July 3: Israeli officials say latest Hamas response workable, but allege PM harming talks

Rocket sirens sound in south

Rocket alerts are sounding in Sufa and Holit near the Gaza border.

Israeli forces begin razing home of Palestinian charged with murdering Israeli teen

Israeli forces are currently operating in the West Bank town of Duma to demolish the home of Ahmed Dawabsha, who was indicted last month for the grizzly murder of 14-year-old Benjamin Achimeir in April.

Macron urges Netanyahu to prevent ‘conflagration’ between Israel and Hezbollah

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron (L), as they hold a joint press conference in Jerusalem on October 24, 2023. (Christophe Ena/Pool/AFP)

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron urged leader Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent a “conflagration” between Israel and Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, during a telephone call between the two leaders.

Macron “reiterated his serious concern over a deepening of tensions between Hezbollah and Israel… and underscored the absolute need to prevent a conflagration that would harm the interests of Lebanon as well as Israel,” the French presidency says in a statement.

He also insists on the “urgency for all parties to move rapidly toward a diplomatic solution” to end the conflict sparked by the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

“The two leaders discussed the diplomatic efforts underway toward this,” the Elysee Palace says, ahead of a visit by the US envoy for the conflict, Amos Hochstein, to Paris on Wednesday.

Hochstein is scheduled to meet with Macron’s Lebanon envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian following visits to Israel and Lebanon in June to try to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.

Macron also called on Netanyahu to refrain from any “new operation” in Gaza near Rafah or Khan Younis, “which would only aggravate the human toll and a humanitarian situation that is already catastrophic,” the Elysee says.

Macron and Netanyahu also discussed recent “developments” in Iran’s nuclear program, in particular reports of “the installation of new centrifuges” for enriching uranium.

In mid-June, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Tehran was further expanding its nuclear capabilities, with Western nations fearing the country is pursuing nuclear weapons following the US withdrawal from a 2015 deal to limit its atomic program.

The IAEA has said that Tehran has significantly ramped up its nuclear program and now has enough material to build several atomic bombs, though Iran says it is only for peaceful purposes.

“France, with its partners, remains fully committed to continuing to exert pressure on the Iranian government, which must respect its international obligations and fully cooperate with the IAEA,” Macron’s office says.

IDF compiling data on young Haredi men who work, intends to enlist them first — report

Following last month’s dramatic High Court ruling, the military has begun gathering the income tax data of young ultra-Orthodox men, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

According to the report, the Israel Defense Forces intends to first send draft notices to employed Haredi men as it works to comply with the attorney general’s order to start conscripting 3,000 members of the community.

White House says Biden likely to meet Netanyahu when he’s in DC to address Congress

US President Joe Biden (left) with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023. (Haim Zach/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely meet with US President Joe Biden when the Israeli premier is in Washington later this month to address a joint session of Congress, the White House says.

“The President has known Prime Minister Netanyahu for three decades. They will likely see each other when the prime minister is here over the course of that week, but we have nothing to announce at this time,” a White House official tells The Times of Israel.

Netanyahu is slated to address Congress on July 24.

IDF says fighter jets launched overnight strikes on Hezbollah sites in south Lebanon

Israeli fighter jets struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon overnight, the IDF says.

The targets included a building used by the terror group in Aitaroun, and infrastructure in Blida, Yaroun, and Tayr Harfa, according to the military.

The army says it also shelled areas near Labbouneh and Shihine with artillery to “remove threats.”

Security forces begin to clear illegal West Bank outpost; rioters burn tires

Security forces have begun to evacuate the illegal Tzur Harel outpost in the West Bank, Hebrew-language media reports.

According to Army Radio, dozens of officers are involved in the operation to clear the outpost which was built on land privately owned by Palestinians.

Reports say that rioters set fire to tires and tried to prevent the security forces from reaching the outpost.

The illegal Oz Zion outpost was first built in 2005 and has been torn down by the Israeli military and rebuilt multiple times.

Biden blames world travel jetlag for debate performance: ‘Nearly fell asleep on stage’

US President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the D.C. Emergency Operations Center, July 2, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

US President Joe Biden acknowledges his performance during last Thursday’s presidential debate wasn’t his best, but blames it on jet lag after two overseas trips earlier in June.

Biden has faced mounting questions about his 2024 reelection bid after last week’s shaky debate performance, with one House of Representatives fellow Democrat on Tuesday publicly calling on him to withdraw from the race.

Speaking at a campaign event in McLean, Virginia, Biden admits the debate against former US President Donald Trump, his Republican rival, did not go well.

“I didn’t have my best night, but the fact is that you know, I wasn’t very smart,” Biden says, speaking at the campaign fundraiser without the aid of a teleprompter. “I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones … before … the debate.

“Didn’t listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage,” he says. “That’s no excuse but it is an explanation.”

Biden traveled to France and Italy during two separate trips in the space of two weeks last month, flying overnight from the Group of Seven summit in Bari, Italy, to appear at a fundraiser with former President Barack Obama in Los Angeles on June 15 before returning to Washington the following day.

He then spent six days at Camp David preparing for the June 27 debate.

White House officials have blamed Biden’s halting performance during the debate on a cold. Biden did not mention being sick during the fundraiser.

Starmer, antisemitism czar slam Conservatives for criticizing Labour leader’s vow to spend Friday nights with family

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks during a live TV debate, hosted by The BBC, in Nottingham, on June 26, 2024, in the build-up to the UK general election on July 4. (Phil Noble / POOL / AFP)

Keir Starmer, whose Labour Party is widely expected to win tomorrow’s UK election, slams an attack by his Conservative rivals in which they questioned his work ethic over his statement that he intends to continue to spend time with his family on Friday evenings.

Starmer’s wife Victoria is Jewish, and the Labour leader has previously said Friday night dinners are an important tradition in the family.

“They’re just in this negative desperate loop. And it is really desperate. My family’s really important to me as they will be to every single person watching this,” Starmer says, according to The Guardian. “And I just think it’s increasing desperation, bordering on hysterical now.”

On Monday, Starmer said: “We’ve had a strategy in place and we’ll try to keep to it, which is to carve out really protected time for the kids, so on a Friday — I’ve been doing this for years — I will not do a work-related thing after 6 o’clock, pretty well come what may. There are a few exceptions, but that’s what we do.”

In response, the Conservative Party said Starmer would be “a part-time prime minister,” in an attack also slammed by the government’s antisemitism adviser Lord Mann.

“The attack on Keir Starmer for asserting his right to family time on a Friday night, as he has done for many, many years, is so dangerous,” Mann says.

Report: No more than 2 or 3 people know Sinwar’s whereabouts, Hamas leader won’t consider exile

Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, greets his supporters during a meeting with leaders of Palestinian factions at his office in Gaza City, April 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Only two or three people know the whereabouts of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, sources from the terror group tell London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

“A very small circle of no more than two or three people at most knows his whereabouts and secures his various needs, as well as ensuring his communication with the movement’s leaders inside and outside,” a source tells the outlet.

“[Israel] failed to reach many of the first and second-tier leaders [of Hamas] on the political and military levels, but it tried to assassinate some of them, some of whom were injured, and some of whom survived and came out unharmed from bombing operations in different areas and targets, but Sinwar is not among them,” the source says.

The report says sources did not specify whether Sinwar was hiding above ground or in tunnels. In February, the Israel Defense Forces released footage of what it said was Sinwar walking through a Gaza tunnel with several of his family members on October 10.

Sources close to the Hamas leader tell the outlet that they believe Sinwar will not consider a deal that would see him exiled.

“Sinwar is thinking of two options, with no third option as long as he is alive — either to fulfill the resistance’s conditions of stopping the war, the withdrawal of the occupation forces, and completing an honorable exchange deal, or to obtain the honor of martyrdom,” a source says.

“Beyond that, in his personal thinking, there are no other options. Such a proposal [exile from Gaza] is fundamentally unacceptable for Sinwar, and he cannot even think about it,” the source says.

It has been reported in the past that Israel could be open to a deal that would see the October 7 mastermind exiled from the Gaza Strip. Israel had previously pledged that all the leaders of the Hamas terror group in Gaza would be killed or captured.

