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The Times of Israel liveblogged Wednesday’s events as they unfolded.
Iran expanding enrichment capacity after IAEA demanded increased cooperation, diplomats say
Iran is responding to last week’s UN nuclear watchdog board resolution against it by expanding its uranium-enrichment capacity at two underground sites, but the escalation is not as big as many had feared, diplomats say.
The IAEA Board passed a resolution a week ago calling on Iran to step up cooperation with the IAEA and reverse its recent barring of inspectors despite earlier US concerns Tehran would respond with atomic escalation.
Iran bristles at such resolutions by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors, and it reacted to the previous one 18 months earlier by enriching to up to 60% purity, close to weapons grade, at a second site and announcing a large expansion of its enrichment program.
This time it plans to install more cascades, or clusters, of centrifuges, the machines that enrich uranium, at both its underground enrichment sites, five diplomats say. IAEA inspectors observing Iran’s progress plan to issue a report to member states on Thursday, according to three of the diplomats.
“It’s not as much as I would expect,” one Vienna-based diplomat says, referring to the scale of Iran’s escalation.
“Why? I don’t know. Maybe they’re waiting for the new government,” they add, referring to the death in a helicopter crash last month of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and the presidential election due to be held on June 28.
Diplomats did not go into specifics on the number or type of centrifuges being added or what level they would enrich to, though one diplomat says they would not be used to quickly expand Iran’s production of uranium enriched to up to 60%, close to the 90% of weapons-grade.
The diplomats say they will wait to see what the IAEA says Iran had actually done but they were aware of Iran’s plans.
The move is “at the lower end of expectations and something we’re pretty sure they were going to do anyway,” one diplomat explains, meaning it would have happened even without the resolution.
Residents of northern Israel visit White House to draw attention to danger posed by Hezbollah
A delegation of Israelis from northern Israel meet Congressman Adriano Espaillat of New York, June 12, 2024. (Israel Advocacy Group)
As Hezbollah fires hundreds of rockets at northern Israel, a delegation of residents of the embattled border area visits the White House to raise awareness of the plight of the tens of thousands of Israelis who have evacuated their homes since October.
The seven residents of kibbutzim and towns along the Lebanon border flew to the US on Saturday night, in a mission organized days before by former ambassador to the US Michael Oren.
“Nobody knows about this,” Oren tells The Times of Israel. “It never comes up in the news, even though it’s becoming the biggest story of the war.”
At the White House, the group meets with the heads of the Israel, Lebanon, and Palestinian desks at the National Security Council.
“The administration understands that the attention in Israel has shifted away from Gaza to the north,” said Oren’s Israel Advocacy Group to The Times of Israel after the meeting. “Though Hamas has rejected a ceasefire, there is still hope for a diplomatic solution. In the absence of a ceasefire deal and diplomatic solution, the administration understands that the people of northern Israel could not remain under Hezbollah rocket fire indefinitely.”
A full-blown war may well break out in Lebanon, says Oren, and helping allies understand the need to go on the offensive against Hezbollah is a crucial component of the diplomatic preparation for such a conflict.
“People will ask, ‘Why did you have to go to war in Lebanon?'” says Oren.
The group also meets with a bipartisan group of congressmen – Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Brad Schneider, (D-IL), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Elise Stefanik (R-NY), said to be a possible vice president choice for Donald Trump.
Fuming over exclusion from security assessment, Ben Gvir tells PM he ‘can’t hide’ behind Gantz anymore
Head of the Otzma Yehudit party and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on February 5, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir fumes at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not being invited to a security assessment this evening, after more than 200 rockets were fired by Hezbollah at northern Israel.
In a post on X, the ultranationalist minister slams Netanyahu’s “obscene practice” of excluding him from security assessments, and warns that there can be “no more excuses.”
“You are the prime minister, and you can’t even hide behind [Benny] Gantz and [Gadi] Eisenkot anymore,” he adds, referring to the National Unity party members who returned to the opposition earlier this week, and whom he has blamed for his exclusion from the war cabinet.
Ben Gvir has repeatedly called for Israel to invade southern Lebanon and launch a full-scale attack on Hezbollah following more than eight months of near-daily skirmishes along Israel’s northern border.
Hamas said to demand China, Russia and Turkey serve as guarantors for any hostage deal with Israel
Among the alterations to the proposed ceasefire and hostage release deal that Hamas has demanded is a stipulation that China, Russia and Turkey would serve as guarantors for any agreement it reaches with Israel, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
The demand, which Kan says was rejected by both the US and Israel, is said to be one of several changes made by Hamas to the proposal put forward by Israel last month and publicized by US President Joe Biden.
Other amendments included an updated timeline for the permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza — including from Rafah and the Philadelphi corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border — according to an official from one of the mediating countries who requested anonymity.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier on Saturday that some of the changes Hamas demanded were impractical and would not be accepted.
Rocket alarms fail to deter thousands of vacationers near Sea of Galilee
The Cohen family of Ashkelon watch the sunset on the Sea of Galilea's Gofra Beach on June 12, 2024. (Canaan Lidor/Times of Israel)
As the sun sets on the Sea of Galilee, Kobi Cohen prepares dinner for his two daughters and other relatives who are sitting on camping chairs on the water’s edge.
The Cohens are preparing for their third night on Gofra Beach on the eastern shores of the lake in northern Israel, along with thousands of families who are undeterred by the apparent targeting of lakeside locales by rockets from Lebanon for the first time in months.
“We’re from Ashkelon and my reserves service is in the Upper Galilee so we’re not so easily rattled,” Cohen, 39, tells The Times of Israel near the end of Shavuot, the first major holiday of summer, during which the lake’s resorts are usually at capacity.
Several vacationers say that some popular beaches appear to have many tourists despite the rocket alarms. However, the situation is keeping away some campers, therefore preventing the more crowded conditions that often occur here on Shavuot.
