Recent Appearances...

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Hello !
Recent Appearances...

Shabo Shabab

al-Qaeda in Iraq

Europe

20040424

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Leader of militia in Gaza fighting Hamas admits cooperating with IDF

2025-07-06

[IsraelTimes] The head of a militia operating in an area of Gaza under Israeli military control, Yasser Abu Shabab, gives an interview to the Israeli public broadcaster’s Arabic-language radio station Makan, in which he says his fighters are young men of Palestinian origin living in the heart of the Strip, with no affiliation to any political ideology or organization.

“We’ve tasted the bitterness and injustice inflicted on us by Hamas, and we’ve taken it upon ourselves to confront this aggression. We don’t rule out confrontation with Hamas and we don’t rule out civil war, no matter the cost,” he says.

In the interview, Abu Shabab admits for the first time that his forces are cooperating at some level with the IDF.

“We didn’t have any security like we do in zones under Israeli control. We entered these areas and carried out operations beyond expectations. As long as the goal is support and assistance (from the IDF), and nothing more, when we go on a mission, we inform them — nothing beyond that — and we carry out the military operation,” he says.

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Africa Horn

Fierce Clashes Erupt as U.S.-Trained Special Forces Target Militant Stronghold in Somalia

2025-07-01

[Garowe] The Danab Special Forces — a Special Operations contingent of the Somali National Army (SNA), which is trained by Americans, initiated operations in Jubaland, leading to the death of several fighters linked to the al-Shabaab

... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
krazed killers.

According to reports, the Danab Special Forces targeted Bulo Haji town which is located a few kilometres from the strategic town of Kismayo
...a port city in the southern Lower Juba province of Somalia, at the extreme southern end of the country (always assuming Somalia can be called a country). It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region....
, which is the regional administrative capital of Jubaland state.

The fighting took place around Maqoqaha area, approximately 13 kilometres from Bulo Haji. The ~~bandidos~~ faceless myrmidons engaged in fierce festivities with the special operations team, leading to many casualties, which were reported.

Military officials said at least 37 ~~bandidos~~ faceless myrmidons were killed in the raid and several others were maimed. The krazed killers' arsenals were also destroyed beyond repair, officials said, while maintaining that the victory against the group was resounding.

But the al-Shabaab fighters said they repelled the attack by the Danab Special Forces, killing six US-trained troops and wounding 13 others. The claims could not be verified independently, given that the group is fond of spreading propaganda.

Danab Special Forces are trained and equipped by the US Africa Command, which nurtures the military within the country. The US has signified the possibility of withdrawing support for the Somali National Army, with the funding reportedly getting significantly slashed.

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Terror Networks

'Side Targets': Pro-Palestinian Forces in Europe Smash Equipment for Ukraine

2025-06-30

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Leonid Tsukanov

[REGNUM] Pro-Palestinian activists in "greater Europe" have suddenly stopped limiting themselves to ordinary demonstrations and have moved on to subversive actions.

In the past week, there have been two major attacks on military installations and enterprises - in the UK and Belgium. Moreover, the activists in these attacks have shown themselves to be not just an inspired crowd, but a coordinated and well-thought-out team of saboteurs, clearly selecting targets and effectively disabling them.

This gave rise to the conviction among Europeans that a much more serious force was hiding behind the masks of fighters for the rights of the Palestinian people. Especially since a more thorough inspection revealed a “common denominator” in the attacked objects.

DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT
On June 20, two unknown individuals broke into the British military base Bryce Norton. Using crowbars and a fire extinguisher converted into a spray can, they damaged the engines of two Airbus Voyager tanker aircraft, after which they painted a Palestinian flag on the ground and fled. Without causing any alarm at the facility.

The Palestinian Action movement, created in 2020 by a group of young anarchists,

…just another Black Bloc/Antifa tentacle, this one wearing a Palestinian/anti-Israel false nose and mustache...

claimed responsibility for the high-profile action. And this is far from their first major attack.

In 2021, a group with banners and smoke bombs “seized” the roof of the UAV Tactical System company in Leicester for almost a week, effectively paralyzing its work.

And in 2022, they carried out a pogrom at a Glasgow equipment manufacturing plant, causing $1.5 million in damage to local gunsmiths.

The Bryce Norton protest was the last straw for London. The British government decided to seek a ban on Palestine Action.

As the head of the British Ministry of Internal Affairs Yvette Cooper noted , the movement will soon be declared illegal in accordance with the letter of the Terrorism Act of 2000 - because it uses subversive and "socially dangerous" tactics of action. This will allow the same measures to be applied to activists as to cells of international terrorist organizations.

However, the initiative still needs to be approved at all levels. In the meantime, supporters of the movement are taking advantage of the sluggishness of the British justice system and threatening larger-scale solidarity actions – not only in London, but also in mainland Europe.

BELGIAN POGROM
However, while the activities of Palestine Action in Great Britain are well known and no longer surprise local officials, the sudden activation of similar structures in other countries has had the effect of a bomb exploding.

Less than a week after the Bryce Norton raid, more than a hundred activists armed with hammers and grinders attacked the OIP office and warehouses in the Belgian city of Tournai.

They destroyed office equipment and damaged some of the cargo in the warehouses, including several armored vehicles, and disrupted the company's information infrastructure. The total damage was estimated at approximately one million euros.

Although the activists' outrages were captured on CCTV, it will not be easy to identify the instigators. The attackers were dressed in hermetic white suits that hid their faces and figures, and wore thick gloves.

However, this did not stop the OIP leadership from suggesting that most of the attackers were women, due to the fact that they used the tools “extremely ineptly and uncertainly.”

However, the Belgian police have not yet been able to identify the culprits.

"RUSSIAN TRACE"
Increased attacks by pro-Palestinian activists on defense industry facilities in European countries have given rise to a wave of conspiracy theories.

Pro-Palestinian activists, previously famous for their spontaneous actions,

…not actually spontaneous. The October 8, 2023 protests, for instance, were ordered directly by Hamas in Gaza...

suddenly demonstrated unprecedented coordination and were able to bypass serious security systems. Moreover, the surge in their activity occurred in several countries at once, and in some of them, they do not even have a common border.

Telephone, internet, and snail mail all pass through borders as if they did not exist.

But as soon as the “Ukrainian” variable was added to the story, a “Russian trace” was immediately identified in it.

Among other things, it was revealed that part of the British military aid to Kyiv was being delivered via Bryce Norton, and the damaged tanker planes were used as "safety nets" during reconnaissance and monitoring operations, including along the Russian border. The action by pro-Palestinian activists temporarily put them out of action.

