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I put my ear plugs in and take a step back. The flash from the tank barrel comes first, then the boom.

Snipers to my left open fire. Red machine gun tracer fire zips towards the village and laser guided artillery thuds into walls.

Israeli paratroopers are attacking a mock Hezbollah village. It’s a drill, but any day now it could be for real.

Still of IDF soldiers carrying out drills in the Golan Heights. Alistair Bunkall piece.
Still of IDF soldiers carrying out drills in the Golan Heights. Alistair Bunkall piece.

A decision whether to invade Lebanon has not been made yet, but the Israeli government has made increasingly hawkish statements and all the soldiers I spoke to privately said they thought it would happen.

It would be a bloody war for both sides though. Hezbollah is much bigger, better armed and battle hardened than Hamas, but Israel’s commanders believe they would ultimately prevail.

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Sky News graphic showing the Golan Heights and Israel
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The Golan Heights border Lebanon and was captured from Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967

“We don’t take their readiness lightly,” a senior officer tells us. “And we obviously learn about their readiness and their experience to fully understand our opponents and our enemies.

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A senior IDF officer speaks to Alistair Bunkall in the Golan Heights.

“But it doesn’t intimidate us. I believe that the IDF throughout and my unit especially – are much better trained and equipped than Hezbollah.”

There are daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah across the border, enough in normal times to have started a war already. These are not normal times though, but they are dangerous ones.

Still of IDF soldiers carrying out drills in the Golan Heights. Alistair Bunkall piece.
Still of an IDF military vehicle during drills in the Golan Heights. Alistair Bunkall piece.

The Golan Heights in winter are cold and rainy. Low cloud wraps itself around the hills and the wind whips though the valleys. Think the Peak District, rather than what one might imagine the Middle East to be.

The region has been fought over many times. It is now Israeli occupied land, annexed after the 1967 war and surrounded on one side by Syria, and the other by Lebanon – both enemies of Israel.

Still of an IDF military vehicle during drills in the Golan Heights. Alistair Bunkall piece.

Old Syrian bunkers run deep into the hillsides as a reminder of past wars and past owners of this land.

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Still of IDF soldiers carrying out drills in the Golan Heights. Alistair Bunkall piece.

Today it is again highly militarised, as Israel prepares for another war with Lebanon.

Even if there was a ceasefire, and Hezbollah stopped firing rockets into Israel, it might not be enough to prevent war because the Israelis have been very clear that they want to push Hezbollah back, deeper into southern Lebanon in accordance with a UN resolution.

And if diplomacy doesn’t work, they’ll use the IDF to do it.

Still of an IDF soldier carrying out drills in the Golan Heights. Alistair Bunkall piece.
Still of an IDF military vehicle during drills in the Golan Heights. Alistair Bunkall piece.

Israel also violates that UN resolution by flying through Lebanese airspace and occupying some land that they were supposed to give back under international law.

A diplomatic solution to avoid war will need to work both ways.

But diplomacy, so far, seems to have made little progress and Israel is giving signs that it might be running out of patience.

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Israeli forces kill two Palestinian men in West Bank after they appear to surrender

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Israeli forces kill two Palestinian men in West Bank after they appear to surrender

Israeli forces killed two Palestinian men in the West Bank after they appeared to be surrendering.

Palestinians said the killings, which were captured on video and shown on two Arab TV channels, were carried out “in cold blood”.

In the video, the men were seen exiting a building and lying on the ground in front of Israeli forces in the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

Both men lifted their T-shirts and held their hands in the air, apparently to show they were not carrying weapons or explosives.

The soldiers then appeared to order the men back inside the building before they were shot.

A Reuters journalist in the area saw the men leave the building, appearing to surrender, and later, after hearing shots fired, saw Israeli forces standing near what appeared to be a lifeless body.

The men were identified as al Muntasir Abdullah, 26, and Yousef Asasa, 37, by Palestinian authorities.

Footage of the incident has been broadcast on Arab TV channels
Image:
Footage of the incident has been broadcast on Arab TV channels

What has Israel said about the incident?

A joint statement between the Israeli Defence Forces and Israeli police said: “Earlier this evening (Thursday), during an Israel Border Police and IDF operation in the area of Jenin, the forces operated to apprehend wanted individuals who had carried out terror activities, including hurling explosives and firing at security forces.

“The wanted individuals were affiliated with a terror network in the area of Jenin.

“The forces entered the area, enclosed the structure in which the suspects were located, and initiated a surrender procedure that lasted several hours. Following the use of engineering tools on the structure, the two suspects exited.

“Following their exit, fire was directed toward the suspects.

“The incident is under review by the commanders on the ground, and will be transferred to the relevant professional bodies.”

Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the military and police unit involved in the shooting had his “full backing”.

“The fighters acted exactly as expected of them – terrorists should die!” he wrote on X.

