August 5: Diplomats race to tamp down tensions as Israel braces for ‘imminent’ Iranian reprisal

As US races to ease tensions, Blinken says Gaza ceasefire critical for calm

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington is engaged in intense diplomacy to ease tensions in the Middle East, urging all parties to refrain from escalating violence.

“We are engaged in intense diplomacy, pretty much around the clock, with a very simple message — all parties must refrain from escalation,” he says after a meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

But Blinken adds that without a ceasefire deal in Gaza, crises will continue to flare up.

“It’s also critical that we break this cycle by reaching a ceasefire in Gaza,” Blinken says. A ceasefire “will unlock possibilities for more enduring calm, not only in Gaza itself, but in other areas where the conflict could spread.”

“What it really comes down to, really, is all parties finding ways to come to an agreement, not look for reasons to delay or to say no,” Blinken says. “It is urgent that all parties make the right choices in the hours and days ahead.”

IDF spokesman: No changes to Home Front Command guidelines

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says there are still no changes to emergency guidelines for civilians, as reports have claimed that an Iranian attack on Israel is imminent.

“There are no changes to the Home Front Command guidelines. We have our finger on the pulse constantly, and if there is a change we will inform you immediately,” Hagari says on X.

IDF says commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit killed in drone strike

Hezbollah Radwan commander Ali Jamal al-Din Jawad. (Hezbollah media office)

A commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit was killed in a drone strike this evening in southern Lebanon, the IDF says.

Ali Jamal al-Din Jawad was struck in the southern Lebanon village of Aabba. According to the IDF, Jawad was a Radwan commander.

Hezbollah announced Jawad’s death following the strike, but did not provide information on his rank. His death brings the terror group’s toll since October to at least 393.

The IDF says his killing is a “significant blow” to Hezbollah’s capabilities to carry out attacks on Israel.

Separately, fighter jets struck a building used by Hezbollah and other infrastructure in southern Lebanon’s Kafr Kila, the IDF says.

Also this evening, several explosive-laden drones were launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon at northern Israel. According to the IDF, one of the drones was intercepted by air defenses, while the others impacted in the Mount Meron area, causing no injuries. Sirens had sounded in the Mount Meron area amid the incident. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it launched several explosive drones at an Israeli military base.

מוקדם יותר הערב כלי טיס של חיל האוויר תקף במרחב עבא וחיסל את המחבל עלי ג'מאל אלדין ג'ואד, אשר שימש כמפקד בכוח רדואן של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה.

סיכול זה מהווה פגיעה משמעותית ביכולות ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה לקדם ולבצע פעולות טרור מדרום לבנון כנגד העורף הישראלי בגבול הצפון>> pic.twitter.com/qVEhsT988M

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 5, 2024

Rockets fired at Iraq’s Ain al-Asad airbase housing US forces, security sources say

Two Katyusha rockets were fired at Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base which hosts US and other international forces in western Iraq, security sources say.

It is not clear whether the attack caused any casualties or damage inside the base, the sources say.

One security source says the rockets fell inside the base.

Russia’s Shoigu in Tehran to discuss response to Haniyeh’s killing

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (R) meeting with Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, in Tehran, on August 5, 2024 (Iranian Presidential Office / AFP)

A senior ally of President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tehran today for talks with Iranian leaders, including the president and top security officials, as the Islamic Republic weighs its response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Russia has condemned the killing of Haniyeh in Iran last week and called on all parties to refrain from steps that could tip the Middle East into a wider regional war.

Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s security council, was shown by Russia’s Zvezda television station meeting Rear Admiral Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander who serves as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Shoigu, who was Russia’s defense minister before being moved to the security council in May, was also to meet President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Italy, Iraq call for Middle East de-escalation, Gaza ceasefire

The foreign ministers of Italy and Iraq call for diplomacy and de-escalation in the Middle East, saying they are deeply concerned about increasing tension threatening the entire region.

Italy’s Antonio Tajani and Iraq’s Fouad Hussein say in a joint statement they call on “all involved parties to resort to dialogue and diplomacy in order to foster de-escalation and provide space for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”

Israeli sprinter Blessing Afrifah is 5th in 200m heat, will run in repechage round

(L-R) Taiwan's Yang Chun-han, Canada's Andre De Grasse, US's Noah Lyles, Jamaica's Bryan Levell, Japan's Towa Uzawa, Switzerland's William Reais and Israel's Blessing Afrifah compete in the men's 200m heat at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, August 5, 2024. (Antonin THUILLIER / AFP)

Israeli sprinter Blessing Afrifah finishes 5th in his heat in the men’s 200m dash with a time of 20.78, failing to automatically secure a spot in the semifinal.

Overall, he finishes 35th out of 45 runners, and will race again in tomorrow’s newly introduced repechage round for a second shot at qualifying.

In the repechage, the winners of each heat will advance to the semifinal, as will the next two fastest finish times.

The world record in the men’s 200m is held by famed Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, with a time of 19.19.

Israeli envoy: UN’s UNRWA probe a disgrace, ignored info on many more with terror ties

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan speaks during a Security Council meeting on a resolution that would have recognized the Palestinians as a full UN member state, at United Nations headquarters, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/ Yuki Iwamura)

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, rejects the UN’s probe of UNRWA that found nine employees may have been involved in the October 7 attacks, calling it “a disgrace” and “too little too late.”

Erdan says the probe “ignored the thousands of of agency employees involved in Hamas terrorism… Israel gave the UN precise details on over 100 UNRWA employees who are members of Hamas.”

In light of the information Israel provided the UN, he says, “the findings of the probe are another disgrace for the UN, which continues to refuse to accept reality.

“If that’s not enough, recently the secretary general decided to give UNRWA-Gaza the 2023 UN Secretary General’s Award. The secretary general should resign and UNRWA should be shut down.”

Kamala Harris VP choice narrows to Walz or Shapiro, sources say

Vice President Kamala Harris boards Air Force Two as she departs Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport in Westfield, Massachusetts, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/ Stephanie Scarbrough, Pool, File)

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has narrowed her search for a vice presidential running mate to two finalists, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, three sources with knowledge of the matter say.

Harris, the US vice president, is expected to announce her selection by tomorrow, ahead of her first scheduled public appearance with her running mate that evening at Temple University in Philadelphia.

It is unclear whether a final decision has been made, the sources say. The rally will kick off a five-day, seven-city tour of battleground states likely to decide the November 5 election.

Trump: If I were president nobody would be talking about Iran attacking Israel

Republican Democratic nominee Donald Trump says “I’m hearing there’s going to be an attack tonight by Iran on Israel. They’re gonna be attacked tonight.”

Trump speaks at an election event, clips of which are shared online.

Noting he is hearing news reports on the matter and has no “top secret information” on an imminent attack, he adds: “If I were president, nobody would even be talking about that word because it wouldn’t happen, 100%.”

TRUMP: “Right now, I’m hearing there’s going to be an attack tonight by Iran on Israel.” pic.twitter.com/U6pD2dZiJG

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 5, 2024

US urged countries to pass messages to Iran against escalation, State Dept. says

Through its diplomatic engagements, the United States has been urging countries to tell Iran that escalation in the Middle East is not in their interest, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says.

Speaking at a daily briefing, Miller says this is a “critical moment” for the region and that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is working the phones to help calm the tensions, but also says that Washington is preparing for all possibilities.

Iranian MP calls for assassinating Netanyahu to avenge Haniyeh

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a meeting with US President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 25, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP)

An Iranian MP has called for the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in retaliation for Israel’s alleged killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.

Iranian MP Mohammad Qasim Osmani (Wikipedia)

Mohammad Qasim Osmani said that in revenge for Haniyeh’s death, “We do not agree to anything less than Netanyahu’s death,” according to the Russian TASS news agency, which cited IRIB TV.

The MP said Israel was “impudent” for daring to “shed the blood of a guest in Tehran.”

Iran has said it will retaliate against Israel for Haniyeh’s death and the country is braced for a large-scale attack, though Tehran has also said it does not want all-out war.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the killing of the Hamas terror chief.

Plan advances for new Israeli neighborhood across Green Line in southeast Jerusalem

A plan for a new neighborhood across the Green Line in southeast Jerusalem with a slated 3,500 housing units and 1,300 hotel rooms advanced through an important stage of the planning process, reports the Ir Amim organization, which campaigns against Israeli construction in East Jerusalem.

The development, known as the Hebron Road Strip due its proximity to that major Jerusalem artery, will be built adjacent to the large and controversial Givat Hamatos development.