The OIP warehouses in Tournai were storing equipment that was intended for immediate shipment to Ukraine, directly to the combat zone. And as a result of the pogrom, the deliveries already announced by the Belgians had to be postponed for at least a month.

This circumstantial evidence was enough for some Western bloggers and sensation-hungry members of the press to quickly label pro-Palestinian activists as “Russian career intelligence agents.”

SIMPLE EXPLANATION
Activists explain the situation much more prosaically. Their attacks on defense concerns and military bases were intended to send an open message and to underline the readiness of pro-Palestinian forces to go beyond the usual demonstrations. Which, moreover, are increasingly ignored by national elites.

In addition, both French Airbus (whose planes were damaged in the raid on the British base) and Belgian OIP have in the past been heavily involved in Israeli defense projects, conducting joint developments, some of which were later used in the war against Hamas.

Moreover, OIP is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, the largest defense concern in Israel. Thus, it was the Israelis, not the Belgians, who ultimately suffered the damage.

As one of the representatives of the "Palestinian Action" noted on social networks, Western weapons and ammunition supplied to Ukraine also partly end up on the balance sheet of the Israeli army through the black market. However, they are not used directly by it, but are transferred to loyalists in Gaza for additional destabilization of the situation in the sector.

I’m confused.

In particular, the unit of Yasser Abu Shabab , the leader of the "Gaza Management Committee", was armed and staffed using a similar scheme. Pro-Israeli fighters received European-made machine guns and grenades through the black market, as well as Canadian and American anti-personnel mines intended for Kiev.

The pro-Palestinian activists took the very statements that they were “working for the Kremlin” with poisonous irony, declaring that they had only one real enemy, and that was Israel. And all the others (including Ukraine, which suffered indirectly during the recent raids) were just “side targets.”

However, users in the comments were quick to point out that official Kyiv supports the political course chosen by Tel Aviv (including actions towards Iran and its Middle Eastern allies), which partly makes the recent actions even more profound and symbolic.

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

IDF confirms probe into killings near Gaza aid site, denies troops ordered to shoot civilians; GHF gave out 25,000 boxes of food Friday

2025-06-28

[IsraelTimes] Haaretz report says military looking into possible war crimes, cites soldiers’ testimonies describing a ‘killing field,’ with troops routinely using heavy live fire for crowd control

The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged on Friday that it was probing allegations that troops are using deadly fire on hungry aid-seeking Gazooks, but vociferously denied that troops are being ordered by commanders to deliberately open fire on the Paleostinian civilians.

The statement was issued after the Haaretz daily reported that the military launched a probe this week into potential war crimes committed by its troops and quoted unidentified soldiers as saying that the area was a "killing field" and that they were ordered to treat the aid seekers like combatants and using heavy live fire for crowd control.

Haaretz prides itself on being the New York Times of Israel, and so they are. Not something I would be proud of, but I have standards…

The Haaretz report drew a first detailed response from the military regarding the near-daily deadly shootings around aid distribution sites. It also prompted a rare joint statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, accusing the left-wing newspaper of a "blood libel" against the IDF.

According to Haaretz, the mass-casualty incidents were discussed at a meeting earlier this week during which the Military Advocate General’s (MAG) Office directed the top-tier General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism to investigate suspected war crimes that have largely taken place near 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...
Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites.

The mechanism is an independent military body responsible for investigating unusual incidents amid the war.

During the meeting, officials in the MAG’s office expressed alarm over mounting global uproar over the killing of civilians en route to aid sites, Haaretz reported. Senior officers from the IDF’s Southern Command pushed back, claiming that the incidents have been isolated and that troops only fired at Paleostinians who posed a threat.

Representatives from the MAG’s office disagreed, insisting that the Southern Command’s account doesn’t line up with the facts on the ground, according to a source who attended the meeting.

"The claim that these are isolated cases doesn’t align with incidents in which grenades were dropped from the air and mortars and artillery were fired at civilians," a MAG representative is quoted as saying.

"This isn’t about a few people being killed — we’re talking about dozens of casualties every day," the MAG official added.

The Hamas
Hamas

..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
-run health ministry says 549 people have been killed and 4,000 have been maimed trying to pick up aid from GHF sites or while waiting for UN food trucks since May 27, when GHF launched.

The numbers have not been verified, but between May 27 and June 24, there were at least 19 IDF shooting incidents related to humanitarian aid

distribution, according to a review of reports out of Gaza conducted by The Times of Israel.

In most of these cases, the IDF has admitted to opening fire and striking Paleostinians, but characterized it as "warning shots" at those who got too close to soldiers or used site access routes when distribution sites were closed.

There has been widespread confusion about access to the aid, with the army imposing, for a time, a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on approach routes to GHF sites. But locals often have to set out well before dawn to have any chance of retrieving food.

According to the report, soldiers are receiving orders to fire at people who approach the distribution sites before they open or remain there after they have closed. The report added that many of the instances of fire occurred at nighttime, meaning the Paleostinians who were fired at possibly did not know they were in a forbidden area.

A KILLING FIELD
Israeli soldiers serving near the aid distribution sites described grim scenarios in interviews with Haaretz on condition of anonymity.

"It’s a killing field," one soldier said. "Where I was stationed there, between one and five people were killed every day. They’re treated like a hostile force — no crowd-control measures, no tear gas — just live fire with everything imaginable: heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars. Then, once the center opens, the shooting stops, and they know they can approach. Our form of communication is gunfire."

"We open fire early in the morning if someone tries to get in line from a few hundred meters away, and sometimes we just charge at them from close range. But there’s no danger to the forces," the soldier continued. "I’m not aware of a single instance of return fire. There’s no enemy, no weapons."

He described the incidents as a deadly form of the children’s game "Red light, green light."

"Firing mortars to keep hungry people away is neither professional nor humane. I know there are Hamas operatives among them, but there are also people who simply want to receive aid," another soldier told Haaretz.

"It’s become a place with its own set of rules. The loss of human life means nothing. It’s not even an ’unfortunate incident,’ like [the IDF] used to say."

Another soldier told Haaretz: "This has become routine. You know it isn’t okay. You feel not okay with it, that the commanders are taking the law into their hands. But Gaza is a parallel universe, [we] move on very quickly. The truth is that most don’t even stop to think about it."

A BLOOD LIBEL
Following the Haaretz report, the military put out a statement confirming that the high-level General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism was probing the matter.

