One Dead, Ten Wounded After Houthi-Claimed Drone Attack Strikes Tel Aviv: A drone attack was carried out on Ben Yehuda Street on the corner of Shalom Aleichem near the US Consulate after loud explosions were heard in Tel Aviv early Friday morning, July 19.
Yemen’s Houthis subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack. The site of the drone impact is within a few minutes walk of the US Embassy branch office on HaYarkon Street. This shows how close this impact came, not just to the US diplomatic outpost, but also the line of hotels along HaYarkon.
During searches by emergency services, the body of a lifeless man in his 50s with shrapnel marks on his body was found in an apartment near the location of the explosion. Ten people were taken to hospital with minor wounds, according to Israeli media.
According to a Saudi-owned media channel, the US intercepted a ballistic missile and three drones launched by the Houthis at Israel on Friday night, but the fourth managed to hit Tel Aviv.
IDF spokesman R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari on Friday said that in the coming days, the military and the government would meet to decide how to respond both on offense and on defense to what appears to almost certainly have been an attack by Yemen.
Hagari said that Iran manufactured and guided the Houthis of Yemen in acquiring and using the Samad-3 drone, which was used in the attack. Next, Hagari said that the Samad-3 seems to have attacked Israel from the West and from over the Mediterranean Sea.
In addition, he said that Iran had assisted the Houthis in upgrading the Samad-3’s range, which is listed publicly as around 1,500 kilometers. Although public information on the Samad-3 does not indicate it has special capabilities for avoiding Israeli radar, Hagari acknowledged that Israel’s air defense detection systems broke down in this case but did not explain the specific reason why. (JPost / VFI News)
“Lord, we pray for the family of the man who was killed by the drone attack and we ask that You bring them comfort and peace during this period of intense grief. We also pray in Yeshua’s name for the ten wounded civilians, for their physical and emotional health. We pray that they are soon discharged from the hospital and that they do not become mentally traumatized by the attack. We ask that You strengthen our defenses so that no attack remains undetected and that our skilled personnel become quickly alerted and can thwart any attacks in the future. Lastly, we thank You for our US allies who intercepted three potentially dangerous attacks from Yemen.”
The articles included in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Vision for Israel. We try to provide accurate reporting on news pertinent to Israel, the Middle East, the diaspora, and Jewish issues around the world—and we hope that you find it both informative and useful for intercessory prayer.
19 Terrorists Released Back into Gaza: Less than two months after it released the director of the Shifa Hospital along with other terrorists, Israel on Wednesday, July 17, released another group of 19 terrorists back into the Gaza Strip.
At this time there is no information regarding the identities and threat levels of the released terrorists or the amount of time they have spent in Israeli custody. Still, at 8:20 a.m. they made their way through the Kissufim Check Point back into the Gaza Strip.
“Again Israel is giving bargaining chips back to the enemy without receiving anything in return. The hostages are still in Hamas’ tunnels, we aren’t getting any information about their condition and we are certainly not getting them, yet still, terrorists, members of Hamas, the murderous terror organizations that spared no brutal means against us, are being released,” soldiers who were asked to secure the passage of the released detainees said.
In an attempt to find the individual who decided to release the terrorists, Israeli media contacted the IDF Spokesperson who referred them to the Israel Prison Service (IPS) and the Shin Bet (ISA).
The IPS Spokesperson stated that the IDF is the one who orders the release and the one who signs the order is an officer at the rank of Brigidere General or Major General. A source in the IDF estimated that the order came from the political echelon.
In June, when Israel released several dozen terrorists, including Muhammed Abu Salmiya, the director of Shifa Hospital which turned out to be a Hamas headquarters and arms depot, everybody blamed the other and the Prime Minister’s Office pledged that the incident would be investigated so that it would not repeat itself. (INN / VFI News)
“Dear God, we pray for a deal that will ensure the quick release of all our hostages. We pray in Yeshua’s name that the designated terrorists who have been released into Gaza will not cause additional harm and that they will truly repent and change their ways. We pray that You open all the blind eyes and help us live peacefully in the land You had promised to our forefathers. May You eliminate all wickedness from Israel and cause our enemies to seek peace with us.”
