Aug. 9: Hamas armed wing swears allegiance to Sinwar after he becomes terror group’s new chief

IDF suggests troops accidentally shot US activist in West Bank

The Israel Defense Forces indicates that troops accidentally shot a US activist in the leg during a protest in the West Bank earlier in the day.

Troops “used riot dispersal means and fired live rounds in the air to disperse” a “gathering” in the Beita area, an IDF spokesperson says.

“Shortly after, a report was received regarding a foreign national who was accidentally injured by the riot dispersal means and was evacuated to the hospital,” the military statement says.

The activist, who goes by Amado Sison, is from New Jersey and traveled to the West Bank earlier this week, he said.

Sison, who was shot in the right thigh, is in stable condition at a hospital in Nablus.

Israelis receive text messages threatening them with burial

Israelis are reporting receiving text messages telling them they will be buried by next week, with police saying they are working to track down the source of the messages and block them.

The messages include recipients’ full names and city of residence, alarming many who got the texts, the Ynet news website reports.

Police say Israelis getting the texts should ignore them and block the number.

“These are fake messages made to induce panic during war,” police say in a statement.

US set to release $3.5 billion to Israel for arms purchases — report

Washington is set to provide Israel with $3.5 billion to spend on US weapons and military equipment, releasing the money months after it was appropriated by the US Congress, CNN reports, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The State Department notified lawmakers on Thursday night that the government intended to release the billions of dollars worth of foreign military financing to Israel, CNN reports. The money comes from a package of $14.1 billion in supplemental funding for Israel passed in April.

According to CNN, the money will not be used for the immediate procurement of weapons, but to pay for systems currently being built and expected to be delivered in the future.

Israeli artistic swimming duo snags eighth place ahead of medal round

Israel's Ariel Nassee and Shelly Bobritsky compete in the duet technical routine of the artistic swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 9, 2024. (Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP)

Israel’s artistic swimming duo of Shelly Bobritsky and Ariel Nassee are sitting in eighth place in Paris following their technical routine at the Olympic Games.

The pair will attempt to paddle up the ranking and onto the medal podium Saturday when they swim again tomorrow in the free routine against 16 other teams.

Bobritsky and Nassee performed their swim while wearing yellow ribbons on their heads, in what is seen as a nod to hostages being held in Gaza. Among the music used in the routine was a piece titled “October 7th.”

China’s Liuyi and Qianyi Wang are currently in first place in the standings.

Iran training Russians on short-range missile, arms transfer expected soon — sources

Dozens of Russian military personnel are being trained in Iran to use the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system, two European intelligence sources tell Reuters, adding that they expect the imminent delivery of hundreds of the satellite-guided weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Russian defense ministry representatives are believed to have signed a contract on Dec. 13 in Tehran with Iranian officials for the Fath-360 and another ballistic missile system built by Iran’s government-owned Aerospace Industries Organization called the Ababil, say the two intelligence officials, who request anonymity in order to discuss sensitive matters.

Citing multiple confidential intelligence sources, the officials say that Russian personnel have visited Iran to learn how to operate the Fath-360 defense system, which launches missiles with a maximum range of 120 km (75 miles) and a warhead of 150 kg. One of the sources says that “the only next possible” step after training would be actual delivery of the missiles to Russia.

Moscow possesses its own ballistic missiles, but the supply of Fath-360s could allow Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets beyond the front line, while employing Iranian warheads for closer-range targets, a military expert says.

A spokesman for the US National Security Council said the United States and its NATO allies and G7 partners “are prepared to deliver a swift and severe response if Iran were to move forward with such transfers.”

It “would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” the spokesman says. “The White House has repeatedly warned of the deepening security partnership between Russia and Iran since the outset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”

Russia’s defense ministry does not respond to a request for comment.

Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations in New York said in a statement that the Islamic Republic had forged a long-term strategic partnership with Russia in various areas, including military cooperation.

“Nevertheless, from an ethical standpoint, Iran refrains from transferring any weapons, including missiles, that could potentially be used in the conflict with Ukraine until it is over,” the statement says.

The two intelligence sources gave no exact timeframe for the expected delivery of Fath-360 missiles to Russia but say it will be soon. They do not provide any intelligence on the status of the Abibal contract.

A third intelligence source from another European agency says it had also received information that Russia had sent soldiers to Iran to train in the use of Iranian ballistic missile systems, without providing further details.

Such training is standard practice for Iranian weapons supplied to Russia, says the third source, who also declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the information.

A senior Iranian official, who requested anonymity, says Iran sold missiles and drones to Russia but has not provided Fath-360 missiles. There was no legal prohibition on Tehran selling such weapons to Russia, the source added.

“Iran and Russia engage in the mutual purchase of parts and military equipment. How each country uses this equipment is entirely their decision,” the official says, adding that Iran did not sell weapons to Russia for use in the Ukraine war.

All feared dead after plane carrying 62 crashes in Brazil

All passengers are presumed dead after an airliner with 62 people on board crashed in Brazil authorities say.

Video shared on social media shows what appeared to be the plane falling out of control before disappearing behind a cluster of trees, followed by a large plume of black smoke.

Airline Voepass says the plane, which had taken off from Cascavel, in the state of Parana, bound for Sao Paulo’s main international airport, crashed in the town of Vinhedo, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo.

#BREAKINGNEWS
Passenger plane crashes in #Brazil carrying 62 people. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told the media that everyone on board was killed. pic.twitter.com/Y5WIHo8KmX

— Abdirahman Dhadhere عبدالرحمن عثمان (@ADhadhere) August 9, 2024

Speaking at an event, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asks for a minute of silence for the victims of the crash, adding that all on board are presumed dead.

Netzah Yehuda eligible for US aid after probe closed, State Department says

The United States has determined that alleged human rights violations by athe Netzah Yehuda battalion have been “effectively remediated” after reviewing new information provided by Israel, the State Department says.

Following the determination, the unit involved can continue to receive US security assistance, spokesperson Matthew Miller says in an email. The US had called for a criminal investigation after battalion soldiers were accused of being involved in the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian-American man.

Before receiving new information in April, Washington was reportedly intending to designate the unit under a US law that prohibits military assistance to those committing gross human rights violations.

Israelis attacked, car torch after accidentally entering West Bank outpost

File: A general view of the Givat Ronen outpost in the West Bank on October 25, 2006 (Olivier Fitoussi / Flash 90)

Israeli travelers whose car accidentally entered an illegal West Bank outpost were attacked and their car set on fire, police say.

