The photo was identified as staged due to several fallacies, such as the use of an AK-47 rifle, which the IDF doesn’t use, as well as inconsistencies with the imposter’s uniform, and with operational reports from the field.

The IDF regrets the cynical use of children in acts meant to demonize IDF soldiers, and emphasizes that such behaviour is completely at odds with the IDF Code of Conduct.

Here’s the photo that circulated online:

The photo which circulated online

The full photos of the event:

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An IAF aircraft targeted two weapon storing facilities in the northern Gaza Strip, three terror tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip and a weapon manufacturing facility in the central Gaza Strip. Direct hits were confirmed as well as secondary explosions at several targets.

The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians, and will operate against anyone who uses terror against the State of Israel. The Hamas terror organization is solely responsible for any terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip.

Archive: IAF Targeting Terror Facilities

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“Our enemies currently own approximately 200,000 rockets and missiles capable of harming the State of Israel. Most capable of a 40 kilometer range, thousands capable of hundreds of kilometers in range.”

—IDF Head of Military Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, today at the Herzliya Conference

Yesterday, the IDF chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz spoke at the annual Herzliya Conference and addressed Israel’s security situation. The following are the main excerpts from his speech:

“Iran is working towards military nuclear capabilities and can be fully armed within a year… Iran is a global, regional and Israeli threat and problem.”

“[Terror organizations are] supported by Syria, Iran and even Russia who continues sending ammunition to Syria. The Middle East is currently arming more than any other region in the world, and we are the target of all this ammunition.”

“Every region in Israel is currently under threat… our enemies are trying to create a military system that skips Israel’s defense capabilities and directly targets the strategic depth of the State of Israel.”

“The world must continue isolating Iran… the pressure and financial sanctions should be continued as they are beginning to sprout results, even within Iran… We continue building powerful, impressive, trustworthy, prepared, and well-trained military capabilities, and we must be ready to employ them, if the need arises.”

“The IDF greatly strengthened during the last few years and previous gaps have been matched. It is crucial that we maintain this trend for future obstacles aren’t any less challenging. We need as much accurate, continuous power as possible that will bring us to an undisputed, fast victory over our enemies.”

Today, following the chief of staff’s speech, IDF Military Intelligence Chief, Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi spoke at the conference as well:

IDF Head of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi speaking at the Herzliya Conference

“Iran has enough material to create four nuclear bombs. It continues developing such material and claims that it is doing so for peaceful and civilian purposes.”

“Iran is nearly capable of acquiring nuclear weapons. It is not dependent on additional development but rather a matter of decision.”

“The enemy is disappearing from the battle field, and if in the past a company commander would look through binoculars at the battle field and see the enemy, today against Lebanon or Gaza we will not see anything. Every tenth house in Lebanon serves as a missile storage facility or a rocket launching site.”

For the chief of staff’s, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz’s entire speech, visit the official IDF website.

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Overall, 1,182 truckloads carrying 32,332 tons of civilian goods were unloaded at the crossings between January 22nd and January 28th. Israel strives to allow normal civilian life in Gaza and through mutual agreements and cooperation, has succeeded in substantially reducing the unemployment rate to 25%, the lowest rate in a decade; as reported by the Palestinian Authority’s Central Bureau of Statistics.

Gaza Strip land crossing activities for the last week

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Ilan Ramon aboard Space Shuttle Columbia (Credit: NASA)

Col. Ilan Ramon was a decorated and highly honored Israel Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot boasting thousands of hours of flight experience.  Graduating from Flight School in 1974, he continued to excel in numerous missions including the famous 1981 Operation Opera, Israel’s strike against Iraq’s unfinished Osiraq nuclear reactor. Ramon was the youngest pilot to take part in the attack.

In 1997, Ramon became Israel’s first astronaut and was selected to be the only Payload Specialist during NASA Mission STS-107 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. He spent 15 days, 22 hours and 20 minutes in space conducting more than 80 experiments with his six crewmates. Upon re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere over Texas air space, the infamous Columbia shuttle exploded tragically on February 1, 2003 just 16 minutes before its scheduled landing time.

Of the debris that fell to Earth, mostly around Texas and Louisiana, a “miracle” diary, as is popularly denoted, written by Ilan Ramon was discovered almost completely intact and legible. The diary was given to his widow, Rona Ramon, who donated two pages of the diary to the Israel Museum. Museum curator, Yigal Zalmona said “The diary survived extreme heat in the explosion and extreme atmospheric cold. It’s almost a miracle that it survived.”

Ramon was survived by his wife and four children. His eldest son, Captain Assaf Ramon, died on September 13, 2009, aged 21, during a routine training flight while piloting his F-16A, three months after graduating from the IAF flight school as the top cadet in his class.

CPT. Assaf Ramon's pilot's training course graduation ceremony

Buried in Nahalal in northern Israel, both Ilan and his son Assaf’s namesakes are memorialized throughout Israel, North America and even the galaxy. Ilan posthumously received the Congessional Space Medal of Honor– the only non-US citizen as of yet to do so.

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Israel’s citizens live their daily lives much like citizens of other countries around the world, but a major difference is that Israelis live under the constant threat of rocket fire.

