Aug. 7: IDF chief says Israel can quickly attack anywhere in Lebanon, Gaza, Middle East

Taylor Swift Vienna concerts canceled over planned Islamist attack

Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour on Friday, June 21, 2024 in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Taylor Swift’s three concerts in Vienna have been canceled after government confirmation of a planned attack at the stadium, the organizer say.

“With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” Barracuda.music says in a post on Instagram, adding all tickets will be automatically refunded.

Austrian police earlier detained two people suspected of plotting attacks on concerts, Austria’s top security chief Franz Ruf told a press conference.

Ruf said one 19-year-old suspect had pledged an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State terror group.

“We have established corresponding preparatory acts and also that there is a focus of the 19-year-old perpetrator on the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna,” Ruf said.

About 65,000 spectators had been expected at each show scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The man, who had pledged his allegiance to IS “in recent weeks,” was detained in Lower Austria about an hour from the capital early today, Ruf said.

He said chemical substances had been seized at the suspect’s home.

A second person believed to have been in contact with the suspect was arrested in Vienna.

IDF: Bombs found by W. Bank shooting site, attack was likely to lure troops to blast

Bombs found by troops near the West Bank settlement of Beka'ot, August 7, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF says troops located four bombs planted near the site of a shooting attack in the West Bank, which were apparently intended to be used against forces chasing after the gunmen.

On Monday, Palestinian gunmen had opened fire at the settlement of Beka’ot in the Jordan Valley, before fleeing the scene.

The military says it assessed that the gunmen tried to lure the soldiers into a trap on a side road in the area, in the direction where they fled.

The IDF then stationed soldiers in the area, and last night, ambushed and killed a gunman who returned to the scene in an attempt to carry out another attack. A second suspect managed to flee the scene in a car.

Following searches earlier today in the area, the IDF says it located four bombs and electronic equipment that would have been used to detonate them.

IDF says it struck Hezbollah site used to launch kamikaze drones at Golan earlier

The IDF says it struck a Hezbollah drone launching site in southern Lebanon’s Sejoud, used to launch explosive-laden drones at the Golan Heights earlier this evening.

It publishes footage of the strike.

מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר תקפו במרחב סג'וד שבלבנון והשמידו משגר בשימוש היחידה האווירית של חיזבאללה, ממנו שוגרו כטב"מים לעבר צפון רמת הגולן מוקדם יותר הערב pic.twitter.com/0FmmV2UDBl

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 7, 2024

France’s Macron urges Iranian counterpart to avoid Mideast escalation

French President Emmanuel Macron reviews troops that will take part in the July 14th Bastille Day parade in Paris on July 2, 2024. (Aurelien Morissard/ POOL/ AFP)

France’s President Emmanuel Macron urged his Iranian counterpart in a phone call earlier “to do everything to avoid a new military escalation” in the Middle East, the French presidency says.

“A new military escalation would be in no one’s interest, including Iran, and would lastingly harm regional stability,” Macron told Masoud Pezeshkian according to his office.

The French president called for an end to a “logic of reprisals” and for the “protection of civilian populations.”

Fears of a military escalation between Iran and Israel have surged following the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, in Tehran last week. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the attack. Haniyeh was in the city for Pezeshkian’s inauguration ceremony, though Israel has not commented.

Hezbollah has also threatened to retaliate after Israel said it killed one of its military commanders in Beirut just hours before the Tehran attack.

“Iran should also commit to calling the destabilizing actors that it supports to the greatest restraint to avoid a conflagration,” Macron said.

Report: Iran’s president Pezeshkian urges Khamenei to avoid attack on Israel

A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 28, 2024, shows him (L) delivering a speech during the official presidential endorsement ceremony of President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian (R). - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave his official endorsement of reformist Masoud Pezeshkian as the Islamic Republic's ninth President on July 28, ahead of his swearing-in before parliament on July 30. (Photo by KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has implored the country’s supreme leader to avoid a direct attack on Israel, warning an escalation could lead Israel to devastate infrastructure and energy targets and cripple the economy, according to a report in Iran International.

The report, which cited anonymous sources with knowledge of the matter and which could not be independently confirmed, said Pezeshkian told Ali Khamenei that a war could deepen citizens’ discontent with the regime and even bring about Iran’s collapse.

The report says Khamenei was noncommittal at the meeting.

Attorney General’s Office, cabinet secretary squabble over Haredi enlistment policy

Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs at a hearing on military service for ultra-Orthodox men, at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, June 2, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The Attorney General’s Office and Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs engage in their second dispute in two days, with the former accusing Fuchs of issuing a legal brief to enable government action when he lacks the authority to do so.

In a letter to Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon Monday, Fuchs wrote that the Attorney General’s Office’s intervention over who and how the IDF drafts ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students was unnecessary in light of what he said was the leeway the High Court gave to the government in its ruling on the matter.

Limon in a response says Fuchs’s missive is designed to allow the government to act against the law regarding enlistment to the IDF.

Limon refers to the rulings and orders of the High Court of Justice and the attorney general that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students into the army and must do so without preference to different subsets of that community.

The Defense Ministry and the IDF had initially sought to draft ultra-Orthodox students who are also employed as a way of not angering the community’s rabbinic leadership by drafting students in full-time study at elite yeshivas, but the attorney general ruled that such an approach would be discriminatory.

“The cabinet secretary is not authorized to issue legal briefs to the government, and the government cannot rely on such a legal brief,” writes Limon.

“As we have already made clear, the current legal circumstances require that enlistment orders are issued immediately and equitably,” he adds, and concludes by saying that Fuchs’s document has no legal relevance.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara made similar comments about Fuchs in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today over a different issue.

The Prime Minister’s Office fires back quickly, saying that it is “mystifying” that within 48 hours “in the midst of security tensions,” the Attorney General’s Office has published two press statements “with empty claims about the professional work of the cabinet secretary.”

The PMO says Fuchs’s letter on enlistment to Limon “dealt with criticism over the unusual (and unauthorized) intervention of the Attorney General’s Office over the discretion of the IDF.”

EU top diplomat: Smotrich’s Gaza starvation comments ‘beyond ignominious’

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell delivers a statement to the media prior to a Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels on May 27, 2024. (François WALSCHAERTS / AFP)

Reacting to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s insinuation on Monday that he believes blocking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip is “justified and moral” even if it causes two million civilians to die of hunger, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says he expects the Israeli government “to distance itself from his words.”

“Deliberate starvation of civilians is a war crime: Minister Smotrich advocating for it is beyond ignominious,” he writes on X.

He adds that Brussels wants Jerusalem to “provide full account of the reported acts of torture in the Sde Teiman prison.”

Iran executes 29 day after protester’s hanging: rights group

Iran hanged at least 29 convicts today, including 26 in a group execution in one prison, a rights group says, a day after facing international condemnation for executing a man in connection with 2022 protests.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights says 26 men were executed in Ghezelhesar Prison in Karaj outside Tehran, while three other men were executed in Karaj’s city prison. Those executed, who included two Afghan nationals, had been convicted of murder, drug-related and rape charges.

Other rights groups including US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) and Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) also confirm the execution of at least two dozen people in Karaj.

Human rights groups have repeatedly accused Iran, which they say executes more people annually than any nation other than China, of making use of the death penalty on all charges to instill fear in society in the wake of the 2022 protests.

“Without an immediate response from the international community, hundreds of individuals could become victims of the Islamic Republic’s killing machine in the coming months,” says IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.

IHR emphasizes that a group execution on this scale was unprecedented in recent years in Iran, with the last comparable example dating back to 2009.

Israeli cyclist Yakovlev loses at 1/8 stage, moves to repechage

Israeli cyclist Mikhail Yakovlev loses to the UK’s Hamish Turnbull in the 1/8 finals of the men’s sprint at the 2024 Paris Olympics by 0.001 seconds, moving to the repechage round for another shot at advancing to tomorrow’s quarterfinals.

The eight cyclists who advance to the quarterfinals will battle for four spots in the semifinal. In that round, the two winners of the head-to-head matches will progress to a final match, where one will take gold and the other silver, and the two losers advance to a bronze medal faceoff.

