JERUSALEM MUSLIM SHOOTING TERRORIST ATTACK KILLS 6 ISRAELIS ON A BUS.

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

JERUSALEM MUSLIM SHOOTING TERRORIST ATTACK KILLS 6 ISRAELIS ON A BUS.

WORLD TERRORISM

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)

ISAIAH 14:12-14
12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14  I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)

JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)

GODS PROMISED LAND FOR ISRAEL.

And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE.

Joel 3:2-King James Version (YOU DIVIDE JERUSALEM IN HALF - YOUR POKING GOD IN THE EYE - GOD SAYS AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH- YOU WANNA DIVIDE JERUSALEM IN HALF -  HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION 4 BILLION DIE ON EARTH.
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

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.

2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP) (HOT SUN, NUKES ETC)
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 
7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

ISAIAH 66:7-8
A Nation Born in a Day
7 Before she was in labor, she gave birth.Before her pain came, she delivered a male child.
8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.

Isaiah 2:19
19 Men will go into caves of the rocks And into holes of the ground (BUNKERS,UNDER GROUND TUNNELS) Before the terror of the Lord , And the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble.(EARTHQUES,NUKES)
JOB 30:6
6 They are living on the slopes of the wadis,among the rocks and in holes in the ground.(TUNNELS, BUNKERS)

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.

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

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

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)

JEREMIAH 50:3,24
3 For out of the north (RUSSIA) there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
24 I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon,(NEW YORK) and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD. (RUSSIA A SNEAK ATTACK ON NEW YORK)

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.

Yair Lapid to PM: You promised security; you have failed-Leaders vow to step up West Bank raids as far right demands ‘vengeance’ after attack-Netanyahu visits scene of shooting with police minister Ben Gvir, who urges citizens to arm themselves, blames High Court for demanding security prisoners get more food; PM says court should not go easy on Israel’s enemies-By Sam Sokol,Nava Freiberg,Charlie Summers and Nurit Yohanan-Today, 4:58 pm-SEP 8,25

