SAUDI, SYRIAN FIGURES VISIT KNESSET TO TALK UP CHANCES FOR NORMALIZATION.

SAUDI, SYRIAN FIGURES VISIT KNESSET TO TALK UP CHANCES FOR NORMALIZATION.

ISAIAH 6:9-12
9  And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10  Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
11  Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
12  And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)

EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18

WORLD TERRORISM

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)

ISAIAH 14:12-14
12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14  I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)

JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)

ISAIAH 41:11
11  Behold, all they that were incensed against thee (ISRAEL) shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing;(DESTROYED) and they that strive with thee shall perish.(ISRAEL HATERS WILL BE TOTALLY DESTROYED)

Turban complications-The turban represents the Shi'ite clergy that, ever since its creation in Iran almost four centuries ago, has had an ambivalent attitude towards the exercise of political power. Broadly speaking, turbans come in two contrasting colors. A white turban means that the man who wears it is not a descendant of the Prophet, and thus is of non-Arab origin. In contrast, the wearer of the black turban is marked as a descendant of the Prophet through one of the twelve imams of Twelver Shi'ism.The semiology of turbans is still more complicated. Students of theology are allowed to wear very thin turbans, denoting their position as novices. A hujjat al-Islam, or mid-ranking mullah, can wear a slightly fatter turban. The very fat turbans that require several yards of cloth are reserved for the grand ayatollahs. Rafsanjani’s white turban marked him as someone of non-Arab origin. Khatami and Khamenei both wear black turbans, as did Khomeini, denoting their Arab descent on the paternal side.The experience of the past three decades shows that many of the most senior clerics are not eager to enter the realm of politics. Once in power, however, a man with a thin turban could quickly thicken his headgear and grow a longer beard to bolster the religious aspect of his image. When first elected president, Ayatollah Khamenei was not a particularly senior cleric, but was promoted so that he could succeed Ayatollah Khomeini.

THE CITIZENS OF IRAN (ELAM IN THE BIBLE) MIGRATE TO ALL NATIONS ON EARTH.
JEREMIAH 49:34-39
34 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam (IRAN) in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRAN) the chief of their might.(IRAN SUPLIES ARABS WITH WEAPONS AGAINST ISRAEL)
36 And upon Elam (IRAN)  will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam (IRAN) shall not come.(WORLD MIGRATION)
37 For I will cause Elam (IRAN) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(REG BOMBS) saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:(GROUND TROOPS)
38 And I will set my throne in Elam,(IRAN) and will destroy from thence the king (KHEMEINI )and the princes,(IRANIAN GUARDS) saith the LORD.
39 But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam,(IRAN) saith the LORD.

Psalms-Chapter 110:1-6
1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

Israel urges UN to act on report detailing how Hamas used sexual violence on Oct. 7-Decrying lack of action, Israeli envoy says United Nations ‘took far too long to even acknowledge that such violence took place,’ says findings should be taken up to ‘highest level’By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 5:38 am-JUL 9,25

Israel urged the UN Wednesday to act on an independent report on how Hamas used sexual violence as a weapon of war during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.The United Nations has long faced Israeli criticism for reacting too slowly to the rape and sexual violence carried out by Palestinian terrorists during the Hamas-led atrocities that sparked the Gaza war, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken captive.“It took far too long for the UN to even acknowledge that such violence took place,” Israeli Ambassador Daniel Meron told reporters at the UN in Geneva.“Conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence was used against Israelis … in a brutal and calculated way, and yet the United Nations has not acted.”Meron spoke with members of the Dinah Project, an independent Israeli group of legal experts who released a report this week saying that “sexual violence was widespread and systematic” on October 7 in at least six locations.Hamas, it said, “used sexual violence as a tactical weapon, as part of a genocidal scheme and with the goal of terrorizing and dehumanizing Israeli society.”‘Silenced’Dinah project director Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas, speaking to a briefing hosted by the UN correspondents’ association ACANU, described the use of sexual violence in conflict as “the perfect crime,” since many victims are killed and thereby “silenced.”The group said it had testimony from witnesses, first responders, security forces and mortuary attendants, as well as visual and audio evidence to document at least 15 sexual assault cases on October 7.Those included “rapes and gang rapes and mutilations of sexual organs and executions after the assault,” said project member Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, a law professor at Bar-Ilan University who has previously worked as an independent UN rights expert.Testimonies and photographs indicated a “pattern where bodies, mostly of women, were found naked or half naked in recurring positions, some cuffed to trees or poles with shots into their genitalia,” she said.The terror group has categorically denied allegations of using sexual violence.‘Failure’Halperin-Kaddari voiced outrage at the relative “silence” of the international community in condemning the alleged assaults, lamenting “a total failure of the international human rights system.”She said the aim was to present the report at UN headquarters in New York and to UN chief Antonio Guterres. Meron said the UN should take up the findings at “the highest level.”

'This report tells the truth — shocking, painful, necessary'Rape as weapon of war: Report lays groundwork for prosecuting Oct 7. sexual violence-Dinah Project findings confirm Hamas systematically weaponized sexual assault as part of a broader campaign to terrorize, humiliate and dehumanize Israelis-By Ariela Karmel-8 July 2025, 2:23 pm

A new report providing the first legal framework to prosecute Hamas terrorists for the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war during the October 7, 2023, massacre was presented Tuesday to First Lady Michal Herzog at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.The report by the Dinah Project confirms that Hamas systematically used rape and sexual violence during the massacre as part of a broader campaign of terror, collective humiliation, and dehumanization of Israeli society.Titled, “A Quest for Justice: October 7 and Beyond,” it is the first report to offer a legal roadmap based on international law for identifying and pursuing justice for the use of sexual violence as a weapon of warfare, which constitutes a crime against humanity.Tuesday’s gathering of primarily women included former hostage Ilana Gritzewsky, 31, who has publicly spoken out about being sexually assaulted by her captors in Gaza.Gritzewsky recounted her abduction on October 7 from her home on Kibbutz Nir Oz, where she lived with her partner, Matan Zangauker, who was also kidnapped and remains in captivity.“I remember that they hit me and I screamed, and then there was darkness. When I woke up, I was half-naked surrounded by terrorists,” she told the gathering.“They beat me. I went through hell. My bones were broken, but that didn’t compare to the psychological pain I was put through,” she said. “Nobody should experience what I did.”Gritzewsky was released after 55 days in captivity, during the first ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in November 2023. She and Zanguaker’s mother, Einav, have emerged as central figures in protests seeking a ceasefire deal to return the remaining hostages.“Almost two years later, there are those who still ask if this really happened. I’m here to tell you that it did and it’s still going on,” she said. “My Matan is still there. I don’t know what they’re doing to him, but I know what they did to me. I wake up every morning with the fear that he is experiencing what I did.”With Prime Minister Netanyahu in Washington for meetings on a potential hostage release and ceasefire deal with Hamas, Gritzewsky addressed the government directly: “To the prime minister and the cabinet — don’t waste this opportunity. Sign a deal and end the war.”“This report tells the truth as it is — shocking, painful, but necessary. On behalf of all those who were harmed, we are committed to continuing the fight until their cries are heard everywhere and justice is done,” said Herzog.“We are sending a universal message: that sexual violence cannot be accepted as a tool of war,” she said, drawing attention to the plight of the remaining 50 hostages, including Inbar Hayman, the single remaining female captive, who is believed to be dead.“Sexual violence in conflict is a weapon. It is not random, not targeted only at individuals, and not without intent from above. It is time for the international community to treat it as such,” said Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, a legal expert at Bar-Ilan University, who co-authored the report alongside retired judge Nava Ben-Or, and Col. (res.) Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas, former chief military prosecutor of the IDF.‘A perfect crime’The Dinah Project, an initiative formed following October 7 that works to achieve recognition and justice for survivors of sexual violence in conflict zones, spent a year and a half consolidating all available evidence and reports on sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas during the attack and subsequently against hostages.Research for the report ran into several challenges that the findings seek to address: the scarcity of direct testimony from victims, the often inadvertent destruction of evidence from sites of the crimes, and the difficulty of linking specific perpetrators to specific crimes or victims in the fog of war.“Sexual crimes during war are — forgive me — a ‘perfect crime,’” said Zagagi-Pinhas, explaining that, amid the chaos of war, “perpetrators can rely on the silence of their victims, either because they murder them, which was the case for most of the victims who were assaulted on October 7, or for the survivors. There is so much trauma and shame unique to the crime that they often won’t talk about it.”The report consolidated data on sexual violence on October 7 and grouped it methodologically based on testimony from first-hand survivors, eyewitnesses, first responders, workers at the Shura military base, which served as a morgue, healthcare workers, and therapists, as well as captured photos and video footage.The authors acknowledged that it is not the first report to collate data on the use of sexual violence on October 7. Such research has already been conducted by others, including by the Office of the Under Secretary General of the UN’s special representative on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, in March 2024.Based on existing doctrine in international and Israeli law, the authors call for the promotion of a key legal principle: the imposition of collective criminal responsibility on all participants in the attack — even if they did not personally commit rape — on the grounds that they knew, should have known, or took part in enabling sexual violence during the attack.“Our goal is to demonstrate how perpetrators and commanders can be prosecuted even without direct testimony against each individual,” said Halperin-Kaddari.The next steps they intend to pursue include calling on the Israeli government and judiciary to apply the doctrine of collective responsibility in order to prosecute terrorists for sexual crimes as crimes against humanity and urging the UN Secretary General to add Hamas to the blacklist of organizations that use sexual violence as a weapon of war, in accordance with past Security Council resolutions.The authors of the report then want to establish a legal process and framework that can be used internationally for prosecuting sexual crimes in war before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and UN human rights bodies.Finally, they are seeking to use their research to develop a new legal protocol for addressing sexual violence in armed conflict, including rules for evidence collection, the use of indirect evidence, and recognition of the community-wide harm caused by such acts.Several speakers referred to the feeling of “betrayal” they felt from the world, especially from other women, who they expected to show empathy and solidarity. The widespread denial of the sexual crimes committed against Israeli women and men on and since October 7 was one of the other motivations for producing the report.“There was an expectation that women around the world would understand and support us, like in other conflicts. The feeling of their backs turned on us was painful,” said Herzog. “As Israeli women, we need to scream for those who cannot anymore and bring them justice.”“This report is about breaking the silence. It is a physical object that was put together by spirits — those of the tortured, murdered victims, but also in the spirit of sisterhood,” said the event’s moderator, journalist Tali Lipkin-Shahak.

Hezbollah chief admits to wildly underestimating Israeli capabilities before pager blasts-Naim Qassem says Lebanese terror group ‘didn’t know the supply chain had been exposed,’ suggests operatives’ growing suspicions about the beepers led Israel to detonate them-By ToI Staff 9 July 2025, 6:51 am

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem admitted that the Lebanese terror group drastically underestimated the extent of Israel’s surveillance capabilities in the run-up to the pager operation last September, when thousands of beepers used by Hezbollah operatives exploded across Lebanon, injuring thousands and killing dozens.In an interview released Tuesday with the pro-Hezbollah al-Mayadeen news outlet, Qassem said an investigation in the wake of the pager operation uncovered serious flaws in Hezbollah’s procurement process, dating back more than a year.“We didn’t know the supply chain had been exposed,” he said.He said that although Hezbollah’s security checks failed to find the explosives that had been placed within each individual pager, operatives began suspecting something was wrong with them in the days leading up to the attacks.“There were efforts to examine the pager differently, including attempts to break it open, prompted by some anomalies that raised questions,” he said, suggesting that those efforts may have prompted Israel to detonate the pagers sooner than planned.Qassem, who took over as the leader of the Iran-backed terror group following the assassination of his predecessor Hassan Nasrallah, also conceded that Hezbollah had no idea that Israel’s surveillance capabilities were as advanced and far-reaching as they are.He said they were aware that there had been possible wiretapping but “did not realize the extent — that it was near-total and very extensive.”The Hezbollah chief estimated that Israel has been collecting data through aerial surveillance for the past 17 years — since the end of the Second Lebanon War — and that the terror group “couldn’t grasp how deep” it went.He denied, however, that there were any serious cases of Israeli spies infiltrating Hezbollah’s senior ranks, saying no evidence had so far been uncovered of “vast human infiltration.”The pager attack marked the opening blow in an Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah, following nearly a year of cross-border skirmishes that began when the terror group began carrying out solidarity attacks a day after its ally Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. The fighting ended in November with a US-brokered ceasefire deal.In the al-Mayadeen interview, Qassem explained Hezbollah’s decision to launch near-daily attacks on Israel in wake of the Hamas attack rather than a full-scale war.“The outcome of a full war is predictable. It requires preparedness that simply wasn’t available,” he said. “We had to enter the battle with limited support and observe developments closely. Based on how things evolved, we could make a clearer choice.”According to Qassem, Hamas did not coordinate with Hezbollah in advance of October 7, and the two terrorist organizations later discussed whether the latter should intensify attacks on Israel.“Doing more than support would not have changed the outcome,” he insisted, saying “we came to see that the Israeli aggression was extreme, supported by new rules of engagement and US backing.”Addressing recent Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Qassem threatened that “resistance will not wait forever. There are limits.” Israel says it reserves the right under the ceasefire agreement to act against imminent threats by Hezbollah, and accuses the terror group of ceasefire violations, which it denies.“There is no third option between victory and martyrdom. We do not have surrender as an option,” Qassem said.

