A Pentagon inspector general report released Friday revealed that US military units lacked proper equipment, staffing, and training during Operation Neptune Solace, the humanitarian mission that built a temporary floating pier to deliver aid into Gaza. The Defense Department-led effort was hampered by significant operational challenges that ultimately contributed to equipment damage totaling approximately $31 million and dozens of personnel injuries, according to Stars and Stripes, the US military newspaper.

The report highlighted persistent problems throughout the operation, which ran from March 2024 to July 2024 under former US President Joe Biden, noting "the [Defense Department] repeatedly encountered challenges and inefficiencies during [Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore] operations and exercises, including during Operation Neptune Solace in Gaza." Military watchdogs identified that years of divestment in mission-essential watercraft and a breakdown in joint training between Army and Navy units created severe operational difficulties.

Operation Neptune Solace was established to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza after Israel launched a military campaign following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. The initiative aimed to provide critical supplies without placing US troops directly in the conflict zone, but the mission faced numerous setbacks, including severe weather conditions that damaged equipment and contributed to personnel injuries, including one service member fatality.

The inspector general found that "the Army and Navy did not meet service-level standards for equipment and unit readiness to perform JLOTS operations," and identified "low equipment mission-capable rates and low manning and training levels" among the forces deployed. Navy Beach Group One "had to pull together every person they could to sufficiently staff vessels in accordance with Navy requirements," which delayed the deployment of some watercraft critical to the mission.

Despite becoming operational on May 14, 2024, the pier was in service for just two weeks before officials were forced to suspend operations and remove it from shore for repairs due to damage from rough weather. The structure was again removed from Gaza's shore in late June because of unfavorable conditions and was eventually kept at the Israeli port of Ashdod until officials announced the operation's end on July 17.

The Pentagon watchdog highlighted significant equipment readiness issues, with the Navy reporting 27 watercraft and equipment items damaged during the mission. US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, reported 62 injuries among personnel supporting the operation, though investigators couldn't determine whether these occurred on-duty, off-duty, or resulted from pre-existing conditions.

A key finding in the report was that "the Army and Navy did not organize, train, and equip to a common joint standard for JLOTS operations and exercises." This deficiency stemmed partly from the US Transportation Command not establishing joint mission standards and requirements for the services to work together effectively.

Officials from both Army and Navy logistics directorates "expressed concern at the services' divestment of JLOTS capabilities and stated their belief that the DoD's current JLOTS capabilities were not sufficient to meet projected needs," according to the report. The inspector general recommended that both services review their watercraft units to determine necessary improvements in force structure, training, and equipment maintenance, while also recommending that TRANSCOM develop a comprehensive plan to meet its JLOTS responsibilities.

The post Pentagon reveals Gaza pier mission resulted in 62 US troops injured, $31 million damage appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Representatives from the US and Israeli Air Forces met last month to discuss a remarkable development that the IDF described as "updated orders for the cooperation between the two nations' air-defense systems during emergency situations."

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The Israeli delegation was led by Brig. Gen. Gilad Biran, commander of the IAF's Air Defense System, and the American delegation was led by Brig. Gen. Greg Brady, commander of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, which is based in Germany.

"The purpose of the meeting was to improve the collaborative readiness of the forces for the joint defense of the State of Israel," said the IDF. "At the end of the meeting, a document for updated air-defense operational cooperation between the two countries was signed."

According to Charles B. Perkins, director for US-Israel Security Policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, while the two militaries have a long record of cooperation and coordination in joint exercises and air-missile defense planning, "this new agreement and the decision to publicly disclose it takes place within the context of some significant recent trends."

Perkins pointed out that the May conflict between Israel and Hamas, dubbed by the IDF as "Operation Guardian of the Walls," and the performance of the Iron Dome air-defense system against Gazan rocket barrages "has certainly garnered some attention within the US Army's air-defense community."

Iron Dome maintained an interception rate of approximately 90% during the conflict, according to an IDF assessment.

