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The Times of Israel liveblogged Friday’s events as they happened.
Dozens of Jewish extremists in Hebron for annual pilgrimage try to attack senior IDF officer; 5 arrested
Israeli security forces deploy riot dispersal means amid altercations between Israelis and Palestinians, on their way to visit the tomb of Othniel in the West Bank city of Hebron, on November 19, 2022 (HAZEM BADER / AFP)
Dozens of Jewish extremists in Hebron for an annual pilgrimage tried to attack the head of the IDF Central Command Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth who was in the flashpoint West Bank city to secure the gathering, the military says.
Five suspects have been arrested by police after they chased Bluth and the soldiers accompanying him, calling the IDF commander a “traitor.” The head of Central Command typically has a fraught relationship with settler extremists, since the army is tasked with trying to keep them in check in the West Bank.
The IDF says that the group of young suspects chased Bluth and tried to block an exit that the military needed for operational activity.
After five suspects were arrested, the gathering of rioters was dispersed, the army says, adding that it strongly condemns the violence on display this evening.
Each year, tens of thousands of Jewish worshippers visit Hebron for the annual pilgrimage tradition. Successive years have seen Jewish rioters target Palestinian locals whose movement in the city is further restricted by the IDF to secure the area for the pilgrims.
IDF says drone infiltration incident in Western Galilee is over
The IDF Home Front Command says the drone infiltration incident in Western Galilee is over.
One drone launched from Lebanon exploded in the area, without causing injuries, according to the military.
Lebanon says Israeli strike kills hospital chief, 6 colleagues
Lebanon’s health ministry says an Israeli airstrike earlier today killed the director of Dar al-Amal hospital in the east of the country near Baalbek and six of his colleagues.
A ministry statement announces the “loss of Dr Ali Rakan Allam, director of Dar al-Amal University Hospital, and six colleagues in a cowardly Israeli attack which targeted his residence near the hospital.” It also denounces “continual Israeli aggression against medical staff and facilities.”
Feldstein’s lawyer: He was acting on behalf of the PMO, and has been abandoned
Eli Feldstein (left,) a former spokesman in the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is the main suspect in an investigation launched in late October 2024 of alleged illegal access and leaking of classified intelligence material. (Kan screenshot, used in accordance with clause 27a of the copyright law); Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) at a plenum session at the Knesset, Jerusalem, November 12, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90);
The lawyer representing Eli Feldstein, an aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who was indicted yesterday on a grave charge of harming state security at the heart of a case involving the theft and leaking of classified IDF intel, complains in a TV interview excerpt that his client has been abandoned by the Prime Minister’s Office.
“Eli Feldstein did not act on his own behalf,” attorney Oded Savoray tells Channel 12, in comments excerpted from an interview to be screened in full tomorrow. “He provided advisory services in the Prime Minister’s Office.”
“If there are claims, they should be directed to the Prime Minister’s Office,” Savoray goes on. “It was the Prime Minister’s Office that was acting here. It acted by means of Feldstein. And today Feldstein has been left alone, alone, alone.”
Feldstein was charged yesterday with transferring classified information with the intent to harm the state, a charge that can carry a sentence of life in prison, as well as illicit possession of classified information and obstruction of justice. He has been held in detention for almost a month.
Attorney Oded Savoray. (Courtesy)
On November 1, when a gag order on the case was partially lifted for the first time, allowing publication of the fact that suspects had been arrested for questioning in connection over the alleged leak of classified documents by Netanyahu’s office, the PMO issued a statement asserting that no one on its staff has been arrested as part of the probe.
Since then, however, the PMO has issued comments seemingly defending Feldstein, saying in a statement last week, “In a democratic country, people are not detained for 20 days in a basement because of a leak while being prevented from meeting a lawyer for days on end, just in order to extract from them false claims against the prime minister.”
In the Knesset on Monday, Netanyahu charged that the State Prosecution was selective in its investigations of leaks, claiming that a flood of “terrible, criminal leaks” from cabinet meetings and security consultations “that do tremendous harm to Israel” were not probed.
“As of this moment, nobody has been investigated and nobody has been arrested [for those leaks]. Nobody’s life has been ruined,” he said, in an implied reference to the ongoing detention of Feldstein.
IDF: No injuries after drone from Lebanon explodes in Western Galilee
The IDF says a drone launched from Lebanon exploded in the Western Galilee a short while ago, as sirens continue to sound in the area.
There are no injuries as a result of the impact.
The military says the incident is still ongoing.
Palestinian Authority accuses Israel of encouraging ‘extremist settlers to commit terrorism’
The Palestinian Authority accuses Israel of encouraging “extremist settlers to commit terrorism” after it announced a halt to the use of administrative detention, or incarceration without trial, against them.
The Palestinian foreign ministry “believes that this decision encourages extremist settlers to commit terrorism against Palestinians, their land and their properties, while giving them an additional sense of impunity and protection”, it says on X.
Poll: 64% don’t trust Netanyahu government’s handling of country; 79% want state inquiry into Oct. 7
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a cabinet meeting on October 7, 2024. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)
Sixty-four percent of the public doesn’t trust how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is running the country, compared to 30% who do, according to a Channel 12 survey.
The poll also found that 79% favor the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to probe the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre, compared to 8% who oppose it, and 13% who said they didn’t know.
Pitting Netanyahu against Opposition chair Yair Lapid, 38% believe the former is more suited to serve as prime minister, compared to 28% who said the latter.
Comparing Netanyahu against National Unity chair Benny Gantz, 37% say the former is more suited to serve as prime minister, compared to 29% who say the latter.
