Live updates (closed)
The Times of Israel liveblogged Tuesday’s events as they happened.
White House insists Israel-Saudi normalization still possible before US election
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, on July 31, 2024. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)
WASHINGTON — The White House insists that it’s still possible to broker a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia before the November US presidential election and says it’s working to complete the initiative, even as the Israel-Hamas war wages in Gaza.
“President Biden absolutely believes normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia is possible, and he believes that it’s certainly possible to get it done before the end of his time as president,” says National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby in an interview with The Times of Israel.
“He recognizes that there’s a lot of spade work that needs to be done before you can get there, [but] that’s why we’re in Doha right now trying to get this ceasefire in place so that we can start to make some progress on larger regional issues,” Kirby explains.
Already in July, however, a lawmaker from each party told The Times of Israel that the window for the US to secure a normalization agreement before the presidential election had shut.
The two congressional sources maintained that there is not enough time left in the congressional calendar for the Senate to hold the hearings necessary to approve the US-Saudi bilateral security pact that Riyadh is seeking in parallel to a deal with Israel.
Last week, an Israeli diplomat speaking on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention agreed that a normalization deal won’t be possible before November, but maintained that the window could re-open during the lame duck period.
The official argued that it will be too difficult before the election for both parties in Congress to authorize the US-Saudi bilateral security pact that Riyadh is seeking in parallel to normalization with Israel.
“After the election, it’ll be easier for both parties. There will be a better chance that Biden will bring the support of a Democratic majority, and the Republican side will also support the [US-Saudi bilateral security pact] because of the normalization component,” the Israeli diplomat maintained.
File: Benjamin Netanyahu (right) during a Likud party meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on December 13, 2021; Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left) speaks during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 14, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90; Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP)
Riyadh is conditioning normalization on Israel agreeing to establish a pathway to a future Palestinian state — a framework Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected and which, if adopted, would likely cause his far-right coalition partners to bolt.
Kirby says the Palestinian component of the deal is critical. “We have said from the beginning that as part of the normalization process, there has to be something in it for the Palestinians. That means there has to be something in it for the Palestinian Authority.”
“The other thing that is baked into this process… is a reformed Palestinian Authority that can credibly look after the aspirations of all the Palestinian people,” he adds.
IDF announces counter-terror operation in northern West Bank’s Jenin and Tulkarem
The military says Israeli forces are carrying out a large counter-terror operation in the northern West Bank cities of Jenin and Tulkarem, following reports of deadly clashes in the former.
US official hints further sanctions in pipeline as Israel fails to check settler violence
Illustrative: Jewish settlers swing sling shots during clashes with Palestinian close to the northern West Bank village of Burin on July 26, 2010. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP)
WASHINGTON — A senior Biden administration official indicates that more sanctions are on the horizon against Israeli extremists over attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.
“We have taken actions in terms of sanctioning entities and individuals. That remains a viable tool going forward,” White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says in an interview with The Times of Israel.
The past week has seen several settler attacks against Palestinians, including a pair of rampages that resulted in two deaths. No arrests were made in the most recent attack last night. Indictment in such cases are highly rare and convictions even more so.
The head of the Shin Bet security service has been quoted lamenting in private meetings that the Israel Police overseen by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is refusing to crack down on the phenomenon.
The lack of Israeli enforcement has led a handful of Western countries — led by the US — to begin issuing their own sanctions against Israeli extremists.
Asked if these sanctions have been effective in curbing the problem, Kirby responds, “There’s still settler violence, so that’s deeply concerning. As President Biden has made clear, it is unacceptable and we’ve condemned it in every case.”
“We don’t look at any one tool in the toolbox as a panacea. It doesn’t mean that we want to ignore it, either, so we have issued sanctions,” the White House spokesperson says.
“What really needs to happen here is sound leadership decisions there in Israel to stop this violence,” he continues. “I can’t rule out sanctions in the future.”
Sanctions “remains a tool (at our disposal), as well as the intense diplomacy that Secretary Blinken has been conducting on the ground with leaders to try to get the violence to stop,” Kirby adds.
PA says 1 Palestinian killed, 3 wounded in Jenin amid reports of clashes with IDF
The Palestinian Authority health ministry says that one person was killed and three injured “as a result of the occupation’s aggression on Jenin,” as clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians were reported in the area.
State Department: Ben Gvir ‘sowing chaos, undermining Israel’s security’ with Temple Mount remarks
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attends a ceremony for the incoming police commissioner at the National Security Ministry in Jerusalem, August 25, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration accuses National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of “sowing chaos” and “undermining Israel’s security” in its harshest critique yet of the hardline cabinet member.
The statement from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller comes in response to Ben Gvir’s comments earlier this week expressing support for the establishment of a synagogue on the flashpoint Temple Mount.
This initiative “would demonstrate blatant disregard for the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem,” says Miller.
“The ongoing reckless statements and actions of this minister only sow chaos and exacerbate tensions at a moment when Israel must stand united against threats from Iran and its proxy terrorist groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah. They directly undermine Israel’s security,” he adds.
It follows a biting critique that White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby issued earlier this month against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over the latter’s opposition to the hostage-release and ceasefire deal being negotiated by the Biden administration. Kirby accused Smotrich of endangering the lives of the hostages.
The Biden administration held a high-level meeting in June where the idea of sanctioning both Ben Gvir and Smotrich was raised but ultimately dismissed for the time being, two senior US officials have told The Times of Israel.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Office has made clear that the actions and statements of Minister Ben Gvir are inconsistent with the Government of Israel’s policy, and a number of responsible voices in the Israeli government have condemned them. It is critical that the Government of Israel continue to ensure its policy is adhered to,” Miller says.
“The United States reaffirms our commitment to the preservation of the historic status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites and will continue to oppose unilateral steps that are counterproductive to achieving peace and stability and undermine Israel’s security,” the State Department spokesperson adds.
Israeli drone strike reported in northeastern Lebanon
An alleged Israeli strike in Baalbek, Lebanon, on March 26, 2024. (Screen capture: X)
Lebanese media report an alleged Israeli drone strike on a truck between the village of Rasm al-Hadath and the town of Chaat in the northeastern Baalbek District.
The location of the reported strike is some 100 kilometers from the Israeli border.
????مسيرة تستهدف بيك آب عطريق #رسم_الحدث_شعت .#البقاع #بعلبك pic.twitter.com/dkiNKmWLjB
— Ahmad Farhat | أحمد فرحات (@AhmadAc7890) August 27, 2024
No further details are immediately available.
Ex-president Trump faces new US indictment in 2020 election subversion case
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks on crime and safety during a campaign event at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, August 20, 2024, in Howell, Michigan. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
US prosecutors obtained a new indictment in the 2020 election subversion case against Donald Trump today, following a US Supreme Court ruling that former presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution.
