Aug. 2: Security chiefs said to plead for hostage deal; PM green lights new talks in Cairo

Drexel University agrees to review discrimination complaints policy amid probe of antisemitic incidents

Anti-Israel protesters march from Philadelphia City Hall to University of Drexel Campus where they set up an encampment in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 18, 2024. (Matthew Hatcher / AFP)

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (AP) — Drexel University will review the “shared ancestry” discrimination complaints it has fielded in recent years and work to improve how it handles them under an agreement with the US Department of Education announced this afternoon.

The federal investigation began with a complaint about an October dormitory fire on the door of a suite where a Jewish student lived, but no sufficient evidence has surfaced indicating it was motivated by antisemitism or a hate crime, according to officials.

Drexel University – an observant Jewish student’s dorm room door was set on fire.

No other door was vandalized and the student believed she was targeted due to her outspoken support of Israel.

Police are investigating this as a possible hate crime. pic.twitter.com/ifFDpLiEdg

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) October 11, 2023

The probe did turn up what the agency considered shortcomings in how Drexel has responded to a string of 35 other allegations of harassment over Jewish ancestry that were reported to the school over a 16-month period ending in January. Federal officials conclude that a hostile environment has been in place at Drexel for about a year and a half, including anti-Jewish graffiti, social media threats and the vandalism of Drexel’s Center for Jewish life in April.

The investigation is among more than 150 similar probes launched by the US Department of Education regarding campus and K-12 incidents in the wake of Hamas’s Oct 7 attack on Israel that began the ongoing war in Gaza.

“The university’s actions were limited to addressing each incident on an individual basis, including offering supportive resources to students, but did not consider whether broader and more responsive action was needed,” according to a news release issued by the Education Department.

In response, the school has agreed to review complaints and reports of such incidents during the past two academic years, share the information with the federal agency and take action if needed. It also will conduct training and revise policies that guide how incidents of reported discrimination are investigated and addressed.

Hamas official refutes claims Haniyeh was killed by bomb planted in his Tehran room – report

An unverified image of the Tehran building where Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed on July 31, 2024. (Social media, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

A Hamas official in Iran refutes reports that the explosion that killed the Palestinian terror group leader Ismail Haniyeh this week was set off by a bomb in his room at a Tehran guesthouse, according to an Arab media report.

A report in the London-based news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed quotes Khaled Qaddoumi as saying it was “clear from the appearance of the place after the attack and what happened to it, and from the body of the martyr leader Ismail Haniyeh, that the targeting was carried out by an airborne projectile, whether it was a missile or a shell.”

He charges that a New York Times report that said Haniyeh was killed by a sophisticated device smuggled into Tehran about two months ago, as well as an IDF statement denying an airstrike on the night of the killing, were attempts to “lift direct responsibility” from Israel

Qaddoumi, who the US has described as a liaison between Hamas and the Iranian government, recalls the moments of the strike.

“At exactly 1:37 a.m., the building was shocked, so I left the place I was in and saw thick smoke. After that, we knew that [Haniyeh] had been martyred,” he is quoted as saying, adding that “there was a flash.”

“The intensity of the shock that hit the building made me think there had been thunder or an earthquake. I opened the window and found no rain or thunder, as the weather was hot. We went to the fourth floor where the martyr was and found that the wall and ceiling of the place he was in had fallen and been destroyed,” Qaddoumi says.

He also echoes a claim carried by Iranian media that the assassination of Haniyeh was carried out by Israel and approved by the United States. Israel has not commented on Haniyeh’s death, though Iran and its proxies in the region, including Hamas, have vowed revenge.

According to three Iranian officials cited in The New York Times report, the assassination was a “tremendous embarrassment” for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which runs the guesthouse where Haniyeh and other dignitaries were staying.

Israeli swimmer Gorbenko finishes 9th in women’s 200m medley semifinal in Paris, doesn’t advance

Israel's Anastasia Gorbenko reacts after competing in a heat of the women's 200m individual medley at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, August 2, 2024. (Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)

Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko finishes in ninth place in the women’s 200m individual medley semifinal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and does not advance to the final.

Grobenko made a time of 2:10.32, just 16 hundredths of a second behind the eighth place that guarantees qualification.

Hamas official brushes off Netanyahu’s approval of new hostage talks in Cairo as ’empty statements’

Protesters rally in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, marking 300 days in captivity for the hostages in Gaza and demanding an immediate deal for their return on August 1, 2024. (Dana Reany)

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri brushes off Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that Israel will send a team to Cairo in the coming days to continue indirect hostage-ceasefire talks with the terror group.

“Netanyahu does not want to stop the war and is using these empty statements to cover up his crimes and evade their consequences,” he tells Reuters.

Netanyahu’s statement was issued immediately after a Channel 12 news report claimed he rejected calls from his security chiefs to seize the current opportunity for a deal, and after Axios reported that US President Joe Biden urged Netanyahu in their call yesterday to stop escalating tensions in the region and move immediately toward a deal.

Man seriously injured in Tel Aviv shooting; police say incident not terror related

Illustrative: Israel Police car in Tel Aviv on April 12, 2020. (joseh51camera/iStock)

A man who was seriously injured in a shooting in Tel Aviv has been evacuated for medical treatment, according to a police statement.

The statement adds that police are treating the incident as “criminal” in nature, rather than suspected terror activity.

Police have opened an investigation into the incident.

Thousands of armed Yemenis protest assassination of Haniyeh in Sanaa

Armed Yemenis chant slogans during a demonstration denouncing the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on August 2, 2024. (Abdallah Adel/AFP)

Thousands of Yemenis attend a protest in Sanaa to condemn the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this week.

Some of the protesters wear keffiyeh scarves and wave Palestinian flags, while others yield guns and knives. Members of the large crowd hold photos of Haniyeh and of Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi.

Both Hamas and the Houthis are part of the so-called Axis of Resistance, a group of terror organizations and militias backed by Iran.

The killing of the Qatar-based Hamas leader, widely blamed on Israel, has sent regional tensions soaring during the ongoing war in Gaza which has drawn in Iran-backed terror groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.

Turkey and Pakistan announced a day of mourning to honor Haniyeh, who was buried in Doha today, while Hamas called for a “day of furious rage.”

Iranian intel minister: Haniyeh assassination was approved by US, carried out by Israel

Iranians follow a truck, center, carrying the coffins of Hamas terror group leader Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard who were killed in an assassination blamed on Israel on Wednesday, during their funeral ceremony at Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) Sq. in Tehran, Iran, August 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib charges that the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was carried out by Israel and approved by the United States, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.

Khatib is also quoted as saying that Haniyeh’s assassination proves that the “Al-Aqsa Flood” — the Palestinian terror group’s name for its deadly rampage through southern Israeli communities on October 7 — was a success, without explaining.

He sends condolences to the Palestinian people, the Iranian “resistance” including Hamas, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Haniyeh’s family and “all freedom-loving people worldwide,” according to Fars.

Israel had vowed to kill Haniyeh and other leaders of Hamas after the Gaza-based terror group’s devastating October 7 attack, which saw thousands of terrorists burst across the border by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.

Haniyeh, normally based in Qatar, has been the face of the Palestinian terror group’s international diplomacy as the war raged in Gaza, where three of his sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike. He is the most senior Hamas official killed since the war started.

Pentagon chief tells Gallant it will bolster US troops in Middle East amid threats from Iran

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, standing right, and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, standing left, listen to the playing of the Israeli National Anthem during an arrival ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington, June 25, 2024. (AP Photo/ Susan Walsh)

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has informed Israel about current and future changes to American forces in the Middle East, the Pentagon says amid threats from Iran and its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah.

The Pentagon adds that Austin has not yet made a final decision about which forces to deploy.

Officials have told Reuters that a wide range of options are under consideration, including aircraft and naval assets.

The expected changes come as the United States is bracing for Iran to make good on its threats to respond to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh two days ago in Tehran — one in a series of killings of senior figures in the Palestinian terror group as the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza rages.

“(Austin) informed the minister of additional measures to include ongoing and future defensive force posture changes that the department will take to support the defense of Israel,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh tells reporters after a call between Austin and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

“(Austin) committed to Minister Gallant and the President (Joe Biden) committed to (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu that we will be bolstering our force protection in the region,” she adds.

