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Friday, September 19, 2025

09/19 Links Pt1: When international law becomes anti-Israel theatre; Meet the Hamas Leaders Running UNRWA Schools; Terrorists loot UNICEF aid trucks of baby formula

From Ian:

Avraham Shalev & Eugene Kontorovich: When international law becomes anti-Israel theatre
International law has become the central framing device in debates about Israel and the post-October 7 wars. This has elevated purported international law experts to influence and prominence, much as the COVID pandemic empowered public health experts. Since most people are not lawyers – let alone international lawyers – claims presented as expert consensus are hard to dismiss.

Yet the public international law academy has become indistinguishable from radical anti-Israel activism. Standards of rigor and substantiation have been abandoned, and radical political actors have been embraced. That politicisation reached a new peak when a United Nations inquiry accused Israel of “genocide” – contorting the law so far that Israel’s right of self-defence is recast as a crime.

That same mindset was evident just last week at the prestigious annual conference of the European Society for International Law (ESIL) – perhaps the world’s most significant academic professional association for international law. It is a particularly striking example of how deeply the discipline has been politicised, precisely because ESIL enjoys such prestige.

A session of the conference, held at the Free University of Berlin, hosted as a keynote speaker Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories.

Albanese is not an academic. She is under US State Department sanctions for promoting political and economic warfare against Israeli and American officials and companies. She has defended Hamas as a “political organisation,” cast doubt on the sexual violence perpetrated in the October 7 attacks, retweeted comparisons of Netanyahu to Hitler, and was the subject of an internal UN investigation into allegations that pro-Palestinian lobbying groups funded some of her trips.

Her talk focused on accusing Israel of “genocide,” which was presented as an absolute fact. There were no speakers, or audience members for that matter, who questioned her framing – despite leading democracies from the United States to, just recently, the United Kingdom, firmly rejecting the accusation. While her panel was a side-event at the conference, ESIL publicly defended her participation as part of an “academic discussion on difficult and pressing questions in international law.” Yet none of the other panelists came with a different perspective or questioned her assumptions. Indeed, there was no pushback from anyone in the audience, a testament to the echo chamber “international law” has become.

A recent public letter concluding that Israel was not in any way committing genocide has been signed by over five hundred legal scholars, historians and other experts. By shutting out these voices while celebrating a political activist against Israel, ESIL sends a clear message to young scholars seeking to make careers in the highly competitive field: do not defend Israel regardless of the truth, if you want to be invited to conferences, have your work published, and get a job.

Eyal Weizman, an architect and Albanese’s co-panelist, pointed to Israel’s destruction of hospitals in Gaza as proof of genocidal intent against Palestinians. Yet under international law, hospitals lose their civilian protection when used for military purposes – a point not raised by anyone at this international law convention. Hamas’s exploitation of Gaza’s hospitals is well documented, with al-Shifa hospital serving as Hamas’s base of operations. Freed Israeli hostages Yarden Roman-Gat and Mia Shem recounted being hidden in and beneath medical facilities during their captivity.

Similarly, Albanese decried the destruction of mosques and universities as "disrespect for international law," though these can also be targeted when used for military purposes, as the US and UK have done in Iraq. She claimed Israel lacks the right to self-defence enshrined in UN Charter Art. 51. She referred to Israel as “the occupying power of historical Palestine,” outright rejecting the Jewish state's right to exist within any borders, and derisively called the IDF the “Israel Occupation Forces.”

Palestinian casualty figures were grossly inflated and then cited as per se proof of genocide. Albanese asserted that “85% of the killings are not Hamas-related deaths.” That is a misrepresentation of reports that Israel has been able to identify by name 15% of the casualties as Hamas members, but the law of war does not require an army to know the names of combatants it targets. The IDF has reported killing17,000 to 20,000 Hamas fighters, suggesting that a substantial portion – potentially close to 50% based on total reported deaths exceeding 40,000 as of mid-2025 – are military targets.

