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Follow U.S., Israel interested in three countries resettlement of Gazans, sources say Story by Camilla Schick • 1h • The Trump administration and Israel approached the governments of Sudan and Somalia, and have also been interested in Syria, as potential places to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, according to three sources familiar with the effort. The idea of Palestinian resettlement in another country is one of several options the Trump team is chewing over as part of the U.S. president's larger goal of ending Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and rebuilding the devastated Palestinian enclave. "Nobody is expelling any Palestinians," President Trump said Wednesday, when the Irish Prime Minister was asked during the two leaders' Oval Office meeting by a Voice of America reporter about the president's controversial remarks in February when he suggested taking ownership of Gaza to rebuild it. Mr. Trump made the remarks during a Feb. 4 press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Gaza could be the "Riviera of the Middle East." " We should go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts, and there are many of them that want to do this, and build various domains that will ultimately be occupied by the 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza, ending the death and destruction," Mr. Trump said. A combination of Israeli and U.S. officials communicated to Sudan and Somalia, two diplomatic sources confirmed to CBS News. Senior far-right Israeli government officials have already been calling for Palestinians to migrate from the enclave. Mr. Trump's remarks have only emboldened Israel to reach out to other countries to explore opportunities for Palestinian resettlement, one source said. Three sources familiar with Mr. Trump's idea of resettling Gazans to another country told CBS News that his administration and Israel have also been interested in Syria. One source familiar with the Trump administration's Middle East policy said that the administration has attempted outreach to Syria's new interim government via a third-party interlocutor. Another source from the region told CBS News that Syria's government had been approached, but it was unclear whether there had been any response from Syria to the outreach. A senior Syrian official told CBS News that they are unaware of any outreach to their government by Israel or the U.S. about resettlement of Gazans. Dahir Hassan, Somalia's ambassador to the U.S., told CBS News that "neither the U.S. administration nor Israeli authorities have approached the Somali government regarding any proposed relocation of Palestinians to Somalia." Hassan also cited concern that "the dissemination of such unverified information risks fueling recruitment propaganda for extremist groups like ISIS and Al-Shabaab, potentially exacerbating security challenges in the region." The Sudanese government has not responded to a CBS News' request for comment. Syria's fledgling interim government is just three months old, after toppling Bashar al-Assad and his brutal regime which held an iron fist over the Syrian people for decades. The Arab northeast African nation of Sudan is currently embroiled in civil war and a refugee crisis while suffering pockets of famine. Tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees have sought asylum in Israel over the last two decades, only to be detained in the country's desert-based detention centers or left to live without any formal status. The East African country of Somalia is a fragile, formerly failed state where the militant Islamist group Al-Shabaab continues to wage a deadly insurgency. Since his Feb. 4 news conference, Mr. Trump has suggested Palestinians would have a choice on whether to leave but also indicated that their departure from Gaza could be permanent. In a Fox News interview several days later he said, "We'll build beautiful communities, safe communities, could be five, six, could be two. But we'll build safe communities a little bit away from where they (the Palestinians) are." In the same interview, he said that Palestinians wouldn't have the right to return to Gaza under his plan because the enclave "is not habitable" and won't be for years to come. Israel is keeping up its attacks in Gaza despite the Loaded: 19.99% Play Current Time 0:01 / Duration 1:30 Quality Settings Captions Fullscreen CBS News Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in limbo Unmute 0 View on Watch The United Nations reported in January that over 90% of housing units in Gaza are either damaged or destroyed and 1.9 million Gazan civilians have been displaced. Gaza's health ministry says more than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas, which began after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack in which Hamas killed more than 1,000 Israelis and took roughly 100 more hostage. Multiple Arab governments, the United Nations and some Democratic lawmakers, quickly denounced Mr. Trump's idea of emptying out Gaza with some defining the idea as ethnic cleansing. Instead, Arab leaders endorsed an alternative Egyptian post-war construction plan for Gaza last week, but the Trump administration and Israel were both quick to reject it, again citing that the Gaza Strip is uninhabitable. Former President Joe Biden's administration had been sending U.S. officials on a regular basis to meet with the new Syrian government in Damascus in the lead-up to Mr. Trump's inauguration when the visits stopped. Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, was quick to condemn Mr. Trump's remarks in February, saying that the U.S. president's plan "is a serious crime that will ultimately fail". It is unclear what the Trump administration's overall policy toward the new Syrian government will be. "The Trump administration should engage directly with the new government in Damascus, particularly after the agreement between Damascus and the SDF (the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces). And to ensure that Iran never again gains a foothold in Syria, for the true, enduring defeat of ISIS, and to conduct a full withdrawal of U.S. forces in the right way unlike what unfolded in Afghanistan," Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Washington-based advocacy and humanitarian organization Syrian Emergency Task Force, told CBS News. Israel has conducted widespread airstrikes in Syria since December, on what it described as Assad regime weapons sites, and seized territory in the buffer zone between both countries. This past week, Israel struck inside a Damascus suburb, saying it was taking out the headquarters of the Islamic Jihad, an Iran-backed militant group that has a substantial foothold in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. A State Department spokesperson deferred to the Israeli government, and told CBS News that Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff "continues to work tirelessly towards either an extension of Phase One (of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement) or an advance to Phase Two with these principles in mind". The State Department also referred to remarks by Witkoff from a February Fox News interview in which he said, "We need to explore new policy prescriptions that ultimately end up in a better life for Gazans and Palestinians." Witkoff also suggested in the same Fox interview that Gaza's entire Palestinian population could go to other Middle East-based Arab nations and other countries beyond the region: "I think that the president's solution is: how do we address where two million people can go? And I think the obvious answers are: in some respects, Egypt, in some respects, Jordan; but in some respects other countries who have called us up and voluntarily said this is a humanitarian effort, we want to help you". Asked by "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan on Sunday about whether the Trump administration is talking to other countries about relocation of two million Palestinians in Gaza, Witkoff said again "I think we're exploring, Margaret, all alternatives and options that lead to a better life for Gazans. And, by the way, for the people of Israel. So we're exploring all of those things." Millions of displaced Palestinians already live in surrounding Arab countries as refugees, including in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. Far-right Israeli ministers have increasingly called for moving Palestinians in Gaza and also in the West Bank off their land as part of the extreme view it would fulfill a Biblical claim by Jews to the land, and increase Israel's security. The Israeli government, the White House and its National Security Council all declined to respond to multiple CBS News requests for comment. Trump's son-in-law and former advisor Jared Kushner first suggested that Gaza's "waterfront property could be very valuable, if people would focus on building up livelihoods" during an on-camera discussion at Harvard University in February 2024. The Associated Press was the first to report Friday that the U.S. and Israel had contacted Sudan, Somalia, and also Somaliland, about resettling Palestinians from Gaza.

