Wednesday, September 24, 2025

09/24 Links: U.S. recognition of Judea, Samaria needed to get hostages back; Tinkerbell Statehood; 22 wounded as Houthi drone from Yemen hits Eilat

From Ian:

Eugene Kontorovich: U.S. recognition of Judea, Samaria needed to get hostages back
The legal case for recognition is strong. Judea and Samaria was part of Mandatory Palestine, which became Israel in 1948. When Jordan and its allies invaded to prevent the creation of a Jewish state, they occupied the territory, renamed it the West Bank and expelled the Jewish population. Still, such aggressive conquest does not redraw borders. These places have now been under Israeli control for nearly 60 years, and repeated offers of sovereignty to the Palestinians have been turned down.

Mr. Trump had not planned to act on the Judea and Samaria issue now, but Mr. Macron and company have forced his hand. Palestinian terrorist factions are aware of Israel’s overwhelming military superiority. Their cause is kept alive by the belief that international pressure will break the Zionists, which is why they are so entranced with analogies to South Africa and French Algeria.

An American reaction is necessary to ensure the very survival of its key Middle Eastern ally. The long-term goal of recognition by U.N. Security Council permanent members France and Britain is to provide a basis for future resolutions imposing sanctions and boycotts on Israel, which a Democratic president may not veto, following the precedent of Barack Obama.

Mr. Trump considered recognizing Israeli sovereignty in his first term but chose to defer it to pursue the Abraham Accords. Now, to continue expanding the accords, he must end the war in Gaza, which requires new carrots and sticks. Just as the first-term recognition of Jerusalem and the Golan set the stage for the Abraham Accords, a recognition of Judea and Samaria will create the preconditions for their expansion.

To be sure, Arab states are threatening to walk back their relations with Israel if it applies its law fully to areas of Judea and Samaria. Still, if America legitimizes Israel’s move, Arab capitals will not seek conflict with Washington over a symbolic issue. In any case, Mr. Trump can rightly tell Arab states to address their complaints to Paris and London.
Dave Rich: Tinkerbell Statehood
And yet, despite almost eighty years of trying, efforts to make two states a reality have repeatedly failed; and not enough people are asking why, eighty years on, it still hasn’t worked as a proposed solution.

It’s easy enough to think of the reasons why the basic land-for-peace premise of the Two State Solution has been repeatedly rejected by one or other of the parties to this conflict. Fear, mistrust, extremism and messianism, grievances and hatreds, all play a role. At times this is driven by political leaders, and sometimes it comes from the Israeli and Palestinian populations themselves. There are numerous examples of deals that seemed perfectly reasonable to outsiders being rejected by the protagonists (Yasser Arafat was especially guilty of this). It is counterintuitive to suggest that Palestinians and Israelis don’t want to live in peace - of course they do - but that is different from being willing to accept what is being offered as part of the package. However difficult and painful this conflict has been, it seems that many Israelis and Palestinians believe they have more to lose by paying the price that peace would involve, than what it would cost to keep hold of what they currently have (whether this involves holding on to land, or to security, or refusing to give up the hope they can still secure total victory and all of the land for themselves in the future).

But rather than doing the hard work of truly understanding, at a profound level, what motivates the decision making of Palestinian and Israeli politicians and publics, instead the international community of diplomats, governments, journalists and NGOs assume that they just need another push and this time it will work.

You don’t have to be a pessimist to question this approach. I fear that this latest initiative falls into the same trap of asking “How”, rather than “Why”: how can we make two states happen, rather than asking why has it never happened previously.

I’ve felt for decades that the Two State Solution offers Israelis and Palestinians the best chance of a peaceful future in which they control their own destinies, in their own nation states; but I’m not naïve enough to imagine that it is remotely achievable with conditions as they are right now. At the same time, I don’t see any other options that could work either. The Two State Solution may be impossible, but it is still less impossible than any alternative plan that is moral, legal and viable.

Instead of pretending that the international community can imagine a Two State Solution into being, those who want to make it a reality would do better to try working out what steps need to be taken to help Israelis and Palestinians reach a place where a permanent peace between them is even imaginable. Perhaps the formal step of recognising Palestine is supposed to be a step on that road; but on its own, it has as much chance of bringing a Two State Solution to fruition as all those previous efforts that came to nought.


Trump presented comprehensive plan to end Gaza war in UN meeting with Muslim leaders
US President Donald Trump presented his plan for ending the Gaza war, releasing remaining hostages and rehabilitating the Strip under non-Hamas rule during a multilateral meeting with the leaders of eight Arab and Muslim countries, two Arab diplomats briefed on the sit-down told The Times of Israel on Wednesday.

Trump also vowed that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, a source at the sit-down and a second source briefed on the matter told The Times of Israel, confirming a report in Politico.

A senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Monday that the Trump administration has privately cautioned Israel against annexing the West Bank in response to the decisions by Western countries to recognize Palestine in recent days.

However, Jerusalem does not feel that the warning marked “an end to the discussion” and Netanyahu plans to discuss the matter with US President Donald Trump during their White House meeting next Monday, the Israeli official said.

To date, the Trump administration has avoided taking a public stance regarding potential Israeli annexation of the West Bank and has argued that Western countries are to blame for Jerusalem considering the step due to their decisions to recognize Palestinian statehood.

Parts of the plan presented by Trump at the Tuesday meeting are based on a proposal crafted by former UK prime minister Tony Blair, which was revealed by The Times of Israel last week.

While the Blair plan focuses on the post-war management of Gaza, the plan presented by Trump also outlines how the war itself would end, envisioning a ceasefire of several weeks during which all of the remaining 48 hostages would be released, one of the Arab diplomats said.

The participating countries were briefed on the US proposal ahead of time and presented a position paper that welcomed Trump’s plan, a source familiar with the matter said.

