In Israeli Navy textbooks, the "Battle of Latakia" during the early hours of the 1973 Yom Kippur War is a staple of military heritage. Israeli missile boats sailed to the northern Syrian port and sank five Syrian warships, returning unscathed. It was the first historical engagement in which both sides used surface-to-surface missiles.
"It was a historic battle," emphasized Col. (res.) Udi Erel, then a young captain and operations officer of Flotilla 3, which carried out the mission.
"Two hours of fierce exchanges that established a 1973 wartime fact–any Syrian or Egyptian vessel that entered the sea never returned to port.
“The Navy relies heavily on past traditions. Once, in such victories, it was customary to place a broom atop the mast to symbolize that the sea had been 'swept clean.' But the flotilla commander, Micha Ram, refused out of respect for the enemy and to signal that the mission was not yet complete," said Erel.
Amid the chaos of the Swords of Iron War in Gaza, the "Arrow of Bashan" operation launched on Dec. 8, 2024, after the fall of the Syrian regime, has nearly faded from public memory.
Fearing that strategic Syrian weapons left behind would fall into hostile hands, a joint operation was launched involving ground, naval, and air forces, ultimately neutralizing 80 percent of the capabilities left by Assad's military.
As part of the operation, Flotilla 3 returned to Latakia, the site of its Yom Kippur War legacy, and sank 15 vessels that carried weaponry that could have posed a serious threat to Israeli national security.
"In the end, we're walking in the paths of our predecessors," said Maj. T., commander of Israeli Navy ship INS Yaffo, which took part in the operation.
“I spoke to the sailors before the mission about the Battle of Latakia, because without historical awareness, we are nothing. Just as the IDF 7th Armored Brigade draws strength from the Battle of the Valley of Tears [on the Golan in 1973], we too must know our past. In the end, it's the spirit that wins battles."
Maj. T. welcomed us aboard the Yaffo. Just 28 years old, he took command eight months ago.
With him were two strike officers from neighboring vessels in the flotilla who had participated in the operation: Lt. T. from INS Herev, who had still been in naval officers' training when the war erupted and found himself at sea by Oct. 8; and Lt. G., 24, who had joined INS Kidon only a week before the war began.
"I didn't even know the names of the sailors," she said, laughing.
Lt. T., 23, related, "When I first went out to sea, I still didn't know the fate of two classmates who were at the Nova music festival and listed as missing. We returned from the mission after a week, and I immediately called my sister. She told me their bodies had been found.
“Throughout the war, we kept thinking about how to maintain our combat intensity while staying connected to home."
The missile boat flotilla based in Haifa includes Saar 4.5-class missile boats, the smallest and oldest of the fleet, with the first of its type launched in the early 1980s. Measuring 61 meters in length and housing about 60 crew members, it's mainly used for ssions.
Then there’s the Saar 5-class ship, in service for about 30 years, 85 meters long and considered multi-mission. But the standout vessel is the futuristic Saar 6, just six years into service and resembling a spaceship at 89 meters in length.
"The Saar 6 is the crown jewel," admitted strike officer Lt. T., aboard the Herev, one of the older models. "They're the newest and primarily used for defense, but when we head to sea, each ship has its own specific mission."
Strike officers are responsible for the ship's precision weaponry, arms capable of engaging distant targets. During the war, ships often made the long journey from the north to the Gaza Strip to guard gas rigs. It was non-stop.
"Imagine being a combat sailor in the flotilla, exposed to four different combat arenas and having to master them all," said Maj. T. "There's no debating professionalism here. Our ability to reach every front demands mental flexibility from each fighter."
The window of opportunity
Operation "Arrow of Bashan" in Syria caught the sailors completely by surprise. Nothing indicated that an offensive in enemy territory was imminent, except at the highest levels of the military, where concern over the collapse of Bashar Assad's regime emerged in early December.