Israeli political leaders reacted with fury following a deadly shooting attack in Jerusalem Monday, promising “severe and far-reaching consequences” for Palestinians accused of terror activity, including an expansion of military raids across the West Bank.Visiting the scene of the attack, in which six people were killed and another 12 injured by suspected Palestinian gunmen who opened fire at a crowded junction in the capital, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israel in a “mighty war against terror” and said troops were putting a cordon on the West Bank towns near Ramallah where the suspects were thought to have set out from.“A mighty war against terror is taking place on all fronts,” Netanyahu told reporters. “We are now pursuing and encircling the villages where the terrorists came from.”Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that anti-terror operations, which had concentrated on Palestinian refugee camps in the northern West Bank in recent years, would expand to other areas of the West Bank.“There will be severe and far-reaching consequences to this heinous attack,” he said, according to his office.“Just as we defeated Palestinian terrorism in northern Samaria — we will soon do the same in other terror camps,” he added, using the biblical name for the northern West Bank.Israeli troops over the past year have carried out major raids in Nablus, Jenin and other areas of the northern West Bank to fight what they say is growing terror activity.The military said earlier that troops were encircling the villages of Qatanna and Al-Qubeibah, where the two attackers were thought to have set out from.The two were named in Palestinian media as Mohammad Taha and Muthanna Amro, both from Qatanna. Reports claimed that Israeli forces arrested the father of Amro, who was apparently a student at Birzeit University near Ramallah.Both were killed during the attack by a soldier — a squad commander in the military’s new ultra-Orthodox Hasmonean Brigade — and an armed yeshiva student, also ultra-Orthodox.The dead were named as Levi Yitzhak Pash, 57, Yaakov Pinto, 25, Yisrael Matzner, 28, and Rabbi Yosef David, 43, Rabbi Mordechai Steintzag, 79, and Sarah Mendelson, 60.Six of those injured remained in serious condition hours after the shooting, the deadliest terror attack to strike Jerusalem in years.Netanyahu said a “war” on terror was ongoing in Jerusalem and the West Bank, “where we have acted with great force.”“The Shin Bet and the IDF thwarted hundreds [of attacks], and the Israel Police also thwarted hundreds this year,” he said. “But unfortunately, not this morning.”He also repeated a vow to destroy the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip.“The fighting continues in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu continued, saying Israel “will destroy Hamas as we promised and free our hostages—all of our hostages.”Speaking at a press conference alongside his Hungarian counterpart in Budapest, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar cited the shooting as evidence for the need to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state under the Palestinian Authority.“We are in a war with radical Islamist terrorism. Europe and the international community, every country, must now make a clear choice. Are they on Israel’s side, or are they on the side of the jihadists?” Sa’ar said. He pointed to Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó before adding, “We know that Hungary stands with us.”Pivoting to address numerous Western nations who are planning to recognize a Palestinian state this month, Sa’ar said: “We completely reject the current attempts to force Israel to accept a Palestinian terror state in the heart of our tiny land. It will not happen.”“The terrorists who struck this morning came from the Palestinian Authority territories. The establishment of such a state would have only one goal: the elimination of the State of Israel,” he argued.“It must be made clear — the Palestinian Authority has never severed its ties to terror,” he went on, backing this by repeating accusations he made alongside his Danish counterpart yesterday that the PA has failed to combat terrorism, address security concerns, or end incitement to terrorism in schools.“Based on its actions, the PA does not deserve a state,” the foreign minister asserted, adding that recognizing one “will only destabilize the region,” and repeating his warning that such a move “will push us toward steps too.”Ben Gvir decries High Court, vows to keep jail conditions poor-Visiting the site of the attack, at Ramot junction in a heavily ultra-Orthodox part of the capital, alongside Netanyahu, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, chair of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, credited a campaign he spearheaded after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack to distribute weapons to civilians for helping stop the attack.“There was an act of heroism here, of a Haredi soldier from the [ultra-Orthodox] Hasmonean Brigades, and two Haredi men who received weapons as part of the weapons reform. I’ve said, weapons save lives, and we have to remember that. I am calling on the citizens of Israel — arm yourselves,” he said.The minister attempted to draw a line between the attack and a court decision a day ago that found that terror detainees in Israeli prison were not being fed enough.“Just yesterday, the High Court eased the conditions of Nukhbas, and found that we must intervene over their menu,” he said, referring to members of an elite Hamas unit.“Friends, this is not a game. When the High Court does something like this, it sends a message to terrorists. I say to the judges of the court: “Don’t do this. Stop this,” the minister continued, in comments that the court system itself later rebuked him for.Appealing to Netanyahu — who stood stone-faced beside him — Ben Gvir vowed to defy the court. “The conditions in prison will remain as they are; it adds deterrence,” he said.For his part, Netanyahu addressed “the court,” telling it that “we don’t go easy on our enemies.” Israel is hitting them relentlessly, he said, “and you should act in the same way.”The High Court, in a statement, said it was “regrettable” that Ben Gvir had decided to attack the High Court on the day of such a grave attack, calling his comments “unfortunate.”Far-right lawmaker Avi Maoz, the sole MK belonging to the anti-LGBT Noam party, also placed blame for the attack on the judiciary, calling it “a direct response” to Sunday’s High Court ruling.Ben Gvir also called for the enforcement of a law, passed in November 2024, to expel from Israel family members of terrorists, including Israeli citizens, if they had advance knowledge of the attack and either failed to report it, or expressed support for any act of terrorism or terror organization.