Another deadly incident has darkened a fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after the Israeli army said its soldiers killed two Palestinians who posed a threat, DPA reported.
The civil defense in the coastal enclave, controlled by "Hamas", reported two people killed in an Israeli attack near the southern city of Khan Yunis, including a minor.
Two Palestinians approached Israeli soldiers, who "eliminated the terrorists to eliminate the threat", the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
The Palestinians allegedly crossed the the so-called Yellow Line, behind which the Israeli army withdrew under the October 10 ceasefire.
There have been other similar incidents in recent weeks. According to the Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza, more than 240 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began.
The IDF said its troops would continue to act to eliminate any immediate threat to their security.
The Israeli parliament passed a bill on first reading last night to introduce a "death penalty for terrorists", which is specifically designed to apply to Palestinians found guilty of murderous attacks or bombings against Israel, Agence France-Presse reported.
The bill was passed by a majority of 39 votes "for" against 16 "against". Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a leading figure in Israel's far-right, has threatened to stop voting with the ruling majority that supports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the bill, introduced by a female member of his party, is not put to a vote in the Knesset.
More votes are needed in the second and third readings for the proposed text to become law.
Reservist Major General Herzel Budinger, who led the Israeli Air Force (Air Force) in the 1990s and opened an elite pilot course for women, died yesterday at the age of 82, his family said, quoted by the Israeli news agency TPS.
The twelfth commander of the Air Force served from 1992 to 1996, a period marked by major air operations in Lebanon and significant technological improvements. His son, Ilan, announced his death on social media: "Our general, literally, "just landed" and said goodbye to us... We choose to remember all that he managed to achieve in his life - not what he missed".
Born in Haifa in 1943 and raised in Kiryat Motzkin, Budinger joined the Air Force in 1961. After graduating from air force school, he was assigned to various combat squadrons, experiencing several dangerous situations early in his career. In a training accident in 1964, his plane caught fire, forcing him to make an emergency landing, resulting in a back injury.
During the Six-Day War in 1967, Budinger participated in attacks on Egyptian and Iraqi airfields. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, he shot down a Syrian MiG-17 while piloting a Mirage fighter. After his commander was killed, he was appointed commander of Israel's famous 101st Squadron.
In 1974, amid renewed clashes with Syria, Budinger shot down a Syrian MiG-21 over Lebanon. A year later, he piloted the first domestically produced Kfir aircraft, supplied to the Air Force by the state-owned Israel Aviation Industries. Over the next decade, he commanded the IAF's flight academy, Ramat David Air Base, and served as the Air Force's chief of staff.
In 1985, Budinger ordered the shooting down of two Syrian MiG-23s approaching Israeli aircraft over Lebanon. An investigation into the case called for "greater discretion". Ultimately. The conclusion was that his decision was "logical in light of the data he had received".
As Air Force commander, Budinger led Operation "Responsibility" in 1993 and Operation "Grapes of Wrath" in 1996, both targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon. He personally flew night flights during the latter - his 451st - final operational mission. Under his command, the Air Force increased its long-range strike capabilities, introduced "Black Hawk" helicopters and purchased F-15 fighters.
Budinger also played a major role in modernizing the Air Force's personnel policy. In 1994, Officer Alice Miller sued the Israeli Supreme Court after being denied flight training because she was a woman. Although the military initially argued that the course was unsuitable for women, the court ruled in Miller's favor in 1996, forcing the Air Force to admit female applicants for the first time.
Known for his discipline and professionalism, Budinger was respected as a "pilot commander" - a leader who demanded high performance while setting a personal example.
After his retirement in 1996, he became president of "Rada Electronic Industries" and later chaired the defense industry committee of the Israel Manufacturers Association. He was briefly a member of a Defense Department committee examining the 2006 Lebanon War, but resigned for personal reasons.
Budinger also studied economics and business administration at Bar-Ilan University and graduated from the Harvard Executive Education Program. In 2013, Budinger was a finalist in the competition to become Israel's national security adviser, although the position was given to Yossi Cohen, a Mossad officer.