Yakovlev is also slated to race in the men’s keirin event, which begins Saturday.

Egyptian official says airlines asked to avoid Iran’s airspace due to military drills

Iran has advised civilian airlines around the world to avoid flying through Iranian airspace tonight, the Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV quotes an Egyptian official source as saying.

Iranian airspace is to be avoided due to military exercises, the quoted source adds.

Hamas’s Hayya seen to keep key role under new leader Sinwar

Khalil al-Hayya speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Istanbul, Turkey, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Hamas politician Khalil al-Hayya is set to continue leading indirect negotiations with Israel for a Gaza ceasefire with guidance from the group’s newly appointed leader, Yahya Sinwar, who continues to run the war effort inside the enclave, three Palestinian sources including a Hamas official say.

Experts on Palestinian politics had seen Hayya as a leading candidate to replace Ismail Haniyeh, due partly to his good ties with the group’s main backer, Iran, whose support will be vital for it to recover after the war.

Working under the supervision of Haniyeh, Hayya has led the group’s delegation in mediated talks with Israel aimed at securing a ceasefire and a deal to exchange Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7 with Palestinians in Israeli jails.

“Dr. Khail Al-Hayya is the head of the negotiation team and there is no change to this,” the Hamas official says.

Another source familiar with Hamas deliberations says Hayya enjoyed the trust of both Haniyeh and Sinwar, and says it was expected that he would “continue to lead the indirect negotiations and be the diplomatic face of the movement.”

Hezbollah claims responsibility for 10 rockets fired at Safed; none hurt

A barrage of some 10 rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Safed area earlier this evening.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility, saying it targeted an IDF base in the area.

According to the IDF, some of the 10 rockets were intercepted by air defenses, while others impacted open areas.

No injuries were caused.

Report: Israel expects Hezbollah will be first to attack over deaths of terror chiefs

Israeli officials increasingly believe it will be Hezbollah, rather than Iran, that will be first to launch a major attack on Israel in the coming days, Channel 12 reports.

Without citing sources, the network also says Israel has conveyed to both Hezbollah and Iran that any harm to civilians in Israel during their promised retaliation for the killing of top terror leaders will be a red line, which will lead to a disproportionate response.

Hamas leader’s killing risks ‘wider conflict,’ Islamic bloc chair warns

(R to L) Deputy Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia Waleed Al-Khuraiji and Azerbaijan Yalchin Rafiyev, Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour and Jordanian Foreign Minster Ayman Safadi, attend the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Jeddah on August 7, 2024 (Amer HILABI / AFP)

The “heinous” killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh risks tipping the Middle East into “wider conflict,” the chair of a Saudi-based Islamic bloc tells a summit.

The comments from Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara came as a senior Iranian official said during the same meeting that the Islamic Republic would need to defend itself from Israel, which it blames for Haniyeh’s death last week in Tehran.

Iranian and Palestinian officials called for today’s gathering of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah, saying the body needed to respond to the killing of the Hamas leader.

“This heinous act serves only to escalate the existing tensions potentially leading to a wider conflict that could involve the entire region,” says Tangara, whose country currently chairs the OIC.

Haniyeh’s killing “will not quell the Palestinian cause but rather it amplifies it, underscoring the urgency for justice and human rights for the Palestinian people,” he says.

“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of nation states are fundamental principles underpinning the international order,” he adds. “Respecting these principles has profound implications and their violation equally carries significant consequences.”

Far-right MK Zvi Sukkot calls for probe into leaked footage of assault on Sde Teiman detainee

Zvi Sukkot attends a Religious Zionism Party meeting at the Knesset, January 23, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Far-right lawmaker Zvi Sukkot calls on the IDF’s Military Advocate General to launch a probe into the leak of footage broadcast by Channel 12 which purports to show IDF servicemen sexually abusing a Palestinian security prisoner at the Sde Teiman detention facility.

Five soldiers are currently being held over allegations of the brutal sexual abuse of a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman holding facility.

In a letter to Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, Sukkot argues that the footage, “which was taken from the security cameras at the site, seemingly presents the military prosecution’s claim regarding the attack on the Hamas terrorist, even though the published documentation does not appear to confirm the serious claims.”

“Leaking and disclosure of investigative materials is a criminal offense that harms the proper legal process, the rule of law, public trust and the principle of justice,” he claims, asserting that the leak had caused “strategic” damage to Israel.

The footage showed soldiers at Sde Teiman taking aside one of detainees, who had been lying face down on the floor, then surrounding him with riot shields while they allegedly committed the abuse. The detainee was subsequently taken away for medical treatment for severe injuries.

Sukkot was one of dozens of far-right activists and lawmakers who rioted outside the Sde Teiman base last Monday after nine IDF soldiers were detained by Military Police investigators as part of an investigation into the alleged abuse. Sukkot was filmed pushing through the gates despite IDF efforts to block his entrance.

Speaking with The Times of Israel several days later, Sukkot said he had no regrets over his actions. Pulling out a card identifying him as a Knesset member, he falsely claimed that the accreditation gave him “the right to enter any place in the State of Israel.”

Egypt asks its airlines to avoid Iran airspace for three hours on Thursday

Egypt has instructed all of its airlines to avoid Iranian air space for a three-hour period in the early morning on Thursday amid tension between Israel and Iran.

The NOTAM, a safety notice provided to pilots on Wednesday, says the instruction would be in effect from 0100 to 0400 GMT. It provides no further details as to why the notice was issued.

“All Egyptian carriers shall avoid overflying Tehran (Flight information Region) FIR. No flight plan will be accepted overflying such territory,” the notice says, referring to the three-hour period provided.

Several suspected drones hit northern Golan Heights; sirens sound in Safed

Several suspected drones launched from Lebanon impacted the northern Golan Heights an hour ago, the military says.

The IDF says it launched interceptor missiles at the targets that entered Israeli airspace, although apparently failed to down any of them. There are no injuries in the attack.

Meanwhile, the IDF says it struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in Kounine, and carried out artillery shelling near Blida.

In the last few minutes rocket sirens have sounded in several northern towns, including the city of Safed.

Israeli cyclist Mikhail Yakovlev advances to round of 8, set for tonight

Israeli cyclist Mikhail Yakovlev races in the men's sprint at the 2024 Paris Olympics on August 7, 2024. (Olympic Committee of Israel)

Israeli cyclist Mikhail Yakovlev beats Suriname’s Jair Tjon En Fa in a head-to-head match in the round of 16 of the men’s sprint at the 2024 Paris Olympics, advancing to the next round.

The round of 8 in the event is slated for tonight, with the quarterfinals tomorrow and the semifinals and final race on Friday.

During the qualifying round earlier today, Yakovlev, 23, briefly set a new Olympic record before it was then twice overtaken.

IDF chief says army will strive to force Hamas to appoint a new leader yet again

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi speaks to troops at Tel Nof Airbase, August 7, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Speaking to Israeli Air Force personnel at Tel Nof airbase, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says Israel is on high alert and will be able to carry out a quick response to any attack.

“We will be able to launch a very quick attack anywhere in Lebanon, anywhere in Gaza, anywhere in the Middle East, above ground and below ground,” Halevi says. “We will send a very clear message to our enemies, those who attack us, those who in every speech talk about how they seek to destroy the State of Israel. We will strike them, and we will continue to grow stronger.”

On Hamas’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, who was promoted to leader of the terror group’s politburo after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Halevi says his title change won’t stop Israel from hunting him down.

“Yahya Sinwar yesterday received a new title, he is the head of the political bureau of Hamas. This title, a political one, will not absolve him of the fact that he is a murderer who was involved in the entire planning and execution of what happened on October 7, and therefore the change in his title not only won’t prevent us from seeking him out — it spurs us on. We will make an effort to find him, strike him, and [cause Hamas to] replace the head of the political bureau once more,” he says.

Olympic kitesurfing nixed amid low winds; Israel’s Zukerman advances to semifinal

Competitors - including Israel's Gal Zukerman (right) - perform in race 1 of the women's formula kite kiteboarding event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the Roucas-Blanc Marina in Marseille, August 4, 2024. (Christophe SIMON / AFP)

Due to low winds, all the races scheduled for today’s kitesurfing events at the 2024 Paris Olympics have been canceled — and decisions for the medal series are made based on the races already completed.