The greatest fear was the unknown. Israel's security establishment had no idea how Syria's new leadership would view Israel, particularly since the rising figure in Damascus, Ahmad al-Sharaa, had a jihadist past and deep ties to the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda.
"The operation started as a surprise," confirmed Lt. Col. D., head of Naval Superiority, responsible for coordinating firepower and strike planning. "The operations director at Navy HQ called us all in on Friday for a situational briefing after the coup began.
“We pulled out contingency plans listing all strategic weapons that could fall into hostile hands. My division handles precise targeting–where to strike, how–and we coordinated with the IDF General Staff and Military Intelligence's Operations Division."
What was the threat posed by the Syrian Navy?
"Missile boats that could fall into hostile hands. Each missile on those ships carries dozens of kilograms of explosives and could pose a threat to Israeli civilian or military vessels. The fall of the regime opened a brief window of opportunity to remove that threat."
On Saturday, Navy HQ continued working on the strike plans. On Sunday morning, Dec. 8, an order went out to Flotilla 3: within hours, they were to head to Latakia port in northern Syria to destroy Syrian vessels deemed a threat to national security.
"INS Kidon was in a 'stand-down week,'" said Lt. G. "Every so often, a ship docks for maintenance that can't be done during normal operations. Ours was mid-refit, the kitchen had been removed for replacement. Then Sunday morning, we got the order: 'You're sailing this afternoon.'”
Lt. G. was aboard the Kidon reviewing the target sheet. "I knew what each target was and where it was docked," she said. "I sat with the mission commander and my controller, and we planned the best execution method."
Operation "Arrow of Bashan" concentrated primarily on the military port in Latakia and the nearby Mina al-Bayda port. Fifteen vessels were targeted, some of them Osa 2-class missile boats, others Tir 2-class Iranian-manufactured ships modeled on a North Korean missile boat design.
The primary concern was that among the weapons onboard were Noor missiles with a range of 200 kilometers and Styx missiles with a 90-kilometer range, which could end up in the wrong hands.
In the afternoon hours, Flotilla 3 set sail, heading north in a secure and quiet formation. On the way, they could see the lights of Lebanon, and even Cyprus didn't seem far. At the time, Russian vessels were also docked at Tartus port, just south of Latakia, a base used mainly for maintenance.
"When you're sailing through a hostile area, there are threats I can't even talk about," said Maj. T., commander of the Yaffo. "We know we're being targeted, and every fighter heading out to sea understands that returning home is not a given.”
Joint force
During the voyage, a new directive was issued: before striking the Syrian vessels, the flotilla would need to take out surface-to-air missile systems scattered throughout the area, to create an aerial corridor for Israeli Air Force jets that would simultaneously strike in Syria.
"We created a fusion of sea, air, and ground forces that was a game-changer, a new X-factor in combat," said Maj. T. "This cooperation played out in corridor openings, targeting terrorists, and everything you can imagine.”
The missile boats struck the surface-to-air batteries. Then the fighter jets flew in through the corridor, hitting missile warehouses and launchers positioned onshore and threatening Israeli vessels. With air defenses down, all was ready for the operation's grand finale—sinking the Syrian navy fleet.
On Monday, Dec. 9, around 6 p.m., under the cover of darkness, 15 Syrian vessels were destroyed in the ports of Latakia and Mina al-Bayda.
Lt. T., the strike officer aboard INS Herev, recalled the exact moment when the missiles left the ship en route to their targets. "Everything went by the book," he said.
Two hours ashore
While the operation was underway, Israel Navy Commander Maj. Gen. David Saar Salama and other senior officers were in the control center monitoring real-time assessments. It quickly became clear that the hits were precise and the mission goals were achieved.
"To all our forces, at sea and onshore, I want to express my deep appreciation," Salama said over the communication system as the ships sailed back. "It was executed professionally."
"For us, the mission went smoothly," said Lt. Col. D., head of Naval Superiority, who had overseen the operation remotely. "We had the honor of being part of history, of eliminating 80 percent of the Syrian military's capabilities."