Tiberias is among the places where sirens warning of inbound rockets wailed on Wednesday following a barrage of more than 160 rockets fired from Lebanon. This uptick in rocket fire deep into Israel follows the slaying of a Hezbollah senior-ranking terrorist, Taleb Sami Abdallah, and three others in an Israeli-targeted strike in Lebanon.
“We’re not worried and not breaking routine,” Doron Bichler, the CEO of the Eden lakeside vacation village, tells Ynet. “We heard the booms and see the interceptions and that’s it,” he adds.
The Kinneret Authority, which represents multiple local communities, says it is not issuing any new security rules or directives.
IDF says interceptor missile launched at ‘suspicious aerial target’ near Kiryat Shmona
An interceptor missile was launched at a “suspicious aerial target” over the Kiryat Shmona area a short while ago, the military says.
The IDF says the incident is over, without elaborating on whether the suspected drone was shot down.
Amid the incident, sirens sounded due to fears of falling shrapnel.
Reservist with PTSD who took his own life will be recognized as a fallen soldier
Eliran Mizrahi, who took his own life on June 7, 2024, after being called back to war after suffering from two injuries and PTSD (Screenshot/X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
The IDF says it is recognizing a reservist with post-traumatic stress disorder who took his own life as a “fallen soldier,” and he will receive a military burial, as his family had requested.
It says that following a review carried out by the head of the Personnel Directorate, Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, it was found that Eliran Mizrahi died while on active reserve duty.
The investigation found that Mizrahi, his company commander, and another soldier met up as part of preparations for operational activity they were due to carry out in the coming days.
The IDF says that the meet-up was not a “social meeting, as described in the initial inquiry held on the day of the incident.”
“It was also found that this meeting was made as part of his military service and is required to be listed as a day in active reserve duty,” the military says.
Following the investigation, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a consultation on the matter, during which they decided to recognize Mizrahi as a fallen soldier.
The IDF says it “shares in the grief of the Mizrahi family, and will continue to accompany them.”
Mizrahi, of Ma’ale Adumim, was called into the reserves shortly after Hamas’s October 7 attack, when he was assigned to help clear the bodies of those murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the Supernova music festival. He was then sent to Gaza, where he served as a combat engineer until he was injured in April.
According to Channel 12 news, Mizrahi was recognized as a disabled IDF veteran and diagnosed with PTSD, but received an order on Friday to report for duty in Rafah two days later. He then took his own life.
The IDF had initially refused to recognize him as a fallen soldier, claiming he was not on duty at the time of his death.
Sirens warning of suspected drone attack sound in northern Israel
Sirens warning of a suspected drone attack are sounding in communities close to the Lebanon border.
The alerts can be heard in multiple locations in Kiryat Shmona, Metulla and Tel Hai.
Earlier today, Hezbollah launched some 215 rockets and several more missiles and drones at northern Israel in what it said was a response to the killing of a senior commander in the terror group by an Israeli airstrike a night earlier.
Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.
Homes of Brooklyn Museum trustees vandalized by anti-Israel protesters
Red paint covers portions of the entrance to the German consulate building after it was vandalized by anti-Israel protesters, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in New York. AP Photo/Sophie Rosenbaum)
Anti-Israel protesters have vandalized locations associated with the Brooklyn Museum and the United Nations in New York City, throwing red paint across their entrances in opposition to Israel amid its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Mayor Eric Adams writes on the social platform X that police are investigating after the homes of museum director Anne Pasternak and members of the museum’s board of trustees were hit.
He shares four images of a brick building splashed with red paint with a banner hung in front of the door that read: “Anne Pasternak Brooklyn Museum White Supremacist Zionist.”
“This is not peaceful protest or free speech. This is a crime, and it’s overt, unacceptable antisemitism,” Adams writes, sending sympathy to Pasternak and museum board members. “These actions will never be tolerated in New York City for any reason.”
A spokesperson for the museum didn’t respond to email and phone messages seeking comment.
This is not peaceful protest or free speech. This is a crime, and it's overt, unacceptable antisemitism.
These actions will never be tolerated in New York City for any reason. I'm sorry to Anne Pasternak and members of @brooklynmuseum's board who woke up to hatred like this.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) June 12, 2024
Red paint was also splashed across the front of buildings associated with the German consulate, as well as the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, where flyers critical of the Palestinian Authority and its president, Mahmoud Abbas, were also scattered outside the building.
Blinken says US has tried to help Israel find hostages held in Gaza
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the US has tried to help Israel locate the hostages in Gaza.
Asked whether the US provided Israel with intelligence to assist in the IDF’s hostage rescue operation last week, Blinken declines to answer directly.
“I can’t speak to any details, but of course, we’ve tried to help the Israelis locate hostages,” Blinken says during an interview with Al Jazeera.
“If we had any information, of course we’d provide that. We want to see them come home,” he says while also lamenting the loss of Palestinian life in the operation that rescued four Israeli hostages.
“I think the most effective way to bring everyone home is through an agreement that not only brings them home but gets an immediate ceasefire and leads to a permanent one,” he adds.
PM holding security assessment after rocket barrage in north, Hamas’s ‘negative response’ to hostage deal
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, June 8, 2024. (Tomer Appelbaum/POOL/Flash90)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a security assessment this evening “in light of the developments in the north, and Hamas’s negative response regarding the release of the hostages,” his office says.
Hezbollah fired some 215 rockets at northern Israel today after the IDF killed a top commander in the terror group.
Two ‘suspicious aerial targets’ fired from Lebanon downed over Mount Hermon
Two “suspicious aerial targets” launched from Lebanon were intercepted by air defenses and fighter jets over the Mount Hermon area, the military says.
A fire was sparked as a result of falling shrapnel in the area.
Another interceptor missile was launched at the targets from the Safed area, although it exploded over the city, sparking another fire, the IDF says.
The IDF says the incident is under further investigation.