“If approved, the Hebron Road Strip will more than double the number of housing units in Givat Hamatos and enlarge the area of the settlement by nearly 40 percent, extending it eastwards toward the settlement of Har Homa,” says Ir Amim.

The organization says that Givat Hamatos, the first new neighborhood to be built across the Green Line in more than 20 years, together with the Hebron Road Strip neighborhood, “are cumulatively sealing-off East Jerusalem’s southern edge from Bethlehem and the southern West Bank while creating more contiguity with the Gush Etzion settlements.”

The group adds that the plans will do nothing to address “the acute housing needs” of the Palestinian population of Jerusalem, and accuses the Israeli authorities of deliberately failing to provide housing opportunities for Palestinians “as a tool for displacement.”

Army: IDF chief has approved plans for ‘different scenarios’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (center) holds an assessment with senior officers at the IDF HQ in Tel Aviv, August 5, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi held an assessment and approved plans for “the different scenarios,” the military says in a terse statement, as the country anticipates an Iranian and Hezbollah attack.

The meeting was attended by the deputy chief of staff, head of the Intelligence and Operations directorates, head of the Northern Command, head of the Air Force, head of the Home Front Command, and other top officers.

IDF rejects CNN claim many Hamas battalions remain operational, says most dismantled

IDF troops of the 98th Division are seen operating in Gaza Strip, in a handout photo published July 30, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Responding to a CNN investigation claiming that only three of Hamas’s 24 battalions in the Gaza Strip are “combat ineffective,” the IDF says that the conclusions are not accurate.

“From the intelligence and findings on the ground, most of the Hamas Brigades have been dismantled. It is estimated that most of the battalions are at a low level of competency and can no longer function as a military framework,” the IDF says in response to a query.

“The claims made in the article contradict the achievements of the forces on the ground, and create a false representation of the situation of Hamas in Gaza,” the response continues.

“The commanders of the IDF and its troops work day and night to achieve the goals of the war and reach unprecedented achievements in the fight against the Hamas terror organization,” the IDF adds.

The investigation by CNN found that eight of the 24 Hamas battalions are still “combat effective” — able to carry out missions against Israeli troops.

A further 13 battalions are “degraded,” but still partly operational, the report found, and only three are totally “combat ineffective.”

Some seven battalions have managed to reconstitute at least once since being severely degraded earlier in the war, either by merging severely degraded cells into new, combat-effective forces, or by recruiting new fighters, the report said.

The military has acknowledged returning in some instances to areas in Gaza that its forces had previously evacuated after identifying Hamas forces regrouping there.

Gallant meets US CENTCOM chief Kurilla to discuss defense cooperation

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meets with United States CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, August 5, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/ Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with United States CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla, who is visiting Israel during the heightened tensions.

In the meeting, also attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the three discussed “the coordination of defense cooperation between the respective establishments and militaries.”

“They also discussed ways to expand the international coalition facing aggressive activities by Iran and its proxies against Israel, and destabilizing the Middle East region,” the Defense Ministry says.

IDF says key Hamas battalion commander was killed in Sunday strike on Gaza school

The commander of Hamas’s Sheikh Radwan Battalion, known in the IDF as the al-Furqan Battalion, was killed in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip yesterday, according to the military.

Jaber Aziz, the commander of the battalion which is part of Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade, was killed in an airstrike against a school in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, the IDF says.

The IDF said yesterday that it struck two Hamas command and control rooms embedded within the Hassan Salama and Nasr schools in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan.

Citing intelligence information, the IDF says Aziz was killed in the strike on the Hassan Salama school, alongside other operatives.

Israel just bombed displaced people in a school again: the Hassan Salama School, west of Gaza City. pic.twitter.com/pNRpmHR0AU

— 🔻 mari 🔻 (@mariresisting) August 4, 2024

Aziz has served in the role of commander of the Sheikh Radwan Battalion since 2020, after previously serving as the deputy commander of the battalion. He also previously headed the Zeitoun Battalion, according to the IDF.

The IDF says he took a “significant part” in planning the October 7 onslaught, leading the preparations and training in his battalion.

Aziz himself participated in raiding Israeli communities on October 7, according to the IDF.

During the war, Aziz directed numerous attacks against Israeli troops in Gaza, and against Israeli civilians, and the IDF says his killing is a “significant blow” to Hamas’s capabilities.

UN says 9 UNRWA employees ‘may have been involved’ in Oct 7 attacks, will be fired

Video showing an UNRWA worker driving a white UN jeep, and abducting the body of Jonathan Samerano, who was killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7. (Screenshot)

The UN says nine employees of its agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA ‘may have been involved’ in Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel.

The Office of Internal Oversight Services says it has completed its investigation into 19 UNRWA staff members alleged to have taken part in the attacks and concluded that in nine cases, “the evidence obtained by OIOS indicated that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the armed attacks of 7 October 2023.

“The employment of these individuals will be terminated in the interests of the Agency,” it says.

In nine other cases the OIOS says the evidence of involvement was insufficient, while in one case there was no evidence.

Israel has alleged that hundreds of UNRWA employees have ties to terror groups in Gaza. In January UNRWA said it had fired an unspecified number of staffers, after Israeli authorities provided information that pointed to their active participation in the October 7 terror onslaught. Apparently the nine announced today include staff members let go then.

The accusations led numerous countries to suspend their funding to the organization, but many have since renewed it, citing the difficult humanitarian situation in the Strip.

In April, a review of UNRWA by an independent panel said Israel had yet to provide supporting evidence for its claims that a significant number of agency staff were members of terrorist organizations and argued that UNRWA had “robust” policies in place to ensure staff neutrality.

Iran’s ‘crimes against humanity’ during protests must be prosecuted – UN experts

Iranians protest 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini's death after she was detained by the morality police, in Tehran, September 20, 2022. (AP/ File)

UN experts call for the prosecution of Iranian officials who may have committed crimes against humanity during a 2022 crackdown on demonstrations that particularly targeted ethnic and religious minorities.

The UN Human Rights Council mandated experts to carry out an investigation on Iran following nationwide protests triggered by the September 2022 death in police custody of Mahsa Amini. Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, was arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic republic’s strict dress code for women.

Several hundred people, including members of the security forces, were killed and thousands arrested during the demonstrations.

“There are no viable routes” for justice to be served in Iran, experts says in the report. The experts call on all UN member states to “apply the principle of universal jurisdiction to prosecute Iranian officials responsible for crimes under international law, including crimes against humanity.”

Violations of the rights of minorities “were amplified,” and the experts found that “many of these violations amounted to crimes against humanity,” according to their report. In a statement, they say they found that “the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds intersected with persecution on ethnic and religious grounds.”

Many of the serious human rights violations documented by the experts include “unnecessary use of lethal force, arbitrary arrests, torture, rape, enforced disappearances and gender persecution.”

IDF Chief Halevi meets visiting US CENTCOM head Gen. Michael Kurilla in Israel

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (center left) meets with United States CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla (center right) in Tel Aviv on August 5, 2024 (IDF)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi held an assessment with United States CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla, who arrived in Israel earlier today.

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

Kurilla’s visit comes as Israel anticipates an Iranian and Hezbollah attack on the country.

Iran calls meeting of Islamic nations for Wednesday to press right to strike Israel

From left to right: Syria's President Bashar Assad, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi as they follow Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Front R) and Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi (Back R) during an emergency summit of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Riyadh, November 11, 2023. (Handout / Iranian Presidency / AFP)

Iran has called an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for Wednesday to discuss the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Iran’s response.

Tehran and Iran-aligned groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah have accused Israel of killing Haniyeh on July 31 in the Iranian capital. His death was one in a series of killings of senior Hamas figures, as the war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel nears its 11th month. Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility.

According to The Guardian, at the meeting, Tehran will seek to convince Arab nations to support it as it plans retribution against Israel.

Israeli equestrian athletes fail to qualify for individual jumping final at Olympics

None of Israel’s equestrian athletes have qualified for the individual jumping final in today’s qualifier event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Colombian-Israeli Daniel Bluman, considered the strongest rider of the delegation, had to end his round early after his horse Ladriano refused to jump over one of the obstacles.

French-Israeli Robin Muhr received 8 penalty points and US-Israeli Isabella Russekoff received 20 penalty points, and none of the three finished among the top 30 entrants of 74 competitors who qualified for tomorrow’s final.

Russekoff, the reserve member of the Israeli team, jumped in place of Ashlee Bond, who decided not to take part in the individual competition to allow her horse to recover following a challenging round during the team jumping final. Overall, the Israeli team finished 9th in the team competition last week after qualifying for the final in a historic first.

