Last week, the political-security cabinet quietly approved the establishment of 22 new communities in Judea and Samaria, including the re-establishment of Homesh and Sa-Nur.

It was established that the Palestinian Authority’s land registration procedures in Area C are being conducted without legal authority. Consequently, any resulting documents, maps, records, or approvals will hold no legal or official status within the State of Israel. Furthermore, the security establishment has been instructed to actively prevent these efforts by restricting the entry of personnel into the area, halting foreign aid directed toward the Palestinian land initiatives, and formally demanding that the Palestinian Authority cease its activities in the region.

The Regavim Movement applauded the Cabinet’s decision on land registration in Judea and Samaria, stating:

“This resolution represents a pivotal advancement in addressing a longstanding challenge. For years, Israel stood idle while the Palestinian Authority aggressively pursued land registration, deploying hundreds of workers and funneling millions of dollars from international sources.” Regavim praised “Defense Minister Israel Katz, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and our esteemed partners, for their resolute leadership in advancing this critical initiative to safeguard our territorial integrity and our land and secure our collective future.”

We look forward to seeing these approvals turned into real change on the ground and the decisions on land registration policy turned into action to correct the illegal actions that have been taken on a massive scale all over Area C.

Source:
Israel Approves 22 New Settlements, Boosting Contiguous Jewish Presence in Judea and Samaria, by David Israel/Jewish Press, May 28, 2025

Israel’s Defense Ministry disclosed Wednesday that the country achieved a historic military breakthrough during the Iron Swords war, successfully using advanced laser systems to intercept dozens of targets in the technology’s first operational deployment. The revelation ends more than 18 months of secrecy surrounding what defense officials describe as a revolutionary advancement in aerial defense capabilities.

“There’s a feeling of history, of pioneering spirit. This represents a breakthrough process worldwide, but we’re not getting too intoxicated with success,” said Major G. (39), who heads the laser division in the Israeli Air Force. “I relate with the chief of staff’s statement – actions will speak louder than words. This achievement fills us with tremendous pride – but our focus remains forward, on the threats we face.”

The disclosure of Israel’s operational deployment of laser-based defense systems marks a turning point in modern military technology. This achievement not only showcases Israel’s commitment to pioneering innovation in national defense but also sets a new global standard in aerial threat interception. As the Israeli Air Force continues to pursue every available tool to safeguard the nation, the successful use of laser systems demonstrates the country’s readiness to lead in next-generation defense capabilities.

Source:
How Israel’s secret laser weapon went from lab to battlefield in 18 months, by Hana Greenwood/Israel Hayom, May 29, 2025

Israeli security forces conducted a second consecutive day of operations targeting terror-linked funds across Judea and Samaria, seizing over NIS 7 million (nearly $2 million) and arresting 30 wanted individuals, the Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday.

Forces confiscated cash in various currencies, including hundreds of thousands of shekels, tens of thousands of U.S. dollars and Jordanian dinars, thousands of euros, and gold valued at roughly $1.75 million.

The idea that if Israel stops funding it can stop terrorism oversimplifies a complex issue. Terrorist groups often rely on diverse revenue streams—some illicit, like drug trafficking or extortion, and others legitimate, like donations or business profits. Stopping funding can hurt terrorist groups, but it’s not a silver bullet. Comprehensive strategies—combining military, diplomatic, and social measures—are needed to address root causes. Still, the IDF’s actions are a mandatory step in putting a dent in the problem.

Source:
Israeli Forces Continue Crackdown on Palestinian Terror Funding, by Ehud Amiton/TPS-IL, May 28, 2025

The Yesha Council umbrella group of Judea and Samaria communities has launched a campaign calling on Israel’s government to extend sovereignty over the area to prevent another terrorist massacre.

As part of the campaign, the group, which represents some 500,000 Jews living in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley, released a video illustrating the danger posed by Palestinian terrorist organizations in the territory.

The minute-long clip depicts terrorists breaking through the security fence in northern Samaria with pick-up trucks and motorcycles and driving toward the Israeli city of Kfar Saba, abducting hostages to the Palestinian terror hub of Tulkarem, firing an RPG at Ben-Gurion Airport and attacking Israelis from Afula to Beersheva.

“It’s either Israeli sovereignty or the seventh of October in the center of the country.” the video states. “Judea and Samaria, the defensive shield of Israel,” the clip concludes.

Sovereignty over Judea and Samaria will serve as the protective defensive shield Israel has a legal right to rather than what the ill-informed see as it being a tool for Israel’s aggression. Sovereignty will help prevent Judea and Samaria from being used as a staging ground for future terror attacks. It does not seek to prevent not provoke conflict. When it comes to the application of sovereignty over Judea and Samaria there is no broader context in which to argue. The truth about sovereignty is straight forward.

AFSI prays that the Israeli government will find the will to declare sovereignty over Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley before France, the United Kingdom and any others recognize a Palestinian state next month. Israel has the biblical, historical and legal rights to its heartland and we fervently wish it will exercise these rights now.

Source:
Yesha Council: Only Judea and Samaria sovereignty will stop next massacre, by JNS Staff/May 27, 2025

Hamas has reportedly been unable to pay its fighters for the past three months, largely due to Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid that have prevented the group from diverting and profiting off supplies. According to a source within the terrorist organization, members of Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, have not received any wages since approximately February the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported. The families of terrorists killed or captured in clashes with Israeli forces are also said to have been denied their customary payments.