“I’ve signed, in recent weeks, 35 orders like this, and I believe the new Interior Minister Yariv Levin will approve those requests,” Ben Gvir said.Education Minister Yoav Kisch, of Netanyahu’s Likud party, also backed the expulsion law, saying in a statement after the shooting that Israel “must move from defense to deterrence” by “eliminating the terrorists and deporting their families immediately.”Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party said after the attack that it intends to raise the issue of implementing a death penalty for terrorists next week in the Knesset National Security Committee, chaired by party MK Zvika Fogel.“A death penalty for terrorists is what every terrorist who goes out to murder Jews deserves. Until the law passes, prison conditions for terrorists have been toughened,” Ben Gvir said in a statement.“This is the first step toward restoring deterrence. We will continue to advance the law until its final approval,” said fellow Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech, the bill’s sponsor.Responding to the terror attack, Har-Melech wrote on X: “There is no difference between Gaza and Jenin and between Khan Younis and Ramallah. In every place, the enemy wants only one thing, and that is to kill us.“In the face of such a reality, the only solution is: conquest, expulsion, and settlement. Only in this way will we restore security to the people of Israel and uproot terrorism,” she wrote.L-R: MK Limor Son Har-Melech on July 18, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90); MK Yitzhak Kroizer on June 24, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90); R: MK Zvi Sukkot, on January 20, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90); All photos taken at the Knesset in Jerusalem.“Nazis are Nazis are Nazis,” posted fellow Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kroizer. “Destroy and eliminate [them], there is no other way.”MK Zvi Sukkot of the far-right Religious Zionism party, who also visited the site of the attack with Netanyahu and Ben Gvir, earlier took to X to call for “vengeance” over the attack.“Nazis are the same Nazis everywhere and need to receive the same treatment. There is no coexistence with them,” he wrote.More moderate ministers in Netanyahu’s government also pointed to the incident as an argument for hawkish security policies.Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said the attack underscored the “importance of arming civilians,” because increasing the number of gun-carrying Israelis will help stop such attacks and minimize casualties.Economy Minister and former Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat likewise blamed the PA, declaring that the time has come to shut down the Palestinian governing body.“The blood of the murdered is on the hands of the Palestinian Authority, which funds and encourages terrorism. It is time to dismantle the Palestinian Authority,” Barkat tweeted, commending the ultra-Orthodox soldier who “eliminated the terrorists and prevented an even greater disaster.”The Palestinian Authority presidency, meanwhile, issued a statement of condemnation that referred to the attack, albeit indirectly.“The presidency affirms its stance in rejecting and condemning any harm to Palestinian and Israeli civilians, and rejects all forms of violence, regardless of their source,” the statement said.The presidency further stated that, “Security and stability will not be achieved without an end to the occupation,” and that the realization of the Palestinian people’s rights in an independent state “is the sole guarantee for ending the cycle of violence in the region.”Herzog: World must understand Israel is facing ‘absolute evil’President Isaac Herzog, refraining from any political appeal, issued a statement lamenting a “painful and difficult morning” and offering a message of strength following the deadly shooting attack at the Ramot Junction in Jerusalem.“Innocent citizens, children and adults, were murdered and injured in cold blood on a bus in the streets of a city at the hands of evil terrorists,” he wrote on X, offering condolences to the families of the five murdered victims — the toll has since risen to six — and wishing a full recovery to those injured.President Isaac Herzog speaks during a public event on September 2, 2025 (Kobi Gideon/GPO)“The shocking attack reminds us time and again that we are fighting absolute evil,” he continued, adding that “The world must understand what we are facing. It must also internalize that terrorism will never subdue us and will not achieve its goals. The people of Israel are strong. The people of Israel live.”Opposition Leader Yair Lapid expressed support for Israeli security forces “in their efforts to thwart terrorism” following the attack. In a post on X, Lapid sent his “deep condolences to the families of the murdered” and wished for “a speedy recovery to the wounded.”Later, as Ben Gvir’s comments laying blame on the High Court circulated, Lapid took to social media to denounce him and the prime minister.“The opposition refrained from blaming the government for the terrible attack. We decided not to act as they did when we were leading the country in far safer days. Perhaps it is a political mistake, but in the face of the victims and the pain, we will not be like them,” the opposition leader wrote on X.“But Netanyahu and Ben Gvir will never change. While the victims lie before us, the government is already blaming the judicial system…instead of taking responsibility.“All that is left for us is to repeat what Netanyahu and Ben Gvir said time and again during the days of the ‘government of change’: You are responsible, this is on your account. You promised security to the citizens of Israel, and you have failed.”Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman and The Democrats head Yair Golan both praised the IDF soldier who opened fire at the two terrorists, noting that he is a squad commander in the military’s new ultra-Orthodox brigade, with Liberman calling him a “hero.”Both Liberman and Golan are fierce critics of the wider Haredi community’s refusal to enlist in the IDF.The soldier “heroically engaged the enemy and acted to neutralize the terrorists,” tweeted Golan, pointing out that the soldier is Haredi and adding that Israel “will reach those responsible for the attack and those who sent them – and we will bring them to justice with full force.”Leon Kraiem contributed to this report.