Pitting Netanyahu against former prime minister Naftali Bennett, 34% say the former is more suited to serve as prime minister, compared to 38% who say the latter.
For the first time, the network also pitted Netanyahu against National Unity Gadi Eisenkot. Thirty-five percent of respondents say Netanyahu is more suited to serve as premier, compared to 33% who say Eisenkot is.
Asked about the brewing ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah, 54% say they support the deal, compared to 24% who oppose it.
IDF says its tracking several targets from Lebanon that triggered drone infiltration sirens in Western Galilee
Sirens warning of a drone infiltration sound in the Western Galilee as the IDF says it is tracking several targets that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon.
The military says “the incident is still ongoing.”
Senior Israeli official: It’s possible ICC decision could’ve been avoided had PM allowed probe into Oct. 7
A senior Israeli official tells the Kan public broadcaster his assessment that the ICC decision to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant could have been avoided had the premier allowed for a state commission of inquiry to be opened into the October 7 onslaught and the war that has followed.
Netanyahu has pushed back on such calls, arguing that the probe should wait until after the war, with critics claiming that he’s trying to avoid responsibility for what unfolded.
The senior official maintains that action by international tribunals are taken against countries without independent judiciaries capable of probing themselves. A commission of inquiry would have demonstrated that Israel was willing to do so.
Israeli strikes kill 62 in Lebanon yesterday, bringing toll to 3,645, ministry says
Israeli strikes killed at least 62 people and injured 111 in Lebanon yesterday, bringing the toll since October 2023 to 3,645 dead and 15,355 injured, Lebanon’s health ministry says, without differentiating between civilians and combatants.
Israel is targeting Hezbollah terrorists who have been launching cross-border attacks on a near-daily basis since October 8, 2023.
Biden, Macron discuss Lebanon ceasefire efforts in phone call
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) meets with US President Joe Biden during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on September 25, 2024. (Ludovic MARIN / AFP)
Us President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon during a phone call earlier today, the White House says.
Katz decision to end administrative detentions for Jews said to pose security, diplomatic risks for Israel
Illustrative: Israeli settlers hurl stones at Palestinians near the Israeli settlement of Yitzhar in the West Bank on October 7, 2020. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90/File)
Channel 12 reports that the Shin Bet has warned Israel’s political echelon that Defense Minister Israel Katz’s decision to end administrative detentions against Jewish Israelis risks harming efforts to combat violent settlers, who have been perpetrating near-daily attacks against Palestinians for months.
The network says Katz’s decision also will make it more difficult for Israel to urge European countries not to abide by international tribunals, given that it further establishes separate treatment for Jews and Arabs under Israel’s rule.
Report: Hostage negotiating team’s mandate has shrunk since Katz appointed defense minister
Minister Israel Katz at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on November 10, 2024 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The mandate of Israel’s hostage negotiators has shrunk since Israel Katz was appointed defense minister earlier this month, a member of the negotiation team told hostage families during a meeting this week, according to a Channel 12 report.
The hostage families then asked about Katz’s claim to reporters that a breakthrough had taken place in the talks after Hamas agreed to forgo its demand for an up-front Israeli commitment to end the war as part of a hostage deal.
The hostage negotiator responded that Katz’s claim was inaccurate and that Hamas’s position on ending the war has not changed. It is still willing to agree to a phased ceasefire deal that has been discussed since May, the negotiator said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he opposes ending the war in exchange for the hostages.
Channel 12 also reports that Israel’s security establishment believes that a deal with Hamas will not be possible until after a ceasefire is inked with Hezbollah. The hope is that the latter deal will lead to progress on the former, an official tells the network.
Poll: 79% of Israelis support state commission of inquiry into Oct. 7 opposed by Netanyahu
Channel 12 airs a survey showing that 79 percent of Israelis support a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 onslaught, while just 8% of Israelis are opposed to such a probe. Thirteen percent of respondents said they weren’t sure.
Even among voters of parties from the current coalition, 65% back a state commission of inquiry, while 15% oppose such a probe.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed launching a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks, arguing that such probes should only be launched after the war is over. Critics of the premier say he is seeking to avoid responsibility for what unfolded.
IDF intercepts suspected drone heading toward Israel from Lebanon
A suspected drone heading toward Israel from Lebanon was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force a short while ago, the IDF says.
The target was shot down before entering Israeli airspace, according to the military.
IDF carries out day’s second wave of strikes on Hezbollah targets in Tyre
The IDF says it carried out a second wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre earlier today.
The targets included command centers, weapon depots and other infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah, according to the IDF.
Many of the sites belonged to Hezbollah’s Aziz regional division, responsible for rocket fire on Israel from the western sector of southern Lebanon.
Before the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר בהכוונת פיקוד הצפון תקפו מוקדם יותר היום מטרות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב צור שבדרום לבנון. בין המטרות שהותקפו: מפקדות, תשתיות צבאיות ומחסני אמצעי לחימה>> pic.twitter.com/C8L1kXSYT0
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) November 22, 2024
Judge in Trump criminal case delays sentencing indefinitely
The judge in Donald Trump’s criminal hush money case has ordered that sentencing be delayed indefinitely, a legal win for the President-elect as he prepares to return to the White House.
“It is… ordered that the joint application for a stay of sentencing is granted to the extent that the November 26, 2024 date is adjourned,” says judge Juan Merchan in an order.
30 rockets from Lebanon were launched at Western Galilee, Haifa in past hour — IDF
The IDF says some 30 rockets were launched from Lebanon at the Western Galilee and Haifa area in the past hour.
Several rockets were intercepted, and impacts were also identified, the military says.