Despite ESIL’s status as a supposedly staid, apolitical academic organisation, the speakers praised illegal actions and groups. Weizmann mentioned his “partners Al-Haq, PCHR, al-Mezan”. In 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defence designated al-Haq a terrorist organisation, working on behalf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). In early September, the United States imposed sanctions on Al-Haq, PCHR and al-Mezan. Weizman also praised Palestine Action’s break-in and vandalism of Elbit offices. In July, the British government banned Palestine Action, stating that the group is “not a non-violent organisation” and has a history of “unacceptable criminal damage.”
Meet the Hamas Leaders Running UNRWA Schools
Hamas leaders have controlled the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's (UNRWA) on-the-ground operations since at least 2011, enabling the terror group to put its members in teaching and administrative positions to spread Hamas's jihadist ideology using U.S. tax dollars, according to a new watchdog group report.

"By knowingly employing Hamas terrorist leaders as school principals and teachers, and by allowing terror chiefs to head the unions that oversee thousands of their teachers, UNRWA didn't just tolerate extremism—the Western-funded U.N. agency institutionalized it, turning classrooms into incubators of hate," an investigation from U.N. Watch, which monitors the international organization, found.

The 220-page report documents how Hamas leaders in Gaza systematically took control of UNRWA's day-to-day operations and bred "thousands of jihadi terrorists," often ensuring that the agency's leadership in New York City had little to no decision making power. Only around 120 UNRWA employees work at the U.N.'s headquarters, in stark contrast to the nearly 30,000 who work inside Gaza under the authority of the agency's Hamas-dominated staff union.

"The Palestinian Arab local staff are the people who run all of UNRWA's services, including its education system," according to U.N. Watch, which found that UNRWA appointed at least 22 Hamas members to significant positions over the past 13 years. UNRWA's current and past union heads, the agency's teachers' union chief, and multiple school principals and teachers operating across Gaza and Lebanon have all held other jobs as terrorists.

"Many of these local leaders, especially in Gaza and Lebanon, are Hamas members or leaders, while thousands of UNRWA's local employees are also active Hamas members," U.N. Watch found. "To put this in perspective, more than 99% of UNRWA's 30,000 employees are area staff—local Palestinian Arabs—while only 120 employees at the agency are international staff, funded by the United Nations in New York."

This arrangement allowed Hamas leaders to control the agency's educational programs and monitor the activities of Western officials inside Gaza. It also enabled the terror group to use UNRWA facilities as military outposts and introduce civilian infrastructure into the battlefield.

One such Hamas leader, Suhail Al-Hindi, played a central role in reshaping UNRWA's operations to bring them in lockstep with the terror group's aims. From 2006 to 2017, Al-Hindi was "a Hamas leader and an UNRWA school principal and head of the UNRWA Gaza Staff Union, overseeing 8,000 teachers and 220,000 students in 240 schools," the U.N. Watch report states. His power within the aid agency ensured that Hamas was able to teach its brand of jihadi terrorism to the thousands of students educated inside UNRWA schools.


Trump says fewer than 20 hostages still alive, Gaza City op. may save them
US President Donald Trump claimed that fewer than 20 hostages were still alive in Gaza while speaking at the Oval Office on Saturday.

Trump also defended Israel's controversial decision to expand its military presence in Gaza City, claiming that such operations may actually free the hostages, and decried the October 7 Hamas massacre as a genocide.

During the live stream, Trump claimed that between 32 and 38 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza have been killed, leaving fewer than 20 hostages still alive. Regarding the suspected circumstances surrounding the deaths Trump said, "A lot of people died in those horrible tunnels; they're mostly in the tunnels."

Israeli intelligence has indicated that as many as 20 of the 48 hostages remaining in Hamas captivity are still alive, though hostage families have spoken out against the operations in Gaza City - fearing the operations may lead to their loved one's deaths.

When asked about the Gaza City expansion and its impact on the hostages, Trump responded, “They might be [at greater risk]. They also may be freed because of that...War, a lot of strange things happen. A lot of results take place that you never think were going to happen.”

Trump was asked for his thoughts on the recent United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry that concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The US president responded by describing the October 7 massacre as "genocide at the highest level," recounting details of the attack.