In addition, Perkins said, the issue of counter-drone technology is becoming ever-more relevant.

Hamas launched six drones during the May conflict, and the IDF intercepted all of them, including, for the first time, by Iron Dome as well as missiles fired from F-16 jets.

"The American Army is the lead US service tasked with countering the mounting small drone threat and the prospect of offensive drone swarms – a phenomenon on the horizon in the Mideast," said Perkins.

Meanwhile, the drizzle of rocket fire targeting US assets in Iraq has "highlighted the need for greater responses to the challenge of non-state entities using high-trajectory weapons," he added.

Simulating rapid deployment of American assistance forces

On July 23, Israel and the United States launched the Juniper Falcon joint air-defense drill, which simulates a range of missile threats on Israel and the ability of US forces from EUCOM (European Command) to quickly deploy to Israel and set up air-defense systems in assistance of Israel's own defense systems.

The United States sent two C-130J Super Hercules Aircraft from Ramstein Air Base in Germany to Israel with personnel to take part in the exercise, which was held at multiple locations in Israel.

The long-planned drill was "designed to test simulated emergency response procedures, ballistic-missile defense, and crisis response assistance in the defense of Israel," the IDF stated.

It also serves as an opportunity for US military personnel and the IDF to exercise together and learn from one another.

While Perkins said it wasn't possible to say with certainty which air-defense systems America might offer, should Israel request emergency support, he noted that "the configurations seen during the recent Juniper Cobra drills are probably a good indication."

In line with what the exercise showed, Patriots, naval-based interceptors such as the Aegis destroyer SM-3 and perhaps the THAAD, which was deployed for the first time to Israel during one of the most recent joint exercises, could be sent over, assessed Perkins.

Such systems could integrate with Iron Dome, David's Sling, and the Arrow 2 and 3 air-defense systems, the latter which intercepts ballistic missiles in space.

"Clearly, this new agreement is a reflection that America recognizes the mounting danger Israel faces, particularly from the north and east, and seeks to ensure that if a future conflict escalates to a certain level, the United States will be prepared to rapidly take the necessary steps to support Israel's air- and missile-defense requirements should a political decision be made to do so," stressed Perkins.

Meanwhile, the fact that Israel has transited to America's CENTCOM area of responsibility, which commands forces in the Middle East, and away from EUCOM, has not stopped significant links between the IDF and EUCOM on air-defense cooperation, he said.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

On the other hand, Perkins cautioned that the fact that CENTCOM has been ordered to withdraw American missile-defense assets from the Gulf region as the threat from Iran and its proxies mounts "is not an encouraging development for regional security."

Iron Dome's role in defense cooperation

Meanwhile, the US Army has purchased two Iron Dome batteries manufactured by Israel's Rafael defense company as part of an initial evaluation phase. Rafael has demonstrated the system for the US Marines as well.

This time last year, the US defense contractor Raytheon and Rafael announced a joint venture to produce Iron Dome weapons systems on American soil.

"While there's still a degree of uncertainty regarding what the US Army intends to do with the two Iron Dome batteries it's acquired – now undergoing testing – it stands to reason that boosting the mechanisms for bilateral air-defense cooperation will support any synergies that may arise, as Israel continues modernizing and expanding its own Iron Dome capabilities," said Perkins.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Israeli, American militaries tighten air-defense cooperation appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Iron Dome does not share targeting data with the US network, and this limits the value of the two Iron Dome batteries that Congress pushed the army to purchase last year, the Breaking Defense website reported on Thursday.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Army Futures Command head Gen. Mike Murray told lawmakers during a Thursday hearing of the House Armed Services subcommittee: "We believe we cannot integrate them into our air-defense system based upon some inter-operability challenges and cyber challenges and some other challenges," according to a report by Jane's Defence Weekly.

"So, what we ended up having really is two standalone batteries that will be very capable, but they cannot be integrated into our air-defense system," he said.

