The Times of Israel is liveblogging Thursday’s events as they happen.
Police open fire on suspicious motorcyclist in Ramat Gan
Police in the central city of Ramat Gan say that forces opened fire on a suspicious motorcyclist after he refused to stop for a check.
Police say the rider tried to get away at high speed and officers, who were endangered, opened fire at the bike’s wheels but missed.
During the attempt to flee, the motorcycle hit a bystander, moderately wounding him.
Police are carrying out searches for the motorcyclist.
New commander appointed to IDF commando brigade
Col. Omer Cohen takes command of the military’s Oz Brigade, also known as the Commando Brigade, replacing Col. Meni Liberati, who held the position since August 2021.
The brigade brings four of the army’s elite units — Egoz, Rimon, Maglan and Duvdevan — under one roof, with the goal of cutting away inefficiencies and allowing for greater cooperation. It was formed in 2015 under the Central Command’s 98th Division.
During a ceremony at the army’s Beit Lid base east of Netanya, 98th Division Commander Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus lauds Liberati for his work as the unit’s leader during the past two years.
“Meni, you are completing two years commanding [the unit], in which you impeccably and inspiringly led an unprecedented number of operational activities with exceptional quality. You dealt with difficult incidents — operational and non-operational — with dignity, with extraordinary self-criticism, you knew how to embrace, strengthen, raise your head, be devoted, and lead everyone forward,” Goldfus says.
The “difficult non-operational incident” Goldfus was likely referring to was a deadly case of friendly fire in the Egoz unit in January 2022.
Liberati will be taking a break from military service for academic studies.
Cohen, the new commander, previously led the Duvdevan unit.
Two Palestinians indicted for infiltrating from Gaza
Two Palestinian men from the Gaza Strip who attempted to infiltrate into Israel in late April have been indicted.
One of the men, Baha Abu Dahr, 31, is also accused of being a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) terror group.
According to the indictment, on April 30, Abu Dahr and his neighbor from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, Yasser Abu Madif, arrived at the border with bolt cutters and a Palestinian flag.
The pair cut through the first fence, before being detained by Israeli troops in the buffer zone.
The indictment said Abu Dahr joined the DFLP in 2007, and until 2014 was involved in guard duties in the event of an Israeli incursion. Between 2012 and the date of his arrest, Abu Dahr would observe Israeli military activity on the border and report his findings to DFLP commanders, the indictment read.
Abu Dahr is charged with membership in a terror group, weapons offenses, providing information to the enemy, infiltration, and damaging property.
Abu Madif is only charged with infiltration and damaging property.
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip frequently attempt to illegally enter Israeli territory, often with hopes of fleeing the beleaguered enclave.
Russia says it thwarted a Ukrainian ‘invasion’ attempt
Russia says it had used jets and artillery to thwart an attempt by Ukrainian troops to “invade” its southwestern Belgorod region.
“At about 3:00 am (0000 GMT), Ukrainian units comprising up to two motorized infantry companies, reinforced with tanks, attempted to invade,” the Russian defense ministry says.
Moscow used jets and artillery to repel the attacks and prevent Ukrainian troops from crossing over into Russia, the ministry adds.