However,
the difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits...
it said that it strongly rejected the Haaretz report, adding that it is "operating to allow and facilitate the distribution of humanitarian aid by the American Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), and to secure the routes leading to the distribution centers, to allow the aid to reach the civilians rather than Hamas.

"The IDF did not instruct the forces to deliberately shoot at civilians, including those approaching the distribution centers. To be clear, IDF directives prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians."

Nevertheless, the statement said that the IDF is trying to improve at minimizing "the potential friction" with civilians. "As part of this effort, IDF forces have recently taken steps to reorganize the area, including the installation of new fencing, signage, the opening of additional routes, and more."

"Any allegation of a deviation from the law or IDF directives will be thoroughly examined, and further action will be taken as necessary," the statement continued.

"The allegations of deliberate fire toward civilians presented in the article are not recognized in the field," the IDF asserted.

"These are vicious lies designed to discredit the IDF — the most moral army in the world," the statement said. "IDF soldiers receive clear orders to avoid harming innocent civilians, and they act accordingly."

Following the report, the GHF agency said it was "not aware of any of these incidents."

The GHF statement makes a point of asserting that the shootings have not taken place at or in the immediate vicinity of its distribution sites.

GHF notes in its statement that the "IDF is tasked with providing safe passage for aid-seekers to all humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza, including GHF," its statement adds.

Israeli strike kills 18 picking up aid as IDF said to target Hamas-linked unit distributing it
[IsraelTimes] An Israeli strike hit a street in central Gaza on Thursday, where witnesses say a crowd of people was getting bags of flour from a Hamas-linked police unit that had confiscated the goods from gangs looting aid convoys. Hospital officials said 18 people were killed.

The strike in the central town of Deir al-Balah on Thursday appeared to target members of the Hamas-linked Sahm unit, a security group tasked with stopping looters and cracking down on merchants who sell stolen aid at high prices. The unit is part of Gaza’s Hamas-run interior ministry, but includes members of other factions.

Witnesses say the Sahm unit was distributing bags of flour and other goods confiscated from looters and corrupt merchants, drawing a crowd when the strike hit.

Video of the aftermath showed bodies, several torn, of multiple young men in the street with blood splattering on the pavement and walls of buildings. The dead included a child and at least seven Sahm members, according to the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where casualties were taken.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel has accused the Hamas terror group of stealing aid and using it to prop up its rule in the enclave. Israeli forces have repeatedly struck Gaza’s police, considering them a branch of Hamas.

GHF says it distributed 25K boxes of food at three Gaza sites on Friday
[IsraelTimes] The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it distributed over 25,000 boxes of food at three sites on Friday, two in southern Gaza and one in the central Strip.

GHF says its boxes contain enough food for 5.5 people for 3.5 days.

The aid distributed by GHF amounts to 30 trucks, well below the hundreds that aid groups say are needed daily to properly address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The US- and Israeli-backed initiative says it also brought in a truckload of potatoes for the first time as a pilot.

GHF says that it will not be affected by Israeli restrictions on aid as Jerusalem investigates whether looting is taking place. Yesterday, UN staff were barred from picking up aid from a north Gaza crossing after footage emerged of armed gunmen on top of an aid convoy.

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Post-War return to normalcy - a collection of small stuff in Israel yesterday

2025-06-27

Israel’s Leviathan natural gas field to resume operations after Iran ceasefire
[IsraelTimes] Energy Ministry says smaller Karish field also to reopen; two Egyptian sources say imports from Israel will gradually rise, with full operations likely by weekend.

Trump demands end to Netanyahu’s graft trial: ‘US saved Israel, now it’s going to save Bibi’
[IsraelTimes] In unprecedented intervention in Israeli justice system, US president slams criminal case against PM as a ‘ridiculous Witch Hunt,’ declares ‘THIS TRAVESTY CAN NOT BE ALLOWED’

Schools reopen after IDF lifts restrictions imposed during war with Iran; some 300 institutions said damaged

Israelis submitted over 403,000 requests for firearms licenses since Oct. 7, ministry says
[IsraelTimes] Israelis have submitted over 403,000 requests for firearms licenses since October 7, out of which more than 217,000 conditional approvals have been granted, the National Security Ministry informs the Knesset National Security Committee.

Out of the 217,000 conditional approvals, 165,000 permanent licenses have been granted, while 177,000 applications have been rejected, according to statistics presented to lawmakers. According to the ministry, around 335,000 Israelis currently hold firearms licenses.

Requests for gun permits surged following Hamas’s massive attack on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were slaughtered, many amid brutal atrocities, and a further 251 taken hostage to Gaza. Last March, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir celebrated the approval of 100,000 new gun licenses since October 7, stating that putting more weapons on the streets has made Israel safer. Women’s groups have decried the rising number of guns in Israeli homes, saying it poses a risk to victims of domestic violence.

Israel says 71 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza Strip on Tuesday
[IsraelTimes] Yesterday, 71 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announces.

Israel resumed aid deliveries to Gaza on May 19, after a pause since March 2. Since then, 2,104 trucks have entered the Strip.

The aid underwent an inspection by Israeli authorities before entering Gaza via the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings.

The UN has said 600 trucks of aid need to be distributed each day in order to properly feed the Strip’s roughly two million people.

Secret deal to end Netanyahu trial fell apart over PM’s refusal to step down — source
[IsraelTimes] In meeting with ex-Supreme Court chief Aharon Barak, premier’s lawyer suggested accepting conviction on minor charge but without leaving office; Barak insisted on PM stepping down,

Like Hamas and Iran, all they want is surrender and eradication, nothing less. That’s not a possible compromise.

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Africa Horn

Somali Army Seizes Key Towns from Al-Shabaab in Southern Somalia

2025-06-23

[ShabelleMedia] The Somali National Army has captured the strategic towns of Sabiid and Caanoole in the Lower Shabelle region, marking a significant advance in its ongoing offensive against the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab

... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa...
group, military officials said Friday.

The military launched a coordinated operation earlier this week, forcing al-Shabaab hard boyz to flee their hideouts and abandon key positions, according to army sources.

"This is a critical victory that reflects our sustained efforts to eliminate al-Shabaab from Somali territory," said Colonel Ahmed Gaashaan, commander of the 7th Battalion under the army’s 12th Division.

Government forces are now conducting clearing operations in the newly liberated areas to secure them from potential threats and to ensure the safety of civilians, military officials added.

