VFI News IDF Eliminates Hamas’s Rafah Brigade Commander as Israel and Morocco Agree to Open Embassies

UK sanctions on Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria were announced — and within days, the United Kingdom itself began showing signs of fracture. Here's what nobody is connecting.

This week on VFI News, we're covering three stories that belong together even if the mainstream media won't put them side by side.

First — the UK's boycott on goods from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, announced by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband. We walk you through the full history: the Ottoman period, the British Mandate, the Balfour Declaration, and what Britain actually promised the Jewish people. Then we look at what happened next in Britain itself.

Second — Iran continues to dig itself into a hole it may not escape. We explain why this matters right now, in this season.

Third — and this is the good news — the fall biblical feasts have begun. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the Feast of Tabernacles. These are not just Jewish holidays. They are God's appointed times, His moadim, and they belong to every believer. We explain what they mean, why Christians should be paying attention, and why being joyful during Sukkot is actually a command.

And — thousands of Israeli families are struggling to put food on the table this holiday season. Find out how you can help at visionforisrael.com.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction — Three Stories This Week

2:15 Rosh Hashanah & The Biblical Fall Feasts Explained

9:40 The Cost of the Holidays — Families in Crisis

13:05 UK Sanctions on Judea & Samaria — Full History

24:30 The Balfour Declaration & Britain's Broken Promise

31:15 Iran's Deepening Crisis

37:00 How You Can Help This Holiday Season

Support Vision for Israel's holiday relief work 👉 https://visionforisrael.com

#Israel #MiddleEast #RoshHashanah #UKIsrael #VFINews

The IDF and the Shin Bet announced on Tuesday, September 15, that they killed Nael Abu Obeid, commander of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, in a strike in the southern Gaza Strip. Abu Obeid took over the brigade after his predecessor, Mohammad Shabanah, was killed by the IDF in May 2025. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the strike. “Our message is clear: no terrorist is immune, and Hamas will not be in Gaza,” they said.

The IDF described Abu Obeid as a key figure among Hamas’s leaders who previously served as deputy commander of the Rafah Brigade and as commander of the Tel al-Sultan and Yibna Battalions. As brigade commander, he directed terror attacks and offensives against IDF troops. The IDF and Shin Bet had been tracking him for weeks without circumstances allowing a strike; it emerged on Wednesday, September 16. Abu Obeid rarely walked the streets alone, either keeping others around him or staying within populated areas.

The strike was the third on a senior Hamas commander in under a week. Earlier on Tuesday, September 15, the IDF announced that it had, in coordination with the Shin Bet, killed Ahmad Batash, commander of Hamas’s Jabaliya Battalion, in a strike in the northern Gaza Strip on the night of Monday, September 14; Batash managed logistics for the Northern Gaza Brigade and was integral to supplying weapons and equipment to Hamas terrorists in the area. On Thursday, September 10, the IDF and Shin Bet killed Muhammad Yazouri, commander of Hamas’s Khan Yunis Brigade, in the Khan Yunis area. In announcing Abu Obeid’s death, the IDF said its forces “remain deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue to operate to remove any threat.”

(JPost/VFI News)

Lord, we give thanks for the precise intelligence and skill that removed three senior Hamas commanders in under a week. We pray for the IDF soldiers deployed in Gaza, that the Lord would shield them and expose every attempt by Hamas to rebuild. We ask that Hamas’s hold on Gaza would be broken for good and that those living under its rule would be set free.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited the 91st Division on Wednesday, September 16, and warned that the war is not yet over, while stressing that the IDF remains determined to remove Hezbollah’s presence from the area south of the Litani River. He was joined by Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, Operations Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen, 91st Division Commander Brig. Gen. Yuval Gaz, and additional senior commanders. During the visit, Zamir held an operational situation assessment, approved the principles of the defensive concept for the area, and instructed commanders to maintain troop readiness and remain on high alert.

“The 91st Division is on the front line of defense for the residents of the north,” Zamir said. “We operate from forward defensive areas based on maintaining a presence deep inside enemy territory beyond the border, in accordance with the updated operational concept.” He added: “The war is not yet over, and challenges still lie ahead.”

Zamir said the IDF has achieved significant operational accomplishments and weakened Hezbollah, but that further action is necessary. “The IDF is determined to rid the area south of the Litani River of Hezbollah’s presence, alongside advancing the ongoing overarching objective of disarming Hezbollah,” he said, adding that this objective cannot be advanced through an agreement with the Lebanese government as long as the Lebanese Armed Forces do not significantly improve their effectiveness on the ground. “We will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its strength, restore its capabilities, or reestablish terrorist infrastructure in the area,” Zamir declared. He also announced that the IDF will inaugurate a Robotics Branch in the coming months to develop unmanned capabilities in the air, at sea, and on land.

