HAMAS OFFICIAL SAYS AGREEMENT REACHED WITH PA ON FORMATIO COMMITTEE TO MANAGE GAZA.

 HAMAS OFFICIAL SAYS AGREEMENT REACHED WITH PA ON FORMATIO COMMITTEE TO MANAGE GAZA.


INVENTION OF THE ATOMIC BOMB.

2 PETER 3:10-11
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements (NUKES) shall melt with fervent heat,(BLAST) the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.(BUT ITS NO END OF THE WORLD HOGWASH)
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,(BY NUKES INCLUDING 3 BILLION PEOPLE) what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US THAT WE CAN BE SAVED FOREVER.AND DURING WW3 PEOPLES BLOOD WILL BE SHED AS A JUDGEMENT FOR HATING HIM AND ISRAEL.GOD IS NOT MOCKED.

ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2  I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3  I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

PSALMS 97:3
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.

EZEKIEL 5:15-17
15  So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the (ARAB/MUSLIM) nations that are round about thee,(ISRAEL) when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
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:
17  So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts,(WHEN RUSSIA/MUSLIMS GET DEFEATED THIER BODIES GET EATEN BY BIRDS,ANIMALS IN ISRAEL MIGRATION SEASON) and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee;(NUKES) and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.

REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)

ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 3 BILLION).

ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.

JOEL 2:3,30

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

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.

REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMBS)(RUSSIA CHINA DESTROYED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS)

REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)

REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.

MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Zohran Mamdani declared winner of NYC mayoral race-By AP and ToI Staff Today, 4:41 am

WASHINGTON — Democrat Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor of New York City.Mamdani defeats former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. He will replace Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped his reelection bid in September but remained on the ballot.Mamdani is a far-left anti-Israel activist and 34-year-old state assemblymember who will be the city’s youngest mayor in over a century.He entered the general election as the favorite following a 12-point victory in the ranked choice Democratic primary earlier this year.

Senior Hamas official says agreement reached with PA on formation of committee to manage Gaza-Moussa Abu Marzouk dodges question on whether Hamas will disarm as required by Trump’s peace plan; Israeli officials said to fear restrictions on IDF in administration’s UN proposal for Gaza force-By Nurit Yohanan and Nava Freiberg-Today, 6:18 am-NOV 5,25

A top Hamas leader said Tuesday that the terror group and the Palestinian Authority have come to an agreement regarding the establishment of a temporary committee that will manage the Gaza Strip on behalf of the PA.The committee’s responsibilities will include overseeing the border crossings and the security forces in the Strip, Moussa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera, adding that it will be headed by a PA minister.Abu Marzouk didn’t clarify during the interview whether this decision was approved by the US as well as the PA, meaning it was unclear whether there is any weight to the agreement.In recent weeks, Hamas has refrained from publicly addressing the composition of the committee that will oversee Gaza’s civilian affairs, in line with the White House’s plan to end the war in Gaza.According to Arabic media reports, one of the proposed candidates to head the committee is Palestinian Authority Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan. However, there were reports that Israel has rejected his candidacy.Abu Marzouk said that Israel was still refusing to allow UN forces to operate in areas currently under its control in the Strip, something he stated contradicts the draft proposal the United States submitted to the UN Security Council, which centers on the deployment of an international stabilization force in Gaza.He clarified that disagreements remain over the operational details of the international force — such as where it would operate and what its mandate would be — and said that “a long discussion is still required on this matter.”Avoiding a definitive answer on whether Hamas will disarm as required by US President Donald Trump’s broad Gaza peace plan, Abu Marzouk said that “Hamas is the force that controls the ground [in Gaza]. If it is disarmed, there will be other weapons and other groups. Just as in Iraq, when the Iraqi army was disbanded, chaos followed — al-Qaeda and ISIS emerged.”He added that such a move “would not contribute to stability or to the implementation of agreements (such as the ceasefire).”“There is no vacuum — any replacement force must be Palestinian and agreed upon by Palestinians, so there will be no rejection or internal conflict.”‘Israelis gagged’Also Tuesday, Channel 12 news reported that Israeli officials strongly dislike certain clauses of the Trump administration’s draft UN Security Council resolution on establishing the international force in Gaza.A senior US official told the network that “the Israelis gagged” over certain parts of the resolution – mainly because the deployment of the force will require another stage of IDF withdrawal from Gaza and limit Israel’s freedom of action in the territory going forward.Beyond the military implications, some Israeli officials view the proposal as a dangerous “internationalization” of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, fearing it could lead to undesired international oversight not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank, the network continued.Channel 12 added that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer worked behind the scenes with American officials on the proposal, which would give the US and other participating countries a broad two-year mandate to govern Gaza and be in charge of security there.According to a copy of the draft published by the Axios news site on Monday, the so-called International Stabilization Force will be in charge of securing the Gaza Strip’s borders with Israel and Egypt, ensuring the safety of civilians and humanitarian zones, and training and partnering new Palestinian police officers.The force’s mandate will apparently include disarming Hamas, with the draft saying that the ISF will “stabilize the security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, including the destruction and prevention of rebuilding of military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups.”This clause could well be subject to debate, as countries that have offered to contribute troops to the ISF are not interested in sparring with Hamas in Gaza, two Arab diplomats reiterated to The Times of Israel last week.The draft resolution also states that the ISF will perform “additional tasks as may be necessary in support of the Gaza agreement,” and that it will be established and operate “in close consultation and cooperation with Egypt and Israel.”Additionally, the resolution calls for granting US President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” the powers of “a transitional governance administration with international legal personality that will set the framework and coordinate funding for the redevelopment of Gaza pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan, until such time as the Palestinian Authority has satisfactorily completed its reform program.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly proclaimed that the Palestinian Authority cannot play any role in governing postwar Gaza, although the idea has remained popular among Israel’s Western allies.A US official told Axios that the goal is to deploy the first ISF troops to Gaza by January. Washington is reportedly aiming to negotiate the terms of the resolution within days and hold a vote on it within weeks.Currently, the next stages of Trump’s 20-point peace plan have been on hold, with Hamas failing to hand all of the hostages’ bodies it continues to hold. The terror group returned the remains of another hostage Tuesday night, leaving seven still in Gaza — five Israelis, one Thai and one Tanzanian.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

