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)
MACRON SAYS WESTERN TROOPS IN UKRAINE.
DISEASES-ANIMAL TO HUMAN ( 500 million Dead )
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 billion) of (8 billion) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS)(500 million) and with hunger,(FAMINE)(500 million) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES)(500 million) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE)(500 million).
DRUG PUSHERS AND ADDICTS
1 PET 5:8
8 Be sober,(NOT DRUGED UP OR ALCOHOLICED) be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
REVELATION 18:23
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (DRUGS) were all nations deceived.
REVELATION 9:21 (RAGE OF THE LAST DAYS AGE SATAN WORSHIP AND DRUG SELLING AND JUNKIES)(THEY REFUSE TO REPENT OF THESE SINS)
21 Neither repented they of their murders,(KILLING) nor of their sorceries (DRUG ADDICTS AND DRUG PUSHERS), nor of their fornication,(SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE OR PROSTITUTION FOR MONEY) nor of their thefts.(STEALING)
A Supreme Court decision could come Monday in a case about barring Trump from the 2024 ballot-Associated Press-Mark Sherman-Published Mar 03, 2024
WASHINGTON — A Supreme Court decision could come as soon as Monday in the case about whether former President Donald Trump can be kicked off the ballot over his efforts to undo his defeat in the 2020 election.rump is challenging a groundbreaking decision by the Colorado Supreme Court that said he is disqualified from being president again and ineligible for the state’s primary, which is Tuesday.The resolution of the case on Monday, a day before Super Tuesday contests in 16 states, would remove uncertainty about whether votes for Trump, the leading Republican candidate for president, will ultimately count. Both sides had requested fast work by the court, which heard arguments less than a month ago, on Feb. 8,The Colorado court was the first to invoke a post-Civil War constitutional provision aimed at preventing those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office. Trump also has since been barred from primary ballot in Illinois and Maine, though both decisions, along with Colorado’s, are on hold pending the outcome of the Supreme Court case.The Supreme Court has until now never ruled on the provision, Section 3 of the 14th amendment.The court indicated Sunday there will be at least one case decided Monday, adhering to its custom of not saying which one. But it also departed from its usual practice in some respects, heightening the expectation that it’s the Trump ballot case that will be handed down.Except for when the end of the term nears in late June, the court almost always issues decisions on days when the justices are scheduled to take the bench. But the next scheduled court day isn’t until March 15. And apart from during the coronavirus pandemic when the court was closed, the justices almost always read summaries of their opinions in the courtroom. They won’t be there Monday. Separately, the justices last week agreed to hear arguments in late April over whether Trump can be criminally prosecuted on election interference charges, including his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The court’s decision to step into the politically charged case, also with little in the way of precedent to guide it, calls into question whether Trump will stand trial before the November election.The former president faces 91 criminal charges in four prosecutions. Of those, the only one with a trial date that seems poised to hold is his state case in New York, where he’s charged with falsifying business records in connection with hush money payments to a porn actor. That case is set for trial on March 25, and the judge has signaled his determination to press ahead.
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
STRONGS CONCORDANCE FOR VIOLENCE IN THE BIBLE-SEE IT FOR YOURSELVES.
2554. chamas - Strong's Concordance - chamas: to treat violently or wrong - Part of Speech: Verb - Transliteration: chamas -Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-mas') - Definition: to treat violently or wrong - make bare, shake off, violate, do violence, take away violently, wrong -A primitive root; to be violent; by implication, to maltreat -- make bare, shake off, violate, do violence, take away violently, wrong, imagine wrongfully.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
SECOND ANGEL: The Middle East DR DOCTORIAN
Then Isawthat the second angel had a sickle in his hand,such asis used in harvesting. The second angelsaid, “Harvest time has come in Israel and the countries all the wayto Iran.” Isawthose countriesin a fewsplitseconds. “All of Turkey and those other countries that have refused me and refused my message of love shall hate each other and kill one another.” I saw the angel raise the sickle and come down on all the Middle East countries.I saw Iran, Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, all of Georgia – Iraq, Syria,Lebanon,Jordan, Israel, all of Asia Minor – full of blood. Isaw blood all over these countries. And I saw fire; nuclear weapons were used in many of those countries. Smoke rising from everywhere. Sudden destruction – men destroying one another. I heard these words, “Israel, Oh Israel, the great judgment has come.”The angel said, “The chosen, the church, the remnant, shall be purified. The Spirit of God shall prepare the children of God.” I saw fires rising to heaven.The angel said, “This is the final judgment My church shall be purified, protected and ready for the final day. Men will die from thirst. Watershall be scarce all over the Middle East. Rivers shall dry up, and men will fight for water in those countries.” The angelshowed me that the United Nationsshall be broken in pieces because of the crisisin the Middle East. There shall be no more United Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.
FALSE FLAGS (SET UP OR STAGED BY SOMEONE)
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=3409375633223151728#docid=-6703838290529161821
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=3409375633223151728#docid=8697248641166616573
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=3409375633223151728#
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
ISAIAH 54:3
03-King James Bible-For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
The right hand was a symbol of strength-Exodus 15:6, ” Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.”
EZEKIEL 17:15-24 (MUSLIM COUNTRIES HISTORY)
15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?
16 As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
17 Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:
18 Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.
20 And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.
21 And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken it.
22 Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent:
23 In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.
24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they (MUSLIMS) have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,(JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, PALESTINIANS,JORDAN) and the Hagarenes;(EGYPT)
7 Gebal,(HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON) and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA,ARABS,SINAI) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
8 Assyria (SYRIA) also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot. Selah
9 Deal with them as with Midian, As with Sisera, As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,
10 Who perished at En Dor, Who became as refuse on the earth.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, “Let us take for ourselves The pastures of God for a possession.”
13 O my God, make them like the whirling dust, Like the chaff before the wind!
14 As the fire burns the woods, And as the flame sets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them with Your tempest, And frighten them with Your storm.
16 Fill their faces with shame, That they may seek Your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be [e]confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
18 That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, Are the Most High over all the earth.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE.
As Russian Threats Grow, King Warns U.S. Space Command of American Vulnerabilities-Long Range Discrimination Radar at Clear Space Force Station, Alaska: A Vanguard of Space Surveillance and Defense.by Clarence Oxford-Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 04, 2024
In a move to address vulnerabilities in America's space infrastructure, U.S. Senator Angus King (Ind. ME) has emphasized the urgency of bolstering defenses against potential threats to the nation's extensive satellite fleet. During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Senator King engaged with General Stephen Whiting, the Commander of the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM), on the critical issue of safeguarding American space assets from emerging threats, particularly highlighting the advancements in Russia's nuclear anti-satellite capabilities.Senator King's inquiries underscored a growing concern within the U.S. government and military regarding the asymmetric vulnerabilities posed by the nation's dependence on space technologies. These technologies, integral to everyday operations such as GPS navigation in smartphones worldwide, represent a double-edged sword; while they afford the U.S. unparalleled capabilities, they also expose critical infrastructures to potential adversary actions."We have the best space capability and have for many, many years. That's the good news. The bad news is the dependency that we have on space, which makes us asymmetrically vulnerable in terms of the relationship with these potential adversaries," Senator King stated, urging USSPACECOM to explore alternative strategies to mitigate these risks. The senator's call for a renewed focus on traditional navigation methods, such as celestial navigation, highlights a strategic pivot towards reducing reliance on space-based assets.General Whiting's response to Senator King's concerns reaffirmed USSPACE COM's commitment to maintaining American superiority in space while acknowledging the need for contingency planning. The General noted the military's ongoing efforts to prepare for scenarios where primary space capabilities might be compromised, emphasizing the importance of secondary and tertiary plans across various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.This dialogue between Senator King and General Whiting illuminates the broader strategic challenges facing the United States in an era of intensified space competition. With adversaries like Russia and China advancing their space capabilities, the U.S. is at a pivotal juncture in ensuring the security of its space assets. Senator King's proactive stance on these issues, coupled with his authoritative voice on national security and foreign policy matters, underscores the critical importance of strategic investments in space defense capabilities.As the U.S. navigates the complexities of space warfare and diplomacy, the insights from the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing need for vigilance, innovation, and collaboration in protecting the final frontier. The conversations between lawmakers and military leaders, such as the one spearheaded by Senator King, are vital in shaping the policies and strategies that will define the future of American dominance and safety in space.
