What we know about next Hamas hostage release with 6 to be freed over 2 days – as hopes for Bibas boys, 2 & 5, dwindle– www.thesun.co.uk Source Link Excerpt:
THE next set of Israeli hostages to be released from Hamas captivity as part of the fragile ceasefire agreement has been revealed.
Six hostages will be handed back to Israel in two batches this week – but fears loom for the Bibas boys, aged 2 and 5, as it remains unknown whether the young pair are dead or alive.
First Israeli Hostages Freed In Chaotic Gaza Scene With More Expected– americanactionnews.com Source Link Excerpt:
Video footage appearing to show the first Israeli hostages was broadcast Sunday, capturing a chaotic scene in Gaza, with dozens more expected to be released.
After 15 months of destruction and death, reports revealed Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had reached a agreement for a temporary ceasefire. On ABC News’ “This Week,” host Whit Johnson aired the first images of the initial group of hostages being released by Hamas, who handed them over to the Red Cross.
“Hamas is in the process of releasing hostages as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel. That ceasefire took effect just hours ago at 4:15 this morning Eastern Time,” Johnson said. “It was delayed nearly three hours because Israel said it had not received the names of the three hostages who were to be released. But then those names were released and I want to show you these live images right now.”
“These are — actually this was recorded just moments ago. This is in Gaza. You can see the chaotic scene right there. It’s not clear exactly what was happening here, but our understanding is that the hostages were in some of these vans. This was the transfer between Hamas to the Red Cross,” Johnson added.
Gaza rebuild will take ‘a lot of time’, says UN official– www.yahoo.com Source Link Excerpt:
The rebuilding process in the devastated Palestinian territory will “take an awful lot of time” despite the promised surge in humanitarian deliveries, a UN official in Gaza has warned.
“We’re not just talking about food, healthcare, buildings, roads, infrastructure. We’ve got individuals, families, communities that need to be rebuilt,” Sam Rose, acting director of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) in Gaza, told the BBC.
After a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas took effect on Sunday, at least 1,545 aid lorries have crossed into Gaza, the UN said.
The lorries brought in desperately needed food, tents, blankets, mattresses and clothes for the winter which had been stuck outside Gaza for months.
Israeli Hostage Hamza Ziyadne Is Declared Killed in Gaza– www.nytimes.com Source Link Excerpt:
The Israeli military said on Friday that Hamza Ziyadne, an Arab citizen of Israel held hostage in Gaza, had been killed in the Palestinian enclave, as efforts by mediators to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas to free hostages have seen little success.
More than 15 months after the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, prompted the war in Gaza, around 98 hostages remain in Gaza. About 36 of those are presumed dead by the Israeli authorities.
The confirmation of Mr. Ziyadne’s death comes a day after family and friends buried his father, Youssef Ziyadne, 53, who was also taken hostage. The Israeli military said their bodies been found together in a tunnel under the southern Gaza city of Rafah alongside their dead captors. It was not clear when they were found or how the Ziyadnes died.
Hamas stands by hostage release terms as Trump pushes for deal by Jan. 20 – National– globalnews.ca Source Link Excerpt:
Hamas stood by its demand on Tuesday that Israel fully end its assault on Gaza under any deal to release hostages, and said U.S. president-elect Donald Trump was rash to say “all hell will break out” unless they go free by his Jan. 20 inauguration.
Officials from the Islamist group and Israel have been holding talks with Qatari and Egyptian mediators in the most intensive effort for months to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of 100 hostages that remain captive in Gaza.
The outgoing U.S. administration has called for a final push for a deal before Joe Biden leaves office, and many in the region now view Trump’s inauguration as an unofficial deadline.
“If (the hostages are) not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East,” Trump said Tuesday at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
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“It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone.”
Tel Aviv protesters rally against Netanyahu, demand efforts on hostage deal with Hamas
Trump is dispatching his incoming special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, to Qatar this week for additional talks. Witkoff said real progress has been made.
“The red lines he’s put out there — that’s driving this negotiation,” Witkoff told reporters while standing next to Trump.
But with the clock ticking, both sides accuse the other of blocking a deal by adhering to conditions that torpedoed all previous peace efforts for more than a year.
Hamas says it will free its remaining hostages only if Israel agrees to end its military offensive and withdraw all its troops from Gaza. Israel says it will not end its assault until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are free.
