April 24: Police use ‘skunk,’ water cannons to disperse Jerusalem rally for hostages

IDF spokesman on Hamas video of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin: ‘This is an urgent call for action’

Commenting on the Hamas hostage video of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says it is “an urgent call for action,” while vowing that the military “will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to find our hostages.”

”Hamas just published a video of 23-year-old, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli boy, who was celebrating with his friends at the Nova Music Festival, when he was violently and brutally attacked and kidnapped by Hamas on October 7,” he says in an English-language video statement.

“Hersh has been held by Hamas in Gaza for over 200 days. 133 hostages are still being held by Hamas in Gaza — for over 200 days, in inhumane conditions,” Hagari continues.

He says that “until Hamas releases our hostages the IDF will continue to pursue Hamas everywhere in Gaza.”

“This is an urgent call for action. We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to find our hostages,” Hagari says.

“This psychological terror video is not only a reminder of what Hamas did on October 7th, It is a reminder of how sick this terror group is, terrorizing the hostages and their families too.

“To Hersh’s parents Rachel and Jon: Our hearts are with you. We will continue doing everything in our power to bring your son Hersh and all our hostages back home. Your strength continues to inspire us as we fulfill this critical mission,” he adds.

At least 10 arrested as State Troopers clear anti-Israel protest at University of Texas

Texas State Troopers are deployed to clear an anti-Israel protest at the University of Texas at Austin, with reports of at least 10 people arrested, amid a surge of protests against the ongoing war in Gaza at college campuses across the US.

Mounted officers along with dozens of troopers in riot gear can be seen in videos shared on social media surrounding the demonstration and clearing protesters, amid chants of “You don’t scare us” and “Free, free Palestine.”

At least 10 people are detained, the Texas Tribune reports.

The protest, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee, was not authorized by the university, according to local media.

In a statement yesterday, Texas Hillel said that the university had promised “both proactive and responsive measures to ensure student and campus safety” during the planned demonstration.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iran’s Raisi calls for Israeli ‘oppressors and usurpers’ to be brought to justice

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi waves upon arriving at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake near Colombo on April 24, 2024. (Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi calls for Israel to be brought to justice for “usurpation and oppression,” during a one-day visit to Sri Lanka.

“When it come to the oppressor, when it come to the usurper, the Zionist Israeli regime has been committing oppression against the people of Palestine for 75 years, they have been usurping their territory,” Raisi says.
“First of all we have to expel the usurpers secondly we should make them pay the cost for all the damages they have created and thirdly we have to bring to justice the oppressor and usurper.”

Earlier today Raisi inaugurated a hydropower and irrigation project in Sri Lanka and said his country has proven the West doesn’t have a monopoly on technology.

Raisi is the first Iranian leader to visit Sri Lanka since former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad visited the country in 2008.

“The Western countries tried to convince all others that knowledge and technology is exclusive to those countries,” Raisi said, addressing Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe and other top officials. He charged that the “idea” is rooted in “colonialism and arrogance” and that Iran is now able to share its knowledge with others, currently having projects in 20 countries.

White House: Biden believes in free speech, debate on US college campuses

US President Joe Biden speaks at the North American Building Trades Unions 2024 Legislative Conference in Washington, DC, on April 24, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP)

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says US President Joe Biden believes free speech, debate and nondiscrimination are important on college campuses, as anti-Israel protests spread on US college campuses amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

In a statement marking the upcoming Passover holiday earlier this week, Biden slammed “harassment and calls for violence against Jews” amid intensified protests at Columbia University as “blatant antisemitism.”

Houthis claim to have targeted 2 ships in Gulf of Aden, Israeli vessel in Indian Ocean

Yemen’s Houthis say they have targeted the Maersk Yorktown ship and an American warship destroyer in the Gulf of Aden as well as targeting the Israeli ship MSC Veracruz in the Indian Ocean, according to a televised speech from the Iran-aligned group’s military spokesman Yahya Sarea.

The United States Maritime Administration says the Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sank another since November, which they say are in support of Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

But the attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a US-led airstrike campaign in Yemen, while shipping through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat.

American officials have speculated that the rebels may be running out of weapons as a result of the US-led campaign against them and their steady usage of drones and missiles in the last months.

White House: Biden met with released Hamas hostage Avigail Idan, 4, earlier today

File - Avigail Idan is reunited with her aunt Liron, uncle Zuli and grandparents Shlomit and Eitan at the Schneider children's hospital on November 27, 2023. (Schneider Medical Center)

US President Joe Biden met earlier today with 4-year-old Israeli-American Avigail Idan, who was released in a hostage deal brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the US in November, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says.

“It was also a reminder that there are still Americans and others being held hostage by Hamas, and we’re working day in and day out to ensure all of them also are able to get safely home to their loved ones,” says Sullivan at a White House press conference.

“I was just sitting with the president of the United States going through all of the Americans being held hostage and what we can do about them,” he adds.

Both of Avigail’s parents were murdered by terrorists who infiltrated Kibbutz Kfar Aza during Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel. She was taken captive while hiding in her neighbor’s home.

Commenting on the video Hamas released earlier today of another Israeli-American hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Sullivan says, “This is an innocent young man being held hostage by a terrorist organization and he should be released immediately without condition and without delay.”

Police use ‘skunk,’ water cannons to disperse rally for hostages, as Jerusalem protesters surround Ben Gvir

Security forces evacuate National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir during a protest for the release of hostages held by terror groups in Gaza, Jerusalem, April 24, 2024, following the release of a Hamas propaganda video by hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Violent clashes between police and activists erupt at a Jerusalem protest calling for the release of hostages held by terror groups in Gaza since October 7 are seen in videos circulating on social media.

Protesters overturn garbage cans, light fires and set off fireworks and block traffic, according to police.

Hebrew media reports that police used water cannons and foul-smelling “skunk spray” in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

One video filmed on Azza Street near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private home shows an officer lunge at a protester after he shouts something indistinguishable at police forces.

Another video shows demonstrators surrounding the car of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, with the far-right minister waving as he is ushered to his car by security amid angry chants.