By Tuesday morning, the vessels reached Haifa Port, where top brass awaited them. "Navy Commander Salama greeted us and commended the clean execution," Maj. T. recalled. " We refueled, grabbed two crates of fruits and vegetables, and set out again on a defense mission. We were ashore for less than two hours.”
For the Israeli Navy, this war has meant non-stop operations. There's no downtime, no rotations. It's simply from one mission to the next.
"There are fighters who've been aboard the ship since before Oct. 7, and they've been here the entire war," said Maj. T. "Some were fresh high school graduates at the start. We don't have a reserve force that rotates in to replace us."
Staying under the radar
Unlike the many heroic stories that surfaced during the war, the Israeli Navy largely stayed in the shadows, maintaining secrecy. Even in this interview, the information had to be extracted gently. Lt. G. even shared that her own family barely knew what a major operation she had taken part in.
"Honestly, I was a bit disappointed that the operation's story was published," she admitted. "It's important to keep our capabilities quiet, so we can use them again.
“On the other hand, people rarely hear about the Navy, and it's important to give our sailors the recognition they deserve."
These young officers will eventually learn that such stories are the building blocks of legacy, and that even closely guarded secrets sometimes make their way into the headlines.
"They're amazing, and what they did was amazing," said Col. Erel, who fought in the 1973 Battle of Latakia. "It was a clean, professional strike with short notice. True, in our time we were under direct fire, but the surgical precision won out in both cases."
Maj. T., agrees. He's certain that one day, this operation will be taught to new recruits. "It's our job to ensure this mission is firmly anchored in the Navy's heritage. Just as they spoke to us about the history of the Navy and how it achieved superiority during the Yom Kippur War, I believe that in 20 years, they'll know exactly what we did."
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
Police in Sweden responded to reports from a highway near Stockholm where unknown individuals had suspended large red flags with swastikas from an overpass on Sunday morning.
Drivers on the Essingeleden highway, which connects the city of Solna in the north to the capital, were shocked to see the Nazi flags at the gateway to Stockholm and called the police. Officers arrived at the scene 20 minutes after the first report, took down the flags, and began an investigation.
Mats Eriksson, a spokesperson for the Stockholm police, told the SVT News outlet that authorities were investigating the incident on suspicion of "incitement against an ethnic group."
According to police, the flags were likely displayed as part of a "tribute" to the birthday of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, whose birthday falls on April 20.
"I am appalled by images of Swastika flags in Stockholm, something we never thought to see in Europe again," Israeli Ambassador to Sweden Ziv Nevo Kulman stated in a post on X.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
In an emotional full circle, former Hamas captive Eliya Cohen returned on Sunday for the first time to the shelter from which he was kidnapped and donned tefillin.
Cohen was abducted on Oct. 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists while attending the Nova music festival with his girlfriend, Ziv Abud.
When the rocket fire began, they fled to a shelter that later became known as the "death shelter."
With them were Ziv's nephew, Amit Ben Avida, and his girlfriend Karin Schwartzman, who were both killed, while Eliya was abducted to Gaza by the terrorists.
Eliya was released from captivity after 505 days. His girlfriend, Ziv, posted a photo of the couple at the bunker today and wrote, "I can't write anything, just victory."
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
Israel Defense Forces troops neutralized a Palestinian terrorist who opened fire at soldiers stationed at a checkpoint in northern Samaria on Sunday night.
The terrorist arrived by car at the Homesh checkpoint, located near the Jewish community north of Nablus (Shechem), and fired at the soldiers.
"The forces engaged, returned fire and neutralized the terrorist," the army confirmed in a statement, adding that no Israelis were wounded.
The condition of the Palestinian assailant was not immediately clear.
Last month, an Israeli was wounded in a shooting attack outside the central Samaria city of Ariel. The injured victim, an 18-year-old male, sustained moderate wounds and was evacuated to Rabin Medical Center's Beilinson Hospital in the central city of Petach Tikvah.
