Weekend Recap: US Launches Major Syria Operation in Retaliation for Deadly Attack
By Sammy,
American forces executed a massive five-hour bombing campaign across Syria's desert regions targeting Islamic State positions, with operations involving fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery hitting over 70 sites in what President Donald Trump characterized as "very serious retaliation." The extensive campaign, formally designated Operation Hawkeye Strike by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, was ordered in direct response to last week's devastating attack in Palmyra where an extremist member of Syrian security forces opened fire on a joint US-Syrian patrol, killing two US troops and an American civilian interpreter on December 13th. Trump took to his Truth Social platform to announce the strikes, declaring: "I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible. We are striking very strongly against ISIS strongholds in Syria, a place soaked in blood which has many problems, but one that has a bright future if ISIS can be eradicated." The strikes concentrated heavily on ISIS infrastructure, weapons sites, and fighter positions throughout Syria's vast Badia desert region, with particular focus on mountainous areas running north from Palmyra through Homs, Deir Ezzor, and Raqa provinces. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least five Islamic State members were killed in the overnight bombardment in eastern Syria's Deir Ezzor province, including the leader of a cell responsible for coordinating drone operations. Syrian security sources described the bombardment as "intense" and confirmed no ground operations accompanied the aerial assault. Jordan's air force actively participated in the operation, with the Jordanian military confirming their involvement was aimed at "preventing extremist organizations from exploiting these areas as launching pads to threaten the security of Syria's neighbors." Israeli officials were briefed ahead of the operation.
Gaza Ceasefire Breach Under Investigation
Israeli forces are examining a Friday evening incident in Gaza City where artillery fire struck a school-turned-shelter in the eastern Tuffah neighborhood, killing at least five to seven people in what appears to be a violation of the October ceasefire agreement. The military stated that during operations on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line in the Strip's northern region, troops spotted several suspects in "dominant structures" on the western side of the Yellow Line-meaning they were located outside IDF-held territory-and fired at them following their identification, though the military notably didn't specify whether the individuals were armed or explain precisely how they posed a threat warranting deadly force. Gaza's Hamas-run civil defense agency claimed to have recovered five bodies from the artillery strike, stating that the majority of the victims were children and that additional people were injured, while Palestinian media sources reported the death toll could be as high as seven people. The IDF acknowledged awareness of casualties in the area and announced that "the incident is under further investigation," adding: "The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved \[civilians\] and acts as much as possible to minimize harm to them."
Canadian Terror Plot Disrupted-Weapons Cache Discovered
Toronto police arrested three local men-Waleed Khan, 26, Osman Azizov, 18, and Fahad Sadaat, 19, all Toronto residents-on a combined 79 charges after disrupting what authorities describe as a coordinated campaign of attempted kidnappings specifically targeting Jewish community members and women. The arrests stem from two separate incidents: in Toronto during May, three men-one armed with a handgun and another wielding a knife-approached a woman and physically attempted to force her into a vehicle before fleeing when a passing driver intervened; and in June in nearby Mississauga, where three men armed with a handgun, a rifle, and a knife exited a vehicle and actively chased two women through the streets before fleeing when another passing motorist intervened. Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw confirmed the individuals were specifically "targeting women and members of the Jewish community." When police executed searches of the suspects' residences, they uncovered multiple firearms, substantial quantities of ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and evidence indicating hate motivation. A police statement revealed that "investigators also uncovered links to terrorism," though a court-imposed gag order has prevented publication of further details. The 79 charges include conspiracy to commit kidnapping, hostage taking, weapons possession, sexual assault, motor vehicle theft, and forgery.
Hanukkah Desecration Probe in Tel Aviv
Israeli police opened a formal investigation after surveillance footage captured a woman deliberately extinguishing Hanukkah candles at Tel Aviv's Weizmann Mall adjacent to Ichilov Hospital overnight between Thursday and Friday. The CCTV footage shows the woman approaching the menorah and methodically blowing out the candles while her companion stands nearby applauding her actions, then after initially walking away, she returns to extinguish the final remaining flame while recording herself performing the act on her cellphone camera. Police are considering whether the deliberate act violates Israel's law against insulting religion, which forbids "destruction, damage, or desecration of a place of worship or any object held sacred to a group of people, with the intent to insult their religion." If convicted, the woman could face up to three years imprisonment, though no arrests have been made.
US Takes Hard Line on Palestinian Aid and Muslim Brotherhood
Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that Washington believes humanitarian aid can reach Gaza without relying on UNRWA, stating: "UNRWA is a corrupted organization that's unsalvageable. Period," when asked about reporting that the US is considering imposing sanctions against the agency, which has had multiple members proven to have direct ties with Hamas. Rubio was also questioned about an executive order signed by President Donald Trump directing his cabinet to explore sanctions against local Muslim Brotherhood chapters, with one reporter noting the order's focus on chapters in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan while making no mention of Turkey and Qatar. While Rubio didn't address that specific question directly, he indicated the US would make an announcement regarding Muslim Brotherhood sanctions either later that day or early the following week.
Lebanese Disarmament Efforts Near Critical Deadline
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that the first phase of the plan to confiscate Hezbollah weapons south of the Litani River will conclude in "a few days," marking a critical juncture in the implementation of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement. Under the US-brokered deal that ended more than a year of fighting which severely weakened Hezbollah, Lebanon's army was tasked with disarming the group south of the Litani by the end of the year before tackling weapons confiscation in the rest of the country.
Houthi Forces Detain More UN Personnel
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Houthi detention of another 10 UN personnel, bringing the total number of UN workers being held captive to 69. The Houthis have not publicly explained the basis for the detentions or outlined any conditions for release.
Iranian Execution of Alleged Israeli Spy
Iran executed a man it claimed was convicted of spying for Israel and maintaining ties to Iranian opposition groups, according to the judiciary's Mizan news agency. The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group identified the executed individual as 27-year-old architecture student Aghil Keshavarz and stated he was sentenced to death on espionage charges "based on confessions extracted under torture." Executions of Iranians convicted of spying for Israel have significantly increased throughout 2025, with multiple death sentences carried out in recent months.
Topics: Iran, Lebanon & Hezbollah, Gaza
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.