Air Force levels Gaza buildings after Katz vows ‘hurricane in skies of Gaza City’Defense minister demands Hamas terror group ‘release the hostages and put down your weapons — or Gaza will be destroyed and you will be obliterated’By Emanuel Fabian,ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 2:23 pm-SEP 8,25

The Israeli Air Force struck several high-rise buildings in Gaza City on Monday, hours after Defense Minister Israel Katz said that “a powerful hurricane will hit the skies of Gaza City today, and the roofs of the towers of terror will shake.”The Israel Defense Forces confirmed carrying out at least one of the strikes, saying it hit a tower used by Hamas for surveillance.The IDF also said Hamas operatives planted explosive devices in the area near the building, as part of preparations for the army’s upcoming offensive in Gaza City.Prior to the strike, the military issued an evacuation warning to Palestinians residing in the area.In recent days, the IDF has conducted several strikes on Gaza City high-rises it said were used by Hamas to conduct operations against troops, after warning residents to flee.The strikes come as Israel continued to set the stage for a major offensive to take over Gaza City in the northern Strip. Beyond their operational justification, the strikes have also been interpreted as part of an effort to motivate civilians to leave the city in advance of the takeover operation.Some one million residents are believed to have been sheltering in Gaza City — described by Jerusalem as one of Hamas’s last strongholds — prior to the latest evacuations; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that some 100,000 people had left so far.“This is the last warning to the murderers and rapists of Hamas in Gaza, and in luxury hotels abroad: Release the hostages, and put down your weapons — or Gaza will be destroyed and you will be obliterated,” Katz wrote in a post on X.“The IDF is continuing with its plans — and we are preparing to expand the maneuver to defeat Gaza.”At least 48 people were killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza on Sunday, while another 10 were killed in strikes around Gaza City overnight, the Strip’s Hamas-run civil defense agency reported. Its numbers do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.The new military campaign, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots B,” has drawn fierce opposition inside Israel, both from the families of many of those held hostage in the Strip and, according to widespread reports, from security officials and military brass who have warned it will endanger the remaining captives.Forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, of whom some 20 are believed to be alive.US President Donald Trump on Sunday gave what he declared was his “last warning” to Hamas to agree to his terms for ending the war, which has raged since the terror group attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.Trump added that Israel had accepted his proposed ceasefire and hostage-release agreement. The message, sent in a social media post, didn’t specify what those terms are. But Channel 12 reported Sunday that the current US proposal envisions the release of all hostages on the first day of a truce and, if subsequent talks bear fruit, the end of the war in Gaza.Israel has not confirmed that it accepted Trump’s offer. But it is “very seriously considering” the proposal, according to a source close to Netanyahu.In its response late Sunday to Trump’s comments, Hamas said it was ready to immediately return to the negotiating table.The terror group asserted that it was “ready to immediately sit at the negotiating table to discuss the release of all prisoners in exchange for a clear declaration to end the war, a total withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and creation of a committee of independent Palestinians to run the Gaza Strip.”Israel has said it will only end the war if all the hostages are released, Hamas disarms, Gaza is demilitarized, and a new government of the Strip is put in place that includes neither Hamas nor the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.Also on Monday, the United Nations human rights chief condemned Israel for its “mass killing” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and “hindering of sufficient lifesaving aid,” saying the country had a case to answer before the International Court of Justice.Volker Turk, who heads the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stopped short of describing the Gaza war as an unfolding genocide, as hundreds of UN staff had urged him to do.Israel strongly rejects such assertions, arguing it takes care to avoid harm to civilians despite terrorists operating from within their midst.But in his opening address to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Turk expressed horror at what he called “the open use of genocidal rhetoric” and “disgraceful dehumanization” of Palestinians by senior Israeli officials.“Israel’s mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza; its infliction of indescribable suffering and wholesale destruction; its hindering of sufficient lifesaving aid and the ensuing starvation of civilians; its killing of journalists; and its commission of war crime upon war crime, are shocking the conscience of the world,” said Turk.“Israel has a case to answer before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the evidence continues to mount,” Turk said, referring to the ICJ’s ruling in January that Israel had a legal obligation to prevent acts of genocide (though it did not accuse it of committing such acts).Israel cited its right to self-defense following the deadly October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages. It has vowed to continue the campaign until Hamas is eliminated as a ruling power in Gaza that can continue to threaten it.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 64,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed over 22,000 combatants in battle as of August and another 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 onslaught.Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 461.Turk also addressed human rights and the international order worldwide, saying they were being undermined by “disturbing trends” including the glorification of violence and the retreat of some states from the multilateral system.“Rules of war are being shredded – with virtually no accountability,” he said.Turk condemned what he said were widespread violations following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as well as in conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hundreds greet protest flotilla in Tunisia as it continues journey to Gaza-Activist Greta Thunberg tells supporters in Tunis that Israel is inflicting ‘mass starvation’ on Strip; hundreds more expected to join convoy on next leg-By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 6:09 am-SEP 8,25

More than 1,000 people gathered Sunday at a Tunisian port to welcome an aid boat from Barcelona carrying environmental activist Greta Thunberg and other pro-Palestinian campaigners seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.“We all know why were are here,” said Thunberg. “Just across the water there’s a genocide going on, a mass starvation by Israel’s murder machine.”European Parliament member Rima Hassan joined crowds at Sidi Bou Said port to greet the Global Sumud Flotilla.“The Palestinian cause is not in the hands of governments today. It is in the hearts of peoples everywhere,” said Hassan.She praised the “role that the people play today in the face of the cowardice of states that prevent any solidarity with the Palestinian people.”Hassan did not say whether she would join the flotilla when it resumes its voyage for Gaza on Wednesday.Organizers said more than 130 people from various countries have registered to embark on boats from Tunis to join the flotilla.The Global Sumud Flotilla calls itself an independent organization with no affiliation to any government or political party. The flotilla departing from Tunis had already been delayed due to “technical and logistical reasons,” its organizers said.The boats departed Barcelona more than a week ago but were forced back to the port due to poor weather, heading out again two days later.The flotilla is slated to attempt to arrive in Gaza later this month, although it is expected that it will be intercepted by the Israeli Navy.In June, Israel intercepted another ship carrying Thunberg, Hassan and other activists, towed them to shore and deported them from the country. And in July, 21 activists from 10 countries were intercepted as they tried to approach Gaza in another vessel, the Handala.Israel has accused the activists of attention seeking and carrying only a symbolic amount of aid that will not make an impact on the hunger in the Gaza Strip. Aid agencies have said that famine conditions have reached parts of Gaza, a charge denied by Israel, which says it is boosting humanitarian deliveries to the Strip and working to ensure aid is not diverted by Hamas.

