Live updates (closed)
The Times of Israel liveblogged Thursday’s events as they happened.
After funding freezes, UNRWA chief says Palestinian refugee agency at ‘breaking point’
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the UNRWA headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, December 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
UNITED NATIONS — The UN agency for Palestinian refugees warns it has reached a critical juncture as it struggles to cope with the war in Gaza.
“It is with profound regret that I must now inform you that UNRWA has reached a breaking point,” chief Philippe Lazzarini says, as donors freeze funding, Israel exerts pressure to dismantle the agency and humanitarian needs soar.
In first since Oct. 7, Smotrich says thousands of new settlement homes to be approved
An illustrative photo of the construction of new houses in the West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, on September 25, 2017. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
For the first time since the Hamas-led October 7 atrocities, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announces that the committee in charge of approving settlement construction in the West Bank will soon convene.
The announcement comes after Smotrich earlier today demanded that thousands of new settlement homes be constructed in response to the deadly terror attack this morning near Ma’ale Adumim.
A statement issued by Smotrich, who is also a minister in the Defense Ministry, says the committee will approve plans to build 2,350 units in Ma’ale Adumim, 300 in Keidar and 694 in Efrat.
“May every terrorist planning to harm us know that any lifting of a hand against Israeli citizens will be met with a death blow and the destruction, and the deepening of our eternal grip on the entire Land of Israel,” Smotrich is quoted as saying, calling the decision “an appropriate Zionist response.”
The statement was issued after Smotrich held talks on the matter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
IDF: Security teams staffed by reservists will keep operating in Jerusalem area, ‘Green Line’ towns
The military announces that teams of reservists it enlisted after October 7 to serve in locales that do not normally have civilian security squads will be largely dismantled at the end of the month.
But an IDF statement says that “in accordance with an operational security assessment and continued dialogue with municipalities on the matter,” these security teams will continue serving in Jerusalem, nearby towns and communities along the Green Line “until further notice.”
Reservists serving elsewhere will be released from duty on February 29.
Palestinian Authority reports one killed, 4 wounded after Israeli airstrike in Jenin
Palestinian media outlets report that an Israeli aircraft struck a vehicle in the West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp.
The reports claim there are several casualties in the strike although their conditions are not immediately known.
The Palestinian Authority health ministry says one person is killed and four others are wounded, including one critically, as a result of the strike in Jenin.
The IDF has not yet commented on the reports.
????متابعة صفا| طيران الاحتلال الإسرائيلي يقصف مركبة مدنية في مخيم جنين pic.twitter.com/GnOGfpdSJV
— وكالة صفا (@SafaPs) February 22, 2024
Rocket alerts now sounding in additional northern towns
Rocket sirens are now being activated in additional communities in northern Israel.
The Home Front Command instructs residents of Snir in the Hula Valley as well as Mas’ade and Ein Qiniyye in the Golan Heights to seek immediate shelter.
Defense Ministry video shows Arrow’s interception of Houthi missile over Red Sea
The Defense Ministry publishes footage showing the long-range Arrow air defense system intercepting a ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen at Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat this morning.
The missile was downed over the Red Sea, outside of Israeli airspace, and the Houthis later took responsibility for the attack.
This morning’s Arrow interception was its sixth interception of a ballistic missile, all of which occurred amid the war in Gaza. A seventh projectile, a long-range rocket fired by Hamas, was also downed with the system several months ago.
At least 9 rockets fired from Lebanon at Golan Heights, several intercepted
At least nine rockets were fired from Lebanon at the northern Golan Heights a short while ago, according to initial military assessments.
Several projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system.
There are no immediate reports of injuries in the attack.
Sirens had sounded in Ein Qiniyye, a Druze town.
US to impose new sanctions on Iran for backing Russian invasion of Ukraine
The United States will soon impose new sanctions on Iran over its backing for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the White House says.
“In response to Iran’s ongoing support for Russia’s brutal war, we will be imposing additional sanctions on Iran in the coming days, and we are prepared to go further if Iran sells ballistic missiles to Russia,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby tells journalists.
“Iran is not helping Russia for free. In return for Iran’s support, Russia has been offering Tehran unprecedented defense cooperation. So in total Iran is seeking billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment from Russia,” Kirby says.
He also says that while Iran has provided Russia with significant numbers of drones, guided aerial bombs an artillery ammunition, Washington has yet to confirm that any ballistic missiles have moved from Iran to Russia.
Reuters exclusively reported earlier this week that Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, citing six sources, deepening the military cooperation between the two US-sanctioned countries.
Rocket sirens activated in Druze town in northern Golan
Incoming rocket sirens sound in Ein Qiniyye, a Druze town in the northern Golan Heights near Syria.
White House says ‘no question that Hamas is evil’
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during a daily news briefing at the White House on February 15, 2024, in Washington. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/AFP)
Asked whether the war between Israel and Hamas is a battle between good and evil, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby responds that “there’s no question that Hamas is evil.”
“I don’t even think that that’s up for debate,” he says during a press briefing, pointing to Hamas’s original and updated charter.
“You can’t read that manifesto and not think that this is a terror organization with truly genocidal inclinations against Israel and the Israeli people. What they did on the seventh of October — you cannot look at anything from that day and not come away believing that this group is evil,” Kirby adds, while avoiding characterizing Israel as “good” or commenting on the Jewish state’s conduct at all.
IDF says it struck building in south Lebanon used by Hezbollah operatives
The IDF says it struck a building where Hezbollah operatives were spotted entering in the southern Lebanon village of Blida.
A short while after the operatives were identified entering the building, known to be used by the terror group, an airstrike was called in, the IDF says.
The IDF says it also shelled areas in south Lebanon with artillery to “remove threats.”
Several rockets were fired from Lebanon at Zar’it and Metula in the last few hours, the IDF says, adding that troops are shelling the launch sites.
בשעות האחרונות זוהו מספר שיגורים במרחבים זרעית ומטולה. כוחות צה"ל תקפו את מקורות הירי pic.twitter.com/X7Ge7XjBpI
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) February 22, 2024
War cabinet votes to dispatch delegation to hostage talks in Paris
The war cabinet meets at the IDF's Kirya military headquarters on January 25, 2024. (Amos Ben-Gershom/GPO)
The war cabinet votes to dispatch a delegation to Paris for high-level talks on a hostage deal and accompanying truce in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
There is no immediate government confirmation of the decision, which is reportedly unanimously backed by the war cabinet.