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“Hamas is the only obstacle to the release of the hostages,” the director general of Israel’s foreign ministry, Eden Bar Tal, told a briefing with reporters, saying Israel was fully committed to reaching a deal.
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Hamas official Osama Hamdan, who held a news conference in Algiers, said Israel was to blame for undermining all efforts to reach a deal.
While he said he would not give details about the latest round of negotiations, he reiterated the Hamas conditions of “a complete end to the aggression and a full withdrawal from lands the occupation invaded.”
Commenting on Trump’s threat that there would be “hell” to pay unless all hostages were freed before the inauguration, Hamdan said: “I think the U.S. president must make more disciplined and diplomatic statements.”
At least 70 killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza amid ongoing ceasefire talks
Israel has sent a team of mid-ranking officials to Qatar for talks brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. Some Arabic media reports said David Barnea, the head of Mossad, who has been leading negotiations, was expected to join them. The Israeli prime minister’s office did not comment.
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In one notable step towards a deal, a Hamas official told Reuters on Sunday the group had cleared a list submitted by Israel of 34 hostages who could be freed in the initial phase of a truce, alongside Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The list included female Israeli soldiers, plus elderly, female and minor-aged civilians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel had so far received no confirmation about whether those on its list were still alive.
Israel keeps up airstrikes in Gaza
Nearly 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza, according to Hamas health officials in the enclave. The assault was launched after Hamas fighters stormed Israeli territory in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israeli military strikes killed at least 24 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, medics said, as the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory urged international donors to immediately provide fuel to run generators and maintain medical services.
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One of those strikes killed four people in a house in Gaza City and six were killed in separate strikes across the enclave, medics said.
UN report slams regular Israeli attacks on Gaza hospitals
Later on Tuesday, an Israeli strike on a tent in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip killed four children and eight Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Jabalia in the north, medics said.
Additionally, an Israeli strike on a car in Khan Younis killed two people, medics and civil emergency service officials said.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on those strikes.
It said 240 Palestinians its forces had detained in a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza last month had provided “substantial intelligence.”
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The military released footage of the interrogation of a purported Hamas militant who detailed how militants “operated from the hospital area” and transferred weapons to and from it.
Hamas and the Gaza health ministry deny any armed presence at the hospital.
Trump Promises ‘Golden Age’ for America, Demands Release of Hamas Hostages Before Inauguration– freebeacon.com Source Link Excerpt:
Vows to rename Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’ and assert U.S. dominance over Greenland, Canada, Panama Canal
“We’re approaching the dawn of America’s golden age,” President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday in a freewheeling press conference at Mar-a-Lago, his first public remarks since Vice President Kamala Harris certified his victory in the 2024 election.
Trump touted billions of dollars in new investments pouring into the United States beginning in November and vowed to “turn the economy around very quickly.” He promised to restore America’s global prestige by negotiating better deals, potentially acquiring new land, and renaming an existing territory to project strength. “We are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” Trump said. “What a beautiful name.” President Joe Biden’s imminent departure, Trump predicted, would force other countries to respect the United States again. “They laugh at us because they think we’re stupid,” he said. “But we’re not stupid anymore.”
The Israeli Air Force, on early morning Thursday, conducted waves of retaliatory strikes on terrorist targets across Yemen after Houthis fired another ballistic missile at Israel within a span of days.
On Wednesday night, the Yemen-based Islamic terrorist group fired a ballistic missile towards central Israel. Israeli air defense systems “intercepted one missile that was launched from Yemen, before crossing into Israeli territory,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday night. “Rocket and missile sirens were sounded following the possibility of falling debris from the interception.” On Monday, the Iran-backed jihadist group had fired a similar missile which was also intercepted by the IDF over central Israel.
The fragments of the Houthi missile landed on a school near Tel Aviv. “Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and other cities in central Israel on Wednesday night, after the Houthis launched a ballistic missile towards the area,” the Israeli broadcaster Arutz Sheva reported Thursday morning. “Residents of the area reported hearing explosions, and interceptor fragments fell in a school in the Ramat Gan neighborhood of Ramat Ef’al, causing severe damage to both the building and vehicles.”
A missile from Yemen toward Israel at 3am was intercepted, with debris landing on a school in central Israel. Millions rushed to shelters overnight.