Police say that damage was caused to a factory in Nahariya by one of the rockets.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
Dutch unveil plan to fight antisemitism, two weeks after attacks on Israeli fans
Netherlands' Prime Minister Dick Schoof delivers a press statement at an EU meeting in Budapest, Hungary, on November 8, 2024. (Attila Kisbenedek/AFP)
The Dutch government has launched a new plan to tackle antisemitism, two weeks after mob attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam that shocked the world.
The cabinet earmarked an additional 4.5 million euros ($4.7 million) annually for the plan, some of which will go towards stepping up security at Jewish sites.
“Unfortunately, anti-Semitism has increased further in the Netherlands in the past year. And the events in Amsterdam two weeks ago have shown that very clearly to the Netherlands,” says Justice Minister David van Weel.
In the early hours of November 8, visiting supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv were assaulted in various parts of the city following calls on social media to attack them.
The violence sparked outrage in Israel and among Dutch politicians, who described them as antisemitic.
The government strategy also calls for the establishment of an antisemitism taskforce, tougher laws on “glorifying terrorism” and a probe into violence during protests. Football fans will also be targeted in a bid to eradicate antisemitic chanting in stadiums.
The strategy is “a combination of repression and prevention,” Prime Minister Dick Schoof tells reporters at a regular weekly briefing.
“We have found the right balance.”
IDF says it finished series of strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut
The IDF says it has completed a series of airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs a short while ago.
The sites hit by fighter jets included Hezbollah command centers, according to the military.
Before the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
IDF issues evacuation warning for three buildings in Hezbollah stronghold within Beirut
The IDF issues fresh evacuation warnings for three buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, ahead of airstrikes on Hezbollah assets.
#عاجل إلى جميع السكان المتواجدين في منطقة الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المرفقة والمباني المجاورة لها في المناطق التالية:
🔸حدث بيروت
🔸حارة حريك
🔸الغبيري⭕️أنتم تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع على المدى… pic.twitter.com/A65muU8YAb
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 22, 2024
Several Israeli airstrikes have been carried out in Beirut since this morning.
Four Italian observers for UNIFIL hurt, Rome points to Hezbollah
Four Italian soldiers were lightly hurt in a rocket “attack” on the UN observer mission in Lebanon, Rome says Friday, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani saying initial evidence pointed to Hezbollah.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expresses “deep indignation and concern” over “new attacks suffered by the Italian headquarters of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon.”
“These attacks are unacceptable,” she says in a statement, calling on “the parties on the ground to guarantee, at all times, the safety of UNIFIL soldiers and to collaborate to quickly identify those responsible.”
Meloni does not attribute blame but her foreign minister and deputy prime minister Tajani told reporters it was likely Hezbollah.
“There were believed to be two missiles, from what it appears, they are believed to have been launched by Hezbollah,” he says in Turin.
A foreign ministry spokesman says the Italians would await an investigation by UNIFIL.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto says “four Italian soldiers were slightly injured following the explosion of two 122 mm rockets that hit the UNP 2-3 base in Shama” in southern Lebanon.
Two rockets appear to have hit a bunker on the base and the soldiers were hit by glass shards after windows shattered, Crosetto said, slamming the attack as “intolerable.”
In a statement, Crosetto says he contacted his Lebanese counterpart, “reiterating that the Italian contingent of UNIFIL remains in southern Lebanon to offer a window of opportunity for peace and cannot become hostage to attacks by militias.”
“I will try to speak with the new Israeli minister of defense, which has been impossible since he took office, to ask him to avoid using UNIFIL bases as a shield,” he says.
“Even more intolerable is the presence of terrorists in South Lebanon who are endangering the safety of the blue helmets and the civilian population,” he adds.
Hamas health ministry: Hospitals to cut or stop services ‘within 48 hours’ over fuel shortages
The Hamas government’s health ministry warns that all hospitals in Gaza will have to stop or reduce services “within 48 hours” for lack of fuel, blaming Israel for blocking its entry.
“We raise an urgent warning as all hospitals in Gaza Strip will stop working or reduce their services within 48 hours due to the occupation’s (Israel’s) obstruction of fuel entry,” Marwan al-Hams, director of Gaza’s field hospitals, says during a press conference.
“We call on international institutions to exploit the decision of the International Criminal Court to stop the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip,” he adds.
WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said on Tuesday that the organization was “particularly concerned about Kamal Adwan Hospital” in Beit Lahia, where Israeli forces launched an offensive against Hamas last month.
IDF says it carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah sites in coastal Lebanese city of Tyre
Israeli fighter jets carried out a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah sites in the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre earlier today, the IDF says.
The targets included command centers, intelligence infrastructure, weapon depots and observation posts belonging to Hezbollah, according to the IDF.
Many of the sites belonged to Hezbollah’s Aziz regional division, responsible for rocket fire on Israel from the western sector of southern Lebanon.
Before the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר, בהכוונת פיקוד הצפון, תקפו מוקדם יותר היום מטרות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב צור שבדרום לבנון. בין המטרות שהותקפו: מפקדות, תשתיות מודיעין, מחסני אמצעי לחימה, עמדת תצפית ומבנים צבאיים>> pic.twitter.com/rX4VWE9cz8
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) November 22, 2024
Teacher resigns from Kiryat Ono school after students held protest against her, chanting ‘Death to Arabs’
Illustrative. Students arrive at an Israeli high school, June 11, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90/ File)
An Arab teacher at a high school in the central town of Kiryat Ono resigned from her position after students held a protest against her outside the teacher’s lounge and chanted “Death to Arabs.”
