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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Six senior Hamas naval commanders, responsible for sea-borne attacks and involved in planning the October 7 attacks, were killed in recent Israeli operations in Gaza

2025-07-12

[X]

Six senior Hamas naval commanders, responsible for sea-borne attacks and involved in planning the October 7 attacks, were killed in recent Israeli operations in Gaza, starting mid-May.

The operations were led by the Israeli Navy, Intelligence Directorate, Southern Command, and… pic.twitter.com/VqLKlpBFBi
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) July 11, 2025

Link

Africa North

Scandal in Benghazi: Marshal Haftar expels European ministers from Libya

2025-07-12

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Leonid Tsukanov

[REGNUM] A delegation of EU ministers led by European Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner recently arrived at Libya's Benghazi airport to discuss the fight against illegal migration with local officials.

However, upon arrival, the European guests were suddenly declared persona non grata and banned from entering.

How interesting.

Moreover, this was done not by the central government in Tripoli, but by the “alternative cabinet” that controls the east of the country.

The central government in Tripoli controls about the central business district in Tripoli, as I recall — we haven’t been playing close attention to them as not much has been happening there.

The diplomatic row seems to herald a quick end to Brussels' balancing act between the two centers of power in Libya. However, Europe is in no hurry to make the first move, rightly fearing that it will only make things worse.

TWO HEADS
Dual power in Libya is not a new phenomenon. After the overthrow of the country's leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country plunged into a protracted civil war from which it has not been able to emerge to this day.

By the mid-2010s, two centers of power had emerged in Libya.

One is in the capital Tripoli, which claims to be legitimate and enjoys the support of the UN, Turkey and a number of Western countries. It is led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

The other is in Tobruk, in the east of the country, challenging the legitimacy of Tripoli and relying on the support of some of its European neighbors (such as Italy and Spain) and Egypt. Its face is the commander of the local armed forces, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar
...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all. Actually, he is, but slowly...
The governments of Tripoli and Tobruk exist side by side, periodically engaging in armed clashes. At the same time, they appoint their ministers and conclude international agreements on the development of mineral resources and the delimitation of territorial waters (often mutually exclusive or contradictory).

The attempts of the world community to weld the East and West into a single “transitional cabinet” have led to nothing – their views on the future of the country are too different.

However, the European Union, as one of Libya's major neighbours, has to find ways to coexist with the divided country, responding to the threats it poses as best it can.

A SORE POINT
Thousands of residents of Africa and the Middle East flee to the Old World through the “Libyan corridor” every year, hoping to receive refugee status in the EU or at least move to safer places.

Many of them die along the way, especially off the coast of Italy and Greece, where the currents are too strong. In the last six months alone, at least 700 cases of illegal migrants dying on the water have been recorded, about 60% of them in Italian territorial waters.

Rome and Brussels, still suffering from the consequences of the previous migration crisis of 2015, are trying to combat the influx of migrants, cut off illegal routes and centrally send captured illegal immigrants back to their historical homeland.

But they cannot defeat the attack without help from the other side, that is, from Libya. High-ranking European officials have to go there every now and then for consultations. Moreover, they have to interact with both Tripoli and Tobruk at the same time - observing the same politeness.

Eurosceptics, while seeing this behavior as “undermining the legitimacy” of the UN-endorsed government, turn a blind eye to the situation: Haftar’s forces control about 40% of Libya’s coastal area.

Some of the settlements in the east (for example, the village of Kurat Makrun near Benghazi) have repeatedly appeared in the testimonies of surviving illegals. And the timely closure of these channels would help strengthen trust in the alternative government and its leaders.

However, contrary to expectations, Europe's recent attempts to coordinate with Tobruk have ended in a major diplomatic scandal.

GOT CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE
As soon as the European officials led by Brunner arrived in Benghazi, they were immediately accused of "disregarding the sovereignty" of Libya and violating entry rules. On behalf of Haftar, the delegates were protested and informed of the need to immediately leave the country without the right to return.

The scandal is made even more acute by the fact that among the expelled European officials were representatives of countries with which the alternative government had fairly warm relations.

For example, Matteo Piantedosi, head of the Italian Interior Ministry, was sanctioned. During the period of the most intense rivalry between Tripoli and Tobruk, he (then still the head of the Interior Minister's administration) participated in the development of a number of peacekeeping initiatives. For example, in the involvement of Libyan tribal militias to stabilize the domestic political situation, prevent smuggling and illegal migration.

The "border initiative" of Piantedosi and his colleagues played into the hands of not only Tripoli, but also Tobruk, since the work of the border detachments, recruited from the Tubu and Tuaregs, was financed from the European pocket and excluded rebellion in the rear.

Greece was also a tactical ally of the Eastern forces for some time, trying to annoy Turkey with the help of Tobruk. Its Minister of the Interior was also labeled non grata, which enraged Athens. The country's authorities declared that they would not tolerate diplomatic manipulation and would demand explanations from the East.

THE ROOT OF THE SCANDAL
Probably the reason for such a cold reception of yesterday's friends lies in the decision of European officials to upset the established balance and hold consultations first in Tripoli, and only then with Tobruk.