The new indictment dropped allegations that Trump sought to pressure the US Justice Department in his bid to overturn his election defeat, an apparent effort to keep the prosecution alive after the high court found that Trump could not be prosecuted for that conduct.
Greek-flagged oil tanker attacked by Yemen appears to be leaking oil, says Pentagon
This photo released by the European Union's Operation Aspides shows fires burning aboard the oil tanker Sounion in the Red Sea on August 25, 2024. (European Union's Operation Aspides via AP)
The Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion that was recently attacked by Yemen’s Houthis is still on fire in the Red Sea and now appears to be leaking oil, a Pentagon spokesman says.
Pentagon spokesman Air Force Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder says that a third party had tried to send two tugs to help salvage the Sounion, but the Houthis threatened to attack them.
In rare public speech, Sara Netanyahu calls to better equip local security teams
Sara Netanyahu speaks at an event honoring local security chiefs in Binyamin in the West Bank on August 27, 2024. (Courtesy)
Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addresses a group of local security chiefs and their wives, saying that the security groups should be better armed.
Dozens of members of local security teams in towns and kibbutzes near the Gaza border were killed in Hamas’s October 7 onslaught. Many surviving members of the teams have said they were lacking adequate weapons and had suffered numerous budget cuts in the months and years before the attack.
According to a Haaretz report in October, a large number of weapons and funding were redistributed from Gaza envelope local security teams to those in West Bank settlements in recent years.
Addressing the event in the Mateh Binyamin region in the West Bank, Netanyahu says the event is a chance to “thank everyone who is there for us in those most difficult and complicated moments — for our children, our families, for the whole nation.”
Netanyahu, who rarely gives public speeches, says that since October 7, “we are engaged in an existential fight for our home, for our lives and for our right to live here safely.”
During her speech, Netanyahu says that “I think there need to be even more local security teams… and my husband is aware of this. We have to support, to defend, to expand and to arm the local security teams, because they are really the first line of defense who protects all of us — we saw this on October 7, we saw how much they were needed in places they didn’t exist.”
This comment, however, was not included in the excerpts provided to the media by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Biden’s top Mideast adviser meets with Qatari leaders in Doha
A handout photo shows Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani (2nd-R) meeting with US National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk (2nd-L) in Doha on November 19, 2023. (Qatar News Agency/AFP)
DOHA, Qatar — US President Joe Biden’s top Middle East adviser held talks in Doha today with senior Qatari leaders on the ongoing efforts to complete a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, according to a US official.
White House senior adviser Brett McGurk’s meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani comes after the prime minister traveled to Tehran to speak with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian yesterday.
The talks also come as ongoing ceasefire talks to pause the war between Israel and Hamas are set to shift to Doha after several days of intense negotiations in Cairo.
The official, who was not authorized to discuss the sensitive talks and spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirms that McGurk met with the Qatari officials and discussed the negotiations and the prime minister’s recent meeting with Iran’s president.
Former Rahat mayor says rescued hostage told him another captive died by his side
Rescued hostage Farhad al-Qadi (right) reunites with family members at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba on August 27, 2024. (Yossi Ifergan/GPO)
Former Rahat mayor Ata Abu Madighem says rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi told him that a fellow captive died alongside him during his captivity.
The information could not immediately be verified and there was no comment from the IDF or from the Hostage Families Forum.
“He said that one of the hostages, who was with him for two months, died next to him,” Abu Madighem says in comments to the press broadcast on Channel 12 news after meeting with the rescued hostage in the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
“This story is breaking his heart. He has many [terrible] memories. But ultimately, he is talking about being saved, rescued.”
Abu Madighem, speaking to Kan TV, says the hostage who died was a Jewish man.
Abu Madighem says he is not allowed to give more details.
The ex-mayor also says al-Qadi told him he was not given any kind of special treatment as a Muslim by his captors. “They treated him as an Israeli in every respect,” the ex-mayor recounts. The whole time he was held hostage, “he barely saw the sun.”
Halt on daycare subsidies for children of Haredi yeshiva students set to take effect in November
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish children wearing costumes stand in the street during their school Purim celebration four days ahead of the official holiday on the Jewish calendar in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem on March 8, 2017. (Menahem Kahana/AFP)
The Attorney General’s Office tells Labor and Welfare Minister Yoav Ben Tzur that his ministry must halt daycare subsidies for the children of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students who enjoyed military service exemption for their studies by November 30.
Writing to Ben Tzur today, Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon tells the minister that the decision stems from the critical ruling by the High Court of Justice in June that there was no longer any legal framework for Haredi military service exemptions after the relevant law and government decision expired, and further ruled that as a result financial support for such students was also illegal.
“In the absence of authority to encourage, through financial support, the Torah studies of ultra-Orthodox men who are subject to conscription… it is required to immediately stop supporting them, in accordance with the criteria for daycare [subsidies],” Limon tells the Labor minister.
“Taking into account the constraints presented in the discussions, it is possible to establish a transition period that will not exceed a period of three months… until November 30, 2024,” Limon adds.
He also tells Ben Tzur to immediately send a warning to Haredi men now subject to the draft that daycare subsidies will be halted by that date.
A decision by the Bennett-Lapid government to immediately cut childcare subsidies was postponed by the High Court owing to the severe financial impact such a step would have on the livelihood of Haredi families. The subsidies for the daycare of young ultra-Orthodox children run into hundreds of shekels for each child, and constitute a vital part of the household economy for many Haredi families, meaning that the cut in funding will have a heavy impact on the community.
IDF soldier lightly wounded in Hezbollah drone attack in Galilee, says military
An IDF soldier was lightly wounded in a Hezbollah drone attack on the Galilee Panhandle earlier this evening, the military says.
Suspected drone infiltration sirens had sounded at 7:26 p.m. after at least one explosive-laden drone crossed into Israeli airspace from Lebanon, before impacting near the northern community of Beit Hillel, wounding the soldier.
Hezbollah took responsibility for the attack.
Meanwhile, the IDF says it carried out an airstrike against a building in southern Lebanon’s Odaisseh earlier today, after spotting a cell of Hezbollah operatives there.
It releases footage of the strike.
כוחות אוגדה 91 זיהו לפני זמן קצר חוליית מחבלים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה פועלת במבנה צבאי של הארגון במרחב אל עדייסא שבדרום לבנון.
מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר תקפו את המבנה הצבאי בו פעלה חוליית המחבלים.
בנוסף, צה"ל תקף בירי ארטילרי במרחבים שבעא ויארין שבדרום לבנון>> pic.twitter.com/xPS2zCwHbN
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 27, 2024
White House says Iran is still ‘postured and poised’ to carry out attack on Israel
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during a press briefing at the White House, July 31, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The United States remains committed to defending Israel in the event of an Iranian attack, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby says.