The incident occurred at Givat Ronen, a small hilltop outpost in the northern West Bank near the village of Burin, an area that has seen repeated clashes between extremist settlers and Palestinians. Israelis are suspected of carrying out the attack.

According to Hebrew media reports, the car was carrying two women and two children from an Arab family. Two of the passengers were injured on their heads and hands by stones thrown at them, the Ynet news site reports, before they managed to make it Israeli troops for saefty.

“Two of the travelers in the car were injured and Israeli troops gave them first aid at the scene and they were later taken to a hospital for treatment,” police say in a statement.

Police say they have opened an investigation and take the matter extremely seriously.

‘Dead wrong’: White House pushes back against Smotrich over ceasefire opposition

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says the Biden administration will not allow “extremists,” including in Israel, to push Gaza ceasefire talks off course.

US President Joe Biden “won’t allow extremists to blow things off course, including extremists in Israel, making these ridiculous charges against the deal,” Kirby says.

He specifically accuses Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of making false claims, saying his claim the fighting could continue indefinitely was “dead wrong,” and misleading the Israeli public.

Smotrich announced his opposition to a ceasefire deal earlier in the day, saying the terms would amount to an Israeli surrender and accusing the US and other international allies of pushing it into “a trap”

“Smotrich essentially suggests that the war ought to go on indefinitely without pause and with the lives of the hostages of no real concern at all,” Kirby says. “The views expressed by Mr. Smotrich would in fact sacrifice the lives of Israeli hostages, his own countrymen, and American hostages as well.”

Kirby said

He also says the US has received assurances from Qatar that Hamas will be represented when talks resume in Cairo or Doha on August 15.

US activist claims he was shot in leg by Israeli forces during West Bank protest

Amado Sison, a US activist, receives treatment at Rafidia Hospital after being injured during protest against Israeli settlements, on August 9, 2024, in Nablus in the West Bank. (Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)

A US citizen says he was shot in the leg by Israeli forces during a protest against settlement expansion in the West Bank.

The Israel Defense Forces says it is looking into the claim.

The Palestinian Red Crescent says in a statement that its crews treated “a 40-year-old foreign activist who was shot in the thigh with live ammunition during clashes with the occupation forces” in the West Bank town of Beita.

The activist, who asks to use a pseudonym for security concerns, says he joined the rally to help defend Palestinians.

“There was a demonstration and we were there to film, to make sure we have eyes on the (Israeli) occupation army,” he tells AFP from a hospital bed in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

“At one point we ran away… and they shot me in the leg.”

Israeli troops were “firing tear gas at us, live rounds,” he says. As the Israeli force approached the protesters, “we ran into the olive groves and when I was running away they shot at us and it went through my leg,” he adds.

Hamas armed wing swears allegiance to new boss Sinwar

Hamas’s armed al-Qassam Brigades has pledged allegiance to Hamas’ new leader Yahya Sinwar, the group’s spokesman, Abu Ubaida, says.

“We announce our full readiness to implement his decisions,” Abu Ubaida adds in a statement on Telegram.

IDF says it hit Hezbollah rocket launchers primed for attack

Hezbollah rocket launchers primed for an attack on northern Israel were struck by Israeli fighter jets a short while ago, the IDF says. The strike occurred in the southern Lebanon village of Kfarhamam.

The military adds that other Hezbollah infrastructure was struck in Ayta ash-Shab, Markaba, Mhaibib, and Kafr Kila.

מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר תקפו לפני זמן קצר משגר רקטות של חיזבאללה מוכן לשיגור רקטות לצפון, במרחב כפר חמאם.
בנוסף, הותקפו תשתיות טרור במרחבים עייתא א-שאב, מרכבא, מחיבב וכפר כילא שבדרום לבנון>> pic.twitter.com/6IE6Z0hUIl

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 9, 2024

US won’t sanction Netzah Yehuda battalion, drops abuse probe — report

The United States will not impose sanctions on the Israeli military’s Netzah Yehuda battalion and has decided to end an investigation into potential rights violations by the unit in the West Bank, Axios reports.

Citing two senior US and Israeli officials, Axios reports that Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of the move in a conversation on Friday.

Israeli media had previously reported that Washington could impose sanctions on the battalion, created to integrate strictly religious soldiers into the military, over its treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank.

Hamas says commander killed in Lebanon; Israel confirms strike

Hamas confirms in a statement that Samer al-Hajj, a commander for the terror group, was killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon.

A poster put out by Hamas showing slain commander Samer al-Hajj on August 9, 2024.

The IDF and Shin Bet security agency in a statement confirm carrying out the airstrike in the coastal Lebanese city of Sidon that killed al-Hajj.

According to the military and Shin Bet, al-Hajj was responsible for “advancing terror attacks and projectile launches from Lebanon toward Israeli territory.”

Al-Hajj was the commander of Hamas’s military forces in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon, and responsible for “recruiting and training terrorists to attack the State of Israel,” the Israeli statement says.

Iran ready to carry out ‘harsh punishment’ against Israel — IRGC deputy head

Iran is set to carry out an order by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to “harshly punish” Israel over the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran, a Revolutionary Guards deputy commander is quoted as saying by local news agencies.

“The supreme leader’s orders regarding the harsh punishment of Israel and revenge for the blood of martyr Ismail Haniyeh are clear and explicit …and they will be implemented in the best possible way,” says Ali Fadavi, according to Iranian media.

US lifting ban on offensive arms sales to Riyadh as Yemen truce holds

The Biden administration has decided to lift a ban on US sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, three sources familiar with the matter tell Reuters, reversing a three-year-old policy to pressure the kingdom to wind down the Yemen war.

The administration briefed Congress this week on its decision to lift the ban, a congressional aide says. A source says sales could resume as early as next week.

“The Saudis have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours, returning these cases regular order through appropriate congressional notification and consultation,” a senior Biden administration official says.

Since March 2022 — when the Saudis and Houthis entered into a UN-led truce — there have not been any Saudi airstrikes in Yemen and cross-border fire from Yemen into the Kingdom has largely stopped, the administration official says.

Israeli tangled up in US bribery case against voting machine firm co-founder

A dual citizen of Israel and Venezuela has been indicted by federal authorities in the US on money laundering charges related to allegations that employees of a voting machine company targeted by allies of former President Donald Trump paid more than $1 million in bribes to officials in the Philippines in exchange for contracts.

