Nov. 20: Israel said to tell US it doesn’t plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from north Gaza

London police probing suspected ‘religiously aggravated criminal damage’ after woman burns Israeli flag at Jewish student event

The London Metropolitan Police have opened an investigation into an altercation that broke out on Tuesday night when a woman set fire to an Israeli flag at a venue hosting an event for Jewish university students, a police spokesperson tells the UK’s Jewish News.

According to Israel advocacy group StandWithUs, some 250 students were in attendance at an “Israeli party” being held at a London venue, parts of which were still open to the public at the same time as the event was ongoing.

It says in a statement that “individuals who were not guests of the party began to shout ‘Free Palestine’ when they noticed the Israeli decorations at the venue.”

Despite being warned by venue management that they would be removed if they continued to interrupt, StandWithUs says that “one of these individuals approached the DK stand and began burning the Israeli flag with a lighter.”

Speaking to the Jewish News, the Metropolitan Police confirm that “an off-duty officer had detained a woman on suspicion of racially/religiously aggravated criminal damage.”

“The details of all involved were taken by the officers at the scene, who initially determined that no further action should be taken,” the police statement adds. “The circumstances have since been reviewed and a decision taken that the investigation will remain open so that the matter can be fully investigated.”

IDF soldier killed, two wounded in same incident as civilian researcher in southern Lebanon

During the incident in which civilian researcher Zeev Erlich, 71, was killed in southern Lebanon, an IDF soldier was killed and two others were wounded, the military announces.

The name of the slain soldier will be announced later, the IDF says.

Col. Yoav Yarom, the Golani Brigade’s chief of staff who was accompanying Erlich to an archaeological site without the proper approvals, was moderately wounded in the gun battle with two Hezbollah operatives at the site.

A company commander with the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion was also seriously wounded in the same incident.

The two Hezbollah gunmen were killed, according to an IDF probe.

The IDF has retroactively recognized Erlich as a major in reserves, despite him not being in active duty when he was killed.

His entry to southern Lebanon is under investigation by the IDF.

Ankara condemns Houthi missile attack targeting Turkish-owned cargo ship

Turkey denounces a missile attack targeting a cargo ship in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, saying measures were being taken to prevent any such further incidents.

“We condemn the missile attacks by the Houthis on the Panama-flagged dry cargo ship Anadolu S, owned by a Turkish company, while sailing off the coast of Yemen,” the foreign ministry says in a statement.

The Houthis say the attacks on global shipping are in support of Palestinian terror group Hamas amid the war in Gaza.

Gantz meets with conservative American commentator Ben Shapiro

National Unity leader Benny Gantz met with conservative American commentator Ben Shapiro earlier this evening.

In a post on X, Gantz thanks Shapiro, who is currently visiting Israel, for his “important moral clarity in the Middle East.”

Thank you @benshapiro for your important moral clarity in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/MzwPnJSoDJ

— בני גנץ – Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) November 20, 2024

71-year-old Israeli civilian killed in Lebanon after joining IDF troops without approval

Israeli researcher Zeev Erlich seen in IDF uniform before entering into southern Lebanon on November 20, 2024, hours before he was killed in a gun battle with Hezbollah operatives. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

A 71-year-old Israeli civilian who entered southern Lebanon today, accompanied by a senior IDF officer, without the required approvals, was killed during a gun battle with Hezbollah operatives.

According to an initial IDF probe, the chief of staff of the Golani Brigade, Col. Yoav Yarom, allowed Israeli researcher Zeev Erlich, 71, to enter the western sector of southern Lebanon to examine an archaeological site — an ancient fortress.

Despite the belief that the area had been cleared, two Hezbollah operatives were hiding at the site and opened fire at the researcher, senior officer, and other soldiers who were accompanying them.

Erlich was killed in the incident.

Erlich had entered southern Lebanon while armed and in IDF uniform, despite apparently not being an active duty soldier or in reserves.

Still, he is being recognized retroactively by the military as a fallen IDF soldier.

Israeli researcher Ze’ev Erlich. (IDF Spokesman)

The IDF says it is investigating the “serious incident” and vows to look into all the circumstances that led to the civilian entering southern Lebanon without the required approvals.

IDF probe into death of reservist in south Lebanon finds he was killed when damaged building collapsed

IDF soldier Sgt. First Class (res.) Eitan Ben Ami, whose death was announced a short while ago, was killed by a building that collapsed during an early morning operation in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, according to an initial IDF probe.

The commandos were walking through a damaged building in a southern Lebanon village, when it suddenly collapsed, the probe has found.

The building had been previously damaged by Israeli strikes on the area, and the IDF believes that it collapsed due to the harsh weather conditions.

The IDF has ruled out the possibility that the building was booby-trapped or was hit by enemy fire that led it to collapse.

Another soldier was wounded by the collapse and was rescued.

Ukraine fired UK-supplied missiles into Russia for first time earlier today — report

Ukraine has fired UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for the first time, British media reports, after being given the green light from London.

Several missiles were launched against at least one Russian military target, The Financial Times says, citing an unnamed Western official.

The Times says government sources have confirmed the use of the long-range missiles for the first time.

The report, quoting Russian channels, says 12 of the missiles were fired into Kursk, a border region partially held by Ukrainian forces, this afternoon.

The Guardian says the UK had given Ukraine permission to use the missiles in Russia in response to the deployment of North Korean troops on the border.

Both Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Downing Street office and the Ministry of Defence refused to confirm the reports when contacted by AFP.

Dueling protests held outside AG’s home amid right-wing calls for her ouster

Rightwing protesters gaze over a counterprotest in support of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Tel Aviv, November 20, 2024. (Noam Lehmann/Times of Israel)

Some 150 right-wing activists rally outside the Tel Aviv home of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to demand her ouster. Police work to keep the protesters separate from a counterdemonstration that has attracted roughly twice as many people.

Baharav-Miara has frequently clashed with members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government, and disagreements have increased amid ongoing investigations into the premier’s staff.

Counterprotesters hoist signs reading “Gali, we’re with you!” as they wave Israeli flags and yellow flags, signifying solidarity with the hostages.

Speaking at the right-wing protest, activist Shay Kallach assails the counterprotesters as the “radical left.”

He then asks the audience what they would do to the attorney general.

“Fire her!” they yell.

“You’re too gentle,” replies Kallach. “She needs to be banished!”

Itzik Bonzel — father of fallen soldier Amit Bonzel and a fixture on right-wing media — threatens the government not to take the right-wing vote for granted if they don’t fire the attorney general.

“I accuse our elected officials — 68 bums, 68 cowards, who think we’re all in their pocket,” he says, referring to the number of seats in Netanyahu’s coalition. “But they’re wrong because if they don’t solve this problem immediately we’ll protest against them.”

Confronting the counterprotesters, right-wing activists wave pictures of Netanyahu and Likud party flags, giddily singing “Bibi, king of Israel,” using the premier’s nickname.

One right-wing protester donned religious garb boasts tattoos of nationalist insignia, including the logo of the outlawed extremist movement Kach. Two others wear the “Make America Great Again” hats associated with US President-elect Donald Trump. One of them wears a shirt reading “We are all Eli Feldstein” — the Netanyahu spokesman detained on suspicion of leaking army intelligence to derail a hostage deal.

A speaker at the protest also namechecks Feldstein, praising him for “protecting all of us.”

Another speaker leads the crowd in a chant of “free, free Feldstein,” riffing on the ubiquitous call in pro-Palestinian rallies worldwide.

IDF says reservist killed during fighting in southern Lebanon earlier today

Sgt. First Class (res.) Eitan Ben Ami. (Courtesy: Israel Defense Forces)

An IDF reservist was killed during fighting in southern Lebanon earlier today, the military announces.

The slain soldier is named as Sgt. First Class (res.) Eitan Ben Ami, 22, of the Maglan commando unit, from Jerusalem.

