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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-10 at 10:03
Published 3 weeks ago
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HEADLINES
Lebanon-linked West Bank cell thwarted; five arrested
US completes THAAD deployment in eastern Jordan
IDF relaunches Tank Division 38 post-October 7
The time is now 10:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, authorities say a Lebanon-linked terror cell operating in the West Bank has been thwarted, with five operatives arrested. The cell was assigned to photograph a settlement in the northern West Bank and conducted firearms training for a planned shooting attack, the Shin Bet said. The network is described as having ties to Hamas and Hezbollah. One suspect, Muhammad Sidka, a resident of the northern West Bank, was arrested in October on suspicion of planning an attack. Interrogation showed Sidka traveled to Lebanon where a handler from another terror cell recruited him to carry out operations in the West Bank and to recruit cells to operate across the region. Sidka returned to the West Bank via Jordan and recruited additional operatives, including Muhammad Khalil from Ramallah and Muhammad Barhamah from Anza; Khalil and Barhamah were arrested as part of the case. During interrogation, the Shin Bet discovered that Sidka maintained contact with the Lebanese cell via social media and gaming apps until his October arrest. The United States has completed a full THAAD missile-defense battery deployment at an air base in eastern Jordan, including an advanced radar, six launchers and 36 missiles; the base also hosts F-15E Strike Eagles and A-10 Warthogs, signaling a broader deterrence posture in a region watching Iran and its proxies closely.
In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Israeli authorities say customs officials at the Yitzhak Rabin border crossing in Eilat foiled an attempt by an East Jerusalem resident to smuggle several rare English Barb pigeons from Jordan into Israel. The birds were restrained inside a suitcase, with their wings and beaks taped to prevent movement, described as very harmful to the pigeons. The suspect said he raises pigeons at his home in East Jerusalem and bought the birds in Jordan for his personal collection. The birds were confiscated and the case was handed to the Agriculture Ministry for proper care; authorities opened an investigation and warned that animals brought in without proper health checks may carry dangerous diseases. Separately, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman criticized the government’s handling of the rehabilitation and development of Gaza border communities attacked on October 7, saying key recovery plans were only partially implemented and major gaps remain for residents unable to return home. Englman urged the Prime Minister’s Office, the Tekuma Administration and related bodies to act without delay to correct deficiencies and remove obstacles to rehabilitation. The day’s other note from the region: two Hamas militants from the Beit Hanun battalion were killed by the IDF last night; their funeral featured bodies wrapped in the insurgent movement’s insignia and celebratory gunfire in the air as mourners gathered.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, the IDF announced the reestablishment of Tank Division 38 as a signal of the force’s post-October 7 evolution and a renewed emphasis on armor. Military officials say the move reflects lessons from Hamas’s invasion and the Gaza war, notably a perceived need for more tanks and a more offensive posture along the border. The Northern Corps, which had been slated for closure, will be absorbed into other formations as part of the realignment. Rebuilding of Division 38 began in July 2025, with the process including gathering weapons, equipment and personnel lists, under the direction of IDF leadership.
In the uplifting news cycle, President Isaac Herzog told Australia’s Jewish community to stay proud, Jewish and Zionist during his visit,
Lebanon-linked West Bank cell thwarted; five arrested
US completes THAAD deployment in eastern Jordan
IDF relaunches Tank Division 38 post-October 7
The time is now 10:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, authorities say a Lebanon-linked terror cell operating in the West Bank has been thwarted, with five operatives arrested. The cell was assigned to photograph a settlement in the northern West Bank and conducted firearms training for a planned shooting attack, the Shin Bet said. The network is described as having ties to Hamas and Hezbollah. One suspect, Muhammad Sidka, a resident of the northern West Bank, was arrested in October on suspicion of planning an attack. Interrogation showed Sidka traveled to Lebanon where a handler from another terror cell recruited him to carry out operations in the West Bank and to recruit cells to operate across the region. Sidka returned to the West Bank via Jordan and recruited additional operatives, including Muhammad Khalil from Ramallah and Muhammad Barhamah from Anza; Khalil and Barhamah were arrested as part of the case. During interrogation, the Shin Bet discovered that Sidka maintained contact with the Lebanese cell via social media and gaming apps until his October arrest. The United States has completed a full THAAD missile-defense battery deployment at an air base in eastern Jordan, including an advanced radar, six launchers and 36 missiles; the base also hosts F-15E Strike Eagles and A-10 Warthogs, signaling a broader deterrence posture in a region watching Iran and its proxies closely.
In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Israeli authorities say customs officials at the Yitzhak Rabin border crossing in Eilat foiled an attempt by an East Jerusalem resident to smuggle several rare English Barb pigeons from Jordan into Israel. The birds were restrained inside a suitcase, with their wings and beaks taped to prevent movement, described as very harmful to the pigeons. The suspect said he raises pigeons at his home in East Jerusalem and bought the birds in Jordan for his personal collection. The birds were confiscated and the case was handed to the Agriculture Ministry for proper care; authorities opened an investigation and warned that animals brought in without proper health checks may carry dangerous diseases. Separately, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman criticized the government’s handling of the rehabilitation and development of Gaza border communities attacked on October 7, saying key recovery plans were only partially implemented and major gaps remain for residents unable to return home. Englman urged the Prime Minister’s Office, the Tekuma Administration and related bodies to act without delay to correct deficiencies and remove obstacles to rehabilitation. The day’s other note from the region: two Hamas militants from the Beit Hanun battalion were killed by the IDF last night; their funeral featured bodies wrapped in the insurgent movement’s insignia and celebratory gunfire in the air as mourners gathered.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, the IDF announced the reestablishment of Tank Division 38 as a signal of the force’s post-October 7 evolution and a renewed emphasis on armor. Military officials say the move reflects lessons from Hamas’s invasion and the Gaza war, notably a perceived need for more tanks and a more offensive posture along the border. The Northern Corps, which had been slated for closure, will be absorbed into other formations as part of the realignment. Rebuilding of Division 38 began in July 2025, with the process including gathering weapons, equipment and personnel lists, under the direction of IDF leadership.
In the uplifting news cycle, President Isaac Herzog told Australia’s Jewish community to stay proud, Jewish and Zionist during his visit,