ARABS IN GAZA ACTUALLY PROTEST THE PEDOPHILE DEATH CULT HAMAS.
INVENTION OF THE ATOMIC BOMB.
2 PETER 3:10-11
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements (NUKES) shall melt with fervent heat,(BLAST) the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.(BUT ITS NO END OF THE WORLD HOGWASH)
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,(BY NUKES INCLUDING 3 BILLION PEOPLE) what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US THAT WE CAN BE SAVED FOREVER.AND DURING WW3 PEOPLES BLOOD WILL BE SHED AS A JUDGEMENT FOR HATING HIM AND ISRAEL.GOD IS NOT MOCKED.
ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
PSALMS 97:3
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
EZEKIEL 5:15-17
15 So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the (ARAB/MUSLIM) nations that are round about thee,(ISRAEL) when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
17 So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts,(WHEN RUSSIA/MUSLIMS GET DEFEATED THIER BODIES GET EATEN BY BIRDS,ANIMALS IN ISRAEL MIGRATION SEASON) and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee;(NUKES) and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.
REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)
ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 3 BILLION).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:3,30
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMBS)(RUSSIA CHINA DESTROYED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
NAHUM 3:13
13 Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars.
DR DOCTORION-ANGEL OF THE MIDEAST
"The angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken in pieces because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no more United Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.
Quds Force head promises continued backing for Palestinians-Iran-backed terror chiefs taunt Israel, remain defiant ahead of Quds Day-Hamas official says war has not broken Palestinians’ will; Houthi chief vows attacks to continue, while Hezbollah leader insists ‘no room for normalization’By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 11:21 pm-MAR 26,25
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Leaders from the Iran-backed axis of resistance sworn to the destruction of Israel struck a defiant tone on Wednesday ahead of an annual Tehran-sponsored pro-Palestinian commemoration later this week, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television reported.Quds (Jerusalem) Day commemorations, when Iran and its allies organize marches in support of the Palestinians and call for Israel’s annihilation, were launched in 1979 by Iran’s revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.They are traditionally held on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which this year is expected to finish at the end of March.Palestinian terror group Hamas’s Khalil al-Hayya said in a statement broadcast on Al-Manar that Israel had been “unable to break the will of our people and our resistance,” despite more than a year “of killing, terrorism, and destruction, and despite the full assistance and support of the United States.”The ongoing Gaza war was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel, when Hamas-led terrorists massacred some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages.The leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said his group would continue to support the Palestinian people “without retreat,” Al-Manar reported.The Houthis have launched scores of drone and missile attacks at Israel, as well as ships passing Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden during the war — vessels with no known Israeli connections — saying they are acting out of solidarity with the Palestinians.Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said, “We will not accept the continued [Israeli] occupation,” referring to the ongoing presence of Israeli troops in south Lebanon after a recent war.The Lebanese terror group initiated cross-border fire with the Israeli military in support of Hamas on October 8, 2023.Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah dramatically spiraled into all-out conflict last September, and the terror group remains a target of Israeli airstrikes as it continues to operate in southern Lebanon in violation of a November 27 ceasefire.Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was obligated to pull its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south, while the Lebanese army deploys to control the area.Israel, in parallel, was obligated to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, though it retains the right to respond to immediate threats.Following an initial postponement, with US and Lebanese approval, of the deadline to withdraw, Israel pulled all its troops out of Lebanon in February, except five strategic posts along the border.“The prisoners must be released,” Qassem said, referring to those captured by Israel during the war, adding: “There is no room for normalization or surrender in Lebanon.”The 2023-2024 conflict severely weakened Hezbollah, which saw a slew of senior commanders killed, including its longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah. In agreeing to the November ceasefire, the terror group gave up on its initial promise to only end its attacks once Israel’s operation in Gaza came to an end.Esmail Qaani, commander of the Islamic Revolutioanry Guard Corps’ expeditionary Quds Force, said that “the Islamic republic has always stood and continues to stand alongside the Palestinian people in defense of the holy Al-Quds [Jerusalem],” in his speech, also aired by Iranian state television.“God willing, this steadfastness will continue until the final victory of liberation and the reaching to Al-Quds,” he added.
Herzog tells Jewish leaders antisemitism ‘surged into a terrifying threat’ post-Oct. 7-Meet comes on eve of controversial Israeli conference; sources say those in attendance were not focused on the invitations of far-right European politicians and subsequent boycotts-By Zev Stub-27 March 2025, 12:28 am
President Isaac Herzog told Jewish leaders gathered at his residence on Wednesday that since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, antisemitism has “surged into a terrifying threat” and said Jewish unity was vital to counter this.“Since October 7, this hatred has surged into a terrifying threat—from the streets of Europe to the campuses of North America. This is not just a relic of the past; it is being fueled, spread, and weaponized in real time,” Herzog said.“Every country must take decisive action, using all legal, educational, and social tools to stamp out this age-old hatred and ensure the safety of its Jewish communities,” the president implored. “There can be no tolerance for intolerance.”Beyond international action, Herzog also urged Jews to come together, a reference to the divisions abroad and the deep political schisms within Israel.“At the same time, the Jewish community must stand united against this threat: Jewish unity is not just an idea; it is a living, breathing force, felt most deeply in our collective call to bring our hostages home,” Herzog said.The meeting of Jewish leaders at his home came a day before a controversial antisemitism summit organized by the Israeli government, which is being boycotted by several prominent figures over the inclusion of far-right European politicians.The meeting at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem was a compromise suggested by Herzog after tensions about the conference invitations had boiled over. The gala dinner on Wednesday night before the conference was reconfigured as a private gathering for Jewish leaders only, without the presence of the right-wing figures.However, an official involved in the event, at Herzog’s residence, said that the focus of the evening had been on countering antisemitism and not the controversy or the boycotts.Concern that the inclusion of members of right-wing parties from France, Spain, Sweden, and Hungary at the confab would help legitimize movements with histories of antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and racism was barely even mentioned, the source said.Last week, several high-profile figures said they would withdraw from the event due to those politicians’ inclusion, among them Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, both originally slated to give keynote addresses, and British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.Greenblatt instead sent a video addressing the invitation-only gathering of Jewish leaders remotely.“There is no circumstance and no equation in which negating the right of the Jewish people to live safely in their one and only nation-state is not antisemitism,” Herzog said. “I say to you, Jewish leaders and activists – fight back! Don’t give up!”Chikli echoed this.-“Today, the State of Israel, which went to war in self-defense following the mass massacres committed by Hamas on October 7, is accused of perpetrating genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. There is no crime against humanity that the State of Israel has not been and is not being accused of. This is the new face of the ancient blood libels.”“We don’t need a diplomatic struggle against antisemitism; we need a full-scale war,” Chikli said. “To fight antisemitism, we need courageous leadership and resolute action.”The meeting also featured a panel discussion about the challenges of the past year with several heads of Jewish communities, including Natan Sharansky and CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations William Daroff.Guests at the Israeli government’s international conference on combating antisemitism at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center on Thursday include several far-right politicians, notably Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right French National Rally party founded by noted antisemite and Holocaust denier Jean-Marie Le Pen; Marion Marechal, a far-right French member of the European Parliament and Le Pen’s granddaughter; Hermann Tertsch, a far-right Spanish member of the European Parliament; Charlie Weimers of the far-right Sweden Democrats party; and Kinga Gál, ofHungary’s Fidesz party.The conference will include appearances by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former US ambassador to Israel David Friedman, among other global leaders.Argentine President Javier Milei, originally slated to attend, was forced to cancel his visit to Israel to tend to domestic issues.Herzog has said he will not take part in Thursday’s confab, although his photo still appears on the conference website.High-profile attendees who have confirmed their attendance include Sharansky, Yemeni journalist and influencer Luai Ahmed, human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, US military expert John Spencer, Australian television presenter Erin Molan, and American actor Michael Rapaport.
Hamas threatens hostages will return ‘in coffins;’ Islamic Jihad fires rockets at Israel-No injuries as rocket lands in Zimrat near southern border, IDF intercepts another projectile; Gazans protest against Hamas rule over the Strip for 2nd consecutive day-By Emanuel Fabian,Nurit Yohanan and Agencies 26 March 2025, 4:47 pm
Two rockets were launched from the central Gaza Strip at southern Israel, the military said on Wednesday, as the Hamas terror group warned Israel that if it pushed ahead with military operations, the hostages would return to Israel in coffins.The Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the rocket attack. One rocket was intercepted by air defenses and a second impacted outside Zimrat, causing no injuries.The IDF issued an evacuation warning for Palestinians in and around Gaza City, where the projectiles were fired from, before it carried out strikes in the area.The IDF later said it struck a terror operative behind the rocket fire who was spotted at the launch site.The IDF added that it also hit a building in the area used to set off the launches and two other nearby rocket launching sites.It published footage of the strikes.Meanwhile, Hamas threatened that the hostages would return “in coffins” should Israel continue air strikes and ground operations in the Strip.“Every time the occupation attempts to retrieve its captives by force, it ends up bringing them back in coffins,” it said in a statement.The group claimed they are “doing everything possible to keep the occupation’s captives alive, but the random Zionist bombardment is endangering their lives.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to hit back at Hamas during a speech in the Knesset, warning that Israel would seize territory in Gaza if Hamas continued to refuse to release the remaining hostages.“The more Hamas persists in its refusal to release our hostages, the stronger the pressure we will exert,” Netanyahu said in the plenum. “This includes the seizure of territories, along with other measures I will not elaborate here.Wednesday also saw dozens of Gaza City residents gathered in the Shejaiya neighborhood to protest Hamas rule in the Strip. They burned tires and chanted “Hamas out,” calling for an end to the war.The demonstrations, exceedingly rare in the past due to the terror group’s often violent suppression of political dissent, marked the second consecutive day of anti-Hamas protests.Similar protests against the terror group took place across the territory on Tuesday, in Beit Lahiya, the Jabalia refugee camp and Khan Younis.Footage showed around 100 residents of Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, holding a protest calling for an end to the war and an end to Hamas’s governance, with some demonstrators carrying signs reading “Stop war” and “Children in Palestine want to live.”Israel resumed intense airstrikes across the Strip last week, followed by ground operations, shattering the relative calm of a January ceasefire with Hamas.Hamas killed some 1,200 people and seized 251 hostages during the terror group’s brutal attack on October 7, 2023, triggering the ongoing war. A total of 59 hostages are still held in Gaza, including 34 whom the IDF says are dead.Netanyahu’s remarks came days after Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to annex parts of Gaza unless Hamas freed the remaining hostages.In a statement Friday, Katz said: “I ordered [the army] to seize more territory in Gaza… The more Hamas refuses to free the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed by Israel.”The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday that at least 830 people have been killed in the territory since Israel resumed large-scale strikes on March 18. The figure has not been verified and does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.The first phase of a ceasefire that took effect on January 19 saw Hamas release 33 Israeli and dual national hostages, including eight bodies of slain hostages, and Israel freed around 1,800 Palestinian security prisoners.The deal had originally envisioned a second phase that would see a permanent end to the war in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages and many more security prisoners, but negotiations for this phase staggered, with Israel seeking to extend phase one of the ceasefire.Netanyahu ordered the resumption of fighting in Gaza last week, saying talks moving forward would be held “under fire.”
ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 538-Heavy Israeli strikes reported overnight in Syrian coastal city of Latakia-IDF mum on alleged attack in Alawite stronghold, but confirms carrying out strike in southern Lebanon on Hezbollah operatives moving weapons-By ToI Staff Today, 9:43 am-MAR 27,25
Israeli jets bombed Syria’s Latakia port area overnight, with massive blasts rocking the area, according to Syrian and Lebanese media reports early Thursday.Israeli airstrikes were also reported in Lebanon, including what the Israel Defense Forces said was an attack on a group of Hezbollah operatives and a second strike that reportedly killed one man.Syria’s official SANA news agency reported that several airstrikes hit the Latakia port and the coastal city.Israel’s military did not comment on the alleged strikes.Sources told Lebanon’s Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen news outlet that jets hit several military positions in the port that are used by foreign factions linked to the Syrian Defense Ministry, including from Chechnya and Uzbekistan.Video shared on social media purportedly of the strikes showed a large explosion lighting up the sky above the port.Sources also told Al Mayadeen that there were loud explosions at the same time north of Quneitra in the Syrian Golan Heights, where Israeli troops have been operating since late last year.Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime to Islamist-led rebels in December, Israel has vowed to destroy weapons in Syria it fears could fall into the hands of “hostile forces” that may seek to attack it. Israeli troops have also been stationed inside the buffer zone along the Israel-Syria border, which was manned by UN peacekeepers until the fall of Assad’s regime in December 2024.On Tuesday, Israel said it bombed targets at two airbases in Syria.The strikes in Syria have drawn condemnation and concern, including from Syria’s interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, as well as the European Union.In southern Lebanon, the IDF confirmed carrying out an airstrike Thursday morning on a group of Hezbollah operatives identified moving weapons around in the Yohmor area.Lebanese media reports casualties in the strike.Lebanon’s Health Ministry said a man was killed in a separate alleged Israeli drone strike in the southern town of Maaroub, near Tyre.Images from the scene show the destroyed vehicle in flames.Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Hezbollah operatives and members of affiliated terror groups since a ceasefire in November following two months of open war aimed at ending rocket attacks from the Iran-backed group that plagued the north for nearly a year.The terror group started firing rockets and drones at Israeli communities and military posts on October 8, 2023, in support of fellow terror group Hamas, which had invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip a day earlier.Israel says it targets Hezbollah military sites that violate the ceasefire agreement.Strikes on Sunday and Monday killed Hezbollah members.Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was obligated to pull its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south, while the Lebanese army deployed to control the area.Israel, in parallel, was obligated to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, though it retains the right to respond to immediate threats.Following an initial postponement, with US and Lebanese approval, of the deadline to withdraw, Israel pulled all its troops out of Lebanon in February, except five strategic posts along the border.
Iran Guards show off underground ‘missile city,’ claim ‘enemy’ falling behind-Iran’s military chief claims capabilities are now 10 times stronger than thoseused in October missile attack on Israel; several Iranian-made missiles identified in footage-By Michael Horovitz and Agencies 26 March 2025, 9:15 pm
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps revealed one of its underground “missile cities” to Iranian media outlets Wednesday, as tensions with the West boiled over its nuclear program.An Israeli flag could be seen placed on the ground in the footage at the unveiling — a practice common in the Islamic Republic that allows people to trample the flag as an offense against the Jewish state.Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, and the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, were present in the footage, touring around on vehicles and speaking to personnel at the undisclosed location.Bagheri told personnel during the tour of the base that “Iran’s iron fist is far stronger than before,” and claimed that Tehran was developing its defensive capabilities faster than its rivals, as quoted by Press TV.“The enemy will definitely fall behind in this balance of power,” he said.“All the [defensive] dimensions that are required for generating a [military] capability that is 10 times [greater than] the one deployed during Operation True Promise II, has been created,” Bagheri added, mentioning Iran’s name for its second missile attack on Israel in October.Iranian media outlets identified several domestically produced missiles in the footage, including the “Emad,” a missile with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles); “Sejil” with 1,500-2,500 kilometers (930 to 1,550 miles); “Qadr H” with 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles); “Kheibar Shekan,” with 1,450 kilometers (900 miles) and “Haj Qassem,” with 1,400 kilometers (870 miles).Iranian media outlets said the base was new, but such a claim could not be verified.Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel in April 2024, firing some 300 attack drones and missiles in response to the killing of several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members in an airstrike near Tehran’s consulate in Damascus.Months later, in October, Iran launched some 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for the killings of Hassan Nasrallah and Ismail Haniyeh, the leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, respectively.In both instances, the Iranian assaults were largely thwarted by Israel’s air defenses in cooperation with the US and its regional allies. Israel twice bombed Iran in response, the second time destroying much of its air defense systems as well as some rocket and drone manufacturing sites.Amid growing concern in the West over Iran’s continued nuclear enrichment, US President Donald Trump sent the Islamic republic’s leadership a letter offering talks for a new nuclear deal earlier this month while restoring a sanctions campaign and threatening military action if diplomacy is unsuccessful.The letter was delivered to Tehran on March 12 by UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash.Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said Monday the door was open for “indirect negotiation” on the matter but dismissed the prospect of direct talks “until there is a change in the other side’s approach toward the Islamic republic.”The top Iranian diplomat said Tehran would not engage in direct talks with Washington under threats so long as Trump maintains his “maximum pressure” policy of economic sanctions.Iran, which is sworn to Israel’s destruction, denies seeking a nuclear weapon, but it has ramped up its enrichment of uranium up to 60 percent purity, the only country in the world without a nuclear weapons program to do so, and has obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities.
Demonstrations swell as thousands join second day of protests against Hamas in Gaza-Rallies spread to other areas from Beit Lahiya with rare calls from Palestinians for end to terror group’s rule and war; Katz urges other Gazans to follow their lead-By Agencies and ToI Staff 26 March 2025, 8:25 pm
Thousands of Palestinians marched in northern Gaza on Wednesday, the second day of anti-war protests, with many chanting against Hamas in a rare display of public anger against the ruling terror group.As the Palestinians marched, Defense Minister Israel Katz urged others to join the protests while warning that a restarted military campaign against Hamas would only gain intensity if the terror group does not release Israeli hostages.The protests appeared to be aimed generally against the war, with protesters calling for an end to 17 months of deadly fighting with Israel, started by Hamas, that has made life in Gaza insufferable.But the public calls against Hamas, which has long repressed dissent and still rules the territory months into the war with Israel, were rare and had plainly grown since Tuesday.Demonstrators carrying banners reading “Hamas does not represent us” were seen marching in Gaza City and the town of Beit Lahiya in the north of the territory.In Beit Lahiya, where a similar but far smaller protest took place Tuesday, about 3,000 people demonstrated, with many chanting, “The people want the fall of Hamas.” In the hard-hit Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City, dozens of men chanted, “Out, out out! Hamas get out!”“Our children have been killed. Our houses have been destroyed,” said Abed Radwan, who said he joined the protest in Beit Lahiya “against the war, against Hamas, and the [Palestinian political] factions, against Israel and against the world’s silence.”Ammar Hassan, who took part in a rally Tuesday, said it started as an anti-war protest with a few dozen people but claimed it had swelled to more than 2,000, with people chanting against Hamas.“It’s the only party we can affect,” he said by phone. “Protests won’t stop the [Israeli] occupation, but it can affect Hamas.”The terror group has violently cracked down on previous protests. This time, no outright intervention was apparent, perhaps because Hamas is keeping a lower profile since Israel resumed its war against it.Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim, in a post on Facebook, wrote that people had the right to protest but that their focus should be on the “criminal aggressor,” Israel.War erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led some 5,000 attackers to invade southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians. As they rampaged murderously through the region, the terrorists abducted 251 people, also mostly civilians, who were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip.Israel retaliated with a military campaign to destroy Hamas and save the hostages. A complex, three-phase ceasefire that included the release of hostages in batches began on January 19 but collapsed after its first stage as Israel renewed air strikes amid mutual accusations of violations and as Hamas stopped releasing hostages.‘We want to stop the killing’Family elders from Beit Lahiya expressed support for protests against Israel’s renewed offensive and its tightened blockade on all supplies into Gaza. Their statement said the community fully supported armed resistance against Israel.“The protest was not about politics. It was about people’s lives,” said Mohammed Abu Saker, a father of three from the nearby town of Beit Hanoun, who joined a demonstration Tuesday.“We want to stop the killing and displacement, no matter the price. We can’t stop Israel from killing us, but we can press Hamas to give concessions,” he said.A similar protest occurred in the heavily destroyed area of Jabalia on Tuesday, according to witnesses.One protester in Jabalia, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said they joined the demonstration because “everyone failed us.”They said they chanted against Israel, Hamas, the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, and Arab mediators. They said there were no Hamas security forces at the protest, but scuffles broke out between supporters and opponents of the group.Later, they said they regretted participating because of Israeli media coverage, which emphasized the opposition to Hamas.Meanwhile, Katz urged Gazans to step up the protests, saying that ousting Hamas was their only chance of ending the war.“Gaza residents, the IDF will soon operate with intensity in additional areas in Gaza and you will be required to evacuate for your protection from the combat zones,” Katz said in a Wednesday video message that included an Arabic-language statement.“The plans are ready and approved. Hamas is risking your life and will make you lose your homes and more and more land that will be added to the Israeli defense array,” Katz said, referring to an expanding buffer zone along the Gaza border that Israel has set up.“Learn from the residents of Beit Lahiya, as they did, you should also demand the removal of Hamas from Gaza and the immediate release of all Israeli hostages. This is the only way to stop the war,” he added.A 19-year-old Palestinian, who also spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said he planned to join demonstrations on Wednesday. His mother has cancer and his 10-year-old brother is hospitalized with cerebral palsy. The Palestinian teen said the family has been displaced multiple times since their home was destroyed.“People are angry at the whole world,” including the United States, Israel and Hamas, he said. “We want Hamas to resolve this situation, return the hostages, and end this whole thing.”Protests are relatively rare events in Gaza, especially against Hamas, which has maintained an iron grip on the Strip since it violently ousted the Palestinian Authority from the territory nearly two decades ago.While there have been more public statements by individuals in Gaza against Hamas rule since the war started, large-scale demonstrations against the group have been almost nonexistent.The last documented protest in the Strip against Hamas took place in January 2024, when Palestinians in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis called for an end to the war, the end of the terror group’s rule over Gaza, and the release of the Israeli hostages.Before the war, anti-Hamas protests were also relatively rare events and were often suppressed violently by the terror group.Renewed fighting brings more death and displacement-The protests erupted a week after Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas by launching a surprise wave of strikes against Hamas leaders and terror infrastructure that reportedly killed hundreds of people.Earlier this month, Israel halted deliveries of food, fuel, medicine, and humanitarian aid to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians to pressure Hamas into negotiations for continuing the truce and releasing hostages.Israel has vowed to escalate the war until Hamas returns the 59 hostages it still holds — 24 of them believed to be alive. Israel is also demanding that the group give up power, disarm, and send its leaders into exile.Hamas has said it will only release the remaining captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a complete end to war, and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.Hamas won a landslide victory in Gaza in the last Palestinian elections, held in 2006. It seized power in Gaza from the PA, which is based in the West Bank and dominated by the secular Fatah movement, the following year after months of factional unrest and a week of heavy street battles.Rights groups say both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas violently suppress dissent, quashing protests in the areas they control and jailing and torturing critics.
