Channel 14 News Israel

Category: Israel

  • Smotrich Orders Immediate Aid After Gilad Farm Fire

    Smotrich Orders Immediate Aid After Gilad Farm Fire

    Following a severe fire that ravaged 26 homes and businesses in Gilad Farm yesterday (Saturday) afternoon, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich held a situation assessment at the burnt down town, alongside IDF Judea and Samaria Division Commander Col. Kobi Heller, Samaria District Police Commander Superintendent Moshe Pinchi, the fire brigade commander, Samaria Governor Yossi Dagan, Knesset member Zvi Sukkot, chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee’s subcommittee on Judea and Samaria, and town chairman Moshe Hakmon.

    Fires in Judea and Samaria | Photo courtesy: Israel Fire and Rescue

    The finance minister directed senior property tax officials to send assessors immediately to document the damage for compensation purposes, alongside providing immediate assistance to 110 residents’ families who lost their houses and examining permanent solutions immediately. Samaria Governor Dagan thanked the minister for his assistance to residents, and they are currently holding conversations with residents to help those affected by the severe fire.

    Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said: “First and foremost, we want to send a very big hug to the residents of Gilad Farm who dealt with enormous courage with the severe fire on Shabbat and with quite a bit of damage—homes and businesses that burned down.” The minister announced: “At the government and local authority level, we are acting immediately to accompany the residents and embrace them. We have an unequivocal commitment to ensure that Gilad Farm as a town grows, develops, and improves. We are currently studying the options and will accompany the residents along the way. We are building the town as the security buffer of the State of Israel.”

    Samaria Governor Dagan said: “I thank you for coming here to strengthen the residents. There are hundreds of people here who worked throughout the entire afternoon. This is a major incident, a very difficult incident. From our perspective, how we see it, this is certainly the result of human action. We are reinforcing this as a reasonable suspicion, very much so, that this is arson.”

    Dagan clarified that there are about thirty structures that were damaged, almost all of them belonging to families, that burned completely, as well as businesses that burned completely, and infrastructure that was almost completely destroyed. “We expect the State of Israel to act with full force, to study how we rehabilitate the infrastructure of this town.”

  • Dozens of U.S. Tankers Head to Israel

    Dozens of U.S. Tankers Head to Israel

    As strikes between the United States and Iran escalate, dozens of American refueling aircraft arrived in Israel over the weekend as part of a military buildup to strengthen offensive and defensive capabilities in the region. Despite the significant reinforcement, aviation industry officials say the public won’t feel the impact at Ben Gurion Airport.

    Photo: Aloni Mor/ Channel 14

    According to sources familiar with the matter, following a decision by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, the American tankers are not parking at Ben Gurion but are being directed to Air Force bases and Ramon Airport. That means parking spots at Ben Gurion remain available for civilian airline aircraft, reducing concerns about disruptions or flight cancellations during the summer travel season.

    Meanwhile, about 15 additional American aircraft are expected to leave Ben Gurion during the week, leaving only about 20 planes at the airport according to the plan. The move is being carried out in accordance with a cabinet decision designed to allow the airport to continue normal operations even during the sensitive security period.

    Photo: 27A

    Still, industry sources note that American aircraft are allowed to land at Ben Gurion for refueling or specific operations, but are not authorized to occupy parking spots in a way that would interfere with civilian airline operations. The government is seeking to maintain a balance between security needs and the desire to avoid disrupting passenger traffic and regular flight activity.

  • 26 Homes Burned in Arab Arson Terror Attack in Israel

    26 Homes Burned in Arab Arson Terror Attack in Israel

    Today (Saturday) around 2:00 PM, firefighting forces were called to a fire in Israel’s heartland area of the Yishai neighborhood in Kedumim. According to Eliya Aviv, Judea and Samaria Analyst for Channel 14,  “Upon arrival, they immediately understood this was deliberate arson carried out by terrorists from the nearby village of Jit, there were four separate points of ignition.” According to an eyewitness who reported from the scene, “Arabs are firing flares at the firefighting planes above Gilad Farm.”

    Israeli Fire and Rescue services reported that 45 firefighting and rescue teams, with the help of a helicopter and multiple firefighting aircraft fought the raging fire in the area. The fire spread rapidly and reached the community of Gilad Farm, where firefighters battled for many hours with the help of eight firefighting planes and one reconnaissance helicopter.