The ordeal began after students looked up the 22-year-old teacher on Instagram and discovered that she followed accounts that “publish news from the Palestinian perspective,” the Walla news site reports.
The students proceeded to open a WhatsApp group demanding the teacher’s dismissal in which various insults were hurled against her.
At the beginning of the month, a group of them gathered outside the teacher’s lounge and shouted “Death to Arabs” and other racist chants as she passed by.
“I felt unsafe,” the teacher told Walla, speaking on condition of anonymity, and adding that students had tried to hack into the social media accounts of her and her partner.
The principal of the school subsequently sent a letter to students saying that an investigation had found no inappropriate social media content on the teacher’s accounts and that students still chose to harass the woman.
He wrote that the school had reached out to the teacher to offer its support but that the woman decided to resign nonetheless.
One student was suspended as a result of the ordeal, Walla said.
Brig. Gen. Nadav Lotan appointed commander of IDF Ground Forces
Brig. Gen. Nadav Lotan in August 2021. (Israel Defense Forces)
Brig. Gen. Nadav Lotan has been appointed as the next commander of the IDF Ground Forces, the military says.
The appointment was made by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and approved by Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Lotan, who previously commanded the 162nd Division and Operations Directorate’s military doctrine, assessment and training department, will be promoted to the rank of major general upon entering the role.
Lotan is replacing Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, who announced his resignation from the position due to personal reasons in September.
Alongside the new Ground Forces chief, Halevi has approved several more senior appointments in the military.
The list includes 11 new brigadier generals and four new colonels, as well as six brigadier generals and 19 colonels who are moving to new positions at the same rank.
Among the new brigadier generals is a reservist officer who will be returning to the military to command the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 8200.
Looting deepens Gaza misery as famine looms, says UNRWA official
A humanitarian disaster in Gaza is being deepened by a total breakdown in law and order and the conflict between Israel and Hamas is rendering the enclave uninhabitable, a senior official of the main UN aid agency there, UNRWA, says.
UNRWA official Natalie Boucly also says arrest warrants issued against senior Israeli politicians as well as a leader of Hamas by an international tribunal meant there would be a reckoning for the suffering inflicted on millions.
“Basically, the entire population of Gaza is in desperate need of assistance amid a looming famine,” says Boucly, UNRWA’s deputy commissioner-general.
Israel has rejected global food security experts’ warning of famine, saying it has allowed sufficient aid into Gaza to prevent it.
Israel’s parliament passed a law last month that will ban UNRWA from operating in the country when it takes effect in late January. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has said its implementation “will have catastrophic consequences.”
Speaking at a conference in Cyprus, Boucly says 500 trucks of pre-war aid entering the Palestinian enclave daily had now fallen to 37, with those supplies now at risk of looting by criminal gangs.
Nearly 100 trucks carrying food for Palestinians were violently looted on November 16 after entering Gaza in one of the worst aid losses during 13 months of war in the enclave.
“Gaza has become uninhabitable,” she says, calling the situation a failure of humanity.
“There has to be accountability for all the grave violations of international law that are occurring. The issuance of the ICC arrest warrants yesterday against three individuals is the start of that accountability,” she says.
Indicating it could arrest Netanyahu, UK gov’t says it will always comply with international ‘legal obligations’
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer making a statement on the anniversary of the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, in the House of Commons in London on October 7, 2024. (JESSICA TAYLOR / UK PARLIAMENT / AFP)
The British government indicates that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be arrested on an International Criminal Court arrest warrant if he traveled to the United Kingdom.
“The UK will always comply with its legal obligations as set out by domestic law and indeed international law,” says Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman.
Asked directly whether Netanyahu would be arrested, the spokesman says he will not “talk about specific cases.”
The UK is one of the 124 ICC member states.
Yesterday, a spokesperson had said more vaguely: “We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court, which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern.”
Earlier today, meanwhile, Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris said Netanyahu would be detained if he arrived there.
Asked by state broadcaster RTE if Ireland would arrest the Israeli prime minister if he came to Ireland, Harris said: “Yes, absolutely.”
“We support international courts and we apply their warrants,” he added.
Relations between Ireland and Israel have deteriorated since Dublin recognized a Palestinian state last May, a move that prompted Israel to recall its ambassador.
Ireland’s foreign minister Micheal Martin said Friday he disagreed with US President Joe Biden’s depiction of the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant as “outrageous.”
Martin said war crimes have been committed in Gaza: “It’s a collective punishment of the people… it’s genocidal,” he said.
Officer seriously wounded in southern Gaza; IDF probe cites Hamas sniper fire
An IDF officer with the Nahal Brigade’s reconnaissance unit was seriously wounded in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today, the military says.
According to an initial IDF probe, the officer was hit by Hamas sniper fire.
IDF says troops find Russian-made anti-tank missiles at Hezbollah post
An image released by the IDF on November 22, 2024, shows a dead Hezbollah operative and several anti-tank missiles at a position used by the terror group in southern Lebanon. (Israel Defense Forces)
Troops of the 7th Armored Brigade operating in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon located a Hezbollah anti-tank missile launching post, where an operative had been killed in a recent airstrike.
The IDF says the troops found several Russian-made Kornet anti-tank missiles at the site, along with a drone that was primed for launch at Israel.
The brigade, operating under the 98th Division, has been raiding what the army calls “an area that serves as a significant terror stronghold for Hezbollah.”
The military says troops have located several Hezbollah fighting positions, weapon depots, bunkers and other infrastructure amid the ongoing operation.