Gallant: We won't stop fighting until Hamas dismantled-Israel won’t send team to Cairo, said to believe Sinwar seeks escalation on Ramadan-Hamas refuses to provide list of living hostages, still reportedly insisting on end of war as condition for hostage deal-By Lazar Berman-3 March 2024, 5:05 pm
Israel will not be sending a negotiating team to Cairo, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Sunday, after receiving an unsatisfactory response from Hamas on the latest framework for a hostage deal hammered out in Paris last weekend.The Gaza-based terror organization refused to address Jerusalem’s demand to provide a list of living hostages and to lock down how many Palestinian prisoners Israel must release for every hostage freed, added the official.Hamas’s position was conveyed to Israel through Qatar.According to Channel 12, the war cabinet and the professional echelon all agreed that there was no point in sending a delegation to Egypt for ongoing talks given Hamas’s response.Several Hebrew media outlets reported growing pessimism in Israel on Sunday that a hostage and truce deal can be reached before Ramadan. Unnamed officials cited by Channel 12, Ynet and others said Jerusalem suspects Hamas’s Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar has no intention of reaching an agreement in the coming days and hopes to escalate violence over Ramadan, which is expected to start March 10.In such a scenario, Israel is wary of an escalation not just along its borders with Gaza and Lebanon, but also across the West Bank, where tensions are high, as well as in Jerusalem, where clashes over the Temple Mount and access to the holy site are widely expected.The Axios news site reported Sunday that US President Joe Biden was pushing Egypt and Qatar to get Hamas to agree to a temporary ceasefire deal before Ramadan.Two US officials quoted in the report said that Biden, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi “agreed the onus is currently on Hamas to close remaining gaps in the package.”“We still hope we can get a deal by Ramadan. The ball is in Hamas’s court,” one of the senior US officials was quoted as saying.An Israeli official also quoted by Axios put the chances of a deal being reached “at 50-50.”Israel has said that 31 of the 130 hostages held since October 7 are dead. The first phase of the mooted deal is reported to provide for the release of 40 of the living hostages, including women, children, the elderly and the sick, in the course of a six-week truce, and in exchange for some 400 Palestinian security prisoners. The outline reportedly provides for negotiations on the further phased release of the remaining hostages, living and dead, in return for longer pauses in the fighting and many more Palestinian prisoner releases.On Sunday afternoon, a Hamas official told CNN that the group will not agree to a deal without Israel consenting to an end to the war in Gaza, a non-starter for Israel.Citing “a highly placed source” in the terror group, CNN reported that the two other areas of disagreement holding up a deal are the withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza, and Gazan civilians being allowed to return to the northern Gaza Strip.Speaking to troops of the 98th Division on the Gaza border on Sunday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel will not end the war in until Hamas is completely dismantled.
“There is no one to help the terrorists, it’s only a matter of our decision of what we take care of first and what second,” he said. “We will not end this war without eliminating Hamas. There will be no such situation. There will be no Hamas as a ruling organization. It will take the time it takes.”Earlier in the day, a senior Hamas official had claimed that a ceasefire in Gaza could be secured within “24 to 48 hours” if Israel were to accept the terror group’s demands in ongoing talks.“If Israel agrees to Hamas demands, which include the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza and increasing humanitarian aid, that would pave the way for an agreement within the next 24 to 48 hours,” the unnamed Hamas official told AFP, as a delegation of its officials arrived in Cairo for talks.The official added that Hamas had demanded the entry of “at least 400 to 500 trucks per day” carrying food, medicine and fuel as part of a truce deal.The Hamas official’s claim that Israel is the party responsible for delaying the elusive deal contradicted comments by a senior US official, who said on Saturday that Israel had agreed to the framework for a six-week pause in fighting, which now depended on Hamas agreeing to release the hostages.Despite charging that Israel’s unwillingness to accept the terror group’s demands was the reason a deal hasn’t progressed, a Hamas official told the UK-based Qatari outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that it will not provide any further details on the hostages without Israel paying a “big price” for it.“A big price must be paid in terms of alleviating the suffering of the people of Gaza and establishing a ceasefire,” he told the news outlet, signaling that the group was not prepared to accede to the demand.The Hamas delegation to Cairo is being led by senior leader Khalil al-Haya, an unnamed source told AFP.“The delegation will meet Egyptian mediators and deliver the group’s response to the new Paris proposal,” the source said, in reference to negotiations held last month in the French capital with Israel’s presence.Also said to be in attendance are delegations from the United States and Qatar.Hopes of a successful deal as a result of the ongoing negotiations rose last week following a previous round of talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt in Doha, and cautious indications from Biden that an agreement was close. On Friday, however, Biden acknowledged that a deal remains elusive for now, but said he still hopes it will be finalized by Ramadan.Hamas has not backed away from its position that a temporary truce must be the start of a process towards ending the war altogether, Egyptian sources and a Hamas official said Saturday. Israel has said it will not accept such terms.Should a deal be reached, it would be the second of its kind since the terror onslaught carried out by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7. The first was a weeklong truce in late November that brought about the release of 105 civilians from Hamas captivity in exchange for 240 Palestinian security prisoners.It is believed that 130 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after the November truce and the recovery of several other hostages and bodies.The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said on Sunday that the death toll in the war had surpassed 30,400 people, with an additional 71,700 people having been injured.The terror group’s figures are unverified, do not differentiate between civilians and combatants, and list all the fatalities as caused by Israel — even those believed to have been caused by hundreds of misfired rockets or otherwise by Palestinian fire.Israel has said it killed an estimated 13,000 Hamas members in Gaza fighting, in addition to some 1,000 killed in Israel in the aftermath of the terror group’s invasion and massacre of more than 1,200 people.On Sunday, the IDF said that it had carried out a wave of airstrikes against some 50 Hamas targets in western Khan Younis within just six minutes overnight to enable ground troops of the 98th Division to maneuver into new areas of the city in the southern Gaza Strip.Agencies and Emmanuel Fabian contributed to this report
A week before Ramadan, IDF and police set to hash out Temple Mount security plan-Security establishment said considering allowing access for Arab Israeli, East Jerusalem, West Bank worshipers, in light of Shin Bit recommendations against harsh limits-By ToI Staff 3 March 2024, 11:53 pm
Israeli security chiefs were meeting Sunday to discuss security plans for the Temple Mount in Jerusalem over Ramadan, given concerns that the Muslim holy month could amplify tensions stemming from the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to Hebrew media reports, including Ynet and Maariv.The discussion between IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Israel Police chief Kobi Shabtai, and Shin Ben chief Ronen Bar came a week ahead of the start of Ramadan, set for March 10.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to meet with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Shabtai on Monday to hear their recommendations on what restrictions to enact, alongside discussions between Shin Bet security agency and IDF officials.Ben Gvir has sought to impose sweeping restrictions to prevent West Bank Palestinians from praying at the Temple Mount during Ramadan, and is even reportedly pushing for banning Arab Israeli citizens below the age of 70 from visiting the site amid the month of fasting, citing the security situation.Other defense officials have warned such restrictions could serve to greatly inflame tensions.The Walla news site reported that Ben Gvir and the police chief had agreed over the past 24 hours to recommend some restrictions on worshipers attending prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount over Ramadan. The police chief reportedly backs allowing entry for both Arab Israelis and West Bank Palestinians, while limiting numbers for safety reasons.The Shin Bet security agency and the IDF are believed to oppose harsh restrictions over the month of Ramadan, fearing they could stir unrest, as attempts to restrict Muslim access to the holy site, especially during holidays, have sparked clashes in the past.Walla news added that Ben Gvir supported limiting the number of worshipers allowed on the Temple Mount to a few thousand at a time, to enable police to quickly respond, should any violent disturbances break out.Exact numbers were expected to be discussed in the Monday meeting.A police statement quoted by Walla said that the force’s position would be presented to the leadership “and not via the media.”Police will “continue to do everything in its power to maintain the balance between freedom of worship and public peace and security,” the statement added.The Temple Mount is the holiest place in Judaism, where two biblical Temples once stood, and the third-holiest site in Islam, making it a central flashpoint of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Hundreds of thousands of Muslims crowd the site for prayers each Ramadan, as religious fervor is heightened. While Israel has imposed restrictions on Palestinian access during times of heightened security tensions, it has refrained from imposing those rules on the country’s Muslim minority.Officials have expressed worries that the sensitive period could amplify tensions stemming from the war in Gaza — sparked by Hamas’s October 7 massacres — which has ignited worldwide Muslim anger toward Israel.In February, a US official and an Israeli official told The Times of Israel that the Biden administration was highly concerned that Ben Gvir, through his policies and actions, could spark unrest at the Temple Mount during Ramadan.Jacob Magid contributed to this report.