Hamas is experiencing what may be the most severe crisis since its founding in 1987, as the far-reaching consequences of its October 7, 2023, assault on Israeli positions in the Gaza Strip continue to unfold—consequences the group likely never anticipated would be so devastating. Sources both within and outside Hamas told Asharq Al-Awsat that the movement has never faced such dire circumstances—not during this war, nor during earlier periods of suppression by Israel or the Palestinian Authority in the 1990s. At that time, Hamas lacked the political and military strength it later amassed, yet its current predicament is seen as far more severe.

Hamas’s future is uncertain, yet with its military and governance capabilities heavily degraded, it persists as a significant actor, supported by Iran and led by a temporary five-member committee. Claims of Hamas’s total collapse should be viewed very cautiously, as it continues to adapt despite losses.

Source:
No Pay, No Murders? Hamas Terrorists Reportedly Unpaid Since February, by David Israel/Jewish Press, May 27, 2025

The Israeli government is poised to make a landmark decision that could significantly reshape the residential landscape in Judea and Samaria. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is planning the legalization of 22 communities in the area.

Touted as a major strategic shift, the plan aims to solidify the Jewish presence in the region by formalizing long-established communities and paving the way for new building initiatives.

The most notable development in the proposal is the inclusion of Homesh and Sa-Nur. Homesh would gain formal recognition as an official community, while Sa-Nur—currently uninhabited—would be reopened to Jewish development.

Smotrich stated: “We continue to lead a revolution of normalization and regulation in the settlement enterprise. Instead of hiding and apologizing, we raise the flag, build, and settle. This is another significant step on the road to de facto sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”

The road to full sovereignty moves forward!! It is wonderful that these Northern Shomron communities will be regulated. However, let’s not forget about the Gush Katif evacuees. While many have successfully rebuilt their lives and livelihoods they still remain deeply affected by the loss of their homes and the overall devastating and humiliating experience of being evacuated by their own people on that fateful day in 2005. They long for HOME and we support their cause.

Source:
20 Years After Gush Katif, Smotrich Advances Plans for 22 New Settlements in Judea and Samaria, by David Israel/Jewish Press, May 20, 2025 

The victims of Wednesday’s shooting outside an American Jewish Committee event at the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington DC were named by authorities as Yarón Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26.

Israel Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, was at the scene of the terror attack just minutes before two Israeli Embassy employees were murdered late Wednesday night.

In a statement following the attack, Ganz emphasized, “This truly proves that this is not a battle over territory or borders,” he emphasized. “It is a war for our very existence as a people.”

Our horror at this brutal murder – a vicious act of anti-Semitism – is shared by many people around the world right now. We are beyond the point of defining news like this as disturbing or devastating. There are no appropriate words anymore to describe the increased terrorism against Israel and the Jewish people with such brazen and deadly expressions of hatred.

Source:
Yesha Council head narrowly misses DC terror attack: ‘This is a war for our existence’, by Israel National News, May 22, 2025

Two Jewish men in their 20s from northern Israel were arrested recently, on suspicion they carried out espionage operations on behalf of the Iranian government.

In a joint operation carried out by the Shin Bet and the police’s Lahav 433 National Crime Unit, Roi Mizrahi and Almog Atias, both 24 years old and residents of the town of Nesher, north of Haifa, were arrested at the end of April after they allegedly gathered intelligence in Kfar Ahim, a moshav in south-central Israel, where Defense Minister Israel Katz resides.

Initial investigations by Israeli agencies believe the motive of Mizrachi and Atias was for their own financial gain.

This incident is not just part of a larger trend of Iran’s ongoing attempts to recruit Israeli citizens for nefarious intelligence gathering. Mizrahi and Atias were living normal lives as citizens of Israel. Unfortunately, these young men got so greedy that it overwhelmed their patriotism and judgment, leading them to accept Iran’s recruitment offers. As a result, they committed severe security violations that directly threatened Israel’s national security, resulting in their arrest. Their actions highlight a dangerous vulnerability that must be addressed to protect Israel and its citizens.

Source:
2 Israeli men accused of spying on Defense Minister on Iran’s behalf, by World Israel News Staff, May 20, 2025

The Israeli military said Sunday it has launched a new phase of ground operations across multiple areas of the Gaza Strip, marking the start of what it calls Operation Gideon’s Chariots, even as negotiations over a possible ceasefire and hostage release continue in Qatar.

Ground forces have so far eliminated dozens of Hamas fighters, dismantled infrastructure both above and below ground, and secured strategic positions within Gaza, according to the military. The IDF said it would “continue to operate against the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip as required, in order to defend Israeli civilians.”

The operation’s goal is clear and that is to eliminate Hamas and establish new civilian authorities in Gaza. Israeli forces plan to remain in captured areas indefinitely to prevent Hamas’s return. Until Israel’s goal for the war is achieved, military operations are ongoing and diplomatic efforts to address the hostage crisis continues.

Source:
Operation Gideon’s Chariots: IDF unleashes major Gaza campaign to finish off Hamas, by Ynetnews, May 19, 2025

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan announced on Sunday that he was moving his office to the site of the May 14 terrorist attack in which a pregnant Israeli woman was murdered, and her husband was wounded.

“Following the severe terrorist attack in which Tzeela Gez, may G-d avenge her blood, was murdered, the office of the council head was moved to an open tent opposite the village of Bruqin,” Dagan wrote in a message to residents on Sunday.

Bruqin “is a hornet’s nest,” Dagan charged. “We expect the government of Israel to carry out military operations here in Bruqin, just like it has belatedly begun to do—at the cost of blood—in northern Samaria.”

Dagan’s bold office move underscores his continued proactive approach to advocating for the legal rights of and mandatory security for Israeli residents in Judea and Samaria.

Source:
Samaria Council head moves office near Arab village in response to terror attack, by JNS Staff, May 19, 2025