“Did anyone commit genocide on October 7?” he asked the reporter. “That was genocide at the highest level. That was murder, genocide, you can call it whatever you want. But little babies were chopped in half. Arms were cut off people, heads were cut off people. That’s genocide also I guess.


Trump seeking congressional approval to sell $6 billion in weapons to Israel
The Trump administration has told Congress it plans to sell nearly $6 billion in weapons to Israel, a fresh surge of support for the US ally as it faces increasing isolation over the war with Hamas in Gaza.

It includes a $3.8 billion sale for 30 AH-64 Apache helicopters, nearly doubling Israel’s current stocks, and a $1.9 billion sale for 3,200 infantry assault vehicles for Israel Defense Forces, according to a US official and another person familiar with the proposal who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not been made public.

Another $750 million worth of support parts for armored personnel carriers and power supplies are also working its way through the sale process, a person familiar with the matter said.

The weapons would not be delivered for two to three years or longer.

The huge sales come as US plans to broker an end to the nearly two-year war between Israel and Hamas have stalled and after Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, drew widespread condemnation among US allies in the Middle East.

The US has kept up its support despite growing international pressure on Israel and attempts from a growing number of US Senate Democrats to block the sale of offensive weapons to Israel.

The State Department declined to comment on the sales, which were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Israel has launched a new offensive, pressing forward with plans to conquer Gaza City that have drawn strong international condemnation.

The UK, which last year said it was suspending exports of some weapons to Israel out of concerns they could be used to violate international humanitarian laws, recently barred Israeli government officials from attending the country’s biggest arms fair.

Turkey also said it was closing its airspace to Israeli government planes and any cargo of arms for the Israeli military, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a speech condemned Israeli attacks on Gaza as disproportionate.

Trump said Friday that he plans to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Washington next week, with plans to discuss the purchases of Boeing aircraft and a deal for F-16 fighter jets. Trump has shown a fondness for Erdogan despite Israeli misgivings over the Turkish leader’s support for Hamas.

The Biden administration paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel over concerns about civilian casualties, but Trump lifted that hold when he took office in January.

The Trump administration has already approved about $12 billion in major military assistance to Israel this year. Most recently, the US in June approved a half-billion-dollar arms sale to Israel to resupply its military with bomb guidance kits for precision.


FDD: British and French Recognition of Palestine Will Reward Terrorism, Endanger European Security
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron are reportedly poised to recognize Palestine as a state within the coming days. If they do so, they will regrettably be rewarding terrorism and making Middle East peace less likely. They will also be endangering European security by gifting Russia a precedent for intensifying its support of nation-splintering independence movements in Scotland, Corsica, Catalonia, and elsewhere.

Palestine meets fewer of the international legal criteria for statehood than do those and other separation-seeking European regions. The legal criteria, set forth in the Montevideo Convention, reflect customary international law and thus are binding on all states. The Montevideo criteria require a) a permanent population; b) a defined territory; c) a government with effective control over that population and territory; and d) a capacity to enter into relations with other states.

The European Council (EC) added several additional non-binding criteria in its 1991 guidelines for recognizing new states in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. These include potential states providing their citizens “the rule of law, democracy, and human rights.”

The Palestinian Authority (PA), the entity Macron and Starmer plan to recognize, is far from qualifying for statehood according to the Montevideo criteria. It has had no control over the Gazan part of its territory since 2007, when Hamas seized power there in a bloody coup. Over 40 percent of the proposed Palestinian state’s population resides in Gaza. The PA thus lacks the capacity to ensure Palestine’s population abides by any agreements the PA makes with other states.

As for the EC criteria, PA President Mahmoud Abbas is currently in the twentieth year of the single four-year term to which he was elected in 2005 (he has cancelled all presidential elections since then). In addition, Freedom House, the respected human rights watchdog, has for years scored both the PA and the Hamas regimes worse for political rights and civil liberties than nearly every other government on the planet.