It is unclear if the US preparations are as intensive as they were before April 13, when Iran launched an attack on Israel with drones and missiles. At the time, Israel successfully knocked down almost all of the roughly 300 drones and missiles with the help of the United States and other allies.

Iran and Hamas have both accused Israel of carrying out the killing and have pledged retaliation. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the death nor denied it.

Singh says the United States does not want to see a wider regional conflict and does not believe an escalation is inevitable.

“I think we are being very direct in our messaging that certainly we don’t want to see heightened tensions and we do believe there is an off-ramp here and that is that ceasefire deal,” Singh says in reference to a hostage-ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

IDF: Rocket sirens in northern town of Netua near Lebanon border were false alarms

Rocket sirens that sounded in northern Israel a short while ago were false alarms, the military says.

The alerts were activated in the northern community of Netua near the Lebanon border.

IDF drones destroy launchers used to attack southern Israel today; Iron Dome downs rocket from Gaza

Illustrative: Israel's Iron Dome air defense system intercepts rockets fired by Palestinian terrorists from the Gaza Strip, near Kibbutz Kfar Aza along the Israel-Gaza border, on June 13, 2024. (Jack Guez/AFP)

Rocket launchers used to carry out several attacks on southern Israel today were destroyed in drone strikes, the IDF says.

In the past few hours, some 19 rockets were fired from southern Gaza at Israel.

A short while ago, another rocket was fired from Gaza toward Nahal Oz. The IDF says it was shot down by the Iron Dome.

No injuries were caused.

New Lebanese reports say alleged Israeli strike targeted Syria’s Dabaa Airport, in known Hezbollah smuggling area

New reports from Lebanon say an alleged Israeli strike this evening targeted the Dabaa Airport in Syria, not far from the border with Lebanon.

Earlier reports said the strike targeted the Lebanese town of Qasr, which is close to the Syrian border.

Hezbollah has been known to use the area to smuggle Iranian weapons into Lebanon.

لا يوجد اي غارة على القصر جميعها في الاراضي السورية وادي حنا -المصرية-وبساتين مطربة pic.twitter.com/Cszequ92HM

— مصدر مسؤول (@fouadkhreiss) August 2, 2024

Coalition that thwarted Iran’s April drone and missile attack again taking shape – report

An image grab from AFPTV footage shows Jordanian onlookers and security agents standing around the debris of a missile that the Jordanian forces intercepted over Amman amid an unprecedented Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel in the early hours of April 14, 2024. (Ahmad SHOURA / AFP)

Expecting to be attacked after Iran and Hezbollah have threatened to avenge the killings of terror chiefs overnight Tuesday-Wednesday, Israel is finalizing arrangements with allies for a regional coalition to thwart such attacks, Channel 12 reports.

It names the US, UK, Gulf states, Egypt and Jordan as ready to help intercept missiles and drones should they be fired — in what it says is essentially the same coalition that almost completely thwarted Iran’s April 13-14 drone and missile attack on Israel.

It also says Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have spoken again. And it says several US ships with relevant capabilities to detect and intercept projectiles have been dispatched to the area.

Lebanese media report alleged Israeli strike in Hermel District, near Syrian border

Lebanese media report an alleged Israeli strike near the village of Qasr in the Hermel District, close to the border with Syria.

No further details are immediately available.

Qasr is located about 140 kilometers from the Israeli border.

It would mark one of the deepest Israeli strikes in Lebanon amid the war. The IDF has struck in the Qasr area before.

أنباء أولية عن غارة إسرائيلية على الحدود اللبنانية السورية استـ هدفت بلدة القصر قضاء الهرمل pic.twitter.com/189N44wt2N

— Ali Bk (@Bk_Hanas) August 2, 2024

Netanyahu authorizes negotiators to resume hostage talks in Cairo tomorrow or Sunday

Protesters rally in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, marking 300 days in captivity for the hostages in Gaza and demanding an immediate deal for their return on August 1, 2024. (Paulina Patimer/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized Israeli negotiators to travel to Cairo tomorrow night in efforts to advance a hostage-ceasefire deal, his office says in a statement.

The statement is issued immediately after a Channel 12 news report claimed he rejected calls from his security chiefs to seize the current opportunity for a deal, and after Axios reported that US President Joe Biden urged Netanyahu in their call yesterday to stop escalating tensions in the region and move immediately toward a deal.

The PMO says the Channel 12 report is false, specifically dismissing the claim that Mossad chief Barnea said there is a deal ready and that Israel must take it.

The PMO statement adds that it is false to suggest that Hamas has accepted terms for a deal. “It is not even clear that Hamas has withdrawn from its demand that Israel commit [up front] to ending the war and completely withdrawing from the Strip, and [that Israel] not be able to return to fighting,” the statement says.

“Moreover, agreement has not yet been reached on the number of living hostages that would be freed, on Israel remaining deployed on the Philadelphi Route [between Gaza and Egypt], on a mechanism to prevent the entry of terrorists and arms via the Netzarim Route [and into northern Gaza], and other important additional details.”

The statement adds that all the demands Israel is insisting on are “in accordance with the May 27 Israeli proposal.” Contrary to what is claimed, it says, Netanyahu “has not added a thing” to that proposal, whereas “Hamas is demanding dozens of changes.”

Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar “is the obstacle to a deal,” the statement says, “and not the prime minister, who is prepared to go a long way to free the hostages that are so important to him, while preserving Israel’s security and preventing conditions that would allow Hamas to regain control of the Strip, threaten Israel, and carry out more of the October 7 horrors.”

It is “precisely because of a desire [for a viable deal],” the statement concludes, that Netanyahu has now instructed negotiators to travel to Cairo.

Biden frustrated Netanyahu ordered assassinations after feigning commitment to Gaza deal in DC — Axios

US President Joe Biden meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call last night amid an expected retaliation from Iran and its proxies in the region for the recent assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders was “tough,” according to US officials quoted by the Axios news site.

Biden himself described the conversation with Netanyahu yesterday as “very direct.”

According to the Axios report, the Biden administration is frustrated that it was kept in the dark by Israel about the assassination plans after Netanyahu gave the impression in Washington last week that he was taking on board the president’s ardor to close a hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza.

The US officials are quoted as saying that although Washington is committed to helping Israel repel an Iranian attack, Biden warned Netanyahu that after this he doesn’t want to see further escalation.

The report adds that at the end of the two leaders’ meeting in Washington last week, Biden had “raised his voice and said he wants a deal reached within a week to two weeks.”

Israel is on high alert as the country braces for a response to the assassinations of Hezbollah’s military chief Fuad Shukr in Beirut on Tuesday and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday in Tehran. The IDF has pledged that the military knows how to handle any threat.

While the IDF has claimed responsibility for killing Shukr, Israel has not officially commented on the assassination of Haniyeh, which Hamas, Iran and their allies have blamed on the Jewish state.

Security chiefs said to plead with PM to take deal; he tells them they’re lousy negotiators; PMO denies report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, with his chief of staff Tzachi Braverman, his military secretary Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, in a photo released soon after an Israeli strike on a Hezbollah target in Beirut, July 30, 2024 (PMO)

Israel’s security chiefs reportedly urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to utilize the momentum provided by strikes on terror chiefs to seize the opportunity for a hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas at a top-level security meeting on Wednesday night.

Channel 12 claims Mossad chief David Barnea, who has been leading Israel’s negotiations on a deal, said at the meeting that there is a deal ready, and that Israel must take it.

But Netanyahu shouted down his security chiefs, banged on the table, and told them they were lousy negotiators, Channel 12 news reports.

It does not cite sources.

The Prime Minister’s Office immediately issues a statement saying the report is false, and specifying that Barnea did not say there is a deal ready and that Israel must take it.

The TV report says the meeting was attended by Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and IDF point man for the hostage talks Nitzan Alon.

The meeting took place after the Israeli strike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr on Tuesday night and after the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran early Wednesday morning; Israel has not taken responsibility for that attack.