Salam Alaykum, Im trying to figure out which choices are off limits when it comes to internships/early career choices. I do not want to contribute to political organizations that contribute to the oppression and war in middle eastern countries or for example large tech companies that fund Israel, but at the same time I feel like I should experience their high level tech solutions and learn from within their organizations in order to make a difference one day. I do not want to contribute to evil goals, but at the same time I realize I cannot contribute much if Im still learning. A scholar once told me that the difference between us and the Jews is that we do not justify the means for the sake of the end. However, I struggle to see how we can learn from these evil companies without participating in them. I want to be able to help and support Imam al Mahdi ajtf, in the right way. Please, help me.

Israel's military is told to prepare to defend a Druze community outside Syria's capital Story by AP • 3h • 2 min read Syria Israel© Omar Sanadiki JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense ministry on Saturday said the military has been instructed to prepare to defend a Druze settlement in the suburbs of Damascus, asserting that the minority it has vowed to protect was “under attack” by Syrian forces. The statement, citing an order from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, follows an Israeli warning last weekend that the forces of neighboring Syria’s new government and the insurgent group that led last year’s ouster of former President Bashar Assad should not enter the area south of Damascus. Saturday’s statement indicates that Israeli forces could push farther into Syria as its new authorities try to consolidate control after more than a decade of civil war. Israeli forces recently set up posts in a buffer zone and on strategic Mt. Hermon nearby. There have been no major clashes between Israeli troops and Syria's new forces. “We will not allow the terrorist regime of radical Islam in Syria to harm the Druze. If the regime harms the Druze, it will be harmed by us,” the statement said. There was no immediate response from Syria's government. The Druze are a religious minority who live in southern Syria and in Israel’s Golan Heights, where they navigate their historically Syrian identity while living under Israeli rule. Israel’s statement followed the outbreak of unrest Friday in the Druze settlement of Jaramana, when a member of the security forces entered and started shooting in the air, leading to an exchange of fire with local gunmen that left him dead. On Saturday, gunmen came from the Damascus suburb of Mleiha to Jaramana, where they clashed with Druze gunmen. That left one Druze fighter dead and nine other people wounded, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor. The Israeli warning last Sunday to Syrian forces and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main former rebel group, made clear that Israeli forces would stay in parts of southern Syria for an indefinite period. “We demand the complete demilitarization of southern Syria in the provinces of Quneitra, Daraa and Sweida from the forces of the new regime,” that earlier statement said. “Likewise, we will not tolerate any threat to the Druze community in southern Syria.” After the fall of Assad in December, Israel seized the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone on Syrian territory. The zone was set up under a 1974 ceasefire agreement. Syria’s new authorities and U.N. officials have called for Israel to withdraw. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s government has been under pressure to protect Israelis living near border areas in the north as it tries to return residents of the north to their homes.

@realDonaldTrump The World as a Whole Entity, will never tolerate Western Zionist Barbarism on Humanity. Israel is a crime syndicate with an army created by @UN out of Terrorism, sustained by Rape, Pillage and Genocide. Zionism is a Curse on Humanity. https://x.com/kanduvai/status/1854716985189581147

DW BREAKING — Israel's military says it is carrying out strikes against military targets in Iran The Iranian assault followed Israel's launching widespread attacks in Lebanon, including the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on September 27. This is a developing story. More to follow. Explosions heard in Iranian capital Iranian state TV reported that several loud explosions were heard in capital Tehran and nearby city Karaj city early on Saturday morning. There was no official comment about the source of the explosions. Israel has been planning its response to a ballistic missile barrage carried out by Iran on October 1, which was Tehran's second direct attack on Israel in six months "Some people report hearing the sound of several explosions in the west of Tehran," Tasnim news agency reported. Iranian authorities had previously warned Israel against launching an attack, saying any strike on Iran would be met with a stronger retaliation.