The paper’s four key points were: welcoming the proposal for a comprehensive end to the war in Gaza; stressing the importance of bringing back the hostages, ending the war and allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza; committing to be part of a peaceful solution for the region, based on Trump’s vision; and calling out continued Israeli strikes on countries in the region, including the recent attack on Hamas chiefs in Qatar.

The position paper also said the countries reject continued Israeli military operations in Gaza, an Israeli occupation of Gaza and the establishment of settlements there, forcibly displacing Palestinians from Gaza and preventing those who left from returning, Israeli annexation of the West Bank, and steps that violate the status quo at Jerusalem holy sites.

The source familiar with the matter said the White House on Wednesday is planning to issue a statement on the meeting but is waiting to receive approval of the wording from all participating countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan.

“We want to end the war in Gaza. We’re going to end it. Maybe we can end it right now,” Trump told the press at the start of the meeting before reporters were ushered out of the room.
US envoy Witkoff ‘confident’ of Gaza breakthrough in coming days as peace plan floated
US envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday he expected a breakthrough related to Gaza in the coming days, saying US President Donald Trump had presented a plan to regional countries.

Witkoff, a real estate friend of Trump who has become his roving ambassador and the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, said the US president shared ideas when meeting with a group of Arab and Islamic countries on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

“We presented what we call the Trump 21-point plan for peace in the Mideast and Gaza,” Witkoff said.

“I think it addresses Israeli concerns as well as the concerns of all the neighbors in the region,” he told the Concordia summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

“We’re hopeful, and I might say even confident, that in the coming days we’ll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough.”

A joint statement from the governments represented in Tuesday’s meeting said the leaders had “reiterated their commitment to cooperate with President Trump, and stressed the importance of his leadership to end the war.”

The meeting included representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
Hamas releases propaganda video of Israeli hostage Alon Ohel
The Hamas terrorist group on Monday published a propaganda video of Israeli hostage Alon Ohel, an hour before the start of Rosh Hashanah in the Jewish state.

Ohel’s family has requested that no photos or excerpts from the video be published.

“Our family is shaken and in pain following the release of Alon’s video by Hamas. It’s evident that Alon is losing vision in his right eye, and he appears thin and distressed,” said the captive’s parents, Idit and Kobi, in a statement issued by the Hostage and Missing Families Forum.

“We demand that as a precondition for any negotiations or additional assistance to Hamas, eye specialists must examine Alon and provide him with treatment,” it continued.

On Sept. 5, marking the 700th day of captivity for hostages in Gaza, Hamas released a propaganda video showing Alon Ohel and Guy Gilboa-Dalal being driven in Gaza City. At the time, Ohel’s family allowed the release of a still image of him from the video. A still of Alon Ohel taken from the video released by Hamas and authorized for publication by his family. Credit: Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Details about Ohel’s condition first emerged from former Hamas captives Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Eliya Cohen, who were held with him and were among 25 hostages and eight deceased released during the first phase of a Jan. 19 ceasefire. They reported that Ohel, from Lavon in the Upper Galilee, had been injured by shrapnel and blinded in his right eye.

In June, Idit Ohel told JNS, “We want to save our son, we want him to come home, and we are thinking of ways to make that happen. We are very scared about his situation in Gaza; we are scared for his life.”


Rubio: Palestinian state recognitions derailed hostage talks
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday emphasized that there is no Palestinian state, despite recognition by several Western countries this week, and said the diplomatic initiative led by France and Saudi Arabia had derailed efforts to end the Israel-Hamas war.

“There is no Palestinian state, no matter how many papers they put out, and the only time there’ll ever be one is if there is a negotiation with Israel—which right now is impossible because they have a war going on with Hamas,” Rubio told CBS News in an interview.

He noted that Hamas “butchered” some 1,200 Israelis during its Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. “As long as that’s going on, the whole thing is irrelevant; it’s almost a vanity project for a couple of these world leaders,” he said.

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron, along with the leaders of Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and Monaco, recognized a Palestinian state at a summit in New York. The move followed similar actions by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Portugal the previous day.

Rubio stressed that the diplomatic initiative has had a negative impact. “It actually derailed talks that were going on and made it even harder to get Hamas to enter into concessions that might have brought this to an end,” he said.

He nevertheless added that there still existed a “window of opportunity” to pursue a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement, and that U.S. President Donald Trump was the only leader in the world who could broker such a resolution.

Also on Tuesday, Rubio clarified in an interview with “FOX & Friends” that the Trump administration is rejecting half-measures and demanding that Hamas immediately release all 48 hostages at once.

The top American diplomat also dismissed media reports that Washington had received a letter from Hamas requesting a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of 10 Israeli hostages.


US could hit entire International Criminal Court with sanctions soon
The United States is considering imposing sanctions as soon as this week against the entire International Criminal Court, putting the court's day-to-day operations in jeopardy in retaliation for investigations of suspected Israeli war crimes.

Washington has already imposed targeted sanctions on several prosecutors and judges at the court, but naming the court itself in the sanctions list would be a major escalation.

Six sources with knowledge of the matter, all speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic issue that has not been publicly announced, said a decision on such "entity sanctions" was expected soon.

A source said court officials had already held emergency internal meetings to discuss the impact of potential blanket sanctions. Two other sources said meetings had also been held with court member state diplomats.

One US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, confirmed that entity-wide sanctions were being weighed but did not elaborate on the timing of the possible move.

A State Department spokesperson accused the court of asserting what it said was its "purported jurisdiction" over US and Israeli personnel and said that Washington was going to take further steps, although the spokesperson did not say exactly what.