The decision comes after reports indicated Hamas has demonstrated a degree of flexibility in contacts on the terms of a framework deal and as the United States presses for an agreement.
White House says envoy meeting families of hostages after ‘constructive’ talks with Israeli leaders
White House Middle East czar Brett McGurk is currently meeting with the families of some of the dual American-Israeli nationals currently being held hostage in Gaza, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says.
Kirby says “initial indications we’re getting from” McGurk after his earlier meetings with Israeli leaders is that they went “well” and were “constructive,” as the US seeks to secure an extended humanitarian pause that would see the hostages released and humanitarian aid increase in Gaza.
Protesters call for elections, return of hostages in rallies outside ministers’ homes
Anti-government protesters rally outside the homes of several ministers to call for fresh elections and an agreement for the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas.
Most of the rallies are outside the houses of lawmakers in the ruling Likud party, though the protesters also demonstrate outside the homes of war cabinet observer Gadi Eisenkot of the National Unity party and Negev and Galilee Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf of the far-right Otzma Yehudit faction.
Hezbollah confirms death of second operative in apparent IDF strike
A poster released by Hezbollah showing Hisham Abdullah, an operative in the Iran-backed terror group killed in a reported Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on February 22, 2024. (Hezbollah)
The Hezbollah terror group confirms the death of a second member killed today in an apparent Israeli strike.
He is named as Hisham Abdullah, and was reportedly killed in a strike in the southern Lebanon town of Kfar Remen, along with another operative, Hassan Saleh, whose death was announced earlier.
Abdullah’s death brings the terror group’s official toll since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip to 208.
Yemen’s Houthis say they shot ballistic missiles and drones at Eilat earlier today
CAIRO — Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis conducted three military operations, including targeting the Islander ship in the Gulf of Aden with naval missiles, and Israel’s Eilat with ballistic missiles and drones, the group’s military spokesman says in a televised speech today.
They also targeted an American destroyer in the Red Sea with several drones, Yahya Sarea adds.
Hamas health ministry says IDF withdrew from Gaza’s Nasser Hospital
IDF troops operate at Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, in a handout image published by the IDF on February 18, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza’s Nasser Hospital today, a week after raiding it, the Palestinian enclave’s Hamas-controlled health ministry says in a statement.
The World Health Organization says the hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza’s second largest and crucial to the territory’s crippled health services, stopped working last week after a week-long Israeli siege followed by the raid.
The Israel Defense Forces has not yet commented on the Hamas announcement that Israeli troops withdrew from the hospital.
Hezbollah names operative killed in reported Israeli strike
A poster released by Hezbollah showing Hassan Saleh, an operative in the Iran-backed terror group killed in a reported Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on February 22, 2024. (Hezbollah)
The Hezbollah terror group announces the death of a member killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” its term for operatives slain in Israeli strikes.
He is named as Hassan Saleh.
The Kan public broadcaster cites Lebanese reports as saying Saleh was a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, although the terror group does not refer to him as such in its announcement. Sky News Arabia claims he was a “prominent missile expert.”
Saleh was reportedly killed in a strike earlier today in the southern Lebanon town of Kfar Remen, along with another Hezbollah member identified by media reports as Hisham Abdullah.
Saleh’s death brings the terror group’s official toll since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip to 207.
Video shows policeman shooting terrorist during deadly attack this morning
Police release footage from this morning’s shooting attack near Ma’ale Adumim, showing an officer shooting one of the gunmen dead.
The clip, from a dashcam, shows the officer chasing after one of the terrorists and opening fire.
Three Palestinian terrorists carried out the attack on the Route 1 highway, a few hundred meters before the az-Za’ayyem checkpoint, killing an Israeli man and wounding 11 others.
Two of the gunmen were shot dead, while the third was captured alive.
US military reports minor injury, damage after Houthi missiles hit British-owned ship
WASHINGTON — Two Houthi missiles hit a British-owned cargo carrier in the Red Sea, causing damage and one minor injury, the US military says.
Earlier today, the US shot down six Houthi drones in the Red Sea after they were identified as an imminent threat to US and allied warships, the US Central Command says in a social media post.
Navalny’s mother says Russian investigators planning ‘secret’ funeral
MOSCOW — Alexei Navalny’s mother Lyudmila accuses Russian investigators of planning a “secret” funeral for her son and says she’ll not agree to it.
“They want this to be done secretly, with no farewell. They want to bring me to the edge of a cemetery, to a fresh grave and say: here lies your son. I don’t agree to this,” she says in a YouTube video.
There is no immediate response from Russian investigators.
Navalny, 47, Russia’s best-known opposition politician, died suddenly in an Arctic penal colony last week. His team and family have alleged that the Kremlin murdered him, an allegation the Kremlin has angrily rejected.
His mother says she has been shown his body and death certificate. Navalny’s team says the death certificate states the opposition politician died of natural causes.
EU’s top diplomat touts G20 ‘consensus’ on backing two-state solution
RIO DE JANEIRO — Foreign ministers at the G20 group of nations meeting in Brazil were of one opinion on the need for a two-state solution as the only path to peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says.
“Everybody here, everybody. I haven’t heard anyone against it. There was a strong request for a two-state solution,” he tells reporters. “It is consensus among us,” he adds.
Borrell’s view is supported by other delegates who say every speaker who addressed the war in Gaza called for the two-state solution.
“There is a common denominator: there is not going to be peace … not going to be sustainable security for Israel unless the Palestinians have a clear political prospect to build their own state,” says Borrell, the EU minister for foreign affairs.
He says the crisis in Gaza extends to the West Bank, which is “absolutely boiling” as Israeli settlers are “attacking Palestinian civilians.” He makes no mention of a shooting attack there today by Palestinian terrorists who killed an Israeli and wounded numerous others.
Borrell says he asked G20 host country Brazil to “explain to the world that at the G20 everybody was in favor of this solution.”
“We have to mobilize our political capacity to push for this solution to be implemented. Otherwise is just wishful thinking,” he says.
Borrell says he expects Arab nations will make a peace proposal for Gaza in the coming days.
Rocket sirens sound in Gaza border towns, shortly after IDF says safe to return there
Rocket warning sirens sound in Kibbutz Mefalsim and the shooting range at Nir Am, shortly after the army announced it’s safe for residents of these communities and other towns at least four kilometers from the Gaza border to return home.
IDF confirms building east-west road in Gaza ‘to move logistics and soldiers’
The Israeli military confirms it has built a road crossing the Gaza Strip from east to west.