Palestinian terrorists targeted Israeli Jews in Judea and Samaria at least 6,343 times in 2024, according to figures published by the Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria) NGO on Feb. 17.
The figures, which were cross-checked against official data from Israel’s security services, included 179 instances of terrorist shootings. Twenty-seven Israelis were murdered in Judea and Samaria in 2024, and more than 300 others were wounded, the group said in its annual report.
Israeli security officials are aware that a "more intense front" could open in Judea and Samaria and are stepping up counter-terror operations in the area, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on March 19.
Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, approved plans for "continued defense and offensive operations," during a visit on Sunday to troops serving in the security zone in southern Syria.
"This area is vital. We entered because Syria fell apart, and therefore, we are holding key positions and are on the frontline to protect ourselves in the best possible way," Zamir said during the visit, according to the IDF.
"From this location, we can see everyone on this ridge—it is a strategic point. We don’t know how things will develop here, but our hold on this area has great security significance," the general said.
"IDF forces will continue to operate in the security zone and protect the residents from any threat," Zamir said.
Zamir's situational assessment in Syria was conducted with OC Northern Command Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin and Brig. Gen. Yair Palai, commander of the 210th "Bashan" Division, as well as other senior officers.
The chief of staff spoke with the commanders and soldiers operating on the ground in Syria.
Earlier this month, Israeli paratroopers carried out a series of defensive operations in southern Syria aimed at neutralizing threats near the Israel-Syria border, the Israel Defense Forces said on April 5.
The Paratroopers Brigade, operating under the 210th Division, dismantled decommissioned Syrian military hardware, including tanks, armored vehicles and artillery abandoned by the former regime. During the raid, troops also seized dozens of rockets, mortars and other arms.
Since the fall of the Iranian- and Russian-backed Assad regime on Dec. 8, Israel's military has taken up positions inside and beyond the Golan buffer zone, including on the strategic Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
The Israeli Air Force has conducted hundreds of strikes on former Assad army assets to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile forces.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has repeatedly stated his commitment to the IDF staying in Syria "indefinitely" to protect the northern border.
Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fox said on March 25 that the IDF intends to maintain a permanent security presence inside Syria.
"Unequivocally, the security zones in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria are permanent zones," Fox said in an interview with Galey Israel radio.
A study conducted at the University of Haifa and published in the journal PLOS One presents direct evidence of tools used to produce the prestigious purple dye during the Iron Age, between 1100 and 600 BCE, partly corresponding to the First Temple period.
The evidence includes large pottery basins stained with dye, grinding stones and other tools used in the dyeing process.
The findings allow researchers to reconstruct the stages of dye production and understand how dyeing workshops operated at the site.
"This is the first time we can reconstruct the form of the vessels used in the purple dye industry and how they were used in the production and dyeing process," said Golan Shalvi, who led the research on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa and the University of Chicago, together with Professor Ayelet Gilboa from the University of Haifa.
Tel Shiqmona, located on the coast of Haifa, was one of the important production centers for purple dye, a rare color used by kings, nobility and temples throughout the Levant.
The site served as a purple production center under the control of the Kingdom of Israel during the Omride and Jehu dynasties, and was apparently the largest of its kind in the region. The research findings indicated that this dye was produced at the site in commercial quantities, transferred to neighboring countries, and perhaps used to dye fabrics used in the Temple in Jerusalem.
The findings discovered in the current research at Tel Shiqmona provide direct evidence of the extensive scope of the purple dye production industry. Dozens of large pottery basins were uncovered, which were apparently used to produce the dye and dye threads or fleece.
Reconstruction of the vessels reveals they were about one meter tall, with a diameter of up to 80 cm. and a volume of about 350 liters (92.5 gallons)—dimensions that allowed for the immersion of whole wool fleeces.