US envoy Hochstein to meet Macron’s Lebanon envoy Le Drian for talks on Hezbollah-Israel fighting

Senior Advisor to US President Joe Biden Amos Hochstein in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 11, 2024 (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

US envoy Amos Hochstein is set to meet in Paris with Macron’s Lebanon envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian amid concerns of full-blown war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Last month Hochstein visited Israel and Lebanon as part of efforts to resolve the situation.

While in Beirut, Hochstein said that a diplomatic solution between Israel and Hezbollah was “achievable and it is urgent.”

The Iran-backed terror group, an ally of Hamas, began near-daily attacks on communities and military outposts in northern Israel on October 8.

So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in 10 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 15 IDF soldiers and reservists.

Hezbollah has named 357 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 65 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have been killed.

Tens of thousands of civilians have evacuated their homes in both northern Israel and southern Lebanon. The fighting has caused huge amounts of damage in both places.

Hostage’s father says he’ll follow PM to Washington and protest against him there

Yehuda Cohen, father of Nimrod Cohen, a soldier who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, speaks at a hostage families rally outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on April 7, 2024. (Paulina Patimer/Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

The father of hostage Nimrod Cohen says he will follow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his upcoming trip to the United States, and demonstrate against him in Washington, DC.

“What did Netanyahu say? ‘There will be nothing because there is nothing,'” Yehuda Cohen says, referencing the prime minister’s 2017 response to a corruption investigation into him.

“They talk, but nothing happens. The Israeli government gives prisoners, so why should they [Hamas] release hostages?” Cohen tells the Ynet news site.

“Netanyahu will cushion himself with sympathy in the US, and we cannot stand by. Without Netanyahu disappearing from the political map, there will be no progress in the [hostage] deal,” Cohen says.

On Monday, Israel released the director of Shifa Hospital from jail, reportedly along with some 55 other Palestinian detainees, and sent him back to the Gaza Strip.

Amid political furor over Muhammad Abu Salmiya’s release, ministers and senior security officials traded blame and sought to avoid responsibility.

Settlers throw Molotov cocktails, rocks at forces demolishing illegal West Bank outpost

A vehicle burns as settlers attack Civil Administration and Border Police personnel involved in demolishing the illegal West Bank outpost Tzur Harel, July 3, 2024 (Civil Administration)

Extremist settler activists violently attack Civil Administration and Border Police personnel involved in evacuating and demolishing the illegal West Bank outpost of Tzur Harel.

The rioters throw Molotov cocktails at the forces, the Civil Administration says, after having burnt tires and set a vehicle on fire at the entrance to the outpost when the forces arrived to evacuate the site.

The settler activists also stick their legs in concrete as part of their efforts to resist evacuation.

Following the demolition of six makeshift buildings at Tzur Harel during the operation, masked rioters throw rocks down at passing vehicles driving on a nearby road, including those of security personnel.

One rock hits the car of a Civil Administration official, smashing his windscreen.

According to the Civil Administration which runs civil affairs in the West Bank, Tzur Harel was illegally built on private Palestinian land.

A large number of Border Police personnel, some 70 officers, were dispatched to the outpost for the evacuation due to indications that there would be violent resistance to evacuation efforts.

According to sources familiar with the situation at Tzur Harel, the outpost has been the source of violent nationalistic activity, which led Civil Administration head Brig. Gen. Hisham Ibrahim to conduct a swift operation to remove the outpost that was approved by the “political echelon.”

IDF: Some 50 terror sites destroyed in Gaza City’s Shejaiya over past day

Israeli soldiers operate in the Gaza Strip in an undated photo released for publication on July 3, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Some 50 sites belonging to terror groups in Gaza City’s Shejaiya were demolished by the Paratroopers Brigade over the past day, the IDF says.

The military says the paratroopers located tunnels shafts and caches of weapons during raids in the Shejaiya area.

Meanwhile, in southern Gaza’s Rafah, the IDF says its airstrikes destroyed more sites and killed several operatives. And in the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza, it carried out drone strikes against additional operatives, the military adds.

Egypt’s PM set to reshuffle cabinet; EU envoy Badr Abdelatty reportedly to head Foreign Ministry

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly’s cabinet is set for a long-awaited reshuffle, local media reports, with changes including new finance and foreign ministers expected to be sworn in today.

The new government faces challenges including the Gaza war on its border, economic woes and persistent power cuts which have frustrated Egyptians and shut down some factories.

State television reports that Ahmed Kouchouk is set to become finance minister and faces perhaps the biggest challenge in managing a stumbling economy and skyrocketing debt.

At the foreign ministry, state TV citing local channel ExtraNews reports that Egypt’s ambassador to the European Union Badr Abdelatty would replace Sameh Shoukry, who has steered the country’s diplomatic efforts to negotiate between Hamas and Israel in their almost nine-month war.

Karim Badawi will be appointed as petroleum minister and Mahmoud Esmat as electricity minister, Egypt’s ExtraNews reported.

Rania al-Mashat, former minister of international cooperation, will be re-appointed as minister for planning, economic development and international cooperation, the outlet says.

Sherif Farouk, chairman of Egypt Post, is set to take over at the supply ministry, media reports say.

IDF demolishes home of Palestinian accused of killing teen in West Bank terror attack

IDF troops demolish the home of Ahmed Dawabsha in the West Bank town of Duma, early July 3, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Overnight, the IDF demolished the home of Ahmed Dawabsha, a Palestinian accused of murdering 14-year-old Benjamin Achimeir in a West Bank terror attack in April.

Achimeir went missing while shepherding near the settlement outpost of Malachei Shalom on April 12. His body was found a day later.

Dawabsha, 21, a resident of the West Bank town of Duma, was arrested on April 22. Last month, he was charged with Achimeir’s murder. According to prosecutors, the attack was inspired by the Islamic State jihadist movement.

The IDF says troops operated in Duma overnight to demolish the home.

As a matter of policy, Israel demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out deadly terror attacks.

Punitive house demolitions of the homes of terrorists and their relatives are a controversial policy, with the state arguing it is an important tool in deterring potential future terrorists, while civil rights campaigners contend the practice constitutes collective punishment and a severe violation of basic rights, while also challenging the efficacy of the policy.

Elsewhere in the West Bank, six wanted Palestinians were detained. Since October 7, troops have arrested some 4,200 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 1,750 affiliated with Hamas, according to the IDF.

Gantz blasts settlers who attacked forces evacuating illegal West Bank outpost: ‘A red line’

Head of the National Unity party Benny Gantz announces he is leaving the government during a press conference in Ramat Gan, June 9, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

National Unity leader Benny Gantz strongly criticizes extremist settlers who attacked Israeli security personnel during an operation to evacuate the illegal West Bank outpost of Tzur Harel.

“Throwing stones and injuring our security forces – [that is] a red line,” says Gantz in a statement to the press following violent scenes.

He calls on all cabinet ministers to condemn the incident and for the rioters to be prosecuted.

“The people of Israel deserve a government that supports its soldiers and police officers,” adds Gantz.

In contrast, MK Limor Son Har Melech of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party accuses the Border Police of violence against the settler activists at Tzur Harel, and says she is “outraged” by the incident.

“Instead of protecting brave Jewish settlers who are fulfilling the Zionist vision, the defense minister and General Yehuda Fox are working against them with excessive violence,” she says, referring to the head of the IDF’s Central Command, which has responsibility for the West Bank.

She also blames Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for failing to stop the demolition of Tzur Harel, in his additional role as minister in the Defense Ministry where he has broad powers over civilian affairs in the West Bank through a Settlements Administration set up within the ministry.

“I know how important the settlements are to Minister Smotrich, and because of that I am astonished and demand that he halt the demolition and direct all the resources of the Settlements Administration to expand and develop the settlements,” says Son Har Melech.

Neither Smotrich nor National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has responsibility for the Police and Border Police, have commented on the incident.

The Border Police says in a statement: “Border Police forces carried out the evacuation in accordance with a decision by the IDF and the Civil Administration. The officers encountered violence, stone throwing, burning tires and a burning car, and the throwing of Molotov cocktails. The officers used crowd dispersal methods.”

Putin set to meet Xi, Erdogan at security summit in Kazakhstan

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands after speaking to the media during a signing ceremony following their talks at The Grand Kremlin Palace, in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2023. (Mikhail Tereshchenko, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping are due to meet at a summit of a Eurasian security and defense club seen by Moscow and Beijing as an instrument to counter the influence of the United States and its allies.