Unlike Palestine, independence-minded Scotland, Corsica (an island currently part of France), and Catalonia (currently a region of Spain) arguably meet the Montevideo criteria of having governments with effective control over the full population residing in a clearly defined territory. Additionally, unlike Palestine, they meet the EC’s rule of law, democracy, and human rights criteria. In addition, Scotland, Corsica, and Catalonia — unlike Palestine — each has a historical claim to sovereignty as previously independent states.

If Palestine now qualifies as an independent state, then Scotland, Corsica, and Catalonia surely qualify too. As do numerous other separation-minded parts of Europe, such as Flanders and the Basque region.
“Recognising Palestine Will Put Blood on Starmer’s Hands” | PM Accused Of Rewarding Hamas
Eylon Levy, former Israeli government spokesperson and host of the Israel State of a Nation podcast, joins Mike Graham to respond to Keir Starmer’s recent comments about Hamas and the recognition of Palestine.

Levy argues that recognising a Palestinian state without conditions rewards Hamas and undermines peace, warning that such actions encourage further violence.

He calls for global pressure to release hostages and for Hamas to lay down arms.

Mike and Levy discuss the naivety of Western leaders regarding the situation, with Levy suggesting that many do not grasp the reality of Hamas’s popularity among Palestinians.

The conversation highlights the lack of conditions attached to the UK’s potential recognition of Palestine and the ongoing suffering of hostages.


Progressive senators line up behind Palestinian statehood resolution
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced a first-of-its-kind resolution calling on U.S. President Donald Trump to formally recognize a Palestinian state.

The resolution calls on Trump to “recognize a demilitarized state of Palestine, as consistent with international law and the principles of a two-state solution, alongside a secure state of Israel.”

Palestinian state recognition “is not only a practical step the United States can take to help build a future where Palestinians and Israelis can live in freedom, dignity and security, but it is the right thing to do,” Merkley stated. “America has a responsibility to lead, and the time to act is now.”

The resolution faults Hamas and other terrorist entities for acts of “terrorism and violence” and says that they reject “the State of Israel as a national homeland for the Jewish people.”

It calls on Hamas to “end its campaign of terrorism, lay down its arms and provide for the unconditional release of all hostages, and also calls on Israel to take immediate steps to end the war in Gaza and surge humanitarian aid into the territory.”

The resolution also criticizes “actions and policies by the government of Israel,” including a Knesset vote rejecting a two-state solution and the expansion of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

“There is a historic opportunity to simultaneously pursue a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a comprehensive regional peace between Israel and all of its Arab neighbors, unlocking the potential for a more secure and prosperous Middle East,” the resolution says.

The resolution is endorsed by J Street and cosponsored by Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).
Survey suggests 37% of Americans think US too supportive of Israel
American policy towards Israel is increasingly viewed along party lines, and more Americans now say that Washington is providing too much support for the Jewish state as its war with Hamas continues, according to a survey released on Thursday.

The findings revealed a “strong and growing partisan factor in American views of U.S. support for Israel in its war against Hamas,” according to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Lester Crown Center on U.S. Foreign Policy.

In the survey, 37% of Americans said that Washington is providing too much support and military aid to Israel in its defensive war against Hamas. That’s up from 30% in 2024.

Another 26% said that the United States strikes the right balance, up from 22% in 2024, and the percentage that said that Washington isn’t providing enough aid and support fell to 10% from 20%.

“Polls fluctuate, but the reality is that Israel is fighting a just and moral war against a barbaric enemy that savagely attacked the Jewish state on Oct. 7 and continues to hold 48 hostages,” Marshall Wittmann, a spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, told JNS.

“It is entirely consistent with American interests and values to stand with a democratic ally as it battles Hamas and other Iranian terrorist proxies,” he said.

The increased dissatisfaction with U.S. actions in the survey was driven by Democrats and independents. A growing number of Republicans say that the United States has struck the right balance.

More than half of Democrats (53%) said that the United States supports Israel too much, up from 40% last year. Independents agreed by 42% to 34%.