Kirby tells Channel 12 news that it is tough to predict the chances of an attack, but the White House takes Iranian rhetoric seriously.
“We believe that they are still postured and poised to launch an attack should they want to do that, which is why we have that enhanced force posture in the region,” he says.
“Our messaging to Iran is consistent, has been and will stay consistent,” he says. “One, don’t do it. There’s no reason to escalate this. There’s no reason to potentially start some sort of all out regional war. And number two, we are going to be prepared to defend Israel if it comes to that.”
Police shoot dead a man armed with knives in a western German city
Police fatally shot a man who apparently threatened passersby on a street in western Germany earlier today after he tried to attack officers with two knives, authorities say.
The incident took place around 2.45 p.m. local time in Moers, near the larger cities of Duisburg and Duesseldorf. Police say a patrol was sent to look into reports of an unknown man having assaulted and threatened several people.
When officers located the man, he attacked them with two knives, according to a police statement. Officers fired at the 26-year-old German, and he was fatally wounded. No other people were harmed, police say.
On Friday evening, three people were killed and eight wounded in a knife attack at a street festival in Solingen, a city in the same region. A suspected Islamic extremist from Syria turned himself in to police a day later. Prosecutors say he was motivated by the ideology of the Islamic State group.
In response to the Solingen attack, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged Monday to toughen knife laws and step up deportations of rejected asylum-seekers.
IDF releases new footage of rescue of Farhan al-Qadi from southern Gaza
Hostage Farhan al-Qadi being rescued from the Gaza Strip on an IDF helicopter, August 27, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF releases new footage of the rescue of hostage Farhan al-Qadi from the southern Gaza Strip today.
The clips show al-Qadi being taken in an armored personnel carrier to a helicopter that airlifted him to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba.
Rahat mayor says rescued hostage is in ‘good spirits’ after 10 months of ‘difficult conditions’
Rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi (right) in a selfie taken by his brother Hatem at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba on August 27, 2024. (Courtesy)
Rahat Mayor Talal al-Kernawi says he met with rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi, describing him as being in good spirits and overjoyed to be home.
“He’s happy, he’s thanking everyone,” says al-Kernawi in an interview with Channel 12 news after meeting with the rescued hostage in the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
“We’re all happy that Farhan is back, we can see the color coming back to his face, he’s finally seeing sun, seeing light,” he says of the hostage who was located by troops in an underground tunnel in Gaza more than 10 months after he was abducted by Hamas.
“We spoke about the joy and the happiness in the country” at his release, he says, noting that when they met, al-Qadi “hugged me and said congratulations that you won the election,” since he had been in captivity during the vote.
Al-Kernawi says al-Qadi is “in good spirits, happy, cheerful, smiling… he’s very skinny but he’s happy, and you can see the joy on his face.”
The mayor says he asked al-Qadi if he had seen any sign of the Ziyadne family, other hostages from the Bedouin town of Rahat, but “he didn’t know they were captives.”
The rescued hostage told al-Kernawi that he experienced “difficult conditions” during his 10.5 months of captivity, but told the mayor that “what’s important today is that I’m standing on my own two feet.”
Rescued hostage tells president captives in Gaza experiencing immense ‘suffering’
Rescued hostage Farhad al-Qadi (right) reunites with family members at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba on August 27, 2024. (Yossi Ifergan/GPO)
Rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi tells President Isaac Herzog that the suffering for captives is immense and everyone else still held there must be brought home.
In a recording of their conversation released by the president’s office, al-Qadi says he is “very grateful to the State of Israel, to the army.”
Al-Qadi, a father of 11 from the Bedouin city of Rahat, calls for the return of all the other hostages, saying “people are suffering there, every minute… do everything to bring people home.”
He says he experienced “24 hours without sleep, people are suffering, suffering, you can’t imagine it.” He says when he heard “Hebrew outside the door, I couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe it.”
The IDF, he says, is doing “holy work, risked their lives, did everything to rescue me.”
IDF did not discover al-Qadi ‘by chance,’ but did not have exact info on whereabouts
Hostage Farhan al-Qadi meets with the commander of the 162nd Division, Brig. Gen. Itzik Cohen, moments after being rescued from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, August 27, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi was not discovered by Israeli special forces “by chance” as some reports have described, although there was no pre-planned operation to specifically rescue him.
The IDF has been operating in an area of the southern Gaza Strip for several days, with the assumption that hostages could be held in the area.
Members of the Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit and Shin Bet security agency began to slowly search a tunnel complex in the area, where they discovered al-Qadi, who was alone after apparently being abandoned by his captors. He was then extracted from the tunnel and brought back to Israel.
The fact that the operation was carried out by special forces from the beginning, indicates that the military was looking for hostages in the area. Still, the army did not have exact information on al-Qadi.
The IDF says it learned lessons from the last time troops encountered abductees in the Gaza Strip outside of a specific hostage rescue mission, during which soldiers mistakenly shot dead three hostages who escaped their captors.
US official says next round of ceasefire talks moving to Doha
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)
Ongoing talks aimed at bringing about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are shifting to the Qatari capital of Doha after several days of intense negotiations in Cairo, according to a US official.
A round of high-level talks in Cairo meant to bring about a ceasefire and hostage deal to at least create a temporary pause in the war ended Sunday without a final agreement. Those talks included CIA director William Burns and Mossad chief David Barnea. But lower-level working teams had remained in Cairo as mediators from the United States, Qatar and Egypt in hopes to address remaining disagreements.
The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, says White House Middle East adviser Brett McGurk, who has been a key US negotiator, has arrived in Doha and is expected to take part in the talks. The official did not offer an explanation for why the parties have decided to move the talks. Both Cairo and Doha have served as hosts for talks aimed at ending the war throughout the conflict.
Hebrew media reports indicate that an Israeli delegation is set to depart for Doha to take part in the talks tomorrow.
Sirens sound in a number of towns along the border with Lebanon
Sirens warning of a possible drone invasion sound in a number of towns along the border with Lebanon, including Kiryat Shemona, Metula, Manara, Misgav Am and many more.
Bereaved family members fume over purported dismantling at Nahal Oz IDF base
The torched command center of the Nahal Oz IDF base, overrun by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, during a visit by relatives of slain lookout soldiers on December 19, 2023. (Courtesy/Eyal Eshel)
Some parents of IDF soldiers slain at the Nahal Oz military base near Gaza on October 7 are fuming over what they say is construction work being done at the site despite what they were promised.
Eyal Eshel, the father of Sgt. Roni Eshel — who was one of many observation soldiers killed when terrorists overran the base — says the activity at the site directly contradicts promises made to the families.