Until now, EU delegates had always started negotiations with “non-state actors” in order to take their position into account in subsequent contacts with opponents and find a compromise.

Moreover, this time Tripoli clearly violated the status quo: Prime Minister Dbeibah announced the development of new mechanisms for regulating migration in Libya, which, among other things, would expand the powers of the Libyan coast guard and allow it to operate even in those waters that were formally controlled by the east.

Until recently, this approach seemed advantageous to the EU, as it would allow interaction with the Libyan coastguard on a one-stop-shop basis, via Tripoli, and would also take the burden off Tobruk.

Moreover, officials in the east regularly complained to Brussels about the lack of personnel and resources for continuous monitoring of the coast.

However, from Tobruk’s point of view, Dbeibah’s initiative created a threat of constant provocations from Tripoli for the alternative Libyan government, including attempts to accuse Haftar’s supporters of organizing “migrant routes” to the Old World.

Both Brussels and Tripoli are now somewhat confused by what happened in Benghazi. However, this is more likely the calm before the storm.

European sceptics are calling on EU leaders to cut ties with the alternative leadership and focus on interaction with Tripoli, including in the hope that Haftar, deprived of external support, will quickly back down.

On the other hand, such tactics are fraught with a new round of armed struggle between the east and west of Libya - and an attempt by Tobruk to gain legitimacy by force. Especially since one of the conditions for ending the previous clashes was precisely the obligation of external forces to communicate not only with Tripoli.

Moreover, the east of the country is well aware of the effectiveness of the “migration bogeyman” and in response to increased pressure they may open their coastline to “caravans to Europe.” Or at least create such a conviction in their opponents.

Greece was the first to come under attack, being the one most outraged by the diplomatic scandal: the very next day after the incident in Benghazi, local media began writing about blackmail by the Haftar government. Allegedly, Tobruk demanded several billion dollars from Athens, threatening to “flood” the country with illegals in case of refusal.

And although the claims of blackmail may turn out to be rumors sponsored by Haftar's opponents, Europe took this as a signal and is in no hurry to sever ties with eastern Libya.

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Israel, EU agree to boost Gaza aid: ‘More trucks, more crossings, and more routes’

2025-07-11

[IsraelTimes] Israel to open several aid corridors, including through Egypt and Jordan, allow bakeries and kitchens to reopen, ensure security for aid workers, repair vital infrastructure

Israel and the European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
have agreed upon "significant steps" to increase the flow of humanitarian aid

into the Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
Strip "in the coming days," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced Thursday.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed the agreement, saying the security cabinet decided last Sunday on measures "to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza," including "more trucks, more crossings, and more routes for the humanitarian efforts."

Speaking alongside Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephu, Sa’ar thanked his counterparts "for the fruitful dialogue that we are conducting — with you and the EU — on the humanitarian issue."

The discussions are "based on an understanding of human needs and of the threat that Hamas'>Hamas
Hamas

..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
and the Gaza Strip have posed to Israel over the past 20 years," added Sa’ar, saying, "this dialogue is important and it will continue."

The announcements by Sa’ar and Kallas confirmed an earlier report by Bloomberg, which said that a deal had been reached enabling the reopening of several aid corridors, including humanitarian routes through Egypt and Jordan, and several other crossing points in northern and southern Gaza.

"These measures are or will be implemented in the coming days, with the common understanding that aid at scale must be delivered directly to the population and that measures will continue to be taken to ensure that there is no aid diversion to Hamas," Kallas said.

According to the top European diplomat, the agreement will see a "substantial increase" in the daily entry of trucks supplying food and non-food items; the opening of several crossing points in northern and southern Gaza; the reopening of humanitarian routes through Egypt and Jordan; resumed operations of bakeries and public kitchens in Gaza; resumed fuel deliveries to humanitarian facilities "up to an operational level"; security for aid workers; and reparations on works for "vital infrastructure like the resumption of the power supply to the water desalination facility."

"The EU stands ready to coordinate with all relevant humanitarian stakeholders, United Nations
...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense...
agencies and NGOs on the ground, to ensure swift implementation of those urgent steps," added Kallas, adding that the EU "calls again for an immediate ceasefire" and release of all hostages.

Since late May, Israel has handed authority over aid distribution in Gaza to the Israel- and United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in a stated effort to prevent aid supplies from reaching Hamas. The GHF’s operations have been strongly criticized by the international community for failing to address the humanitarian needs in Gaza.

It is unclear under which bodies the expanded aid measures will be operated.

The EU has been increasingly critical of the humanitarian situation in Gaza amid Israel’s war against Hamas, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led bully boyz murdered some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel and took 251 hostages.

Israel has said that it respects international law and that operations in Gaza are necessary to destroy Hamas.

The EU is Israel’s biggest commercial partner, with 42.6 billion euros ($48.2 billion) traded in goods in 2024. Trade in services reached 25.6 billion euros in 2023.

More than 100 aid groups and other organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, last month urged Brussels to suspend the EU-Israel association agreement "at least in part."

Spain has also called for the agreement to be suspended, while Germany has come out against such a move.

Suspending the EU-Israel accord outright would require unanimity among member states — something diplomats have said from the outset was virtually impossible.

