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In-Depth Issues:
Mossad Helped Germany Bust Hamas-Linked Terror Cell in Berlin ( Jerusalem Post)
Three members of a terrorist cell with suspected links to Hamas were arrested by Germany's domestic intelligence service (BFV), thanks to Mossad intelligence, the Israel Prime Minister's Office announced Friday.
The three were found with weapons at the time of their arrest on Wednesday. They intended to initiate terror attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets.
"The Mossad will continue to operate everywhere to thwart terrorist activity aimed at harming Israelis and Jews abroad, in full cooperation with security and intelligence agencies in Israel and around the world," the Prime Minister's Office emphasized.
Gaza Flotilla Carried No Humanitarian Aid ( TPS-Jerusalem Post)
None of the 40 vessels participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which Israel intercepted on Yom Kippur, was carrying humanitarian aid, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
The ministry also released a video by the Israel Police featuring spokesperson Dean Elsdunne showing the empty interior of one of the flotilla's largest vessels.
He points out that the complete lack of aid explains why the organizers refused Israel's offers to hand over the aid.
"It was never about bringing aid to Gaza. It was about the headlines and social media," he said.
Documents Prove Hamas Organized, Funded Gaza Flotilla ( Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Hamas documents discovered in Gaza show a direct link between the flotilla leaders and Hamas.
The PCPA (Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad), established in 2018, operates de facto as Hamas's embassies abroad.
The organization is responsible for mobilizing actions against Israel on behalf of Hamas, including demonstrations and flotillas to Gaza.
Israel designated the PCPA as a terrorist organization in 2021.
Saif Abu Kashk, a PCPA operative in Spain, is the CEO of Cyber Neptune, a front company that owns dozens of the ships participating in the latest flotilla.
IDF Wants to Create the Same Security Reality in Gaza as in Southern Lebanon - Yossi Yehoshua ( Ynet News)
IDF forces in Gaza City have been advancing slowly but with overwhelming force, prioritizing security over speed.
In practice, it looks similar to operations carried out in Rafah, Khan Yunis, and Beit Hanoun, which have been leveled.
A senior officer currently leading the fighting assessed that with the slower, safer approach, the IDF could eliminate all of Hamas's infrastructure in Gaza City within two months.
He added that contrary to Hamas's image of fighting to the last man, many operatives have fled with their families to the south.
Regarding future security arrangements, commanders in the Gaza Division and Southern Command strongly oppose any plan that leaves the IDF only along the border, without a security perimeter inside Gaza.
They warn, "It is impossible to protect communities from the fence. Farmers driving their tractors should not be seeing Hamas fighters but Israeli soldiers in front of them."
The commanders also insist on strict enforcement against any violation, preventing the enemy from rebuilding, just as has been done in the north against Hizbullah.
Along Israel's northern border there are five outposts inside Lebanese territory. IDF troops conduct raids in Lebanon, uncover large Hizbullah weapons caches, and carry out airstrikes to prevent Hizbullah forces from regrouping.
Touring that frontier shows what victory looks like.
The IDF now enjoys full freedom of action inside Lebanon. The challenge is to resist international pressure to scale back, because pulling back outposts or reducing offensive operations would bring Hizbullah back to the fence and allow it to rearm.
Now, the challenge is to create the same security reality in Gaza's border communities.
The U.S. Gives Qatar a Defense Guarantee - Editorial ( Wall Street Journal)
In a surprise move Wednesday, the Trump Administration committed the U.S. to defend the Middle Eastern kingdom of Qatar against attack - in an executive order following no public debate.
The lack of Senate approval means the foreign commitment won't necessarily bind the U.S. down the road.
Qatar is a benefactor of Hamas that took the terrorists' side against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Qatari state broadcaster Al Jazeera has for years pumped antisemitic and anti-American poison throughout the region.
In 2017, Mr. Trump initially backed the other Gulf states in ostracizing Qatar, explaining that "the nation of Qatar has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level."
But Joe Biden gave Qatar the status of a major non-NATO ally in 2022.
Is Qatar Taking Control of D.C.? - Eitan Fischberger ( Substack)
The Wall Street Journal revealed in 2018 that Qatar had targeted 250 influencers to try and sway Trump's policy in their preferred direction.
Today there are 788 active Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) registrants in the U.S.
Saudi Arabia has 38 total, 15 in D.C. Qatar has 31 total, 22 in D.C. The UAE has 27 total, 11 in D.C. Israel has 16 total, with 8 in D.C.
Since 2016, Qatar has spent nearly $250 million on 88 FARA-registered lobbying and PR firms. From 2021-2025, Qatar's agents reported 627 in-person meetings with U.S. political contacts - more than any other country in the world.