Thousands gather in Tel Aviv to mark 5th birthday of hostage Ariel Bibas

Relatives and supporters march in Tel Aviv on August 5, 2024, to mark the fifth birthday of Ariel Bibas, taken hostage to Gaza by Hamas terrorists along with his baby brother and parents from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. (Paulina Patimer / Hostages Family Forum)

Thousands of people have gathered in Tel Aviv to mark the 5th birthday of Ariel Bibas, who remains held by terrorists in Gaza along with his baby brother and parents.

Protesters marched from Habima Square to Hostages Square, where the family’s relatives and various celebrities took part in a rally and lit birthday candles for Ariel.

The Bibas family, father Yarden (left), Ariel (second from left), Shiri and baby Kfir (Courtesy)

Ahead of the rally Pnina Bibas, whose son Yarden Bibas was abducted along with his wife and the couple’s two young sons, wished a happy birthday to her “dear Luli” in an open letter published by The Daily Mail.

“Five years… Do you even know that this big day is approaching?” she asked.

At the protest she said: “Nine months have passed since you were taken from us by bad people. Nine months of tears, prayers, of inextinguishable hope. The world around us continues to turn, but time has seemingly frozen without you.

“You’ve grown by a year but there is no celebration… I hope we will soon get the greatest gift — embracing you and the entire family again.”

Ariel Bibas, taken hostage to Gaza by Hamas terrorists along with his baby brother and parents from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. (Courtesy of the family)

Her daughter Ofri, Ariel’s aunt, appealed to the prime minister: “Their fate is in your hands. There is a deal [on the table] that you agreed to. Don’t make amendments, don’t set new red lines. Don’t hesitate and don’t delay. Bring them home.”

Hamas has claimed that the children are no longer alive, but the Israel Defense Forces says it has not found any evidence to support this.

למה הם עדיין בעזה? צעדת יום הולדת לאריאל ביבס.

קרדיט: יאיר פלטי pic.twitter.com/vqRVU1Xm4k

— ש𝕏ולי 🎗️🏳️‍🌈 Sh𝕏uLi (@Shaulirena) August 5, 2024

Ariel Bibas’s relatives said they were stunned to be marking the birthday while Ariel was still in captivity, 304 days after he was kidnapped.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s something we never imagined, that Ariel will turn five as a hostage,” says Tomer Keshet, a cousin of Ariel’s father Yarden.

In January, family members marked what they dubbed “ the saddest birthday in the world ” as Kfir turned one year old. Keshet says he believes there are major differences between how Kfir and Ariel are experiencing their time in captivity.

“The difference between a child and a baby is that a child understands, a child knows that the situation is terrible, a child knows what a birthday is,” he says.

Army says 7 reservists wounded, 4 of them seriously, in blast in southern Gaza

IDF troops operate in the Gaza Strip, in images released on August 4, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Seven IDF reservists were wounded, including four seriously, during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today, the military says.

The troops, of the 205th “Iron Fist” Reserve Armored Brigade’s 9215th Battalion, were taken to a hospital in Israel for treatment.

According to an initial probe, the troops were wounded by an explosive device or grenade hurled at them by a Hamas operative.

Four of the reservists are seriously wounded, two are listed in moderate condition, and one was lightly injured.

Legislation passes to cut import prices by relying on European quality standards

The so-called “What’s good for Europe is good for Israel” reform passes into law after being approved in its second and third readings in the Knesset plenum 22-0.

The legislation is expected to allow imported goods with European quality standards or certification to be automatically standardized, without requiring additional regulatory approval by the Standards Institution of Israel, as is currently the case.

The Finance Ministry says the reform will apply to a “wide range of food products, cosmetics, and electrical appliances,” but does not specify which products are included and does not provide a date when the legislation will come into effect.

“Today we are making history” and are “breaking through the barriers that have caused the high price of consumer goods in Israel for decades,” says Economy Minister Nir Barkat, calling the measure “a reform that promises change for generations.”

According to the Finance Ministry, “the price differences between Israel and the other OECD countries have led to the average family in Israel paying over NIS 10,000 ($2,600) more each year for products included in the reform, and the reform is expected to reduce this gap significantly.”

Hostage talks on hold until after Iran strike, replacement of Haniyeh — officials tell ToI

(L-R) CIA chief William Burns, Egyptian intel chief Abbas Kamel, Mossad chief David Barnea and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. (Collage/AP/AFP)

DOHA, Qatar — The negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire-hostage release deal are effectively on hold and will not pick up until after Iran launches its promised retaliation against Israel for its alleged assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and until after the terror group selects a replacement for the politburo chief, two officials familiar with the matter tell The Times of Israel.

The Iranian response could arrive as early as Monday night, while Hamas is expected to announce a new leader in the coming days, the two sources say.

Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators will then resume efforts to negotiate a deal but believe that it will be much more difficult following Haniyeh’s assassination, the sources say, adding that Hamas has not shown any interest in resuming talks before a replacement is decided on.

An Israeli negotiating team was in Cairo over the weekend, but this was largely for bilateral talks with Egypt over the IDF’s deployment in the Philadelphi Corridor and at the Rafah Crossing, one of the officials says, noting that Hamas was not part of these discussions, even indirectly, and that no progress was made.

Qatar did not have any representatives at the Saturday meeting as it did not focus on the hostage file, the officials say.

Erdogan slams ‘digital fascism’ after Turkey blocks Instagram

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan talks during a military parade, in the Turkish-occupied area of the divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, July 20, 2024. (AP/Petros Karadjias)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fiercely criticizes social media companies, saying they seek to “muzzle the Palestinian people’s voices,” after Turkey blocked access to Instagram last week.

Turkey is holding talks with Instagram after the move, which followed a top Turkish official’s accusation that the social media site blocked condolence posts over the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas.

“We are facing a digital fascism that has no tolerance for even the photographs of Palestinian martyrs and bans them immediately,” Erdogan says, citing the killing of Haniyeh.

“They are resorting to every means to hide Israel’s cruelty and muzzle the Palestinian people’s voices. Especially social media companies have literally become militants,” he says in a speech in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Bills backed by Shas and Otzma Yehudit removed from Knesset agenda amid infighting

Israeli minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir attends a conference called 'Israel's return to the Temple Mount,' at the Knesset on July 24, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

Four controversial bills backed by the Shas and Otzma Yehudit parties are removed from the Knesset agenda as a result of infighting between the two coalition partners.

The decision to postpone votes on the bills during today’s special plenum session — which is being held during the Knesset’s summer recess — comes after Otzma Yehudit chief National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir threatened to block a key piece of Shas-backed legislation until he is given greater say over the running of the war in Gaza.

“We stand by the demand to include the national security minister in the limited forum [making war-related decisions], and until [Shas chief Aryeh] Deri removes his objection to adding Minister Ben Gvir to the limited forum and the prime minister allows it, the Rabbis Law will not pass,” Otzma Yehudit says in a statement blaming the ultra-Orthodox party for limiting Ben Gvir’s influence.

The ultranationalist party also claims that Shas and associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to torpedo three of Otzma Yehudit’s bills unless it supports the Rabbis Law, which seeks to grant the religious services minister the power to allocate additional funds to local religious councils around the country.

Otzma Yehudit’s bills would permit the imprisonment of children under the age of 14 on terror charges; lower the minimum age at which restrictions can be imposed on a sex offender to 14; and allow district court judges to impose restrictions on citizens’ freedom of movement and expression on the basis of secret evidence.

All three were taken off the agenda alongside the Rabbis Law.

Late last month, several days before the beginning of the Knesset recess, a vote on the Shas bill was postponed due to the parties’ spat. It was the second delay in less than a month, following a previous incident in which Ben Gvir’s opposition led to a walkout by Shas lawmakers.

The bill was dropped again on the last day of the legislation session in the wake of a rocket attack that killed 12 children in the northern Druze town of Majdal Shams — but was again placed on the agenda as part of a special plenum session being held today.

Neither Shas nor Otzma Yehudit have commented on the delay of their bills.

Taekwondo medalist Avishag Semberg set to face Saudi athlete at Olympics

Israel's Avishag Semberg celebrates after defeating Turkey's Rukiye Yıldırım to win a bronze medal during the women's 49kg taekwondo match at the 2020 Summer Olympics, on Saturday, July 24, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP/Themba Hadebe).

Returning taekwondo medalist Avishag Semberg will face Saudi athlete Dunya Abutaleb in her first match in the women’s under-49kg weight class at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday, according to the brackets released today.