"Israel vs Iran Military Power Comparison 2023 covers all major defense parameters to compare Iran vs Israel Power Comparison 2023 here you can find how powerful is Israel Military Power 2023 and How powerful is Iran Military Power 2023 one can also find who is the most powerful country between Israel and Iran In this Israel vs Iran Military Comparison you can find Israeli airforce vs irani airforce irani navy vs Israeli navy israeli army vs irani land forces comparison." The above may be seen as a preliminary information. Final conclusion can not be drawn as many of the defense capabilities of Iran have been kept hidden, i assume. Any remarks from SC members will be appreciated. wasalam

Newsweek 'Death to Israel' Displayed Across Chicago After Hackers Change Billboards Story by Marie Boran • 10h • Several electronic billboards in Chicago were hacked on Wednesday to display messages such as "Death to Israel" and implicated popular YouTuber MrBeast. The billboards, located in the suburb of Northbrook, began displaying the offensive messages around 5:30 p.m. Commuters were confronted with slogans like "Death to Israel" and "F*** Israel," both set against the backdrop of a Palestinian flag. The messages remained visible for at least an hour before being taken down around 7 p.m. The billboards included the text "Paid for by MrBeast LLC," referencing the YouTuber whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson. At least one billboard included an image of his face beside the text. In a statement to Fox 32 Chicago, a spokesperson for MrBeast said that neither he nor his company had any involvement in the hack and wanted the content removed straight away: "MrBeast did not pay for this billboard and after being made aware of its existence, we contacted our attorneys and the authorities about how to have it immediately removed." Congressman Brad Schneider, who represents Illinois' 10th District, was among the first to respond. "This disgusting, intimidating display has no place in the 10th District, or anywhere in America," he told Fox 32 Chicago. "Notable that this sign is located in a community with a large Jewish population, in close proximity to a Jewish day school, at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot," added Schneider who contacted local police and the billboard company, Outfront Media, to demand immediate action and an investigation into how the messages were posted. Outfront Media confirmed that the billboards were hacked. By 7 p.m., the company had taken the signs down and shut off the displays entirely. In a statement, it said, "We are aware of this incident. The copy has been removed and the situation is being investigated." A stock photo of blank billboard advertising on a highway. Hacked billboards in Chicago temporarily displayed antisemitic messages on Wednesday, October 16. Nur Kayat/Getty Images© Nur Kayat/Getty Images The Village of Northbrook and local organizations condemned the incident, as reported by Fox 32 Chicago. "The Northbrook Village Board unequivocally condemns antisemitism and all acts of hate speech. We stand together with the Jewish community, family members, friends, and neighbors. Northbrook is an inclusive community and welcomes all," the village's statement said. Both Northbrook police and the media company are now investigating the source of the hack, and it remains unclear who was behind the attack. No individual hacker or hacker group has come forward yet to claim the billboards. The name MrBeast may have been included as part of an attempt by hackers to capitalize on the YouTuber's history of buying up billboards for campaigns; in 2018, MrBeast purchased multiple billboards to promote fellow YouTuber PewDiePie during his subscriber race against Bollywood channel T-Series. The YouTuber has been in the spotlight in recent days after accusations surfaced that he allegedly profited over $10 million by promoting and then dumping several altcoins, including SuperFarmDAO's token. Blockchain investigator SomaXBT raised concerns, claiming MrBeast invested in low-cap crypto projects, promoted them to his vast audience, and later sold off his shares, causing token prices to plummet. While there's no indication of illegal activity, this has sparked ethical debates within the cryptocurrency community about the implications of such actions.

The Israeli assault on Damascus today is different in nature, and Syria must respond with a new approach. Let me be clear: I'm not here to philosophize to you or the decision-makers, and I'm not calling for violence. I'm simply analyzing the situation and connecting the dots, based on my humble understanding and experience. Today's attack on Damascus was nothing short of a full-scale terrorist assault on a residential neighborhood, killing innocent civilians. The message Israel is sending to the "axis of resistance" is crystal clear: if you persist in linking the Gaza and Lebanese fronts, Israel will escalate violently, destabilize Damascus, and force the Syrian Army into direct retaliation, dragging Syria fully into this war. Furthermore, Israel has mobilized the al-Jolani gangs in Idlib, using CIA and MI6 assets, to launch an offensive on Syrian Army positions in the north. All the talk of a political settlement is nothing but a smokescreen. Israel has no intention of halting its war machine now. Its ultimate goal remains unchanged: to annihilate the Palestinian cause once and for all, to weaken Hezbollah, and to further isolate Syria. Does anyone seriously believe that the Zionists invested 13 years in the Syrian war just to let Damascus come out victorious in the end? Why do you think U.S. occupation forces are entrenched at the al-Tanf border crossing and along the eastern shore of the Euphrates? They are in al-Tanf to support Israel militarily, technologically, and with intelligence when the southern front ignites. And they are on the eastern shore of the Euphrates not only to block Syria's access to its oil fields but also to pave the way for the establishment of a Kurdish entity. Have you ever questioned where Israel’s borders truly begin and end? According to arch-Zionist theorists, their borders stretch from the Nile to the Western shore of the Euphrates. Now, under this vision, who controls the eastern shore of the Euphrates? According to the Greater Israel plan, it’s meant to be Kurdistan. Do you see where this is all heading? Returning to today's aggression on Damascus, if we analyze Israel’s offensive patterns, their intentions, and the dominance they currently enjoy in escalation, coupled with Iran’s limited participation in the ongoing conflict—if Syria doesn't establish strong deterrence immediately, through direct military means and with substantial Iranian support, Israel’s next step could be to flatten entire buildings in the heart of Damascus. Again, I'm not here to frighten you or call for violence. I'm here to tell you the truth from my perspective. Israel has already decided on greater war, and the "axis of resistance" faces monumental challenges that can be overcome only through united, decisive action against the US-Israeli axis.