The offensive is part of a broader campaign by Somali authorities, backed by local militias and international partners, to dismantle al-Shabaab’s grip on southern and central Somalia.

More from GaroweOnline:

After a battle, the Al-Shabaab militants on various frontlines, the Somali National Army (SNA), with the help of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) Forces, managed to recover two strategic towns in the country.

Following weeks of clashes with the militants, the SNA announced the capture of Sabid and Anole towns within Lower Shabelle.

Also actively present during the operation were the Ugandan People's Defence Forces (UPDF) serving in the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia. The towns are roughly 30 kilometres away from Mogadishu.

The insurgents had seized the area in March, but the military has sustained operations against the group in various frontlines, leading to the latest capture. The militants have recently retreated after an intensified crackdown against them.

The Somali army is also fighting to recapture Adan Yabaal town, which they lost to Al-Shabaab in May, leading to the disruption of supplies across the country. Al-Shabaab maintains a strong presence in central and southern regions.

President Hassan Sheikh announced total war against al-Shabaab when he recaptured the seat in 2022, but the results are underwhelming. Critics accuse him of being obsessed with internal politics as opposed to the fight against Al-Shabaab. After a battle, the Al-Shabaab militants on various frontlines, the Somali National Army (SNA), with the help of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) Forces, managed to recover two strategic towns in the country.

Following weeks of clashes with the militants, the SNA announced the capture of Sabid and Anole towns within Lower Shabelle in a major successful operation within the Horn of Africa nation, which is struggling with instability.

Also actively present during the operation were the Ugandan People's Defence Forces (UPDF) serving in the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia. The towns are roughly 30 kilometres away from Mogadishu.

The insurgents had seized the area in March, but the military has sustained operations against the group in various frontlines, leading to the latest capture. The militants have recently retreated after an intensified crackdown against them.

The Somali army is also fighting to recapture Adan Yabaal town, which they lost to Al-Shabaab in May, leading to the disruption of supplies across the country. Al-Shabaab maintains a strong presence in central and southern regions.

President Hassan Sheikh announced total war against al-Shabaab when he recaptured the seat in 2022, but the results are underwhelming.

That’s considerably blunter than usual…

Critics accuse him of being obsessed with internal politics as opposed to the fight against Al-Shabaab.

Link

Africa Horn

Cleaning out Puntland’s Cal-Miskaad mountains: Puntland forces capture final hideouts of ISIS militants in Bari region

2025-06-21

18/06/2025
[ShabelleMedia] Puntland
...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion...
security forces have seized the last remaining hideouts of Islamic State

...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(IS) Lions of Islam in the Baallade valley of the Calmiskaad mountains in Puntland’s Bari region, officials said Wednesday.

The forces launched a coordinated offensive from multiple directions, securing all water wells and positions previously held by fleeing IS fighters from the nearby Miraale valley, according to a statement from the Puntland regional administration.

Security sources in Puntland told local media that troops are still pursuing a small number of IS Lions of Islam who narrowly escaped the recent operation and remain in the surrounding area, monitoring the movements of Puntland forces.

The Puntland military continues efforts to secure the area and prevent Lions of Islam from regrouping or launching further attacks.

Puntland says ISIS Leader Escaped Amid Ongoing Offensive in Cal-Miskaad Mountains
16-06-2025
[Garowe] Authorities in Somalia’s northeastern Federal State of Puntland confirmed that Abdulkadir Mumin, the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) branch in Somalia, has fled the Cal-Miskaad mountain range amid an ongoing military offensive.

The spokesperson for Operation Hillaac, Gen. Mahmoud Ahmed Faadhigo, told local media that intelligence shared by international partners revealed Mumin had escaped the area earlier, although the exact timing and method of his departure remain unclear.

“Abdulkadir Mumin is no longer in Cal-Miskaad,” Faadhigo said, noting that security forces have regained control of 98% of the mountain range, which has been a stronghold for ISIS fighters over the past six months.

While the group's top leader has reportedly escaped, his deputy, Abdirahman Faahiye Isse Mahmoud — the operational commander of ISIS in Somalia — is believed to still be hiding in the area. “We are confident our forces will soon apprehend him,” Faadhigo added.

US Military Airdrops Aid to Puntland Forces Battling ISIS in Calmiskaad Mountains
15/06/2025
[ShabelleMedia] US military aircraft have provided critical support to Puntland security forces fighting ISIS militants in the rugged Calmiskaad mountain region of Somalia’s Bari province.

Due to the difficult terrain, which is inaccessible to vehicles and lacks suitable airstrips, US warplanes have airdropped troops, supplies, and military equipment to Puntland forces actively engaged in counterterrorism operations against entrenched ISIS fighters in the area.

In addition to logistical support, US aircraft have carried out heavy airstrikes targeting ISIS bases and infrastructure in the mountainous region, significantly degrading the extremist group’s operational capabilities.

This military assistance forms part of a broader security partnership between the US and the Puntland administration aimed at dismantling ISIS networks and enhancing regional stability.

Puntland forces have been conducting intense ground operations to reclaim territory from militants who have long used the Calmiskaad mountains as a stronghold.

The operation is seen as a crucial step in curbing the threat posed by ISIS in northeastern Somalia, improving security in the Bari region and Puntland as a whole.

Puntland president says ISIS sought to turn Cal-Miskaad into global terror command center
15-06-2025
[Garowe] Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni said Sunday that ISIS-linked militants planned to turn the Cal-Miskaad mountain range into a global hub for coordinating terror activities. Still, the plan was foiled by Puntland's "heroic forces."

Speaking before the Puntland parliament, Deni said militants aimed to establish the remote mountain range in northeastern Somalia as a base for directing extremist attacks worldwide.

"The terrorists planned to make Cal-Miskaad the main base for directing heinous acts around the world, but the courageous forces of Puntland dismantled that plot,” he said.

Deni added that the fourth phase of the region’s ongoing counterterrorism operation is scheduled to begin Monday. The campaign will target remaining militant-held positions and prepare for Operation Onkod, a major offensive focused on the nearby Cal-Madaw mountains.

Puntland forces have been battling both ISIS and al-Shabab militants entrenched in rugged terrain. In December 2024, Puntland launched Operation Hilaac in the Cal-Miskaad mountains, killing several foreign fighters and reclaiming large areas from ISIS control.

Puntland Forces Capture Turkish ISIS Fighter Amid Major Anti-Terror Offensive
14-06-2025
[Garowe] The Puntland Counter-Terrorism Forces have arrested a Turkish national fighting with the ISIS militants group in the northeastern state of Somalia, a significant step towards defeating the terrorists who have been on the receiving end for the last five months.