Sharing photos of ongoing work at the site online, Eshel says that the images “shatter my heart into pieces.”
“Despite the fact that the prime minister personally promised us that the base would become a memorial site, today they began dismantling the base where Roni and her friends were burned to death while they screamed into the radio,” tweets Eshel.
“We were promised that the place would be preserved… everything is falling apart in front of our eyes,” he adds.
There was no immediate comment from the IDF or the Prime Minister’s Office.
Al-Qadi thanks PM ‘Abu Yair’ for his rescue, says ‘there are others waiting’
Rescued hostage Farhad al-Qadi (center) reunites with family members at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba on August 27, 2024. (Yossi Ifergan/GPO)
Rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi thanks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call for his rescue and invites him to come visit.
“Ahalan sahalan ya Bibi,” al-Qadi tells the prime minister in video of the phone call released by his office, calling him “Abu Yair,” in line with the Arabic manner of referring to him as the father of his eldest son, Yair.
Netanyahu says he is happy to speak with al-Qadi, who says “I’m also happy, I waited for his moment, I swear, Abu Yair.”
Al-Qadi thanks the prime minister “for this work, that you got to a situation where I can see my family and be here. You did holy work, holy work you did. There are others who are waiting.”
Netanyahu says he promises to bring everyone else home, and al-Qadi replies: “I thank you very much, and I invite you to visit, Abu Yair.”
"חיכיתי לרגע הזה": החטוף שחולץ בשיחה עם רה"מ@amit_segal
צילום: יוסי איפרגן, לע"מ pic.twitter.com/biKIYpONwD
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) August 27, 2024
IDF reservist mental health officer ousted from role after social media comments
Troops of the 646th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade carry out a drill in northern Israel, in a handout photo issued August 11, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
A reservist mental health officer has been removed from her role after making “severe and inappropriate” remarks on social media.
Adi Angert, who served as the mental health officer for the Alexandroni Reserve Infantry Brigade, said recently on X that the religious Zionist community is a “cult of Death Eaters.”
She also claimed that the new commander of the brigade, Col. Moshe Passal, “called on his troops to commit genocide,” in a missive.
The IDF says that Angert, who is a non-commissioned officer in reserves, was called for a meeting with Passal. “The brigade commander clarified that these serious statements have no place in the IDF,” the military says.
At the end of the meeting, the head of the 91st Division — to which the Alexandroni Brigade is subordinate — decided to remove her from her role and not allow her to serve in the division in the future.
The Alexandroni Brigade has fought both in the Gaza Strip and along the northern border amid the war.
Passal, who previously commanded the Egoz Commando Unit, was critically wounded during fighting on October 7. He has since recovered and was promoted to command the reserve infantry brigade.
Doctor says health status of other hostages unknown, ‘we must have a deal now’
Rescued hostage Farhad al-Qadi (center) reunites with family members at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba on August 27, 2024. (Yossi Ifergan/GPO)
Prof. Hagai Levine, head of the medical and resilience team of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, says it’s “a ray of light” that hostage Farhan al-Qadi, 52, was rescued by IDF troops from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today.
However, he adds, “we need to remember that we don’t know what the health condition of the other 108 hostages is, and clearly there is no possible way to rescue them all by military operations, so we must have a deal now to bring them back alive for rehabilitation, or for proper burial.”
Levine adds that for returning hostages, “after a few days, they start to realize what they’ve been through. This is a long recovery process.”
Rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi discovered alone in tunnel by IDF troops
Hostage Farhan al-Qadi arrives at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, August 27, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Farhan al-Qadi was alone in a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip where special forces located him earlier today.
No other hostages or Hamas terrorists were alongside him, and troops did not face any resistance.
It is believed that the Hamas guards had fled the area in which he was being held, or al-Qadi managed to escape his captors, but remained inside the tunnel.
According to the IDF, al-Qadi was not inside this tunnel for the entire 10 months of captivity, and he is believed to have been moved around several times.
Minister violates military censor by tweeting location of hostage rescue
Transportation Minister Miri Regev holds a press conference discussing plans for the state ceremony commemorating the October 7 massacre, at the Transportation Ministry in Jerusalem, August 22, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Transportation Minister Miri Regev, and former chief IDF censor, breaches military censorship by sharing the location of the operation that rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi this morning.
Regev tweeted the location in Gaza, then erased her tweet 40 minutes later.
IDF releases footage of moments following rescue of Farhan al-Qadi from tunnel in south Gaza
Hostage Farhan al-Qadi meets with the commander of the 162nd Division, Brig. Gen. Itzik Cohen, moments after being rescued from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, August 27, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF releases footage showing Farhan al-Qadi meeting with the commander of the 162nd Division, Brig. Gen. Itzik Cohen, moments after being rescued from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip.
Another clip released by the IDF shows the moment al-Qadi arrived at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba after being airlifted from Gaza.
Hospital director says rescued hostage experiencing ’emotional’ reunions with family
The brother of freed Israeli hostage Farhan al-Qadi shows a photo of him with another brother, after his arrival at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba on August 27, 2024. (Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
Prof. Shlomi Codish, the director of the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, says rescued hostage Farhad al-Qadi is in stable condition and reuniting with his family members.
Speaking to reporters, Codish says a helicopter carrying al-Qadi arrived at the hospital around 3:30 p.m. this afternoon.
“We were witness to Farhad reuniting with his family — emotional moments,” says Codish.
Codish says that al-Qadi underwent a series of medical checks, and “he appears to be in stable and good condition, he is being hospitalized for supervision, which I hope will be short.”
Hebrew media outlets have showed a long line of relatives waiting outside the hospital to reunite with al-Qadi, who himself has 11 children and two wives. The hospital has been limiting the number of relatives able to visit at one time in order not to overwhelm al-Qadi, who spent 326 days in Hamas captivity.
Politicians across spectrum welcome home rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi
Rescued hostage Farhad al-Qadi (right) reunites with family members at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba on August 27, 2024. (Yossi Ifergan/GPO)
Politicians across the political spectrum welcome the return of hostage Farhan al-Qadi, 52, who was rescued by IDF troops from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today — offering, however, different conclusions about how to bring home those remaining in Hamas’s hands.
“Finally good news,” tweets Labor MK and former party chief Merav Michaeli, insisting that Israel “must not wait for additional successful operations, a deal must be closed now and all 108 hostages returned home.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of the far-right Religious Zionism party says that “the entire nation of Israel has been waiting for your return.”
“I congratulate the IDF forces and the Shin Bet for the successful operation. The State of Israel must increase military pressure in order to destroy Hamas and bring all the hostages home,” he adds.
Likud MK Yuli Edelstein tweets that “each person is a whole world, and we have many more worlds to return home. We will do this with determination, courage and wisdom.”