In the women’s Forumula Kite race, Israeli Gal Zukerman is ranked 10th overall following just six races, and just squeaks into tomorrow’s semifinal race, where she’ll battle for a longshot spot in the final.

In the men’s event, Dor Zarka finishes 13th overall following seven races, and ends his Olympic run. Up to 16 races in each event were supposed to have been held, but most were delayed and then canceled.

In addition, the weather conditions mean that the medal race in the mixed dinghy sailing event — featuring Israeli duo Nitai Hasson and Noa Lasry — has been abandoned and tentatively rescheduled for tomorrow.

White House says Hamas’s selection of Sinwar to replace Haniyeh doesn’t change much

The White House says Hamas’s selection of Gaza Yahya Sinwar to replace assassinated politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh doesn’t change anything about the ongoing hostage negotiations.

Sinwar “has always been the chief decision-maker when it comes to negotiations over the course of these now [10] months, so in effect, nothing really changes in that regard,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby tells reporters in a briefing.

Kirby says Sinwar is a terrorist with “an awful lot of blood on his hands,” including American blood, and that “he needs to decide now to take this deal.”

Commenting on the US deployment of F-22 fighter jets to the region, Kirby says the warplanes can also be used for defensive missions

“The great thing about the F-22s and a lot of advanced fighter aircraft that we put in the air, is they can do a whole heck of a lot of things, and that includes defensive missions.”

“The military posture changes that [US Defense] Secretary [Lloyd] Austin directed at the president’s order are meant for defensive purposes only — to help defend Israel and to help defend our troops and our facilities and our own interests in the region,” Kirby says.

Knesset panel chair calls into question need for ‘Israeli Air Force One’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara exit the official Wing of Zion plane in Washington, DC, on July 22, 2024. (Lazar Berman/ Times of Israel)

Knesset State Control Committee chairman Mickey Levy calls into question the value of Israel’s new “Air Force One” — dubbed Wing of Zion — which was used for the first time to ferry Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States last month.

“The yearly maintenance of the aircraft is very expensive. We have to see whether it is worthwhile, considering the financial aspects,” Levy says. “I visited the site where the Wing of Zion plane is parked, and I did not get the impression that there was anything grandiose there. It is by no means ostentatious. Considering the high cost of the plane’s operation when it serves a president or prime minister of Israel, the need for it must be reexamined.”

The Prime Minister’s Office was surprised to discover recently that the plane could only take 60 passengers, far less than the expected complement of aides, guards and journalists, according to Kan.

The plane, a reconfigured and upgraded Boeing 767, has been caught in political fighting in Israel for a number of years, with Netanyahu and his supporters arguing that it is a necessary safety measure, and detractors calling it a waste of taxpayer money and a symbol of corruption.

Hezbollah death toll in conflict passes 400 with latest Israeli strike

Hezbollah confirms the death of a member killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon earlier today, bringing the terror group’s toll since October to at least 400.

Hassan Fares Jeshi was killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” Hezbollah says, using its term for operatives slain in Israeli strikes.

Earlier, the IDF announced that it had killed Jeshi in a drone strike in Jouaiyya. It said that he was a commander responsible for anti-tank guided missile fire on northern Israel.

MK Rothman calls US sanctions against violent far-right activists ‘a modern blood libel’

Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chairman Simcha Rothman calls foreign sanctions against “violent settlers” a “modern blood libel,” arguing that they damage both Israeli sovereignty and the “purity” of the Israeli justice system.

Sanctions are “a battle against anyone who is opposed to the US president’s policy in favor of two states, which is the absolute majority of the State of Israel’s citizens, as expressed in the Knesset plenum just two weeks ago,” says Rothman.

“The sanctions, as drawn up in the United States, cover 100% of Israel’s citizens, and theoretically they could be imposed on each and every one [of them] tomorrow morning.”

US sanctions have only targeted several Jewish settlers and far-right activists accused of repeated incidents of serious violence targeting Palestinians.

“Apparently, even the obvious needs to be stated: If someone sees themselves as a friend or an ally of the State of Israel, this doesn’t go together with imposing sanctions on Israeli citizens,” he continues, adding: “If sanctions are being imposed on those who employ violence, I would expect to see sanctions for what we saw on American campuses, in Jewish communities — for the threats against our brethren overseas.”

White House reiterates claim Israel, Hamas ‘as close as we’ve ever been’ to deal

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, July 8, 2024. (AP/Susan Walsh)

The White House reiterates its claim that a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas is within reach.

“We are as close as we think we have ever been,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby tells reporters in a briefing.

On July 25, Kirby told reporters, “We are closer now than we’ve been before.”

The White House has been insisting that talks are nearing the finish line for roughly one month, even as Israeli and Arab officials tell The Times of Israel that talks have been at a standstill since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added a series of new demands in July.

Biden administration sued over sanctions for Israeli settlers

Pro-Israel advocacy groups and dual US-Israeli citizens have filed a lawsuit challenging US President Joe Biden’s order subjecting individuals involved in settler violence in the West Bank to financial and immigration sanctions.

The complaint filed in Amarillo, Texas, federal court yesterday says the executive order that Biden, a Democrat, issued in February violates the plaintiffs’ free-speech rights under the US Constitution and illegally interferes with the exercise of their religious beliefs.

The plaintiffs include Texans for Israel, a Christian nonprofit, Israeli nonprofit Regavim, the groups’ leaders, and two dual US-Israeli citizens who live in the West Bank and say they oppose the two-state solution favored by the Biden administration.

Biden’s executive order allows federal agencies to impose financial sanctions and visa restrictions against individuals who attack or intimidate Palestinians or seize their property. The White House in issuing the order said it would “promote peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

Far-right minister demands probe of military prosecutors over soldiers’ arrest

Settlements and National Projects Minister Orit Strock attends a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on March 18, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Far-right Settlements and National Projects Minister Orit Strock is demanding a cabinet discussion on the military’s investigation of soldiers suspected of abusing Palestinian detainees.

Five soldiers remain held over allegations of the brutal sexual abuse of a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman holding facility.

Strock in a letter to the cabinet secretary claims the Military Advocate General’s conduct in the case “seems marred by criminality while causing terrible strategic damage to the State of Israel.” She calls to investigate its actions.

Claiming military prosecutors have been leaking information to the media, she says the cabinet “cannot stand by while a body under its authority runs a media campaign against soldiers.”

She also claims investigative material that made its way to the media was “edited and twisted.”

Purported footage of the incident broadcast by Channel 12 news on Tuesday showed soldiers at Sde Teiman taking aside one of detainees, who had been lying face down on the floor, then surrounding him with riot shields while they allegedly committed the abuse.

The detainee was subsequently taken away for medical treatment for severe injury to his anus.

Jewish gold medalist Amit Elor sports hostages pin, says in Hebrew: ‘I love you all! Toda raba!’

American wrestler Amit Elor, who won the gold medal at the Olympics yesterday, offered a Hebrew message for Israelis after her victory in Paris.

Asked by Israel’s Sport5 if she wanted to send a message to Israelis, Elor, who is the daughter of Israeli parents and who has family in Israel, replied mostly in Hebrew.

“Oy. My Hebrew isn’t very good, sorry, but I understand a lot. Thank you for watching me. Good night, I love you all! Sorry my Hebrew isn’t good.”

She then added in English: “When I was younger I was stupid, I refused to speak Hebrew and it sucks because I think Hebrew is the most beautiful language ever. And I didn’t speak but I want to learn. So I love all of you and thank you, thank you so much for watching me tonight and I hope I made you proud!

“Toda raba! Laila Tov!”

המסר של האלופה האולימיפית, עמית אלור ????️???????? pic.twitter.com/uV0V70cfci

— Sport5 (@sport5il) August 6, 2024

In photos, Elor also displayed a yellow pin which is the symbol of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

האלופה האולימפית בהיאבקות עמית אלור עם סיכת החטופים ומדליית הזהב@YoavBorowitz pic.twitter.com/ecut2yOAXB

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 7, 2024

‘He embodies their cruelty’: Israelis decry new Hamas leader Sinwar

Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, greets his supporters upon his arrival at a meeting in a hall on the sea side of Gaza City, on April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Adel Hana, File)

Israelis rail against new Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, with some hoping he will meet the same fate as his predecessor who was killed last week.