Ronen Bar (left), head of the Shin Bet security services, speaks with Mossad chief David Barnea during the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, Jerusalem, May 5, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

According to Channel 12, the discussion of opportunities for a hostage deal descended into a bitter argument, as follows:

Shin Bet head Bar: “I feel that the prime minister does not want the proposal that is on the table. If that is the case, tell us.”

IDF Gen. Alon: “You know that all the parameters (that you recently added to Israel’s proposal from late May) will not be accepted, and there won’t be a deal. With what you’re saying, we’ve got nothing to go with [in the negotiations]. We’re at zero. ”

IDF chief Halevi reportedly made similar comments to Alon’s.

Mossad head Barnea: “There’s a deal. If we procrastinate, we could miss the opportunity. We must take it.”

Netanyahu, banging on the table: “You are weak. You don’t know how to run a tough negotiation. You are putting words in my mouth. Instead of pressuring the prime minister, put pressure on [Hamas Gaza chief] Sinwar.”

The security chiefs left the meeting concluding that Netanyahu does not want a deal at this point, the TV report says. It quotes unnamed security sources saying he remains stubborn “even though we have made clear to him that the security establishment can deal with the consequences of a deal.” The unnamed sources are also quoted asserting, “He has given up on the hostages.”

The report suggests that the consequences could play out in two ways: Israel could yet go for a deal, and see if it can also reach an arrangement in the north that averts all-out war. Or it could procrastinate, have no deal and enter a war without legitimization from the US.

Sirens sounding in border communities of Netua near Lebanon, Nahal Oz near Gaza

Sirens are sounding in the northern border community of Netua near the Lebanon border, warning of incoming rocket fire, for the second time this evening.

At the same time, rocket alert sirens are sounding in Nahal Oz, near the Gaza Strip.

Red Alert [20:30:21] – 1 Alert:

• Confrontation Line — Netua#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/baiCbeDQlK

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) August 2, 2024

IDF: Another 8 rockets fired from Gaza at southern Israel; all strike open areas; none hurt

Another eight rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel a short while ago, setting off sirens in Kibbutz Sufa.

According to the IDF, all the rockets struck open areas, causing no injuries.

Earlier, 10 rockets were fired at Gaza border communities and one rocket was fired toward Kiryat Malachi.

The rocket fire comes as IDF troops advance in southern Gaza’s Rafah.

Democratic party: Harris has enough votes to be named official presidential nominee

US Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris delivers remarks before departing George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, on August 1, 2024, as she returns to Washington, DC. (Mark Felix / AFP)

The Democratic National Committee announces that US Vice President Kamala Harris has secured enough votes to be named the official Democratic presidential nominee, setting up a showdown with Republican Donald Trump in November.

Harris was the only candidate on the ballot for the five-day electronic vote after 4,000 delegates — the grassroots activists and politicians allocated during the primary process — signed petitions backing her candidacy.

Dutch KLM, Greece’s Aegean join major airlines canceling flights to Tel Aviv amid spiraling Middle East tensions

Ilustrative: KLM airplanes sit in Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

KLM cancels all of its flights to and from Tel Aviv until October 26, the Dutch arm of airline group Air France says, amid spiraling tensions in the Middle East.

Aegean Airlines also cancels flights to and from Israel, according to Greek media reports.

The decision follows similar moves by Lufthansa, Delta, United and other airlines in recent days.

A senior Israeli aviation official argued yesterday that the country’s skies are secure and that authorities would close the airspace of their own initiative if and when the situation truly calls for it.

Rocket sirens sounding again in Gaza border community of Sufa

Sirens are sounding again in the southern community of Sufa near the Gaza border, warning of incoming rocket fire.

A short while ago terrorists in Gaza fired at least 10 rockets at the area. One of the rockets was intercepted while others landed in open areas, according to the IDF.

Red Alert [20:03:57] – 1 Alert:

• Gaza Envelope — Sufa#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/9Lnj7FsBd4

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) August 2, 2024

Hezbollah operatives in building used by terror group in south Lebanon struck by fighter jets — IDF

Hezbollah operatives identified at a building used by the terror group in southern Lebanon’s Ayta ash-Shab were struck by fighter jets earlier today, the IDF says.

Meanwhile, one rocket fired from Lebanon at the Western Galilee earlier this evening, setting off sirens in several communities, impacted an open area, according to the military. No injuries were caused.

The IDF says it shelled the launch site with artillery.

כוחות צה״ל זיהו במהלך היום מחבלים מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה פועלים במבנה צבאי של הארגון במרחב עייתא א-שעב שבדרום לבנון.

זמן קצר לאחר הזיהוי, מטוסי קרב תקפו את המבנה בו פעלו המחבלים>> pic.twitter.com/keKUSfiE1i

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 2, 2024

Gallant tells Austin: Cooperation between US-Israel against Iran ‘critical to regional stability’

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks to his American counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, telling him that “the unprecedented security cooperation between Israel and the United States against Iran and its proxies, is critical to regional security and stability.”

According to a readout issued by the Defense Ministry, Gallant provided Austin with a “situation assessment in light of recent security developments, and discussed the important defense cooperation between Israel and the United States in the face of threats posed by Iran and its proxies.”

They also discussed the war in Gaza and “the critical timing as it relates to the hostage issue, and his commitment to ensuring the return of hostages,” according to Gallant’s office.

“The minister emphasized Israel’s commitment to achieving an agreement swiftly and ensuring the return of hostages to Israel,” the statement adds.

Foreign minister after Turkish embassy lowers flag for Haniyeh: ‘Erdogan is turning Turkey into a dictatorship’

Foreign Minister Israel Katz slams Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after Ankara’s embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flag to half mast today in honor of slain Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

“Erdogan is turning Turkey into a dictatorship just because of his support for the murderers and rapists of Hamas, against the stance of the entire free world,” he writes on X.

Katz also decries Turkey’s blocking of the Instagram social media network, reported earlier today, and disrupting a sports broadcast of the judo semifinal at the Paris Olympics between Israeli and Turkish judokas.

“Erdogan is taking a Turkish state with scientific, cultural, technological and economic capabilities and destroying it, eroding the legacy of Atatürk, who built a progressive and prosperous Turkey. Let’s hope for better days,” he adds.

.@RTErdogan is turning Turkey into a dictatorship just because of his support for the murderers and rapists of Hamas, against the stance of the entire free world.

He is blocking Instagram, with 57 million users in Turkey, cutting off sports broadcasts because an Israeli athlete… pic.twitter.com/5dpEhELf0C

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) August 2, 2024

IDF: At least 10 rockets fired from Gaza at southern Israel; one intercepted, others impact open areas

At least 10 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel a short while ago, setting off sirens in the border communities of Sufa and Nir Yitzhak.

According to the IDF, one of the rockets was intercepted by the Iron Dome, while the others impacted open areas.

There are no injuries.

Poland warns citizens against travel to Lebanon, Israel and Iran

WARSAW — Amid fears of a wider Middle East conflict, Poland advises its citizens against traveling to Lebanon, Israel and Iran.

“In connection with a growing number of Polish tourists visiting Lebanon, Israel and Iran, we want to repeat that we have long advised against any kind of travel to this region,” the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs writes on X.

“The unstable security situation makes it possible to believe that it will be more and more difficult to leave the three countries,” the ministry adds.

Earlier today, Polish airline LOT said it canceled eight flights to Lebanon and Israel because of the security situation, PAP news agency reports.

Airlines are avoiding Iranian and Lebanese airspace and canceling flights to Israel and Lebanon, as concerns grow over a possible regional conflict after the killing of senior members of terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah this week.

Rocket alert sirens sounding in communities near Gaza

Sirens are sounding in southern communities near the Gaza Strip, warning of incoming rocket fire.

The alerts can be heard in Sufa and Nir Yitzhak.

Earlier this evening, the IDF said a rocket fired from southern Gaza at the Kiryat Malachi area landed in an open area.

Red Alert [19:15:21] – 2 Alerts:

• Gaza Envelope — Sufa, Nir Itzhak#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/pXkOeMdkUI

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) August 2, 2024

After losing final in Paris, Israeli judoka says she’s sad not to take home gold

Brazil's Beatriz Souza and Israel's Raz Hershko (blue) embrace after competing in the judo women's +78kg gold medal bout of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Champ-de-Mars Arena, in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Luis ROBAYO / AFP)

Minutes after winning a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Raz Hershko says she is sad not to take home gold, but proud of her achievements.