100 Gazans set to move to Indonesia as part of pilot work program — report-If the trial is successful, Israel said to hope thousands will follow and possibly permanently resettle in south Asian country-By ToI Staff 26 March 2025, 8:07 pm
A first group of 100 Gazans is set to fly to Indonesia for work as part of a pilot program to encourage the voluntary migration of Palestinians from the Strip, according to a Hebrew media report Wednesday.The program will be run by Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, who heads the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories, a Defense Ministry body known by its acronym COGAT, Channel 12 news reported.The report added that the Gazans will likely be employed in construction.Israel reportedly hopes that if the pilot program is successful, thousands of Gazans will be encouraged to voluntarily move to Indonesia for work and potentially decide to permanently resettle in the country — which would require Jakarta’s consent.Since Israel and Indonesia — the world’s largest Muslim country — do not have diplomatic relations, a special communication channel was opened between Jerusalem and Jakarta to develop the program, the report said.If the pilot is successful, a “migration administration” being established by the government will become responsible for the program, according to the report.Defense Minister Israel Katz, responsible for the administration, is likely to appoint Brig. Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, a controversial senior officer in the military who is beloved by the national religious community, to lead the project.According to a United Nations analysis from September, over two-thirds of Gaza’s structures have been damaged or destroyed during the war sparked on October 7, 2023, when Hamas rampaged through southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages.US President Donald Trump triggered global perplexity in early February by suggesting the US “take over” Gaza and turn it into a “Middle East Riviera” while forcing its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt, Jordan, or other countries. He said this month, however, that no Gazans would be expelled.While senior ministers in the government who have urged using the war as an opportunity to reestablish Israeli settlements in the Strip lauded the plan, the Palestinian Authority and Arab nations rejected it outright.Earlier this month, two key Arab nations’ organizations instead endorsed an Egyptian counterproposal for rehabilitating Gaza that is based on leaving inhabitants in place.Despite public opposition among the region’s leaders, the government has moved forward with plans to encourage Palestinians to relocate.In January, The Times of Israel’s sister site, Zman Israel, reported that the coalition was conducting secret contacts with Congo and other nations for accepting thousands of immigrants from Gaza.
NATO takes Ukraine lessons into Europe's top air defence drills-by AFP Staff Writers.
Vredepeel, Netherlands (AFP) Mar 25, 2025-NATO commanders said they were drawing on lessons learned in the drone war over Ukraine to conduct Europe's largest air defence exercise that ends in the Netherlands on Wednesday.New alliance members Sweden and Finland took part for the first time in "Joint Project Optic Windmill", a biennial 10-day virtual exercise involving 15 states to test NATO's response to missile and drone attacks."We've never encountered the number of threats that is now being seen on the battlefield," said commanding officer Brigadier-General Peter Gielen."We learned from the Ukrainians how they act on that... and there is special attention being paid to drones in this exercise," Gielen told AFP on Tuesday at an air base in the southern Netherlands.The Iranian-style Shahed exploding drone Moscow has deployed throughout its Ukraine campaign was of particular focus -- and incorporated in the training, Gielen said.Military officers who asked not to be identified for security reasons told AFP this included aspects like tracking the drones' flight patterns towards a target.Information from the Ukrainian theatre "helps us a lot because it's what you need to be able to train your own personnel to react against those kinds of threats", Gielen said."So we follow what's going on in Ukraine very closely... getting information out of that and trying to bring that as fast as we can into exercises like this," he said.Around 700 soldiers participated in total, including from Britain and the United States.During the drill, soldiers dealt with a changing scenario from peace to a full-scale war, as well as with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.One of the exercise's main aims was for air defenders "to integrate all technology and systems as a whole, to counter any threats better than any single system can", the Dutch Defence Ministry said.The exercise comes in the wake of the shock US policy shift in ties with Europe after President Donald Trump questioned whether the United States should continue its central role in NATO.Gielen said the shift served as a "wake-up call for Europe", adding that "we have to invest more in the military"."If we then invest in military, we certainly should invest also in air defence," he said.
UN decries hike in satellite navigation system interference-by AFP Staff Writers.
Geneva (AFP) Mar 25, 2025-The United Nations on Tuesday urged countries to boost protections amid a marked increase in efforts to interfere with satellite navigation systems like GPS that are critical for aviation and maritime safety.The UN's International Telecommunication Union, its International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization jointly voiced "grave concern" at growing disruptions of so-called Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).Amid growing geopolitical tensions, GPS and other such systems, which are used for weapons systems but also for a vast array of vital civilian applications, have increasingly been targeted.There have been warnings of increased GNSS signal disruptions since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, as well as amid the Middle East conflict.The UN agencies voiced alarm at the impact of disruptions to such systems, which they pointed out are used for everything from the navigation of civil aircraft, maritime vessels and humanitarian assistance vehicles to synchronising telecommunications networks.They demanded countries do more to protect the systems against so-called jamming attacks, which prevent access to satellite signals, as well as spoofing, through the broadcasting of false signals that can cause GNSS receivers in vessels or aircraft to calculate erroneous positions."Global Navigation Satellite Systems are critical to our safety on land, at sea and in the air," said ITU chief Doreen Bogdan-Martin."Member States should ensure the uninterrupted operation of these systems for everyone's safety and the resilience of essential services that our lives depend on."The joint statement called on countries to enhance the protection of the critical RNSS radio-frequency band, where GNSS systems operate.The band should be protected against "transmissions that can adversely cause harmful interference degrading, interrupting or misleading signals used for civilian and humanitarian purposes," the statement added.It also urged states to "reinforce resilience of the systems that rely on RNSS for navigation, positioning and timing" and to report all cases of "harmful interference".And it demanded they "retain sufficient conventional navigation infrastructure for contingency support in case of RNSS outages and misleading signals", as well as to "develop mitigation techniques for loss of services".
China, Beijing's ties with Russia main threats to US: intel report-by AFP Staff Writers.