In the past, Saudi athletes have refused to face Israeli competitors in international competitions, including the Olympics. Tensions are particularly high at the moment against the backdrop of the ongoing Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza. Last week, an Algerian judoka showed up overweight to his weigh-in, forfeiting his match against Israel’s Tohar Butbul.

Semberg could potentially face opponents from Iran, Tunisia, Morocco or Turkey in future rounds.

At the Tokyo Games four years ago, Israeli judoka Raz Hershko made history when she faced off against and later embraced Saudi opponent Tahani Al-Qahtani.

Iran warns airlines of potential GPS disruptions over the country

An Iranian Mahan Air plane ands at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, Feb. 4, 2021. (File: Saeed Kaari/IKAC via AP)

Iran has issued a notice to airlines, known as a NOTAM, warning of GPS disruptions over the country.

The significance of the disruptions is not immediately clear, nor who may be behind them, though GPS disruptions are sometimes used to confuse the targeting of precision-guided missiles.

The notice comes as the Middle East is braced for a forceful Iranian attack on Israel following the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, widely attributed to Jerusalem.

Iran tells foreign ambassadors it is committed to ‘punishing’ Israel

Iran is not looking to escalate regional tensions but believes it needs to punish Israel to prevent further instability, the foreign ministry spokesperson says, following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.

“Iran seeks to establish stability in the region, but this will only come with punishing the aggressor and creating deterrence against the adventurism of the Zionist regime,” Nasser Kanaani says, adding that action from Tehran is inevitable.

Kanaani calls on the United States to stop supporting Israel, saying the international community has failed in its duty to safeguard stability in the region and should support the “punishment of the aggressor.”

Iran’s foreign ministry called in ambassadors and heads of missions residing in Tehran for a meeting with acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani today to reiterate Iran’s will to respond to Israel.

Police officer charged with assault of journalist during unrest at soccer game

The Department of Internal Police (DIPI) Investigations has filed an indictment against a police officer serving in the Jerusalem district for assaulting prominent journalist Chaim Levinson during disturbances at a soccer game outside Teddy Stadium in January.

According to the indictment, a confrontation between soccer fans broke out next to one of the stadium entrances in the capital and police were deployed to the scene, including the officer in question, to disperse the confrontation.

Levinson, who was close to the confrontation and had videoed the scene, approached the police officer in question, challenged him over his handling of the unrest and then accused of him assaulting fans involved in the disturbance, while continuing to record the incident.

According to the indictment, the police officer tried to seize Levinson’s phone, and then “wrapped his hand around his neck in a chokehold and forced the complainant down,” only releasing him after Levinson cried out that he couldn’t breathe.

But the police officer then grabbed Levinson’s glasses and smashed them into the wall.

The officer has been charged with assault.

Levinson writes on X following the announcement of the indictment that he feels the indictment was brought only because of his public stature, a sentiment he says is strengthened by the fact that the officer was not indicted for punching another fan in the head during the same incident.

“We, the soccer fans, get the worst possible police services. They don’t protect us from violence but attack us violently, and no one is brought to account,” writes Levinson. He also denounced National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has authority over the police, for politicizing the force.

“I am a small point in the process in which the police is being dismantled of its neutrality, the minister is rejoicing, and the prime minister is silent,” adds Levinson.

The indictment is the latest in a series of such charges leveled by DIPI against police officers for violent behavior since the Public Defender’s Office publicly rebuked the department for failing to crack down on the phenomenon at the end of June.

IDF Northern Command chief: Military prepared for offensive in all aspects

IDF Northern Command Chief Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin meets with northern mayors at the Northern Command HQ in Safed, August 4, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Meeting with mayors and leaders of local councils in northern Israel yesterday, the chief of the IDF Northern Command says the military’s offensive plans are ready for a potential escalated conflict with Hezbollah.

“I want you to know that our offensive plans going forward are ready and we are prepared for this, in all aspects, from me to every single one of the soldiers,” says Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin to the mayors.

“We’ve attacked and destroyed a lot in the last 10 months but we still have work to do. We are determined and committed,” he adds, according to remarks released by the IDF.

Police say they’re probing former PM Barak’s call for widespread civil disobedience

Former prime minister Ehud Barak. (Avshalom Sassoni‎‏/Flash90)

The Israel Police have opened a probe into former prime minister Ehud Barak over comments he made calling for widespread civil disobedience.

In a letter to right-wing activist Shai Glick, who filed a complaint against Barak, police indicate that they’ve opened a probe into the matter.

Speaking at a protest rally in Tel Aviv last month, Barak reiterated his call for civil disobedience, telling the crowd a mass strike is needed to bring down the government.

Barak told thousands on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv that what is needed is “civil nonviolent noncompliance.” When the Knesset returns from summer break, he said, “the revolt must be extended to a mass strike around the parliament together with opposition leaders until the government falls.”

“The reality in which left-wing people repeatedly incite and rebel and are not even called in for questioning while right-wing people have been sent to prison for much lesser things is delusional and shows selective enforcement,” Glick tells The Times of Israel.

“We demand that the State Attorney’s Office immediately order an indictment against Ehud Barak.”

Egyptian official denies existence of active tunnels between Gaza Strip and Egypt

An unusually large tunnel uncovered by the IDF on the Gaza-Egypt border area, in a photo cleared for publication on August 4, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

An unnamed high-ranking Egyptian source denies the existence of active tunnels between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, saying that Jerusalem has not provided evidence of these passages being open and in use.

Speaking to Al-Qahera News, the source says the reports about tunnels in Israeli media are “allegations” meant to justify the continuation of Israel’s war in the Strip.

Yesterday, the IDF uncovered an unusually large tunnel on the Gaza-Egypt border area, big enough for vehicles to pass through, as part of efforts to uncover all of Hamas’s smuggling weapon routes in the area.

Dozens of tunnels have been found along the Philadelphi Corridor, including at least 25 that crossed into Egypt.

Over 90,000 said to join WhatsApp groups preparing for mass rallies if Gallant or AG fired

Over 90,000 Israelis have joined a network of WhatsApp groups preparing for mass demonstrations around the country in case Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fires Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Walla news site reports.

The outlet says all have joined the almost 90 silent groups over the past day to prepare for “Gallant night 2” — a repeat of the unprecedented spontaneous mass rallies that erupted in March 2023 when the premier announced Gallant’s termination over his call to pause the judicial overhaul legislation.

The national chaos caused Netanyahu at the time to reverse Gallant’s firing and pause the overhaul bills, but reports are increasingly indicating the prime minister is again seeking to oust his defense minister.

Some coalition members have also been calling for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s ouster, and the new WhatsApp groups are readying to respond to such a scenario as well, the report says.

The initiative is led by Labor member and anti-government protest leader Yaya Fink.

At Air Force command center, Gallant says preparing for ‘quick transition to offense’

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (center) meets with IAF head Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar (left) and IAF chief of staff Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler (right) at the IAF's underground command room in Tel Aviv, August 5, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/ Defense Ministry)

Amid heightened tensions over an anticipated Iranian and Hezbollah attack on the country, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has visited the Israeli Air Force’s underground command center at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.

“Our enemies are carefully considering their steps thanks to the abilities you have demonstrated in the last year. However, we must prepare for all possibilities, including a quick transition to offense,” Gallant says in remarks provided by his office.

Gallant observed the IAF’s preparations “in light of security developments” as well as “the possibilities of offensive action in all combat sectors,” the Defense Ministry says.

Lapid slams government: ‘For 5 days, an entire country has been waiting to be bombed’

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid leads a Yesh Atid faction meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on July 22, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slams Israel’s leadership over its handling of the Iranian threat, arguing that “there is no deterrence and there is no government.”

“I would like to ask the Israeli government, is what we are seeing in recent days the new standard?” Lapid asks during his Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset. “Is it acceptable to you that for five days, an entire country has been sitting and waiting to be bombed?”

“Is this the new standard that the residents of the north will not receive even a hint from the government as to when they can go home?” he continues, accusing the government of “not even pretending” to try to return the evacuated residents of the north to their towns.

“The new standard is that young parents don’t go to a public park because it’s far from a shelter. Foreign airlines don’t want to fly here, because there’s no one to trust here. Everyone waits and waits and doesn’t know what they’re waiting for,” Lapid adds.

Israel is currently bracing itself for Iran’s response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, an act for which Jerusalem has not taken public responsibility. According to Axios, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told counterparts from G7 countries yesterday that Washington believes an Iranian attack on Israel could begin within the next 24 to 48 hours.

