Israel News Today: IDF Kills Hamas Khan Yunis Brigade Commander, Trump Warns Iran on Nuclear Weapons, and US Sanctions Hezbollah Networks on 9/11 Anniversary

On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a day marked by tributes from Israeli leaders, several significant developments unfolded: the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed the killing of a senior Hamas commander in Gaza, President Trump issued a stark warning about Iran and nuclear weapons, and the United States announced new sanctions against Hezbollah and Iranian proxy networks. Separately, the Houthi crisis in the Red Sea deepened as Riyadh's plea for US military strikes went unanswered.

IDF and Shin Bet Kill Hamas Khan Yunis Brigade Commander

The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed the killing of Mohammed Yazouri, commander of Hamas's Khan Yunis Brigade, in an aerial strike. According to Ynet, the strike was carried out jointly by the IDF and Shin Bet in al-Mawasi. Ynet reports that Yazouri led the intelligence apparatus responsible for preparations for the October 7 massacre, and that he survived a previous strike alongside Yahya Sinwar.

Maariv adds that the strike, which took place in the city of Hamad, killed him alongside others — describing the target as a vehicle strike. Maariv reports that according to the security establishment, Yazouri had been working to rebuild the brigade and advance dozens of planned terrorist attacks against IDF forces.

The two outlets differ on the precise location of the strike — Ynet says al-Mawasi, Maariv says the city of Hamad — and readers should note that discrepancy.

Trump: Iran Would Have "Wiped Out Israel" with a Nuclear Weapon

President Donald Trump issued a blunt warning regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions, stating that had Iran obtained a nuclear weapon, "they would have wiped out Israel and the Middle East," according to Walla News. Trump also declared he has no regrets over the war against Iran, saying: "If I had to do it again, I would." He made clear that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.

His remarks were made on a day when the IAEA's Board of Governors separately found Iran in continuing "non-compliance" and instructed Director General Rafael Grossi to report the matter to the UN Security Council, according to Maariv. The finding relates to the loss of tracking of Iran's uranium stockpile and fears of unsupervised advances in the nuclear programme.

US Sanctions Hezbollah and Iranian Proxy Networks

The United States announced new sanctions against networks supporting Hezbollah and other Iranian proxy groups across the Middle East. According to the Jerusalem Post, the sanctions targeted entities the US Treasury said supported the Iraqi-based Kataib Hezbollah and Lebanon-based Hezbollah. Arutz Sheva described the action as part of an expanded campaign to cut Tehran off from financial support.

Houthi Red Sea Crisis: Saudi Appeal Rejected, US Troops Deployed

Following the Houthis' seizure of the Yemeni side of the Bab al-Mandab strait reported yesterday, today brought new developments on the diplomatic and military front. According to Arutz Sheva, citing Axios, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Trump to strike the Houthis as they advanced toward the critical Red Sea chokepoint — and Trump refused. Ynet reports that bin Salman called Trump twice to press the case.

Maariv reports that Washington has instead limited its support to intelligence and assistance, while Arutz Sheva, citing CNN, reports that more than 100 US military advisers have been deployed to Saudi Arabia to help with intelligence and targeting.

Maariv also reports, citing the Lebanese outlet Al-Akhbar, that Prime Minister Netanyahu has expressed willingness to join a broader military campaign against the Houthis, and that the IDF is already running scenarios involving a Houthi incursion into Eilat.

Confirmed: Iranian Missile Strike Damaged US Warplanes in Jordan

A US official confirmed a CBS News report that an Iranian missile attack damaged an A-10 aircraft and approximately eight F-15s at a US air base in Jordan, according to Arutz Sheva. The confirmation adds a significant new dimension to the US–Iran confrontation that has been developing in recent weeks.

Hezbollah Tunnel Network: New Details of the Destruction in Lebanon

New details emerged today about the IDF's destruction of Hezbollah's underground infrastructure at the Ali Taher ridge. Maariv reports that the IDF destroyed 14 tunnel routes with a combined length of more than 5.4 kilometres, using approximately 1,100 tonnes of explosives. According to the military, around 50 Hezbollah fighters had barricaded themselves inside the complex, which had been under construction for more than 20 years. Maariv reports that those inside had appealed to Iran for help and were ultimately abandoned.