Washington (AFP) Mar 26, 2025-China remains the main threat to the United States globally but of increasing concern is its closer cooperation with Russia, Iran and North Korea, said an annual US intelligence report released Tuesday.China's rise in all areas of power has been identified for years by the US as its main threat, and was behind Barack Obama's strategic Asia-Pacific pivot.But Beijing's "coercive pressure" against Taiwan and "wide-ranging cyber operations against US targets" were indicators of its growing threat to US national security, said the Annual Threat Assessment by the intelligence community."China presents the most comprehensive and robust military threat to US national security," the report said.Beijing was also making "steady" progress towards having the ability to seize the self-ruled island of Taiwan, it said.The report, which compiles assessments from US intelligence agencies, warned that Beijing would keep expanding its "coercive and subversive malign influence activities" to weaken the US internally and globally.And the Chinese government would seek to counter what it sees as a "US-led campaign to tarnish Beijing's global relations and overthrow" the Chinese Communist Party, the report said.Beijing's military is gearing up to challenge US operations in the Pacific and "making steady but uneven progress on capabilities it would use in an attempt to seize Taiwan," it assessed.But, it said, the Chinese leadership would seek to reduce tensions with the United States as it seeks to "protect its core interests, and buy time to strengthen its position."China was more "cautious" than Russia, Iran and North Korea -- other key US adversaries -- about appearing "too aggressive and disruptive."The report said that the autocratic style of President Xi Jinping -- China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong -- was affecting its ability to respond to challenges."Xi's focus on security and stability... and securing other leaders' personal loyalty to him is undermining China's ability to solve complex domestic problems and will impede Beijing's global leverage," the report found.Beijing called the report "biased" and accused it of "exaggerating the China threat.""The US publishes these kinds of irresponsible and biased reports year after year," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing."We have no intention of surpassing anyone or replacing anyone," he said Wednesday.US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told a Senate hearing Tuesday that "China is our most capable strategic competitor" based on current intelligence.- Ukraine lessons -In addition to China, the assessment analyzed threats to the United States posed by Russia, North Korea, Iran and "non-state transnational criminals," including Mexican drug cartels and Muslim extremist groups.It warned countries grouped together under the acronym CRINK -- China, Russia, Iran and North Korea -- were stepping up cooperation and could pose new challenges to US power on a global scale."This alignment increases the chances of US tensions or conflict with any one of these adversaries drawing in another," it said.But it called their cooperation "uneven and primarily motivated by a common interest in... weakening US power," moderated by a "desire to control escalation."Within that group, cooperation between China and Russia posed the greatest and "most persistent" threat to the US.The allies have drawn closer since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and subsequent Western attempts to isolate Moscow.The war and Western sanctions have made Moscow "a catalyst for the evolving ties," the report said, as it becomes more reliant on other countries.It has stepped up cooperation with Iran to acquire drones and North Korea for supplies and troops, all to be used in Ukraine.The conflict has afforded Moscow an array of lessons in battling Western weapons and intelligence."This experience probably will challenge future US defense planning, including against other adversaries with whom Moscow is sharing those lessons learned," the report concluded.
North Korea's Kim oversees test of new 'suicide drones'
Seoul, March 27 (AFP) Mar 27, 2025-North Korea's Kim Jong Un oversaw the test of new suicide and reconnaissance drones featuring AI technology, state media said Thursday, adding to concerns over Pyongyang's deepening military cooperation with Russia.Pyongyang unveiled its attack drones in August, with experts saying the new capability could be attributable to the country's budding alliance with traditional ally Russia.The nuclear-armed country has ratified a landmark defence pact with Moscow and is accused of deploying thousands of troops to Russia to support its war in Ukraine.Seoul has repeatedly warned about the potential transfer of sensitive Russian military technology to North Korea in return for troops and weapons to support Moscow's war with Kyiv.Kim on Thursday oversaw tests of "various kinds of reconnaissance and suicide drones" produced by North Korea's Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.The new-type strategic reconnaissance drones are capable of "tracking and monitoring different strategic targets and enemy troops' activities on the ground and the sea", it added.The suicide drones also demonstrated the striking capability "to be used for various tactical attack missions", according to KCNA.Kim evaluated the improved performance of these drones, which have been equipped with "new artificial intelligence", KCNA reported.He also agreed to a plan "for expanding the production capacity", KCNA added.Kim said, "the field of unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence should be top-prioritised and developed in modernizing the armed forces."He also emphasised creating a "state long-term plan for promoting the rapid development of the work to use intelligent drones".This is in keeping with "the trend of modern warfare in which the competition for using intelligent drones as a major means of military power."Experts have warned that North Korean troops sent to fight for Russia will be gaining crucial modern warfare experience, including how drones are now used on the battlefield.Kim also expressed "great satisfaction" over the fact that "new electronic jamming and attack weapon systems began to be produced", KCNA reported.North Korea has staged GPS jamming attacks on the South multiple times, an operation that affected several ships and dozens of civilian aircrafts in the country.The report comes four months after Kim ordered the "mass production" of attack drones that are designed to carry explosives and be deliberately crashed into enemy targets, effectively acting as guided missiles.In 2022, Pyongyang sent drones across the border that Seoul's military was unable to shoot down, saying they were too small.
Interview'They'll politely tell Trump 'No' and go for something less'Playing down normalization prospects, analyst says Saudis feel Israel ‘looking backward’Brian Katulis says Riyadh views deal with Israel as too risky, particularly after Gaza fighting resumed and as backing for 2 states further declines among broader Israeli public-By Jacob Magid-Today, 6:36 am-MAR 27,25
Twice during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told enthusiastic Republican lawmakers that brokering a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia is a top priority for the new administration and that a deal is within reach.“The president is in an incredible position to build upon what he did in his first term, expanding the Abraham Accords to include not only the Saudis, but other Gulf state nations,” Huckabee said. “This president could achieve something in the Middle East… [of] biblical proportions.”Israel’s new Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter has expressed similar optimism, saying in a recent interview that Jerusalem is “closer than ever” to a normalization deal with Riyadh.Saudi Arabia has struck a completely different tone, asserting last month that it will not normalize ties with Israel before a Palestinian state has been established on the pre-1967 lines — a framework flatly rejected by the current government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with much of the broader Israeli society.But Riyadh’s public statements on the issue have long been downplayed, given that its leaders have long presented a more flexible stance in private meetings with US officials.Still, one well-connected Mideast analyst told The Times of Israel on Tuesday that the current Israeli government has all but foreclosed any chance for a normalization deal.“It’s not even close to the realm of possibility when you look at the return to conflict in Gaza and the rumblings inside of the current Israeli government of looking toward possible annexation and other extreme moves in the West Bank,” said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI) who regularly speaks to Saudi and other regional officials.The return to conflict was a reference to Israel’s renewal of intensive military operations throughout the Gaza Strip on March 18, collapsing the ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas that Netanyahu authorized two months earlier.That agreement envisioned a transition into a second phase on March 2, which would have seen the release of all remaining living hostages in exchange for a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and a permanent end to the war. Believing the latter two conditions would leave Hamas in power, Netanyahu sought to instead pursue the release of additional hostages through proposals to extend the temporary phase one ceasefire. Hamas refused, insisting on sticking to the terms of the original deal, creating the ongoing deadlock.Along with resuming the war, the Netanyahu government is working to advance legislation that would radically curb the power of the country’s judiciary and grant widespread exemptions for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from military service.“There’s a growing sense [in Riyadh] that Israel is looking backward and is going back deeper into a more conservative interpretation of religion, which is something that Saudi Arabia has moved away from,” he argued, seeking to differentiate between the Jewish state and the Islamist Gulf monarchy where “there’s the younger generation believes their country is moving forward into the 21st century.”‘A different playing field’Claiming that the potential for a normalization deal was “over-sold,” the Mideast analyst argued that Riyadh “sees itself on a higher playing field than the Israelis are right now” with its larger economy and population, along with its membership in the G20.“Saudi Arabia has global — not just regional — aspirations, and they see Israel taking steps that isolate itself from the emerging regional consensus,” Katulis continued. “This is not the consensus that rejects Israel. It’s a consensus that actually wants to welcome in Israel — but an Israel that is willing and capable of living in security with its neighbors, including the Palestinians.”“With all that Israel [brings to the table] in terms of its hi-tech prowess and its highly educated population, it also comes with it a lot of baggage that leans toward the past as opposed to the future,” he argued.After committing a series of “unforced errors” — which the MEI fellow said included Riyadh’s handling of the war in Yemen and its murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi — the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is much more cautious and focused on preserving his 2030 vision for economic reform.“Therefore, a leap toward normalization with the current Israeli government is extremely far-fetched because it’s seen as presenting more risk than any possible return,” argued Katulis, who held posts in the Defense Department, State Department and White House National Security Council during the Clinton administration.The analyst added that a normalization deal will require more than just an end to the war and a new Israeli government.“You’d need a serious commitment to a pathway to a two-state solution from whatever government replaces the current one. That seems pretty far away as well, given that the center of gravity inside of Israel is more toward separation from the Palestinians, as opposed to a pathway back to autonomy that leads to a Palestinian state,” Katulis said, referring to the Saudi demand for the creation of a credible, time-bound and irreversible political horizon for the Palestinians.He explained that Riyadh was less familiar with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during Trump’s first term but has since concluded that resolving it is essential for regional stability.Gaza as a case study-Katulis maintained that the phased Gaza ceasefire framework put together by the Biden administration offered a path to the regional vision that Riyadh could get behind, with a reformed Palestinian Authority gradually returning to Gaza, supported by Arab partners who would help manage and secure the Strip in the interim.But those potential components of the second and third phases of the ceasefire were largely dismissed by Israel, as they would grant a foothold in Gaza to the PA, which Netanyahu has likened to Hamas.Those details regarding subsequent phases of the deal and the so-called “day after” in Gaza have been shelved, as Netanyahu has sought to instead rework the terms of the deal and return to fighting amid Hamas intransigence.“If that simple test case of the first 40 to 50 days of the ceasefire did not stand the test of time with the current Israeli government, why would anyone buy into a bigger normalization deal,” Katulis posited. “You’re looking at this from Riyadh, and you say, ‘We’re going to continue to build ties with China and India instead. Why would they get involved with something like this that just seems so convoluted and unpredictable.”The MEI fellow said Saudi Arabia also rejects Trump administration and Israeli efforts to relocate Palestinians out of Gaza, which “they see as undercutting the dignity and security of Palestinian people.”Riyadh also took particular issue with Netanyahu’s suggestion that Saudi Arabia could use its own territory for the creation of a Palestinian state.Katulis clarified that the Saudis are aware that they are expected to play a key role in the post-war reconstruction of Gaza. US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff said Riyadh is putting together its own plan for the enclave.This will follow a similar plan introduced by Egypt at a summit in Cairo at the beginning of the month. That plan had the backing of the entire Arab League, though, bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayedh did not attend the confab, indicating that they do not fully approve the proposal, which does not specify how Hamas will be removed from power.Regardless, “none of these Arab plans align with where the current Israeli government is. It’s not even in the same zip code,” Katulis said.The Israeli strategy of encouraging the emigration of Gazans is largely in line with what Trump has discussed, but he argued that Arab leaders are not particularly phased by the US president’s public comments.“None of these countries take Trump all that seriously because they’ve heard it all before,” said the analyst, pointing to Trump’s 2018 declaration that Saudi Arabia would pay for the reconstruction of northeast Syria, which never actualized.‘Completely different approach’ to Iran-Proponents of an Israel-Saudi normalization deal within the Trump administration have framed it as a tool for the region to better combat the joint threat of Iran.But Katulis pointed out that Riyadh’s approach to Tehran has shifted in recent years away from the hawkish stance adopted by Israel.