About a quarter of Republicans (23%) said last year that the United States had struck the right balance in its support of the Jewish state. That percentage more than doubled to 47% after Donald Trump replaced Joe Biden in the White House.
Less than half UK Jewry supports two-state solution, new poll finds
Fewer than half of British Jews now support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for the first time since polling was introduced on the question.

According to a survey carried out by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research this summer, only 49 per cent maintained belief in the two-state solution, compared to 54 per cent a year ago - and 77 per cent 15 years ago when JPR first asked the question.

But as many as a third now back the idea of a single Israeli-Palestinian binational state.

The new findings – released amid anticipation that the UK will formally announce support for a Palestinian state this weekend – represent “a dramatic change of faith by British Jews in a proposal that has been the bedrock of Western policy on Israel-Palestine for decades”, JPR says.

Still, more UK support Jews still back a two-state (49 per cent) than oppose it (41 per cent); a year ago, a third opposed it while only 15 per cent rejected the idea in 2010.

Whereas nearly half of UK Jews 15 years ago believed most Palestinians wanted peace (47 per cent), the figure dropped to 36 per cent this year.

The poll results show marked differences among age-groups and denominations.

A two-state solution is backed by only 15 per cent of strictly Orthodox (with 76 per against), and 41 per cent of modern Orthodox (with 49 per cent against). However, among Progressive Jews, the two states idea is favoured by 62 per cent (with 29 per cent against) and 51 per cent of secular or unaffiliated Jews (with 39 per cent against).

Only the 70-plus age group retain a majority of two-state supporters – 55 per cent. The lowest support comes from within the 16- to 29-year-olds – 41 per cent – where the data suggests a swing towards a one-state solution.

The young are, JPR says, “notably more likely than their elders to self-identify as anti-Zionist, and more likely to endorse bi-nationalism, which more than two in five support”.
Chief Rabbi, Board of Deputies increase condemnation of government’s Palestinian policy
Chief Rabbi Mirvis has condemned the British government’s intention to recognise a Palestinian state next week as a “historic error”, describing it as “a reward for terrorism while the hostages remain in chains” – while the Board of Deputies has held a banner protest outside Parliament condemning the move.

The UK, alongside another of other Western countries, has expressed its intention to recognise a Palestinian state at a UN conference in New York on Monday. Two months ago the government abruptly shifted from the UK’s long-term policy, which was to recognise a Palestinian state at a later stage as part of a peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. It announced that unless Israel committed to a series of steps, recognition would be forthcoming. No such conditions were required of Hamas.

Rabbi Mirvis has been vocally critical of the government’s change in policy. In some of the strongest language yet used by the spiritual leader, he described how “the unconditional recognition of a Palestinian State by the British Government at the forthcoming annual United Nations General Assembly, will prove to be a historic error of foreign policy, which will only impede the cause of peace.

“It is a reward for terrorism, while the hostages remain in chains, and has been celebrated by Hamas as ‘one of the fruits of 7 October.’”

His comments come as the Board of Deputies held a public banner protest in the heart of Westminster, with stark messages condemning the government’s intentions.

One banner pictures Ghazi Hamad, the senior Hamas leader who has gloated that “To recognise a Palestinian state is the fruits of 7 October.”

Another shows an image of an emaciated hostage, Evyatar David, who was filmed by Hamas as they forced him to dig what they told him was his own grave. “Recognise this,” the banner says.


Portugal to recognize a Palestinian state, government says
Portugal will recognize a Palestinian state on Sunday, the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday.

The Official Declaration of Recognition will take place even before next week's High-Level Conference, it added.

Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel already said this week that the country was considering the recognition of a Palestinian state during a visit to the UK.

Unlike neighboring Spain, whose leftist government recognized Palestinian statehood in May 2024 alongside Ireland and Norway and called on other EU countries to do the same, Portugal has taken a more cautious approach, saying it wanted to work out a common position with other EU countries first.

Multiple EU members already support the recognition


Only a handful of the 27 European Union members recognize Palestine as a State, mostly former Communist countries as well as Sweden and Cyprus.


Suspect arrested for burglary, arson attempt at Israeli embassy in the Hague
One suspect was arrested by local police after they attempted to break into and tried to set fire to the lobby of the Israeli embassy in The Hague on Friday night, Israeli media reported.

No embassy employees were harmed in the incidents, according to reports.

This incident comes only two months after three anti-Israel activists were arrested for vandalizing the Israeli Embassy in The Hague.

The Police Unit at The Hague confirmed on X that one person was killed and several people were wounded in an explosion, though it is unclear if there is any connection.


Suspect in 1982 attack on Paris Jewish restaurant arrested in West Bank
France welcomed news on Friday that a suspect in an attack on a Jewish restaurant in Paris 43 years ago, in which six people were killed and at least 20 others injured, had been detained by Palestinian authorities in the West Bank.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted on X/Twitter that the arrest had been made possible by President Emmanuel Macron's decision to recognize an independent Palestinian state on Monday, "enabling us to request extradition."

Macron welcomed the cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, adding: "We are working together towards a swift extradition."

At the time, the grenade and gun attack on the Jo Goldenberg restaurant in the heart of the Jewish district of the Marais quarter in August 1982 was the deadliest antisemitic attack in France since World War Two.

It was part of a wave of overseas violence by Palestinian terrorists that had begun in the 1970s. No one has yet been tried in connection with the case.


FDD: New anti-Hamas militia emerges in Gaza
On August 21, an armed group in the Gaza Strip calling itself the Counterterrorism Strike Force (CSF) declared its formation. The group is among a handful of anti-Hamas militias that are reportedly managed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency, also known as the Shin Bet.

“In response to the catastrophic conditions endured by our people in the Gaza Strip, and in light of the ongoing rule of repression and terrorism practiced by Hamas, we announce the formation of the Counterterrorism Strike Force,”the group stated in a Facebook post.

The CSF, seemingly led by Husam al Astal, declared that its goals include the removal of Hamas from power, the protection of civilians, and achieving stability “as a first step toward restoring dignity to the people and building a free and just future.”

The group said that it operates “within a national framework coordinated with legitimate Palestinian entities” and is committed to upholding international humanitarian law. Notably, the CSF added that it has received funding from “honest national businessmen” and Palestinians both domestically and internationally.

The Telegram channel “Catch the Collaborator,” which is associated with Hamas’s Arrow Unit, published a warning against the CSF on September 17. The post accused Astal of working for the Palestinian Authority’s preventative security service and linked him to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. The channel also claimed that Astal is an associate of Yasir Abu Shabab, the leader of the Popular Forces, another anti-Hamas militia. These accusations from a known Hamas-affiliated channel may have unintentionally legitimized the CSF as a bona fide opposition group.

On September 17, Yaniv Kubovitch reported in the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz that the Shin Bet and the IDF have managed some Gaza-based militias “to carry out military operations in exchange for pay and control over territory.” Notably, Kubovitch wrote that the militias were taking part in “substantial combat activities” and “mainly deployed in sensitive areas” of the Gaza Strip.

Some analysts argue that Israeli support for anti-Hamas militias in Gaza comes with possible negative consequences for the territory. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian American who serves as the resident senior fellow and head of Realign for Palestine at the Atlantic Council, told FDD’s The Long War Journal that while Gazans must lead the struggle against Hamas’s violent rule, the proliferation of militias reportedly supported by the IDF poses serious risks to Gaza’s future. Alkhatib points to Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion and the Syrian Civil War as examples where armed rebels, once empowered, turned their weapons on one another.


Israel arrests terror cell in Samaria rocket plot
Israeli security forces on Friday arrested in Samaria a group of terrorists who had attempted to launch a rocket from the Ramallah area the previous week, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Fighters belonging to the IDF, Shin Bet and the Border Police’s Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit arrested three suspected terrorists in a raid on a building. In it, the troops found two launch-ready rockets, dozens of improvised explosive devices and explosives and other evidence linking the suspects to attempts to manufacture and launch rockets, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement.

The rockets had no warhead, the statement also said.