"It (the ICC) has the opportunity to change course by making critical and appropriate structural changes. The US will take additional steps to protect our brave service members and others as long as the ICC continues to present a threat to our national interests," the spokesperson said.


Heading to UN, Netanyahu dismisses Palestinian recognition as ’shameful capitulation’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Wednesday that the recent Western recognition of an independent Palestinian state would not “obligate” Israel into allowing it to become a reality.

“The shameful capitulation of some leaders to Palestinian terror does not obligate Israel in any way,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement published ahead of his departure to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. “There will be no Palestinian state.”

The matter of a Palestinian state, and the announcements of recognition in recent days from countries including the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and Portugal, is expected to dominate Netanyahu’s meetings with other leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, as well as his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday.

On Sunday, after the UK, Canada, and Australia announced that they would recognize an independent Palestine, Netanyahu accused their leaders of “handing a huge reward to terror” but said that Israel would respond to the move only upon his return from the US.

One response that members of his coalition are pushing for is for Israel to annex parts of the West Bank, and in particular, the Jordan Valley.

However, a senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel earlier this week that the Trump administration has privately cautioned Israel against taking such a step in response to Western recognition of a Palestinian state.

Jerusalem did not feel that the warnings marked “an end to the discussion,” the official said, and Netanyahu was planning to discuss the matter with Trump at the White House next week.

To date, the Trump administration has avoided taking a public stance regarding potential Israeli annexation of the West Bank and has argued that Western countries are to blame for Jerusalem considering the step due to their decisions to recognize a Palestinian state.
Trump slams Palestinian state recognitions, calls to ‘release the hostages now’
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded the immediate release of the 48 hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and condemned the recognition of a Palestinian state by several Western countries, calling it a reward for terrorism.

“I have also been deeply engaged in seeking a ceasefire in Gaza, we have to get that done, have to get it done. Unfortunately, Hamas has repeatedly rejected reasonable offers to make peace, and we can’t forget October 7,” Trump said in his address to the United Nations General Assembly.

“Now, as if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including October 7, even while they refuse to release the hostages,” he continued.

“This could have been solved so long ago, but instead of giving in to Hamas ransom demands, those who want peace should be united with one message: Release the hostages no
Trump to UN: Stop Propping up Iran and Hamas, Stop Your Members From Buying Russian Oil, and Fix Your Damn Escalators
President Donald Trump pointedly criticized the United Nations and its members during a fiery speech on Tuesday, urging them to stop propping up the Iranian terror regime and its proxy Hamas, end their purchases of Russian oil, secure their porous borders—and fix Turtle Bay’s malfunctioning escalators.

During a nearly hourlong address before the U.N. General Assembly—the longest of his presidency—Trump chastised world leaders for appeasing despots and championing policies that endanger the global community. The president pressured international leaders to reject a Palestinian state, ditch the "green energy scam," and crack down on mass migration. Even the United Nations' New York headquarters faced Trump’s ire.

"These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter," Trump said after running into multiple technical failures just ahead of his speech, including an escalator that stopped working as he and first lady Melania Trump approached it, and a teleprompter that went dark as he began speaking. "All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the way up, stopped right in the middle."

The line, though comedic, reflected a serious point from Trump: The United Nations doesn't do anything right—or much of anything at all.

Trump touted his work to end "seven unendable wars," referencing recent violence between Cambodia and Thailand, Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, and Armenia and Azerbaijan, among others. "Sadly," Trump said, "the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them."

"It's too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them," he said. "The U.N. has such tremendous potential, but it's not even coming close to living up to that potential, for the most part."

"At least for now, all they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter up. It's empty words, and empty words don't solve war. The only thing that solves war and wars is action."


Europe’s Rosh Hashanah Betrayal: Universal HRs for All Except Israelis?
When European governments declare “Palestine” with “East Jerusalem” as its capital, they are not advancing human rights — they are trampling the very declaration written in Jewish blood from the Shoah.

The Universal Human Rights Declaration Turned on Its Head
In recent days and weeks, European leaders have rushed to recognize a “State of Palestine” and, more dangerously still, to declare East Jerusalem its capital. They have done so while 48 Israeli hostages remain in captivity, while rockets still fall, and while Palestinian leaders openly pay salaries to terrorists.

Here is the bitter irony:
These moves are cloaked in the language of “human rights.” Yet the very Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), drafted in 1948 in the shadow of the Holocaust, is now being twisted to deny the Jewish people the rights it was designed to protect. And since the October 7 massacre — with its mass killings, kidnappings, torture, and sexual violence — Israel has lived the starkest proof that these “universal rights” are not guaranteed to Jews unless we defend them ourselves.

1967: A War of Survival and a Legal Casus Belli
The Six-Day War of 1967 was not a war of conquest; it was a war of survival. Egypt had expelled UN peacekeepers, massed over 100,000 troops in Sinai, and illegally blockaded the Straits of Tiran, Israel’s only southern lifeline. That blockade was a textbook casus belli, recognized in international law as an act of war.

On June 5, Israel struck Egypt’s airfields in response. Crucially, Israel sent a message to King Hussein of Jordan: stay out of the war and we will not engage you. Hussein chose the opposite path. Jordanian artillery opened fire on Jerusalem, shelling civilian neighborhoods and advancing on Israeli positions.

By every standard of international law, Israel was acting in self-defense. And, as former ICJ President Stephen Schwebelexplained in 1970:
“Where the prior holder of territory had seized that territory unlawfully, the state which subsequently takes that territory in the lawful exercise of self-defense has, against that prior holder, better title.”