Six killed, 6 seriously injured in Jerusalem as terrorists open fire on bus, pedestrians-2 West Bank Palestinians behind attack at Ramot Junction; off-duty soldier, armed civilians shoot attackers dead; IDF raids their home villages-By Emanuel Fabian,Charlie Summers,Jeremy Sharon and Nava Freiberg Today, 2:09 pm-SEP 8,25

Six people were murdered Monday and 12 were wounded, six of them seriously, when a pair of Palestinian terrorists opened fire on vehicles and pedestrians in Jerusalem’s Ramot Junction.The two gunmen, residents of the West Bank, arrived at the junction shortly after 10 a.m. — according to some reports, by car — and opened fire at people waiting at a bus stop as well at a bus that had just stopped there.Police said that a soldier and a number of civilians who were present at the scene fired at the terrorists and killed them.The military said the soldier was an off-duty squad commander in the military’s new Hasmonean Brigade, a unit for ultra-Orthodox troops. Magen David Adom said four of the victims were declared dead at the scene, while two others were rushed to hospital and later succumbed to their wounds.At least six others were listed in serious condition, as well as two whose status was moderate and three who were lightly hurt, according to MDA.The dead were named as Levi Yitzhak Pash, 57, Yaakov Pinto, 25, Yisrael Matzner, 28, and Rabbi Yosef David, 43, Rabbi Mordechai Steintzag, 79, and Sarah Mendelson, 60.The two terrorists were identified by the Shin Bet security agency as Mohammad Taha, 21, from Qatanna, and Muthanna Amro, 20, from Qubeiba. Neither had prior arrests, according to the Shin Bet.The two villages are adjacent to each other on the outskirts of Ramallah in the West Bank, west of the junction and over the Green Line. The Israel Defense Forces said troops were encircling the villages.The military said troops were also dispatched to carry out scans for potential accomplices in the area alongside police.The attackers used makeshift “Carlo” submachine guns, according to images from the scene. The improvised gun, also known as a Carl Gustav, is commonly manufactured at illegal workshops in the West Bank and has been used in numerous Palestinian attacks in the past.Police said they had recovered the weapons, as well as a knife and ammunition.Law enforcement officials also said the Shin Bet security agency had arrested a resident of East Jerusalem suspected of smuggling the two gunmen into Jerusalem by car. The man has had previous run-ins with law enforcement for trying to help Palestinians reside illegally in Israel, Kan news reported.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later arrived at the scene, which he surveyed alongside National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and MK Zvi Sukkot. The prime minister also entered the number 62 bus that had come under fire.The premier offered his condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.“A mighty war against terror is taking place on all fronts,” he told reporters at the scene. “We are now pursuing and encircling the villages where the terrorists came from.”Security forces have thwarted hundreds of attacks this year, “But unfortunately, not this morning,” he said.“The fighting continues in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel “will destroy Hamas as we promised and free our hostages — all of our hostages.“Sadly, the war also continues in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria, where we have acted with great force,” he said, using the biblical term for the West Bank.Netanyahu vowed that such terror attacks would not deter Israel. “They only increase our determination to complete our missions, in Judea and Samaria too — everywhere,” he asserted.Ben Gvir talked up his controversial policy of putting as many licensed guns as possible in the hands of civilians in recent years to boost security on the streets. “Weapons save lives,” he argued.Both men also praised the ultra-Orthodox soldier who returned fire at the terrorists.Dashcam footage showed the moments of the deadly shooting attack.As shots rang out and amid sounds of screams, people could be seen scrambling to safety between vehicles.A taxi driver was also seen exiting his vehicle and then calmly helping his passenger, an elderly woman, get out of the back seat, even as a bullet appeared to fly over his head and shatter the windshield of a bus just behind him. The two then moved out of view unharmed.Malka Cohen, who was on the number 62 bus when terrorists opened fire, recounted the harrowing moments of the attack.“I was on the bus. The bus was packed,” Cohen told Channel 12. “The moment [the driver] opened the door… terrorists came. It was terrible. I was by the back door, I fell on everyone and escaped, I saved myself.”She said she hid behind another nearby vehicle until the shooting stopped and the terrorists were neutralized.“There was gunfire there beyond anything imaginable. I can’t believe I’m standing here. Indescribable gunfire,” she said.Hamas praised the deadly attack, calling it a “heroic operation.”“We affirm that this operation is a natural response to the occupation’s crimes and war of extermination it is waging against our people,” the terror group said in a statement.Hamas did not take responsibility for the attack, but called on West Bank Palestinians to “escalate the confrontation with the occupation and its settlers.”Netanyahu had been set to attend a scheduled hearing to testify in his criminal trial on Monday morning, but his lawyers told the court he would not be able to attend due to the terror attack. His attorney Noa Milstein told the court that “several severe security incidents at several scenes with fatalities” required Netanyahu to “participate in a series of consultations, security updates, [and] make urgent decisions.”Netanyahu later held a situational assessment with the heads of the security establishment, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.Ben Gvir also conducted a situational assessment with deputy police commissioner Avshalom Peled and Jerusalem District commander Amir Arzani, police said.Police blocked Route 1 through the Arazim Tunnel to eastbound traffic, law enforcement added.The last major terror attack in Jerusalem was in November 2023, when two Palestinian gunmen killed four people and injured five near the Givat Shaul neighborhood at the main entrance to the city.There have also been previous terror attacks in the Ramot Junction area. On February 10, 2023, Hussein Qaraqa, an Israeli citizen and resident of the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya, rammed his car into a group of people standing at a bus stop near Ramot Junction. Six-year-old Yaakov Yisrael Paley and 20-year-old Alter Shlomo Lederman were killed on the spot, and Paley’s older brother, Asher Menahem Paley, 8, was critically hurt and died of his wounds the following day.