Gallant vows war won't end without eliminating Hamas-Gaza airstrike takes out senior Hamas recruiter as IDF raises troop death toll to 246-Sgt. Maj. (res.) Dennis Yekimov, 33, killed in Khan Younis Saturday; military wraps up 2-week operation to retake previously conquered Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City-By Emanuel Fabian,Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 1:35 am-MAR 4,24
The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday announced the death of a soldier killed during fighting in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis the day before, the latest loss for an infantry brigade rotated into Gaza late last week.The death of Sgt. Maj. (res.) Dennis Yekimov, 33, Yekimov’s death brought the number of slain troops in the ground offensive against Hamas to 246, as fierce fighting continued to rage in several parts of the Strip, even as the army said it had ended a two-week operation to re-clear a previously captured Gaza City neighborhood.Yekimov, from Beersheba, was part of the Bislamach Brigade, which lost three soldiers in Khan Younis on Saturday when they entered a booby-trapped building in the city. Another 14 soldiers were injured, six of them seriously, in the blast.Yekimov, who was buried Sunday, was mourned by his young daughter who called him “the best dad in the world.”Yekimov’s brother Igor promised the family would “protect your little daughter like you protected us.”“Words can’t describe what you were for us. You were killed defending the homeland. Like a real hero. You were a role model. We will always take care of your girl,” he said at the funeral.The Bislamach Brigade — the IDF’s School for Infantry Corps Professions and Squad Commanders in wartime — entered Gaza on Thursday to replace the Paratroopers Brigade, which was withdrawn after three straight months of fighting in Khan Younis.Fighting in the Strip has shown little sign of slowing despite claims of gains in the southern Gaza city, and intense international efforts for a temporary ceasefire before Israel’s ground offensive expands to the southern city of Rafah.In central Gaza, the IDF and Shin Bet said an airstrike Sunday morning took out Mahmoud Muhammad Abed Khad, who had led Hamas recruitment efforts, specifically to the terror group’s Zeitoun Battalion.The IDF and Shin Bet said Khad was also involved in raising funds for Hamas military activity.The IDF published video it said showed the strike on Khad as he traveled in a vehicle.Palestinians in central Gaza said a truck hit by a drone had been carrying aid, a claim denied by the Israeli military, though it was unclear if it was the same strike that killed Khad.“It was hit by a drone with one missile,” turning several people “into pieces,” said Haytham al-Quraan, as he examined the remains. “They were delivering aid to the south. Then it was hit again by a second missile.”The Palestinian Red Crescent said crews “transferred five martyrs” and four injured “due to targeting a truck by an Israeli drone.”Contacted about the incident, the military told AFP: “It was not an aid truck that was struck,” but did not elaborate.Further north, the IDF said it had wrapped up a two-week-long raid in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, after troops were redeployed to the area to prevent terrorists from retaking control of the area the IDF had said it had conquered earlier in the war.The army said at least 113 “terror operatives” were killed in the operation, during which troops destroyed some 35 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets, including weapon depots and manufacturing sites, tunnel infrastructure, rocket launching sites with hundreds of launchers, and a site belonging to the commander of the Gaza City Brigade, Izz ad-Din Haddad, according to the IDF.It was unclear if the sites had been re-established or left intact by the IDF following its first sweep of the area months earlier.Dozens more terror suspects were captured, the army said, accusing Hamas gunmen of hiding among the civilian population in Zeitoun.Hamas gunmen are operating in Zeitoun without a “military framework,” and in relatively small cells, according to the IDF, after the military said it dismantled the terror group’s battalions in the area in the early stages of the ground offensive.Four soldiers were killed over the course of the operation, as troops were targeted with small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and explosive devices amid the operations. According to the IDF, most of the attacks on troops in Zeitoun occurred during the day, rather than at night.Airstrikes continued to pound areas of southern Gaza, with an AFP correspondent reporting several air strikes in southern Gaza’s Rafah and Khan Younis late Sunday.The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said on Sunday that the death toll in the war had surpassed 30,400 people, with an additional 71,700 people having been injured.The terror group’s figures are unverified, don’t differentiate between civilians and combatants, and list all the fatalities as caused by Israel — even those believed to have been caused by hundreds of misfired rockets or otherwise by Palestinian fire.Israel has said it killed some 13,000 Hamas members in Gaza fighting, in addition to some 1,000 killed in Israel in the aftermath of the terror group’s invasion of southern Israel.War erupted on October 7 when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists launched a brutal assault on southern communities, slaughtering some 1,200 people and kidnapping 253 people to Gaza.Israel says it will continue fighting in Gaza until it has eliminated Hamas and all hostages are returned. However, international calls for a ceasefire or temporary truce have gained traction in recent weeks as the civilian death toll has risen, and a humanitarian crisis has worsened.Speaking to troops of the 98th Division on the Gaza border, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed Israel will not end the war in the Gaza Strip until Hamas is completely dismantled.“We will not end this war without eliminating Hamas. There will be no such situation. There will be no Hamas as a ruling organization. It will take the time it takes,” he said.At a morgue outside a Rafah hospital on Sunday morning, women wept and wailed beside rows of bodies of the Abu Anza family, 14 of whom were killed in their home in an airstrike overnight, they said. Relatives opened a black plastic body bag to kiss the face of a dead schoolgirl in a torn sweatshirt and pink unicorn pajamas.Later, the bodies were brought to a graveyard and buried, including two infant twins, a boy, and a girl, passed down in white bundles and placed in the ground.“My heart is gone,” wailed their mother, Rania Abu Anza, who also lost her husband in the attack. “I haven’t had enough time with them.”At least 16 children have died of malnutrition in recent days as “famine spreads” in Gaza’s north, said a spokesman for the Hamas-run health ministry.The UN has said it is becoming more difficult to distribute aid inside Gaza. The flow of aid from Egypt has almost dried up in the past two weeks, and a collapse in security has made it increasingly difficult to distribute the food that does get through, according to UN data and officials.Israel, which checks all trucks entering Gaza from both the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings, has blamed the United Nations for not delivering the aid fast enough after they are cleared, and for leading to a general fall-off in deliveries over the past month.Officials are also seeking ways to deliver aid to northern Gaza, after a convoy that entered the area early Thursday was embroiled in a chaotic melee in which dozens of Palestinians died and hundreds more were wounded, with Hamas accusing Israel of opening fire on hungry Gazans.The IDF maintains many of the casualties were trampled in a chaotic crush for the aid, and that troops only fired at a few individuals who rushed toward them in a threatening manner.Intense efforts by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to broker a temporary ceasefire and hostage release deal before the beginning of Ramadan this month in about a week appeared to hit a snag on Sunday when Israel did not send a negotiating team to Cairo.The move came after Hamas refused to provide a list of living hostages and to lock down how many Palestinian prisoners Israel must release for every hostage freed as part of the talks.
Gallant says IDF troops will not leave Gaza ‘without eliminating Hamas’By Emanuel Fabian-MAR 3,24
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says Israel will not end the war in the Gaza Strip until Hamas is completely dismantled.“There is no one to help the terrorists, it’s only a matter of our decision of what we take care of first and what second,” says Gallant to troops of the 98th Division on the Gaza border.“We will not end this war without eliminating Hamas. There will be no such situation. There will be no Hamas as a ruling organization. It will take the time it takes,” he adds.
IDF says sirens in north were caused by ‘suspicious aerial object’ from Lebanon-By Emanuel Fabian-MAR 3,24
Sirens sounded in the Upper Galilee a short while ago due to a “suspicious aerial target” that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon, the IDF says.An interceptor missile was fired at the target, the IDF says, adding that the incident is over.Sirens had sounded in the communities of Gadot, Yesod Hama’ala, Sde Eliezer, Amuka, Hulata, Mishmar HaYarden and Ayelet HaShahar.
Hamas source to CNN: No hostage deal without agreement to end war-By Lazar Berman-MAR 3,24
Hamas will not agree to a hostage deal without Israel consenting to an end to the war in Gaza, CNN reports, citing “a highly placed source” in the terrorist group.The two other areas of disagreement holding up a deal are the withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza, and Gazan civilians being allowed to return to the northern Gaza Strip, adds the Hamas source.The official also tells CNN that Hamas is demanding a certain amount of aid be allowed into both the southern and northern Strip before the organization agrees to a deal.
IDF says it killed over 100 Hamas gunmen in 2-week operation in Gaza City’s Zeitoun-By Emanuel Fabian-MAR 3,24
The IDF says it has wrapped up a two-week-long raid in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, during which troops of the 401st Armored Brigade and additional forces of the 162nd Division destroyed Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad sites and killed more than 100 operatives.Some 35 sites were located and destroyed during the operation, including weapon depots and manufacturing sites, tunnel infrastructure, rocket launching sites with hundreds of launchers, and a site belonging to the commander of the Gaza City Brigade, Izz ad-Din Haddad, according to the IDF.Using drones, the IDF says the 401st Brigade identified and captured dozens of Hamas operatives, who, following interrogations, provided intelligence information. Some of the Hamas gunmen were hiding among the civilian population in Zeitoun, according to the IDF.The brigade killed at least 113 Hamas operatives in Zeitoun over the past two weeks, the IDF says, those that troops were able to identify with the naked eye or using drones.The Hamas gunmen are operating in Zeitoun without a “military framework,” and in relatively small cells, according to the IDF, after the military says it dismantled the terror group’s battalions in the area in the early stages of the ground offensive.Troops came under gunfire, RPG fire and explosive devices amid the operations, with at least four soldiers being killed and several more wounded. According to the IDF, most of the attacks on troops in Zeitoun occurred during the day, rather than at night.In one incident, the IDF says a Hamas cell fired anti-tank missiles from a close range at troops. An Israeli Air Force drone spotted and struck the cell, killing several of the operatives, while others were spotted fleeing in an ambulance, the IDF says.
