Stephens, who has spent years pushing back on what he sees as double standards applied to Israel, wrote that he decided to speak out against what he called “Jewish terrorists” despite his reluctance.
Western intelligence assessments suggest Iran may seek to draw Israel into a confrontation and could even choose to act first, Ynet reported on Thursday.
Israel's security agencies said the operation exposed a global Iranian recruitment network that used intermediaries to build terror cells targeting Israel.
The terrorist was killed while the military said the incident was under investigation, in what represents the second attack of this kind reported in the West Bank.
Abdallah Jahja was a terrorist in the naval force of Hamas's military wing and, in addition to his activity on October 7, contributed to the planning of several terror attacks.
According to Axios' sources, the visit aimed to coordinate the US and Israel ahead of the ongoing negotiations with Iran and the nuclear issue.
The incident is the latest of several illegal border crossing attempts by Israeli citizens into Syrian territory, some of which were successful.
The military described efforts to portray the terrorists as innocent civilians as "part of a broader effort promoted by various actors against the State of Israel."
Defense minister tries to veto IDF Central Command Chief Avi Bluth from using restraining orders on alleged Jewish extremists after already blocking administrative detention.
The Turkish navy operates more than 10 active diesel-electric submarines, with a new series equipped with air-independent propulsion systems under construction.
A military source familiar with the details of the incident said that, under standard procedure, before intercepting a drone, the military must verify that the aircraft is not of Israeli origin.
