Israel News Today: German Court Jails Iran-Directed Plotters Who Targeted Jewish Leaders, as IDF Destroys Terrorist Monuments in West Bank
A German court has sentenced two men to up to eight and a half years in prison for planning assassinations and arson attacks on Jewish community leaders and kosher businesses in Berlin, acting under Iranian direction, according to Walla News. Separately, the IDF has destroyed dozens of monuments honouring terrorists during counterterror operations in the West Bank, the Jerusalem Post reports — developments that together illustrate the breadth of threats facing Jewish communities both in Israel and across Europe.
Iran-Directed Plot Against Jewish Targets in Berlin
A German court sentenced two men to sentences of up to eight and a half years in prison after they were convicted of planning killings and arson attacks on behalf of Iran, Walla News reports. Among the intended targets were senior figures in the Jewish community and kosher businesses in Berlin.
One of the targets told Walla News: "Without the Mossad, I probably would not be alive." The report did not identify the convicted men by name, but the case follows a broader pattern: the Jerusalem Post separately reports that a Norwegian teenager was jailed for 20 years in the United Kingdom for an Iran-linked murder plot, having been recruited online. British and American authorities allege that the Swedish criminal network involved — identified as the Foxtrot Network — was used to carry out attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets on behalf of Iran.
For Jewish communities in Germany, the UK, and across the diaspora, the cases serve as a concrete reminder that Iranian intelligence continues to direct violence against Jewish institutions and individuals on European soil.
IDF Destroys Terrorist Monuments in West Bank Operations
The IDF destroyed dozens of monuments and signs honouring terrorists during counterterror operations in the West Bank, the Jerusalem Post reports. The monuments, which the IDF describes as frequently erected to glorify individuals deemed "martyrs," were dismantled as part of efforts to counter violent incitement.
The operation comes against a backdrop of reported settler violence in the same area. Maariv reports that, according to Palestinian sources, far-right activists attacked farmers and fired towards them near Ramallah, while attacks and theft of livestock were reported in the southern Hebron hills. The IDF had not responded to those reports at the time of publication. Maariv notes the incidents occurred amid the ongoing tensions of the olive harvest season.
Alleged Hamas Leader Narrowly Survived Israeli Strike Two Weeks Ago
Ali al-Amudi, described by Ynet as the man considered Hamas's leader in Gaza and "Sinwar's successor," was in an apartment struck by the IDF two weeks ago — but survived. A senior Hamas figure told the Saudi outlet Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that al-Amudi was present in the building but was in a side area at the moment of the strike and escaped unharmed, according to Ynet. The report adds a significant new detail to Israel's ongoing campaign to eliminate Hamas's military and political leadership in Gaza.
Iran Supplying Houthis with Target Intelligence for Strikes on Saudi Arabia
Iran is providing Yemen's Houthis with targeting intelligence for drone and missile strikes against Saudi Arabia, the Jerusalem Post reports, citing the Wall Street Journal. Adam Baron, a Yemen expert and fellow at the Washington-based policy institute New America, told the WSJ that recent Houthi military gains were "undeniably" based on external Iranian assistance.
Maariv adds further regional context, reporting that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — approximately two weeks before the flydubai hijacking incident — requested Israeli assistance against the Houthis via American intermediaries. President Trump has since confirmed that Israel assisted Saudi Arabia, and the possibility of deepening Israeli involvement in Yemen is reportedly under consideration.
A separate Walla News report warns that Iran is threatening to invade neighbouring states and has renewed ballistic missile production as international sanctions increase pressure on the regime. Israeli officials are warning of an unprecedented potential military response.
Former Shin Bet Chief Warns Netanyahu May Escalate Tensions Before Elections
Former Shin Bet director Yoram Cohen warned that Prime Minister Netanyahu could deliberately escalate security tensions ahead of Israel's upcoming elections, the Jerusalem Post reports. Cohen cited concerns that political motivations have influenced Netanyahu's decisions — a charge that Netanyahu's office has not publicly addressed in today's reports.
Separately, former Shin Bet deputy director Israel Hasson is calling for a full formal inquiry into the failures of 7 October, telling the Jerusalem Post: "It is sad that we are fighting in public." Hasson's call comes as conflicting accounts continue to emerge between Netanyahu and former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar over what happened and who bears responsibility.
Israel's Post-October 7 Mental Health Crisis
A study reported by the Jerusalem Post, drawing on assessments by all four of Israel's public health funds, estimates that 60,000 Israelis developed clinical PTSD between October 2023 and December 2025. Clalit health fund experts are warning of a nationwide mental health crisis, with the scale of need described as far exceeding existing treatment capacity.
For diaspora communities maintaining family and personal ties to Israel, the figures are a sobering measure of the war's continuing human cost — one that extends well beyond the immediate toll of military operations.
Story of Endurance: Wife of Man Kidnapped in Lebanon Dies After 42 Years
Miriam Morad Jamus waited 42 years for the return of her husband Shlomo, who was abducted in Lebanon in 1984 as head of the Jewish community there. Ynet reports that as negotiations to locate missing Jewish individuals intensified, her hope grew — but she died on Yom Kippur without seeing him return. Her son Moshe told Ynet that she had met with hostage coordinator Gal Hirsh, and that in her final moments she said she was able "to let go." The case is a painful reminder that the question of Israeli and Jewish captives held abroad did not begin on 7 October 2023.
New York Congressional Race Centres on Israel and Antisemitism
In a pivotal US House race in New York that could affect control of Congress, candidates Mike Lawler and Cait Conley clashed over Israel, antisemitism, and New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, the Jerusalem Post reports. Both candidates pledged continued American military support for Israel — a sign of how central the issue remains for Jewish voters in competitive US districts.
Colombia Deepens Ties with Israel
Following the opening of Colombia's embassy in Israel, the two countries' foreign ministers discussed a possible Colombian application to join a Holocaust alliance, Israeli Ambassador Vivian Aisen told the Jerusalem Post's TML. The ambassador described the initiative as previously unannounced, and framed it as part of a broader diplomatic realignment by Bogotá toward Israel.
Sources
- Walla News — Iran-directed plot against Jewish leaders in Germany
- Jerusalem Post — Norwegian teen jailed in UK for Iran-linked murder plot
- Jerusalem Post — IDF destroys terrorist monuments in West Bank
- Maariv — Violence and settler incidents in the West Bank
- Ynet — Hamas leader survived IDF strike two weeks ago
- Jerusalem Post — Iran giving Houthis targeting intelligence
- Maariv — Saudi Arabia requested Israeli assistance against Houthis
- Walla News — Iran threatens invasion, renews ballistic missile production
- Jerusalem Post — Ex-Shin Bet chief warns Netanyahu may escalate ahead of elections
- Jerusalem Post — Former Shin Bet deputy director calls for October 7 inquiry
- Jerusalem Post — Israel's post-October 7 mental health crisis
- Ynet — Wife of man kidnapped in Lebanon dies after 42-year wait
- Jerusalem Post — New York congressional race over Israel and antisemitism
- Jerusalem Post — Colombia deepens ties with Israel