    Samaria Governor Yossi Dagan pointed the finger at arsonists as well, in a published statement saying, “The incident that clearly began as a result of a vehicle driving throwing something that is still unclear exactly what it was, towards the area, and as a result, a huge fire was started.”

    Fire at Gilad Farm | Photo: Fire and Rescue

    According to Aviv, after the fire was brought under control, the damage discovered was immense: roughly 26 homes were completely burned down, along with several businesses that were also damaged by the fire. Five people were injured in the incident, four firefighters and one civilian.

    Israeli Fire and Rescue said in a statement, “Firefighters are continuing at this hour in a prolonged struggle against the fire in Gilad Farm, concentrating efforts on stopping the fire’s spread toward additional risk points and protecting the homes of the community.

    As of this hour, 45 firefighting and rescue teams from across the country are operating at the scene, assisted by a reconnaissance helicopter and eight firefighting planes carrying out repeated aerial drops alongside ground activity. The forces are operating in several sectors, carrying out community protection, extinguishing points of combustion, and creating containment lines aimed at stopping the fire’s advance.”

    Fire at Gilad Farm | Photo: Fire and Rescue

    Alongside firefighting operations, large police forces are deployed, including the Air Unit helicopter and the district drone unit. Forces are evacuating residents, blocking area roads, securing emergency routes, and directing traffic. The Jit, Kedumim, and Yitzhar junctions remain closed to traffic, and Route 55 is partially blocked to allow rescue operations.

    Fire at Gilad Farm | Photo: Fire and Rescue

    Due to the severity of the incident, a special joint investigation team was established, including fire investigators from Fire and Rescue Services, Samaria District Police, and the IDF, to determine the circumstances of the fire’s outbreak. An inter-agency situation assessment was held with all security and rescue bodies, during which tasks were defined for continued firefighting, investigation, and public safety operations.

    Several other fires broke out across the country Saturday. In the Jezreel Valley town of Shimshit, residents in the first line of homes were evacuated as the fire approached, but firefighters gained control of the blaze. Firefighting teams also operated in Kfar Vradim and the Shibli area, and after hours of battling the flames, succeeded in halting their spread.

    Governor Yossi Dagan | Photo courtesy: Samaria Regional Council

    Governor Dagan made three specific calls on the state:

    1. Catch the perpetrators — he called on the security establishment and Israeli government to prioritize apprehending those responsible for the arson.
    2. Deliver a systemic response to arson terror — he wants a coordinated, comprehensive response from all relevant government systems to the broader pattern of recurring arson attacks in the area, not just this single incident.
    3. Immediately rehabilitate the community’s infrastructure — he expects the state to begin rebuilding the burned homes, businesses, and infrastructure without delay, and called on “all state authorities” to get involved in the reconstruction effort.
  • Radical Leftist Suspected of Deliberately Ramming Couple

    Radical Leftist Suspected of Deliberately Ramming Couple

    A serious incident unfolded today (Friday) in Gush Etzion, where a 90-year-old radical left-wing activist allegedly deliberately rammed a Jewish couple who own a local farm. The woman sustained minor injuries in the incident. Security forces were dispatched to the scene, and the circumstances are under investigation. The suspect was detained for questioning.

    Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who chairs the Religious Zionism party and serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry, claimed the incident had resulted from what he called an ‘incitement campaign’ by Democrats party leader Yair Golan and other left-wing figures.

    Minister Bezalel Smotrich | Photo: Jonathan Zindel, Flash 90

    Police reported: “A short time ago, a report was received of a vehicle striking a woman at Tomer Farm near the Gush Junction. Officers from the Etzion Police Station in the Judea and Samaria District were dispatched to the scene. A preliminary investigation found that an Israeli man arrived at the farm and began filming with a camera. An argument then broke out between him and a teenage resident of the farm. The suspect got back into his vehicle, began driving, and lightly struck the teen, who did not require medical treatment.”

    “Moments later, a female resident approached the vehicle to question the suspect about his actions. He continued driving, struck her, and dragged her several meters as she clung to the vehicle. She sustained minor injuries. The 90-year-old suspect was detained by police for further questioning, and his vehicle was seized. The investigation is ongoing.”

    Smotrich called on the president to condemn the violence and demanded that Yair Golan, Gadi Eisenkot, and Naftali Bennett retract their statements pledging to evacuate the outposts after the elections. The minister argued they must clarify their position regarding the incident and the settlers there. “Any other response will constitute a continuation of the bloodletting of the outpost pioneers,” Smotrich said.

