Israel intercepts two Houthi drones from Yemen
(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces said late Thursday afternoon it had shot down two drones launched from Yemen earlier in the day. No air-raid sirens were activated, in keeping with policy.
In a subsequent statement, the military said that, over the past week, the Air Force intercepted five unmanned aerial vehicles and two surface-to-surface missiles fired at the Jewish state by the Iran-backed terrorists.
It added that in recent months, dozens of aerial attacks with UAVs and missiles launched by the Houthis were successfully downed in coordination between various IAF aerial defense systems.
The statement emphasized that the Jewish state’s armed forces would continue working to “remove any aerial threat over the country’s skies and protect the citizens and residents of the State of Israel.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened the Houthi terrorist regime on Thursday morning, shortly after the latest missile launch from Yemen, which the IDF said hit an open area outside of Israeli territory.
“The Houthis are firing missiles at Israel again. A plague of darkness, a plague of the firstborn — we will complete all Ten Plagues,” said Katz.
The Iranian-backed group has launched several missiles and drones at Israel, and has also claimed an attack on an Israeli-linked vessel in the Red Sea, since Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and several top Cabinet members were killed in an Israeli strike on Sanaa on Aug. 28.
On Wednesday, the Houthis twice fired ballistic missiles at Israel, triggering air-raid sirens across the country’s densely populated center.
Netanyahu said to reject Macron visit to Israel amid ‘Palestine’ rift
(JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has turned down a request by French President Emmanuel Macron to visit the Jewish state, a former French lawmaker told Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster Wednesday.
“Macron sent a message to Netanyahu saying that he wanted to visit, but Netanyahu replied that, under the current conditions, this is not the right time to visit,” Habib, who served as a member of the French National Assembly between 2013 and 2024, told the channel.
The Hebrew news report cited an Israeli official as saying that the prime minister offered to approve the visit if Macron called off his initiative to recognize a Palestinian state, but that the French president refused.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added: “We will not allow Macron to dance at all the weddings,” a Hebrew expression meaning to play both sides or pursue opposing agendas.
Netanyahu wrote a letter to Macron last month in which he accused the French president of contributing to antisemitism by calling for global recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations this month.
The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other governments have followed Paris in announcing their plans to recognize “Palestine,” with London stating that its intentions could be changed if Israel meets certain demands.
Israeli, US air forces strengthen ties at weeklong conference
(JNS) — The Israeli Air Force and U.S. Air Force concluded a weeklong strategic forum on Aug. 22, focused on strengthening operational cooperation and joint planning for 2026, the IDF announced on Wednesday.
The Air Senior National Representatives (ASNR) meeting was led by Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler, the IAF’s chief of air staff, alongside Maj. Gen. Ricky Mills, deputy head of the U.S. Security Assistance Forces/International Affairs.
As part of the conference, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, commander of the Israeli Air Force, hosted Lt. Gen. Derek C. France, head of U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT). The leaders discussed force development, training and operational coordination, with an emphasis on tackling shared regional security challenges.
The talks also reviewed lessons from June’s Operation Rising Lion targeting the Iranian regime’s nuclear and missile threats and military leadership.
The ASNR Forum, now in its tenth year, serves as a cornerstone in U.S.–Israeli defense cooperation. The IDF emphasized that the joint work plan outlined for 2026 reflects a continuity of strategic alignment and shared security priorities.
The Israeli military said this year’s discussions reaffirmed both forces’ commitment to long-term cooperation, underscoring the role of the ASNR in strengthening the broader U.S.–Israel alliance.
IDF says it controls 40% of Gaza City as ground offensive deepens
(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday night that it now controls roughly 40% of Gaza City after intensifying its ground offensive against Hamas.
Brig. Gen. Ephraim “Effie” Defrin, the IDF spokesperson, told reporters forces were pressing deeper into the enclave as part of the second phase of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots.” He said tens of thousands of reservists had been mobilized as a “force multiplier” to expand the ground assault.
Units from the 99th Division, including Nahal and 7th Armored Brigade soldiers, are deployed to Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, while the 162nd Division, including the 401st Armored Brigade and the Givati Brigade, is operating on the outskirts of Sheikh Radwan in its north.
Defrin shared footage showing the destruction of terror tunnels and said operations to dismantle Hamas infrastructure would soon intensify.
“We will increase pressure on Hamas until its defeat,” he said.
As part of the military operation, the IDF and other security agencies continue to invest “immense efforts and turning over every stone to bring the hostages home,” Defrin told journalists at the briefing, adding that “We will continue to do everything possible to return them.”
The IDF has begun implementing the Aug. 8 Cabinet decision to occupy Gaza City.
A third of Israel’s elderly suffer from diabetes
(JNS) — One in three Israelis aged 65 and up suffers from diabetes, according to a report the Israeli Health Ministry published on Thursday.
The ministry’s National Center for Disease Control reported that 696,121 diabetics aged two years and older were included in the national registry in 2023, 7.4% of the population.
Among the 35-84 age group, there has been a gradual increase in the prevalence of diabetes, according to the data, which is based on health insurance reports. However, the trend remains stable when adjusted for age, according to the ministry.
Men from age 35 up were more susceptible to diabetes than women, according to the report.
Additionally, the diabetes rate in neighborhoods with low or medium-low socioeconomic index was found to be higher than in neighborhoods with a medium-high or high socioeconomic index, across all age groups.
Arab and Bedouin populations were found to have higher diabetes rates than the Jewish population. The Israeli government allocated approximately 650 million shekels (~$193 million) in 2022 for initiatives to promote health in Arab society through 2026, according to a Health Ministry spokesperson.