Putin and the Chinese president have expanded the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a club founded in 2001 with Russia, China and Central Asian powers, to include India, Iran and Pakistan as a counterweight to the West.

Putin will hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the July 3-4 SCO summit in the Kazakh capital, Astana, the Kremlin says.

He is due to meet Xi, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and the leaders of Azerbaijan, Mongolia and Pakistan before an informal dinner hosted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

India says Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is expected in Moscow later this month, will not attend. He is sending Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar instead.

Smotrich approved demolition of illegal West Bank outpost – report

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

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a ministerial position in the Defense Ministry, gave approval for this morning’s demolition of the illegal West Bank outpost of Tzur Harel, unnamed defense sources tell the Kan public broadcaster.

The operation was also rubberstamped by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the report says.

According to the outlet, the demolition was approved after a number of attacks on Palestinians in the area by extremist settlers.

Earlier this morning, the settlers violently attacked Civil Administration and Border Police personnel involved in evacuating and demolishing the outpost. The rioters threw Molotov cocktails and rocks at the forces, burnt tires and set a vehicle on fire at the entrance to the outpost when the forces arrived to evacuate the site, the Civil Administration said.

According to the Civil Administration, which runs civil affairs in the West Bank, Tzur Harel was illegally built on private Palestinian land.

Reports of at least 3 wounded in Karmiel stabbing; motive unknown

Medics are responding to reports of at least three wounded in a stabbing incident in the northern city of Karmiel.

Further details are not immediately known.

2 wounded, one of them seriously, in suspected terror stabbing in Karmiel

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says its medics are treating two victims at a shopping mall in Karmiel, following reports of a stabbing attack there.

The incident is being investigated as a suspected terror attack.

Magen David Adom says one of the victims is listed in serious condition.

Police: Assailant ‘neutralized’ after stabbing 2 at Karmiel mall in suspected terror attack

Screenshot of a video showing the aftermath of a terror stabbing at a mall in Karmiel, July 3, 2024. (Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Police say an assailant who stabbed two men in a shopping mall in the northern city of Karmiel was “neutralized.”

One of the victims is seriously wounded, while the other is lightly hurt, according to initial assessments by medics at the scene.

Victims of Karmiel stabbing attack in critical, serious condition – Magen David Adom

The aftermath of a terror stabbing at a mall in Karmiel, July 3, 2024 (Magen David Adom)

The Magen David Adom ambulance service provides an update that the two victims of the suspected terror stabbing attack at a shopping mall in Karmiel are listed in critical and serious condition.

MDA says the two men in their 20s are being taken to Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya.

Mishel Buskila set to replace Yifat Shasha-Biton as New Hope MK

Mishel Buskila is set to replace New Hope MK Yifat Shasha-Biton this week, after the former education minister announced that she was taking a break from politics.

Shasha-Biton presents Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana with her resignation letter after saying yesterday that she was leaving the Knesset because “the current political reality does not allow me to have a significant influence, if any, on the direction of the country.”

After her resignation takes effect on Friday, Buskila will replace her as one of the New Hope faction’s four lawmakers in the Knesset.

An ex-Likud activist and former deputy mayor of Ashkelon, Buskila briefly served as a New Hope MK following the resignation of another lawmaker between August 2022 and the formation of the latest Netanyahu government four months later.

Surveillance camera footage shows stabbing attack at Karmiel shopping mall

Security camera footage from a store in the Karmiel mall where two men were stabbed shows the suspected terror attack.

The surveillance camera film shows the assailant attacking an individual and then soldiers opening fire at him.

Two men were injured in the attack; one is in critical condition and the other is seriously wounded.

Surveillance camera footage shows the stabbing attack at a shopping mall in Karmiel. Soldiers are seen opening fire at the stabber. Two men in their 20s were wounded, one critically and one seriously. pic.twitter.com/OMlpYt25e9

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 3, 2024

Police say terrorist who stabbed 2 in Karmiel was shot dead

Police say the terrorist that carried out the stabbing attack at the mall in Karmiel was shot dead.

The identity of the stabber is not immediately known, a police spokesperson says.

Senior officers are holding an assessment at the scene of the terror attack, the spokesperson adds.

Labor’s Lazimi submits bill to cancel Knesset recess: ‘No justification for elected officials to be on vacation’

Labor MK Naama Lazimi attends a Finance Committee meeting at the Knesset on December 18, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Labor MK Naama Lazimi submits a bill to cancel the upcoming Knesset recess, arguing that “there is no justification for elected officials to be on vacation” during wartime, when the legislature’s oversight responsibilities “are of utmost and critical importance.”

In a statement, she says that the bill — which is signed by Yesh Atid, National Unity and Labor lawmakers — is modeled on one supported by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the 2000s.

“The Knesset going on a three-month recess at the most difficult time the State of Israel has ever known is a real scandal,” the statement says. “It must be established once and for all that in times of emergency the Knesset will not be able to go into recess.”

Opposition parties, along with relatives of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for almost nine months, are up in arms over the Knesset’s upcoming three-month recess, slated to begin at the end of the month and to run until October 27.

Lazimi’s bill is submitted on the heels of a similar proposal by the National Unity party, which argues that the Knesset is currently holding “critical discussions” on issues such as ultra-Orthodox military service, the extension of conscripts’ and reservists’ service, and the rehabilitation of the battered north of the country.

Just as Israeli soldiers “are not going on vacation,” neither should elected officials, the centrist party argued.

At a Knesset House Committee meeting yesterday, lawmakers decided that parliamentary committees will be allowed to hold up to seven meetings during the recess, while the Education, Culture and Sports Committee will be allowed to hold up to eight meetings ahead of the opening of the new school year on September 1.

The number of discussions in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will not be limited given the ongoing war.

Man investigated for suspected terror incitement against AG, police say

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara arrives at a Jerusalem Day conference at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem, June 5, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Police say they have opened a probe into a man suspected of inciting terror against Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara.

The 58-year-old man from the West Bank settlement Alfei Menashe is suspected of making the threats on Telegram.

The Lahav 433 national crime squad questioned the man and then released him under restrictions, police say.

Northern police chief: One of the wounded in Karmiel terror attack managed to shoot attacker

Northern District Police Chief Shuki Tahauko says that one of the two men wounded in a terror attack at a Karmiel mall managed to shoot the attacker and “neutralize” him.

Tahauko says the terrorist arrived at the mall on foot.

Two young men were wounded in the attack. One of them is in critical condition, the second is seriously wounded.

Far-right minister promotes social media post calling for occupation of Sinai Peninsula

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu arrives at a government meeting at the Prime Minister's Office, December 10, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Far-right Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu retweets a social media post promoting merchandise calling for the occupation of the Sinai Peninsula, which Israel returned to Egypt in 1982 as part of the two countries’ landmark 1979 peace treaty.

The tweet calls on the public to purchase a shirt printed with what is supposed to be a map of Israel — including the West Bank, Gaza and Sinai — emblazoned with the slogan “Occupation Now.”

It also contains a link to a website selling “Occupation Now” merchandise and advocating for the expansion of Israeli sovereignty into Sinai, southern Lebanon and, eventually, Jordan.

The original post, which was promoted by Eliyahu, says: “The people demand an occupation! Occupation now!”

A spokesman for the minister does not respond to a request for comment, nor does a spokesman for National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, the leader of Eliyahu’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party.

The Prime Minister’s Office declines to comment when asked for its view on the minister’s post.

Amichai Eliyahu, a member of PM Netanyahu’s cabinet, retweets a post endorsing a website calling for “occupation now” in both Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula (part of Egypt).

The website states “ניפגש בתעלת סואץ” – which in English means “we will meet at the Suez Canal.” pic.twitter.com/vB6XpGuTe3

— Sam Sokol (@SamuelSokol) July 3, 2024

Lebanese media reports Israeli drone strike on vehicle in Tyre

Lebanese media report an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in the coastal city of Tyre.

According to Al-Mayadeen, the strike took place near the Italian Hospital in the city.