“When [bin Salman] first came to power, he spoke about Iran as [if it was] Nazi Germany — as a threat that needed to be eliminated. While he still doesn’t trust its leadership, [the Saudi crown prince] has a completely different approach,” the MEI fellow said.In 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran restored ties, as Riyadh and other Gulf states have sought to minimize confrontation through dialogue with the Islamic Republic.The Saudis view a potential war between Israel and Iran as a threat to that fragile dynamic they are trying to uphold and fear that a regional war will lead the Tehran-backed “Axis of Resistance again turning and training their fire on them,” Katulis said, just hours after an errant Houthi missile landed in Saudi Arabia.Those fears sky-rocketed last year after Tehran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel in two separate attacks.Israel managed to thwart them with the help of a US-led coalition that included Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UK and other allies. It then staged a counterstrike last October that US officials say took out Iran’s air defenses almost entirely.While backing the defense of Israel and appreciating the IDF’s response against Iran, Saudi Arabia believes they were a result of close regional coordination facilitated by the Biden administration, which took Arab concerns into account, Katulis explained.“If [the Saudis] now see Israel as an actor that still is not finished with its combat operations — whether in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria or elsewhere… [then] there isn’t a lot of confidence” in the threat perception, he argued.“There’s no love lost for Hamas [or any of Iran’s proxies] by Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and others in the Gulf; but they simply don’t want the potential of a wider regional conflagration hitting their shores,” Katulis said, suggesting that Jerusalem does not sufficiently appreciate this concern.Deciphering Saudi messaging-But it was not just US and Israeli officials who have said that a normalization deal between Jerusalem and Riyadh is within reach.Bin Salman himself told Fox News in September 2023 — just over two weeks before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror onslaught that started the Gaza war — “every day we get closer” to such an agreement.Katulis explained that the Saudi leader made the comments as his government was in the midst of extensive talks for a set of bilateral defense deals between Washington and Riyadh. However, two major hurdles still remained then — getting those deals approved by a somewhat reluctant Congress and coaxing Israel to agree to a pathway to a future Palestinian state — without which the normalization deal would not be possible.“It was not conceivable that the complexion of the Israeli government at the time would have ushered in that deal,” the Mideast analyst argued.Katulis acknowledged that the deal is deeply desired by the new Trump administration, which Riyadh is eager to please.“The Saudis care what the Trump administration wants, and they’ll be polite and nice; but they’ll probably go for something much less,” he said, speculating that Riyadh will seek defense agreements with Washington that fall below the treaty-type deal that was initially pursued.While this might disappoint the Trump administration, Katulis said Washington has “accepted polite ‘Nos’ from Jordan, Egypt,” who have refused Trump’s demands that they take in Palestinians from Gaza.‘Saudi-splaining’Many in Washington and in the region were similarly pessimistic about the prospect of Israel normalizing ties with additional Arab countries, even in the days before the Abraham Accords were signed in 2020.“I admit that I didn’t expect it at the time, and I’d love to be proven wrong, but you can’t just say, ‘All Arab and Gulf countries are the same,’ said Israel Policy Forum (IPF) research director Shira Efron, who rejected efforts to liken the normalization deals Israel signed with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco to a potential deal with Saudi Arabia.“Saudi Arabia and the UAE are not the same country. The Saudis are not the Emirates 2.0 who were just late to the party. The Abraham Accords were open to Saudi Arabia five years ago and they decided against joining them for a variety of reasons,” she explained.Saudi Arabia views itself as a leader of the Arab and Muslim world that must be more in tune with the concerns of its people.Bin Salman has told visiting US lawmakers that the younger generation in his country might not have been as familiar with the Palestinian cause before October 7 but has become much more invested in it since, further complicating efforts to normalize ties with Israel.Unlike in the UAE, where economic and security relations with Israel had grown quite extensive in the lead-up to the Abraham Accords, ties with Israel are much more nascent in Saudi Arabia.Still, Efron was more willing to entertain the possibility of a normalization deal, if Israel takes a different approach to Gaza moving forward.“But the more Israel or the US dismisses Saudi public concerns about the Palestinians, the more the Saudis raise the threshold,” she said. “Those saying Saudi Arabia will normalize ties with Israel and that Saudi Arabia doesn’t care about the Palestinians are simply engaged in ‘Saudi-splaining’ and it’s not helpful.”For his part, Netanyahu has argued that Israel’s resumption of the war is essential for dismantling the terror group’s governing and military capabilities — something that is in the interest of Israel and US-aligned Arab states, particularly Saudi Arabia.Efron acknowledged the accomplishments Israel has lodged on the battlefield over the last year and a half but argued that without a realistic diplomatic initiative, they are at risk of being rolled back.Alternatively, she warned that the renewed IDF military operations in Gaza raise the chances that Israel will get bogged down in the Strip indefinitely and end up re-occupying the enclave.“Israel has a lot of experience with occupation. We know how it starts. We don’t know how it ends,” Efron warned.The IPF research director argued that Arab plans for the post-war management of Gaza are capable of translating Israel’s tactical victories into strategic ones.She recognized that the Egyptian plan’s lack of explicit mention of Hamas falls short of what the US and Israel are demanding. However, she explained that Cairo was seeking the initial support of the entire Arab League and therefore “had to cater to the lowest common denominator.”However, if they receive a formal invitation from the PA, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are willing to contribute troops to a post-war Gaza security force that would assist in efforts to disarm Hamas, said Efron, citing conversations with unnamed Arab officials.“This would be a very lengthy process, and it might not be successful; but the alternative is the current Israeli approach, which I don’t think is going to create the next generation of Zionists in Gaza,” Efron said.
Trump: ‘The Houthis want peace because they’re getting the hell knocked out of them’US president suggests American forces will continue to attack the Iran-backed rebels ‘for a long time’ as fresh strikes reported in capital of Sanaa, elsewhere across Yemen-By Jacob Magid-and Agencies Today, 4:34 am-MAR 27,25
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed Yemen’s Houthi rebels now “want peace” after more than a week of US airstrikes, which he said have “been very, very strong.”“The Houthis are looking to do something. They want to know, ‘How do we stop? How do we stop? How can we have peace?’ The Houthis want peace because they’re getting the hell knocked out of them,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.“The Houthis are dying for peace. They don’t want this… They were knocking ships out of the ocean…. In the Suez Canal, they only have about 20% of the ships going through. They have to go through a different way, which takes weeks of travel, and that really affects commerce.”“But the Houthis have been hit hard, and they want to negotiate peace,” Trump continued. “The Houthis have been horrible to the world. They’ve killed a lot of people and knocked out a lot of ships and planes and anything else… They have been hit harder than they have ever been.”Washington announced a military offensive against the Houthis on March 15, promising to use overwhelming force until the Iran-backed group stopped firing on vessels in the key shipping routes of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.That day saw a wave of US airstrikes that officials said killed senior Houthi leaders, and which the rebels’ health ministry said killed 53 people.Since then, Houthi-held parts of Yemen have witnessed near-daily attacks that the group has blamed on the United States, with the rebels announcing the targeting of US military ships and Israel.The Houthis began targeting shipping vessels following the start of the Gaza war triggered by its ally Hamas’s attack on Israel, claiming solidarity with Palestinians, but paused their campaign when a ceasefire took effect in January.Earlier this month, they threatened to renew attacks in the vital maritime trade route after Israel halted the flow of aid to the Gaza Srip, triggering the first US strikes on Yemen since Trump took office in January.Last week, Trump threatened to annihilate the Houthis and warned Tehran against continuing to aid the rebel group.In his remarks Wednesday, Trump suggested the US strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen may continue for some time.“They want us to stop so badly… They’ve got to say, ‘No mas.’ But I can only say that the attacks every day, every night… have been very successful beyond our wildest expectations… We’re going to do it for a long time. We can keep it going for a long time,” Trump said.His remarks came as Houthi media reported new US strikes hit the rebel-held capital Sanaa, after earlier reporting 19 American raids elsewhere in Yemen.“A series of strikes by the US aggression have hit the south and north of the capital,” the Al-Masirah channel said, without providing further details.The station had earlier reported 17 raids by the United States “on the Saada governorate,” on top of two more on Amran.The Iran-backed rebels’ news agency, Saba, said “the American aggression targeted the Oncology Hospital building in Saada.”The hospital, which Houthi media said was under construction, was also hit last week.The rebel health ministry said two civilians were wounded in the latest hospital attack, which they described as “a full-fledged war crime.”Early on Wednesday, a Houthi military spokesperson said the group targeted “enemy warships in the Red Sea, led by the US aircraft carrier (USS Harry S.) Truman” blamed for the Yemen strikes.The rebels also claimed a drone attack on Tel Aviv, but did not specify when it occurred. Israel did not report such an attack.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Egyptian plan would free 5 living hostages on day one, with releases every 7-10 days-Diplomats say that the outline would guarantee talks on the second phase; Israel continues to deny receiving any new proposal from Cairo-By Lazar Berman-26 March 2025, 10:45 pm
An Egyptian proposal to end renewed fighting in Gaza would see five living hostages released on the first day of the restored ceasefire, with another five living hostages released every 7-10 days, two foreign diplomats with knowledge of the details told The Times of Israel on Wednesday.Dual US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander would be released on the first day, said the diplomats.The Prime Minister’s Office has denied receiving any new Egyptian proposal.According to the diplomats, the IDF would withdraw to the positions it held during the first phase of the ceasefire that collapsed earlier this month. Israeli troops held a buffer zone inside the border with Gaza and were stationed on the Philadelphi Corridor, but had withdrawn from the Netzarim Corridor dividing the Strip in two.Since the resumption of fighting in Gaza last week, IDF ground troops have reoccupied part of the Netzarim corridor.However, under the Egyptian proposal, the sides would negotiate over the IDF’s withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the Gazan side of the border with Egypt.The outlines also guaranteed that negotiations over Phase Two of the ceasefire would take place, something Israel had avoided engaging in despite agreeing to do so.In mid-January, Israel and Hamas reached a hostage-ceasefire and prisoner-release deal that officially lasted 42 days and saw the terror group release 30 living hostages and the bodies of eight slain captives, while Israel released almost 2,000 terrorists and other prisoners before the expiration of the deal’s first phase.The deal had originally envisioned a second phase that would see a permanent end to the war in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages and many more Palestinian security prisoners.Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners under the Egyptian plan as well.Mid-level Israeli teams have made multiple trips to Cairo over the past two weeks to discuss the proposal, according to one of the diplomats.Egypt presented the proposal last week, security sources told Reuters on Monday, with a Hamas official saying that the terror group had “responded positively” to the idea.The security sources added that the US also agreed to Egypt’s plan, but an Israeli official denied on Monday that Jerusalem had received any such proposal.According to the Israeli official, Israel is still trying to get Hamas to agree to a US-backed proposal spearheaded by Trump’s special envoy to the Mideast, Steve Witkoff, which would not entail a full Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.The narrower “Witkoff proposal” rejected by Hamas thus far, would have seen the ceasefire extended through April 19 and have the terror group release five living hostages in exchange for a large number of Palestinian security prisoners.Israel said it accepted Witkoff’s proposal but was seeking the release of 11 living hostages.If Hamas does not agree to Israel’s terms, “we will keep increasing the pressure until Hamas breaks,” the official said on Monday, threatening “a widespread ground campaign” in Gaza.Netanyahu ordered the resumption of fighting in Gaza last week, saying that talks moving forward would be held under fire after Hamas rejected proposals to extend phase one of the ceasefire.Hamas has insisted on sticking to the original terms of the deal, which was supposed to begin its second phase at the beginning of March.For a month, though, Israel refused to enter talks on the specific terms of phase two, as the stage’s general framework requires it to withdraw fully from Gaza and agree to a permanent end of the war.Terror groups in the Gaza Strip still hold 59 hostages, including 58 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023.They include the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF. Hamas released 30 hostages — 20 Israeli civilians, five soldiers, and five Thai nationals — and the bodies of eight slain Israeli captives during a ceasefire between January and March.The terror group freed 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, and four hostages were released before that in the early weeks of the war.Eight hostages have been rescued from captivity by troops alive, and the bodies of 41 have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors and the body of a soldier who was killed in 2014.The body of another soldier killed in 2014, Lt. Hadar Goldin, is still being held by Hamas and is counted among the 59 hostages.
