Former hostage plans IDF return, settle accounts with captors
Liri Albag, who was held for 477 days in Gaza, plans to complete her military service, after she was abducted from her base on October 7.
By David Brummer, World Israel News
Former Hamas hostage Liri Albag is set to return to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to complete her military service, according to her father, Eli Albag, who spoke to Hebrew media on Wednesday.
Albag, who was taken from the Nahal Oz outpost where she served as a surveillance operator, spent 477 days in captivity before being released in February as part of a ceasefire and hostage deal.
Her family, still emotionally tethered to the conflict’s timeline, marks 600 days since the war’s outbreak.
Speaking to Israel’s Ynet news site, Eli Albag shared that Liri made the decision “two or three weeks ago,” expressing a deep personal drive to rejoin the army.
“She wants to experience the army again, to feel connected to it. In some way, she also wants to settle accounts with those who held her,” he said.
Her return is part of her healing process, her father explained: “They took her freedom in the lowest place on earth, and now she wants to reclaim her life — to take the world back.”
He added that Liri is aiming to serve in “a very special place” and is already in touch with military officials to facilitate her return.
“We continue counting the days,” he said. “Liri was reborn, but there are still 58 hostages. We won’t stop fighting for them.”
Liri Albag was in the news earlier this week after it was revealed she was detained by American immigration officials and questioned for an hour upon landing at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City on Sunday.
She was traveling to New York with her family for a vacation when officials flagged her after landing.
Albag’s identity was called into question, as she was listed as a hostage by the American authorities and her release had not yet been registered within internal US immigration databases.
“It appeared in their system that she was still captive; they hadn’t updated their computers,” Eli, told Hebrew-language media.
“They were afraid someone [else] was entering the US using her name.”
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Defense Ministry: Laser-based missile defense system downed drones during war
The Israel Air Force neutralized the threat from dozens of Hezbollah’s aerial attacks, including UAVs.
By David Brummer, World Israel News
Israel’s Defense Ministry, in collaboration with the Israel Air Force and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, revealed on Wednesday that laser-based interception systems were successfully used in combat for the first time during the ongoing “Swords of Iron” war.
According to a ministry statement, in a major leap forward for military technology, dozens of enemy threats — primarily drones — were neutralized using high-powered laser technology developed through years of research and recently accelerated innovation.
The laser systems, which represent a revolutionary layer in Israel’s multi-tiered missile defense architecture, were rapidly deployed by the Air Force during the war.
The new systems reportedly achieved high interception rates, preventing potential casualties and damage to key infrastructure.
This achievement marks the first operational use of such high-powered laser technology on the battlefield globally.
The systems are based on decades of research by Rafael and the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (MAFAT), with contributions from military startups and R&D units.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, head of MAFAT and one of the leading figures behind Israel’s laser defense vision, called the deployment “a tremendous operational and technological success.”
He emphasized that Israel is now the first country in the world to demonstrate large-scale operational laser interception capabilities.
“Our forces showed boldness in integrating and using the systems in live combat scenarios,” he said.
“The insights we’ve gained will guide future deployments as we move toward making the laser a permanent layer in our multi-tiered defense.”
Brig. Gen. Yehuda Elmakias, head of the R&D division at MAFAT, added that multiple high-powered laser prototypes were successfully activated during the war, leading to both operational successes and significant technical learning.
“This is the first time anywhere in the world that such systems have proven themselves in combat,” Elmakias said.
The Ministry of Defense also confirmed that development continues on the Iron Beam laser system, which is expected to be delivered to the IDF in late 2025.
The Iron Beam is envisioned as a key component of Israel’s defense strategy against short-range threats like drones and mortars.
A major test of the system is planned in the coming months, according to Globes, an Israeli newspaper, and if successful, the ministry and Rafael aim to proceed toward full operational deployment.
However, sources have noted that unforeseen technical challenges could delay the timeline.
Defense officials acknowledged that the war exposed vulnerabilities — particularly against drone attacks along the mountainous northern border with Lebanon.
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Baby delivered after mother killed in terror shooting succumbs to wounds
By World Israel News Staff
A two-week-old infant died after succumbing to injuries he suffered during a terror attack that claimed the life of his mother.
The Samaria Regional Council and the community of Bruchin announced that Ravid Chaim Gez, the son of the late Tzeela Gez, passed away on Thursday morning at Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikva.
On her way to the hospital to give birth to her fourth child on the night of May 14 , Tzeela Gez and her husband, Hananel Gez, were shot by a Palestinian terrorist.
Hananel was lightly wounded in the attack; Tzeela was killed.
Emergency first responders managed to evacuate Tzeela to a hospital, where an emergency Caesarean section was performed. The newborn boy was in critical condition.
“This is a double murder! The world must be shaken! We demand a Zionist response: building and more building in memory of Ravid and Tzeela. We will always embrace the family,” declared Samaria Regional Council chief Yossi Dagan.
Dagan called on the IDF to demolish unauthorized Arab buildings in the village of Burqin, near the scene of the attack, which line the road where the shooting took place.
“Israeli citizens demand a military ground operation in the village of Burqin and the demolition of all illegal homes that endanger travelers on the road. To our shock, this has not yet happened. ”
“We embrace the family and will stand by them in everything they need. The entire people of Israel and the world mourn this barbaric and terrible murder.”
Meital Ben Yosef, chairwoman of the Bruchin community, mourned the baby’s death in a statement on Thursday morning.
“The community of Bruchin is grieving and mourning the death of the infant Ravid Chaim, son of the late Tzeela, may God avenge her blood. A baby who was meant to be born into the world with joy and great anticipation breathed his last breath this morning, after struggling between life and death since the day of his birth exactly two weeks ago.
“A vile and despicable terrorist murdered a mother and her son together in an attempt to erase and destroy the people of Israel.
“We will not be silent, and we will not stop — we will continue and double our memorial efforts and our response to this horrific murder. We will increase building and settlement and expand the borders of life and holiness. We will make it absolutely clear to all our enemies that we are here, in our ancestral homeland — and we will remain here forever!”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) said the infant’s death is a “painful reminder of who we are facing and the need for decisive action against a cruel enemy who murders mothers and children as a hobby.”
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Hamas Warns Gaza Muslims Not to Accept US Food
There’s no famine.
Gaza is starving. Over the course of the last year, they’ve only had two days of food left for a year. According to Kamala, the occupying Arab Muslim population has been reduced to eating leaves and sticks, but social media videos show fully-stocked supermarkets. Everyone has been starving to death for over a year now. That’s why Hamas issued warnings not to take food from the United States.
Hamas faked a famine to win global sympathy. It’s funding a lot of its operations through stolen and diverted aid. Since Hamas extracts tribute from humanitarian aid groups and reappropriated aid, this has been a useful gimmick. But then the U.S. and the Israelis tried to step in and take control of aid with the Gaza Foundation, which everyone, especially the media, quickly took to labeling “controversial” while Hamas warned its people not to take the food.
If there were a famine, warning your own people not to take food would be suicide, but there’s no actual famine.
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