These are the six victims of the terror attack in Jerusalem-Gunmen who opened fire at Ramot Junction bus stop claimed the lives of Torah scholars, a newly wed husband, a cardiologist-baker and the ‘mother’ of a religious youth group-By ToI Staff Today, 8:11 pm-SEP 8,25

A teacher, a rabbi, a father of six, a grandmother, a newlywed immigrant, and a former American cardiologist were killed Monday when terrorists opened fire at a Jerusalem bus stop on Monday morning.The two gunmen, Palestinian residents of the West Bank, arrived at the Ramot Junction shortly after 10 a.m. — according to some reports, by car — and opened fire at people waiting at a bus stop as well as at a bus that had just stopped there.The spot, near several ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, is among Jerusalem’s busiest intersections, often crowded with people waiting for buses, hitchhikers, pedestrians, and others.The attack ended when a soldier and a number of civilians who were present at the scene fired at the terrorists, killing them, police said.The dead were named as Levi Yitzhak Pash, 57, Yaakov Pinto, 25, Yisrael Matzner, 28, Rabbi Yosef David, 43, Rabbi Mordechai Steintzag, 79, and Sarah Mendelson, 60. All were residents of Jerusalem except for Pash, who lived in Tel Zion in the central West Bank.These are their stories.Yosef David, 43-David was a Torah scholar who had recently taken a job as a prayer instructor at a Haredi elementary school, the ultra-Orthodox news site JDN reported.According to the site, David was murdered when he was waiting for the bus from his job to the yeshiva where he pursued his own Torah studies. Witnesses told Hebrew media that he died clutching his books.His family described him as a pious scholar who rose early every morning without fault, and always had a wide smile on his face, JDN said.He is survived by his wife and four children, according to JDN.Yisrael Matzner, 28-Matzner, a father of three, was born in Bnei Brak and attended Haredi elementary schools in central Israel before going on to study at the venerated Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem, according to ultra-Orthodox news site Behadrei Haredim.After he wed, Matzner pursued further Torah study at Jerusalem’s Meisharim kollel (a yeshiva for married men), the news site said, quoting people in the institution as saying: “Rabbi Yisrael was noble with a gentle soul… full of Torah and intelligence and wisdom.”He is survived by his wife and children, as well as his parents, the news site said.Sara Mendelson, 60-Mendelson, also known as “Sarita,” was on her way to work at the national headquarters of Bnei Akiva, a religious Zionist youth group, where she was a member of the national leadership, the movement said.According to the movement, Mendelson had “for decades” managed municipal relations in the movement’s treasury.Netanel Alek, the movement’s deputy secretary-general, was quoted in Hebrew media as saying “Sarita was kind of the mother of Bnei Akiva and was “always smiling to everyone.”“She was always thinking how to invest the money in children and the needy,” he added.Mendelson was born in Argentina and immigrated to Israel with her family when she was 7, according to Ashdodnet, a local news site in Ashdod, where she spent part of her childhood.She is survived by her husband, four children, and several grandchildren, according to a condolence message and Hebrew media.Levi Yitzhak Pash, 57-Pash was on his way to his job at Yeshivat Kol Torah, a large Haredi institution in Jerusalem’s Bayit Vagan neighborhood, where he was a maintenance worker.He was “well-known in the neighborhood, did many good deeds, gave charity widely, and studied Torah frequently,” the yeshiva said.Pinchas, a student at the yeshiva, was quoted by religious newspaper Makor Rishon as saying Pash was hitching a ride from the Ramot Junction and was about to take the last seat in a car before giving it up to another person who was on the way to a doctor’s appointment.“He was a janitor, but when I needed to ask questions in Halacha (Jewish law) I knew I could ask him,” said Pinchas.Pash is survived by his father, his wife and six children, according to ultra-Orthodox media.Yaakov Pinto, 25-Pinto was a recent emigre from Spain who wed two months ago. He was a student at the Derech Emunah yeshiva in Lod and worked as a counselor in the dormitories of Hedvat HaTorah Yeshiva High School, a Haredi high school in Jerusalem’s Romema neighborhood. Unlike many Haredi schools, Hedvat HaTorah integrates secular subjects at an advanced level into its intense course of Torah study.Rabbi Meshulam Brandwein, the headmaster, told Haaretz that Pinto’s family could not make it to his wedding because of the war with Iran in June.“We were a family to him,” he said. “He left an entire environment and culture and came here with the motivation to be part of us, and indeed, he succeeded — not just to be a part of us but to be a significant and elevated part. He was a kind-hearted man. We’re all stunned and grieving.”Pinto is survived by his parents and wife.Mordechai Steintzag, 79-Steintzag, also known as Mark, was a former cardiologist and the proprietor of Dr. Mark’s Bakery in Beit Shemesh, which supplies healthy breads across Israel.According to the bakery’s website, Steintzag immigrated to Israel from the United States in 1993, and, recognizing a lack in healthy bread varieties, used his “medical knowledge and inspiration from Pennsylvania country life” in a mission to make healthier breads more widespread.“He dedicated his life to a path of health and humanity. For him, bread was not just a food but a symbol of warmth, home, belonging and giving,” the bakery said in a statement, offering condolences to Steintzag’s family.