Pew Research Center survey: A quarter of US adults raised Jewish no longer identify as Jews-Survey of 78,000 people in 36 countries on ‘religious switching’ in the world also shows that 20% of the US Muslim population are converts-By Rossella Tercatin-26 March 2025, 5:38 pm
Almost one in four US adults who were raised Jewish no longer identify as such, a new report by the prominent Pew Research Center released on Wednesday has shown.The report focuses on the phenomenon of “switching religions” around the world, and it is based on data obtained by polling almost 37,000 Americans and over 41,000 individuals in 35 other countries, including Israel. The study offers significant insights into religious identity and affiliation in the 21st century.“The reason that we chose the term ‘religious switching’ instead of conversion is because the change can take place in multiple directions,” Kirsten Lesage, the report’s lead author, told The Times of Israel in a phone interview. “A person can switch from one religious group to another, such as from Christianity to Buddhism, but it could also mean switching from one religion to no religion, and that includes anybody that identifies as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular.”The study devoted a chapter to religious switching into and out of Judaism, drawing on the data collected in the US and Israel, where, the report noted, some 80% of world Jewry lives (other communities in the world were not considered).“There are two reasons why we included an entire chapter on Judaism,” Lesage said. “First, we had a country, Israel, where a majority of the population is Jewish. Secondly, we were really interested in looking at religious switching in some of the major world religions. We did intentionally try to cover as many as we could. We were able to include Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and the religiously unaffiliated.”Overall, Lesage highlighted that Judaism as a religious group had a high retention rate (meaning that of all the people who say they were raised in a particular religious group, the percentage still describes themselves as belonging to that group). Christianity, in contrast, is described in the report as the group with the highest ratios of people leaving to people joining in most countries surveyed.The situations in the US and in Israel emerged as significantly different.In the US, only 76% of the respondents who said that they were raised Jewish still identify as such. Of the remaining 24%, 17% now describe themselves as unaffiliated, 2% as Christian, and 1% as Muslim.Lesage highlighted that this gap could also be influenced by the specific nature of the questions that investigated the religious affiliation of participants.The key questions asked respondents what their current religion was, if any, and if they thought about when they were children and in what religion they were raised, if any.“In contrast, people could identify only as culturally Jewish or ethnically Jewish,” she said.In Israel, 100% of the respondents — 591 adults polled face-by-face in the spring of 2024 — said that they were raised and still identified as Jewish.“Of course, by 100%, we are rounding to the nearest integer,” said Lesage. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that every single person in Israel who was raised Jewish still considers themselves Jewish today.”The survey also highlighted differences between the two countries regarding accessing Judaism.Of all the respondents who identified as currently Jewish, only 1% in Israel said they did not grow up as such. In the US, 14% of the Jewish population are converts, including 7% who were raised Christian and 6% who were raised religiously unaffiliated.Similar findings between polled Jews and Muslims-Pew also polled the Muslim population in Israel and the US.Similar to the Jewish counterpart, virtually no one raised Muslim in Israel switched to a different religious group.This was consistent with findings about Muslim individuals in other countries. According to the report, 13 of the 36 countries analyzed had sufficient sample sizes of Muslims to allow analysis of religious switching into and out of Islam, including the US, where about 1% of the population identifies as Muslim.Overall, the researchers documented that only a tiny fraction of the adult population had left or joined Islam in most countries, whereas 20% of the Muslim population in the US are converts.The researchers also documented the affiliation of the Israeli Jewish population to different Jewish groups, specifically Haredim (ultra-Orthodox), datiim (national religious), masortim (traditional), and hilonim (secular).Over one in five Jewish Israelis (22%) said they were raised in a different Jewish group than the one they identified with today. In addition, older Israelis (ages 50 and up) were more likely than individuals under 35 to have switched religious groups (33% vs. 8%).Overall, over 9 in 10 Israelis raised secular continue to identify as such in adulthood. In contrast, only 60% of those raised as Dati or Masorti have maintained their childhood identity (due to sample size limitations, the researchers could not analyze retention rates for those raised Haredi separately).In the future, Pew will release additional findings related to religious practices that they investigated as they conducted the poll in Israel.“We asked additional questions about different religious beliefs and practices, and we are actually working on other reports examining the answers to those questions,” she said.
Trump executive order seeks to reform voting process; privacy issues are problematic-Mar 26, 2025, 6:42 pm EDT | Anthony Kimery
To address perceived problems with the integrity of American elections – long a subject of national debate – President Donald Trump signed an executive order that is intended to restore public confidence in the electoral process. The order outlines a comprehensive set of reforms designed to strengthen voter verification, enforce federal election laws, and ensure that only eligible U.S. citizens participate in elections.