Report: Halevi met with senior generals of Arab countries in Bahrain Monday
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi at an event for outstanding soldiers as part of Israel's 76th Independence Day celebrations, at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on May 14, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi met with senior generals from several Arab countries in Manama, Bahrain, under the auspices of US CENTCOM, Axios reports, citing two sources with knowledge of the low-profile gathering.
Halevi met the top military officials from Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt in Manama on Monday, according to the report, as part of ongoing military cooperation with Israel’s neighbors.
US General Michel “Erik” Kurilla, the commander of CENTCOM participated in the meeting, the report says.
The Israel Defense Forces and CENTCOM declined to comment on the report.
Hostage families say Hamas response to hostage deal proposal ‘inseparable part of the negotiating process’
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum says in a statement that Hamas’s response to an Israeli hostage deal proposal is an “inseparable part of the negotiating process.”
The forum says it welcomes comments by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that it is possible to bridge the gaps between the sides.
“All sides need to immediately continue negotiations in an intense way to bridge the remaining gaps. The Families Forum demands Israel send its negotiating teams to find any possibility to move forward,” it says, adding any delay will harm efforts to bring the captives home.
Two interceptions seen above Safed; no sirens were activated
Two interceptions are seen above the northern city of Safed, in images and videos circulating on social media.
No sirens warning of incoming rockets or drones were activated before the incident.
יירוט ללא אזעקה באזור צפת pic.twitter.com/xpeSTrIJU8
— 🟢or keren (@Wq0oQJmUSfZunt5) June 12, 2024
Security guards foil gun smuggling attempt from West Bank
A Kalashnikov rifle and ammunition seized by security guards on the West Bank side of the Trans-Samaria Crossing, June 12, 2024. (Defense Ministry's Land Crossings Authority)
Defense Ministry security guards foiled an attempt to smuggle an assault rifle into Israel from the West Bank earlier this evening.
The ministry in a statement says an Israeli vehicle with two suspects arrived at the Trans-Samaria Crossing from the West Bank side and aroused the suspicion of the guards stationed there.
In the vehicle, the guards found a bag with a Kalashnikov rifle and ammunition, the ministry says.
The two suspects were handed over to police for further interrogation.
WHO says many in Gaza facing ‘catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions’
A Palestinian woman washes a child at a camp for displaced people in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, on June 11, 2024. (Bashar TALEB / AFP)
GENEVA, Switzerland — The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) says that many people in Gaza were facing “catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions.”
“A significant proportion of Gaza’s population is now facing catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says.
“Despite reports of increased delivery of food, there is currently no evidence that those who need it most are receiving sufficient quantity and quality of food.”
Tedros says there were more than 8,000 children under five years old who have been diagnosed and treated for acute malnutrition, including 1,600 children with severe acute malnutrition.
“However, due to insecurity and lack of access, only two stabilization centers for severely malnourished patients can operate,” he adds.
“Our inability to provide health services safely, combined with the lack of clean water and sanitation, significantly increases the risk of malnourished children.”
Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a Defense Ministry agency, has long insisted that the humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip is sufficient and that the UN and aid agencies have failed to increase distribution capacity.
Last month, the World Central Kitchen aid organization said it has ongoing communications with COGAT and that it has succeeded in supplying its numerous kitchens in Gaza with aid brought in through the crossings which it has managed to deliver to its operation centers.
Tedros also highlights a separate health crisis in the West Bank, where he said healthcare had been targeted by nearly 500 attacks since October 7.
“While the world’s focus has been on Gaza, there is also an escalating health crisis in the West Bank, where attacks on healthcare and restrictions on movement of people are obstructing access to health services,” he says.
“In most areas of the West Bank, clinics are only operating two days a week and hospitals are operating at about 70% capacity.”
Off-duty soldier opens fire, injures suspect in Jerusalem’s Old City
An off-duty Israeli soldier opened fire at a suspect in Jerusalem’s Old City, police say.
The suspect was seriously hurt by the gunfire, and another three people are lightly hurt in the incident.
Police say the incident is under investigation, and it is looking into the possibility that the soldier, along with other off-duty troops with him, were involved in an incident of violence with the suspect before the gunfire.
Police say it is investigating a claim made by the off-duty soldiers, that the suspect attempted to snatch one of their weapons.
Warning: Graphic footage
Israeli Jewish settler shot and wounded Palestinian youth in Jerusalem’s Old City! pic.twitter.com/dmMhrv5WCq
— Motasem A Dalloul (@AbujomaaGaza) June 12, 2024
Top Biden aide: Some Hamas changes to hostage deal proposal ‘minor,’ others more significant
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says some of the amendments proposed by Hamas in its response to the Israeli hostage deal proposal were “minor” while others diverged significantly from what was on the table.
“Many of the proposed changes are minor and not unanticipated. Others differ more substantially from what was outlined in the UN Security Council resolution,” Sullivan says during a press briefing, echoing comments made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier today.
Sullivan says some of the changes Hamas requested were unsurprising, adding that US President Joe Biden noted in his May 31 speech that the terror group would likely come back with amendments to the Israeli proposal.
Hamas official says Blinken ‘part of the problem, not the solution’ to war in Gaza
CAIRO, Egypt — Hamas official Osama Hamdan denies that the terror group had put forward new ideas for the US-backed proposal for a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza.
Hamdan, speaking to the pan-Arab Al-Araby TV, also says that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was “part of the problem, not the solution” in the Gaza conflict.
Earlier, Blinken said that Hamas had suggested numerous changes, some unworkable, to the Gaza ceasefire proposal, though he also said mediators remained determined to close the gaps.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Fires in north brought under control, firefighters say
View of a large fire after missiles launched from Lebanon hit open areas in the Galilee area, northern Israel, on June 12, 2024. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)
Firefighters have brought fires sparked by Hezbollah rockets fired at northern Israel under control, Fire and Rescue services say.
Teams are still working to extinguish the blazes in the Birya Forest, and Kadita, Ein Zeitim, and Zivon communities.