The circumstances of his death are not immediately available.

Far-right lawmakers accuse Gallant of allowing Hamas to maintain its rule of Gaza

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, left, talks with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a discussion and vote on the state budget at the Knesset plenum in Jerusalem, May 23, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet slam Yoav Gallant after the former defense minister warns that taking responsibility for the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza could drag Israel down the path of military governance in Gaza.

“Tonight it was proven once again how well the Prime Minister did when he fired the failed Defense Minister Gallant,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declares — stating that “the IDF’s control over the humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza is necessary in order to dismantle Hamas” and remove its last vestiges of control.

Finance Minister and Religious Zionism head Bezalel Smotrich, meanwhile, accuses him of allowing Hamas “to maintain its rule” in the Palestinian enclave.

“For a whole year, Gallant imagined a non-existent ‘alternative entity’ that would do the work for us, and actually stopped us from taking responsibility for the distribution of humanitarian aid,” Smotrich says.

He charges that when no alternative entity appeared, the now-ousted defense minister “allowed Hamas to take control of the humanitarian aid and maintain its rule in the Strip, resulting in the continuation of the war.”

“It is not the delivery of humanitarian aid that will lead to casualties, nor will it be the military government, should one be necessary,” the far-right minister continues. “Instead, it will be the fear of total victory and of the seizure of territory that is necessary for security.”

Smotrich has been a vocal proponent of Israeli rule in the Gaza Strip, and has opposed deals that would ensure the release of the hostages in exchange for a ceasefire.

Earlier today, he justified the economic impact that imposing a military government in Gaza would have on Israel, claiming in an interview with Kan Radio that it would merely cost “a few hundred million shekel.”

In first, Jordanian Air Force helicopters deliver 7 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza

Jordanian Air Force helicopters are seen overhead as they make their way to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip, November 20, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

COGAT, Israel’s civilian coordination agency for the Palestinian territories, says that some 7 tons (7,200 kilograms) of humanitarian aid was delivered to the Gaza Strip today by eight Jordanian Air Force helicopters for the first time.

In a statement, the IDF says that the transfer was carried out as part of Israel’s “effort to increase the volume and routes of aid entering Gaza.”

It says that the aid delivery was comprised of hygiene and sanitation supplies, food, baby formula, medical equipment and 30 different medications.

The Jordanian military says the aid was being delivered to Al-Qarara, an area near Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis, where it would then be handed over to the World Food Programme for distribution.

Israel said to tell US it has no plans to forcibly displace Palestinians from northern Gaza

Palestinians displaced amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, walk in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip on October 31, 2024. (AFP)

Israel issued a formal promise to the US last week that it has no intention of forcibly displacing Palestinians in northern Gaza or withholding aid from the civilian population there, Axios reports, citing a letter it says it obtained a copy of.

The letter is addressed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and is dated November 13. It is signed by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Defense Minister Israel Katz, who entered the role just a week prior.

The ministers thank the US for all it has done for Israel in the past 14 months following the October 7 Hamas terror onslaught, notably, US President Joe Biden’s “historic visit to Israel in the early days of the war, providing Israel with critical security assistance, authorizing American force projection in the region, invaluable diplomatic support at the United Nations and so much more.”

“Israel will be forever grateful,” the letter reads.

The ministers reiterate Israel’s opposition to “a host of false charges. including targeting innocents in Gaza and deliberately starving the population in Gaza.”

“Israel affirms that it has no policy of forced evacuation of civilians from anywhere in the Gaza Strip, including northern Gaza,” the letter states, “No civilian is forced to leave, and the population that chooses to remain in these areas is taken into consideration in the operational planning, including the facilitation of humanitarian assistance.”

Dermer and Katz go on to outline a list of concrete steps that they say the Israeli government has taken recently to ensure continued access to adequate humanitarian assistance in the Strip. These include opening a number of new crossing points along the border from which aid can enter Gaza, expanding the humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi, and humanitarian pauses such as the one observed during the recent polio vaccination campaign.

The letter also details steps that Israel says it is planning on taking to ensure that conditions for displaced civilians in Gaza are satisfactory ahead of the winter months.

Speaking to Axios, two Biden administration officials posit that these steps would never have been taken if not for the US threatening to curb weapons supplies last month.

🚨✉️השגתי את העותק המלא של המכתב. יכולים לקרוא את החלק הראשון כאן (החלק השני בציוץ הבא): https://t.co/s08MGoErqa pic.twitter.com/4FIFt4hdIa

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) November 20, 2024

Michal Herzog joins mothers of hostages at silent protest outside President’s Residence

Niva Wenkert, left, Michal Herzog and Simona Steinbrecher at the Shift 101 silent protest in Jerusalem on November 20, 2024. (Mishmeret 101/Yadin Giladi)

Michal Herzog, the wife of President Isaac Herzog sits on the asphalt of the street outside the President’s Residence, holding the hand of hostage mother Niva Wenkert, her other arm around the shoulders of hostage mother Simona Steinbrecher, as she joins Shift 101, a silent protest for the hostages which began three weeks ago.

Several hundred women dressed in white surround Wenkert and Steinbrecher for this latest round of Shift 101, from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Earlier in the day, the silent protestors sat on Aza Street near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence, where other hostage mothers, including Ayelet Levy, Orly Gilboa and Shira Albag sat from 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. They were joined by Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of slain hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin for the silent protest that is only broken by soft singing or by a hostage mother who chooses to speak.

Jon Polin, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Ayelet Levy at Shift 101 silent protest on November 20, 2024 in Jerusalem. (Courtesy: Mishmeret 101/Doron Adar)

Simona Steinbrecher, whose daughter Doron, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, tells the crowd of women how much strength they offer her.

“I look at all of you and thank you,” says Steinbrecher, who quotes the lyrics of the song, ‘HaKotel’ (The Western Wall), and its reference to the human heart as she calls on the government to retain that emotional connection and make a deal for the hostages. “Bringing them home is a success for all of us.”

As she finishes speaking, the crowd of women quietly chant, “We are with you, you’re not alone, we are with you, you’re not alone.”

They alternate between singing songs of courage and of war, of other difficult times in Israel’s history.

As 6:00 p.m. nears, Niva Wenkert, the mother of Omer Wenkert, who was taken hostage from the Nova music festival, gets up to speak, telling the women that this group warms her heart and she’s so thankful to everyone for stopping their lives and coming to this shift.

“I’m out of words, so this silent protest keeps me going,” says Wenkert.

With Steinbrecher by her side, Wenkert and the rest of the crowd sitting outside the President’s Residence sing the song, “Mother, Mother.”

Sephardi chief rabbi demands Pope Francis retract suggestion that Gaza war may be genocide

Sephardi Chief Rabbi David Yosef blasts Pope Francis’s suggestion that Israel might be committing genocide in Gaza, saying the pontiff is taking the side of murderers and not the victims.

“It’s very interesting that the Pope doesn’t call for an investigation of the terrible slaughter of Jews last year on October 7,” says Yosef in a video statement. “It’s interesting that he doesn’t call for an investigation of the incitement against Jews across Europe, overt antisemitic incitement.”

“According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” Pope Francis says in his forthcoming book “Hope Never Disappoints.” “It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies.”

Yosef calls on Francis to retract his statement and apologize.

Eisenkot charges Israel’s plan for Gaza war ‘went very seriously wrong’ due to ambitions of far-right lawmakers

MK Gadi Eizenkot attends an Israel Democracy Institute conference in Jerusalem on November 20, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

National Unity lawmaker Gadi Eisenkot suggests that Israel’s plan for its war against Hamas in Gaza “went very seriously wrong,” and accuses the government of having lost its way, 14 months after the October 7 terror onslaught in southern Israel sparked the ongoing fighting.

He tells the Israel Democracy Institute that the reason the war is still ongoing, and that Israel’s stated goals have not been met is because “there are people sitting in the room who do not want to see the war end.”