Hebrew Router: On September 22, 2023, each employee of Al Arabiya channel received $160,000 in exchange for supporting the "Israel" narrative. The Israeli funding is managed by Yonatan Gonen, who heads the communications unit of the Zionist Foreign Ministry, and has funded a number of influencers in Egypt, the Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. In excess to medias, the entire Arab population except Yemen, Syria and Lebanon are fully compromised.

“US media reported that the ground operation in Lebanon will begin within the next few hours.” Reportedly footage near Lebanese border in occupied Palestine. Hezbollah hasn't attacked the tank positions. https://t.me/Mimews/548 The Western Medias. ️Israel tells US it plans imminent ‘limited’ ground operation in Lebanon – Washington Post ️Israeli ground operation in Lebanon ‘could start as soon as today’ – BBC

“US media reported that the ground operation in Lebanon will begin within the next few hours.” Reportedly footage near Lebanese border in occupied Palestine. Hezbollah hasn't attacked the tank positions. https://t.me/Mimews/548 The Western Medias. ️Israel tells US it plans imminent ‘limited’ ground operation in Lebanon – Washington Post ️Israeli ground operation in Lebanon ‘could start as soon as today’ – BBC

Breaking: The American terrorists' base near Baghdad International Airport has been attacked.

Netanyahu addressing Iran Public. Netanyahu speaks to the Iranian people - in English and with English subtitles. He has a habit of pretending to reach out to the people of the countries he intends to bomb next. https://x.com/netanyahu/status/1840740049299583355

“Hezbollah says it fired a Noor missile at Kfar Giladi - and this missile has not been used throughout the war so far”