Israel said demanding to keep France out of Lebanon deal over perceived hostility
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike on Burj al-Shamali, on the outskirts of Tyre, on November 22, 2024 (Kawnat Haju / AFP)
Channel 12 publishes details on what it says are the remaining points of contention between Israel and Hezbollah to reach a ceasefire in the north.
One issue, it says, is Israel’s insistence that France can not be part of the agreement, or be a member of the international committee that will monitor a deal’s implementation — this, due to its perceived hostility toward Israel in recent months under President Emanuel Macron’s administration. Macron has recently repeatedly called for an arms embargo on Israel, characterizing it as the path toward ending the war, sparking a diplomatic crisis.
Another issue is 13 land points along the Israel-Lebanon border that are disputed due to boundary demarcation issues. The network says Israel is demanding language in the agreement that would allow it to unilaterally choose not to engage in negotiations over disputed points.
The network says Lebanon has accepted that the US will issue a letter that supports Israel’s freedom to act in Lebanon against “imminent threats,” but that final wording on the issue of arms transfers within Lebanon has not yet been agreed.
A senior official tells Channel 12: “Most of the details have been agreed upon, but what remains open is very sensitive and could still derail the agreement.”
Pro-Palestinian NGOs seek court order to stop Dutch arms exports to Israel
Troops operate in Jabalia in the Gaza Strip, in a handout image released by the IDF on November 21, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Ten pro-Palestinian NGOs ask a Dutch court to stop the Netherlands from exporting weapons to Israel and trading with Israeli settlements, citing high civilian casualties in Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.
According to the plaintiffs, the Dutch state, as a signatory to the 1948 Genocide Convention, has a duty to take all reasonable measures at its disposal to prevent genocide.
Lawyer Wout Albers, acting for groups including Palestinian rights organizations Al Haq and Al Mezan and pro-Palestinian Jewish organization Een Ander Joods Geluid, says the Netherlands has failed to take the measures needed by continuing its exports of weapons parts and military cooperation.
“This has to stop immediately,” he says.
The case, heard by the district court in The Hague, cites a January order to Israel by the International Court of Justice to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza. The plaintiffs cite “extreme numbers of civilian victims killed and wounded and the unprecedented destruction” to argue genocide is taking place.
They also cite arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense chief for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity including persecution, murder and starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.
Israel says accusations of genocide in its Gaza campaign are baseless and that it is solely hunting down Hamas and other armed groups who threaten its existence and hide among civilians, something the groups deny. Israel said Thursday’s arrest warrants were shameful and absurd.
Prosecutors issue Q&A paper on PMO documents leak case to combat ‘misinformation’
Eli Feldstein, a Prime Minister's Office employee named as a suspect in an investigation of an alleged leak of sensitive information. (Social media; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
In an irregular step, the state prosecution publishes a Q&A document relating to the charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman Eli Feldstein, accused of harming state security by leaking classified security documents to the media.
It says it is doing so “in response to questions and allegations in the media and public discourse regarding the Feldstein case, as well as widespread misinformation propagated by those with vested interests.”
A few excerpts:
“Why investigate this leak when others have not been?”
The prosecution says: “This is not a typical ‘leak’ to the media,” with Feldstein and the second suspect, a non-commissioned officer, “accused of intentionally creating a direct channel that bypasses the military system responsible for examining and transferring information to the political echelon, without either of them being authorized to do so.”
“The Intelligence Directorate cannot accept a situation in which highly classified, raw, and sensitive intelligence is removed from the system without oversight of where it ends up,” it says. “The information published in Bild was obtained through a secret intelligence tool. Security officials determined that revealing the existence of this tool, its capabilities, and how it is used could seriously harm Israel’s security interests, particularly in intelligence collection and protecting intelligence sources that save lives.”
“Journalists argue that bypassing censorship by publishing information in foreign media is a common practice.”
The prosecution says: “If such a practice exists, it is undoubtedly unacceptable. In any case, each instance is examined individually. In this case, the military censor completely prohibited the publication of the information, even after it was published in foreign media, indicating its extremely high sensitivity.” (The censor often allows local media to quote foreign reports even when it cannot itself publish information.)
“Why did Feldstein face interrogation by the Shin Bet as though he were a terrorist rather than by the police?”
The prosecution says: “Typically, investigations of offenses that harm state security are conducted jointly by the Shin Bet and the police. The Shin Bet is responsible for the security-related aspect of the investigation. Feldstein is not being held in ‘Shin Bet dungeons.’ Once his Shin Bet interrogation ended, he was detained in a Prison Service facility.”
“Why is Feldstein accused of intending to harm state security? He believed he was acting in the state’s interest, not against it.”
The prosecution says: “Firstly, Feldstein published the classified information not to benefit the state but to influence media discourse. However, his intentions are not the basis for the charges against him.
“The Penal Code establishes the ‘foreseeability principle.’ In offenses requiring the defendant’s intent to cause harm, the principle states that if an individual foresaw a near certainty that their actions would result in harm to state security, they can be convicted, even if they did not intend the outcome or if it did not actually occur.
“In other words, the motive for Feldstein’s actions is irrelevant. What matters is that Feldstein should have foreseen the potential consequences of his actions. His awareness that the military censor prohibited publication of the information demonstrates that he understood the likelihood of harm to state security.”
Lapid has surgery to remove benign tumor from shoulder
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s office says he underwent surgery earlier today to remove a benign tumor from his shoulder. Lapid is expected to return to full activity by Sunday.
On X, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wishes Lapid “a full recovery” in his and his wife’s name.