Near Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Square, whose circular fountain is ringed with tributes to Israel’s Gaza hostages and war dead, Sinwar’s appointment is met with disquiet.

“The choice speaks for itself,” says Hanan, manager of a logistics company, who did not want to give his family name.

“It means that they chose Sinwar and did not see fit to look for someone less militant, someone with a less murderous approach. “I really hope that his future will be just like the one before him, and quickly,” he says.

Sagie Havshosh, another student, points out that Hebrew-speaking Sinwar “knows his enemy” from his time spent in Israeli prisons.

“It is not surprising that they chose a person like Sinwar to lead a destructive and satanic terrorist organization as we know Hamas,” says the 26-year-old.

“Sinwar is really a person with a lot of experience. He was in an Israeli prison, he knows Hebrew, he knows his enemy, which is actually us.

“And we all know that his goal is [for Israelis] not to be here.”

In Jerusalem, consultant Laurent Cudkowicz says that Sinwar may now become more vulnerable to Israeli targeting.

“Hamas was right to name Sinwar as its leader,” the 58-year-old tells AFP. “He is the one who embodies their cruelty and who was able to marry their actions with his way of thinking.

“And perhaps it will force him to reveal himself and will allow Israel to eliminate him more easily.”

Hezbollah commander behind missile fire at northern Israel killed in drone strike

A Hezbollah commander responsible for anti-tank guided missile fire on northern Israel was killed in a drone strike earlier today, the military says.

According to the IDF, Hassan Fares Jeshi was killed in an airstrike in southern Lebanon’s Jouaiyya.

Separately, fighter jets struck buildings belonging to Hezbollah in Aitaroun, the IDF adds.

צה״ל תקף וחיסל באמצעות כלי טיס של חיל האוויר את המחבל חסן פארס ג'שי במרחב ג'ויא שבדרום לבנון, אשר שימש כמפקד בתחום הנ"ט בארגון הטרור חיזבאללה.

בנוסף, מוקדם יותר היום מטוסי חיל האוויר תקפו מבנים צבאיים של הארגון במרחב עיתרון, לצד ירי ארטילרי להסרת איום במרחבים שונים בדרום לבנון pic.twitter.com/TLgqFgyBtk

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 7, 2024

Defense minister: Lebanon will pay heavy prices in war, they can’t even imagine

Defense Minster Yoav Gallant speaks to reservists during a drill in northern Israel, August 7, 2024 (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Speaking to troops during a drill simulating a war in Lebanon, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warns that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah may cause the Lebanese state to “pay heavy prices.”

“As things stand, Nasrallah may drag Lebanon into paying extremely heavy prices. They can’t even imagine what might happen,” he says to troops of the 646th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade.

“This may also deteriorate into a war. It’s not theoretical, it’s real,” he adds.

IDF says it had expected over 400 Haredi inductees this week, when only 48 showed up

Ultra-Orthodox protesters decry the drafting of Haredi men to the army, outside the IDF recruitment center at Tel Hashomer, central Israel, August 6, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

A military representative has told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee the army had expected hundreds of Haredim to show up Monday and Tuesday for their preliminary processing into the army.

Only 48 of the 900 who received draft orders showed up over the course of the two days, an abject failure for the military’s first attempt to broaden recruitment in the ultra-Orthodox community.

The military has moved to begin drafting some 3,000 Haredim in the coming months, in line with a High Court ruling that there is no longer legal justification to avoid doing so.

The draft orders are the first stage in the screening and evaluation process that the army carries out for new recruits, ahead of enlistment in the military.

Shay Tayeb, head of the IDF Personnel Directorate’s Planning and Personnel Management Division, tells the committee: “We had indications that over 200 would show up every day.”

He adds that mass Haredi protests outside the recruitment center at the Tel Hashomer army base had likely dissuaded some from showing up.

Israeli cyclist Mikhail Yakovlev advances to 1/16 finals this evening

Israel's Mikhail Yakovlev competes in a men's track cycling sprint qualifying round of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines National Velodrome, August 7, 2024. (John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

Israeli cyclist Mikhail Yakovlev defeats Malaysia’s Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom in a head-to-head competition during the 1/32 finals of the men’s sprint, advancing to the 1/16 finals, to be held this evening.

In the qualifying round earlier today, Yakovlev briefly set a new Olympic record before it was then overtaken twice, by riders from Australia and then the Netherlands.

Gazans question logic behind appointment of Sinwar to lead Hamas

Palestinians check the destruction in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, on August 7, 2024. (Eyad BABA / AFP)

War-weary Gazans voice concern after Hamas appointed Yahya Sinwar as its new leader, fearing his violent past might hamper efforts for the ceasefire they yearn for.

“We don’t know how Hamas is thinking or what led them to choose Yahya Sinwar as their chief, especially when his whereabouts are unknown,” 29-year-old Mohammad al-Sharif tells AFP in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah.

“He is a fighter. How will negotiations take place?” asks the displaced man originally from Gaza City, adding: “We want nothing but the end of the war.”

Yesterday Hamas announced it had chosen Sinwar, 61, the man who masterminded the October 7 massacre that sparked the war in Gaza, to replace Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran on July 31.

Sinwar has not been seen since the attack on Israel, with many reports claiming he is operating from one of several underground tunnels in Gaza.

Ibrahim Abu Daqa, 35, echoes Sharif’s disappointment over the choice of Sinwar to succeed Haniyeh.

“In my opinion, appointing Yahya Sinwar as the head of Hamas was inappropriate at this critical stage,” he tells AFP.

Also displaced in Deir al-Balah, and originally from the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Abu Daqa says that the decision “may lead to negative results on multiple levels, including halting negotiations or failing to make progress in them, especially since Israel is seeking him for assassination.”

“The occupation killed the negotiator Ismail Haniyeh. What will happen with the fighter Yahya Sinwar?” he asks.

A senior Hamas official tells AFP that the selection of Sinwar sent a message that the terror group “continues its path of resistance.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Trump calls Harris’s VP pick ‘an insult to Jewish people’

Former US president Donald Trump tells Fox News that Vice President Kamala Harris’s selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate was “an insult to Jewish people.”

Harris passed up Jewish Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who faced an aggressive campaign from far-left activists against his selection.

The campaign branded him Genocide Josh even though his record on Israel was largely identical to that of Walz and others on the shortlist, leading to allegations that those behind it were motivated by antisemitism.

דונלד טראמפ הגיב לבחירתה של קמאלה האריס בטים וולז לתפקיד לסגן הנשיאה: "הוא עלול להפוך את ארצות הברית למדינה קומוניסטית"@itamargalit pic.twitter.com/9Y0GCT9ZQN

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 7, 2024

Knesset extends compensation for northern businesses hit by war

The Knesset Finance Committee extends regulations that aim to ensure that businesses in Israel’s north receive comprehensive compensation for damages connected to the fighting with Hezbollah and Hamas.

Businesses in both evacuated and non-evacuated locales in the north, including the Golan Heights, the Upper Galilee, and all businesses in the tourism sector are eligible for compensation for damages sustained between May and August.

The regulations are an extension of compensation that has been offered to affected businesses since the outbreak of hostilities with Hezbollah on October 8.

“We stand by the residents of the north and the determined and courageous business owners,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich writes in a statement.

PM urges Israelis to stay ‘calm and composed,’ says country ready with ‘defense and offense’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with IDF soldiers at the Tel Hashomer recruitment base, August 7, 2024. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the Tel Hashomer army recruitment base, meeting draftees to the IDF’s Armored Corps and Combat Engineering Corps, his office says.

“We are continuing forward to victory. I know that Israeli citizens are on alert, and I ask you one thing — stay calm and composed. We are prepared for both defense and offense, we are striking our enemies and are also determined to defend ourselves,” he told troops, according to the statement.

He expresses his pride in the soldiers, both those in the reserves and in the standing army, calling them the “backbone of the nation.”