The Justice Department says Elie Moreno, 44, faces a maximum of 20 years in jail in the case, which largely resolves around suspicions that Smartmatic co-founder Roger Pinate, 49, a Venezuelan citizen living in Florida, and colleague Jorge Miguel Vasquez, 62, a US citizen, conspired to funnel money to Juan Donato Bautista, the former chairman of the Commission on Elections in the Philippines

To hide the corrupt payments, the co-conspirators allegedly created a slush fund –codenamed the “Philippines Pot,” according to investigators — and sham loan agreements to justify transfers to bank accounts located in Singapore, Europe and the United States.

Smartmatic in a statement says it has placed Pinate and Vasquez on leaves of absence, effective immediately.

“No voter fraud has been alleged and Smartmatic is not indicted,” the company says. “Voters worldwide must be assured that the elections they participate in are conducted with the utmost integrity and transparency.”

Bodyguard of slain senior Hamas official critically injured in drone attack

A Hamas source and two other security sources tell Reuters that Hamas operative Samer al-Hajj was killed in an alleged Israeli drone strike near Sidon, Lebanon, and his bodyguard was critically wounded.

Al-Hajj is described as a senior Hamas official who ran security for the terror group in Ain el-Hilweh, a large refugee camp outside Sidon that is largely ruled by armed Palestinian factions.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reports that al-Hajj was killed when two missiles fired from a drone hit his Range Rover SUV.

According to NNA, people in Ain el-Hilweh are angrily taking to the streets to march against Israel, chanting slogans in support of Hamas.

Lebanese source confirms Hamas official killed in drone strike

A Lebanese security source says an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the southern city of Sidon on Friday killed a Hamas security official from the nearby Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp.

“An Israeli strike targeted a Hamas movement security official from the Ain al-Helweh camp while he was inside his vehicle in the city of Sidon,” the source says, requesting anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to the media.

An AFP correspondent says they saw emergency personnel pull a charred body from the vehicle while soldiers cordoned off the area.

Israel’s Atamanov finishes fifth in rhythmic gymnastics final

Israel's Daria Atamanov performs with the ribbon in the rhythmic gymnastics' individual all-around final at the Paris 2024 Olympics at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena in Paris, August 9, 2024. (Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)

Israel’s Daria Atamanov misses out on a medal in the final of the rhythmic gymnastics all-around at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing fifth overall.

Atamanov, 18, saved her strongest performance for last, winning the third-highest score for her ribbon routine.

But after finishing fifth in the hoop, seventh in clubs and ninth in the ball routine, the score is not enough to push her onto the podium.

Gold in the event goes to Germany’s Darja Varfolomeev, silver to Bulgaria’s Boryana Kaleyn and bronze to Italy’s Sofia Raffaeli.

At the Tokyo Games in 2021, Israeli Linoy Ashram won gold in the same event, Israel’s first rhythmic gymnastics Olympic medal.

Hamas official in Lebanon said killed in alleged Israeli strike

The Saudi-owned al-Arabiya outlet, citing unidentified sources, says that the target of the Israeli drone strike near Sidon is Samer al-Hajj, a Hamas official in charge of security in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp. Lebanese outlets also report that al-Hajj was the target of the raid.

Al-Arabiya says that both al-Hajj and another Hamas member were killed in the strike.

At least 2 reportedly hurt in alleged drone strike in Lebanon

Lebanese media outlets say there are at least two casualties in an alleged Israeli drone strike on a vehicle near Sidon.

The Annahar outlet says that the pair are apparently Hamas members.

🚨İsrail Lübnan'ın Sidon şehrinde bir aracı hedef aldı.#Sondakika #GazzedeSoykırımVar #Israel #Lebanon pic.twitter.com/Zm5lz4zuQv

— Günün Z Raporu (@Gunun_Z_Raporu) August 9, 2024

There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the strike.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency also reports a fresh Israeli raid on Kafr Kila in southern Lebanon.

Israeli drone strike reported on vehicle near Sidon, Lebanon

Lebanese media report an alleged Israeli drone strike against a vehicle near the coastal city of Sidon.

No further details are immediately available.

مسيرة تستهدف سيارة عند المدخل الجنوبي لمدينة #صيدا pic.twitter.com/YDzXOFixsG

— جريدة الأخبار – Al-Akhbar (@AlakhbarNews) August 9, 2024

Meanwhile, the IDF says that sirens that sounded in northern Israel at 4:07 p.m. and 5:41 p.m. were false alarms.

Iran Guards readying to avenge Hamas leader’s death, Quds Force head tells Sinwar

The commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Esmail Qaani, speaks during a commemoration ceremony marking the anniversary of the 2020 killing of Guards general Qasem Soleimani in the capital Tehran on January 3, 2024. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force chief Ismail Qaani says in a letter to new Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar that Tehran will avenge the killing of his predecessor who was killed in the Iranian capital last week.

“We are preparing to avenge his blood, a painful and difficult incident that happened in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is our duty,” Qaani tells Sinwar about the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh. He didn’t elaborate on how Teheran will avenge Haniyeh’s death.

Qaani indicates that the retaliation will be harsher than a mid-April missile and drone attack that Iran launched against Israel to avenge an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital in which two Iranian generals were killed.

Qaani vows Tehran “will be with you on the road of resistance until we achieve the divine promise which is to clear Jerusalem.”

Israeli gymnast Atamanov still sixth ahead of final performance

Israel's Daria Atamanov performs with the clubs in the rhythmic gymnastics' individual all-around final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, August 9, 2024. (Olympic Committee of Israel)

With one more routine to go in the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Israel’s Daria Atamanov remains in sixth place, making her a long shot for a spot on the podium.

Atamanov finishes seventh out of 10 in the clubs routine, improving from her ninth-place finish with the ball, after earlier snagging fifth overall on the hoop. Her last routine is the ribbon, which she performs to Gad Elbaz’s “Shir Lemaalot.”

Currently, Germany’s Darja Varfolomeev is leading the pack, with Bulgaria’s Boryana Kaleyn just behind.

Drone alert sounds in north

The Israel Defense Forces Homefront command is issuing an all-clear after an enemy drone infiltration siren sounded in several northern communities.

“The incident is over,” the IDF says without providing details.