  • IDF Kills Top Hamas Terrorist Who Held Oct. 7 Hostages

    IDF Kills Top Hamas Terrorist Who Held Oct. 7 Hostages

    The IDF and Shin Bet struck and eliminated Anas Mahmoud Ahmed Hamdan on Thursday in the Khan Younis area. A Hamas company commander, Hamdan played a central role in holding hostages in Gaza and facilitating their return to Israel. He also oversaw the terror organization’s propaganda operations in the Khan Younis Brigade. For years, including throughout the war, he served as the right-hand man to senior Hamas military leaders Mohammed Deif and Rafa’a Salama.

    Muhammad Deif | Photo: IDF Spokesperson

    Throughout the war, Hamdan was directly involved in holding hostages and was responsible for documenting them during the release ceremonies. He also helped hold Avera Mengistu captive before the war. In recent months, Hamdan had been training terrorists and attempting to advance attacks against IDF forces and Israeli civilians. He posed a direct threat to Israeli forces operating in Gaza and was eliminated in precision airstrikes.

    Hamdan’s elimination marks another step in Israel’s ongoing effort to close the circle on those responsible for the October 7 atrocities. Israeli forces have vowed to continue pursuing every terrorist involved until justice is served.

  • Israel Approves Massive $295M Judea and Samaria Roads Plan

    Israel Approves Massive $295M Judea and Samaria Roads Plan

    In a dramatic decision approved early Thursday, the Israeli government greenlit an unprecedented three-year, 1.075 billion shekel ($295 million) plan to expand transportation and security infrastructure across Judea and Samaria. Following two months of intensive planning, the funding will enable the planning and construction of secure access roads to dozens of new communities, including Homesh, Sha-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim, as well as many others expected to be established.

    Bezalel Smotrich | Photo: Aloni Mor, News 14

    The initiative is designed to address the urgent need for regulated access roads, which cannot be financed through the standard development budgets allocated for new communities. Spanning three years, the program includes paving new roads, upgrading existing routes, creating strategic links between communities, and integrating built-in technological and physical security measures along key transportation corridors. An automatic mechanism was also established under which any future community approved for legalization or construction in Judea and Samaria will immediately be included in the program’s budget framework.

    Finance Minister and Defense Ministry Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the initiative as a “community-security revolution,” saying it would strengthen Israel’s security. “The historic decision we approved will enable the establishment of dozens of communities at strategic locations,” he said. According to Smotrich, the plan serves as an alternative to past policies that advocated evacuating communities, aiming instead to strengthen Israel’s hold on the area while removing barriers to safe and regulated access for the new communities.

    Judea and Samaria | Photo: Samaria Regional Council

    The plan is designed to create a continuous transportation and security network linking isolated communities with the major city and town blocs. According to the government, its stated objective is to reshape the strategic landscape of Judea and Samaria while preventing the future establishment of a ‘Palestinian’ state. In that vision, the new roads are more than transportation infrastructure—they are intended to strengthen Israel’s long-term presence and support the growth of new communities across the region.

  • UN Admits: What Hamas Really Does With Aid

    UN Admits: What Hamas Really Does With Aid

    Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator, issued a formal statement Monday with sharp accusations against the terrorist organization Hamas. According to Alakbarov, the group is actively interfering with humanitarian aid shipments, using violence against aid workers, and disrupting relief operations in the Strip.

    חמאס |
    The terrorist organization Hamas | Photo: Flash 90

    “These incidents are not isolated,” he said. “They are unacceptable and reflect an escalating pattern of intimidation, violence, and disruption—including smuggling attempts, attacks on humanitarian operations, and abuse of aid workers. These actions endanger humanitarian personnel, disrupt the delivery of life-saving aid, and further limit the ability of humanitarian organizations to operate, while civilians across the Gaza Strip continue to face extremely harsh humanitarian conditions.”

    The incident that prompted the condemnation occurred over the weekend, according to UN reports, when Hamas terrorists broke into a food distribution point in the Jabaliya area in the northern Strip. The terrorists also entered a World Food Programme warehouse and physically attacked two truck drivers transporting humanitarian supplies.

    ארגון הטרור הרצחני חמאס |
    The murderous terrorist organization Hamas |Photo: Shutterstock

    Hamas’s interior ministry rejected the accusations, claiming they are “baseless.” According to a senior official in the terrorist organization, local police and security forces are the ones securing the shipments and distribution centers.