Police arrest at least four protesters for disorderly conduct, according to local media reports, which follows the release of a Hamas propaganda video of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, held captive by the terror group since October 7.

Channel 12 News reports that one of those arrested is a close friend of Goldberg-Polin.

France arrests 16-year-old who said he wanted to make explosive belt, ‘become a martyr’ at Paris Olympics

PARIS – French anti-terrorism authorities have arrested a 16-year-old youth after he said on social media that he wanted to die a martyr at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, a spokesperson says, confirming an earlier report by BFMtv.

“He was arrested after he publicly announced on social media that he planned to create an explosive belt to become a martyr,” the spokesperson says, adding that an investigation is underway into whether he had genuine intentions to commit a terrorist act.

Conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine as well as a threat of Islamist terror attacks have led France, which is hosting the Olympics this summer, to raise its security alert to its highest level.

The French government has asked about 45 foreign countries to contribute several thousand extra military, police and civilian personnel to help safeguard the Paris Olympics this summer, sources told Reuters last month.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Video confirms Israeli intel that hostage Goldberg-Polin underwent surgery in Gaza after October 7 — official

The Israeli intelligence assessment ahead of today was that Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin was still alive, an official familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel.

The intelligence assessment determined that Goldberg-Polin had undergone some kind of surgery after he was forcibly taken into Gaza by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, the official says.

The 23-year-old had been attending the Nova music festival when the onslaught began and had fled to a field shelter with roughly two dozen other attendees.

When terrorists began hurling grenades into the shelter, Goldberg-Polin’s friend Aner Shapira managed to toss seven grenades back out, saving those inside before he was killed by the eighth grenade.

Goldberg-Polin also tried to pick up one of the grenades to save those inside but it detonated before he could fully throw it out, causing him to lose half of his arm, the official says.

US and Israeli authorities are still reviewing the propaganda video published by Hamas earlier today, but early indications are that it has proven the intelligence assessment accurate, the official says.

Separately, a senior US official tells The Times of Israel that Washington received the video two days ago and has been in touch with the Goldberg-Polin family.

The video is being actively examined by the FBI and Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, the senior official adds.

WATCH: Parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin plead for hostage deal, urge him to ‘stay strong, survive’

Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, parents of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, issue a video statement pleading for a hostage deal and urging him to stay strong and survive, April 24, 2024. (Courtesy)

Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, parents of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who is seen in a Hamas video released Wednesday, say in a video statement that, “Seeing the video of Hersh today is overwhelming. We are relieved to see him alive, but we are also concerned about his health and wellbeing as well as that of all the other hostages and all of those suffering in this region.”

Goldberg-Polin’s parents issue “a plea to all of the leaders” who have been negotiating for a hostage deal to date, naming Qatar, Egypt, the United States, Hamas and Israel: “Be brave, lean in, seize this moment and get a deal done to reunite all of us with our loved ones and end the suffering in this region,” say the Goldberg-Polins.

“Hersh, if you can hear this, we heard your voice today for the first time in 201 days. And if you can hear us, we are telling you, we love you, stay strong, survive.”

Smotrich’s reported push to legalize West Bank outposts ‘dangerous and reckless’ — US State Department

The US State Department has called “dangerous and reckless” the reports that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is pushing to legalize dozens of illegal outposts in the West Bank.

The statement comes after Channel 12 News reported on the weekend that Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry, is pushing to begin the process of legalizing 68 illegal outposts in the West Bank.

Speaking at a daily press briefing, US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel also says Washington is continuing to press Israel for more information on Hamas claims of mass graves in Gaza.

Israel has rejected the claims as “baseless.”

Protesters gather near PM’s home with pictures of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin; 2 arrests

Demonstrators protest for the release of hostages held by terror groups in Gaza since October 7, outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem, following the release of a video by Hamas of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, April 24, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

As the Hamas propaganda video of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin is disseminated in the local media, Jerusalem protesters immediately head to Azza Street and the private home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There they are holding pictures of Goldberg-Polin and other hostages and demanding a deal to bring the hostages home.

They bang on drums and scream, “It’s time to bring them home!” tossing cartons into a bonfire in the middle of the street.

One protester’s sign reads, “Hersh is alive now!”

Demonstrators protest for the release of hostages held by terror groups in Gaza since October 7, near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem, following the release of a video by Hamas of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, April 24, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Protesters begin marching toward Paris Square, dragging police barricades from the side of the road and blocking the top of Azza Street and the intersection toward downtown Jerusalem.

Two protesters are arrested by Jerusalem police for disturbing the peace, turning over garbage cans and blocking the street, as police officers also bring a water cannon to the area.

Demonstrators are arrested outside the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem, following the release of a video by Hamas of Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin on April 24, 2024. (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

In Tel Aviv, protesters and families of the hostages stand on Begin Street in front of the Defense Ministry, with signs that read, “Abandonment equals 133 hostages divided by 201 days.”

Germany’s decision to renew UNRWA funding ‘regrettable and disappointing’ – Foreign Ministry

Israel has called Germany’s decision to renew funding to UNRWA “regrettable and disappointing,” in a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

“Israel shared with Germany and other donor countries detailed information about hundreds of Hamas militants and many hundreds more who are members of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations, all of whom are UNRWA employees,” the statement says.

“These are not just a few bad apples – this is a rotten and poisonous tree… Transferring German taxpayers’ money to an organization in which such a high percentage of its employees are Hamas members — an organization that is proscribed as a terrorist organization in Germany — will not contribute to promoting the security and welfare of the residents of the region, both Israelis and Palestinians alike,” the statement continues, insisting that “UNRWA is part of the problem and not part of the solution.”

Germany announced plans to resume cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) earlier today, signaling a resumption of funding that was frozen after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff members of participating in Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

The allegations prompted 16 donor states, including the biggest, the United States, to freeze some $450 million of funds, a blow to UNRWA’s operations as it grapples with the humanitarian crisis unleashed by Israel’s assault on Gaza.