Europeans call for halt to violence after Jerusalem terror attack kills six-Alongside condemnations from France, UK, Germany and others, EU spokesman says deadly shooting shows need for Israel to halt fighting in Gaza Strip-By Nava Freiberg-and Agencies Today, 5:35 pm-SPT 8,25

European leaders and diplomats condemned a terror attack on Monday that killed six people in Jerusalem, denouncing the violence and urging a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while the European Union used the occasion to press Israel to halt fighting in Gaza.European Union spokesman Anouar El Anouni said the attack shows the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza war, which was started on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian terror group Hamas led a devastating invasion of Israel.“We condemn this attack, as we condemn all loss of lives,” El Anouni said. “We call for de-escalation, and this shows how necessary and critical a ceasefire is.”“Civilians on both sides, both Palestinians and Israelis, have suffered for far too long and far too much,” he said. “And this must end now, and it is high time to break this cycle of violence.”The EU’s envoy to Israel, Michael Mann, said on X he “strongly condemn[s]” the attack, asserting that “Terrorism and violence against civilians are never justified.”In France, President Emmanuel Macron “strongly condemned the terrorist attack,” and offered condolences to the families of the victims.“The spiral of violence must come to an end. Only a political solution will bring back peace and stability for all in the region,” he wrote in a message to X that was posted in French, English, and Hebrew.Two Palestinian terrorists from the West Bank opened fire on commuters at the Ramot Junction.  They seriously injured six more people, among a number of others, before they were shot dead themselves by an off-duty soldier and an armed civilian.Speaking at a press conference alongside his Hungarian counterpart in Budapest, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar cited the shooting as evidence for the need to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state under the Palestinian Authority.Macron has spearheaded a recent push for countries to recognize a Palestinian state later this month at the UN General Assembly, leading to tensions with Jerusalem, which reportedly turned down a requested visit to the country by the French president.Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the attack as “cowardly.”“My thoughts are with the families of the victims. I hope those injured make a quick recovery,” he said.British ambassador to Israel Simon Walters called the attack “abhorrent” in a post on X, extending his “deepest condolences” to the families of those killed and injured, adding that “The cycle of violence must end.”The Palestinian Authority presidency issued a rare statement of condemnation that only indirectly referenced the attack in Jerusalem.“The presidency affirms its stance in rejecting and condemning any harm to Palestinian and Israeli civilians, and rejects all forms of violence, regardless of their source,” it said.“Security and stability will not be achieved without an end to the occupation,” and that the realization of the Palestinian people’s rights in an independent state “is the sole guarantee for ending the cycle of violence in the region,” PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s office added.The United Arab Emirates condemned “in the strongest terms” the shooting attack, said a statement from Abu Dhabi’s Foreign Ministry.The statement reiterated the UAE’s “permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability,” and sent “sincere condolences” to “the families of the victims, and to the State of Israel and its people.”Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi normalized ties in the 2020 United States-brokered Abraham Accords, though Abu Dhabi has recently warned that those ties may be threatened amid reports Israel is weighing West Bank annexation in response to moves by Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state.The six victims of the attack were named as Levi Yitzhak Pash, 57, Yaakov Pinto, 25, Yisrael Matzner, 28, Rabbi Yosef David, 43, Rabbi Mordechai Steintzag, 79, and Sarah Mendelson, 60.

At least five said killed as Israel hits Hezbollah sites in northeast Lebanon-Beqaa valley targets were used by terror group’s elite Radwan Force to store weapons and plot attacks against Israel in ‘blatant violation’ of understandings with Lebanon, IDF says By Emanuel Fabian,ToI Staff and AFP Today, 6:12 pm-SEP 8,25

At least five people were reported killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s eastern Beqaa valley targeting sites allegedly used by the Hezbollah terror group to plan attacks.According to the Israel Defense Forces, air force planes hit Hezbollah military compounds belonging to the terror group’s elite Radwan Force, where operatives were gathered and where weapons were stored.The attack involved 12 separate strikes, across the Hermel region in the north of the valley, Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen News reported.“The Israeli enemy strikes on the Bekaa and the outskirts of Hermel led to a preliminary toll of five dead and five others wounded,” Lebanon’s health ministry said.The IDF said the sites were “used by the Hezbollah terror organization for conducting training, preparing terrorists for planning and carrying out terror attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel.”“As part of the training and preparation of the terrorists in the camps, the terrorists undergo shooting drills and additional training in the use of various types of weapons,” the military said.The training and use of the sites by Hezbollah to store weapons are a “blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and pose a threat to the State of Israel,” the IDF said.Under a November 27 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, weapons in Lebanon were to be held only by the state, and the IDF was permitted to act against imminent threats by the terror group.Israel has since carried out hundreds of attacks on Hezbollah personnel or assets, the vast majority of them in southern Lebanon, though it has also taken action deeper inside the country, including in the Beqaa valley, a stronghold of the Iran-backed group.On Friday, Lebanon’s cabinet approved a plan to disarm the terror group, whose ministers and other Shi’ites in the government walked out on the meeting. Details of the disarmament plan remain secret.The ceasefire agreement came after nearly 14 months of conflict sparked by the Hezbollah’s unprovoked launching of near-daily attacks on Israeli border communities starting October 8, 2023 — a day after fellow Iran-backed group Hamas stormed southern Israel, sparking the Gaza war.The Hezbollah attacks displaced some 60,000 residents of northern Israel. In a bid to secure their return, Israel stepped up operations in Lebanon in September 2024, decimating Hezbollah’s leadership.

