Third Houthi Missile Intercepted Over Israel in 24 Hours
Israel’s air defense systems successfully intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen early Wednesday morning, marking the third such strike in just 24 hours. The missile was brought down without reported casualties, though it did lead to temporary disruptions at Ben Gurion Airport, where incoming flights were briefly delayed as a precaution.
The missile triggered air-raid sirens across several regions, including Jerusalem, Modi’in, Ma’ale Adumim, Gush Etzion, Mount Hebron, and parts of the Dead Sea. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the warning systems functioned as intended, alerting residents through sirens and mobile notifications. Emergency medical responders reported no significant injuries, though one woman was hurt while seeking shelter.
Following this latest incident, the IDF issued a direct evacuation warning to those present in Yemeni sea ports controlled by the Houthi faction, urging immediate departure due to concerns over potential further escalation. This announcement followed an earlier warning issued by IDF Arabic Spokesman Avichay Adraee, emphasizing the risk posed by ongoing Houthi military activity.
The series of attacks began Tuesday evening, coinciding with a speech by former U.S. President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia. The IDF confirmed that another missile launched from Yemen that night was also intercepted, while a second projectile failed to reach Israeli territory.
In a broader context, the Houthi group has launched over 30 ballistic missiles and a dozen drones toward Israel since mid-March, coinciding with intensified Israeli operations against Hamas in Gaza. While most of these projectiles have been intercepted or fell short, the ongoing escalation underscores the widening regional conflict.
IDF: Hamas Operative Disguised as Journalist Killed in Gaza Strike
The Israeli military confirmed on Tuesday that Hassan Abdel Fattah Mohammed Aslih, a Hamas fighter operating under the guise of a journalist, was among those killed in a recent strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza. According to the IDF, Aslih was a member of Hamas’s Khan Yunis Brigade and had taken part in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli civilians, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and hundreds of hostages.
The IDF claims that Aslih used his position as a supposed journalist to disguise his militant activities, including documenting acts of violence and uploading footage online. Prior to the hospital strike, the IDF said it undertook extensive measures to minimize civilian casualties, employing precision-guided munitions and real-time aerial surveillance.
The strike on Nasser Hospital was part of a broader IDF campaign targeting Hamas leadership. On the same day, Israeli jets also struck a Hamas command center hidden beneath the European Hospital in Khan Yunis. The target, Mohammed Sinwar, a senior Hamas commander and brother of the former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, is believed to have been coordinating military operations from the complex. The outcome of that strike is still under assessment.
Declassified Files Reveal European Role in Mossad’s 1970s Assassination Campaign
Newly revealed documents suggest that Western European nations, including the United Kingdom, France, and West Germany, provided crucial intelligence to Israel’s Mossad during the 1970s, enabling it to track and eliminate Palestinian operatives across Europe. According to a report based on these documents, which were recently declassified and analyzed by historian Aviva Guttmann, this cooperation took place under a covert framework known as “Kilowatt.”
The intelligence network is said to have included 18 countries, providing Mossad with critical data on suspected terrorists linked to the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, where 11 Israeli athletes were killed. This information is believed to have been instrumental in the Mossad’s subsequent assassination campaign, codenamed “Operation Wrath of God.”
Among those targeted was Wael Zwaiter, a Palestinian poet killed in Rome just weeks after the Munich attack, and Mahmoud al-Hamshari, a PLO representative assassinated in Paris. The documents reportedly reveal that Swiss and Italian intelligence also played significant roles, providing tactical data that Mossad agents used to locate and eliminate these figures.
The files also indicate that British intelligence, including MI5, supplied photographs and operational details that proved crucial in identifying high-profile targets. However, this collaboration was not without error, as demonstrated by the notorious Lillehammer affair, where a Mossad team mistakenly killed an innocent man in Norway in 1973, leading to diplomatic fallout and a temporary halt in operations.