IDF spokesman says hostage rescue was carried out thanks to ‘precise intelligence’
Rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi (right) in a selfie taken by his brother Hatem at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba on August 27, 2024. (Courtesy)
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the operation to rescue hostage Farhan al-Qadi was “brave and complex,” and based on accurate intelligence.
“This morning, Shayetet 13 troops, the Yahalom unit, and the Shin Bet rescued Farhan alive from a tunnel in southern Gaza,” he says in a press conference.
“The troops reached the area thanks to precise intelligence,” Hagari says.
Netanyahu speaks with rescued hostage, says ‘whole nation’ is excited by his return
Rescued hostage Qaid Farhan al-Qadi seen with family members and doctors at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba on August 27, 2024. (Courtesy Soroka Medical Center)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks via phone with rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi, according to his office.
Netanyahu tells al-Qadi that “the whole nation of Israel is excited by his rescue,” his office says in a statement.
The prime minister adds that he will “continue to do everything to bring all of the hostages home.”
In a separate video statement, Netanyahu says Israel is working to return all of the hostages “in two main ways: negotiations and rescue operations.” Both ways, he says, “require our military presence in the field, and unending military pressure on Hamas.”
First images emerge of rescued hostage al-Qadi, in ‘overall good condition,’ says hospital
Rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi (right) in a selfie taken by his brother Hatem at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba on August 27, 2024. (Courtesy)
The brother of freed hostage Farhan al-Qadi shares the first image of him from a hospital bed in the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
The selfie shows al-Qadi, 52, sitting in a chair in a hospital gown and smiling. He appears significantly thinner than images that circulated of him after he was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
Another photo shared by Soroka shows al-Qadi lying in a hospital bed with family members and doctors nearby.
Rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi seen with family members and doctors at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba on August 27, 2024. (Courtesy Soroka Medical Center)
In a statement, the hospital says the rescued hostage underwent initial testing and is fully conscious and in overall good condition. The medical center says al-Qadi “has already met with his family members with great excitement. These are sensitive moments for the family and we ask people to protect their privacy.”
Herzog says rescue of hostage from Gaza brings ‘moment of joy’ to whole nation
Farhan al-Qadi seen in an undated handout picture released on August 27, 2024. (Hostages Families Forum Headquarters/AFP)
President Isaac Herzog says he is “overjoyed” by the rescue of hostage Farhan al-Qadi from Gaza.
“I congratulate the IDF, the Shin Bet, and all the security services, and send my blessings to his family on his return — which is a moment of joy for the State of Israel and Israeli society as a whole,” he says.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says the operation to free al-Qadi “was part of the IDF’s daring and courageous activities conducted deep inside the Gaza Strip.”
Gallant adds: “Israel is committed to taking advantage of every opportunity to return the hostages home to Israel.”
Brother of rescued hostage: ‘We’re so happy, very happy’
Farhan Al Qadi (Courtesy Citizens of Bedouin Society Victims Forum in the Negev)
A brother of rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi tells Hebrew media outlets outside the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba that he is overjoyed.
“I can’t explain this feeling, it’s better even than the arrival of a new baby,” the brother says. “Thank God, we are thankful to everyone and we hope to see him soon healthy. We’re so happy, very happy to get this news.”
Video circulating on social media purports to show family members of al-Qadi, 52, running through the halls of the hospital to greet him.
תיעוד: משפחתו של פרחאן קאיד שחולץ מעזה רצים לעברו בבית החולים סורוקה@ShaIsrael2 https://t.co/wSc3qP3UlQ pic.twitter.com/pWsm9wxfXq
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) August 27, 2024
Hostage Families Forum: Rescue is ‘miraculous,’ but deal needed to bring everyone home
The Hostage Families Forum welcomes the rescue of captive Qaid Farhan al-Qadi from Gaza by IDF troops, but stresses that a deal is necessary to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
“He endured 326 days in captivity,” says the main umbrella group for family members of the hostages in a statement. “Qaid’s return home is nothing short of miraculous. However, we must remember: military operations alone cannot free the remaining 108 hostages,” the group adds. “A negotiated deal is the only way forward.”
Hostage Qaid Farhan al-Qadi, 52, rescued by IDF from tunnel in Gaza
Farhan Al Qadi (Courtesy Citizens of Bedouin Society Victims Forum in the Negev)
An Israeli hostage was rescued by IDF troops from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today, the military announces.
The rescued hostage is Qaid Farhan al-Qadi, 52, from a Bedouin community near the southern city of Rahat, who was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen on October 7. Al-Qadi was abducted by Hamas terrorists from the nearby community of Mivtahim.
Al-Qadi was found inside a tunnel by commandos of the Navy’s elite Shayetet 13 unit. The operation was led by the IDF Southern Command, the Shin Bet security agency, and the IDF’s 162nd Division.
He is said to be in good health.
It is now believed that 104 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 30 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.
The IDF says that further details cannot be published at this stage “due to issues of the security of our hostages, the security of our forces, and the security of the state.”
The military describes the rescue operation as “complex.”
Al-Qadi is in good health and is being taken to a hospital for additional checkups, the IDF adds.
Rocket sirens blare in communities around Mount Meron; IDF: False alarm
Incoming rocket sirens are sounding in the Mount Meron area in the Upper Galilee.
The alerts are activated in the communities of Kadita, Or HaGanuz, and Bar Yohai, as well as the adjacent Marom HaGalil Regional Center.
Rocket Alert [15:14:59] (4):
• Upper Galilee — Bar Yochai, Or HaGanuz, Marom HaGalil Regional Center, Kadita
Population: 3,300 pic.twitter.com/GghmZJk2ar— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) August 27, 2024
The IDF later says that the sirens are determined to have been false alarms.
Khamenei opens door to nuclear talks with US, but asserts ‘enemy’ can’t be trusted
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivering a speech during the official presidential endorsement ceremony of President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian, on July 28, 2024. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s supreme leader opens the door to renewed negotiations with the United States over his country’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, telling its civilian government there was “no barrier” to engaging with its “enemy.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks sets clear red lines for any talks taking place under the government of reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian and renewed his warnings that America isn’t to be trusted.
But his comments mirror those around the time of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran’s nuclear program greatly curtailed in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Yet it remains unclear just how much room Pezeshkian will have to maneuver, particularly as tensions remain high in the wider Mideast over the Israel-Hamas war.
“We do not have to pin our hope to the enemy. For our plans, we should not wait for approval by the enemies,” Khamenei says in a video broadcast by state television. “It is not contradictory to engage the same enemy in some places, there’s no barrier.”
Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, also warns Pezeshkian’s Cabinet, “Do not trust the enemy.”