    The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories pushed back against Hamas, saying the UN statement provides further proof of Hamas’s cynical exploitation of the humanitarian space: “Hamas is using aid intended for residents for its own purposes.”

  • A Left-Wing Party’s Fake Eviction Notice in New Jewish Town

    A Left-Wing Party’s Fake Eviction Notice in New Jewish Town

    Yaya Fink, a left-wing candidate from the Democrats party, hung an eviction notice yesterday (Thursday) at the Eival outpost—which was established the same morning. As part of his distasteful and provocative stunt, he had the date October 28 printed on the sign—one day after Israeli elections—in a move that signals the left’s intention to dismantle and evict Jewish communities the day after the vote.

    Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich shared documentation of Fink’s act and said: “They mean what it says.” This comes against the backdrop of a broad series of recordings published in recent weeks showing senior left-wing figures announcing their intention to advance settlement evacuations and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

    Last night, we reported in our main broadcast that associates of Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot, together with left-wing research organizations, have been holding talks in recent months with a series of European countries, including government officials in Britain and France. The message these politicians are conveying behind closed doors is designed to reassure the Europeans and includes fairly dramatic promises.

    Bennett and Eisenkot will deal a blow to the Jewish life in the heartland | Photo: Flash 90

    Bennett and Eisenkot’s people are talking about how after the elections, they will act to cancel the steps the current government has led in Judea and Samaria, and will restore legitimacy to the ‘Palestinian Authority’. The language being spoken there is very clear: complete erasure of everything that has happened in the past three years in the Jewish communities, or in other words—actual cancellation of the establishment of new towns and dismantling of existing outposts.

  • IDF Strikes Four Terror Targets Across Gaza Overnight

    IDF Strikes Four Terror Targets Across Gaza Overnight

    The IDF struck four terror targets across the Gaza Strip overnight. Israel continues methodically eroding Hamas’s capabilities and eliminating terrorists who participated in the October 7 attack. Yesterday, forces killed a terrorist involved in abducting the bodies of Colonel Asaf Hamami and two other soldiers.

    IDF forces in the Gaza Strip, archive | Photo: Report

    Footage from Gaza this week again showed the IDF moving forward the yellow cubes that mark the dividing line between Israeli-controlled territory and Hamas-held areas. Gazans whose tents fall on the wrong side of the cubes are forced to evacuate.

    The vast majority of Gazans are now squeezed into an area comprising just 30 percent of the Strip’s total territory. Gaza continues paying the price for the savage attack launched from within its borders on October 7. Most complaints from Gazans in the tent camps focus on overcrowding, intense heat, and infestations of mice and fleas.

    Trucks with aid to Gaza | Photo: Abd Rahim Khatib, Flash 90

    Last month, Gazan activists tried organizing protests against Hamas and failed. But with Hamas refusing to disarm and offering no real solution for residents, more protest attempts are expected from time to time.

    Around 600 trucks carrying aid and goods enter Gaza daily. Those who look can also find footage of markets, businesses, and entertainment venues—mainly in areas of Deir al-Balah and Gaza City that weren’t significantly damaged during the fighting. Between the destruction, the protests, and the military pressure, the reality in Gaza remains complex—and the war is still far from over.

  • Netanyahu Completes First Full PM Term Since 1988

    Netanyahu Completes First Full PM Term Since 1988

    After a dramatic night in which the Knesset voted to dissolve itself, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hit another milestone—becoming the first Israeli prime minister to complete a full term since 1988.

    The Knesset plenary completed the legislative process in the early morning hours and gave final approval to the dissolution clause. With that, the current Knesset session ended, and the legislature officially entered election recess, which begins Saturday and continues until the 26th Knesset convenes.

    Photo: Jonathan Zindel, Flash 90

    Throughout the night, an intense battle played out within the coalition to secure the necessary majority. After several Knesset members, including Dan Illouz, were absent at one point and didn’t answer their phones, the decision was made to rush Netanyahu and the defense minister to the Knesset to help round up votes. Only after the 61st vote was secured did the plenary give final approval to the dissolution clause.

    Against the backdrop of the turbulent political night, Netanyahu also notched a personal historic achievement. He became the first prime minister to complete a full term since 1988—a milestone not recorded in Israel for decades, amid a string of election cycles and government turnovers.

    Israeli Knesset, archive | Photo: Flash 90

    As he left the Knesset, Netanyahu was asked by our political correspondent Moti Kastel how he sums up the term. He replied tersely: “This is just the beginning.”