The army is going to host a "shoot off" and allow other vendors to help decide "the best solution to provide that capability," said Murray.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Pentagon cancels plans to purchase Iron Dome, citing integration issues appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Aboubakr, 30, defines himself as a Zionist. His sympathy for Israel forced him out of Egypt and in the last seven years he has been living in the United States. He moved to Los Angeles after getting a job with Stand With Us – a non-profit pro-Israel education and advocacy organization, seeking to bolster Israel's image among the American public.

Our interview is conducted in Hebrew, which Aboubakr speaks fluently and with a barely detectable accent.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

"There's a new generation today of Western Arabs who grew up in the US, speak English and understand how to take advantage of the system," he said. "They were brought up to honor the edicts of Islam even though they are completely secular. People like that are, in fact, the driving force behind BDS. They run an anti-Israel campaign in American academia, but they also have an anti-US campaign.

"They think I'm a traitor. They come to my lectures to heckle me. They won't hear of anti-Semitism in the Arab world and they accuse me of racism."

Touching on current affairs and the recent flare-up in southern Israel during which Islamic Jihad terrorists fired over 450 rockets at Israel in retaliation over the elimination of top Islamic Jihad commander Baha Abu al-Ata in his Gaza home, Aboubakr said, "It's hard for me to see Israelis undergo this annual rocket event. Usually, there is [security] escalation, then Hamas receives more money from Qatar, and uses most of it to increase its arsenal. Israel eliminated a terrorist, not a social worker."

'We were told Jews are evil'

Aboubakr was born and raised in Giza, a few miles from the pyramids. He has three brothers and a sister. His father, Ahmed, was a banker at one of the largest government banks in Egypt. His mother, Huda, is a housewife.

"We were a typical family when it came to religion," he said. "We would go to the mosque with my dad every Friday and fast during the holy month of Ramadan. But unlike many religious families, there was a television in the house, and at some point, there was even internet."

At the age of 11, Aboubakr became interested in religion.

"I delved into the Quran and became a devout Muslim. I also started hanging out with Salafists – they're like the haredim of the Muslim world – and that was steeped with anti-Semitism. There were stories about how the Jews tried to kill the Prophet Muhammad after what they did to Jesus.

"They called Jews 'traitors' and said they were 'evil,' and I believed that. At that time – it was post 9/11 – whenever you would turn on the TV you'd see the war in Afghanistan and later in Iraq. This was also the height of the Second Intifada in Israel. All we saw was how Muslims were getting killed everywhere. That tied into everything I heard at the mosque and I started to believe that Jews were the source of all evil."

At this point, he said, he decided to learn more about Jews so he could fight them more successfully.

"At the age of 14, I began studying the issue independently," he recalled. "I stopped going to the mosque and just searched the internet to read and understand more. Then I discovered that reality was totally different and that Israel has values such as tolerance and humanity.

"It was a difficult moment. I discovered the moral gap between my background and Western culture, especially with respect to Israel. All of a sudden, you realize that there is nothing to the stories that were drilled into you, that there's no one in Israel who gets up in the morning and thinks up ways to harm Egypt."

This was a defining moment for Aboubakr and the ensuing personal crisis was unavoidable.

"I completely lost my faith. We all want to believe that all religions are similar and impart values for human relationships but in reality, religious systems are archaic and so are their ideas – certainly Islam, which has caused so much harm in the world.

"I decided to keep the change I was going through a secret. It's not like I could tell the people around me that Israel is right and that there is no Palestine."

"All of a sudden, you realize that there is nothing to the stories that were drilled into you, that there's no one in Israel who gets up in the morning and thinks up ways to harm Egypt"

In college, Aboubakr began studying Hebrew, something he said was "very usual, because you can use it during your military service" – like Israel, Egypt has compulsory military service from men – "and after the service you can use it if you teach or work in the media, so it didn't raise suspicion.

"The Oriental languages Department, where I studied, was set up in the 1960s as part of the fight against Zionism. Like many other things in Egypt, these things began when [Egyptian President Gamal Abdel] Nasser came to power and are frozen in time. My professors didn't speak very good Hebrew."