Footage from the scene shows the targeted car.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

غارة على سيارة في منطقة #الحوش في قضاء #صور pic.twitter.com/qPXu1YcCwY

— هنا لبنان (@thisislebnews) July 3, 2024

Israel, UN discuss deploying Starlink in Gaza to help humanitarian workers distribute aid – report

Illustrative: Workers unload humanitarian aid from a truck in the northern Gaza Strip's Beit Hanun, May 1, 2024. (Jack Guez / AFP)

Israel and the United Nations are in talks with Elon Musk’s Starlink over the possibility of deploying the satellite communication system in the Gaza Strip to increase protection for humanitarian workers in the enclave, Axios reports.

The UN has told Israel that the system is necessary if aid distribution is to be implemented across the enclave, Israeli officials tell the outlet.

The international body asked to deploy Starlink at its headquarters in the Strip, Israeli officials reportedly say.

However, officials say that Israel is concerned that the system could fall into the hands of Hamas and make it more difficult for the terror group’s communications to be monitored, the outlet says.

Additionally, it was feared that Hamas could exploit the system and use it to help it carry out attacks without detection.

The report cites four unnamed officials — three Israeli and one from the US.

The report says the matter was discussed during Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s recent trip to Washington.

Using a network of low Earth orbit satellites, Starlink can provide internet to remote locations or areas that have had normal communications infrastructure disabled.

AFP contributed to this report.

IDF releases footage of drone strike that killed 4 Islamic Jihad operatives in West Bank’s Nur Shams

The IDF releases footage of last night’s drone strike in the West Bank’s Nur Shams camp, which killed four Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives who were planting roadside bombs.

בפעילות התקפית משותפת של חטיבת מנשה ושב״כ זוהו הלילה מספר מחבלים בנור א-שמס שבמנשה, בעת שניסו להטמין מטענים, בסמוך למרחב בו אירע פיצוץ מטען שלשום.
לאחר זמן קצר כלי טיס חיסל ארבעה מהמחבלים שזוהו כחלק מתשתית הטרור במחנה נור א-שמס: מחמד שחאדה, מחמד כנוח, יזיד שאפע ונמר אבראהים pic.twitter.com/ThC1thYIY7

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) July 3, 2024

Man declared dead after terror stabbing at Karmiel mall

Screenshot of a video showing the aftermath of a terror stabbing at a mall in Karmiel, July 3, 2024. (Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

One of two men wounded in a terror attack at a Karmiel shopping mall has died, Hebrew-language media reports.

The victim is not immediately identified.

Israeli troops carrying out raid in West Bank’s Jenin camp; one gunman shot dead

IDF troops and Border Police officers are carrying out a raid in the West Bank’s Jenin camp, a military source says.

At least one Palestinian gunman was shot dead, according to the source.

Senior Hezbollah field commander killed in Israeli strike in Lebanon – reports

The aftermath of a suspected Israeli strike on a Hezbollah commander in Tyre, July 3, 2024 (Screen grab used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

A source close to Hezbollah says a senior field commander has been killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon.

“A Hezbollah commander responsible for one of three sectors in south Lebanon was killed” in an “Israeli strike on a car in Tyre,” the source says, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The Saudi news outlet Al-Hadath reports that the Hezbollah commander killed in the Israeli strike in Tyre was Abu Ali Nasser, the head of the terror group’s Aziz unit, one of three regional divisions in south Lebanon.

The unit is responsible for the eastern district on the Israel-Lebanon border.

Ministry says mosquitoes carrying West Nile fever virus found across central, southern Israel

Illustrative: Mosquitoes cling to the inside of a jar loaded with repellent during a test as part of a tour of the Centers for Disease Control laboratory, April 4, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (David Zalubowski/AP)

The Environmental Protection Ministry says mosquitoes carrying the West Nile fever virus have been found in Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Kiryat Ono, Petah Tikva, the Lev Hasharon Regional Council, and the Even Yehuda Local Council in the Central District, as well as in Eilat and the Eilot Regional Council in the south of the country.

The ministry directs all authorities to increase monitoring and extermination efforts.

It also asks the public to use repellent to protect themselves against mosquitoes.

Israel announces largest West Bank land appropriation since Oslo Accords

A herd of sheep passes through the Jordan Valley, November 20 2009. (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

The Civil Administration, which manages civilian affairs in the West Bank, has declared 2,965 acres of land in the Jordan Valley region to be state land, meaning it is fit for future development.

According to the Peace Now organization, which campaigns against the West Bank settlements, this is the largest designation of state land since the Oslo Accords in 1993, and follows other large designations of state land including 1,976 acres also in the Jordan Valley in March, 650 acres east of Jerusalem in February, and 42 acres in the Etzion Bloc.

The new declaration involves land some 50 kilometers north of Jericho, immediately adjacent to the 1,976 acres of state land designated in March.

The designation was issued on June 25 but only published today.

The amount of land declared to be state land in 2024, some 5,852 acres as of July, far outstrips any other year this century. The highest previous total was 1,181 acres in 2014.

The Civil Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“[Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich are determined to fight against the entire world and against the interests of the people of Israel for the benefit of a handful of settlers who receive thousands of dunams [each one is a quarter acre] as if there were no political conflict to resolve, or war to end,” says Peace Now.

“Today, it is clear to everyone that this conflict cannot be resolved without a political settlement that establishes a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Still, the Israeli government chooses to actually make it difficult and distance us from the possibility of peace and stopping the bloodshed.”

Group demands authorities begin drafting ultra-Orthodox as ordered by High Court

Ultra-Orthodox Jews clash with police during a protest against the drafting of Haredim to the military, on Route 4 outside of Bnei Brak, June 27, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel demands in a letter to the defense minister, the IDF chief of staff, and the attorney general that they immediately begin issuing conscription orders to ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students following last week’s High Court ruling that the state is obligated to being drafting such men.

“You have the urgent obligation to begin equitable conscription in accordance with the Law for Security Service, specifically for 63,000 haredi yeshiva students for whom recruitment procedures have not yet been taken, or whose service was [previously] postponed,” the Movement for Quality Government writes in its letter.

“Already a week has passed since the day of the ruling and conscription orders have yet to be sent to all 63,000 yeshiva students who are obligated to enlist in accordance with the law and the [court’s] ruling,” the letter said, noting that it appears that “not a single recruitment order was sent.”

Immediately following the High Court ruling, the Attorney General’s Office issued a letter to the IDF and the Defense Ministry instructing them that they were obligated to “act immediately to carry out the ruling to draft yeshiva students who are obligated to perform military service,” and stipulating that at least 4,800 ultra-Orthodox men must be drafted in the 2024 enlistment year.

The Defense Ministry has refused to comment as to what steps it has taken since last Tuesday’s ruling to comply with that order.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday that the IDF needs 10,000 new soldiers in light of losses sustained during the current war.

“We are in the midst of a war and the IDF needs all the manpower it can get,” says Movement for Quality Government chairman Eliad Shraga.

“Failure to draft the ultra-Orthodox at this stage is not just a violation of the High Court’s ruling but also a severe blow to state security and the principle of equality. We are demanding immediate and determined action to draft all yeshiva students who are obligated to perform military service without further delay.”

Arab League official: We still have ‘reservations’ about Hezbollah even after revoking terror status

Mourners carry the coffins of Hezbollah terrorists Mohammed Hussein Qassem and Abbas Ahmed Soror, who were killed by an Israeli strike, during their funeral procession in Aita al-Shaab village, south Lebanon, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Hossam Zaki, assistant secretary-general of the Arab League, says his recent remarks on the forum rescinding Hezbollah’s designation as a terror group have been “misinterpreted.”

On Saturday, Zaki told an Egyptian news outlet that member states of the Arab League have stopped classifying Hezbollah as a terror group.

In his latest statement to reporters, Zaki adds that the step “does not mean that the many reservations and objections over Hezbollah’s behavior, policies, actions and stances have ceased to exist, not only domestically but also regionally,” according to a report in the Lebanese Naharnet newspaper.

Washington criticized the Arab League’s revocation of Hezbollah’s terror designation, which reversed a decision it adopted in 2016, and according to Naharnet was rescinded last year at the Jeddah summit.