Thankfully, Israel invests in protecting its civilians and not using them as human shields. pic.twitter.com/8SIFkMsu0X
In the span of less than 2 weeks, what started as a surge by anti-government forces in Syria turned into a complete rout, leading to the President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, fleeing the country to become a political refugee in Russia. This also led to Israel launching the largest airstrike since the 6-Day War in an effort to eliminate the Syrian army’s left-behind equipment and munitions.
Blinken confirms direct contact with Syria’s rebel leaders – nbcnews.com Source Link Excerpt:
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that the U.S. has made direct contact with Syria’s Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) rebels, as they transition from a militant insurgency toward a more legitimate governing authority.
“We’ve been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” Blinken said after talks in Aqaba, Jordan, with diplomats and representatives from several Arab nations.
The U.S. designates HTS a terrorist organization, making it legally impossible to work with the group, but contact underscores ongoing efforts to change that designation as the U.S. and its allies look to support Syria’s transition from Assad rule.
In a joint statement released after the meeting, the governments of the U.S., Turkey, E.U., and Arab Countries called for a “a more hopeful, secure and peaceful future” in Syria, stressing respect for women and minorities, and preventing “the reemergence of all terrorist groups.”
New Bipartisan Bill Would Withhold Federal Funding From Universities That Boycott Israel– legalinsurrection.com Source Link Excerpt:
It is sad that this kind of legislation is even needed, but it is. Too many schools cave to the radical BDS mob.
Bipartisan bill would cut funding to universities that boycott Israel
Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx and Democrat Rep. Josh Gottheimer introduced a bill Tuesday to withhold federal funding from universities that divest from companies with ties to Israel.
The “Protect Economic Freedom Act” would mandate that universities submit yearly certifications to the Department of Education proving they are not involved in any “commercial boycotts dictated by those in the boycott-sanction-divest (BDS) movement,” according to a Committee on Education and the WorkForce news release.
The bill would also require the U.S. Department of Education to “make publicly available a list of all institutions that fail to certify.”
“Enough is enough. Appeasing the antisemitic mobs on college campuses threatens the safety of Jewish students and faculty, and it undermines the relationship between the U.S. and one of our strongest allies,” Foxx (pictured) stated in the news release.
Gottheimer condemned “the antisemitic BDS movement,” stating that its goal “is to annihilate the democratic State of Israel, America’s critical ally in the global fight against terror.”
Israel’s ambassador to D.C. told Israeli Army Radio that a ceasefire was being negotiated with Hezbollah and there were “points to finalize.” He added, “we are close to a deal… it can happen within days.”
Middle East latest: Israeli ambassador to US says Hezbollah cease-fire deal could come ‘within days’– abcnews.go.com Source Link Excerpt:
The Israeli ambassador to Washington says that a ceasefire deal to end fighting between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah could be reached “within days.”
Ambassador Mike Herzog told Israeli Army Radio on Monday that there remained “points to finalize” and that any deal required agreement from the government. But he said “we are close to a deal” and that “it can happen within days.”
Among the issues that remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal. The deal seeks to push Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon.
Israel accuses Hezbollah of not adhering to a U.N. resolution that ended the 2006 war between the sides that made similar provisions, and Israel has concerns that Hezbollah could stage a Hamas-style cross-border attack from southern Lebanon if it maintains a heavy presence there. Lebanon says Israel also violated the 2006 resolution. Lebanon complains about military jets and naval ships entering Lebanese territory even when there is no active conflict.
It is not clear whether Lebanon would agree to the demand.
The optimism surrounding a deal comes after a top U.S. envoy held talks between the sides last week in a bid to clinch a deal.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas’ raid on southern Israel, setting off more than a year of fighting. That escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and later an Israeli ground incursion into the country’s south.
Netanyahu ICC war crimes arrest warrant ‘outrageous’ says Biden– www.bbc.com Source Link Excerpt:
US President Joe Biden has called an International Criminal Court war crimes arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister “outrageous”.
The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu’s now sacked defence minister Yoav Gallant, and a Hamas commander, Mohammed Deif, who Israel says was killed in July.
Judges said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe the three men bore “criminal responsibility” for crimes during the war between Israel and Hamas.
Europe and the US were split in their response to the warrant, with several European countries saying they respect ICC decisions. The British government indicated that Netanyahu faces arrest if he travels to the UK.
Israeli strikes on Syria’s Palmyra killed 82 pro-Iran fighters– www.channelnewsasia.com Source Link Excerpt:
The UN deputy special envoy to Syria, Najat Rochdi, told the Security Council on Thursday that the bombardment was “likely the deadliest Israeli strike in Syria to date”.