It says the road, which expanded an already existing corridor, is being used “to move logistics and soldiers.”
It gives no additional details, but Israeli leaders have said that Israel intends to maintain long-term security control over Gaza after the war.
Casualties reported after strike in southern Lebanese village
Casualties are reported in Lebanon following an apparent Israeli attack on an apartment in the southern village of Kfar Remen.
Video from Lebanon shows a damaged building following the strike.
הדירה שהותקפה בכפר רומאן בנבטיה https://t.co/rT9qUIeqdU pic.twitter.com/nu1kl9OLTy
— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) February 22, 2024
Dashboard cam image shows gunman moving between cars during deadly terror shooting
An image taken from a dashboard camera shows one of the terrorists during the deadly terror shooting this morning at a highway checkpoint outside Jerusalem.
The still shows the bearded assailant moving between cars while clutching what appears to be a makeshift “Carlo” rifle.
תיעוד של אחד המחבלים שביצע היום את הפיגוע ליד מעלה אדומים, עם נשק שלוף.@inbartvizer pic.twitter.com/eU3nhdeBNG
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) February 22, 2024
UK lawmakers say they fear for their safety, amid turmoil over Gaza ceasefire vote
FILE - Speaker of the UK House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, arrives to attend a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, June 3, 2022. (Daniel Leal/Pool Photo via AP, File)
LONDON — The chaotic debate over a ceasefire in Gaza reverberates through Britain’s Parliament as the speaker of the House of Commons faces calls to resign, and lawmakers say they fear for their safety amid pressure from all sides of the issue.
Wednesday’s debate was triggered when the SNP put forward a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire that highlighted the devastation caused by Israel’s attacks in Gaza. The Labour Party offered an amendment that stressed Israel’s need to ensure it never again faces attacks like those that were carried out by Hamas on October 7. The government countered with its own amendment restating its call for an “immediate humanitarian pause” in the fighting.
In an effort to ease tensions in Parliament, the speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, sought to allow separate votes on all three motions.
But the speaker’s carefully constructed compromise collapsed when the government withdrew its motion, because Hoyle’s decision departed from House of Commons traditions under which he was expected to reject the Labour amendment. The SNP followed suit, saying lawmakers would no longer have an opportunity to vote on its proposal.
Hoyle today apologizes and acknowledges that he made a mistake. But he says that he was trying to make sure that all lawmakers had the chance to make their positions clear in a climate of threat and intimidation.
“I have a duty of care that I will carry out to protect people,″ he tells the Commons. “It is the protection that led me to make a wrong decision, but what I do not apologize (for) is the risk that has been put on all members at the moment. I had serious meetings yesterday with the police on the issues and threats to politicians for us heading to an election.”
IDF fires interceptors at 2 ‘suspicious aerial targets’ that entered from Lebanon
Interceptor missiles were fired at two “suspicious aerial targets” that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon, in the Mount Dov area, the IDF says.
Trails of smoke from the interceptors were seen from the northern city of Safed.
The IDF says it is unclear if the targets were downed.
Reports of an interceptor missile launch over Safed in northern Israel. pic.twitter.com/TrMXtaEr7Q
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) February 22, 2024
Meeting US envoy, Gallant says Israel will ‘expand authority’ of hostage negotiators
This handout photo shows Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meeting with US envoy Brett McGurk, February 22, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meets with US envoy Brett McGurk, who is visiting as part of the administration’s push to advance hostage negotiations.
“We will expand the authority given to our hostage negotiators. At the same time, the IDF is preparing the continuation of intense ground operations” in Gaza, Gallant is quoted as saying in a statement from his office.
IDF: Safe for residents of 18 communities near Gaza border, and all those over 4 km. away, to return home
An IDF soldier in a field next to Kibbutz Mefalsim. (AFP photo/ Yoav Lemmer)
The IDF says it has formulated a new “security position” concerning the return of residents to communities near the border with the Gaza Strip, after they had been displaced following Hamas’s October 7 attack.
According to the IDF’s position, it is safe for residents to return to communities that are more than 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Gaza border, along with 18 communities in the 0- to 4-kilometer range.
The 18 border communities are Zikim, Karmia, Yad Mordechai, Erez, Or Haner, Ibim, Sderot, Nir Am, Gevim, Mefalsim, Sa’ad, Alumim, Reim, Magen, Nir Yitzhak, Shlomit, Naveh and Bnei Netzarim.
The IDF’s position still warns that there is “no complete absence of risks,” noting that there still may be rocket fire from Gaza on border towns.
The IDF says plans to allow the return of residents to the Gaza border communities are being formulated in joint discussions between the Home Front Command and local authorities, with the decision on the timing being made individually for each locale and according to an updated situation assessment
Some residents of border communities have already returned to their homes, while many others remain in state-funded hotels or with relatives.
Houthi leader says attacks on shipping ‘are continuing, escalating, and effective’
Abdul Malik Al-Houthi gives a video statement on January 11, 2024. (Screen capture/X)
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have introduced “submarine weapons” in their attacks on seagoing vessels, which they say they are carrying out in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza War, their leader says.
“Operations in the Red and Arabian Seas, Bab el-Mandeb Starit, and the Gulf of Aden are continuing, escalating, and effective,” Abdulmalik al-Houthi adds in a televised speech.
Israeli official confirms plans for Palestinian-run ‘humanitarian pockets’ in Gaza
Israeli troops walk past destroyed buildings along the Salaheddine road which links the northern Gaza Strip with the south in the Zeitoun district on the outskirts of Gaza City on November 28, 2023. (MAHMUD HAMS / AFP)
Israel is seeking Palestinians who are not affiliated with Hamas to manage civilian affairs in areas of the Gaza Strip designed as testing grounds for postwar administration of the enclave, a senior Israeli official says.
The Israeli official says the planned “humanitarian pockets” would be in districts of the Gaza Strip from which Hamas has been expelled, but that their ultimate success would hinge on Israel achieving its goal of destroying the Islamist terror faction across the tiny coastal territory that it has been governing.
“We’re looking for the right people to step up to the plate,” the official tells Reuters on condition of anonymity. “But it is clear that this will take time, as no one will come forward if they think Hamas will put a bullet in their head.”
The plan, the official adds, “may be achieved once Hamas is destroyed and doesn’t pose a threat to Israel or to Gazans.”
The Israeli official also makes clear the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, would also be barred as a partner in the “humanitarian pockets” on account of its failure to condemn the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
“Anyone who took part in, or even failed to condemn, October 7 is ruled out,” the official says.