Rather than focusing on the stated goals of the war — dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, ensuring that there is no longer a threat to Israel on the Gaza border and rescuing the hostages — he says the government’s decisions were clouded by the “overt and covert war goals held by [Bezalel] Smotrich, [Itamar] Ben Gvir and part of the Likud.”

Among the many things that the far-right coalition members have called for is the resettlement of the Gaza Strip.

According to Eisenkot, this phenomenon “explains quite a few of the decisions regarding the ‘day after’ and the hostages, and the duality of Netanyahu, who says that there will be no settlements and no military government, yet in practice, they have released a paper that shows otherwise.”

With regard to the governance of the Gaza Strip after the war against Hamas finally ends, Eisenkot says that as things currently stand, “the IDF will be responsible for the distribution of aid, a military government will be established, the State of Israel will have complete responsibility. This is a very serious mistake.”

Gallant accuses government of dragging Israel down path of military governance in Gaza

Then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at a state ceremony marking the Hebrew calendar anniversary of Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, October 27, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Former defense minister Yoav Gallant warns that unless the Israeli government starts pursuing concrete alternatives to Hamas governance in the Gaza Strip, it will find itself staring down the barrel of “military governance” in the Palestinian enclave.

He warns that if the government transfers the responsibility of aid distribution in the Strip to a private company and provides it with round-the-clock IDF security, it will be one step closer to military rule, and “IDF soldiers will pay for it with their blood.”

“Everything depends on the preparations of an alternative entity that will replace the IDF in holding the territory,” he says, “otherwise we will be on our way to a military government.”

“The aid will be distributed by private companies, the companies will be guarded by the IDF, and we will all pay the price,” he says, accusing the government of having a “poor list of priorities.”

“A military government in Gaza is not part of the goals of the war, but a dangerous and irresponsible political act,” he says.

IDF says soldier seriously wounded in northern Gaza fighting earlier today

An IDF soldier with the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion was seriously wounded earlier today amid fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, the IDF says.

The soldier was taken to the hospital for medical treatment, it adds.

Musk $1 million giveaway winner says he’ll be donating some of the money to Israeli causes

Joshua Offenhartz, an Arizona attorney who won $1 million in a giveaway to swing state voters by Elon Musk's America Political Action Committee, speaks to Channel 12 on November 20, 2024. (Screenshot used in accordance with clause 27a of the copyright law)

Joshua Offenhartz, an Arizona attorney who won $1 million in a giveaway to swing state voters by Elon Musk’s America Political Action Committee earlier this month, says he’ll be giving some of the money to Israeli causes.

Offenhartz tells Channel 12 that “of course” some of the money will go to pay bills and provide for his and wife Shira’s two children, “but I want to give back to the communities that made me who I am.” That will include donations to help kids and education, the Jewish lawyer says, and “in some ways to help Israel.”

“I have been supporting Israel for my whole life,” Offenhartz says, and adds that he has been in the country during two periods when violence broke out. “So if I can use a little bit of this money to help in a little way in Israel, that is something that is an easy decision for me.”

Asked how his two young children responded to his win, he says: “They still don’t have a clue,” though “the little one thought the big check was very fun to play with, and the older one thought that trying to jump on it and karate chop it was very funny.”

Joshua of Phoenix, AZ earned $1M after signing our petition in support of the Constitution

“As parents to two young children, we want to leave an America behind… that they will recognize… where they can grow and find jobs and raise families.”

SIGN: https://t.co/TMeyWUhJhf pic.twitter.com/knl7vA1z4u

— America (@america) November 4, 2024

Rocket fired from Lebanon strikes next to kindergarten building in Acre

A rocket launched from Lebanon at northern Israel in a recent barrage struck next to an empty kindergarten in Acre, according to Hebrew media reports.

In footage posted on social media, the fence surrounding the kindergarten appears to have been partially destroyed, and debris, said to be from neighboring residential buildings, can be seen littering the ground nearby.

The Magen David Adom rescue service says it is treating several people on the scene for acute anxiety.

עכו pic.twitter.com/Nm8vgY5EMv

— lolmer (@lolmer) November 20, 2024

Coalition lawmakers vote against bill to grant full academic scholarships to discharged IDF soldiers

Coalition lawmakers vote down a bill to grant full academic scholarships to discharged combat and combat support troops 55-50, prompting shouts of “shame” by opposition lawmakers in the Knesset plenum.

The bill, sponsored by former IDF chief of staff and National Unity party lawmaker Gadi Eisenkot, would have raised the government subsidy for discharged combat and combat support troops to 100 percent, a move that had previously been championed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.

A previous bill granting scholarships to IDF veterans to the tune of two-thirds of their tuition passed the Knesset in 2022 under the previous government, after the program was initially introduced by the IDF in 2016.

According to the Ynet news site, the coalition had requested that Eisenkot delay the bill so that lawmakers could “examine whether this is possible from a budgetary point of view” but he pushed ahead with it anyway.

“The coalition proved once again that it’s all about petty politics, even at the expense of our heroic fighters,” National Unity chairman Benny Gantz, another former IDF chief, tweets following the vote.

“Now in the Knesset plenum: the ultra-Orthodox MKs whose children have not enlisted are voting one after the other against MK Gadi Eisenkot’s law on benefits for discharged soldiers. The draft dodgers and their collaborators are denying scholarships for our fighters,” tweets Opposition Leader Yair Lapid.

The government is more interested in “benefits for dodgers” than “benefits for the reservists who protect us,” agrees Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman.

The coalition’s ultra-Orthodox parties have pushed hard to pass bills enshrining the exemption of ultra-Orthodox men from military service and circumventing a High Court ruling preventing state-funded daycare subsidies from going to the children of ultra-Orthodox men who evade the draft.

In a statement after the bill was voted down, Likud lists multiple bills that it says it has passed to benefit soldiers “despite opposition by the opposition.”

“The members of the irresponsible opposition will not preach to us with another populist and baseless bill, designed to create spin for the media and not to help any soldier,” the party says.

National Unity snipes back, saying that “even with the long message, it’s clearly noticeable that you forgot one thing — a recruitment law for all.”

A separate bill, sponsored by Likud MK Moshe Passal, granting regular duty and reserve soldiers priority in making appointments to receive public services, passes 42-5 in its preliminary reading.

PM to meet with Hochstein Thursday to discuss Lebanon ceasefire

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US special envoy Amos Hochstein tomorrow to discuss a ceasefire in Lebanon, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

Hochstein is landing in Israel tonight. According to Israel Hayom, he is meeting Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer tonight.

US vetoes Gaza ceasefire resolution at UN as it didn’t condition truce on hostages’ release

Members of the United Nations Security Council attend a meeting on the situation in the Middle East, on October 16, 2024 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/AFP)

The United States vetoes a UN Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, after a senior US official accused council members of cynically rejecting attempts at reaching a compromise.

All other countries on the 15-seat council voted in favor of the resolution sponsored by the panel’s 10 non-permanent members.

The resolution calls for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” along with an “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

The American official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said ahead of the vote that the US would only support a resolution that explicitly calls for the immediate release of hostages as part of a ceasefire.

“As we stated many times before, we just can’t support an unconditional ceasefire that does not call for the immediate release of hostages,” the official said.

In March, the US abstained from a resolution that similarly called for an immediate ceasefire during the Ramadan holy month along with an immediate and unconditional release of the hostages in Gaza. The demands were merged into the same sentence at the request of the US, which argued then that this was sufficient to prevent it from vetoing. The US argued then that the resolution effectively conditioned a ceasefire on a hostage deal even though this linkage wasn’t explicit in the text.

Like the March resolution, the text submitted today also places the demands for an immediate ceasefire and immediate and unconditional hostage release in the same sentence, albeit without an explicit conditionality between them.