“It’s a bummer it wasn’t an Olympic gold, that was the goal,” Hershko tells Israel’s Sport5 broadcaster. “I’m not sure what I’m crying over more, that I lost or that I have a medal.”

Hershko says that she is “really happy and emotional — I’m speechless.”

The judoka says that since Tokyo, when she went home without an individual medal after losing in the round of 16, “I didn’t rest, I went back to compete, to train — all to come and to do my best on the biggest stage, and to fix what happened in Tokyo.”

She says, “I so wanted the gold, I felt like it was my day, like I was there, that I was sharp, that I could make history in judo,” although she ultimately ended up with silver and “a small sense of missing out… but I’m happy.”

Hershko thanks her coach, Shanny Hershko — who is also her uncle — joking that “I can very objectively say that he’s the best coach in the world.”

Turkish judo fans outraged after local channel cuts broadcast of Israel-Turkey semifinal in Paris

Israel's Raz Hershko reacts after beating Turkey's Kayra Ozdemir (Blue) in the judo women's +78kg semi-final bout of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Champ-de-Mars Arena, in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Jack Guez/ AFP)

Turkish judo fans express outrage on social media after the local channel TRT cut its broadcast from the Paris 2024 Olympics as Israeli judoka Raz Hershko defeated Turkey’s Kayra Ozdemir in the semifinal of the women’s over-78kg weight class.

The pair embraced following their brief match, which the Israeli judoka won in just 15 seconds.

“Are you going to the Olympics to fight or to do sports?” a Turkish viewer writes on X. “If we are defeated, we are defeated, what kind of teenage things are you doing and cutting off the broadcast?”

“What kind of nonsense is it to interrupt the broadcast just because the opponent is Israeli? This is sports, there is winning and losing. You’ve gone completely crazy,” writes another sports fan.

Comments on social media also decry that TRT called the victorious Israeli judoka “her opponent” in a post on X, without naming Hershko or mentioning her nationality.

🥋Milli judocumuz Kayra Özdemir, kadınlar +78kg yarı finalinde rakibine mağlup oldu.🥋

🇹🇷Sporcumuz bugün bronz madalya için tatamiye çıkacak.🥉 pic.twitter.com/EMFs9BCzh8

— TRT Spor Yıldız (@trtsporyildiz) August 2, 2024

Earlier today, the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flag to half mast in honor of slain Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, drawing swift backlash from outraged Israeli officials.

Rocket sirens sounding in northern towns near Lebanon border

Sirens are sounding in northern communities near the border with Lebanon, warning of incoming rocket fire.

The alerts can be heard in largely evacuated towns including Zarit, Netua, Shtula and Shomera.

Red Alert [18:45:44] – 4 Alerts:

• Confrontation Line — Zarit, Netua, Shtula, Shomera#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/3M6j9cJ3gt

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) August 2, 2024

IDF chief meets with British counterpart to discuss ‘strategic security issues’ amid Iranian threat

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi meets with his UK counterpart, Chief of the Defense Staff Adm. Sir Antony David Radakin, at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, August 2, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

With tensions high in the region, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi met with his British counterpart, Chief of the Defense Staff Adm. Sir Antony David Radakin earlier today.

The IDF says the pair “held a situational assessment in which they discussed strategic security issues and cooperation in the region.”

The United Kingdom was among several nations that aided Israel in defending against Iran’s attack on the country in April.

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko wins silver medal after losing +78kg final at Paris Olympics

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko smiles after winning a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics on August 2, 2024. (Olympic Committee of Israel)

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko wins a silver medal after losing to Brazil’s Beatriz Souza in the final match of the women’s over-78kg weight class at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Brazil’s Beatriz Souza and Israel’s Raz Hershko (blue) compete during their women’s +78 kg final match in the team judo competition, at Champ-de-Mars Arena, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP/Eugene Hoshiko)

This is the 16th-ever medal for Israel, the third at the Paris Games — all in judo — and the third silver ever. Nine of Israel’s Olympic medals are in judo.

Brazil’s Beatriz Souza and Israel’s Raz Hershko (blue) embrace after competing in the judo women’s +78kg gold medal bout of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Champ-de-Mars Arena, in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Luis ROBAYO / AFP)

Yesterday, Israel won two medals in judo — silver for Inbar Lanir in the under-78kg class and bronze for Peter Paltchik in the under-100kg competition.

Police detain Al-Aqsa preacher who eulogized Haniyeh on suspicion of incitement, supporting terror

Sheikh Ekrima Sabri is seen at his home in Jerusalem, February 22, 2024. (Jamal Awad/Flash90)

Police have detained Al-Aqsa preacher Sheikh Ekrima Sabri on suspicion of incitement and supporting terrorism after he delivered a eulogy for slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during Friday prayers.

The State Attorney’s Office approved the investigation earlier this afternoon.

In his sermon, Sabri said that “the residents of Jerusalem are praying to God to have mercy on the martyr. We are asking for him to receive compassion and paradise.”

Israel last year advanced highest number of West Bank settlements since Oslo – EU report

The Evyatar outpost in the West Bank, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israel advanced last year the highest number of settlements in the West Bank since the Oslo Accords of the 1990s, according to a report from the European Union’s representative office in the Palestinian territories.

Plans for 12,349 housing units moved towards approval in the West Bank, the EU office says, warning of the impact on a potential two-state solution.

Another 18,333 units moved forward in the planning process in East Jerusalem, the EU office says.

The total — 30,682 units in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem — is the highest since 2012, it adds.

The report comes at a time of heightened tensions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem over the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, which has been raging since the Hamas terror group’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel.

“The EU has repeatedly called on Israel not to proceed with plans under its settlement policy and to halt all settlement activities,” the EU office says.

“It remains the EU’s firm position that settlements are illegal under international law… Israel’s decision to advance plans for the approval and construction of new settlement units in 2023 further undermines the prospects of a viable two-state solution.”

Israel assassinated 5 Hamas leaders in a tunnel under Gaza City — Arab media report

Explosions spread along the underground complex as the IDF blows up a tunnel network in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza, in footage released on November 19, 2023. (Kan TV screenshot, used in accordance with clause 27a of the copyright law)

Israel recently assassinated two Hamas politburo leaders and three military commanders in a tunnel under Gaza City, according to sources from the terror group quoted by the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

According to the report, the IDF strike killed Hamas political leaders Rawhi Mushtaha and Sameh al-Siraj along with three commanders from the group’s military wing, the Izz a-Din al-Qassam Brigades; Abdul Hadi Siam, Sami Odeh and Muhammad Hadid.

Mushtaha has served as de facto prime minister of the Gaza Strip and is in charge of financial affairs within the Hamas politburo. He reportedly helped establish the Hamas military wing and was arrested by Israel in 1988 before being released in 2011 as part of the Shalit prisoner swap.

He is said to be a close confidant of Hamas Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar and is seen as one of the terror group’s most hawkish members.

Siraj has served in the Hamas politburo since 2021 and is also in charge of internal security within the Strip. He reportedly headed a secret intelligence unit operating out of Turkey.

صحيفة التايمز:
حماس تدير من غزة مجموعة سرية فى اسطنبول للحرب الإلكترونية والاستخبارات المضادة وللشراء ﺍﻟﻤﻮﺍﺩ ﺫﺍﺕ ﺍﻻﺳﺘﺨﺪﺍﻡ ﺍﻟﻤﺰﺩﻭﺝ.
سامح السراج أبو فكري عضو المكتب السياسي لحماس في القطاع يدير المجموعة من غزة ويرفع تقاريره مباشرا الى يحيى السنوار pic.twitter.com/TOWanGEYsI

— Gal Berger גל ברגר (@galberger) October 23, 2020

The IDF in November said it had targeted Mushtaha and Siraj in a tunnel, but was unable to confirm their deaths.

