Live updates (closed)
The Times of Israel liveblogged Friday’s events as they unfolded.
Prosecutors drop most charges against protesters who occupied Columbia University building
New York City police officers take people into custody near the Columbia University campus in New York, April 30, 2024, after a building taken over by anti-Israel activists earlier in the day was cleared, along with a tent encampment. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Dozens of Columbia University students who were arrested for occupying a campus building as part of a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protest will have their criminal charges dropped, prosecutors say.
At a court hearing, the Manhattan district attorney’s office says it would not pursue criminal charges for 31 of the 46 people initially arrested on trespassing charges inside the administration building.
Students and their allies seized the building, known as Hamilton Hall, on April 30, barricading themselves inside with furniture and padlocks in a major escalation of campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war.
At the request of university leaders, hundreds of officers with the New York Police Department stormed onto campus the following night, gaining access to the building through a second-story window and making dozens of arrests.
At the hearing, prosecutors say they were dismissing charges against most of those arrested inside the building due in part to a lack of evidence tying them to specific acts of property damage and the fact that none of the students had criminal histories.
Stephen Millan, an assistant district attorney, notes that the protesters wore masks and blocked surveillance cameras in the building, making it difficult to “prove that they participated in damaging any Columbia University property or causing harm to anyone.”
All of those students are still facing disciplinary hearings and possible expulsion from the university.
Prosecutors said they would move forward with charges against one person involved in the building occupation, who is also accused of breaking an NYPD camera in a holding cell and burning an Israeli flag during a protest.
Haniyeh says Hamas is open to any initiative that ends the war
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)
Qatar-based Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says in a statement that the terror group was open to “any document or initiative that ensures the foundations of the resistance’s position in ceasefire negotiations.”
Hamas has insisted on the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire before the release of all hostages sought by Israel. The Israeli government has rejected the demands.
Haniyeh says “the priority is to stop the criminal war on our people.”
IDF says airstrikes hit a series of Hezbollah positions in south Lebanon
Black smoke billows after an Israeli air strike that targeted a house in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam, near Israel's northern border with Lebanon, June 21, 2024. (Rabih Daher / AFP)
The IDF says it carried out a series of airstrikes today against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.
Among the targets hit by fighter jets and drones were a building used by the terror group in Khiam, a military post in Mays al-Jabal, and other infrastructure in Taybeh and Tallouseh, the military says.
מטוסי קרב וכלי טיס של חיל-האוויר תקפו לאורך היום מטרות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בארבעה מרחבים שונים בדרום לבנון.
בין המטרות שהותקפו: מבנה צבאי של חיזבאללה במרחב אל-חיאם, עמדה צבאית של הארגון במיס אל ג׳בל ותשתיות טרור של הארגון במרחבים א-טייבה ותלוסה שבדרום לבנון. pic.twitter.com/TuXeUmV0p3
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) June 21, 2024
US envoy visits NYC Nova festival exhibit targeted by antisemitic mob
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield visits a New York City exhibit memorializing the Nova music festival massacre on June 20, 2024. (US Mission to the UN)
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield visited a New York City exhibit memorializing the October 7 massacre at the Nova music festival earlier today.
Earlier this month an anti-Israel mob protested outside the exhibit, waving flags of Hamas’s armed al-Qassam Brigades terror wing and of the Hezbollah terror group and carrying banners with slogans such as “Long live October 7” and “The Zionists are not Jews and not humans.”
“The ambassador’s visit to the exhibition comes after recent abhorrent antisemitic protests outside the venue. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield has forcefully spoken out against antisemitism,” her office said in a statement.
“The harsh reality is that antisemitism is pervasive and growing worldwide. We must stand up to this threat and show solidarity with Jewish communities everywhere. Let us foster hope, develop practical solutions and build stronger partnerships to combat antisemitism and prevent future violence,” Thomas-Greenfield adds.
Poll indicates more Israelis prefer Bennett to Netanyahu as prime minister
Left: Head of the Yamina party Naftali Bennett gives a press conference at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on April 21, 2021; Right: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on April 21, 2021 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
A poll published by Channel 12 shows that the public currently favors former prime minister Naftali Bennett over current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The poll asks who was most suitable to be prime minister with 36% picking Bennett and 28% choosing Netanyahu. However, 31% said neither, while 5% said they did not know.