“There is no question that Hezbollah remains a dangerous terrorist organization and a destabilizing force in the Middle East,” US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Monday. “We believe that there’s no reason to take steps to remove such a designation, and we have continued to urge governments around the world to designate, ban or restrict Hezbollah. Sixteen governments from across the world have heeded this call since 2019, and we will continue to have those conversations.”

Hezbollah confirms death of senior commander in IDF strike in south Lebanon

Hezbollah senior official Muhammad Nimah Nasser, who was killed on July 3, 2024. (Courtesy)

The Hezbollah terror group announces the death of a senior commander in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon earlier today.

Hezbollah in a statement says Muhammad Nimah Nasser, also known as Abu Nimah, from the south Lebanon town of Haddatha, was killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” the terror group’s term for Israeli strikes.

Nasser was killed in a strike in the coastal city of Tyre.

Hezbollah refers to Nasser as a commander. According to reports, Nasser commanded Hezbollah’s Aziz regional division in southern Lebanon.

The terror group rarely refers to its senior operatives slain in Israeli strikes as commanders.

The only other operatives referred to as commanders were Taleb Abdullah — the commander of the Nasr regional division — killed last month, and Wissam al-Tawil — the deputy head of the terror group’s elite Radwan unit — killed by Israel in January.

PM tells visiting US lawmaker that he looks forward to making case for Israel in congressional speech

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) meets with US Rep. Josh Gottheimer at his Jerusalem office on July 3, 2024. (Haim Zach/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told visiting Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer during their meeting earlier today that he looks forward to giving his speech to a joint session of Congress on July 24 “where he will be able to express Israel’s position in front of the representatives of the American people and the entire world,” the premier’s office says.

Netanyahu also thanked Gottheimer, one of the most pro-Israel lawmakers in the Democratic Party, for his and the American people’s support for the Jewish state since the beginning of the war, according to the Israeli readout.

Netanyahu “emphasized the importance of a joint front against the Iranian axis,” the readout adds.

Karmiel terror suspect identified as 21-year-old from nearby Arab town; mayor condemns attack

Screenshot of a video showing the aftermath of a terror stabbing at a mall in Karmiel, July 3, 2024. (Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Security officials have identified the suspect from today’s deadly terror stabbing attack at a Karmiel mall as 21-year-old Jawwad Omar Rubia from the northern Arab Israeli town of Nahf.

Several of his family members were arrested at the scene, as they worked at the mall, according to the Haaretz daily, which says that police subsequently entered Nahf to carry out several other arrests of Rubia’s relatives.

Nahf’s mayor Muhammad Zuri issues a statement condemning the attack in which he stressed that his town has long maintained good relations with neighboring Jewish communities.

“I hope this won’t spoil those relations. There is outrage in the village over this incident, and we hope it will remain an isolated one,” the mayor says.

Hamas praises Karmiel terror attack, does not claim assailant as group member

The aftermath of a terror stabbing at a mall in Karmiel, July 3, 2024 (Magen David Adom)

Hamas praises this morning’s terror attack in the northern city of Karmiel, calling it a “natural response” to Israel’s operations in Gaza and the West Bank.

In a statement, the terror group describes the assailant as “one of the heroes of our people,” but does not claim responsibility for the attack.

Two men were wounded in the assault inside a shopping mall, one of whom later succumbed to his wounds. Security officials identified the stabber as Jawwad Omar Rubia, an Israeli citizen from the Arab town of Nahf. The assailant was shot dead, according to the police.

Hamas also calls for escalating operations against Israeli soldiers and civilians, saying they are the only way to “defend the rights” of Palestinians to “liberate their land.”

Israel selects two immigrant athletes as flag bearers for 2024 Paris Olympics

Judoka Peter Paltchik (left) and swimmer Andi Murez, Israel's 2024 Olympic flag bearers. (Courtesy Olympic Committee of Israel)

The Olympic Committee of Israel announces that judoka Peter Paltchik and swimmer Andi Murez will serve as the flag bearers for Israel at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics later this month.

Paltchik, a native of Ukraine, competed for Israel at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where he won a bronze as part of the mixed team judo competition. Murez, who was born in the United States, competed for Israel in both Tokyo and at the Rio 2016 Olympics. She is also a qualified doctor who juggled her medical school studies with her Olympic training.

“The Israeli delegation is a mosaic of Israeli society and the selected flag bearers — the exemplary athletes Peter Paltchik and Andi Murez — represent the essence of Israeli society: people who worked their way through many challenges with endless dedication, Zionists, leaders and influencers on their surroundings,” the OCI says in a statement.

The Olympics opening ceremony is slated for July 26 along Paris’s Seine River.

Gallant: IDF tanks finishing up in Rafah can reach as far as Lebanon’s Litani River

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visits troops on the Gaza border on July 3, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tells troops during a visit to the Gaza border that the tanks coming out of battle in Rafah “can reach as far as the Litani” — a reference to a Lebanon river 10 miles north of Israel’s border, and the line to which Israel is demanding that the terror group retreat its forces.

Gallant says that Israeli forces will be ready to take any action necessary against Hezbollah, though the preference is still to reach a negotiated arrangement.

“We are striking Hezbollah very hard every day and we will also reach a state of full readiness to take any action required in Lebanon, or to reach an arrangement from a position of strength. We prefer an arrangement, but if reality forces us we will know how to fight,” Gallant is quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office.

Anti-aircraft missile from Gaza strikes home in Kfar Maimon, causing damage

An anti-aircraft missile launched from the Gaza Strip struck a home in the southern community of Kfar Maimon, causing damage, according to the IDF.

There are no reports of injuries. Sirens had sounded in the community amid the incident.

Hamas have at times tried to attack Israeli aircraft with shoulder-launched missiles.

https://twitter.com/bir_tobi83413/status/1808492971555238115

Knesset advances bill seen aimed at barring administrative detention against Jewish suspects

Illustrative: Israeli settlers hurl stones at Palestinians near the Israeli settlement of Yitzhar in the West Bank on October 7, 2020. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90/File)

A bill limiting law enforcement’s power to detain Israelis passes a preliminary reading 54-51 in the Knesset plenum on Wednesday.

The government-backed legislation, which was proposed by Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman, would ban the use of administrative detention or administrative restraining orders against Israeli citizens, unless they are members of a certain list of terror groupsץ It would still be available as a tool to hold West Bank Palestinian suspects.

It is largely seen as a far-right effort aimed at preventing the government from using the tool against Jewish terror suspects, leading to accusations of discrimination from rights groups.

Administrative detention is a controversial tool whereby Palestinian terror suspects and, more rarely, Jewish terror suspects, are detained without charge or trial. The tool is typically used when authorities have intelligence tying a suspect to a crime, but do not have enough evidence for charges to stand up in a court of law.

To become law, the bill still needs to pass through committee and three additional readings in the plenum.

Rockets from Lebanon fired at Kiryat Shmona; no reports of injuries, damage

Rockets fired over northern Israel on July 3, 2024. (Screen capture/X)

Several rockets were fired from Lebanon at Kiryat Shmona and other areas in the Galilee Panhandle, as well as at the northern Golan Heights a short while ago.

There are no reports of injuries in the attacks, which come after a senior Hezbollah commander was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

תיעוד: יירוטים מעל קריית שמונה@rubih67
(צילום: עודד דיין) pic.twitter.com/tyFXXeRdP2

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) July 3, 2024

Apparently weighing bowing out, Biden tells ally he knows upcoming appearances must go well — report

US President Joe Biden speaks about the protests over Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza that have roiled US college campuses, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 2, 2024. (Drew Angerer / AFP)

US President Joe Biden reportedly told a key ally that he recognizes that he won’t be able to salvage his re-election campaign after last week’s disastrous debate performance if a series of public appearances in the coming days don’t go well.

Biden has an interview scheduled for Friday with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos along with campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

“He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place” by the end of the weekend, the ally tells The New York Times on condition of anonymity.

The comments reveal for the first time that Biden himself is weighing whether to stay in the race after days of reporting that indicated he had no plans of bowing out.

Biden is “well aware of the political challenge he faces,” a top adviser told The Times, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

PM’s office: Hamas demanding ‘unacceptable’ hostage deal clause barring IDF from resuming fighting

Israelis attend a rally calling for the release of hostages by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, June 29, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says Hamas is continuing to insist in the hostage talks that a clause be included barring Israel from resuming fighting after phase one of the deal.