IDF says Hezbollah launched at least 215 rockets from Lebanon at north today
Hezbollah has fired at least 215 rockets from Lebanon at northern Israel today, according to the IDF.
The latest attack was carried out against the northern community of Shlomi, with one rocket striking an open area, causing no injuries.
Rocket sirens blare in northern town
Incoming rocket alert sirens are sounding in the northern community of Shlomi.
Red Alert [17:32:02] – 1 Alert:
• Confrontation Line — Shlomi#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/OkICTKmksm
— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) June 12, 2024
German police probing 16 people suspected of shouting Nazi slogans
BERLIN, Germany — German police are investigating 16 people suspected of shouting a Nazi slogan in a Munich beer garden, police say in a statement.
On Tuesday evening, a 26-year-old man was reported to have displayed a gesture and chanted a slogan related to “prohibited organizations,” and the rest of the group reportedly joined in, the police say.
Local TV station Bayerische Rundfunk reports that the group shouted the Nazi slogan “Sieg Heil” several times, citing a witness.
The police did not immediately respond to a request for further information.
In Germany, the use of slogans and symbols linked to anti-constitutional groups, including the Nazi party, has been illegal since World War Two.
Recently, Germany has been shaken by several racism-related incidents as the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has gained popularity, especially in the eastern part of the country.
Those include a group of young people caught on video chanting “foreigners out” in an exclusive club on the island of Sylt, and a senior AfD figure being fined by a court for using a Nazi paramilitary slogan.
IDF airstrikes target Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon after rocket barrage
The IDF says it completed a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon a short while ago.
The targets included buildings used by the terror group in Yater and Markaba, and other infrastructure in Tallouseh, according to the military.
The IDF publishes footage of some of the strikes, which come after Hezbollah launched some 170 rockets at northern Israel today.
The IDF says it completed a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon a short while ago.
The targets included buildings used by the terror group in Yater and Markaba, and other infrastructure in Tallouseh, according to the military. pic.twitter.com/kukTOoFzpk
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 12, 2024
Blinken: Neither Israel, Hezbollah looking for war; Gaza ceasefire best way to end clashes
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sticks to longheld administration talking points regarding Israel-Hezbollah tensions when asked whether he’s concerned about the significant escalation over the past day since the IDF killed a senior commander of the Iran-backed terror group.
He responds that “no one is looking to start a war, to have escalation,” and that most believe a diplomatic resolution is the best path to ending the conflict.
Such a resolution must allow the return of the 60,000 Israelis forced to evacuate their homes as well as those in Lebanon who were compelled to do the same, Blinken says during a press conference from Doha.
He stresses that securing a ceasefire in Gaza is the best way to wind down the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
“It will take away a justification that Hezbollah has claimed for the attacks it has been engaged in and open a pathway to actually resolve this diplomatically. That’s what we’re determined to do,” Blinken says.
Qatari PM: Israel’s operation in Rafah, contradicting remarks by officials harmed ceasefire efforts
Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani gives a joint press conference with the visiting US Secretary of State in Doha on June 12, 2024. (Ibraheem AL-OMARI / POOL / AFP)
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani indicates that steps taken by Israel over the past month harmed efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
Asked during a Doha press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken whether Qatar should be putting more pressure on Hamas in order to reach a deal, Al Thani says pressure must be placed on both sides.
After Blinken placed much of the honus on Hamas for the war dragging out, Al Thani notes Israel’s invasion of Rafah along with “contradicting statements from different Israeli officials” and argues that they, therefore, demonstrate the need to pressure Israel as well.
Earlier in the presser, he accused Israel of advancing a policy of “collective punishment” and “starvation” in Gaza.
Pressed whether Qatar will consider closing Hamas’s office in Doha, Al Thani reiterates that the bureau was established to create a channel of communication with the terror group.
“Until now, this reason is valid, and we are using this as a communication channel,” he continues.
“Our interest as a country is to see peace and stability in the region. It doesn’t be that we are endorsing one party over another. Our policy is very clear — it’s supporting the Palestinian people and their rights, but at the end of the day, we are a state, we are not a political party,” Al Thani says.
Blinken privately told Al Thani in April that Doha should expel Hamas’s leaders if they continue rejecting hostage deal proposals, a US official said.
Several weeks later, Qatar quietly ordered Hamas leaders to leave Doha, then allowed them to return when hostage negotiations picked up again in May, two officials told The Times of Israel.
Hamas officials have remained in Qatar since those negotiations fell apart, but a source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that Doha is still prepared to formally and publicly oust Hamas’s leaders if an official request to do so is made by the Biden administration.
The US is weighing its desire to squeeze Hamas to agree to a hostage deal against its concern that the terror group could move to another country that is less swayed by Washington’s interests, the source said.
Blinken says US, partners will present plans for post-war Gaza in coming weeks
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that the US and its partners will release its plans for the post-war management of Gaza in the coming weeks.
He says that in order to have an enduring end to the war, there must be planning for the “day after” completed “as soon as possible.”
Blinken doesn’t specify that Israel is the party that must present those plans. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has chafed calls for “day after” planning for months, arguing that they are largely futile so long as Hamas is still in power.
Meanwhile, the US has worked with the Arab world to advance a post-war vision.
“In the coming weeks, we will put forward proposals for key elements of the day-after — planning that includes concrete ideas for how to manage governance, security, reconstruction,” Blinken says in a press conference with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha.
The top US diplomat acknowledges that Hamas will determine whether or not the war will continue, but later insists that “Hamas cannot and will not be allowed to decide the future for this region.”
Blinken pans Hamas response to Israeli offer, saying some proposed changes ‘not workable’
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) gives a joint press conference with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani (R) in Doha on June 12, 2024. (Ibraheem AL-OMARI / POOL / AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticizes Hamas’s response to Israel’s hostage deal proposal, saying it included some changes that are not workable.
“Hamas has proposed numerous changes to the proposal that was on the table… Some of the changes are workable, some are not,” Blinken says in a press conference with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha.