Bennett, who took a break from politics, has recently been hinting at a return.
While the poll gives a boost to Bennett, it is largely immaterial as Israelis do not vote directly for prime minister, instead they choose a party.
Bennett has yet to say who he would run with.
The poll also compared Netanyahu with several other leaders.
Both Netanyahu and National Unity party leader Benny Gantz won approval from 32% of those asked, with 33% saying neither were fit to lead.
Gantz has had a long-running lead over Netanyahu in the polls since the October 7 Hamas massacre and subsequent war in Gaza, but has seen his support drop since he pulled out of the emergency government in recent weeks.
Netanyahu, with 33%, was also ahead of Opposition Leader Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid who won the support of 28%. Thirty-four percent said neither.
However, Netanyahu’s overall job approval ratings were low, with 63% saying he was doing a bad job, while only 31% said he was doing well.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant faired better with 45% approving and 46% disapproving.
Fifty percent approved of Israel Defense Forces chief Herzi Halevi, with 39% disapproving of his performance.
Hamas says death toll from strike on tent camp near Rafah rises to 25
Palestinians gather at the edge of a crater after an apparent Israeli strike in an area where displaced people are sheltering in southern Gaza Strip, Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP Photo /Jehad Alshrafi)
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says the death toll from an apparent Israeli strike on a tent in an area housing displaced people has risen to 25, with another 50 wounded.
The location of the incident provided by Hamas officials was just outside an Israeli-designated safe zone to the west of Rafah. The Israeli military said they were looking into the strikes at the reported coordinates.
The Hamas figures can not be verified and don’t differentiate between civilians and terror operatives.
Smotrich recorded telling supporters of secret government plan to change way Israel governs West Bank
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends a Knesset Finance Committee meeting in Jerusalem, on June 10, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been recorded telling settler supporters that the government is engaged in a clandestine effort to change the way Israel governs the West Bank, The New York Times reports.
The paper says it received the recording from an event held earlier in the month in which Smotrich, who is also a minister in the Defense Ministry, told supporters that the goal was to prevent the West Bank from becoming part of a Palestinian state.
“I’m telling you, it’s mega-dramatic,” says Smotrich according to a translation of his remarks from the NYT. “Such changes change a system’s DNA.”
Parts of the West Bank are under the rule of the Palestinian Authority, while the Israeli military has authority over the rest. Smotrich has long pushed for Israel to annex those areas.
Smotrich described at length how he planned to transfer authority from the military to civilians under his authority in the Defense Ministry, the report says.
“We created a separate civilian system,” Smotrich says, adding that to deflect international scrutiny, the government has allowed the Defense Ministry to remain involved in the process, according to the Times.
“It will be easier to swallow in the international and legal context,” Smotrich says. “So that they won’t say that we are doing annexation here.”
Canada said preparing to evacuate 45,000 citizens from Lebanon amid war fears
Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly speaks with the media, as she arrives for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, April 3, 2024. (AP Photo/ Virginia Mayo)
Canada is preparing a massive evacuation of its citizens from Lebanon should a full-scale war break out between Israel and Hezbollah, Channel 12 reports.
The report quotes from a conversation held today between Foreign Minister Israel Katz and his Canadian counterpart Mélanie Joly.
The report says the conversation was tense and that Joly told Katz that the Canadian military was drawing up plans to evacuate 45,000 people from Lebanon.
Katz reportedly urged Ottawa to put pressure on Hezbollah’s Iranian backers to reign in the terror group.
There was no official read out of the conversation.
However, Katz later posts on X: “Israel cannot allow the Hezbollah terror organization to continue attacking its territory and citizens, and soon we will make the necessary decisions. The free world must unconditionally stand with Israel in its war against the axis of evil led by Iran and extremist Islam.”
Tunisia fires religious affairs minister after hajj deaths
Rescuers carry away a man effected by the scorching heat as Muslim pilgrims perform the symbolic 'stoning of the devil' ritual as part of the hajj pilgrimage in Mina, near Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca, on June 16, 2024. (Fadel Senna/ AFP)
Tunisian President Kais Saied fires the minister of religious affairs, the presidency says in a statement, after 49 Tunisians were reported to have died so far in this year’s hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
The president “decided to end the duties of Ibrahim Chaibi, the minister of religious affairs,” the statement posted on Facebook says without giving any further details.