Since civil war erupted in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria, mainly targeting the army and Iran-backed groups.
The Israeli military has intensified its strikes on targets in Syria since almost a year of hostilities with Iran-backed Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon escalated into full-scale war in late September.
Israel rarely comments on individual strikes in Syria but has repeatedly said it will not allow Iran to expand its presence in the country.
US vetoes UN Hamas-Israel ceasefire resolution– www.washingtonexaminer.com Source Link Excerpt:
The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution Wednesday that called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The U.S. was the only country that voted against the resolution, and it did so because the wording of it did not make the ceasefire contingent upon the release of the roughly 100 Israeli hostages whom Hamas kidnapped over a year ago. Seven Americans are believed to be held by Hamas.
The resolution did call for the release of hostages held in Gaza, but the U.S. opposed the demand for an “unconditional ceasefire that failed to release the hostages,” Robert Wood, the deputy U.S. envoy to the U.N., said during the session in New York. “These two urgent goals are inextricably linked. This resolution abandoned that necessity.”
Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, has come out in support of an investigation into the fabricated allegations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The Pope said in a released published post ““According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. We should investigate carefully to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies.”
Pope Francis calls for investigation to determine if Israel’s attacks in Gaza constitute ‘genocide’ – AP
It’s the first time that Francis has openly urged for an investigation of genocide allegations over Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. In September, he said Israel’s attacks in Gaza and Lebanon have been “immoral” and disproportionate, and that its military has gone beyond the rules of war.
The book, by Hernán Reyes Alcaide and based on interviews with the Pope, is entitled “Hope never disappoints. Pilgrims towards a better world.” It will be released on Tuesday ahead of the pope’s 2025 jubilee. Francis’ yearlong jubilee is expected to bring more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome to celebrate the Holy Year.
“According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” the pope said in excerpts published Sunday by the Italian daily La Stampa.
“We should investigate carefully to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies,” he added.
Last year, Francis met separately with relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinians living through the war and set off a firestorm by using words that Vatican diplomats usually avoid: “terrorism” and, according to the Palestinians, “genocide.”
Even before President Trump won the 2024 election, Israel was signaling it was not in the mood to entertain calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon. Now, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz, who replaced former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant after Prime Minister Netanyahu fired him for the second time, is doubling down.
He is claiming Hezbollah has been defeated, but more work needs to be done in Lebanon to secure the victory, meaning no ceasefire proposal will be considered until the work is done. Katz said of the decision not to pursue a ceasefire that Israel had learned its lessons and “Now it is our job to continue to put pressure on order to bring about the fruits of that victory.”
Israel Defence Minister Katz: In Lebanon there will be no ceasefire, will continue to hit Hezbollah with full force – Reuters Source Link Excerpt:
Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, said on X on Tuesday that during a meeting with military officials, he reiterated that Israel will continue hitting Hezbollah with full force and that there will be no ceasefire.
On Saturday, October 25, Israel finally struck Iran after delaying the attack due to the Pentagon leak. The strikes appear to have targeted their ballistic missile capacity and air defenses, with some suggesting Iran’s ballistic missile program will take years to rebuild. Meanwhile, the alleged gutting of Iran’s air defenses senses the regime a stark warning. Next time, we won’t be so restrained, we won’t have to be.
What we know about Israel’s attack on Iran – BBC Source Link Excerpt:
Israel carried out what it described as “precise and targeted” airstrikes on Iran on Saturday, in retaliation for the barrage of strikes launched by Tehran against Israel earlier this month.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it targeted military sites in several regions, with subsequent reports suggesting an Iranian missile production site had been hit. One civilian and four soldiers were killed in the attacks, the Iranian military said.
It marks the latest in a series of attacks between the two regional foes that for months have raised fears of an all-out war.
Israel Delays Iran Counter-Strike After Leaked U.S. Intelligence On Military Plan– legalinsurrection.com Source Link Excerpt:
Israel has reportedly delayed plans to strike back at Iran after U.S. intelligence on the country’s military preparations and capabilities were leaked to the Iranians.
The intelligence leak has ‘forced’ Israel to put aside plans for a military response to Tehran’s recent missile attack, The Times of London reported Thursday. “Israel has delayed its retaliatory strike against Iran because of a leak last week of potentially sensitive military information from the US,” the British newspaper said.