Sirens had sounded in the towns of Yiftah, Dishon, Malkieh, Ramot Naftali and in the Mevo’ot Hermon regional center in the southern portion of the Galilee panhandle.

UK, France, Germany join calls for Gaza talks to resume

Britain, France and Germany are calling for Israel and Hamas to “urgently” agree to a ceasefire deal, following a joint statement by the US, Qatar and Egypt calling for negotiations to resume.

London “fully endorses” a joint statement from Qatar, Egypt and the United States urging the resumption of talks for a hostage release deal next week, Britain’s top diplomat David Lammy said in a statement.

“There can be no more delays, the fighting must stop now,” Lammy argues, while demanding “all hostages still cruelly detained by Hamas must be released.”

French President Emmanuel Macron says the war in Gaza “must stop” amid fears of it morphing into a regional conflict.

“It’s crucial for the people of Gaza, for the hostages and for the stability of the region, which is at stake today,” Macron says in a post in English and French on X.

In Germany, a spokesman says German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also strongly supported the call issued Thursday by the US, Egypt and Qatar.

Israel confirmed late Thursday that it had agreed to resume truce talks on August 15 at the demand of the three mediators.

Buildings in northern town reported hit by missiles

Reports in Hebrew language media indicate that two structures in the northern city of Menara were damaged in an attack from Lebanon earlier in the day.

According to the reports, a home and a public library in the border community were damaged in direct hits by anti-tank guided missiles.

Hezbollah says in a statement that it targeted and struck Israeli soldiers in Menara.

Rhythmic gymnast falls to sixth place in Paris after dropping ball

Israel's Daria Atamanov performs with the ball in the rhythmic gymnastics' individual all-around final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, August 9, 2024. (Olympic Committee of Israel)

Halfway through the final of the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Israeli Daria Atamanov falls one spot to sixth place.

Atamanov finishes 9th out of 10 athletes on the ball routine after receiving a deduction for a brief drop.

Next up is clubs, finishing with the ribbon as Atamanov tried to add a seventh medal to Israel’s stash.

UAE urges Israel, Hamas to return to talks table next week

The United Arab Emirates is urging Israel and Palestinian terror group Hamas to accept an invitation from mediators Qatar, Egypt and the US to resume Gaza ceasefire negotiations on August 15, the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

“As outlined by the three leaders, the agreement currently on the table would end the suffering of the people of Gaza and the hostages and their families,” the statement reads.

EU head demands Gaza ceasefire ‘now,’ backs August 15 talks

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen says there needs to be an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, adding to international pressure for a truce deal between Israel and Hamas.

“We need a ceasefire in Gaza now. That’s the only way to save lives, restore hope for peace, and secure the return of hostages,” von der Leyen writes on X.

“Thus I strongly support the efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to help achieve the peace and stability the region needs.”

In a joint statement Thursday, the three countries’ leaders invited the warring parties to resume talks on August 15 in Doha or Cairo “to close all remaining gaps and commence implementation of the deal without further delay.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says the country agreed to resume Gaza ceasefire talks on August 15.

Rhythmic gymnast Atamanov kicks off medal pursuit with fifth-place hoop routine

Israel's Daria Atamanov performs with the hoop in the rhythmic gymnastics' individual all-around final at the Paris 2024 Olympics at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena in Paris, August 9, 2024. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP)

After the first of four rounds in the women’s individual all-around final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Israeli rhythmic gymnast Daria Atamanov is ranked 5th overall with a score of 35.200 after a successful hoop routine.

Atamanov and the other nine finalists will still compete in the ball, clubs and ribbon apparati, after which the medalists are determined via an aggregation of all four scores.

Report: Iranian president battling IRGC to tamp down retaliation, avoid all-out war

The UK-based Telegraph reports that new Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian is fighting hardliners to tone down the scale of Tehran’s response to Israel over the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

According to the report, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is pushing for a missile attack on Tel Aviv and other cities targeting military facilities.

But Pezeshkian, fearing all-out war with Israel, is pushing for Iran to instead hit undisclosed Mossad spy bases hidden around the region.

“He has suggested targeting somewhere related to Israel in the Republic of Azerbaijan or [Iraqi] Kurdistan and let these countries know before that and get done with the whole drama,” an aide tells the paper.

An IRGC official says nobody in the organization, which is loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is paying much attention to Pezeshkian.

“The number one consideration is still striking Tel Aviv with Hezbollah and others at the same time,” the official says. “There has been discussion within the forces on how to block Mr. Pezeshkian’s efforts. Almost everyone believes what he is insisting on is not in the revolution’s reputation.”

UK gears up for feared resurgence of far-right anti-migrant violence

A banner reading 'Enough is Enough - Stops The Boats' is seen during a demonstration on Whitehall, outside the entrance to 10 Downing Street in central London on July 31, 2024, in reaction the Government's response to the fatal stabbings in Southport on July 29. (Benjamin Cremel / AFP)

Britain is mobilizing 1,000 extra specialized police officers in case of racist rioting over the weekend and the government says it is considering tightening regulations around social media companies after days of unrest driven by online misinformation.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says extra police numbers and swift justice had deterred people he referred to as “far-right thugs” since Wednesday, but that authorities will remain on alert for further trouble.

“We have to stay on high alert going into this weekend,” Starmer says.

Riots broke out across the country a week ago after a wave of false online posts wrongly identified the suspected killer of three young girls in a knife attack on July 29 in Southport, northwest England, as an Islamist migrant.

Racist attacks and disorder have mostly targeted Muslims and migrants. Hotels housing asylum-seekers have had their windows smashed and mosques have been pelted with rocks.

It is not clear how many far-right gatherings are planned or if they will go ahead. There are around 40 counter-protests due on Saturday, according to the Stand Up to Racism group.

Those involved in the riots could expect to be brought before the courts, Starmer said, noting that what he calls “significant sentences” have already been handed out.

“That is a very important part of the message to anybody who is thinking about getting involved in further disorder,” he said.

UK Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas–Symonds tells Sky News the government will revisit the framework of the country’s Online Safety Act that regulates social media companies’ responsibilities regarding content inciting violence or hate.

“We stand ready to make changes if necessary,” he says of the act, passed in October but not due to come into effect until next year due to a consultation process.