9/11 Anniversary: Israel Pays Tribute

On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, President Isaac Herzog issued a statement of solidarity. According to Arutz Sheva, Herzog said: "Even 25 years later, the evil of that vicious assault on the United States remains as shocking as ever." A Maariv analysis, drawing on a Wall Street Journal piece, notes that 25 years on, historians are examining how America's military response in the Middle East redirected strategic attention away from China and Russia — and reshaped the global balance of power.

Rosh Hashanah Eve: 50,000 at the Western Wall for Selichot

As Jewish communities worldwide prepare to mark the start of 5787, more than 50,000 worshippers gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem for Selichot prayers, according to Arutz Sheva. Rabbis and public figures present prayed for unity, the safety of Israel's soldiers, and the recovery of the wounded. It is a reminder that even as the country faces war on multiple fronts, Jewish communal life continues around its most sacred sites.

For diaspora communities in the UK, Germany, and the United States marking Rosh Hashanah this weekend, the contrast is striking: a new year beginning with cautious hope — and the weight of an unfinished war.

Matan Enguerst Returns Home: A Hostage Family's New Year

In a moment of personal significance amid ongoing national grief, Ynet reports that Matan Enguerst, a former hostage, will sit at his family's Rosh Hashanah table this year — alongside his parents Anat and Hagai — after returning from a trip to South America. Last year, the family marked the new year without him, still fighting for his release. "Last year I held on to hope," Matan is quoted as saying. "Now I am free and happy."

His story stands alongside the slow and painful return of some families to Kibbutz Kfar Aza in the Gaza envelope. Ynet reports that only around 50 families out of approximately 300 households that lived there before October 7 have returned, with the kibbutz currently resembling a construction site. Some have already announced they will not return. Those who have come back describe a complex process "built on fears."

For Diaspora Jewish Communities

This is a Rosh Hashanah unlike others in recent memory. The killing of Mohammed Yazouri, while operationally significant, does not signal the end of the war — and the Houthi threat to Bab al-Mandab has direct implications for global trade routes and Israeli shipping. The US refusal to strike the Houthis despite Saudi Arabia's direct appeal will raise questions in Jewish communities about the limits of American commitment to regional stability.

The IAEA's formal finding of Iranian non-compliance — and Trump's blunt statement that a nuclear Iran would have destroyed Israel — will also resonate with diaspora Jews tracking the most existential of the region's threats. And as communities in London, Berlin, and New York gather for Rosh Hashanah, the image of 50,000 people praying at the Western Wall — for soldiers still in the field, and hostages still not home — is one that connects diaspora and homeland in a way that no other moment in the Jewish calendar quite matches.

Sources

• Ynet – IDF kills Hamas Khan Yunis Brigade commander
• Maariv – Mohammed Yazouri killed in vehicle strike
• Walla News – Trump: Iran would have wiped out Israel
• Maariv – IAEA finds Iran in non-compliance, uranium stockpile lost
• Jerusalem Post – US sanctions Hezbollah and Iranian proxy networks
• Arutz Sheva – US expands sanctions against Hezbollah, Iran proxies
• Arutz Sheva – Trump refused Saudi request to strike Houthis
• Ynet – MBS called Trump twice over Houthi strikes
• Maariv – Saudi Arabia shifts course, seeks US Houthi strikes
• Arutz Sheva – US deploys troops to Saudi Arabia amid Houthi threat
• Maariv – Netanyahu signals readiness to join anti-Houthi campaign
• Arutz Sheva – Iranian attack damaged US warplanes in Jordan
• Maariv – IDF destroys Hezbollah tunnel network at Ali Taher ridge
• Arutz Sheva – President Herzog pays tribute on 9/11 anniversary
• Maariv – 25 years after 9/11: how America's response reshaped global power
• Arutz Sheva – 50,000 at Western Wall for Selichot ahead of Rosh Hashanah
• Ynet – Matan Enguerst to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with his family
• Ynet – Slow return to Kibbutz Kfar Aza in the shadow of trauma