Last week, highly classified U.S. documents on a possible Israeli counter-strike against Iran appeared on Tehran-affiliated social media channels. Documents showed U.S. satellite imagery and intelligence assessment on an impending Israeli military retaliation to the October 1 Iranian missile strike.
The leak revealed Israel’s well-advanced plans to respond to a salvo of nearly 200 Iranian ballistic missiles fired against it earlier this month, which was a retaliation by Tehran for Israel’s attacks on its Middle Eastern proxy groups.
The top-secret document was published on a pro-Iranian Telegram channel last Friday and appeared to be a US assessment of Israel’s likely response, based on satellite imagery and other intelligence.
Israel has been holding military drills for a major ballistic missile attack on Iran, according to American satellite intelligence documents that have been leaked to pro-Iranian social media accounts.
The exercises involved at least 16 airborne missiles, 40 state-of-the-art “Rocks” missiles and refuelling tankers, indicating targets across the country.
Middle East crisis live: Hundreds of patients and staff ‘detained’ in north Gaza’s last functioning hospital after Israeli raid | Israel-Gaza war– www.theguardian.com Source Link Excerpt:
In an earlier post, we referenced reports that Israeli troops surrounded Kamal Adwan hospital – the last functioning hospital in Gaza’s north – last night.
Gaza’s health ministry said hundreds of patients and staff have been detained in north Gaza’s last functioning hospital.
“Israeli forces have stormed and are present inside Kamal Adwan Hospital” in the city of Jabalia, the ministry said in a statement.
“They are detaining hundreds of patients, medical staff and some displaced individuals from neighbouring areas who sought refuge in the hospital from continuous bombardment,” it added.
The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said his staff have lost contact with personnel at the facility since reports of the Israeli raid surfaced this morning.
IDF kills Hamas terrorist it says worked for UNRWA, led charge on Reim bomb shelter massacre Source Link Excerpt:
Mohammad Abu Itiwi, a commander in Hamas’ elite Nukhba force, was killed by the Israeli Airforce on Wednesday, during a joint operation by the IDF and the Israeli Security Agency.
The controversial United Nations agency did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
IDF Uncovers Documents Showing Six Al Jazeera Journalists Are Hamas, Islamic Jihad Terrorists– legalinsurrection.com Source Link Excerpt:
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), on Wednesday, released documents showing six Al Jazeera journalists are members of terrorist groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
The terrorists were identified based on the documents uncovered in Gaza. “The IDF says it has uncovered documents in the Gaza Strip it claims reveal that six Al Jazeera journalists are operatives in the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups,” The Times of Israel reported. “The journalists are named by the IDF as Anas al-Sharif, Alaa Salameh, Hossam Shabat, Ashraf al-Sarraj, Ismail Abu Omar, and Talal al-Arrouqi.”
Some of these Al Jazeera staffers, who enjoyed protection in the Gaza conflict zones due to their press credentials, hold senior positions in Palestinian terrorist organizations. They are operatives in Hamas’s Nukhba Force and Nuseirat Battalion terrorist formations, which spearheaded the October 7 massacre, Israeli media reports confirm.
The IDF announced that six journalists actively working for Al Jazeera were members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). pic.twitter.com/05xpga9G5a
Israel accuses 6 Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza of being Palestinian militants– timesofindia.indiatimes.com Source Link Excerpt:
RAMANALLAH: The Israeli army on Wednesday accused six Al Jazeera journalists covering the war in Gaza of also being current or former paid fighters for Palestinian militant groups. Al Jazeera rejected the claims. Israel cited documents it purportedly found in Gaza, and other intelligence it gathered, in making the accusations against the journalists, all of whom are Palestinian men.It said four are or have been affiliated with Hamas, and two with Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Al Jazeera said the accusations were “fabricated” and “part of a wider pattern of hostility” toward the pan-Arab network. It said the claims were “a blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region, thereby obscuring the harsh realities of the war from audiences worldwide.”
The AP has been unable to independently verify the authenticity of the documents Israel posted online to support its claims.
Al Jazeera is based in the energy-rich nation of Qatar, where many senior Hamas officials are based. The Gulf Arab country, which funds Al Jazeera, also has been a key player in Gaza cease-fire negotiations, along with the US and Egypt.
