Inside Israel News
Week of August 17, 2026
URL has been copied successfully!
Israeli Finance Minister Demand Hamas Purge & IDF Takeover in Gaza
Israel Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was recently invited to address the students and faculty at the Yeshiva (rabbinical college) in the city of Sderot on the first day of the autumn semester. Sderot is only about 1 km away from the border of Gaza, and IDF troops had been executing Hamas leaders there over the past 48 hours.
Minister Smotrich bluntly told Sderot mayor Alon Davidi, Yeshiva president Rabbi David Fendel, and students present that, in his opinion, Prime Minister Netanyahu must order the IDF to purge Hamas, establish military command, and promote Israeli settlement in the Strip.
Minister Smotrich went on to say that history has shown that settlement is imperative, since it is followed by a military presence and security. In contrast, unsettled regions are constantly vulnerable to invasion, occupation, military coups, and so on. However, such directives can only come from, and be authorized by, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Smotrich, his colleagues on the political right, and even their opponents urge the PMO to endorse and promote voluntary emigration from the Gaza Strip. US President Trump’s 15-Point Plan for Gaza includes an international security force for the region. However, Minister Smotrich insists that no foreign militia will risk bloodshed to disarm Hamas, and the IDF must perform this task alone.
Owing to its proximity to Gaza, Sderot was struck very hard by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Thirty-seven civilians and 16 police and military personnel died there that day. While most surviving residents have long since returned from evacuation, reconstruction of the city is far from complete.
Pray for:
- Elimination of the terrorist presence in Gaza and southern Lebanon
- Establishment of peace and salvation of occupants of both regions
- Godly wisdom and guidance for regional and national leadership
In This Week’s Issue
Israeli Finance Minister Demand Hamas Purge & IDF Takeover in Gaza
Remains of Fallen Israeli Soldier Finally Recovered After 44 Years
IAEA Finds Large Quantities of Nuclear Material in Syria
Hamas and Board of Peace Disagree on Gaza Disarmament
Another Wonderful Staff Report About Children’s Camps in Israel
More News
Inside Israel News Week of August 17, 2026
Inside Israel News Week of August 17, 2026 Israeli Finance Minister Demand Hamas Purge & ...
Inside Israel News Week of August 3, 2026
Inside Israel News Week of August 3, 2026 U.S and Iran Resume Cease-Fire and Hormuz ...
Inside Israel News Week of July 13, 2026
Inside Israel News Week of July 13, 2026 Cease-Fire Broken Between U.S. and Iran After ...
Inside Israel News Week of June 29, 2026
Inside Israel News Week of June 29, 2026 U.S. and Iran Will Halt Hormuz Strait ...
Inside Israel News Week of June 15, 2026
Inside Israel News Week of June 15, 2026 Signing of Cease-Fire Between Israel and Lebanon ...
Remains of Fallen Israeli Soldier Finally Recovered After 44 Years
Collaboration of the Israel Defence Force (IDF), the Military Intelligence Directorate of the IDF, Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency), and the Mossad spy agency resulted in the recovery of the skeletal remains and the personal effects of deceased IDF Sergeant First Class (SFC) Yehuda Katz.
Sgt. Katz and at least two other IDF soldiers were officially declared Missing in Action (MIA) after the Battle of Sultan Yacoub on June 10-11, 1982. Sgt. Katz, a tank gunner, did not pass muster after a cease-fire was ordered between Syria and Israel—the opposing forces in the conflict.
Sgt. Katz vanished along with SFCs Zachary Baumel and Zvi Feldman. The body of Sgt. Baumel, a tank commander, was recovered by operatives in the Russian and Syrian armies and returned to Israel in early April 2019, while that of Sgt. Feldman—in charge of tank communications—was retrieved and returned by Mossad agents in mid-May 2025.
The aforementioned agencies refused to disclose the exact locations of the remains despite repeated requests for this information from the press and the families of the deceased. However, the organizations participating in the recovery operations helped ensure proper burial of the fallen soldiers in compliance with both Jewish customs and IDF standards.
Speaking on behalf of the IDF, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said that it is the mandate of the Israeli military and government to make every effort and spare no expense to rescue live and recover deceased MIAs and return them to their homes and families. Moreover, the authorities uphold their commitment to ensure that the dead are honoured with dignified burials.
The Battle of Sultan Yacoub between Israel and Syria occurred in the Lebanese Bekaa near the Syrian border early in the First Lebanon War of 1982. During the two-day skirmish, thirty IDF soldiers perished, and more than ten military vehicles were destroyed.
Pray for:
- Recovery and return of all IDF MIAs and KIAs
- Peaceful resolution to current terrorist attacks against Israel
- Protection and safety of civilians on both sides of the conflicts
IAEA Finds Large Quantities of Nuclear Material in Syria
During a routine inspection, engineers from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) detected several tonnes of radioactive substances at an undisclosed location in Syria.