Mark Follow Market Watch Israeli strike on Gaza humanitarian area kills and wounds dozens, authorities say Story by Associated Press JERUSALEM — Israel’s military conducted a missile strike early Tuesday that targeted a humanitarian area in the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians there, authorities said. Details about the strike in the Mawasi coastal community just west of Khan Younis that the Israeli military has designated as a humanitarian zone remained unclear. The area is home to many Palestinians displaced by the Israel-Hamas war in which the Israeli military has devastated the wider Gaza Strip after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Footage circulating on social media showed deep craters at the site of the attack, the strewn ruins around it covered in shredded tents, a bicycle and other debris. Rescue workers used shovels to shift through the sand. Bystanders used their hands to dig, illuminated by mobile phone light. At least one crater at the site looked to be as deep as 32 feet. The Israeli military described the strike as hitting “significant Hamas terrorists who were operating within a command-and-control center,” without immediately providing additional evidence. The Palestinian news agency WAFA said dozens had been killed and wounded, without providing precise casualty figures. It described five missiles striking the area, cratering the ground. The Israeli military said it used “precise munitions, aerial surveillance and additional means” it did not immediately describe to limit civilian casualties. Footage circulating on social media showed deep craters at the site of the attack, the strewn ruins around it covered in shredded tents, a bicycle and other debris. Rescue workers used shovels to shift through the sand. Bystanders used their hands to dig, illuminated by mobile phone light. On Monday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres that the United Nations has offered to monitor any cease-fire in Gaza and demanded an end to the worst death and destruction he has seen in his more than seven-year tenure. Guterres said in an interview with The Associated Press that it’s “unrealistic” to think the U.N. could play a role in Gaza’s future, either by administering the territory or providing a peacekeeping force, because Israel is unlikely to accept a U.N. role. But he said “the U.N. will be available to support any cease-fire.” The United Nations has had a military monitoring mission in the Middle East, known as UNTSO, since 1948, and “from our side, this was one of the hypotheses that we’ve put on the table,” he said. “Of course, we’ll be ready to do whatever the international community asked for us,” Guterres said. “The question is whether the parties would accept it, and in particular whether Israel would accept it.” Gaza’s Health Ministry says over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began. It does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count. The war has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, often multiple times. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in their Oct. 7 attack. They abducted another 250 and are still holding around 100 after releasing most of the rest in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire last November. Around a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead. Meanwhile, the United Nations agency in charge of aid for displaced Palestinians said the Israeli military stopped a convoy for more than eight hours on Monday, despite it coordinating with the troops. The agency’s head Philippe Lazzarini said the staffers who were held had been trying to work on a polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza and Gaza City. “The convoy was stopped at gun point just after the Wadi Gaza checkpoint with threats to detain UN staff,” he wrote on the social platform X. “Heavy damage was caused by bulldozers to the UN armoured vehicles.” He said the staff and the convoy later returned to a U.N. base but it was unclear if a polio vaccination campaign would take place Tuesday in northern Gaza. “UN Staff must be allowed to undertake their duties in safety + be protected at all times in accordance with international humanitarian law, he wrote. “Gaza is no different.” The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Follow 766.2K Followers Erdogan says Turkey might enter Israel to help Palestinians Story by Reuters • 41m • 1 min read Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a military parade to mark the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus in response to a short-lived Greek-inspired coup, in the Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus, in the divided city of Nicosia, Cyprus July 20, 2024. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou/ File Photo© Thomson Reuters ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey might enter Israel as it had done in the past in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, though he did not spell out what sort of intervention he was suggesting. Erdogan, who has been a fierce critic of Israel's offensive in Gaza, started discussing that war during a speech praising his country's defence industry. Ad "We must be very strong so that Israel can't do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them," Erdogan told a meeting of his ruling AK Party in his hometown of Rize. "There is no reason why we cannot do this ... We must be strong so that we can take these steps," Erdogan added in the televised address. AK Party representatives did not respond to calls asking for more detail on Erdogan's comments. Israel did not immediately make any comment. The president appeared to be referring to past actions by Turkey. In 2020, Turkey sent military personnel to Libya in support of the United Nations-recognised Government of National Accord of Libya. Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, who heads the Government of National Unity in Tripoli, is backed by Turkey. Turkey has denied any direct role in Azerbaijan's military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, but said last year it was using "all means", including military training and modernisation, to support its close ally. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Follow 345K Followers Nikki Haley writes ‘finish them’ on IDF artillery shells during Israel visit Story by Robert Tait in Washington • 3h • 2 min read Nikki Haley, the failed Republican presidential nominee, signed Israeli artillery shells with the inscription “Finish Them!” on a Memorial Day visit to Israel. The former South Carolina governor’s graphic display of support came on a trip to Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where she was accompanied by Danny Danon, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations and a noted hawkish member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party in the Knesset. Her shell-signing activities came at a time when Israel is engaged in a devastating military offensive in Gaza that has so far killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, an estimated 15,000 of them children. Talking to reporters, Haley was unapologetic, criticising Joe Biden’s administration for temporarily withholding weapons as a means of discouraging an Israeli attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and aiming barbs at the international criminal court (ICC) – which is seeking Netanyahu’s arrest – and the international court of justice (ICJ), which is considering charges of genocide against Israel. “What America needs to understand is if Israel’s fighting our enemies, how can we not help them,” said Haley, whose missile message also carried the words “America loves Israel”. “The sure way to not help Israel is to withhold weapons. The sure way to not help Israel is to praise the ICC, the ICJ or any of those that are condemning Israel instead of condemning what happens. Ad “America needs to do whatever Israel needs and stop telling them how to fight this war. You are either a friend or not a friend.” Haley, like Danon a former ambassador to the UN, last week said she would vote for Trump in November’s presidential election, despite having previously denounced him as “dangerous” and unfit to serve. Danon proudly recorded Haley’s show of support, which also included a trip to southern Israel to meet survivors of Hamas’s 7 October attack in which about 1,200 people were killed and another 253 were taken hostage, on his X account. According to one Israeli peace activist, Alon-Lee Green, Haley also visited settlements in the West Bank, which are not recognised under international law. “Dear Americans, Nikki Haley visited us today: she went to the West Bank settlements and then signed on a bomb ‘finish them’. Just disgusting,” Green posted. “Can you take her back please? We already have one [Itamar] Ben-Gvir [Israel’s national security minister] and don’t need your filthy death-promoting politicians as well. Thanks!”