Puntland Defense Forces, working closely with the US Africa Command and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Forces, have managed to penetrate the Cal-Miskaad mountains, a major stronghold of the ISIS terrorists since the start of the Hilaac operation in December 2024.

Photos published by the Puntland Television show a Turkish national believed to be a member of ISIS militants in the remote Cal Miskaad mountains, where a security operation is ongoing in what is currently known as Operation Lightning.

The man was reportedly carrying an AK-47 and was collecting water from a well when troops spotted him within Baalade valley, Bari region, which is a major stronghold of the ISIS terrorists, whose presence in the state has drastically waned.

It may not be a surprise because since the operation started in December 2024, many foreign nationals, especially fighters from Yemen, Morocco, Ethiopia, and even Kenya, have been either killed or captured in Puntland state.

With the intelligence reports suggesting a growing number of foreign nationals fighting alongside ISIS militants in Somalia, the regional government of Puntland instructed locals to report foreigners within key towns and market centers in the state for action.

Several foreigners were arrested following the order, with a number of them currently in police custody as investigations continue. Puntland maintains that the victory against ISIS militants is inevitable while accusing the federal government of Somalia of failing to support the troops.

The US and the United Arab Emirates have been providing aerial surveillance throughout the operations, managing to eliminate several terrorists. In February, President Donald Trump announced the death of a key ISIS fighter following an operation.

Last year, the Americans thought they had eliminated Abdulkadir Mumin, the ISIS global leader, but intelligence reports suggested otherwise. The group, however, has lost the strategic Cal-Miskaad mountains, which served as their command base.

A few days ago, the Puntland forces took control of areas along the Sadow, Cadalle, and Raa-raha valleys in Baallade (Calmiskaad) after 3 days of air and ground Operations. Several ISIS terrorists were killed, and weapons and equipment were seized, officials said.

Turkey is a major security and development partner of Somalia, and the news about its national serving alongside ISIS militants could trigger national debate. Turkey trains the elite Gorgor troops who are critical in the fight against Al-Shabaab within the southern and central regions.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has routinely worked with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on counterterrorism strategies, with Somalia being a huge beneficiary. Hassan Sheikh is under intense criticism over his approach in the fight against terror groups.

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Home Front: WoT

Lawfare: Supreme Court unanimously rules that American terror victims can sue PA and PLO

2025-06-21

Hams next? Let the lawsuits commence!

[IsraelTimes] Justices uphold 2019 law allowing American citizens harmed in attacks outside the United States to file lawsuits against the Palestinian entities

The US Supreme Court upheld on Friday a statute passed by Congress to facilitate lawsuits against Paleostinian authorities by Americans killed or injured in attacks abroad as plaintiffs pursue monetary damages for violence years ago in Israel and the West Bank.

The 9-0 ruling overturned a lower court’s decision that the 2019 law, the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, violated the rights of the Paleostinian Authority and Paleostine Liberation Organization to due process under the US Constitution.

Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored the ruling, said the 2019 jurisdictional law comported with due process rights enshrined in the Constitution’s Fifth Amendment.

"It is permissible for the federal government to craft a narrow jurisdictional provision that ensures, as part of a broader foreign policy agenda, that Americans injured or killed by acts of terror have an adequate forum in which to vindicate their right" to compensation under a federal law known as the Antiterrorism Act of 1990, Roberts wrote.

The US government and a group of American victims and their families had appealed the lower court’s decision that struck down a provision of the law.

Among the plaintiffs are families who in 2015 won a $655 million judgment

Goodness! Any chance they’ll actually get anything like that amount out of the other side?

in a civil case alleging that the Paleostinian entities were responsible for a series of terror shootings and bombings around Jerusalem from 2002 to 2004. They also include relatives of Ari Fuld, who was fatally stabbed by a Paleostinian terrorist in 2018.

"The plaintiffs, US families who had loved ones maimed or murdered in PLO-sponsored terror attacks, have been waiting for justice for many years," said Kent Yalowitz, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

"I am very hopeful that the case will soon be resolved without subjecting these families to further protracted and unnecessary litigation," Yalowitz added.

The ongoing fighting involving Israel and the Paleostinians served as a backdrop to the case, with Fuld’s murderer released as part of a hostage-prisoner exchange earlier this year between Israel and 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...
-ruling Hamas
Hamas

..always the voice of sweet reason...
terror group.

US courts for years have grappled over whether they have jurisdiction in cases involving the Paleostinian Authority and PLO for actions taken abroad.

A fair question.

Under the language at issue in the 2019 law, the PLO and Paleostinian Authority automatically "consent" to jurisdiction if they conduct certain activities in the United States or make payments to people who attack Americans.

Roberts in Friday’s ruling wrote that Congress and the president enacted the jurisdictional law based on their "considered judgment to subject the PLO and PA (Paleostinian Authority) to liability in US courts as part of a comprehensive legal response to ’halt, deter and disrupt’ acts of international terrorism that threaten the life and limb of American citizens."

New York-based US District Judge Jesse Furman ruled in 2022 that the law violated the due process rights of the PLO and Paleostinian Authority.

Do terror orgs have due process rights?

The New York-based 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling.

President Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. Joe's wife and daughter weren't killed by a drunk driver. He didn't graduate with three or even two degrees, wasn't in the top half of his law class, and his daddy didn't come home from a hard day's work in the mines and play football with the guys. The NAACP hasn't endorsed him every time he's run....
’s administration initiated the government’s appeal, which subsequently was taken up by President Donald Trump
...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US...
’s administration. The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case on April 1.

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

2 soldiers killed in Gaza; another mass casualty incident reported near GHF aid site

2025-06-17

[IsraelTimes] Cpt. Tal Movshovitz, 28, killed by explosive planted in building; in near daily occurrence, Hamas-linked authorities say another 34 Gazans killed while trying to reach distribution site

Two Israeli soldiers were killed fighting in separate incidents in southern 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...
’s Khan Younis on Monday, the military announced.

Cpt. Tal Movshovitz, 28, a deputy company commander in the 7086th Combat Engineering Battalion, from Re’ut, was killed by an bomb planted in a building.

Hours later, Staff Sgt. Naveh Leshem, 20, of the Golani Brigade’s 12th Battalion, from Nokdim, was killed, and 10 other soldiers were maimed.