Halting diplomatic dialogue with Israel — a measure that was already rejected last year — also requires backing from all EU countries.

Trade measures could instead be adopted with a qualified majority, diplomats have said, cautioning, however, that agreeing on those might also prove tricky.

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Israeli man killed in terror attack at West Bank shopping complex; 2 attackers killed

2025-07-11

[IsraelTimes] Security guard Shalev Zvuluny, 22, stabbed and shot outside supermarket; assailants shot dead by soldier and armed civilian; IDF surrounds nearby Palestinian town

A 22-year-old Israeli man was killed in a terror attack at a shopping complex at the Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank on Thursday, the military, police, and medics said.

The two Paleostinian snuffies who carried out the attack were rubbed out by a soldier and another armed civilian in the area, West Bank District Commander Moshe Pinchi told news hounds at the scene.

According to a preliminary investigation of the attack, the two snuffies arrived by a stolen car at the shopping center and stabbed a security guard outside a supermarket. The assailants then snatched the guard’s handgun and exchanged fire with the soldier and armed civilian, before being killed.

The guard was initially listed at death's door, then was declared dead by Magen David Adom medics. He was later named as Shalev Zvuluny, 22, from Kiryat Arba.

The Israel Defense Forces described the incident as a "combined shooting and stabbing attack."

The council of the Hebron-adjacent settlement mourned Zvuluny as "a special person, beloved by those who knew him," sending condolences and support to the family.

Following the attack, the IDF said troops were surrounding the nearby West Bank town of Halhul and blocking roads in the area.

The two perpetrators were later identified as Paleostinian cops who served in the Paleostinian Authority’s police force, The Times of Israel learned. The two were in their early 20s and had completed their training only a few months ago. They were named by Paleostinian media as Mahmoud Abed, 23, from Halhul, and Malik Salem, 23, from Tulkarem. Neither had any security background nor were previously detained by Israel, a defense official said.

The armed civilian who killed the snuffies told Channel 12 news he was in line at the checkout when he heard gunshots.

"Someone entered the store and yelled that there were snuffies outside. I left everything in the store, and immediately ran outside together with a soldier who was in civilian clothing," he said.

"There was a lot of shooting. We didn’t know exactly where it was coming from. In the end, we managed to identify the two snuffies who were hiding and killed them," he said.

Ilan, a witness to the attack, described hearing gunshots fired in all directions, adding, "It was a miracle a greater disaster didn’t occur."

Earlier on Thursday, an IDF soldier was stabbed by a Paleostinian during operations in the West Bank village of Rummanah, near Jenin, the military said.

Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas
Hamas

..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
led a devastating invasion of southern Israel from the Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
Strip that triggered the ongoing war in the enclave, troops have arrested some 6,000 Paleostinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,350 affiliated with Hamas.

According to the Paleostinian Authority health ministry, more than 950 West Bank Paleostinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were button men killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops, or snuffies carrying out attacks.

During the same period, 53 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another eight members of the security forces were killed in festivities with terror operatives in the West Bank.

Link

Home Front: Politix

NYC hopeful Mamdani’s vow to arrest Netanyahu likely oversteps what US mayors can do

2025-07-11

[IsraelTimes] US federal law largely handcuffs local authorities when it comes to cooperating with the ICC. ‘It would be akin to a publicity stunt,’ says expert

If Zohran Mamdani

…Shiite, “Democratic Socialist of America”, red diaper nepo-baby, naturalized Indian-American who couldn’t get into Columbia because he falsely and stupidly claimed to be African-American on his freshman application despite his father being a tenured professor there…

has his way, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will find himself under arrest by New York City’s finest the next time he steps foot in the city.

Mamdani, the Democratic party nominee and presumed frontrunner in the city’s mayoral race, has repeatedly said he would arrest the Israeli premier should Netanyahu visit while he is running city hall, citing an International Criminal Court warrant on war crimes charges.

"As mayor, New York City would arrest Benjamin Netanyahu. This is a city that — our values are in line with international law. It’s time that our actions are also," Mamdani said in a December interview with the Zeteo outlet.

But as with some of Mamdani’s other campaign promises, the candidate may be overreaching on what powers he will have as mayor — even one running the largest city in the United States.

"The short answer is that this would almost certainly not happen," said Prof. David Bosco of Indiana University, Bloomington, a scholar of international law who wrote a 2014 book about the ICC.

The Hague-based court, formed in 2002 to prosecute crimes against humanity, war crimes and charges of genocide, issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and then-defense minister Yoav Gallant last year on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in a bombshell accusation against Israel’s leadership.

More than 120 countries are members of the court, curtailing travel for Netanyahu and Gallant to countries that have promised not to honor the warrants or are not signatories to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, such as Israel or the US, where Netanyahu visited this week.

The court does not have the power to enforce arrests itself and relies on member states to carry out arrests so defendants can stand trial in the Hague.

Mamdani has acknowledged that the US is not a party to the ICC, without explaining how he would still carry out an arrest.

Addressing the ICC’s lack of jurisdiction in the US during a panel at a synagogue last month, Mamdani said, "I believe our city should be in compliance with international law."

Rebecca Hamilton, a professor of international law at American University and a former lawyer with the ICC, said that, in theory, countries that are not party to the court could still carry out arrests based on ICC warrants.