Jordan’s hold on East Jerusalem had been unlawful since 1948. When it attacked again in 1967, it forfeited its claims entirely. Israel, fighting in self-defense, gained the stronger title — and with it, the right to reunify its capital. It’s also important to note that Jordan had ethnically cleansed the Jewish populations of Judea, Samaria and the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem in previous wars.
Call me Back Podcast: The U.N. Recognition of a Palestinian State - with Dr. Tal Becker
The United Nations is set to recognize a Palestinian state on Monday. But what does that actually mean? What kind of legal power will this recognition hold? And will Hamas see it as a victory, cementing Oct. 7 as Palestinian independence day? Tal Becker, Vice President of Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and a multi-decade veteran of Israeli peace process teams. Tal was previously a diplomatic advisor to numerous Israeli governments, and a legal advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to the IDF. Tal joins Dan to discuss the dangers of performative diplomacy and the moral hazard of an unconditional recognition of Palestinian statehood.


Donald Trump blasts Western countries over Palestinian recognition during UN address
Author Douglas Murray talks about how US President Donald Trump has criticised recent recognition of a Palestinian state by Western leaders.

“He’s completely right about that, Hamas has already thanked Keir Starmer and others,” Mr Murray told Sky News host Rita Panahi.

“It’s pure posturing by Albanese, Carney, Starmer, Macron … the era where heads of state in Britain and France and so on can create and carve out states in far-off continents is over.

“These are unilateral declarations of recognition of statehood; they’re totally meaningless.”




‘Terrible move’: The dangers of recognising Palestine
Sky News host Sharri Markson discusses the dangers of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recognising Palestine.

“The prime minister’s Palestinian recognition has been condemned,” Ms Markson said.

“As dangerous, implausible and shallow in substance.”




Qatar, Jordan denounce Netanyahu as warmonger, regional threat; Indonesia says ‘Shalom’
Guterres: Gaza horrors approaching ‘monstrous’ 3rd year
Opening the General Assembly earlier Tuesday, Guterres, the UN chief, said “the horrors are approaching a third monstrous year” in Gaza, where he accused Israel of carrying out disproportionate “collective punishment.”

“They are the result of decisions that defy basic humanity,” he said, citing “a scale of death and destruction beyond any other conflict” in his nearly nine years as secretary-general.

Guterres reiterated his condemnation of the October 7 massacre and hostage-taking, but said “nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the systematic destruction of Gaza.”

Guterres called for the full and immediate implementation of international law, a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and humanitarian access. “And we must not relent in the only viable answer to sustainable Middle East peace: a two-state solution,” he said.

Indonesia’s Subianto calls for ‘Shalom’
In contrast to the wave of condemnatory rhetoric, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto told the UN that his country “will immediately recognize that State of Israel” once Israel recognizes a Palestinian state.

“We must also recognize, we must also respect, and we must also guarantee the safety and security of Israel. Only then we can have real peace,” Subianto said in his speech, which he ended with the word “Shalom,” Hebrew for peace.

Though Indonesia has no formal relations with Israel, it has coordinated with Israel on airdropping aid in Gaza and was last year said to be mulling normalizing relations with Israel as part of a bid to join the OECD.

Subianto had reiterated on Monday at a UN summit on the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that Indonesia would be prepared to send troops to a post-war peacekeeping mission in Gaza.

He doubled down on the offer at the General Assembly on Tuesday, saying Indonesia wants a peace that shows “might cannot make right.”

“We believe in the UN. We will continue to serve where peace needs guardians — not with just words, but with boots on the ground,” he said.

“If and when the UN Security Council and this great assembly decide, Indonesia is prepared to deploy 20,000 or even more of our sons and daughters to help secure peace in Gaza,” he states.

He said Indonesia was also willing to send peacekeepers elsewhere, including in Ukraine, Sudan, or Libya.


22 wounded as Houthi drone from Yemen hits Eilat
Twenty-two people were injured on Wednesday evening when a drone launched by Houthi terrorists in Yemen struck the southern Israeli city of Eilat.

Magen David Adom said its medics treated victims at the scene and evacuated them—including two in serious condition—to the city’s Yoseftal Hospital.

Video circulating online showed people scrambling for cover as air-raid sirens sounded, with the UAV appearing to strike near a major shopping center adjacent to Eilat’s main boardwalk.

The Israel Defense Forces said interception attempts were made, and that search-and-rescue teams were operating at the impact site.

The Israeli Air Force opened an investigation after the two Iron Dome interceptor missiles failed to down the UAV.

The Israel Police urged residents to stay away from the crash site and avoid touching debris, warning it may contain explosives.

The military urged the public to continue adhering to Home Front Command guidelines.

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday night wished a full recovery to those injured in Eilat.

“The Houthi terrorists refuse to learn from Iran, Lebanon and Gaza—and they will learn the hard way,” Katz said, adding, “Those who attack Israel will be struck back sevenfold.”


Soldier KIA in Gaza, bringing IDF wartime toll to 911
An Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed in action in the northern Gaza Strip, the military announced on Tuesday.

The slain soldier was identified as Maj. Shahar Netanel Bozaglo, 27, a company commander in the Armored Corps’ 77th Battalion, from Migdal Haemek.

An initial military probe found that a Hamas operative fired a rocket-propelled grenade at Bozaglo’s tank, critically wounding him. He was evacuated to a hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

The IDF announced on Thursday that four soldiers had been killed in an IED blast in southern Gaza. The slain troops were named as Maj. Omri Chai Ben Moshe, 26; Lt. Ron Arieli, 20; Lt. Eran Shelem, 23; and Lt. Eitan Avner Ben Itzhak, 22.

The death toll among Israeli troops since the start of the Gaza ground incursion on Oct. 27, 2023, now stands at 465, and at 911 on all fronts since the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023.

‘Operation Gideon’s Chariot II’
IDF troops are continuing operations across the Gaza Strip, striking multiple targets linked to Palestinian terrorist organizations.