PM rules out granting safe passage to 200 Hamas gunmen stuck in IDF-held Rafah-After a report that Israel would allow trapped Hamas operatives to retreat to the Yellow Line sparked criticism from all sides, official says PM ‘not allowing’ terrorists to flee-By Lazar Berman and Emanuel Fabian-3 November 2025, 3:31 pmUpdated at 12:51 am

Following reports on Monday that Israel was considering granting terrorists hiding in tunnels safe passage from Israeli-controlled areas of the Gaza Strip to the Hamas-run zone, a statement attributed to an “Israeli official” — often a euphemism for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office — said the premier “is not allowing safe passage for 200 Hamas terrorists.”According to Israeli estimates, some 200 Hamas gunmen are currently located in the tunnels underneath the IDF-controlled parts of southern Gaza, especially in Rafah, and are unable to retreat to the Hamas-controlled areas without emerging from their tunnels and being spotted by Israeli troops.Channel 12 news reported earlier on Monday that Israel would approve the fighters’ safe passage if they agreed to give up their weapons.According to the outlet, IDF sources confirmed that Israel was likely to grant passage, but said they would only be allowed to pass into Hamas-controlled territory if the terror group gave up more bodies of slain hostages.After the Channel 12 initial report was met with heavy criticism from both sides of the political spectrum, the “Israeli official” vehemently denied that Netanyahu would grant such passage to Hamas operatives stuck in Rafah.“The prime minister persists in his firm stance on the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of the Strip while eliminating terrorist threats to our forces,” said the official.According to US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the Gaza war, which Netanyahu embraced in September, “Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty.”“Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries,” the Trump plan adds.But the actual ceasefire agreement signed by Israel and Hamas in Egypt on October 9 only focused on the initial ceasefire, IDF pullback, the hostage-prisoner swap, and humanitarian aid provisions.Channel 12 reported later Monday that the United States is pressuring Israel to permit safe passage for the Hamas operatives, part of efforts to advance to the next stage of the emerging ceasefire framework based on Trump’s plan.‘Utter madness’: Politicians from both sides of aisle decry report-“Mr. Prime Minister,” wrote Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on X about his opposition to the reported plan to grant safe passage to Hamas operatives before the official’s denial. “This is utter madness. Stop this.”Fellow party member Orit Strock, the settlement and national missions minister, also took to X, calling the reported plan a disgrace and saying it would be “turning our back on the fallen, the soldiers and the war’s objectives.”National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also railed against the report, saying he was “demanding that all 200 terrorists who are beyond the Yellow Line be killed or imprisoned.”The far-right minister called their presence in the IDF-controlled area “an opportunity to destroy or arrest” them, demanding that they not be released “under ridiculous conditions.”Criticism also came from the opposition, with Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz saying such a plan would mean “we’ve gone back to October 6,” the day before Hamas’s massive onslaught on Israel in 2023 — meaning, to the faulty strategic stance minimizing the threat posed by Hamas.“The terrorists outside of Gaza City violated the ceasefire, and some of them have taken part in attacks against our soldiers,” Gantz wrote on X. “We mustn’t let them out of the tunnels and reorganize — especially not when we still have hostages in Gaza.”Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor Liberman said the plan was “total insanity from a weak and pressured government” and that it couldn’t be allowed to happen.“They’re letting the terrorists who murdered us free passage and a governmental license to keep committing terrorism,” he wrote on X.Former prime minister Naftali Bennett also weighed in, saying the report “is unprecedented even on a global level.”“IDF soldiers managed to trap dozens of terrorists in tunnels in the Rafah sector. Their choice is to surrender or die,” Bennett wrote on X.“These are terrorists with blood on their hands. Some of them probably raided Israel on October 7, while others only recently murdered three of our precious sons,” he said, referring to recent deadly incidents in Rafah where Hamas operatives killed three IDF soldiers on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line.‘Yellow Line’ troublesMeanwhile, the IDF on Monday said it killed several terror operatives who crossed the Yellow Line and approached troops in the southern Gaza Strip earlier in the day.The operatives had “posed an immediate threat” to the forces stationed in the area, the military said, adding that shortly after they were identified, the Israeli Air Force struck and killed them “to remove the threat.” The IDF said it remains deployed in Gaza “in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat.”The Yellow Line marks the roughly 53 percent of the Strip controlled by the IDF after its initial October 10 withdrawal as part of the ceasefire. While the IDF-held areas are largely empty, Israel believes that some “pockets” of Hamas operatives remain underground, especially in Rafah, and that they have been there since before the ceasefire.A source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that the demarcation had not been fully enforced to date and that it was not always clear to troops on the ground where the line ran in various parts of Gaza, given that it was only drawn up several weeks ago for the ceasefire deal.On Wednesday, Egyptian and Qatari mediators had notified Hamas that the group had 24 hours to evacuate its fighters or risk being exposed to IDF fire, a US official told The Times of Israel. That deadline expired on Thursday evening, at which point Israel had the approval of the US, Egypt and Qatar to engage Hamas targets on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line, the US official said.Israel had already publicly warned Hamas operatives holed up on the eastern side of the Yellow Line to withdraw last week. The military has assessed that there are Hamas operatives still in the terror group’s tunnels in areas under IDF control, and that they have been there since before the ceasefire.Two deadly attacks on Israeli troops in Rafah during the ceasefire were carried out by terror operatives. Hamas denied responsibility, saying “communication has been cut off” with its operatives in zones under Israeli control. Israel accused Hamas in both cases of violating the ceasefire.After the latest attack on Tuesday, the IDF launched a series of strikes that killed over 100 people, according to Hamas, before saying on Wednesday that it was resuming the ceasefire.