Israeli cyclist Mikhail Yakovlev briefly sets new Olympic record in men’s sprint

Illustrative: Israel's Mikhail Iakovlev, center, competes against Japan's Ota Kaiya during the men's sprint semi final race at UCI Track Nations Cup track cycling championship at Jakarta International Velodrome in Jakarta, Indonesia, Feb. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Israeli cyclist Mikhail Yakovlev briefly set a new Olympic record in the men’s sprint at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a time of 9.152 seconds.

His time was then quickly overtaken by Australia’s Matthew Richardson, who set a new Olympic and world record of 9.091 seconds, and just a couple of minutes later by the Netherlands’ Harrie Lavreysen with a time of 9.088.

Yakovlev, 23, finishes third overall and will now advance to the 1/32 finals, which will take place later this afternoon.

The cyclist competed internationally for Russia until 2022 when he moved to Israel and obtained citizenship, and has since been competing under the Israeli flag. He is also slated to race in the keirin event later this week.

Rocket sirens sound in Western Galilee town

Incoming rocket sirens are sounding in the Western Galilee town of Shlomi.

צבע אדום (07/08/2024 13:45): שלומי pic.twitter.com/LAVH0FFCH9

— צופר – צבע אדום (@tzevaadom_) August 7, 2024

Israeli drone reportedly strikes vehicle in southern Lebanon

Lebanese media reports an Israeli drone struck a vehicle in the southern Lebanese town of Jouaiyya.

One person is reported killed and four others are injured.

FM Katz: Sinwar’s rise to top job proves Palestinian issue entirely managed by Iran, Hamas

Foreign Minister Israel Katz says Yahya Sinwar’s appointment as leader of the Hamas terror group proves that “the Palestinian issue is now completely controlled by Iran and Hamas.”

“Without Israeli action in Gaza, the area would fall entirely under Hamas control. In Judea and Samaria, Abbas and the Palestinian Authority survive only because of Israel’s intensive military operations against Hamas and Islamic Jihad infrastructure, which are supported and promoted by Iran,” he posts on X.

Katz accuses Iran of smuggling weapons into Jordan to “destabilize the Jordanian regime and then flood the refugee camps in Judea and Samaria and the entire area with weapons and funding to establish another terror front from the east against Israel’s major population centers,” using the biblical term for the West Bank.

He advocates “Palestinian self-management” in the West Bank but asserts Israel must maintain security control in the area “to prevent the establishment of another Iranian-Islamist extremist stronghold and enable Palestinians to manage their internal affairs.”

“Anything else will lead to the creation of another Iranian outpost in the region, which will explode in the face of the world and all regional countries. The world must see reality as it is and support Israel, which currently stands at the forefront of the battle against the Iranian and extremist Islamist axis.”

The election of Yahya Sinwar as the leader of Hamas must send a clear message to the world that the Palestinian issue is now completely controlled by Iran and Hamas.

Without Israeli action in Gaza, the area would fall entirely under Hamas control. In Judea and Samaria, Abbas and… pic.twitter.com/MtHWswqBBq

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) August 7, 2024

Lufthansa to avoid Iranian airspace, extends halt to Tel Aviv service until Aug. 13

FRANKFURT, Germany — German airline giant Lufthansa says it will avoid using Iranian and Iraqi airspace until August 13, extending an earlier decision not to fly over the countries, with Middle East tensions high.

It also extended a suspension of services to Tel Aviv, Tehran, Beirut, Amman, and Erbil to the same date, the group says in a statement.

IDF says it struck Hamas, PIJ weapons factory inside Gaza humanitarian zone

A weapons manufacturing plant belonging to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad embedded within the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Gaza Strip was destroyed in an airstrike yesterday, the military says.

The IDF says it carried out “many steps” to mitigate harm to civilians, including using aerial surveillance, a munition “adapted to the type of strike,” and other intelligence.

Dozens more airstrikes were carried out in Gaza over the past day, targeting buildings used by terror groups and cells of operatives, according to the military.

Meanwhile, troops with the 162nd Division killed several gunmen and destroyed sites belonging to terror groups amid operations in Rafah over the past day, the IDF says.

In the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza, reservists with the 252nd Division killed several more gunmen in clashes and by calling in airstrikes, the IDF adds.

במהלך היממה האחרונה, מטוסי קרב וכלי טיס תקפו עשרות מטרות טרור ברחבי הרצועה. בין המטרות שהותקפו, מבנה ממנו בוצע ירי על כוחותינו, מבנים צבאיים ומחבלים שהיוו איום על כוחותינו.

אמש, כלי-טיס של חיל-האוויר, בהכוונת מידע מודיעיני של אמ״ן ופיקוד הדרום תקף סדנת ייצור אמצעי לחימה של… pic.twitter.com/e6GRbOAtCQ

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) August 7, 2024

Police search Foreign Ministry HQ over suspicions diplomatic passports wrongfully issued

Police say investigators raided the Foreign Ministry’s offices in Jerusalem over suspicions that diplomatic passports have been issued to people who are not entitled to such documents.

The Lahav 433 major crimes unit opened an undercover investigation into the suspicions several weeks ago, police say.

Investigators searched the offices and seized relevant documents to aid in the probe.

Israel’s Avishag Semberg loses 2-1 to Saudi competitor in women’s taekwondo

Israel's Avishag Semberg competes with Saudi Arabia's Dunya Ali M Abutaleb in a women's 49kg Taekwondo match during the 2024 Summer Olympics, at the Grand Palais, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP/Andrew Medichini)

Israeli taekwondo athlete Avishag Semberg loses 2-1 to Saudi Arabia’s Dunya Abutaleb in the women’s under-49kg weight class round of 16 match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Semberg, who won a bronze at the Tokyo Games, could potentially still compete in a repechage round if Abutaleb advances to the final match.

Abutaleb — the first Saudi woman ever to earn a direct qualification for the Olympics — is a longshot to make it to the final.

Earlier, Palestinian taekwondo athlete Omar Yaser Ismail beat his opponent, Hadi Tiranvalipour, an Iranian native playing for the Refugee Olympic team, in the qualification round of the men’s under-58kg weight class.

Yaser Ismail, born and raised in the UAE to Palestinian parents, is the only athlete among the Palestinians’ eight-member Olympic delegation who directly qualified for the Games.

Court extends custody of Palestinian suspect for murder of prison guard – report

Israel Prison Service dog handler Yochai Avni. (Courtesy)

The Ofer Military Court extends custody of Ibrahim Mansour, suspected of murdering an Israel Prison Service employee, the Walla news site says.

Mansour will remain in custody for at least eight more days, after admitting to and recounting the murder of 40-year-old dog handler Yochai Avni on July 8 in his West Bank home, the report says.

It is the third time his custody has been extended.

Military draftees, among them Haredim, dance together on their recruitment day

Dozens of military draftees, among them ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students, dance and sing together at the IDF Recruitment Center in Tel Aviv.

The men are being drafted to the IDF’s Armored Corps and Combat Engineering Corps.

The scenes come in sharp contrast to yesterday, when dozens of ultra-Orthodox extremist protesters breached the Tel Hashomer army base, jumping over the fence in an attempt to disrupt the enlistment process of yeshiva students.

Many senior Haredi spiritual leaders have forbidden their disciples from responding to the call-ups and Hebrew media has cited estimations that only a third of the draftees will end up serving.

מאות מלש"בים התגייסו הבוקר לשריון ולהנדסה הקרבית – ביניהם עשרות בני ישיבה. בהתרגשות גדולה הם הגיעו הבוקר ללשכת הגיוס ופתחו בריקודים ומזמורים יחד עם בני משפחותיהם >> pic.twitter.com/KqRuo6Nl7c

— שיר ביטון || shir bitton (@shirbitton_) August 7, 2024

Gallant holds phone call with German counterpart over Iran tensions

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant holds an “important discussion” over the phone with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on the ongoing tensions with Iran and its proxy groups.

Gallant thanks Pistorius for his support of Israel, in a post on X.

“The free world must come together against the biggest destabilizer and exporter of terrorism — Iran,” he writes.

Held an important discussion with my friend, German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius. Briefed the Minister on security developments and threats posed by Iran and its proxies against Israel and the wider region.