Data analysis indicates that the use of these basins enabled a particularly efficient and continuous work process.
"For the first time, we are identifying a complete production system in which significant quantities of purple dye were produced in dedicated vessels," Gilboa said. "The fact that in certain periods at least 16 basins were used simultaneously indicates that Shiqmona was a production center on an exceptional scale for its time."
Comparing the data to additional sites, including Tel Dor and Tel Kabri in Israel, and Sarepta in Southern Lebanon, shows that similar production methods existed at other sites along the Levantine coast.
However, Tel Shiqmona provides the earliest and most detailed evidence of the production process over the longest time span in the Iron Age, strengthening its importance as a central production site during this period.
These findings contribute to understanding the economic and technological connections between the Kingdom of Israel and neighboring kingdoms, and allow comparison to additional production methods that developed throughout the Levant.
"The discovery of vessels used to produce purple dye is not merely a technical matter. It provides new insights into the scale of the industry, the extent of luxury goods trade, and background for the initiative and economic strengthening of the Kingdom of Israel, which became a significant power in the region. This is part of the background to the Bible stories reflecting the power of the Kingdom of Israel," Shalvi explained.
The research was funded by the Shelby White and Leon Levy Foundation, the Haifa Municipality, the Hecht Foundation, the Israel Science Foundation, the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa, and the Fulbright Foreign Student Program.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
Accusations that Israel Defense Forces soldiers executed 15 Palestinians, six of whom were found to be Hamas terrorists, in a March 23 incident in the southern Gaza Strip are "blood libels and false accusations against IDF soldiers," according to a top-level probe published on Sunday.
The internal probe, led by Maj. Gen. (res.) Yoav Har-Even and presented to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, examined the incident involving IDF fire on a convoy of ambulances in the Khan Yunis area.
The investigation concluded that the killings occurred during an "hostile and dangerous combat zone," and that the soldiers believed they were facing threats to their lives.
"On the night of the incident, March 23, 2025, the troops were conducting a vital mission aimed at targeting terrorists," the conclusions of the probe read in English, noting that "throughout the operation, vehicles and ambulances moved along the route without obstruction, since the forces did not perceive any threat posed by them. The forces also apprehended two pedestrians who raised suspicion, and released them subsequently.
"This indicates that the troops did not engage in indiscriminate fire but remained alert to respond to real threats identified by them," it states.
The investigation found that two instances of soldiers opening fire were a result of an "operational misunderstanding," with troops believing they were under real threat from Palestinian terrorist forces. A third shooting incident on March 23 violated operational orders, it found.
The probe concluded that commanders had acted correctly when they issued orders to collect and cover the bodies, but said the decision to crush the vehicles was a mistake. "There was no attempt to conceal the event, which was discussed with international organizations and the U.N., including coordination for the removal of bodies," it said.
The probe also noted other operational and reporting failures, including deviations from rules of engagement and a lack of disclosure in initial debriefings. As a result, the deputy commander of the Golani Brigade's Reconnaissance Battalion was removed from his role, and the commander of the 14th Armored Brigade received an official reprimand.
"The IDF regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians," it said. "The examination process also serves as part of an ongoing effort to learn from operational incidents and reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences in the future. Existing protocols have been clarified and reinforced, emphasizing the need for heightened caution when operating near rescue forces and medical personnel, even in high-intensity combat zones."
U.N. outrage
United Nations officials expressed outrage in March about the incident in Rafah's Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, in which the bodies of several Palestinian paramedics, as well as one U.N. employee, were allegedly buried by the IDF in a bulldozed grave in the Gaza Strip.
The U.N. claimed IDF soldiers killed 15 aid workers, opened fire at additional vehicles that followed, and buried the slain personnel and their ambulance.
The IDF said the emergency vehicles in question approached its military positions in a suspicious manner and without prior coordination.
An initial IDF probe published on April 5 found that the soldiers were surprised by the convoy stopping next to an abandoned Hamas vehicle, and by several suspects jumping out of the ambulance and running.