Presumed guilty

The outdated material frustrated Aboubakr and in late 2009, he decided to visit the Israeli Academic Center in Cairo, established in the early 1980s after Egypt and Israel inked their peace treaty.

Many in Egypt believe the center actually houses secret Israeli espionage headquarters, he said.

"I was curious to visit there, to speak Hebrew," he explained. "The first time I only met the security guard, who spoke to me a little in Hebrew. On my second visit, I met the director of the center, Prof. Gabi Rosenbaum. After I left, Egyptian security personnel approached me on the street and started asking me questions, like why I was there. They also called my friends to gather information about me."

About a week later, the Egyptian National Security Agency contacted Aboubakr and ordered him not to set foot in the center again, as well as abandon his studies.

"I refused. I shared the story on my blog and eventually Israeli media picked it up," he said.

Three days later, he and his father were arrested.

"My father promised them that the family will handle it. Afterward, he and my uncles gave me a long talking-to, but I told them I no longer consider myself a Muslim. They were deeply offended. The men hit me. The women were sobbing. I left home that very day. It was the last time I saw them."

The disconnect lasted nearly a decade.

"My mother contacted me last April, she found me on Facebook," he said. "Lately, we've been talking on the phone every week. My younger brother got married recently and she sent me videos of the wedding. I have no contact with my father or anyone else from my family. Maybe in the future, but I'm not ready yet."

After leaving home, Aboubakr went to live with friends, first in Cairo and later in Alexandria. He also became a prolific blogger, writing about the anti-Semitism in Egypt.

And he was firmly on the Egyptian National Security Agency's radar.

"It became an absurd, repetitive situation. I would be taken in for questioning, they would ask me which Israelis I was in contact with and why I posted a certain text on the blog, I would apologize, and they would let me go," he said.

"At the end of 2010, I was supposed to enlist in the army. In Egypt, if you study for a degree you go into service after you graduate and every year they announce which degrees are relevant for conscription. Anyone with a degree in Hebrew is automatically enlisted because of the same Nasser-era mental fixation.

"Once I was drafted, instead of sending me to boot camp, I was taking in for questioning in an intelligence unit. They had pictures of any Israeli I ever spoke with, reports on every word I ever typed. They were sure I was some kind of spy."

Aboubakr was then jailed for two months.

"No formal charges were ever filed – all they had were suspicions that I was a 'Zionist agent.' I was put in solitary confinement and tortured. My family didn't even know I was there. They let me go after two months. I was also discharged from the army. The discharge papers cited, 'Poses a threat to the integrity of the Egyptian social fabric.'

"I didn't know what to do next. I went to my friends in Alexandria, but they didn't understand what I was going through. These things don't usually happen – most people are 'normal,' no one has run-ins with the authorities, and even if they do, it's usually over religion, not things like Israel.

"I never consider myself a political activist, just someone who expands his interests. I knew that I was neither an agent nor a spy, and I didn't understand what I was doing wrong that I was being interrogated that way."

And then came the Arab Spring.

Conspiracy theories

Tahrir Square in Cairo, where masses gathered, demanding the ouster of then-President Hosni Mubarak had ostensibly subversive ideas and demands for reforms but they, too, were very anti-Israel, he said.

"It was very strange. As much as they [protesters] came out against religion and tradition, when it came to Israel – it was still the enemy. This hatred is instilled from an early age.

"Once Mubarak was ousted and the Muslim Brotherhood came to power, anti-Semitism grew. The government-controlled media featured intimidating headlines saying that 'Israeli tanks are on their way to Sinai' and 'the Zionist army's ships are about to attack us.' They wanted to create a panic, to convince people that the revolution was an Israeli conspiracy. When new politicians were trying to win over voters, the strongest accusation you could throw at them was that they were 'in service of the Jews.'"