The Independent Follow 573.7K Followers Lindsey Graham suggests Israel should nuke Gaza and claims Hiroshima bomb was ‘the right thing’ Story by James Liddell • 10h • 2 min read Senator Lindsey Graham has come under fire for drawing comparisons between Israel’s war on Gaza and the US’s decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan during World War II – urging Israel to “do whatever you have to do”. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, the South Carolina Republican appeared to justify Israel’s Rafah offensive – something that President Joe Biden has warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against – and called the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 the “right decision” for the US. wants to kill you and your family. The Independent Lindsey Graham compares conflict in Gaza to World War II “When we were faced with destruction as a nation after Pearl Harbor, fighting the Germans and the Japanese, we decided to end the war by bombing Hiroshima, Nagasaki with nuclear weapons,” Mr Graham told Kristin Welker. “That was the right decision,” he concluded. The two atomic blasts and the radiation that ensued are estimated to have killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people – most of them civilians. “Give Israel the bombs they need to end the war they can’t afford to lose and work with them to minimise casualties,” Mr Graham continued. Ms Welker was stopped in her tracks by the senator’s comments, as he continued to speak over the host. “Why is it okay for America to drop two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end their existential threat war. Why was it okay to do that? I thought it was okay?” Mr Graham said. He added: “To Israel, do whatever you have to do to survive as a Jewish state. Whatever you have to do.” It’s not the first time Mr Graham has shared his controversial opinion about the Middle East conflict, previously urging the US president to blow parts of Iran “off the map”. “I have been saying for six months now... hit Iran,” he told Fox News in December. “They have oil fields out in the open, they have the Revolutionary Guard headquarters you can see from space. Blow it off the map.” The Republican senator’s comments come as Israel launches a ground invasion on the Gazan city of Rafah, with more than 360,000 Palestinians so far having fled the region, according to the United Nations. Tensions between the US and Israel continue to come under strain with Mr Biden warning Mr Netanyahu that the US will curtail the supply of certain weapons if Israel invades Rafah. Mr Netanyahu swiftly responded, telling Phil McGraw on Dr Phil that the halt of precision weapons might cause more civilian casualties due to the uptake of imprecise weaponry. The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.

Letter 4 U | Ayatollah Khamenei letter for western Youths Imam Khamenei letter against Bin laden letter (a campaign for spreading truth of Shia Islam against Zionism & rogue state of Israel & wahhabism) please everyone share the letter (4U/for you) among everyone who you can for defending the truth & Palestine (Palestinians) against sheer evil the rogue state of Israel & global zionism.

Follow 476.5K Followers Israel destroying Gaza's food system in 'starvation' tactic, UN expert says Story by Emma Farge • 48m Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen amid shortages of food supplies, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, January 16, 2024. REUTERS/Saleh Salem/File Photo© Thomson Reuters By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) - A U.N. expert said on Thursday that Israel was destroying Gaza's food system as part of a broader "starvation campaign" in its war against Hamas militants. Aid officials have warned of looming famine five months into the campaign against the Islamist Palestinian group, while hospitals in the isolated northern part of the enclave say children have started dying from malnutrition. "Israel is not only denying and restricting the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel is destroying the food system in Gaza," Michael Fakhri, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, said in a speech to the U.N. Human Rights Council. Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen amid shortages of food supplies, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, January 16, 2024. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/File Photo© Thomson Reuters "Israel has mounted a starvation campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza," he added, saying that included targeting small-scale fishermen. Israel denies restricting relief into Gaza and has since last week begun working with private contractors to deliver aid. It also denies waging war on civilians, saying its fight is with Hamas whose fighters killed 1,200 people and seized 253 hostages during its Oct. 7 attacks. Israel participates in human rights council debates as an observer and may address the forum later on Thursday. FISHING SECTOR HIT Fakhri, a Lebanese-Canadian law professor, is one of dozens of independent human rights experts mandated by the United Nations to report and advise on specific themes and crises. He was due to speak about fishing and climate change but used much of the first part of his speech to the 47-member Geneva council to address the Gaza situation. He alleged that Israel is targeting small-scale fishers by denying them access to the sea and destroying boats and shacks. Around 80% of Gaza's fishing sector has been destroyed since Oct. 7, he said, adding that every boat had been demolished by Israeli forces in the main port of Gaza City. Reuters could not verify that, though images from Oct. 8 showed smoke billowing from a boat at that port after Israeli strikes. (Reporting by Emma Farge; Aditional reporting by Nidal Al Mughrabi; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