Nasrallah Threatens: We Will Attack Towns Which Have Not Yet Been Hit: Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has threatened to attack Israeli communities that have not yet been hit by rocket fire if Israel continues “attacking civilians in Lebanon.”
Thus far, Israel has carried out targeted attacks on Hezbollah officials in Lebanon, without escalating the tensions to an outright war which would significantly impact the lives of Lebanese civilians.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, July 17, Nasrallah said, “Our response last night, with the missiles on Kiryat Shmona and other towns, shows our equation. We want to add: If you continue attacking civilians, the resistance will attack towns which have not been attacked until now.”
He added: “We hear the destruction of the Third Temple. Israel is not able, for the first time in its history, to achieve its goals, and it is using indiscriminate killing to justify the situation it finds itself in now.”
Meanwhile, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael — Jewish National Fund’s (KKL-JNF) firefighters remind us that they have been on the front line since the beginning of the war, facing fires caused by Hezbollah’s attacks almost daily to protect Israel’s natural heritage.
“We’re fighting these fires day in and day out, we get up in the morning and tend to the forest—that’s what we do all year round. Once we hear the siren or the fire starts, we get on our fire trucks.” This description from KKL has become the norm in the past few months after forest fires in Northern Israel persisted following Hezbollah’s massive rocket onslaught. (INN / VFI News)
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
Netanyahu Pays Condolence Visit to Families of Fallen Druze Soldiers: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Monday, July 15, paid a condolence call on bereaved Druze families from the Swords of Iron War, at the home of Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the Druze community house in Julis.
The Prime Minister expressed his condolences and solidarity with the families’ pain over the magnitude of their loss. Mona, the widow of Lt.-Col. Alim Abdallah, of blessed memory, told the Prime Minister that yesterday she opened her husband’s things and found gifts that he had prepared for his soldiers ahead of his discharge, including a Land of Israel medallion upon which was written “I have no other country.”
Mona added: “We have no other country. We sacrificed what is most dear to us and it must be made certain that the blood of our soldiers is not in vain.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “I came to talk as the Prime Minister and as a brother, and I will refer to the two foundations of the longstanding partnership between us: A covenant of blood and a covenant of life.”
“There is no life without the willingness to fight for life. To fight means both to lose the best of our sons, sometimes our daughters as well, against the wild people around us, who have slaughtered us – Jew and non-Jew alike. Jews, Druze, Circassians, Christians, Bedouin and Muslims – they would slaughter everyone if they could.”
“I came here to bow my head before those who fell in the north and those who fell in the south, who stormed into the fire, who proved their heroism, sacrifice, leadership, and personal example. I salute them and I salute the families.” (INN / VFI News)
“Our Heavenly Father, we pray for the families of all the fallen Druze soldiers and we send our heartfelt condolences to them. We pray that You take them into Your caring Fatherly embrace and comfort them, You are the only one who can. We thank You for gifting us brave soldiers who are willing to sacrifice themselves for their brothers and sisters and we hope that such acts of heroism will be remembered. We pray in Yeshua’s name for long-lasting peace with every enemy who surrounds us according to Your perfect will in Heaven.”
Gallant Approves Draft Orders for 1,000 Haredim on Sunday: Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved the sending out of approximately a thousand draft orders to ultra-Orthodox men on Sunday, July 21, marking the first orders sent out since the landmark ruling by the High Court of Justice in June, which officially ended the long-standing haredi exemption from IDF service.
According to a statement put out by the ministry, the IDF intends to send out a thousand draft orders in three waves, to meet its goal of 3,000 haredi draftees this year, in addition to the 1,800 who were slated to join existing IDF frameworks.
The IDF will conduct a “learning process” at the end of each wave, to improve the process for the next wave, the statement read. The second wave will occur in approximately two weeks, and the third two weeks later, Brig.-Gen. Relli Margalit from the IDF’s Operations Branch told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC) on Thursday afternoon.