According to an initial IDF probe, Leshem and the other maimed soldiers were in an armored personnel carrier during operations in Khan Younis when a terror operative placed an bomb on the outside of the vehicle.

The blast killed Leshem and seriously maimed four other troops, including an officer. It also left three soldiers in moderate condition and another three lightly hurt.

Leshem and Movshovitz were the second and third IDF fatalities in the last three days. Their deaths brought Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas
Hamas

..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
in Gaza and military operations along the border with the Strip to 432.

The deadly incidents came as the IDF drew some forces out of the Strip, redeploying them along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, after Gaza was downgraded to a secondary arena amid a new campaign against Iran’s nuclear program.

It also came as Hamas-controlled authorities in Gaza said 34 people had been killed by IDF fire the previous day while trying to reach a distribution site for humanitarian aid

One suspects Hamas is creating incidents, if they are not the only party involved….

According to the military, four IDF divisions are currently operating in Gaza, after the 98th Division, an elite formation of paratroopers and commando units, was taken out of Khan Younis and sent elsewhere as the Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
conflict began.

Still, tens of thousands of troops are operating in the Strip.

The military said Monday it has drawn down some forces from Gaza amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, and has instead bolstered the borders with Egypt and Jordan.

The IDF said it has tripled the usual number of forces on the Jordanian border, in recent days deploying the newly formed 96th "Gilad" Division to the northern portion of the Jordan border, while the 80th "Edom" Division has bolstered the southern section.

The 80th Division has also bolstered troops along the border with Egypt.

In northern Israel, the IDF said it continues to defend against potential threats from Leb
...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration....
and Syria.
HAMAS AGENCY SAYS 20 KILLED, 200 WOUNDED, WAITING FOR AID
Gaza’s Hamas-linked health officials said Israeli troops killed 34 people waiting to collect food on Monday, in the latest deadly incident near an aid center run by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

The International Committee of the Red Thingy (ICRC) said it had received 200 people at its field hospital in the al-Mawasi area near Rafah, without elaborating on the circumstances. In a statement on X, the group said it was "the highest number received by the Red Thingy Field Hospital in one mass casualty incident."

The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports, which have been a near-daily occurrence since GHF launched its sites on May 26.

Paleostinians say they face the choice of starving or risking death as they make their way past Israeli forces to reach the distribution points, which are run by a private contractor, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says several hundred people have been killed and hundreds more maimed in such shootings since the centers opened.

The Red Thingy field hospital nearby received some 200 injured on Monday, the highest single mass casualty event it has seen, the International Committee of the Red Thingy said in a statement. Only a day earlier, it said, around 170 were brought to the facility, most of them maimed by gunshots while trying to reach the GHF center. The Health Ministry toll made it the deadliest day around the food sites since June 2, when 31 people were killed.

Israeli troops started firing as thousands of Paleostinians massed around 4 a.m. at the Flag Roundabout before the scheduled opening time of the Rafah food center, according to Heba Jouda and Mohammed Abed, two Paleostinians who were in the crowd.

People fell to the ground, trying to take cover, they said. "Fire was coming from everywhere," said Jouda, who has repeatedly made the journey to get food for her family over the past week. "It’s getting worse day by day," she said.

The Flag Roundabout, hundreds of meters (yards) from the GHF center, has been the scene of repeated shootings. It is on the route designated by the Israeli military for people to take to reach the center.

Paleostinians over the past weeks have said Israeli troops open fire to prevent people from moving past a certain point on the road before the scheduled opening of the center or because people leave the road.

A GHF spokesperson told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named on Sunday that "none of the incidents to date have occurred at our sites or during operating hours." It said the incidents have involved aid-seekers who were moving "during prohibited times ... or trying to take a shortcut." It said it was trying to improve safety measures, including by recently moving the opening times from nighttime to daylight hours.

GHF has repeatedly opened sites for distribution in the middle of the night, even though the IDF has said access routes to the sites are closed during those times, placing hungry Gazooks in the dilemma of having to decide between picking up food or staying in safer areas without any aid.

The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of aid distribution that the United Nations
...a formerly good idea gone bad...
says is neither impartial nor neutral. Its operations have been plagued by deadly shooting incidents in areas leading to its sites.

The IDF is not present at the sites that are protected by civilian contractors, but does secure the approach routes. The IDF has admitted that in some cases, troops fired warning shots or fired at suspects who approached them while ignoring calls to stay away from military positions.

The lack of international media access to the Strip has made verifying either side’s claims almost impossible.

Pishtosh. Everyone knows Hamas lies as they breathe — their faith requires taqqiya of them. In contrast, both Judaism and Christianity require truthfulness almost all of the time, and so it has proved for Israel since before it became an independent state in 1948. There is no equivalence here.

IRAN STRIKES COULD HELP BRING HOSTAGE DEAL, OFFICIAL CLAIMS
Israel believes that its strikes against Iran will help in talks with Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Monday.

"The backing for Hamas will not be as strong," said the official. "Hamas will feel compelled to move forward with an agreement."

Weeks ago, Israel proposed a deal in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages on the first day of a 60-day ceasefire, and two more a month later, according to the official.

Families of hostages in Gaza have expressed their worry in recent days that the fighting with Iran has overshadowed the plight of their captive loved ones.

Israel launched its campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

Terror groups in Gaza continue to hold 53 hostages, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF, and 20 who are believed to be alive. There are grave concerns for the well-being of three others, Israeli officials have said.

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Israel sent a Bedouin criminal against Hamas. But quickly forgot about him

2025-06-16

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Leonid Tsukanov

[REGNUM] Iran and Israel continue to exchange intense strikes. Against this backdrop, the operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which official Tel Aviv recently called “existential,” has temporarily faded into the background.

Israel threw all its forces against the Iranians, completely forgetting about its other project - an "alternative government" of the enclave headed by a loyalist Bedouin. Which, given the busy schedule of its "senior comrades", was left alone with Hamas.

ROBIN HOODS IN ISRAELI STYLE
The first news of “enclave loyalists” came at the end of November 2024, when a number of major Western media outlets (including, for example, The Washington Post) reported on attempts by the Israeli army to influence the flow of humanitarian aid through Gaza.

Allegedly, the main supply lines were laid through so-called red zones, where armed groups of unknown affiliation operated, emptying vans and appropriating humanitarian aid.

The Israelis turned a blind eye to what was happening, attributing the operations to the activities of “local militias.”

And not forgetting to emphasize that the latter acted on the principle of "rob the loot" and attacked only those trucks that had already allegedly been appropriated by Hamas. However, they kept silent about who exactly was leading the raids.