Business Insider Follow Story by ashoaib@insider.com (Alia Shoaib) • 4h Smoke rises over a buildings in Gaza City on October 9, 2023 during an Israeli air strike. Sameh Rahmi/Getty Images© Sameh Rahmi/Getty Images An Israeli minister suggested that a nuclear weapon could be dropped on Gaza. Israel's leader Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly distanced himself from the remark by Amichai Eliyahu, a heritage minister. Netanyahu also suspended Eliyahu from meetings of Israel's cabinet. 1 / 12 1 11 powerful images of the wave of surprise attacks on Israel by Palestinian militants including burning tanks and rocket barrages©Amir Cohen/REUTERS Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has declared a state of war after Hamas launched a surprise attack. Hamas has fired thousands of rockets at Israel in "Operation Al-Aqsa Storm." Insider compiled 11 dramatic images showing the consequences of the surprise attack on Israel. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared a state of war after Palestinian militant organization Hamas launched thousands of rockets in a surprise attack on Saturday. "The Israel Defense Forces will defend Israeli civilians and the Hamas terrorist organization will pay heavy price for its actions," Israel Defense Forces said in a statement, per Insider. Hamas' military commander Mohammad Deif called on Palestinians in Israel and those in neighboring Arab countries to join the attack, which he called "Operation Al-Aqsa Storm," in a rare statement, per the Washington Post. Palestinian militants infiltrated Israeli territory by land, sea, and some even used motorized paragliders as the attacks continued. Images show the scale of the attacks, including captured Israeli military vehicles, buildings aflame, and Israelis fleeing areas targeted by Hamas. Latest reports from Israeli media say 40 Israelis have been killed so far, with a further 740 people wounded by the Hamas bombings and raids. Israel's foreign ministry claimed that Hamas fighters were wantonly murdering civilians, per Sky News. Here are 11 dramatic images as the conflict unfolds. See more An Israeli minister on Sunday suggested dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza, and was swiftly suspended from part of his role. Amichai Eliyahu, Israel's heritage minister, made the remark in a radio interview, in which he also said he believed "there are no non-combatants in Gaza," Israel's Haaretz news site reported. Eliyahu is part of Israel's far-right Otzma Yehudit party, itself part of the fragile coalition forming Israel's government as it wages war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. When asked by the interview whether a nuclear weapon could be used on Gaza, Eliyahu responded: "That's one way." Eliyahu also advocated for Israel taking control of the strip's territory and expelling Palestinians, who he suggested could go "to Ireland or deserts," per The Times of Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded within a few hours. His office released a statement that Eliyahu's nuclear weapon comment was "not based in reality." It said Israel's military was operating in "accordance with the highest standards of international law to avoid harming innocents" — a claim heavily disputed by observers and advocates in Gaza. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also criticized Eliyahu's comments, and noted that Eliyahu was not directly involved in carrying out the war. Al JazeeraHeavy battles reported between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters in northern Gaza 8:55 "It's a good thing that people like this are not in charge of Israel's security," Gallant said. Netanyahu suspended Eliyahu from Cabinet meetings until further notice, the Associated Press reported. The outlet noted that the move had "no practical effect." Eliyahu later tried to walk back his comments, AP reported, saying: "Anyone reasonable would understand that the comment was metaphorical. But we definitely need to respond powerfully and disproportionately to terrorism." Following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel that killed some 1,400 people, Israel has been bombarding Gaza with air strikes and executing a ground invasion. Some 9,000 people have been killed in Gaza, its authorities said, many of them children.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced on Wednesday to deny a report his government had approved a shipment of weapons to Palestinian security forces after hard-right ministers in his coalition expressed outrage. Israel's Army Radio reported that the United States had supplied 1,500 assault rifles to Palestinian security services in the occupied West Bank with Israel approving the deal on condition the weapons be used against the militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups. Hardline Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose party backs policies favouring nationalist settler groups, reacted angrily, demanding that Netanyahu issue a public denial, while his coalition ally, Finance Minister Bezalel Smothrich, was reported by Israeli media to be "seething". this sounds crazy!!!!

Bloomberg Follow Israel’s Top Spy Worried Russia Could Sell Iran Advanced Weapons Story by Marissa Newman •9h (Bloomberg) -- Israel believes Russia could sell advanced weaponry to Iran, the director of the Mossad intelligence agency said, in rare public criticism of Moscow by an Israeli official. “We are concerned that the Russians will meet Iran’s demands to supply it with weapons and raw materials that will put Israel at risk,” Mossad’s David Barnea said in a speech on Sunday. Iran has been seeking sophisticated new air-defense systems from Russia, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News in March. Russia hasn’t said if it will supply the S-400s, which Israeli officials believe would hamper their ability to strike Tehran’s nuclear program. Israel has repeatedly vowed it won’t allow arch-nemesis Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and frequently threatens military action. Russia and Iran have bolstered their ties over the war in Ukraine, while Israel has issued only mild criticism of Moscow to keep its relations warm with the Kremlin on Middle East issues. In his public remarks Barnea said his agency foiled over two dozen planned attacks by Iran targeting Jewish and Israeli sites around the world this year, without providing specifics. The Mossad director threatened to strike Iranian officials and policymakers “from the bottom all the way to the top” should any attack plot linked to Iran harm Jews or Israelis. Israel’s retaliation would strike “deep inside Iran, in the heart of Tehran,” he warned.