“This government will fall when the Knesset returns from the most unnecessary and wretched recess in the country’s history,” Lapid insists, promising to establish “an effective, functioning, decent government, which will bring order to the country and order to our lives.”

Kamala Harris expected to announce her running mate by tomorrow

US Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce her running mate by tomorrow after conducting interviews with top contenders at her Washington home over the weekend, two sources with knowledge of the matter say.

Harris’s decision may be announced at any time ahead of her first public appearance with the vice presidential nominee tomorrow in Philadelphia, before they start a cross-country tour across several battleground states likely to decide the election, the sources say.

Harris closed out her search by interviewing three top candidates — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, US Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro — at her Naval Observatory residence in Washington yesterday, the sources say.

The vice president met with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for 90 minutes on Friday and was also meeting candidates virtually, the sources say. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker are the other candidates in contention for the job.

UN calls for urgent de-escalation in Middle East, laments ‘very precarious situation’

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk calls for an urgent de-escalation in the Middle East over fears that the Gaza war could spread.

“I am deeply worried about the rising risk of a wider conflict in the Middle East and plead with all parties, along with those states with influence, to act urgently to deescalate what has become a very precarious situation,” says Turk in a statement.

Hostage families demand PM explain why Israel returned 80 bodies to Gaza, got none in return

Supporters and relatives of Israelis held hostage by terror groups in the Gaza Strip since October 7, demonstrate to demand their release 300 days since their abduction, in Tel Aviv on August 1, 2024. (Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP)

The Hostage Families Forum issues an angry statement in response to Palestinian reports that Israel returned 80 bodies of Palestinians to Gaza today.

“How can it be that the State of Israel is giving 80 bodies and getting zero in return?” it says. “How is it possible that Israel, under [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s leadership, is returning bodies not as part of a deal? What about our relatives, until when will they languish in Hamas captivity in Gaza?”

The Forum demands “answers and clarifications” from Netanyahu and hostages point person Gal Hirsch on the matter.

There are 115 hostages believed to be held in Gaza, including 41 whose deaths have been confirmed by Israeli authorities. Of the total, 111 were abducted on October 7.

Former PMs Lapid, Olmert agree to testify before unofficial inquiry into Oct. 7 failures

Then-prime minister Ehud Olmert pauses prior to a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defence committee at Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, October 30, 2006. (Pierre Terdjman / Flash90)

Former prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Yair Lapid agree to testify before the so-called civil commission of inquiry probing the events leading up to the October 7 Hamas onslaught.

With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly putting off the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to investigate successive government’s failures that enabled the October 7 attack, several groups representing survivors of the Hamas massacres and the families of those killed recently announced the formation of the independent probe, which they have said is aimed at “reaching the truth and preventing the next disaster.”

The commission’s members include two retired generals, a former police commissioner and the author of the IDF’s official code of ethics.

The commission says it is still waiting on a response from Netanyahu as well as former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Ehud Barak.

Government announces sharp increase in salary for public sector psychologists

A deal to “fundamentally change the salary structure” for psychologists employed in the public sector has been agreed upon and is to take effect on January 1, 2025, the government announces.

The deal will affect some 5,000 psychologists employed by health insurance providers, local authorities, hospitals and government ministries (including the Education Ministry). The agreement is expected to raise salaries by around 40 percent on average, as well as provide a one-time grant of NIS 5,000 ($1,310) to employees in September of this year.

Under the new salary structure, beginning psychologists will receive a monthly salary of NIS 11,000 ($2,880), experts NIS 13,000 ($3,400), instructors NIS 15,000 ($3,928) and senior instructors NIS 17,000 ($4,451). In addition to this, small increases in monthly pay are to be implemented yearly over a three-year period.

The new wages also include increases based on seniority, IDF service and position in the managerial hierarchy. The average monthly salary in Israel is around NIS 13,500 ($3,535), according to a July report by economic journal Globes.

The salary reform agreement was announced jointly by the Finance Ministry, the Health Ministry, the Education Ministry and the Histadrut labor federation.

Top Russian security official arrives in Tehran, will meet Iranian president

Russia’s security council secretary, Sergei Shoigu, has arrived in Tehran for talks with the Iranian leadership including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russia’s Interfax news agency reports.

Shoigu and Pezeshkian will discuss regional and global security in additional to various bilateral issues, it says.

784 people diagnosed with West Nile virus since start of outbreak, 56 died — ministry

The number of patients diagnosed with the West Nile virus in Israel has risen to 784, the Health Ministry reports.

A total of 56 people diagnosed with the virus have died since the outbreak began in June.

Israel’s flagbearers at Paralympics are Lihi Ben David and Oct. 7 survivor Adam Berdichevsky

Israeli Paralympics 2024 flagbearers Adam Berdichevsky (left) and Lihi Ben David. (Lilach Weiss-Rosenberg)

Israel’s flagbearers at the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympics will be goalball player Lihi Ben David and wheelchair tennis player Adam Berdichevsky, a survivor of the October 7 massacre, the Israel Paralympic Committee announces.

Ben David, 29, who was born visually impaired, competed with Israel’s goalball team in both the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She has been playing goalball since age 11, when she joined the national team, and she also trains a group of girls in the sport in southern Israel.

Berdichevsky, 41, lost his leg in 2007 during a boating accident on a trip to Thailand. He represented Israel at the Paralympics in Rio and Tokyo. Berdichevsky is a resident of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, along the Gaza border, where Hamas terrorists killed seven people, taking some of their bodies hostage, and kidnapped five others on October 7, 2023. He and his family were holed up in their reinforced room for 14 hours before being rescued and evacuated to Eilat.

“This is a huge honor for me. It shows appreciation for all the hard work I did over the past six months after everything my family and I went through,” says Berdichevsky in a statement from the Israel Paralympic Committee. “I’m happy that I can represent the Gaza border area after the horrible massacre, as well as the State of Israel, and march at the head of the delegation with the flag of Israel.”

The Paralympics opening ceremony is slated for August 28 in Paris. Israel’s delegation will include at least 28 athletes.

CNN: Hamas more intact than IDF says, action in central Gaza limited since hostages believed held there

A CNN investigation purports to contradict Israel’s claims that it has dealt a critical blow to Hamas’s fighting capabilities, arguing that in fact, many of its battalions are still operational and are regenerating.

The US outlet says only three of Hamas’s 24 battalions have been destroyed, eight are combat effective, and the rest have been degraded.

The most intact battalions are said to be in central Gaza, where CNN reports — quoting unnamed Israeli military sources and its own investigation findings — that the IDF has avoided taking extensive action because Hamas fighters there are believed to be holding many of the remaining 111 hostages kidnapped on October 7.

IDF says it killed Hezbollah cell in Lebanon’s Mays al-Jabal

Members of a cell of Hezbollah operatives were killed in a drone strike this morning in southern Lebanon’s Mays al-Jabal, the military says.

According to the IDF, the cell was operating a drone over Mays al-Jabal. A short while after they were spotted, an Israeli Air Force drone struck and killed them.

Following the strike, Hezbollah announced the deaths of Ali Shuqair, a member of the terror group, and Muhammad Hammadi, a paramedic who was a member of the Islamic Message Scouts Association, a Shiite scouts group associated with the Lebanese terror organization. Both were from Mays al-Jabal.

מוקדם יותר הבוקר כוחות צה"ל זיהו חוליית מחבלים שהפעילה רחפן במרחב מיס אל ג'בל שבלבנון, זמן קצר לאחר מכן כלי טיס של חיל האוויר תקף וחיסל את מחבלי החולייה.

בהמשך להתרעות שהופעלו בצפון הארץ בשעה 11:50, לוחמי ההגנה האווירית יירטו בהצלחה מטרה אווירית חשודה שחצה מלבנון למרחב מטולה>> pic.twitter.com/naOqNzj2Rd

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 5, 2024

Meanwhile, two suspected drones from Lebanon were shot down by air defenses in the past hour, the IDF says, one over the Metula area and the other over the sea near Nahariya.

Also according to the IDF, all of the rockets fired at the Kiryat Shmona area this morning were intercepted by air defenses.

There were no injuries in the attack.

Truck driver lightly injured as 15 rockets launched from Gaza into Israel

A truck driver was lightly injured by a rocket impact near Kibbutz Re’im a short while ago, medics say.

According to the IDF, a barrage of some 15 rockets was launched from southern Gaza’s Khan Younis at Israeli border communities.