On Tuesday, the Tunisian foreign ministry reported the death of 35 Tunisian pilgrims, but the number has risen to 49 so far, according to Tunisian media.
The ministry didn’t specify whether the deaths were related to high temperatures, adding that most of the dead had travelled to Saudi Arabia with tourist visas and outside of the Saudi government’s official pilgrimage program.
Man drowns on Ashkelon beach
A man in his 50s drowned while swimming off a beach in the southern city of Ashkelon, medics say.
Magen David Adom medics were called to the scene but failed to resuscitate the man and were forced to declare him dead, the rescue service says.
The circumstances of the incident were not immediately clear.
US State Department point person on Israel-Palestinian conflict resigns, citing personal reasons
The State Department’s point person for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has resigned in the midst of the Gaza war, citing a desire to spend more time with his family, according to a source familiar with the matter.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs Andrew Miller informed colleagues earlier today of his decision to step down after a year and seven months, the source says, confirming reporting in the Washington Post.
Miller “cited his family, saying he has seen them sparingly as the eight-month war in Gaza has become all-consuming. Miller told colleagues that if not for those responsibilities, he would have preferred to remain in his job and fight for what he believes,” the Post reported.
Andrew Miller, State Dept. expert on Israel-Palestine, quits amid Gaza war – The Washington Post https://t.co/izgMAz7SGd
— "Youth Peace" Campaign (@YouthAlertYA) June 21, 2024
UN chief warns of catastrophe ‘beyond imagination’ if Lebanon becomes another Gaza
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gives a press conference on the sidelines of the 2024 United Nations Civil Society Conference at the UN Headquarters in Nairobi on May 10, 2024. (Tony KARUMBA / AFP)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he is profoundly concerned by escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah and that UN peacekeepers are working to calm the situation and prevent miscalculation.
“One rash move — one miscalculation — could trigger a catastrophe that goes far beyond the border, and frankly, beyond imagination,” he tells reporters.
“Let’s be clear: The people of the region and the people of the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza,” he says.
Guterres cites increased “bellicose rhetoric” from both sides as they engage in nearly daily exchanges of fire in parallel with the war in Gaza.
Iran says Hezbollah can defend itself and Lebanon against Israel
Hezbollah operatives attend the funeral of Wehbi Mohammed Ibrahim, in the village of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon on June 20, 2024 (Photo by Hassan FNEICH / AFP)
Iran’s mission to the United Nations says that Hezbollah has the capability to defend itself and Lebanon against Israel.
“Any imprudent decision by the occupying Israeli regime to save itself could plunge the region into a new war,” Iran’s UN mission posts on X amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
“Undoubtedly, this war will have one ultimate loser, which is the Zionist regime. The Lebanese Resistance Movement, Hezbollah, has the capability to defend itself and Lebanon — perhaps the time for the self-annihilation of this illegitimate regime has come,” the post says.
Hamas says more than 30 killed in Gaza fighting
Gaza municipality employees and some civil defence workers clear the debris following the Israeli military strike in Gaza City on June 21, 2024 (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
The Hama-run health ministry in Gaza says that at least 32 people were killed in fighting in the Strip over the last 24 hours.
Residents say the IDF appears to be trying to complete their capture of Rafah, which borders Egypt and has been the focus of an Israeli assault since early May.
Hamas also says that among the dead were 12 people killed in western Rafah when a shell hit a tent housing displaced families.
The IDF says it is looking into the report.
It said its forces were conducting “precise, intelligence-based” actions in the Rafah area, where troops were involved in close-quarter combat and had located tunnels used by terror groups.
Hamas figures cannot be verified and do not differentiate between civilians and terror operatives.
IDF says it downed a supected drone over Golan Heights
A suspected drone that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon was shot down over the northern Golan Heights earlier today, the military says.
Sirens had sounded in Kela Alon and Sha’al amid the incident.
בהמשך להתרעות שהופעלו בשעה 14:21 על חדירת כלי טיס עוין במרחבים קלע ושעל, לוחמי ההגנה האווירית יירטו מטרה אווירית חשודה שחצתה משטח לבנון pic.twitter.com/Mcxjkyo9ZT
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 21, 2024
The IDF says several more rockets were launched at northern Israel today, causing no injuries.
In response, troops shelled southern Lebanon with artillery, the military says.