Trump said the measures are needed to ensure free, fair, and honest elections. He has stated that election integrity reforms must prioritize paper ballots, same-day voting, proof of citizenship, and voter ID requirements. The executive order seeks to implement these principles.A key focus of the order is enforcement of the citizenship requirement for federal elections. While federal law already prohibits non-citizens from voting, the order claims that many states simply fail to verify voter eligibility adequately, a claim that has been criticized as invalid and which is likely to be central to the legal challenges that are sure to come.Indeed, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was quick to condemn Trump’s executive order, saying it will “upend U.S. elections and disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. This directive represents a significant overreach of executive power and poses a direct threat to the fundamental right to vote.”Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, said, “We will do everything in our power to stop this unconstitutional attack on the right to vote to ensure that every eligible American can participate in our democracy. We will see President Trump in court.”“We’ll see what the Constitution and the courts have to say about this,” the CATO Institute said. “Under our American system, voting and voter registration are predominantly responsibilities of the states, with Congress constitutionally empowered to add some overlays through legislation of general applicability. A president cannot change those basics by putting out an executive order, nor may he commandeer the states, through funding blackmail or otherwise, into acting as instruments of his pleasure.”Eliza Sweren-Becker, senior counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice’s voting rights and elections program, described Trump’s order as “an astonishing and unprecedented voter suppression” effort.The voting rights group Fair Fight called the order a “MAGA fever dream.”The legal challenges to what Trump is trying to do will be swift and harsh.Trump’s order mandates that the U.S. Election Assistance Commission require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship on its national mail voter registration forms. Acceptable forms of documentation include U.S. passports, REAL ID-compliant identification, official military IDs indicating citizenship, or any government-issued photo ID accompanied by proof of citizenship.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Social Security Administration (SSA), and Department of State will now be required to provide state election officials with access to relevant federal records to confirm voter eligibility and citizenship status. SSA is required to provide access to the Death Master File and other databases to help states remove deceased individuals from voter rolls. States that fail to comply with these requirements could face enforcement actions from the Department of Justice.It also directs DHS, in conjunction with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to use subpoenas to gain access to state voter registration lists and list maintenance methods and to scrutinize each “for consistency with federal requirements.”While intended to prevent illegal voting, this provision raises concerns about the privacy of voter information, as it involves the sharing and potential storage of personally identifiable information (PII). The extent to which data security protocols will be enforced to prevent unauthorized access, however, remains a crucial issue.The order mandates documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when individuals register to vote. Election officials must record details of the provided documents, including the issuing authority, expiration date, and any unique identifying numbers. The measure is supposed to prevent fraudulent registration, but it also introduces the need for strong privacy safeguards to protect sensitive PII.But while the order emphasizes compliance with existing privacy and data security laws, questions remain about how voter data will be stored, accessed, and protected from misuse.To further secure the voting process, the order prohibits non-citizens from accessing election equipment, ballots, or any other materials used in the administration of federal elections. The point of this is to prevent potential foreign interference, but which could also result in additional vetting processes that could require the collection of personal data from election workers.The impact of this provision on voter privacy though will depend on how it is implemented, and whether safeguards are in place to ensure that personal information is not misused or exposed.The order also addresses the security of voting systems by mandating updates to the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines 2.0 to require voter-verifiable paper records and prohibiting the use of barcoded or QR-coded ballots that conceal vote choices. By doing this, the administration hopes to enhance transparency and to make audits more reliable. Federal grant funding for election administration will be conditioned on states’ compliance with the updated standards.The requirement is framed as a security enhancement, but also serves as a privacy measure by minimizing the potential for electronic manipulation or tracking of individual votes.The order directs the Attorney General to establish information-sharing agreements with state election officials to investigate election fraud. This initiative involves the collection and exchange of voter-related data, raising concerns about how personal information will be handled in criminal investigations. The intention behind this is to prosecute fraudulent voting, but the potential risks to voter privacy and data security will depend on the oversight and restrictions that are placed on the use of such information.Enforcing voter list maintenance requirements is another major component of the order. The Department of Justice is instructed to ensure that states comply with federal laws mandating accurate voter rolls. The Social Security Administration is required to provide access to databases such as the Death Master File to assist states in removing deceased individuals from registration lists. While the effort seeks to prevent voter fraud, there are risks that improper cross-referencing or data inaccuracies could lead to wrongful voter purges.The executive order also calls for greater oversight and enforcement of existing federal laws, including the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.Trump’s executive order further calls for uniform election integrity measures across states. The order reiterates that federal law sets a single Election Day and that ballots must be both cast and received by that date. The practice of counting ballots received after Election Day, which is allowed in some states, has been likened to permitting in-person voters to cast ballots days after an election has concluded.The Trump administration’s attempt here is to enforce strict compliance with federal statutes by eliminating post-election ballot disputes that could undermine public trust in electoral outcomes.To combat foreign influence in U.S. elections, the order instructs the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury to enforce laws prohibiting foreign contributions to federal, state, and local campaigns. Additionally, the order targets non-governmental organizations that receive federal funds but engage in political activities, ensuring that taxpayer money is not used to support partisan electioneering efforts.The order also seeks to undo the impact of Executive Order 14019, signed by President Biden, which expanded federal agencies’ roles in voter registration efforts. Agencies are now required to report on their compliance with rescinding that order and ceasing any activities related to implementing it. This move is intended to prevent federal agencies from engaging in partisan voter mobilization efforts.The administration argues that the reforms are necessary to bring the U.S. in line with election security practices used in other democratic nations. Countries such as India and Brazil require voter identification tied to biometric databases, while the U.S. largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship.Germany and Canada use hand-counted paper ballots to enhance election integrity, whereas the American electoral system employs a patchwork of methods that can lead to chain-of-custody issues. Similarly, Denmark and Sweden restrict mail-in voting to those unable to vote in person and do not count late-arriving ballots, while U.S. elections now see widespread mail-in voting with ballots sometimes received well after Election Day.Trump’s order will most certainly face legal challenges from states and advocacy groups that argue it imposes undue restrictions on voting rights. The administration, for its part, maintains the measures are necessary to uphold federal election laws and protect the voting process from fraud, errors, and foreign interference.By conditioning federal election-related funding on compliance with these reforms, the administration seeks to ensure that states adhere to the standards of election integrity Trump’s order intends to put in place.The success of his executive order will depend largely on its enforcement and the response from state governments. Election security remains a contentious issue in American politics, and these reforms undoubtedly will be pivotal in shaping the national debate leading into the next election cycle. Whether they achieve the intended goal of restoring public confidence in elections is yet to be seen.
CRVS law reshapes governance and social protection in Cambodia-Mar 26, 2025, 6:25 pm EDT | Ghulam Shabir Arain
Cambodia is attempting to rebuild its civil registration and identity system to provide universal legal identity for its citizens. The 2023 Law on Civil Registration, Vital Statistics, and Identification (CRVSID) is a cornerstone in the establishment of a modernized digital identity system that will bridge historical gaps in public documentation.The CRVSID law integrates civil registration with digital public infrastructure (DPI), relying on documentary evidence and manual verification for accuracy and safety. In addition, Cambodia’s IDPoor program is improving social protection through digital solutions, resulting in targeted financial aid. Cambodia is improving interoperability between digital identity, social welfare, and government with funding from the UNDP, Vital Strategies, and Bloomberg Philanthropies.As regional civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) networks expand and Cambodia prepares for a fully digital ID implementation, the country is planning for the future to use the CRVS system as the foundation for a broader digital transformation.Towards inclusive development-According to an opinion piece by UN and government officials in the Phnom Penh Post, Cambodia’s civil registration and identification system was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge regime, leaving generations without legal identity. In response, the government has taken substantial steps to rebuild the system, culminating in the July 2023 enactment of the CRVSID. This law lays the groundwork for a digital identity ecosystem, which is intended to help thousands of previously undocumented people gain access to essential services.CRVS systems play an important role in DPI by delivering accurate and inclusive data required for healthcare, education, and social protection. Document-based data collection solutions are being integrated into Cambodia’s CRVS to improve trust, security, and interoperability. The government is collaborating with partners to create a real-time data collection system that connects civil registration, social protection, and ID verification.Cambodia is enhancing governance by pursuing universal CRVS adoption as well as fostering financial and social inclusion for marginalized communities. As the region prepares for the Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific in June, Cambodia hopes to establish legal identity as a first step in building DPI to advance sustainable development.IDPoor and social protection-According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Cambodia’s IDPoor initiative has created a nationally recognized, community-driven system for identifying poverty. IDPoor, which is fully sponsored by the government, provides a transparent, inclusive, and participatory system for successfully targeting social assistance. The program promotes stakeholder engagement, rigorous monitoring, and open data sharing, establishing it as the official poverty identity tool for government and development programs.IDPoor runs on a national scale, including all rural areas since 2013 and urban areas since 2019. Millions of people participate in the program’s community-led selection process, which boosts legitimacy and ensures local ownership. By 2015, IDPoor was used in 63 percent of Cambodian development programs for targeted interventions, demonstrating its effectiveness.Despite the increased use of digital tools, IDPoor focuses on speed and inclusivity, ensuring that speedy data gathering does not threaten participation or accuracy. The program’s development into a national social protection instrument was made feasible by early financial pledges from the Cambodian government and partners such as BMZ and DFAT.Cambodia aims to upgrade its IDPoor system by integrating fingerprint technology and an API layer for interoperability. This shift will enable automated data updates and cross-referencing with the civil registry, and reduce duplications.Biometric Update recently reported that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has donated 546 tablets and additional ICT equipment to improve Cambodia’s IDPoor initiative. This technology enhances the accuracy, accessibility, and efficiency of identifying vulnerable homes in need of social support.Following COVID-19, UNDP initially provided 1,700 tablets to speed up on-demand registration, allowing local governments to enroll new beneficiaries. IDPoor has evolved into a completely digital, interoperable social protection system with the support of DFAT and GIZ. Digital solutions now connect cash transfers to the IDPoor database, providing Equity Card holders with easy access to critical help and financial support.Strengthening Cambodia’s digital payments for financial inclusion-Digital payments are a vital component of Cambodia’s digital economy because of significant development in peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions, enabling rules, and a burgeoning mobile money agent network. Cambodian migrant laborers continue to send US$200 to $250 each month as remittances.Cambodia is implementing a biometric digital ID system to boost financial inclusion and improve social protection programs. A digital ID framework is being reviewed under the National Strategic Plan for Identity 2017-2026, which seeks to create an integrated population identity system. The lack of a single digital ID has resulted in fragmented beneficiary databases, generating inefficiencies in social transfers. Cambodia, inspired by India’s experience, understands the importance of biometric authentication in e-KYC, AML/CFT compliance, and G2P currency transactions. The government is advised to prioritize the introduction of digital IDs to achieve seamless social and financial inclusion.CRVSID and digital identity expansion-The International Bar Association reports that Cambodia has presented new legislation to construct a new digital civil registration, vital statistics, and identity management system that will be used to grant legal identity to all people who currently lack proof that they even exist; it covers birth, death, marriage, and divorce registration, assigning all residents legal identity, including migrant people.Cambodia is enacting a complete CRVS law to record births, deaths, marriages, and divorces for both citizens and stateless people. The administration is working to implement the law by training staff to guarantee a smooth transition.Previous CRVS improvements depended on sub-decrees, which proved inadequate; only 47 percent of fatalities were recorded by 2017. The National Strategic Plan for Identification is supported by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator within Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Data for Health Initiative, Vital Strategies.Similar CRVS reforms are being implemented in Vietnam, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines.Regional and future exposure-Cambodia actively participates in Asia-Pacific CRVS networks, which focus on improving operational capacity. The upcoming Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific provides an opportunity to build the partnerships stakeholders say are necessary to enhance DPI and biometric digital ID systems in the region.The opinion piece concludes with a call for stronger partnerships to achieve inclusive civil registration and build on measures like the ADB’s support for Digital Cambodia’s project.