(INN/VFI News)

“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” – Deuteronomy 20:4

Iran holds more than nine tons of nuclear material outside the International Atomic Energy Agency’s safeguards, Israel Atomic Energy Commission Director-General Moshe Edri told the agency’s 70th general conference on Tuesday, September 15. The material includes 440 kilograms of enriched uranium, “equivalent to more than 10 nuclear devices,” Edri said. “Iran’s radical regime has not changed course, and remains committed to expanding its missile and military nuclear capabilities,” he told the conference.

“The regime continued its efforts to rebuild its missile production infrastructure, along with attempts to fortify, hide and advance its nuclear program, in direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions,” Edri said. He pointed to Iran’s repeated threats against Israel, the United States, and the Gulf states. “This is a lawless regime that uses drones against civil nuclear power plants, that uses the threat of advanced missiles against critical infrastructure, that operates proxies across borders, such as the terror organizations Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as the Houthis in Yemen, and it repeatedly uses the threat of developing nuclear weapons,” he said.

Edri’s address followed the resolution passed by the IAEA’s board on Wednesday, September 9, reporting Iran to the UN Security Council for the first time in 20 years for breaching its non-proliferation obligations. He also commended IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi’s efforts in addressing Syria’s nuclear non-compliance under the Assad regime. “If Israel had not acted at that time against the Syrian efforts to operate the Dair Alzour reactor, the Assad regime would have gained military nuclear capabilities by now,” he said, referring to Israel’s 2007 operation against the reactor.

(JPost/VFI News)

Pray that every hidden part of Iran’s nuclear program would be brought into the light and that its path to a weapon would be blocked. Ask the Lord to give wisdom and unity to the nations confronting Tehran, and courage to those who speak the truth in international forums. Pray for protection over Israel from every missile, drone, and proxy the regime directs against it.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday, September 17, that he is approaching a major decision on whether to resume large-scale attacks on Iran, as Washington weighs how to bring the months-long war to an end. “I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not?” Trump said in a phone interview. “It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me.”

The comments came days before Trump is set to meet the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, September 22, with the future of the Iran war expected to be a central focus. Trump said he intends to use the meeting to gauge the Gulf states’ positions before determining his next steps. “I want to find out where they are and how they are doing. We have been very protective of them,” he said.

Trump has not said whether he will decide before or after the US midterm elections in November 2026. US officials warn that the current military posture is difficult to sustain indefinitely, with one saying, “At some point you have to decide what is the end game.” Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have ordered US forces in the Middle East to remain at current levels through the end of 2026, keeping them prepared for a possible return to full-scale combat. Trump also said Iran remains in direct contact with Washington and is still interested in reaching a lasting ceasefire agreement.

(TOI/VFI News)

“In the LORD’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.” – Proverbs 21:1

Yom Kippur? Day of Atonement? What is this holiday all about and why is it important to observe? Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is a solemn celebration of fasting. Join Barry Segal for this special Yom Kippur exclusive. Have a Blessed Day of Atonement!

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar held a trilateral diplomatic summit in New York on Wednesday, September 16, with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, hosted by US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz. Sa’ar also met Bourita later in the day for a bilateral meeting. At the summit, the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to a series of measures upgrading relations between Israel and Morocco, including elevating their respective diplomatic missions to the level of embassies and appointing ambassadors.

Israel and Morocco agreed to conclude agreements on investment protection and the prevention of double taxation by the end of 2026, steps that will facilitate mutual investment and advance economic and commercial ties between the two countries and their peoples. It was also agreed to expand flights between Israel and Morocco to include flights operated by Moroccan airlines, with the expansion to be implemented by the end of 2026. High-level reciprocal visits between the two countries will take place in the coming months.

“Israel expresses its gratitude to the United States for its leadership and steadfast pursuit of peace and security, which made the trilateral summit possible and contributed to strengthening relations between Israel and Morocco,” the Foreign Ministry said. The summit took place a day after Waltz hosted an event at his residence marking the sixth anniversary of the Abraham Accords, attended by representatives of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Israel, and the United States. “The friendship between the Moroccan and Jewish peoples has deep roots and a rich history,” Sa’ar said after the meeting. He said the declaration the ministers signed “outlines practical ways to upgrade ties between Israel and Morocco for the benefit of both peoples, and we will work to implement it.”