Israel air force intercepts three drones launched from Yemen: military.

Jerusalem, Sept 7 (AFP) Sep 07, 2025-Israel's military said it intercepted on Sunday three drones launched from Yemen, whose Huthi rebels have vowed to avenge the killing of their prime minister in an Israeli air strike last month."A short while ago, the IAF (Israeli air force) intercepted three UAVs that made their way from Yemen," the military said in a statement, adding two were downed before entering Israeli airspace. It did not specify what happened to the third.Israel assassinated the head of the Iran-backed Huthi government together with 11 other senior officials in air strikes two weeks ago.In retaliation, the Yemeni rebels have launched eight ballistic missiles and seven UAVs at Israel, all of which were intercepted or fell on the way, according to Israeli media reports.Since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023, the Huthis have declared their support for the Palestinians and have launched regular drone and missile attacks against Israel in solidarity.In response, Israel has carried out several rounds of retaliatory strikes in Yemen, targeting ports, power stations and the international airport in Sanaa, the rebel-held capital.Last week, amid the ongoing escalation, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed to inflict the biblical 10 plagues of Egypt on the Huthis.

UN nuclear watchdog warns Iran time running out for talks on inspections-IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi says progress made, but ‘not much’ time left to reach agreement on resuming international oversight as European sanctions ‘snapback’ looms-By Reuters and ToI Staff Today, 5:47 pm-SEP 8,25

VIENNA — Time is running out in talks between the UN nuclear watchdog and Iran on how to fully resume inspections in the Islamic Republic, the watchdog’s chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday, adding that he hoped the discussions would conclude within days.The International Atomic Energy Agency has not had access to Iran’s key nuclear facilities since the United States and Israel bombed them in June. Iran passed a law after the attacks suspending cooperation with the IAEA and saying any inspections had to be approved by its Supreme National Security Council.The IAEA and Iran are now in talks on the “modalities” of a full resumption of inspections, though Grossi says that does not alter Iran’s duty to allow verification measures such as inspections as a party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.“There is still time, but not much. Always enough when there is good faith and a clear sense of responsibility,” Grossi said in a statement to a quarterly meeting of the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors.“Progress has been made. It is my sincere hope that within the next few days it will be possible to come to a successful conclusion of these discussions in order to facilitate the resumption, the full resumption, of our indispensable work with Iran,” he added.Their talks are taking place against the backdrop of Europe’s top three powers having initiated a 30-day process on August 28 to re-impose sanctions on Iran. The curbs were lifted under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers that unraveled after President Donald Trump pulled the US out of it in 2018.Those three powers — France, Britain and Germany, known as the E3 — have said they will go ahead with re-imposing sanctions under the so-called “snapback” process unless IAEA inspections fully resume in Iran, and Tehran accounts for its large stock of near-weapons-grade uranium and resumes nuclear talks with the United States.“I am confident that with these practical steps (on inspections) in place, other important diplomatic consultations and processes will find a more promising ground upon which to advance towards positive outcomes,” Grossi said, apparently referring to broader diplomacy such as Iran-E3 discussions.In Tehran, Iran’s foreign ministry said the talks with the IAEA were “positive” but had not yet reached a conclusion and that no specific time frame was determined for the next round of talks.“On Saturday, the third round of negotiations ended and their results are currently being reviewed in Tehran by relevant authorities and we will announce the next steps when this review is finalized,” ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a weekly press conference on Monday.Iran, which avowedly seeks Israel’s destruction, denies trying to attain nuclear weapons, but it has enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities. The Islamic Republic took steps toward weaponization shortly before Israel launched a military operation against the program in June, according to Jerusalem.According to a confidential report published by the IAEA last week, Iran increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels before Israel began its military attack on June 13.The report by the Vienna-based agency said that as of June 13, Iran had 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60%, an increase of 32.3 kilograms (71.2 pounds) since the IAEA’s last report in May.That material is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.According to the IAEA, approximately 42 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium is theoretically enough to produce one atomic bomb, if enriched further to 90%.The confidential report also said Iran and the IAEA have not reached an agreement on resuming inspections of sites affected by Israeli and US bombing in June.It remains unclear just how much the Israeli and US strikes disrupted Iran’s nuclear program. