Located in the Judean desert, about ten miles southeast of Jerusalem, the ancient fortress of Hyrcania has recently undergone a second season of archaeological excavation. Rossella Tercatin speaks with the excavation’s co-director, Michal Haber of Hebrew University, about what it has revealed:

“Hyrcania stands on the Western edge of a dramatic plateau and was founded by either Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus or his son Alexander Jannaeus between the end of the 2nd and the beginning of the 1st centuries BCE,” said Haber. “It was one of several desert fortress palaces intended to guard the eastern border of Judea.”

Destroyed by Roman general Gabinius in 57 BCE—whose intervention was sought by Hyrcanus II against his brother Aristobulos, who had risen against him—Hyrcania was restored and expanded by Herod the Great in the second half of the 1st century BCE.

The fortress was abandoned after Herod’s death in 4 BCE. . . . “We found a lovely example of a vaulted Jewish ritual bath, or mikveh, with the remains of columns,” Haber said.

The mikveh’s walls and ceilings, writes Tercatin, were “painted in dazzling reds, greens, and yellows.” In the 5th century, a group of monks built a monastery on top of the ruins.

On Monday night, the IDF struck a group of Hamas operatives near the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, the main city in southern Gaza. The very fact of this attack was reassuring, as it suggested that the release of Edan Alexander didn’t come with restraints on Israeli military activity. Then, yesterday afternoon, Israeli jets carried out another, larger attack on Khan Yunis, hitting a site where it believed Mohammad Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza, to be hiding. The IDF has not yet confirmed that he was present. There is some hope that the death of Sinwar—who replaced his older brother Yahya after he was killed last year—could have a debilitating effect on Hamas.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is visiting the Persian Gulf, and it’s unclear how his diplomatic efforts there will affect Israel, its war with Hamas, and Iran. For its part, Jerusalem has committed to resume full-scale operations in Gaza after President Trump returns to the U.S. But, Gabi Simoni and Erez Winner explain, Israel does not have unlimited time to defeat Hamas:

Israel faces persistent security challenges across multiple fronts—Iran, the West Bank, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon—all demanding significant military resources, especially during periods of escalation. . . . Failing to achieve a decisive victory not only prolongs the conflict but also drains national resources and threatens Israel’s ability to obtain its strategic goals.

Only a swift, forceful military campaign can achieve the war’s objectives: securing the hostages’ release, ensuring Israeli citizens’ safety, and preventing future kidnappings. Avoiding such action won’t just prolong the suffering of the hostages and deepen public uncertainty—it will also drain national resources and weaken Israel’s standing in the region and beyond.

We recommend launching an intense military operation in Gaza without delay, with clear, measurable objectives—crippling Hamas’s military and governance capabilities and securing the release of hostages. Such a campaign should combine military pressure with indirect negotiations, maximizing the chances of a successful outcome while minimizing risks.

Crucially, the operation must be closely coordinated with the United States and moderate Arab states to reduce international pressure and preserve the gains of regional alliances.