UN rights chief ‘shocked and appalled’ by Smotrich’s suggestion that starving Gazans would be justified

UN rights chief Volker Turk is “shocked and appalled” by comments by Israel’s finance minister suggesting it might be “justified” to starve the population of Gaza to free hostages, his spokesman says.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights “condemns these words in the strongest terms, which also incite hatred against innocent civilians,” his spokesman Jeremy Laurence tells a press conference.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stoked controversy earlier this week, telling a conference: “Nobody will let us cause two million civilians to die of hunger, even though it might be justified and moral until our hostages are returned,” he said.

“We are bringing in humanitarian aid because we have no choice. We are in a situation that requires international legitimacy to conduct this war,” Smotrich said.

Turk’s spokesman tells reporters that “the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime.

“This direct and public statement risks inciting other atrocity crimes. Such statements, especially by public officials, must cease immediately, they must be investigated and if found to amount to a crime, must be prosecuted and punished,” Laurence says.

Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.

Ukraine says 10 killed in Russian missile strike on supermarket, post office

A Russian missile strike hit a supermarket in the Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka in the front-line Donetsk region on Friday, killing at least ten people and injuring 35 others, Ukrainian officials say.

The strike caused a fire that has since been put out, the interior minister says. Heavy black smoke clouds rising from the destroyed building can be seen in the images and videos posted by officials.

“Russian terrorists hit an ordinary supermarket and a post office. There are people under the rubble,” President Volodymyr Zelensky says on X.

Emergency services continued working out the rubble looking for survivors, he adds.

Regional Governor Vadym Filashkin initially said Russia used artillery but later said the attack was carried out with an X-38 air-to-surface missile.

Nova Poshta, Ukraine’s largest private postal company, says its cargo office in the supermarket was damaged in the strike.

“All our employees are alive. One colleague received a concussion – he is getting all the necessary help,” the company posts on X.

Residential houses, shops and more than dozen cars were also damaged in the attack, according to the interior minister’s post on Telegram.

Kostiantynivka lies just about 13 kilometers from the active combat line in Ukraine’s east. Kyiv-held parts of the Donetsk region regularly come under Russian shelling and air strikes.

The region is one of the hottest areas of fighting as Russia targets areas in the direction of the strategic eastern logistics hub of Pokrovsk.

Elsewhere, Russia has accused Ukraine this week of launching a cross-border assault in Russia’s Kursk region. The Kyiv military has not commented on the allegations.

2 rockets fired from Gaza land in open areas near border

After rocket sirens sounded in the Gaza border communities of Kissufim and Ein Hashlosha, Hebrew media reports two rockets fired from Gaza fell in open areas close to the border.

No injuries were reported.

Israel’s Olympic rhythmic gymnastics team advances to finals after finishing 6th in qualifiers

An overview shows Israel's gymnasts competing in the rhythmic gymnastics' group all-around qualification at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, August 9, 2024. (Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)

Israel’s five-woman rhythmic gymnastics team clinches a spot in tomorrow’s group all-around final, finishing today’s qualifier in 6th overall.

The team — made up of Shani Bakanov, 18, Adar Friedmann, 18, Romi Paritzki, 20, Ofir Shaham, 19, and Diana Svertsov, 19 — receives a combined 67.150 points for its five hoops routine and its three ribbons and two balls routine, with deductions for a dropped hoop and a tangled ribbon.

In tomorrow’s final, the scores are wiped clean and the top eight teams start fresh.

Paritzki tells Israel’s Sports5 broadcaster that “we’re very excited” to advance to the final. “We’re ready for tomorrow, we’ll show up renewed, and focused, we will give it our all… tomorrow we’ll come even more ready.”

Later this afternoon, Israeli athlete Daria Atamanov will compete in the individual women’s rhythmic gymnastics all-around final.

Mikhael Sammarah succumbs to wounds caused by malfunctioning Iron Dome missile amid Hezbollah attack

Mikhael Sammarah, 27, who passed away on August 9, 2024 from injuries caused by a malfunctioning Iron Dome interceptor missile during a Hezbollah drone attack. (Courtesy)

Mikhael Sammarah, 27, who was critically injured by a malfunctioning Iron Dome interceptor missile on Tuesday, amid a Hezbollah drone attack on the Western Galilee, has succumbed to his wounds, hospital officials say.

Sammarah, originally from Kafr Yasif and a student in the Czech Republic, had arrived in Israel recently to visit his family.

Amid the attack on Tuesday, an Iron Dome interceptor missile missed one of Hezbollah’s explosive-laden drones and hit the Route 4 highway near Nahariya.

Sammarah was critically injured by shrapnel from the interceptor impact, and taken to Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya for treatment. Earlier today, he died of his wounds, the hospital says.

Another 19 people were wounded amid the attack, mostly with minor injuries, including six soldiers, when one of the drones impacted a nearby army base.

IDF: 3 km tunnel destroyed by combat engineers in Netzarim Corridor area of central Gaza

A tunnel found in the central Gaza Strip, in a handout image published August 9, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

A three-kilometer-long tunnel in the Netzarim Corridor area of the central Gaza Strip was recently destroyed by combat engineers, the IDF says.

According to the IDF, the tunnel included several floors and branching paths.

Inside the tunnel, troops found several rooms where weapons and other equipment were stored, which the IDF says were used by Hamas operatives to reside for long periods.

After combat engineers investigated the underground passages, the tunnel was blown up.

Report: Hamas demanding release of Marwan Barghouti in first stage of deal, believes he could run Gaza in its stead

Hamas has demanded the release of top Fatah figure and convicted terror operative Marwan Barghouti in the first phase of a proposed ceasefire and hostage release deal with Israel, Sky News Arabia reports.

According to the report, mediators — including the United States — accepted the demand for the highly popular Palestinian leader to be among the first security prisoners released in exchange for the Gaza hostages, should Israel and Hamas finalize a deal that has been in the works for months.

Barghouti is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison for his part in planning three terror attacks that killed five Israelis during the Second Intifada.

Citing unnamed sources, Sky News Arabia says Hamas has demanded Barghouti’s release as the terror group knows it cannot return to power in the Gaza Strip and sees the former head of Fatah’s Tanzim terrorist faction as a useful ally it could trust to run the Strip according to its liking.

The terror group was previously said to have demanded Barghouti’s release during negotiations for a deal that ultimately fell through back in March.

More than 15 rockets fired at Kiryat Shmona area from Lebanon, IDF says

More than 15 rockets were fired from Lebanon at the Kiryat Shmona area in the last hour, the IDF says.