PM says he’s in sync with Trump on hostage deal, won’t agree to one ‘at any price’Netanyahu insists Trump’s strategy for agreement doesn’t involve pressuring Israel; Hamas says it will free 10 hostages during potential Gaza ceasefire, in rare statement amid talksBy Jacob Magid-and Nurit Yohanan-Today, 2:32 am-JUL 10,25

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that he and US President Donald Trump were in lock-step with their efforts to secure a hostage deal.In a seeming attempt to project unity with the United States amid the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, the premier insisted that both he and Trump would not agree to a deal “at any price,” as the American president again suggested that a deal was close to being finalized.“President Trump and I have a common goal. I want to achieve the release of our hostages. We want to end Hamas rule in Gaza. We want to make sure that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel anymore,” Netanyahu told reporters at the US Capitol in Washington before meeting with Senate Majority Leader John Thune.Netanyahu insisted he and Trump have the same strategy for securing a deal, which does not involve US pressure on Israel.“President Trump wants a deal, but not at any price. I want a deal, but not at any price. Israel has security requirements and other requirements, and we’re working together to try to achieve it,” Netanyahu said, dismissing reports to the contrary.On Tuesday, however, the US leaned on Israel to ease its stance regarding the partial withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza during the temporary truce being discussed, an Arab official told The Times of Israel.Trump, meanwhile, once again asserted that there was a “very good chance that we’ll have a [Gaza hostage] deal of some kind this week and maybe next week.”“I think we have a chance this week or next week — not definitely. There’s nothing definite about war and Gaza,” he said on Wednesday.Trump said last week that he believed a deal would be reached this week. The week before that, Trump said a deal would likely be reached within a week.Hamas claims ‘flexibility’ in hostage talks-As the negotiations continued, Hamas put out a statement claiming that it has evinced “flexibility” and agreed to release 10 hostages as part of the deal.However, the terror group noted that other issues were still under negotiation, including the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, the withdrawal of IDF forces from the territory and real guarantees for a permanent ceasefire.Hamas claimed in its statement that despite the challenges in the talks, it continues to act “seriously and in a positive spirit with the mediators in order to overcome the obstacles.”The statement marked an unusual declaration from Hamas during the negotiations with Israel, but did not appear to indicate any progress.The outline currently being discussed in the talks in Doha, based on a proposal by US special Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, would see the release of 10 living Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the return of the bodies of 18 deceased hostages, in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire.Witkoff told reporters Tuesday that he was hopeful a deal could be reached this week, claiming that three of the four sticking points between the two parties had been resolved in proximity talks in Doha.But sources speaking to The Times of Israel said the US is more optimistic than Egyptian and Qatari mediators about the chances of a deal being reached this week, as significant gaps still remain in negotiations.One of the main sticking points in talks has been the issue of whether Israel would be able to restart its military campaign at the conclusion of a proposed 60-day ceasefire.The US was also said to have told mediators that it does not intend to allow Jerusalem to resume fighting, even if not explicitly included in the text of a deal being hashed out in Washington and Qatar, an Arab diplomat and a second source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel on Wednesday.Hostage families skeptical of current framework-In the wake of Netanyahu’s meetings with Trump, a group of families of hostages met Wednesday with senior administration officials at the White House.“We heard for an additional time about the Trump administration’s commitment to returning all the hostages. They won’t stop until all 50 hostages return home. These moments are critical, and we trust the Trump administration to bring everyone [home], with a complete agreement,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.Witkoff said Tuesday that the administration was planning on holding the meeting in order to update the families on the state of the hostage talks in Doha.The hostage families currently in Washington are opposed to the hostage deal framework that is being advanced as it does not secure the release of all the captives, with the return of the remaining hostages dependent on the outcome of subsequent negotiations on a permanent ceasefire.Israel has preferred such a framework, however, as it does not want to give an up-front commitment to permanently end the war.Trump officials have reportedly assured the families that the deal will ultimately see the release of all the hostages.Netanyahu denies Israel looking to ‘push out’ Gazans-Also on Wednesday, Netanyahu insisted that Israel is not seeking to forcibly displace Palestinians, rather simply wants to offer those interested in leaving the opportunity to do so.“We’re not pushing out anyone, and I don’t think that’s President Trump’s suggestion,” Netanyahu said in response to a question from a reporter at the Capitol.When Trump introduced his plan to take over Gaza for the first time in February, though, he talked about permanently relocating the entire population.He has since distanced himself from such rhetoric and rarely speaks publicly of the plan while Israel has latched onto it, framing it as an effort to “encourage the voluntary migration” of Gazans.Israel is insisting that it remain in the Morag Corridor in southern Gaza, near where it says it plans to create a “humanitarian city” in which the Strip’s entire population will be herded and prevented from leaving once vetted.On Monday, Defense Minister Israel Katz briefed reporters on plans to create a “humanitarian city” in which the Strip’s entire population will be herded and prevented from leaving once vetted. His remarks sparked international uproar with talk of concentrating a population of 2 million people in such a small area while barring them from leaving.The statement also apparently marred talks in Doha by causing Hamas to dig its feet in regarding the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip during the prospective 60-day truce.Netanyahu has reportedly told Likud lawmakers that Israel is destroying every building in Gaza so that Palestinians have nowhere to go other than outside the Strip.“It’s called the freedom of choice, and nothing more than that. No coercion, no forcible dislocation. If people want to leave Gaza, they should have the right to do so and not be held at the point of a gun by Hamas,” Netanyahu said.

US official waived safeguards to rush $30 million to Gaza Humanitarian Foundation-Jeremy Lewin, a former DOGE operative, also overrode 58 objections from USAID staff experts about operations of contentious US- and Israel-backed aid group-By Reuters 9 July 2025, 11:42 pm

WASHINGTON — A top US State Department official waived nine mandatory counterterrorism and anti-fraud safeguards to rush a $30 million award last month to a Gaza aid group backed by the Trump administration and Israel, according to an internal memorandum seen by Reuters.Jeremy Lewin, a former Department of Government Efficiency associate, signed off on the award despite an assessment in the memorandum that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s (GHF) funding plan failed to meet required “minimum technical or budgetary standards.”The June 24 action memorandum to Lewin was sent by Kenneth Jackson, also a former DOGE operative who serves as an acting deputy US Agency for International Development administrator. The pair has overseen the agency’s dismantling and the merger of its functions into the State Department.Lewin also overrode 58 objections that USAID staff experts wanted GHF to resolve in its application before the funds were approved, according to two sources familiar with the matter.Lewin, who runs the State Department’s foreign aid program, cleared the funds only five days after GHF filed its proposal on June 19, according to the June 24 “action memorandum” bearing his signature, seen by Reuters.“Strong Admin support for this one,” Lewin wrote to USAID leaders in a June 25 email — also seen by Reuters — that urged disbursement of the funds by the agency “ASAP.”The action memorandum was first reported by CNN. Lewin and Jackson did not respond to requests for comment.The documents underline the priority the Trump administration has given GHF despite the group’s lack of experience and the killing of hundreds of Palestinians near its Gaza aid distribution hubs.GHF, which closely coordinates with the Israeli military, has acknowledged reports of violence but says they occurred beyond its operations area.Lewin noted in the email that he had discussed the funds with aides to Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s negotiator on Gaza, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s office.He acknowledged that authorizing the funds would be controversial, writing: “I’m taking the bullet on this one.”The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Witkoff and Rubio did not reply to a question about whether they were aware of and supported the decision to waive the safeguards.The State Department said in a statement that the $30 million was approved under a legal provision allowing USAID to expedite awards in response to “emergency situations” to “meet humanitarian needs as expeditiously as possible.”“The GHF award remains subject to rigorous oversight, including of GHF’s operations and finances,” the statement said. “As part of the award, GHF was subject to new control and reporting requirements.”In response to a request for comment, a GHF spokesperson said: “Our model is specifically designed to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Every dollar we receive is safeguarded to ensure all resources, which will eventually include American taxpayer funds, reach the people of Gaza.”The spokesperson added that such requests for clarification from the US government about fund applications were routine.Speaking about the nine conditions that were waived, the spokesperson said: “We are addressing each question as per regulations and normal procedure and will continue to do so as required.”GHF says its operation is preventing Hamas from hijacking food aid and using it to control the enclave’s population, charges denied by the terror group.In the June 24 action memorandum, Jackson wrote that GHF is “uniquely positioned to operate in areas with restricted access,” and said it has delivered millions of meals and diluted Hamas’s control over Gaza’s 2.1 million Palestinians.He acknowledged that GHF “is a new organization that has not met USAID’s various formal criteria for eligibility” for the $30 million award.Jackson listed nine conditions that applicants normally must satisfy before receiving USAID funds, explicitly outlining the terms of each and the risks of waiving them.For instance, he noted a “legal requirement” that aid organizations working in Gaza or the West Bank undergo vetting for ties to extremist organizations before they are awarded USAID funds, the document said.“Waiving the requirement could increase the risk” that an aid group, its subcontractors or vendors “could be found ineligible due to terrorism-related concerns,” said the document.Jackson also wrote that USAID was required to examine whether an organization has sufficient internal controls to manage awards. He warned that waiving the condition “could raise the risk of misuse of taxpayer resources,” according to the document.GHF submitted a plan – required prior to approval of funds – that was incomplete on how it would deal with legal and operational risks of operating in Gaza, the document said.Waiving the need for a full plan “could risk programmatic diversion, reputational harm, and potential violations of US counterterrorism laws,” it continued.Despite the risks, Jackson recommended waiving all nine requirements and allowing GHF to fulfill them later because of the “humanitarian and political urgency” of its operation, the memo said. Lewin checked a box labeled “Approve” on each of the recommendations, it showed.In addition to waiving the nine requirements, two sources familiar with the matter said, Lewin overrode 58 objections from USAID staff reviewing GHF’s application.Two former top USAID officials said they had never heard of a senior official like Lewin expediting an award over the objections of professional staff.“I oversaw something like 1,500 grants. I never saw it happen,” said Sarah Charles, who led USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance from 2021-2024. “Very occasionally, we would do the vetting after an award in a sudden onset emergency — think earthquake — but that was at the recommendation of staff.”In the review, the USAID experts questioned how GHF would ensure the safety of Palestinians collecting food packages at its sites; whether its staff had proper humanitarian training and its plans to distribute powdered infant formula in an enclave with scarce access to clean drinking water, the sources said.

Missing sailors feared kidnapped by Houthis after deadly attack on cargo ship-Six rescued from water as Yemeni rebel group takes responsibility for sinking Eternity C, claims it took some crew from Liberian-flagged vessel to a ‘safe location’By Agencies 9 July 2025, 10:18 pm

A Liberian-flagged cargo ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels sank Wednesday in the Red Sea, with a European naval force in the Mideast saying that only six of 25 people who were on board had been rescued.Four of the crew were killed and 15 remained missing, authorities said, as the Houthi group officially claimed responsibility for the attack and raised fears it may have kidnapped some of the missing sailors.Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had attacked the Eternity C as it was heading toward Eilat. The attack was carried out with an unmanned vessel and six cruise and ballistic missiles, he added.Saree said the Houthis had “moved to rescue a number of the ship’s crew, provide them with medical care and transport them to a safe location,” seemingly implying that the terror group may have kidnapped some members of the crew.“After killing their shipmates, sinking their ship and hampering rescue efforts, the Houthi terrorists have kidnapped many surviving crew members of the Eternity C. We call for their immediate and unconditional safe release,” the US embassy said in a statement on X.The attack on the Eternity C represents the most serious assault carried out by the Houthis in the crucial maritime trade route that once saw $1 trillion in cargo pass through annually.????⚡️ BREAKING:Yemeni Houthi group has released footage of the targeting and sinking of the cargo ship Eternity C in the Red Sea.U.S. Embassy in Yemen:“The Houthis have taken the ship’s crew hostage. We demand their immediate release.”The ship had 22 crew members onboard:… pic.twitter.com/rAyIpTGOXJ— RussiaNews ???????? (@mog_russEN) July 9, 2025A statement from the European Union naval mission in the Red Sea said the crew of the ship included 22 sailors, among them 21 Filipinos and one Russian, as well as a three-member security team. Those rescued were five Filipinos and one Indian, and another 15 people are considered missing, including a Greek member of the security team.Four of the 25 people aboard the Eternity C cargo ship were killed before the rest of the crew abandoned the vessel, which sank on Wednesday morning after being attacked on Monday and Tuesday, sources at security companies involved in a rescue operation said.The six seafarers who were rescued had spent more than 24 hours in the water, they said. The EU force earlier said one of the wounded crew had lost his leg.“We will continue to search for the remaining crew until the last light,” said an official at Greece-based maritime risk management firm Diaplous.Two security sources told Reuters that the vessel was hit with sea drones on Tuesday, forcing the crew and armed guards to abandon it. The Houthis stayed with the vessel until the early hours of Wednesday, one of the sources said.In November 2023, the Houthis hijacked and captured the “Galaxy Leader” vessel, kidnapping its crew of 25 people — who hailed from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico — and only freeing them in January 2025. Israel carried out airstrikes on the vessel as part of a larger operation earlier this week.The EU force said that the armed rebels had attacked the Eternity C on Monday with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms, later using two drones and two drone boats carrying bombs to strike the vessel. The Eternity C sank at 7:50 a.m. on Wednesday, it added.The ship likely had been targeted like the Magic Seas was on Sunday over its firm doing business with Israel. Neither vessel apparently requested an escort from the EU force.Both of the ships that were attacked flew Liberia flags and were operated by Greek firms. Some of the sister vessels in each of their wider fleets had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year, shipping data analysis showed.The US military has two aircraft carriers in the Mideast, the USS Nimitz and the USS Carl Vinson, but both are likely in the Arabian Sea, far from the site of the attacks. There are two American destroyers believed to be operating in the Red Sea. However, the ships attacked had no US ties and a ceasefire between the Houthis and America announced after the bombing campaign earlier this year still appears to be holding.From November 2023 until the following December, the Houthis targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones in a campaign the rebels describe as supporting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. The Iranian-backed rebels stopped their attacks during a brief ceasefire in the war. They later became the target of an intense weekslong campaign of airstrikes ordered by US President Donald Trump.The attack on the Eternity C, as well as the sinking of the bulk carrier Magic Seas in another attack Sunday, raises new questions about the Red Sea’s safety as ships had slowly begun returning to its waters. The assaults are the first Houthi attacks on shipping since late 2024 in the waterway that had begun to see more ships pass through in recent weeks.The attacks on the ships drew immediate international condemnation.“We are now with grave concern seeing an escalation in the Red Sea with attacks on two commercial ships earlier this week by Ansar Allah, resulting in civilian loss of life and casualties as well as the potential for environmental damage,” warned United Nations special envoy Hans Grundberg, using another name for the rebels.“These attacks demonstrate the ongoing threat that Iran-backed Houthi rebels pose to freedom of navigation and to regional economic and maritime security,” US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. “The United States has been clear: We will continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and commercial shipping from Houthi terrorist attacks.”Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Saudi, Syrian figures visit Knesset to talk up chances for normalization-Syrian activist Shadi Martini tells lobby new president called peace with Israel a ‘unique opportunity’; Gulf journalist Abdulaziz Alkhamis says Israel must commit ‘to coexistence’By Nava Freiberg-and ToI Staff 9 July 2025, 7:25 pm

A Syrian activist who paid a rare visit to the Knesset Wednesday said new Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa had called the movement toward forging peace with Israel a once-in-a-century opportunity, but worried the chance could slip away.Businessman and political activist Shadi Martini recalled his meeting with Sharaa while speaking at the inaugural conference of a Knesset lobby aimed at advancing a regional security arrangement, attending alongside Saudi journalist Abdulaziz Alkhamis.The two attended the meeting of the Lobby for Advancing a Regional Security Arrangement against the backdrop of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington and public optimism about potentially expanding the Abraham Accords normalization agreements. The lobby was jointly founded by opposition MKs Ram Ben Barak, Gilad Kariv and Alon Schuster.Speaking in English about new opportunities for cooperation between Israel and the new Syrian government, Martini — who fled Syria during its civil war in 2012 — told lawmakers at the conference that he had an “interesting meeting” with Sharaa around two weeks ago.“I was with two other colleagues, one is a priest and one is a rabbi… We entered the presidential palace in Damascus. I really appreciated that meeting. It went on for two hours, and the topic of Israel was dominant,” he said.Martini noted that “one thing that stuck with me that President al-Sharaa said was: ‘We only have these opportunities one time every 100 years, it’s a very unique opportunity, but the window will not always stay open.'”He suggested that Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah last year and the killing of the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, were the key events that allowed opposition forces in Syria to rapidly overthrow the government in December: “For Syrians, we were very happy with what Israel did, we really appreciated it.”That sentiment, however, was reversed by extensive Israeli military activity in Syria in the wake of Bashar al-Assad’s fall, he said.“Israel needs to explain what’s the end game here,” he said, decrying Israeli troops blocking Syrian farmers from accessing their land on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. “We need to understand.”Martini noted that he was born and raised with strong “negative stereotypes” about Israelis, and was surprised to hear from Israelis who reached out to help him and his family amid the civil war.Trust, he said, “is one big commodity that is lacking in the Middle East.”He described Hamas’s October 7 attack as a “huge, huge tragedy, and a massacre,” expressing hopes for a ceasefire and the return of the hostages, enabling “the Palestinian people in Gaza to be able to go home and live peacefully.”Also addressing the meeting on Wednesday, Alkhamis pointed out that “from the Saudi lens,” the fate of Palestinians in Gaza “lies [at] the heart of the matter.”“No state can expect to be impressed when our people next door are encaged and disenfranchised,” he said in English. “Normalization from Saudi Arabia’s perspective is not merely a dual agreement, it’s a regional realignment, and such realignment must include a credible and tangible path to Palestinian sovereignty.”Israel must commit “not just to security but to coexistence,” Alkhamis added. “From Riyadh to Abu Dhabi, the lesson is not about who won the battle, but what comes after.”“Today Saudi Arabia and Israel stand at the edge of a new era, one shared not by old slogans but shared interests — energy transition, economic modernization, AI innovation, climate security, Red Sea security,” he continued. “Do we cling to the 20th century, with its borders soaked in blood and ideologies stuck in time? Or do we redraw the map — geopolitically, economically, morally?”Israel and Saudi Arabia were reportedly on the verge of signing a normalization deal before Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, which set off the ongoing Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza, currently in its 22nd month. Saudi leaders have indicated in recent months that they are still interested in normalizing ties with Israel, but it would only come after a ceasefire and include a commitment to establishing a Palestinian state.Also speaking at the conference, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said that if Sharaa were to take demands for the Golan Heights off the table in a potential peace agreement, he intends for Israel to lead a regional effort to help rebuild Syria.“I told the Emiratis in Abu Dhabi: We will know how to build a complete regional coalition around [Sharaa] that will assist in the reconstruction of Syria if he takes the Golan Heights issue out of the equation,” declared Lapid, who briefly served as prime minister in 2022.Lapid held a brief meeting last week with Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan during his visit to Abu Dhabi.Last week, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that Israel is interested in expanding “the circle of peace,” including with Syria and Lebanon, adding that the Golan Heights “will remain part of Israel” under any future peace agreement.The fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria last year opened up the previously unthinkable possibility of Jerusalem and Damascus cementing a peace deal, with interim Syrian leader Sharaa not ruling out such a deal. Israeli officials have admitted that the two nations are in “advanced talks” on a bilateral agreement to end hostilities between them that would stop short of a full peace deal.While Netanyahu declined to reveal earlier this week whether Israel is engaged in direct talks with Syria, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi told Israel Hayom last month that “there is direct daily dialogue at all levels between Israel and the regime in Syria.”Israeli officials initially branded Syria’s new rulers “terrorists” due to their al-Qaeda-linked past, and the Israeli Air Force waged a fierce campaign of aerial bombardment on what it said were military targets across the country. The hostilities have subsided since mid-May, when US President Donald Trump turned decades of American policy on its head by lifting sanctions on Syria and meeting Sharaa in Riyadh.

Troops destroy Hezbollah arms in rare southern Lebanon ground raids, IDF says-Infantry forces inside Lebanon operated in Jabal Blat, Labbouneh areas, about a kilometer from border; Hezbollah commander killed in Tuesday night drone strike, army announces By Emanuel Fabian-9 July 2025, 4:36 pm

Israeli ground troops raided several sites inside Lebanon in recent days, destroying Hezbollah weapon depots and other infrastructure, the Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday.The announcement of the rare special operations in the Lebanon’s south, where Israel has kept troops deployed at five points just north of the border since a November 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah, came days after a US envoy expressed optimism about pushing ahead with a plan to disarm the Iran-backed terror group.According to the Israel Defense Forces, soldiers of the 300th “Baram” Regional Brigade who raided a site in the Jabal Blat area — around a kilometer from the Israeli border — located a Hezbollah compound that included a weapons depot and firing positions. The military said the troops demolished the site.In another raid, the IDF said reservists of the Oded Brigade located weapons hidden in a forested area near Labbouneh — just across from the western portion of the border — including a multiple rocket launcher, a machine gun, and dozens of explosive devices. The weapons were also destroyed.In the same area, the soldiers also located an underground site used by Hezbollah to store weapons, and it was demolished by combat engineers, the IDF said.Under the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah was required to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani River and dismantle all military infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Israel was to withdraw from Lebanon, while maintaining the right to strike threats to its security.Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire have been frequent in the months since, but IDF ground operations by troops beyond the areas of the five posts have been much rarer.The “special, targeted” raids were launched “following intelligence information and the identification of Hezbollah weapons and terrorist infrastructure in several areas of southern Lebanon,” and were intended to “prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing itself in the area,” the military said in a statement.The IDF also announced that a Hezbollah commander had been killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon a night earlier.The strike in the town of Babliyeh, south of Sidon, killed Hussein Ali Muzhir, who the IDF said was the commander of Hezbollah’s firepower in the Zahrani River area, under the terror group’s Badr regional division.“As part of his role, Hussein advanced numerous [rocket] fire attacks toward the State of Israel and IDF troops. Additionally, recently he was involved in attempts to restore the artillery capabilities of the Hezbollah terror group in southern Lebanon,” the military said in a statement.The IDF said his actions “constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”Israel says it has killed over 180 Hezbollah operatives in strikes against the terror group since the late November ceasefire, alleging violations of the truce agreement.The ceasefire agreement brought to an end more than a year of fighting with the Iran-backed Hezbollah, including two months of open war in southern Lebanon late last year.Hezbollah began attacking military outposts and communities in northern Israel unprovoked on October 8, 2023, in a show of support for fellow Iranian terror proxy Hamas in Gaza after it led an invasion and onslaught in southern Israel a day earlier.On Monday, US envoy Thomas Barrack said he was “unbelievably satisfied” satisfied by the response of Lebanon’s authorities to a request to disarm Hezbollah, part of a process meant to bring a remove the need for Israel to take military action in Lebanon.“It’s thoughtful, it’s considered. We’re creating a go-forward plan,” he said.Hezbollah’s leader Naim Qassem said Sunday that the group would not give up its weapons.Since the ceasefire, the Lebanese state has been working methodically to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the south of the country, and is estimated to have seized the majority of the terror group’s weapons stockpile in the same area.The IDF says its presence at the five points near the border are necessary to ensure the safety of Israeli communities.AFP contributed to this report.

Trump said he told Putin he’d ‘bomb the sh*t out of Moscow’ if he attacked Ukraine – report-CNN releases audio of Trump at 2024 gathering of donors during election campaign; US president claims to have issued similar warning to China’s Xi over potential Taiwan invasion By Reuters and ToI Staff 9 July 2025, 3:21 pm

US President Donald Trump once said he had threatened to bomb Moscow to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from attacking Ukraine, CNN reported Tuesday.The report cited audio recordings of Trump telling a private gathering of donors amid his election campaign in 2024 that he had once warned Putin that he would “bomb the shit out of Moscow” if Russia attacked Ukraine.Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 before launching an invasion of Ukraine in 2022, sparking the ongoing war.The Kremlin said Wednesday that it was not sure of the veracity of the CNN article.Asked about the report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “I cannot confirm or deny this, even if I wanted to… Whether it is fake or not, we do not know either. There is a lot of fake news these days.”The CNN report did not say when exactly Trump reportedly made the comments about bombing Moscow to Putin.The Washington Post reported that Trump had spoken to Putin by phone last November — after he won the presidential election but before he returned to the White House — and warned him not to escalate in Ukraine. The Kremlin dismissed reports of the phone call as “pure fiction.”The first acknowledged phone call between the men this year took place on February 12.Trump, who promised to swiftly end the war in Ukraine, has grown increasingly frustrated with Putin in recent months as the conflict has dragged on.He directed his ire at the Kremlin chief during a meeting with his cabinet officials at the White House on Tuesday, saying, “We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin.”Trump also said he was considering levying additional sanctions on Moscow.CNN said that Trump also claimed to have delivered a similar warning to Chinese President Xi Jinping over a potential invasion of Taiwan, telling him that the United States would bomb Beijing in response.

A new strategy for destroying Hamas? Trump’s Middle East envoy Witkoff says the latest phased deal is almost finalized, and believes it ‘will lead to lasting peace’. We’ll know soon enough-By David Horovitz-9 July 2025, 3:07 pm

This Editor’s Note was sent out earlier Wednesday in ToI’s weekly update email to members of the Times of Israel Community. To receive these Editor’s Notes as they’re released, join the ToI Community here.US President Donald Trump wants to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible. “We’ve got to get that solved,” he told his cabinet on Tuesday. A deal is close at hand, he indicated. Both Israel and Hamas want it, he said.Added the president’s most trusted envoy, Steve Witkoff: “We think it will lead to a lasting peace in Gaza.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was hurriedly called back to the White House, a day after he, his team and his wife had dinner there. He left more than an hour later, with both he and Trump, uncharacteristically, eschewing meetings with the media before, during or after their talk, at which Vice President JD Vance was also present.Happy, smiling pictures were released, however, including one showing Netanyahu holding a baseball cap emblazoned, “Trump was right about everything!”Plainly, things are cooking.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a cap with the message “Trump was right about everything!,” in a photo posted by the White House on July 8, 2025, after Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Donald Trump. (via X)-Netanyahu has not been prepared to back a one-time deal to end the war in exchange for all the hostages because he fears, he says, that the US and international community will not permit Israel to resume fighting Hamas, when, as it inevitably will, it breaches the terms of any permanent ceasefire.Witkoff helped finalize the last phased hostage-ceasefire deal, in January, but it collapsed in March because Netanyahu was not willing to negotiate substantively on ending the war. Thirty-eight soldiers, a police officer and a civilian Defense Ministry contractor have been killed in Gaza since then.The redoubtable envoy says three of the four areas of dispute that have prevented a new phased accord have been resolved in this week’s “proximity talks” in Doha. “We had four issues and now we’re down to one,” he said on Tuesday.Curiously, however, many reports indicate that the one outstanding issue relates to the specifics of the IDF’s withdrawal in the course of the initial 60-day temporary truce period, during which 10 living and 18 slain hostages held in Gaza are to be freed.Why is this curious? Because the specifics of where the IDF is deployed in those first 60 days would appear to be a relatively marginal issue, given that the ostensible goal of this new phased deal, just like the last one, is to secure a permanent ceasefire in which all of the hostages would be freed, the IDF would fully withdraw from Gaza and the war would be over.If the only unresolved issue is the matter of the IDF’s interim deployment, that would suggest that Hamas, battered and much depleted by 21 months of war, knows that this deal, too, will not in fact lead to a permanent end of hostilities.The last reliable published text of the so-called Witkoff proposal stated that if “negotiations on the arrangement for a permanent ceasefire are not concluded” within the  first 60 days, “the temporary ceasefire may be extended under conditions and for a duration to be agreed upon by the parties so long as the parties are negotiating in good faith.” To date, Hamas had been demanding that the phrase “in good faith” be deleted, assessing that Netanyahu would exploit that clause to resume the campaign to destroy its military and governance capacities, and it had been seeking reliable guarantees, from the US and the UN Security Council, that the deal will indeed bring the war to an end.Yet shortly before returning to the White House, Netanyahu held a lengthy session with reporters on Capitol Hill in which he repeated, very deliberately, several times, that Israel remains absolutely and completely “determined to complete all the goals of the war in Gaza: to free all our hostages; to bring about the destruction of Hamas’s military and governance capacities, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel.” He stressed, over and over again: “That means no Hamas. This must be understood.”He further specified that “no Hamas” means “Hamas needs to put down its weapons, to be dismantled, and Gaza demilitarized. We have the power [to achieve this]. I won’t give up on this. And I won’t give up on the hostages.”So Trump wants to end the war. Witkoff believes the deal under discussion can bring lasting peace. Netanyahu insists he’s not compromising on the declared goal of utterly destroying Hamas, as a fundamental requirement for long-term security and stability. And Hamas is reportedly fixated on the location of the IDF for the first 60 days of the agreement? Presumably, we’re missing something here, something wider and still more dramatic. Because as things stand, Hamas will be signing on to an arrangement carefully crafted to ultimately enable its elimination. It knows the deal will not extend beyond the first 60 days because, this time around, just as in March, Netanyahu will not agree to end the war. It will thus use the 60-day temporary ceasefire period to regroup, recruit and rearm. And the war will then resume, with 22 hostages, at least 10 of them alive, still held in captivity.“We are fighting a very cruel, cynical enemy and we don’t need to tell it our plans,” the prime minister noted during that Capitol Hill appearance on Tuesday. Twenty-one months into the war, achieving all of Israel’s goals, he added cryptically, “entails a certain strategy, which I will not detail here.”Let’s hope the Israeli and US leaderships have found one. We’ll know soon enough.

UK, France to enable 'co-ordinated' nuclear deterrent.

London, July 9 (AFP) Jul 09, 2025-The UK and France will declare that the two nations' nuclear deterrents, while independent, can be co-ordinated and that they will jointly respond to any "extreme threat to Europe," both countries said Wednesday.The declaration, to be signed Thursday, will state that the respective deterrents of both countries remain under national control "but can be co-ordinated, and that there is no extreme threat to Europe that would not prompt a response by both nations," the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the French presidency said in an overnight statement.French President Emmanuel Macron will sign the agreement Thursday as he wraps up his three-day state visit to the UK with a bilateral summit, where the allies will "reboot" defence ties with a focus on joint missile development and nuclear co-operation.France's leader and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-host the London summit, with the two sides also expected to discuss maintaining support for Ukraine and curbing undocumented cross-Channel immigration.Ahead of the gathering, which follows two days of varied events spanning pomp and politics, trade and culture, France and Britain announced their "defence relationship" will be "refreshed".It will see London and Paris order more Storm Shadow cruise missiles -- long-range, air-launched weapons jointly developed by the two countries and called SCALP by the French -- while stepping up work on a replacement system.The missiles have been shipped to Ukraine in significant numbers in recent years to help Kyiv in its war with Russia.The new partnerships herald a new "Entente Industrielle" making "defence an engine for growth", said the MoD."As close partners and NATO allies, the UK and France have a deep history of defence collaboration and today's agreements take our partnership to the next level," Starmer said in the statement.Starmer and Macron will also on Thursday dial into a meeting of the so-called "coalition of the willing" on Ukraine, a group of countries backing the embattled nation.

China denies directing laser at German plane over Red Sea.

Beijing, July 9 (AFP) Jul 09, 2025-Beijing dismissed on Wednesday claims by Berlin that the Chinese military had directed a laser at a German aircraft over the Red Sea as "completely inconsistent with the facts".The foreign ministry in Berlin said on Tuesday that a German aircraft participating in a "routine" EU-led mission to protect marine traffic in the Red Sea had been targeted by a laser, endangering personnel.Its counterpart in Beijing rejected the accusation."Both sides should adopt a pragmatic attitude, strengthen communication in a timely manner, and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.She said Chinese naval vessels had been carrying out escort duties in the Gulf of Aden and in Somali waters, "contributing to the safety of international shipping lanes".Berlin however on Wednesday insisted its findings were based on a "thorough investigation"."We expressed our position and our findings very clearly and very explicitly (to the Chinese ambassador), and of course also our expectation that incidents of this kind will not be repeated," foreign ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said.Defence ministry spokesman Mitko Mueller added that "we have clear evidence that a Chinese warship used a laser against our aircraft".When reporting the alleged incident on Tuesday, Berlin had said the reconnaissance aircraft involved had been forced to abandon its mission and returned to a base in Djibouti.It was not immediately clear whether the laser was a weapon or a laser guidance system.The Bild daily said the incident took place on July 2 near the Yemeni coast and involved a "blinding laser" aimed at disrupting the operation of an aircraft.China has been accused several times in recent years of using lasers in similar incidents.It established its first permanent overseas naval base in Djibouti in 2016, reportedly at a cost of $590 million and strategically placed between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.Beijing has said the base is used to resupply navy ships, support regional peacekeeping and humanitarian operations and combat piracy, although its proximity to a US military base has raised concerns of espionage.The Philippines said in February 2023 a Chinese military vessel had used a military-grade laser against one of its patrol boats in the disputed South China Sea.In 2022, Australia said the Chinese army had directed a laser at one of its surveillance aircraft in an "act of intimidation".

Ukraine says Russia launched largest drone, missile attack of war.

Kyiv, Ukraine, July 9 (AFP) Jul 09, 2025-Russia pummelled Ukraine with its largest missile and drone attack in more than three years of war, claiming to have targeted an airfield in a region bordering EU and NATO member Poland.The attack comes after US Donald Trump said he would ramp up arms deliveries to Ukraine and accused his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of talking "bullshit" on Ukraine.AFP journalists in Kyiv heard explosions ringing out and drones buzzing over the capital after air raid sirens sounded.The latest strike beat a previous Russian record of 550 drones and missiles set last week.The air force said Russia attacked with 728 drones and 13 missiles, adding that its air defence systems intercepted 711 drones and destroyed seven missiles."This is a telling attack -- and it comes precisely at a time when so many efforts have been made to achieve peace, to establish a ceasefire, and yet only Russia continues to rebuff them all," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on social media.Zelensky, who arrived in Rome later ahead of meetings with the pope and president, called for allies to step up sanctions on Russia, particularly targeting its energy sector, an important revenue stream for the Russian war chest.- Russia advances on front -"Our partners know how to apply pressure in a way that will force Russia to think about ending the war, not launching new strikes," Zelensky added.Kyiv has repeatedly accused China of supplying parts and technologies central to the Russian drone and missile program, and urged the West to step up penalties.On Wednesday, its security services announced it had detained two Chinese nationals accused of attempting to smuggle missile technology out of the war-torn country.Igor Polishchuk, the mayor of the western city of Lutsk whose surrounding region borders Poland, said fires had broken out at an "enterprise," but that no one had been reported killed or wounded.The Russian defence ministry said its "long-range" and "precision" strike had targeted military airfield infrastructure claiming that "all designated targets were destroyed." There was no response to that claim in Kyiv.Russia's latest record barrage comes just after the United States U-turned on an announcement that it would reduce some weapons supplies to Ukraine."It is quite telling that Russia carried out this attack just as the United States publicly announced that it would supply us with weapons," the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, wrote on social media.A representative of Ukraine's air force said new Ukrainian drones had played an important role in thwarting the Russian attack. Another official said most of the drones launched were decoys.The Kremlin meanwhile said Wednesday it was unfazed about Trump's comments about Putin."Let's just say that Trump in general has quite a harsh rhetorical style in terms of the phrases he uses," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.Two rounds of direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations since Trump returned to the White House have resulted in an increase in prisoner exchanges but no progress on securing a ceasefire, proposed by the United States and Ukraine.The Kremlin has since said it sees no diplomatic path out of the conflict, launched by Moscow in February 2022, and vowed to pursue its war aims -- effectively seeking to conquer Ukraine and remove its political leadership.Ukraine has also sought to increase its own attacks on Russia, with Moscow's defence ministry saying Wednesday its air defence units had downed 86 unmanned aerial vehicles, mainly over western regions of the country.The exchange of aerial broadsides come as Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground at key sectors of the sprawling front line in eastern Ukraine.The Russian defence ministry announced the capture of another village, Tolstoy, on Wednesday in the eastern Donetsk region, which the Kremlin has claimed as part of Russia since 2022, despite not fully controlling it. 

Gaza civil defence says 20 killed in Israeli air strikes.

Gaza City, Palestinian Territories, July 9 (AFP) Jul 09, 2025-Gaza's civil defence agency on Wednesday said that 20 people, including at least six children, were killed in two Israeli air strikes overnight in the Palestinian territory.Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP the first hit a tent housing displaced people in Khan Yunis in the south shortly after midnight local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) and the second struck a camp in the north soon afterwards.The Israeli military said it was looking into the report when contacted by AFP.The bombings came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US President Donald Trump in Washington and discussed the ongoing campaign to defeat Hamas in Gaza.Afterwards, he restated Israel's aims to secure the release of all hostages taken during the Palestinian militants' October 7, 2023 attack, and "the elimination" of its "military and governing capabilities".Gaza's civil defence agency said 29 people were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Tuesday, with victims also including people displaced by 21 months of conflict.Bassal said the first strike on Wednesday killed 10 members of the same family sheltering in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis while the second, on the Al-Shati camp near Gaza City, also left more than 30 wounded.The victims were from two families, he added."The explosion was massive, like an earthquake," said Zuhair Judeh, 40, who saw the Al-Shati air strike."It destroyed the house and several nearby homes. The bodies and remains of the martyrs were scattered," he added, calling it "a horrific massacre".Several people remained missing, presumed trapped under the rubble, he said.Abeer al-Sharbasi, 36, described the air strike as "terrifying" and said it happened as she and her family were asleep in a nearby tent."You can't predict when or why they'll bomb you. We have nothing left but to surrender ourselves to God."Due to restrictions imposed on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties accessing the area, AFP is unable to independently verify the death tolls and details shared by the parties involved.Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.Of 251 hostages seized during attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,575 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The UN considers the figures reliable.

Visa's 24/7 war room takes on global cybercriminals.

Ashburn, United States, July 7 (AFP) Jul 07, 2025-In the heart of Data Center Alley -- a patch of suburban Washington where much of the world's internet traffic flows -- Visa operates its global fraud command center.The numbers that the payments giant grapples with are enormous. Every year, $15 trillion flows through Visa's networks, representing roughly 15 percent of the world's economy. And bad actors constantly try to syphon off some of that money.Modern fraudsters vary dramatically in sophistication.To stay ahead, Visa has invested $12 billion over the past five years building AI-powered cyber fraud detection capabilities, knowing that criminals are also spending big."You have everybody from a single individual threat actor looking to make a quick buck all the way to really corporatized criminal organizations that generate tens or hundreds of millions of dollars annually from fraud and scam activities," Michael Jabbara, Visa's global head of fraud solutions, told AFP during a tour of the company's security campus."These organizations are very structured in how they operate."The best-resourced criminal syndicates now focus on scams that directly target consumers, enticing them into purchases or transactions by manipulating their emotions."Consumers are continuously vulnerable. They can be exploited, and that's where we've seen a much higher incidence of attacks recently," Jabbara said.- Scam centers -The warning signs are clear: anything that seems too good to be true online is suspicious, and romance opportunities with strangers from distant countries are especially dangerous."What you don't realize is that the person you're chatting with is more likely than not in a place like Myanmar," Jabbara warned.He said human-trafficking victims are forced to work in multi-billion-dollar cyber scam centers built by Asian crime networks in Myanmar's lawless border regions.The most up-to-date fraud techniques are systematic and quietly devastating.Once criminals obtain your card information, they automatically distribute it across numerous merchant websites that generate small recurring charges -- amounts low enough that victims may not notice for months.Some of these operations increasingly resemble legitimate tech companies, offering services and digital products to fraudsters much like Google or Microsoft cater to businesses.On the dark web, criminals can purchase comprehensive fraud toolkits."You can buy the software. You can buy a tutorial on how to use the software. You can get access to a mule network on the ground or you can get access to a bot network" to carry out denial-of-service attacks that overwhelm servers with traffic, effectively shutting them down.Just as cloud computing lowered barriers for startups by eliminating the need to build servers, "the same type of trend has happened in the cyber crime and fraud space," Jabbara explained.These off-the-shelf services can also enable bad actors to launch brute force attacks on an industrial scale -- using repeated payment attempts to crack a card's number, expiry date, and security code.The sophistication extends to corporate-style management, Jabbara said.Some criminal organizations now employ chief risk officers who determine operational risk appetite.They might decide that targeting government infrastructure and hospitals generates an excessive amount of attention from law enforcement and is too risky to pursue.- 'Millions of attacks' -To combat these unprecedented threats, Jabbara leads a payment scam disruption team focused on understanding criminal methodologies.From a small room called the Risk Operations Center in Virginia, employees analyze data streams on multiple screens, searching for patterns that distinguish fraudulent activity from legitimate credit card use.In the larger Cyber Fusion Center, staff monitor potential cyberattacks targeting Visa's own infrastructure around the clock."We deal with millions of attacks across different parts of our network," Jabbara noted, emphasizing that most are handled automatically without human intervention.Visa maintains identical facilities in London and Singapore, ensuring 24-hour global vigilance.

Taiwan kicks off military drills in face of China threat.

Taipei, July 9 (AFP) Jul 09, 2025-Taiwan kicked off its largest military drills Wednesday with regular troops joined by a record mobilisation of reservists for 10 days of training aimed at defending against a Chinese invasion.The annual "Han Kuang" exercises, which are being held at the same time as civilian defence drills, will run from July 9-18 and feature newly delivered US high-tech rocket systems.The self-ruled island democracy faces the constant threat of an invasion by China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it.Chinese military pressure has intensified in recent years, with Beijing deploying fighter jets and warships around the island on a near-daily basis.In the lead-up to the drills Wednesday, Taiwan detected 31 sorties by Chinese military aircraft and seven warships around the island in the 24 hours to 6:00 am (2200 GMT Tuesday), according to the defence ministry.Taiwan has boosted defence spending and acquired smaller and more nimble weaponry, including drones, to enable its military to wage asymmetric warfare against its more powerful foe.Twenty-two thousand reservists -- the largest ever call-up -- are participating in this year's drills, having begun a training programme Saturday.Reservist training includes familiarisation with rifles, squad and platoon machine guns, and tactical manoeuvres."Because these reservists have been discharged and away for a long time, upon return they need to undergo specialty refresher training," said an army officer who asked not to be named.On Wednesday, reservists wearing camouflage uniforms, helmets and boots were put through their paces, practising cleaning, assembling and aiming 65K2 rifles and machine guns.Taipei is eager to show the world, especially its key security backer Washington, that it is serious about boosting its military capability.The drills will "let the international community know that we are determined to defend ourselves, and to pass on to China that the nation's military has the confidence and ability to defend a free and democratic life", Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo said recently.This year's drills have been extended to 10 days and nine nights, from five days and four nights last year.- 'Grey zone' scenario -The Han Kuang began in 1984 when the island was still under martial law.Troops will simulate various scenarios including "grey zone harassment" -- tactics that fall short of an act of war -- as well as "long-range precision strikes" to combat a Chinese invasion in 2027, defence officials have said.Officials in the United States -- Taipei's biggest arms supplier -- have previously cited 2027 as a possible timeline for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.Recently delivered High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from the United States will be used during the drills.There will also be a separate live fire event involving US-made advanced M1A2 Abrams tanks.Taiwanese defence officials have been closely monitoring the war in Ukraine and their use of a decentralised command and control structure."When we think practically about combat, we consider what kind of scenario Taiwan might face," a senior defence official said on the eve of the drills."Commanders at all levels need to be able to decide what to do based on their understanding of their superior's intent. This usually requires peacetime training to build up their awareness in this regard."The exercises are being held as President Lai Ching-te, who is a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty, tours the island delivering speeches aimed at "uniting the country".China has carried out several large-scale military drills around Taiwan since Lai took office last year, as the island rejects China's sovereignty stance.China specialists at risk analysis firm Eurasia Group said Beijing was "likely" to carry out more military exercises at the end of July.

US sanctions UN expert Francesca Albanese, critic of Israel's Gaza offensive-Tom Bateman - State department correspondent-Wed, July 9, 2025 at 8:36 p.m. EDT

The Trump administration is imposing sanctions on the UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, an outspoken critic of Israel's military offensive in Gaza.Secretary of State Marco Rubio linked the move to her support for the International Criminal Court (ICC), some of whose judges have already been sanctioned by the US.Rubio said the US was sanctioning Albanese for directly engaging with the ICC in its efforts to prosecute American or Israeli nationals, accusing her of being unfit for service as a UN Special Rapporteur.The sanctions are likely to prevent Albanese from travelling to the US and would block any assets she has in the country.In a post on X, Albanese did not directly address the sanctions, but wrote: "[O]n this day more than ever: I stand firmly and convincingly on the side of justice, as I have always done."The message, in which the Italy-born special rapporteur reposted a thread of support for ICC, said she came from the court's founding country, where lawyers and judges had "defended justice at great cost and often with their own life"."I intend to honor that tradition," she added in the post.Albanese declined to comment to the BBC, but was quoted by Al Jazeera as describing the sanctions as "mafia style intimidation techniques".It is the latest escalation by the Trump administration as it wages a campaign against the ICC, having already sanctioned four of its judges.The US took the action after the court last year issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, accusations they reject.Rubio also accused Albanese of having "spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism, and open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West".The move is likely to provoke a fierce backlash from those who argue for accountability over the civilian death toll from Israel's military offensive in Gaza.The special rapporteur has long argued that Western governments are not doing enough to support the rights of Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories.Her outspoken stance has attracted significant support among those who accuse Israeli and US leaders of weaponising accusations of antisemitism in order to silence scrutiny of their policies.Her critics have pointed to language used in the past by Albanese, including a 2014 comment when she suggested the "Jewish lobby" was influencing US government decisions when it came to Israel and the Palestinians.She is since reported to have said she regretted the remark, but rejected claims it was antisemitic.The head of Amnesty International and former UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard said she was dismayed by the decision to sanction Albanese."Governments around the world and all actors who believe in the rule-based order and international law must do everything in their power to mitigate and block the effect of the sanctions against Francesca Albanese," she said.Rubio said Albanese had shown contempt for the US by writing "threatening letters" to several US companies, making what he called unfounded accusations and recommending the ICC pursue prosecutions of the companies and their executives."We will not tolerate these campaigns of political and economic warfare, which threaten our national interests and sovereignty," Rubio said.Earlier this month Albanese called on dozens of multinational companies to stop doing business with Israel, warning them they risked being complicit in war crimes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.She said the companies "profited from the Israeli economy of illegal occupation, apartheid, and now genocide" in the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel rejected her report as "groundless", saying it would "join the dustbin of history".Albanese has criticised Donald Trump's plan, announced in February, to take over the Gaza Strip and displace its residents elsewhere."It's unlawful, immoral and... completely irresponsible because it will make the regional crisis even worse," she said in February.The timing of the sanctions announcement is notable with Netanyahu currently in Washington, where he received an extended honour cordon at the Pentagon on Wednesday.Albanese has previously rejected similar claims against her, telling the BBC in October: "I don't take these remarks and the defamation they carry lightly, but at the same time, I know this is not about me, as my predecessors knew that it was not about them."I also know these member states [making accusations of antisemitism] have done absolutely nothing to abide by international law."Her office has been approached for comment.Some 125 countries are parties to the Rome Statute that established the ICC and are protected by it, as well as bound by their membership to uphold the court's decisions.The US, like Israel, is not a member of the court.It has sided with Israel, its staunch ally, which it has armed throughout the Gaza war, against the Netanyahu arrest warrant, while many European countries have said they respect the court's independence in the case.The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.At least 57,575 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.Most of Gaza's population has also been displaced multiple times. More than 90% of homes are estimated to be damaged or destroyed; the healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene systems have collapsed; and there are shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.

Netanyahu, Trump Push Gaza Truce as IDF Expands Operations Against Hamas and West Bank Militants July 9, 2025

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. President Donald Trump for the second time in 24 hours on Tuesday, continuing urgent discussions over a possible ceasefire agreement in Gaza and efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.The 90-minute closed-door meeting, held in the Oval Office, followed a lengthy dinner the previous night—Netanyahu’s fourth face-to-face with Trump in six months and part of his third official visit since Trump began his second term in January.Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, President Trump emphasized the importance of resolving the Gaza conflict, calling it a “tragedy” that he, Netanyahu, and even Hamas are motivated to end.Following the meeting, Netanyahu stated that talks centered on efforts to free the remaining hostages in Gaza. “We are not letting up for a moment,” he said, crediting Israel’s military pressure for sustaining momentum. He reaffirmed Israel’s aim to dismantle Hamas’s military and governing structures to ensure Gaza never again threatens Israeli security.Netanyahu also conferred briefly with Vice President JD Vance after the Trump meeting. The Prime Minister noted they discussed regional opportunities following what he described as Israel’s “great victory” over Iran. He said this shift could expand the Abraham Accords and deepen regional cooperation.In a symbolic gesture, Netanyahu presented Trump with a mezuzah shaped like a B-2 bomber, a nod to the American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites last month.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the administration is backing a ceasefire plan, already approved by Israel, and is pressing Hamas to accept the Qatar-mediated proposal. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Doha to support those negotiations.A senior official told Israel Hayom that Washington sees Qatar as key to pushing Hamas toward an agreement, especially now that Jerusalem has accepted the latest deal.Qatari spokesperson Majed Al Ansari confirmed that while formal negotiations haven’t begun, preliminary efforts are underway to set a framework.Trump last week suggested a breakthrough could be near. “There’s a good chance we’ll have a deal this week,” he said, hinting that several of the 50 remaining hostages—20 of whom are believed alive—may soon be freed.Israeli Forces Arrest Militant Planning Terror Network in Jenin-Israeli security forces arrested a terror suspect in the northern Samaria town of Al-Yamun overnight, foiling a plot to establish a new militant network in the volatile Jenin area, the IDF reported early Wednesday.The operation was led jointly by the IDF and Shin Bet and relied on targeted intelligence. In a separate but related raid in the village of Bir al-Basha, four armed individuals were detained and six illegal weapons were confiscated.Further counter-terrorism sweeps across Judea and Samaria led to the arrest of six more suspects involved in terror activities, according to the military. All detainees were handed over for further interrogation. No injuries to Israeli personnel were reported.Later in the day, Israeli forces launched a brigade-level counter-terror operation in the village of Surif, near Bat Ayin. The move came after locals reportedly threw rocks and torched cars near the Jewish community overnight. Two suspects were arrested and dozens of buildings were searched.In a separate incident, six Israeli civilians were rescued overnight from Palestinian-controlled areas in Judea and Samaria. According to the Civil Administration, the individuals mistakenly entered high-risk zones, including Jericho, Qalqilya, and Bethlehem, and were safely returned with assistance from both Israeli and Palestinian officials.The IDF also announced it will demolish the homes of four Palestinian terrorists responsible for recent deadly attacks. The residences targeted belong to militants linked to shootings and bombings that killed six Israelis and injured nine more. The families were given legal notice and a chance to appeal.Over the weekend, Col. A., commander of the IDF’s Samaria Brigade, reported a 90% increase in counter-terror raids in the region. The intensified efforts, he said, have helped reduce stone-throwing incidents by 75%, bolstering security for local Jewish communities.IDF Encircles Beit Hanoun in Key Offensive Against Hamas-Israeli forces have surrounded the city of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza as part of a sweeping military campaign to eliminate Hamas’s remaining strongholds, the IDF announced Tuesday.The assault, which began Monday night, has come at a heavy price. Five Israeli soldiers were killed and 14 wounded during fierce clashes with Hamas operatives. According to IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effi Defrin, troops advancing alongside armored vehicles encountered a series of explosive traps and came under intense gunfire.The fallen soldiers were all young men in their early twenties, hailing from Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beit Shemesh. The IDF offered condolences to their families, calling the loss “deeply painful.”Beit Hanoun, situated just a mile from the Israeli border, is known for its dense Hamas infrastructure and underground tunnel systems. Defrin explained that controlling the city is essential to securing nearby Israeli towns like Sderot and Nir Am.The Netzah Yehuda Battalion led the charge, killing dozens of Hamas fighters, including senior commanders, and demolishing strategic terror sites. The battalion has operated in multiple conflict zones, including Syria and southern Lebanon.The IDF now controls more than 65% of the Gaza Strip. Five divisions are currently active in Gaza as part of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” targeting Hamas assets in northern, central, and southern parts of the territory.The military also reported the elimination of Taha Abu Ayadeh, the Hamas commander responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, gas station attack near Kibbutz Magen. He was killed on July 1 in an airstrike in Khan Yunis.In Shejaiya and Zeitoun—eastern Gaza neighborhoods—troops found a cache of explosive devices hidden in civilian buildings. Operations elsewhere dismantled Hamas weapons facilities and anti-tank posts, and airstrikes hit over 100 targets in the past 24 hours.IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited southern Gaza this week to assess operations firsthand. Addressing troops, he emphasized the mission: dismantle Hamas, bring the hostages home, and restore security to Israeli communities.“We are determined to reach every goal we’ve set,” Zamir declared. “We will continue with resolve, with strength—and we will achieve victory.”

From Doorpost to Ear: Netanyahu’s Mezuzah Gift Honors Trump’s Divine Protection-Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz-July 9, 2025

The enduring partnership between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump was powerfully demonstrated during their recent dinner meeting, where Netanyahu presented Trump with a mezuzah crafted in the distinctive shape of an American B-2 bomber. This meaningful gift honored the US aircraft that successfully struck Iran’s nuclear facility at Fordo, representing the deep military cooperation and shared security interests that have defined their relationship.The exchange of meaningful gifts has become a cherished tradition between these two leaders, reflecting their mutual respect and shared commitment to Israeli security. Five months prior, Netanyahu had presented Trump with both a golden pager and a standard pager, commemorating the highly successful pager operation that targeted Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon. Trump’s immediate recognition of the operation’s significance—stating “That was a tremendous operation”—demonstrated his intimate knowledge of and support for Israel’s security efforts.The choice of a mezuzah as a gift carries profound spiritual meaning. A mezuzah contains a parchment inscribed with the Shema Yisrael prayer, beginning with “Hear, O Israel, the Lord (is) our God, the Lord is One.” The parchment must be prepared from a kosher animal and hand-written by a God-fearing Jew using specific ink and a quill. When affixed to doorposts, it serves as a visible reminder of the covenant between the Jewish people and God.The mezuzah’s historical significance traces back to the lamb’s blood painted on Jewish homes’ lintels to protect them from the angel of death before the Exodus from Egypt. The back of the parchment bears “Shaddai,” one of God’s names, whose letters also represent “shomer daltot yisrael”—the guardian of the doors of Israel.The gift of a mezuzah may have been an oblique hint at Trump’s miraculous salvation from an attempted assassination in July 2024 when a bullet narrowly missed, wounding him in his right ear. Many Bible scholars noted the similarity to the laws regarding a Hebrew slave who chooses not to go out to freedom on the seventh year. The slave is brought to a doorpost and his ear pierced with an awl. The medieval French Biblical commentator Rashi, quoting the Midrash, explains that the ear was chosen for piercing for two reasons. One reason offered is that it was the ear that heard from Heaven that we must be in the constant service of God, as is explicitly stated in the Shema written in the Mezuzah on the doorpost. Yet the slave chose to ignore his ear and the mezuzah, says Rashi, and chose to serve a human master instead.This connection between divine protection, doorposts, and ears resonates deeply with Jewish tradition and may reflect Netanyahu’s recognition of Trump’s providential preservation to continue his support for Israel.The Netanyahu-Trump relationship represents more than diplomatic courtesy—it embodies a genuine alliance between leaders who share fundamental values regarding Israel’s security, regional stability, and the importance of strong US-Israel cooperation. Their exchange of symbolic gifts reflects the deep personal trust and mutual appreciation that have characterized their partnership.The B-2 bomber mezuzah stands as a unique symbol of this relationship: combining American military capability with Jewish spiritual tradition, representing both the practical support the United States provides to Israel and the spiritual bond that connects the two nations’ destinies.

Evangelical Leaders Call on Trump to Stand with Israel’s Biblical Covenant in Open Letter-Picture of Staff Writer-Staff Writer-July 6, 2025

A group of prominent evangelical leaders has penned an urgent open letter to President Donald Trump, calling on him to recognize Israel’s biblical right to its covenant land without restriction and warning against any attempts to divide the Holy Land through diplomatic pressure.The letter, dated July 5, 2025, arrives amid ongoing Middle East tensions and active diplomatic negotiations in the region. The signatories appeal directly to Trump’s previous pro-Israel record while urging him to take an even stronger stance based on biblical principles.“You have done more for Israel than all U.S. Presidents combined,” the letter begins, praising Trump’s previous actions, including moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal.However, the evangelical leaders are calling for something unprecedented: complete restraint from pressuring Israel on matters concerning what they term “covenant land” — the biblical territories of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.“No U.S. president — not George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, Biden, nor even during your first term — successfully controlled Israel’s internal decisions regarding their covenant land,” the letter states. “Each attempt invited instability, judgment, or unintended consequences on America.”The letter grounds its arguments firmly in Scripture, citing Genesis 12:3: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”Most significantly, the authors invoke Genesis 15:18, which they describe as God’s irrevocable covenant: “In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.”“The land of Judea, Samaria, and even Gaza was deeded — not by the UN or any earthly government — but by Almighty God,” the letter declares. “This covenant is irrevocable.”The evangelical leaders issue a stark warning about the consequences of pressuring Israel to divide its land, claiming such actions could result in consequences “far greater than 9/11 or the COVID-19 pandemic.”They argue that both of these catastrophic events followed diplomatic pressure on Israel regarding its covenant land, costing the U.S. over $13 trillion and fundamentally reshaping the nation.“This is not just geopolitics. This is covenant. This is prophetic,” the letter states, citing Joel 3:2 as a warning about God’s judgment on nations that divide His land.The letter makes several concrete requests of the president:
Recognize Israel’s right to act without restriction in its covenant land
Remove any reference to Israel’s land in future Abraham Accords negotiations
Refrain from pressuring Israel into military or political concessions, especially regarding Gaza
Publicly affirm opposition to any two-state plan that divides Israel’s biblical inheritance
Declare that Israel’s boundaries, as defined in Genesis 15:18, are not subject to negotiation
While praising Trump’s Abraham Accords as a diplomatic achievement, the signatories urge him to ensure that future negotiations “categorically exclude any notion of transferring Israel’s covenant land — whether in part or in full — for political or economic incentives.”They emphasize this as a “firm, non-negotiable position” that should be communicated clearly to all Middle East leaders involved in future accord discussions.The letter concludes by referencing Trump’s Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who reportedly reminded the president: “Mr. President, you hear many voices — but the most important of all is His voice. And you know you love Him.”“Now is the time to listen to that voice — and to act accordingly,” the evangelical leaders write, promising daily prayers for God’s wisdom and the Genesis 12:3 blessing promised to those who bless Abraham’s descendants.Several notable evangelical figures sign the letter: Michele Bachmann, the former congresswoman and presidential candidate who has been a longtime advocate for Israel and biblical prophecy; William Koenig, a White House correspondent and author who has written extensively on U.S.-Israel relations from a biblical perspective; Tania Curado-Koenig, who works alongside William Koenig in ministry focused on Israel and prophecy; and Jan Markell, founder of Olive Tree Ministries and a prominent voice in evangelical eschatology and Israel advocacy.The open letter represents a significant moment in evangelical engagement with Middle East policy, directly challenging the president to align U.S. foreign policy with biblical principles rather than conventional diplomatic approaches. Whether the administration will heed this call remains to be seen, but the letter underscores the continued importance of evangelical voices in shaping American policy toward Israel.

IDF Unleashed: Secret Command, Gaza Offensive, and Syrian Counterterror Ops in Full Swing-Zahava Schwartz-July 7, 2025

As Israel launched a major offensive against Iran’s nuclear program on June 13, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) quietly activated a contingency plan designed to safeguard command continuity in case of a decapitation strike by Tehran.Known as the “Shadow General Staff,” this covert command center was led by Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai and comprised primarily of reserve officers. The unit was relocated to an undisclosed location prior to the initial Israeli strikes and remained disconnected from the IDF’s standard communication networks to shield it from potential cyber or physical threats.Its mission: to serve as an emergency leadership hub if Iran managed to disrupt or destroy Israel’s central military command infrastructure — a scenario that ultimately did not unfold.Throughout the 12-day conflict, Iran launched numerous missiles and drones, some aimed at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. One missile landed near the Da Vinci Towers and the Azrieli Center. According to The Telegraph, Iranian attacks hit five Israeli military sites directly.Israel’s first strike reportedly eliminated key Iranian military figures, including the chief of staff of Tehran’s army. Over the following days, more senior commanders were targeted and killed.Meanwhile, Israeli security forces foiled a plot to assassinate Defense Minister Israel Katz. According to Channel 12, two Jewish Israeli citizens were arrested in April on suspicion of working for Iranian intelligence in connection with the plan.IDF Advances in Gaza While Ceasefire Negotiations IntensifyDespite heightened international efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, Israeli ground and air operations continue in full force across the Gaza Strip.As part of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” five IDF divisions are engaged in extensive combat operations targeting Hamas strongholds and infrastructure. The 162nd Armored Division is operating in Gaza’s north, eliminating enemy combatants and dismantling command centers used to plan attacks.In the Gaza City area, the 98th Paratroopers Division has neutralized militants and struck numerous terror-related sites, including observation posts and meeting points. Concurrently, the 99th Reserve Infantry Division has been clearing underground tunnels and surface-level structures tied to Hamas operations.In Beit Hanoun, the 646 Brigade focused on anti-tank positions and military compounds. Farther south, the 143rd “Gaza” Division took out dozens of enemy assets and weapons caches, while the 36th Armored Division remains active around Khan Yunis.The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has been instrumental, conducting strikes throughout Gaza. Over the weekend alone, approximately 130 Hamas-affiliated sites were hit, including command hubs, rocket launchers, and weapons depots.Since the end of a previous ceasefire on March 18, the IAF has carried out more than 7,500 strikes. IDF officials estimate that Israeli forces currently control about 65% of the Gaza Strip.Brig. Gen. Efie Defrin stated that the current phase of the operation is nearing its conclusion and that military leadership is preparing to present new recommendations to government officials. He emphasized that Hamas’s governing capabilities have been significantly undermined, and efforts are underway to prevent the group from regrouping.IDF Captures Iranian-Backed Terror Cell in Southern Syria-Israeli forces operating in southern Syria have detained a terrorist cell reportedly run by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military confirmed Monday.The operation, led by the IDF’s 3rd Alexandroni Brigade and informed by intelligence gathered by Human Intelligence Unit 504, took place in the Tel Kudne region near Mount Hermon. The cell was affiliated with the IRGC’s Quds Force and was allegedly planning hostile activities against Israeli targets.IDF activity continues along the Syrian border, particularly in areas neawzr Mount Hermon, even as signs emerge of a possible thaw in relations between Jerusalem and Damascus’ new leadership.In another recent operation, troops from the 810th Brigade, supported by Yahalom Unit specialists and overseen by the 210th Division, dismantled several former Syrian military outposts. These positions, previously used by hostile forces, posed a threat to Israeli personnel stationed near the Golan Heights.According to the IDF, these actions are defensive in nature, aimed at ensuring the safety of Israeli citizens living in the northern region.While Syria’s new government recently expressed a willingness to revisit the 1974 disengagement agreement through U.S. mediation, Israeli leaders have reaffirmed their intent to expand regional normalization efforts. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar reiterated that while Israel seeks to include Syria and Lebanon in broader peace efforts, it will not compromise on national security.

BRENNAN HEAD JAB MUSLIM CONVERTER AND COMB HEAD COMEY BETTER PAY FOR THEIR SINS AGAINST TRUMP.

Former FBI and CIA directors under investigation by Trump’s Justice Department-Josh Marcus-Wed, July 9, 2025 at 9:38 p.m. EDT

The FBI has reportedly launched criminal investigations into former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey after a referral from current CIA chief John Ratcliffe.While the full nature of the alleged investigations are unclear, a source told CNN the probe concerned the potential of false statements to Congress. Sources told Fox News the FBI believed the pair of Obama-era officials had engaged in an unspecified “conspiracy.”“I am clueless about what it is exactly that they may be investigating me for,” Brennan said Wednesday on MSNBC, where he is a contributor, adding that he hadn’t been contacted by the FBI, DOJ, or CIA.The Justice Department told CNN it does not comment on ongoing investigations. The Independent has contacted the CIA and a representative of Comey for comment.President Donald Trump was asked Wednesday about Comey and Brennan reportedly being under criminal investigation related to the Trump–Russia probe."Well, I know nothing about it other than what I read today," Trump said. "But I will tell you, I think they're very dishonest people. I think they're crooked as hell. And, maybe they have to pay a price for that.""I believe they are truly bad people and dishonest people," the president added."So whatever happens, happens."The reported investigation comes less than a week after the CIA publicly released a June memo to Ratcliffe, which criticized intelligence officials’ handling of allegations in late 2016 that Russia aspired to assist the first Trump presidential campaign.The CIA review, which delved into the creation of a December 2016 intelligence community assessment on the Russia allegations, accused Brennan of pushing to include information from a Democrat-funded dossier in the assessment, even though the CIA official later testified in Congress he did not want the information included.Information from the dossier was ultimately included in an annex to the assessment, which noted its claims only had “limited corroboration” and were not used in the review’s ultimate analytic conclusions.The partially redacted CIA review does not mention Comey in any of its public portions, though Ratcliffe suggested the memo concerned him as well.The current CIA director wrote in a July 2 post on X that the document showed Brennan, Comey, and others had “manipulated intelligence and silenced career professionals — all to get Trump.”The handling of the Russia allegations, which eventually prompted an FBI investigation into the Trump campaign, have already been subject to numerous reviews.The Justice Department’s inspector general concluded in 2019 that FBI officials had sufficient reason to open an investigation into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia and had acted without bias, though it noted major errors in the process, including around an application to wiretap a former Trump campaign adviser.A special counsel appointed during Trump’s first term found no wrongdoing in the handling of intelligence about potential Russia links, though it ended in the indictment of three people, including a former FBI lawyer who pleaded guilty to falsifying information.Comey, a longtime subject of criticism from President Trump, was interviewed in May by the Secret Service, after he posted on social media, and then took down, an image of seashells he saw on a beach spelling out “8647.”Trump officials have argued the message was a coded threat calling for someone to “86,” or eliminate, Trump, the 47th president.

Inside story-The West Bank economy runs on shekels. So why aren’t Palestinian banks accepting them? For 30 years, Israel has imposed a cap on how many shekels the Palestinian Authority may convert into foreign currency, giving banks a surplus of shekels – and triggering an economic crisisNurit Yohanan-By Nurit Yohanan-Today, 4:46 am-JUL 10,25

After selling a car a couple of weeks ago, Muhammad took the NIS 10,000 ($3,000) check to his bank — but he couldn’t make the deposit.“If you just want to deposit money in the bank, they won’t take it,” said Muhammad, a father of three from Ramallah who asked to remain anonymous to protect his privacy. “Even if it’s for a transaction or a check that needs to be deposited, it’s hard.”So he waited, check in hand, depleting his account until he was in overdraft. Then he tried to deposit the money again.“They saw I was in the red,” Muhammad recalled. “And then when I came in and said, ‘I have an NIS 10,000 check,’ they said, ‘Oh, you do? Then give it to us.'”Such experiences have become common across the West Bank, where an Israeli policy that dates back more than 30 years has given Palestinian banks a buildup of surplus shekels. That, in turn, has led the Palestinian Authority to place a ban on accepting any more — a decision that is hobbling the local economy, which runs on the Israeli currency and is intertwined with the Israeli market.The glut of shekels has had concrete consequences across the territory and it has created a severe liquidity crisis in a region already feeling economic strain from the war in Gaza and the PA’s own chronic financial problems.“Palestinian imports and exports are primarily to and from Israel, and they are conducted in shekels,” Sameh Al-Ataout, an economics expert at An-Najah University in Nablus, told The Times of Israel. “Many Palestinians work in Israel and earn shekels. More than 2 million Arab citizens of Israel enter the Palestinian territories each year, they shop, they eat — all in shekels.”A three-decade-old Israeli limit on currency exchanges-The roots of the problem go back to the Oslo Accords, the 1994 Israeli-Palestinian treaty that created the PA. The accords’ economic annex, known as the Paris Protocol, designates the shekel as the official currency of the Palestinian territories. Palestinian banks were to rely on the Bank of Israel to exchange currency, primarily into US dollars and Jordanian dinars.While the protocol did not specify a cap on how much currency could be exchanged, it did state that “to avoid undesirable fluctuations in the foreign exchange rate, monthly ceilings for conversion will be agreed upon in annual and semiannual meetings” between the Bank of Israel and its counterpart, the Palestinian Monetary Authority.Also created in the 1994 Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Monetary Authority serves as the regulatory body overseeing the banks operating in the Palestinian territories — most of which were established long before the PA was founded.In practice, for nearly three decades, Israel has imposed an informal currency exchange limit of NIS 18 billion per year ($5.4 billion), or NIS 4.5 billion ($1.35 billion) per quarter. This number has remained static despite considerable inflation — and Palestinian economic expansion — since the mid-1990s. The PA’s GDP has grown from $5 billion in 2005 to $17 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank.“The Palestinian economy has grown over the past 25 years. There’s been real growth,” Al-Ataout said. “This ceiling no longer matches the scale of the economic relationship between the Israeli and Palestinian sides.”The Palestinian Monetary Authority said recently in a public statement that Israel had placed “restrictions and ceilings… on money transfers.” In other words, it stopped converting shekels out of concern that the annual cap would be exceeded.That policy means that Palestinian banks now have growing piles of shekels they can’t convert. On May 29, the Palestinian Monetary Authority made an open-ended announcement that the banks would stop accepting shekels.In response to a request for comment, the Bank of Israel told The Times of Israel: “There has been no change in instructions or directives regarding these matters.” Israel’s Finance Ministry spokesperson similarly stated that “there has been no change in instruction on this matter from the Finance Ministry.”‘A black market for currency exchanges’The shekel ban is exacerbating an existing economic crisis in the West Bank. A sharp reduction in Israeli work permits for Palestinians following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack has deprived the territory of a major source of income. Now, the ban means Palestinians are facing frozen bank accounts, a black-market currency exchange and growing disruptions to daily economic activity.“If I go to deposit a check in shekels, the bank refuses to take it — they ask for Jordanian dinars instead,” a Nablus resident who asked to remain anonymous told The Times of Israel. “If you try to exchange shekels for dinars or dollars at the bank, they won’t do it.The Nablus resident explained that, “for the first time, a black market for foreign currency exchanges has emerged in the West Bank,” where consumers’ shekels end up losing value and are exchanged at four shekels to the dollar as opposed to the official rate of approximately 3.3.In addition to individuals, institutions and businesses are also struggling to deposit revenues. Palestinian gas stations — where customers pay mostly in cash — have been hit particularly hard. With banks refusing to accept their accumulated stocks of shekels, some stations have had to reduce their services.On July 2, the Palestinian Monetary Authority announced that it had resumed transferring surplus shekels from Palestinian to Israeli banks, sending NIS 4.5 billion in the third of four planned quarterly transfers for the year.But according to Iyad Zaitawi, a senior official at the authority who gave an interview to a PA media channel, that amount is just a dent in the whole. Palestinian banks are still holding another NIS 13 billion in surplus and are still not accepting more shekels. He added that the PMA is currently trying to negotiate an increase in the annual conversion cap from Israel from NIS 18 billion to NIS 25 billion.The PA has no practical way to create an independent currency, which would require Israeli consent and economic cooperation, something that would only be possible under a final-status agreement.Finance minister threatened to cut ties with Palestinian banks-The crisis highlights Israel and the Palestinian territories’ deep economic interdependence. The two economies function as one integrated system, with a shared currency and cross-border trade.According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the Palestinian Authority was Israel’s third-largest export market in 2022, accounting for 0.7% of Israel’s GDP in the most recent figures available. Thousands of Arab Israelis study, visit and stay in the West Bank, and tens of thousands of Palestinians work in Israel, primarily in construction and agriculture.But recently, Israel has taken steps to limit its economic coordination with the PA. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees the exchange policy, has voiced hostility toward the PA. He has also previously frozen PA tax revenues, which Israel collects, in retaliation for diplomatic developments or Palestinian policies the Israeli government opposes.Last month, just hours after the United Kingdom and other countries sanctioned Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for “inciting violence against Palestinians,” Smotrich ordered the cancellation of key protections that enable cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian banks. Specifically, he moved to revoke a government guarantee (known as the “indemnity”) that shields Israeli banks from liability when working with Palestinian institutions.For that decision to take effect, Smotrich must formally sign it, and the security cabinet must approve it. Neither step has so far occurred. (Smotrich’s office did not respond to a request for comment.)“Today, the Israeli finance minister’s goal is to dismantle the Palestinian Authority economically,” Nidal Foqaha, director of the Geneva Initiative, a group promoting a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, told The Times of Israel.“If there were a different government in Israel, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” Foqaha said. “Israel has no problem accepting shekels — it’s their currency.”

'The donkey was the Cadillac of the times'Donkey bone study unlocks how Canaanites hauled ass from Egypt 4,700 years ago-Isotope teeth analysis from donkey skeletons at Gath shows valuable female asses were imported for ritual burial under homes, whereas local animals were butchered and eaten-By Rossella Tercatin-9 July 2025, 11:29 pm

Some 4,700 years ago, four exotic female donkeys were brought hundreds of miles from Egypt to Canaan to be sacrificed and buried under middle-class homes. Curiously, roughly around the same time at the same Canaanite settlement, a local donkey was butchered and ended up on a dinner table.A new study based on the animals’ dental analysis, published in the prominent journal PLOS ONE on Wednesday, sheds light on the Canaanites’ perception of imported and local animals, and proves ties between Egypt and Canaan, long considered by scholars to be virtually non-existent during that period.Researchers used multiple-isotope analysis to track the origins of four complete donkey skeletons from the Early Bronze Age III (c. 2900–2600/2550 BCE) found in Tell es-Safi/Gath, a site in modern-day central Israel, some 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the coast. A millennium and some centuries later, the city became well-known as the birthplace of the Philistine giant and King David’s nemesis, Goliath.All the sacrificed donkeys’ skeletons were uncovered in shallow pits 8-12 inches (20-30 centimeters) below the floors. The first was identified in 2008, and the other three in 2016. The lone butchered donkey mandible used for comparison was found in 2017.The first donkey was unearthed with its head completely severed and placed on its abdomen. The other three were found intact, with the legs gathered together. All were facing east.“When I joined the excavations at Safi, the first donkey burial had already been discovered,” said Dr. Elizabeth Arnold from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, an author of the paper whose expertise focuses on animal remains and isotope analysis.“As we carried out isotopic analysis on the donkey’s teeth, it emerged that only at the end of her life she had come to Safi and was sacrificed,” Arnold told The Times of Israel over the phone. “I kept jokingly saying to everybody, ‘Let’s find more donkeys.’ And then, somewhat unexpectedly, they actually obliged, and we found these additional animals.”A long haul of isotopes-Isotopic analysis can be conducted on bones or teeth to investigate strontium, carbon and oxygen isotopes. The three types of isotopes are found in soil, vegetation and water. Animals and humans absorb these elements through their diet, and they are encapsulated in their teeth or bones, providing scientists with a “fingerprint” of the locations where they resided.In the case of the Safi donkeys, the researchers analyzed their teeth and examined all three types, obtaining consistent results in each round of testing.Arnold and her team found that for most of their lives, the four donkeys ate very dry plants prevalent in the Nile Valley, as opposed to local Safi vegetation, because the bones’ oxygen signatures matched those of the Nile Valley rather than the local Safi signatures.The animals were about five years old when they died. (Modern donkeys live up to 40 years.)“One of the things that surprised me is that because we suspected they were trade animals, I would have expected that isotopes had shown them moving back and forth between Egypt and Safi, and they didn’t do that,” said Arnold. “They spent the early part of their life in Egypt, and then they came to Safi and were sacrificed.”The study’s results also demonstrate that ties between Egypt and Canaan persisted in the Early Bronze Age III. In the past, scholars had held a consensus that, contrary to trade and other ties evident in previous centuries, the connection had all but disappeared.“Now we have very clear and direct evidence of this association with Egypt, which was obviously a valued association,” Arnold said.Illustrating the high worth of the animals, Arnold said she was amazed to find out that not only were all the donkeys female but also in their breeding years: “These were very valuable animals to sacrifice,” she noted.In the comparison case — the butchered donkey mandible — the isotopes showed that it, as well as bones from butchered sheep and other animals found at the site, were all local.Arnold explained that the researchers used Carbon-14 analysis of the organic remains uncovered in the same archaeological strata as the animals to date the donkeys, but could not perform it directly on the skeletons due to a paucity of viable specimens.The absence of organic remains also meant scientists couldn’t extract any DNA, preventing them from learning more about the donkeys’ appearance.The Safi discovery does not mark the first time donkey burials have been found in the region.Two ritual donkey burials from the same period, for example, were found in nearby Tel Azekah. However, this is the first time that researchers have traced the geographical origins of the animals.“I hope our results will encourage others to do the same,” Arnold said.A donkey mezuzah? During the Early Bronze Age III, Safi was one of the region’s fortified cities.“It was one of the medium to large cities throughout Canaan at the time,” said Prof. Aren Maeir from Bar-Ilan University, one of the article’s authors and the longtime excavation director at Tell es-Safi/Gath.According to Maeir, although there is no definite archaeological evidence or written source, it is likely that the city’s residents were culturally Canaanite, or part of the Semitic population living in several city-states across the region, which centuries later would be recorded in the Bible and other ancient texts.Even before receiving the results on the first donkey’s origin, the archaeologists had already hypothesized that the neighborhood they were excavating was home to traders.“Based on the material culture, we believe the residents might have been merchants,” Maeir told The Times of Israel over the phone.The archaeologist explained that donkeys were the preferred animals for carrying loads during this era.“Only later, horses became more popular,” he noted. “We can say that the donkey was the Cadillac of the times.”He noted that the buildings did not appear to have belonged to the city’s elites, but neither to its poorest residents, making them something of a middle class.“Perhaps the very fact that they buried donkeys under their houses reflects that they used donkeys in their activities,” he hypothesized.Some fragments of donkey-shaped figurines were also unearthed in Safi.Maeir explained that the practice of placing foundation deposits — objects buried beneath buildings to invoke divine protection — was a common practice across many historical periods.“The Jewish mezuzah is perhaps something similar,” he said.Amanda Borschel-Dan contributed to this report.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN

ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

EZEKIEL 32:6-9
6  I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7  And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
8  All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9  I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.

REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator and baby murderers by abortion) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

EARTHQUAKES

EZEKIEL 37:7,11-14
7  So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.(POSSIBLE QUAKE BRINGS ISRAEL BACK TO LIFE-SO NOISE AND SHAKING-QUAKES WILL ALSO DESTROY ISRAELS ENEMIES)
11  Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
12  Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13  And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
14  And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

FAMINE

EZEKIEL 5:16
16  When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:

REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

JAMES 1:11
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 

The Hebrew noun accurately translated “oven” refers to a “baking oven” as distinct from a kiln or smelting furnace—both of which burn much hotter. (The Hebrew nouns for “kiln” or for “smelting furnace” are more likely to appear in contexts of God's wrath or judgment.)
21 They have roused me to jealousy with a non-god, they have exasperated me with their idols. In my turn I shall rouse them to jealousy with a non-people, I shall exasperate them with a stupid nation.
22 Yes, a fire has blazed from my anger, it will burn right down to the depths of Sheol; it will devour the earth and all its produce, it will set fire to the footings of the mountains.
23 I shall hurl disasters on them, on them I shall use up all my arrows.

Ephesians 2:2
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,(LIBERAL GODLESS AIR WAVES) the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:(GODLESS)

2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP) (HOT SUN, NUKES ETC)
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 
7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent.James Paul Warburg appearing before the Senate on 7th February 1950-Like a famous WWII Belgian General,Paul Henry Spock said in 1957:We need no commission, we have already too many. What we need is a man who is great enough to be able to keep all the people in subjection to himself and to lift us out of the economic bog into which we threaten to sink. Send us such a man. Be he a god or a devil, we will accept him.And today, sadly, the world is indeed ready for such a man.

JUDGEMENT-WE ALL(EVERYONE) STAND IN FRONT OF GOD TO GIVE ACCOUNT

JOHN 14:3
3  And if I (JESUS OUR JEWISH MESSIAH) go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

MATTHEW 24:33
33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things,(IN THERE BEGGINING STAGES-NOT FINAL STAGES) know that it is near, even at the doors.

LUKE 21:32
32  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:10
10  For we must all (MEANS EVERYONE EVER BORN ON EARTH FROM ADAM-EVE ON) appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.(THIS IS THE CHRISTIANS IN FRONT OF JESUS)

LUKEWARM CHURCHES

REVELATION 3:15-19
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I(GOD) will spue (VOMIT) thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

THE LEFT LIBERAL DEMOCRAPS TRYED TO BLAME TRUMP FOR THE TEXAS FLOOD.

The U.S. faces more frequent extreme weather events, but attitudes and actions aren't keeping up-Despite the grim trajectory, society isn’t acting with enough alarm, climate scientists say.A person cover their face with their hand while standing in flood debris and fallen trees-July 9, 2025, 1:43 PM EDT / Source: The Associated Press-By The Associated Press

After deadly flooding in central Texas in 1987, some thought they’d proven they could handle Mother Nature’s best punch. Then came this month’s horrific flash floods, when unfathomable amounts of rain fell in only hours and more than 100 people died.Climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and intense, according to climate scientists and government data. But people and governments are generally living in the past and haven’t embraced that extreme weather is now the norm, to say nothing about preparing for the nastier future that’s in store, experts in meteorology, disasters and health told The Associated Press.“What happens with climate change is that what used to be extreme becomes average, typical, and what used to never occur in a human lifetime or maybe even in a thousand years becomes the new extreme,” Princeton University climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer said. “We start to experience things that just basically never happened before.”The 10-year summer average of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s climate extreme index, which tracks hurricanes, heavy rain, droughts and high and low temperatures, is 58% higher than it was in the 1980s.Despite the grim trajectory, society isn’t acting with enough alarm, Oppenheimer said.“There’s plenty of evidence that we sit there and do absolutely nothing while these risks are coming right at us like a moving railroad train and we’re standing in the tracks. And then all of a sudden, bam,” he said.Shifting public perspective-Although the changing climate is the biggest problem, the way we react to or ignore the changes could make a bad situation worse, experts said.Marshall Shepherd, a University of Georgia meteorology professor who previously served as president of the American Meteorological Society, said people tend to base decisions on how they fared during past extreme weather events, including storms that didn’t end up directly affecting them. This leaves them overly optimistic that they’ll also fare well today, even though storms have grown more fierce.He points to the Texas flooding.“That is flash flood alley. We know that floods happen in that region all the time. ... I’ve already seen normalcy bias statements by people in the regions saying, well, we get flooding all the time,” Shepherd said, pointing out that the amount of rain that fell in only a few hours last week was anything but normal.People need to shift how they think about disasters, even if they don’t live in the most disaster-prone locations, said Kim Klockow McClain, an extreme weather social scientist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research who studies communicating disaster warnings and risk.“The message needs to be, if you’re used to some degree of nuisance flooding, every so often, look at what happened in Texas and realize that this is a shifting baseline,” she said.Ignoring the problem won’t make it disappearTime and again after catastrophic storms and wildfires, people whose lives were upended say they didn’t think it could happen to them. This mindset helps people cope, but with extreme weather happening more frequently and in more places, it can prevent them from adequately preparing.“It’s sort of a psychological mechanism to protect us that it can’t happen to me,” said Susan Cutter, co-director of the Hazards Vulnerability & Resilience Institute at the University of South Carolina.Surviving past extreme events can leave people believing that it won’t happen again or, if it does, that they’ll be fine, said Lori Peek, director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado. She said this overconfidence can be dangerous: “Just because I’ve lived through a fire or a flood or a hurricane or a tornado, that does not mean that the next time is going to look like the last time.”What’s being done-As the weather has grown more extreme, our ability to prepare for and react to it hasn’t kept pace, the scientists said.“Infrastructure is aging in our country and is more vulnerable given the fact that there are just simply, as a matter of fact, more people living in harm’s way,” Peek said. “As our population has continued to rise, it’s not only that we have more people in the country, it’s also that we have more people living in particularly hazardous areas like our coastal areas.”US-FIRE-HAWAII-The Trump Administration’s mass layoffs and planned cuts to agencies that study climate and help warn of and deal with disasters — the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Weather Service and research labs at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey — could further worsen the situation, several experts said.Smart and experienced people have already left these agencies and it could take years to make up for their knowledge and abilities, they said.“We’re destroying the capability we have that we’re going to need more and more in the future,” Oppenheimer said.As for future disasters, the country needs to figure out and plan for the worst-case scenario instead of looking to the past, Peek said.“This is our future,” Peek said. “It’s obvious that we’re living into a future where there are going to be more fires and floods and heat waves.”

Central Texas flood death toll at least 120 with hundreds missing-Mike Heuer & Allen Cone-Wed, July 9, 2025 at 9:28 p.m. EDT·5 min read

July 9 (UPI) -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday ordered state legislators to convene a special session on Monday as the death toll rose to at least 120 people and 172 reported missing in Fourth of July flooding in theHill Country.It's the deadliest flash flood in the United States since 1976 in Thompson Canyon, Colo., when 144 people were killed, according to the Weather Channel. In 1972, 238 died in flooding in Black Hills, S.D.Kerr County has the most fatalities with 96, including 36 children, and 161 missing, CNN reported. One of the dead was a 20-month-old Austin boy who died after his family's home was inundated by water from the Guadalupe River, which runs 230 miles between Austin and San Antonio.At least 27 of those fatalities were children and counselors at Camp Mystic, a girls Christian camp along the Guadalupe River, which swelled to 20 feet.Among the missing are five campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic, officials said.Travis County has the next-highest number of flood casualties with seven killed and 10 missing, and Kendall County has eight reported fatalities with none missing, the Austin American-Statesman reported.Other counties with flood casualties are Burnet, with five dead and one missing; Williamson, with three dead and one missing; and Tom Green, with one fatality and none missing.The area is known as "flash flood alley" because the area can become inundated due to the terrain."The hearts of our fellow Texans are breaking every single day because of what people in this community and the surrounding area are going through,'' Abbott said.He ordered flags to be held at half-mast until Monday.The special session ordered by Abbott that day includes giving attention to flood warning systems, emergency communications and relief funding for Hill Country flood victims and affected communities in central Texas."There is more work to be done, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country," Abbott said in a news release on Wednesday."We must ensure better preparation for such events in the future," he added.Abbott wants state lawmakers to improve early warning systems, emergency communications and flood-response infrastructure in flood-prone areas in Texas.The governor also said he wants state legislators to enact measures that provide relief funding for local costs for responding to and recovering from the flooding events, including local match funding for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance.Texas lawmakers also are tasked with enacting legislation to evaluate and streamline rules and regulations that make natural disaster preparedness and recovery more efficient.Search and recovery efforts-Rescuers from local, state and federal agencies, as well as volunteers, are involved in the search and recovery.NASA said Wednesday it has deployed two high-altitude WB-57 aircraft equipped with the DyNAMITE sensor for "high-resolution imagery critical to assessing damage and supporting coordination of ground-based recovery efforts."There hasn't been a live rescue since Friday."The first 72 hours, we were here on the scene right away to save lives," Dr. Rajeev Fernando, chief medical officer of Heal-Corp, a nonprofit organization providing emergency aid in Kerr County, told NBC News. "But as time goes on, the recovery takes precedence, unfortunately."Rescue crews are dealing with treacherous terrain, downed trees, debris and temperatures in the mid-80s and high humidity.Ryan Logue, an incident coordinator with the United Cajun Navy, told CNN it is unlikely for anyone to survive for long in the rough conditions.He said "there's nothing remaining" where he has searched-Capt. Max McQuarrie of the Virginia Beach Water Rescue Team told CNN: "It's going to be a slow, methodical process that's going to take us, you know, days if not weeks, I think, to really provide the answers that everyone's looking for."The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, responds to disasters.On Wednesday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem reiterated the need to "eliminate" FEMA."Federal emergency management should be state and locally led, rather than how it has operated for decades," Noem said about FEMA, which was established in 1979."It has been slow to respond at the federal level," Noem, who visited the area on Sunday, added. "It's even been slower to get the resources to Americans in crisis, and that is why this entire agency needs to be eliminated as it exists today and remade into a responsive agency."FEMA provides grants to individuals and communities for rebuilding."Regular home insurance doesn't typically cover flood coverage, and it usually is an add-on that you have to buy in a separate private flood policy, or through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program," attorney Nishi Kothari, with Brasher Law Firm out of Houston, told Realtor.com.Flood insurance costs an average of $783 a year for a home.Only 7% of residential properties in Texas have flood insurance. In FEMA-designated high-risk zones, just 28% of homes are insured.More than 12,000 homes were damaged, according to local officials.

Donations are being accepted by the American Red Cross of Central and South Texas, the Salvation Army, Kerr County Flood Relief Fund.

3 dead after historic flash flooding hits New Mexico town ravaged by wildfires-Two of the victims were identified as the children of a soldier on leave from Fort Bliss, Texas.New Mexico river rose 18 feet in just 30 minutes, turning deadly-July 8, 2025, 8:52 PM EDT / Updated July 9, 2025, 2:51 PM EDT-By Tim Stelloh, Phil Helsel and Patrick Smith

At least three people were killed by historic flash floods in a New Mexico mountain community that suffered devastating wildfires last year, officials said late Tuesday.The remote village of Ruidoso, about 180 miles south of Albuquerque, said a 4-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy and a man age 40 to 50 were all “swept downstream by the unprecedented floodwaters."The boy and girl were identified as the children of a soldier on leave from Fort Bliss, the military post in El Paso, Texas, officials said Wednesday. The family were caught in the flood while they were camping near Ruidoso, the base said in a statement.The soldier and the soldier's spouse sustained serious injuries and were hospitalized in Texas, according to the statement."Our hearts are heavy with grief following this devastating loss,” Brig. Gen. Rory Crooks, deputy commanding general of the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, said in a statement.Additional details about the man who was killed were not immediately released.Four people remain missing, officials said Wednesday. They added that three people were hospitalized and are stable and that 20 people remain displaced.The New Mexico medical investigator's office, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and other agencies are investigating."All three individuals were caught in the rushing floodwaters and carried downstream during the catastrophic flooding event that saw the Rio Ruidoso rise to a record-breaking 20 feet, five feet higher than the previous record," the statement said.Emergency services carried out 65 rescues in fast-moving waters Tuesday, officials said Wednesday."We are united in our sorrow and our commitment to supporting one another as we face this devastating loss together," Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford said in the statement.The flooding was caused by monsoonal rains that fell on burn scars from the South Fork and Salt fires that occurred last year.The storms that triggered the floods occurred during monsoon season, which runs from late June to early September. The storms can cause flash floods. Crawford said Tuesday's monsoon flood was one of the worst he has seen.Videos posted on social media and verified by NBC News showed roads submerged in fast-moving floodwaters and a home smashing into trees after it was swept down Rio Ruidoso.Crawford said that before the rains, the river that swept away the house was so small "you could have jumped across it."The National Weather Service reported that the river appeared to have crested at a record 20.24 feet Tuesday. The previous record was 15.86 feet, set last year.The South Fork Fire ignited on June 17, 2024, and burned through more than 17,000 acres. The fire was so hot that it turned the soil hydrophobic, meaning it does not absorb water, Crawford said. There was flooding in the community last year.New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an emergency declaration request Tuesday night, seeking aid from the federal government."Ruidoso endured devastating wildfires and flooding last summer, and now catastrophic flooding is hitting this resilient community again. This crisis demands immediate action," she said in a statement.Ruidoso, with a population of 7,600, is in the Sierra Blanca mountain range.The village notes on its website that the surrounding mountainous terrain makes it susceptible to flash flooding. Burn scars can worsen flash flooding."This one hit us harder than we were expecting," Crawford said.As the floodwaters subside, the recovery operation will have to contend with hazardous heat this week as temperatures reach near or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the National Weather Service said.

Deadly China-Nepal flood caused by glacial lake: experts.

Kathmandu, July 9 (AFP) Jul 09, 2025-Flash floods that killed at least nine people in a mountainous region between China and Nepal and swept away a key bridge linking the two countries, were caused by the release of water from a glacial lake, experts said Wednesday.About 30 people are still missing after Tuesday's floods, including 19 people in Nepal and 11 in China, according to officials and media reports."Our initial assessment shows that the origin of the flood was the draining of a supraglacial lake located on the north side of the Langtang mountain," geologist Sudan Bikash Maharjan of the Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) told AFP.Supraglacial lakes are formed on the surface of glaciers, often beginning as small meltwater ponds that gradually expand to form larger lakes.The lake in question used to be a small pond, but it grew significantly in size over the past month, ICIMOD said in a statement Wednesday, citing satellite photos.In Nepal, nine bodies have been recovered and 19 others -- 13 Nepalis and six Chinese -- are listed as missing, according to police.China's state television CCTV reported that a "mudslide disaster" hit the border area around dawn Tuesday, with 11 people missing on the Chinese side.-'Completely unprecedented'-In the 2000s, glacial origin floods in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region typically occurred every five to ten years, according to ICIMOD, but they have become notably more frequent in recent years.A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is the sudden release of water collected in former glacier beds.These lakes are formed by the retreat of glaciers, with the warmer temperatures of human-caused climate change turbocharging the melting of the icy reservoirs.Glacial lakes are often unstable because they are dammed by ice or loose debris.In the last two months, Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan have all seen glacial origin floods.In addition to the border disaster on Tuesday, Nepal's Upper Mustang region was also hit by a flood."The acceleration of these types of events is completely unprecedented in the region. We need to delve deeper into the triggers that are resulting in cascading impacts," said Saswata Sanyal, ICIMOD Disaster Risk Reduction lead.Experts predict that the risk of glacial lake outburst floods is expected to peak this year, as rising temperatures create more lakes.In 2020, more than 2,000 lakes were mapped across Nepal by ICIMOD, with 21 identified as potentially dangerous for their size and other criteria.But recent floods have been caused by smaller, lesser noticed lakes."These events are signals and symptoms of really rising temperatures, and are more destructive than normal floods due to the debris and steep topography," said Sharad Prashad Joshi, a cryosphere monitoring specialist at ICIMOD.

Very large hail threat with Thursday storm risk in Manitoba, NW Ontario-Forecast Centre-Wed, July 9, 2025 at 10:01 p.m. EDT

The heart of the summer season is seeing plenty of severe weather opportunity on the Prairies.Wednesday evening saw tornado watches issued in parts of central Alberta, but no warnings materialized out of them while they were in place. Thursday will see the severe chance shift away from Alberta and Saskatchewan and move into southern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario.Very large hail, possibly as large as two to four centimetres in size, will be the main hazard, alongside strong wind gusts and heavy rain.You'll want to stay updated on the weather alerts in your area as conditions can change quickly when severe weather hits.The cold front continues east into Manitoba and northwestern Ontario Thursday.There will be a threat for mid-afternoon, rapid storm development along the lake breezes surrounding the Interlake region in Manitoba. By the late afternoon, severe storms are possible along the provincial borders.Extremely large hail up to three or four centimetres is possible, especially in humid conditions.Models were initially hesitant to develop a continuous storm threat from North Dakota through the Interlake region, but the latest models are more confident in a persistent line of storms by the time the front reaches Winnipeg.Isolated, severe storms will be possible as far north as Hudson Bay.Make sure to stay weather-aware and pay attention to local weather alerts in your area as conditions can change quickly when severe weather hits.Conditions will be very humid in Winnipeg, with humidex values in the 40s.The cold front will lower temperatures, returning much of the region to seasonal conditions by the weekend.Be sure to check back for the latest weather updates across the PrairiesThumbnail courtesy of Donna Clarke/Facebook, taken in Fisher River, Man.

PLD Space selected as leading contender for ESA sovereign launch initiative-by Clarence Oxford.

Elche Spain (SPX) Jul 08, 2025-PLD Space has been chosen by the European Space Agency (ESA) as a preselected participant in the European Launcher Challenge (ELC), a major initiative designed to strengthen Europe's independent launch capabilities. Backed by up to euro 169 million per company, the ELC represents one of Spain's most significant space contract opportunities and will culminate in final selections following ESA's Ministerial Conference this November in Bremen.Launched this year, the ELC includes both institutional launch service contracts running from 2026 to 2030 and a development path requiring enhanced launcher demonstration by 2028. PLD Space submitted a proposal that aligns with its long-term roadmap through 2030, first revealed at its October 2024 Beyond event.The proposal features MIURA 5, the company's initial operational launcher, and MIURA Next, a forthcoming large reusable rocket designed to meet Europe's institutional launch needs while promoting sustainable space access.The MIURA program is already an economic catalyst, involving a network of 397 partner entities across Spain and Europe. ESA's preselection positions PLD Space as a national leader in the space launch sector, highlighting Spain's emerging role in the European aerospace landscape.The ELC also reflects a broader move toward public-private partnerships, echoing Spain's Aerospace PERTE program. Under PERTE, PLD Space has received euro 42 million from the CDTI to advance the nation's first indigenous launch vehicle."The European Launcher Challenge marks a milestone for Europe's space industry, but it is also a unique national opportunity to have a Spanish prime leading launcher development. Our project directly impacts the entire value chain, mobilizes cutting-edge technology, and places Spain at the center of Europe's future access to space," said Ezequiel Sanchez, Executive President of PLD Space.