Category: Israel

Israeli satellite images show rapid Russian military buildup in Crimea ImageSat International says some military vehicles can be seen near staging grounds in possible preparation for invasion of southern Ukraine

New satellite images published Saturday show Russia has massed troops in the annexed Crimean Peninsula in recent days.

Private Israeli intelligence firm ImageSat International (ISI) said some of the military vehicles — including tanks, armored personnel carriers and rocket launchers — were seen outside of staging grounds, “possibly preparing for movement soon.”

The buildup in Crimea occurred within the past four days, according to ISI.

Imagery from February 15 shows the area near the town of Novoozerne completely empty.

ISI said the buildup of the forces in the area was to allow Russia to invade southern Ukraine.

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Gantz to Kamala Harris: Iran nuke deal must include ‘consistent enforcement’ by IAEA Defense chief meets with US veep on sidelines of Munich conference, amid expectations world powers and Iran may soon reach agreement to restore 2015 nuclear pact opposed by Israel

Defense Minister Benny Gantz met Saturday with US Vice President Kamala Harris on the sidelines of the annual Munich Security Conference.

Saturday’s meeting with Harris focused on the issue of ongoing Iran nuclear talks, as well as the situation in Ukraine, according to Gantz.

“I expressed my gratitude to US President Biden and the VP for their commitment to preventing a nuclear Iran. I told her that any future agreement must include consistent enforcement by the IAEA in addition to handling the open files in the nuclear program,” Gantz said in a statement.

“I also thanked her for the United States’ important role in maintaining stability in the Middle East, in the face of regional aggression perpetrated by Iran and its proxies,” he said.

“We also discussed the importance of expanding the Abraham Accords, the situation in Ukraine, and the importance of confidence-building measures with the Palestinians. I updated the VP [on] steps I plan to take in order to deepen cooperation with our neighbors in the region,” he added.

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Israel, neighbors weighing pact to defend against threat of suicide drones — TV Deal would reportedly see regional allies assist each other in detection, downing of hostile drones, after attacks linked to Iranian proxies

Israel and its regional allies are developing a joint defense pact to protect against the threat of suicide drones, Israeli television reported Saturday.

According to Channel 12 news, Israel began working on the arrangement with regional countries following drone and cruise missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that have been attributed to Iran’s proxies in Yemen and Iraq.

If the pact comes into existence, member states that identify a launch toward a neighboring country could warn that nation and assist in downing the drone.

The network, which did not cite a source, said the effort includes neighbors near and far, but didn’t give further details.

The TV report came a day after Israeli air defenses failed to down a small drone that entered the country from Lebanon, which the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group claimed responsibility for launching.

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IDF foils $1.2 million drug-smuggling attempt along border with Egypt

More than 200 kilograms of marijuana flowers and hashish seized, no arrests made

Israeli troops foiled an attempt to smuggle drugs into Israel from Egypt on Friday morning, the military said.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, soldiers monitoring surveillance cameras spotted the drug smuggling attempt and dispatched troops to the scene.

Suspects from the Egyptian side tossed the drugs over the fence, apparently for accomplices on the Israeli side to later pick them up.

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Netanyahu lawyers expected to seek delay of key testimony over phone hacking scandal

State’s witness Shlomo Filber reportedly had data illicitly siphoned off device; Kan: Prosecutors believe hacking did not affect case evidence

Attorneys of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the former owner of both Bezeq and the Walla news site, Shaul Elovitch, are expected to request a delay in the testimony of state’s witness Shlomo Filber in Netanyahu’s criminal trial, according to Hebrew media reports Saturday.

This follows revelations that Filber, the ex-director-general of the Communications Ministry, apparently had his phone illicitly hacked by police during the investigation into Case 4000.

But Kan news reported that so far, prosecutors believe any improper use of spyware technology was not tied to evidence used in the case.

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