In commenting on this development, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that, “Despite its commitments, the Palestinian Authority is not fighting terrorism and continues its ‘Pay-for-Slay’ policy,” in which terrorists receive funding for perpetrating attacks on Israelis and Jews.

“This is further proof of the enormous danger in establishing a ‘Palestinian state’,” Sa’ar wrote on X. “If Israel will not maintain security control over Judea and Samaria, the entire State of Israel will be in danger.”


Israeli air strikes kill two Hezbollah terrorists, destroy vessel in southern Lebanon
Israeli forces killed two terrorists in two separate strikes on Friday in southern Lebanon, the military said.

The IAF, led by the military's Northern Command, struck and killed Ammar Hayel Qutaybani, Hezbollah's Sinai Outpost commander.

Friday night also saw the IDF's 91st Division and the Navy strike a vessel that was used by Hezbollah to gather intelligence on IDF soldiers on the coasts of Naqoura.

Earlier, in a previous strike, the air force killed a terrorist from the organization's Radwan Force in the Tibnin area.

Both terrorists were engaged in efforts to restore Hezbollah's terror infrastructure in the area, the IDF added in their statement.

Hezbollah media's perspective on Tibnin strike
Hours before the IDF statement, Hezbollah-affiliated news sites Al-Mayadeen and Al-Manar reported, also in Tibnin, that one person was killed, and three others were wounded in the strike, which targeted a car in front of the Tibnin Governmental Hospital.


Terrorists loot aid trucks of baby formula in Gaza City, UNICEF and COGAT confirm
Humanitarian aid trucks carrying baby formula through the Gaza Strip were robbed by armed terrorists, both UNICEF and Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) confirmed on Friday.

While UNICEF named the parties only as “armed individuals,” COGAT announced that Hamas had robbed the aid trucks.

Robbing aid drivers at gunpoint
“Yesterday, armed individuals approached four trucks outside our compound in Gaza City that were getting ready to transport desperately needed Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for malnourished children enduring famine,” UNICEF shared in a Friday statement. “The individuals commandeered the drivers at gunpoint and diverted the RUTF before releasing the drivers and trucks.

“This theft has denied at least 2,700 severely and acutely malnourished children of life-saving RUTF – vital supplies at a time when famine has been declared in the north of Gaza and the ongoing military operation is creating further displacement and adding to the devastating impact on children.

“UNICEF urges all in Gaza to respect and protect humanitarian aid and uphold international humanitarian law.

“Children are bearing the heaviest burden. Ultimately, a sustainable ceasefire is essential to create an environment where such incidents no longer occur, and aid can reach those who need it most – safely, quickly, and effectively.”

COGAT shared that the trucks were commandeered outside the UNICEF headquarters in Gaza City and accused the UN of covering for Hamas by refusing to name the terror group as responsible for the robbery.


UKLFI: The Humanitarian Situation in the Gaza Strip
This is a recording of a UKLFI Charitable Trust webinar held on18 September 2025 on The Humanitarian Situation in the Gaza Strip with Rev. Dr. Johnnie Moore, Executive Chairman of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and chaired by Natasha Hausdorff.

The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and how to provide humanitarian relief during the ongoing war are hugely controversial issues. Hamas and other armed groups have been accused of seizing aid from international organisations, depriving those who need it most, profiting from its resale, and using the profits to fight the war. On 26 May 2025 the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) commenced direct distribution of individual food boxes at secured sites in areas of the Gaza Strip under Israeli control. This operation has itself been controversial, with allegations that over 1000 Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach or return from the distribution sites. In this webinar Rev. Dr. Johnnie Moore discusses with Natasha Hausdorff the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, GHF’s efforts to provide relief, the challenges it faces and the extent to which it has been able to overcome them.


UKLFI: Natasha Hausdorff discusses the damaging implications of the UK's recognition policy on TalkTV
Natasha Hausdorff, UKLFI Charitable Trust Legal Director, discusses ‎the Trump / Starmer meeting and the potential consequences of the UK recognising Palestine as a State on Talk TV, interviewed by Ian Collins‎.