Thank you Minister, for standing with Israel. The free world…

— יואב גלנט – Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) August 7, 2024

Western ambassadors pull out of Nagasaki memorial after Israel not invited

Attendees observe a moment of silence at the time of the 1945 atomic bombing at 11:02 am as they hold a peace memorial ceremony at an indoor facility due to approaching Typhoon Khanun in Nagasaki August 9, 2023 (JIJI Press / AFP)

TOKYO, Japan — Ambassadors from Western countries including the United States will skip a ceremony marking the 79th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki after Israel was snubbed, officials say.

Nagasaki’s mayor said last week that Israel’s ambassador Gilad Cohen was not invited to Friday’s event in the southern Japanese city because of the risk of possible protests over the Gaza conflict.

The US and British embassies say that their ambassadors would not take part as a result and that their countries would be represented by lower-ranking diplomats.

Media reports say that Australia, Italy, Canada, and the European Union, which together with the United States, Britain, and Germany signed a strongly worded joint letter to Nagasaki’s mayor last month, would follow suit.

US Ambassador Rahm Emanuel will not attend “after the mayor of Nagasaki politicized the event by not inviting the Israeli ambassador,” an embassy spokesperson tells AFP.

Instead, Emanuel, 64, who was ex-US president Barack Obama’s chief of staff, will go to a separate event at a temple in Tokyo, the spokesperson says.

The British embassy states that Ambassador Julia Longbottom would also not be in Nagasaki, saying that not inviting Israel “creates an unfortunate and misleading equivalency with Russia and Belarus — the only other countries not invited to this year’s ceremony.”

A spokesperson for the French embassy says that its number two would attend, telling AFP that the “decision not to invite the representative of Israel is regrettable and questionable.”

Organizers of frisbee match in Belgium say Israelis prohibited from participating

Organizers of an international frisbee tournament in Belgium announce that the Israeli team is prohibited from participating due to security concerns tied to anti-Israel protests.

The European Ultimate Federation announces the move following the postponement of all matches on Tuesday, which was supposed to be the first day of the European Youth Ultimate Championship 2024 in Gent, Belgium, after anti-Israel activists spray-painted slogans on a tournament venue in the village of De Pinte near Gent.

The Federation’s statement says that the municipality of Gent “prohibits the participation of the Israeli delegation” and “the presence of the Israeli delegation” as well as “any references related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

“We are disappointed to have to make this sad announcement and for the overall outcome for all teams who have worked so hard to train and get to the event. We must however respect and follow the instructions given by the authorities,” said the statement.

The tournament is to resume today without the 33 Israeli athletes who traveled to Belgium to attend the event, which comprises hundreds of competitors from 11 countries.

A municipal decree by Gent’s city government states that “there is a high risk of public order disruption due to the presence of an Israeli” and that “organizations oppose Israel’s participation in the tournament due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.”

The Israeli team would not immediately comment on the decision, a spokesperson tells The Times of Israel.

High Court discussion on Sde Teiman paused as protesters interrupt proceedings

Bereaved families and their supporters protest against a court hearing in a petition against the conditions of Hamas terrorists in the Sde Teiman detention facility, at the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem, August 7, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Right-wing protesters interrupt a High Court of Justice hearing on the Sde Teiman detention facility for some 30 minutes, shouting “Disgrace” and “We are the sovereign” when the attorney for the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, which petitioned the court to shut down the facility, begins speaking.

The protest, conducted by a group of right-wing activists, mirrors similar protests against other petitions against the state’s policies.

Acting Supreme Court President Uzi Vogelman speaks out strongly against the protesters after they are removed from the court.

“This was an attempt to stop a court hearing. We respect the right to protect, but protests are not done in court, especially not when they are designed to thwart hearings,” says Vogelman.

“The courts in Israel act in accordance with the law during a time of war as well, and will continue to do so.”

Aner Helman, representing the state, says the “major principles” of the law for holding detainees has been observed at the Sde Teiman facility, where allegations have been made of severe abuse of detainees.

Justice Daphne Barak Erez quizzes Helman over this phrase, asking what he means by “major principles,” and he says he can reply in the later part of the hearing behind closed doors.

Helman also says that conditions have improved and that a new facility will be opened up in a month to further improve the situation.

Oded Feller for ACRI insists that Sde Teiman “is the same facility” as it has been since October and that the same abuses are continuing.

The justices point out, however, that the number of detainees has been drastically reduced from some 700 when the petition was filed to just 30 today, saying that this likely allowed for better holding conditions.

מהומה בדיון בג"ץ על שדה תימן: קריאות "בושה, בושה", השופטים יצאו להפסקהhttps://t.co/oZIIDopFJs@aviadglickman pic.twitter.com/Uh5FGDQ7pc

— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) August 7, 2024

IDF strikes rocket launchers next to aid warehouses in southern Gaza

This infographic released by the IDF on August 7, shows the locations of Hamas rocket launchers next to aid warehouses in the southern Gaza Strip. (Israel Defense Forces)

Israeli fighter jets struck Hamas rocket launchers located adjacent to aid warehouses in the southern Gaza Strip, which had been used in recent attacks on southern Israel, the military says.

Dozens of rockets were fired over the past week from southern Gaza, mostly at Israeli border communities, but also several long-range attacks at the Gan Yavne area near Ashdod, and towns near Kiryat Malachi.

According to the IDF, the rockets were fired from launchers placed adjacent to two humanitarian aid distribution warehouses, including one belonging to UNRWA.

The launchers were struck and destroyed, and the IDF says it identified secondary explosions following the airstrike, indicating that additional weapons were stored there.

“The Hamas terrorist organization regularly violates international law, while systematically exploiting civilian buildings and the civilian population as human shields for terror activity against the State of Israel,” the IDF says in a statement.

“Alongside this, the IDF, through COGAT, will continue to work in cooperation with the international aid organizations in the Gaza Strip,” it adds.

IDF calls on Gaza’s Beit Hanoun area to evacuate after rockets fired from area

Following yesterday’s rocket fire on Sderot and Ashkelon from the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military is calling on Palestinians in the Beit Hanoun area to evacuate and head to “shelters in the center of Gaza City.”

Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, publishes a list of the zones that need to be evacuated alongside the announcement.

Adraee says that the IDF will “forcefully and immediately operate” against terror groups in the Beit Hanoun area.

The IDF has carried out numerous small raids in Beit Hanoun since dismantling the local Hamas battalion there during the initial months of the ground offensive.

Not many Palestinian civilians are thought to be in the Beit Hanoun area. In all of northern Gaza, fewer than 200,000 Palestinians remain, according to recent IDF assessments.

#عاجل ‼️ نداء الى كل المتواجدين في منطقة بيت حانون واحياء المنشية والشيخ زايد والنازحين في داخل المآوي في المنطقة

⭕️حماس والمنظمات الإرهابية تطلق الصواريخ من منطقتكم نحو دولة اسرائيل.
جيش الدفاع الإسرائيلي سوف يعمل بقوة وفوراً ضدهم.

⭕️من اجل أمنكم، اخلوا بشكل فوري الى المآوي… pic.twitter.com/PkYwwJqEc2

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) August 6, 2024

Freed hostage Maya Regev takes first steps as she recovers from Oct. 7 injuries, captivity

Freed hostage Maya Regev successfully walks with the help of crutches as she recovers from injuries sustained in Hamas’s October 7 massacre, medical negligence during her time held captive in Gaza and subsequent surgeries to repair the damage.

Regev, 21, was abducted along with her brother Itay, 19, and their friends Omer-Shem Tov and Ori Danino from the Supernova music festival on October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst across the border into Israel, murdering some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.

At the music festival, terrorists massacred 364 people, gang-raped others, and abducted dozens to Gaza, among them the Regevs, who were both shot in the leg as they tried to escape the carnage.

The siblings were among 105 civilians released during a weeklong truce in late November, after weeks of captivity in Gaza.

Regev said that she returned from Gaza with many infections, a fungus growing inside her bone, and other signs of medical negligence. Eight months after her release, her road to recovery remains long.