However, the sources quoted by Asharq Al-Awsat say the strike on the tunnel that killed the Hamas members took place around a week and a half ago, noting that the underground hideout has been partially damaged in an airstrike at the beginning of the ongoing war in Gaza, sparked by the terror group’s October 7 massacre.

The report says that the tunnel was used by the terror group as a command and control center and that it has rooms for sleeping, where operatives can hide out for extended periods.

The Hamas sources say the bodies of the assassinated leaders were pulled from the rubble after the most recent bombing in a complicated extraction effort that took several days. They were reportedly buried last night.

Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report. 

IDF chief to troops in Gaza: Israel is ‘willing to go far’ to strike anyone who attacks us

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi meets troops in the central Gaza Strip, August 1, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says Israel is “willing to go far” to strike those who harm the country.

“Those who attack the citizens of Israel, those who attack the State of Israel, we are ready to go far, we know how to make great efforts to bring very accurate intelligence, to attack, kill and also take risks,” Halevi says to troops during a visit to the Gaza Strip last night.

“We attacked in Beirut and we are attacking in Gaza, and we will be very strong in defense, and then we will also attack very strongly,” he adds.

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko defeats Turkish opponent in 15 seconds in semifinal, guaranteeing her a medal

Israel's Raz Hershko reacts after beating Turkey's Kayra Ozdemir (Blue) in the judo women's +78kg semi-final bout of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Champ-de-Mars Arena, in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Jack Guez/ AFP)

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko defeats Turkey’s Kayra Ozdemir in 15 seconds in the semifinal of the women’s over-78kg weight class at the 2024 Paris Olympics, guaranteeing her a medal.

The pair embrace following their brief match.

In the final, Hershko will face either France’s Romane Dicko or Brazil’s Beatriz Souza, and she will end up with either a silver or gold medal.

IDF: Fighter jets strike 2 Hezbollah operatives near rocket launch site in south Lebanon

Israeli fighter jets struck two Hezbollah operatives in a building in southern Lebanon’s Blida a short while ago, the IDF says.

The military says the operatives had been identified by the 91st “Galilee” Regional Division at an area from which projectiles were fired at the Ramim Ridge within Israel.

Earlier, a suspected drone that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon was shot down over the Golan Heights.

A fire sparked in the area as a result of falling shrapnel. There were no injuries in the incident.

מטוסי קרב תקפו לפני זמן קצר שני מחבלי חיזבאללה שפעלו במבנה צבאי של הארגון במרחב בליידא שבדרום לבנון.

המחבלים הותקפו זמן קצר לאחר שזוהו על ידי כוח מאוגדה 91 במרחב ממנו בוצעו היום שיגורים לרכס רמים>> pic.twitter.com/Zi7IYWjBPa

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 2, 2024

Report: Iran planning to launch drones at Israel from Syria as part of threatened retaliatory attack

Iranian workers install a huge banner on a wall showing a portrait of Hamas terror group leader Ismail Haniyeh and the Dome of Rock Islamic shrine atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem with a sign which reads in Farsi and Hebrew: "Expect severe punishment," at Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran, July 31, 2024. Haniyeh was assassinated in the city hours earlier. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran is reportedly planning to launch drones at Israel from Syria as part of its threatened retaliatory attack for the assassinations of two leaders from its proxy terror groups over the past week.

Citing unnamed sources, the UK-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that the drones could be launched from areas near Damascus and from the Syrian desert, to look like they were launched by Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq.

According to the SOHR report, the Iranian proxy groups have also ordered operatives not to target American military bases if the United States does not participate in defending Israel during the attack.

US President Joe Biden yesterday stressed America’s commitment to defending Israel’s security “against all threats from Iran.”

The threats come after Israel assassinated Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr on Tuesday, days after the terror group’s rocket attack killed 12 young people in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights. The death of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, which came just hours later in Tehran, was widely attributed to Israel as well, though it has not claimed responsibility for it.

SOHR, run by a single person, has regularly been accused by Syrian war analysts of false reporting and inflating casualty numbers as well as inventing them wholesale.

IDF: Navy conducted successful test of LRAD interceptor missile from Sa’ar 6 warship

The IDF says the Navy recently conducted a successful test of an LRAD missile, part of the BARAK MX air defense system, launched from a Sa’ar 6-class corvette.

It says the test included a “precision rocket fired at a target representing a strategic asset at sea.”

The BARAK MX system identified the rocket and shot it down with an LRAD interceptor missile, according to the Navy.

Medal races in windsurfing iQFoil race pushed off until tomorrow, weather permitting

Israeli windsurfer Sharon Kantor (Courtesy Olympic Committee of Israel)

After a week of delays and race cancellations, the medal races in the windsurfing iQFoil race have been pushed off until at least tomorrow.

Israeli windsurfers Sharon Kantor and Tom Reuveny both qualified separately for the men’s and women’s semifinal and are considered strong medal contenders.

They were each slated to compete in their semifinals against three other competitors, vying for two spots in the final, which would guarantee them a medal. But once again Olympic officials decided that winds were too low to fairly carry out the race today, and the new plan is to hold them tomorrow — weather permitting.

Olympics opening ceremony director complains of hate speech for his sexual orientation, false Israeli roots

Actor and stage director Thomas Jolly poses in Paris, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom Nouvian)

PARIS — Paris prosecutors say that police have opened a hate speech investigation following a complaint by Olympics opening ceremony artistic director Thomas Jolly over death threats.

The Paris prosecutor’s office says in a statement that Jolly filed a police complaint on Tuesday, four days after the opening ceremony, for death threats, “public insults” and “defamation.”

Jolly said he has been “the target of threatening messages and insults on social networks criticizing his sexual orientation and his wrongly-assumed Israeli roots,” the statement says. France’s Central Office for Combating Crimes Against Humanity and Hate Crimes has been charged with the investigation.

Jolly’s complaint comes after the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony prompted a storm of outrage, including angry comments from Donald Trump, in the wake of a contentious scene featuring drag queens and other performers.

Although Jolly has repeatedly said he wasn’t inspired by “The Last Supper,” critics interpreted part of the show as a mockery of Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting showing Jesus Christ and his apostles.

Barbara Butch, a popular DJ and LGBTQ+ icon who performed in the show, also said she suffered a torrent of online threats. Butch has filed a complaint alleging online abuse and harassment, which police are also investigating.

Social media influencer Andrew Tate points to a picture of a scene that took place during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony that seemed to evoke Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper,’ during a protest near the French Embassy in Bucharest, Romania, July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Israel pulls out of final round in equestrian team jumping final, finishing in 9th and last place

Israel's Robin Muhr riding Galaxy HM clears a hurdle during the equestrian jumping team final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Aug. 2, 2024, in Versailles, France. (AP/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

After two challenging rounds, Israel pulls out of the final round in the equestrian team jumping final at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Versailles, France, finishing in 9th and last place.

Robin Muhr receives 13 penalty points, while Ashlee Bond racks up 20 negative points, leading Daniel Bluman to decide to withdraw from his appearance — realizing a medal was not within reach — and instead save his strength for the individual competitions next week.

During the team qualifier, Bluman completed a perfect round with zero points.

Today’s appearance is still an improvement over the team’s Tokyo performance, in which one of Israel’s riders fell during the qualifying round and the team did not advance to the final.

IDF: One rocket fired from southern Gaza lands in open area, causing no injuries

One rocket was fired from the southern Gaza Strip at the Kiryat Malachi area in southern Israel a short while, according to the IDF.

The rocket struck an open area, causing no injuries.

Sirens sounded in several communities near Kiryat Malachi, some 65 kilometers from southern Gaza.

Rocket sirens sounding in communities near southern city of Kiryat Malachi

Incoming rocket sirens are sounding in several communities near the southern city of Kiryat Malachi.

The alerts are activated due to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.

There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Red Alert [15:59:35] – 5 Alerts:

• Lakhish — Al Azi, Arugot, Yinon, Kfar HaRif and Re'em Junction, Timorim#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/TBesyn1X49

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) August 2, 2024

Gallant, UK counterpart hold assessment, discuss coalition to ‘defend Israel against Iran and its proxies’

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meets with his British counterpart, UK Secretary of State for Defense John Healey at the Israel Defense Forces HQ in Tel Aviv, August 2, 2024. (Shachar Yurman/Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with his British counterpart, UK Secretary of State for Defense John Healey today.