Still, the official says, Israel would be willing to consider “humanitarian pocket” partners with past links to the PA’s dominant Fatah faction, a more secular rival to Hamas.
Hamas said demanding ceasefire talks begin when fighting pauses for hostage deal
Citing Egyptian officials, The Wall Street Journal reports that Hamas is willing to accept the release of 3,000 prisoners in a potential hostage deal. It had been demanding that all women and minors be released.
However, Hamas still wants the release of terrorists serving long sentences, according to the Egyptian officials.
The WSJ also reports that Hamas is demanding that discussion of a permanent ceasefire begin at the start of a six-week truce. If such talks move ahead, Hamas will continue to release hostages.
IDF operating in village near hometown of terrorist in Ma’ale Adumim attack
Following the deadly shooting attack this morning near Ma’ale Adumim, the IDF says it is operating in the West Bank town of Za’atara, close to Bethlehem, the hometown of one of the three terrorists.
The other two Palestinian attackers are from a nearby village.
The IDF says troops are detaining and questioning suspects in the area.
The IDF adds that it has bolstered forces in the West Bank to prevent potential additional attacks.
UNRWA’s Lebanon chief says no ‘plan B’ if funding holds not lifted
BEIRUT — The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees has no “plan B” past March should donor countries that withheld funding following Israeli allegations uphold their suspensions, the head of its Lebanon office says.
Sixteen countries suspended funding pending an investigation by the UN’s oversight office that Lebanon chief Dorothee Klaus says would be ready in a few weeks.
“We hope that as many donors as possible indicate to the agency that they are reconsidering the funding freeze, and that funding will be restored to the agency, hopefully in such a way that we don’t have a cash flow issue, and services continue uninterrupted,” she says.
“We do not have a plan B.”
Already, her office may not be able to finance its quarterly cash distribution to 65% of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
“This will be the first indicator to the community that UNRWA is cash-strapped, and this would be the first service that we will not be able to provide in quarter one,” Klaus says.
While UNRWA has faced cash crunches before, the collective suspension has prompted an unprecedented crisis and it would be wrong to think other agencies could fill the gap, she says.
In Lebanon, UNRWA manages 12 camps for refugees, providing services from healthcare and schooling to garbage collection. If funding dries up, within a couple of days there would be trash filling camp streets, Klaus says.
Israel’s allegations have also prompted a separate review process by UNRWA that she says will examine safeguards protecting its neutrality and independence.
Asked if that would involve an examination of possible affiliations to armed groups of UNRWA staff in Lebanon’s camps, Klaus says she expected her branch will be consulted.
Perpetrators of Ra’anana terror attack indicted on murder and terrorism charges
The scene of a terror attack in Ra'anana, on January 15, 2024. (JACK GUEZ / AFP)
Two Palestinian men are indicted on murder and terrorism charges for carrying out a deadly rampage through the city of Ra’anana last month, killing an elderly woman and injuring 17 others, including children and teenagers, several of whom are still hospitalized in serious condition.
Ahmed Zidat, 25, and Mahmoud Zidat, 44, two cousins from the West Bank town of Bani Naim, had plotted to commit two terror attacks prior to the attack they carried out in Ra’anana on January 15, the indictment notes.
In one of those planned attacks, the two had plotted for Ahmed to murder IDF Arabic-language spokesman Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, having previously spotted him eating in a restaurant in Ra’anana. Ahmed rented an apartment in the city and found work washing cars there, and would go searching for Adraee every night close to that restaurant but never found him, the indictment states.
Ahmed and Mahmoud then decided to carry out an alternative attack in the city. On January 15, they both stole cars and began their terror rampage, the indictment says.
Ahmed rammed into one pedestrian at high speed, then exited his wrecked vehicle, hijacked another car and then rammed into two other pedestrians walking together. He again got out of the car and began stabbing one of his victims.
Mahmoud found a group of some 25 people standing at a bus station, and rammed into them, running over 18 of them. His vehicle was immobilized and he got out and fled. One of their victims, 79-year-old Edna Bluestein, was taken to hospital in critical condition and died of her wounds.
The two Palestinian men have been charged with murder, terrorism offenses, planning terror attacks, and several other crimes.
“The deep support of the respondents with the horrific, cruel and murderous acts of mass terrorism that were carried out on October 7, 2023, [and for] their perpetrators, and the terrorist organization that led them, and their decision to carry out a cruel and murderous terrorist attack themselves… shows an extreme, eager, and unbridled nationalist ideology of hostility towards Jews, meaning that the accused represent a clear danger,” says Roi Reiss of the State Attorney’s Central District Office in filing the indictment against the two men.
Netanyahu to Alpinist Unit: Our goal in the north is simple – return the residents to their homes
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with soldiers from the IDF's Alpinist Unit, February 22, 2024. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with soldiers of the IDF’s Alpinist Unit and the 188th Armored Brigade on Mount Hermon earlier today, his office says in a statement, where he discussed the country’s goals in the north, where Hezbollah activities on the Lebanon border have caused tens of thousands to evacuate.
He received an overview of the operational activities that have been carried out on Israel’s northern border since the start of the war with Hamas in Gaza before speaking to the units’ soldiers and commanders about their work and the importance of removing the threat posed by Hezbollah.
Congratulating the soldiers on an “outstanding job since the beginning of the war,” Netanyahu said that Israel is engaged in battle “from Gaza and Rafah to the Hermon.”
“In the south, we have one simple goal – total victory,” his office quotes him as saying. “We are on the way to the elimination of Hamas and the release of our hostages. We will not rest until we achieve total victory.”
“In the north, we have a simple goal — to return the residents. To bring back the residents, we need to bring back the feeling of security, and to bring back the feeling of security, we need to bring back security, which we will do,” he continued.
He stressed that Israel is ready to restore security to the north through any means necessary, and if it cannot be done through diplomacy or politics, it will be done through the use of military force.
“In any case, Hezbollah should understand — we will restore security. I hope that they receive this message,” he added.
Senior Hamas official indicates breakthrough in hostage negotiations may be on the horizon
Palestinian Senior Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk, front, attends the funeral of Saleh Arouri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, January 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk says that there may be breakthroughs in hostage negotiations in the near future.
In an interview with the Egyptian Al-Ghad channel, Abu Marzouk says that from the terror group’s standpoint, the main obstacle to a hostage deal is Israel’s refusal to withdraw its ground forces from the Gaza Strip, especially from the north-south Salah al-Din axis and the coastal Rashid street.