Several rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome system, but others impacted the Re’im and Gama Junction area.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it is treating a man aged 37 in good condition, after he was hurt by a rocket impact.

In recent days there have been several rocket attacks from Khan Younis. The IDF has since issued an evacuation warning for Gazans in the area.

PA announces cash payment to over 3,500 Gazans stranded in the West Bank since Oct. 7

The Palestinian Authority’s Labor Ministry announces the disbursement of cash assistance payments to 3,576 laborers from the Gaza Strip who were stranded in Israel on October 7 and are currently residing in the West Bank.

The Gazans are currently living in housing centers provided by the PA government throughout the West Bank, the statement adds.

The handout amounts to 140 Jordanian dinars ($197). The ministry notes in a statement that this is the sixth batch of payments made by the PA to Gazan laborers since October 7, but previous ones do not appear to have been announced. The funds are provided by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, a Kuwait-based pan-Arab development finance institution.

About 10,000 Gazan laborers who were stranded in Israel on October 7 were deported back to the Strip in early November, the Washington Post has reported, quoting border officials. Hundreds more remained in detention and were returned to Gaza in subsequent months.

Prior to the October 7 attack, some 17,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip had permits to enter Israel legally for work.

Likud’s Edelstein says ‘not appropriate’ to discuss firing Gallant, Halevi in wartime

Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein (Likud) at a Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, July 16, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein rejects far-right calls to dismiss Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, following a report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning both his and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi’s ouster.

“We need to be focused on the goals of the war,” Edelstein tells a conference in Yad Binyamin hosted by the Israel Hayom outlet.

Turning to the ultra-Orthodox enlistment law being debated in his committee, Edelstein slams both those pushing for immediate mobilization of all eligible Haredim and those who shout that they’d rather die than enlist in the army.

“It is possible to bring the law [for a vote] within a short period. It’s simple, you just need common sense and to focus on what’s essential,” he says.

Edelstein also expressed disappointment in the military, saying that the IDF “was apparently a little frightened” and “now we are getting weak answers from it,” indicating that the IDF has not shared manpower requirements that could be used as the basis for comprehensive recruitment legislation.

“We are at war, there is a real and critical need. We need to bring practical solutions, not slogans,” Edelstein continues.

He promises to “do everything so that the conscription law will be passed” while meeting both the needs of the army and ensuring that new recruits can maintain their religious lifestyles.

IDF says rockets were fired at Kiryat Shmona, some intercepted, no injuries

A barrage of several rockets was launched earlier this morning from Lebanon at Kiryat Shmona.

According to the IDF, some of the rockets were intercepted by air defenses.

There are no injuries.

Sirens had sounded in the area at around 10 a.m.

Israel said to return over 80 bodies to Gaza today

Palestinian media reports that more than 80 bodies were returned to the Gaza Strip this morning.

Amid the war in Gaza, the IDF has taken for identification bodies suspected of being those of hostages, returning them after confirming they do not belong to any captives that were abducted by Hamas on October 7.

At least 39 of the remaining 111 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 have been confirmed dead.

تجهيز وحفر القبر الجماعي في المقبرة التركية بخانيونس لدفن 80 جثة قام الاحتلال بتسليمها بعد وقت دام على احتجازها pic.twitter.com/ezebmP2c5f

— Alhadath Newspaper|صحيفة الحدث الفلسطيني (@Alhadath_news1) August 5, 2024

Ben Gvir’s party renews spat with Shas, threatens to block bills if not given more influence over war

Otzma Yehudit chief Itamar Ben Gvir (left) and Shas leader Aryeh Deri seen speaking separately in the Knesset in this composite image. (Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party reiterates its threat to block the passage of a key piece of Shas-backed legislation until Ben Gvir is given greater say over the running of the war in Gaza, again highlighting ongoing tensions between the members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition.

“We stand by the demand to include the national security minister in the limited forum, and until [Shas chief Aryeh] Deri removes his objection to adding Minister Ben Gvir to the limited forum and the prime minister allows it, the Rabbis Law will not pass,” Otzma Yehudit says in a statement blaming the ultra-Orthodox party for limiting his influence.

The ultranationalist party also claims Shas and associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have threatened to torpedo three of Otzma Yehudit’s bills unless it supports the Rabbis Law, which seeks to grant the religious services minister the power to allocate additional funds to local religious councils around the country.

“It is unfortunate that Likud is trying to trade in laws aimed at protecting against sex offenders and criminal organizations and aggravating punishment for minor terrorists in exchange for support for Deri’s patronage law,” Otzma Yehudit accuses.

Ben Gvir has actively thwarted legislation pushed by fellow coalition member Shas in order to pressure the premier to appoint him to the no-longer-extant war cabinet. Shas is reported to have blocked his participation, a claim that Shas denies.

Late last month, several days before the beginning of the Knesset recess, a vote on the bill was postponed due to the parties’ spat. It was the second delay in less than a month, following a previous incident in which Ben Gvir’s opposition led to a walkout by Shas lawmakers.

The bill was dropped again on the last day of the legislation session in the wake of a rocket attack that killed 12 children in the northern Druze town of Majdal Shams — but was again placed on the agenda as part of a special plenum session being held today.

Rocket alarms sound in towns near Gaza and Lebanon borders

Air raid sirens are blaring in several communities near Gaza, as well as in towns near the Lebanon border.

There are no immediate reports of impacts or casualties.

Egypt says it will not assist Israel in repelling Iranian attack — report

Egypt informed the high-level Israeli delegation that visited Cairo on Saturday for indirect talks with American and Egyptian negotiators that it will not be part of a regional military coalition to repel a potential Iranian retaliatory attack against Israel, the Qatari-owned news outlet al-Araby al-Jadeed reports.

In April, a massive drone and missile attack from Iran was foiled by a coalition that comprised Israel, the United States, Britain, France, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

In an effort to maintain its neutrality and de-escalate tensions in the region sparked by the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, Egypt also notified Tehran that it will close its airspace to any military action that would threaten regional security, the Qatari outlet writes.

Cairo officials tell their Iranian counterparts that the measure should not be perceived as hostile behavior toward Iran, but rather as a way to safeguard Egypt’s interests and sovereignty, the newspaper adds.

Shares tumble on Tel Aviv stock exchange amid Iran attack fears

Illustrative: View of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. (Courtesy)

Shares on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange tumble and the shekel slides as Israel is on high alert for a possible attack from Iran following the assassinations of Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr in Beirut by an Israeli strike and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange’s benchmark TA-125 index drops 2.3% and the TA-35 index of blue-chip companies is down 2.2%. The TA-90 index, which tracks the shares with the highest capitalization not included in the TA-35 index, falls almost 2.2%, and the TA-Dual Listing index dives 3.3%.

This happens as Asian shares open the week in the red with the MSCI Asia Pacific Index down more than 6%, over fears of a slowdown in the US economy.

The shekel falls for a sixth day and is at 3.83 per dollar, trading around its weakest level since November.

Smotrich: Might be ‘justified and moral’ to cause 2 million Gazans to die of hunger, but world won’t let us

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads a Religious Zionism faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, July 1, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich implies he believes that blocking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip is “justified and moral” even if it causes 2 million civilians to die of hunger, adding however that the international community won’t allow this to happen.

“We are bringing in aid because there is no choice,” Smotrich says at a conference in Yad Binyamin hosted by the Israel Hayom outlet. “We can’t, in the current global reality, manage a war. Nobody will let us cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger even though it might be justified and moral until our hostages are returned. Humanitarian in exchange for humanitarian is morally justified, but what can we do? We live today in a certain reality, we need international legitimacy for this war.”

He argues that Israel must regain full control over what exactly enters the Strip, saying he opposes the stance of the military and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on the matter and that “I don’t know if the prime minister doesn’t want or isn’t managing to rein them in.” He says Hamas plundering the aid is the “main factor” extending the war.

The far-right minister adds that while he supports Israel resettling Gaza, he hasn’t demanded that this be defined as one of the war’s goals. He argues that if Israel hadn’t pulled out of Gaza in 2005, the October 7 massacre would never have happened.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said it is unrealistic to resettle Gaza, angering far-right allies.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard chief claims Israel is ‘digging its own grave’

Head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami speaking at the funeral of Razi Mousavi, a senior commander in Iran's Quds Force who was killed on December 25 in an alleged Israeli strike in Syria, in Tehran, December 28, 2023. (Atta Kenare /AFP)

The head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatens Israel after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Hossein Salami, speaking to journalists at an event, warns that Israel is “digging its own grave” with its actions in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“When they receive a blow, they will notice they are making mistakes. They are making mistakes all the time,” Salami says in his speech at the Day of the Journalists event. “They will see the result of their mistake. They will see when, how and where they will get their response.”