Spokespeople for the US Mission to the UN did not respond to requests for clarification on what led Washington to shift its stance on the matter.

This is the fourth Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza vetoed by the US since the start of the war.

In June, the Security Council passed a resolution sponsored by the US that backed the staged ceasefire proposal being brokered by Washington, Egypt and Qatar. That framework has yet to lead to an agreement, though, and the sides remain at an impasse.

New Zealand designates entire Hezbollah as terrorist entity, after listing just military wing since 2010

New Zealand designates the entirety of Hezbollah as a terrorist entity. Since 2010, it has listed just the military wing.

Wellington also lists Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officially known as Ansar Allah, as a terrorist group.

New Zealand is the 30th country to list the entire Hezbollah organization as a terrorist entity.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar praises the decision in a post on X.

I congratulate the government of New Zealand on its decision today to designate Hezbollah and the Houthis (Ansar Allah) as terrorist organizations.

New Zealand has now becomes the 30th country in the world to designate Hezbollah, in its entirety, as a terrorist organization.

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) November 20, 2024

Hezbollah leader says terror group submitted response to US ceasefire proposal, ball now in Israel’s court

In his third address as Hezbollah leader, Naim Qassem says that the terror group has reviewed an American proposal for a ceasefire and submitted its response through the mediation of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and that the ball is now in Israel’s court.

In a pre-recorded speech, Qassem says that the terror group will not disclose its position to the media, but notes that in negotiations, the terror group adheres to two principles: a complete cessation of hostilities, and the preservation of Lebanese sovereignty.

Qassem says the group is allowing ceasefire talks to continue and is watching to see if they produce results.

“Through the agreement, the occupation [Israel] believed that it could obtain what it has not achieved on the battlefield, but that is impossible,” Qassem says.

The terror leader vows that the group has the means to continue to engage the IDF in a long war of attrition and that Hezbollah “will pay any price, because the price will also rise for the enemy.”

He notes that Israel is also negotiating under fire. “When the enemy does not achieve its goals, it means we have won,” he asserts.

Addressing Lebanon’s political stalemate, Qassem says the terror group will act in cooperation with other political forces and will “bring its contribution for the election of a new president by the Parliament” after a ceasefire is achieved.

Hezbollah leader vows to target central Tel Aviv after media chief killed in Beirut strike

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem delivers a televised speech on October 30, 2024. (Screenshot)

In his third speech as Hezbollah leader, Naim Qassem says the terror group will attack the center of Tel Aviv in response to the killing of its media relations chief Mohammed Afif in an Israeli strike on a building in central Beirut on Sunday.

The strike was carried out in the Ras al-Naba’a neighborhood in the central part of the Lebanese capital, and not in the Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs.

Israel must pay a “heavy price” for the assassination, Qassem says.

‘Interest on all sides’ for Lebanon ceasefire, foreign diplomat says, hailing significant progress

Attempts to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon have made significant progress of late, a foreign diplomat with knowledge of the talks tells The Times of Israel, and what remains is for Israel and Lebanon to agree to the proposal.

“A lot of ground has been covered over the last week and days,” says the diplomat. “There is interest on all sides for this ceasefire.”

“There is pretty much an agreement on the table,” the official continues. “It’s up to all parties to commit. We have to see if all parties actually want that agreement.”

“Now is the window of opportunity. [US special envoy Amos] Hochstein has been doing an incredible job.”

The diplomat says that a core Israeli demand, the freedom to operate against Hezbollah if it violates the terms of a ceasefire, “will be reflected in bilateral understandings with the US.”

At the same time, “there is a general understanding that Israel can resume military operations if there is a violation.”

A new body to oversee the ceasefire moving forward will be created, says the diplomat, and will include France and the US. “There will have to be additional and more robust mechanisms to ensure the terms of the agreement are kept. It can’t only be UNIFIL which has not been fully efficient.”

US will veto UN Security Council resolution on Gaza ceasefire unless it is tied to hostages’ release, official says

The United States will veto a UN Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in Israel’s war in Gaza if it is brought to a vote in its current form, a senior US official says, as Washington will not support a text that does not call for the immediate release of hostages.

The official, briefing reporters ahead of a potential vote later today, says some council members are more interested in bringing about a US veto than compromising on the resolution, accusing Russia and China of encouraging those members.

In March, the US abstained from a resolution that similarly called for an immediate ceasefire during the Ramadan holy month along with an immediate and unconditional release of the hostages in Gaza. The demands were merged into the same sentence at the request of the US, which argued then that this was sufficient to prevent it from vetoing. The US argued then that the resolution effectively conditioned a ceasefire on a hostage deal even though this linkage wasn’t explicit in the text.

Similar to the March resolution, the text submitted today also places the demands for an immediate ceasefire and immediate and unconditional hostage release in the same paragraph, albeit without an explicit conditionality between them.

Spokespeople for the US Mission to the UN did not respond to requests for clarification on what led Washington to shift its stance on the matter.

Report: Top Netanyahu adviser Jonathan Urich questioned under caution for second time

Likud spokesman Jonathan Urich at a joint press conference by Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu and Zehut party chairman Moshe Feiglin at Kfar Hamacabiah in Ramat Gan, on August 29, 2019. (Flash90)

Hebrew media reports that Jonathan Urich, a spokesman in the Prime Minister’s Office, is being questioned by the Israel Police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit for the second time as part of a probe into the alleged leaking of stolen classified documents to the German Bild daily earlier this year.

Urich was first questioned under caution late last week but is reportedly being questioned again before indictments are issued against the main suspects in the case.

Urich is suspected of having instructed former Netanyahu aide and spokesman Eli Feldstein, the main suspect in the case, to send the stolen documents to Srulik Einhorn — a former senior campaign adviser to Netanyahu’s Likud party — who in turn passed it on to Bild.

According to Channel 12, Urich’s demand came after a Channel 12 reporter whom Feldstein initially leaked the document to was barred from reporting on it by the IDF censor.

Israeli attack on Iraq ‘imminent’ if Baghdad fails to rein in Iran-backed militias — report

Washington has informed Baghdad that IDF airstrikes against Iraq are “imminent,” unless the Iraqi government manages to prevent Iran-backed factions from launching attacks against Israel, according to sources cited by the Saudi news outlet Al-Hadath.

The US has told Iraq it has exhausted “all means of pressure on Israel,” and has asked Baghdad to quickly take action to prevent these attacks, the news channel reports.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called on the UN Security Council to pressure Baghdad to end attacks by paramilitaries in Iran’s “axis of resistance,” warning that Israel has the right to defend itself under the UN charter.

These militias regularly claim to have launched drone strikes on Israel, many of which are intercepted by Israeli air defenses. In early October a drone strike claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded 24 others at a military base in the Golan Heights.

Yesterday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani said during a cabinet meeting that Sa’ar’s threat was a pretext for Israel to attack Iraq and expand the war in the region, according to Al-Hadath.

However, the Iraqi newspaper Shafaq reports that Al-Sudani, who is also commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Army, has directed security forces to prevent any military activity by forces not under government control.

Defense chief says Lebanon deal must preserve Israel’s ability to watch, attack Hezbollah

With US special envoy Amos Hochstein set to arrive to push a proposed ceasefire in Lebanon, Defense Minister Israel Katz says Jerusalem will insist on carving out the ability to surveil Hezbollah and act against it in any possible deal.

“The condition for any political settlement in Lebanon is the preservation of the intelligence capability and the preservation of the [Israeli military’s] right to act and protect the citizens of Israel from Hezbollah,” he says.

It is not clear what role, if any, Katz will have in the ceasefire talks.

Ukraine says warnings of massive air attack were faked by Russia

Ukraine says warnings of an imminent mass air attack by Russia are part of “a massive information-psychological attack” against the country aimed at spreading fear.

“A message is being spread via messengers and social networks… about the threat of a ‘particularly massive’ missile and bomb strike on Ukrainian cities today,” Kyiv’s top spy agency, the Main Directorate of Intelligence, says in a statement.