He reiterates that Hamas’s conditions for a ceasefire are a cessation of hostilities and the return of displaced people to northern Gaza. He adds that the terror group demands the release of 500 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli hostage, of whom there are 134 still in captivity, and vows that Hamas “will continue its struggle until victory or martyrdom” and will not lay down its weapons.
Regarding the future of the coastal enclave, Abu Marzouk says that Hamas does not see it as a goal to govern the Strip, but rather thinks that this should fall upon the Palestinian Authority, adding that Hamas members have met with representatives from Fatah and with Muhammad Dahlan, the Gazan exiled leader of the Democratic Reform Bloc within Fatah.
Reports of violent clashes between protesters and security forces at Kerem Shalom Crossing
Protesters blocking the Kerem Shalom Crossing clashed with Israeli security forces who attempted to disperse the crowds, Hebrew media reports.
Right-wing activists on the scene allege that the soldiers punched or kicked several of them, and that one of the protesters required medical attention after a soldier slammed a rock into the back of his head.
The protests at Kerem Shalom aim to block the transfer of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip until all hostages held by Hamas are released from captivity.
Houthis say Israeli-, US- and British-owned ships banned from transiting through Red Sea
Ships that are wholly or partially owned by Israeli individuals or entities and Israel-flagged vessels are banned from the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, say statements from an agency controlled by Yemen’s Houthi group seen by Reuters.
The statements, sent to shipping insurers and firms from the Houthis’ Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, also said ships owned by US or British individuals or entities, or sailing under their flags, are also banned.
IDF says it carried out airstrikes against Hezbollah sites in Lebanon after missile fire on northern Israel
The IDF says it carried out airstrikes with fighter jets against Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon a short while ago.
The targets included a building in Maroun al-Ras and other infrastructure belonging to the terror group in Kafr Kila and Khaim.
After missile fire on Kiryat Shmona and Kfar Yuval this morning, the IDF says it shelled the launch sites in southern Lebanon with artillery.
The IDF also says a tank shelled an area near Jebbayn.
מטוסי קרב תקפו לפני זמן קצר מבנה צבאי של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב מרון א-ראס ותשתיות טרור של הארגון במרחבים כפר כילא ואל-חיאם. כמו כן, טנק של צה"ל ירה במרחב אל ג'יבין.
בשעות האחרונות זוהו שיגורים משטח לבנון לשטח ישראל במרחבים קריית שמונה וכפר יובל, צה"ל תקף את מקורות הירי pic.twitter.com/Rg7vNFs1IW
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) February 22, 2024
White House Middle East adviser Brett McGurk to discuss possible hostage talks with Netanyahu later today
White House Special Envoy Brett McGurk is in Israel and will be meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi this afternoon to discuss potential hostage talks and a looming IDF operation in Rafah.
Later this evening, the war cabinet will meet, followed by the full national security cabinet.
Victim of Route 1 terror attack identified as Matan Elmaliah, 26, from Ma’ale Adumim
The victim of the terror attack on Route 1 near Ma’ale Adumim has been identified as Matan Elmaliah, 26, a resident of the West Bank settlement city, Hebrew media reports.
Eleven other people were injured in the shooting, including a pregnant woman who is in serious but stable condition.
Palestinian reports: Head of Birzeit University student council detained by Israeli forces
A Palestinian student in a Hamas shirt is tossed in the air during a rally supporting the group as they celebrate a victory in student elections at Birzeit University on the outskirts of Ramallah on May 19, 2022. (Abbas Momani/AFP)
Palestinian media outlets report that the president of the student council at Birzeit University was detained by Israeli forces operating in the area a short while ago.
According to reports, a second student at the university was also detained.
Birzeit University is located close to the Palestinian West Bank city of Ramallah and it has 25 Hamas representatives on its student council.
23 US citizens killed in IDF service since start of ground operation in Gaza – report
Some 23 US citizens have fallen in Israeli service since the start of the ground operation in Gaza, comprising almost 10% of the IDF death toll, the Washington Post reports.
Twenty-one of that number died fighting in Gaza.
In addition, at least 32 US citizens were killed by Hamas on October 7, and 11 were taken hostage. Six Americans are still in Hamas captivity in Gaza.
Shin Bet sought government approval for strike on Hamas leader Sinwar 5 times since 2011 – report
Since Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was released from prison back to the Gaza Strip in the Gilad Shalit exchange in 2011, there have been multiple attempts by the Shin Bet to get the government to approve a strike on him, according to Yedioth Ahronoth’s Nadav Eyal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vetoed the killing of Sinwar five times, Eyal writes, looking to avoid sparking a war with Hamas.
During his candidacy, Naftali Bennett actively looked into the idea. After the terror attack in Elad in May 2022, according to the report, the Shin Bet again pushed a plan to assassinate Hamas’s leader, but the IDF opposed it.
Then-defense minister Benny Gantz was also against a strike, believing Hamas was deterred.
Eyal does not cite a source, but the piece does appear to reflect the Shin Bet placing responsibility on the political leadership.
Facing blood shortages, Health Ministry joins MDA in call for donors
The Health Ministry joins Magen David Adom in calling for people to donate blood following the deadly terror attack near Ma’ale Adumim earlier this morning.
“Due to a shortage of blood for transfusions, the Health Ministry and the Magen David Adom’s blood services are calling for people to come and donate blood at the donation points throughout the country,” the ministry says in a short statement.
China at the World Court: Palestinians have the right to ‘armed struggle’ against Israelis
China's Ma Xinmin addresses the International Court of Justice in a case regarding the impact of Israel's activities in the West Bank on Palestinians, February 22, 2024. (Screenshot)
On the fourth day of public hearings at the International Court of Justice on Palestinian representatives’ accusation that Israel is creating a permanent and illegal occupation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, China argues that Palestinians have the right to engage in “armed struggle” against Israel.
Taking to the stand ahead of Iran, Ma Xinmin, a Chinese Foreign Ministry legal adviser, argues that “in pursuit of the right to self-determination” the Palestinian people have the right to the “use of force to resist foreign oppression and to complete the establishment of the Palestinian state.”
Citing examples of “various people [who] freed themselves from colonial rule” through armed resistance, he argues that acts of violence against Israelis by Palestinians are not terrorism but rather legitimate armed struggle.
“Numerous other resolutions recognize the legitimacy of struggle by all available means including armed struggle by people under colonial domination or foreign occupation to realize the right of self-determination,” Ma tells the ICJ.