The move by Germany, UNRWA’s second biggest donor, follows the publication earlier this week of a review led by the former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna into the UN agency’s procedures for ensuring adherence to humanitarian principles of neutrality.

Netanyahu: ‘Antisemitic mobs have taken over leading US universities… It has to be stopped’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lambasts “an antisemitic surge,” amid anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses across the United States.

“Antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities. They call for the annihilation of Israel, they attack Jewish students, they attack Jewish faculty. This is reminiscent of what happened in German universities in the 1930s. It’s unconscionable. It has to be stopped. It has to be condemned unequivocally. But that’s not what happened,” Netanyahu charges in a video statement.

“When you listen to them, they say not only “Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to the Jews,’ but also “Death to America,” he adds.

Netanyahu laments the uptick in antisemitic incidents in the US “as Israel tries to defend itself against genocidal terrorists who hide behind civilians.”

“We’ve seen in history that antisemitic attacks were always preceded by vilification and slander… We have to stop antisemitism because antisemitism is the canary in the coal mine. It always precedes larger conflagrations that engulf the entire world,” the prime minister says.

Hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s family approves publication of Hamas propaganda video

Earlier today, the Hamas terror group released a propaganda video of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, held captive by the terror group since October 7. The family gives permission to the media to use the video.

״Hersh’s cry is the collective cry of all the hostages – their time is rapidly running out,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum says in a statement.

“We cannot afford to waste any more time; the hostages must be the top priority,” the statement adds. “All the hostages must be brought home – those alive to begin the process of rehabilitation, and those murdered for a dignified burial.”

Goldberg-Polin, 23, was taken captive at the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im on October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst across the border into Israel, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.

Biden says Israel must allow new aid to reach Palestinians in Gaza ‘without delay’

US President Joe Biden demands that new humanitarian aid be allowed to immediately reach Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas.

“We’re going to immediately secure that aid and surge it…  including food, medical supplies, clean water,” Biden says after signing a massive military aid bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, which also includes $9 billion in humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza and other war-torn regions.

While the final decision on allocation will be up to the White House, analysts expect roughly $2 billion will go to Gaza.

“Israel must make sure all this aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza without delay,” he says.

The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault. Some 130 hostages are still held, not all of them alive.

Hamas claims 34,000 Gazans have been killed — an unverifiable figure that does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Israel says it has killed over 13,000 gunmen, as well as 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on and soon after October 7. Some 260 IDF soldiers have been killed in the Gaza fighting.

FM Katz thanks Biden for signing military aid bill: ‘Our alliance is ironclad’

Foreign Minister Israel Katz thanks US President Joe Biden for signing into law a bill that will provide $17 billion in wartime assistance to Israel and $9 billion in humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza and other war-torn regions.

“Our alliance is ironclad. Thank you @POTUS,” the foreign minister writes in a short post on X, formerly Twitter.

The bill passed the Senate in an overwhelming 79-18 vote late last night after the House had approved the package over the weekend.

The overall $95 billion aid package includes $17 billion in defense aid to Israel, and some $9 billion in humanitarian relief to people in Gaza as well as other war-torn regions (the final decision on allocation is up to the White House, with analysts expecting roughly $2 billion will go to Gaza).

‘Vital support to America’s partners’: Biden signs bill providing $95 billion in war aid to Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan

US President Joe Biden speaks after signing the foreign aid bill at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 24, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP)

US President Joe Biden signs a hard-fought bill into law that provides $95 billion in war aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, notching a rare bipartisan victory for the president as he seeks reelection and ending months of wrangling with Republicans in Congress.

“It gives vital support to America ‘s partners so they can defend themselves from threats to their sovereignty,” Biden says, adding that the flow of weapons to Ukraine would start in the next few hours.

The $95-billion package includes $17 billion in defense aid to Israel, and some $9 billion in humanitarian relief to people in Gaza as well as other war-torn regions. (The final decision on allocation is up to the White House, with analysts expecting roughly $2 billion will go to Gaza.)

Biden also signs a separate bill tied to the aid legislation that bans TikTok in the US if its owner, the Chinese tech firm ByteDance, fails to divest the popular short video app over the next nine months to a year.

The social media platform is particularly popular with left-leaning young Americans, a group crucial to Biden’s victory in November.

IDF: Rocket fired from Gaza at southern Israel intercepted by Iron Dome

One rocket fired from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel a short while ago was intercepted by the Iron Dome, the IDF says.

Sirens had sounded in Sderot and nearby towns.

There are no reports of injuries in the attack.

Rocket alert sirens sounding in northern border community of Majdal Shams

Rocket alert sirens are sounding in the northern border community of Majdal Shams, warning of incoming rocket fire.

Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the ongoing war there.

Rocket sirens sounding in communities near Gaza border

Rocket alert sirens are sounding in southern communities near the Gaza Strip, warning of incoming missile fire.

Sirens can be heard in towns and cities including Sderot and Nir Am.

There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

Heatwave sweeps country with highs of 40°C; elderly woman treated for heatstroke

Children play in the water fountain in Teddy Park in Jerusalem, amid a heat wave, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A heatwave sweeps the country, with highs of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Tiberias and Eilat, 37°C  (98°F) in Tel Aviv and 33°C (91°F) in Jerusalem.

Amid the heatwave, Magen David Adom treat an elderly woman who was found in a public park in Kiryat Gat with signs of heatstroke.

The woman has been evacuated to Ashkelon’s Barzilai Hospital for further treatment, MDA adds.

Ynet News reports that despite the hot weather, some 100,000 people visited the country’s national parks throughout the day.

The Israel Meteorological Service forecasts strong easterly winds in the north and center of the country this evening. The heatwave is expected to continue tomorrow, with strong easterlies continuing throughout the day.

The hot spell is expected to break in the evening, with a significant drop in temperatures predicted for the weekend.

Hamas publishes propaganda video with signs of life from hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin

Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, held captive in Gaza since October 7, in a Hamas propaganda video released on April 24, 2024. (Screenshot: Telegram)

The Hamas terror group has published a new propaganda video showing signs of life from 23-year-old Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

In the nearly three-minute-long video, Goldberg-Polin, who is seen missing one of his hands, identifies himself and asks the Israeli government to return them home.