“This message is a fake, it contains grammatical errors typical of Russian information and psychological operations.”

The US earlier said it was shutting its Kyiv embassy for the day after seeing intelligence about a possible large Russian air attack, prompting other countries to do the same.

Right-wing MK drawing up bill to shield Netanyahu aides over suspected leak

Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman is working on a bill that would shield officials of security and intelligence agencies for passing information to the prime minister, cabinet officials or Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Channel 12 news reports.

According to the network, if passed, the bill could provide legal protection to some of those involved in the Prime Minister’s Office leak case, in which several suspects are alleged to have leaked intelligence information to Eli Feldstein, a former spokesman and aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Feldstein, in turn, is alleged to have leaked the classified document to the German newspaper Bild in order to influence the public discourse over the fate of the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.

Feldstein and another suspect, whose name has not been released for publication, are suspected of transferring classified information to harm the state, collecting classified material to harm the state, and conspiring to commit a crime, among other charges.

A spokesperson for Rothman confirms the Channel 12 report and tells The Times of Israel that work on the bill is still in its initial stages.

UN atomic czar rejects Netanyahu claim IDF hit nuclear facility at Parchin

UN atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi says there is no indication that an Israeli strike on Iran’s Parchin military complex last month hit a nuclear facility or that there was any nuclear material present.

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the strike had hit “a specific component in their nuclear program.”

Speaking to reporters in Vienna, Grossi also praises Iran’s “concrete step” on agreeing to cap its stockpile of highly enriched uranium after Tehran implemented preparatory steps to stop adding to its supply.

“I think this is… a concrete step in the right direction — we have a fact which has been verified by us,” Grossi says.

Iran has indicated that it could scrap the limit if the IAEA goes ahead with plans to pass a resolution censuring Tehran over its poor cooperation with inspectors.

Knesset gives preliminary okay to intelligence clearinghouse under PM’s purview

A bill establishing a new intelligence oversight body directly under the authority of the prime minister passes a preliminary reading 56-36 in the Knesset plenum.

The bill, sponsored by Likud MK Amit Halevi, seeks to create a so-called Devil’s Advocate unit to challenge the conclusions of intelligence bodies in hopes of avoiding missteps caused by groupthink. The unit, which would report directly to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would have the authority to demand intelligence information from “any intelligence body… or any other state institution” in Israel. This would include military intelligence, the Shin Bet, the Mossad and the National Security Council.

According to the legislation, the proposed unit would be tasked with synthesizing and analyzing this information and providing the prime minister, defense minister, and intelligence agencies with alternate takes on security challenges. It would also be required to report regularly to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Its head of the unit — which would largely operate independently and would be prohibited from employing anybody who has served in an intelligence agency within the prior two years — would be legally required to weigh in on any issue brought before the security cabinet for a decision.

In addition, they would also be required to submit such analyses to the heads of any relevant security bodies “regarding any plan or military operation” needing the security cabinet’s approval. Neither the security cabinet nor the leaders of security agencies would be allowed to make a decision without such input.

The bill’s advancement comes as law enforcement is probing alleged “systematic” theft of classified intelligence documents from Israel Defense Forces databases and the transfer of those files to people in the Prime Minister’s Office, amid suspicions that they were utilized for political purposes.

Hochstein says he will travel to Israel after making progress in Lebanon ceasefire talks

US envoy Amos Hochstein says in Beirut that he will travel on to Israel to try to bring truce talks to a close after making “additional progress” in a second meeting with Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri.

Hochstein says he sees a “real opportunity” to end the conflict after the Lebanese government and Hezbollah agreed to a US ceasefire proposal, although with some outstanding issues.

“The meeting today built on the meeting yesterday, and made additional progress,” Hochstein says. “So I will travel from here in a couple hours to Israel to try to bring this to a close if we can.”

According to US news site Axios, Hochstein is slated to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.

Hochstein adds that he will work with the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump on truce efforts to end more than a year of fighting between Iran-backed group Hezbollah and the Israeli military, noting that he has kept the transition team in the loop.

France says its peacekeepers were attacked in Lebanon, condemns rocket fire on UNIFIL

French peacekeepers in southern Lebanon were fired upon Tuesday, France says, condemning rocket fire on two UNIFIL posts in southern Lebanon yesterday that left four Ghanaian soldiers wounded.

Paris says none of its soldiers were hurt when a UN peacekeeping patrol in Lebanon comprising French troops came under fire.

It does not say who was responsible, but stresses that the safety and security of United Nations personnel, property and premises must be ensured.

“France reiterates that it is imperative that UNIFIL be able to exercise its freedom of movement so that it can fully implement its mandate,” the foreign ministry says in a statement.

It says the other Tuesday attack on a UNIFIL position, which hurt four peacekeepers, was “apparently carried out by Hezbollah.”

Rocket sirens blare in Metula; Hezbollah claims early morning drone attacks

Rocket sirens are sounding in the far northern town of Metula, marking the fifth attack on the Galilee panhandle since midnight.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah takes responsibility for launching UAVs into Israel earlier today, saying it fired suicide drone squadrons at military sites near Nahariya and Acre.

Israel says three drones were sent across the border, and reports indicated that one crashed near Betzet, outside of Nahariya, and another near Acre.

Foreign Minister Sa’ar says Hezbollah ceasefire should be durable, sees opportunity for Lebanon

Gideon Sa'ar speaking to foreign diplomats in Jerusalem on November 20, 2024. (Shlomi Amsalem/Foreign Ministry)

Speaking to almost 100 foreign ambassadors in Jerusalem, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says that Israel “would like to reach an agreement that will stand the test of time” in Lebanon.

“We need to keep the freedom to act if there will be violations,” he says as ceasefire talks continue in Beirut. “And we will have to act in time, before the problem will grow.”

Israel insists that it will strike Hezbollah even if a ceasefire is signed, if it is attacked or it observes attempts by Hezbollah to send forces south of the Litani River or rearm through Syria, by sea, or through civilian airports.

Sa’ar calls a ceasefire an “opportunity” for Lebanon to regain its sovereignty now that Hezbollah has been weakened.

He says the Lebanese army should be empowered, and urges the international community to invest in the debt-laden country.

Syrian media reports Israeli attack in ancient city of Palmyra

Syrian state media says Israeli warplanes targeted the central city of Palmyra on Wednesday, reporting an unspecified number of wounded in the attack.

An “Israeli attack… targeted residential buildings and the industrial area” of the city, says state news agency SANA, while state television reported unspecified “wounded due to the Israeli attack that targeted the city of Palmyra.”

The city is renowned for its ancient ruins, some of which were damaged during the Syrian civil war.

Israel says Hezbollah commanders killed in strikes near coast Sunday

The Israeli military says two senior commanders of Hezbollah fighting forces near the Mediterranean coast were killed in a Sunday night airstrike.

In a statement, the army says the two, an operations commander and the head of the unit’s anti-tank missile network, “were responsible for promoting many terror plots in which fire was directed at Israeli towns and the forces, including anti-tank missiles and short-range fire at the western Galilee and along Israel’s seaboard.

The Israel Defense Forces says it carried out over 100 strikes on Hezbollah sites over the past day, including attacks on rocket launchers, arms depots, command centers and more.

Israel’s top commander in the north, Maj. Gen. Uri Gordin, told troops Tuesday that Hezbollah’s ability to carry out attacks on Israel had been “dramatically reduced,” according to an army statement published today.

Bar Association head tossed from Knesset meeting after shouting match with lawmaker

Israel Bar Association leader Amit Becher has been ejected from a meeting of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee following a heated argument with MK Hanoch Milwidsky.

During a discussion of a bill sponsored by Milwidsky to transfer authority over setting bar membership fees to Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Becher accuses the MK’s party, Likud, of lying about his organization’s budget, sparking a shouting match across the room.