Israel sought to maintain a clause in its previous proposal that was written vaguely enough so as to allow it to resume fighting if it deems that Hamas is not abiding by the terms of the agreement.

Already last month, two officials familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that the primary issue complicating negotiations is that Hamas is demanding an Israeli guarantee up front that it will agree to a permanent ceasefire.

“Hamas continues to insist on a principle clause in the outline that would prevent Israel from resuming fighting after phase one of the deal — something that is unacceptable to Israel,” says a statement attributed to a senior Israeli security official that Netanyahu’s office sent to some Israeli military correspondents.

The statement adds that there are additional gaps that still have to be closed but that Israel will continue applying military and diplomatic pressure on Hamas in order to secure the release of all remaining 120 hostages.

IDF confirms it carried out strike in Lebanon’s Tyre that killed senior Hezbollah commander

Hezbollah senior official Muhammad Nimah Nasser, who was killed on July 3, 2024. (Courtesy)

The Israeli military confirms it carried out an airstrike earlier today in southern Lebanon’s Tyre, killing senior Hezbollah commander Muhammad Nimah Nasser.

Nasser commanded Hezbollah’s Aziz unit, one of three regional divisions in south Lebanon. The unit is responsible for Lebanon’s southwestern region, from the coast to the Bint Jbeil area, and has carried out hundreds of attacks against northern Israel’s upper and western Galilee amid the war.

According to the IDF, he is the second most senior Hezbollah commander the military has killed amid the ongoing fighting, after the commander of the Nasr regional unit was killed last month.

Nasser was the commander of the Aziz unit since 2016, according to the IDF. He previously commanded Hezbollah special forces, and was involved in numerous attacks against Israel, including the 2006 cross-border kidnapping.

The IDF expects Hezbollah to respond with major attacks to Nasser’s killing, similar to how the terror group responded to the killing of Taleb Abdullah, the Nasr unit commander, in June.

Hezbollah’s third regional division in southern Lebanon is the Badr unit, which is deployed above the Litani river and is considered to be the terror group’s second line of defense.

Settlers from outposts being legalized carried out 27 attacks against Palestinians this year — UN

Illustrative: Israeli soldiers stand by as Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinians during clashes in the town of Huwara in the West Bank on October 13, 2022. (Oren Ziv/AFP)

Settlers from the five illegal Israeli outposts that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government agreed to legalize last week carried out 27 attacks against neighboring Palestinian villages this year alone, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says.

The outposts slated to be legalized are Evyatar in the northern West Bank, Sde Efraim and Givat Assaf in the central West Bank and Heletz and Adorayim in the southern West Bank. They were all illegally built, largely on private Palestinian land.

IDF identifies victim from Karmiel attack as off-duty soldier Aleksandr Iakiminskyi

Sgt. Aleksandr Iakiminskyi, 19, killed in a terror stabbing attack in Karmiel, June 3, 2024. (Courtesy)

An off-duty IDF soldier was killed in this morning’s terror stabbing attack at a mall in the northern city of Karmiel, the military announces.

The slain soldier is named as Sgt. Aleksandr Iakiminskyi, 19, a truck driver in the 188th Armored Brigade’s 71st Battalion, from Nahariya.

Another soldier of the 71st Battalion was seriously wounded in the terror attack. Both were in uniform at the time.

The assailant, identified by security officials as Jawwad Omar Rubia, an Israeli citizen from the Arab town of Nahf, was shot dead by Iakiminskyi in the attack.

‘I’m physically fine, but my heart is still racing,’ woman describes home being hit by Gaza missile

Shlomit Neshari, whose home in the southern town of Kfar Maimon was struck earlier today by a missile from Gaza, recalls the incident in an interview with the Kan public broadcaster.

“There was a red alert. I ran to the bomb shelter, and then I heard the noise of shrapnel. It was awful. Physically I’m fine, but my heart is still running at 200 kilometers per hour,” she says.

שלומית נשרי, שביתה בכפר מימון ספג פגיעה ישירה: "היה צבע אדום, רצתי לממ"ד ואז נשמע הרעש של השברים, זה היה נורא. פיזית אני בסדר, אבל הלב שלי על 200"@Itsik_zuarets pic.twitter.com/gBLeJsCsXR

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) July 3, 2024

At least 100 rockets fired from Lebanon at northern Israel after IDF kills Hezbollah commander

At least 100 rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Kiryat Shmona, Galilee Panhandle and the northern Golan Heights within the last hour, according to the IDF.

The massive barrages come after the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon.

The IDF says most of the rockets struck open areas.

There are no reports of injuries.

US lawmaker slams ‘illegal’ Israeli seizure of West Bank land

US House Homeland Security Committee member Rep. Elissa Slotkin asks a question during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on 'Worldwide Threats to the Homeland,' at the Capitol in Washington, November 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)

Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who is also running for a Senate seat, slams Israel’s appropriation of 2,965 acres of land in the Jordan Valley.

“These land seizures are illegal, they make a two-state solution even more distant and they inflame tensions at a time when everyone should be trying to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East,” Slotkin tweets.

Slotkin is known as one of the more moderate, pro-Israel lawmakers in the Democratic Party who has been endorsed by AIPAC.

Blinken stresses US commitment to Palestinian statehood in call with Jordanian FM

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, and Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi hold a news conference in Amman, Jordan, November 4, 2023. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool via AP, File)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call with his Jordanian counterpart earlier today, the State Department says.

The pair discussed ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza along with “the post-conflict period and diplomatic efforts to achieve an enduring end to the crisis in Gaza that provides lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” the US readout says.

Blinken thanked Safadi for Jordan’s efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The top US diplomat also “emphasized the US continuing commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel,” the US readout adds.

White House flatly denies NYT report that Biden’s weighing pulling out of race

The White House flatly denies an earlier New York Times report claiming that US President Joe Biden is weighing pulling out of the presidential race.

“That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates tweets.

Israel makes partial transfer of tax revenues withheld from PA since April

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the head of the Religious Zionism Party, at a conference of the Israeli newspaper Makor Rishon, in Jerusalem, June 30, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Israel has transferred NIS 435 million ($116 million) of withheld tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority, the Israeli and PA finance ministries confirm.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich agreed to partially transferring the last three months of withheld tax revenues and extend a corresponding banking agreement for Israeli and Palestinian banks by an additional four months.

The moves were part of a quid pro quo leveraged by Smotrich, which saw the Israeli security cabinet last week approve a series of moves to expand Israel’s presence in the West Bank and sanction the PA over its support for cases against Israel at the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice along with three European countries recognizing the State of Palestine.

Israel collects taxes on goods that pass through Israel into the West Bank on behalf of the PA and is required under the Oslo Accords to transfer them to Ramallah on a monthly basis.

The tax revenues make up some 70 percent of the PA’s annual income, and Israel’s withholding of the funds has Ramallah on the brink of collapse, only able to pay its employees roughly half of their salaries for the past several months.

Since Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, Israel has refused to transfer the portion of the tax revenues that the PA uses to pay for services and employees in Gaza, claiming that the money could be seized by Hamas. These funds make up some 40% of the monthly transfers.

Israel also deducts funds for electricity, water and costs to treat Palestinians in Israeli hospitals in addition to offsetting the payments the PA makes to terror convicts and the families of slain attackers.

Even after all of these deductions, Palestinian officials say the amount transferred is far below taxes collected each month.

The PA says in a statement about its cabinet meeting earlier today that its contacts and international pressure led Israel to make the partial transfer of funds. The PA would push to recover more than 6 billion shekels of withheld funds, to meet its financial obligations.

IDF chief slams settler attack on Israeli authorities demolishing illegal outpost

The windshield of a vehicle is cracked following attacks by local settlers on security forces during the evacuation of the illegal Tzur Harel outpost in the West Bank, July 3, 2024. (Civil Administration)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Hezi Halevi slams this morning’s settler attack against a Civil Administration officer in the West Bank, as security forces worked to evacuate and demolish an illegal outpost built on private Palestinian land.

“This is a serious violent incident, which must be denounced and condemned. The rioters who attacked the members of the security forces while carrying out their mission must be brought to justice in a swift and severe manner,” he says, in remarks released by the IDF.