Meanwhile, the IDF says that fighter jets also struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon’s Taybeh and Deir Seryan overnight.
Moldova to require visas for Israelis, will likely also impact transiting Uman pilgrims
Moldova says it will start imposing visa requirements for Israelis in response to a new electronic travel authorization system being implemented by Jerusalem.
Israel said last month it was moving to an ETA system for visitors from visa-exempt countries beginning in August. Visitors from non-visa countries will need the ETA to stay for up to 90 days in Israel, having previously been able to visit the country without it.
Moldova’s ambassador to Israel says this effectively annuls the visa-free agreement between the two countries in place since 2014.
“The ETA-IL system will impact Moldovan travelers to Israel, many of which are employed by Israeli companies, and in fact will unilaterally draw to cessation of the visa-free regime with the Republic of Moldova by the State of Israel,” says Ambassador Alex Roitman on X.
Roitman notes the move will also affect the thousands of Israeli pilgrims to Uman in the Ukraine, who travel there via Moldova.
“Moldova remains committed to the promotion of bilateral ties with the State of Israel in the spirit of mutual respect and reciprocity and is ready to engage in discussions and negotiations regarding this particular matter for the benefit of two countries and their citizens,” he says.
Moldova will respond reciprocally to the introduction of ETA-IL system
— Ambassador Alex Roitman ???????? (@AlexandrRoitman) June 21, 2024
Police says 2 Palestinians killed in West Bank raid were Islamic Jihad members
Police say the two Palestinian men killed by officers of the elite Gideonim unit in the West Bank city of Qalqilya were members of the Islamic Jihad terror group.
In a statement, police say the Gideonim officers attempted to arrest the pair, when they shot at the troops.
The officers returned fire, killing the terror operatives, the statement says. Handguns were seized from their bodies, police add.
Police say that one of the wanted Islamic Jihad members was planning to carry out an attack in the area.
IDF ends raid on Gaza university used as Hamas command center
Weapons the IDF says were found by troops at a university in the central Gaza Strip, in a handout photo published June 21, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF’s elite Multi-Domain, or Ghost, Unit recently wrapped up a raid against a university in the central Gaza Strip area, which the military says was used as a Hamas command center.
The IDF says Hamas operatives had opened fire at troops from the university complex.
The soldiers located a cache of weapons and barrels packed with explosives at the university, the military adds.
Intense heat in Gaza could worsen health crisis for Palestinians, WHO warns
Palestinians enjoy a day along the Mediterranean Sea during a heat wave at Khan Younis beach, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, May 20, 2024. (AP/Saher Alghorra)
The World Health Organization warns that scorching heat in the Gaza Strip could exacerbate health problems for Palestinians displaced in the heavy fighting between Israel and the Hamas terror group.
“We’ve seen massive displacement over the last weeks and months, and we know that combination and the heat can cause a rise in diseases,” says Richard Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative for Gaza and the West Bank.
“We have water contamination because of hot water, and we will have much more food spoilage because of the high temperature. We will get insect mosquitoes and flies, dehydration, heat stroke,” he says.
Extreme heat has killed hundreds worldwide as the northern hemisphere summer begins.
Qatari foreign minister says hostage-truce talks making progress ‘to some extent’
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)
MADRID – Qatar’s foreign minister says some progress has been made in negotiations over a Gaza ceasefire deal but gaps remain between Israel and Hamas.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, whose country is a mediator alongside the US and Egypt, says “there has been progress to some extent in the situation.”
Mediators have held “successive meetings” with the Hamas leadership in an effort to bridge the gaps, he says during a visit to Spain.
“There cannot be one party to the conflict adopting the vision of the other party,” he says. The solution “must be based on compromises between the two parties.”
Two wanted Palestinians killed by Israel in West Bank, says military source
A military source confirms that two wanted Palestinians were killed by officers of the police’s elite Gideonim unit in the West Bank city of Qalqilya a short while ago.
The operation was carried out jointly by the IDF, police and Shin Bet.
No further details on the suspects are immediately available.
Two reservists killed fighting in Gaza yesterday laid to rest
Sgt. First Class (res.) Omer Smadga (left) and Sgt. First Class (res.) Saadia Yaakov Derai, killed in a Hamas mortar attack in central Gaza on June 20, 2024. (Courtesy)
Two IDF reservists killed fighting in Gaza yesterday are laid to rest at funeral ceremonies today.
