Israel’s military conducts surprise drills to test for readiness

The Israeli military has begun an unannounced General Staff exercise, which it said aims to test its readiness for a “multi-arena, erupting, complex and large-scale event”.

The “surprise” exercise, called “Dawn Cost 2.0”, was ordered by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and involves commanders across the military’s regional commands, wings and branches, the military said in a statement posted on X. It also involved the mobilization of reserve forces and the activation of alerts.

The Israeli military said it is testing decision-making and operational responses at all levels, while incorporating lessons from fighting across various fronts and the October 7, 2023, attacks.

The military said increased movement of armed forces and aircraft would be seen across Israel during the exercise.

Israeli activist to be charged with incitement to terror

Israel’s Channel 13 broadcaster is reporting that an antigovernment activist is expected to be indicted on charges of incitement to terror over her social media posts targeting Netanyahu.

Yolanda Yavor, a lecturer at Tel Aviv University, was arrested in November for posts on Facebook that called for people to rebel against “traitor” Netanyahu.

Her lawyer, Oshrat Kirma, called the decision to charge her “absurd” and said it stems from “political” motives, Channel 13 reported.

Netanyahu calls Qatar ‘a hostile state’

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called Qatar a "hostile state" and dismissed the controversy over his government's ties with Doha as "one big bluff," in an interview with i24NEWS shared on X.

He said Qatar "is not a state that dictated anything" in Israeli decision-making, and boasted about striking Qatar, saying: "I attacked Qatar, I also bombed it and attacked them during thewar, and they attacked me."

These remarks come days before the one-year anniversary of Israel's 9 September 2025 strike on Doha. The bombing killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security official during a meeting to discuss the then U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal.

During a 29 September 2025 meeting at the White House, Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump called Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh MBA_AlThani_.

Netanyahu apologized on the call, saying Israel had targeted Hamas rather than Qatar, and affirmed Israel had no plan to violate Qatari sovereignty again. Qatar condemned the strike as a "blatant violation of all international laws and norms," with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari calling it a "cowardly" assault.

Every accusation is a confession. Just look at the Israelis in Palestine, Lebanon and in Syria.

Israeli army announces military drills near border with Jordan

The Israeli army has announced training exercises at two locations near the border with Jordan, saying the drills are aimed at helping its forces prepare for surprise attacks.

West Jordan was once part of an Israelite empire.

Israeli military’s snap, multiple-front drill to send ‘message to our enemies’

The Israeli military’s snap, multiple-front drill on Sunday was to send “a message to our enemies,” said the army’s chief of staff.

“The [military] is capable, prepared and ready to defend the State of Israel and prepared to act quickly and attack with force anyone who tries to harm us,” added Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, while visiting troops taking part in the exercise designed to test the readiness of commanders on multiple fronts of a war.

The army tested several scenarios, mirroring its invasion of southern Lebanon, raids on the occupied West Bank and ongoing genocidal war in Gaza.

Looking at the drills near the border with Jordan, he admits that Jordan is a enemy, while the Israelis have a formal peace agreement with Amman since October 26, 1994. The Agreement is called the Israel–Jordan peace treaty (also known as the Wadi Araba Treaty)

Weapons seized in Iran linked to groups with alleged ties to Israel

Weapons and other military equipment have been seized in Iran’s city of Oshnavieh, in West Azerbaijan province, allegedly linked to separatist groups with ties to Israel.

The Tasnim news agency reported the shipment included six Kalashnikov assault rifles, 28 magazines, and other ammunition.

In March, news reports emerged that the US and Israel were supporting separatist groups in Iran to launch attacks, claiming its part of an evolving US strategy to weaking its defenses and foment dissent against the government.

‘This regime in Iran – its end is near,’ Netanyahu tells cabinet meeting

The Israeli PM’s office has published on X an excerpt from a speech Netanyahu made at a cabinet meeting in which he says: “This regime in Iran – its end is near.”

Iran is “refraining” from attacking Israel, the prime minister claimed, adding that if it did “make the mistake” of attacking Israel, “it will suffer a blow it cannot even imagine”.

Israeli government acting ‘a little irrational’ on Gaza, says Kushner

US special envoy Jared Kushner says the upcoming elections in Israel have made the government act “a little irrational” on Gaza.

“I think we agree with the Israelis on the end state for Gaza,” Kushner told reporters during a visit to Ukraine.

“They just have crazy elections, and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards,” he said in Kyiv.

Kushner – whose family has deep personal ties to Netanyahu – appeared to adopt the Israeli stance on Gaza in a recent interview with Fox News, emphasizing the full demilitarization of Hamas before an Israeli withdrawal.

“We have a plan to rebuild Gaza, but we will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until the demilitarization occurs,” Kushner said.

Arab League head condemns Israeli ministers’ remarks on displacing Palestinians from Gaza

The secretary-general of the Arab League, Nabil Fahmy, has condemned statements made by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz regarding the displacement of the Palestinians from Gaza.

“Such statements defy the efforts of the international community to advance peace, bring the war in Gaza to an end, and put a stop to the humanitarian suffering endured by Gazans over recent months as a result of Israel’s continued unilateral and escalatory policies,” Fahmy said in a press statement.

“Any discussion of the displacement of the Palestinian people is categorically unacceptable,” he added.

Israeli officials have been using “migration” as a euphemism for depopulating Gaza.

Katz last week said the Israeli government was ready to get Palestinians out of Gaza “by sea, by air and by any means to do it”, and that the idea is still “being discussed all the time”.

Ben-Gvir echoed Katz’s statements the following day.

“Instead of illusions of peace now, we need actions of emigration now,” Ben-Gvir said. “Instead of [Palestinians] digging tunnels, it’s time to pack suitcases.”

Israeli officials’ Gaza remarks hindering peace efforts: Arab League chief Fahmy

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy has made additional remarks about Israeli ministers’ desire to remove Palestinians from Gaza.

In a statement, Fahmy said the comments came at the same time as “Israel’s lack of response to the internationally agreed-upon peace efforts”, which “represents the occupying power’s further complicating of the situation, pushing the security and stability of the region into danger, and diverting attention from the real reasons behind obstructing peace efforts”.

He affirmed his support for “the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land” and stated that the league supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Fahmy also called on the international community and its institutions to confront such statements by Israeli officials.