Civil Administration and Border Police personnel had worked to clear the illegal Tzur Harel settlement outpost, which the military says was built on private Palestinian land.

The evacuation had been approved by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a position in the defense ministry.

As forces left the area, masked settlers attacked the vehicle of a lieutenant colonel in the Civil Administration, smashing his windscreen.

Settlers also hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at army vehicles near the Oz Zion outpost.

Ukraine, Israel discuss cooperation, global threats, Kyiv says

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba attends a press conference after their meeting in Paris, August 29, 2023. (Sophie Garcia/AP)

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says he discussed bilateral cooperation with his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz.

“We also exchanged views on a number of regional and global threats posed by Russia, Iran, and North Korea,” he says on X following a rare publicly reported exchange with the Israeli minister.

Houthis to release key ally of Saudi-backed government, unclear if he is alive

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis will release Mohammed Qahtan, leader of the Islah party, under a deal reached with the Saudi-backed government in Aden, top Houthi negotiator Abdul Qadir Al-Murtada tells Reuters.

The Houthis have not confirmed if Qahtan is dead or alive, a government negotiator, who did not want to be named, tells Reuters.

Qahtan, whose Islah party is a powerful member of the Saudi-backed government, was detained by the Houthis in 2015. His family said they have not been permitted to visit him and they do not know where he has been held.

If Qahtan is dead, his body will be exchanged for 50 Houthi bodies in government possession and if he is alive he will be swapped for 50 live Houthis held in government detention, Al-Murtada said in a statement to Yemen’s SABA news agency.

Al-Murtada did not respond to a Reuters query about Qahtan’s condition.

The Houthis refused to disclose Qahtan’s status earlier this year, a key government demand that led to the failure of two previous rounds of prisoners swap negotiations.

Negotiators from both sides exchanged lists totaling around 400 prisoners for possible release, Al-Murtada says.

No agreement was reached, but prisoner talks will continue in the Omani-capital Muscat, he says.

Prisoner release talks have formed an important confidence-building measure as part of a broader peace process to end Yemen’s decade-long civil war that is being mediated by Oman and the United Nations.

Report: Shin Bet reprimands agent who signed off on Shifa director’s release

Mohammad Abu Salmiya (left), director of Gaza City's Shifa Hospital, speaks after his release by Israel, July 1, 2024 (Video screenshot); National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir (right) at a court hearing in Jerusalem on July 2, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The Shin Bet security service has reportedly reprimanded the senior official who was responsible for signing off on the early release of Gaza’s Shifa Hospital director Mohammad Abu Salmiya earlier this week.

The Shin Bet conducted an internal probe into Abu Salmiya’s release following uproar from across the political spectrum, given that Shifa has served as a Hamas command center where hostages have been held and transferred since October 7.

The Shin Bet presented its findings to the Prime Minister’s Office earlier this evening, Channel 12 reports.

The probe found that the National Security Council ordered the Shin Bet to compile a list of Palestinian prisoners to release early due to the lack of space in Israeli jails, Channel 12 says, adding that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir failed to address the issue despite months of warnings.

The Shin Bet compiled a list of suspects it believes have a low likelihood of engaging in terror activity after their release and Abu Salmiya was included on it, even though he is seen as a figure with symbolic significance due to his role as Shifa director, Channel 12 says.

Coalition MKs mum after settlers hurl Molotov cocktails, stones at Israeli troops

Settlers attack Israeli forces demolishing an illegal outpost in the West Bank on July 3, 2024. (Screen capture/Channel 12)

Lawmakers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline coalition have yet to condemn the extremist settlers who attacked Israeli troops trying to raze the illegal West Bank outpost of Tzur Harel earlier today, Channel 12 reports.

No arrests have been reported, after the assailants hurled Molotov cocktails and rocks at troops.

Arrests in settler attacks on Palestinians are even more rare as are convictions in such cases, in what has led the US and other Western countries to begin issuing their own sanctions against such Israeli extremists.

Biden slams ‘vile’ vandalism of Jewish graves at Ohio cemeteries

Gravestones vandalized at a Jewish cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio, July 1, 2024. (Courtesy of Cincy Jewfolk via JTA)

US President Joe Biden condemns the vandalism of nearly 200 graves at two Jewish cemeteries near Cincinnati earlier this week.

“This is antisemitism and it is vile,” Biden tweets.

“I condemn these acts and commit my administration to support investigators in holding those responsible accountable to the full extent of the law,” he adds.

Right-wing MKs from coalition, opposition aim to pass resolution against Palestinian state ahead of PM’s speech to Congress

Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor Liberman (L) shakes hands with Likud lawmaker Yuli Edelstein at the Knesset on March 14, 2013. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

A group of lawmakers from both the coalition and the opposition are advancing a resolution expressing opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state, which they aim to pass ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington to address a joint session of Congress.

The Knesset already passed a resolution opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state earlier this year, but Netanyahu was careful to ensure that the initiative specified that the opposition was only to the unilateral creation of a Palestinian state outside of negotiations with Israel, amid unconfirmed reports that the US was considering unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian state.

This new resolution would offer more absolute opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state in what would likely harm Netanyahu’s efforts to maintain some diplomatic flexibility in his dealings with the Biden administration and the international community, which support a two-state solution.

The resolution is being pushed by Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman, New Hope chair Gideon Sa’ar and New Hope MK Ze’ev Elkin from the opposition and Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman and Likud MK Yuli Edelstein from the coalition, Channel 12 reports.

The network adds that 61 MKs in the Knesset from both the coalition and opposition have already signed onto the resolution in what would allow it to be passed before the end of the summer parliamentary session on July 28.

Netanyahu is slated to give his speech to Congress on July 24.

The resolution states that the “State of Israel strongly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state west of Jordan, which would pose an existential threat to Israel,” according to Channel 12.

Such a state would extend the conflict with the Palestinians and destabilize the region, the lawmakers claim in the resolution, adding that it would only be a matter of time before Hamas takes over this new Palestinian state and turn it into a base for radical Islamic terror backed by Iran.

Liberman: Hamas, Hezbollah can’t be defeated without dismantling Iran’s nuclear program

Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor Liberman leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on May 27, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman tweets, “without defeating Iran and eliminating its nuclear program, neither Hezbollah nor Hamas can be defeated.”

“In order to stop the Iranian nuclear program — which is already in the weaponization stages — we must use all the means at our disposal.”

“It should be clear that at this stage, it is not possible to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons with conventional means,” the right-wing lawmaker adds.

‘Absolutely not’: White House denies Biden considering dropping out of race

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, June 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Asked during a press briefing if US President Joe Biden plans to drop out of the race after last week’s debate performance, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responds, “Absolutely not.”

Israel says it has received Hamas’s updated hostage deal proposal

Demonstrators light fire outside headquarters of the Histadrut, calling for a general strike to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the current Israeli government to strike a deal to release the remaining Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip in Tel Aviv, June 29, 2024. (Jamal Awad/Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says that the Mossad-led Israeli negotiating team has received Hamas’s latest ceasefire proposal from Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators.

“Israel is examining the proposal, and will provide the mediators with its response,” the statement from Netanyahu’s office says.

Israel submitted its latest hostage deal proposal on May 27. US President Joe Biden gave a high-stakes speech revealing some of the major details of the proposal on May 31 during which he noted that the Israeli offer was nearly identical to the previous one made by Hamas.

On June 11, Hamas submitted its response to the Israeli proposal, which the US went on to slam for including dozens of amendments, such as ones that went back on clauses Hamas had already agreed to and others that were beyond the pale.

In the weeks that followed, mediators worked to bring Hamas down on some of its demands, leading to the new proposal submitted by the terror group today.

IDF says it struck three Hezbollah rocket launchers after barrage at northern Israel

Israeli fighter jets struck three Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon this evening, including one used in the barrages on northern Israel earlier today, the IDF says.

There were no injuries after Hezbollah fired at least 100 rockets at Kiryat Shmona, the Galilee Panhandle, and northern Golan Heights.

The IDF says most of the rockets hit open areas, although some struck the Kiryat Shmona area. Several rockets were also intercepted by the Iron Dome.

Some of the rocket impacts also sparked fires in northern Israel.

מטוסי קרב תקפו שלושה משגרים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בדרום לבנון, ביניהם משגר ממנו בוצעו שיגורים לצפון הארץ בשעות האחרונות.