Sergeant First Class (res.) Omer Smadga, 25, is buried at a ceremony in Netanya.
His mother, Liat, describes him as “a hero, a beloved and dear son… a child of nature, with a heart of gold, and so handsome.”
His father, the Olympic judo medalist Oren Smadga, says that “everything has already been said about Omer… I say to you, soldiers, lift up your heads, continue as strong as you can and don’t stop until you win. That’s my message to everyone in this fight.”
Sergeant First Class (res.) Saadia Yaakov Derai, 27, is laid to rest in Holon.
His father, Chaim, says: “You were a brave warrior and a hero. They told us how strong you were. You were hardworking, but soft as a feather. You knew how to send a message to everyone. As a squad commander you looked after your soldiers, you were like a father to them. You were sharp in wisdom and in Gemara. A wonderful child.”
At least 2 Palestinians reported killed by Israeli forces in Qalqilya
Palestinian media report that Israeli special forces killed at least two men in the West Bank city of Qalqilya a short while ago.
Graphic footage from the scene shows troops dragging the body of a Palestinian out of a vehicle that was shot at.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF or police on the incident.
3 rockets from Gaza hit open areas near border towns; no injuries reported
Three rockets launched from central Gaza’s Nuseirat at southern Israel a short while ago struck open areas, the military says.
Sirens had sounded in the border community of Re’im.
There are no reports of injuries.
West Nile cases in Israel climb to 19, says health ministry
The Health Ministry says that the number of people in Israel infected with West Nile virus has risen to 19, 17 of whom are hospitalized and three of whom are on ventilators.
They are all from the central part of the country, the ministry says.
German FM to visit Israel, West Bank and Lebanon next week
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, left, meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, April 17, 2024. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will visit the Middle East next week, Berlin says.
Baerbock will travel to Israel on Monday immediately after a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg, a foreign ministry spokeswoman says.
On arrival in Israel, Baerbock — who has visited the region several times since the start of the war — will give a speech at the Herzliya Security Conference. On Tuesday, she will hold talks with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa in Ramallah. She will also meet with Foreign Minister Israel Katz in Jerusalem.
Baerbock will then travel to Lebanon for talks with officials in Beirut, including the migration minister.
The minister’s discussions with officials will focus on “the war in Gaza and the continuing catastrophic humanitarian situation,” as well as “the question of what a future could look like that allows Israelis and Palestinians to live together in safety,” the ministry spokeswoman says.
Paris police chief says biggest Olympic security worry is Islamist terrorism
The Paris 2024 Olympics podium seen in front of the Eiffel Tower on May 23, 2024, during its presentation to the press. (STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP)
Islamist terrorism is the main security worry ahead of the upcoming Paris Olympics, says the French capital’s chief of police Laurent Nunez.
France is on its highest level of security alert as the Games approach, with the country also preparing for snap legislative elections at the end of June.
“Islamist terrorism remains our main concern,” Nunez tells a press conference seven weeks before the Olympics opening ceremony, which will be held on and along the River Seine on July 26.
“There is no clear-cut threat yet against the Games and our country but I’d like to remind you that at the end of May, two individuals were arrested in Saint-Etienne and were plotting a project aimed directly at the Olympic Games,” he says. “The terrorist threat remains just as important as the protest threat posed by radical environmental groups, the ultra left and the pro-Palestinian movement.”
Sirens sound in kibbutz near Gaza border
Rocket warning sirens sound in Kibbutz Re’im near the border with Gaza.
IDF says tank shell fired at Gaza target accidentally hit southern Israel
This handout picture released on May 30, 2024 shows a tank during military operations around Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip. (Israel Defense Forces/AFP)
Shrapnel from an Israeli tank shell that mistakenly struck southern Israel instead of a target in the Gaza Strip reportedly damaged a vehicle earlier today.
According to the IDF, the tank shell, due to an error that is under investigation, deviated from its course and impacted near the border fence in Israel, instead of against the target in Gaza.
There were no injuries in the incident.
The IDF says it received reports that shrapnel from the shell damaged a vehicle in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council.
Drone warning sirens sound in towns near Lebanon border; IDF: false alarm
Sirens warning of a possible drone attack sound in a number of towns near the border with Lebanon, including Arab al-Aramshe, Adamit and Goren.
The IDF later says that the sirens were determined to be false alarms, the military says.