Not even on the holiest day of the Jewish year were Israelis given the opportunity to rest, as was seen on the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when a coalition of Arab countries attacked simultaneously in an attempt to catch Israel off-guard.

There is a ever-present threat to Israel’s northern and southern borders from missile and rocket fire. In 2011, Hamas fired 627 rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel. In January of this year alone, 14 missiles and mortars were fired into heavily populated areas in Israel.

This danger to the livelihood and lives of Israelis has engendered a culture of constant-preparedness. This mentality has been passed down to the next generations as Israelis raise their children to always be conscious of the nearest bomb shelter. At a young age, children also learn in school the basic steps of putting on a gas-mask.

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Artillery Corps soldiers during the "War Drill"

Lt. Col. Keller, a lawyer, lives in Tel Aviv with his wife and their two children. Every year, he spends nearly a month training his men for any scenario that might arise while protecting his country. This time, when he showed up for the usual drill, Keller was shocked to discover a completely lifelike stimulation which called for war against enemy forces invading Israeli territory–a “war drill”.

Artilley Corps reserve soldiers in position during the War Drill

“The drill lasted four days, and I can count the number of hours I slept throughout on one hand,” said Lt. Col. Keller.

He stressed that his battalion engaged in physically demanding scenarios and explained that the surprise drill revealed the battalion’s weaknesses and strengths in ways an ordinary exercise could not.”The element of surprise is what allows you to see how people cope for real. Some folks fall apart, but some actually function better under pressure.”

Artillery Corps reserve soldiers just before the War Drill's conclusion

Keller emphasized the importance of withholding fire from a target located next to a civilian building such as a hospital or school. This is a golden rule which must be adhered to at all times, whether in simulation or at war.

“Even during the exercise, it was obvious to us that we mustn’t underestimate the importance of accurate fire, and avoid harming civilians at all costs,” he said.

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Navy soldiers make final preparations before drill

The 914 Naval Squadron vessels regularly conduct routine security patrols along the northern seashore of Israel, guarding Israel from all naval threats.

IDF Navy ship during a routine drill

After a long day of training and exercises, it’s good to kick back with a few friends.

IDF Navy soldiers after the drill

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Jan 27: The IDF honored the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Designated by the UN General Assembly in 2005, this day marks the liberation of the Nazis’ biggest death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Jan 19: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Military, four-star General Martin E. Dempsey visited Israel and met with the IDF’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz. General Dempsey, who visited  the country for the first time, was briefed by senior IDF officials with an emphasis on cooperation between the two militaries, as well as mutual security challenges.

IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz meets with Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dempsey

Jan 18: IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz participated in a NATO conference in Brussels. Lt. Gen. Gantz referred to the IDF’s anti-terror strategy:

“…Any effective international strategy to deal with these threats must involve strengthening the moderates while weakening the radicals. Only by working together, using a mixture of hard and soft power, will we be able to deter and, over the long haul, overcome the radical actors.”

Jan 17: For the first time in 15 years, the entire Paratroopers Brigade parachuted out of planes in a brigade-wide drill. Nearly a thousand paratroopers lit up the night sky as they leapt into action as a unit.

Paratroopers during their first operational drill in 15 years

Israel’s Northern Border:

IDF Chief of Defense Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, on the future of the Assad regime:

“The radical axis operates to preserve its strength. As time passes, Iran and Hezbollah persist in their efforts to prolong Assad’s regime by providing him with the know-how, arms and additional means, lately doing so through active involvement.”

Judea and Samaria:

Jan 2: IDF forces stationed near Nablus captured two armed Palestinian men carrying an M-16 rifle, Uzi, and matching ammunition.

In addition, indictments were filed against the suspects responsible for last month’s shooting attack near Azzun, while restraining orders were filed against violent settlers.

Israel’s Southern Border:

14 missiles and mortars were launched into heavily populated areas in Israel this month, following 42 rockets in December. In response, the Israeli Air Force targeted three terror facilities and smuggling tunnels used to enable the launches.

Two explosive devices were planted near the Gaza border – the second incident this month, following nearly 30 incidents last month.

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Oren lost five members of his family as well his eyesight in the 2003 Maxim Restaurant suicide bombing in Haifa, where 21 people were killed and 51 were wounded. Oren quickly became the face of the second intifada, and despite losing his eyesight at a very young age, he insisted over the years on being treated just like his friends.

Three days ago, nine years after the atrocity, Oren walked up to the ceremonial stage unassisted by either a walking cane or a seeing-eye dog, and swore an oath to the IDF to the applause and the tears of everyone in attendance.

“As someone who was hit pretty hard by terrorism I am proud to serve an organization [the IDF] that aims to protect the security of Israel, to prevent terrorism, and to protect its residents,” he said later with a smile. Oren volunteered to the army as he was not conscripted due to his handicap; however, he has nevertheless been accepted into an undisclosed intelligence unit.

“I want my father and grandfather to be proud of me,” he said. “I was raised by them to serve, if I had not enlisted I would feel a very big missed opportunity. I am proud that I’ve decided to undertake this trying task, and contribute back to the state.”

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