בהמשך להתרעות שהופעלו בצפון הארץ, חלק מהשיגורים יורטו, מספר שיגורים נפלו במרחב קריית שמונה ומרבית השיגורים נפלו בשטחים פתוחים, אין נפגעים>> pic.twitter.com/gO7U4bbYQR

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) July 3, 2024

Herzog in address at US embassy’s July 4 event: ‘All families have disagreements’

President Isaac Herzog acknowledges the latest spat between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the Biden administration over US weapon supply to Israel during his address at the US Embassy in Jerusalem’s annual July 4 celebration.

“As in any family, there is not always agreement on everything, and that’s fine. Disagreements do not undermine the broad basis of friendship and alliance between our two countries, which keep us connected to our common story and advance the vital interests of our two countries.”

“On behalf of the state and the people of Israel, I express my deep gratitude to President Biden, to the United States government, to Congress, and to the American people for the support and solidarity that have always been an anchor for our security and that have been expressed in many ways since the seventh of October,” Herzog says.

While prime ministers typically attend the US embassy’s annual July 4 event, Netanyahu did not participate this year.

US envoy to Israel at July 4 event: ‘Even closest of friends disagree on occasion’

US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew (R) and President Isaac Herzog at the US Embassy in Jerusalem's annual Julu 4 celebration. (US Embassy in Jerusalem)

Also alluding to the latest strain in US-Israel ties, US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew says, “Our enduring democratic values make for lively political debate, but are also the strongest foundation for a future of strength and unity.”

“We share a common pursuit of a future that is more stable, prosperous, and secure for our two nations and for the people of this region,” Lew says in remarks at the US Embassy in Jerusalem’s annual July 4 celebratory event.

“Even the closest of friends may disagree on occasion about how that vision should be achieved. But make no mistake: the United States and Israel are aligned on the big strategic picture. Israel must endure as a Jewish and democratic state, living in peace and prosperity alongside its neighbors, in a more secure and stable Middle East,” Lew says.

He claims that “despite dire predictions, Israel’s economy has weathered the attacks of October 7 and the ongoing war better than anyone expected.”

“Israel, with the ironclad support of the United States, will overcome, endure, and thrive,” the envoy concludes.

Hamas says it exchanged ‘some ideas’ with mediators to end war in Gaza

Hamas appears to confirm the Israeli announcement that the terror group had submitted an updated hostage deal proposal to Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

“We exchanged some ideas with the mediators with the goal of stopping the war and the full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” says Hamas in a statement.

The statement adds that Hamas was flexible in its demands, while Israel is “trying to deceive and evade.”

Lazar Berman contributed to this report.

Israeli official: Hamas’s latest ceasefire proposal gives room to move forward toward deal

Activists protest calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza, outside the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, July 3, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

A senior Israeli official says the updated hostage deal proposal Hamas submitted earlier today is positive enough to allow for the negotiations to move forward, after several weeks of deadlock since the terror group submitted its last response to the Israeli proposal.

The updated Hamas offer brings the sides closer to a resolution regarding Clauses 8 and 14 of the Israeli proposal submitted on May 27, the senior Israeli official says.

Clause 8 of the hostage-truce deal concerns the negotiations between Israel and Hamas that would be held during the six-week phase one of the ceasefire deal. Clause 14 deals with the transition between stage one and stage two of the deal.

Israel has sought to keep the wording in these two clauses vague enough to allow it to resume fighting against Hamas in Gaza if it chooses, while Hamas has sought to ensure that Israel will not be able to resume fighting once the sides agree to the initial six-week phase one of the ceasefire deal.

The senior Israeli official clarifies that there are still significant gaps to bridge before an agreement can be reached, despite Hamas’s relatively positive response.

The Israeli government must decide in the coming days whether to enter a new round of more detailed negotiations with the Qatari, Egyptian and American mediators.

If the government authorizes the Mossad-led negotiating team to enter such talks, the sides will still likely need another several weeks before a deal can be reached, Axios reports, citing another unnamed senior Israeli official.

IDF announces death of officer in Shejaiya battle, raising ground op death toll to 323

Cpt. Elay Elisha Lugasi, killed during fighting in Gaza City on July 3, 2024. (Courtesy)

An Israeli officer was killed during fighting in Gaza City’s Shejaiya earlier today, the military announces.

The slain soldier is named as Cpt. Elay Elisha Lugasi, 21, a team commander in the 7th Armored Brigade’s 75th Battalion, from Kiryat Shmona.

Three more soldiers of the 75th Battalion were seriously wounded in the same incident, the IDF says.

His death brings Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip to 323.

Senior Israeli official indicates Netanyahu’s office harming hostage talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a "40 signatures" debate, at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on June 24, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was informed by Israel’s Mossad-led hostage negotiating team that the latest hostage deal proposal submitted by Hamas earlier today was far better than the “non-starter” offer submitted by the terror group last month, according to a senior Israeli official.

Nonetheless, the Prime Minister’s Office chose to issue a statement in the name of an anonymous “security official” indicating that talks were stuck over Hamas’s insistence on a clause barring Israel from resuming fighting after the first phase of the truce deal.

Netanyahu’s office then chose to wait several more hours before issuing a statement confirming that Israel had received Hamas’s latest response, the senior official says, appearing to accuse the premier of trying to harm the talks.

US military says it destroyed two Houthi radar sites in Yemen

The US military’s Central Command said on Wednesday its forces successfully destroyed two radar sites in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and two uncrewed surface vessels in the Red Sea in the past 24 hours.

July 3 U.S. Central Command Update

In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi radar sites in Houthi controlled areas of Yemen and two uncrewed surface vessels (USV) in the Red Sea.

It was determined the radar sites and… pic.twitter.com/wqFg1mWpyr

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 3, 2024

White House cites praise of Biden from Netanyahu to deflect question about president’s ability to serve

US President Joe Biden, right, hugs Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, October 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre quotes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s praising US President Joe Biden as she tries to fend off questions from reporters during the daily press briefing regarding the president’s ability to remain in office after last week’s poor debate performance.

Netanyahu was asked during a February interview with ABC News about Biden’s mental capacity after a special counsel issued a report stating that Biden suffered from memory loss.

“I have had more than a dozen extended phone conversations with President Biden. He also came on a visit to Israel during wartime, which is an historic first. I’ve found him very clear and very focused,” Netanyahu responded.

Jean-Pierre read out that response along with a statement given by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to assert the president’s ability to do the job well.

When the White House quotes Benjamin Netanyahu in defense of President Biden… pic.twitter.com/Eo1rb3lqyI

— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) July 3, 2024

‘I am running’ Biden says, as he scrambles to reassure Democrats, campaign staff

US President Joe Biden vowed to stay in the 2024 presidential race during a call with campaign staff and sought to reassure top Democrats on Capitol Hill that he is fit for re-election, despite his disastrous debate performance last week.

Biden dialed in to a call with worried members of his campaign team and told them he wasn’t going anywhere, according to two sources familiar with the call.

“I am running,” Biden said, adding he remained the Democratic Party leader and wasn’t being pushed out, one source says.

The president will meet with Democratic governors on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET to reassure them he is up to the job of standard-bearer for the party after the shaky debate with Republican Donald Trump. Some governors will attend virtually.

Asked earlier today if Biden was considering stepping down, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “Absolutely not.”

Hamas tells mediators it’s dealing ‘in a positive spirit’ with content of latest talks

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh speaks during a press briefing after his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran, Iran, March 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Hamas says its leader Ismail Haniyeh conducted calls earlier today with Qatari and Egyptian mediators around ideas to reach a deal to end the war in Gaza.

The group adds its leader also communicated with Turkish officials about the latest developments.

“The movement dealt in a positive spirit with the content of the ongoing deliberations,” the Hamas statement says.

Biden envoy, French officials discuss efforts to let displaced Israelis, Lebanese return home

Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to US President Joe Biden, met yesterday with French officials and discussed French and American efforts to restore calm in the Middle East, a White House official says.

“France and the United States share the goal of resolving the current conflict across the Blue Line by diplomatic means, allowing Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return home with long-term assurances of safety and security,” the official says, referring to the demarcation line between the two countries.