"The court can ask any non-state party for help with an arrest warrant, and that state can decide whether or not to do so," Hamilton said. "It is just that only states that have joined the Rome Statute are under a legal obligation to execute an ICC warrant."

It is up to individual countries to decide if local officials have the authority to execute an international warrant, Hamilton added.
)
US federal law prohibits municipal governments from cooperating with the court, though. The American Service-Members’ Protection Act, passed in 2002, bars local authorities from cooperating with the court or providing the ICC support.

"No agency or entity of any State or local government, including any court, may cooperate with the International Criminal Court," the law says.

A separate federal law prohibits imprisonment, intimidation, harassment, threats and obstruction against foreign officials, including heads of state. Imprisonment of a foreign official can result in a fine and up to three years in prison.

The Trump administration is also no fan of the ICC and sanctioned the court in February to penalize it for the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.

Netanyahu is a frequent visitor to New York City, traveling there nearly every September to attend the United Nations
...the Oyster Bay money pit...
General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in Manhattan. Even though Netanyahu will be in the city, matters like international warrants remain the purview of the federal government.

"Diplomatic immunity and the conduct of foreign relations are federal matters and the federal government is given wide discretion by the courts to manage foreign policy and international legal relations," Bosco said, adding that the Trump administration and Congress have both opposed the ICC warrants.

Even if Mamdani wanted to put Netanyahu in cuffs for jaywalking, US law and international custom grant diplomatic immunity to members of foreign diplomatic missions, including visiting dignitaries, preventing them from being arrested or prosecuted for ordinary crimes like traffic violations.

Exceptions are only made in extreme cases, such as threats to public safety or ~~violent~~ mostly peaceful felonies, under the aegis of the US State Department, which views its authority to expel foreign diplomats as "an extreme diplomatic tool," only used in very rare circumstances.

"Even if New York authorities were somehow to attempt an arrest, it would be akin to a publicity stunt that would be immediately opposed and reversed," with backing from federal courts, Bosco said.

A New York City mayor does not have the executive power to make arrests, but does rely on the NYPD.

If Mamdani ordered Netanyahu arrested, the order would go to the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for legal matters, said Mitch Silber, the former NYPD director of intelligence analysis and the head of the Community Security Initiative, a Jewish community security group.

The deputy commissioner would review the order’s legality and advise the police commissioner on whether the arrest could be carried out. If the arrest was not deemed legal, the NYPD wouldn’t take action, said Silber, who added that he is not familiar with the relevant federal laws and could not weigh in on the ICC’s jurisdiction in New York.

"The NYPD can’t take illegal acts, even if the mayor wants them to," Silber said. "If it’s an act that they’re prohibited from doing by federal law, then they’re not going to do it because it’s going to get overturned immediately."

Netanyahu would also need to be extradited to the Hague to stand trial, which would require the involvement of federal authorities, like the Department of Justice or the US Marshals, Silber said.

The Department of Justice declined to comment on Mamdani’s vow to arrest Netanyahu.

Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

While countries are technically obligated by the Rome Statute, the ICC has no enforceable way to compel states not to simply ignore its arrest warrants. In April, Hungary chose not to arrest Netanyahu when he visited, despite Hungary being a member of the court at the time. Hungary later withdrew from the ICC.

During his visit to Washington, DC, this week, Netanyahu said he still plans to visit New York and that he was "not concerned" about Mamdani’s pledge to arrest him if elected.

"There’s enough craziness in the world, but I guess it never ends," Netanyahu said. "It’s silly in many ways because it’s just not serious."

"I’ll get him out," US President Donald Trump
...His ancestors didn't own any slaves...
said as Netanyahu was speaking.

Trump has been vocally opposed to Mamdani, calling him a "Communist lunatic" and threatening to arrest Mamdani if he opposes federal immigration enforcement in New York City.

Mamdani, a harsh critic of Israel who has identified as anti-Zionist, is the heavy favorite to win November’s general election for mayor. He swept to victory in the Democratic primary last month with a campaign centered on addressing affordability in the city, promising to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund cheaper housing and groceries while making buses and kindergartens free.

Critics say he lacks the authority to see many of his ideas to fruition on his own without the support of the New York State legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul.

A poll released last month found that Mamdani’s pledge to arrest Netanyahu was not popular with New Yorkers. According to the survey, 45% of New Yorkers oppose acting on the ICC warrant, while 36% support it. The remainder were undecided or did not have an opinion.

On the other hand, local or federal authorities in New York could potentially take action against the ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, though sanctions currently prevent him from entering the country.

Khan allegedly sexually abused one of his subordinates repeatedly, including in a Manhattan hotel in 2023, according to a May report in the Wall Street Journal. Khan canceled an investigative trip to Israel and Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
and rushed out the warrants shortly after the allegations surfaced, the report said.

The report suggested Khan issued the warrants to build support for himself with anti-Israel ICC member states, and forestall his accuser, who strongly supported the warrants.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office did not respond to requests for comment on whether Khan was being investigated. Khan has denied the accusations.