The video is not dated, but Goldberg-Polin says he has been held captive for “nearly 200 days,” indicating it was filmed recently.

Goldberg-Polin was abducted from the Supernova rave near Re’im on the morning of October 7.

Videos from the Hamas onslaught have shown that Goldberg-Polin’s arm was blown off from the elbow down, as the Hamas terrorists lobbed grenades into a shelter where he and others who tried to escape the party hid.

Related: Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents contemplate Passover with their son in captivity

Hamas has previously issued similar videos of hostages it is holding, in what Israel says is deplorable psychological warfare.

Most Israeli media do not carry the video clips themselves.

Shin Bet, IDF chiefs visited Egypt today to discuss looming Rafah offensive – report

File: L-R: Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, and head of the Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman attend a meeting at the command's HQ in Beersheba, March 9, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The head of the Shin Bet security agency, Ronen Bar, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi visited Egypt this morning, the Axios news site reports.

The report, citing three senior Israeli officials, says Bar and Halevi met with Egypt’s intelligence chief and other key officials to discuss the IDF’s looming offensive in southern Gaza’s Rafah.

Egypt, which Rafah abuts, has warned Israel against pushing into the city where more than a million displaced Gazan civilians are residing.

Reuters quotes an unnamed Israeli defense official saying the IDF is poised to launch the Rafah operation immediately, and is awaiting government approval.

Tehran sentences popular rapper to death for backing protests – Iranian reports

Illustrative: Protesters hold portraits of jailed Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi (C) and Mohsen Shekari (Bottom-R), a protestor who was executed in Iran in December 2022, during a rally against the Iranian regime in Lyon, France, January 8, 2023. (Ean-Philippe Ksiazek/AFP)

An Iranian court has sentenced to death a popular rapper jailed for more than a year and a half for supporting nationwide protests sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death, according to local media reports.

“Branch 1 of Isfahan Revolutionary Court… sentenced Toomaj Salehi to death on the charge of corruption on Earth,” the singer’s lawyer Amir Raisian says, as quoted by the reformist Shargh newspaper.

IDF ready to launch Rafah operation, pending government approval – defense official

The Israel Defense Forces has conducted all necessary preparations to take Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah and can launch an operation the moment it gets government approval, a senior defense official tells Reuters.

There is no note of whether the defense official quoted is connected to the IDF.

Israel has said that victory in the Gaza war, launched after Hamas’s cross-border massacre and kidnapping spree on October 7, is impossible without taking Rafah, crushing the terror group, and recovering any hostages there.

Amnesty: Israel’s ‘disregard for international law’ in Gaza inflamed by US veto on ceasefire resolution

French human rights activist and Secretary General of Amnesty International Agnes Callamard shows the Amnesty International's annual report during a press conference, in London, April 23, 2024, ahead of its release. (Justin Tallis/AFP)

LONDON (AP) — Amnesty International warns that the world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid what it calls “flagrant” rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar.

In its annual report, published today, the human rights organization charges that the most powerful governments, including the United States, Russia and China, have led a global disregard for international rules and values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with civilians in conflicts paying the highest price.

Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s secretary general, says the level of violation of international order witnessed in the past year was “unprecedented.”

“Israel’s flagrant disregard for international law is compounded by the failures of its allies to stop the indescribable civilian bloodshed meted out in Gaza,” she says. “Many of those allies were the very architects of that post-World War II system of law.”

The report accuses the US of failing to denounce alleged rights violations committed by Israel and its use of veto power to paralyze the UN Security Council on a ceasefire resolution in Gaza.

It also decries Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine and points to China’s arming of military forces in Myanmar and the way Beijing has shielded itself from scrutiny over its treatment of its Uyghur minority.

“We have here three very large countries, superpowers in many ways, sitting on the Security Council that have emptied out the Security Council of its potentials, and that have emptied out international law of its ability to protect people,” she tells The Associated Press in London.

The Guardian reports that Amnesty’s review also points at Britain’s human rights record, with Amnesty International UK’s chief executive Sacha Deshmukh, accusing the UK of deliberately destabilizing the entire concept of universal human rights through its “appalling domestic policies and politicking.”

The report, which details Amnesty’s assessment of human rights in 155 countries, underlines an increasing backlash against women’s rights and gender equality in 2023.

It also cites the brutal suppression of women’s protests in Iran, the Taliban’s decrees “aimed at erasing women from public life” in Afghanistan, and legal restrictions on abortion in the US and Poland, among others.

IDF: Fighter jets, artillery forces hit 40 targets in south Lebanon in short period

Israeli fighter jets and artillery forces carried out a wave of strikes against dozens of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, the military says.

According to the IDF, some 40 targets in Ayta ash-Shab were hit by aircraft and artillery shelling within several minutes.

The targets included weapon depots and other assets belonging to Hezbollah, the military says.

The IDF says the strikes are “part of the effort to destroy the organization’s infrastructure in the border area.”

Ayta ash-Shab is used by Hezbollah for “terror” and it places dozens of its sites in the area, the military charges.

Gallant: IDF has ‘eliminated’ half of Hezbollah’s south Lebanon commanders, remainder are in hiding

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant holds an assessment with the chief of the IDF Northern Command in Safed, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, and other top officers, April 24, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says half of Hezbollah’s commanders in southern Lebanon have been killed by the Israeli military.

The remarks are made following a visit to the IDF Northern Command in Safed, where Gallant held an assessment with the chief of the command, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, and other top officers.

“Half of the Hezbollah commanders in south Lebanon have been eliminated… and the other half hide and abandon south Lebanon to IDF operations,” Gallant says.

He says Israel’s main goal in the north is to return the tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to their homes, amid Hezbollah’s daily attacks.

“We are dealing with a number of alternatives in order to establish this matter, and the coming period will be decisive in this regard,” Gallant says.

Hundreds of bereaved families: Cancel politicians’ speeches at Memorial Day events

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during an assessment at IDF Southern Command, April 7, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Some 500 bereaved families have appealed to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant not to allow politicians to speak at this year’s Memorial Day events in military cemeteries around the country.