Time Follow The American Public's Views on Israel Are Undergoing a Profound Shift. Washington Hasn't Caught Up Story by Yasmeen Serhan • 6h ago When Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, there will be some notable absences. At least five progressive U.S. lawmakers, including Reps. Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, and Cori Bush, confirmed that they will be skipping Herzog’s speech in protest of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians in the occupied territories, which some Democrats recently described as “racist” and akin to apartheid. While these Democrats may be in the minority among their congressional peers, their positions are more mainstream than the D.C. establishment might suggest. Polls this year have shown that the gap between the American public and those elected to represent them is widening when it comes to U.S. policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly among Democrats. This year, for the first time, an annual Gallup survey found that Democrats’ sympathies lie more with Palestinians than Israelis by a margin of 49% to 38%. The survey found that sympathy toward Palestinians among U.S. adults is at a new high of 31%, while the proportion not favoring either side is at a new low of 15%. That’s a remarkable shift from only a decade ago, when sympathy toward Palestinians stood at just 12%. During that same period, sympathy toward Israelis has declined from 64% to 54%. Other recent surveys, carried out by researchers at the University of Maryland and Ipsos, reveal similarly noteworthy trends. A new poll published on the eve of Herzog’s address found that, in the absence of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, three-quarters of Americans would choose a democratic Israel that is no longer Jewish over a Jewish Israel that denies full citizenship and equality to non-Jews. The U.S. and the wider international community are still officially committed to a two-state solution, but many experts believe it’s no longer viable as a result of Israeli settlement expansion. Americans are also increasingly less likely to describe Israel as a democracy. When asked to describe the way Israel looks in a poll conducted between March and April, only 9% of respondents chose “a vibrant democracy,” a common descriptor for Israel among U.S. officialdom. The rest chose “a flawed democracy” (13%), “a state with restricted minority rights” (7%), and “a state with segregation similar to apartheid” (13%). Some 56% responded with “I don’t know.” Shibley Telhami, a Middle East expert at the University of Maryland who conducted the poll, tells TIME that the percentage of “don’t knows” was surprising. He says that this suggests that those polled “are either uncertain or they’re uncomfortable answering.” These shifting opinions coincide with a particularly tense period in Israel, which over the past year has been marked by unprecedented and sustained protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government’s efforts to weaken the judiciary, the sole administrative check on their power. It has also featured an uptick in violence in the occupied Palestinian territories, which have been subject to deadly raids and, in the case of Huwara, what one Israeli general described as a “pogrom” carried out by Israeli settlers. The violence has resulted in the killing of at least 174 Palestinians this year, according to the U.N., putting 2023 on course to become the deadliest for Palestinians on record since the body began recording the number of fatalities in 2005. At least 23 Israelis have been killed in the occupied territories during the same period. While lawmakers such as Tlaib (the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress) and Omar have long been critical of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians—they were banned from visiting the country in 2019—disquiet over Israel’s rightward shift has been growing among Democratic lawmakers in recent years, including among traditionally pro-Israel politicians on Capitol Hill. “We have always said that the U.S.-Israel relationship is built on shared interests and on shared values, but clearly we do not share the values of someone like Ben-Gvir,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a leading Democratic lawmaker on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Israeli newspaper Haaretz following a recent visit to the country, referencing one of Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners. More videos WIONUS-Israel's head of states to meet in Washington And it’s not just politicians. Noura Erakat, an associate professor at Rutgers University and author of Justice For Some: Law and the Question of Palestine, tells TIME that there has been a “serious shift” across academic associations, the arts, and other social justice movements when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “There is now clear and robust support and understanding of Palestine as a freedom struggle,” she says. There has also been a notable shift within the American Jewish community, where the subject of Israel has become more polarizing in recent years. A 2021 Pew survey found that while more than half (58%) of American Jews express an attachment toward Israel, markedly fewer approve of its government’s leadership (40%) or its efforts toward achieving peace with the Palestinians (33%). But this disquiet has yet to manifest itself within Washington—a reality that was best exemplified in recent days by the uproar over comments made by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the Democratic chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who came under fire for referring to Israel as a “racist state.” Jayapal ultimately walked back her comments—explaining that she doesn’t believe the “idea” of Israel as a nation is racist, but that the discriminatory policies perpetuated by its government are—though not before being denounced by congressional Republicans (some of whom dubbed the remarks “anti-Semitic”) and many of her own Democratic colleagues. A resolution affirming that Israel “is not a racist or apartheid state” was passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with 412 lawmakers in support and 9 against. Nor has this shift been acknowledged within the White House. Despite President Joe Biden’s criticism of Netanyahu’s governing coalition—one composed of ultranationalist and pro-settlement leaders that the President described as “one of the most extremist” he’s seen—his administration has resisted calls to leverage U.S. aid to Israel or to ensure that U.S. funding isn’t used in the military detention of Palestinian children. On Monday, Biden extended an invitation to Netanyahu for a face-to-face meeting in the U.S. after months of delays, though it is as yet unclear if such a meeting would take place in the White House. U.S. lawmakers are undoubtedly aware of this widening gap. “They would have to have their heads buried in the sand not to see a world changing around them,” says Erakat. But American public opinion doesn’t always dictate U.S. policy, nor is this issue as front of mind as more pressing foreign policy concerns, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine. “Obviously, policymaking is not just about public opinion,” says Yousef Munayyer, a senior fellow at the Arab Center in Washington, D.C. and an expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “In the United States in particular, it’s about elections, it’s about interest groups, and it’s also about American geopolitical interests. And all of those things coming together have made it easier for American policymakers to hold on to the old pro-Israel policies than to be responsive to a base that is increasingly calling for change.” The question is how long that remains sustainable. “This is going to continue to shake the U.S.-Israel relationship,” Munayyer adds. “When exactly that translates into policy change is not something we can tell.”

Axios Follow Rockets fired from Lebanon toward Israel in major escalation Story by Barak Ravid • 17m ago Rockets fired from Lebanon toward Israel in major escalation© Provided by Axios World Air raid sirens went off on Thursday afternoon in northern Israel as dozens of rockets were fired from Lebanon. The big picture: It's the most serious escalation between Lebanon and Israel since the 2006 war. The escalation comes a day after a violent escalation between the Israeli police and Palestinian worshipers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The rockets were fired around 3pm local time. Most were intercepted by the Iron Dome system, the Israeli military said. No group immediately claimed responsibility. The military wing of Hezbollah on Thursday morning issued a statement expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and "the resistance factions" and stressed it backs any step they will take in order to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Get more international news in your inbox with Axios World.