Hamas calls on West Bank Palestinians to escalate tensions with settlers after Arab Israeli killed by IDF
Following the killing of an Israeli Arab man by IDF troops overnight, Hamas calls for a day of “anger and mobilization” in the West Bank, urging Palestinian residents to “confront the settlers by all means.”
Following the announcement of a general strike today in parts of the West Bank, Hamas urges strikers to escalate tensions at “points of contact and confrontation” with settlers.
The victim of last night’s incident was named as Khalil Salem Khalawi, 37, although some reports said his surname was Ziadeh. He was an Israeli citizen but lived in the West Bank Palestinian village of Wadi Rahhal, south of Bethlehem.
According to the IDF, the incident began after Palestinians hurled stones at Israeli vehicles on a highway in the area. Israeli settlers arrived in the village area to confront the Palestinians and a clash erupted, according to the military.
IDF troops who were dispatched to the scene opened fire, hitting several Palestinians amid the clash.
The IDF says it is aware that the man was shot dead amid the incident, and three others were wounded.
IDF probing killing of Palestinian man in West Bank amid clash with settlers
The IDF and police have launched investigations into the killing of a Palestinian man in the West Bank village of Wadi Rahhal near Bethlehem last night.
According to the IDF, the incident began after Palestinians hurled stones at Israeli vehicles on a highway in the area. Israeli settlers arrived in the village area to confront the Palestinians and a clash erupted, according to the military.
IDF troops who were dispatched to the scene opened fire, hitting several Palestinians amid the clash.
The IDF says it is aware that a man was shot dead amid the incident and three others were wounded.
The slain man was named as Khalil Salem Khalawi, 37, although some reports said his surname was Ziadeh. He is an Israeli citizen but lived in the West Bank Palestinian village.
The IDF has launched an investigation into the conduct of the troops, while police are also investigating the clash between the civilians and settlers.
Chants during the farewell of Khalil Salem Ziada (37), a Palestinian man who was shot dead yesterday by Israeli settlers during a terror attack in Wadi Rahhal, south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. pic.twitter.com/M1lrlcEKVR
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) August 27, 2024
Official Oct. 7 ceremony to be held in Ofakim, Regev says
Transportation Minister Miri Regev has determined that the state memorial ceremony on the anniversary of the October 7 massacre will be held in the southern city of Ofakim, her office says in a statement.
Responding to reports that a meeting with organizers discussed holding the ceremony in front of an audience and broadcasting it live — in contrast to the original decision — Regev’s office says that today’s meeting was a regular, planned meeting to discuss the event.
“There has been no change in the format of the ceremony for the State of Israel and its citizens,” the office says.
Israel able to preemptively hit Iran and its allies, but it’s up to politicians, army source says
This photo taken from a position in northern Israel shows a Hezbollah drone intercepted by Israeli air defense over north Israel on August 25, 2024 (Jalaa Marey / AFP)
Israel is capable of launching a preemptive strike against potential threats in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, or Yemen, an unnamed military source tells Sky News Arabic.
However, such a decision is up to the political echelon, the source adds.
The source vows that by the end of the war, Israel’s northern border will be radically different, with a boosted number of soldiers and improved security infrastructure.
Touching on Israel’s preemptive strikes against Hezbollah on Sunday morning, the source says that most of the army’s targets in Lebanon were destroyed by 100 fighter jets.
Israel claims it destroyed hundreds of launchers with dozens of barrels each at 270 sites across southern Lebanon. The source says drones launched by Hezbollah targeting the army’s Glilot intelligence base did not make it past the northern city of Acre or Haifa Bay.
Government paying for Google ads detailing UNRWA terror allegations — report
An government-paid ad detailing allegations of UNRWA's involvement in terrorism, after a Google search of "UNRWA USA," August 27, 2024. (Google screenshot: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
The government has paid for a Google advertising campaign to publicize its allegations that UNRWA, the aid agency for Palestinian refugees, has ties to Hamas terror activities, the US monthly magazine WIRED reports.
Israel’s New York Consulate acknowledged the report but did not answer requests for comment.
According to WIRED, the government has bought advertising for searches such as “UNRWA” and “UNRWA USA” in an apparent attempt to direct the attention of potential donors to the agency toward information about its ties to the Hamas terror group.
Israel and pro-Israel lobbying groups have for years accused UNRWA staff of antisemitism and the glorification of terrorism, particularly within UNRWA’s extensive education system. Throughout the IDF’s campaign in Gaza, weapons and Hamas facilities have been found embedded at UNRWA sites.
Mara Kronenfeld, who runs the agency’s US partner UNRWA USA, tells the magazine she noticed the campaign when searching the name for her nonprofit and found what appeared to be a promotion for the organization that led to a webpage detailing the allegations.
Ads in January with the headline “UNRWA for Human Rights” were removed after the aid agency complained, despite Google saying there was no violation of its policies. By May, advertisements were renewed with clearer headers, including “UNRWA Neutrality Compromised, “Israel Unveils UNRWA Issues,” and “Israel Advocates for Safer, Transparent Humanitarian Practices.”
A Palestinian woman walks past a damaged wall bearing the UNRWA logo at a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 28, 2024. (Eyad Baba/AFP)
Other video ads on Google charge that “UNRWA is inseparable from Hamas,” and that the agency “keeps employing terrorists.”
According to the report, from May to July, the advertisements appeared 44 percent of the time that they and UNRWA USA ads were able to appear, citing UNWRA USA’s Google analytics. Additionally, UNRWA USA ads popped up in only 34% of eligible searches.
UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma tells WIRED that the advertisements harm the agency’s reputation and “are destructive to people.”
“They should stop, and those responsible for this sabotage should be held accountable. There should be a lot of follow-up with companies like Google once the war is over. There’s a lot to answer to,” she says.
Google employees who spoke to WIRED said they felt uncomfortable with their company profiting from Israel’s alleged efforts to blame UNRWA for Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
“You shouldn’t be taking that money,” one of the sources says.
Earlier this month, the United Nations announced that nine employees of the UNRWA agency for Palestinian refugees “may have been involved” in Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel and will be fired from the organization, nearly 10 months after allegations were raised.
The Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), an independent body of the United Nations Secretariat, said in a terse press release that it had completed its investigation into 19 UNRWA staff members alleged by Israel to have taken part in the October 7 atrocities and concluded that in nine cases, the evidence obtained by the organization “indicated that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the armed attacks of 7 October 2023.”
Several past reports by such organizations have found that UNRWA schools and teachers continue to teach hatred of Jews and glorify terrorism, including a 2022 report by the IMPACT-SE organization that UNRWA textbooks continue to contain incitement, and a 2023 report by the same organization along with the UN Watch group citing dozens of examples of social media posts by UNRWA employees that “glorify terrorism, encourage martyrdom, demonize Israelis and incite antisemitism.”