“Instead of speeches by politicians at the memorial ceremonies, let bereaved families from October 7 speak,” they say in a statement.

Every year, the Defense Ministry tasks representatives of the government and Knesset to speak at the various events. The families warn that amid societal tensions and amid the pain of the war and widespread anger at the government, the events could turn into political battlegrounds.

They stress they do not oppose politicians taking part, but suggest they not speak.

“We wish to keep the Memorial Day ceremonies free of politics and divisiveness,” they say.

Similar entreaties were made last year — at the time due to extreme divisions over the government’s efforts to overhaul the country’s judiciary — but Gallant did not accept them at the time. Some clashes were indeed reported during ceremonies, though events were mostly peaceful.

Columbia University making ‘important progress’ in talks with anti-Israel students, extends deadline to clear out encampment

Students move a tent inside Columbia University on April 24, 2024 in New York City. (Jeenah Moon/Getty Images/AFP)

Columbia University says it is making “important progress” with pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel student protesters who set up a tent encampment, and that it is extending a deadline to clear out the encampment, yet standoffs remain tense on the Ivy League campus in upper Manhattan.

Student protesters “have committed to dismantling and removing a significant number of tents,” the university says in a statement.

The Columbia Spectator reports that university leadership will hold a dialogue with student representatives in the coming 48 hours.

Iran rejects US claims of ‘malicious cyber activity’

Iran condemns as “unfounded” US allegations of “malicious cyber activity” on behalf of its military that triggered a new set of sanctions against Iranian companies and individuals.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani says Iran “categorically dismissed the US government claim that some Iranian individuals and companies have been involved in cyberattacks.”

He accuses Washington of seeking to “deflect the wave of international criticism towards their policies of unlimited support for the Zionist regime war crimes and genocide in the Gaza Strip.”

The US Treasury Department announced the sanctions against four individuals and two companies on Tuesday, adding that the four individuals had also been indicted “for their roles in cyber activity targeting US entities.”

Iran cuts Syria presence after strikes blamed on Israel – Hezbollah official

In this photo released by the official Syrian state news agency SANA, emergency service workers clear the rubble at a destroyed building allegedly struck by Israeli jets in Damascus, Syria, Monday, April 1, 2024. (SANA via AP)

Iran has reduced its military footprint in Syria after a succession of strikes blamed on Israel, a source close to Iran-backed Hezbollah says.

Iran has provided military support to Syrian government forces through more than a decade of civil war, but a series of strikes targeting its commanders in recent months has prompted a reshaping of its presence, the sources tell AFP.

“Iran withdrew its forces from southern Syria,” including both Quneitra and Daraa provinces, which abut the Israeli-held Golan Heights, the source close to Hezbollah says.

But it still maintains a presence in other parts of the country, the source adds.

Recent months have seen a series of strikes on Iranian targets in Syria, widely blamed on Israel, culminating in an April 1 strike that leveled a building at the Iranian consulate compound in Damascus and killed seven Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals.

That strike prompted Iran to launch a first-ever direct missile and drone attack against Israel on April 13-14 that sent regional tensions spiraling.

EU urges probe into Palestinian claim of mass graves at Gaza hospitals

Palestinian health workers dig for bodies buried at Nasser Hospital compound in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on April 21, 2024. (AFP)

The European Union calls for an independent probe into Palestinian claims they discovered mass graves at two Gaza hospitals destroyed in Israeli operations.

“This is something that forces us to call for an independent investigation of all the suspicions and all the circumstances, because indeed it creates the impression that there might have been violations of international human rights committed,” EU spokesman Peter Stano says.

The IDF has strongly denied digging mass graves, and says it only dug out existing graves to search for hostages in pinpoint cases. Geolocated footage points to the graves having been dug by Palestinians amid the fighting.

Woman killed in car crash near Umm al-Fahm

A woman aged around 60 has been killed in a car crash near Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel.

The incident saw two cars collide on Road 65. A 25-year-old man was lightly hurt.

The circumstances of the crash are under investigation.

Lebanese media report more than a dozen Israeli strikes in south Lebanon

Lebanese media report more than a dozen Israeli strikes carried out in the Ayta ash-Shab and Ramyeh areas.

Hamas official says willing to free 40 hostages in 1st truce phase, claims Sinwar briefly came out of tunnels

Hamas's Gaza Strip leader Yahya Sinwar in a tunnel in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, October 10, 2023 (IDF Spokesman)

A senior Hamas source rejects claims that recently circulated according to which the terror group is now willing to release fewer than 20 hostages in the first phase of a truce with Israel.

The alleged offer contradicted previous reports that the terror group would free 40 living Israeli hostages in the first phase of a temporary ceasefire agreement discussed in Cairo.

The Hamas source quoted by London-based Arabic paper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed also denies speculation that there are no more than 20 hostages alive, claiming that there are at least 30 high-ranking members of Israeli security forces in the group’s hands.

There are no living high-ranking Israelis held by Hamas (there is one high-ranking deceased officer — Col. Asaf Hamami). Hamas also refers to all Israeli men who are of fighting age, between 18 and 50, as members of security forces, regardless of their status.

“It is not possible, of course, to accurately determine the number of living prisoners, but what is certain is that it is higher than the numbers being circulated in the Hebrew media,” the source says.

He claims falsely that Hamas holds about 30 “generals and Shin Bet officers” captured on October 7, saying they are being held in “highly secured locations” and that it is “impossible to get to them.”

The source also asserts that Hamas’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, who has been hunkering down in tunnels for months and is Israel’s number one target, recently emerged from the underground to inspect areas where the terror group clashed with the IDF, and that he has held talks with Hamas’s leaders abroad to provide them “field reports” of the “strength and solidity” of the terror group. The report implies that Sinwar comes out intermittently and then goes back underground.

In a separate interview with the Dubai-based Asharq News, Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya claims the terror group has shown “flexibility” in the Cairo negotiations, reducing the number of Palestinian prisoners it demands to free in exchange for every Israeli “soldier” (male or female) from 500 to 50.