France says it ‘takes note’ of ICC arrest warrants against Israel
France on Friday said it had taken note of the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
“France takes note of this decision. True to its long-standing commitment to supporting international justice, it reiterates its attachment to the independent work of the court,” the French foreign ministry says in a statement, without specifying if the men would be arrested if they entered French territory.
Gadi Eisenkot: Halting administrative detention ‘a grave and dangerous mistake’
National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot attends a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset on July 31, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
MK Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff, criticizes the defense minister’s decision to cease the use of administrative detention orders against Jewish settlers, calling it “a grave and dangerous mistake.”
“This is another step toward a severe escalation in Judea and Samaria, for which we will all pay the price,” Eizenkot warns.
“The goal of such orders is not law-abiding Jewish citizens but extremist terror elements who tarnish and endanger us as a society,” he says. “This step joins other deliberate measures that harm the IDF’s ability to fulfill its role as the sovereign authority responsible for the safety and security of residents.”
Berlin to examine ICC warrants but no further steps until an Israeli visit is planned
Berlin will carefully examine the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense chief, but will not take further steps until a visit to Germany is planned, a government spokesperson says.
“The German government was involved in the drafting of the ICC statute and is one of the biggest supporters of the ICC — this attitude is also the result of German history,” the spokesperson says.
“At the same time, it is a consequence of German history that we share unique relations and a great responsibility with Israel.”
IDF says it hit some 45 Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon this week
The IDF says it destroyed some 45 Hezbollah rocket launchers in airstrikes in southern Lebanon this week.
Some of the launchers were used in previous rocket attacks on Israel, and others were primed for future attacks, the military says.
מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר תקפו והשמידו מתחילת השבוע, בהכוונת פיקוד הצפון, יותר מ-45 משגרים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה ברחבי דרום לבנון מהם בוצעו שיגורים לעבר מספר מרחבים בשטח הארץ, וכן משגרים מוכנים לירי שהיו מכוונים לשטח הארץ>> pic.twitter.com/g6G8FZMkGe
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) November 22, 2024
MK Ahmad Tibi: Defense minister’s move a certification of approval for Jewish terror
MK Ahmad Tibi attends a meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, October 15, 2024 (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Ta’al MK Ahmad Tibi responds to the decision to end administrative detention for settlers:
“This is effectively the defense minister’s certification of approval for Jewish terror — a government of terror supporters. Administrative detention applies only to Palestinians. This is yet more proof of the regime of Jewish supremacy. Later, they’ll cry about ‘antisemitism’ in The Hague.
“In short, administrative detention does not apply to those whose veins flow with blue-and-white blood, members of the ‘supreme Jewish race.'”
Sponsor of bill to restrict administrative detention says Katz’s decision ‘moral, just’
Simcha Rothman, chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee leads a committee meeting in the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on July 10, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
MK Simcha Rothman, the chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee and the sponsor of legislation to curtail administrative detention, welcomes the defense minister’s announcement that he is ending it for Israeli settlers as a “moral, just and correct decision.”
A bill sponsored by Rothman — which would forbid the use of administrative detention or administrative restraining orders against Israeli citizens, unless they are members of a certain list of terror groups — is currently making its way through the Knesset.
“The bill I submitted was intended to clarify exactly the basic values of the State of Israel and the necessary distinction between an enemy and a supporter,” he tweets.
“In light of Minister Katz’s clear and welcome announcement, we will examine in the Constitution Committee how the implementation of the directive of the political echelon is carried out in the field and we will adjust the wording of the bill that is already on the committee’s table.”
Report: During Iranian missile attack, projectiles flew by dozens of civilian aircraft
Missiles launched from Iran towards Israel are seen over Jerusalem, on October 1, 2024. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)
The Wall Street Journal reports that during Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel on October 1, dozens of aircraft were flying along a similar path as the missiles ascended, with some pilots and passengers seeing the projectiles as they streaked through the sky, mostly over Iran and Iraq.
Though ballistic missiles fly high above commercial airline paths, they present a danger during their ascent and descent.
Iran apparently gave no warning for flights to avoid the area as it launched its attack. With crews alarmed, many flights quickly changed their course due to the danger, the report says, using graphics to underline the risk posed to civilian aviation.
The report notes that Iranian strikes and Israeli counterstrikes continue to be on the table, with no clear solution to protect civilian flights.
IDF video shows strike on Hamas operatives trying to plant bombs in Gaza
The IDF releases footage showing a group of Hamas operatives being targeted in an airstrike while trying to plant explosive devices in northern Gaza’s Jabalia, amid an ongoing military operation there.
According to the IDF, more than 300 booby-trapped buildings have been discovered and neutralized by combat engineers during the operation in Jabalia.
The IDF releases footage showing a group of Hamas operatives being targeted in an airstrike while trying to plant explosive devices in northern Gaza's Jabalia, amid an ongoing military operation there.
According to the IDF, more than 300 booby-trapped buildings have been… pic.twitter.com/XUz5g4acco
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 22, 2024
Right-wing politicians celebrate move to end administrative detention for settlers
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, November 11, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The defense minister’s decision to end administrative detention for Israeli settlers is welcomed by right-wing politicians.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a settler, celebrates. “There is a defense minister in Jerusalem!” he says. “Important and huge news… This is a correction of many years of mistreatment, and justice for those who love the land.”
As a minor, Ben Gvir’s chief aide Chanamel Dorfman was the subject of administrative restraining orders, keeping him out of the West Bank due to allegations he was involved in rioting to protest the removal of illegal outposts.
Finance Minster Bezalel Smotrich, a settlement advocate, says Katz “eliminated long-standing discrimination against settlers in Judea and Samaria and put an end to the injustice in which the settlers were second-class citizens and draconian and undemocratic measures were applied against them that trampled on their rights, measures that are not applied against any other population in the State of Israel except terrorists and dangerous enemies.
“To the extent that such unacceptable phenomena [as settler violence] occur, God forbid, they should be handled by the police and the legal system in accordance with the procedures and rules of evidence of criminal law, just as they would be with any other citizen or population.”
Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party had been pushing legislation which would forbid the use of administrative detention or administrative restraining orders against Israeli citizens, unless they were members of a certain list of terror groups.
Likud MK Avichai Boaron, also a settler activist, says the move “reflects a supportive and warm approach toward the settlement movement and the settlers in Judea and Samaria. There is no doubt that this is a first sign heralding a new attitude, whose ultimate outcome will be full sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.”
Iran Guards chief: ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu is ‘political death’ of Israel
Head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami speaks during a rally outside the former US embassy in Tehran on November 3, 2024. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards describes the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yova Gallant as the “end and political death” of Israel.
“This means the end and political death of the Zionist regime, a regime that today lives in absolute political isolation in the world and its officials can no longer travel to other countries,” Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami says in the speech aired on state TV.
In the first official reaction by Iran, Salami calls the ICC warrant “a welcome move” and a “great victory for the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance movements,” in reference to terror organizations supported by Tehran.
IDF intercepts suspected drone heading toward Israel from Lebanon
A suspected drone heading toward Israel from Lebanon was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force a short while ago, the IDF says.
The target was shot down before entering Israeli airspace, according to the military.
Defense Minister Katz announces end to administrative detention for West Bank settlers
Minister Israel Katz at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on November 10, 2024 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
New Defense Minister Israel Katz announces an end to administrative detention orders for West Bank settlers, a controversial policy of holding suspects without charge.
While the practice is primarily deployed against Palestinians, it is also used against some extremist Jewish Israelis. It sees individuals held without charge for up to six months at a time. The detentions can be renewed indefinitely while allowing military prosecutors to keep suspects from being able to see the evidence against them.
In a statement, Katz says that “in a reality where the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria is subject to serious Palestinian terror threats and unjustified international sanctions are taken against the settlers, it is not appropriate for the State of Israel to take such a severe measure against the people of the settlements.”
Katz met with Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar this week and told him that he had decided “to stop the use of administrative detention orders against Jewish settlers in Judea and Samaria, and asked him to put alternative tools in place,” his office says.
Administrative detention policies allow the Defense Ministry to hold suspects without charge, while administrative restraining orders bar them from visiting certain areas or communicating with certain people. The tool is typically used when authorities have intelligence tying a suspect to a crime but do not have enough evidence for charges to stand up in a court of law.
Katz says that “if there is suspicion of criminal acts, the perpetrators can be prosecuted, and if not, there are other preventive measures that can be taken other than administrative detention orders.”
“I condemn any phenomenon of violence against Palestinians and taking the law into one’s own hands, and I also appeal to the settlement leadership to take a similar public position and express an unequivocal position on the issue,” the minister adds.
Settler violence spiked after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Israeli authorities rarely arrest Jewish perpetrators in such attacks. Rights groups lament that convictions are even more unusual and that the vast majority of charges in these types of attacks are dropped.
As recently as this past weekend, dozens of masked settlers set fire to several buildings and a car in the West Bank village of Beit Furik near Nablus, according to the IDF. There has been no news of arrests.
IDF says it killed senior Islamic Jihad commander in airstrike
A senior commander in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group was killed in a recent airstrike, the IDF and Shin Bet announce.
According to the military, Khaled Abu Deqa, who commanded Islamic Jihad’s rocket unit, was killed in a strike on Wednesday in the Deir al-Balah area of central Gaza.
The IDF says Abu Deqa operated from within the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in Deir al-Balah.
Abu Deqa was responsible for rocket fire on Israel amid the October 7 onslaught and during the war, and was involved in numerous other attacks on Israel and IDF troops, the military says.
To mitigate civilian harm in the strike, the IDF says it used a precision munition and aerial surveillance.
Hungarian PM Orban invites Netanyahu on official visit after ICC warrant
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says he is inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pay an official visit to Hungary, saying he will guarantee that an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu will “not be observed.”
⚡️Netanyahu receives official invitation from Orban, the Hungarian president, to visit his country in defiance of the ICC ruling. pic.twitter.com/RMKDUtxkSy
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) November 22, 2024
Orban, whose country holds the European Union’s rotating six-month presidency, tells state radio that the ICC’s arrest warrant was “wrong” and says the Israeli leader will be able to visit Hungary “in adequate safety.”
The #ICC arrest warrant against Prime Minister @netanyahu is brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable. I invited Prime Minister Netanyahu for an official visit to Hungary, where we will guarantee his freedom and safety. pic.twitter.com/uRDoP307uL
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) November 22, 2024
Russia gave North Korea anti-air missiles in exchange for troops, Seoul says
Russian President Vladimir Putin, second left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, second right, shake hands during the official welcome ceremony in the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, June 19, 2024. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russia provided economic support and anti-air missiles to North Korea in exchange for troops to support Moscow’s war on Ukraine, Seoul’s top security chief tells a TV news channel.
“It has been identified that equipment and anti-aircraft missiles aimed at reinforcing Pyongyang’s vulnerable air defense system have been delivered to North Korea,” Shin Won-sik, Seoul’s top security advisor, tells TV broadcaster SBS.
IDF says it killed terrorists who led massacres in Mefalsim area on Oct. 7
Five Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7 onslaught were killed in a recent airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, the IDF announces.
The military says the strike overnight between Wednesday and Thursday in Beit Lahiya targeted a site where several Hamas operatives were gathered, including members of the terror group’s elite Nukhba Force who were involved in the massacre on October 7, 2023.
Among those killed in the strike are Jihad Mahmoud Yahya Kahlout, a Nukhba Force company commander, and Muhammad Riad Ali Oukal, a Hamas company commander.
The IDF says the pair were commanders in the invasion of southern Israel on October 7 and led the massacre and kidnapping of civilians from the Mefalsim area during the attack.
The military says the two terrorists had also been leading figures in fighting against troops in northern Gaza amid the ongoing operation there.
Additional terrorists killed in the strike are named by the IDF as Anas Jalal Muhammad Abu Shakian, a Hamas commander who also participated in the attack on the Mefalsim area on October 7; Nur al-Din Muhammad Yahya Abu Jadian, a Nukhba member; and Sihab Hassan Ali Matar Adaim, a Hamas operative.
Iran to launch ‘advanced centrifuges’ in response to IAEA censure
Centrifuges line a hall at the Uranium Enrichment Facility in Natanz, Iran, in a still image from a video aired by the Islamic Republic Iran Broadcasting company on April 17, 2021, six days after the hall had been damaged in a mysterious attack. (IRIB via AP)
Iran says it will launch a series of “new and advanced” centrifuges in response to a resolution adopted by the IAEA that censures Tehran for what the agency calls poor cooperation.
“The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran issued an order to take effective measures, including launching a significant series of new and advanced centrifuges of various types,” a joint statement issued by the organisation and Iran’s foreign ministry says.
It adds, however, that “technical and safeguards cooperation with the IAEA will continue, as in the past” and within the framework of agreements made by Iran.
Iran’s retaliatory measures “are reversible if this hostile action is withdrawn or negotiations are opened,” Tehran-based political analyst Hadi Mohammadi tells AFP.
Report: Incoming Trump administration looking at sanctions against ICC officials
Citing sources in Washington, Kan news says the incoming Trump administration is making plans for punitive actions against the International Criminal Court over its decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
The unidentified sources tell Kan officials that they are looking at introducing personal sanctions against chief prosecutor Karim Khan as well as the judges who issued the warrants.
Yesterday, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for national security adviser Mike Waltz tweeted, “You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC and UN come January.”
IDF issues evacuation warnings in Beirut, Tyre areas
The IDF has issued evacuation warnings for three buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, as well as for the Tyre area towns of Burj el-Shemali and Maashouq, ahead of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets.
#عاجل بيان عاجل إلى سكان #جنوب_لبنان في القرى والبلدات التالية:
🔸برج الشمالي
🔸معشوق🔸نشاطات حزب الله الارهابي تجبر جيش الدفاع للعمل ضده بقوة في هذه المناطق ولا ننوي المساس بكم
🔸من أجل سلامتكم عليكم إخلاء منازلكم فورًا والانتقال إلى شمال نهر الأولي. لضمان سلامتكم، يجب عليكم… pic.twitter.com/jU5sKhPDGH
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 22, 2024
#عاجل إلى جميع السكان المتواجدين في منطقة الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المرفقة والمباني المجاورة لها في المناطق التالية:
🔸الحدث
🔸حارة حريك⭕️أنتم تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع على المدى الزمني القريب… pic.twitter.com/3vzHnC5sUZ
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 22, 2024
IDF says 5 rockets fired from Lebanon at Haifa area, some intercepted; no reports of injuries
The IDF says that a salvo of five projectiles was fired from Lebanon, setting off sirens in the Haifa area.
The military says it intercepted several of the rockets. There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
ירי לחיפה והקריות: הדי פיצוצים נשמעו באזור | תיעוד
אורלי אלקלעי
קרדיט: סעיף 27א pic.twitter.com/MtyAmJ9mXi
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) November 22, 2024
Trump picks Pam Bondi for US attorney general after Gaetz withdraws nomination
In this Feb. 5, 2015 file photo, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
US President-elect Donald Trump nominates former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to be attorney general of the United States, moving swiftly to replace former nominee Matt Gaetz after the embattled former congressman withdrew from consideration.
Gaetz, who faced opposition from Senate Republicans, was the subject of a House Ethics Committee probe into allegations of having sex with an underage 17-year-old girl. He has denied wrongdoing.
Bondi served as the top law enforcement officer of the country’s third most populous state from 2011 to 2019. She served on Trump’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during his first administration.
Her resume contrasts with that of Gaetz, who has little of the traditional experience expected of an attorney general. Bondi would likely face less opposition from senators involved in the confirmation process.
Trump announces his pick of Bondi on social media, praising her for her prosecutorial experience and saying she was tough on crime as Florida’s first female attorney general.
Trump, who was elected on November 5 despite being the subject of multiple criminal investigations from US and state prosecutors, including a felony conviction in the state of New York, says Bondi will end the politicization of federal prosecutions.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — Not anymore,” Trump says.
“Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fight Crime, and Making America Safe Again.”
Rocket alerts blare overnight in Haifa and surrounding suburbs
Not long after after 2 a.m., incoming rocket sirens are heard in Haifa and a number of the northern coastal city’s suburbs.
Biden blasts ‘outrageous’ ICC arrest warrants: No equivalence between Israel and Hamas
US President Joe Biden delivers remarks while welcoming the 2024 NBA champion Boston Celtics to the White House, November 21, 2024, in Washington. (Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP)
US President Joe Biden slams the International Criminal Court’s issuance of arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant as “outrageous.”
“Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security,” Biden says in his first statement responding to the ICC decision.
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