According to The Free Press, Qatar is the single largest foreign funder of U.S. colleges and universities at $6.3 billion. Six major U.S. universities operate campuses in Qatar. Georgetown University in Washington has received over $1 billion.
The Qatari government-run Al Jazeera has unrivaled access on Capitol Hill. Congressman Jack Bergman revealed in 2024 that Al Jazeera and its subsidiaries hold 136 congressional press credentials. The New York Times only has 82.
Any honest conversation about foreign influence in Washington has to start with the country that's been pouring billions into U.S. politics, universities, media, and even the capital city itself. That country is Qatar.
Even after an Agreement with Syria, Israel Cannot Let Its Guard Down - Maj. (res.) Sarit Zehavi ( Jerusalem Post)
In his speech at the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Netanyahu referred to ongoing talks regarding a security agreement between Israel and Syria.
The international community - led by the U.S. - has embraced Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, while disregarding the warning signs regarding both the fragility of his rule (he survived an assassination attempt only weeks ago) and his enduring ties to extremist Sunni ideology.
Moreover, the Syrian security leadership today is overwhelmingly composed of figures with a jihadist background.
Still, an agreement could present an opportunity to improve security realities along the Syrian-Israeli border.
Any deal must not tie Israel's hands or prevent it from responding to emerging threats across the border.
Israel cannot afford to take risks - not another massacre of Druze civilians, and not a threat to Israeli communities in the Golan Heights. Ignoring the first will only hasten the second.
The writer is founder and CEO of the Alma Research and Education Center.
Israel Thwarts Palestinian Attempt to Pave over Biblical City of Gibeon - Pesach Benson ( TPS-Jerusalem Post)
Israeli authorities on Monday prevented what they described as a deliberate attempt by the Palestinian Authority to damage a major archaeological site in the Binyamin region.
The operation targeted PA engineering crews who were preparing large-scale infrastructure work at the biblical city of Gibeon.
The site, north of Jerusalem, is in Area C, where Israel has both administrative and security jurisdiction.
Gibeon is mentioned repeatedly in the Book of Joshua. It is where Joshua made a covenant with the Gibeonites and is the site of the famed battle in which "the sun stood still at Gibeon."
Discoveries include a massive pool described in the Book of Samuel, elaborate winery cisterns known as the "Gibeon cisterns," and an underground water system still connected to a functioning spring.
Gibeon served as one of the 13 priestly cities in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin and was home to King Saul's family.
Video: Nova Survivors Speak ( Jewish Journal of Greater Boston)
On Oct. 7, 2023, more than 400 people were murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Nova Music Festival in Israel.
These are some of the stories of those who survived, in interviews by Steven A. Rosenberg, publisher of the Jewish Journal of Greater Boston.
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We wish our readers a Happy Sukkot holiday!
Daily Alert will not appear on Tuesday, October 7
News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
- Trump Claims Victory after Hamas's Response to Ceasefire Plan - Kevin Liptak
After nearly five days, Hamas responded to President Trump's proposal to end the war in Gaza. Yet its response stopped well short of endorsing the plan, including critical issues like the demand that Hamas disarm and destroy their weapons, and that it play no role in governing Gaza in the future.
Trump posted on Truth Social: "Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!" It was the first time Trump has explicitly told Israel to halt its assault on Gaza. (CNN)
See also Senior Israeli Official: Hamas Has Agreed to Release All Hostages - Itamar Eichner
A senior Israeli official said Saturday that under the emerging plan, Israel will receive all 48 hostages, including one female captive, within 72 hours of an agreement's approval. "We're talking about just a few days of negotiations," he said. At this stage, there is a "reduction in fire," intended to give Hamas space to locate and return hostages.
"Hamas has agreed to the first phase - releasing all hostages - and that's a major achievement for Israel," the official said. The upcoming Cairo talks, due to begin on Monday, will determine the logistics of releasing live hostages and the time frame Hamas will receive to collect the bodies of the dead, he added.
(Ynet News)
See also Israel Halts Offensive Operations in Gaza to Support Hostage Negotiations - Yoav Zitun
At 3 a.m. Saturday, Israel halted its offensive maneuvers in Gaza City. Troops are permitted to return fire if threatened. Defense officials said the front-line presence of Israeli troops inside Gaza - especially around key Hamas strongholds - would help maintain leverage at the negotiating table. At the same time, the ceasefire allows Hamas units to regroup and reposition.