Karhi accuses High Court of carrying out ‘coup,’ tells Levin to ignore decision
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi attends a hearing of the Knesset Economy Committee, November 20, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi accuses the High Court of Justice of staging a “coup,” after it told Justice Minister Yariv Levin to bring the appointment of a new Supreme Court president and two new Supreme Court justices to a vote in the Judicial Selection Committee, and to begin preparations for such a vote “in the coming days.”
“Even if such a delusional judgment is issued, the justice minister must act in accordance with his powers according to law and not listen to those who try to tamper with its foundations, and certainly not resign from his position. We must be strong and determined in the face of the hostile takeover attempt by the unelected over Israeli democracy and law,” Karhi tweets.
The decision is not yet binding since it is not a final ruling but the three justices presiding over the case told Levin that a final ruling will be issued in September “should such a thing be necessary.”
“This is the embodiment of legal tyranny,” Karhi continues, adding that “this is not law – this is a coup!”
New Hope, Yisrael Beytenu blast Levin for impasse over appointment of justices
The leaders of the right-wing opposition New Hope and Yisrael Beytenu parties slam Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s ongoing conflict with the High Court of Justice over the appointment of judges.
“I never thought it was justified to deviate from the unwritten rule of ‘seniority’ — it prevents politicization of the Supreme Court,” says New Hope chief Gideon Sa’ar — referring to Levin’s effort to have hardline conservative justice Yosef Elron appointed as president, even though such a step would overturn the principle of seniority, in place since the founding of the court, whereby the most senior justice on the court is made president.
“I still hope that an understanding and agreement will be reached and that we will all be spared the renewal of this internal campaign at a time of war for Israel,” Sa’ar says.
In a tweet, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman derides “the worst government in Israel’s history.”
“Instead of focusing during wartime on issues that unite the people and highlight what we have in common, the government focuses exclusively on controversial issues that threaten to break apart Israeli society, such as the Temple Mount and legal reform,” he writes.
“Something different is possible. We need to replace this government, fast.”
Smotrich says High Court’s ‘forceful and divisive’ conduct proves need for judicial overhaul
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Justice Minister Yariv Levin attend a meeting on the planned state budget vote, in the Israeli parliament on May 23, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich issues a scathing critique of the High Court of Justice after it tells Justice Minister Yariv Levin to hasten preparations for a vote on the appointment of a new Supreme Court president and two new Supreme Court justices in the Judicial Selection Committee.
“The forceful and divisive conduct of the High Court of Justice judges who arrogantly reject any compromise proposal and ignore the majority of the people’s loss of trust in the judicial system only proves the need for reforms in the judicial system,” says Smotrich.
The leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party argues that a judicial overhaul is justified by “the disconnect that the judicial system has exhibited throughout the war in regards to security needs and the war effort: in going after our fighters, in concern for the imprisoned Hamas terrorists, and more.”
“We are committed to this fix for our future and the future of our children,” he adds.
Lapid says justice minister considers war to be over, now resuming efforts to ‘erase Israel’s democracy’
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid responds to this morning’s initial High Court decision that Justice Minister Yariv Levin must convene the Judicial Selection Committee to appoint a court president and two new justices.
Lapid writes on X that from Levin’s point of view, the Israel-Hamas war is over, and now, “he is returning to the regime coup and the attempt to erase Israel’s democracy,” referring to his controversial judicial overhaul proposals.
“The Judicial Selection Committee will convene with or without Yariv Levin,” he writes.
Justices tell Levin to arrange vote for Supreme Court president ‘in coming days’
File: High court justices Yosef Elron and Isaac Amit attend a hearing in Jerusalem, September 7, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
In a highly significant decision, the High Court of Justice tells Justice Minister Yariv Levin to bring the appointment of a new Supreme Court president and two new Supreme Court justices to a vote in the Judicial Selection Committee, and to begin preparations for such a vote “in the coming days.”
The court notes that it has given Levin a “substantial amount of time” to find “broad agreement” for the appointment of a new president which the minister has said is critical during a time of war, but that since those efforts have failed “there is no escape” from convening the committee and making the appointments on the basis of the majorities required under law: five out of nine for a Supreme Court president and seven out of nine for a justice.
The decision is not yet binding since it is not a final ruling but the three justices presiding over the case tell Levin that a final ruling will be issued in September “should such a thing be necessary.”
Of the three justices presiding over the case, Yael Wilner and Alex Stein are conservatives, and Ofer Grosskopf is a liberal.
In a continuation of his efforts to assert greater government control over the judiciary, Levin has sought to have hardline conservative justice Yosef Elron appointed as president, even though such a step would overturn the principle of seniority, in place since the founding of the court, whereby the most senior justice on the court is made president.
As an alternative, Levin has proposed that liberal justice Isaac Amit, who is in line for the presidency according to seniority, become president, and one of two extremely conservative legal academics, who were sources of inspiration for Levin’s judicial overhaul agenda, be made a Supreme Court justice.
Supreme Court Acting President Uzi Vogelman has reportedly not agreed to either of these proposals, resulting in the current impasse.
A source close to Levin says in response that the High Court’s decision constituted a “conflict of interests” and was made “without authority,” adding that “they are judges over themselves.”
The source added: “They are practically taking total control of the Judicial Selection Committee, refusing to accept anyone who is not theirs, and are just proving how right the [judicial overhaul] reform is.”
British rock band Oasis to reunite for world tour after end of 15-year feud
LONDON, United Kingdom — British rock legend Oasis announce it will reunite for a worldwide tour next year, as brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher ended an infamous 15-year feud to return to the stage.
The band, which helped create the Britpop era of the 1990s with hit songs “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back In Anger” and “Champagne Supernova,” announces on X it will play gigs in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and the Irish capital, Dublin.
“This is it, this is happening”
Tickets on sale this Saturday 31st August (????????8AM IST / ????????9AM BST)
Dates:
Cardiff Principality Stadium – 4th/5th July
Manchester Heaton Park – 11th/12th/19th/20th July
London Wembley Stadium – 25th/26th July & 2nd/3rd August
Edinburgh Scottish Gas… pic.twitter.com/5hRQ3sJihb— Oasis (@oasis) August 27, 2024
As West Nile virus spreads, Environmental Protection Ministry orders authorities to step up pest control efforts
Illustrative image of a mosquito biting through skin. (iStock by Getty Images/nechaev-kon)
The Environmental Protection Ministry reports that mosquitoes carrying the West Nile fever virus were trapped in Rishon Lezion, Qalansawe, Tayibe, Modiin-Maccabim-Reut, the Jezreel Valley Regional Council, and the Hefer Valley Regional Council.
The ministry has instructed all authorities to further expand their monitoring and pest control efforts, dry out mosquito breeding sites, reduce their population, and avoid unnecessary bites and illness.