In another incident, the brigade called in an airstrike against a building from which a Hamas sniper was shooting at troops.The raid in Zeitoun was the 401st Brigade’s fourth operation in Gaza, previously battling Hamas in Beit Lahiya, then in the Daraj and Tuffah neighborhoods of Gaza City, before a raid in the Rimal and Shati neighborhoods. The IDF will soon decide where to send the brigade for its next mission.
Hamas refuses to provide info on wellbeing of hostages as Cairo talks commence-With delegations preparing for another round of negotiations, IDF says it hit some 50 targets belonging to the terror group in western Khan Younis overnight-By Emanuel Fabian,ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 12:11 pm-MAR 3,24
A senior Hamas official claimed on Sunday that a ceasefire in Gaza could be secured within “24 to 48 hours” if Israel were to accept the terror group’s demands in ongoing talks, which have reportedly stalled as Hamas refuses to provide Israel with a list of hostages who are still alive.“If Israel agrees to Hamas demands, which include the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza and increasing humanitarian aid, that would pave the way for a (truce) agreement within the next 24 to 48 hours,” the unnamed Hamas official told AFP as a delegation of its officials arrived in Cairo for talks on a potential temporary truce and hostage deal.The official added that Hamas had demanded the entry of “at least 400 to 500 trucks per day” carrying food, medicine and fuel as part of a truce deal.The Hamas official’s claim that Israel is the party responsible for delaying the elusive deal contradicted comments by a senior US official, who said on Saturday that Israel had agreed to the framework for a six-week pause in fighting, which now depended on Hamas agreeing to release the hostages.An Israeli delegation is expected to arrive in the Egyptian capital later on Sunday as well, although a source briefed on the talks reiterated that Israel would not send a team until it received the list of live hostages it demanded.Despite charging that Israel’s unwillingness to accept the terror group’s demands was the reason a deal hasn’t progressed, a Hamas official told the UK-based Qatari outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that it will not provide any further details on the hostages without Israel paying a “big price” for it.“A big price must be paid in terms of alleviating the suffering of the people of Gaza and establishing a ceasefire,” he told the news outlet, signaling that the group was not prepared to accede to the demand.The Hamas delegation to Cairo is being led by senior leader Khalil al-Haya, an unnamed source told AFP.“The delegation will meet Egyptian mediators and deliver the group’s response to the new Paris proposal,” the source said, in reference to negotiations held last month in the French capital with Israel’s presence.Also said to be in attendance are delegations from the United States and Qatar.Hope of a successful deal as a result of the ongoing negotiations rose last week following a previous round of talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt in Doha, and cautious indications from US President Joe Biden that an agreement was close. On Friday, however, Biden acknowledged that a deal remains elusive for now, but said he still hopes it will be finalized by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which will start on March 10 or 11, depending on the lunar calendar.Should a deal be reached, it would be the second of its kind since the terror onslaught carried out by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7. The first was a weeklong truce in late November that brought about the release of 105 civilians from Hamas captivity in exchange for 240 Palestinian security prisoners.It is believed that 130 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after the November truce and the release of four other hostages prior to it.Three hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 11 hostages have been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military. The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 31 of those still held by Hamas and one more person has been listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is still unknown.Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015, respectively, as well as the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014.The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said on Sunday that the death toll in the war had surpassed 30,400 people, with an additional 71,700 people having been injured.The terror group’s figures are unverified, don’t differentiate between civilians and combatants, and list all the fatalities as caused by Israel — even those believed to have been caused by hundreds of misfired rockets or otherwise by Palestinian fire.Israel has said it killed some 13,000 Hamas members in Gaza fighting, in addition to some 1,000 killed in Israel in the aftermath of the terror group’s invasion and massacre of some 1,200 people.On Sunday, the IDF said that it had carried out a wave of airstrikes against some 50 Hamas targets in western Khan Younis within just six minutes overnight in order to enable ground troops of the 98th Division to maneuver into new areas of the city in the southern Gaza Strip.According to the IDF, the targets included underground infrastructure, buildings used by Hamas, anti-tank launch positions, booby-trapped buildings, and staging grounds where operatives were gathered.After the wave of strikes, the 98th Division “began a surprise assault on the area, during which the troops raided terror targets and eliminated terrorists,” the IDF said, and added that intensive fighting was ongoing on Sunday morning.Meanwhile, in central Gaza, the IDF said the Nahal Brigade killed dozens of Hamas operatives over the past day, some of them by calling in airstrikes, and captured weapons.Following a deadly incident in northern Gaza on Thursday in which more than 100 Palestinians were reportedly killed and hundreds more wounded while swarming aid trucks in Gaza City, IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari reiterated on Sunday the IDF’s commitment to ensuring that civilians in hard-to-reach areas of Gaza have access to humanitarian aid.In an English-language video statement, Hagari said that the IDF coordinated a total of 21 airdrops in the Gaza Strip in recent weeks, carried out by the United States, Jordan, France, the UAE, and Egypt.Between the countries, more than 450 packages of food and medical aid were dropped over the Strip and distributed to civilians in need. The latest airdrop was carried out on Saturday by the US and Jordan.Three Biden administration officials confirmed after the airdrop that the planes had distributed military “meals ready to eat” (MREs) in locations that were thought would provide civilians with the greatest level of safety to access aid. Afterward, the US monitored the sites and was able to see civilians approach and distribute food among themselves, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details that had not been made public.“We will continue expanding our humanitarian efforts to the civilian population in Gaza while we fulfill our goals of freeing our hostages from Hamas and freeing Gaza from Hamas,” said Hagari.
Official: Hamas won’t give list of living hostages, Israel not sending team to Cairo today-IDF says 50 Hamas targets hit in 6 minutes in overnight Khan Younis airstrikes * Israeli embassy in US said told not to facilitate Gantz trip-By ToI Staff and Ricky Ben-David-Today, 3:41 am-MAR 3,24
Official: Hamas refuses to supply list of living hostages, Israel won’t send team to Cairo talks today-By Lazar Berman-MAR 3,24
Israel received an answer from Hamas about the framework for a hostage deal hammered out in Paris last weekend, but the Gaza-based terror organization refused to address Jerusalem’s demand to receive a list of living hostages and how many Palestinian prisoners Israel must release for every hostage freed, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.In the wake of the unsatisfactory response, Israel is not sending a delegation to Cairo today, says the official.
Abbas to visit Turkey for talks with Ergdogan on Israel-Hamas war, Palestinian reconciliation-By Agencies and ToI Staff-MAR 3,24
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Turkey on Tuesday for talks about Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, and reconciliation efforts between Palestinian factions, the Turkish foreign minister says.The visit comes as intensive diplomacy is underway to pause the fighting and secure a deal to release hostages.Egypt, Qatar and the United States have mediated in weeks of talks to secure a temporary truce by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in a week.Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says: “There is a serious desire and effort to reach a ceasefire before Ramadan,” in closing remarks to an annual diplomacy forum in the Mediterranean holiday resort of Antalya.Fidan confirms that Abbas will visit the Turkish capital Ankara at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a vocal advocate of the Palestinian cause.The leaders will discuss “the developments in Palestine, the current course of the war as well as the intra-Palestinian” dialogue, Fidan says.Israel has publicly opposed a possible PA return to Gaza after it was booted from the Strip by the Hamas terror group in a bloody coup in 2007.
Houthis vow to keep targeting UK ships for ‘sponsoring crimes against civilians in Gaza’By Reuters-MAR 3,24
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis vow to continue targeting British ships in the Gulf of Aden following the sinking of UK-owned vessel Rubymar.The US military confirmed on Saturday that the UK-owned vessel Rubymar had sunk after being struck by an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Yemeni Houthi militants on Feb. 18.“Yemen will continue to sink more British ships, and any repercussions or other damages will be added to Britain’s bill,” Hussein al-Ezzi, deputy foreign minister in the Houthi-led government, says in a post on X.“It is a rogue state that attacks Yemen and partners with America in sponsoring ongoing crimes against civilians in Gaza,” he claims.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Iran claims it executed Mossad ‘terrorist’ for drone attack on Isfahan arms facility-State TV says supposed spy ‘planned to explode the workshop complex of the Ministry of Defense’ in January 2023 strike blamed on Israel; details of execution not released-By AFP and ToI Staff 3 March 2024, 10:08 pm
Iran’s judiciary has executed a “terrorist” over a drone attack that targeted a defense ministry site in central Iran last year, state media reported on Sunday.According to state TV, the person “planned to explode the workshop complex of the Ministry of Defense in Isfahan under guidance of the intelligence officer of Mossad,” Israel’s spy agency.The date of the execution and the identity of the accused person were not immediately clear.The site hit in the January 2023 strike was reportedly a weapons production facility for Iran’s kamikaze Shahed-136 drones.Isfahan is also a known hub for Tehran’s missile industry and is where the Shahab medium-range missile — which has a range capable of hitting Israel — is assembled.Iran also has several known nuclear research sites in the Isfahan region, including a uranium conversion plant. The country’s sanction-hit nuclear program has been the target of sabotage, assassinations of scientists and cyber-attacks.Tehran has accused Israel of carrying out several covert actions on its soil.Iran’s intelligence ministry said in February 2023 that it had arrested the “main actors” involved in the drone attack on the defense ministry site in Isfahan.The previous month, an anti-aircraft system destroyed a drone, and two others exploded during an attack on a defense ministry facility in the province, officials said at the time.According to the defense ministry, the nighttime attack left no casualties and only caused minor damage.Authorities did not elaborate on activities at the site, but IRNA said the strike had targeted “an ammunition manufacturing plant.”Iran and Israel are longtime foes and are currently locked in a row over Iran’s nuclear program. Israel accuses Iran of backing terrorist attacks against it, while Iran says Israel has carried out a number of killings of Iranian officials and scientists. Israel neither confirms nor denies such actions.In August last year, Iran claimed to have foiled a “very complex” Mossad-initiated project to “sabotage” its ballistic missile industry.In January, Iran hanged four members of its Kurdish minority on charges of spying for Israel. They were convicted of collaborating with Israel on a plan to sabotage an Iranian defense site in Isfahan.
Iranian media: Hardline conservatives secure bulk of parliamentary seats in elections-Official IRNA news agency puts turnout at around 41% in first vote since outbreak of protests over death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022; authorities still counting ballots-By AFP 3 March 2024, 8:35 pm
Iranian conservatives secured the bulk of seats in elections for a key clerical body and the national legislature, local media reported Sunday, estimating a record low turnout.Authorities were still counting ballots two days after Friday’s vote for members of parliament and for the Assembly of Experts, which selects the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader.The vote was the first since protests broke out over the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, 22, an Iranian Kurd who had ben arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women.The election, in which a vetting process barred many hopefuls from running, took place with Iran suffering a severe economic crisis deepened by international sanctions.The official IRNA news agency put the turnout at around “41 percent” among 61 million eligible voters. No official figure had yet been announced.The reformist daily Shargh predicted the next parliament would be “in the hands of radical conservatives,” who “took advantage of the opportunity created by the low participation.”Etemad, another reformist newspaper, reported that turnout was lower in Iran’s bigger cities than its smaller ones, and that there was a significant number of “blank votes.”Fears of a low turnout had swirled ahead of the elections after a state TV poll found more than half of respondents were indifferent about the elections.‘Wake-up call’ Turnout in the capital Tehran was around 25%, according to Iranian media, which reported that ultraconservative candidates secured 12 of the 30 parliament seats allotted to the capital.Some seats have gone to a second round, which will take place in either April or May, IRNA reported.The pro-government Iran Daily said authorities should see the low turnout as a “wake-up call and redouble their efforts to fortify their support base.”Reformist daily Ham Mihan said that “the soul of the elections was lost” and that turnout was “far from victorious” which could have “political repercussions” for Iran’s system.Political analyst Mohammad Mohajeri said conservatives and ultraconservatives will emerge as the main winner in the elections due to “sharp decline in the participation rate.”A record figure of 15,200 hopefuls were competing for seats in the 290-member parliament.Another 144 candidates sought a place in the 88-member Assembly of Experts, which is exclusively made up of male Islamic scholars.By allowing a large pool of candidates, the government wanted “to create local competition and increase participation” to help attract voters, journalist Maziar Khosravi earlier told AFP.Iran’s 2020 parliament was elected during the Covid pandemic with a turnout of 42.57% — at the time the lowest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.Former moderate Iranian president Hassan Rouhani cast his ballot on Friday despite his disqualification from running for the Assembly of Experts after 24 years of membership.Another former president, the reformist Mohammad Khatami, was among those who did not vote, according to a coalition of parties called the Reform Front.In February, Khatami had said on his official website that Iran is “very far from free and competitive elections.”
Equal but different: The specific health considerations of female combat soldiers-While serving on the front lines against Hamas alongside their male IDF comrades, women must contend with the medical realities of their biology-By Renee Ghert-Zand-3 March 2024, 8:37 pm
Late last year, the Israel Defense Forces saw a huge spike in female conscripts seeking to join combat units during the war in the Gaza Strip that began on October 7.The number of women enlisting in combat units has increased in recent years as successful legal petitions to the High Court for more gender integration in the IDF have led to female recruits being allowed to compete for acceptance to some elite units historically closed to women.While women are proving in many cases that they are men’s equals on the battlefield, health professionals say there is no getting around the fact that women’s biology and physiology differ from those of men.A session during an online conference on women’s health during the war hosted by the Israeli nonprofit organization Nogafem on February 29 focused on the health and hygiene challenges particular to female soldiers, especially during long, intense periods of military engagement.“Sometimes we are talking about women not being able to shower for a month,” said Dr. Tili Fisher Yosef, a primary care specialist with Maccabi Healthcare Services and a lecturer at Tel Aviv University Medical School.Even when soldiers wear cotton underwear and try to stay as clean and dry as possible, itchy or painful vaginal irritations and discharges can happen.“With vaginitis in the field, you can’t take a swab as would be done in a doctor’s office and do a culture in the lab to see whether there is indeed an infection, and if so whether it is caused by yeast, bacteria, or something else,” said Dr. Itamar Netzer, a gynecologist and medical administrator with Clalit Health Services.With yeast being the most likely culprit, Netzer recommended that female fighters in the field try treating it with one- or three-day courses of anti-fungal vaginal suppositories. These prescription treatments can be obtained through the military health service or a private doctor.Netzer said that female soldiers who suffer from frequent yeast infections can take oral anti-fungal drugs, such as fluconazole tablets, as a preventive measure before heading into situations that make it hard to practice good, regular hygiene.Yosef pointed out that what might feel like a vaginal or a urinary tract infection may only be a very uncomfortable external irritation caused by moisture and constant rubbing from the crotch area of the uniform.“Before using prescription medications, it’s best to first try diaper cream, over-the-counter topical anti-fungal cream, or absorbent powder. These may be enough to clear up the problem,” Yosef said.For fungal irritations that can show up under the breasts due to excess moisture, the doctors recommended cotton bras that breathe. The powder can soak up the sweat and anti-fungal cream used to treat a rash.Regardless of the specific suggestions, the physicians’ underlying message was that soldiers should think and prepare ahead, making sure that they bring with them whatever supplies they may need.While irritations and infections may not affect every female soldier, all must think about how they want to handle their menstrual period when they are heading into combat or training in the field.“Depending on what a female soldier’s job is in the IDF, she needs to think about whether she wants to have regular periods, stop her period during her active service, or stop it only temporarily while it is inconvenient,” Netzer said.These are decisions that a female soldier should make in consultation with her doctor.“One option is to take combined contraceptive pills in a certain way, but this doesn’t always work and it isn’t for everyone. You have to think about side effects,” Netzer said.Yosef suggested the option of taking a medication, such as norethisterone, to delay one’s period. Like birth control pills, this approach has pros and cons.“It’s important to remember that the drugs that delay the onset of a period do not prevent pregnancy, and it is recommended that they only be taken for a few months at a time and then go off them,” she said.Having an IUD inserted is a possibility for a young woman wanting long-term birth control, no periods, or both. However, it is not something particularly relevant to a soldier who is looking to stop her period for only several months — usually, the amount of time that it takes to get used to having an IUD in the first place.For some women, the two weeks between ovulation and menstruation are characterized by premenstrual syndrome (PMS), with symptoms such as bloating, headaches, and breast tenderness. These same women may also have premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which causes severe anxiety, depression, and mood changes.Soldiers who generally experience PMS or PMDD may want to consider a solution that would prevent these syndromes from interfering with their performance.“Birth control pills can help alleviate the symptoms, but again, side effects need to be considered,” Netzer said.Yosef said that low doses of drugs widely used to treat depression and anxiety, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) could be helpful if titrated properly and the right days in a woman’s cycle to take them determined.“These are prescription drugs, and this must be done under the care of the soldier’s doctor in the community or an IDF doctor,” Yosef emphasized.Yosef addressed the question of how the lifting of military equipment and carrying of heavy packs affects the health of women’s pelvic floor.According to Yosef, research conducted by the IDF found that there was no negative impact on female combat soldiers’ pelvises.“It doesn’t appear that the weight has caused urine leakage. Interestingly, pelvic floor problems and urine leakage were found to be more of an issue among female surveillance soldiers, who sit for hours on end in front of computer screens,” she said.It’s not just physically that female soldiers have proven their mettle in fighting alongside males.“There is no data yet comparing PTSD in men and women IDF soldiers from the current war. However, past data shows that female soldiers adapt well psychologically,” Yosef said.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Zelensky urges Western air defence as Russian attacks kill 11-by AFP Staff Writers-Kyiv, Ukraine (AFP) March 3, 2024
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday called on the West to rapidly deliver more air-defence systems as a wave of Russian missile, drone and artillery strikes killed at least 11 people.Eight were confirmed dead, including a child and a baby, after an overnight drone strike on the southern port city of Odesa, a regional official said.Separate shelling attacks on the frontline regions of Kharkiv in the northeast and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south killed another three people, Ukrainian officials said."Russia continues to hit civilians," Zelensky said in a post on social media."We need more air defences from our partners. We need to strengthen the Ukrainian air shield to add more protection for our people from Russian terror. More air-defence systems and more missiles for air-defence systems save lives."Ukraine is currently on the back foot in the two-year war as a crucial $60 billion aid package is held up in the United States Congress.In Odesa, "a nine-storey building was destroyed as a result of an attack by Russian terrorists", Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said in a Telegram post Saturday.Around 10 people were still unaccounted for, with almost 100 rescuers set to continue a search and rescue operation overnight.Footage from the scene showed several floors of a residential building collapsed and its facade ripped off.Ukraine's air force said falling debris from Russian drones it had shot down fell onto residential buildings in both Odesa and Kharkiv.- 'Difficult situation' -The attacks came as Russia sought to press its advantage on the battlefield.Kyiv has acknowledged that it is heavily outgunned and outnumbered, facing ammunition shortages and aid delays.Half of all promised Western ammunition arrives late, the defence minister has said.Russian forces have advanced westwards following last month's capture of the key eastern town of Avdiivka, seizing several small villages in recent days.Visiting frontline military posts on Saturday, Ukraine's new Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said "the situation at the front remains difficult, but controlled".Kyiv appeared to have launched its own overnight drone attack, with the Russian defence ministry claiming early on Sunday to have shot down 38 drones over the occupied territory of Crimea.An apparent Ukrainian drone also damaged a residential building a day earlier in Saint Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city.Videos on Russian social media showed what appeared to be a drone spiralling downwards into the building, triggering an explosion that blew out windows and caused small fires.The city's National Guard division said its preliminary assumption was that the damage was caused by a "falling drone".Ukrainian media reported that the drone was shot down by Russia's air defences while targeting an oil depot around a kilometre from the crash site.Kyiv has hit several Russian oil facilities in recent months in what it has called fair retribution for Moscow's attacks on Ukraine's power grid.Russia's Investigative Committee said separately that four of its officials had been wounded when a Ukrainian drone dropped explosives over the Bryansk border region.Russia also expressed outrage at a leak of confidential German army talks in which officers allegedly discussed missile strikes on the annexed Crimean peninsula.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday promised a full investigation after the head of Russia's state-run RT outlet posted the alleged leaked recording on social media.A spokeswoman for the German defence ministry confirmed on Saturday that a secret air force conversation had been tapped, but that they could not say for certain whether any changes had been made to the conversation in the leaked audio file.Russia's foreign ministry demanded a "prompt" explanation from Berlin, while Moscow's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov said it showed Ukraine's European backers were intent on inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia on the battlefield.
Macron breaks taboo on Western troops in Ukraine-Paris, Feb 27 (AFP) Feb 27, 2024
French President Emmanuel Macron has smashed a major taboo by floating the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine, raising the stakes in a showdown with a nuclear-armed Russia.Hosting a conference of European leaders on Monday night, the French leader refused to rule out the dispatch of Western troops to Ukraine as Russia's invasion stretches into its third year and Kyiv's military campaign appears to be faltering."We will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war," Macron said.A European military source said that European allies had been studying the plan for several weeks and the United States supported the idea.While Macron did not provide any details, the French foreign ministry said the idea did not foresee French troops directly fighting against Russian forces in Ukraine.Speaking to reporters, Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said on Tuesday: "We are talking about training missions, training components. Training."Former senior NATO official Camille Grand said Macron's statements were a "major political signal.""The message is threefold: to the Ukrainians, we are saying that we are prepared to take risks alongside them. To Russia, this war is very important to us," Grand told AFP."To the public, the stakes are so high that we can't rule out this possibility."- 'Good sign' -While Kyiv has not publicly asked the West to send in troops, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's aide Mykhailo Podolyak told AFP Macron's remarks were a "good sign", showing "a deep understanding of the risks posed to Europe."Monday's remarks appeared to represent a turnround for Macron, who has for many years sought to position himself as a top mediator between Russia and Ukraine.Less than five years ago he hosted Russian leader Vladimir Putin at his Mediterranean residence and flew into Moscow in February 2022 in a last-minute bid to halt the dispatch of Russian troops across the border."This undoubtedly represents a verbal escalation," said French military historian Michel Goya."But in this arm wrestling match with Russia, you can't stop at anything, this is a poker game."Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, also said Macron's comments represented a toughening of his stance."Perhaps it's a form of strategic ambiguity to push Putin to negotiate on Ukrainian terms," Gabuev told AFP.He pointed out that a small number of Western troops and volunteers were already on the ground in Ukraine, adding that he could not imagine French society backing the idea of sending a large French contingent to fight there.French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Macron's statements were not synonymous with escalation."To say that we're not ruling anything out is neither being weak nor escalatory," he said.A number of countries including Germany, Britain and Spain rushed to say they had no plans to send their soldiers to Ukraine.The Kremlin on Tuesday grimly warned Europe against even entertaining such an idea, saying that the appearance of NATO troops in Ukraine would make a direct confrontation with Russia not only possible but inevitable.In his early-morning address on February 24, 2022 Putin bluntly warned the West against intervening in Russia's war against Ukraine, and Western countries have been keen to avoid an escalation.But observers note that over time many red lines have been crossed over the Ukraine conflict, pointing to supplies of French and British long-range cruise missiles, considered unthinkable two years ago.Kyiv says that Western military support is inadequate, and two years into resisting the full-scale invasion by its much larger neighbour, Ukraine's troops are outgunned and exhausted.- 'Ramping up nuclear rhetoric' -Some observers pointed out that Macron's announcement would only help reinforce the Kremlin's narrative that Russia is fighting for survival against NATO-backed Kyiv troops in Ukraine.Fyodor Lukyanov, head of the Kremlin-linked Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, a think tank in Moscow, said Macron's remarks "will surprise few people in Russia."Since the start of Moscow's invasion, Putin has made thinly veiled threats hinting at a willingness to deploy Russia's tactical nuclear weapons, which Russian military doctrine holds can be used to force an adversary to retreat.Lukyanov said that the toughening of France's position would provoke the Kremlin to act tougher."This will give Russia an impetus to toughen its stance further, ramp up its nuclear rhetoric and increase reliance on nuclear deterrence as a means of response," he told AFP.
Express View on Europe and Ukraine: Macron vs Putin-Caught between an aggressive Russia and an isolationist America, Europe’s moment of reckoning has come-By: Editorial-March 4, 2024 07:40 IST
Emmanuel Macron’s suggestion, NATO, russian troops, Ukraine, Kyiv’s defences against Russian occupation forces, Vladimir Putin, mansukh mandaviya, indian express newsThe European controversy over Macron’s remarks reflects the deepening dilemmas of NATO in addressing the current stalemate in the Ukraine war that entered its third year last month.French President Emmanuel Macron’s suggestion that NATO should consider sending troops to Ukraine to bolster Kyiv’s defences against Russian occupation forces generated a chorus of protests within the alliance, including from Europe’s most influential nation, Germany. But it was the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, unsurprisingly, who came out all guns blazing against the idea. He issued a dire warning: Any NATO troop deployment in Ukraine would not only lead to massive military escalation but also to Russian use of nuclear weapons.The European controversy over Macron’s remarks reflects the deepening dilemmas of NATO in addressing the current stalemate in the Ukraine war that entered its third year last month. A year ago, Europe was betting on a successful military counter-offensive by Kyiv to push Russian troops out of Ukraine. Those hopes have dissipated as Russia got its defences together and is now taking offensive actions. Without enough weapons and ammunition, Ukraine has had one arm tied behind its back.Meanwhile, the pressure from the Republican Party across the Atlantic insists Europe must take responsibility for the Ukraine war. Caught between an aggressive Russia and an isolationist America, Europe’s moment of reckoning has come. France’s Macron, who leads the only serious military power in Western Europe, was responding to that challenge when he said NATO should not rule out the possibility of sending troops to defend Ukraine. Much of Europe is paralysed by the fear of escalation and is not prepared to confront the geopolitical consequences of a Russian victory, whichever way you define it, in Ukraine.The debate initiated by Macron is unlikely to subside, for Europe and NATO have to find a way of preventing further losses for Ukraine. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has mercilessly exposed European illusions about a post-conflict continent and revealed its unpreparedness to defend its territory.European measures to ramp up the production of weapons and munitions, like the Russian mobilisation of its industry for a war economy, will not only take time but is also deeply unpopular in a continent reared in the lap of a generous welfare state.Meanwhile, NATO has to come to terms with Putin’s nuclear threats that have succeeded in deterring the West from deploying the full range of military means to counter Russian aggression. Even as he threatens nuclear escalation, Putin is inviting NATO for talks on nuclear arms control. He is also calling for negotiations to end the war and setting the terms for peace that demand a pro-Russian regime in Kyiv and a neutralised Ukraine. By simultaneous military and political moves, Putin hopes to deepen European political divisions. Can Europe hang together? As Macron reminded the Europeans, “This is a war on our soil and our continent”.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) 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)
THE FIRST JUDGEMENT OF THE EARTH STARTED WITH WATER-IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE LAST GENERATION WILL BE HAVING FLOODING
GENESIS 7:6-12
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
GOD PROMISED BY A RAINBOW-THE EARTH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED TOTALLY WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.BUT FLOODIING IS A SIGN OF JUDGEMENT.
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.
SINK HOLES
NUMBERS 16:30-32
30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
EZEKIEL 32:6-9
6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9 I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people.
THE WORLD CRYS CLIMATE CHANGE FOWL, BUT ITS THE SIN OF THE WORLD THAT GOD IS JUDGEING BY THE HEAT OF THE SUN. YOU CAN DELUDE YOURSELF INTO THINKING ITS CLIMATE CHANGE. BUT ITS REALLY JUST GOD GIVING YOU A TASTE OF THE LAKE OF FIRE HEAT YOU WILL BE LIVING IN FOREVER.YES GOD WILL STILL PROTECT ISRAEL FROM THE HOT BLARING SUN. IF GOD WOULD NOT SEND AN ASTEROID TO HIT THE EARTH, TO BLOCK BLOCK THE SUN FOR 7 MONTHS. EVERYBODY ON EARTH WOULD DIE FROM THE HEAT OF THE HOT SUN. BUT YOU DEMOLIBNUTS EARTH WORSHIPPING MONEY GRABBERS CAN CALL IT CLIMATE CHANGE IF YOU WANT. WE CHRISTIANS KNOW THE TRUTH, ITS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH FOR EVERY SIN GOING.
February 10, 2024-Editors' notes-'A deeply troubling discovery': Earth may have already passed the crucial 1.5°C warming limit-by Malcolm McCulloch, The Conversation.
Global temperatures have already exceeded 1.5°C warming and may pass 2°C later this decade, according to a world-first study I led. The worrying findings, based on temperature records contained in sea sponge skeletons, suggest global climate change has progressed much further than previously thought.Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions drive global warming. Obtaining accurate information about the extent of the warming is vital, because it helps us understand if extreme weather events are more likely in the near future, and whether the world is making progress in reducing emissions.To date, estimates of upper ocean warming have been mainly based on sea-surface temperature records, however these date back only about 180 years. We instead studied 300 years of records preserved in the skeletons of long-lived sea sponges from the Eastern Caribbean. In particular, we examined changes in the amount of a chemical known as "strontium" in their skeletons, which reflects variations in seawater temperatures over the organism's life.Keeping the average global temperature rise below 1.5°C since pre-industrial times is a goal of the 2015 Paris climate deal. Our research, published in Nature Climate Change, suggests that opportunity has passed. Earth may in fact have already reached at least 1.7°C warming since pre-industrial times—a deeply troubling discovery.Getting a gauge on ocean heat-Global warming is causing major changes to the Earth's climate. This was evident recently during unprecedented heat waves across southern Europe, China and large parts of North America.Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth's surface and absorb an enormous amount of heat and carbon dioxide. Global surface temperatures are traditionally calculated by averaging the temperature of water at the sea surface, and the air just above the land surface.But historical temperature records for oceans are patchy. The earliest recordings of sea temperatures were gathered by inserting a thermometer into water samples collected by ships. Systematic records are available only from the 1850s—and only then with limited coverage. Because of this lack of earlier data, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has defined the pre-industrial period as from 1850 to 1900.But humans have been pumping substantial levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere since at least the early 1800s. So the baseline period from which warming is measured should ideally be defined from the mid-1700s or earlier.What's more, a series of exceptionally large volcanic eruptions occurred in the early 1800s, causing massive global cooling. This makes it more difficult to accurately reconstruct stable baseline ocean temperatures.But what if there was a way to precisely gauge ocean temperatures over centuries in the past? There is, and it's called "sclerosponge thermometry. Studying a special sponge-Sclerosponges are a group of sea sponges that resemble hard corals, in that they produce a carbonate skeleton. But they grow at a much slower rate and can live for many hundreds of years.The skeletons incorporate a number of chemical elements including strontium and calcium. The ratio of these two elements varies during warmer and cooler periods. This means sclerosponges can provide a detailed diary of sea temperatures, down to a resolution of just 0.1°C.We studied the sponge species Ceratoporella nicholsoni. They occur in the Eastern Caribbean, where the natural variability of upper ocean temperatures is low which makes it easier to tease out the effects of climate change. We wanted to investigate temperatures in a part of the ocean known as the "ocean mixed layer". This is the upper part of the ocean, where heat is exchanged between the atmosphere and the ocean interior.We looked at temperatures going back 300 years, to see whether the current time period which defines pre-industrial temperatures was accurate. So what did we find?The sponge records showed nearly constant temperatures from 1700 to 1790 and from 1840 to 1860 (with a gap in the middle due to volcanic cooling). We found a rise in ocean temperatures began from the mid-1860s, and was unambiguously evident by the mid-1870s. This suggests the pre-industrial period should be defined as the years 1700 to 1860.The implications of these findings are profound. What does this mean for global warming? Using this new baseline, a very different picture of global warming emerges. It shows human-caused ocean warming began at least several decades earlier than previously assumed by the IPCC.Long-term climate change is commonly measured against the average warming over the 30 years from 1961 to 1990, as well as warming in more recent decades.Our findings suggest that in the interval between the end of our newly defined pre-industrial period and the 30-year average mentioned above, the temperatures of the ocean and land surface increased by 0.9°C. This is far more than the 0.4°C warming the IPCC has estimated, using the conventional timeframe for the pre-industrial period.Add to that the average 0.8°C global warming from 1990 to recent years, and the Earth may have warmed on average by at least 1.7°C since pre-industrial times. This suggests we have passed the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement.It also suggests the overriding goal of the agreement, to keep average global warming below 2°C, is now very likely to be exceeded by the end of the 2020s—nearly two decades sooner than expected.Our study has also produced another alarming finding. Since the late 20th century, land-air temperatures have been increasing at almost twice the rate of surface oceans and are now more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels. This is consistent with well-documented decline in Arctic permafrost and the increased frequency around the world of heat waves, bushfires and drought.We must act now-Our revised estimates suggest climate change is at a more advanced stage than we thought. This is cause for great concern.It appears that humanity has missed its chance to limit global warming to 1.5°C and has a very challenging task ahead to keep warming below 2°C. This underscores the urgent need to halve global emissions by 2030.
Treacherous travel likely as widespread winter storm blankets the Prairies-Forecast CentreThe Weather Network-Forecast Centre-Updated on Mar. 3, 2024, 9:35 AM
A major snowstorm continues to bring hazardous conditions on the Prairies as heavy snow and blustery wind gusts persist on SundayThe first weekend of March has been a writeoff for a good chunk of the Prairies as a sprawling, powerful winter storm spreads heavy snow and intense wind gusts across the region.Widespread winter storm, snowfall and blizzard warnings cover the region as snow and strong winds make their way farther east on Sunday.People are urged to consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve. Road closures have been reported near Kindersley and North Battleford, Sask. As well, the Maidstone to Maymont corridor of the Yellowhead Highway is closed.The hardest-hit locales are likely to see 40+ cm of snow by the time all is said and done.Snow and winds intensify and spread east-A potent low-pressure system that came to fruition stateside pushed snow into parts of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan through the day Saturday. Heavy snow and gusty winds led to near-blizzard conditions in Saskatoon at times on Saturday afternoon. Snowfall totals are starting to pour in. As of Sunday morning local time, Calgary, Alta., has documented 18 cm and Kindersley, Sask., has reported 12 cm.The heaviest and most dangerous band of snow is now centred across Saskatchewan on Sunday, dropping visibility to near zero. By the afternoon, heavy snow pushes across southwestern Manitoba. Meanwhile, the only remaining snow across Alberta is in northeastern sections.Very heavy snowfall rates of up to 4 cm per hour are possible around southern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba Sunday afternoon.Blowing snow a significant concern for travel, road closures may increase-Cold temperatures will make it a fluffy, dry snow, which accumulates in a hurry and easily blows around in gusty winds.Gusty winds of 50-70 km/h will accompany the heavy snowfall across the region, leading to extended periods of severely reduced visibility. However, some areas are seeing gusts exceeding 70 km/h.VIS-Blizzard conditions will continue through Sunday and end Monday morning.Complete whiteouts are likely at times. Travel will be difficult if not impossible on all roads across the region during heavy snow and high winds.Expect tough if not impossible travel during the height of the storm into Sunday, especially along most of the Yellowhead Highway east of Edmonton.As previously mentioned, road closures have been reported near Kindersley and North Battleford, Sask. As well, the Maidstone to Maymont corridor of the Yellowhead Highway is closed.Additional road closures are likely in the hardest-hit areas due to rapidly accumulating snow and poor visibility.Snowfall totals of 40+ cm are possible-Since the snowfall is anticipated to be light and fluffy, accumulations will likely exceed forecast amounts in some areas. However, there is some uncertainty in exact snowfall totals on the Prairies, with a challenge arising to get reliable measurements due to the blowing snow and drifts.Forecasters expect the heaviest snowfall totals to target central and southern Saskatchewan, and west-central and southwestern Manitoba, where 20-40+ cm of snow is possible by the time precipitation wraps up on Monday.A widespread swath of snowfall topping 30 cm is expected elsewhere in the provinces, as well as northeastern Alberta.Folks around Regina in the south could see 15-30 cm of snow by Monday.The greatest uncertainty surrounding this storm is the potential for a sharp cutoff in snowfall totals around Winnipeg, but 10 cm is still expected in the city. That is due to the centre of low tracking across the Red River Valley, and as it does so, is pulling in warmer air with it and creating a wintry mess.Precipitation changed to freezing rain in Winnipeg along the warm front, and will continue as a wintry mix on Sunday before changing back to snowfall. Ice accumulation is not forecast to be significant.-This intrusion of warm air into southern Manitoba could force a changeover to ice pellets in and around Winnipeg, which would significantly cut down snow accumulations here. Warmer temperatures will also make for wetter snow in Manitoba as opposed to the light and fluffy powder expected to the west.By Monday morning, the system will have dissipated and snowfall will lift north, but lingering wind means a continuation of blowing snowfall.
Firefighters battling ‘monster’ Texas wildfire contend with strong winds and heat as residents grapple with lost homes-Camila Bernal-By Dalia Faheid and Camila Bernal, CNN-Updated 8:24 PM EST, Sun March 3, 2024
CNN — The biggest inferno in Texas history was being fueled by winds and high temperatures as it raged Sunday, threatening to incinerate more buildings, cattle and livelihoods across the Texas Panhandle while residents sift through ashes of what used to be homes.Critical fire weather conditions continued Sunday in the area, with one wind gust of 59 mph measured near the town of Texline, the National Weather Service reported. The Panhandle is under a red flag warning, according to the weather service. “Conditions will be favorable for rapid rates of fire growth and spread,” the agency said in its forecast.The Smokehouse Creek Fire has been burning for nearly a week and has torched more than 1 million acres in Texas alone, making it the largest fire on record in the state – and it is only 15% contained. The fire, just one of five large blazes scorching the Texas Panhandle, has already killed two people and destroyed over 500 structures, state officials said Saturday. Others have been left without electricity as more than 120 miles of electric lines have been destroyed.On Sunday, a new blaze, the 50-acre Roughneck Fire, prompted officials to call for evacuations in the Hutchinson County town of Sanford, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.“The fire continues to advance closer to the town. Evacuation efforts continue,” the National Weather Service office in Amarillo posted on X.Fire activity on the Smokehouse, Windy Deuce and Grapevine Creek fires picked up Saturday, due to weather conditions, Blue Team Operations Section Chief Mike Brod said in a video update posted to Facebook on Sunday morning.Because the Texas Panhandle had higher-than-average rainfall this winter, there is more grass – or fuel – to burn. Crews hope that, after the weekend, they will inch closer to containment, Texas A&M Forest Service spokesman Jason Nedlo said.High temperatures into the upper 70s are forecast in the area through Sunday, with a slight decrease Monday into the upper 60s, keeping temperatures well above average.Latest developments • Officials work to identify hotspots: Fire officials used aviation assets to respond to flare-ups over the weekend, including a heat-detection flight to help pinpoint additional hotspots, Brod said. • Four more fires burning: The Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County has burned through 144,000 acres and is 55% contained as of Sunday evening, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The Grape Vine Creek Fire in Gray County has spread through almost 35,000 acres and is 60% contained. The Magenta Fire in Oldham County has destroyed 3,297 acres and is 85% contained. And the 687 Reamer fire in Hutchinson County has scorched 2,000 acres and is 10% contained. • Two deaths reported: Truck driver Cindy Owen was working about 50 miles north of Pampa, Texas, on Tuesday when she got caught in the Smokehouse Creek Fire, her sister-in-law told CNN. She left her truck and tried running for safety but died in the blaze, according to Jennifer Mitchell, the wife of Owen’s brother. In nearby Hutchinson County, 83-year-old Joyce Blankenship was killed, her family said. “The house was gone,” her grandson Nathan Blankenship said. “There was no way she could’ve gotten out.”• Blaze hits state cattle industry: The fires are tearing through the Panhandle, which is home to 85% of the state’s cattle industry. The blaze has already killed thousands of cattle and has taken out other livestock, crops and equipment.• Oklahoma finding success in Smokehouse fire battle: “The Smokehouse Creek Fire perimeter looks good and will be turned back over to local departments tomorrow,” Oklahoma Forestry Services spokesperson Keith Merckx said Sunday. “The fire will be 75% contained by the end of shift today.” More than 31,000 acres have burned in Oklahoma near the border with Texas, according to the service.• How you can help: GoFundMe launched a platform for verified fundraisers benefiting people affected by wildfires in Texas. On the website, money is being collected for Texans who have lost homes, belongings and livestock. Hemphill County, where 400,000 acres have been burned and a truck driver was killed, is accepting wildlife relief supplies as well as monetary donations, according to the county’s AgriLife Extension Facebook page. In the city of Fritch, CCS Connect Community Services is accepting monetary donations for residents.The blaze is the biggest in the state's history.Family sifts through ashes of lost home-All that was left of Susan and Ronnie Johnson’s five-bedroom ranch near Fritch was the ashes of what was their home of two decades. A dining table, pieces of white fine china, blue and red Dutch ovens, chairs and a smoker could be seen amidst a devastated background of dust, rubble and fallen trees.Their home was surrounded by fire on Tuesday - and they tried desperately to save it - only to watch it all go up in flames.“You don’t ever want to believe it’ll be your house that burns,” Ronnie told CNN.“We’ve seen others so we’ll rebuild and start again.”Susan described losing her home as “numbing,” but said it won’t mean losing her memories of where her family of nine lived.Tyler McCain also lost his family home in the fires that roared through Fritch.When McCain saw flames engulf the field across from his family’s home before they evacuated, he was faced with the anticipation of returning, not knowing if their house was still standing.“Until I saw my house, it wasn’t it wasn’t real,” McCain told CNN’s Danny Freeman.Gov. Greg Abbott described widespread devastation during a news conference on Friday.“Frequently, when you see the aftermath of that damage, there is some semblance of a structure that is still there,” Abbott said. “When you look at the damages that are here, it’s just gone. Completely gone. Nothing left but ashes on the ground, so those who have gone through this have gone through utter devastation.”‘Devastating’ losses for farmers-State Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller asked for hay and feed donations and prayers for residents who have lost homes and livestock in the “monster” fire, saying he expects the death toll for livestock to soar.“It’s been very devastating,” Miller told CNN’s Omar Jimenez on Sunday, adding more than 500 structures were lost.“There’s no grass, there’s no water for all the livestock,” Miller added. “We’ve lost over 3,000 head, which is a very small number – that will double or triple easily. We’ve got cattle that we’re going to have euthanized because of the damage to their hooves, their udders - we’ll just have to put them down.”Miller said seven grain and seed dealers in the state have “completely lost everything, completely wiped out.”“It’s great damage here,” he said.Hemphill County had reported over a thousand missing or dead cattle and several dead horses, goats, and sheep, Miller said in a news release on Friday, adding that numbers in Hemphill County and other impacted areas are expected to rise as the fire subsides and assessment can be conducted.Andy Holloway, of Hemphill County AgriLife Extension, told CNN on Sunday: “The cattle that these ranchers have, have … greatly been burned up and so this is going to hurt our beef supply going forward in the nation.”CNN’s Joe Sutton, Melissa Alonso, Rebekah Riess and Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report.