(Ynet News)
- Hamas Military Commanders in Gaza Resist Surrendering Arms - Summer Said
On Friday, Hamas said it was willing to release hostages and hand over Gaza. But Hamas used hedged language that some observers saw as problematic to clinching a final peace. While Arab mediators said Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas's top negotiator, and several other senior political officials support accepting the U.S. proposal despite significant reservations, they have limited sway over the group's armed wing in Gaza.
Mediators said Hamas leader in Gaza Ezzedin al-Haddad is willing to give up rockets and other offensive weapons to Egypt and the UN for storage, but he wants to retain small arms such as assault rifles. Moreover, Hamas commanders inside Gaza say they won't be able to enforce compliance with disarmament demands among fighters if they accept a deal that amounts to surrender.
Mediators warn that some Hamas fighters could defect to other Palestinian militant groups such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, leaving uncertainty over whether a deal with Hamas alone could halt the fighting.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called Hamas's response "a classic 'Yes, but.' No disarmament, keeping Gaza under Palestinian control, and tying hostage release to negotiations, along with other problems. This is, in essence, a rejection by Hamas of President Trump's 'take it or leave it' proposal." (Wall Street Journal)
- Islamist Terrorist Murders Two People at Manchester Synagogue on Yom Kippur - Martin Evans
During the Yom Kippur service at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on Thursday morning, a car driven at speed plowed into people standing outside the synagogue. Then a man wearing all black climbed from the car carrying a knife and began stabbing an already injured security guard. At least six people outside the synagogue were stabbed.
Clad in what appeared to be a suicide vest, the shaven-headed, bearded man then made his way towards the entrance of the synagogue. However, quick-thinking members of the congregation managed to lock the doors from the inside. Police shot the man close to the entrance to the building. (Telegraph-UK)
See also British Jews Recall "Tsunami of Jew-Hatred"
Authorities in Britain identified the Manchester synagogue attacker as Jihad al-Shami, 35, a British citizen of Syrian origin who came to Britain as a child. British media described him as an Islamist. The attack took place in Crumpsall, a small Manchester suburb with both a large Jewish community and a large Muslim community. Witnesses said those stabbed were Jewish men wearing kippot.
Jews across the kingdom have long expressed grave concern about a climate of hate they say has been inflamed by anti-Israel activists who have staged frequent, sometimes violent demonstrations since the Gaza war began. Those protests have at times included explicit support for Hamas terrorists or calls for violence. Reuters reported that in Manchester, hours after the attack, two cars drove through the area flying Palestinian flags and several masked men were heard shouting insults at Jews.
"Almost every Jew in this country knew this day would come," Rafi Bloom, a member of the Heaton Park synagogue, told Sky News. "We've faced a tsunami of hatred since Oct. 7. Vandalism, physical assaults, online abuse, mistreatment by health workers, students who have been threatened and attacked on campuses. We've had almost weekly hate marches in our streets with disgusting scenes comparing Jews to Nazis...over a conflict 2,000 km. away." (Ynet News)
See also Manchester Attacker's Father Praised Oct. 7 Hamas Terrorists - Robert Mendick
Faraj al-Shamie, the father of the Manchester synagogue attacker Jihad al-Shamie, praised the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorists as "Allah's men on earth" in a Facebook post on the day of the attack, which he said had "proved beyond a shadow of a doubt" that Israel would be destroyed. (Telegraph-UK)
- Israel Intercepts Gaza Flotilla - Niha Masih
Israel's navy has intercepted the boats in an international flotilla bound for Gaza and detained 440 participants, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, its Foreign Ministry said Thursday. It said "all the passengers are safe and in good health" and will be deported to Europe.
(Washington Post)
See also Israel's Peaceful Interception of the Gaza Flotilla - Seth J. Frantzman
The Israeli navy intercepted 40 vessels that were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla on Oct. 1-2. Spanish and Italian naval vessels that had accompanied the flotilla departed around 120 nautical miles from Gaza. The interception began at around 90 nautical miles.
In the end, the Israeli navy carried out a well-coordinated and peaceful interception. Because most of the vessels were sailboats, the slow pace gave Israel plenty of time to prepare. The flotilla also kept its own independent live tracking on a website, meaning that it was easy to see where the ships were.
(Jerusalem Post)
News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
- Netanyahu: Israel's Negotiating Team Heading to Cairo to Close Details of Full Hostage Release
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday evening:
"I hope, with G-d's help, that in the coming days, during the Sukkot holiday, I will be able to inform you about the return of all our hostages, both living and deceased, in one phase, while the IDF remains deep within Gaza and in the controlling areas within it."
"What brought about the change in Hamas's position is solely the military and diplomatic pressure we have exerted....I have instructed the negotiating team, headed by Minister [Ron] Dermer, to go to Egypt to close the technical details of the release of our hostages. Our intention and that of our American friends is to limit this negotiation to a few days."