Towards the middle of 2025, the “pro-Israeli militias” acquired a face. Yasser Abu Shabab, a member of the influential Bedouin clan Tarabin, came to the fore.

Shabab's men, using his connections in the criminal world and support from the Israeli command, quickly took over the small gangs operating in the enclave and created the "Gaza Governance Committee." It positions itself as a future alternative to the Hamas government and proclaims its goal to be the "peaceful rebirth" of the enclave.

According to various sources, between 300 and 500 fighters are fighting under the Shabab, distributed among the “red zones” from East Rafah to Karem Abu Salem. At the same time, the “committee’s” base, from which the main raids are carried out, is located in close proximity to the Israeli outposts in the Philadelphia Corridor, near the border city of Rafah.

SUITCASE WITHOUT HANDLE
Despite the ambitions of Israel's plan to establish an "alternative administration" in Gaza, it quickly stalled.

First of all, the criminal past of the leader of the "Gaza Governance Committee" played a role. Shabab, who had previously been involved in robberies and drug smuggling, did not really fit into the image of a fighter for civil liberties created by the Israeli media.

In addition, he was suspected of having ties to the terrorist underground, including because the ranks of the “committee” include former participants in radical campaigns in Syria and Iraq, and the information work is carried out by people from the banned media outlet “Al-Furqan”.

Because of this, the sudden revelation by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the authorities' support for the "committee" was met with extreme coldness by his Knesset colleagues.

The Prime Minister was quickly reminded of the sad experience of the United States, when support for the “gray militias” in Iraq in the early 2000s resulted in the emergence of new radical movements in the Middle East.

And some deputies, such as Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Our Home), even tried to provoke an image scandal (similar to the fading Qatargate). However, so far without result.

With the start of Israel's Operation Lion Force against Iran, the fighters of the Gaza Control Committee were essentially left to their own devices. Their opponents did not miss the chance to take advantage of this.

Hamas counterintelligence raids resulted in the arrest of several dozen members of the "committee," including a couple of mid-level commanders. Another fifty or so loyalists were killed in clashes in various parts of the enclave.

At the same time, the Palestinians have not yet managed to catch Shabab himself - he almost never leaves the “citadel” near the Philadelphia Corridor and commands the fighters remotely.

INTERNAL SQUABBLES
Although the committee's representatives are currently trying to avoid clashes with Hamas units and prefer to mainly hunt humanitarian caravans, their activity is causing increasing irritation among the current leadership of the enclave.

Moreover, the emergence of alternative centers of power in Gaza – even if they are more of a decorative nature – provokes squabbles between Palestinian factions.

One of the first to make a mark was the head of the Palestinian National Authority, Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas. Although he did not see the committee as a real force, he called its appearance in Gaza "a harbinger of the fall of Hamas" and advocated the immediate demilitarization of the movement.

Representatives of other competing forces later tried to put forward a similar idea.

However, such attacks do not yet correspond too closely to reality. Units of pro-Israeli militias still retain relative combat capability, but they are unlikely to be able to hold out for long without the direct participation of the Israeli army in the event of large-scale clashes.

Moreover, Israel itself is not in a hurry to pump resources into the Shabab forces, fearing the loss of strict control over its units. Especially in the context of the war with Iran that has begun.

Recruiting new fighters within the enclave also proved difficult, as the committee's overly obvious connections with Israeli military structures played a cruel joke.

Hamas, meanwhile, has set its sights on getting even with Tel Aviv for its attempts to undermine its position in Gaza from within. The movement was among the first to join the strikes on Israeli territory as part of Iran's Operation True Promise 3, while other proxy forces, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, have so far adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

Hamas has enough resources to play simultaneously on two “boards” – both against the Israelis and their proxies.

Therefore, it is not worth excluding the possibility that the committee will soon go into a completely defensive mode, so as not to lose any remaining influence.

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Gaza civil defence reports 10 deaths near aid centre, GHF still delivers 23,000 boxes (each box has 3.5 days of meals for 5.5 people)

2025-06-10

[GEO.TV] 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...
civil defence agency said that 10 people were killed and more than 30 maimed Monday when Israeli troops fired at people trying to enter food distribution centres.

The Israeli military acknowledged that it had fired "warning shots" during incidents near food centres.

Gaza civil defence agency front man Mahmoud Bassal told AFP that Israeli forces fired "several times" at people at the al-Alam roundabout, close to the GHF distribution centre at Rafah.

He said six Paleostinians heading for the aid centre were killed in one incident and four more about eight hours later.

The Israeli military told AFP that "several individuals attempted to approach IDF troops operating in the Rafah area, posing a threat to the troops".

"IDF troops fired warning shots to distance the individuals. The IDF is aware of reports regarding several individuals injured, the details are under review," a front man added.

Bassal said that at another GHF centre south of Gaza city, 31 people were maimed by Israeli gunfire in a separate incident early in the morning.

The Israeli military front man said "thousands of Paleostinian civilians attempted to break into the aid distribution center, posing a threat to IDF troops operating in the area of the Netzarim Corridor".

"The troops called out to the suspects in an attempt to distance them, but as they continued advancing in a way that endangered the troops, the soldiers responded with warning shots."

The view from the Israeli side by the Times of Israel:

Witnesses accuse Israel-backed Abu Shabab militia of firing into crowd at Tel Sultan aid facility; IDF says troops destroyed mile-long tunnel in recent operations

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said Monday it was forced to close one of its aid distribution sites due to “chaos,” as Hamas authorities claimed Israeli forces and allied local gunmen fired at Palestinians heading to the facility.

The GHF on Monday opened three distribution points — one in Wadi Gaza and two in Rafah’s Tel Sultan — but said it was forced to later close one of the Tel Sultan centers due to the “chaos of the crowds.”

A GHF spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

The Hamas-run health ministry announced that six people were killed. Witnesses told the News Agency that Dare Not be Named that the button men appeared to have been allied with the Israeli military, operating in close proximity to troops and retreating into an Israeli military zone in the southern city of Rafah after the crowd hurled stones at them.

Heba Joda, who was in the crowd Monday, said gunfire broke out at a roundabout where previous shootings have occurred, around a kilometer (half a mile) from the aid site. She said the shots came from the "dangerous zone" where Israeli troops and their allies are stationed.

She said she saw men from a local militia led by Yasser Abu Shabaab trying to organize the crowds into lines on the road. When people pushed forward, the button men opened fire. People then hurled stones at them, forcing them to withdraw toward the Israeli positions, she said.