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Permanent ceasefire hinges on demilitarising Gaza: Israel

2025-07-11

[GEO.TV] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel was ready to negotiate a permanent ceasefire in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
during a 60-day truce but only if the Paleostinian territory was demilitarised.

Delegations from Israel and Hamas
Hamas

..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
began indirect talks in Doha on Sunday to try to agree a temporary halt in the war, which was sparked by the bully boy group's October 2023 attack.

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has proposed a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of half of the 20 living hostages still in Gaza, Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

"At the beginning of this ceasefire, we will enter negotiations for a permanent end to the war," he said in a video message from Washington on Thursday.

He said Israel's "fundamental conditions" were that "Hamas lays down its weapons" and no longer has "governing or military capabilities".

"If this can be achieved through negotiations, great. If it cannot be achieved through negotiations within 60 days, we will achieve it through other means, by using force, the force of our heroic army," he said.

The Israeli premier called Hamas "a ruthless terror organization" and said he wanted the release of all those being held.

But he added: "We will do everything in order to maximise (the number of those released) in this round, in the best way possible. Not everything is in our hands."

The view from Israel:

Netanyahu tells hostage families Hamas will pick which captives go free in deal

[IsraelTimes] PM says Israel will agree to start talks on permanent ceasefire once 60-day truce commences; Hamas tells mediators it won’t accept updated Israeli maps of IDF partial Gaza withdrawal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told hostage families on Wednesday that Hamas will determine which hostages will be released during the 60-day truce, a source present at the Washington meeting told The Times of Israel.

Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on how the list of 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 slain hostages will be determined, which has become a major source of anxiety for hostage families, who fear that their loved ones will not be among those to be released during the temporary truce currently being negotiated.

The source said Netanyahu told the families that as far as Israel is concerned, all of the hostages are considered "humanitarian" — meaning that no group of living captives will be prioritized over the other, given that their conditions are all acutely dire after 643 days in GazooThe premier repeated that message during a Thursday video statement filmed several hours before his planned departure from Washington.

"I want to rescue everyone in one fell swoop. In this deal, we are doing it in two phases, but the choice isn’t always in our hands," he said.

However,
those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things...
two sources told the Haaretz daily that intelligence on the conditions of the hostages is being given to Netanyahu’s office, and that the politicianship will decide on the order of release.

Netanyahu told the hostage families that once the 60-day truce under discussion enters into effect, Israel will immediately hold negotiations on the terms for a permanent ceasefire — something he refused to do during the previous hostage deal, which led to its collapse in March.

"From the time the first eight living hostages are released until the last two living hostages are released... we will work to bring the entire war to an end," Netanyahu can be heard saying in a leaked recording from part of the over 30-minute meeting, which was held on the sidelines of a reception the premier hosted at the Blair House where he has been staying during a five-day trip in Washington.

However,
those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things...
the source present at the meeting told The Times of Israel that Netanyahu insisted that he would not budge from his demands for Hamas to surrender, give up its arms and agree for its leaders to go into exile — conditions that the Paleostinian terror group has long rejected.

Netanyahu voiced the stance publicly in the Thursday video statement.

"At the beginning of this [60-day] ceasefire, we will enter negotiations for a permanent ceasefire. In order for us to achieve this, our minimum conditions must be met: Hamas lays down its weapons, Gaza is demilitarized, Hamas no longer has any governmental or military capabilities," the premier said.

He warned that Israel would resume the war if Hamas didn’t agree to those conditions during the negotiations. "If [our demands] can be achieved through negotiations — great. If it’s not achieved through negotiations in 60 days, we will achieve it in other ways — by using force, the force of our heroic army," he declared.

When families expressed concern during the Monday meeting that the current framework could well lead to 22 hostages remaining in Gaza, Netanyahu asserted that he would keep fighting for their release, the source present recalled

"There are things I cannot talk to you about. Things are being done quietly, and I will not share them with you because they must remain secret," Netanyahu can be heard saying in the leaked recording of the Monday meeting. "We are on the right path. Things are moving forward. It will take a little more time, but be patient."

Addressing mounting criticism over the drawn-out nature of the conflict — which Netanyahu claimed Israel was "on the verge" of winning in April 2024 — the premier said in his Tuesday video statement that the IDF has dismantled most of Hamas’s military capabilities but that the terror group still has thousands of armed fighters remaining. Netanyahu didn’t give a timeline for how long it would take to defeat Hamas.

Separately on Thursday, the IDF said it targeted a Hamas operative who participated in the October 7 onslaught. But Gaza medics said that eight small children and two women who were receiving medical treatment were also killed in the Deir al-Balah strike. Verified, graphic footage from the scene showed their bloodied, mutilated bodies lying lifeless on the ground as their loved ones shrieked in horror.

HAMAS SNUBS SOFTENED ISRAELI PROPOSAL FOR PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL
As for the negotiations for ceasefire and hostage release deal, a Paleostinian official told The Times of Israel that Hamas is not satisfied with the new set of maps that Israel submitted earlier this week demarcating the exact parameters of the IDF’s partial withdrawal from Gaza during the 60-day truce under discussion.

Israel submitted a new set of maps after coming under US pressure to reduce the IDF’s presence in Gaza during the truce, particularly in the Morag Corridor adjacent to where Jerusalem is planning to establish a controversial "humanitarian city."