"In the second stage, Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza demilitarized. This will happen either via a diplomatic route according to the Trump Plan - or via a military route by us."
(Prime Minister's Office)
- Israeli Airstrikes Thwart Hamas Attack on Rival Armed Gazan Group - Emanuel Fabian
Some 20 armed Hamas operatives attempted to attack other Gazans on Friday morning in an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Khan Yunis area. Hossam al-Astal, who leads a group opposed to Hamas, said 11 Hamas operatives were killed and six were seriously wounded in Israeli drone strikes. The IDF released a video showing Hamas operatives dragging children with them, using them as human shields. The gunmen were killed minutes later, without harm to the children.
(Times of Israel)
- IDF Officer Stops Terrorist South of Jerusalem - Yossi Yehoshua
An IDF colonel in the reserves shot and neutralized a Palestinian terrorist who rammed his car into two teenagers and then tried to stab them Tuesday at the Al-Khader intersection near the tunnels south of Jerusalem. Two teenage boys were wounded at a roadside bus stop by Mahdi Dirieh, 33, from Beit Fajjar. The assailant then emerged from his vehicle with a knife before he was shot by the officer, who happened to be passing by.
(Ynet News)
- IDF Finds Hamas Tunnels beneath Two Gaza City Hospitals - Emanuel Fabian
The IDF has uncovered a Hamas tunnel running underneath the Jordanian Hospital in the south of Gaza City. The tunnel is 1 1/2 km. long and includes a weapons manufacturing workshop. A second tunnel was found at the Hamad Hospital in northwest Gaza City.
(Times of Israel)
- Israeli Security Forces Find 15 Rockets near Ramallah - Elisha Ben Kimon
Israeli security forces uncovered 15 rockets in the Ramallah area of the West Bank on Wednesday, 8 of them armed with explosives. Forces also uncovered 18 explosive devices, firearms, and other munitions.
(Ynet News)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
Observations:
- While Palestinians declare they want statehood in the West Bank and Gaza, they make abundantly clear that their real aspiration isn't independence but the destruction of Israel, regardless of its borders.
- Hamas - an Islamist, jihadist, and fundamentalist movement - took over the Palestinian parliament in January 2006 democratically and Gaza in June 2007 violently. Hamas's religious ideology complements the national ideology of the PLO, injecting a religious element into the conflict. The result is that what might otherwise be a solvable problem of borders and demographics takes on almost cosmic meaning as a struggle between Islam and Judaism that began in the 7th century between Mohammad and the Jews of the Arabian city of Medina.
- Given the strength of the religious element, and the weakness of the national element, it is almost impossible for Palestinians to accept a two-state solution. National independence has limited appeal, and anything short of a complete victory over the Jewish state fails to satisfy the need for a victory of Islam over Judaism.
- Westerners tend to ignore the religious element when dealing with the Muslim world, viewing it as secondary or purely rhetorical. In truth, even groups like Fatah - which often employs secular nationalist rhetoric - are deeply informed by Islamic beliefs and ways of thinking. For Palestinians, national and religious aspirations are inseparable, and, for many, Hamas's affinity with Islam grants it greater legitimacy as a political movement.
- Hamas and other groups associated with the Muslim Brotherhood have a fixed set of ideas about Jews and Judaism that make any compromise or mutual recognition with a Jewish state anathema. The advent of Islam in the 7th century CE rendered Judaism void. The adherents of this superseded faith do not constitute a nation or people. Therefore, there is no logic or legitimacy to the existence of a Jewish state.
- Moreover, once land comes under Muslim rule, it ought to remain Muslim in perpetuity. Islamists believe this to be true of Sicily, the Iberian Peninsula, and Greece, but especially true of the territory of Mandatory Palestine and its holy sites. The Balfour Declaration and subsequent decisions by the League of Nations and the UN granting sovereignty to Jews in this land are thus an offense to Islam.
- The spectacle of a return of Judaism - in which the Jews regain their land, pray where the Temple once stood, and act as a sovereign people rather than a scattered religious minority - strikes many Muslims as an intolerable offense. As long as Israel continues to exist in any form, the affront remains, and it must be combated through jihad.
- This religious perception also underlies the hostility towards Israel among the rest of the Arab peoples and Muslims more generally. Thus, Palestinians feel that recognizing Israel as the state of the Jewish people would be a betrayal of Islam that would earn them the contempt of their coreligionists.
The writer, a scholar of Arab culture and public discourse, and an expert on the Muslim Brotherhood, served for 25 years in IDF Military Intelligence.
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