Most of the rockets were intercepted, while at least two impacted the city, causing damage, according to the IDF and local authorities.

No injuries are reported.

IDF confirms two Hezbollah operatives killed in drone strike in southern Lebanon

Two Hezbollah operatives were killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon’s Naqoura earlier today, the IDF says.

The operatives had been spotted by troops of the 146th Division leaving a building in use by the terror group, and a short while later a drone attacked them.

Hezbollah has not yet confirmed their deaths.

מוקדם יותר היום, כוח של אוגדה 146 זיהה שני מחבלים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה יוצאים ממבנה צבאי של הארגון במרחב א-נקורה שבדרום לבנון. זמן קצר לאחר מכן כלי טיס של חיל האוויר תקף וחיסל את המחבלים pic.twitter.com/ZUVRvHpxbv

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 9, 2024

Iranian media claims IRGC navy has new highly explosive ‘undetectable’ cruise missiles

This handout picture provided by the Iranian Defence Ministry on March 12, 2024 shows an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy missile corvette at sea during the "Maritime Security Belt 2024" combined naval exercise between Iran, Russia, and China in the Gulf of Oman. (Iranian Army office/AFP)

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy has new cruise missiles equipped with highly explosive warheads that are undetectable.

“A large number of cruise missiles have been added to the Guards’ navy fleet. These new missiles have capabilities of highly explosive warheads that are undetectable and can cause extensive damage and sink their targets,” Tasnim claims.

Paris: Israel’s rhythmic gymnastics team completes its first qualifier routine in 7th

Israel's gymnasts compete in the rhythmic gymnastics' group all-around qualification during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena in Paris, August 9, 2024. (Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)

Israel’s five-woman rhythmic gymnastics team finishes its first routine of the group qualification event at the 2024 Paris Olympics in 7th position overall.

The team, made up of Shani Bakanov, 18, Adar Friedmann, 18, Romi Paritzki, 20, Ofir Shaham, 19 and Diana Svertsov, 19, competes in the 5 hoops stage of the competition, with music that includes a snippet of “Ehad Mi Yodea,” a traditional Passover song. The team receives a score of 35.250 after briefly dropping one of the hoops.

Later today, the team will compete in the 3 ribbons and 2 balls routine, and the top 8 out of the 14 teams overall after both rounds will advance to tomorrow’s final — where the qualifier scores are wiped clean.

Fresh rocket sirens blare out across communities close to the Lebanon border

Fresh rocket warning sirens blare out in communities across northern Israel.

The sirens are activated in several locations close to the border with Lebanon, including in Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai, and Kfar Yuval.

Earlier today, four rockets launched by Lebanon landed in open areas in Metula.

IDF chief meets with CENTCOM head Kurilla to discuss security, strategic matters in the Middle East

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi held an assessment with United States CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla, who arrived in Israel yesterday for his second trip this week.

The IDF says the meeting focused on “security and strategic issues, as well as joint preparations in the region, as part of the response to threats in the Middle East.”

Kurilla also visited the Israeli Air Force’s underground command center at the IDF headquarters, to hold an assessment with IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.

Kurilla’s visit to Israel comes as the country anticipates Iranian and Hezbollah attacks on the country.

UK maritime agency says merchant vessel targeted four separate times off coast of Yemen

A series of attempted attacks using missiles and a sea drone targeted a merchant vessel as it traveled off the coast of Yemen, parts of which are held by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, a British maritime security agency says.

A rocket-propelled grenade exploded Thursday near the ship off the city of Mokha, which overlooks the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait linking the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations says.

A missile also exploded close to the same vessel, which later reported an attempted attack by an uncrewed surface vessel that was shot down by an armed security team on board, UKMTO adds.

The drone “exploded a distance from the vessel,” according to the agency, which is run by the British navy.

A fourth attack saw a missile splash into the sea near the ship, UKMTO says, adding that the crew and vessel are reported to be safe and continuing to the next port of call.

There is no immediate claim of responsibility, but the incident is consistent with previous attacks carried out by the Houthis, who have launched a flurry of drone and missile strikes on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November amid Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

Iraqi national detained in Vienna on suspicion of involvement in plan to attack Taylor Swift concert

An 18-year-old Iraqi national has been detained in Vienna in connection with investigations into an alleged plot to strike a Taylor Swift concert in the Austrian capital, the interior ministry says.

The Iraqi national is said to have come from the same circle as the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian with North Macedonian roots, according to the ministry.

Gallant speaks with US counterpart Austin for fourth time this week

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke overnight with his American counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in the fourth such call in the past week.

“Gallant briefed the secretary on the IDF’s operational readiness to defend Israel against Iran and its proxies in the region,” his office says.

According to the readout issued by the Defense Ministry, the pair “discussed the interoperability of US and Israeli defense capabilities following the posture change and deployment of US forces and assets to the region.”

The ministry says Gallant “expressed his appreciation to the secretary for US security assistance and the provision of critical munition to Israel.”

Gallant also “raised the importance of swiftly achieving an agreement that will ensure the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza,” the readout adds.

11 civilians said killed in fighting between Iran-backed militias and Kurdish-led forces in Syria

Fighting between pro-Iranian groups supporting the Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces have left 11 civilians dead, a war monitor alleges Friday.

Six children were among those killed in intense shelling of the village of Dahla in the eastern region of Deir Ezzor, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says.

Israel’s Matan Roditi finishes 16th in men’s 10km open-water marathon swim at Paris Olympics

Israeli swimmer Matan Roditi swims in the Seine River during the men's 10km open-water marathon race at the 2024 Paris Olympics on August 9, 2024. (Olympic Committee of Israel)

Israeli swimmer Matan Roditi finishes in 16th place out of 31 swimmers in the men’s 10km open-water marathon swim at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a time of 1:57:02.3.

A few minutes after completing, Roditi, 25, tells Israel’s Sport5 broadcaster that he has a “little bit of a sour feeling” over his finish.

Roditi says “I prepared three years for this… the abilities were there, the strength, but it ended quickly in the first 600m [when I fell behind], and I knew I needed to give all my strength there and it wasn’t enough.”

The swimmer says “It’s frustrating, I felt like I was really ready, I improved a lot over the past three years, but in the end, that’s what there was.”

At the Tokyo Games, Roditi came in a surprise 4th place in the race, just missing out on the podium. In November, Roditi slipped on ice while walking and broke his ankle, requiring extensive rehabilitation.