Israel Won’t Back Down From Iran Strike After Explosive Leak of Classified American Intel, Defense Minister Says– freebeacon.com Source Link Excerpt:
Israel will not be deterred from counterstriking Iran as payback for Tehran’s massive ballistic missile barrage earlier this month, the country’s defense minister said on Wednesday, confirming that preparations are still underway after the bombshell leak of classified American intelligence on the Jewish state’s operational planning.
“After we attack in Iran, they will understand in Israel and elsewhere what your preparations have included,” Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant told soldiers stationed at the Hatzerim air base in the Negev desert. “Everyone will understand your strength, the process of preparation and training—any enemy that tries to harm the State of Israel will pay a heavy price.”
Speaking to pilots and air crews at the Hatzerim Airbase, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says that “after we strike in Iran, everyone will understand what you did in the preparation and training process.”
Blinken Team Rushed To Bomb Shelter During Hezbollah Attack On Tel Aviv Source Link Excerpt:
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken continued his appeal for peace in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, as conflict in the region intensified. His own team had to seek shelter in their Israeli hotel when Hezbollah launched a rocket attack.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken continued his appeal for peace in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, as conflict in the region intensified. His own team had to seek shelter in their Israeli hotel when Hezbollah launched a rocket attack.
While Blinken was concluding his visit to Tel Aviv, Israel’s air force intercepted two rockets fired from Lebanon, triggering air raid alarms in the city.
Two-state solution to end Israel-Hamas war is now ‘unrealistic’ – heraldmalasia.com Excerpt: Source Link
… The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, has indicated that for now a two-state solution to end the war between Israel and Hamas in the Holy Land is “not realistic.”
“My impression is that no one wants a wider conflict, but no one is able to stop it,” Pizzaballa told EWTN’s Colm Flynn in an exclusive interview. “Now you need something new, creative, I don’t know what, but all the previous agreements, ideas, the prospective two-state solution, everything is not realistic now,” the cardinal explained.
Pizzaballa said the war between Israel and Hamas that has been underway since Oct. 7, 2023, is the worst period the people of the Holy Land have experienced in the last 35 years.
“Not only for the violence … but the proportion, the impact, also the emotional impact on the population, Israelis and Palestinians, and now in Lebanon, which is enormous,” he added.
Following the Hamas incursion into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel responded with a major military operation in Gaza, which has also involved Iran and Lebanon.
‘Grave Mistake’: Netanyahu Says Hezbollah Tried To Kill Him In Drone Attack, Warns Iran Of Heavy Price – news18.c0m Source Link Excerpt:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday said he remains undeterred by the Hezbollah drone attack that targeted his home and warned Iranian proxies that they will pay a heavy price for targeting him and his wife.
The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake. This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future.
I say to Iran and its proxies in its axis of evil:…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 19, 2024
“Two days ago we took out Yahya Sinwar, the terrorist mastermind. We continue our battle. Nothing will deter me,” he said.
Later on Saturday evening, Netanyahu said Iranian proxy Hezbollah made a ‘grave’ mistake by plotting to kill him and his wife. “The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake. This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future. I say to Iran and its proxies in its axis of evil: Anyone who tries to harm Israel’s citizens will pay a heavy price,” Netanyahu said in a social media post on X.
Two documents were leaked to Iran that expose in whole or in part Israel’s plans for retaliation following Iran’s recent missile barrage of the country. The Pentagon has stressed that no employee in the Defense Department is under suspicion at present. The leak critically undermines America’s trustworthiness not just with Israel, but with the rest of the world.
President Donald Trump believes the leaker is coming from within, as do most other people not existentially committed to the social experiment that is the DNC-CCP agenda.
Trump said, “They leaked all the information about the way that Israel’s going to fight and how they are going to fight and where they are going to go. And somebody — who did that? Can you imagine somebody doing that? That’s the enemy. I guess that maybe is the enemy from within, as I talked about. We have an enemy from within. They hate to talk about it. Can you imagine? So we just can’t stand for this incompetence anymore.”
The U.S. is investigating an unauthorized release of classified documents on Israel’s attack plans– www.washingtontimes.com Source Link Excerpt:
The United States is investigating an unauthorized release of classified documents that assess Israel’s plans to attack Iran, three U.S. officials told The Associated Press. A fourth U.S. official said the documents appear to be legitimate.