Chairman Simcha Rothman orders Becher ejected from the room, and he is removed by ushers. He is later ejected twice more during the course of the stormy debate.

ראש לשכת עורכי הדין הוצא מוועדת החוקה על ידי היו"ר שמחה רוטמן | ח"כ חנוך מילביצקי כינה את עמית בכר "עסקן סוג ז'", לאחר שהאחרון האשים אותו בשקרים. צפו @BecherAmit@Israel_Bar1 @hanochmilwidsky@rothmar @KarivGilad pic.twitter.com/IXjFwhjEGR

— ערוץ כנסת (@KnessetT) November 20, 2024

Becher last week accused Levin of using the bill to blackmail him into having the bar’s representatives vote in favor of appointing Supreme Court justices that he supports.

“Levin sent to me official representatives on his behalf who made clear that if the Israel Bar Association would cooperate with him in the Judicial Selection Committee to thwart the appointment of Isaac Amit as Supreme Court president and appoint justices to the Supreme Court whom Levin backs, the bill on membership dues will be dropped along with other legislation that will harm the Israel Bar Association,” Becher told The Times of Israel.

Levin’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Sirens sound near border, but pace of attacks appear to slacken

Rocket alert sirens just sounded in the community of Margaliot near the Lebanese border in the Galilee panhandle, the IDF’s Home Front Command says.

The apparent attack marks just the fourth incident of rocket fire into Israel since midnight, though it’s unclear if the apparent slowdown is related to efforts to broker a truce ending the war, Hezbollah’s depleted weapons stocks or anything else.

All four instances have targeted towns in the Galilee panhandle, including Kiryat Shmona.

Three drones were also fired into Israel from Lebanon earlier this morning, according to the IDF.

Industry group takes out front-page ads in defense of attorney general

The front pages of all of Israel’s major daily newspapers are festooned with a full-page ad in support of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara amid her clashes with the governing coalition.

The ads are placed by the Israel Business Forum, which represents most private-sector workers from 200 of the country’s largest companies.

Ministers have repeatedly called for Baharav-Miara’s ouster over her opposition to measures she says run counter to Israel’s laws and norms. The Ynet news site recently reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “no longer ruling out” her dismissal.

The advertisements, which run on dummy front pages covering Haaretz, Israel Hayom and other papers, call on the attorney general to “continue to safeguard the rule of law for us all.”

המסר שלנו ברור!#פורום העסקים של ישראל# pic.twitter.com/bmuFYphzHa

— Itay Ben Horin (@itaybh) November 20, 2024

Members of Netanyahu’s cabinet and other coalition politicians take aim at business leaders for placing the ads.

“The tycoons love Gali,” tweets National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, only days after Baharav-Miara told the prime minister that he must reevaluate Ben Gvir’s tenure in light of the latter’s intervention into operational police matters and his politicization of police promotions.

“I have news for the Business Forum. It is not protecting the rule of law,” tweets Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. “The law is determined by the authority of the legislature…and if the public wishes to replace its representatives, whether it dislikes their legislation, their actions, their behavior, or the color of their eyes, every so often they have the right and opportunity to do so.”

“The public cannot replace the rule of the jurists, which took upon itself power and strength that the legislature or the public never gave it,” he writes.

Israel keeping Ukraine embassy open despite warnings of major Russian attack on Kyiv

Israel Ambassador to Ukraine raises Israel's flag in front of the embassy in Kyiv, May 17, 2022 (courtesy)

Israel will not close its embassy in Kyiv, its ambassador says, despite warnings of a major Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital that caused other Western countries to close their missions for safety reasons.

“We are operating as normal currently,” Michael Brodsky tells The Times of Israel.

The US, Italy and Spain closed their embassies in Kyiv today due to intelligence pointing to a potential major air attack. The Kremlin has fumed in recent days over Washington’s decision to authorize Ukraine’s use of US-made long-range ATACMS missiles against Russia.

Hezbollah says new chief Qassem to speak today

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem will deliver an address at 4 p.m. today, Hezbollah says in a short statement.

Qassem was supposed to give a speech yesterday, but it was postponed for unknown reasons, though speculation has centered around the arrival of US special envoy Amos Hochstein to clinch a negotiated ceasefire ending the Iran-backed group’s war with Israel.

The timing and subject of the speech are unknown.

According to Lebanese reports, Hochstein is currently meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is negotiating on Hezbollah’s behalf, as they seek to hammer out the final details of a ceasefire proposal.

The US mediator is expected to deliver remarks following the meeting.

Raising alarm, France presses Iran to cooperate with nuclear inspectors

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that it is imperative Tehran implement its nuclear obligations and fully cooperate with the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

“The minister reiterated that Iran’s nuclear escalation was very worrying and carried major risks of proliferation,” France’s Foreign Ministry says in a statement after Barrot and Araghchi spoke.

The comments come hours after the UK, France and Germany pushed ahead with a proposal to censure Iran at an upcoming International Atomic Energy Agency meeting for its failure to cooperate with nuclear inspections. Tehran has threatened a “proportional” response should the measure pass.

“France, with its German and British partners, is continuing its efforts to return to negotiations with Iran with a view to a diplomatic solution,” the French Foreign Ministry adds, referring to the foundering 2015 nuclear accord.

The so-called E3 are the only European nations party to a failed 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers, and on Tuesday evening put forward a resolution against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency calling for a comprehensive report into Tehran’s nuclear activities.

Lebanon says soldier killed by Israel, raising two-day toll

A Lebanese army inspection team check destruction at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit a military position in the southern Lebanese coastal town of Sarafand on November 20, 2024. (MAHMOUD ZAYYAT / AFP)

The Lebanese army says Israeli fire killed a soldier on Wednesday, a day after it said three other personnel died in a strike on their position in south Lebanon.

A soldier “died of his wounds sustained due to the Israel army targeting of an army vehicle” near Qlayaa in south Lebanon, a statement on X says.

On Tuesday, the military said three soldiers were killed when “the Israeli enemy targeted an army position in the town of Sarafand,” where the health ministry said eight people were wounded.

AFP images show destruction at the site on the Mediterranean coast, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Israeli frontier, with a concrete structure destroyed and a vehicle among the debris.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reports Israeli shelling and airstrikes in south Lebanon overnight and on Wednesday, saying Israeli troops were seeking to advance further near the town of Khiam.

The NNA also says Israel forces are “attempting to advance from the Kfarshuba hills… to open up a new front under the cover of fire and artillery shells and air strikes.”

“Violent clashes are taking place” between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, it adds.

The IDF said on Tuesday that it had expanded its deployment in southern Lebanon, sending troops toward areas where attacks have been launched against the city of Kiryat Shmona.

Digging in, Haredi minister rejects any compromise on military draft bill

Jerusalem and Heritage Minister Meir Porush at a government conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, June 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

A leading ultra-Orthodox politician says his community is unwilling to compromise on legislation meant to regulate mandatory military draft orders for Haredi men, declaring that the only acceptable solution is a blanket exemption for yeshiva students and others.

Speaking with the ultra-Orthodox Hamevaser daily, Heritage Minister Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) insists that “only an arrangement that guarantees deferrals for every yeshiva or kollel student whose ‘Torah is his profession’ will be acceptable.”

Hamevaser is widely considered a mouthpiece for Porush’s Agudat Yisrael political faction.

Porush has previously insisted that it would be impossible to find a compromise on the enlistment of yeshiva students that would be acceptable to both UTJ and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition is seeking to pass legislation that would set a nominal quota for recruits from the Haredi community, answering ultra-Orthodox demands that they hold onto military draft exemptions they have enjoyed for decades but were struck down by the courts.

Porush’s statement comes after Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein, who has delayed sending the bill to the Knesset for a vote, insisted Tuesday that the number of Haredim drafted into the army must be boosted significantly.