מיה רגב מצליחה לעשות צעדים ראשונים בשיקום אחרי הזוועות שהיא עברה בשבי זה כל מה שרציתי לראות היום pic.twitter.com/qtlWDYxf5N

— Dana Gat (@DanaGat1) August 6, 2024

Turkey set to join South Africa genocide case against Israel

Judges arrive at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to rule on South Africa's request on a Rafah and wider Gaza war ceasefire, in The Hague, on May 24, 2024 (Nick Gammon / AFP)

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Turkey will submit today a declaration of intervention in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague, a diplomatic source says.

The declaration will happen at 1330 GMT, the source adds, after Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said this week that Turkey would make the declaration on Wednesday.

“Turkey’s intervention pushes the international community to recognize and address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” the source says.

In May, Turkey said it had decided to join the case launched by South Africa as it stepped up measures against Israel over the assault on Gaza, adding that its bid would follow the necessary legal preparations.

In June, Spain said it had asked to intervene in the case at the ICJ, the highest legal body of the United Nations set up in 1945 to deal with disputes between states.

Israel has repeatedly dismissed the case’s accusations of genocide as baseless, arguing in court that its operations in Gaza are self-defense and targeted at Hamas terrorists who massacred Israelis on October 7.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Report: US diplomacy might be paying off in curbing Iranian attack

Iranians drive next to a billboard of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (R) and late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh at the Valise square in Tehran on August 1, 2024. (AFP)

The United States’ diplomatic efforts to temper Iran’s retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which Tehran blames on Israel, might be working, White House officials tell The Washington Post.

Iran has threatened to “punish” Israel for the killing, warning its response will be harsher than its attack on April 13-14, while the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror group has threatened a response to Israel’s killing of top commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, raising fears of regional war.

But Iran may yet rethink its plans after the US rushed its forces to the region and passed along messages to Iran warning of serious consequences for the new government of President Masoud Pezeshkian, The Washington Post reports.

“Iran understands clearly that the United States is unwavering in its defense of our interests, our partners and our people. We have moved a significant amount of military assets to the region to underscore that principle,” a senior Biden administration official tells The Post.

Though Iran first claimed that an Israeli missile fired from nearby killed Haniyeh in a guesthouse in Tehran, Biden officials say that the regime has privately accepted that a bomb was placed in his room, which may also change Iran’s plans for a harsh response.

White House officials say that Iran-backed Hezbollah remains a “wild card.”

Erdan: UN silence on Iran’s threats similar to global silence on Nazi plans to exterminate Jews

Israel’s outgoing UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan says the United Nation’s silence on Iranian threats to attack Israel resembles global silence when the Nazis finalized their plans for the Holocaust, in his farewell speech in New York.

“Iran and its proxies are threatening to attack us from every direction. Those who try to hurt us should know that we will not be deterred. They must know they will pay a heavy price, and our long arm will reach them everywhere,” he says.

“Even today, as Iran openly threatens to ‘punish Israel,’ the UN is silent once again. Iran has understood this silence as a green light to carry on its preparations to attack millions of Israelis. Millions that are waiting right now,” Erdan says.

“The UN’s current silence on Iran is reminiscent of the global silence after the Wannasee Conference in 1942 when the Nazi leadership decided on the final solution. They understood this silence as a green light for the murder of millions of Jews,” he says.

Erdan hails his work at the “hypocritical” organization, particularly during the Israel-Hamas war.

“I had the immense, immense privilege of representing Israel at the United Nations. I woke up every morning with a clear mission to prove that Israel is a moral state, a country that cherishes life and peace, a country that wants to protect its citizens like any other country, and a state with the best and most ethical army in the world — the IDF,” he says.

“I did everything I could to raise awareness about the horrors of October 7, about our hostages … and the sexual violence we saw against Israeli women. I did this in every way possible, and with all means at my disposal, yes. It was a way to raise awareness, to shock, to cry out for those who cannot.” he adds.

שגריר ישראל באו״ם גלעד ארדן מסיים את תפקידו. הלילה נערך בניו יורק אירוע פרידה ממנו. ארדן הוא לטעמי מהפוליטיקאים היותר רציניים שמשרתים בישראל. הוא בקי בחומר, מניע תהליכים, נלחם על צדקתה של ישראל ויודע לרתום ולא חושש להתעמת גם עם כוחות בתוך הבית שלא תמיד מתיישרים.
כאן בסרטונים הוא… pic.twitter.com/eXZegJrJtO

— Ariel Kahana אריאל כהנא (@arik3000) August 7, 2024

US, British strikes reportedly hit Houthi military posts in Yemen

Arabic media reports joint US and British strikes targeting Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen.

The Houthi-run Al-Masira television channel says the strikes hit the Taizz area in the southwest of the country.

Sky News Arabic reports that the attack struck military outposts where missiles were fired at the Red Sea, citing unnamed sources.

Israel-critic Bush falls in Missouri primary

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell has defeated US Rep. Cori Bush in a Democratic primary in St. Louis, marking the second time this year that one of the party’s incumbents has been ousted in an expensive contest that reflected deep divisions over the war in Gaza.

With over 95 percent of the ballots tallied, Bell has 51.2% of the votes, to Bush’s 45.6%,

Bush, a member of the progressive congressional group known as the “Squad,” was seeking a third term in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, which includes St. Louis city and part of St. Louis County. Bell is heavily favored to carry this overwhelmingly Democratic district in November, when his party is aiming to retake control of the US House.

Bell’s campaign received a big boost from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, whose super political action committee, United Democracy Project, spent $8.5 million to oust Bush. She was targeted after repeated criticism of Israel’s response to the October 7 Hamas attack.

A statement from United Democracy Project says the wins by Bell and George Latimer, who beat Squad member Jerome Bowman in a New York primary in June, along with John McGuire’s defeat of U.S. Rep. Bob Good in a Republican primary last week in Virginia, “is further proof that being pro-Israel is good policy and good politics on both sides of the aisle. UDP will continue our efforts to support leaders working to strengthen the U.S.-Israel alliance while countering detractors in either political party.”

Bush says the donors behind AIPAC support former President Donald Trump and other Republicans.

“This is only the beginning,” Bush tells the AP. “Because if they can unseat me, then they’re going to continue to come after more Democrats.”

Report: Israel told US it took out Haniyeh; White House felt move was provocative

Israel informed the US immediately following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh that it was behind the killing, the Washington Post reports, citing sources familiar with the White House’s thought process.

According to the newspaper, Biden administration officials were livid about the decision to take out Haniyeh, worrying it could upend months of careful negotiations toward a truce in Gaza.

The newspaper reports that US officials are also outraged over Israel failing to inform them before launching other operations to assassinate Hezbollah or Iranian commanders.

An anonymous Israeli official quoted by the Washington Post confirms that a phone call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden last week was “tense.”

However, a US official speaking to The Times of Israel rejects the Post’s characterization of Washington’s reaction, saying the White House was not outraged at Israel.

The US official notes that Haniyeh was a Hamas leader who celebrated the October 7 onslaught, so there is no remorse or mourning over his killing.

The official acknowledges that the Biden administration was surprised and concerned about the timing of the assassination and the manner in which it was carried out.

Israel has long told the US that it would try and take out every Hamas leader, but the operation inside Iran was highly provocative, the US official says.

Squad lawmaker Cori Bush trailing in primary to pro-Israel backed challenger

Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., speak during a news conference at the US Capitol, May 8, 2024, in Washington, after police cleared an anti-Israel tent encampment at George Washington University and arrested demonstrators. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

A second member of the so-called Squad of progressive congressional Democrats may be headed for early retirement following a primary challenge backed by pro-Israel groups.

With just over half the votes tallied, St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell leads strident Israel critic Cori Bush by a nearly 12 percent margin in the Democratic primary to represent Missouri’s 1st congressional district.

Bush, who rose to prominence leading protests in Ferguson after the 2014 police killing of Michael Brown, has been targeted by pro-Israel groups funding races against candidates most vociferously opposed to the Jewish state.

Much of Bell’s funding comes from groups that are affiliated with, or ideologically close to, the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC. Political action committees aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs have spent at least $9 million in the race. Another pro-Israel PAC, Democratic Majority for Israel, has spent close to $500,000.