According to the Health Ministry, the number of patients diagnosed with the virus rose to 870 as of last week.
A total of 62 people who were diagnosed with the virus have died since the outbreak began in June.
Infected mosquitoes transmit the West Nile virus to humans. The virus does not spread from person to person.
About 80% of people infected with West Nile virus show no symptoms at all. About 20% may experience varying degrees of symptoms, including fever, headaches, and body aches.
Less than 1% of those infected will have possible rare complications such as acute inflammation of the brain or meningitis.
The risk of significant illness is higher among the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.
Reports says Arab-Israeli shot dead by IDF troops in West Bank village
Khalil Ziadeh, an Arab-Israeli, is named by Hebrew media reports as the Palestinian shot dead by members of the IDF’s so-called area defense force in the West Bank village of Wadi Rahhal overnight, while Palestinian media identified him as Khalil Salem Khalawi, 37.
According to the Ynet news site, Ziadeh, 40, was originally an East Jerusalem resident who was currently living in Wadi Rahhal, the Ynet news site reports. Three other Palestinians were hurt in the clash.
According to Ynet, soldiers were deployed to the area after receiving reports rocks were being thrown at an Israeli vehicle. Settlers also arrived at the village and clashed with Palestinians.
The Palestinian Authority health ministry said earlier that casualties were the result of “settlers’ gunfire” in the village.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli authorities. The Israel Defense Forces, as of Tuesday morning, said it was still looking into the incident.
The martyr Khalil Ziada, who was shot dead by settler gangs tonight near Wadi Rahal in the #Bethlehem Governorate. pic.twitter.com/IllzAFlrac
— Khalidalmaktari أبوعمرو (@Moonlight7oct) August 26, 2024
Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.
Rocket siren in Manara was false alarm
The military says a rocket siren that sounded in Manara a short while ago was a false alarm.
Hostage families block Ayalon Highway: ‘Netanyahu is burying the hostages’
Hostage families and their supporters block the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a deal to free their loved ones.
Protesters carry banners reading, “There is no reckless agreement, only abandonment,” and “Netanyahu is burying the hostages.”
נתיבי איילון דרום נחסמו כעת לתנועה ע"י בני משפחות החטופים ומוחים ממחאת הנשים. המפגינים קוראים "דורשים עסקה עכשיו! אין עסקה מופקרת, יש הפקרה". (קרדיט: דנור אהרון Danor Aharon) @N12News pic.twitter.com/JeELLFbSjM
— אור רביד | Or Ravid (@OrRavid) August 27, 2024
Rocket sirens sound in Galilee Panhandle; Nahal Oz siren was false alarm
Incoming rocket sirens are activated in the Galilee Panhandle community of Manara.
Meanwhile, the military says that an earlier siren at the Gaza border community of Nahal Oz was a false alarm.
צבע אדום (27/08/2024 07:52): מנרה pic.twitter.com/v960cp6qSw
— צופר – צבע אדום (@tzevaadom_) August 27, 2024
Rocket sirens sound in Nahal Oz, near Gaza border
Incoming rocket sirens are activated in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, near the border with the Gaza Strip.
צבע אדום (27/08/2024 07:37): נחל עוז pic.twitter.com/ge9Fvq9WZc
— צופר – צבע אדום (@tzevaadom_) August 27, 2024
Haredi newspaper calls Ben Gvir ‘pyromaniac politician’ over Temple Mount remarks
Yated Neeman, Haredi newspaper affiliated with the coalition’s Degel Hatorah faction — part of the United Torah Judaism party, calls National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir the “pyromaniac politician” after he voiced support for putting a synagogue on the flashpoint Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City.
The newspaper cites a long-standing opinion by some rabbis on Jewish law that forbids Jewish people to ascend the holy site, decrying Ben Gvir’s “severe” remarks and accusing him of “endangering the residents of the holy land.”
Top US general says risk of broader war ‘somewhat’ abated after Israel-Hezbollah clash
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on July 25, 2024. (Saul Loeb/AFP)
The near-term risk of a broader war in the Middle East has eased somewhat after Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah exchanged fire without further escalation but Iran still poses a significant danger as it weighs a strike on Israel, America’s top general says.
Air Force General C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks to Reuters after emerging from a three-day trip to the Middle East that saw him fly into Israel just hours after Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel, and the IDF said it struck hundreds of Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon to thwart a larger attack. It was one of the biggest clashes in more than 10 months since Hezbollah began attacking northern Israel following Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, but it also ended with limited damage in Israel and without immediate threats of more retaliation from either side.
Brown notes Hezbollah’s strike was just one of two major threatened attacks against Israel that emerged in recent weeks. Iran is also threatening an attack over the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran last month.
Asked if the immediate risk of a regional war had declined, Brown says: “Somewhat, yes.”
“You had two things you knew were going to happen. One’s already happened. Now it depends on how the second is going to play out,” Brown says while flying out of Israel.
“How Iran responds will dictate how Israel responds, which will dictate whether there is going to be a broader conflict or not.”
Brown also cautions that there is also the risk posed by Iran’s militant allies in places such as Iraq, Syria and Jordan who have attacked US troops as well as Yemen’s Houthis, who have targeted Red Sea shipping and even fired drones at Israel.
“And do these others actually go off and do things on their own because they’re not satisfied – the Houthis in particular,” Brown says, calling the Shia group the “wild card.”
Saudi Arabia denounces Ben Gvir for saying he’d support synagogue on Temple Mount
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visits the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, during Tisha B'Av, August 13, 2024. (Screenshot/Otzma Yehudit)
Saudi Arabia denounces far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir after he voiced support for putting a synagogue on the flashpoint Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City
A statement released by the Saudi foreign ministry doesn’t name Ben Gvir, instead referring to him as “a minister in the Israeli occupation government.”
“The kingdom affirms its categorical rejection of these extremist and inflammatory statements, and its rejection of the ongoing provocations of the feelings of Muslims around the world,” the statement says. “The kingdom stresses the need to respect the historical and legal status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, renewing its call to the international community to assume its responsibilities in putting an end to the humanitarian catastrophe endured by the brotherly Palestinian people and activating serious mechanisms to hold Israeli officials accountable for the ongoing violations of international laws, norms and resolutions.”
IDF officially rules out suspected kidnapping following earlier report
The military releases a statement officially ruling out earlier reports of a suspected kidnapping in the northern West Bank, following searches of the area by Israeli forces.
PA health ministry: 1 killed, 3 injured after settlers opened fire in village near Bethlehem
The Palestinian Authority health ministry says one Palestinian was killed and three others were injured after Israeli settlers opened fire in the West Bank village of Wadi Rahhal near Bethlehem.
According to Palestinian media, dozens of Israeli settlers entered the village and attacked residents.
There is no immediate comment from Israeli authorities.
read more: