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The Times of Israel is liveblogged Sunday’s events as they unfolded.
More reports indicate Israel has given tentative okay to Lebanon ceasefire
US special envoy Amos Hochstein gives a statement to the media after his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP/Bilal Hussein)
Ynet and Haaretz are also now reporting that Israel has given its non-final okay to a ceasefire in Lebanon.
The reports note that not all issues have been resolved, but say Jerusalem has approved the main tenets of the proposal.
Haaretz reports that the proposal will include three stages: a truce followed by Hezbollah removing its forces north of the Litani River; an Israeli pullout from southern Lebanon; and finally, Israeli-Lebanese negotiations on demarcation of contested border areas.
It says an international body led by the US will be tasked with monitoring the ceasefire, and that Israel expects to receive a letter from Washington affirming its right to act militarily should Hezbollah break the terms of the ceasefire amid no action by Lebanon’s military and international forces.
Ynet adds that US mediator Amos Hochstein had in recent days warned both sides that he would end his mediation efforts if they did not soon agree to the deal on the table.
Report: Israel agreed in principle to Hezbollah truce, Netanyahu now working on how to present it to the public
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a video statement on November 21, 2024. (GPO/Screen capture)
The Kan broadcaster reports that Israel has in principle signed off on a US-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Prime Minister Benjamin is now working on how to present it to the public — assuming it is approved by the Iran-backed terror group.
The aim is to present the truce not as a “compromise” but as beneficial to Israel, Kan reports.
The ceasefire allows for Israel to retain the right to carry out military operations on the Lebanon-Syria border, the report adds.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said last week that the terror group had reviewed the truce proposal and submitted a response and that the ball was in Israel’s court.
Government OKs measure to keep 320,000 reservists eligible for draft until March 2025
Reservists of the 8th Armored Brigade operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout image published on November 6, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
The government approves the extension of a special measure raising the number of reservists the IDF is authorized to call up for service, a spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office confirms to The Times of Israel.
According to media reports, up to 320,000 reservists will remain eligible to be drafted until March 2025.
Tweeting ahead of the decision, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slammed the government for extending the eligibility for service of people “who have been serving for 250 and 300 days.”
“If the government would recruit thousands of ultra-Orthodox youths, it would be possible to ease the burden on those who both serve and work,” he stated.
In June, the government raised the number of reservists the IDF was authorized to call up in case of need from 300,000 to 350,000 until August 1.
Hezbollah unit responsible for smuggling weapons from Iran targeted in latest Beirut strikes — IDF
The IDF says it carried out airstrikes against 12 Hezbollah command centers in Beirut’s southern suburbs a short while ago.
According to the military, the command rooms belonged to Hezbollah’s intelligence division, coast-to-sea missile unit, and Unit 4400, the latter of which is tasked with delivering weapons from Iran to Lebanon.
The Hezbollah sites were located “in the heart of a civilian population,” the IDF says, accusing the terror group of using human shields.
Before the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
Iran ‘categorically rejects’ allegations of involvement in murder of Abu Dhabi rabbi
Iran “categorically rejects” allegations that it was involved in the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, an emissary to Abu Dhabi’s Chabad chapter, in a statement to Reuters from Tehran’s embassy in the UAE.
Kogan’s body was found this morning in the Emirati city of Al Ain, which borders Oman, around 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Abu Dhabi.
Hebrew media has reported that Israeli officials suspect Kogan was assaulted by a number of Uzbek citizens, recruited by Iran, who later fled to Turkey.
Right-wing activist arrested at anti-Israel rally in Toronto after refusing to cross road: ‘It’s because I’m a Jew’
Conservative commentator Ezra Levant is arrested at an anti-Israel, pro-Hamas rally in Toronto, November 24, 2024. (Screenshot: Rebel News, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Canadian right-wing political pundit Ezra Levant has been arrested at a pro-Hamas rally in Toronto, after he refused police instructions to move away from the demonstration, claiming he was being discriminated against for being Jewish.
In a video of the arrest posted to social media by Levant’s Rebel News platform, officers can be heard telling the conservative activist that his presence at the pro-Palestinian rally was “inciting the crowd.”
“It’s because I’m a Jew,” Levant insists during an argument with the officer over his order to move away from the demonstration.
“I’m refusing to leave because I’m a Jew, and I’m a citizen, and I’m your boss. And I don’t leave because you say Jews aren’t allowed on this side of the street.”
The officer then tells him he is under “arrest for breaching the peace,” at which point the protesters erupt in cheers and calls of “Zionist” and “loser.”
BREAKING VIDEO: While reporting on the ongoing pro-terrorist demonstrations in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood of Toronto, @EzraLevant was arrested.
If you want to contribute to help us pay for Ezra’s legal defence and assurance, please donate here.… pic.twitter.com/W9Nh2XXcrG
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) November 24, 2024
Photos from the Toronto demonstration posted to social media show an activist dressed as slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the terror group’s brutal October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, posing in a stuffed armchair to recreate the final moments before he was killed by Israel in Gaza last month.
Another protester holds a sign reading, “Free flights to Amsterdam,” a reference to a wave of widespread, coordinated attacks against Israeli tourists in the Dutch capital, following a soccer game earlier this month.
????????Scenes from Toronto's "peaceful" protests this weekend:
☑️ Blocked streets
☑️ Glorification of terrorists
☑️ Red triangles (used by Hamas to identify targets)
☑️Hamas leader cosplay (Yayha Sinwar, as denoted by the "YS" on the back) @cityoftoronto @MayorOliviaChow… https://t.co/S2kvpGysbx pic.twitter.com/osuO0w9Iu5— FactsMatter (@AllFactsNoHate) November 24, 2024
Man shot dead in Arab town near Caesarea; police open investigation
Police have opened an investigation after a man was shot dead in the Arab town of Jisr az-Zarqa, near Casaerea.
Magen David Adom says paramedics called to the scene found the man in a critical condition and were forced to pronounce his death after resuscitation attempts.
In a statement, the Israel Police says officers are gathering evidence from the scene and searching for suspects.
Hebrew media reports that the man was 24 years old.
US antisemitism envoy expresses horror over ‘heinous’ kidnapping, murder of Abu Dhabi-based rabbi
The US weighs in on the killing of Chabad emissary Rabbi Zvi Kogan, with antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt expressing her horror over the rabbi’s kidnapping and murder in the United Arab Emirates.
“We appreciate the actions of UAE authorities to hold accountable those who planned and carried out this heinous act. The ongoing targeting of Jewish communities worldwide is abhorrent and must stop,” Lipstadt tweets.
Lebanese media report new wave of Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, following evacuation orders
The IDF has begun a wave of airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanese media report, after the military issued evacuation warnings to 12 buildings in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, a Hezbollah stronghold.
الغارات على الضاحية الجنوبية لبيروت https://t.co/8U39P3sBy6 pic.twitter.com/N5ZzkiiWpM
— Ali Bk (@Bk_Hanas) November 24, 2024
IDF unaware of Hezbollah claims it destroyed 6 tanks in southern Lebanon
An IDF tank operates in southern Lebanon, October 10, 2024. (Lazar Berman/Times of Israel)
The Israeli military says it is unaware of any incident supporting claims made by Hezbollah today that the terror group managed to destroy six tanks during fighting in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, Hezbollah alleges that it “destroyed” five Israeli tanks including one that “attempted to advance to withdraw one of the destroyed tanks,” on the eastern outskirts of Bayada, a village close to the coast about 10 kilometers (some six miles) from Israel’s border.
In a separate statement, Hezbollah claimed to have destroyed another IDF tank in the Deir Mimas area, just north of the Metula area, in the eastern portion of the border.
A military source tells The Times of Israel that the IDF is unaware of any such events.
Hezbollah has made numerous false claims during the ongoing fighting, including this morning when the terror group said it launched drones at the Ashdod Naval Base in southern Israel and “hit their targets accurately.” No drones were launched at Israel at that time, and none has reached southern Israel.
AFP contributed to this report.
Senior ministers approve billions of shekels worth of purchases for IDF, including new warships
A defense procurement committee made up of senior ministers approved billions of shekels worth of new purchases for the Israeli military today, the Prime Minister’s Office, Defense Ministry, and treasury say in a joint statement.
The procurements include the Reshef-class corvettes that are due to replace the Israeli Navy’s aging Sa’ar 4.5-class missile boats, set to be retired after four decades.
Under a deal with Israel Shipyards, five Reshef-class corvettes will be built for the Navy, according to a statement.
The committee also approved the procurement of hundreds of light armored utility vehicles for the army, known as Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV.
A defense procurement committee made up of senior ministers approved billions of shekels worth of new purchases for the Israeli military today, the Prime Minister's Office, Defense Ministry and treasury say in a joint statement.
The procurements include the Reshef-class… pic.twitter.com/bG2WPJaCm4
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 24, 2024
Likud minister in leaked comments: ‘We are elected by the public; we can change the regime if we want to’
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi in Jerusalem, July 17, 2023 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on October 1, 2024. (Oren Ben Hakoon/POOL)
During a meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Legislation earlier today, Communications Minister Shlomi Karhi lashes out, while discussing the government’s decision to sever ties with the Haaretz newspaper.
In recordings from the meeting leaked to Hebrew media, Karhi bemoans the excuses he claims Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara made to avoid giving a legal opinion on the left-wing paper.
“A year, I’ve been waiting for the Attorney General’s Office to comment on the proposal to stop funding Haaretz and they refuse… claiming that it’s political, that it’s a regime change,” the minister can be heard saying.
“So? We are elected by the public; we can change the regime if we want to.”
Karhi’s proposal to cut off all advertising and announcements of government tenders both in the printed edition and on the Haaretz website was unanimously approved by the cabinet.
The move came in response to recent comments made by Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken referring to Palestinian terrorists as “freedom fighters.”
IDF tells civilians near 10 buildings in Beirut to evacuate immediately ahead of airstrikes on Hezbollah
The IDF is calling on civilians near 10 buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate immediately, ahead of airstrikes against Hezbollah assets.
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, publishes maps alongside the announcement, which call on civilians to distance themselves at least 500 meters from the sites.
#عاجل 2/3 إلى جميع السكان المتواجدين في منطقة الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المرفقة والمباني المجاورة لها في حارة حريك
⭕️أنتم تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع بقوة على المدى الزمني القريب
⭕️من أجل سلامتكم… pic.twitter.com/FYv6nBTRUc
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 24, 2024
UAE announces arrests of 3 suspects in murder of Abu Dhabi-based Rabbi Zvi Kogan
Zvi Kogan, a Chabad rabbi who was murdered in the UAE in November 2024 (Channel 12 news screenshot)
The United Arab Emirates has arrested three individuals responsible for the murder of Abu Dhabi-based Rabbi Zvi Kogan, the UAE Interior Ministry announces, saying that it was done “in record time.”
The statement stresses the country’s “ability to deal firmly with anyone who tries to undermine the security and stability of society.”
Kogan was an Israeli-Moldovan national, but the UAE statement calls him “the Moldovan citizen.”
After Kogan’s family filed a report about his disappearance, says the statement, an investigation was initiated. The full findings of the investigation will be announced upon its completion.
“The United Arab Emirates, with all its institutions, will spare no effort to prevent any attack on its citizens, residents and visitors,” says the statement, adding that “all security agencies work around the clock to protect the stability of society and ensure the sustainability of the highest levels of security and safety that have been established since the founding of the state.”
The statement gives no details of the identity of the arrested suspects.
Zvi Kogan, a Chabad rabbi who was murdered in the UAE in November 2024. (Screenshot: @DUDIKEPLER via Reuters)
Israeli authorities announced earlier today that Kogan’s body was found in the Emirati city of Al Ain, which borders Oman, around 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Abu Dhabi.
Hebrew media outlets reported yesterday that officials suspected several Uzbek citizens recruited by Iran had assaulted the rabbi and later fled to Turkey.
IDF: Over 150 Hezbollah sites raided, dozens of operatives killed in recent south Lebanon ground ops
Troops of the 36th Division operate in southern Lebanon in a handout image issued November 24, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
The IDF’s 36th Division has raided over 150 Hezbollah sites and killed dozens of operatives during recent ground operations in southern Lebanon, the military says.
The division is operating in the western sector of southern Lebanon with the Golani Infantry Brigade, 188th Armored Brigade, the 282nd Artillery Regiment — which crossed into Lebanon for the first time in 24 years — and the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit.
The IDF says the troops during their operations have located numerous weapons, rocket launchers, bunkers, and Hezbollah fighting positions that posed a threat to northern Israel.
The forces have also killed “a large number” of Hezbollah gunmen in close-quarters fighting and by calling in airstrikes, the military adds.
‘A year is too long for a deal’: Hostage families, freed captives mark brief truce anniversary
Released hostages and relatives of Israelis held captive in the Gaza Strip hold a press conference in Tel Aviv, November 24, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Survivors of Hamas’s captivity and relatives of hostages still in Gaza gather at the Hostage Families Forum headquarters in Tel Aviv to mark a year since the weeklong ceasefire that saw Hamas release 105 women and children kidnapped on October 7, 2023, in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners.
As the auditorium fills up, a slideshow from last November of hostages reuniting with their families is projected on a large screen.
“A year is too long for a deal,” reads the slideshow.
Negotiators have so far failed to secure another truce-hostage deal. The Forum demands a deal that would release all remaining hostages at once, fearing a staggered-release agreement, as outlined in previous draft proposals, would collapse before all the captives are freed.
Gabriela Leimberg, who spent 53 days in Gaza, says she survived captivity by imagining being reunited with her family.
“Captivity is hell,” she says. “The only light is hope.”
“It’s hard for me to believe the hostages still have hope and that they can imagine their return,” she adds.
She recalls that her partner, Luis Har, and brother, Fernando Merman, were slated to be released days after she was.
“We left them with a heavy heart,” she says. “Over 70 days passed before they returned in a [rescue] operation.”
The deal, she says, brought back “105 living hostages — more than can be brought back in a rescue mission.”
Yifat Zailer, cousin of hostage Shiri Bibas, speaks about the pain of not knowing what happened to the Bibas family: her cousin Shiri, nephews Ariel, 5, and Kfir, 15 months old, and the boys’ father, Yarden.
The Bibas family, father Yarden, mother Shiri, then-baby Kfir and then-4-year-old Ariel, were taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 from Kibbutz Nir Oz. (Courtesy)
“Until we hear otherwise, they’re alive, as far as we are concerned,” she says. “That’s the least they deserve.”
Last November, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were slated for return the very day hostilities resumed.
“What would have happened if we had waited one more day?” Zailer asks in tears.
She recalls how “our heart burst with joy and panged with envy” watching the other hostages be reunited with their families.
“Only with a deal that brings back all the hostages can I know my family’s fate,” she says.
Later, in English, she addresses international media: “We need the international community’s help. We can’t do this alone.”
Also speaking at the event are: freed hostages Raz Ben Ami, whose husband Ohad Ben Ami is still captive, and Danielle Aloni, whose brother-in-law David Cunio is still captive along with his brother Ariel; as well as Michel Illouz, father of slain hostage Guy Illouz.
Ministerial committee backs MK Gotliv’s bill to enhance parliamentary immunity
The Ministerial Committee on Legislation supports a bill sponsored by firebrand Likud MK Tally Gotliv that strengthens MKs’ parliamentary immunity.
The bill would prohibit the opening of an investigation into or the hearing of a civil suit against a lawmaker, unless the Knesset determines, by a majority of 90 in the plenum, that the activity the legislator is accused of undertaking was not done in performance of his or her duties.
It would not apply to cases of fraud and breach of trust.
In the bill’s explanatory notes, Gotliv argues that Israeli courts “do not have the tools to intervene, assess or determine the framework for the fulfillment of the MK’s duties, or what is done for the fulfillment of these duties.”
Speaking with The Times of Israel, Amir Fuchs, a senior researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute, explains that over the years, Israeli courts have narrowed the immunity granted to lawmakers for activities performed as part of their official duties and that in trying to push back against this trend, Gotliv was essentially turning the Knesset into a “city of refuge.”
Many police investigations require secrecy in their initial stages and, if passed, the bill would effectively bar police from investigating crimes ranging from sexual offenses to theft and terrorism without gaining the approval of a supermajority of lawmakers.
The bill would also apply to civil suits. Activist Shikma Bressler is currently suing Gotliv for NIS 2.6 million ($715,000) in a defamation suit over unfounded claims that connected the protest leader with the Hamas terror group and its deadly October 7 onslaught.
On the opening day of her defamation trial this September, Gotliv repeatedly interrupted the judge, telling him he had no jurisdiction over her as a lawmaker.
IDF: Latest sirens in central Israel triggered by single missile from Lebanon that struck open area; none hurt
The IDF says the latest sirens in central Israel were triggered by a single missile fired from Lebanon that impacted an open area.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
IDF tally: Hezbollah fired around 250 rockets at Israel since this morning
Damage caused to vehicles and buildings from a missile fired from Lebanon, in the northern city of Haifa, November 24, 2024. (Flash90)
Hezbollah has fired some 250 rockets at Israel since this morning, according to an IDF tally.
Several of the rocket impacts caused damage and injuries in both central and northern Israel.
Sirens are sounding again in Sharon region amid another rocket attack from Lebanon
Sirens are sounding in several towns near Netanya in central Israel, following another rocket attack from Lebanon.
Loud explosions are heard in the Sharon region following the alerts.
The IDF is looking into the details.
???? Rocket Alert [18:47:11] – 42 Alerts ????:
• Sharon — Haniel, Ruppin Academic Center, Tnuvot, Hibat Zion, Kfar HaRoeh, Qalansawe, Beit HaLevi, Olesh, Givat Haim (Ihud), Yanuv, Kfar Monash, Beit Hazon, Burgata, Geulim, Bat Hefer, Ahituv, Elyachin, Ein HaHoresh, Kfar Haim, Amatz,… pic.twitter.com/2Hgmb9JRJB
— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) November 24, 2024
IDF: Missile launched at central Israel from Lebanon intercepted; no injuries reported
One missile launched from Lebanon set off sirens in central Israel a short while ago.
According to the IDF, the projectile was successfully intercepted by air defenses.
There are no reports of injuries.
Sirens sounding again in central Israel following long-range rocket fire from Lebanon
Sirens are again sounding in central Israel following long-range rocket fire from Lebanon.
The IDF is looking into the details.
???? Rocket Alert [18:31:08] – 27 Alerts ????:
• Sharon — Oranit, Jaljulia, Neveh Yamin, Southern Sharon Regional Center, Elkana, Alfei Menashe, Adanim, Neveh Yarak, Kfar Saba, Kfar Kassem, Hod HaSharon, Matan, Elishema, Nirit, Horashim, Rosh Ha’Ayin Train Station, Sha'arei Tikva,… pic.twitter.com/tCumw8WgFb
— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) November 24, 2024
IDF: 2 missiles from Lebanon triggered sirens in central Israel, Haifa; several Palestinians said hurt in West Bank
Two missiles were launched from Lebanon at Israel a short while ago, setting off sirens in central Israel and the Haifa area, the military says.
According to the IDF, both projectiles struck open areas.
Palestinian media outlets say that several people were wounded after a rocket struck the West Bank city of Tulkarem.
إصابات في صفوف المواطنين جراء قصف للاحتلال على مخيم طولكرم pic.twitter.com/6Qta9at144
— القسطل الإخباري (@AlQastalps) November 24, 2024
IDF: Jets struck Hezbollah command centers in civilian buildings in southern Beirut
Smoke rise from Israeli airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh, November 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Israeli fighter jets struck several Hezbollah command centers embedded within civilian buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs today, the IDF says.
According to the military, Hezbollah was managing the fighting and directing attacks against Israel from the command rooms.
Before carrying out the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
Rocket sirens sounding again in several communities in northern Israel, Sharon region
Sirens are sounding again in several communities in the central Galilee and the Sharon region, warning of incoming rocket fire.
The fresh alerts are sounding in cities and towns including Shfaram, Rakefet, Qalansawe, Bat Hefer and Kiryat Ata.
???? Rocket Alert [18:09:13] – 36 Alerts ????:
• Center Galilee — Misgav Regional Center, Shfaram, Rakefet, Kaukab Abu al-Hija, Shekhanya, Atzmon (Segev), Ibillin, Tamra Industiral Park, Mitzpeh Aviv, Dmeide, Kfar Manda, Moreshet, Kabul, Tamra, Manof, Bir al-Maksur, Koranit, Ya'ad… pic.twitter.com/qfYLGeAqvr
— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) November 24, 2024
Lebanon raises toll to 29 dead in central Beirut strike said to target top Hezbollah commander
People gather as rescuers sift through the rubble of a leveled building, following an overnight Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut's Basta neighborhood on November 23, 2024.(Fadel Itani/AFP)
Lebanon’s health ministry says a large-scale Israeli airstrike on a central Beirut building yesterday killed at least 29 people, updating an earlier toll.
“The Israeli enemy strike on Basta al-Fawqa in Beirut killed, in an updated but still not final toll, 29 people and wounded 67 others,” the ministry says in a statement.
“Rubble is still being removed” from the strike site, it adds.
The target of the strike was top Hezbollah commander Muhammad Haydar, according to an Israeli defense source cited by Hebrew media.
The IDF has not commented on the matter.
Iran is preparing to ‘respond’ to Israel — adviser to Supreme Leader Khamenei
Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, delivers a statement after meeting with Lebanon's parliament speaker in Beirut on November 15, 2024. (AFP)
Iran is preparing to “respond” to Israel, Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, says in an interview published by Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
Without giving details, he says the Iranian response will aim to restore “deterrence.”
Iran has vowed to respond to Israeli strikes on its military sites on October 26, which came after Tehran launched some 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1, sending most of the population rushing to bomb shelters and safe rooms. The assault on Israel caused relatively minor damage to military bases and some residential areas and killed a Palestinian man in the West Bank.
Iran said its attack came in retaliation for the killing of Tehran-backed terror leaders and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander.
During the interview, Larijani also dismisses Israeli claims of having significantly depleted Hezbollah’s arms supplies during operations against the Iran-backed terror group in Lebanon, quipping, “So where are the weapons coming from? Mars?”
The interview, which follows Larijani’s visit to Lebanon and Syria, was conducted on Wednesday.
Bill that would effectively shutter public broadcaster approved by ministerial committee
MK Tally Gotliv speaks during a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee at the Knesset, Jerusalem, November 19, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The Ministerial Committee on Legislation supports a bill mandating the privatization of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation within two years, effectively closing down the country’s public broadcaster.
The private member’s bill, sponsored by Likud MK Tally Gotliv, is identical to legislation previously advanced by Communications Minister Shlomi Karhi.
If passed, it would require the government to issue a tender for the purchase of the television and radio networks controlled by the IPBC — which operates the Kan public broadcaster and Reshet Bet radio, among others. If a buyer cannot be found in two years, the broadcaster will be shuttered.
In the bill’s explanatory notes, Gotliv argues that the move is necessary to “increase competition” in the media market and claims that the IPBC’s current output does not justify its “extremely high” government budget.
In a letter to Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who chairs the Ministerial Committee on Legislation, the Attorney General’s Office expresses concern that such far-reaching legislation is being advanced by an individual lawmaker rather than as a government bill that would go through rigorous examination by ministerial professionals.
The Attorney General’s Office also asserts that the bill sends a “clear and serious” message that “criticism of the government or broadcast of content that is not favorable to the government may lead to measures against the media and their restriction.”
The Movement for Quality Government watchdog also criticizes the bill, calling its advancement “another step in an orchestrated and planned campaign to weaken Israeli democracy and severely harm freedom of the press” and warning against what it calls a “political takeover of independent media in Israel.”
Marking one year since Nov. 2023 hostage release, Herzog says Israel still has a ‘bleeding, open wound’
President Isaac Herzog speaks at an event marking one year since hostages were released from Gaza during a one-week ceasefire with the Hamas terror group, at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, November 24, 2024. (Haim Zach/GPO)
At an event marking one year since the first group of hostages was released from Gaza as part of a weeklong ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, President Isaac Herzog says Israel is “at a critical point.”
Every day that the hostages are not back in Israel “is a failure,” he emphasizes.
“We must understand and internalize that if we do not bring them home, we will be left with a bleeding, open wound that will forever burn our souls as a society and as a nation.”
Herzog says he said as much in recent conversations with incoming US president Donald Trump and President Joe Biden in the White House.
Sirens sounding again in northern communities including Nahariya, Acre
Fresh sirens are sounding in northern communities near the border with Lebanon, warning of incoming rocket fire.
The alerts in cities and towns including Nahariya, Acre and Kfar Masaryk come amid continuous fire on northern Israel throughout the day, with over 180 rockets fired from Lebanon since the morning, according to the IDF.
???? Rocket Alert [16:27:57] – 10 Alerts:
• Confrontation Line — Gesher HaZiv, Milouot Industrial Zone North, Sa'ar, Alma, Nahariya
• Upper Galilee — Sha'ar Na'aman Industrial Zone, Ein HaMifratz, Kfar Masaryk, Acre, Acco – Industrial ZonePopulation: 165,000 pic.twitter.com/cORTgNyGTQ
— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) November 24, 2024
Lebanese media reports Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, following IDF evacuation warnings
A series of screenshots from footage posted to social media purporting to show the moment of an Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah sites in Beirut’s southern suburbs, November 24, 2024. (Screenshot, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
After the IDF issued evacuation warnings for two Hezbollah sites in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanese media reports Israeli airstrikes in the area.
لحظة إستهداف الضاحية الجنوبية pic.twitter.com/KMYGq9kOit
— Lebanon 24 (@Lebanon24) November 24, 2024
IDF releases footage of strike on Hezbollah rocket launcher in Lebanon used in attack on Haifa today
The IDF says it struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in Lebanon used in an attack earlier today on the Haifa area.
The military releases footage of the strike.
The IDF says it struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher used in an attack earlier today on the Haifa area. pic.twitter.com/fStbIyQcwT
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 24, 2024
IDF tally: Hezbollah fired some 180 rockets at Israel since this morning
An Iron dome interceptor targets a rocket from Lebanon, as it seen from the northern city of Safed, November 13, 2024. (David Cohen/Flash90)
Hezbollah has fired some 180 rockets at Israel since this morning, according to an IDF tally.
Several of the rocket impacts caused damage and injuries in both central and northern Israel.
Iran says it’ll hold nuclear talks with UK, France, Germany; will cover ‘issues including Palestine and Lebanon’
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei holds a weekly press conference in Tehran on October 28, 2024 (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Iran says it will hold nuclear talks in the coming days with the three European countries that initiated a censure resolution against it adopted by the UN’s atomic watchdog.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says the deputy foreign ministers of Iran, France, Germany and the United Kingdom will meet on Friday to discuss “a range of regional and international issues and topics, including the issues of Palestine and Lebanon, as well as the nuclear issue,” without specifying a venue.
He describes the upcoming meeting as a continuation of talks held with the countries in September on the sidelines of the annual session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
On Thursday, the 35-nation board of governors of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a resolution denouncing Iran for a lack of cooperation, after IAEA head Rafael Grossi returned from a trip to Tehran.
In response to the resolution, Iran announced it was launching a “series of new and advanced centrifuges,” while also vowing to continue its “technical and safeguards cooperation with the IAEA.”
Rocket sirens sounding again in several communities across northern Israel
Sirens are blaring again in northern communities, warning of incoming rocket fire amid near-nonstop attacks from Lebanon throughout the day.
The latest alerts are sounding in cities and towns in the Upper Galilee and Haifa Bay area including Acre and the Krayot area north of Haifa.
???? Rocket Alert [15:31:44] – 27 Alerts ????:
• Confrontation Line — Shear Yeshuv, Cabri, Kerem Ben Zimra, Jish (Gush Halav), Dalton, Kibutz Dan, Dafna, Ramat Dalton Industrial Zone, HaGoshrim
• Upper Galilee — Sha'ar Na'aman Industrial Zone, Safed – 'Akbara, Biriyeh, Ein… pic.twitter.com/THmWr9lAcZ— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) November 24, 2024
IDF says some 160 rockets fired from Lebanon, issues evacuation warnings for 2 Beirut buildings
After some 160 rockets were launched from Lebanon at Israel today, the IDF has issued evacuation warnings for two buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, ahead of airstrikes on Hezbollah assets.
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, publishes maps alongside the announcement, which call on civilians to distance themselves at least 500 meters from the sites.
#عاجل إلى جميع السكان المتواجدين في منطقة الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المرفقة والمباني المجاورة لها في المناطق التالية:
????الحدث
????برج البراجنة⭕️أنتم تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع على المدى الزمني القريب… pic.twitter.com/ogLXrvTtRL
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 24, 2024
Owners of Rinatya home severely damaged by rocket fire were visiting Kfar Aza at time of attack
The owners of one of the homes in the village of Rinatya severely damaged by rocket fire earlier today were reportedly visiting one of the Gaza border communities at the time of the Hezbollah attack.
According to Channel 12 news, the couple were on a tour of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the hardest-hit communities in the October 7 onslaught, when their home in central Israel was severely damaged.
Relatives tell the outlet that the home has no reinforced area for the elderly couple to shelter in during rocket attacks.
IDF apologizes for deadly strike on Lebanese Army post in Al-Amiriya
Rescuers at the scene of an Israeli airstrike on a Lebanese Army post in Amriyeh in southern Lebanon on November 24, 2024 (Kawnat HAJU / AFP)
The IDF apologizes for striking a Lebanese Army post in southern Lebanon earlier today, killing a soldier and wounding 18 others.
“The incident took place in an area where fighting is ongoing against the Hezbollah terror organization,” the Israeli military says in response to a query by The Times of Israel.
The strike hit a Lebanese Army center in the town of Al-Amiriya on the Al-Qalila-Tyre road.
“The IDF regrets the incident and clarifies that it is fighting in a targeted manner against the Hezbollah terror organization, and not against the Lebanese Army,” the military says, adding that the incident is under further investigation.
Lebanon army: 1 soldier killed, 18 hurt in IDF strike; Lebanese PM: ‘Direct, bloody message’ from Israel on ceasefire efforts
Rescuers at the scene of an Israeli airstrike on a Lebanese Army post in Amriyeh in southern Lebanon on November 24, 2024 (Kawnat HAJU / AFP)
At least one soldier was killed and 18 others injured, some seriously, after an Israeli strike on an army center in the town of Al-Amiriya on the Al-Qalila-Tyre road in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese army says.
The attack caused severe damage to the facility, the army adds in a post on X.
The Israeli military says the incident is being checked. The IDF has said previous strikes on Lebanese troops were accidental and that they are not a target of its campaign against the Hezbollah terror group.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati says in a statement that Israel sent “a direct and bloody message rejecting all efforts to reach a ceasefire, to bolster the Lebanese army’s presence in the south, and to implement UN resolution 1701.”
“This aggression is a matter for the international community, which is silent about what is happening to Lebanon,” Mikati adds in the statement.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701 requires that the Lebanese Armed Forces be the only force with arms in southern Lebanon. The resolution has gone largely unenforced since it was passed in 2006, allowing Hezbollah to build up a formidable arms cache and defensive capabilities, with neither UNIFIL observers nor the LAF willing to challenge the Iran-backed terror group.
Hezbollah began attacking Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis on October 8, 2023. Today has seen widespread rocket fire across northern and central Israel.
Rocket sirens sound near Sea of Galilee
Rocket sirens sound in towns close to the Sea of Galilee amid an apparent rocket attack from Lebanon.
In Beirut, EU foreign policy chief calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’ between Israel, Hezbollah
A handout photo released by the Lebanese parliament press office on November 24, 2024, shows Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (R) meeting with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borell in Beirut (LEBANESE PARLIAMENT / AFP)
The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell calls for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Israel-Hezbollah war while on a visit to Beirut for talks.
“We see only one possible way ahead: an immediate ceasefire and the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701,” Borrell says after meeting Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who has led mediation efforts on behalf of the Hezbollah terror group.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701 requires that the Lebanese Armed Forces be the only force with arms in southern Lebanon.
The resolution has gone largely unenforced since it was passed in 2006, allowing Hezbollah to build up a formidable arms cache and defensive capabilities, with neither UNIFIL observers nor the LAF willing to challenge the Iran-backed terror group.
“Back in September I came and was still hoping we could prevent a full-fledged war of Israel attacking Lebanon,” Borrell says. “Two months later Lebanon is on the brink of collapse.”
Hezbollah began attacking Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis on October 8, 2023, causing some 60,000 residents of northern Israel to be evacuated from their homes. Israel expanded military action against Hezbollah in September with the aim of allowing those residents to return safely to their homes.
Rocket sirens sound in northern border communities
As the rocket fire from Lebanon shows no sign of relenting, rocket sirens sound in multiple towns and communities in northern Israel.
Over 150 rockets have been fired at Israel by Hezbollah since this morning, with a number of people injured amid rocket strikes and interceptions.
Medics: Man wounded in earlier rocket fire near Kfar Blum now in serious condition
Magen David Adom says the man in his 60s wounded by shrapnel in the Kfar Blum area is listed in serious condition.
He was hit by shrapnel in the stomach while working in a field, according to MDA.
MDA says it is taking him to Ziv Hospital in Safed.
Man in moderate to serious condition after rocket impact near Kfar Blum
A man was wounded in a rocket impact in the Upper Galilee a short while ago, medics say.
Magen David Adom says the man, in his 60s, is listed in moderate to serious condition after being hit by shrapnel.
The rocket impact is reported in the Kfar Blum area.
Netanyahu’s legal team requests new 15-day delay to start of his testimony in court
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen at the Jerusalem District Court for the testimony of businessman Arnon Milchan in the premier's corruption trial, July 6, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal team requests a new, 15-day postponement of the beginning of his testimony in court in his ongoing criminal trial, saying that despite their best efforts the prime minister and his defense attorneys will not be prepared by the scheduled date of December 2.
Earlier this month, Netanyahu’s defense team requested a 10-week delay, but the court rejected the request, saying it had given him five months to prepare when it originally scheduled the date back in July.
Netanyahu’s lawyers say that since the court rejected that request on November 13, and even in the months before that, they and the prime minister had made “a supreme effort” to prepare for his giving testimony, including daily meetings at very late hours in order.
“Despite this supreme effort, the defense is not prepared, and will not be able to meet the goal of being prepared, for beginning the defense by December 2,” Netanyahu’s defense team says.
His lawyers said that preparations were further encumbered by the decision by the International Criminal Court on Thursday to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
They therefore request that Netanyahu begin his testimony on December 17.
Netanyahu’s trial on corruption charges for bribery, as well as fraud and breach of trust, began in 2020.
2 lightly wounded by shrapnel in Hezbollah rocket attack on Haifa
Damage to a building in Haifa amid a barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah on November 24, 2024 (Hatzalah)
Damage is reported to a residential building in Haifa following Hezbollah’s rocket barrage on the northern port city.
Magen David Adom says it is treating 2 men in their 50s who were lightly hurt by shrapnel. Another person is being treated for acute anxiety, MDA adds.
המטח לצפון: נזק לבניין מגורים בחיפה pic.twitter.com/m6JHVwenRs
— חדשות חיפה והקריות (@haifakrayot) November 24, 2024
Several wounded in Petah Tikva amid Hezbollah rocket attack on central Israel
The scene of a rocket impact in Petah Tikva, November 24, 2024 (Magen David Adom)
Several people have been wounded in the Hezbollah rocket attack on central Israel, medics say.
In Petah Tikva, Magen David Adom says it is treating a 70-year-old woman in moderate condition who is suffering from smoke inhalation from a car that caught fire following a rocket impact.
A 23-year-old man was lightly hurt by the blast, MDA says.
Several others are treated for acute anxiety and for minor injuries after falling while running to shelter, MDA adds.
After rabbi’s killing, PM vows to strengthen UAE ties ‘in face of axis of evil attempts to damage’ relations
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a cabinet meeting on November 24, 2024. (Screen grab/GPO)
At the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promises to use all available means to catch the killers of Chabad Rabbi Zvi Kogan in Abu Dhabi. “None of them will be spared,” he pledges.
Netanyahu expresses his appreciation for the United Arab Emirates’ cooperation in the investigation, and promises to “strengthen our ties in the face of the attempts from the axis of evil to damage the peaceful relations between us.”
Turning to Gaza, Netanyahu says that Israel is checking a new Hamas video that allegedly shows the body of one of the female hostages, but it cannot yet verify that the footage indeed shows her. He adds that he just spoke to the hostage’s mother.
“We are committed to doing everything to return all the hostages,” he says.
“We are trying to exhaust every opportunity, every crack, every opening, and I will not elaborate on the matter,” says Netanyahu.
The prime minister repeats his offer of $5 million for anyone who frees a living hostage.
“I appeal to the residents of Gaza,” he says. “You can choose life and secure your future and the future of your family, or you can cling to destruction and death. The decision is yours, choose life.”
Heavy damage reported by rocket strike in Rinatya in central Israel; no immediate reports of injuries
Heavy damage is reported in the agricultural community of Rinatya in central Israel following a rocket impact.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
The IDF said eight rockets were launched from Lebanon at central Israel in the attack, most of which were intercepted.
An impact was also reported in Petah Tikva, causing damage but no injuries.
Heavy damage is reported in the central town of Rinatya following a rocket impact.
The IDF said eight rockets were launched from Lebanon at central Israel in the attack, most of which were intercepted.
An impact was also reported in Petah Tikva, causing damage but no injuries. pic.twitter.com/xVSft0w5iI
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 24, 2024
IDF: Some 30 rockets fired at Haifa area, taking today’s tally to almost 150
Some 30 rockets were launched from Lebanon at the Western Galilee and Haifa Bay area a short while ago, according to the IDF.
The military says some of the rockets were intercepted, while there were some impacts.
A video posted to social media purports to show a direct impact on a building in Nahariya.
תיעוד: פגיעה ישירה בבניין בנהריה@rubih67 pic.twitter.com/LIv7JYbpkM
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) November 24, 2024
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
Hezbollah has fired nearly 150 rockets at Israel today, according to an IDF tally.
IDF: 8 rockets fired at central Israel in 2nd barrage today
The scene of a rocket impact in Petah Tikva, November 24, 2024 (Magen David Adom)
In an update, the IDF says eight rockets were fired from Lebanon at central Israel in the barrage a short while ago.
Most of the rockets were intercepted and the military says it is investigating possible impacts or damage caused by fragments following the interceptions.
One rocket strike is reported in Petah Tikva, which caused damage. Magen David Adom says there are no injuries.
Government says it’s severing ties with Haaretz after publisher called terrorists ‘freedom fighters’
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi in the Knesset plenum in Jerusalem, October 30, 2024. (Dani Shem-Tov/Knesset)
In response to recent comments made by Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken referring to Palestinian terrorists as “freedom fighters,” the government announces that it is severing all ties with the left-wing newspaper.
Communications Ministers Shlomo Karhi’s office states that the cabinet unanimously approves his proposal to cut off all advertising and announcements of government tenders both in the printed edition and on the Haaretz website.
The resolution states that while the government supports a free press and freedom of expression, it “will not accept a situation in which the publisher of an official newspaper calls for the imposition of sanctions and against it and supports its enemies in the middle of a war.”
As such, the government will “sever any advertising relationship with the newspaper Haaretz and calls on all its branches, ministries and bodies, as well as any government corporation or body funded by it not to have contact with the Haaretz newspaper in any form and not to publish any publications in it,” it adds.
In a statement, Karhi’s office says that the decision to boycott the left-leaning daily follows “numerous articles that damaged the legitimacy of the State of Israel in the world and its right to self-defense” and in particular Schocken’s comments during a conference in London last month.
In his remarks, Schocken stated that “the Netanyahu government doesn’t care about imposing a cruel apartheid regime on the Palestinian population. It dismisses the costs to both sides for defending the [West Bank] settlements while fighting the Palestinian freedom fighters that Israel calls terrorists.”
He said the only way to establish a necessary Palestinian state is “to apply sanctions against Israel, against the leaders who oppose it, and against the settlers” — prompting calls by multiple ministers to impose a boycott.
Haaretz later attempted to distance itself from Schocken, publishing an editorial stating that “any organization that advocates the murder of women, children and the elderly is a terrorist organization, and its members are terrorists. They certainly aren’t ‘freedom fighters.'”
Rocket sirens sound in Haifa, surrounding towns
Sirens sound in Haifa and in northern towns as the area apparently comes under rocket fire.
The alerts are heard shortly after Hezbollah fired some 10 rockets at central Israel, triggering sirens in Tel Aviv and surrounding cities and towns.
IDF: Barrage of some 10 rockets fired from Lebanon at central Israel
The IDF says a barrage of some 10 rockets was fired from Lebanon at central Israel.
Some of the rockets were intercepted, while several impacts were identified, the military adds.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
IDF: Hezbollah fired 90-100 rockets at Israel this morning
Hezbollah has fired between 90 and 100 rockets at Israel since this morning, according to an IDF tally.
Most of the rockets targeted northern Israel, while a barrage of six was fired at the center of the country this morning followed by a second barrage at the Tel Aviv area several hours later.
Two drones launched from Lebanon were also shot down by air defenses earlier this morning, according to the IDF.
Israel raises travel warning for Thailand amid ‘persistence of threat’
The National Security Council raises the travel warning for Thailand to Level 2, nearly two weeks after an initial warning cited “the emergence of a potential threat to Israelis in the country.”
The warning comes after a November 12 warning calling on Israelis to display increased vigilance, and the NSC says it is issuing the raised warning now “in light of the persistence of the threat.”
The NSC stresses that the threat has not grown but the council is “sharpening” its recommendations.
Israelis should “avoid attending large-scale events associated with Israel, with an emphasis on those announced in advance, or places of entertainment and gathering associated with Israel. Notify local security forces if you are exposed to hostile activity targeting Israelis,” the NSC says.
The November 12 warning came as Thai police reportedly warned of a terror plot at the November 15 Full Moon party on the popular vacation island of Koh Phangan.
Rocket alert sirens sound in central Israel
Sirens are sounding in central Israel following long-range rocket fire from Lebanon. The IDF is looking into the details.
Hezbollah claims to have targeted Ashdod Naval Base with drones; IDF unaware of attack
The Hezbollah terror group claims to have targeted the Ashdod Naval Base in southern Israel with drones at 9 a.m. today.
No sirens warning of a drone sounded at that time, neither near the Lebanon border nor near Ashdod, and the military says it is unaware of the claims.
Hezbollah has made several false claims about attacks on Israel amid the fighting.
Court rules child born after IVF mix-up must be taken from birth parents, given to genetic parents
Assuta Medical Center in Rishon Lezion. (Screen capture: Google Maps)
The Rishon Lezion Family Court rules that the genetic parents of a baby born in a 2022 mix-up at an IVF clinic are the child’s legal parents, and orders that she be removed from the custody of the parents who raised her and given to the parents whose genes she carries.
The baby girl, Sophia, now over two years old, is in the custody of the woman who gave birth to her and the woman’s partner. The couple mounted a months-long legal battle to keep and raise the child despite not being genetically linked.
Judge Oved Elias says his decision is based on the recommendation of Dr. Daniel Gotlib, a psychologist from the Shinui Institute appointed to the case who recommended that the baby be given to the custody of her genetic parents. A second position paper written by two social workers had recommended leaving the baby in the custody of the parents who raised Sophia, but Elias rejected this recommendation.
The judge says that the transfer of custody should be carried out “with an organized plan” to be performed under the auspices of the Tel Aviv Social Welfare department.
The mix-up at Rishon Lezion’s Assuta Medical Center was discovered when the then-in utero fetus was determined to have medical problems and consequently underwent a variety of tests. The results showed that neither the woman carrying the child nor her partner could be the biological parents.
PM ‘firmly condemns’ attempt by Jewish extremists to attack top IDF West Bank commander
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in a video statement released on November 23, 2024. (Screenshot: PMO, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Two days after Jewish extremists in Hebron tried to attack IDF Central Command head Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “firmly condemns” the violence in a statement from the cabinet.
All cabinet ministers join the condemnation, says the statement.
“Justice must be done in all cases of violence against IDF officers and soldiers,” says the statement, adding that Netanyahu “appreciates the important work for the security of the country that Maj. Gen. Bluth is doing – especially these days.”
Several dozen Jewish extremists in Hebron for an annual pilgrimage tried to attack Bluth, who the military said was in the flashpoint West Bank city on Friday to secure the gathering.
Five suspects were 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 said that the group of young suspects chased Bluth and tried to block an exit that the military needed for operational activity. No injuries were reported to Bluth or the soldiers with him.
Rocket sirens sound in Safed, surrounding communities
Rocket sirens sound in towns and communities in the north, including Safed.
Cabinet approves career official and settlement activist Yechiel Leiter as next US ambassador
Yechiel Leiter, whom Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tapped to serve as Israel's next ambassador to the US, is applauded during Netanyahu's speech to the US Congress, after the prime minister tells the story of Leiter's son, who fell in battle in the Gaza Strip; July 24, 2024. (Screen capture via YouTube, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
The cabinet unanimously approves Yechiel Leiter, a career official active in the settlement movement, as Israel’s next ambassador to the United States.
He will assume his post on January 24, 2024, after Donald Trump returns to the White House.
In the cabinet meeting, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says that he is sure that Leiter will contribute significantly to “the strengthening of Israel’s most important relationship — with the United States,” according to Sa’ar’s office.
Sa’ar also praises current Ambassador Mike Herzog for his work in Washington.
Leiter’s son, Maj. (res.) Moshe Leiter, was killed fighting Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip on November 10, 2023, following the terror group’s October 7 attack against Israel.
Rocket fire on northern border towns continues unabated
The near-continuous rocket fire toward communities close to the northern border is ongoing.
Sirens have sounded throughout the morning in multiple towns, warning of incoming attacks by Hezbollah from Lebanon.
Earlier today, rockets were also fired at central Israel.
Woman in moderate-serious condition after apparent car explosion in Lod
The scene of a car explosion in Lod on November 24, 2024 (Magen David Adom)
A woman in her 30s was injured in an apparent car blast in the central city of Lod, emergency services say.
The woman was taken to Shamir Medical Center where she was listed in moderate to serious condition, the Magen David Adom emergency service says.
Police say they are looking into the circumstances of the “vehicle catching fire.”
Australian woman in antisemitic outburst to Israeli tourists: ‘Dirty filthy f***ing Jew’
Two Israeli tourists were faced with an antisemitic outburst, including an apparent threat of violence, while visiting Townsville in northeast Australia, the Anti-Defamation Commission says.
According to the watchdog the pair were at Flinders Tobacco yesterday evening when they noticed a sign calling for donations for Palestinians.
The ADC says the Israelis “calmly and respectfully” suggested to the woman in the shop that she check where the donations were being sent, revealing that they were from Israel.
The woman demanded the pair “get the fuck out of my store.”
“I don’t give a fuck about Israel but I do care about the fact you are a dirty filthy fucking Jew,” she says.
The ADC says the woman grabbed a shovel and raised it as she neared the pair, apparently threatening them with violence.
“You are a dirty f**king Jew”
Sometime the 'Free Palestine' haters say what they really think.
Flinders Tobacco, Townsville
The wave of anti-Jewish hate continues to surge across Australia.
'Free Palestine' have brought ugly division to this country. Labor has been… pic.twitter.com/F4LWehUoPV
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) November 23, 2024
Report: Russia recruiting Yemeni men via Houthi-linked company to fight in Ukraine
Houthi supporters raise their machine guns during an anti-US and -Israel rally in Sanaa, Yemen, November 1, 2024. (Osamah Abdulrahman/AP)
Russia has recruited hundreds of men from Yemen to fight in Ukraine, the Financial Times reports, in a move that highlights growing ties between Moscow and the Iran-backed Houthis.
The Yemeni men travel to Russia, where they are forcibly drafted into the military and sent to the front lines.
Recruits tell the newspaper that they traveled to Russia under the auspices of a Houthi-backed company, and were promised employment with high salaries, and even Russian citizenship.
US special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking tells the newspaper that Russia is working to increase ties with the Houthis, and that there are talks on weapons transfers.
“We know that there are Russian personnel in Sanaa helping to deepen this dialogue,” he says. “The kinds of weapons that are being discussed are very alarming, and would enable the Houthis to better target ships in the Red Sea and possibly beyond.”
Last month, it was reported that Russia provided satellite data to help Yemen’s Houthis strike ships in the Red Sea.
The Iran-backed Houthis, who control vast swaths of Yemen, started targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror onslaught against Israel.
IDF confirms strikes on Syria-Lebanon border crossing it says was used by Hezbollah to transport weapons
The IDF confirms launching airstrikes against the Jusiyah Crossing on the Syrian-Lebanon border last night, after it was being used by Hezbollah to transport weapons.
The crossing had been struck already once before by the IDF, last month.
The military says fighter jets hit military infrastructure in the vicinity of the crossing, which “are used by the Hezbollah terror organization to transfer weapons from Syria to Lebanon.”
Israel has struck several other crossings between Lebanon and Syria in recent months amid efforts by Iran to supply Hezbollah with weapons.
מטוסי קרב, בהכוונת אגף המודיעין, תקפו אמש, באופן ממוקד, תשתיות צבאיות סמוכות למעבר הגבול ג׳וסיה שבצפון הבקעא. תשתיות אלו משמשות את ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה להעברת אמצעי לחימה מסוריה ללבנון.
ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה מנצל מעברים אזרחיים, בהם מעבר ג’וסיה, להעברת אמצעי לחימה שמקורם באיראן… pic.twitter.com/JqMsUE7hmY
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) November 24, 2024
Arab women disproportionately victims of murder in 2024, watchdog report says
Illustrative: A protest against violence against women in Tel Aviv, December 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
The Israel Observatory on Femicide releases its annual report on the killing of women, noting that Arabs have been disproportionately killed in 2024.
There have been 20 women killed in Israel in 2024 so far, a similar murder rate to last year, the watchdog says.
The organization says half of the women murdered this year in Israel so far were Arabs, including Bedouin, while one victim was Druze. Eight of the victims were Jewish and two had foreign citizenship.
Arab women were disproportionately victims, given that the community makes up 21 percent of the population.
The report finds that in the vast majority of cases, the victim knew her killer or suspected killer — in half the cases it was her husband. In many other cases the suspects were other family members, including sons and brothers.
Just 20 percent of the victims had approached the authorities for help amid domestic violence prior to their killing.
The Israel Observatory on Femicide says that a number of the killings are linked to the criminal gangs, with “a probability that the female victims were targeted since they were an ‘asset’ or the ‘property’ of men from underworld gangs in the Arab sector.”
Prof. Shalva Weil of the Israel Observatory on Femicide calls for the government to take action.
“The heinous crime of femicide, the murder of women in Israeli society just because they are women, continues this year unabated, both among Jews and among Israeli Arabs. The vast majority of the victims knew the perpetrators, who were husbands, partners and even brothers,” Weil says.
“In addition, women were murdered in Israel as a result of fights between warring gangs. The government has to pay attention to the plight of women in society, even if a war is raging,” she says.
Katz says he won’t okay promotion of 2 officers from IDF Southern Command until after Oct. 7 probe
Israel Katz during a Knesset plenum session on his appointment as defense minister, in Jerusalem, November 8, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Defense Minister Israel Katz will not approve the promotion of two officers from the IDF Southern Command until their role in the failures of October 7 are investigated, his office says.
On Friday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi announced a new round of senior appointments in the military, including 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.
In a statement, Katz says that he has approved the list of appointments apart from two officers from the Southern Command: Col. Ephraim Avni, who was head of operations at the Southern Command, and Col. Almog Dadon, the head of combat engineering at the Southern Command.
Katz says their promotion will be on hold until their “connection to the events of October 7 and their performance during the war is thoroughly examined.”
Avni was appointed as the next head of the Paratroopers Brigade, and Dadon was appointed to head the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit.
The ministry also says that as part of examining the issue, Katz intends to meet with the families of the surveillance soldiers from the Nahal Oz outpost, “to allow them to voice their position on the issue.”
The father of Cpl. Noa Marciano, killed by Hamas in Gaza at some point in November, after she was taken hostage on October 7, came out against the promotion of Brig. Gen. Eliad Moatti, the commander of the Border Defense Corps, which oversees the Combat Intelligence Collection Array. Moatti was appointed to be the commander of the Tzeelim training base.
IDF: Barrage of 25 rockets fired at Upper Galilee
A barrage of another 25 rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Upper Galilee a short while ago, the IDF says.
According to the military, some of the rockets were intercepted and the rest struck open areas.
Katz: Those responsible for killing of rabbi in UAE will ‘pay for their actions’
Defense Minister Israel Katz says the killing of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the United Arab Emirates was a “cowardly and despicable antisemitic terrorist crime.”
“The State of Israel will neither rest nor be silent until those responsible for this criminal act pay for their actions,” he says in a statement.
Rocket sirens sound in northern border towns
Rocket sirens sound in multiple communities and towns close to the northern border.
The north of the country has been under near-continuous rocket fire since around 6:15 a.m. Rockets were also fired from Lebanon at central Israel.
Herzog: Murder of UAE rabbi a ‘reminder of inhumanity of enemies of the Jewish people’
Zvi Kogan, a Chabad rabbi who was murdered in the UAE in November 2024 (Courtesy Chabad)
President Isaac Herzog says he mourns “with sorrow and outrage” the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the UAE.
“This vile antisemitic attack is a reminder of the inhumanity of the enemies of the Jewish people,” he writes on X. “It will not deter us from continuing to grow flourishing communities in the UAE or anywhere — especially with the help of the dedicated commitment and work of the Chabad emissaries all over the world.”
He also thanks the UAE for its “swift action,” and says he trusts it will do all it can to bring the killers to justice.
Israel reiterates warning against nonessential travel to UAE after death of rabbi
After a local Chabad rabbi is found dead in the United Arab Emirates, the National Security Council reiterates its travel warning to the UAE, saying there remains a threat against Israel and Jews in the country.
The UAE has a Level 3 travel warning, says the NSC, meaning all nonessential travel should be avoided.
“Avoid visiting businesses, gathering places, and entertainment venues identified with the Israeli and Jewish population,” says the warning.
“Maintain increased vigilance in public places (including restaurants, hotels, bars, etc.). Avoid displaying Israeli symbols. Cooperate with local security forces, follow their instructions, and immediately report it if you have been exposed to terror activity.”
Travelers are also urged to avoid posting on social media and to lock their profiles online.
Jordanian minister: Shooting near Israeli embassy was terror attack targeting security forces
Emergency vehicles outside the Israeli Embassy in Amman, Jordan, after gunshots were heard in the area, early November 24, 2024. (Screenshot: X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Jordan’s government communications minister, Mohamed Momani, says the shooting near the Israeli Embassy in Amman was a terror attack that targeted public security forces in the country.
Momani says in a statement that investigations into the attack were underway.
Police shot a gunman who had fired at a police patrol in the Rabiah neighborhood of Amman, state news agency Petra reported, citing public security, adding investigations were ongoing.
The gunman was killed and three policemen were injured in the incident earlier this morning.
Woman lightly wounded by Hezbollah rocket fire at Ma’alot-Tarshiha
A woman in her 50s is lightly wounded by shrapnel following the latest Hezbollah rocket barrage on the Western Galilee, medics say.
The woman was wounded and damage was also caused by the rocket impact in the northern town of Ma’alot-Tarshiha.
The IDF says some 30 rockets were launched in the attack, some of which were intercepted by air defenses.
Body of missing Chabad rabbi found in UAE; Israel: ‘Despicable antisemitic act of terror’
Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Chabad supervisor of kosher kitchens in the UAE, June 29, 2021. (Lazar Berman/Times of Israel)
Emirati authorities have found the body of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, the Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Ministry say in a joint statement.
Kogan, a Chabad rabbi in the UAE, had been missing since Thursday.
Israel’s embassy in Abu Dhabi has been in contact contact with Kogan’s family in the UAE, says the statement. Family members living Israel have also been updated.
Israel calls the murder “a despicable antisemitic act of terror,” and pledges to use all available means to bring the killers to justice.
Kogan is a dual Israeli-Moldovan citizen, and has been part of the Abu Dhabi Chabad chapter since Israel normalized ties with the UAE in late 2020.
Kogan is related to Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, who was murdered along with his wife in a terror attack at the Nariman Chabad House in Mumbai in 2008, Channel 12 news reported.
Reports: Body found amid searches for Chabad rabbi missing in UAE; identification tests underway
Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Chabad supervisor of kosher kitchens in the UAE, June 29, 2021. (Lazar Berman/Times of Israel)
A body has been found in the United Arab Emirates amid searches for Rabbi Zvi Kogan, missing since Thursday, Hebrew-language media reports.
According to the reports, the body is undergoing tests to see if it is Kogan, an emissary to Abu Dhabi’s Chabad chapter.
Israel’s security services reportedly feared Kogan was kidnapped or murdered. The Walla news site, citing security sources, reported that Israel has information that Kogan was being followed by Iranian intelligence.
Ynet reported yesterday that Kogan’s car was found abandoned in Al Ain, around 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Abu Dhabi. It added, without citing sources, that officials suspect a number of Uzbek citizens assaulted the rabbi and later fled to Turkey.
Kogan is a dual Israeli-Moldovan citizen, and has been part of the Abu Dhabi Chabad chapter since Israel normalized ties with the UAE in late 2020.
Rocket sirens sound in northern border towns
Sirens are sounding in towns and communities close to the border with Lebanon and in the Galilee region, as the area comes under rocket fire.
Feldstein’s lawyer: He believed he was acting on behalf of PM, was surprised by Netanyahu’s disavowal
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, the aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicted over the alleged theft and leak of classified documents, says his client believed he was acting on behalf of the premier.
“The indictment indicates that Feldstein contacted [senior Netanyahu aide Jonatan] Urich about the information he received from the Military Intelligence Directorate and said that he needed the prime minister for this matter,” attorney Oded Savoray tells the Kan public broadcaster.
“From that moment on, everything that Urich said or wrote to Feldstein was perceived by Feldstein at the time, quite rightly, as things being said on behalf of the prime minister,” Savoray says.
“Jonatan Urich is the more senior aide, who has worked at the [Prime Minister’s] office for 10 years and has the prime minister’s ear,” he says.
Savoray says he does not understand why Feldstein, who has been in custody for a number of weeks, is being treated differently from Urich by law enforcement.
“Feldstein is a junior official who acted according to the instructions of his superiors, and he certainly feels like a victim,” Savoray says.
The attorney also says his client was surprised by Netanyahu’s initial disavowal of Feldstein, but says the premier’s statement last night improved the situation. He notes, however, that “the prime minister has still not addressed the real essence of the incident.”
The indictment indicates that Urich is the figure to whom Feldstein turned for guidance on the matter of the documents. Urich has reportedly twice been questioned under caution in the case.
Yisrael Einhorn (l) seen with Jonatan Urich (c) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2019. (Courtesy)
Feldstein was charged on Thursday 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.
Feldstein is accused of leaking the document, which was stolen from an IDF database by the other defendant in the case, an IDF noncommissioned officer (NCO), in a bid to sway public opinion against a truce-hostage deal in Gaza. He allegedly received the document in June, and leaked it after six hostages were murdered by their Hamas captors at the end of August, when public criticism of Netanyahu’s handling of negotiations on a hostage deal was at a height.
The Bild report on the document highlighted Hamas’s obdurate strategy regarding the hostages, and Netanyahu cited it as ostensible reinforcement of his refusal to sanction a deal to end the war against Hamas in return for the release of the hostages.
Rocket sirens sound in Kiryat Shmona, surrounding towns
Sirens warn of rocket fire toward Kiryat Shmona and surrounding communities.
The alerts come soon after six rockets were fired at central Israel from Lebanon.
IDF: 6 rockets fired at central Israel from Lebanon; 5 intercepted, 1 hit open ground
The Israel Defense Forces says six rockets were fired toward central Israel from Lebanon a short time ago.
According to the military, five of the rockets were intercepted by aerial defenses and one struck open ground.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
The rockets triggered sirens in a number of cities and towns north of Tel Aviv, including Netanya and Herzliya.
Rocket sirens sound in multiple cities, towns across central Israel
Rocket sirens sound in multiple towns and cities in central Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces says the sirens were activated as a number of projectiles were fired from Lebanon. The military says the incident is under investigation.
IDF: Number of drones launched at Israel from Lebanon; no casualties reported
The Israel Defense Forces says a number of drones were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel a short time ago, triggering sirens in the Galilee region.
The military says that two of the drones were intercepted and “additional interception attempts were made.” It does not say how many apparently crashed.
The IDF says the incident has ended, with no immediate reports of injuries.
Rocket sirens sound in northern border towns
Sirens sound in communities close to the border with Lebanon, warning of incoming rocket fire.
The alerts come soon after warnings of a drone infiltration sounded in towns in the Galilee region.
More suspected drone, rocket alarms sound in Galilee
More suspected drone infiltration alarms are sounding in the Galilee after the IDF said the Air Force is tracking suspicious targets that crossed from Lebanon.
Incoming rocket alerts have also sounded in a few towns.
IDF says it’s tracking suspected drones that crossed from Lebanon
The military says the Air Force is tracking suspected drones that crossed from Lebanon.
The IDF stresses that the incident, during which aerial infiltration sirens sounded in the Western Galilee and the Upper Galilee, is stil ongoing and the public needs to follow Home Front Command guidelines.
Source: Gunman opened fire near Israeli embassy in Amman, was shot dead; 3 cops injured
A gunman opened fire near the Israeli Embassy in Jordan and was subsequently shot dead, a security source tells Reuters.
Three policemen were injured in the incident, which is now over, the source adds.
Emergency vehicles said leaving Israeli embassy area in Amman, situation ‘under control’
Emergency vehicles are gradually leaving the vicinity of Israel’s Embassy in Amman, after gunshots were heard in the area, Al Arabiya reports.
The outlet cites an unnamed Jordanian security source as saying the situation “is under control.”
No more details are provided.
Chabad ‘deeply concerned’ by emissary’s disappearance, calls on public to pray for him
Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Chabad supervisor of kosher kitchens in the UAE, June 29, 2021. (Lazar Berman/Times of Israel)
The Chabad-Lubavich world headquarters releases its first reaction to the disappearance of its emissary in Abu Dhabi, Zvi Kogan, who is feared to have been kidnapped or murdered.
“We are deeply concerned about Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary who went missing in the Emirati city of Dubai on Thursday,” says the statement, attributed to Chairman Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky. “Our emissaries are working closely with authorities as they investigate his disappearance.”
The state says Chabad is praying for his safe return, and calls on the public to do the same.
STATEMENT BY CHABAD-LUBAVITCH WORLD HEADQUARTERS
We are deeply concerned about Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary who went missing in the Emirati city of Dubai on Thursday.
Our emissaries are working closely with authorities as they investigate his disappearance.… pic.twitter.com/bS6komiSVh
— Chabad Lubavitch HQ (@Lubavitch) November 23, 2024
Gunshots heard near Israeli embassy in Jordan; police cordon off area
Emergency vehicles outside the Israeli Embassy in Amman, Jordan, after gunshots were heard in the area, early November 24, 2024. (Screenshot: X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Jordanian police have cordoned off an area in the vicinity of the Israeli embassy in the capital Amman after gunshots were heard, witnesses say.
Two witnesses say police and ambulances have rushed to the Rabiah neighborhood, where the embassy is located, after sporadic gunfire was heard.
Police have called on residents to stay in their homes as security personnel conduct a search for the culprits, a security source says.
The area near the heavily policed embassy is a flashpoint for frequent demonstrations against Israel.
Al Arabiya reports similar details, with it and other Arab outlets publishing footage from the area.
مراسل العربية: قوات أمنية تغلق الطرق المؤدية للسفارة الإسرائيلية في العاصمة الأردنية#الأردن#قناة_العربية pic.twitter.com/IeBgQ4ttdd
— العربية (@AlArabiya) November 24, 2024
تغطية صحفية: سماع إطلاق نار في محيط سفارة الاحتلال في العاصمة عمان مع تواجد أمني مكثف pic.twitter.com/Ompju7JX31
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) November 24, 2024
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