Swords of Iron Day 1048 brought movement on nearly every front at once: strikes in Gaza City, two more terror tunnels sealed, a startling declaration from Washington about the Strait of Hormuz, and — after 44 years — a fallen Israeli soldier finally laid to rest. Here is where things stand.
Swords of Iron Day 1048 in Gaza: Two Terror Tunnels Sealed
A Hamas police station was attacked on Omar al-Mukhtar Street in Gaza City, reportedly killing nine Hamas members. People there are tired of terror, tired of being robbed and mistreated by Hamas. They need something new — and they certainly need an end to the terror tunnels.
On that front, there is real progress. IDF troops from the Gaza Division’s engineering unit, including the elite Yahalom combat engineers, have sealed two tunnel routes totaling more than two kilometers as part of the ongoing effort to dismantle Hamas’s underground terror network. Every meter of tunnel taken out of service is a meter Hamas cannot use to move fighters and weapons.
Trump, Iran, and the “Strait of HormUSA”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump announced that the Strait of Hormuz would become a new U.S. territory. I wonder how that will play out, and where Qatar and Bahrain will fit into this new map. But one thing is certain: Israel remains strong. We are not surrendering, capitulating, or giving in to jihadist bullying. People around the world need to stand strong as well.
Iran, predictably, is not taking it quietly. Tehran continues threatening America in general and President Trump personally, with its deputy foreign minister saying that Trump’s “misconception” about the Strait of Hormuz will soon be corrected.
The Israeli Shekel Keeps Getting Stronger
There is better news on the economic front. The Israeli shekel is strengthening and is being described as one of the world’s strongest currencies amid the weakness of the dollar. After nearly three years of war, that kind of confidence in Israel’s economy is no small thing, and it is worth pausing to appreciate.
Iran Is Rearming During the Ceasefire
Iran has also continued expanding its military capabilities during the ceasefire, accelerating missile and drone production and coordinating with its proxies in Iraq and Yemen. They are positioning weapons around the Red Sea and preparing for potential attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and global shipping.
They are not acting like a regime that intends to change its ways. A ceasefire that one side treats as a resupply window is not peace — it is preparation.
Syria Opens Deir ez-Zor to the IAEA
Syria has now announced that it will give the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to Deir ez-Zor for the first time in roughly 18 years, while acknowledging that nuclear material exists in the country. This is the region where Israel destroyed a covert reactor in 2007. Of everything in this Swords of Iron Day 1048 report, this may prove the most consequential over the long term. We must ensure that another nuclear threat does not develop in the hands of extremists. The empire of terror must be dismantled.
Lebanon: Yehuda Katz Comes Home After 44 Years
There is also long-awaited news from Lebanon. Sgt. First Class Yehuda Katz, the last of the three Israeli soldiers missing since the Battle of Sultan Yacoub in 1982, has finally been brought home. His remains were recovered and returned to Israel, and he was laid to rest on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. His comrades Zachary Baumel and Zvi Feldman were returned in 2019 and 2025 respectively.
After all these decades, bringing a fallen soldier home is a sacred responsibility — and Israel does not stop until it is fulfilled.
The Deception and Hatred Spreading in the West
But I am increasingly concerned not only about terrorism in the Middle East, but also about the deception and hatred spreading in the West. Seeing neo-Nazis and radical Islamist factions unite around hatred of Israel and the Jewish people should alarm everyone. Different ideologies can unite when antisemitism becomes their common cause, and history tells us what tends to follow when that alliance goes unchallenged.
A Prayer from Psalm 20
The Lord will hear you in the day of trouble; the God of Jacob will defend you.
Some trust in chariots, some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright.
Save, Lord. Let the King hear us when we call. Amen.
Watch the Full Swords of Iron Day 1048 Update
You can watch the complete Day 1048 briefing on Rumble or on YouTube. For the previous briefing in this series, see our Swords of Iron updates archive, and learn more about the work of the Aliyah Return Center.
Israel is standing. Am Yisrael Chai.