UK maritime agency: US-led forces responding to Houthi missile attack off coast of Yemen
Two missiles were fired at a vessel in an attack southeast of the Yemeni port city of Aden a short while ago, causing a fire onboard, Britain’s maritime agency says.
US-led coalition forces are responding to the incident, which took place 70 nautical miles from Aden in the direction of the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency says without elaborating.
“It has been reported that a vessel was attacked by two missiles, resulting in a fire on board,” the UKMTO says.
UKMTO WARNING INCIDENT 037 – UPDATE 001
ATTACK
Warnings – 2024 (https://t.co/5An1YH0JyE)#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/sXwpScJ4tw
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) February 22, 2024
Shaare Zedek: Pregnant woman seriously injured in shooting is undergoing ‘significant surgery’
Dr. Alon Schwartz, head of the trauma department at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, speaks to the press after a terror shooting attack on Route 1 near Ma'ale Adumim, February 22, 2024. (Screenshot, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
A 23-year-old pregnant woman was seriously injured in this morning’s shooting attack, Dr. Alon Schwartz, head of the trauma department at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, says in a statement to the press.
The woman is undergoing “significant surgery” but is in a stable condition and there is no risk to her life at present, he says.
Asked about the health of the fetus, he says it is “too early” to know if there’ll be any long-term impact on its development or the pregnancy, but that no issues were found during an initial examination.
In addition to the pregnant woman, three other people wounded in the attack are undergoing treatment at Shaare Zedek. One of the wounded is undergoing surgery currently and a second will enter the operating room later in the day, he says.
Praising deadly West Bank attack, Hamas calls it the ‘natural response’ to ongoing war in Gaza
Hamas issues a statement praising the terror attack near Ma’ale Adumim and calling the deadly shooting “a natural response” to the war in Gaza, Arabic-language media outlets report.
“The heroic operation is a natural response to the Occupation’s massacres and crimes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,” the terror group says of the attack, referring to Israel.
The statement also refers to the upcoming month of Ramadan and Israel’s efforts to minimize the security risks during the holiday, saying that “the Occupation’s invasion of Jerusalem and its plans to prevent worshipers from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan will not bring it security.”
Hamas-run health ministry says Gaza death toll at 29,410
Palestinian men check the rubble of the al-Faruq mosque on February 22, 2024, following an overnight Israeli air strike in Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. (Said Khatib/AFP)
A total of 29,410 Palestinians have been killed and 69,465 have been injured in Gaza since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
These figures cannot be independently verified, and are believed to include both civilians and Hamas members killed in Gaza, including as a consequence of terror groups’ own rocket misfires.
The IDF says it has killed some 12,000 operatives in Gaza, in addition to some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.
In wake of terror attack, Magen David Adom appeals for blood donors
In the wake of the deadly shooting on Route 1, Magen David Adom calls for people to donate blood to ensure that supplies don’t run low in the event of further attacks.
“In order to maintain the supply of required blood for transfusions in these days, Magen David Adom appeals to the public to come tomorrow and over the next week to MDA donation points throughout the country and donate blood,” the organization says.
Abandoned cargo ship damaged in Houthi strike to be towed from Red Sea to Djibouti within days
Members of the Yemeni Coast Guard affiliated with the Iran-backed Houthi group patrol the sea as demonstrators march through the Red Sea port city of Hodeida in solidarity with the people of Gaza on January 4, 2024. (AFP)
A cargo ship abandoned in the Gulf of Aden after an attack by Yemeni rebels remains afloat and could be towed to Djibouti this week, its operator tells AFP.
Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, British-registered and Lebanese-operated cargo ship carrying combustible fertilizer, was damaged in Sunday’s missile strike claimed by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Its crew was evacuated to Djibouti after one missile hit the side of the ship, causing water to enter the engine room and its stern to sag, its operator, the Blue Fleet Group says.
A second missile hit the vessel’s deck without causing major damage, Blue Fleet CEO Roy Khoury tells AFP.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels had claimed on Monday the attack on the ship, saying it was “at risk of potential sinking in the Gulf of Aden” after receiving “extensive damage.”
Khoury says the ship was still afloat and shares an image captured on Wednesday that shows its stern low in the water.
“She will be towed to Djibouti but the tugboat has not yet arrived,” Khoury says. “It should be there in two to three days.”
Smotrich demands construction of thousands of West Bank housing units in response to deadly terror attack
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads a Religious Zionism party faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 12, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Hard-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demands the approval of a plan for thousands of new housing units in Ma’ale Adumim and nearby settlements in response to the deadly shooting on Route 1.
“The serious attack on Ma’ale Adumim must have a decisive security response but also an answer from the settlements,” he writes on X, formerly Twitter.
“I demand the prime minister approve the convening of the higher planning council and immediately approve plans for thousands of housing units in Ma’ale Adumim and the entire region,” he continues, referring to the Defense Ministry body responsible for authorizing West Bank construction.
“Our enemies know that any harm to us will lead to more construction and more development and more of our control across the entire country.”
Lebanese media: Israeli artillery striking targets in south Lebanon
Lebanese media outlets report that Israeli artillery is striking targets in southern Lebanon towns close to the border.
The reports come a short while after two anti-tank missiles were fired at northern Israel, one of which hit a home in Yuval.
There was no immediate comment from the IDF.
Terror shooting victim identified by medics as man in his 20s
A man in his 20s was killed in the terror shooting attack near Ma’ale Adumim, medics say.
The Magen David Adom Ambulance service says it treated a total of 12 people, including the man in his 20s who was declared dead at the scene.
A woman aged 23 is listed in serious condition, and four others are in moderate condition, including a woman in her 30s, a man aged 23, a man aged 51, and a woman aged 52, MDA says.
Another five people were treated for minor injuries and acute anxiety, it adds.
Two of the terrorists were killed by security forces at the scene, while the third was detained and his condition is not clear.
Ben Gvir at scene of shooting: Right to life for Jews more important than Palestinian freedom of movement
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the scene of a deadly terror attack on Route 1 near Ma'ale Adumim, in the West Bank, February 22, 2024 (Jamal Awad/Flash90).
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir arrives at the scene of the terror shooting attack on the Route 1 highway between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim.
“An extremely large disaster was avoided here, thanks to the police and the armed citizens,” Ben Gvir says in a statement to the press at the scene of the attack in which one person was killed and eight others were injured.
“We’re distributing more and more guns. I think that today, everyone understands that guns save lives,” the far-right minister continues.