Palestinian Authority says Armenian recognition will preserve two-state solution
The Palestinian Authority welcomes Armenia’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
A statement from the PA presidency says that “this recognition contributes positively to preserving the two-state solution, which faces systematic challenges, and promotes security, peace and stability for all parties involved.”
Israel reacted by summoning the Armenian ambassador for a “harsh reprimand.”
Netanyahu says post-war Gaza needs ‘inter-Arab’ sponsorship, ‘deradicalization’ effort
Palestinians ride vehicles past destroyed buildings in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on June 21, 2024. (Eyad BABA / AFP)
In an interview with the Washington-based Punchbowl news site, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lays out what he sees as the future of the Gaza Strip following the end of the war.
“I think we’re going to have to have sustained demilitarization, which can only be done by Israel against any resurgent terrorist effort,” he says. “But I think there has to be a civilian administration to administer not only the distribution of humanitarian aid but also civil administration. That has to be done, I think best done, with the cooperation of an inter-Arab sponsorship and assistance by Arab countries.”
In addition, he says, he sees the necessity of “some kind of deradicalization process” to teach Palestinians “a different future than the one of annihilating Israel and killing every Jew on the planet,” as well as a reconstruction effort that would be led by the international community.
Netanyahu says it was ‘absolutely necessary’ to publicly air criticism of White House
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video message issued June 19, 2024. (Screenshot/GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells the US-based Punchbowl news site that his public criticism of the US earlier this week was “absolutely necessary.”
Asked about his controversial video message criticizing the White House over what he said was a holdup in weapons shipments, Netanyahu says that “we began to see that we had some significant problems emerging a few months ago. And in fact, we tried, in many, many quiet conversations between our officials and American officials, and between me and the president to try to iron out this diminution of supply.”
The prime minister claimed however that he was not “able to solve it” even after raising it with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit to Israel, and therefore “I felt that airing it was absolutely necessary after months of quiet conversation that did not solve the problem.”
Firefighters battle forest fire outside Jerusalem
A forest fire is blazing outside Jerusalem, according to first responders.
A statement from the Fire and Rescue Services say that the flames began at the Shoresh Junction along the Highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Four firefighting planes have been called to battle against the blaze.
Firefighters are working to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby towns, the statement says, adding that a food truck compound near the site has been evacuated.
LNG tanker passes through Red Sea in first since January amid Houthi attacks
The USS aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower sails in the Red Sea on June 12, 2024. (AP/Bernat Armangue)
A liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel is sailing through the Red Sea after crossing the Bab al-Mandab Strait this week, shipping data shows, a rare occurrence for LNG shipments following attacks by Yemeni Houthis on ships in the area.
The Asya Energy vessel passed by Yemen through the Bab al-Mandab Strait on June 18, shiptracking data from LSEG and Kpler shows, the same week as a second ship believed to have been hit by Yemen’s Houthi militants sunk.
“Asya Energy is the first LNG tanker to sail through the Bab el Mandeb strait since January this year when LNG voyages through the Red Sea were suspended amid repeated rocket attacks,” says LSEG analyst Olumide Ajayi, adding that data shows that the ship is carrying cargo.
Israel summons Armenian ambassador in protest at its recognition of Palestine
Armenian anti-government demonstrators protest demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in downtown Yerevan on September 30, 2023. (Alain Jocard/AFP)
The Foreign Ministry says it has summoned the Armenian ambassador for a “stern reprimand” following the country’s announcement that it will recognize the state of Palestine.
Armenia is the latest country to make such an announcement since the start of Israel’s war against Hamas following the terror group’s October 7 attack — following Slovenia, Ireland, Spain and Norway’s moves earlier this year. Israel has weighed how to react to the measures, and has reportedly proposed downgrading ties with the nations in question.
Residents of Rafah report heavy fighting in southernmost Gaza city
Palestinians ride vehicles past destroyed buildings in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on June 21, 2024. (Eyad BABA / AFP)
Residents of Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, tell Reuters that the Israeli military appears to be trying to complete its capture of the city with intensive firefights.
Tanks were reportedly forcing their way into the western and northern parts of the city, having already captured the east, south and center. Israeli forces are said to have fired toward the city from planes, tanks and ships off the coast.
Some residents say the pace of the Israeli raid has been accelerated over the past two days, with nonstop sounds of explosions and gunfire.