While some of the mediators felt the new maps allowed for a breakthrough on what has become the main sticking point in negotiations, Hamas negotiators have poured cold water on the optimism, saying they won’t accept the wide buffer zone Israel is still trying to maintain in Gaza, the Paleostinian official said.

The updated maps submitted by Israel still envision the IDF maintaining control of roughly one-third of the Strip during the ceasefire.

Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim told AFP: "We cannot accept the perpetuation of the occupation of our land and the surrender of our people to isolated enclaves under the control of the occupation army. This is what the negotiating delegation is presenting to the occupation so far in the current round of negotiations in Doha."

Nonetheless, a source involved in the mediation said the gaps are bridgeable and that a deal is still possible within days, not a week or two as suggested by a senior Israeli official who briefed news hounds in Washington Wednesday.

Rubio hopeful, as Sa’ar urges PM to ignore far-right pushback

For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
...The diminutive 13-year-old Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, Secretary of State in the second Trump administration...
said Thursday that he’s "hopeful" a hostage deal can be reached soon.

"We’re closer than we’ve been in quite a while," Rubio said, adding that "one of the fundamental challenges is Hamas’s unwillingness to disarm, which would end this conflict immediately."

But this is not one of the issues currently being discussed, as it has to do with the terms for a permanent ceasefire, which won’t be discussed until the sides reach an agreement on the 60-day truce still being negotiated.

On Tuesday, The Times of Israel revealed that Witkoff had delayed his planned departure for Doha that day in what was seen as a signal that the talks were not yet ripe for finalization.

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Five killed in bombing at Gaza school

2025-07-11

[GEO.TV] The Israeli army has bombed the Halimah al-Saadiyah School in Jabalia an-Nazla, in which displaced Palestinians were sheltering, killing at least five people, Al Jazeera reported, citing sources at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Gaza officials say 8 children among 13 killed in strike IDF says targeted Hamas Oct. 7 terrorist

[IsraelTimes] IDF says it’s probing reports of civilian casualties in incident that appears to hit medical clinic; footage shows bodies of women and children lying in pools of blood amid dust and screaming

An Israeli airstrike in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah on Thursday targeted a Hamas terrorist who invaded Israel during the October 7 onslaught, the military said. Palestinian media reported that at least 13 people were killed in the strike, including eight small children and two women who were receiving medical treatment.

The IDF said it was “aware of the claim about casualties in the area,” adding that the incident was being investigated.

According to the Al-Rad channel, some of the casualties had been receiving treatment and supplementary nutrition at a nearby medical center when the strike hit.

Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency said Thursday afternoon that at least 52 people were killed in Israeli strikes since morning. These numbers cannot be verified and do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Civil defense official Mohammad al-Mughair told AFP that eight children and two women were among the dead following the strike in Deir al-Balah, adding Israeli aircraft targeted “a gathering of citizens in front of a medical point.”

Four people were killed and several injured in a predawn airstrike on a family home in Al-Bureij camp in central Gaza, Mughair added.

In its daily update on the fighting, the military said over 180 targets were struck by the Israeli Air Force in the Gaza Strip over the previous day, including operatives, booby-trapped buildings, weapon depots, anti-tank launch posts, tunnels, and other infrastructure.

The strikes come as five IDF divisions, made up of tens of thousands of troops, continue to operate across Gaza.

In northern Gaza, the IDF says troops of the 401st Armored Brigade located several weapons and tunnel shafts used by Hamas. The troops also located a cell of Hamas operatives in a building and directed a drone strike against them, according to the IDF.

Similarly, the military said troops of the elite Multi-Domain Unit spotted a cell of Islamic Jihad operatives in a building and called in a drone strike.

On Wednesday, an IDF soldier was killed during a Hamas attempt to abduct him in southern Gaza, and a soldier with the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion was seriously wounded during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, the IDF said.

The soldier was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Giving a broader tally, the military said dozens of enemy operatives were killed and over 130 “terror infrastructures,” both above and below ground, were demolished by troops of the Golani Brigade during operations in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis in the past week. Among the sites was a 500-meter-long, 13-meter-deep Hamas tunnel, the military says. The elite Yahalom combat engineering unit destroyed it. Other sites included caches of weapons, booby-trapped buildings, observation posts, and mortar launching positions, the military said.

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Arabia

Houthi videos show attacks that sank two ships in Red Sea this week

2025-07-11

[IsraelTimes] Missiles, drones, attack boats used; 4 killed on Eternity C, 10 rescued, 11 missing; rebels chant ‘death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews’ as ship sinks; Magic Seas crew escaped

Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
s rebels in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
released footage on Wednesday showing their deadly attack on the Eternity C fat merchantman in the Red Sea, and its subsequent sinking.

Earlier, a similar video showed an attack on the Magic Seas, which was also sunk.

Maritime officials said Houthis killed four of the 25 people aboard the Eternity C before the rest abandoned the cargo ship. Eternity C went down Wednesday morning after attacks on two previous days, sources at security companies involved in a rescue operation said.

A European naval force in the Mideast said 10 of the 25 people who were on board have been rescued, four of them pulled from the sea on Thursday.