“Six months ago I said that the right to life is more important than the right to free movement for residents of the Palestinian Authority,” he continues, stressing the point twice more. “The right to life for Jewish residents in the West Bank is more important than the freedom of movement for residents of the Palestinian Authority.”
“I expect that there will be more and more checkpoints, that there will be restrictions. Our enemies do not look for excuses, our enemies just want to harm us,” he adds.
He also indicates that he will be seeking restrictions on access to prayers at the Al-Aqsa compound atop the Temple Mount for Muslims on Ramadan. And he says, in an aside, that there is no such as the Palestinian people.
Shin Bet identifies terrorists from deadly shooting as brothers Muhammad and Kathem Zawahra, and Ahmed Al-Wahsh
Police at the scene of a terror shooting attack on Route 1 near Ma'ale Adumim, in the West Bank, February 22, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The terrorists who carried out the deadly shooting near Ma’ale Adumim are identified by the Shin Bet as Muhammad Zawahra, 26, and his brother Kathem Zawahra, 31, both residents of the Bethlehem area village of Ta’amra, and Ahmed Al-Wahsh, 31, a resident of Za’atara, also in the Bethlehem area.
Kathem Zawahra had been previously jailed for entering Israel illegally, the Shin Bet says.
Kremlin: Biden’s comments about Putin being a ‘crazy SOB’ debase the United States
The Kremlin says Joe Biden’s remark about President Vladimir Putin debased the United States and those who use such vocabulary – and was a poor attempt to appear like a “Hollywood cowboy.”
“The use of such language against the head of another state by the president of the United States is unlikely to infringe on our president, President Putin,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says.
“But it debases those who use such vocabulary.”
US President Joe Biden called Putin a “crazy SOB” during a fundraiser in San Francisco yesterday, warning there is always the threat of nuclear conflict but that the existential threat to humanity remains climate.
IDF says troops killed dozens of Hamas operatives over last day in Gaza City, Khan Younis
IDF soldiers operate inside the Gaza Strip in an undated photo published on February 22, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF says it is continuing a large-scale operation in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, during which troops have been raiding Hamas sites and killing Hamas operatives.
Over the past day, the IDF says the 215th Artillery Regiment directed airstrikes against some 10 Hamas sites in Zeitoun, as the 401st Armored Brigade killed some 20 operatives in the area.
The 401st Brigade also destroyed numerous Hamas sites in the Gaza City neighborhood, the IDF says.
Nearby, in central Gaza, the IDF says the Nahal Brigade located and destroyed a rocket launcher that would have been used in an attack on Israel.
Meanwhile, in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, the 7th Armored Brigade killed more than 15 Hamas operatives; the Givati Brigade ambushed a Hamas cell with sniper fire; and the Commando Brigade located a cache of weapons and documents, according to the IDF.
Also in southern Gaza, the Navy carried out strikes against vessels belonging to Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the IDF adds.
Far-right Settlements Minister Orit Strock says ‘unjust’ freedom of movement to blame for terror attack
Orit Strock, national missions and settlements minister, attends a Religious Zionism faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, January 8, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)
Far-right Settlements Minister Orit Strock writes on X that the terrorists took “advantage of the reckless and unjust ‘freedom of movement’ which also allows terrorists… to travel alongside us on our arterial roads (while they have alternative roads)” — a reference to the use of West Bank roads by both Israelis and Palestinians.
She writes the greater number of cars on the shared roads “creates traffic congestion and traffic jams that generate victims for terrorist attacks. It’s time to fix this, our blood is no less red.”
Terrorists who carried out deadly shooting: Residents of Bethlehem area armed with multiple guns, a grenade
This handout photo from police shows weapons used by Palestinian terrorists in a shooting attack near Ma'ale Adumim, February 22, 2024. (Israel Police)
Police say the three Palestinian terrorists who carried out the deadly shooting attack near the az-Za’ayyem checkpoint, between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim, were armed with assault rifles, makeshift submachine guns, and a grenade.
The trio are identified by police as residents of the Bethlehem area.
They had opened fire at Israelis waiting in traffic while heading toward Jerusalem, a few hundred meters before the checkpoint.
Two were shot by security forces and armed civilians at the scene, while the third initially fled and was “neutralized” a short while later during police searches of the area, police say.
One person was killed and eight others were wounded, including two in serious condition, according to medical officials.
Anti-tank missile from Lebanon hits home in Yuval, second falls in open area near Kiryat Shmona
Two anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel in the last hour, according to local authorities.
One of the missiles hit a home in Yuval, while the second struck an open area near Kiryat Shmona, the Upper Galilee Regional Council says.
There are no reports of injuries in the attacks.
The IDF is responding with artillery shelling, the council adds.
Five wounded in terror attack arrive at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem
Five people wounded to varying degrees in the shooting terror attack on the Route 1 highway between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim have arrived at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center for treatment, the hospital says in a short statement.
Hadassah Medical Center says a man in his 20s who was moderately wounded in the attack has arrived at the hospital, and others are expected to arrive shortly.
MDA reports one killed in shooting attack near Ma’ale Adumim
Police at the scene of a terror shooting attack outside of Ma'aleh Adumim in the West Bank. February 22, 22024. (Chaim Goldberg/FLASH90)
One of the victims of the shooting attack near Ma’ale Adumim has died, MDA director Eli Bin tells Channel 12 news.
Eight more people are wounded in the attack, including two in serious condition, Bin says.
He says three are listed in moderate condition, and three more were treated for acute anxiety.
Third Palestinian terrorist shot by security forces after fleeing scene of attack on Route 1
This handout photo from police shows one of the weapons used by a Palestinian terrorist in a shooting attack near Ma'ale Adumim, February 22, 2024. (Israel Police)
Police say three Palestinian terrorists carried out the attack near the az-Za’ayyem checkpoint, between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim.
The trio opened fire with “automatic weapons” at Israelis waiting in traffic while heading toward Jerusalem, a few hundred meters before the checkpoint.
Two of the gunmen were shot by security forces at the scene, while the third initially fled, before also being shot a short while later, following police searches in the area.
Turkish foreign minister calls for urgent ceasefire in Gaza, condemns ‘savagery’ of war
Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan delivers a speech at the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), about security measures, against terrorism, in Ankara, on January 16, 2024. (Adem ALTAN / AFP)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on the international community to take a more active role toward an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during talks at the G20 meeting in Brazil, a Turkish diplomatic source says.