“The entire city of Rafah is an area of Israeli military operations,” Ahmed Al-Sofi, the mayor of Rafah, says in a statement carried by Hamas media.
The IDF first began operating in the city in mid-May after months of stalling amid heavy international pressure against the move.
Doctors to stage rallies on Sunday decrying police brutality against medics at protests
Police deploy a water cannon against anti-government protesters outside the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem, on June 17, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The Israel Medical Association announces that medical staff in hospitals and clinics around Israel will hold protest rallies for one hour during the workday on Sunday.
The action is to protest police violence against doctors who were providing medical assistance to the injured at anti-government demonstrations over the past two weeks, says Professor Zion Hagay, chairman of the IMA.
Dr. Tal Weissbach, a gynecologist, is at risk of losing vision in one eye after being hit in the face by a police water cannon earlier this week. She was wearing a brightly colored vest identifying her as a physician on volunteer duty. The police also arrested volunteer doctor Udi Baharav as he administered first aid to an injured woman at a June 8 rally in Tel Aviv that called for elections and a deal to free hostages held in Gaza.
The time of each rally will be determined to minimize the impact on patients.
“The Israel Medical Association calls on the government of Israel, the Health Ministry and the Israel Police to heed our urgent call and immediately improve the protection of doctors,” Hagay says.
Armenia announces its recognition of the state of Palestine
A giant flag hangs in the Armenian Quarter ahead of commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Jerusalem‘s Old City. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)
The Foreign Ministry of Armenia announces that it is recognizing the state of Palestine.
In a statement on its website, the ministry cites as its reasoning the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza” as well as the “establishment of lasting reconciliation between the Jewish and Palestinian peoples.”
It calls for an immediate ceasefire and the release of the hostages “without preconditions.”
Reaching a two-state solution is “the only way to ensure that Palestinians and Israelis can realize their legitimate aspirations,” the statement adds.
IDF says it struck rocket launcher embedded in ‘humanitarian zone’ for displaced Gazans
IDF soldiers seen operating in the Gaza Strip in this handout photo released on June 21, 2024. (IDF)
A Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket launching site, embedded within a shelter for displaced Palestinians in the Israeli-designated “humanitarian zone” in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza, was struck by a drone yesterday, the military says.
Before carrying out the airstrike, the IDF said that “much effort was made to reduce the risk of harm to uninvolved [civilians].”
“Terror organizations continue to place weapons and terror infrastructure in the heart of the civilian population, putting them at risk and using them as a human shield,” the military says in a statement.
The strike comes as troops continue to operate in southern Gaza’s Rafah and in the Netzarim Corridor in the Strip’s center.
Sirens sound in kibbutz near Gaza border; IDF: false alarm
Sirens warning of a possible drone attack sound in Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha near the border with the Gaza Strip.
The military later says that the sirens were a false alarm.
Five dead, dozens hurt in wildfires in southeastern Turkey, says minister
Five people have died and dozens hurt as wildfires swept through several villages in southeastern Turkey overnight, the health minister says.
“Five people died and 44 were injured, 10 seriously,” when the blaze swept through two areas near the southeastern city of Mardin, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca writes on X.
Mother of hostage Romi Gonen: ‘I know she’s alive, I have no doubt’
Meirav Leshem-Gonen, mother of Hamas hostage Romi Gonen, speaks about Hamas atrocities on October 7 to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on June 19, 2024. (Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations in Geneva)
Meirav Leshem Gonen, the mother of Romi Gonen, who is being held captive in Gaza, says she has no doubt that her daughter is alive following reports that there may be fewer than 50 hostages still alive in the Strip.
“People are dying there, it’s already been proven, it’s not something we need the Wall Street Journal for,” Leshem Gonen tells Kan’s Reshet Bet radio.
She says they last received a sign of life of Romi — who was kidnapped at the Supernova festival — from the hostages who were freed in a deal in late November, “but I know that she’s alive, I have no doubt, these reports don’t bother me in relation to Romi specifically but rather because of the fact that we are all one family.”
Israel must secure the freedom of the living hostages but also bring back the bodies of those who have been killed for burial in Israel, Leshen Gonen says.