The IDF rejected claims that it buried the bodies in an unmarked mass grave without informing anyone, saying troops collected the bodies in one spot, covered them with sand, and notified the United Nations.
The military explained that burying bodies in this way was an approved and common practice during the past 18 months of warfare in the Gaza Strip to prevent wild dogs and other animals from eating the corpses.
On April 4, Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the U.N., decried the world body’s rush to judgment, saying that nine Hamas members, including Mohammad Amin Ibrahim Shubaki, a terrorist who took part in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, were traveling in the ambulances.
“How did nine Hamas terrorists find themselves traveling inside Red Crescent ambulances? The presence of those terrorists puts everyone’s lives at risk,” Danon said at the U.N. Security Council meeting. “If we truly want to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, the vetting system of such organizations must improve immediately.”
Dorothy Shea, interim U.S. envoy to the U.N., told the council, “Every death, including those of U.N. and humanitarian workers that many have discussed today, would have been avoided had Hamas accepted the bridge [ceasefire] proposal on the table last month.”
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, 53, was hospitalized on Sunday morning at Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba and underwent catheterization after he felt unwell.
The incident took place during physical training, his office said, adding, "He is in good condition, he will remain in the medical center for further monitoring and treatment."
Knesset members from both sides of the aisle wished him a speedy recovery.
Bennett, who served as prime minister from June 2021 to June 2022, registered a new party on April 1, 2025, under the name “Bennett 2026.”
Bennett recently hired two advisers to study his political options. One is an American strategist who is looking at Bennett's chances as part of a center-left bloc.
The other is Nevo Cohen, a former adviser to Otzma Yehudit Party Chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is examining the Likud, traditional and religious Zionist audiences.
The latter is particularly challenging as Bennett aroused anger in the nationalist camp when he formed a coalition with Yesh Atid Party chief Yair Lapid and the Islamist Ra’am Party in 2021.
Meanwhile, he is building a team of close associates ahead of a possible run in elections for the 26th Knesset, to be held by Oct. 27, 2026.
“If and when it is decided to run in the actual elections, an announcement will be issued on the matter,” said Bennett on April 1.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid congratulated Bennett, tweeting, “Israel needs a good government.”
Bennett is taking a somewhat different route to finding the right people to work with in his party, using a company that focuses on placing employees in the high-tech field to sift through potential Knesset candidates, Channel 12 reported.
To this end, he has “recruited one of the most senior women in the field of placement and manpower,” according to the report.
In June 2024, Bennett hinted at a return to politics. “Three years ago today, I took the oath of allegiance as the 13th Prime Minister of the State of Israel,” he wrote on X. “We did it then, and we can do it again. We will establish a state here that is worthy of this people.”
Bennett headed the Yesha Council umbrella group of Judea and Samaria communities from 2010 to 2012.
The 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Southern California became a platform for anti-Israel messaging over the weekend, as multiple performers used their sets to launch attacks against the Jewish state and U.S. support for Israel.
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap sparked outrage by projecting slogans such as “F*** Israel, Free Palestine” and accusing Israel of committing genocide—an accusation that Israeli officials and international legal experts have consistently rejected as unfounded and inflammatory.
The group also targeted American foreign policy, claiming the U.S. “arms and funds Israel despite their war crimes.” During their performance, front man Mo Chara likened Ireland’s colonial history to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Palestinians have nowhere to go. This is their f***ing home, and they're being bombed from the sky,” he said.
Kneecap later claimed that Coachella organizers censored its anti-Israel visuals from the festival’s livestream. The allegation has not been independently verified.
American punk band Green Day added to the controversy when lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong altered the lyrics of the song “Jesus of Suburbia” to reference “the kids from Palestine.” The lyric made no mention of the ongoing rocket fire and hostage abductions, or the role of Hamas and other terrorist organizations that openly seek Israel’s destruction.