“A deal was on the table that was virtually identical to the proposal that Hamas made on May 6 — a deal that the entire world is behind, a deal Israel has accepted.”
“Hamas could have answered with a single word. ‘Yes.’ Instead, Hamas waited nearly two weeks and then proposed more changes, a number of which go beyond positions that it had previously taken and accepted,” Blinken says.
“As a result, the war — [which] Hamas started on October 7 with its barbaric attack on Israel and on Israeli civilians — will go on. More people will suffer, more Palestinians will suffer, more Israelis will suffer.”
“But in the days ahead, we are going to continue to push on an urgent basis with our partners, with Qatar with Egypt, to try to close this deal. Because we know it’s in the interests of Israelis, Palestinians, the region, indeed, the entire world,” he adds.
“At some point in a negotiation — and this has gone back and forth for a long time — you get to a point where if one side continues to change its demands, including making demands and insisting on changes on things that they had already accepted, you have to question whether they’re proceeding in good faith or not,” Blinken says.
“We’re determined to try to bridge the gaps, and I believe those gaps are bridgeable. That doesn’t mean they will be bridged,” he adds.
“It’s time for the haggling to stop and a ceasefire to start.”
“It may be that Hamas continues to say ‘no.’ [Then] I think it will be clear to everyone around the world, that it’s on them and that they will have made a choice to continue a war that they started,” Blinken says.
IDF targets 2 more Hezbollah launchers used in morning rocket barrage
Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike on Zibqin in southern Lebanon, on June 12, 2024. (Kawnat Haju/AFP)
Two more Hezbollah rocket launchers used in this morning’s barrage on northern Israel were targeted in southern Lebanon’s Taybeh and Markaba, the military says.
Troops also shelled areas near Rachaya al-Foukhar with artillery, targeting the locations from which rockets were fired, the IDF adds.
Rockets were meanwhile launched from Lebanon at the Mount Meron area and Malkia area in the last few hours, the military says.
The IDF also says that it launched interceptor missiles at “suspicious aerial targets” over northern Israel earlier, which triggered sirens at 11:52 a.m., 12 p.m., and 12:19 p.m.
There are no injuries in the attacks.
Hezbollah vows to intensify attacks on Israel after senior commander killed
BEIRUT, Lebanon — A top Hezbollah official vows that the terror group would step up its attacks on Israel after its arch-foe killed a senior commander in south Lebanon the day before.
“We will increase the intensity, strength, quantity, and quality of our attacks,” says Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, speaking at the funeral of commander Taleb Sami Abdallah, who was killed in the Israeli strike on Tuesday.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Hamas wants written guarantee from US that hostage deal will mean permanent end of war
IDF troops operate in the Gaza Strip, in an image published on June 12, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Hamas wants written guarantees from the United States for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip in order to sign off on a US-backed Israeli truce and hostage deal proposal, two Egyptian security sources say.
Mediators Qatar and Egypt said Hamas had responded on Tuesday to the phased ceasefire plan for an end to the eight-month war between Israel and the terror group, without giving details.
The plan was made public at the end of May by US President Joe Biden. It includes the gradual release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the pullback of Israeli forces over two phases, as well as the freeing of Palestinian prisoners, with the reconstruction of Gaza and the return of the remains of deceased hostages in a third phase.
The United States has said Israel accepted the proposal, but Israel has not publicly stated this.
The Egyptian sources and a third source with knowledge of the talks say Hamas had concerns that the current proposal does not provide explicit guarantees over the transition from the first phase of the plan, which includes a six-week truce and the release of some hostages, to the second phase, which includes a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal.
The Egyptian sources say Hamas would only accept the plan if the guarantees were in place, and Egypt was in contact with the US about the demand.
“Hamas wants reassurances of an automatic transition from one phase to another as per the agreement laid out by President Biden,” the third source says.
Hamas and Egyptian authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
When he announced the plan, Biden said that if negotiations to move to the second phase lasted longer than six weeks, the ceasefire would continue as those negotiations were extended.
Hamas said on Tuesday that its “positive” response to the proposal opened a “wide pathway” to reach an agreement.
But an Israeli official speaking on condition of anonymity said Hamas had “changed all of the main and most meaningful parameters,” characterizing the group’s response as a rejection of Biden’s proposal for a hostage release.
One non-Israeli official briefed on the matter, who also declined to be identified, said that in its response, Hamas had proposed a new timeline for a permanent ceasefire with Israel and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, including Rafah.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Blinken touches down in Qatar for talks on ceasefire-hostage deal proposal
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Doha, on June 12, 2024. (Ibraheem AL-OMARI / POOL / AFP)
DOHA, Qatar — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken touches down in Doha for talks with key mediator Qatar after Hamas gave its response to a US-led proposal for a ceasefire-hostage deal in war-ravaged Gaza.
Blinken, on a four-country swing around the Middle East to push Hamas to accept the truce plan, will meet the top leadership in the gas-rich Gulf state, which has transmitted messages to the Palestinian militant group.
Hamas, responding to the plan laid out on May 31 by President Joe Biden, proposed amendments late Tuesday including a ceasefire timeline and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, according to a source familiar with the talks.
The Biden plan calls for an Israeli withdrawal from “major population centers” and a ceasefire for six weeks, which would then be extended as negotiators reach a permanent deal.
The White House said Tuesday that the United States was “evaluating” the reply.
US officials had privately expected Hamas to insist on at least some changes rather than accepting the entire deal immediately and wanted to see if there was enough common ground to hammer out differences with Israel.
Biden is eager to end a war that has taken a mounting toll on civilians and turned parts of his Democratic Party base against him months ahead of a razor-close election.
Blinken will meet in Doha with both the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who is also the emirate’s top diplomat, the State Department said.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
12 teams battling fire in Biriya Forest after massive Hezbollah rocket attack
Twelve firefighting teams are battling a blaze in the Biriya Forest in northern Israel, sparked by Hezbollah rocket fire today.