Smotrich decries ‘dangerous trap’ as mediators push Israel, Hamas to agree to hostage deal

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, July 22, 2024. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich accuses the US, Egypt and Qatar of creating a false equivalence between the hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 and Palestinian security prisoners, after the three mediating countries released a statement on Thursday declaring that “it is time to bring immediate relief both to the long-suffering people of Gaza as well as the long-suffering hostages and their families.”

The statement, signed by US President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani further stated that “the time has come to conclude the ceasefire and hostages and detainees release deal.”

The mediators created an “imagine symmetry between the Israeli hostages — men, women and children — who were abducted from their beds with terrible cruelty, and despicable terrorists who are serving their sentence for it in prison,” he writes on X, calling the ceasefire and hostage release deal “a dangerous trap.”

“The time has come for the hostages to be released a long time ago,” he continues. “The time has not come to release the abominable terrorists who killed the Jews. And above all else, the time has absolutely not come for a capitulation deal that would stop the war before the destruction of the Nazis of [Hamas] and allow them to recover and return to murdering Jews again.”

He urges Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “not to fall into this trap, and not to agree to even the slightest shift away from the red lines he set recently, which are also very problematic.”

Following the statement from the mediators, Netanyahu’s office announced that an Israeli delegation would fly either to Doha or Cairo for renewed negotiations on August 15.

Lebanese media reports two killed in alleged Israeli strike in Naqoura, south Lebanon

Lebanese media outlets report an alleged Israeli strike in the southern town of Naqoura earlier this morning.

According to the reports, two people were killed in the strike.

There was no immediate comment from the IDF.

Rocket sirens activated in communities close to the Lebanon border

Rocket warning sirens are activated in the northern communities of Kfar Yuval and Metula, close to the border with Lebanon.

Troops killed dozens of gunmen in Rafah fighting over the last day, IDF says

Alongside the new operation in Khan Younis, the IDF says troops continue to battle Hamas further south in Rafah, as well as the Netzarim Corridor area in the central Gaza Strip.

Over the past day, troops with the 162nd Division killed dozens of gunmen by calling in airstrikes, tank shelling, using sniper fire, and in close-quarters combat in Rafah, according to the IDF.

An officer with the Nahal Brigade was seriously wounded yesterday in Rafah, by anti-tank missile fire.

In the central Gaza corridor, reservists with the 252nd Division killed “many” more gunmen and demolished sites used by terror groups, the IDF adds.

Across the Strip, the IDF says it struck more than 60 targets in the past day, including buildings used by terror groups and caches of weapons.

IDF says fighter jets struck Hezbollah infrastructure in south Lebanon overnight

A series of Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon were struck by Israeli fighter jets overnight, the IDF says.

The targets included a Hezbollah command room in Hanaouay, as well as infrastructure and a rocket launcher in Ayta ash-Shab, the latter of which had been used in an attack on the Biranit army base yesterday, according to the IDF.

מטוסי קרב תקפו במהלך הלילה מפקדה של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב חנאוויה ותשתית טרור של הארגון במרחב עייתא א-שעב שבדרום לבנון.

בנוסף, מטוסי קרב תקפו משגר ששימש את חיזבאללה במרחב עייתא א-שעב, ממנו שוגרו אתמול רקטות למרחב בירנית שבגליל העליון, לא היו נפגעים >> pic.twitter.com/iJMyP6xR1z

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 9, 2024

Meanwhile, early this morning several rockets were fired from Lebanon at the Kiryat Shmona area, which the IDF says impacted open areas.

There were no injuries.

IDF launches new ground op in Khan Younis, says intelligence shows terrorist presence in southern Gaza city

Troops operate in the Gaza Strip in a photo cleared for publication on August 9, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF confirms launching a new ground operation in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, following what it says is “intelligence indicating the presence of terrorists and terror infrastructure in the area.”

The offensive is also aimed at preventing terror groups in the Gaza Strip from regrouping, the IDF says.

The operation is being carried out by the 98th Division, which withdrew from Khan Younis for the second time just last month, following a week-long operation there. The division previously operated in Khan Younis for four months earlier this year.

The IDF says the division’s troops are battling Hamas above and below ground, while locating weapons and infrastructure.

More than 30 airstrikes were carried out in Khan Younis as ground forces with the 98th Division pushed into the city in the southern Gaza Strip over the past day, the IDF says.

The targets included weapons depots and Hamas staging grounds, along with operatives including snipers, and mortar launching squads.

Meanwhile early this morning, one rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip at the Ashkelon area. The IDF reports the rocket was successfully intercepted by the Iron Dome.

Report: Tehran may go after individuals responsible for killing Haniyeh rather than attacking Israel

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)

Iran may choose to target the individuals it believes are responsible for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, rather than launching an attack on Israel, The Guardian reports.

According to the report, Tehran could retaliate for the assassination of Haniyeh, which it has blamed on Israel despite Jerusalem neither confirming nor denying responsibility, by targeting people it believes to be working with or members of Israel’s Mossad security agency.

Reports following Haniyeh’s death have claimed that Mossad agents enlisted operatives from within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to plant explosives in the room the Hamas chief was staying in for the swearing-in ceremony of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Tehran is weighing its options as it faces intense diplomatic pressure not to escalate tensions in the region in any way that could result in an all-out war.

During a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation called by Iran Wednesday to discuss the assassination, Pakistan’s foreign minister was said by the Guardian to have voiced opposition to an Iranian attack on Israel, and said that while Haniyeh’s death must be answered for, Iran “must not fulfill (Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu’s design for a wider war.”

Settlement umbrella group urges government to reexamine trade agreements with countries sanctioning settlers

The Yesha Council, an umbrella organization representing settlement municipal authorities in the West Bank, has presented the government with a series of steps it believes should be taken to combat sanctions imposed on extremist individuals by the US and other Western countries, Ynet reports.

According to the report, the document submitted to the Foreign Ministry suggests that Israel should reexamine its trade agreements with any countries that impose sanctions on Israeli individuals or organizations.

The Yesha Council further proposes that for each batch of sanctions announced, Israel should recognize new West Bank settlements, and urges the government to allocate funds to assist authorities and organizations that have sanctions imposed on them.

Lastly, Ynet says the umbrella group is pushing for new mechanisms to be introduced that would allow banks to continue managing the accounts of sanctioned individuals.