In Gaza City, forces hit a military site used by Hamas to fire two rockets toward the Lakhish region and Ashdod on Sunday. They also struck a weapons manufacturing facility. During the activity, soldiers identified a terrorist cell operating nearby and directed an Israeli Air Force craft to eliminate the threat.

According to the military, about 15 Hamas terrorists were killed over the past day in clashes near IDF positions. Troops also destroyed several Hamas terror assets.

In Khan Yunis and Rafah, Israeli soldiers identified terrorists inside a military compound, which was subsequently struck by an IAF aircraft.


IDF footage shows terrorists firing from hospital in Gaza City
The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday released footage of Palestinian terrorists opening fire from Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

“The use of an active hospital is further proof of Hamas’s cynical and systematic modus operandi of exploiting civilian infrastructure as manned terror command posts,” the IDF said.

The military added that the incident, which took place several days ago, shows that Hamas knowingly endangers the lives of patients, medical staff and innocent civilians in the Strip.

“The IDF will continue to operate resolutely to thwart terrorist activity, while adhering to international law and mitigating harm to civilians,” the statement continued.

In April 2024, the IDF completed a two-week operation to dismantle a Hamas terrorist base at Shifa Hospital. The operation followed intelligence indicating that Palestinian terrorists had regrouped inside the medical facility.

According to the military, around 200 terrorists were killed and more than 500 Hamas and Islamic Jihad members were arrested.

U.S. spy agencies have verified Israeli claims that Hamas used Shifa Hospital as a command center. The IDF has said that Palestinian terrorists held at least three hostages at the facility.


Israeli forces neutralize Palestinian rocket in Samaria
Israeli forces on Tuesday evening identified a rocket in the Palestinian city of Tulkarem, in western Samaria.

The Israel Defense Forces said the rocket was neutralized by Border Police sappers, while troops scanned the area.

The military has opened an investigation into the incident.

On Friday, Israeli security forces arrested a group of terrorists in Samaria who had attempted to launch a rocket from the Ramallah area the previous week.

Three suspected terrorists were arrested in a raid on a building where troops discovered two launch-ready rockets, dozens of improvised explosive devices and other evidence linking the suspects to attempts to manufacture projectiles, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said, “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 added. “If Israel does not maintain security control over Judea and Samaria, the entire State of Israel will be in danger.”


Israel accuses Gaza flotilla of ‘pursuing a violent course of action’
Israel on Tuesday accused the latest protest flotilla attempting to breach the blockade of Hamas-run Gaza of “pursuing a violent course of action” rather than accepting an offer to transfer its aid through the port of Ashkelon.

“We were sorry to hear the response from the Hamas flotilla representative that the flotilla insists on pursuing a violent course of action and refuses our proposal to transfer, in a coordinated and peaceful manner, any aid that might be aboard the flotilla to the Gaza Strip via the nearby Ashkelon Marina,” tweeted the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

“This response once again highlights the insincerity of the flotilla members and their mission to serve Hamas, rather than the people in Gaza,” it added.

The ministry warned that if the flotilla’s organizers continue to reject Israel’s proposal, the military will take necessary steps to block its entry to the combat zone and enforce the lawful naval blockade, while making every effort to ensure the passengers’ safety.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein subsequently added that the “flotilla, organized by Hamas, is intended to serve Hamas.”

Jerusalem “urges the participants not to break the law and to accept Israel’s proposal for a peaceful transfer of any aid they might have,” he said.


Italy and Spain send warships, warn Israel to safeguard Gaza flotilla after drone attacks
Italy on Wednesday told Israel to ensure the safety of participants in the Gaza-bound flotilla, after organizers said several of their boats had been targeted by multiple drones off Greece and said it was sending a warship to provide the pro-Palestinian activists with assistance.

Fellow NATO member Spain — where the flotilla departed from — later announced it too would send a naval ship, which the country’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said was being deployed “to ensure that, if necessary, our citizens can be rescued and brought back.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni clarified that the naval ship was not expected to use military force, calling the activist maritime gambit “dangerous, irresponsible,” while also condemning the drone harassment.

Her Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani noted there were “Italian citizens, along with members of parliament and MEPs” among the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel activists in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which reported hearing more than a dozen nearby explosions as it sailed off Greece late Tuesday.

It also reported damage caused by “unidentified objects” dropped on deck.

“To ensure their safety, the foreign ministry had already notified Israeli authorities that any operation entrusted to Israeli forces must be conducted in compliance with international law and the principle of absolute caution,” it said in a statement.

“Minister Tajani has asked the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv to gather information and to reiterate its previous request to the Israeli government to guarantee the absolute protection of the personnel on board,” it said.

Tajani said at the time that 58 Italians were participating in the flotilla, including some lawmakers.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto activated a navy frigate to be on hand for possible rescue operations.

Crosetto said the Italian Navy’s frigate Fasan, which was sailing north of Crete, was “already heading towards the area for possible rescue operations.” Italy has informed Israel about the decision.

“In a democracy, demonstrations and forms of protest must also be protected when they are carried out in accordance with international law and without resorting to violence,” Crosetto said.


Choppy Seas: Greta Thunberg’s Flotilla Mutinies After ‘Queer Activist’ Joins Cause
A single "queer activist" has thrown Greta Thunberg’s Gaza-bound flotilla into disarray, with several participants blasting the group’s leaders and at least one coordinator ditching it entirely.

The beleaguered Global Sumud Flotilla aims to bypass Israel’s blockade to deliver aid to Gaza. But when self-described "queer activist" Saif Ayadi joined the effort, Khaled Boujemâa, a Tunisian coordinator for the flotilla, resigned in anger.

"We were lied to about the identity of some of the participants at the forefront of the flotilla," he said in a Sept. 14 video posted to Facebook, the French outlet Le Courrier de l'Atlas reported, according to a translation by Google Translate. "I accuse the organizers of hiding this aspect from us."

Other flotilla activists posted similar criticisms. Tunisian television anchor, Samir Elwafi, accused the flotilla of involving "suspicious activists."

"Palestine is the issue of Muslims first and foremost and cannot be separated from its spiritual and religious dimension," he said in a Sept. 15 Facebook post, translated by Google Translate. "So why do you involve suspicious activists in it who serve other agendas that do not concern us and have no relation to Gaza, such as homosexuals!??"

"Why do we hear the voices of these suspicious outcasts in a flotilla that represents our societies and their solidarity with Gaza!??" Elwafi continued. "Why do you divide people over the greatest issue that unites and gathers them!?? What can we expect from a Muslim Arab who sees and hears the slogans of the ‘queer’ movement in a flotilla in the name of its most sacred cause and which is thus desecrated?!"

Tunisian activist Mariem Miftah echoed those sentiments.

"[B]eing a 'queer' activist means that you are violating societal values ​​and are putting me, my children, and my relatives in a situation we reject. … I reject that my son be told in kindergarten that he is neither a boy nor a girl and that when he grows up you decide," she said in a Sept. 15 Facebook post translated by Google Translate. "I will not forgive anyone who put us in this predicament."

"I call on everyone to save the situation and correct the wrong done to the people who gave their blood so that this fleet could leave," Miftah added.

Thunberg, meanwhile, is no longer a member of the steering committee, though it’s unclear whether that’s related to the controversy surrounding Ayadi or if she left on her own accord. Her name has been removed from the list of board members on the flotilla’s website. The Italian outlet Il Manifesto reported Thunberg was spotted leaving the vessel reserved for the steering committee for another ship, suitcase in tow.

"We all have a role: mine will not be on the board, but as an organizer and participant," she told Il Manifesto in a statement.


How I Recruited a Hezbollah Terrorist to Work with Israel | Yossi Cohen
Yossi Cohen—the former director of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency—spent most of his 38-year spy career in the shadows. He was known only by a letter: Y, or sometimes “The Model,” apparently for his looks. He was, as he writes, “a ghost, never to be seen and unable to be heard. I was invisible, a breath of wind in human form.”

Cohen operated under dozens of different identities in some of the most dangerous places for an Israeli, and he personally orchestrated some of the most daring operations in Israel’s history: stealing half a ton of Iran’s most secret nuclear documents from a warehouse in Tehran; assassinating Iran’s top nuclear scientist using an AI-powered machine gun operated remotely via satellite; setting the stage for the pager attack that crippled Hezbollah last year; creating secret relationships with Arab leaders—relationships that changed the direction of the Middle East.

If you look online, you’ll hear that Mossad has been behind everything from tsunamis to floods to political assassinations of famous Americans.

So I could think of no one better to answer the question of what Mossad actually does—and to address the endless conspiracies that swirl around Israel’s version of the CIA—than Cohen. Today, we talk about all of that. It’s a rare glimpse inside Mossad, inside the world of real espionage—and a conversation with a man who helped shape history from the shadows, and who clearly is considering a run for prime minister.


Erin Molan: Trump just BRUTALLY DESTROYED the entire United Nations TO THEIR FACE - here’s WHY!
Erin Molan breaks down Donald Trump’s headline-grabbing UN address with former UN/Israeli communications insider David Keyes — from the escalator gag to his “too bad I had to” mic drop and bold talk on hostages, Iran and Israel. Plus: Kamala Harris on The View, JD Vance’s viral moment with Pete Hegsseth, and the P!nk controversy. Hot takes, sharp analysis, and why the world’s reaction matters.


Erin Molan: The CCP Wants ISRAEL ERASED… And U.S. Bases OUT!” — Nima Yamini
In this new episode of The Erin Molan Show, Erin is joined by tech CEO, comedian, and author Nima Yamini for a no-holds-barred conversation about the CCP’s growing grip on the world. From TikTok spying on Americans to China’s ambitions in the Middle East and its hostility toward Israel. Nima doesn’t hold back, and the warnings he lays out will shock you.

Plus, Erin rips into weak Western leaders recognizing a Palestinian state, reacts to President Trump’s bombshell about Tylenol and autism, and skewers Disney’s embarrassing move to bring back Jimmy Kimmel Live. Add Kamala Harris’ latest humiliation to the mix, and you’ve got one of the sharpest, most unfiltered episodes yet.


UN Gives Palestinians A State 🪂 🤸 US Takes It Away
The United Nations General Assembly stands poised to recognize an independent Palestinian State in what they claim to be the Two State Solution to the centuries-old war in the Middle East. Emanuel Macron and Keir Starmer have led this effort and the world’s dominoes have fallen into place. This crown jewel, awarded to Hamas in response to their savage massacre on October 7, 2023, is nothing more than a tremendous reward for terror. Meanwhile, Trump stands with Netanyahu and guarantees a veto on the resolution. So why recognize “Palestine” at all?

In this live conversation, military expert Andrew Fox and A Paratrooper And A Yogi Walk Into A Bar cohost, Shana Meyerson, discuss the implications of the UN Resolution to grant Palestinian Statehood and how it will affect the global geopolitical balance.




US anti-Israel activist sentenced to more than 19 years for firebombing
An anti-Israel activist was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison on Tuesday for a series of arson and firebombing attacks in California.

Casey Goonan, 35, pleaded guilty to the attacks around the University of California, Berkeley campus and in Oakland in June 2024.

Goonan torched a university police department car with six Molotov cocktails, attempted to firebomb a federal building and courthouse in Oakland, and ignited other fires on the Berkeley campus the same month.

The US Attorney’s Office for the federal Northern District of California said Goonan had acknowledged the “attacks were inspired by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.”

Goonan urged others to attack property on campuses in the area to support the Palestinians, and admitted the attacks were meant to influence the government and retaliate against the US and California state governments.

The court labeled Goonan a “domestic terrorist.”

He was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of maliciously damaging or destroying property used in or affecting interstate commerce by means of fire or an explosive.

In addition to his prison sentence, Goonan will be subject to 15 years of supervised release after his sentence ends and will have to pay more than $94,000.

Goonan was arrested shortly after the attacks and has been held in custody since.


Dutch fugitive who abducted his children among those killed by Israeli strikes on Gaza
An Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip killed a Dutch citizen who was convicted last year of abusing his wife and forcing their five children to live with him in the Palestinian region. The 41-year-old is at least the second Dutch citizen whose death was confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Hassan Abu Shaeera was convicted by the District Court in Midden-Nederland in June 2024, and ordered to serve three and a half years in prison. His death was first confirmed by RTL Nieuws, who spoke to the man’s attorney, though it is not clear when he died. Four of the children are still believed to be in Gaza.

The court heard testimony stating that two years earlier, he and his wife had lived together in their home in Nieuwegein, Utrecht, when they traveled with their five minor-age children to Gaza. The visit was supposed to last about a month, with a return to the Netherlands scheduled for August 19, just a few days before classrooms in the region were due to reopen after the summer holiday.

She told the court, “[He] took my passport and the children’s passports. In early August, I asked [him] when we would return to the Netherlands because the children had to go back to school. [He] told me I had to stay in Palestine with the children.” Now about 35 years old, the woman said she tried to bring the five children herself from Gaza into Egypt, but it was not allowed without his consent.

The children born in 2009, 2011, and 2013 all have a place of birth in an area governed by Israel, while the children born in 2017 and 2021 were born in the Netherlands. A family services organization brought the matter before a juvenile court judge, who entered an order placing the children under their supervision.

The father returned to the Netherlands to discuss the matter with authorities, and he agreed to safely return the children to the Netherlands by October 7, 2022. He then largely cut off contact, except allowing the mother “occasional contact with her children,” the family services firm said.

At one point, the suspect told his wife in a text message, “I can do whatever I want with my children, I am responsible for my children. Even if they die one by one, it’s normal as long as they’re with papa.” War broke out a year later, when Hamas militants launched a plot to kidnap and murder Israelis located near the Gaza border. The intense retaliation by Israel has continued for over 23 months since then.


Pezeshkian vows Iran will ‘never bow before aggressors,’ as snapback sanctions loom
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed Wednesday to “never bow before aggressors,” as his country faces snapback sanctions over its nuclear program and is still reeling from Israeli and US bombings during the 12-day war in June.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Pezeshkian denied Tehran was seeking nuclear arms, and he slammed “the Zionist regime” over the war in Gaza, as did leaders from Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco and Spain.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, meanwhile, demanded that Israel cease its strikes and military presence in his country, while Spain’s King Felipe VI claimed pride in the legacy of the Jews his country banished in 1492 as he accused Israeli forces of atrocities in Gaza.

Pezeshkian, in his speech, denounced the “aerial assaults of the Zionist regime and the United States of America against Iran’s cities, homes and infrastructures precisely at a time when we were treading the path of diplomatic negotiations.”

It “constituted a grave betrayal of diplomacy and a subversion of efforts towards the establishment of stability and peace,” he said. “This brazen act of aggression, in addition to monitoring a number of commanders, citizens, children, women, scientists and intellectual elites of my country, inflicted a grievous blow upon international trust and the very prospect of peace in the region. Should we fail to confront such perilous breaches of international norms?”

Pezeshkian’s address to the high-level forum in New York was his first appearance there since the June war, which began with a surprise Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear program, missile production facilities and military leadership. Iran responded with drone attacks and deadly missile launches.

The war, which abruptly ended weeks-long US-Iran nuclear talks, ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on June 24, two days after the US struck three key Iranian nuclear sites.

Iran’s leaders are publicly sworn to destroy Israel and back a so-called Axis of Resistance regional network of anti-Israel proxies, including Gaza’s Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Israel has said its June 13 strike on Iran came after the Islamic Republic had taken imminent steps toward nuclear weaponization.
DailyWire: How to Win a War in 37 Hours
In the middle of the American heartland sits a base built for missions the world isn’t supposed to see. When a top-secret operation demanded precision, stealth, and endurance, the airmen of Whiteman Air Force Base answered the call.

The Daily Wire's Mary Margaret Olohan takes you behind the gates of America’s most elusive bomber program. With rare access to pilots and commanders, it reveals how a single mission—planned in silence and executed with breathtaking speed—reshaped the conversation about modern warfare.




Australian allegedly held at knifepoint in antisemitic attack, as 16-year-old is charged
A 66-year-old man has allegedly been held at knifepoint on a train in Sydney's CBD in an alleged antisemitic attack, as police hit a teen with three charges.

The man had been walking toward the exit of a train at Town Hall Station about 4.20pm on Monday, before he was allegedly approached by two teenage boys.

The boys allegedly directed multiple threats at knifepoint toward the 66-year-old regarding his religion.

They then allegedly assaulted him before running from the area.

NSW Police officers began their investigation shortly after the attack and Transport for NSW staff assisted the man at the station.

Inquiries led police to an address in Padstow, where they arrested a 16-year-old boy about 2.45pm on Tuesday.

He was charged with armed intent to commit an indictable offence, common assault.

Police also charged him with one count each of publicly threatening violence on grounds of religion, and stalk or intimidate intending fear or physical harm.