John Spencer: “Israel Is Stronger Today Than It Was on October 6th”



The Truth About Qatar, Hamas, and America’s Failed Leadership
Mark Levin exposes Qatar’s ties to Hamas, blasts Western weakness, and defends Netanyahu’s decisive response. He argues Doha shelters terrorist chiefs while American hostages suffer — and says President Trump’s peace proposal could end this nightmare. Hard-hitting national security analysis.


‘Besmirched’: Australian reputation damaged for ‘one-sided’ view of Israel-Palestine conflict
Former Labor MP Michael Danby discusses the Albanese government’s “one-sided” view of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“They think that our reputation as a tolerant, happy-go-lucky, pluralist society has been besmirched by the attacks on Jewish institutions and individuals,” Mr Danby told Sky News host Rowan Dean.

“But more particularly by the Albo government’s seemingly one-sided view on the Israel-Palestine conflict.”


Ami’s House: Former Mossad Director Yossi Cohen: The Truth About Mossad, Charlie Kirk, & U.S–Israel Relationship
Former Mossad director Yossi Cohen joins Ami’s House for an unprecedented conversation about Israel’s intelligence service and conspiracy theories.

We dig into:
🔴 What the Mossad actually does and why it’s unique among global intelligence agencies.
🔴 The reality behind assassination programs—and how conspiracies about Mossad thrive after tragedies.
🔴 Cohen’s candid reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the baseless claims tying Israel to it.
🔴 The dangers Israel faces from Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and global propaganda.
🔴 Why the U.S.–Israel relationship is more vital than ever.

00:00 – 01:09 Introducing Yossi Cohen, Former Mossad Director
01:09 – 02:15 Why Mossad Is the World’s “Boogeyman” in Conspiracies
02:15 – 04:06 What the Mossad Really Does
04:06 – 05:22 Behind Enemy Lines: How Israel Stops Terror Attacks
05:22 – 07:18 Why Israel Can’t Afford to Be “Number Two”
07:18 – 09:26 Assassinations, CIA, and Mossad’s Unique Role
09:26 – 13:29 Mossad vs. Global Intelligence Agencies
13:29 – 14:22 The Threats You Never Hear About
14:22 – 15:28 Yossi Cohen on the Charlie Kirk Assassination
15:28 – 17:12 What Mossad Keeps Secret—and Why
17:12 – 20:24 Life Inside Mossad: Secrecy, Family, and Pop Culture Myths
20:24 – 23:15 Addressing the Conspiracy About Kirk & Mossad
23:15 – 26:32 Why These Conspiracies Are Antisemitic Lies
26:32 – 29:30 Deterrence vs. Conspiracy: The Mossad Paradox
29:30 – 36:20 The Iranian Threat & October 7 Context
36:20 – 40:06 Does Israel Control U.S. Policy? Cohen Responds
40:06 – 42:20 When Mossad Saves Lives Beyond Israel
42:20 – 49:06 October 7th: Intelligence Failures Explained
49:06 – 55:07 Why Israel’s Defenses Collapsed on October 7th
55:07 – 01:00:00 Humanitarian Dilemmas: Gaza, Civilians & War
01:00:00 – 01:05:25 Public Condemnations vs. Private Support for Israel
01:05:25 – 01:08:50 Is the Status Quo Sustainable? Israel’s Future Choices
01:08:50 – 01:09:11 Closing Reflections




Hip-hop group Kneecap barred from entering Canada for supporting 'terrorist organizations'
The Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap has been banned from entering Canada over what the federal government says is their "open endorsement of terrorist organizations."

"Kneecap has engaged in actions and have made statements that are contrary to Canadian values and laws that have caused deep alarm to our government," Vince Gasparro, parliamentary secretary for combating crime, said in a video posted on social media.

"The group have amplified political violence and publicly displayed support for terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas," he said. The band has denied supporting the militant groups.

In announcing the group's ineligibility, Gasparro explained that his government would not allow Canada to become a platform for extremism or political violence

Kneecap had been scheduled to perform in Toronto and Vancouver next month. Last month, the group announced it was cancelling 15 shows in the U.S.




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