The Houthis claim to have "rescued" a number of the others in what the US has denounced as kidnappings.

Houthi military front man Yahya Saree said the attack was carried out with an unmanned vessel and six cruise and ballistic missiles.

The Houthis later released footage of the group launching missiles at the Eternity C.

The bridge appeared heavily damaged by the attack and oil leaked from the vessel.

The video included a radio conversation between that captain and Houthis as they warned him the ship would be attacked if he did not stop, which he refused to do, insisting the vessel was in a permitted waterway.

The ship took on water from holes along its waterline before sinking beneath the waves, the rebels chanting: "God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam."

"The naval force of the Yemeni Armed Forces targeted the ship Eternity C," Saree said, claiming that the vessel was headed for the Israeli port of Eilat and was attacked in support of Paleostinians in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
Operation Aspides — the EU naval task force in the Red Sea — told AFP one of the maimed crew had lost his leg.

On Monday, the Houthis said they hit the Magic Seas because its owner had done business with Israel and used its ports.

The Eternity C and the Magic Seas both flew Liberian flags and were operated by Greek firms. Some of the sister vessels in each of their wider fleets had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year, shipping data analysis showed.

The rebels released a video showing masked button men storming the Magic Seas and simultaneous explosions that scuttled the bulk carrier.

All the crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it sank.

The Houthis, who say they are attacking ships to support Gaza amid the war there between Israel and the Hamas
Hamas

..always the voice of sweet reason...
terror group, have also directly targeted Israel with ballistic missiles, most recently early Thursday morning.

The Houthis said they attacked Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv with a ballistic missile.

Israel’s air defense systems intercepted the missile before it reached the country, though the attack set off sirens in many areas.

From November 2023 until the following December, the Houthis targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones in a campaign the rebels describe as supporting Paleostinians in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. The Iranian-backed rebels stopped their attacks during a brief ceasefire in the war. They later became the target of an intense weekslong campaign of ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s ordered by US President Donald Trump
...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party...
, which ended with a ceasefire between the terror group and the US.

This week, the US appeared to indicate that it will not tolerate further attacks that disrupt shipping.

"These attacks demonstrate the ongoing threat that Iran-backed Houthi rebels pose to freedom of navigation and to regional economic and maritime security," US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Tuesday. "The United States has been clear: We will continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and commercial shipping from Houthi terrorist attacks."

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Netanyahu: 'I am now concluding my historic visit to the USA'

2025-07-11

[X]

Prime Minister Netanyahu:
'I am now concluding my historic visit to the USA. We are trying to secure the release of half of the hostages, alive and dead, for a temporary ceasefire of 60 days. If after that 60-day period Hamas has not disarmed and the Gaza strip is not… pic.twitter.com/s6paJV9rUZ
— Shiri_Sabra (@sabra_the) July 10, 2025

…and the Gaza strip is not demilitarized, the war will continue.'

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Another Palestinian journalist was killed by Israeli army fire in Gaza

2025-07-11

[X] Another Palestinian journalist was killed by Israeli army fire in Gaza, bringing the corpse count death toll since October 2023 to 229.

Is this one of the many who double dipped on the Hamas payroll? Was he one of those who joined Hamas’s viciously violent invasion of Israel on 10/7/2023 or supported it from Gaza when they brought the hostages back as war booty??

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Nobel Prize Missed: Why Trump and Netanyahu Didn't Reach an Agreement

2025-07-11

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Leonid Tsukanov

[REGNUM] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has completed a working visit to the United States. His July trip to Washington took place largely behind the cameras, and information about the results of the meetings was given to the press in extremely measured doses.

There were also no promising public statements, without which no major visit by an Israeli prime minister has taken place before. Netanyahu left Washington virtually incognito, without holding a major press approach on the White House lawn.

And while Israeli officials are calling the visit "historic and groundbreaking," both Washington and Tel Aviv appear to have remained unconvinced.

"GREAT VICTORY"
One of the main topics of the Israeli Prime Minister's conversation with US President Donald Trump and other high-ranking American officials was summing up the results of the June "Lion Force" operation against Iran.

Netanyahu expressed gratitude to the Republicans for their determination in the fight against the “Iranian threat” and, as a sign of gratitude for their contribution to the “great victory,” presented Trump with a symbolic gift: a mezuzah (a scroll with text from the Torah in a decorative case for hanging on a door frame. — Ed.) in the shape of a B-2 bomber, made from a fragment of an Iranian ballistic missile.

In addition, the Israeli Prime Minister announced his nomination of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, with the wording “for his significant mediation efforts in resolving the conflict between Iran and Israel.”

This is already the third nomination for the Republican in his new term (previously, the Pakistani government and Republican member of the US House of Representatives Darrell Issa expressed similar intentions ) and the second on the Middle East track; the American leader is already among the favorites in the informal rating of candidates - at least, this is what the Western press is convinced of.

Tel Aviv has found an elegant way to thank the White House for its timely intervention in the recent conflict.

At the same time, Israel felt it necessary to convey its concerns to the United States: the rate of restoration of Iranian nuclear facilities damaged as a result of the joint bombings turned out to be an order of magnitude higher than initially predicted, which means that new preemptive actions may soon be required.