The IDF traditionally drafts three times a year, roughly in March, July, and November. The current orders are being sent out as part of the July draft, and haredi draft plans for the next two rounds will be set “according to haredi turnout” in the current draft.
The number of summons could jump to 24,000 to ensure 3,000 actually join up. The 24,000 number was a maximum worst-case estimate if the haredim’s compliance with the summons was lower than expected, whereas the IDF said it might only need to issue closer to 6,000 summons to get 3,000 haredim to actually enter the IDF. (JPost / VFI News)
Before PM Visit to Washington: Knesset Establishes Its Position Against Palestinian State: The Knesset on Wednesday night, July 17, approved a proposal that establishes the position of the Knesset against the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan.
It follows a proposal from February that determined the position of the Knesset against unilateral international recognition of a Palestinian state. 68 MKs voted in favor of the proposal, 9 voted against, and there were no abstentions.
The proposal says, “The Israeli Knesset firmly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan. The establishment of a Palestinian state in the heart of the Land of Israel will pose an existential threat to the State of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and destabilize the region.”
“It will only be a matter of a short time until Hamas takes over the Palestinian state and turns it into a base of radical Islamic terrorism, working in coordination with the axis led by Iran, to eliminate the State of Israel.”
“The promotion of the idea of the Palestinian state will be a reward for terrorism and will only encourage Hamas and its supporters who will see this as a victory thanks to the massacre of October 7, 2023, and a prelude to the takeover of jihadist Islam in the Middle East,” the proposal reads. (INN / VFI News)
Rescued Hostage, Noa Argamani, to Join PM on Trip to US: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited representatives of hostage families to join him at his speech to the US Congress on July 24, and Israeli media revealed that Noa Argamani, who was rescued from Hamas captivity, confirmed that she will travel with the Prime Minister, together with her father Yaakov.
A political source noted that the delegation to the US will also include representatives of hostages, soldiers, and civilians, women and men, those who were present at the Nova music festival and others in the surrounding area, as well as representatives of families whose members were kidnapped before October 7th, some of whom have been waiting ten years for their loved ones.
The list was compiled by Gal Hirsch, appointed by the Prime Minister to coordinate the cross-governmental response to missing Israeli citizens. Some of the hostage families refused to travel with the Prime Minister, claiming that he should “first secure a hostage deal, then he should travel,” while others accepted Netanyahu’s invitation.
Along with Noa Argamani and her father Yaakov, Ditza Or, mother of Avinatan, who was taken captive to Gaza, Ayelet Samerano, mother of Yonatan, who was murdered and kidnapped to Gaza by a UNRWA social worker, and Tali Gvili, mother of soldier Ran, who was murdered on the morning of October 7, also confirmed their participation in the trip. (INN / VFI News)
“For their sake He remembered His covenant and out of His great love He relented. He caused all who held them captive to show them mercy.” – Psalm 106:45-46
US Makes It Official: Gaza Pier Mission Has Come to an End: The US military officially announced on Wednesday, July 17, that its mission to install and operate a temporary, floating pier off the coast of Gaza has come to an end, British media reported.
President Joe Biden, in his State of the Union address in March, announced the plans for the temporary pier on the coast of Gaza that would receive large shipments carrying food, water, medicine, and temporary shelter and provide aid to the Strip.
However, the pier has continuously run into problems since it has been installed. The pier was only operational for a week before a storm broke it apart and it was put back together. Two weeks ago, US officials said the pier had been re-attached to the shore after being temporarily removed again days earlier due to poor sea conditions.
The pier was to have been reinstalled last week and then used for several days before being taken down, but the effort to reattach it was unsuccessful.
“The maritime surge mission involving the pier is complete. So there’s no more need to use the pier,” Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the deputy commander of US Central Command, told a news briefing on Wednesday.
Cooper said efforts to distribute aid to Gaza arriving by sea would now shift to the established port of Ashdod in Israel. At least five million pounds of aid, which are either in Cyprus or on ships, will be going to Ashdod in the coming days, he said. (INN / VFI News)
“But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.” – Psalm 9:18
The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.
