NORTH AMERICA GETS STORMS, CHILLING COLD.

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

 NORTH AMERICA GETS STORMS, CHILLING COLD.


WEATHER EVENTS

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences;(BIOLOGICAL/CHEMICAL/NUCLEAR) and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON THE MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS-PROPHECY SIGNS) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
REVELATION 16:21 80-120LB HAIL ON HUMANS
21And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent:(80-120 LBS) and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

FAMINE

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

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

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

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

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

DEUTORONOMY 28:24
24  The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

LOCUSTS (DEMONIC) TORTURES SINNERS 5 MONTHS
REVELATION 9:1-6
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke (DEMONIC) locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

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

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

MATTHEW 24:21-22,221 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
 
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

Extreme weather causing delays, cancellations at Canada's busiest airports-CTV Windsor-Published date: 7:10 AM-JAN 13,24

Extreme cold temperatures are affecting Canada's busiest airports, with many experiencing delays and dozens of cancellations.According to Toronto's Pearson International Airport, as of 5 p.m. EST, 30 departure flights and 39 arrivals were cancelled between Friday and Saturday, with scores of flights also delayed.Severe weather events like a nationwide snow storm shrink the number of safe landings an airport can handle. While cancellations can cause their own frustrations for airlines and travellers, delays can lead to a bottleneck in outgoing flights, leaving passengers and staff stranded in airports for hours."While no one can control the weather, we can control our response to it," said Sean Davidson, a senior advisor in communications and media relations for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA). "We have spent the last year purchasing new high-tech snow removal equipment making improvements to our de-icing facility, and ensuring we are fully staffed to handle the complexities of winter operations."Several Canadian airlines are navigating how to handle delays that are expected to bleed into the weekend."Out of an abundance of caution for safety, we are limiting the amount of time our crews and ground partners are working outside," WestJet said in a statement on Friday. "WestJet is proactively managing its operations and has implemented several cancellations as required."WestJet announced it had 87 flights cancelled on Thursday and 86 cancelled on Friday.Sunwing Airlines said it is monitoring the weather forecast closely, but travellers with flight departures between Friday and Saturday are encouraged to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status before travelling.In the nation's capital, Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport saw 23 incoming and outgoing flights cancelled between Friday and Saturday, while in Montreal, 34 different flights were cancelled between Friday and Saturday.Winnipeg Richardson International Airport only had a handful of total flights cancelled on Friday. Out west at Calgary International Airport, 35 incoming and outgoing flights were cancelled on Friday, while at Edmonton International Airport, 25 incoming and outgoing flights were cancelled between Friday and Saturday, with dozens more delayed."As a winter airport, we plan and practise for different situations to ensure safety and efficiency for our passengers and staff," said Megan Hall, senior communications advisor for Edmonton International Airport. "As we are currently experiencing flight impacts due to weather, we encourage people to check their flight status before arriving at the airport and leave extra time to get here."Vancouver International Airport saw 18 flights cancelled, with nearly 40 delayed throughout the day."We are seeing continued delays and cancellations on flights arriving into Vancouver today, as severe winter weather conditions continue to have an impact across Canada and the United States," said Adriana Unger, communications specialist for Vancouver Airport Authority. "We continue to advise travellers to check with their airline before coming to the airport."In the U.S., the winter weather is causing major disruptions for air travel, with nearly 2,000 flight cancellations Friday morning, the highest number since July 2023. While most of the delays are due to a winter storm pounding the Midwest, as more than 650 flights were cancelled at Chicago O'Hare International Airport alone, cancellations due to the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 planes are also contributing to the totals.Alaska Airlines and United Airlines have been marred by hundreds of flight cancellations this week after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded more than 150 of the 737 Max 9 planes. The FAA's decision came after a piece of the fuselage blew off an Alaska Airlines flight last Friday, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane that ripped headrests off seats as the plane flew at 16,000 feet shortly after talking off from Portland, Ore., carrying 177 people.Alaska Airlines said in a statement Wednesday that it cancelled all flights on 737 Max 9 aircraft through Saturday – about 110-150 flights per day.None of Canada's airlines operate the 737 Max 9 aircraft.-With files from CNN

Significant winter storm will hit hard during Ontario's Friday night commute-Forecast Centre-Fri, January 12, 2024 at 6:03 a.m. EST

Winter storm warnings span much of southern Ontario, with blizzard-like conditions threatening dangerous, if not impossible, travel Friday evening through Saturday morning. Snowfall rates of 3-5 cm per hour are possible at times, as well as gusty winds that could significantly reduce visibility. There’s even a risk for thundersnow in spots.Commuters in and around the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) should consider leaving work a little early on Friday as snow will begin during the evening commute, worsening into the evening hours.
Expect flight delays and cancellations. Localized wind damage and power outages are also possible.Going somewhere? Check out the current highway conditions before heading out! Friday evening into Saturday: Heavy snow, whiteouts, even rumbles of thunder-You know we’re dealing with a formidable winter storm when the term ‘thundersnow’ pops up.A developing low-pressure system will rapidly intensify as it tracks over the Great Lakes on Friday. Folks across Ontario should take this storm seriously, as it will produce snowier conditions and stronger winds than the slushy system we saw on Tuesday.STAY SAFE: Be aware of your heart while shovelling heavy snow.Snow will begin pushing into southern Ontario on Friday afternoon, spreading into the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area by Friday evening and lasting through the overnight hours.Rapidly deteriorating conditions will spread east into Ottawa through Friday overnight, where hazardous conditions will linger into early Saturday morning.Heavy snow will be accompanied by 60-80 km/h wind gusts, significantly reducing visibility for all roads in southern Ontario late Friday and into the overnight hours. Blizzard conditions are possible across the northern GTA toward Peterborough, though the potential for whiteout conditions will be widespread throughout the region.Snowfall rates near 3-5 cm per hour will allow wet snow to accumulate in a hurry.The combination of a fast-strengthening storm and lake enhancement will create a risk for intense snow bands complete with thundersnow across parts of southern Ontario on Friday evening. Locally heavier snowfall totals are possible beneath these bands, making for a tricky forecast.We’ll see a bit of warm air nudge into southwestern Ontario as the heart of the low-pressure system passes to the west overnight Friday into Saturday.Forecasters expect some changeover to rain across the Lake Erie shores and the Niagara Peninsula during the overnight hours and spread east through early Saturday. This may result in lower snowfall totals where the rain forces some snowmelt.Overall, a widespread swath of 10-20+ cm of snow is possible across southern Ontario through Saturday morning. Locally higher totals are possible along the Dundalk Highlands, with 30+ cm possible around Orangeville. A swath of heavier snow is also possible toward Bancroft east into Ottawa, where forecasters see the potential for 20-25 cm of snow.Areas that transition over to rain will likely see less than 10 cm of snow from this system.A razor-thin line cuts through the GTHA as only a short distance will separate significant snows from lower totals as the warmer lake forces rain to mix with snow. Snowfall totals across the GTHA are a bit uncertain as a result of this setup, complicated further by whether those bands of heavier snow can overwhelm the lake-influenced warmup.Beyond: Arctic air switches on the lake-effect snow-A surge of cold air flooding in behind this storm will crank up the lake-effect snow machine across the region. We’ll see a multi-day lake-effect snow setup unfold across the traditional snowbelts.Northwesterly winds late Saturday will give rise to bands of snow along the Saugeen Shores, Wasaga Beach, Barrie, and the surrounding areas.Shifting winds will blow from the west by Sunday into Monday, forcing lake-effect snow to pile up on the Bruce Peninsula and communities east of Georgian Bay, including Parry Sound, Huntsville, Bracebridge, and Gravenhurst.

Bloomberg-The Polar Vortex Is About to Unleash Teeth-Chattering Cold Across the US-Brian K Sullivan-Thu, January 11, 2024 at 11:25 a.m.

(Bloomberg) -- The polar vortex is about to unleash an Arctic chill across much of the US this weekend, leaving football fans shivering in the Midwest and inflicting subzero temperatures on Iowa voters just before the state’s caucus begins.An area of cold air around the north pole, known as the polar vortex because of its counter-clockwise flow, is set to expand and push a frigid blast south. Kansas City, Missouri, will drop to -5F (-21C) Saturday as the hometown Chiefs take on the Miami Dolphins in an NFL wild card playoff game, while Iowa City is expected to fall to -9F.The freeze marks an abrupt shift from December, when spring-like temperatures enveloped parts of the country. Extreme cold is now expected to boost the demand for fuel to heat homes and businesses, sending natural gas prices soaring the most since July 2022 earlier this week and raising concern about whether power grids will be up to the test.“It took winter about six weeks to get started, but it’s going to go gangbusters for the next couple of weeks,” said Rob Carolan, owner of Hometown Forecast Services, which provides outlooks for Bloomberg Radio. “This will be the coldest stretch of winter so far from the Plains to Midwest.”A few pieces of the atmosphere’s machinery have come together to bring intense cold across central Canada and the US. First, the stratosphere above the north pole warmed a few weeks ago, which disrupted the polar vortex enough to allow it to send arctic air down across Canada, Carolan said.In North America, the chill is getting supercharged by blocks, or patterns in the atmospheric pressure field that are nearly stationary, across Greenland and eastern Canada that are forcing the polar jet stream south.“That is having a larger impact than the polar vortex,” said Paul Pastelok, a meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.There is also snow across parts of the Great Plains and Midwest, which gives the frigid air flowing into the US a boost. All this could mean some deep cold reaching as far south as Texas. The state’s grid operator is monitoring conditions due to the risk of higher demand and lower power reserves.Temperatures in Dallas could hit a low of 15F on Monday and 24F in Houston on Tuesday, according to Maxar Technologies Inc., a commercial forecaster.New York and the Northeast won’t be as cold and will experience weather whiplash over the weekend. Another powerful rain storm is forecast to swing into Manhattan on Friday and temperatures will rise to near 60F on Saturday as warm winds push north, but by Sunday lows will fall below freezing.While gas prices have jumped on the outlook for the Arctic chill, the heating oil market has remained muted amid ample stockpiles. East Coast retail prices fell below $4 a gallon in January for the first time in nearly two years.--With assistance from Chunzi Xu.

THOUSANDS RALLY IN INDONESIA DEMANDING CEASE-FIRE

JAKARTA, Indonesia — At least 5,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied Saturday in front of the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy in downtown Jakarta to demand a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war..Organized by the Indonesian Mass Organization Council, a conservative Muslim forum, the protesters wore black and white as they joined the Global Day of Action Stop the War on Gaza. Waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags, they held signs that read “Boycott Israel,” “End the Genocide of Palestinians” and “Ceasefire Now.”Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, has long been a strong supporter of Palestinians and does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

U.S. SAYS ITS MILITARY STRUCK ANOTHER HOUTHI SITE IN YEMEN

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen that was determined to be putting commercial vessels in the Red Sea at risk.The strike happened early Saturday, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an operation that hadn’t yet been publicly announced.Associated Press journalists in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, heard one loud explosion.The first day of strikes on Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets. However the U.S. determined the additional location, a radar site, still presented a threat to maritime traffic, one official said.___By Tara Copp, Lolita C. Baldor, Jon Gambrell and Aamer Madhani.

ISRAEL'S ORDERS FOR DISLACEMENT IN GAZA POTENTIALLY AMOUNT TO A WAR CRIME, U.N. SAYS

UNITED NATIONS – Israel’s orders for massive displacement of more than 1 million people in Gaza without ensuring access to food, health care, shelter or safety fail to meet international legal requirements and “potentially amount to forcible transfer, a war crime,” a senior U.N. official said Friday.Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris also expressed alarm at “incendiary statements” by some Israeli officials pushing for Palestinians to be resettled overseas.“Palestinians’ right to return to their homes must be subject to an ironclad guarantee,” she told a Security Council meeting on the threat of forced displacement.U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told the council that “what has been unfolding in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory is a war conducted with almost no regard for the impact on civilians.”As a result of Israel’s unrelenting evacuation orders, he said, more people “are being crammed into an ever-smaller sliver of land, only to find yet more violence and deprivation, inadequate shelter and a near absence of the most basic services.”Griffiths also said the statements by Israeli officials on encouraging Palestinians to go to other countries raise “grave concerns” about possible “forcible mass transfer or deportation … something that would be strictly prohibited under international law.”

U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY WAS IN HOSPITAL WHEN HE ORDERED STRIKES ON YEMEN, PENTAGON SAYS

WASHINGTON — From his hospital room, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin first orchestrated and then watched in real time as the U.S. retaliatory attack on Yemen-based Houthi militants unfolded Thursday night.It was the latest in a series of responsibilities Austin has carried out from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he has been recovering from complications due to treatments for prostate cancer that he initially did not disclose.On Friday, President Joe Biden said it was a lapse in judgment for Austin to keep his hospitalization a secret, but said he still has confidence in the Pentagon chief.Austin’s delays in disclosing his prostate cancer and his hospitalization have roiled the administration, Pentagon and Congress. Pentagon officials have repeatedly said that Austin has been performing his duties for the last week, even as he remains hospitalized.

GERMANY TO JOIN U.N. CASE ON ISRAEL'S BEHALF, SAYS ‘NO BASIS’ FOR GENOCIDE CHARGE

BERLIN — Germany’s government said Friday that it will request to join the International Court of Justice case as third party on Israel’s behalf, saying there is “no basis whatsoever” for genocide accusations.Under the court’s rules, if Germany files a declaration of intervention in the case, it will be able to make legal arguments to support Israel at the merits phase of this case to address how the genocide convention should be interpreted, legal expects say."That would come after the court issues its decision on South Africa’s request for urgent measures to protect the Palestinian people in Gaza,” said international lawyer Balkees Jarrah, associate director of the international justice program at Human Rights Watch, in an interview from The Hague where she attended the ICJ hearings.Berlin's support for Israel carries some symbolic significance given Germany’s Nazi history.“Hamas terrorists brutally attacked, tortured, killed and kidnapped innocent people in Israel,” German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement Friday. “Since then, Israel has been defending itself against the inhumane attack by Hamas.”“We know that different countries assess Israel’s operation in Gaza differently,” Hebestreit said. “However, the Federal Government firmly and expressly rejects the accusation of genocide that has now been made against Israel at the International Court of Justice.”Hebestreit said Germany “sees itself as particularly committed to the Convention against Genocide.” He added: “We firmly oppose political instrumentalization,.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the announcement, saying the gesture “touches all of Israel's citizens.”

ISRAEL KILLS 3 PALESTINIANS AFTER THEY ATTACK WEST BANK SETTLEMENT, ARMY SAYS

JERUSALEM — The Israeli army said Friday it killed three Palestinian men who infiltrated a West Bank settlement and fired on soldiers.

The soldiers were attacked while patrolling the settlement of Adora in the southern West Bank and they returned fire, killing three men, according to Israel’s Army Radio.One 34-year-old Palestinian man involved in the attack was wounded with a shot to the leg, Israel’s medical rescue service said, without providing more information.The attack came amid surging violence in the occupied territory nearly 100 days into Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.Israel has held the West Bank under a tight grip ever since Hamas’ deadly cross-border attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The army frequently stages deadly military raids it says are aimed at stamping out militancy.The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli forces have killed 344 Palestinians in the West Bank since Oct. 7.

IRAN PRAISES YEMEN’S HOUTHIS IN WAKE OF U.S.-LED BOMBING

TEHRAN — Iran’s foreign minister on Friday praised Yemen's Houthi rebels for their support for the Palestinians in Gaza, an apparent reference to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping that the Houthis say are aimed at stopping Israel’s war on Hamas.However, Hossein Amir Abdollahian also said in a post on X that the Houthis are “fully committed to marine and shipping security,” without elaborating.The foreign minister said the United States, instead of striking Yemen, should halt its military support for Israel's operations in Gaza and the West Bank in order to restore security to the entire Mideast.In Tehran, a group of people gathered outside the British Embassy in Iran to protest London's role in this week's airstrikes on Yemen. Carrying Palestinian flags, they burnt flags of Britain, U.S. and Israel. Similar rallies were held earlier on the day after Friday prayer ceremonies in the capital Tehran and other major cities of the country.

U.N. CHIEF SAYS YEMEN'S HOUTHIS MUST HEED CALL TO STOP ATTACKING SHIPS

UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations chief says Yemen’s Houthi rebels must comply with the Security Council resolution demanding an immediate halt to all attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took note of Thursday’s U.S. and British airstrikes, with support from other countries, said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Friday. Guterres called on all nations that are “defending their vessels from attacks to do so in accordance with international law, as stipulated in the resolution.”The Security Council approved the resolution by a vote of 11-0 vote Wednesday with Russia and China among the four countries that abstained. In addition to condemning and demanding a halt to Houthi attacks, it implicitly condemned the Houthi’s main weapons supplier, Iran.Dujarric said the secretary-general also calls on all parties ”not to escalate even more the situation in the interest of peace and stability in the Red Sea and the wider region” and “to avoid acts that could further worsen the situation in Yemen itself.”

DEAL TO DELIVER MEDICINE TO HOSTAGES IN GAZA IS IN THE WORKS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND QATAR

JERUSALEM — Israel and Qatar are working on a deal to deliver much-needed medication to Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, the Israeli government and a diplomat said Friday.Hamas and Israel have both shown willingness to allow the delivery of the medicine, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were still ongoing. Logistics are still being worked out, including the types of medications needed and how to deliver them, the diplomat said.The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had assigned the head of the Mossad intelligence service, David Barnea, to discuss the entry of medicines to the hostages with the Qataris, who have acted as mediators with Hamas in previous negotiations over hostage releases. In a statement, the office said the delivery could take place in the coming days.The diplomat said the move for a deal came after families of hostages met with Qatar’s prime minister and raised their worry that some of their loved ones are in need of important prescription medication.Hamas and other militants abducted around 250 men, women and children during their Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. During a cease-fire, around 100 hostages were freed in return for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, leaving around 130, mostly men, including 10 over the age of 75. Since then, Israel has announced that 20 died in captivity, leaving around 110.The diplomat said discussions were also underway with international NGOs about delivering the medicines. During a round of swaps of hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel in November, the International Committee of the Red Cross served as the go-between, receiving freed hostages from Hamas and transporting them out of the territory.The ICRC’s spokesperson in Geneva, Jason Straziuso, would not comment on the reported deal but said that since the start of the war, the group has been calling for three things — “that the hostages be released, barring that, that we be allowed to visit them and deliver medications as needed, and that the hostages be able to communicate with their family.”___Associated Press writer Isabel Debre contributed.

NEW MISSILE ATTACK AGAINST VESSEL OFF YEMEN'S COAST, U.K. SAYS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A new missile attack has been reported off Yemen. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which oversees Mideast waters, reported the attack Friday night.It said the missile was fired toward a ship 90 miles (145 kilometers) southeast of Aden, Yemen, while the ship was being followed by three small vessels.The ship reported no injures or damage from the attack, the organization said.“Vessels are advised to transit with caution,” it warned.The U.S. Navy has warned American-flagged vessels to stay out of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the next 72 hours, a notice to shippers issued by the U.S. said. The warning came over the airstrikes launched by a U.S.-led coalition against the Houthis.

GAZA LOSES PHONE AND INTERNET DUE TO FIGHTING, CUTTING OFF COMMUNICATION WITH OUTSIDE WORLD

CAIRO — The Palestinian telecoms provider, Paltel, said Friday all communication services across Gaza have dropped due to ongoing fighting, isolating the besieged territory from the outside world.“We regret to announce that all telecom services in Gaza Strip have been lost due to the ongoing aggression” Paltel said in a post on X. “Gaza is blacked out again.”Communication services in Gaza have completely dropped at least seven times since the Oct. 7 start of the Israel-Hamas war, according to Paltel.The telecom company is used by people in both the Israel-occupied West Bank and The Gaza Strip.

ISRAEL SAYS IT COMPLIES WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THAT A RULING OF GENOCIDE WOULD SET A BAD PRECEDENT

JERUSALEM — Israel argued on Friday that South Africa was trying to defame Israeli leadership and society by accusing the country of genocide at the International Court of Justice.Making Israel’s closing statement, attorney Gilad Noam said South Africa’s case against Israel made the nation look like a state “singularly consumed with destroying an entire population. That is patently false.”Noam, Israel’s deputy attorney general for international law, argued that compliance with the law was woven deeply into the fabric of the Israeli military apparatus and a core component of the Israeli state since the war that led to Israel’s creation. That war forced an estimated 700,000 Palestinians from their homes in what is known by Palestinians as the “Nakba,” Arabic for “catastrophe."“When the cannons roar in Gaza, the law is not silent,” Noam said. “This has been the case since 1948.”On Thursday, South Africa’s legal team alleged that Israeli leadership had demonstrated “genocidal intent,” pointing to statements made by top officials. But Noam said Israel has no tolerance for statements calling for harm to civilians in Gaza and that the Israeli justice system could consider them to be incitement.Noam said an order by the court asking Israel to halt hostilities in Gaza would lead to a “perverse situation” in which Hamas would continue to attack citizens of Israel, hold about 136 hostages in the Gaza Strip and prevent displaced Israelis from returning to their homes. It would also set a precedent, he said, in which militant groups like Hamas turn to the international court for protection.“Yes, there is a heart wrenching armed conflict," Noam said. "But the attempt to classify it as genocide will turn an instrument adopted by international community to prevent horrors of the kind that shocked the conscience of humanity during the Holocaust into a weapon in the hands of terrorist groups who have no regard for humanity or the law.”

GERMANY SAYS ‘NO BASIS’ FOR GENOCIDE ACCUSATION AGAINST ISRAEL

BERLIN — Germany’s government said there is “no basis whatsoever” for an accusation of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice.“We know that different countries assess Israel’s operation in Gaza differently,” government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement Friday. “However, the Federal Government firmly and expressly rejects the accusation of genocide that has now been made against Israel at the International Court of Justice.”Given Germany’s Nazi history, Hebestreit said the German government “sees itself as particularly committed to the Convention against Genocide.” The convention is a “central instrument” for preventing future crimes against humanity like the Holocaust, he said.“We firmly oppose political instrumentalization,” Hebestreit said.

HAMAS CONDEMNS STRIKES ON HOUTHI TARGETS

CAIRO — Hamas has condemned U.S.-led strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, saying Washington and London are responsible for any repercussions in the wider region.“We consider it (the attack) a crime and a blatant aggression against Yemeni sovereignty, and a threat to the security of the region,” the Palestinian militant group said in a statement on Telegram.Hamas and the Houthi rebels are allies, brought together by a common enemy, Israel, and backed by a common sponsor, Iran.The Houthis have launched at least 27 attacks against commercial shipping since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted on Oct. 7. The group says the attacks are in response to the war in Gaza but many of the ships targeted have no connection to Israel.

RUSSIA CONDEMNS STRIKES ON HOUTHI REBEL POSITIONS

MOSCOW — The Kremlin on Friday condemned the U.S.-led strikes on Houthi rebel positions in Yemen, calling them “illegitimate from the point of view of international law.”