The anti-Semitism grew more intense until it erupted on Sept. 9, 2011, when thousands of Egyptian protesters rushed the Israeli Embassy in Giza, Greater Cairo, after breaking down a recently constructed wall built to protect the compound. Six members of the embassy's staff, who had been in a safe room, were extracted by Egyptian commandos, at the personal intervention of then-US President Barack Obama.

A few months after that, Aboubakr lost his job. He was arrested almost immediately and detained for a week.

"When they let me go, they made it clear that I would no longer be able to get a job, that this was it – I won't be released next time. At the time, protesters could turn to human rights organizations for help. I couldn't do that because they, too, saw me as an Israeli agent. I knew no one would save me."

After six months in hiding and with the help of some friends, Aboubakr was able to reach the American Embassy in Cairo where he sought – and received – asylum.

Two weeks later, he was able to leave Egypt and head to Los Angeles.

'Israel isn't perfect, but I love it'

During his first year in LA, Aboubakr was unable to find his place among the local Muslim community, which did not exactly welcome him with open arms.

Through his contacts in the Israeli academia, he was able to contact Dr. Nir Boms, a research fellow at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, who put him in touch with the local Jewish community.

He first worked at a warehouse and then managed to find work teaching Hebrew at an Orthodox Jewish high school in the Valley area. In 2013, he moved to the picturesque town of Monterey and enlisted in the US Army.

"I went through boot camp after which I was stationed at a base that has an educational center for language studies. I taught Hebrew to officers and US Army officials who work with Israel."

In 2018, he visited Israel for the first time, an experience that, given his extensive knowledge of all things Israel, he described as surreal.

"It was the first time I was in an environment that was very similar to the one I knew in Egypt. Israelis sometimes like to 'sell' themselves to the West in Western-looking photos of beautiful beaches and girls, but Israel is first and foremost a Middle Eastern country," he said.

"For the first time, I experienced the culture I came from – the food, the smells, the atmosphere, the noise, the mentality – with an atmosphere of freedom. It made me want to explain to the Arabs how it feels to live their life, only with freedom. Israel is what the Arab world can be but is unable to be."

The atmosphere in Jerusalem, he said, "is much more Middle Eastern than the one in Tel Aviv. When I walked through the streets it was clear to people that I was a foreigner, but they didn't know exactly where I was from, and I could feel the tension in the air. There are some problematic Middle East issues there, that I knew about from [living in] Egypt. But it's not violent. You can live with it."

Arriving in Israel and going through security at Ben-Gurion International Airport with the name Hussein Aboubakr was an "interesting experience," he said, smiling.

"It was after I became a US citizen and held an American passport, but it says I was born in Egypt. And I spoke Hebrew at passport control and they panicked. I was detained for questioning because they tried to understand how a guy named Hussein, who was born in Egypt, came to Israel from the US and speaks Hebrew. It took me a while to explain.

"Leaving Israel was more complicated. They [airport security] gave me the strictest security rating, six, which required full scrutiny of all my things and a comprehensive physical examination. So I was delayed and underwent a full body search, every inch, before I was allowed to board the plane. I visited Israel again a few months later and had to go through the same inspection. It wasn't a pleasant experience."

"I know Israel is not perfect, I'm friends with enough Israelis to know that, but I support it and I love it," he stated.

'I want to debunk Arab myths about Israel'

Aboubakr defines himself as "an Egyptian-American from a Muslim background. This may include a religious affiliation – I can't say I'm a practicing Muslim – but it also expresses a cultural-historical identity and affiliation. I'm a spiritual person and I believe in a higher power."

His life, he said, has taken a surreal twist.

"This is the last thing I expected my life to be. It's very strange, but it feels good. It feels right. I want people to understand that you don't have to become like someone else to understand them. You don't have to be Jewish to understand what anti-Semitism is. I'm not thinking about converting to prove it, because there is no need. I have Stars of David at home because I love Jewish art. Learning Hebrew changed my life."

But Aboubakr was less optimistic as to the possibility that Egypt will undergo a real liberal revolution.