Here, Netanyahu tried to draw attention to himself, convincing Trump to allow Tel Aviv to act against Iran and its regional allies unilaterally, without coordinating new operations.

The US responded to the request in a very vague manner.

On the one hand, Trump praised the Israelis for their persistence and willingness to defend the existing balance of power, promising “full support” and protection.

On the other hand, Washington is well aware of the growth of revanchist sentiments in Iran - the growing public demand for nuclear weapons and attempts by individual clerics to legitimize the "vendetta" against the initiators of the June campaign. And therefore the White House has not made any specific promises to the public.

The question of whether Netanyahu secured Trump's consent behind the scenes also remains open.

FRIENDSHIP OUTLINE
It is noteworthy that during the extensive work program, the topic of normalizing Israel's relations with Arab countries was barely touched upon, although it was previously considered the "calling card" of the Trump administration. There was almost no talk about new expansions of the "club of friends", limiting themselves to pleasantries addressed to Morocco and the Arabian partners - Bahrain and the UAE.

Neither Washington nor Tel Aviv want to bring the issue to the forefront, since Syria is considered “first in line” for normalization.

The transitional government of Ahmed al-Sharaa is actively making contact with the Israeli authorities and, judging by the latest leaks, is even ready to give up the Golan Heights in exchange for stabilization of the situation.

In support of these aspirations, the US and EU countries have even loosened the sanctions noose around Damascus's neck. However, the general instability of the new Syrian regime and internal strife are preventing rapid progress in the negotiations.

Other potential candidates for a reset – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman – have maintained a marked neutrality and are in no hurry to get closer to Israel even under US pressure for fear of falling into Tehran’s crosshairs.

THE STUMBLING BLOCK CORRIDOR
The situation in the Gaza Strip was much more actively discussed: the parties were unable to finally agree on the outlines of a deal to cease fire in the enclave. Although the White House clearly expected to make a statement about the deal at the end of Netanyahu's visit.

The stumbling block, as expected, was the “Morag Corridor” – a strategic security strip built by Israeli troops along the Egyptian border south of the Palestinian Khan Yunis.

The US is convinced that the deployment of the army in close proximity to Palestinian areas hinders the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave and, moreover, endangers American NGO workers, who are now the majority in Gaza, and therefore Israel should leave Morag as a gesture of goodwill.

Tel Aviv does not want to repeat the mistakes of the “first deal,” which was concluded with the mediation of Joe Biden, and counters that “Hamas terrorist agents” will immediately flood into the abandoned security corridor.

The continued presence in the Gaza Strip is explained by the role of “volunteer gendarme” that the Israeli authorities have taken on: they will be ready to reduce the contingent only if the entire leadership of the Palestinian resistance leaves the enclave, and the new leaders undergo “preliminary filtration.”

For these purposes, Tel Aviv is even ready to build a “city within a city” in the Rafah area for interned Palestinians (there are currently about 600 thousand of them). Neither Washington nor its Arab partners from among the “trustees” of Gaza like this option, but no one has yet dared to present an alternative.

"HOME" QUESTIONS
However, some uncomfortable questions got to the Israeli prime minister even in Washington. For example, on the sidelines of a gala reception for leaders of Jewish and Evangelical communities, Netanyahu was asked several times whether the government was going to free the hostages remaining in Hamas captivity.

To which Netanyahu, in his usual manner, reported on “significant progress” and the “imminent release” of the remaining Israelis from captivity.

There is indeed hope for an exchange. American sources regularly announce the imminent trip of Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff to Qatar to give the necessary guarantees to Hamas and monitor the transparency of the deal.

However, given that Whitkoff's trip has already been postponed several times, the White House still has no confidence in the parties' ability to reach an agreement. And three meetings between Netanyahu and Trump (one of which was closed) have not changed the disposition.

A more pressing question was also asked - about the prospects for adjusting the law on the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Israelis (Haredi) into the army. Especially since the authorities announced increased penalties for those who dodge service, including a ban on leaving the country and administrative arrests.

This has increased unrest in the ranks of the conservative parties, which continue to threaten to break up the ruling coalition. The future of the Haredi law is unclear, and Netanyahu has failed to explain in detail how exactly Tel Aviv intends to emerge from the crisis.

Overall, it is noticeable that the Israeli Prime Minister is still more focused on the “external contour,” where he clearly understands the priorities and goals for the near future, while he is not yet ready to closely deal with issues of an internal nature.

This means that Tel Aviv will continue to actively promote stories related to foreign policy (primarily the confrontation with Iran) in order to distract the population’s attention from problems within the country.'

Link

Good Morning

2025-07-10

By Halting The Federal Judiciary's
Left Turn, Trump Has Saved America

Thursday 07/10/2025

Lebanon strike that killed 3 targeted senior Hamas commander: Israel

VivianPorter_a_02

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Olde Tyme Religion Trump Praises IRS Decision Allowing Churches to Make Political Endorsements		Arabia A ground force led by Arab nations, possibly including a Yemenite force, will be necessary to remove the Houthis as a regional threat, according to a senior Israeli government official.
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Legal complaint targets family
of DRC's Felix Tshisekedi for looting

Link

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