Al-Hayya further notes that Hamas would not be opposed at this stage to the creation of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders comprising the West Bank and Gaza, including the return of Palestinian refugees, but stresses that the agreement would only be temporary and insists on the Palestinians’ “historic right to all Palestinian lands.”

Smotrich assails outgoing IDF intel chief: ‘No admission of mistakes, failures’

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich holds a press conference at the Knesset in Jerusalem, March 13, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attacks outgoing Military Intelligence chief Aharon Haliva, who announced his resignation on Monday over his part in the failures of October 7.

In a Facebook post, Smotrich says Haliva used “a sea of lofty words, but took zero responsibility.”

“No admission of mistakes, acknowledging of the failure and the reasons for it,” he writes.

He also expresses anger at Haliva for calling for a state commission of inquiry for the October 7 events — the worst single disaster in the country’s history.

“I don’t know if it’s appropriate or inappropriate to form a state commission of inquiry… I do know it’s not the business of a uniformed officer,” he says, going on to attack the “significant and dangerous blurring of the lines between the IDF and the political echelon” and a “condescension” by military officials toward political leaders that “I have encountered since my first day in the government.”

Smotrich also says current IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi “cannot appoint Haliva’s successor” as “he is part of the failure and the responsibility for it.”

IDF announces it is carrying out strikes against Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon

In an unusual statement, the IDF announces that it is carrying out strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

It says it will provide details on the strikes soon.

Amid the ongoing war, the IDF generally announces strikes in Lebanon after they have been carried out.

Health Ministry warns of dangers of extreme heat today and tomorrow

Illustrative: View of the sun over Tel Aviv. January 29, 2024. (Moshe Shai/Flash90)

The Health Ministry warns that the extreme heat forecast for today and tomorrow throughout the country could lead to dangers for the population.

The elderly and people with chronic illnesses are especially at risk and should stay out of the heat and sun, refrain from physical activity, drink plenty of water and stay in air-conditioned spaces if possible. The elderly, people with chronic illnesses and children under age four are the most vulnerable to heat stroke.

People who must be outside in the sun should wear a wide-brimmed hat, comfortable light-colored clothing, and use high-SPF sunscreen. Drivers should pull off the road into a rest area or gas station periodically to rest and refresh.

The ministry reminds people not to leave babies, children, elderly individuals or disabled individuals in parked cars, where they can suffer life-threatening heat stroke within minutes. In addition, animals should not be left in cars or hot buildings without plenty of water.

It is recommended not to hike outside in the current weather conditions. If one does go hiking or for a trip, one should take the proper precautions, including leaving information on the planned route with someone at home and contacting Magen David Adom immediately if anyone in the party develops signs of heat stroke.

Signs of heat stroke include: A body temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius or higher; red, hot and dry skin (not sweaty); a quick pulse; a strong headache or pounding in the head; dizziness; nausea; confusion or reduced consciousness.

While waiting for MDA to arrive, a person in this condition should be moved to a cool, shaded place. They should not be given water or any other liquids by mouth while waiting for emergency medical services.

Army shelling south Lebanon after anti-tank missiles fired at Israeli homes

View of the border fence with Lebanon, near Avivim, June 13, 2023. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)

Following the anti-tank missile attack on Avivim, the IDF says troops are shelling the launch sites with mortars.

No injuries were reported in the missile attack, but damage was caused to homes and a fire was sparked.

IDF confirms woman tried to stab troops in West Bank, was killed

The IDF confirms that troops foiled an attempted stabbing attack near the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba.

It says the female Palestinian assailant tried to stab troops of the Kfir Brigade’s Shimshon Battalion, who were stationed at an army post at a junction near the settlement.

“The troops engaged and opened fire at the terrorist who held a knife and charged toward the force,” the military says, adding that the woman was killed.

No troops were hurt.

Two homes in north hit by anti-tank missiles; none hurt

Two homes in the northern community of Avivim were hit by anti-tank missiles fired from Lebanon, local authorities say.

The Merom HaGalil Regional Council says a fire was also caused, damaging a caravan.

It says no injuries were caused in the attack.

Palestinian woman tries to stab Israelis near West Bank’s Kiryat Arba, is shot

A Palestinian woman allegedly attempted to carry out a stabbing attack near the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba, medics say.

The Rescuers Without Borders emergency service says the woman was “neutralized” by troops at a junction just north of Kiryat Arba.

It does not report any other injuries.

IDF says it’s readying to deploy two reserve brigades to Gaza

An IDF reservist prepares equipment ahead of a drill, in a handout image released on April 24, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF is readying to deploy two reserve brigades to the Gaza Strip, under the 99th Division.

The 679th “Yiftah” Armored Brigade and the 2nd “Carmeli” Infantry Brigade, which had been operating on the northern border, “prepared in recent weeks for their mission in the Gaza Strip,” the military says.

The IDF says the two reserve brigades “practiced battle techniques and learned the main insights and lessons from fighting and maneuvering in the Gaza Strip so far.”

During the first few months of the IDF’s ground offensive, the 99th Division had been tasked with the central Gaza Strip corridor.

Its renewed deployment comes as the IDF prepares to carry out new offensives in Gaza, including in the southern city of Rafah, where Israel says four of Hamas’s six remaining battalions are.

Sirens sound in northern Israel

Rocket sirens just sounded in the area of Shtula in northern Israel.

Earlier, a drone siren sounded in multiple communities in the Kiryat Shmona and Metula areas. There were no report of a drone strike.

Germany to resume cooperation with Palestinian UNRWA agency

The German government plans to resume cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) in Gaza, the foreign and development ministries say in a joint statement.

The decision follows an investigation by the former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna into whether some UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7 attack by Hamas. The Colonna-led review of the agency’s neutrality on Monday concluded Israel had yet to back up its accusations that hundreds of UNRWA staff were operatives in Gaza terrorist groups.

The German ministries urge UNRWA to swiftly implement the report’s recommendations, including strengthening its internal audit function and improving external oversight of project management.