The teams are working alongside eight fire-fighting aircraft and teams from the Jewish National Fund, the Nature and Parks Authority, and the military, Fire and Rescue services say.
Meanwhile, firefighters have gained control over a fire in the northern community of Kadita.
חג. והצפון שוב מתחיל לבעור.
יערות עולים באש. שריפות קטנות פה ושם, בתקווה שלא יתלקחו ליותר. יער בירייה, עין זתים, מירון, קדיתא, כחל ועוד
צילום: עובדי ויערני קק״ל pic.twitter.com/ol3NPduZSi— ilana curiel (@ilanacuriel) June 12, 2024
IDF confirms killing Hezbollah regional division commander Taleb Abdullah, the ‘most senior’ officer targeted amid war
The Israeli military confirms it carried out last night’s airstrike in southern Lebanon’s Jouaiyya, killing senior Hezbollah commander Taleb Abdullah.
Abdullah commanded Hezbollah’s Nasr unit, one of three regional divisions in south Lebanon. The unit is responsible for the region between Mount Dov and the Bint Jbeil area.
According to the IDF, he is the most senior Hezbollah commander it has killed amid the ongoing fighting.
Abdullah was behind numerous attacks on northern Israel in the past eight months, mostly against the city of Kiryat Shmona, and other towns and army positions in the Galilee Panhandle, Upper Galilee, and the Golan Heights area.
He is also considered by the IDF to be a “source of knowledge” with many years of experience in the terror group. Abdullah was involved in the 2005 attempted kidnapping in Ghajar, and in the 2006 Lebanon war, was the commander of the Bint Jbeil area.
The military publishes footage of the strike, in which another three Hezbollah operatives were killed.
The IDF says it was prepared for the terror group’s response of over 170 rockets and several anti-tank guided missiles this morning, and expects additional attacks throughout the day.
While the political echelon has not yet made a decision on launching an offensive in Lebanon and turning the Gaza Strip into the secondary front, the IDF says it continues to target Hezbollah commanders behind attacks on Israel.
Drone launched from Lebanon explodes in open area in north
A drone launched from Lebanon this morning detonated in an open area near the northern community of Zivon, the Upper Galilee Regional Council says in a statement.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
Incoming rocket and drone alerts have been sounding throughout the day in northern Israel after last night’s Israeli strike in southern Lebanon’s Jouaiyya, which killed top commander Taleb Abdullah and three other operatives.
IDF says jets strike Hezbollah launchers in south Lebanon used in morning barrage
Israeli fighter jets struck Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon’s Yater, used to carry out this morning’s rocket barrages on northern Israel, the military says.
The IDF says jets also struck another rocket launcher used in the barrages, in Hanine.
מטוסי קרב תקפו לפני זמן קצר ארבע תשתיות טרור של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב יעטר שבדרום לבנון, ממנו בוצעו שיגורים לעבר צפון הארץ מוקדם יותר היום.
במקביל, מטוסי קרב תקפו במרחב חנין שבדרום לבנון משגר נוסף ממנו בוצעו מוקדם יותר היום שיגורים לצפון הארץ>> pic.twitter.com/kt060GLdHL
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 12, 2024
Some 10 rockets were fired in the latest barrage, at the Zar’it area, the military says, bringing the total number of rockets fired by the terror group today to at least 170.
The IDF says some of the rockets fired at Zar’it were intercepted by air defenses, and there are no injuries.
Troops also shelled the launch sites following the attack, the military adds.
Meanwhile, suspected drone sirens that sounded in the Upper Galilee a short while ago are still under investigation. The Home Front Command said the incident was over.
Rocket and drone sirens sound in several northern communities
Sirens warning of incoming rockets and drones are sounding once again in northern communities.
Warnings of incoming hostile drones sound in the communities of Avivim, Yir’on, Baram, Jish, Rehaniya, Kerem Ben Zimra, Alma, and Dalton.
Rocket warning sirens sound in Dovev and Baram.
🚨 Large Red Alert [11:52:54] – 11 Alerts:
• Confrontation Line — Ramat Dalton Industrial Zone, Kerem Ben Zimra, Yir'on, Rehaniya, Alma, Dovev, Avivim, Baram, Jish (Gush Halav), Dalton#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert
— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) June 12, 2024
IDF says fighter jets struck some 30 terror sites across Gaza over past day
A Palestinian woman watches as smoke billows following an Israeli strike south of Gaza City, in the town of al-Zawaida in the central Gaza Strip, on June 11, 2024. (Eyad BABA / AFP)
Israeli fighter jets and other aircraft carried out strikes against some 30 targets across the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says.
The targets included buildings used by terror groups, rocket launchers, tunnel shafts, other infrastructure, as well as cells of armed terror operatives, according to the IDF.
The strikes come as troops continue to operate in southern Gaza’s Rafah and in the Netzarim Corridor in the central part of the Strip.
In Rafah, the IDF says troops of the Givati Brigade killed several gunmen in close-quarters combat; the Nahal Brigade located and destroyed several booby-trapped buildings; and the 401st Armored Brigade killed several more terror operatives and located military equipment.
In the central Gaza Strip, the IDF says it carried out a strike on a cell of Hamas operatives and a weapons depot.
Firefighters battling blazes in three locations in north after rocket attacks
Firefighters battle a blaze in northern Israel sparked by Hezbollah rockets, June 12, 2024. (Fire and Rescue Service)
Some 21 firefighting teams and eight planes are working to extinguish several fires in northern Israel, sparked by Hezbollah rocket attacks, the Fire and Rescue Service says.
The service says there are three main fire locations: near Amiad, in the Ein Zeitim forest, and near Beit Jann.
Hezbollah fired more than 160 rockets at northern Israel this morning.
Merchant ship struck in Red Sea, in latest apparent Houthi attack
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A merchant ship issued a distress call after being struck in the Red Sea off Yemen, a security firm says, in what appeared to be the latest attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The ship was hit about 68 nautical miles southwest of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, maritime security firm Ambrey says.