In June, Squad member Jamaal Bowman was defeated in a New York primary by local politician George Latimer, in a race that pro-Israel groups spent $14 million on.

Michigan’s Slotkin wins primary, to face GOP’s Rogers for Senate seat

Rep. Elissa Slotkin speaks to reporters March 2, 2023, in Detroit, about her candidacy for the US Senate in 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin will face off against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers for a Michigan Senate seat in the November election.

Slotkin, a Jewish former CIA intelligence officer, defeats actor Hill Harper in the Democratic primary, while Republicans choose Rogers over Justin Amash, a former congressman of Palestinian heritage, and physician Sherry O’Donnell.

Both candidates will now compete for a seat left open by longtime Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s retirement.

Slotkin enters the race with a massive fundraising advantage and emerges nearly unscathed from a sparse primary, while Rogers has the backing of national Republican groups and former President Donald Trump.

New York photojournalist accused of hate crime after documenting anti-Israel protest

Illustrative: Anti-Israel demonstrators protest outside the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn, New York on May 31, 2024. (Leonardo Munoz/AFP)

A New York City journalist has been arrested on charges that he accompanied a group of pro-Palestinian protesters as they hurled red paint at the homes of top leaders at the Brooklyn Museum earlier this summer.

Samuel Seligson, an independent videographer, faces felony hate crime charges.

According to a criminal complaint written by a police detective, Seligson, 31, traveled with the group of vandals as they defaced the facades of two apartments belonging to the museum’s director and president. The activists are accused of spray-painting doors and sidewalks with messages that accused the two leaders of supporting genocide. A banner hung at the home of the museum’s Jewish president called her a “white-supremacist Zionist.”

Seligson’s attorney, Leena Widdi, says her client was acting in his capacity as a credentialed member of the media, describing the hate crime charges as an “appalling” overreach by police and prosecutors. She says police twice raided his Brooklyn home before he turned himself in early Tuesday.

While the complaint describes Seligson as a participant in the crime, a law enforcement official speaking anonymously says he was not directly involved in the spray-painting or property damage.

Anarchists posing as press
surrenders in antisemitic vandalism spree targeting Brooklyn Museum’s Jewish board members .

Samuel Seligson, 32, of Brooklyn surrendered at the 7th Precinct stationhouse on the Lower East Side at around 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 6, less than a week after… pic.twitter.com/CspWVcx0zZ

— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) August 6, 2024

The arrest has drawn condemnations from press freedom groups, while raising questions about the rights of a journalist to document illegal activity. Seligson, who is Jewish, is a fixture at New York City protests and has licensed and sold footage to mainstream outlets, including Reuters and ABC News.

“Samuel is being charged for alleged behavior that is protected by the First amendment and consistent with his job as a credentialed member of the press,” Widdi says in an email. “What is even more concerning, however, is that this member of the press is being charged with a hate crime.”

Seligson has been arraigned in Brooklyn on eight counts of criminal mischief, four of which are classified as a hate crime, and has been granted supervised release.

Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protesters confront police during a Nakba Day rally and march on May 18, 2024 in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, New York. (Spencer Platt/ Getty Images/ AFP)

The June vandalism targeted four homes belonging to members of the Brooklyn Museum’s board, generating allegations of antisemitism and condemnations from across the political spectrum.

The activists wore face masks and dark clothing as they spray-painted slogans on the board members’ homes, according to court papers. They also hung banners featuring an inverted red triangle, a symbol used as propaganda by the Hamas terror group to celebrate attacks on Israelis.

Harris introduces running mate Walz at rally as passed-over Shapiro fires up Philly crowd

From left: Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Democratic presidential candidate, US Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz greet supporters during a campaign rally at Girard College on August 6, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images via AFP)

Vice President Kamala Harris has introduced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate at a boisterous rally in Philadelphia just hours after announcing the affable politician as her pick.

“I set out to find a partner who can help build this brighter future,” Harris says, joking that the past two weeks since she stepped into the race have been “something of a whirlwind.”

“I’m here today because I’ve found such a leader.”

Speaking to a raucous crowd of more than 10,000 at Temple University, Harris describes Walz’s background as a former high school teacher and football coach, an Army National Guard veteran and a former congressman, before predicting that he would earn a new title in November: vice president of the United States.

“He’s the kind of person who makes people feel like they belong and then inspires them to dream big,” she says.

Walz beat out Pennsylvania’s popular governor, Josh Shapiro, for the No. 2 role. Shapiro had faced sharp criticism from the left, especially progressive groups and pro-Palestinian activists, over his support for Israel and his handling of college protests sparked by the war in Gaza.

Shapiro, an ambitious politician in his own right, struggled with the idea of being No. 2 at the White House and said he felt he had more to do in Pennsylvania, according to one of the people familiar with Harris’ decision.

Shapiro praises the Harris/Walz ticket at the rally in Philadelphia, receiving big applause from thousands of attendees during a fiery speech in which he attacks Republicans and promises to “work my tail off” to get Harris elected.

“I love you Philly. You know what else I love, I love being your governor,” Shapiro says. “I am going to continue pouring my heart and soul into continuing to serve you every single day as your governor.”

Shapiro, an observant Jew, tells the crowd he is “proud of my faith” and quotes from Ethics of Our Fathers, a Talmudic compendium of rabbinical philosophy.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro arrives at a campaign rally at Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 6, 2024. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

“My faith teaches me that no one is required to complete the task but neither are we free to refrain from it,” he says. “That means that each of us has a responsibility to get off the sidelines, to get in the game, to do our part.”

He also offers a strong endorsement of Walz, telling the crowd that he is an “outstanding governor” and a “great patriot.”

Walz returns the compliment when he takes the stage later with Harris.

“My God, what a treasure you have in Josh Shapiro,” he says. “Holy hell, can this guy bring the fire.”

Ceasefire talks in final stage, Haniyeh replacement Sinwar has power to decide — Blinken

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, standing with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, right, speaks during a news conference at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP/Susan Walsh)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Yahya Sinwar, named as the new leader of Hamas’s political wing, has the power to ensure that a ceasefire deal is reached halting the war in Gaza and freeing hostages.

Blinken notes that Sinwar “has been and remains the primary decider when it comes to concluding the ceasefire.”

Hamas’s announcement of its promotion of Sinwar “only underscores the fact that it’s really on him to decide whether to move forward with a ceasefire that manifestly will help so many Palestinians in desperate need, women, children, men who are caught in a crossfire,” Blinken says. “… It really is on him.”

Blinken says talks on implementing the deal after months of painstaking negotiations have continued despite the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, who Sinwar will now take over for.

Blinken says the effort to reach a ceasefire is in the final stage, but is threatened by tensions with Iran.

“We believe … there is no reason this should not be concluded and concluded quickly,” he says. “This is really a time for all of the parties involved to close this out, no delays, no excuses, no reason we can’t do something focused on getting to yes.”

After soldiers injured in Iraq, Austin says US will not tolerate attacks on troops

The United States will not tolerate attacks on American troops in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says, after rocket fire in Iraq wounded seven US personnel.

The Monday attack was the third in just over three weeks on Ain al-Assad base in western Iraq, which hosts American troops as well as other personnel from the US-led coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group.

“Make no mistake, the United States will not tolerate attacks on our personnel in the region,” Austin tells a news conference in Annapolis.

A US defense official said earlier in the day that the attack wounded five American military personnel and two contractors, all of whom are in stable condition.

An earlier Pentagon statement on a call between Austin and Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant described the rocket fire as an “Iran-aligned militia attack on US forces” and said the two agreed that it “marked a dangerous escalation.”

Austin says the Pentagon is sure the attack was directed by Iran-backed militias.

US telling Iran and Israel not to ratchet up conflict, Blinken says

The United States has communicated to Iran and Israel that there is a consensus in the Middle East that the current conflict must not escalate, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says.

“No one should escalate this conflict. We’ve been engaged in intense diplomacy with allies and partners, communicating that message directly to Iran. We communicated that message directly to Israel,” Blinken tells reporters.

Blinken, speaking after a meeting between him, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Australian counterparts, also says talks to achieve a ceasefire and hostage deal on the war in Gaza had reached their final stage.