A readout from the Defense Ministry says Gallant provided Healey with an “operational situation assessment.”

The pair “discussed the important defense ties between Israel and the UK, and their shared commitment to maintaining and further strengthening cooperation in a number of strategic and military areas, including the field of intelligence.”

“Gallant expressed his appreciation to the secretary for Britain’s ongoing support for Israel’s right to self-defense, and the important defense cooperation that took place when Israel was under attack in April,” the statement continues.

“In light of recent developments, Minister Gallant discussed the IDF’s readiness and capabilities to defend Israel on all fronts, and emphasized the importance of establishing a coalition in Israel’s defense against Iran and its proxies. This would have a critical impact on regional and global security and stability,” the ministry says.

The two also discussed the war in the Gaza Strip, according to the readout.

French citizens visiting Iran advised to leave ‘as soon as possible,’ in first warning over Tehran since tensions spiked

France urges its nationals visiting Iran to leave immediately amid simmering tensions in the region, with the Islamic Republic vowing revenge against Israel for the assassinations of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut on Tuesday.

Israel killed the Hezbollah commander in an airstrike in Beirut after the terror group fired a rocket on the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights last weekend, killing 12 children on a soccer field.

Jerusalem has not taken responsibility for killing Haniyeh the following morning, but has been blamed by Tehran and Hamas.

“Due to the increased risk of a military escalation in the region, visiting French nationals still in Iran are invited to leave as soon as possible,” the French foreign ministry says.

Several Western countries have advised citizens against traveling to Israel and Lebanon amid the threat of widening conflict over the past week. However, none have made recommendations about Iran since it for the first time attacked the Jewish state directly in April in response to the killing of a senior army general in an alleged Israeli strike in Damascus.

On that occasion, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, nearly all of which Israel was able to intercept with the help of US coordination with other forces in the region, including Britain, France, and some Arab states.

IDF: Hezbollah operative targeted in drone strike after launching rockets at northern Israel

A Hezbollah operative who launched rockets at northern Israel earlier today was targeted in a drone strike, the IDF says.

According to the army, all of the rockets fired by the terror group fell short in Lebanon and did not cross the border into Israel.

Sirens had sounded in the border community of Arab al-Aramshe amid the attack claimed by Hezbollah.

Reservists of the Oded Brigade spotted the operative behind the attack, and a short while later a drone struck him, the IDF says.

Several more projectiles were fired by Hezbollah at northern Israel in the last few hours, all of which impacted open areas according to the IDF. The military says it is shelling the launch sites with artillery.

There are no injuries in the attacks.

Report: UN investigation finds Hezbollah responsible for Majdal Shams rocket attack

Residents rush to help injured children moments after a rocket hit a soccer field in the northern Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Shams)

Sky News Arabia reports that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has found Hezbollah to be responsible for launching the rocket that killed 12 children in the Golan Heights’ Majdal Shams last Saturday.

Hezbollah has denied that it was behind the deadly rocket attack that struck a soccer field in the Druze town, although Israel and the US have both said that the Iran-backed terror group was responsible.

UNIFIL has yet to issue an official statement regarding the findings of its investigation.

Ministers given satellite phones due to concern phone lines could be damaged if Iran attacks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes a security cabinet meeting on July 28, 2024, to discuss Israel's reaction to the deadly Hezbollah strike in the Golan Heights a day earlier. (Haim Zach/GPO)

Government ministers have been issued satellite phones in preparation for possible retaliation for the assassinations of top Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, whose death has been widely blamed on Israel, Ynet reports.

According to the report, the satellite phones were distributed due to concerns that a retaliatory attack by either Iran or Hezbollah could destroy telephone lines and knock out cell service.

Some ministries have also provided staff with satellite phones as well, the report adds, but stressed that “there should be no panic,” as the step was taken out of an abundance of caution and not because any specific intelligence information indicates that telephone infrastructure will be destroyed or damaged.

Al-Aqsa preacher eulogizes Haniyeh in sermon, police open investigation into possible incitement

Muslims take part in Friday prayers in the shadow of the Dome of the Rock Mosque in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, August 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

The Israel Police have opened an investigation into Al-Aqsa preacher Sheikh Ekrima Sabri after he delivered a eulogy for slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during Friday prayers.

In his sermon, Sabri said that “the residents of Jerusalem are praying to God to have mercy on the martyr. We are asking for him to receive compassion and paradise.”

The police say they are investigating whether Sabri’s words contained incitement to violence.

In addition, one suspect was detained at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount for incitement during prayer services.

Hezbollah transporting senior staff, military equipment out of Beirut for fear of Israeli strikes – report

Arabic media sources report that Hezbollah is evacuating its senior personnel from the terror group’s strongholds in the southern suburbs of Beirut, in anticipation of potential Israeli strikes.

The Iran-backed group has also reportedly moved the military equipment it stored in the Beirut suburbs to areas further away.

Public asked to keep eye out for a seal after reliable sighting off Haifa coast

Yulia the Mediterranean monk seal is seen ashore on Israel's Jaffa beach in May 2023. (Guy Levian, Israel Nature and Parks Authority)

Researchers call on the public to keep their eyes open for a seal, following a reliable sighting off the coast of Haifa in northern Israel.

Anyone who sees the animal is asked to photograph it and call 050-3225227 or report it online to Delphis, an organization that researches and protects marine mammals. Alternatively, people can call the Israel Nature and Parks Authority hotline at *3639.

The seal report came from veterinarian Dr. Yotam Ayalon, who was surfing in the Bat Galim area.

This follows an unverified sighting near Rosh Hanikra close to Israel’s border with Lebanon two weeks ago, and one off the coast of Ashdod in southern Israel at the end of November. Two weeks before that, there was a sighting off the coast of Herzliya in central Israel.

In May last year, a female Mediterranean monk seal nicknamed Yulia came ashore on the Jaffa beach, causing a media sensation.

Yulia is one of roughly 600-700 of the species left in the world, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, though other estimates put the number even lower. The species is classified as endangered.

Anyone who sees a seal is asked to keep their distance, take pictures without a flash and take a video. If the seal is on the beach, keep curious onlookers and dogs away, keep the area quiet and do not use a flashlight.

Polish flag carrier LOT cancels several flights to Israel, Lebanon

Polish flag carrier LOT has canceled eight flights to Lebanon and Israel after an analysis of the security situation, PAP news agency reported on Friday, citing a spokesperson for the airline.

Airlines are avoiding Iranian and Lebanese airspace and canceling flights to Israel and Lebanon, as concerns grow over a possible conflict in the region after the killing of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah earlier this week.

Israel has been widely blamed for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh but has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.

US yet to see signs that Iran is preparing for imminent strike on Israel – Saudi report

Motorists drive past a billboard showing named Iranian ballistic missiles, with text in Arabic reading "the honest [person's] promise" and in Persian "Israel is weaker than a spider's web", in Valiasr Square in central Tehran on April 15, 2024. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

The US has not yet received any indication that Iran is preparing for a military strike on Israel, the Saudi Al-Hadath news outlet reports, citing unnamed sources from within the Biden administration.

According to the report, US intelligence has not detected any significant movement of Iranian forces or equipment in recent days, and for now, there are no signs that the country is gearing up for an imminent strike on Israel.

Likewise, the report adds that Iran’s proxies in the region do not appear to have taken any steps that would signal they were preparing to launch a major attack on behalf of Iran.

The US estimates that “Tehran will take time to decide on the type of response it launches, and it will take time to prepare the response,” one of the officials tells Al-Hadath. Even so, the attack is not likely to be a large-scale assault, the official says, as Iran does not want war with Israel any more than Israel wants war with it.

“But,” they say, “you are dealing with the Middle East, and anything can happen.

Hezbollah claims responsibility for launching several rockets at IDF base on the Lebanon border

Hezbollah takes responsibility for launching several rockets at an Israeli military base on the Lebanon border.

Sirens had sounded a short while ago in the community of Arab al-Aramshe, close to the base that Hezbollah claims to have targeted.

There are no reports of injuries.