The company “assessed the vessel aligned with the Houthi target profile at the time of the incident,” it says in a statement, without giving further details.
Rocket sirens blare again in north
A fresh round of sirens is triggered in the northern community of Zarit.
The new attack comes after some 160 rockets were fired at several areas in northern Israel this morning, in what appears to be a Hezbollah response to the killing of a top commander.
Red Alert [11:01:22] – 2 Alerts:
• Confrontation Line — Zarit#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/tNhNStI2Zd
— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) June 12, 2024
Hezbollah claims rocket salvos at Israel, says it targeted military sites
Hezbollah commanders Wissam Tawil (left) and Taleb Abdullah in an undated photo published by Hezbollah on June 11, 2024. (Hezbollah media office)
Hezbollah takes responsibility for the rocket barrages on northern Israel this morning.
The terror group claims to have targeted several Israeli military sites, including the Meron air traffic control base and the Amiad camp — located some 20 kilometers from the border — as well as the factory of the Plasan armored vehicle manufacturer in Kibbutz Sasa.
Hezbollah says the attacks are a response to last night’s Israeli strike in southern Lebanon’s Jouaiyya, which killed top commander Taleb Abdullah and three other operatives.
Abdullah is considered to be the most senior Hezbollah commander killed by Israel amid the fighting.
IDF hits Hezbollah rocket launcher used in barrage on north
An anti-missile systems fire interceptor missiles at rockets fired from Lebanon, seen from the northern Israeli town of Rosh Pina, June 12, 2024. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)
The IDF says it struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in southern Lebanon’s Yaroun, used in this morning’s barrage of 90 rockets on northern Israel.
In the second barrage of 70 rockets a short while ago, the IDF says most of the rockets impacted open areas, while some apparently caused damage at several locations. Several rockets were also intercepted by air defenses, the military adds.
There are no injuries in the attacks.
בהמשך להתרעות שהופעלו בצפון הארץ לפני זמן קצר, זוהו כשבעים שיגורים שחצו משטח לבנון.
חלקם יורטו, מרבית השיגורים נפלו בשטחים פתוחים, זוהו נפילות במספר מרחבים בצפון הארץ, הפרטים בבדיקה.
אין נפגעים>> pic.twitter.com/f82uPc6VAI— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 12, 2024
At least 70 more rockets fired at northern Israel
At least 70 rockets were launched at the Mount Meron area in northern Israel from Lebanon a short while ago, according to the military.
There are no reports of injuries in the attack, the second major barrage today.
Footage posted to social media shows several Iron Dome interceptions and several rockets impacting the Meron area.
In all, some 160 rockets have been launched from Lebanon at northern Israel since this morning.
Footage posted to social media shows several Iron Dome interceptions and rocket impacts in the Mount Meron area, following a barrage launched from Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/nn7q7tQKUI
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 12, 2024
UN probe accuses Israel of ‘extermination,’ other crimes against humanity in Gaza
Chairwoman of the 'The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel,' South Africa's Navi Pillay speaks during a briefing to UN member states about ongoing investigations of the Commission at the UN offices in Geneva, on April 16, 2024. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
A United Nations investigation claims that Israel had committed crimes against humanity during the war in Gaza, including the crime of “extermination.”
“The crimes against humanity of extermination; murder; gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys; forcible transfer; and torture and inhuman and cruel treatment were committed,” the Commission of Inquiry says in a report, due to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council next week.
The probe also accuses several Palestinian terror groups of committing “war crimes” since the conflict in Gaza erupted on October 7, when Hamas-led terrorists stormed into Israel, killing some 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages.
“It is imperative that all those who have committed crimes be held accountable,” says Navi Pillay, who chairs the Commission of Inquiry.
The commission was set up by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021 to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Israel rejects the findings and accuses the UN Commission of Inquiry of long-standing “systematic anti-Israeli discrimination.”
The Commission of Inquiry “has once again proven that its actions are all in the service of a narrow-led political agenda against Israel,” said Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.
Rocket sirens sounding again in northern Israel
A fresh round of sirens is triggered in several communities in northern Israel.
The alerts are activated in the Mount Meron area, in the Upper Galilee.
The new attack comes after some 90 rockets were fired at several areas in northern Israel an hour ago, in what appears to be a Hezbollah response to the killing of a top commander.
🔴 Massive Red Alert [10:00:16] – 31 Alerts:
• Confrontation Line — Ramat Dalton Industrial Zone, Hurfeish, Kerem Ben Zimra, Alkosh, Zivon, Rehaniya, Dovev, Alma, Sassa, Sdeh Meron School, Matat, Jish (Gush Halav), Dalton#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/rkXT4VLyaC
— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) June 12, 2024
IDF says 90 rockets from Lebanon crossed into Israel, some sparked fires
The IDF in an update says some 90 rockets launched in the barrage from Lebanon crossed the border into northern Israel.
It says several rockets were intercepted by air defenses, while others impacted at several locations.
As a result of the rocket impacts, several fires were sparked, the army says.
There are no reports of injuries or major damage.
Initially, the military said that at least 100 rockets were fired in the attack, indicating that some may have fallen short in Lebanon.
צה"ל: זוהו כ-90 שיגורים שחצו משטח לבנון, חלקם יורטו, במספר מוקדים פרצו שריפות כתוצאה מנפילות @Doron_Kadosh https://t.co/mAOYHRRmo3 pic.twitter.com/yT6WW4VkIt
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) June 12, 2024
IDF says more than 100 rockets fired at northern Israel; Tiberias targeted for first time in war
At least 100 rockets were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel in the barrage a short while ago, according to the military.
It marks one of the largest barrages carried out by Hezbollah amid the war.
There are no reports of injuries.
The barrage saw the city of Tiberias targeted for the first time during this war.
The massive rocket attack is believed to be a response by the terror group to the killing of a top commander in a strike last night.