The teen was refused bail and will appear before a children’s court on Wednesday.
Florida synagogue fire under investigation as possible arson, hate crime: Police
A fire at a Florida synagogue is being investigated as a potential act of arson and a hate crime, according to local authorities.

Police and emergency personnel responded to a fire at the Chabad of Charlotte County synagogue in Punta Gorda, Florida, late Friday night, where crews quickly extinguished the blaze, officials said.

"We are disgusted and deeply saddened that anyone would harbor such hatred as to harm a place where children learn and where members of our Jewish community gather in peace. This kind of crime has no place in our town," Punta Gorda Police Chief Pamela Smith told ABC News.

"In the days ahead, you will see increased patrols in the area, and we will have officers present at the Chabad during High Holy Days services. We want to assure our community, especially our Jewish community, that their safety is our top priority," Smith added.

No injuries were reported, but the fire came four days before the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, which symbolizes the start of the Jewish New Year.

According to a member of the congregation, a flammable object was allegedly thrown through a window at the synagogue, and someone allegedly wrote the letter "J" in multiple sites outside the building.

Local authorities have identified a person of interest, but they have not released any details yet.

"We have developed a person of interest in the arson and hate crime that took place at the Chabad of Charlotte County on W. Henry St. in Punta Gorda on Friday night. We are actively working with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office to advance the investigation at this time," the Punta Gorda Police Department told ABC News.


Going solo against the hate
Wherever there’s a pro-Palestinian march in Berlin – she’ll be there. There beside the chanting crowds with a sign above her head. RAPE IS NOT RESISTANCE. BELIEVE ISRAELI WOMEN. And in the other hand, another sign with images of hostages.

The lone figure in the signature red coat has been a presence on social media for almost two years. While some allies have moved on to theatre stages and TV chat shows, Karoline Preisler has stayed put.An unshakable opponent of antisemitism on Germany’s streets.

Speaking to Life, she confesses she has barely slept. “Currently it’s less than four hours a night. I’m rarely home.” She is always listening for the sound of a drum. The protest signal.

Karoline’s day is ordinary. Work, shopping, dinner with her children, but in her handbag always are the folded signs, ready for any demonstration. “Justice must prevail on the streets as well as in the courts,” she says. “I can’t simply accept injustice.”

Some weeks, she is out there for three days; sometimes more. Her stance is quiet, her face expressionless. It’s a look of calm that infuriates her opponents who are shown in states of rabid fury on Instagram and TikTok. The red coat stands out like a warning flare in a sea of hostility, though she is as effective in summer florals.

Karoline’s defiance is rooted in her own history. Born in the former GDR, she grew up in a state that viewed Israel as the enemy. Politically active against the dictatorship, after the Berlin Wall fell, she embraced the democracy “Democrats must support one another,” she says. “Israel is a democracy and shares our values.”

Now 54, she is a lawyer, and a mother of four who had visited the Middle East before, but not Israel. Her support brought an invite.

“Nothing could have prepared me for I saw and experienced,” she recalls. “The constant threat of rocket attacks, meetings with hostage families, Nova.”

Karoline also met with President Herzog and his wife, Michal as well as Israelis who recognised her from Facebook and wanted selfies with the woman in red who sees their pain and wants it to stop.

“My picture is now more complete,” she says. “I think constantly of the women — mothers, daughters, sisters — of the murdered and kidnapped. October 7 is a trauma.”


Red Alert, drama series about Hamas massacre, to be shown on Paramount+ on Oct. 7
Red Alert (known as First Light on Israeli television), a four-part series about Israelis who saved lives on October 7, has been acquired by Paramount and will premiere worldwide on Paramount+ on October 7, a date which will mark two years since the Hamas massacre in Israel in which terrorists killed over 1200 and during which about 250 were taken hostage. Forty-eight of these hostages are still being held in Gaza, some of whom have died in captivity.

The first episode will air in Israel on Keshet 12 on October 5.

The project, created through a collaboration among Israel Entertainment Fund (IEF), Green Productions, and Keshet Media Group, was written and directed by Lior Chefetz (The Stronghold) and spearheaded by Hollywood producer and multiple Oscar-nominee Lawrence Bender (Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Bastards).

Inspired by the true events of October 7, the series aims to shed light on these very Israeli stories of heroism and terror and illuminate them for audiences around the world. The cast includes some of Israel’s top actors, including Rotem Sela, Miki Leon, Sarit Vino-Elad, Nevo Kimchi, Chen Amsalem, Rotem Abuhav, Israel Atias, Hisham Suliman, and Anat Hadid.

The true lives of Israelis on October 7
The stories were developed in close cooperation with the real people behind them. These include Batsheva Yahalomi (portrayed by Rotem Sela in the series) of Kibbutz Nir Oz, who escaped the Hamas terrorists and rescued her two daughters, while her son, Eitan, was abducted into Gaza and held alone for over 50 days, and her husband, Ohad, was murdered in captivity. Other stories will feature a woman from Ofakim who evacuated the wounded under fire, including her son Itamar; police who worked to save festival goers and staff from the Noval Music Festival; and a Bedouin (Hisham Suliman) who hid with his baby son after his wife was murdered and who later saved soldiers from a deadly ambush.

Bender, who was a guest of honor at the Jerusalem Film Festival this summer and who has spent a great deal of time in Israel working on the series, said in a statement, "I’ve been fortunate to produce films that touched audiences worldwide, but Red Alert is a particularly personal project. It tells the story of our people and of one day that changed everything. What makes it so powerful is that it’s not just drama – it’s real. The risks, emotions, and courage are universal. I am proud that, through Paramount, these voices will now be heard across the globe."

In an interview with the Jerusalem Post in July, he said, “It’s about ordinary people, just different people who you would not necessarily look at as being heroes, who do heroic things… These are underdog stories that will show what ordinary people had to do to survive that day.”




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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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