Salami also touches on long-held suspicions about an Israeli assassination program targeting Iran’s nuclear scientists amid concerns over the country’s atomic program. Iran now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels — to levels that have no civilian use — but claims its program is peaceful.

“Israel is the cradle of terrorism and it has been created out of killing and murder,” he alleges. “They think they can kill the nuclear scientists of another country and impede that country’s path toward peaceful nuclear technology. They think that by killing the leader of a resistance group… in another country will give them more time to live.”

He adds: “They are just digging their own grave.”

Iran claims it doesn’t want regional escalation but must ‘punish’ Israel

Iran is not looking to escalate regional tensions but believes it needs to punish Israel to prevent further instability, the country’s foreign ministry spokesperson says

The region is bracing for an Iranian attack on Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.

Gallant’s office says he briefed US counterpart on IDF readiness to repel Iranian threats

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke overnight with his American counterpart, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, amid heightened tensions over an anticipated Iranian and Hezbollah attack on the country.

According to a readout issued by the Defense Ministry, Gallant briefed Austin on the “security developments in the region and IDF readiness to defend Israel against potential threats posed by Iran and its proxies.”

“He discussed a series of scenarios and corresponding defensive and offensive capabilities,” Gallant’s office says following the overnight call.

Gallant “expressed his appreciation to Secretary Austin for the close military and strategic coordination between Israel and the United States, including the current and future deployment of US military capabilities and force posture changes in defense of Israel,” as well as “highlighted the importance of US leadership in forming a coalition of allies and partners to defend Israel and the region from a range of aerial attacks,” the readout adds.

IDF says it killed Hamas minister in Gaza who worked to expand arms, plunder aid

The IDF says it killed Hamas’s economy minister in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip yesterday.

According to the IDF, Abd al-Fattah al-Zari’i also served as an operative in Hamas’s manufacturing division.

The IDF says the manufacturing division works to “increase Hamas’s weapons capabilities, including by exchanging information with other terror organizations across the Middle East.”

Al-Zari’i, according to the IDF, played a “significant role in directing Hamas’s efforts to seize control of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip” as well as managing Hamas-controlled markets.

Additionally, he was responsible for the distribution of fuel, gas, and funds for “terror activities,” the military adds.

Palestinian media reported that killed al-Zari’i took place in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, and his mother was also killed in the attack.

مكتب العمل الحكومي في غزة: ننعى الشهيد المهندس عبد الفتاح الزريعي وكيل وزارة الاقتصاد الوطني في قطاع غزة الذي ارتقى إلى العلا بعد استهدافه من طائرات الاحتلال بشكل مباشر، حيث استشهد هو ووالدته الكريمة وفي هذا المقام فإننا نزف قائداً حُكومياً، حيث عمل عملاً متواصلاً، وله مسيرة… pic.twitter.com/fMdDFNGM8m

— فلسطين بوست (@PalpostN) August 4, 2024

Second fatality in yesterday’s Holon terror attack named as Avraham Somechi

The second Israeli murdered in yesterday morning’s terror attack in central Israel’s Holon is named as Avraham Somechi.

He is survived by his wife, two children and five grandchildren, according to Hebrew media.

The other fatality was named yesterday as Rina Daniv, 66.

US said to agree to guarantee Israel can renew fighting after 1st phase of hostage deal

The United States is willing to guarantee to Israel that it will be able to renew fighting against Hamas in Gaza after the first phase of a potential ceasefire and hostage deal, as a means to pressure Hamas into releasing all the hostages it should in the first stage, several Hebrew media reports say.

According to the Yedioth Ahronoth and Haaretz dailies, Washington hasn’t yet given a written guarantee, as Jerusalem has been demanding, but has agreed in principle to give one if a deal materializes.

Female reporters post scenes of violence toward them by ultra-Orthodox protesters

Several female journalists report violence toward them at the scene of extremist ultra-Orthodox protests against IDF recruitment outside the Tel Hashomer base.

Merav Sever of Israel Hayom and Rotem Golan of the Knesset Channel say bottles were thrown at them and they were berated with chants that included “shiksa.”

קבלת הפנים שחיכתה לי בלשכת הגיוס: זריקת בקבוקי מיים על הגוף שלי, קריאות "שיקצע אין לך זכות דיבור". "תעופי מפה" "תמותי" "אסור לך להיות פה" עשרות בחורים עטים על בחורה אחת באלימות.
בושה וחרפה pic.twitter.com/qm1jYZyxl2

— Merav Sever (@meravseve) August 5, 2024

קריאות ״שיקסע״ והשלכת בקבוקים ומים לעבר @meravseve בתל השומר pic.twitter.com/fWrO2pHOOX

— אורי סלע Uri Sela (@uri_sela) August 5, 2024

Golan says someone knocked her phone to the ground, with no reaction from cops against the attacker. She adds water, yogurt and even horse feces has been hurled at her.

חבטו בי בחוזקה ביד באמצעות מגבעת – כדי להעיף את הטלפון מידי בזמן צילום.
המכשיר עף על האספלט.
גם זה עבר ללא עיכוב או מעצר.
מכעיס. @KnessetT @israelpolice https://t.co/IyrjHO6bQI pic.twitter.com/Sfx9LFYrGJ

— רותם גולן – Rotem Golan (@RotemGolan_) August 5, 2024

גללים של סוסים הושלכו עליי עכשיו
פגעו בי ביד ובגב
בתוך הפגנת הפורעים הקיצונים –
פה בבקו״ם בתל השומר

שוב – אין עיכובים או מעצרים
בלתי נתפס@KnessetT @israelpolice pic.twitter.com/Mylcp0KqFR

— רותם גולן – Rotem Golan (@RotemGolan_) August 5, 2024

Police later that three have been arrested at the rally, which has been declared illegal.

Diplomats said optimistic coalition that foiled Iran’s April attack can be reassembled

The Kan public broadcast quotes unnamed Western diplomats estimating that the same regional coalition that helped repel Iran’s direct drone and missile attack in April can be put together again to thwart a potential attack.

There is “intensive work” being done on the matter and chances are good that the collaboration will happen again if Iran attacks, since “everyone has an interest in the incident not evolving into a regional war.”

The coalition that foiled the April attack consisted of Israel, the United States, Britain, France, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

G7 nations urge deescalation in Middle East amid threat of broader conflict

The Group of Seven major democracies urges restraint and deescalation in the Middle East, saying that recent events have “threatened to ignite a broader conflict in the region.”

The G7 urges “all involved parties once again to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence, to lower tensions and engage constructively toward deescalation,” in a statement.

IDF says gunfire reported toward West Bank settlement; no injuries

The IDF says it has received reports of gunfire toward the West Bank settlement of Beka’ot, in the Jordan Valley area.

There are no injuries.

Troops are blocking roads and scanning the area, the IDF adds.

ניסיון פיגוע ירי הבוקר: מחבל ירה לעבר היישוב בקעות בבקעת הירדן – אין נפגעים. משעות הבוקר כוחות צה"ל חוסמים צירים ומבצעים סריקות באזור pic.twitter.com/v4H9qsGRa0

— הוד בראל Hod Barel (@hod_barel) August 5, 2024

Turkey, Japan urge their citizens to leave Lebanon

Turkey and Japan become the latest countries to warn their citizens not to stay in Lebanon.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry issues a travel alert urging Japanese citizens in Lebanon to evacuate the country in light of the rising tensions.

Turkey urges its citizens to leave Lebanon if they do not need to stay, due to the possibility that the security situation there will deteriorate rapidly, its foreign ministry says.

Turks in Lebanon should be cautious and should not go to Nebatiyeh, South Lebanon, Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel governorates unless it is essential, the ministry says in a statement.

“Those who do not need to stay in Lebanon should leave Lebanon while commercial flights are still operating, if possible,” it says, adding that Turks should avoid traveling to Lebanon unless essential.

Tensions have soared since the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian terror group Hamas, in Tehran on Wednesday, a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a top military commander from Lebanese Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Lebanese media says 2 killed in alleged Israeli drone attack in Mays al-Jabal

Lebanese media reports two people killed in an alleged Israeli drone strike in Mays al-Jabal in southern Lebanon.

There is no immediate word from the IDF.