The Abu Shabaab group, which calls itself the Popular Forces, says it is guarding the surroundings of the GHF centers in southern Gaza. Aid workers say it has a long history of looting UN aid trucks. GHF has said it does not work with the Abu Shabaab group.

Defense sources confirmed on Thursday that Israel was arming the group, which has been linked in the past to smuggling operations with Egyptian jihadist groups.

Hussein Shamimi, who was also in the crowd, said his 14-year-old cousin was among those killed.

"There was an ambush... the Israelis from one side and Abu Shabaab from another," he said.

Mohammed Kabaga, a Paleostinian displaced from northern Gaza, said he saw masked men firing toward the crowds after trying to organize them. "They fired at us directly," he said while being treated at Nasser Hospital, in the nearby city of Khan Younis. He had been shot in the neck, as had three other people seen by an AP journalist at the hospital.

Kabaga said he saw around 50 masked men with 4×4 vehicles in the area around the roundabout, close to Israeli military lines. "We didn’t receive anything," he said. "They shot us."

Nasser Hospital said several men had been shot in the upper body, some in the head. Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Hamas-run health ministry’s records department, said six people were killed and more than 99 maimed, some of them at another GHF center in central Gaza.

The GHF, in a statement released overnight, slammed Hamas’s "explicit threats" against its staff and those who accept the aid it distributes.

"At the same time, Hamas endorsed the 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...
, an organization it has routinely stolen from, as the only legitimate providers of aid," it said. "The contrast is telling. After delivering over 10 million meals, GHF has built a system that delivers aid directly to the people who actually need it. Despite these threats, we will continue to deliver urgent humanitarian relief with resolve and purpose.

"The international community, including the United Nations and other aid groups, must immediately and unequivocally condemn Hamas’s threats against both aid workers and civilians. There is no justification for targeting aid workers or the civilians they serve, or for silence from those who know better. Hamas must understand its actions are unacceptable, and the world is watching," it added.

On Sunday, GHF said it delivered 11 trucks’ worth of aid to community leaders for distribution in northern Rafah, as part of a pilot program that will see supplies delivered directly to Gazooks instead of forcing them to walk long distances and cross IDF lines in order to receive aid.

The agency has faced heavy scrutiny from other aid bodies, as well as the UN and foreign countries, which say that it does not sufficiently address the humanitarian needs in the war-torn Paleostinian enclave.

GHF says it handed out over 23,000 boxes of food at two sites Monday

[IsraelTimes] The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it distributed over 23,000 boxes of food at two distribution sites today in Rafah and central Gaza.

This brings the total boxes delivered since a May 26 launch to 192,480, according to GHF.

The US- and Israeli-backed foundation says each box contains meals for 5.5 people for 3.5 days.

However, its contents are largely dry food products that require community kitchens or cooking equipment to prepare, which are very scarce in war-ravaged Gaza.

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Head of Gaza militia cited denying Israel support, demanding Hamas cede power

2025-06-09

[IsraelTimes] In unverified quotes, anti-Hamas militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab says coordination with Israel would only take place through mediators and for humanitarian purposes

The head of an anti-Hamas militia in Gaza was quoted on Sunday giving comments to an Israeli media outlet and a US nonprofit on his group’s operations in the enclave, in which he denied ties to Israel.

Defense sources confirmed on Thursday that Israel has been arming a criminal gang in the Strip as part of an effort to strengthen opposition to Hamas in the enclave. The group in question is led by Yasser Abu Shabab, a member of a large clan in southern Gaza. It has been linked in the past to smuggling operations with Egyptian jihadist groups.

The revelation led to intense criticism within Israel.

Ostensibly speaking to Army Radio in a series of text messages, the veracity of which has not been confirmed, Abu Shabab said: “We do not work with Israel. Our goal is to protect the Palestinians from Hamas terror. Our weapons are not from Israel — they are simple arms we collected from the local population.”

He added that “these rumors are meant to harm our reputation and create hostility between us, Israel, and Arab states.”

Abu Shabab denied having any meetings with Israeli officials, while saying that “if any coordination takes place it will be humanitarian, for the benefit of our people in eastern Rafah, and will be carried out through mediation channels.”

Meanwhile, the Center for Peace Communications, which bills itself as an organization committed to revealing the plight of those living under the rule of Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, published what it called an “exclusive first public statement” from Abu Shabab. It is not clear how it obtained the audio clip, which also could not be verified.

In it, the person identifying himself as Abu Shabab also denied “working with the occupation,” while calling on Hamas to “step down from government.” He asserted, “We have hundreds of families heading to the areas we control daily.”

Abu Shabab’s gang has been documented in recent days operating in an area near the Kerem Shalom border crossing, which is under Israeli military control.

In the footage, published online by Abu Shabab, members of the group can be seen wearing military-style uniforms with the Palestinian flag and the words “Counter-Terrorism Mechanism” emblazoned on them.

Sources have confirmed that Israel has been arming the gang with Kalashnikov rifles, including some that were seized from Hamas during the ongoing war.

The decision to start arming the group was made without the approval of Israel’s security cabinet, forgoing normal procedure. It was instead led by Israeli security bodies, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval, the defense sources said.

The militia has been operating in Rafah, in an area under Israeli military control. Abu Shabab has claimed to be securing the humanitarian aid convoys entering Israel through the southern border crossings, although others have accused his gang of looting them.

According to Hamas sources who spoke with the Lebanese Al-Akhbar outlet, the militia comprises some 300 people, of whom Abu Shabab personally recruited around 50. They alleged that the remaining 250 members were recruited through the Palestinian Authority’s intelligence service.

The Hamas sources did not offer proof of Abu Shabab’s alleged ties to the Ramallah-based PA, and Al-Akhbar did not verify any of the terror group’s claims.

The group emerged in Rafah in May 2024, following the IDF invasion of the Strip’s southernmost city, the Hamas sources said. They told Al-Akhbar that the Al-Qassam Brigades have “already started carrying out direct assassinations” of members of Abu Shabab’s gang, and that its continued existence has fast become a “central issue” for the terror group.

According to the sources, some members of the group belong to an extremist Salafi faction that had run-ins with Hamas prior to the war as well.

This is not the first time that Netanyahu has been involved in or accused of propping up militias and terror groups to undermine a common enemy.

Various reports over the years have indicated that Israel’s policy under Netanyahu was to treat Hamas as an asset that could be used to weaken the Palestinian Authority.

Link

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