(INN/VFI News)

A Jewish man imprisoned in Iraq for 11 years was released on Wednesday, September 16, following a coordinated international effort. Israeli-Canadian Benjamin Hassin, now in his early 30s, was freed from prison in Sulaymaniyah. Born in Iraqi Kurdistan, Hassin immigrated as a child first to Israel and then to Canada, before returning to Israel as a teenager.

In 2014, Hassin is understood to have flown to Kurdistan to visit his grandparents, where he joined the local Kurdish Peshmerga militia, who were defending their towns from ISIS. In 2015, as he was leaving for Israel, he was allegedly accosted by a taxi driver who heard him speaking Hebrew, realized he was Israeli, and threatened to kill him. Hassin, who was armed, said he shot the driver in self-defense; the driver died of his injuries a few days later, and Hassin was arrested, charged with murder, and sentenced to death. In November 2025, the death sentence was annulled after a sulha reconciliation agreement, with $250,000 raised at the request of the Iraqi authorities, yet Hassin remained in prison.

His release is being attributed to former Israeli Foreign Ministry official Eyal Sisso and lawyer Alan Lowy, who is said to have flown regularly to Sulaymaniyah, near the Iranian border, to negotiate. In the car following his release, Hassin could be seen reciting the Jewish “Shehecheyanu” blessing. Lowy and Hassin are expected to arrive in Jerusalem before Shabbat, and Hassin will join the Aish yeshiva there. “Here’s a Jew whose strongest desire after being imprisoned for over a decade is to study Torah,” said Rabbi Steven Burg, the CEO of Aish.

(JPost/VFI News)

Abba, we give thanks for Benjamin Hassin’s release after 11 years and for all who labored for his freedom. We pray for his healing in body and spirit after all he has endured, and for a gentle return to his family and to life in Israel. We ask that his homecoming in the days before Yom Kippur would be a testimony of God’s faithfulness to redeem the captive.

Hebron’s Jewish community completed a four-year restoration of the Tomb of Yishai and Ruth atop Tel Hebron in Judea and Samaria on Tuesday, September 15. The work was spearheaded by the community’s international spokesperson, Yishai Fleisher. The tomb is held by Jewish sources to be the burial place of the biblical King David’s father, Yishai (Jesse), and his great-grandmother, Ruth the Moabite.

“The location of the site in Hebron, city of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the first acquisition of the Jews in the Land of Israel, made by our forefather Abraham, carries important spiritual significance,” Fleisher said. “There is a connection between the Tomb of Yishai and Ruth and the Cave of the [Patriarchs].” David, he added, “is the one who fulfills the dream of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the dream of a united and strong people in their land, living in holiness.”

Working with a team of historians and artisans, Fleisher drew on the turquoise usually associated with Safed, departing from the site’s traditional browns and greens. The graves themselves were redesigned using stone, calligraphic inscriptions, a Star of David, and a wheat motif representing Ruth’s biblical story. A new synagogue and study hall were established at the site, built mainly of local Hebron stone, wrought iron, and wood, and a chamber dating to the Byzantine and medieval periods was converted into a working studio where a scribe writes on parchment in view of visitors. The project cost roughly one million dollars, raised from donors around the world.

(JPost/VFI News)

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” – Isaiah 11:1

Former Gaza hostage Bar Kupershtein led a selichot prayer service at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on the night of Thursday, September 17, as part of a night of thanks marking one year since his release from Hamas captivity. Kupershtein, a paramedic from Holon who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival during the October 7 massacre, was released in October 2025. His mother, Julie, and former hostage Rom Braslavski were also present, and Ayelet Samrano and Michel Ilouz, parents of deceased hostages Yonatan Samrano and Guy Ilouz, joined live from the selichot service at the Western Wall.

“In captivity, I understood what it truly means to be in the depths,” Kupershtein said. “To be beneath the earth, in the darkness, when no one above you can hear your voice, and to believe. To keep believing.” He recalled the Day of Atonement in the tunnels: “Exactly one year ago, we were still there. We fasted on Yom Kippur. We prayed very, very hard. In a place where they tried to take everything away from us, faith was the one thing they could not take.”

Addressing the Israeli public, Kupershtein said something else had kept the hostages going. “You. When we came home, we understood how much you, the people of Israel, had kept that flame burning for us,” he said. He thanked his family, God, the IDF, and the security forces involved in the hostages’ return, and added that “we all have a duty to continue remembering those who did not get the chance to return.”

(JPost/VFI News)

“Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.” – Psalm 130:1-2

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.

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