“In support of these reforms, the German government will soon continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan, among others, have already done,” say the ministries.

IDF says it struck dozens of Gaza terror sites, rocket launcher by civilian shelters

IDF troops operate in the Gaza Strip, in a handout photo published April 24, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Overnight, Israeli fighter jets struck two Hamas rocket launching sites in the southern Gaza Strip, which were positioned adjacent to civilian shelters, the military says.

The IDF says the rocket launchers were primed for an attack on Israel, and were hit before they could be used by Hamas. It adds that the strike was carried out “after taking precautions to mitigate harm to civilians.”

Over the past day, some 50 more sites belonging to Hamas and other terror groups were struck by the Air Force across the Gaza Strip, the military says.

The sites included tunnel infrastructure in central Gaza, according to the IDF.

Also in central Gaza, the Nahal Brigade continues to operate in the Netzarim corridor. Over the past day, the IDF says Nahal troops killed several gunmen and destroyed infrastructure belonging to terror groups in the area.

An image released by the IDF shows a rocket launcher by civilian shelters, April 24, 2024 (IDF)

Diaspora minister says he’d ‘vote for Trump’ if able, Biden ‘under intense pressure’

Likud MK Amichai Chikli speaks at the Federation of Local Authorities conference in Tel Aviv, December 7, 2022. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli says he would vote for Donald Trump in the upcoming US presidential election if he could.

“The US is not projecting strength under [Joe Biden’s] leadership, and it’s harming Israel and other countries,” Chikli, of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, tells Kan Radio.

“He said ‘Don’t’ at the start of the war — to Hezbollah, as well as Iran. We saw the result. If I were an American citizen with the right to vote I’d vote for Trump and Republicans,” he says.

The unusual comment by an Israeli minister stepping into American internal political discourse came hours after the US Senate under Biden approved billions in military aid to Israel.

“Biden is a friend of Israel, but he’s under intense pressure that is affecting him and creating real damage to relations between the countries,” Chikli says.

Australian police execute search warrants as part of operation over church stabbings

Flowers sit on a fence outside the Christ the Good Shepherd church in suburban Wakely in western Sydney, Australia, on April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)

Detectives and secret service agents investigating the stabbing of a bishop in a Sydney church are executing search warrants in the city as part of a major operation, officials say.

The Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which includes federal and state police, as well as the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, the nation’s main domestic spy agency, says in a statement there is no current threat to public safety.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw says the operation is related to a knife attack in a Sydney church on April 15 in which an Assyrian Orthodox bishop and priest were injured.

“There is a major operation underway in Sydney,” Kershaw tells the National Press Club of Australia.

“We have to make unfortunately lawful interventions to prevent any further planning or attack on our communities,” Kershaw adds.

A 16-year-old boy accused of stabbing the two clerics was charged on Friday with committing a terrorist act, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The teen allegedly spoke in Arabic about the Prophet Muhammad being insulted after he stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and the Rev. Isaac Royel in the Christ the Good Shepherd Church as a service was being streamed online.

Argentina calls for arrest of Iranian minister for suspected role in AMIA bombing

Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi speaks during a press conference in Tehran on March 4, 2024. (Atta Kenare/AFP)

After blaming Iran for bombings of the Israeli embassy and Jewish AMIA center in the 1990s, Argentina has called on Interpol to arrest Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi.

Vahidi, formerly the head of the Revolutionary Guards’ extraterritorial Quds Force, is suspected of bearing responsibility for the attacks.

Buenos Aires also asks the governments of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, where Vahidi is currently touring, to arrest the minister.

Notably, Vahidi has been wanted by Interpol since 2007 for his role in the bombings, to little effect.

In 1992, a bomb attack on the Israeli embassy left 29 dead. Two years later, a truck loaded with explosives drove into the AMIA Jewish center and detonated, leaving 85 dead and 300 injured.

Argentina and Israel have long suspected Hezbollah carried out the AMIA attack at Iran’s request.

IDF strikes Hezbollah sites, rocket launcher, posts in south Lebanon

A rocket launcher in southern Lebanon’s Tayr Harfa was struck by the Israeli Air Force shortly after it was used in an attack on the northern community of Shomera last night, the IDF says.

Another building in the area where the IDF says Hezbollah operatives were gathered was also hit.

Overnight, IAF fighter jets carried out a wave of strikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, following repeated attacks by the terror group on northern Israel.

The IDF says the targets included infrastructure in Markaba, a building in Ayta ash-Shab and an observation post in Marwahin.

Troops also shelled areas near Chihine and Kfarchouba with artillery to “remove threats,” the military adds.

Over 100 protesters against Israel said arrested outside Chuck Schumer’s NYC home

Over 100 pro-Palestinian protesters have been arrested outside the home of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in New York City, The New York Times and New York Post report.

As the Senate convened earlier to pass a massive aid package that includes billions in military assistance to Israel, some 2,000 protesters staged “an emergency Passover Seder” near Schumer’s Brooklyn home to protest American support for Israel. Among the organizers of the demonstration were the anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace, far-left IfNotNow and Jews for Racial & Economic Justice.

Biden says aid package ‘will make our world more secure against terrorists, tyrants’

US President Joe Biden waves as he walks across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

US President Joe Biden laud’s the Senate’s passage of a funding package for military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, saying the money to American allies comes at a “critical inflection point” and sends “a message to the world about the power of American leadership: we stand resolutely for democracy and freedom, and against tyranny and oppression.”

“The need is urgent,” he says. “For Ukraine, facing unrelenting bombardment from Russia; for Israel, which just faced unprecedented attacks from Iran; for refugees and those impacted by conflicts and natural disasters around the world, including in Gaza, Sudan, and Haiti; and for our partners seeking security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

“This critical legislation will make our nation and world more secure as we support our friends who are defending themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin.”

FM hails Senate’s approval of aid for Israel: ‘Clear testament to the strength of our alliance’

Foreign Minister Israel Katz celebrates the US Senate’s approval of billions in US military assistance for Israel as part of a larger foreign aid package, thanking the legislative chamber’s Democratic and Republic leaders for their “unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.”