"Egypt may like to boast that it is a modern and developed country in the heart of the Middle East, but in reality, as far back as the 1970s, it has been undergoing a gradual process of religification. I was born in 1989 into a secular home and within 10 years not one woman in my family walked around without a headdress.

"I am optimistic about the future of the Middle East, because the smartphone I, and an increasing number of people hold in our hands will change the world. Today there is access to everything, and Arab states are not sophisticated enough to systematically block and censor everything. This could be the beginning of something good."

When it comes to Arabs from "non-friendly" countries visiting Israel, like the Saudi blogger, Aboubakr said that while this was a welcome phenomenon, "There is still a very big psychological barrier. I hope to do something similar – to visit Israel, take photos and show Arabs what Israel is really like; to show that Muslims are not limited when it comes to observing their beliefs. I want to debunk these myths."

Aboubakr said he misses Egypt very much, but going back simply isn't an option.

"I can't go back there – I'll be arrested at the airport. It's no secret that I'm a Zionist, I work for a Zionist organization, and under Egyptian law that's grounds to have your citizenship revoked. They'll probably do that after I publish my book, A Minority of One. It's currently in the editing stage.

Asked if his life experiences have bred political aspirations, Aboubakr says the thought hasn't even crossed his mind.

"I want to be a teacher," he said. "I haven't pursued my academic studies to make it happen, because it costs a lot, and I don't have good grades from college [in Egypt] or recommendations from professors. I came from an anti-Semitic system, so [they] deliberately gave me low scores. My alternative is to study in Israel. Maybe I'll live there for a while."

The post 'Israel is what the Arab world can be but is unable to be' appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Trophy, a system that was first deployed by the Israel Defense Forces in 2011 and which has intercepted many threats fired at Israeli armored vehicles, will be eventually be installed onboard four American M1 main battle tank brigades, for both the US Army and Marine Corps.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The system has accumulated more than 600,000 operational hours and underwent 4,000 successful field tests. It is now under contract for production for thousands of systems.

The US Army is in a rush to install the system on its tanks because it wants to urgently send them to the European theater, according to statements by American military officials who manage combat vehicle upgrades. In the past, the United States spent a great deal of money trying to develop Active Protection Systems, but didn't manage to find one it was satisfied with.

It therefore took a decision that is far from being a given and looked beyond American shores for a solution.

The armored brigades that will receive Trophy will take part in American deployments to Europe, dubbed "Operation Atlantic Resolve," which began after Russia's seizure of the Ukrainian Crimea region in 2014. The United States is seeking to reassure European allies, and deploys infantry and armored forces as a result.

Rafael has made major sales to America before, including Popeye air-to-surface missiles and electro-optic pods that help American aircraft gather critical intelligence.

Israeli defense firm Plasan Sasa has in the past sold the US passive armor for thousands of vehicles, which saved many lives. In previous years, Rafael teamed up with General Dynamics to equip Bradley fighting vehicles with explosive reactive armor.

In passive defenses, plates of armor stop incoming threats like anti-tank missiles and IEDs. In explosive reactive armor, explosives sandwiched in between armor plates set off the warhead of the incoming threat.

Yet active protection is a breakthrough technology – one that Israel developed as a painful lesson learned from the destruction of multiple tanks by Hezbollah missile cells during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

Other countries considering similar defense purchases

Several other states could be next in line to purchase the system, including potential European clients such as Germany and Poland. Australia, which is also seeking to upgrade its land forces, is another likely buyer.

Meanwhile, an American brigade of Bradley M2 armored vehicles is undergoing advanced trials with the Iron First Active Protection System, which is made by Israel's Elbit company.

Israeli defense companies have established cooperation with local partner companies since governments insist that local firms conduct the marketing, handle the transactions, and most importantly, that the systems are locally produced.

As a result, Rafael has teamed up with US contractor Leonardo DRS, which specializes in ground combat systems. Leonardo DRS is headquartered in Arlington, Va.