The documents are attributed to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, and note that Israel was still moving military assets in place to conduct a military strike in response to Iran’s blistering ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1. They were sharable within the “Five Eyes,” which are the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
The documents, which are marked top secret, were posted to the Telegram messaging app and first reported Saturday by CNN and Axios. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The investigation is also examining how the documents were obtained — including whether it was an intentional leak by a member of the U.S. intelligence community or obtained by another method, like a hack — and whether any other intelligence information was compromised, one of the officials said. As part of that investigation, officials are working to determine who had access to the documents before they were posted, the official said.
Trump suggests ‘enemy from within’ is responsible for Israel leak– www.washingtonexaminer.com Source Link Excerpt:
Former President Donald Trump used his “enemies from within” line to suggest that Americans were responsible for a classified documents leak.
Trump claimed without evidence that an “enemy from within” leaked highly classified U.S. intelligence documents involving Israel. The FBI is investigating the incident.
“They leaked all the information about the way that Israel’s going to fight and how they are going to fight and where they are going to go. And somebody — who did that? Can you imagine somebody doing that? That’s the enemy. I guess that maybe is the enemy from within, as I talked about,” Trump said at an event focused on Latino leaders Tuesday.
“We have an enemy from within,” Trump continued, adding, “They hate to talk about it. Can you imagine? So we just can’t stand for this incompetence anymore.”
White House officials have said it has not been determined yet whether the documents were leaked or hacked, but they said they do not expect additional leaks. The documents in question were each dated Oct. 15 and Oct. 16, purportedly from U.S. government agencies, including the National Security Agency and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Their contents focused on Israel’s expected retaliatory attack against Iran.
While it is unclear exactly who “they” Trump is referring to, he did reaffirm that his “enemies from within” line is, in fact, referring to his political opponents. When asked on Fox News to clarify his comments about using law enforcement or the military against those who disagree with him, Trump confirmed he was talking about former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).
“What they’ve done is so terrible. Who’s ever heard of anything like this? Adam shifty Schiff. He’s a crooked guy. He’s a crooked politician. 100% he’s going to be a senator,” Trump said on Sunday. “Of course, he’s an enemy. He’s an enemy. He wanted to put my son in jail.”
“We have a lot of bad people. But when you look at Shifty Schiff and some of the others, yeah, they are, to me, the enemy from within. I think Nancy Pelosi is an enemy from within. She lied,” Trump continued.
FBI Investigates Leak on Israel’s Iran Strike Plans – devdiscourse
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed no employees from the Office of the Secretary of Defense are under investigation for a leak concerning Israel’s strike on Iran. The FBI is probing the release of classified documents, while social media falsely accused a Defense Department employee.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has confirmed that no employees from the Office of the Secretary of Defense are currently being scrutinized in relation to a leak of U.S. intelligence about Israel’s plans to strike Iran. Speaking in Rome, Austin assured reporters that no OSD officials have been implicated in the investigation.
According to the FBI, the inquiry is focused on the unauthorized public disclosure of two highly classified documents that detail Israel’s intention for a retaliatory operation against Iran. The Bureau made this announcement on Tuesday, reinforcing a commitment to uncover the source of the leak.
Israel targets Hezbollah-run banks as U.S. probes alleged leak of Iran attack plan– www.cbsnews.com Source Link Excerpt:
The White House says President Biden is “deeply concerned” about the possible leak of American intelligence about Israel’s plans for an attack on Iran. Meanwhile, Israel is turning up pressure on Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, targeting the group’s financial network. Debora Patta reports.
The U.S. is investigating an unauthorized release of classified documents on Israel’s attack plans– www.washingtontimes.com Source Link Excerpt:
The United States is investigating an unauthorized release of classified documents that assess Israel’s plans to attack Iran, three U.S. officials told The Associated Press. A fourth U.S. official said the documents appear to be legitimate.
The documents are attributed to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, and note that Israel was still moving military assets in place to conduct a military strike in response to Iran’s blistering ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1. They were sharable within the “Five Eyes,” which are the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
The documents, which are marked top secret, were posted to the Telegram messaging app and first reported Saturday by CNN and Axios. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The investigation is also examining how the documents were obtained — including whether it was an intentional leak by a member of the U.S. intelligence community or obtained by another method, like a hack — and whether any other intelligence information was compromised, one of the officials said. As part of that investigation, officials are working to determine who had access to the documents before they were posted, the official said.