Two reservists killed, 3 seriously wounded in central Gaza mortar attack, IDF announces
Sgt. First Class (res.) Omer Smadga (left) and Sgt. First Class (res.) Saadia Yaakov Derai, killed in a Hamas mortar attack in central Gaza on June 20, 2024. (Courtesy)
Two IDF reservists were killed in a Hamas mortar attack in the central Gaza Strip yesterday, the military announces.
The soldiers are named as:
Sgt. First Class (res.) Omer Smadga, 25, of the Alexandroni Brigade’s 9203rd Battalion, from Ganot Hadar.
Sgt. First Class (res.) Saadia Yaakov Derai, 27, of the Alexandroni Brigade’s 9203rd Battalion, from Tel Aviv.
Another three soldiers of the Alexandroni Brigade were seriously wounded in the incident, the IDF says.
Smadga is the son of Oren Smadga, who won an Olympic bronze medal in judo for Israel in 1992. Derai is the son of Laly Derai, a news commentator who previously ran for the Likud primary and works for the Hamaniot nonprofit which aids orphans in Israel.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the mortar fire yesterday, saying it targeted a military position near Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood.
Their deaths bring the toll of slain troops in the ground offensive against Hamas and in operations on the Gaza border to 314. The toll includes a police officer killed in a hostage rescue mission.
US military says 1.4 million pounds of aid unloaded since Gaza pier reopened
The image provided by US Central Command shows American and Israeli forces placing the Trident Pier on the coast of Gaza Strip on May 16, 2024. (US Central Command via AP)
More than 656 metric tons, or 1.4 million pounds, of aid were delivered through the U.S. military-built pier in Gaza on Thursday in the hours after it resumed operations, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder says.
The pier was re-anchored to the beach in Gaza and started operating Wednesday after the military temporarily removed it due to difficult weather conditions, Ryder says. Aid groups have decried the pier as a distraction that took pressure off Israel to open more land border crossings, which are far more productive.
Since the pier opened on May 17, more than 4,100 tons, or 9.1 million pounds, of food and aid have been delivered by sea and unloaded in Gaza. However, much of the aid has lingered in the storage area right by the pier, so although it was delivered to Gaza, it has not been distributed.
Ryder directed questions regarding aid distribution to the United Nations’ World Food Program.
The UN has suspended cooperation with the US-led pier project since June 9, claiming that the Israeli military used the area around the pier in a hostage rescue that killed more than 270 Palestinians.
The US and Israeli militaries say no part of the pier was used in the raid. The UN is concerned that any such use — or even a perception of it by fighters and ordinary people in Gaza — makes their continued role in the project untenable.
At issue is the safety of humanitarian workers, and humanitarian groups’ principles of neutrality, the UN says.
Trump promises US green card for foreign graduates
File - Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Donald Trump says he wants to grant green cards to foreign graduates from US colleges, in an apparent softening of his typically hard-line view on immigration, a key election issue.
The Republican candidate makes the remarks in a podcast published today, days after US President Joe Biden announced a citizenship pathway for immigrants married to US nationals, counterbalancing his recent crackdown on illegal border crossings.
“What I want to do and what I will do is, you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” Trump tells the All-In podcast.
A green card is the commonly used name for a permanent resident card in the United States and a step toward citizenship.
Trump says this should include “anybody who graduates from a college,” including those who complete two-year programs, known as junior colleges, and doctoral graduates.
Asked initially on the podcast if he would promise to help import the “best and the brightest around the world to America,” Trump replies: “I do promise.”
He adds: “I know of stories where people graduated from a top college, or from a college, and they desperately want to stay here… and they can’t.
“They go back to India, they go back to China. They do the same basic company in those places and they become multi-billionaires employing thousands and thousands of people,” Trump says.
Hosting PM’s aides, Blinken stresses need to surge Gaza aid, plan for post-war governance
File: (Left to right) Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Council chairman Tzachi Hanegbi at the State Department in Washington on March 7, 2023. (Antony Blinken/Twitter)
The State Department issues a readout of the meeting earlier today between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken with visiting National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, but it’s just a regurgitation of long-used Biden administration talking points regarding the Israel-Hamas war.
The readout says Blinken “reiterated the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.”
Blinken “discussed ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of all hostages.”
The top US diplomat “emphasized the need to take additional steps to surge humanitarian aid into Gaza and plan for post-conflict governance, security, and reconstruction.”
“He also underscored the importance of avoiding further escalation in Lebanon and reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes,” the US readout says.
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