Israel’s swimming team fails to advance to mixed 4x100m medley race final at Paris Olympics

Andi Murez (right) and Anastasia Gorbenko of Israel's team compete in a 4x100-meter mixed medley heat at the Summer Olympics in Nanterre, France, Aug. 2, 2024. (AP/Ashley Landis)

Israel’s swimming team in the mixed 4×100m medley relay — made up of Anastasia Gorbenko, Ron Polonsky, Gal Cohen Groumi and Andi Murez — finishes 10th overall in the heats and does not advance to the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Gorbenko will swim in tonight’s semifinal in the women’s 200m individual medley, and Cohen Groumi will swim in the men’s 100m butterfly semifinal. If neither advance to the final, today will be the end of Israel’s indoor swimming events in Paris.

Matan Roditi is slated to swim the 10km open water race next Friday in the Seine River.

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko advances to semifinals of women’s over-78kg weight class at Paris Olympics

Israel's Raz Hershko reacts after beating Serbia's Milica Zabic in the judo women's +78kg quarterfinal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Champ-de-Mars Arena, in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Jack GUEZ / AFP)

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko defeats Serbia’s Milica Žabić in the quarterfinal of the women’s over-78kg weight class at the 2024 Paris Olympics, advancing to the semifinal.

If Hershko wins the semifinal later today, she will be guaranteed either a silver or gold medal. If not, she will still have a shot at the bronze.

Funeral procession for Hamas leader Haniyeh gets underway in Doha

The funeral procession for slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is underway in Doha.

Mourners line up for funeral prayers inside Doha’s Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque, while others pray outside on mats in temperatures as high as 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit).

Draped in a Palestinian flag, his casket is carried briefly into the mosque before leaving again for burial in Lusail, north of the Qatari capital.

Many Doha mourners are dressed in crisp white traditional robes, others in street clothes. But most wear scarves that combine the Palestinian flag with a checkered keffiyeh pattern with the words “Free Palestine” emblazoned on them in English.

Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan are among the officials attending the funeral.

The ceremony is also attended by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

Paris: Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko advances to semifinals in women’s 200m individual medley

Anastasia Gorbenko, of Israel, competes during a heat in the women's 400m individual medley at the 2024 Summer Olympics, July 29, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP/Martin Meissner)

Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko finishes 11th in the heats of the women’s 200m individual medley at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with a time of 2:11.53, and advances to the semifinal.

Fellow Israeli Leah Polonsky finishes 28th, with a time of 2:17.53 and does not advance. Palestinian swimmer Valerie Rose Tarazi finishes 32nd overall and also does not advance.

The semifinal in the event will be held tonight.

Ben Gvir: Turkish embassy staff are welcome to remove the flag entirely and return home

After the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flag to half-mast as a sign of mourning for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir says that the embassy staff are welcome “to remove the flag entirely and return home.”

Katz summons Turkish deputy ambassador for reprimand after embassy flag lowered to half-mast

The Turkish flag is flown at half-mast in honor of slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh at the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv on August 2, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Foreign Minister Israel Katz summons the Turkish deputy ambassador to Israel for a reprimand after the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flag to half-mast in honor of slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

“Israel will not accept expressions of participation in mourning for a murderer like Ismail Haniyeh,” Katz says in a statement published by his office. “If embassy representatives want to mourn, let them go to Turkey and mourn together with their master Erdogan, who embraces the terrorist organization Hamas and supports its murderous acts.”

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko advances to quarterfinal of women’s over-78kg weight class at Paris Olympics

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko (white) competes against Marit Kamps of the Netherlands in the round of 16 women's over-78kg weight class at the 2024 Paris Olympics, August 2, 2024. (Olympic Committee of Israel)

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko defeats her opponent Marit Kamps of the Netherlands in the round of 16 women’s over-78kg weight class at the 2024 Paris Olympics, advancing to the quarterfinal.

Hershko, ranked second in the world, advanced straight to the round of 16 due to her ranking, and will next face either Serbia’s Milica Žabić or Cuba’s Idalys Ortiz.

Swimmer Gal Cohen Groumi advances to semifinal in men’s 100m butterfly at Paris Olympics

Hungary's Kristof Milak and Israel's Gal Cohen Groumi react after a heat of the men's 100m butterfly at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, August 2, 2024. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP)

Israeli swimmer Gal Cohen Groumi advances to the semifinal in the men’s 100m butterfly, finishing 10th overall with a time of 51.30 seconds at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Fellow Israeli Tomer Frankel finishes 21st overall and does not advance.

The semifinal will be held this evening.

Air India cancels all Tel Aviv flights until August 8 in light of security risks

Air India announces that it is suspending all flights to and from Tel Aviv until August 8, effective immediately.

The airline says the decision was taken “in view of the ongoing situation in parts of the Middle East.”

People who were supposed to be flying with Air India during this period will receive a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges, the airline adds, in a statement posted on X.

Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv lowers flag to half-mast to honor slain Hamas leader

The Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv has lowered its flag to half-mast to honor slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh ahead of his burial in Qatar.

Speaking to Ynet, an unnamed political source says it is “disgusting that the Turkish embassy in Israel saw fit to lower the flag to half-mast for the death of a man who is responsible for the murder of hundreds of Israelis.”

Turkish flag in its embassy building in Tel Aviv lowered due the national mourning on the killing of Hamas leader Heniyeh, reportedly by Israel pic.twitter.com/WuM2Ory8Pz

— Guy Elster (@guyelster) August 2, 2024

Turkey announced earlier today that it would observe a national day of mourning for Haniyeh, whose death has been widely blamed on Israel, despite Jerusalem neither confirming nor denying its involvement.

Turkish FM meets with Khaled Mashaal in Doha ahead of Haniyeh’s burial

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan is in Doha to attend the funeral of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the Turkish foreign ministry says in a statement.

Fidan “offered his condolences to Khaled [Mashaal], Acting Chief of the Hamas Political Bureau, in Doha, over the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh,” it writes on X.

The foreign ministry adds that two of Haniyeh’s sons were also present.

Minister of Foreign Affairs @HakanFidan offered his condolences to Khaled Meshaal, Acting Chief of the Hamas Political Bureau, in Doha, over the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Abdusselam and Hemmam, the sons of the martyr Haniyeh, were also present at the meeting. pic.twitter.com/J1h77IlbTK

— Turkish MFA (@MFATurkiye) August 2, 2024

Under tight security, mourners arrive at Doha mosque ahead of Haniyeh’s burial

People waving Palestinian flags walk toward the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha to pay respects to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh after his killing in Tehran earlier this week, August 2, 2024.(Karim Jaafar/AFP)

Mourners are arriving at a Qatari mosque ahead of the burial of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran earlier this week, will be buried following Friday prayers at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque.

Hours before prayers began, hundreds of mourners began arriving at the Doha mosque, most of them having donned scarves bearing the Palestinian flag or traditional keffiyeh patterns for the ceremony, which is being held under tight security.

Doha traffic police and Qatar’s internal security forces are monitoring all approaches to the mosque with police lining the highway embankments adjoining the mosque grounds.

Earlier this morning, Hamas repeated its call for a “day of furious rage” to commence after Haniyeh is buried.

Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.

London rabbi held in Ireland allegedly for performing unlicensed circumcision

A rabbi from London is arrested and denied bail as he faces criminal prosecution for allegedly performing a circumcision without having the necessary medical credentials.

Jonathan Abraham, who was arrested Tuesday faces a maximum fine of €130,000 ($140,000) and five years’ imprisonment for allegedly violating Ireland’s Medical Practitioners Act 2007.

A detective tells a judge at the bail hearing that she encountered the rabbi inside a domicile “dressed in a white robe, a doctor-style coat, with blue gloves and a scalpel in his hand” next to a changing pad, scissors and other medical supplies and implements.

“A very young child on the changing pad naked” had already been circumcised and another one was about to be, she tells the court, according to the Irish Times.

Abraham’s lawyer tells the court he is a certified mohel, a person who performs circumcisions in accordance with the Jewish faith and tradition, with 13 years of experience.

