2015 marks lowest number of Israeli soldier casualties in a decade, IDF says
(JNS.org) The number of Israeli soldiers who died during their service in 2015 was the lowest in a decade, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday.
According to IDF Personnel Directorate data, a total of 36 soldiers died in 2015. Six were killed in the line of duty, seven in road accidents, and two in other accidents. Six died of terminal illnesses, and 15 other deaths were considered “suspected suicides.”
Seventy Israeli soldiers were killed in the line of duty in 2014, including 67 during Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip. Forty Israeli soldiers died in 2013.
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Hamas releases footage of captive Gilad Shalit ‘having fun’
(JNS.org) Hamas on Sunday released a video showing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit “having fun” while being held captive by the Gaza-ruling Palestinian terror group. The footage was released as part of a report by Hamas-run television praising the unit responsible for day-to-day contact with abducted Israelis.
Shalit, abducted by Hamas in June 2006 in a cross-border raid near the Kerem Shalom border crossing, was released in October 2011 in a prisoner exchange deal.
Claiming that the footage proves Hamas adheres to Islamic rules for the humane treatment of prisoners of war, the report showed Shalit drinking coffee, joking with his captors, watching television, and helping them set up a barbecue. The report said Hamas formed the unit, called “Shadow,” for the purpose of securing captive Israeli soldiers and civilians.
A Hamas official told Israel Hayom that the footage was released “to refute allegations suggesting Shalit was tortured and held under difficult conditions.”
The Shalit family accused Hamas of psychological warfare, saying in a statement, “These deplorable people, Gilad’s capturers, will stop at nothing to portray a distorted image that does not represent in any way five and a half years of loneliness and fear, and the struggle to remain alive in captivity.”
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Turkey’s Erdogan cites Hitler’s Nazi Germany as ‘effective’ presidential system
(JNS.org) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is seeking to increase the powers of his office, cited Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany as an example of an “effective” presidential system.
“There are already examples in the world. You can see it when you look at Hitler’s Germany,” Erdogan told reporters on a return trip from Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.
“There are later examples in various other countries,” he added.
Erdogan, who has a history of making anti-Semitic and anti-Israel statements, is attempting to revamp Turkey’s constitution by moving the presidency away from a largely ceremonial role to a strong chief executive. Many in Turkey fear that Erdogan is seeking to consolidate more power for himself and his Islamist AKP party.
In June, the AKP failed to gain a majority in parliamentary elections, but after another election in November, the party secure a majority, paving the way for Erdogan to make constitutional changes.
Despite Erdogan’s latest remarks and past tension with Israel, Turkey and Israel are reportedly close to normalizing diplomatic relations. But differences remain over Gaza, which is ruled by the Palestinian terror group Hamas. Turkey wants Israel to lift its blockade of the coastal territory.
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Five rockets fired at southern Israel
(JNS.org) Five rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip on Friday night, with two of the rockets hitting inside Israeli territory and the others landing near the Gaza border security fence.
“Moments ago, multiple rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip. Forces are searching the area,” the Israel Defense Forces said Friday on Twitter. Reports indicated that there were no injuries or damage
The latest wave of rocket fire comes on a day when an Arab Israeli gunman opened fire and killed two Israeli Jews at a bar in Tel Aviv near the Dizengoff Center Mall, marking a violent start to 2016 for the Jewish state.
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Two Israelis shot dead in Tel Aviv in latest attack during wave of terro
(JNS.org) Two Israeli Jews were killed and seven were wounded in a shooting near the Dizengoff Center Mall in Tel Aviv on Friday, marking the latest deadly attack during the ongoing Palestinian terror wave in the Jewish state.
The suspected attacker was identified as Nashat Milhem, a 31-year-old Arab Israeli citizen from a village near Haifa who was motivated by radical Islamist incitement. Alon Bakal, 26, and Shimon Ruimi, 30, were killed. One eyewitness said that at the “Simta” bar on Tel Aviv’s popular Dizengoff Street, the shooter “appeared in the doorway, smiling, and opened fire,” the Times of Israel reported.
According to the Magen David Adom emergency response group, seven of the wounded individuals were evacuated from the scene at Simta, with one in critical condition, three in severe condition, and three in moderate condition.
“This [attack] appears to be motivated by nationalism. Tel Aviv has been a target in the past, and here it is rearing its ugly head again,” Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said, the Jerusalem Post reported.
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