Israeli commando units, supported by helicopters and about 15 airstrikes, carried out a daring raid on a military base just five miles south of downtown Damascus. This was in a Damascus suburb, practically in the Syrian capital itself.

 Syrian soldiers stationed at a former military facility in the town of Aliswah. The strikes softened up the site and cut off nearby roads to delay reinforcements. Then Israeli commandos hit the ground for what’s called “sensitive site exploitation” — essentially gathering intelligence, dismantling surveillance devices, and recovering equipment of value.

Reports indicate those devices had been placed there by Turkey, possibly more than a decade ago, giving Ankara a window into Israel’s activities. Removing them was a clear message: Israel will not tolerate hostile eyes watching its borders.

I’m convinced Israel’s greatest enemy may not be Hamas, Hezbollah, or even Iran. It’s the international press corps.

The Media Frontline

Every explosion, every casualty, every strike in Gaza is immediately weaponized in the media against Israel. And much of it is dishonest. The majority of people who become journalists lean left, which means they filter every story through that ideological lens.

Take the recent deaths of so-called “journalists” in Gaza. Critics like Scott Ritter claim Israel just “kills the messenger” because they don’t like what’s being reported. Ritter actually said Israel’s solution to bad press is to kill reporters.

That’s nonsense. Wearing a press vest or carrying a camera doesn’t make someone a legitimate journalist. And when someone uses that press vest as cover while aiding Hamas — whether by broadcasting IDF troop movements live, carrying an RPG, or even joining in the October 7th invasion — they’ve made themselves combatants.

I can tell you as a war correspondent: if I had filmed Taliban positions during a firefight and streamed it live, putting U.S. troops at risk, I’d have been treated as an enemy, not as a reporter. Israel operates under the same reality.

Meanwhile Hamas requires any journalist in Gaza to report from its perspective — and often forces them to delete footage or spin stories before publication. Many who wear “PRESS” vests there aren’t journalists at all; they’re Hamas operatives in disguise. That’s not freedom of the press. That’s propaganda.

 Over the weekend, Israel carried out a massive series of strikes against Houthi terror targets in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. We’re talking about 10 aircraft hitting over 50 targets—fuel depots, power stations, and even the presidential palace. The result: huge fireballs, mushroom clouds, and a message delivered in no uncertain terms—Israel has had enough.

Why Yemen?

A lot of people ask: why are the Houthis attacking Israel at all? Yemen is more than 1,000 kilometers away and has little direct connection. But for the Houthis, hatred of Israel is written into their identity. Literally—their slogan reads: “Death to America, Death to Israel.” They claim they’re striking in solidarity with Gaza, but make no mistake: this is about ideology, not geography.

Over the weekend, the Houthis launched what’s believed to be a ballistic missile with a cluster warhead at Israel. Thankfully, it either broke apart in flight or was intercepted. Still, this wasn’t just another provocation—cluster munitions are designed to kill people, not destroy buildings. It’s a terror weapon aimed at civilians.

Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear in his address from the IDF command center:

“Whoever attacks us, we attack them. Whoever plans to attack us, we attack them. For every missile they launch towards Israel, the Houthis will pay with compound interest.”

That “compound interest” looks like blackouts, destroyed military compounds, and a palace in flames. Israel is proving—again—that its deterrence rests on decisive action, not empty words.