The World Bank showcases new white paper on DPI as it seeks to accelerate digital transformation-Mar 26, 2025, 3:00 pm EDT | Lu-Hai Liang
The World Bank has a new digital transformation white paper that underlines what it believes digital public infrastructure (DPI) should consist of and sets out core approaches to building DPI.Over the years aspects of what constitutes digital public infrastructure may have been watered down, lost in a haze of buzzwords, or subverted to the extent that some so-called DPI initiatives might be what a Filipino government official recently dubbed “digital pretension.”The new white paper from The World Bank Group (WBG) should be seen in the context of refreshing what DPI should stand for, providing a high-level overview, whilst staking the organization, which has been a crucial driver of global DPI initiatives especially in developing countries, as a key player helping to support DPI programs. It is also a part of The World Bank’s recent mandate to “move faster and think bigger” to bring about digital transformation.The Digital Public Infrastructure and Development: A World Bank Group Approach white paper is 79 pages long and provides a framework for understanding and implementing DPI to accelerate “safe and inclusive digital transformation.” The paper provides a common framework and primer on DPI for “high-level considerations” such as those by policymakers, practitioners, WBG staff, and the development community.The World Bank defines DPI as “foundational, digital building block for the public benefit” and that both the public and private sector can provide DPI. Examples of how DPI can benefit include faster and more efficient government-to-person (G2P) payments; improved financial inclusion; improved healthcare delivery, disease surveillance and public health interventions; better access to services, markets, and information for agriculture.The World Bank emphasizes a “broader” digital ecosystem that goes beyond technology but which relies on technology enablers such as broadband connectivity, devices, data centers and cloud, alongside digitalization of systems across sectors. Meanwhile, DPI functionality means systems should “embed” principles such as inclusion, openness, modularity, inclusivity, user-centricity, privacy-by-design, and strong governance. “Successfully developing and deploying DPIs requires broader ecosystem enablers, including whole-of-society digital transformation strategies; legal and regulatory frameworks for data governance, protection, and e-transactions; strong cybersecurity capacity; sound governance and oversight; and efforts to build digital literacy and skills across the public and private sector,” the white paper says.It observes that the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the value of DPI as those countries with existing DPIs were able to deliver emergency assistance faster and more effectively. But there are challenges: DPI requires strong and sustained political commitment, meaningful and frequent stakeholder engagement, institutional and technical capacity, and comprehensive legal and regulatory frameworks. Any outdated legacy systems must be overcome whilst digital literacy (and traditional literacy) might present issues; cybersecurity and data privacy and protection are serious matters.But The World Bank Group’s new Global DPI Program is aimed at addressing key knowledge gaps and supporting countries in building “safe, inclusive, and transformative DPI.” The full white paper, which contains examples and case studies from various countries, can be viewed as a PDF on this page.DPI for resilience in fragile contexts -The Brookings Institution has detailed five approaches to balancing state capacity and citizen protection so that essential services can be delivered in fragile contexts.Brookings convened a virtual roundtable, hosted in partnership with Co-Develop, which gathered digital transformation stakeholders to identify priority aspects of DPI’s technical design, investment, regulation and governance in fragile contexts. There was focus on case studies in Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Sudan, and the conversation honed in on five “mutually reinforcing approaches” to advancing DPI’s potential as a backbone for resilience in fragile contexts.The five approaches are: pursue harmonization of technical standards between humanitarian- and state-led systems; nurture locally led DPI ecosystems; leverage available technical foundations to address citizen needs; regulate for certainty and competition; foster proactive stakeholder collaboration. The full commentary can be read here.Roundtable participants included representatives from MOSIP, Uplift Afghanistan, London School of Economics, USAID, Co-Develop, UN Capital Development Fund, Mojaloop Foundation, The Brookings Institution, Digital Impact Alliance, UNDP Sudan, among others.Integrating DPI, Afreximbank’s role in Africa’s economic landscape-The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has a round-up of its mission, its flagship initiatives, and how its integration of DPI is reshaping Africa’s economic landscape as of late March 2025. Afreximbank notes that it is increasingly leveraging DPI to “amplify its impact.”For example, it includes a look at the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which was developed with the African Union (AU), is a “cornerstone of DPI in Africa,” according to the bank. “This digital infrastructure aligns with global DPI models like India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), offering a scalable solution for Africa’s fragmented financial systems and supporting the AfCFTA’s projected 50 percent boost to intra-African trade by 2030,” the summary reads. The report can be read here.Meanwhile, on Africa.com there is a feature story on “Unlocking Africa’s Future: The Case for Digital Public Infrastructure” where the authors make their case, which can be read here.Future of Government Awards 2025-Amazon Web Services, the United Nations Development Programme and Public Digital have announced the recipients of the Future of Government Awards 2025, which champions practitioners, teams, and leaders who improve people’s lives by applying digital solutions and leverage technology to transform the public sector.The organizers observed that this year’s awards saw a “surge” in nominations for DPI initiatives, while there was a record of 336 nominations received from more than 50 countries in the third year the awards have run.In the Open Source Creation category, the winner was DHIS2 from Norway, an open-source data management platform that provides a customizable, reusable solution for health information systems. Highly commended were Energy Access Explorer, Mojaloop, and MOSIP.Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award was Nandan Nilekani from India. The co-founder of Infosys, Nilekani was the founding chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), where he spearheaded Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric identity program.You can read the full list of winners here.
ID card PAD competition at IJCB 2025 builds on lessons from inaugural event-Mar 26, 2025, 2:52 pm EDT | Chris Burt
A competition for technologies to detection presentation attacks using ID cards will be held during the International Joint Conference of Biometrics (IJCB) 2025, on September 8 to 11 in Osaka, Japan.Sponsored by the Facephi and Fraunhopher-IGD, PAD-ID Card 2025 is the second edition of the research competition in support of remote biometric verification systems. PAD is typically associated with the probe image used in the biometric matching step of the ID verification process, but guarding against spoofed reference images is necessary for the subsequent step to have any value.The competition to be held during IJCB 2025 follows up on the inaugural edition at least year’s event.The second competition offers an independent assessment of ID card PAD algorithms with print, screen and composite attacks based on a PVC card template, an approach the organizers say is aligned with current state of the art open datasets. A second track provides an evaluation protocol that includes attacks and bona fide ID card images from volunteers’ IDs for use by researchers, and is aligned with approaches using commercial and proprietary datasets. Both tracks are being held for research purposes only.Registration is now open to companies and universities through the PAD-ID Card 2025 website.Results from 2024 competition-The first PAD-ID Card competition featured eight entries from five teams, plus three baseline systems. Two of the teams hailed from NTNU. The models they developed for detecting fake IDs were tested against datasets of IDs taken from four countries.They were judged in terms of AVrank, which weights bona fide presentation classification error rates (BPCERs) for different attack presentation classification error rates (APCERs).The competition was one by an anonymous team, which scored 74.8 percent AVrank with one of its two submitted models. Team IDVC, from the ID Vision Center came second with 77.65 percent for one of its two models submitted.The organizers concluded that the “results show that the generalisation capabilities to predict PAD between different countries and attacks are still challenging.” This is partly due to limitations in the open datasets available for algorithm training, which tend to present fewer bona fide images per subject and generate many attacks from each ID card, resulting in an imbalance.The results also show that ID cards based on ICAO standards are easier to detect and accurately classify.
EU to make uniform mobile driving license available in EUDI Wallets by 2030-Mar 26, 2025, 2:48 pm EDT | Joel R. McConvey
The EUDI Wallet scheme will serve as a government-led driver for mobile driver’s license adoption in the EU, and national wallets mandated by the eIDAS 2.0 regulation are a step up in uniformity from the state-level mDL apps issued in the U.S.This week, the European Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional political agreement on the update of the driving license directive. A release from the Council says the updated rules on driving licenses are “an excellent example of how widespread digitalization is in the lives of Europeans”The directive, which is part of a larger Commission Road Safety Package, states that by the end of 2030, “a uniform mobile driving license will be available for all EU citizens, placed in the future European Digital Identity Wallet.” This mDL will be recognized in all EU member states. Mobile licenses (and their physical counterparts, which will still be available) will be valid for driving passenger cars and motorcycles for a term of 15 years from date of issue.Thales says mDLs mark a new era for 440M EU drivers-In a new blog, Thales gives its own version of an mDL overview, focused on the EU and a directive proposed in 2023 aimed at enhancing the free movement of persons and goods across borders. Standards will enable interoperability, which in turn could make travel and digital transactions in the EU that much easier.“EU digital driving licenses will be based on an international standard ensuring seamless use not just across European countries but potentially further afield, in Australia and the United States, which are also adopting the same mobile driving licenses standard,” it says. “Beyond driving, digital licenses could also serve more broadly as valid and potentially customizable official IDs.”The blog notes how increased cybersecurity risks are forcing the need for a tough but necessary realignment toward digital identity technology, without sacrificing existing methods. “While the transformation may be disruptive, and comes at a cost, mastering both digital and physical formats is likely to generate numerous synergies between the two, enabling the agencies to benefit from the required investment. They will have an opportunity to offer innovative, cost-effective value-added services and generally create better services for citizens.”In the end, it says, the era of the mDL and the EUDI wallet represents “a pivotal milestone in Europe’s digital transformation toward enhanced simplicity and efficiency.”“Road safety authorities must now start the journey by exploring the best use cases and defining an ambitious vision for what the mobile licence can and should do. The journey toward digital driving licenses is just beginning – and the time to prepare is now.”Amazon betting big on mDL, EU wallet scheme-One company in evident agreement is Amazon, which is “doubling down on digital credentials, mDLs and the European Digital ID wallet,” according to a LinkedIn post from Elina Cadouri, COO of Dock Labs.The post quotes Paul Grassi, principal product manager for identity services at Amazon, speaking at a recent online event. Grassi says Amazon plans to launch mDL acceptance in the U.S. this year, and integration of EUDI in 2026. Use cases will span age-restricted purchases, identity verification for health services and online pharmacies, verified address sharing for deliveries and simplified account recovery.Cadouri notes that “historically, Amazon has performed identity verification in-house – scanning IDs, running checks, and matching selfies. Their future vision is to shift that burden by accepting credentials that are already verified by trusted issuers, thereby reducing friction and enhancing privacy.”