Addressing lawmakers in the Knesset, Edelstein said that the low number of yeshiva students the IDF says it has the capacity to absorb “is not acceptable.”

Iran threatens ‘proportionate’ response if critical IAEA resolution goes through

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warns that Tehran will deliver a “proportionate” response if a Western-backed resolution critical of the country’s nuclear program is passed at the International Atomic Energy Agency.

In a phone conversation with IAEA chief Rafel Grossi, Araghchi says that if the parties “ignore Iran’s goodwill and interactive approach and put non-constructive measures on the agenda in the Board of Governors meeting through the issuance of a resolution, Iran will respond in a proportionate and appropriate manner,” state-run media reports.

Rocket strike reportedly destroys Kiryat Shmona apartment, no injuries

Reports indicate that an apartment building in Kiryat Shmona suffered a direct strike from a rocket fired from Lebanon.

Police say in a statement that officers are conducting searches throughout the city after loud explosions were heard following a rocket alert siren.

There are no immediate reports of casualties in the attack.

Unverified footage posted online shows a hole blasted through the top story of an apartment building, and extensive damage to a home.

הבית נחרב: פגיעה ישירה בקריית שמונה | תיעוד הנזק הרב@guyvaron pic.twitter.com/O8pxlNqVpo

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) November 20, 2024

פגיעה ישירה בבניין בקרית שמונה.

חדשות המוקד • בטלגרם: https://t.co/CxQgSxXZ68
בוואטסאפ: https://t.co/8RebzLh0zQ pic.twitter.com/svWdOT4q7u

— חדשות המוקד (@hamoked_il) November 20, 2024

US envoy Hochstein delays Israel visit to hammer out ceasefire details in Beirut

Amos Hochstein, center, a senior adviser to US President Joe Biden, is escorted by bodyguards as he leaves his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP/Hassan Ammar)

US special envoy Amos Hochstein will likely meet with Israeli leaders tomorrow to discuss efforts to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

The official adds that Hochstein’s schedule has not yet been finalized.

Hochstein was initially expected in Israel today after meeting with Lebanon’s leadership yesterday in talks that he described as “very productive.”

However, he has remained in Lebanon today to discuss “technical details” of a ceasefire proposal with parliament speaker Nabih Berri, Lebanese media report. Hochstein is expected to deliver a public statement following the meeting with Berri, who is negotiating on Hezbollah’s behalf.

Following a meeting between the two yesterday, Hochstein said a deal was within reach and Berri said only technical matters remained to be worked out.

France says ‘window’ open to clinch Lebanon ceasefire after US mediation

French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot says US-led efforts for a truce between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon have created the chance for a lasting ceasefire, calling on both sides to accept a deal on the table.

“There is a window of opportunity that’s opening for a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon that would allow the return of those displaced, ensure the sovereignty of Lebanon and the security of Israel,” he tells Europe 1 radio.

“I call on all sides with whom we are in close contact to seize this window.”

Negotiators indicated Tuesday that gaps between the sides had narrowed, while indicating that some technical points remained to be worked out.

Speaking to the Hezbollah-affiliated al-Manar TV channel, an official with the terror group says he is neither overly optimistic nor overly pessimistic about the prospects of a truce.

Mahmoud Qmati says any deal must end fighting swiftly and preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty, an apparent reference to Israel’s stance that it must be able to resume striking Hezbollah should the terror group threaten it again.

Residents of areas near Gaza border vote to stick with incumbents in delayed local ballot

Sderot mayor Alon Davidi (center) at the scene where a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit and caused damage in the southern Israeli city of Sderot, October 24, 2023.(Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

Preliminary results in southern Israel’s long-delayed municipal elections show residents favoring incumbents by a wide margin, nine months after most municipalities in the rest of the country held their own elections.

According to the Interior Ministry, Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi was returned to office with 77.8 percent of the vote. Hof Ashkelon and Sdot Negev Regional Council heads Itamar Revivo and Tamir Idan were each elected to another term with 87.6% and 77.3% of the vote, respectively.

No candidate appears to have reached the requisite 40% support in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, necessitating a run-off election on December 3. Ofir Libstein, who previously headed the council, was killed defending Kibbutz Kfar Aza from Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.

Michal Uziyahu is elected as head of the Eshkol Regional Council after running unopposed.

Interior Ministry numbers show that 65 percent of the 65,335 eligible voters from areas near the Gaza border cast ballots in the elections.

Verified results will likely only be released at the end of the week due to the large number of absentee ballots cast by displaced residents and IDF troops.

Rights groups say Iran ratcheting up pace of executions, 166 put to death last month

Iran executed 166 people in October, a human rights group says, marking the deadliest month for the country’s justice system since records began being kept in 2007.

According to Iran Human Rights, only 20 of the 166 executions were announced publicly. They include over a dozen Afghan citizens and a German-Iranian dual citizen.

At least 64 people were given the death penalty for drug-related offenses, continuing a marked increase in Iran’s deadly enforcement of its anti-narcotics rules, according to human rights groups.

Iran Human Rights says a total of 651 people were executed by Iran from January to October 2024, putting it on track to nearly match last year’s total of 853, which marked an eight-year high.

Human Rights Watch says the pace of executions has continued into November, with dozens of Kurdish political prisoners and others sentenced to death thus far, including on allegations of spying for Israel.

“Iranian authorities use the death penalty as a tool of fear, particularly targeting ethnic minorities and political dissidents after unfair trials,” acting Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch Nahid Naghshbandi says in a statement. “This brutal tactic aims to suppress any opposition to an autocratic government through intimidation.”

Western powers submit IAEA resolution censuring Iran

Western countries have formally submitted a new resolution critical of Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency ahead of its board meeting, diplomatic sources say.

“The text was formally submitted” just before midnight on Tuesday, a diplomatic source tells AFP on condition of anonymity, with a second diplomatic source confirming the information.

The UK, France and Germany, backed by the US, are seeking to censure Iran for what they say is Tehran’s lack of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, as it attempts to monitor the Islamic Republic’s expanding nuclear enrichment program.

Earlier Iran’s foreign minister warned the powers against submitting the new resolution, saying such a move “will only complicate the matter further.” According to an IAEA report leaked Tuesday, Iranian officials also offered to cap the country’s stockpile of near-weapons grade uranium if the measure was shelved.

El Al reports 260% profit boost as competitors depart amid war

File: An El Al airplane on the tarmac at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, October 4, 2022. (Moshe Shai/Flash90)

Israel’s flagship carrier El Al says its third-quarter profits soared by almost 260 percent, raking in returns thanks to a near-monopoly created by most foreign airlines suspending service to and from Tel Aviv amid the war in Gaza and attacks from Iran and its proxy Hezbollah.

The airline reports earnings of $187 million in the July to September period, up from $52 million over the same period a year earlier, which preceded the outbreak of war prompted by the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. Revenue jumped over 43% to $1 billion from $696 million in the corresponding quarter last year. The airline said its planes were 94% full on average, up from 88% last year.

Major foreign airlines have repeatedly halted service to Israel since the outbreak of war in October 2023, ceding the market to El Al, some smaller Israeli carriers and a handful of other airlines, mostly from the Persian Gulf and Eastern Europe. Some major airlines have continued to offer service to and from Israel on a limited basis.

Israel has insisted that its airspace is safe and that it will shutter its skies should the need arise.

El Al’s skyrocketing profits have led some to accuse it of price-gouging and war profiteering, which the carrier denies.

Reservist, 21, killed in Gaza, senior officer badly wounded — IDF

Sgt. First Class (res.) Roi Sasson, killed fighting in northern Gaza on November 19, 2024. (IDF)

An Israeli reserves soldier was killed and a senior officer was seriously wounded during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday, the IDF announces.

The slain soldier is named as Sgt. First Class (res.) Roi Sasson, 21, from the Jerusalem suburb of Mevaseret.