According to a statement by Rafael, "the deliveries are the culmination of a multi-year qualification process. A joint team of government and industry from both the US and Israel worked together to adapt and integrate Trophy for both Army and Marine Corps Abrams variants."

Leonardo DRS's CEO, William J. Lynn, described Trophy as an "advanced defensive protection systems for our front-line tanks to give our warfighters a needed layer of survivability against real and emerging battlefield threats."

He added that "our partnership between Leonardo DRS and Rafael has worked tirelessly to bring this battle-proven technology to the US military while improving the system to meet the stringent needs and requirements from the customer."

Rafael CEO and president, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Yoav Har-Even, described the first delivery as "a major milestone in US-Israel cooperation. There is no greater pride and satisfaction than the knowledge that the technology developed by Rafael and Elta over many years of investment, trials and combat performance will play an instrumental part in safeguarding American lives, just like it has saved Israeli lives and revolutionized the way our armored forces perform their missions."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post US Army chooses Israeli system to protect the lives of tank crews appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan have been increasing, despite attempts by the United States and the Taliban to negotiate an agreement to end the 18-year war.

                                        Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The government's main security agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), said that the operation in Paktia province had targeted a Taliban hideout and among the 11 dead terrorists were two commanders.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it was gravely concerned about the killings during a search operation and that a human rights team was currently investigating.

"Accountability essential. Harm to civilians must stop," the agency said in a post on Twitter.

A politician in the area said that government forces attacked a student gathering over the Eid al-Adha holiday.

"A university student had invited his classmates for dinner," Allah Mir Khan Bahramzoi, a provincial council member in Paktia, told Reuters.

"Late in the evening, security forces surrounded the house, brought out the victims from the guesthouse and shot them one by one," he said by telephone from the province.

The NDS said weapons and ammunition were seized in the raid.

"This operation was conducted based on operative information on a Taliban hideout and it left no civilian casualties," the agency said in a statement.

The United Nations says nearly 4,000 civilians were killed or wounded in the first half of the year. The toll included a big increase in the number of casualties inflicted by government and US-led foreign forces.

Ground raids and clashes caused the most civilian casualties, followed by bomb attacks and airstrikes, UNAMA said in a report last month.

There has been no let-up in violence, even though the Taliban and the United States have both reported significant progress in talks on a pact for US troops to withdraw in exchange for a Taliban promise that Afghanistan will not be used as a base for future terrorist attacks.

Their latest round of talks ended on Monday without a final agreement. No date has been announced for the next round.

The post Halt Afghan civilian casualties, UN says after report of 11 killed by government appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The eighth round of talks in the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar concluded after midnight and was "long and useful," Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.

He made no statements on the outcome of the talks.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Last week, another Taliban spokesman had said that a deal was expected to follow this round as both sides seek an end to the nearly 18-year war, America's longest conflict.

An agreement – if reached – is expected to include Taliban guarantees that Afghanistan would not be a base for other extremist groups in the future. However, both the Islamic State group's affiliate and al-Qaida remain active in the country. The Taliban stage near-daily attacks across Afghanistan, mainly targeting Afghan forces and government officials but also killing many civilians.

The deal also could include a ceasefire and stipulate that the Taliban would negotiate with Afghan representatives, though the insurgent group has so far refused to negotiate with Kabul representatives, dismissing the Afghan government as a US puppet.

There was no immediate comment on Monday from US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who on Sunday tweeted that "I hope this is the last Eid where #Afghanistan is at war."

Sunday was the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Adha, which unfolded without any major reported violence in Afghanistan.

Khalilzad later added that "Many scholars believe that the deeper meaning of Eid al-Adha is to sacrifice one's ego. Leaders on all sides of the war in Afghanistan must take this to heart as we strive for peace."

Some in Afghanistan saw it as a response to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who on Sunday declared that "Our future cannot be decided outside, whether in the capital cities of our friends, nemeses or neighbors. The fate of Afghanistan will be decided here in this homeland. ... We don't want anyone to intervene in our affairs."