Since February, the US, UK, the European Union, and others have imposed sanctions on extremist individuals and organizations accused of involvement in acts of violence in the West Bank.

In its most recent batch of sanctions last month, the US included the anti-miscegenation Lehava group, the co-founders of the already-designated Tzav 9 group — responsible for attacks on humanitarian aid convoys en route to Gaza in Israel and the West Bank, and four West Bank outposts owned or controlled by other already-designated extremists.

After sirens, Kiryat Shmona says three rockets from Lebanon landed in open areas

After rocket warning sirens sounded in the northern town of Kiryat Shmona earlier this morning, the municipality says three rockets launched from Lebanon fell in open areas.

It says that there were no casualties as a result of the rocket fire.

Warning sirens activated in Kiryat Shmona and neighboring kibbutz

Warning sirens are activated in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona and Kibbutz Manara, near the border with Lebanon.

IDF says officer seriously wounded during fighting in southern Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces announces that an officer in the Nahal Brigade’s reconnaissance unit is hospitalized after being seriously wounded during fighting yesterday in the southern Gaza Strip.

Incoming rocket sirens sound in Ashkelon, nearby kibbutz

Incoming rocket sirens sound on the outskirts of the southern coastal city of Ashkelon and nearby Kibbutz Zikim, just north of the Gaza Strip.

Families of US hostages: ‘Time long past due’ for deal, ‘world leaders must not waver’

The families of American hostages address the media after leaving the White House on July 25, 2024 (Jacob Magid/Times of Israel)

The families of eight American citizens held hostage by Hamas call for a deal to be reached to free their loved ones, after the US issued a joint appeal with Egypt and Qatar for Israel and the terror group to resume negotiations next week in order to swiftly seal an agreement.

“We are appreciative to President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for their continued leadership and mediation in the international efforts to bring our loved ones home,” the families say in a statement.

“A responsible agreement is on the table, and the negotiations must be finalized,” they add, saying “the time is long past due to bring all the hostages home, end the plight of Gaza’s civilians and avert a major regional war. World leaders must not waver at this crucial moment.”

Columbia deans resign after being placed on leave for texting ‘ancient antisemitic tropes’

WASHINGTON — Three Columbia University deans, who engaged in what the school’s administration called troubling text message exchanges that touched on “ancient antisemitic tropes,” have resigned, a university spokesperson says late Thursday.

Cristen Kromm, former dean of undergraduate student life; Matthew Patashnick, former associate dean for student and family support; and Susan Chang-Kim, former vice dean and chief administrative officer, were earlier placed on leave as an investigation proceeded.

The message exchanges took place during an event on campus titled “Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present, and Future” and followed weeks of protests at Columbia and other campuses around the country over Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, the university administration said in July.

“This incident revealed behavior and sentiments that were not only unprofessional, but also, disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes,” the university said in July.

Austin updates Gallant on deployment of F-22s to Mideast, calls for finalizing Gaza deal

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)

WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin phoned Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday and discussed the US steps taken in the Middle East to defend Israel and a Gaza ceasefire deal, Austin says on social media platform X.

“The US F-22 Raptors that arrived in the region today represent one of many efforts to deter aggression, defend Israel and protect US forces in the region,” Austin posts.

He adds: “I also stressed the importance of concluding a ceasefire deal in Gaza that releases the hostages.”

US official warns of ‘quite significant consequences’ if Iran attacks Israel

A senior Biden administration official says Iran has no right to attack Israel militarily following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, which was widely attributed to Israel.

“There’s absolutely no legitimate basis whatsoever for Iran to launch a military attack against Israel, which it continues to threaten,” the senior official says in a briefing with reporters.

“There’s been a sense out there that somehow, Iran now has the right to attack Israel militarily, and we completely reject that logic,” he adds.

The senior Biden administration official says the US is prepared for any contingency. “We have moved an awful lot of military force into the region, including F-22s that arrived today… We’re doing all we can to deter such an attack, to defeat an attack if it comes, and also to demonstrate to Iran that there’s a better path forward here than a military attack.”

Earlier today, Biden met in the Oval Office with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to review US military deployments to help defend Israel from an attack against Iran, the official adds.

“The consequences of such a direct attack could be quite significant, including for Iran and Iran’s economy, which I know their new government is concerned about,” the senior official adds.

US official: ‘Still a significant amount of work to do’ but we believe deal is possible

A senior administration official clarifies that while the joint statement issued by the US, Egypt and Qatar refers to the aim of next Thursday’s negotiations as closing the remaining gaps, “It’s not like the agreement is going to be ready to be signed on Thursday.”

“There’s still a significant amount of work to do, but we do believe that what’s left can be bridged,” the senior administration official says, adding that Thursday will only see a “resumption” of the talks, not their finalization.

Pressed several times on whether the US thinks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is serious about reaching a deal, the administration official tries to strike a more balanced approach.

“It’s incumbent upon not just the Israeli side, but also the Hamas side [to reach a deal]. At the end of the day, this is a hostage negotiation, and they’re holding hostages,” the senior official says.

“With some force of will and sitting down to hash it out, we think [a deal] is possible,” he says.

The idea for a joint statement came from the calls Biden held on Tuesday with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt, the senior administration official says, noting that Netanyahu’s office has already welcomed the initiative and said the premier would send a delegation to the summit next week.

The administration official says the summit next Thursday will be held in either Doha or Cairo and that preparatory talks will likely begin soon in Washington to prepare for the meeting, as the US simultaneously readies for a potential attack on Israel by Iran.

The official says the joint statement by the US, Egypt and Qatar was the result of US President Joe Biden’s counterparts in Cairo and Doha pushing for the move and is not specifically aimed at sending a signal to Iran regarding its potential attack on Israel.

However, the senior US official acknowledges that if Iran “launches a major war in the Middle East with some massive attack on Israel, which they’re threatening in coordination with other groups, that’s obviously going to significantly jeopardize any hope of getting a ceasefire in Gaza, because we’ll very much be focused on other things.”

PM’s office: Israel will attend Aug. 15 talks ‘to finalize the details for implementing’ deal

Responding to “the offer of the United States and the mediators,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says Israel will dispatch a delegation to attend negotiations on a ceasefire-for-hostages deal on August 15.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office notes the location of the talks has yet to finalized, after the US-led statement proposed Cairo or Doha, but says the delegation will travel to wherever is decided on “to finalize the details for implementing the framework agreement.”