IDF says it struck Hezbollah targets overnight, downed aerial target crossing from Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces says its warplanes struck a Hezbollah weapons storage facility and several other targets of the terror group overnight in the area of Kafr Kila in southern Lebanon.

It releases footage of the Kafr Kila strike.

במהלך הלילה, מטוסי קרב תקפו מחסן אמצעי לחימה ומספר תשתיות טרור של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב כפר כילא שבדרום לבנון.

כמו כן, כוחות צה״ל ביצעו ירי ארטילרי למרחבים שבעא ורשיא אל-פוחר שבדרום לבנון>> pic.twitter.com/pbom2MOb0C

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 5, 2024

Artillery forces also fired toward the areas of Shebaa and Rachaya Al Foukhar, the IDF says.

Regarding rocket sirens that sounded this morning in the Western Galilee, the army says it launched an interceptor at an unidentified suspicious aerial target that crossed over from Lebanon. That incident is “over,” it says without elaborating, adding that the alert sounded out of fear of falling shrapnel from the interceptor.

Additionally, an explosive drone that crossed from Lebanon landed near the town of Malkia, without causing casualties, the IDF says.

Haredim clash with police as first draftees slated to report to IDF recruitment offices

Clashes are taking place next to the IDF recruiting office at Tel Hashomer, as hundreds of extremist ultra-Orthodox men protest against the intention to draft members of the community.

Footage from the scene shows scuffling between the demonstrators and police. Some are calling: “To prison and not to the army.”

עימותים בין שוטרים למפגינים בלשכת הגיוס בתל השומר@AkivaWeisz pic.twitter.com/Fa8yX6VxTg

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 5, 2024

Today, the first 900 previously-exempted yeshiva students are due to show up at the recruitment offices, although senior Haredi spiritual leaders have forbidden their disciples from coming. The Walla new site cites an estimation that a third of the draftees will end up serving.

The protests are expected to grow later in the day, and the police have preemptively announced some nearby roads will be blocked to traffic today.

Report: IDF sent reinforcements to Sharon region amid infiltration fears

The IDF has reportedly in recent days sent reinforcements to central Israel towns adjacent to the West Bank in the Sharon region.

According to Army Radio, this is due to intelligence received about an intention to imminently carry out Palestinian infiltration attacks from the West Bank, directed by Iran and Hamas.

Australia raises terror threat level to ‘probable’ from ‘possible,’ citing Gaza war effect

Australia raises its terror threat level to “probable” from “possible,” citing an increase in extremist views in the country leading to a more than 50% chance of the planning of an onshore attack in the next 12 months.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he has raised the country’s threat level following advice from security services, but says there is no imminent threat of an attack.

“The advice that we have received is that more Australians are embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies and it is our responsibility to be vigilant,” he tells a news conference.

Australia lowered the threat level to “possible” in 2022, following eight years at “probable.”

Mike Burgess, director general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the country’s main intelligence agency, says tensions in the Middle East, including the Israel-Hamas war that began on October 7, are a contributing factor to raising the threat level.

“The conflict has fueled grievances, promoted protests, undermined social cohesion and elevated intolerance,” he says.

Rocket sirens sound in Western Galilee towns near Nahariya

Rocket alarms are sounding in several towns near the northern city of Nahariya in the Western Galilee.

There are no immediate reports of impacts or injuries.

Home Front Command to hold drill in Rosh Ha’ayin on Monday morning

The IDF Home Front Command is conducting a military exercise in the central city of Rosh Ha’ayin, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit says.

During the drill, military vehicles will be driving in and around the city, the military says, and there is no fear of a security incident.

The exercise will last throughout the morning and into the afternoon.

Israel says Australia omitted ‘crucial details’ in findings on deadly IDF aid convoy strike

Australia “omitted crucial details” when it presented the findings of a report into the deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza, Israel’s embassy in Canberra says in a frank diplomatic rebuke.

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

A declassified Australian report last week blamed the lethal error on operational failures such as the “mistaken identification” of security staff as Hamas hijackers.

Israel’s embassy in Canberra hits back, saying the Australian government “regrettably included some misrepresentations and omitted crucial details” such as the military’s willingness to cooperate.

“The IDF has taken full responsibility for the grave mistakes that led to the tragic incident of the night of April 1,” the embassy says in a statement, referring to the Israeli military.

Austin speaks to Gallant about steps being taken by US in light of threats from Iran

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday evening, Austin’s office says in a readout of the call.

The two discussed Israel’s right to self-defense against threats from Iran and its proxies, and the steps that the US is taking to bolster protection for Israel, and for its own forces in the region, the readout states.

There is no immediate comment from Gallant’s office.

Biden to convene national security team Monday to discuss Middle East developments

US President Joe Biden will convene his national security team in the situation room on Monday to discuss developments in the Middle East, the White House says.

He will also speak with Jordan’s King Abdullah, the White House adds.

US said to believe Iran could attack Israel within next 24 to 48 hours

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told counterparts from G7 countries that Washington believes an Iranian attack on Israel could begin within the next 24 to 48 hours, Axios reports, citing sources briefed on the call.

According to the report, Blinken spoke with his counterparts amid efforts by the US to de-escalate tensions in the region and prevent the eruption of an all-out war.

As the US believes an Iranian attack is inevitable after the killing of top Hezbollah and Hamas officials last week, Blinken told the officials on the call that pressuring Tehran to limit its assault is the best way to avoid regional war.

Blinken said that the US doesn’t know the exact timing of the planned Iranian attack, Axios adds, but believes it could start as early as Monday.

IDF: Officer and soldier moderately wounded in Hezbollah drone strike near Ayelet HaShahar

An IDF officer and soldier were moderately wounded after an explosive-laden drone launched by Hezbollah struck an area near Ayelet HaShahar in northern Israel a short while ago, the military says.

The two have been taken to the hospital for treatment and their families have been informed, it adds.

The IDF says that firefighters are working to extinguish a fire that broke out in the area.

Drone sirens activated in communities close to the Lebanon border

Rocket sirens sound in the northern community of Yir’on, close to the Lebanon border.

They were preceded minutes earlier by suspected drone infiltration alerts in a number of areas along the northern border, including in Kiryat Shmona.

Shortly after the drone sirens were activated, the IDF said that the incident which triggered the alarms was over, and did not elaborate further.

Report: Netanyahu has decided not to seek normalization with Saudi Arabia before US elections

(L) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2023. (Saudi Press Agency via AP); (C) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem (Alex Kolomoisky/ Pool/ Flash90); (R) US President Joe Biden on November 2, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Michael A. McCoy / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / via AFP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided not to pursue potential normalization with Saudi Arabia before the US presidential election in November, Channel 12 reports.

It says Netanyahu made the decision at the same time as the fast-moving US political developments, with the consideration that it might be worth waiting to see whether Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump is elected.

The report says the decision has major implications, including for a potential hostage-ceasefire deal, since potential normalization would have constituted a “safety net” for Netanyahu: if his right-wing coalition were to collapse during disagreements over a Gaza deal, normalization with Saudi Arabia would have given him an election-boosting trump card and the opportunity to secure a historic legacy.

The unsourced report comes barely a week after an Israeli official told reporters in a briefing in Washington, DC that a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia was still possible before the November presidential election, and that Netanyahu discussed the matter with US President Joe Biden during their White House meeting.

Jordan’s FM urges end to escalation after meeting Iranian counterpart in Tehran

Iran's acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri (L) welcomes his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi ahead of their meeting in Tehran on August 4, 2024. (AFP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi concludes a rare visit to Iran with a plea for an end to the escalation of violence and for the region to be able to live in “peace, security and stability.”

Safadi’s visit to Iran follows continued diplomatic contacts by the United States and its partners, including France, Britain, Italy, and Egypt, to prevent further regional escalation following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Iran and Jordan are also seeking to improve their relations following recent tensions related to Amman accusing pro-Iranian militias in Syria of smuggling narcotics into the country, and its taking part in the interception of Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel last April.

“My visit to Iran is to consult on the serious escalation in the region and to engage in a frank and clear discussion about overcoming the differences between the two countries with honesty and transparency,” Safadi says at a press conference in Tehran alongside his Iranian counterpart.

“Jordan has always been proactive in defending the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people. It has condemned the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and rejected all of Israel’s escalating measures that prevent achieving security, stability, and a just peace,” he says.

“We demand effective action to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza, to halt such illegal Israeli measures, and to prevent crimes against the Palestinian people, in order to protect the entire region from the consequences of a regional war that would have a devastating impact on everyone,” he states.

“We want our region to live in peace, security, and stability, and we want the escalation to end.”