In response, IAEA director-general Rafael Grossi met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani at a press conference in Damascus to discuss this serious matter. Minister al-Shibani said that the fissionable material dates to the era of former Syrian president Bashar Hafez al-Assad, who ruled from 2000 until his deposition in 2024.
Mr. Grossi tried to offer assurances that the nuclear matter would be maintained under constant “international safeguards” lest it be confiscated, stolen, or misappropriated for the fabrication of thermonuclear warheads. In response, Mr. al-Shibani stated that the material would be used exclusively for electric power generation in nuclear reactor facilities.
Mr. al-Shibani maintained that Syria has the sovereign right to apply nuclear energy in civilian and peacetime applications. Notwithstanding, the IAEA will require Syria to submit to routine safety inspections, keep careful running records of existing stores of radioactive substances, and leave the relocation of the nuclear material to the IAEA as the body sees fit.
Mr. Grossi said that the IAEA is closely monitoring Deir ez-Zur as the agency suspects it is a cache for fissile material. The ancient city—the largest in eastern Syria—is currently undergoing extensive excavation as it contains many archeological ruins, some of which date to the ninth century BCE. It is feasible that the dig sites could serve as repositories for substances such as yellowcake uranium.
In fact, the IAEA detected uranium particles there in 2024. The site has been under the scrutiny of Israel since the IAF bombarded a suspected nuclear weapons factory (“Site 99”) there in September 2007. The maneuver, designated Operation Orchard, was only declassified in 2018. The Assad regime was still in power then, but Israel was confident they had destroyed Syria’s nuclear capability.
Pray for:
- Maintenance of nuclear responsibility and safety in Syria
- Godly wisdom and guidance for the leadership of Syria and Israel
- Divine protection of the believers in both nations
Hamas and Board of Peace Disagree on Gaza Disarmament
Until very recently, there was consensus between Hamas and the U.S.-based Board of Peace regarding an incremental withdrawal of both Hamas operatives and Israel Defence Forces (IDF) troops from the Gaza Strip.
However, following a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump’s top aide Jared Kushner and Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya, the Board of Peace is pushing for Hamas to surrender its entire arsenal before the IDF completely pulls out of Gaza. Though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fully endorses this plan, Mr. al-Hayya and Hamas do not.
Mr. Kushner conferred with his Board of Peace associates Nickolay Mladenov and Tony Blair as well as Israeli P.M. Netanyahu, and unilaterally decided to fast-track the disarmament and departure of all Hamas personnel in Gaza before any reconstruction is initiated there. Mr. Netanyahu proposed this approach, claiming it would favour the outcome of the October 27 Knesset elections.
In fact, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem reiterated that the organization he represents will only abide by the original bilateral Hamas-IDF Gaza exit strategy. Mr. Qassem also accused the Netanyahu administration of never formally agreeing to the first version of the plan. He said that this reluctance will, of course, seriously impede the progress of the agreement.
Mr. Kushner is confident that the amended “15-point plan” of the Board of Peace could be successfully executed within thirty days. On the other hand, Hamas representatives such as Messrs. Al-Hayya and Qassem insist upon gradually relinquishing their weaponry and demolishing the tunnels in designated sectors of Gaza while the IDF withdraws from them.
Pray for:
- An end to the hostilities between the IDF and Hamas in Gaza
- Restoration of human lives and rebuilding of the infrastructure there
- Saving knowledge of Yeshua the Messiah among Gazan residents
Another Wonderful Staff Report About Children’s Camps in Israel
Recently, our staff in Israel had the opportunity to hold two camps for teenagers. The main theme of both camps was “How to Hear God.” This is such an important question for teenagers today. They hear so many different voices around them—friends, social media, and the world they live in. We want to help them understand how God speaks to us, how we can recognize His voice, and how important it is to have a personal relationship with Him. Here is what one of our Israeli staff had to say about the camps:
“During the camps, we studied the Bible together, prayed, worshiped, and had many conversations. But of course, we also had a lot of fun! We went to a water park, took jeep rides, and went bowling. There was a lot of time to just be together and talk. When you spend several days together, teenagers begin to open up, and sometimes you hear things that they would never share during a short meeting.
“One 15-year-old boy especially touched our hearts. His family made Aliyah two years ago. Since coming to Israel, he had not really made friends and hardly communicated with anyone. He did not even want to come to the camp. But during the camp, we saw him slowly begin to open up. He started talking with the other teenagers, making friends, and becoming much more involved with the group. What encouraged us most was seeing him begin to pray together with us. This was a beautiful reminder of why these camps are so important.”
Pray that these teenagers will not only hear us talking about God, but that they will begin to seek Him personally, learn to recognize His voice, and respond to Him. Praise the Lord for every teenager He brings to us and for the privilege of being part of their lives. Pray that the seeds planted in their hearts will grow and bear fruit—in their lives, in their families, and even in the generations to come.
URL has been copied successfully!