A Reuters journalist captured images from near the scene. Pic: Reuters
Image:
A Reuters journalist captured images from near the scene. Pic: Reuters

‘An outright extrajudicial killing’

But Palestinians and human rights groups say Israeli investigations in such incidents yield few results, with Israeli troops rarely prosecuted.

The Palestinian prime minister’s office in Ramallah also accused Israel of executing the men “in cold blood”, calling the shooting “an outright extrajudicial killing in blatant violation of international humanitarian law”.

Yuli Novak, the executive director of B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organisation, said: “The execution documented today is the result of an accelerated process of dehumanisation of Palestinians and the complete abandonment of their lives by the Israeli regime.

“In Israel, there is no mechanism that acts to stop the killing of Palestinians or is capable of prosecuting those responsible.”

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Israel’s military has scaled up its military operations in the West Bank since the October 7 Hamas attack, which triggered the war in Gaza.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to B’Tselem, which said the perpetrators were “granted full impunity by Israel”.

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Trump says land operations against Venezuela drugs gangs to start ‘very soon’

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Trump says land operations against Venezuela drugs gangs to start 'very soon'

Donald Trump has warned US action against suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers will move to the land “very soon”.

American forces have carried out at least 21 strikes on boats it claims were carrying narcotics to its shores over the last few months.

The US has accused the South American country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, of being involved in the drugs trade – a claim he denies.

Venezuela has said the attacks, which have killed more than 80 people, amount to murder.

Mr Trump made the comments while in Florida for Thanksgiving. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Mr Trump made the comments while in Florida for Thanksgiving. Pic: Reuters

‘We warned them,’ says Trump

America’s most advanced aircraft carrier is among the ships that have been deployed to the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific as part of Operation Southern Spear.

Mr Trump said on Thursday he was preparing to significantly ramp up the response.

“You probably noticed that people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also,” he told military service members in a call.

“The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”

“We warned them to stop sending poison to our country,” Mr Trump added.

The US has released videos of boats being targeted, but hasn’t provided evidence – such as photos of their cargo – to support the smuggling claims.

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Three killed as US strikes another alleged drug boat

Even if the boats are cartel vessels, Sky’s chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay says the final destination for the drugs is likely to be Europe and West Africa.

The Pentagon has sought to justify the strikes by labelling the drug gangs as foreign terrorist organisations – putting them on par with the likes of al Qaeda and Hamas.

This week it formally designated Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) as such, and said the group was headed by Mr Maduro and “other high-ranking individuals” from his regime.

Another Venezuelan drugs group, Tren de Aragua, was designated a terror organisation by the US in January.

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Mr Maduro – seen by most countries as a dictator who’s cheated elections – has accused the US of “fabricating” a war to overthrow him and install a more favourable government.

Venezuelan officials have also claimed Mr Trump’s true motivation is access to the country’s plentiful oil reserves and other natural resources such as gold and diamonds.

Experts say Mr Maduro, 63, could use oil as a bargaining chip in any future negotiations.

Mr Trump has said previously he would be open to talks – but that prospect seems unlikely, with the Venezuelan leader wielding a sword this week as he vowed to “defend every inch of this blessed land from imperialist threat”.

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Swiss tourist killed in Australia shark attack – as partner in critical condition after fighting to save her

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Swiss tourist killed in Australia shark attack - as partner in critical condition after fighting to save her

A Swiss woman has died in a shark attack in Australia – with her partner in a critical condition after trying to save her.

It happened on Thursday at Kylies Beach in Crowdy Bay, near Port Macquarie, about 218 miles (350km) north of Sydney.

Police said a passer-by who made a tourniquet to stem the man’s bleeding had probably saved his life.

Switzerland’s foreign affairs office didn’t name the victims – who are both believed to be in their 20s – but confirmed they were Swiss citizens.

The pair are said to have arrived the night before, camping nearby before going for a swim with dolphins at dawn – a time when sharks are more active.

The man suffered major wounds to his thigh after trying to fight off the shark and dragging his partner more than 50m back to shore, reported Sky News Australia.

The woman died on the sand but call handlers instructed the passer-by how to fashion a tourniquet from a swimsuit in order to treat the man.

Early assessments indicate a bull shark may be responsible. File pic: iStock
Image:
Early assessments indicate a bull shark may be responsible. File pic: iStock

New South Wales Ambulance superintendent Josh Smyth said the backpacker’s quick thinking was “heroic” and created valuable time for them to reach the remote, unpatrolled beach.

Sky News Australia said initial indications are a large, mature bull shark may be responsible.

The beach has been closed while drones scour the area and drumlines have been laid in the hope of capturing the shark.

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Authorities are also reportedly reviewing “harrowing footage” captured by the couple before the attack that could reveal more about what happened.

The man remains in a critical condition after being airlifted to hospital.

The attack comes two months after a man was killed by a shark, believed to be a great white, while surfing at a popular Sydney beach.

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