A video shared on social media shows rocket impacts near the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel amid the major barrage launched from Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/KkAG1eHt5X
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 12, 2024
Huge rocket barrage fired at northern Israel, many projectiles intercepted
Rocket and interceptions seen in the skies over northern Israel on June 12, 2024 (Screencapture X)
Incoming rocket sirens are sounding across northern Israel, hours after an alleged Israeli airstrike killed a senior Hezbollah commander.
Sirens sound in the cities of Safed, Rosh Pina, and Tiberias, as well as numerous other towns in the Galilee. Footage posted to social media shows the Iron Dome intercepting many rockets over the area.
מטח רקטות כבד לעבר הגליל העליון, עמק הירדן והגליל התחתון | תיעוד מהיירוטים@rubih67 @CBeyar pic.twitter.com/g4jgDEicb8
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 12, 2024
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
In last night’s strike in south Lebanon’s Jouaiyya, Taleb Abdullah and three other Hezbollah operatives were killed. Abdullah is considered to be the most senior Hezbollah officer killed amid the ongoing war.
🔴 Massive Red Alert [09:00:00] – 52 Alerts:
• Confrontation Line — Ramat Dalton Industrial Zone, Kerem Ben Zimra, Rehaniya, Alma, Dovev, Sassa, Jish (Gush Halav), Dalton
• Center Galilee — Kfar Manda, Bir al-Maksur, Hanaton#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/woZzvt4ddd— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) June 12, 2024
Russian rights commissioner calls for swift release of Russians held by Hamas
Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner says she issued a fresh appeal to senior UN and other officials to take action to secure the release of Russian nationals still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Tatyana Moskalkova, writing on the Telegram messaging app, says she had launched the appeal after meeting in Moscow with relatives of those still being held.
“In one conversation, one of the mothers told me details of the situation of those being held,” she writes.
News reports have put at eight the number of hostages holding Russian passports, including three who were released.
Moskalkova said she had appealed to the UN High Commissioner For Human Rights, Volker Turk, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, and other officials “for the rapid return home of our compatriots.”
Two US men jailed for conspiracy to sell Iranian oil to China
Two Texas men convicted by a US jury in November of trying to sell Iranian petroleum in violation of sanctions imposed by Washington and of conspiracy to commit money laundering have been sentenced to 45 months in prison, the US Justice Department says.
Zhenyu Wang, 43, a Chinese citizen, and Daniel Ray Lane, 42, of McKinney, Texas, schemed with co-conspirators to evade US economic sanctions against Iran from July 2019 to February 2020 by facilitating the purchase of sanctioned oil from Iran, masking its origins and then selling it to a refinery in China, the department said in a statement.
Lane was president of privately held Stack Royalties, a Texas-based company that sells oil and gas mineral rights to investment funds and private equity groups.
Lane’s attorney, Paul Hetznecker, told Reuters late last year that the case was based on undercover government agents who offered Lane “millions of dollars in profits” if he took part in the scheme, after initially rebuffing their approaches. The attorney had called the case “an outrageous example of government overreach.”
The pair were charged, along with three others, in 2020 in US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. At least two co-conspirators have since pleaded guilty, court records showed.
China is the world’s only major importer of Iranian oil despite sanctions that former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally reimposed on Tehran’s petroleum exports in 2018 after withdrawing the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers.
US military says it destroyed 2 missile launchers in Houthi-held area of Yemen
The US military says that its forces destroyed two anti-ship cruise missile launchers in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.
US Central Command says on the social media site X that the missile launchers “presented an imminent threat to US and coalition forces and to merchant vessels transiting the region.”
White House decries waving of ‘profane banners of terrorist organizations’ at New York anti-Israel protest
Anti-Israel protesters demonstrate outside the Supernova music festival exhibit in New York City, June 10, 2024. (Twitter, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
The White House denounces yesterday’s anti-Israel protest targeting a New York City exhibit memorializing the Nova music festival massacre, which including banners and chants hailing the October 7 terror onslaught along with the Hamas and Hezbollah terror organizations.
Calling the conduct of the far-left protesters “outrageous and heartbreaking,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates says in a statement, adding that “profane banners of terrorist organizations should not be flown anywhere, especially not on American streets.”
“Antisemitism has no place in the United States,” he says, calling the protesters’ behavior “horrifying.”
Hezbollah confirms death of senior commander in Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon
The Hezbollah terror group announces the death of a senior commander in an alleged Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon earlier tonight.
Hezbollah in a statement says Taleb Abdullah, from the south Lebanon town of Aadachit, was killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” the terror group’s term for Israeli strikes.
Abdullah was killed in a strike in the town of Jouaiyya.
Hezbollah refers to Abdullah as a commander.
The terror group rarely refers to its senior operatives slain in Israeli strikes as commanders. The only other operative referred to as a commander was Wissam al-Tawil, the deputy head of the terror group’s elite Radwan force, killed by Israel in January.
According to reports, Abdullah commanded a Hezbollah regional division in southern Lebanon.
The Hezbollah terror group announces the death of a senior commander in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon earlier tonight.
Hezbollah in a statement says Taleb Abdullah, from the south Lebanon town of Aadachit, was killed "on the road to Jerusalem," the terror group's term… https://t.co/FUQUrVhS2I pic.twitter.com/QNR5dn7FW5
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 11, 2024
Pentagon chief commends Gallant for hostage rescue, says onus is on Hamas to accept truce deal
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (L) and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant outside the Pentagon on March 26, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant today to congratulate him on the rescue of four hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to a readout from Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
The two also discussed efforts to “de-escalate tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border in the wake of Lebanese Hezbollah’s increased aggression,” the statement adds.
Austin thanked Gallant for “Israel’s support for the comprehensive ceasefire and hostage deal,” according to the readout, and the two agreed that “the onus is on Hamas to accept the deal.”
The statement comes hours after Hamas submitted its response to Israel’s latest hostage release and ceasefire offer to Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
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