While Ghani insists that the upcoming Sept. 28 presidential election is crucial for giving Afghanistan's leader a powerful mandate to decide the country's future after years of war, Khalilzad is seeking a peace deal by Sept. 1, weeks before the vote.

The Taliban control roughly half of Afghanistan and are at their strongest since the US-led invasion toppled their five-year government in 2001 after the group had harbored al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. More than 2,400 US service members have died in Afghanistan since then.

The US and NATO formally concluded their combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014. Some 20,000 American and allied troops that remain are carrying out airstrikes on the Taliban and ISIS operatives, and are working to train and build the Afghan military.

The post Taliban: Latest talks on US withdrawal from Afghanistan over appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The partnerships give the Israeli companies access to US military tenders.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Israel's state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced in recent weeks that it had signed a teaming agreement with Lockheed Martin to jointly "develop, market, manufacture and support" the company's SPICE guidance kits for air-to-ground bombs.

A company source told Jewish News Syndicate on Sunday that it sees its new agreement with Lockheed Martin as "an excellent avenue to offer the American user" a weapon system that does not rely on GPS guidance. Satellite communications can be blocked by enemy jamming systems, and SPICE guidance kits use state-of-the-art cameras and scene-matching technology to guide the weapon to its target independently of satellite links.

"This is crucial in today's GPS-denied environment," the source said. He noted that Rafael is also engaged with Lockheed Martin for the joint marketing of the company's SPIKE fire-and-forget precision missiles, which are already in use in the militaries of 31 countries.

Rafael has struck previous agreements with US defense company Raytheon for the joint marketing of its famous Iron Dome air-defense system, which has intercepted over 2,000 incoming rockets fired at Israeli population centers from the Gaza Strip since its rollout in 2011. The US Army is purchasing Iron Dome batteries.

"Finalizing this [latest] exclusive agreement [with Lockheed Martin] sets the scene for our two companies to provide unmatched mid-range guided air-to-surface weapon systems," said Yuval Miller, executive vice president and general manager of Rafael's Air and C4ISR Division in a company statement.

John Varley, vice president of Close Combat Systems at Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control, said his company is applying its experience to adapt Rafael's "SPICE to meet US standards so bomber and fighter aircraft can benefit from the added mission flexibility that SPICE offers."

'Leverage technology that is proven in the field'

Meanwhile, on Monday, Elta Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, announced it had successfully completed a demonstration together with Lockheed Martin of a radar solution for the US Army's Patriot missile-defense system.

The demonstration was held as part of the US Army's Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor program and has seen companies compete for a contract to provide radars.

The demonstration, held at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, used a well-known Elta radar, which is also used by Rafael's Iron Dome.

Company sources said the US Army is expected to announce its selection by September, representing a short timeframe.

The sources said the demonstrations in New Mexico, dubbed by some local media as the "radar Olympics," took place over a two-week period. Elta and Lockheed are competing jointly against Raytheon and Northrop Grumman for the contract.

Without local US partnerships or a presence via an American subsidiary, it's difficult for Israeli companies to gain the proper tender information in the required manner. Elta also received assistance from the Israeli Defense Ministry's Homa Administration, which oversees the development of air-defense systems.

"During the two-week demonstration period, the Lockheed Martin and ELTA teams completed a series of air and missile-defense exercises showcasing our radar solution and how it will meet the [US] Army's requirements," Elta said in a statement.

The company noted that both it and Lockheed Martin have produced several new-generation radars in recent years and that both bring "mature technology" to the US Army's requirements.

Rob Smith, vice president and general manager of Radar and Sensor Systems at Lockheed Martin, stated: "We will leverage technology that is production-ready and proven in the field, allowing us to meet the [US] Army's requirements quickly and provide qualified systems within 24 months after the initial contract award."

Yoav Turgeman, IAI vice president and CEO of Elta, added, "We are confident that this cooperation with Lockheed Martin can provide the [US] Army with a reliable solution."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Israeli defense firms team up with Lockheed Martin to enter US market appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.