“As we mark 200 days to the barbaric October 7th terror attack by Hamas, Israel and the United States stand together in the fight against terrorism, defending democracy and our shared values,” Katz says in a statement. “The Israel aid package that now passed both houses of Congress is a clear testament to the strength of our alliance and sends a strong message to all our enemies.”

“The Israel-US strategic partnership is unbreakable,” he adds.

Columbia head calls to move forward with plan to dismantle anti-Israel encampment

Columbia University President Nemat Shafik testifies during a US House Education Committee hearing about antisemitism on college campuses, on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 17, 2024. (Drew Angerer/AFP)

Columbia University President Nemat Shafik calls to “move forward with a plan to dismantle” the anti-Israel encampment that pro-Palestinian protesters set up at the Manhattan campus, saying she set a midnight deadline for student organizers and representatives of the Ivy League to reach an agreement on ongoing talks.

In a letter addressed to “fellow members of the Columbia community,” Shafik says that she “fully support[s] the importance of free speech, respect the right to demonstrate, and recognize that many of the protestors have gathered peacefully.”

“However, the encampment raises serious safety concerns, disrupts campus life, and has created a tense and at times hostile environment for many members of our community. It is essential that we move forward with a plan to dismantle it,” she adds.

According to Shafik, negotiations have been going on for several days “to discuss the basis for dismantling the encampment, dispersing, and following university policies going forward.”

“I very much hope these discussions are successful,” she says after declaring the midnight deadline. “If they are not, we will have to consider alternative options for clearing the [encampment] and restoring calm to campus so that students can complete the term and graduate.”

Shafik adds: “I also want to be clear that we will not tolerate intimidating, harassing, or discriminatory behavior. We are working to identify protestors who violated our policies against discrimination and harassment, and they will be put through appropriate disciplinary processes. The right to protest is essential and protected at Columbia, but harassment and discrimination is antithetical to our values and an affront to our commitment to be a community of mutual respect and kindness.”

With massive majority, US Senate okays aid package that includes billions for Israel

WASHINGTON — A sweeping foreign aid package easily passes the US Congress after months of delay, clearing the way for fresh Ukraine funding amid advances from Russia’s invasion force and Kyiv’s shortages of military supplies.

The Senate approved by 79 to 18 four bills passed by the House of Representatives on Saturday, after House Republican leaders abruptly switched course last week and allowed a vote on the $95 billion in mostly military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and US partners in the Indo-Pacific.

The four bills were combined into one package in the Senate.

The largest provides $61 billion in critically needed funding for Ukraine; a second provides $17 billion for Israel and $9 billion in humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones around the world, and a third mandates $8.12 billion to “counter communist China” in the Indo-Pacific.

A fourth, which the House added to the package last week, includes a potential ban on the Chinese-controlled social media app TikTok, measures for the transfer of seized Russian assets to Ukraine and new sanctions on Iran.

Biden has promised to sign the measure into law as soon as it reaches his desk, and his administration is already preparing a $1 billion military aid package for Ukraine, the first to be sourced from the bill, two US officials told Reuters.

Argentina asks Interpol to arrest Iranian minister for his role in 1994 AMIA bombing

Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi speaks during a press conference in Tehran on March 4, 2024. (Atta Kenare/AFP)

BUENOS AIRES — Argentina has asked Interpol to arrest Iran’s interior minister over the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people, the foreign ministry says.

That minister, Ahmad Vahidi, is part of an Iranian delegation currently visiting Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and Interpol has issued a red alert seeking his arrest at the request of Argentina, the ministry says in a statement.

Argentina has also asked those two governments to arrest Vahidi, it adds.

North Korean officials make rare public visit to Iran

A North Korean delegation led by the cabinet minister for international trade is visiting Iran, the North’s official media says in a rare public report of an exchange between the two countries believed to have secret military ties.

The minister for external economic relations, Yun Jong Ho, left Pyongyang on Tuesday by air leading a ministry delegation to visit Iran, the North’s KCNA news agency says. It gives no other detail.

North Korea and Iran have long been suspected of cooperating on ballistic missile programs, possibly exchanging technical expertise and components that went into their manufacture.

Iran has provided a large number of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine, Reuters reported in February.

North Korea is also suspected of supplying Russia with missiles and artillery, although both countries have denied the allegation.

Yun has previously worked on the country’s ties with Syria, according to South Korean government database.

Yun has been active in the country’s increasing exchanges with Russia, earlier this month leading a delegation to visit Moscow, according to KCNA.

Pictures of Hamas hostages put up across from anti-Israel encampment at Columbia

Pictures of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are seen on the Columbia University campus in New York City, across from an anti-Israel encampment set up by pro-Palestinian protesters, April 24, 2024. (X video screenshot; Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Jewish students at Columbia University have put up pictures of the hostages held by Hamas, across from the anti-Israel encampment that pro-Palestinian demonstrators have set up on campus.

Alongside the photos of the hostages are an American flag and a banner calling to “bring them home now.”

White House wants ‘real progress’ before US restores UNRWA funding

WASHINGTON — The White House says it will “have to see real progress” before restoring its funding to the UN agency for Palestinians, the main aid agency operating in war-torn Gaza.

The comments from National Security Council spokesman John Kirby came after the US froze aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency following accusations by Israel that its staff may have participated in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

A UN probe is looking into those accusations.

A separate independent review into UNRWA found some “neutrality-related issues” in its much-anticipated report released Monday. It noted Israel had yet to provide evidence for incendiary allegations that staff were members of terrorist organizations.

“In terms of our funding of UNRWA, that is still suspended. We’re gonna have to see real progress here before that gets changed,” Kirby says.

Many donor countries have resumed funding since Israel’s accusations, including Sweden, Canada, Japan, the EU and France — while others, including the United States and Britain — have continued to hold out.

“We welcome the results of this report and strongly support the recommendations in the report,” Kirby says, noting that the United States also faced legal constraints in restarting its funding.

Congress passed a bill signed into law by President Joe Biden last month that blocks US funding until March 2025.