Saudi Arabia’s request to buy F-35 jets clears first key Pentagon hurdle — sources-Sale of as many as 48 jets to Riyadh must receive Congressional okay and Trump sign-off; approval would test US vow to maintain Israel’s ‘qualitative military edge’By Mike Stone 4 November 2025, 11:45 pm

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The Trump administration is considering a Saudi Arabian request to buy as many as 48 F-35 fighter jets, a potential multi-billion-dollar deal that has cleared a key Pentagon hurdle ahead of a visit by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, two sources familiar with the matter said.A sale would mark a significant policy shift, potentially altering the military balance in the Middle East and testing Washington’s definition of maintaining Israel’s “qualitative military edge.”Saudi Arabia made a direct appeal earlier this year to US President Donald Trump and has long been interested in Lockheed Martin’s fighter, one of the people and a US official said. The Pentagon is now weighing a potential sale of 48 of the advanced aircraft, the US official and the person familiar with the talks told Reuters. The size of the request and its status have not been previously reported.The US official and a second US official, who acknowledged the weapons deal was moving through the system, said no final decision has been made and several more steps are needed before the ultimate nod, including further approvals at the Cabinet level, sign-off from Trump, and notification of Congress.The Pentagon’s policy department worked on the potential transaction for months, and the case has now progressed to the secretary level within the Defense Department, according to one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.The Pentagon, White House, and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said military sales are government-to-government transactions and the matter is best addressed by Washington.Washington weighs weapons sales to the Middle East in a way that ensures Israel maintains a “qualitative military edge.” This guarantees that Israel gets more advanced US weapons than the regional Arab states.The F-35, built with stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy detection, is considered the world’s most advanced fighter jet. Israel has operated the aircraft for nearly a decade, building multiple squadrons, and remains the only Middle Eastern country to possess the weapons system.Through close cooperation with Lockheed Martin, Israeli defense firms have integrated proprietary technologies into the aircraft — including advanced electronic warfare systems, enhanced command and control capabilities, and locally developed weapons systems.Saudi Arabia, the largest customer for US arms, has sought the fighter for years as it looks to modernize its air force and counter regional threats, particularly from Iran. The kingdom’s renewed push for what would constitute two squadrons comes as the Trump administration has signaled openness to deepening defense cooperation with Riyadh. The Saudi Air Force flies a mix of fighter aircraft, including Boeing F-15s, European Tornados and Typhoons.The F-35 issue has also been intertwined with broader diplomatic efforts. The Biden administration previously explored providing F-35s to Saudi Arabia as part of a comprehensive deal that would have included Riyadh normalizing relations with Israel, though those efforts ultimately stalled.Trump has made arms sales to Saudi Arabia a priority since returning to office. In May, the United States agreed to sell the kingdom an arms package worth nearly $142 billion, which the White House called “the largest defense cooperation agreement” Washington has ever done.Congressional scrutiny could also pose challenges to any F-35 sale. Lawmakers previously questioned arms deals with Riyadh following the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and some members of Congress remain wary of deepening military cooperation with the kingdom.The potential sale also comes as Saudi Arabia pursues ambitious economic and military modernization plans under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 agenda. The kingdom has sought to diversify its defense partnerships in recent years while maintaining its decades-long security relationship with Washington.Stav Levaton contributed to this report.

Trump to meet Syrian president in Washington on November 10-US president will host Sharaa in 1st-ever visit by a Syrian head of state to White House, which says former jihadist has made ‘good progress’ towards peace in his country-By AFP and ToI Staff 4 November 2025, 11:25 pm

WASHINGTON, United States — US President Donald Trump will host Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa for talks on November 10, the White House announced Tuesday, saying the former jihadist had made “good progress” toward establishing peace in his war-torn country.“I can confirm that that meeting will be taking place here at the White House on Monday and this is part of the president’s efforts in diplomacy to meet with anyone around the world in the pursuit of peace,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.It will be the first-ever White House visit by a Syrian head of state.Leavitt noted that Trump had announced the lifting of US sanctions on Syria during a trip to the region in May, a move which aimed “to give them a real chance at peace.”“And I think the administration, we’ve seen good progress on that front, under their new leadership,” she added.Though it will be Sharaa’s first visit to Washington, it will be his second to the United States after a landmark UN trip in September, where the ex-jihadist became the first Syrian president in decades to address the UN General Assembly in New York.In May, the interim leader, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, met Trump for the first time in Riyadh during the US president’s regional tour.Syria’s top diplomat, Asaad al-Shaibani, said last week that Sharaa would visit Washington sometime early this month to discuss lifting remaining sanctions, reconstruction, and counter-terrorism.On Saturday, US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said Sharaa was heading to Washington “hopefully” to sign an agreement to join the international US-led alliance against the Islamic State (IS).Barrack had earlier told the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, an annual global security and geopolitical conference, that Syria and Israel continued to hold de-escalation talks, which the US has been mediating. He told reporters that Syria and Israel had met several times and were close to reaching an agreement, but declined to say when exactly a deal could be reached.Syria and Israel are in talks to reach an agreement that Damascus hopes will secure a halt to Israeli airstrikes and the withdrawal of Israeli troops who have been stationed in southern Syria. Israel says the deployment is a temporary and defensive measure following Assad’s ouster.Formerly affiliated with Al-Qaeda, Sharaa’s group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was delisted as a terrorist group by Washington as recently as July.Since taking power, Syria’s new leaders have sought to break from their own violent extremist past and present a moderate image more tolerable to ordinary Syrians and foreign powers.Since seizing power from Assad last December, Sharaa has made a series of foreign trips as his transitional government seeks to reestablish Syria’s ties with world powers that had shunned Damascus during Assad’s rule. He has also received praise from Trump and other American officials.

Bomb threat halts flights at Washington’s Ronald Reagan airport, FAA says-Scare involved a United Airlines plane that was moved to an isolated area, passengers taken off; delays reported at DC airport-By SAFIYAH RIDDLE 4 November 2025, 9:28 pm

AP — All flights into and out of one of the United States’ busiest runways were halted Tuesday due to a security threat, the Federal Aviation Authority said.Authorities were investigating a reported bomb threat involving an aircraft at Ronald Reagan National Airport in the Washington, DC, area, a law enforcement official said. The aircraft was moved to an isolated area of the airfield in line with security protocols.The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation.All other air traffic was put on hold while passengers from the affected United Airlines flight were taken off a plane and were bused to the terminal, according to a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.A spokesperson for United Airlines referred all questions to the FBI on Tuesday.The average delay time for departing flights outside of the airport was 51 minutes on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The maximum delay time was over two hours.Flight delays across the country have been on the rise as the federal government enters the second month of a shutdown, leaving air traffic controllers to work without pay. 

Environment minister unveils key points of plan to fight West Bank waste fires-Plan includes boosting enforcement, expanding West Bank infrastructure; environmental NGOs praise transparency, but ask to see budgets, timetables-By Sue Surkes-4 November 2025, 8:57 pm

Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman on Tuesday announced key elements of a strategic plan to reduce waste burning in the West Bank that is causing rising pollution in Israel.As The Times of Israel reported on Sunday, the NGO Citizens for Clean Air logged 1,800 complaints from Israelis about pollution and foul smells last month, nearly triple those submitted in August.Complaints are now coming not only from communities along the Green Line separating Israel and the West Bank, but from cities further inside Israel, such as Yehud, Kiryat Ono, Petah Tikva and even Tel Aviv.For years, West Bank Palestinians, with a dearth of landfills and unreliable public services, have resorted to burning their refuse by the side of the road.There is just one landfill site for the whole of the northern West Bank, near the city of Jenin, while another serves the southern West Bank, near Bethlehem.On paper, local Palestinian authorities in the West Bank are supposed to collect trash from households and contract with truck companies that will transport non-recyclable garbage to landfill sites. But, in reality, to save time and money, many truck drivers dump the trash along the road, without fear of consequences from law enforcement.The piles are burned outside of the Palestinian villages, though it is unclear whether the truck drivers or locals light the fires.In June 2023, the government ordered the Environmental Protection and Defense ministries to establish an inter-ministerial team to formulate a comprehensive plan to deal with the problem within six months.According to Silman’s office, the Defense Ministry only responded — and even then just partially — in July.Silman’s announcement followed a meeting she chaired in the central city of Modi’in with the Mayor of Modi’in-Maccabim-Reut and Chairman of the Local Government Center, Haim Bibas, senior ministry officials, heads of Jewish local authorities in the West Bank, and representatives from communities inside Israel.The plan, which still requires input from the Defense Ministry and government approval, includes long-term steps, for which budgets will need to be found, as well as immediate actions, for which the funding exists, according to a ministry spokesman.The immediate actions include increased steps to prevent the smuggling of waste from Israel into the West Bank and Gaza Strip; rehabilitating the waste site in Al-Minya, located near the West Bank settlements of Ma’ale Amos and Tekoa; making available engineering tools to extinguish fires that ignite within piles of waste; funding a waste transit station in Abu Dis, near Jerusalem; upgrading sites where equipment can be confiscated; and funding positions for investigators, prosecutors and monitoring teams in the field.Longer-term steps include passing nine pieces of legislation, five within the framework of regional orders and four in local council regulations, to strengthen supervisory and enforcement powers and increase fines for environmental offenders; boosting enforcement in Areas C and B of the West Bank, where Israel has full security control; and integrating the police, the IDF and the security establishment in environmental protection missions.Additional proposals are to create a 24/7 center that will coordinate inquiries and reports on environmental hazards in cooperation with the fire and rescue services, the Civil Administration, Israel’s civil arm in the West Bank, and the Israel Police; expanding waste treatment infrastructure, which will include sorting, treatment and landfill facilities, energy recovery facilities, transit stations and organic waste treatment sites; establishing air monitoring stations in the West Bank; and encouraging the international community and donor countries to finance environmental projects among residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.Responding to the proposals, the chairman of Citizens for Clean Air, Yaniv Bleicher, said, “The presentation of the plan by the Ministry of Environmental Protection is a step in the right direction, but without setting timetables, allocating budgetary resources, and establishing a clear implementation mechanism, it will remain on paper only. It is unfortunate that the other government ministries responsible for dealing with the phenomenon, led by the Ministry of Defense, did not participate in the discussion.”He added: “We are in an environmental and health emergency that requires immediate action. Solutions for the transportation and disposal of waste burned at sites must be urgently promoted, and a dedicated unit with enforcement powers must be established to comprehensively deal with the phenomenon.”A spokesperson for the environmental advocacy organization, Adam Teva V’Din, which, together with Citizens for Clean Air, has been pushing for publication of the plan, said, “We welcome its release, but demand to see the full program, including details on staffing and budgeting, to ensure that it is a serious and sufficient plan that provides real solutions.”In contrast to the Environmental Protection Ministry, the Defense Ministry’s settlement directorate is the body with the authority to deal with problems in the West Bank.

Englman points finger at PM, Smotrich, ex-finance minister-State comptroller pans government failure to prepare economy for war-Report says Israelis to foot NIS 250 million bill by end of 2025, will continue to pay for war in future; government struggled to respond to key economic issues during war-By Sam Sokol-4 November 2025, 8:25 pm

The state comptroller has found that the government made insufficient preparations for future emergencies following the coronavirus pandemic, which would have made it easier to protect the Israeli economy during the war in Gaza, according to a scathing report released on Tuesday.According to the comptroller’s office, the past two years of war will end up costing NIS 250 billion ($76 billion) by the end of 2025, with all Israelis “paying this enormous price, and future generations will pay it as well.”In the two years prior to October 7, 2023, the government did not deal at all with the issue of economic emergency preparedness, the comptroller’s office found. Moreover, the Finance Ministry did not prepare any plans for an extended war lasting longer than a month, and “there was no emergency surplus in the state budget that would allow for immediate financing of military and civilian needs.”The comptroller also found that the disbursement of war budgets in 2023 and 2024 was also “significantly delayed.”In addition, the ministry did not create a “contingency plan that would allow for the rapid distribution of grants to affected populations” nor “finish mapping the needs of government ministries in times of emergency,” the comptroller found, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to appoint a figure to develop a strategy for dealing with economic risks arising from emergencies such as wars, epidemics, and natural disasters.The comptroller’s office stated that the government has struggled to address home front needs, including reconstruction in the north, and has failed to provide a comprehensive response to fundamental issues such as the labor shortage.The office slammed Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for not convening the socioeconomic cabinet — the government’s forum for civilian and economic matters — during the peak of the war, from December 2023 until December 2024, which could have made decisions on important economic issues.“Also, when the cabinet does make a decision, more and more the decisions are made without discussion. When there is no discussion, there is no in-depth discussion, no criticism and no opportunity to hear enough professional opinions. For two years, ministers have avoided coming to socioeconomic cabinet discussions, and on certain issues, no decisions have been made at all,” the office added.In a video statement, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman called out Netanyahu, Smotrich, as well as former finance minister Avigdor Liberman, for failing to address emergency preparedness.Moreover, the government failed to adequately curtail coalition spending, with an audit revealing that despite a Finance Ministry decision in late 2023 to divert NIS 1.6 billion ($489.5 million) in coalition funds to war needs, only NIS 860 million ($262.9 million) ended up diverted.The report on Tuesday was the sixth released as part of Englman’s broad probe — the only state-sanctioned comprehensive investigation into the October 7 attack, during which some 1,200 people were massacred and 251 taken hostage by Hamas and allied groups in southern Israel.Netanyahu has long resisted forming a state commission of inquiry, claiming at first that one could only be formed after the war ends, and later that such a panel — appointed by the Supreme Court chief according to law — would be biased.

Norway pauses ethical divestment after US panned targeting of Israel-linked firm-Finance minister says fund won’t be able to invest in the world’s biggest companies if current guidelines continue, opposition socialists say move comes due to fear of Trump-By Reuters and ToI Staff 4 November 2025, 6:50 pm

OSLO, Norway — Norway’s parliament on Tuesday voted in favor of pausing ethical divestment by its $2.1 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, while it updates the fund’s ethical guidelines.The move, proposed by the minority Labour government early on Tuesday, came at a time of intense international scrutiny on the fund’s ethical divestment.In September, the US State Department said it was “very troubled” by the fund’s decision to divest from construction equipment group Caterpillar CAT.N over the use of the company’s products by Israeli authorities in Gaza and the West Bank.“The world has changed since the ethical guidelines were first adopted,” Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg told parliament earlier on Tuesday. “The rules need to be reviewed.”Divestment guidelines to be reviewed-The fund’s ethical guidelines, set by parliament, were first introduced in 2004. They stipulate, among other things, that the fund cannot invest in companies involved in serious violations of individuals’ rights in war or conflict situations.An independent ethics body investigates alleged breaches and recommends companies for divestment. The decision to pull out is ultimately taken by the central bank’s board.These recommendations to divest will now be put on hold for a period of roughly a year while guidelines are reviewed, Stoltenberg told parliament.The Conservatives, who supported the proposal, still questioned why the decision was being rushed when usually this would take months, if not years, to get through parliament.Decision needed to ‘protect fund’Stoltenberg said it was needed to do this to protect the fund, which now finances 25 percent of public spending, at a time when a significant part of its value is dependent on a handful of companies.“The seven most valuable companies in the world provide 16% of the fund’s stock holdings,” said Stoltenberg, referring to Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Broadcom.“Under today’s ethical guidelines for exclusions, we must be prepared that we may no longer be able to invest in the world’s biggest companies. Then we would not remain as a broad, global index fund,” he said.Three parties Labour relies on to pass its budgets condemned the proposal.During the Nordic country’s most recent election campaign, in August and September, the fund’s investments in Israel took center stage, with some parties campaigning on the issue.One said it would only support a future Labour government if it divested from all companies involved in what it called “Israel’s illegal warfare in Gaza.”On Tuesday, that party — the Socialist Left — said the government was acting out of fear of the United States.“(This) is, without a doubt, really about the fear of Trump’s reactions,” Socialist Left lawmaker Ingrid Fiskaa told parliament.Separately, the fund’s management said it would vote against ratifying Tesla TSLA.O CEO Elon Musk’s proposed compensation package, containing shares worth up to $1 trillion, which critics have called excessive.The Norwegian divestment from Caterpillar came almost two years into Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza, which began when the terror group invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.Satellite images have shown that vast swaths of urban areas in the Gaza Strip have been flattened by Israeli forces.Israel also uses bulldozers in the West Bank, where, as a matter of policy, it destroys the houses of Palestinians who have carried out terror attacks, as well as structures built without permits.Recent counter-terror operations in the West Bank have seen Israeli forces destroy hundreds of structures in dense urban areas that have seen frequent clashes with the army over the years. According to the military, those demolitions were carried out following extensive discussions and careful review, and limited to the smallest number possible.

Interview-Defending Israel in EU, Hungarian minister says bloc risks being boxed out of Mideast-Critics of Israel intentionally using language that borders on antisemitism, charges János Bóka, who also serves as antisemitism czar for one of Jerusalem’s closest allies in Europe-By Lazar Berman -4 November 2025, 5:49 pm

Pursuing policies that are hostile to Israel will render Europe irrelevant in the Middle East, Hungary’s European Union Affairs Minister János Bóka told The Times of Israel.Bóka’s position for Budapest’s government makes him a central player in overseeing what Jerusalem regards as a key shield from international pressure, with Hungary one of a handful of countries in the 27-nation bloc known for stymying efforts to put sanctions or other penalties on Israel.In Israel on a five-day visit, Bóka, who is also Hungary’s antisemitism czar, argued that growing European criticism of Israel was largely fueled by domestic politics, and parried claims that his populist government had trafficked in antisemitism.“If the European Union wants to remain a player in the region, it needs to have a strategic and constructive relationship with the state of Israel,” Bóka said during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum last week. Bóka’s visit also included meetings with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, and Transportation Minister Miri Regev.His visit came weeks after anti-Israel sentiment on the Continent appeared to grow to a crescendo, with formal allies imposing arms embargoes and efforts to isolate the country and turn it into a pariah state gaining steam, threatening trade between Israel and its largest economic partner.In September, the European Commission formally presented its proposal for sanctions on far-right Israeli ministers and a partial suspension of the European Union’s association agreement with Israel.The sanctions have not been approved, and with a ceasefire in place in Gaza, the effort is frozen.Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protests have been shaking major European cities since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.Calls have also grown to ban Israel from some sporting and cultural events, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez saying after protesters disrupted the Spanish Vuelta cycling race in September that Israel should be excluded until the “barbarity” in Gaza ends. Some countries have also threatened to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest — hugely popular in Israel and Europe — if Israel is allowed to compete.Bóka argued that European critics of Israel are intentionally using language that flirts with antisemitism.“Even political actors are now using a language that is anti-Israeli and anti-Zionist on the surface, but very deliberately, they are balancing on the edge of being antisemitic,” he said. “I think they are very consciously using a terminology that could be interpreted both ways.”“For example, when they say from the river to the sea, obviously this means an area where there is no place for Jewish communities or a Jewish state,” Bóka continued. “I believe that they are very consciously using this terminology in order to play on this sentiment.”Hungary is one of Israel’s closest allies in the European Union, with Prime Minister Viktor Orban directing police to ban pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel rallies following Hamas’s massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.But it isn’t the only EU country pushing back against the increasingly hostile stance toward Israel adopted by many western and northern European countries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for the past decade cultivated a cadre of central and eastern European countries that could be relied upon to thwart anti-Israel efforts in Brussels. Membership in the grouping has changed over time, with Poland, for example, stepping away, but Hungary has remained a constant.“The usual suspects are Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, from time to time, Romania, and we’re also coordinating very closely with Germany,” said Bóka. “I would also include Italy in this group of like-minded countries.”Even within that group, Hungary has stood out for its willingness to thumb its nose at European majority positions, including on Israel.In July, a panel of judges at the International Criminal Court reported Hungary to the court’s oversight organization for failing to arrest Netanyahu when he visited Budapest in April, stating that the move undercut the court’s ability to bring suspects to justice.The Israeli leader received a red carpet welcome from Orban during the state visit.‘Civilizational conflict’Bóka argued that many EU states adopt adversarial stances toward Israel because of domestic politics.Senior Israeli officials made similar accusations during the wave of Western countries recognizing a Palestinian state in September.According to the minister, French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to lead a global campaign to recognize a Palestinian state “was part of an attempt on behalf of the French President to boost popularity by playing to a political audience that he wants to address.”A two-state solution should be “the end of a process and not the beginning of the process,” Bóka said.Recognizing a Palestinian state now “could be easily interpreted by some as an appeasement or a gift to those who are not afraid of using violence as a means to achieve political objectives,” he added.Communist Hungary recognized a Palestinian state in the 1980s, and there is a Palestinian embassy in Budapest.However, Bóka insisted that Hungary does not fully recognize a Palestinian state: “We recognize the Palestinian Authority as the representative of the Palestinian people in their exercise of the right to self-determination. I think the declaration that we made could be interpreted as recognizing the Palestinian Authority, not necessarily the state of Palestine.”According to Bóka, a major factor in growing support for the Palestinian cause in many European countries is Muslim immigration, a trend that he said threatens the “pillars” of the continent’s civilization, echoing the stance of Hungary’s anti-migrant government.“If there is mass and uncontrolled illegal migration from Northern Africa and the Middle East, this will necessarily change the fabric of the society,” he argued.“Radical Islamism has found a partner in the progressive far left,” said Bóka, contending that they have a common goal of destroying European society and its democratic institutions. “The progressive left and the woke activists are the useful idiots of Islamist radicals.”He described shifting demographic trends as a “civilizational conflict” with potentially dire implications for Jews.“Those who are in favor of the European civilization and European culture, as we know that is based on Judeo-Christian roots or is rooted in a Judeo-Christian tradition,” said Bóka, “then we must reinforce our efforts so this process will not result in a Europe that is not a welcoming environment for Jewish communities anymore.”The minister has one Jewish grandparent and grew up active in the Bnei Akiva religious Zionist youth movement, visiting Israel twice with the group in the 1990s. His trip to Israel this month was his fourth to the country.Antisemitism and Soros-A 2023 poll by the Anti-Defamation League found that 37 percent of Hungarians harbored antisemitic attitudes, the highest figure of 10 countries polled.Orban himself has been accused of using antisemitic tropes in political campaigns and was criticized for praising World War II-era leader Miklos Horthy, who allied with the Nazis.“Of course, antisemitism exists in Hungary,” Bóka acknowledged. “There are antisemitic approaches, there are antisemitic feelings, there are antisemitic individuals.”The important thing, he said, was how the government reacts to antisemitism.“There is no political antisemitism in Hungary,” said Bóka. “We have increased the political price of antisemitism in Hungary, and we have hugely decreased the benefit of applying political antisemitism as a tool in public discourse. We have a zero tolerance policy towards antisemitism.”Orban’s zero-tolerance policy on antisemitism recently saw Hungary bar the provocative Irish rap group Kneecap from entering the country and performing at a music festival, accusing the band of “antisemitic hate speech.”In April, Netanyahu also praised Orban for his “very bold stance against antisemitism.” He added that Orban provides the local Jewish community not only with security but also with the ability to conduct Jewish life.Much of the criticism of Orban has revolved around his opposition to Jewish billionaire George Soros, regularly accusing the US-based philanthropist of orchestrating flows of migrants to Europe by financially backing pro-immigration and pro-refugee civil groups.The government also says groups supported by Soros interfere in Hungary’s domestic affairs and ultimately aim to topple the hardline Orban.In 2017, Israel’s ambassador to Hungary slammed a government-led anti-Soros campaign for “sowing hatred” and suggested it evokes memories of the Holocaust.However, the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem later walked back the statement, saying Soros “continuously undermines Israel’s democratically elected governments by funding organizations that defame the Jewish state and seek to deny it the right to defend itself.”Bóka pointed at Hungarian polling that showed that most of the country’s Jews did not see the anti-Soros campaign as antisemitic.“If George Soros decides to engage in political life, he becomes part of the political discussion, then he can be a legitimate target of political criticism,” he argued.

Iranian man found shot dead hours after burning picture of Khamenei — reports-Omid Sarlak posted social media video of himself setting alight photo of supreme leader; at funeral, mourners accuse authorities of his murder, reject police claim he took own life-By AFP 4 November 2025, 5:48 pm

PARIS, France — An Iranian man has been found dead with a gunshot wound after posting an image of himself burning a picture of the supreme leader, with mourners blaming the authorities, according to opposition media based outside of Iran.Omid Sarlak, from Lorestan province in western Iran, had published on Instagram an image of himself setting alight the image of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a forested area on Friday, hours before being found dead at the weekend.Iran’s official IRNA news agency carried a report citing Ali Asadollahi, the police chief in his town of Aligudarz, saying a man had been found dead in his car after taking his life with a pistol that was found by his side.But at Sarlak’s funeral on Monday, dozens of mourners shouted slogans including “they killed him!” and “death to Khamenei,” according to social media footage broadcast by opposition media based outside Iran, including Iran International and Radio Farda.In his video Sarlak, who was in his 20s, included a recording of the voice of deposed shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, indicating his sympathy for the Iranian monarchy that was ousted by the 1979 Islamic revolution.The ousted shah’s US-based son, Reza Pahlavi, wrote on X that Sarlak had “stood against the oppression of the Islamic republic and sacrificed his life for Iran’s freedom.”The Iranian Tasnim news agency on Monday rejected what it described as claims in “anti-revolution media” that he “was prosecuted for critical statements and was murdered in a suspicious manner,” saying there had been no case against Sarlak and he had killed himself with a gunshot to the head.Sarlak’s father was shown in a video posted on social media by Iranian opposition outlets weeping and saying “they killed my boy.”But he later gave an interview to local state-run television urging people not to believe what they saw on social media.Activists say the authorities are pressing an intensified crackdown three years after nationwide protests shook the authorities and months after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June.“External aggression has fuelled deeper internal repression,” the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Mai Sato, said last week, noting an “alarming” surge in executions and “mass arrests” of activists.