Sasson had served in Gaza with the Kfir Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion.

The commander of the battalion, Lt. Col. Yoel Glickman, was seriously wounded in the same incident, the IDF says.

According to an initial IDF probe, the soldier and officer were hit during an exchange of fire with gunmen in the Beit Lahiya area.

Sasson is the 379th Israeli soldier to be killed in operations in and around Gaza, according to a Times of Israel tally.

The death means that 800 soldiers have now been killed in fighting since the October 7, 2023, attack, including local security officers killed while defending communities from the Hamas onslaught.

US shuts Kyiv embassy, warns Russia may launch major air attack

The US says it is shutting its Kyiv embassy “out of an abundance of caution,” warning that Russia may launch a large air attack on Ukraine today.

The embassy says employees have been “instructed to shelter in place,” telling Americans in the country to be ready to scramble for cover.

“The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has received specific information of a potential significant air attack on November 20,” the embassy says in a statement posted on its website. “The US Embassy recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tells Russia’s TASS state news agency that a special emergency hotline between the Kremlin and White House, created after the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, is not currently in use.

On Tuesday, Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed an order expanding its nuclear doctrine after Ukraine used US-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles for an attack on a Russian military facility.

Drone impact sites said found near border town, Acre

Parts of a drone launched from Lebanon that crashed in the north were found near the western Galilee town of Betzet, Channel 12 news reports.

A second impact site was identified near Acre, according to the station.

Betzet sits just two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Lebanese border, while Acre is some 16 kilometers (10 miles) deeper inside Israel.

According to reports, at least some of the IDF’s attempts to shoot down drones launched from Lebanon were unsuccessful.

The army says three drones were launched from Lebanon, but pointedly does not say if attempts to intercept them were successful, and is vague on how many of them crashed in northern Israel.

There is no claim of responsibility for the attack.

Army says drones launched from Lebanon crashed after interception attempts

The Israel Defense Forces says drones launched from Lebanon crashed after multiple attempts to shoot them down.

Drone alert sirens triggered had sounded for 20 minutes in communities stretching from the Lebanon border down Israel’s coast to areas southeast of Haifa before the army announced that the incident had ended.

According to the army, three drones were launched from Lebanon. It does not say how many crashed.

There are no casualties in the incident, the army adds.

“Three UAVs were identified crossing into Israeli territory from Lebanon,” the IDF says in a short statement. “Interception attempts were made, impacts were identified in the Western Galilee.”

A video online appears to show one of the drones flying unmolested in plain view near Haifa.

A drone launched by #Hezbollah from Lebanon has been flying around for a while through the north & making its way towards #Haifa.

The Israeli occupation army failed to intercept two drones that infiltrated from Lebanon & fell near #Acre.#Lebanon #Resistance pic.twitter.com/GpHORIcbpq

— ⚡️🌎 World News 🌐⚡️ (@ferozwala) November 20, 2024

Iran warns UK, France and Germany against pushing IAEA censure

Iran has warned European powers against going ahead with plans to submit a resolution to the UN nuclear watchdog censuring Tehran for its lack of cooperation with inspectors, the country’s Foreign Ministry says.

During talks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, top Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi said the resolution would “complicate matters” and contradict the “positive atmosphere created between Iran and the IAEA,” the Iranian foreign ministry says.

The Foreign Ministry also announces that it has summoned the British ambassador for a reprimand over the UK’s decision to sanction Iran over weapons sales to Russia.

Araghchi claims court documents showing British arms sales to Israel reveal London’s “double standard.”

The EU and the UK, without presenting any evidence, have accused Iran of supplying ballistic missiles to Russia and imposed sanctions on our airlines and shipping.

At the same time, based on documents submitted to court, British media today reveals that the UK, fully aware that… pic.twitter.com/rk97zaAPTS

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) November 19, 2024

Home Front Command says ‘incident over’ more than 25 minutes after drone sirens began

More than 25 minutes after suspected drone sirens were first activated in coastal towns near the Lebanon border, the IDF Home Front Command says “the incident is over.”

A map of where sirens sounded shows the path the apparent drone took down Israel’s coast.

🇮🇷⚔️🇮🇱 Sirens sound in Northern Haifa and Acre due to a Hezbollah drone attack. #BreakingNews #Israel#lebanon#Hezbollah

⚡️follow and support us for the latest updates:@GlobeWarReport pic.twitter.com/19xENltezF

— Global war Report. (@GlobeWarReport) November 20, 2024

The fate of the suspected drone is not yet clear.

Sirens now activated in Acre, Haifa suburbs as IDF says it’s tracking Lebanon drone

The air raid sirens in northern Israel have now spread to Acre and the surrounding area, reaching as far south as the Carmel area south of Haifa.

In a statement , the IDF says the sirens were set off by a “suspicious aerial target from Lebanon” which is being tracked by the air force.

Suspected drone alert sounds in Western Galilee coastal communities

Suspected drone alerts are activated in the northern coastal city of Nahariya and a number of nearby Western Galilee communities.

UNSC to vote on resolution demanding immediate Gaza ceasefire, freeing of hostages

The UN Security Council is slated to vote later Wednesday on a resolution demanding “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza along with the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

It remains unclear whether the United States, Israel’s closest ally, will veto the measure or abstain, which would allow it to pass. The four other permanent members — Russia, China, Britain and France — are expected to support it or abstain.

Israel is opposed to the resolution for not making a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas explicitly linked. In March, the US abstained on a similar resolution adopted by the Security Council that called for an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan, saying that their inclusion in the same paragraph meant they are equal requirements for a deal.

Settlers torch several cars in village near Ramallah — Palestinian reports

Palestinian media reports that Israeli settlers torched several Palestinian vehicles in the village of Al-Mazra’a Al-Gharbiya north of Ramallah in the West Bank.

Such attacks have taken place regularly in recent weeks as Israeli authorities fail to crack down on the phenomenon.

No injuries are reported in the latest incident.

There are also no reports of arrests, a common trend that has led Western countries to begin sanctioning Israeli extremists responsible for attacks on Palestinians, dispossessing their land and destabilizing the West Bank.

تغطية صحفية: مستوطنون يحرقون مركبات الأهالي في بلدة المزرعة الغربية شمال رام الله pic.twitter.com/9XNnee3fZN

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) November 20, 2024

Zelensky warns Ukraine ‘will lose’ if US military aid curbed, says Trump ‘much more stronger than Putin’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a joint statement with Denmark's prime minister following their meeting in Kyiv, on November 19, 2024. (Roman Pilipey/AFP)

WASHINGTON — Ukraine “will lose” its war against Russia if the United States cuts military funding to Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tells Fox News.

“If they cut, we will — I think we will lose,” Zelensky says in an interview with the US television network.

“We will fight. We have our production, but it’s not enough to prevail. And I think it’s not enough to survive,” he continues.

US President-elect Donald Trump is a vocal skeptic of the billions that the administration of President Joe Biden has given to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in 2022.

Trump has repeatedly promised to end the war quickly, but has not provided details of how he would do so.

This week his allies voiced vehement criticism of Biden’s decision to let Ukraine use US-supplied long-range missiles for attacks inside Russia, accusing him of a dangerous escalation.

Zelensky tells Fox that “unity” between Ukraine and the United States is “most important.”

Trump, he says, could influence Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, “because he is much more stronger than Putin.”

Putin “can be willing and end this war, but it also depends on the United States of America much more. Putin is weaker than the United States of America,” he says.

AP officially declares Levi Strauss heir Daniel Lurie the winner of San Francisco mayoral race

San Francisco mayoral candidate Daniel Lurie smiles while campaigning in San Francisco, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco Mayor London Breed has lost her reelection race to Levi Strauss heir Daniel Lurie.

The Associated Press called the race Tuesday.

In conceding the race to Lurie, Breed, 50, pledged a smooth transition for the incoming mayor.