Ireland is among multiple countries where Brith Milah — the Jewish circumcision of males that is typically performed on babies eight days after they are born — is legal but subject to restrictions, and the person performing it must have local certification. These laws are rarely enforced and often difficult to follow in small Jewish communities that depend on practitioners from abroad.

Abraham is the first rabbi in years to be prosecuted in the European Union in connection with a Brith Milah. He is expected to appear for another court hearing on August 6.

IDF: Deputy head of Islamic Jihad weapons manufacturing unit killed in Gaza airstrike

IDF troops seen operating in the Gaza Strip in this handout photo published on August 2, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

A senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, the military says, as troops continue operations in Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor.

Muhammad al-Jabari was the deputy head of an Islamic Jihad weapons manufacturing unit, and responsible for the unit’s finances, according to the IDF.

The IDF says that al-Jabari “was entrusted with the organization’s production of weapons in the northern Gaza Strip, distribution of salaries and money to the organization’s terrorists, and took an active part in the attempt to restore the organization’s rocket production capabilities and infrastructure.”

The military carried out “many steps” to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike, including using aerial surveillance and precision munitions, the IDF says.

Meanwhile, the IDF says that troops with the 162nd Division killed more than 30 gunmen in close-quarters combat and by calling in airstrikes in southern Gaza’s Rafah in the past day.

In the Netzarim Corridor in the central Gaza Strip where the 252nd Division is deployed, reservists with the division’s Jerusalem Brigade spotted a cell of gunmen emerging from a tunnel, and called in a drone strike, according to the military.

In the same area amid operations by the Harel Reserve Armored Brigade, an attack helicopter struck a building used as a weapons depot, the IDF adds.

Turkey blocks access to Instagram; official claims platform blocked condolence posts on Haniyeh’s death

Turkey has blocked access to social media platform Instagram, the infotech regulator says, without stating a reason or duration for the ban, which also left the platform’s mobile app inaccessible.

The move follows comments on Wednesday by Turkish communications official Fahrettin Altun, criticizing the platform for what he called its decision to block condolence posts on the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Hamas terror group’s political wing.

“This is censorship, pure and simple,” Altun, the communications director of the Turkish presidency, said on X, adding that Instagram had not cited any policy violations for its action.

There is no immediate comment from Instagram parent Meta Platforms Inc META.O on either the ban or Altun’s comments.

Turkey’s Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) published the August 2 decision on its website.

Italy’s ITA Airways suspends Tel Aviv route until August 6

Italy’s ITA Airways is suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv “due to the geopolitical developments in the Middle East and to ensure the safety of its passengers and crews,” the airline says in a statement on its website.

Flights have been suspended until August 6, it adds.

Several airlines have canceled or suspended flights after 12 children were killed in a Hezbollah rocket strike in the Golan Heights last week, which prompted Israel to retaliate, killing the Lebanese terror group’s top military chief Fuad Shukr.

Biden says killing of Haniyeh not helpful for Gaza truce negotiations

US President Joe Biden says the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was not helpful for a ceasefire in Israel’s war with the Gaza terror group.

Israel has been widely blamed for the assassination but has neither confirmed nor denied having a hand in it.

Biden says that in his direct conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier on Thursday he urged him to quickly reach a deal for the release of the hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.

“We have the basis for a ceasefire. He should move on it and they should move on it now,” Biden says of Netanyahu.

He adds that he is “very concerned” about the soaring tensions in the Middle East.

He makes the comments at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, where a plane carrying detainees released by Russia landed late on Thursday.

Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.

Americans freed from Russia greeted in US by their families, Biden and Harris

Three Americans step off a plane and touch US soil for the first time since they were freed in a complex 24-person prisoner exchange with Russia.

Journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, along with fellow American Paul Whelan, landed shortly before midnight at a US air base outside Washington.

There are hugs and handshakes all around and even some squeals of joy as Biden, Harris and family members welcome them.

Plane carrying Evan Gershkovich, other freed prisoners lands in US

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Maryland — Journalist Evan Gershkovich and fellow prisoners released by Russia have landed in the United States, an AFP journalist reports, as part of an extraordinary swap deal between Washington and Moscow.

A plane carrying Gershkovich, former US marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva landed at around 11:40 p.m. local time at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, where President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are waiting to greet them.

Australia says deadly IDF strike on Gaza aid convoy was result of ‘serious failures’

Palestinians inspect a vehicle with the logo of the World Central Kitchen wrecked by an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, April 2, 2024. (Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP)

An Israeli strike that killed seven charity workers traveling in a Gaza aid convoy was the result of “serious failures” such as “mistaken identification,” Australia says a government probe found.

Australian national Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom was among a group of seven World Central Kitchen staff killed in April when their aid convoy was mistakenly hit by an Israeli airstrike.

The Israel Defense Forces has called the incident a grave mistake which should not have occurred.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia will push for full accountability for those responsible, including criminal charges if appropriate.

“The Military Advocate General of Israel is still to decide on further action,” she says in a statement.

“Our expectation remains that there be transparency about the Military Advocate General’s process and decision.”

US recognizes Maduro’s opponent as Venezuelan election winner

WASHINGTON — The United States recognizes Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s opponent and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, rejecting Maduro’s claim of victory.

“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says in a statement.

The announcement from Washington doesn’t go beyond congratulating him for a “successful campaign,” the closest the US has come since Sunday’s contested election to recognizing Gonzalez as the OPEC nation’s new leader.

The dispute over the presidential election results has sparked protests in Venezuela. Venezuela’s electoral council proclaimed Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, the winner of the July 28 election with 51 percent of the vote.

But the country’s opposition says its tally of about 90% of the votes shows that Gonzalez received more than double the support of the incumbent president, in line with independent polling conducted before the contest.

The opposition has released detailed tallies on a public website, while the government has so far not shared any information beyond a national total of votes for each candidate.

The statement from Blinken stops short of threatening new sanctions on Venezuela but he hints at possible “punitive action.” On Tuesday, Reuters reported that Washington was considering fresh sanctions following the disputed election.

Woman faces hate crime charges for anti-Israel vandalism of Brooklyn Museum’s leaders homes

NEW YORK — A woman who police say helped vandalize the homes of the Brooklyn Museum’s leaders with red paint during a wave of pro-Palestinian protests has been arrested on hate crimes charges.

Taylor Pelton, 28, was arrested Wednesday on charges of criminal mischief and criminal mischief as a hate crime, police say.

Police say Pelton was one of six people seen on surveillance video footage vandalizing the homes of the museum’s director, Anne Pasternak, and its chief operating officer, Kimberly Trueblood, on June 12. The other people seen in the videos are still being sought.

Pasternak is Jewish. The activists left the front of her apartment building splattered with paint and a banner calling her a “white-supremacist Zionist.” An inverted red triangle that authorities say is a symbol used by Hamas to identify Israeli military targets was sprayed onto her door, according to court papers.

Pelton was arraigned Wednesday night and released with court supervision, a spokesperson for the Brooklyn district attorney’s office says.

In an email, Pelton’s attorney, Moira Meltzer-Cohen, didn’t address the specifics of the charges but criticized “the increasing trend of characterizing Palestine solidarity actions as hate crimes.” She says the willingness of prosecutors “to endorse the rhetorical collapse of Zionist ideology and protected religious identity, in order to criminalize criticism of Israel, signals a troubling departure from the principles on which our legal and political systems rest.”

The paint splashing happened days after hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters marched to the museum, occupied its lobby, vandalized artworks and hung a “Free Palestine” banner from its roof. Police arrested several dozen people.

White House announces new US military deployments after call between Biden and Netanyahu

US President Joe Biden meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The US has made new defensive military deployments to help defend Israel following the assassinations of Hezbollah senior general Fuad Shukr and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the White House announces in its readout of the call that just wrapped up between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The statement doesn’t elaborate about the new defensive measures.

The White House says that the leaders discussed efforts to defend Israel against Iran and its proxies, particularly against ballistic missile and drone attacks, following the two killings earlier this week in Lebanon and Iran, which were widely attributed to the IDF.

While he stressed his commencement to Israel’s defense, Biden stressed to Netanyahu the importance of trying to de-escalate tensions in the region, the US readout adds, noting that Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris also joined the call.