emphasis on artificial intelligence, autonomous platforms, space and lessons from the post-October 7 wars.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)Operation Rising Lion: Israel launches major offensive against Iran's nuclear program
Israel launched Operation Rising Lion in the early hours of June 13, 2025, striking Iranian nuclear sites, military facilities, missile bases and senior leadership. Israeli officials described the operation as a precise, preemptive strike against an imminent threat from Iran's nuclear and ballistic-missile programs.
Sources:(1)(2)(3)IAF strikes Syrian regime sites near Damascus to enforce demilitarized south
The Israel Air Force struck Syrian territory on February 25, 2025, including Kisweh near Damascus and the southern Daraa and Quneitra provinces. FDD reported that the strikes targeted command centers and weapons sites after Netanyahu demanded demilitarization of Quneitra, Daraa and Suwayda and warned Syria's new leadership not to threaten Druze communities in southern Syria.
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