Turkey, which has harshly criticized Israel for its war with the ruling Hamas terror group in Gaza and backed measures to have it tried for genocide at the World Court, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire.
Unlike its Western allies and some Gulf nations, NATO member Turkey does not view Hamas, which carried out the deadly terror onslaught inside Israel on October 7 in which they massacred some 1,200 people, as a terrorist organization.
Fidan told a G20 foreign ministers meeting in Rio de Janeiro yesterday that the “savagery” in Gaza must be stopped, and discussed steps to achieve an urgent ceasefire and get more aid into the enclave during talks with counterparts from the United States, Germany, and Egypt, the source says.
“Steps that can be taken to achieve a full ceasefire as soon as possible were discussed,” during talks between Fidan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the source says, adding that Fidan also discussed “concrete steps” to stop the fighting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
“The fact that a decision on a ceasefire did not come out of the UN Security Council once again, has shown that reform is a must,” Fidan told a session at the G20 meeting, according to one of his aides, referring to a third US veto on a ceasefire call at the 15-member body.
MDA director says eight people wounded in terror shooting, three seriously
Magen David Adom director Eli Bin says eight people were wounded in the terror shooting attack near az-Za’ayyem checkpoint, between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim.
He tells Channel 12 news that the victims include three seriously wounded and two moderately hurt.
At least two Palestinian gunmen carried out the attack, police say.
The terrorists reportedly opened fire at vehicles waiting to pass through the checkpoint.
Two Palestinian terrorists ‘neutralized’ at scene of shooting attack – police
Police say at least two Palestinian terrorists were “neutralized” at the scene of the attack between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim.
In a short statement, police say forces are scanning the area for possible additional attackers.
The shooting attack reportedly took place near the az-Za’ayyem checkpoint.
Medics say at least six people were wounded, some of them seriously, in the attack.
At least six wounded in suspected terror shooting attack near Ma’ale Adumim
At least six people are wounded in a suspected terror shooting attack on the Route 1 highway between Jerusalem and the West Bank’s Ma’ale Adumim, medics say.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service says some of the victims are seriously wounded.
There is no immediate comment from police.
Palestinian media reports at least three killed in overnight airstrikes in Rafah
Smoke billows in the sky following Israeli bombardment on a mosque in Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip on February 22, 2024, amid the war between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas. (Mohammed Abed/AFP)
Palestinian media outlets report at least three killed in Israeli airstrikes in the southernmost Gaza city of Rafah overnight.
The strikes were primarily conducted in the neighborhoods of Al-Shaboura and El-Geneina, according to the reports.
Across the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run health ministry says that 99 people had been killed around Gaza during the night, although this claim cannot be verified.
There was no immediate comment from the IDF.
Father and son shot and killed inside a vehicle in Tira overnight
Two men, aged 23 and 54, were shot and killed overnight while in a car in the central Israel city of Tira, the Israel Police says, adding that the circumstances of the shooting are under investigation.
The Kan public broadcaster reports that the two men were father and son, although their identities have not been made public.
Their deaths bring the number of Arab Israelis killed in violent incidents since the start of the year to 24.
IDF confirms Arrow system downed missile over Red Sea, in apparent Houthi attack
The IDF says the long-range Arrow air defense system intercepted a missile — apparently launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen — over the Red Sea that was heading for Israel.
The apparent ballistic missile, fired toward Eilat, did not enter Israeli airspace when it was shot down, and sirens sounded in the southern city according to protocol, the IDF adds.
The Houthis have fired several ballistic missiles and drones at Eilat, in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, where Israel is battling Hamas terrorists. All of the projectiles have been intercepted or missed their target.
This morning’s Arrow interception was its sixth interception of a ballistic missile, all of which occurred amid the war in Gaza. Cruise missiles and drones launched by the Houthis in recent months have been taken out by Israeli fighter jets.
Warning sirens activated in Eilat and surrounding area
A screenshot from social media video filmed in EIlat shows an apparent interception of a missile over the Red Sea, February 22, 2024. (X. Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Incoming rocket sirens sound in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat and the surrounding area, the first time they’ve been activated there in over a month.
There is no immediate statement from the military.
Footage posted to social media shows what appears to be the aftermath of an interception over the Red Sea.
Reports of an interception over the Red Sea, following sirens that sounded in Eilat. pic.twitter.com/SmWC7UeIMG
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) February 22, 2024
Amid the war in Gaza, the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have attempted to fire drones and missiles at Eilat, though in all the attempts the projectiles were either intercepted or missed their target.
US says it struck Houthi anti-ship missiles and drone that posed ‘imminent threat’
WASHINGTON — The US military says it destroyed seven anti-ship missiles, one missile launcher and a drone originating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
The US military’s Central Command says the missiles, the launcher and the drone “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the US Navy ships in the region.”
UK to weigh halting arms exports to Israel if offensive launched in Rafah — report
Smoke billows in the sky following Israeli bombardment on a mosque in Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip on February 22, 2024, amid the war between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas. (Mohammed Abed/AFP)
The British government will weigh a potential suspension of weapons exports to Israel if it moves forward with a ground offensive in Gaza’s Rafah, according to a report in the Guardian.
Citing ministerial sources, the British daily said the United Kingdom has yet to make any decision regarding a suspension of arms export licenses, but that it could quickly act if ministers were given legal advice that Israel is violating international law.
At fundraiser, Biden calls Putin ‘a crazy SOB’
US President Joe Biden, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk in a hall during their meeting at the 'Villa la Grange' in Geneva, Switzerland, June 16, 2021. (Mikhail Metzel/Pool Photo via AP)
WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden calls Russian President Vladimir Putin a “crazy SOB” during a fundraiser in San Francisco, warning there is always the threat of nuclear conflict but that the existential threat to humanity remains climate. “This is the last existential threat. It is climate. We have a crazy SOB like that guy Putin and others and we always have to worry about nuclear conflict, but the existential threat to humanity is climate,” Biden tells a small group of donors.
Biden has previously cursed “son of a bitch” at others. In January 2022, he was caught on the hot mic using the same term of abuse against a Fox News White House reporter.
Overnight Israeli strikes reported in Rafah and other Gaza locales
Palestinian media outlets linked to Hamas report overnight Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, including its southernmost city of Rafah.
72-year-old Bat Yam woman stabbed to death; husband arrested for suspected murder
A 72-year-old woman from Bat Yam has died after sustaining critical stab wounds.
Police have arrested her husband, 83, on suspicion of murdering her.
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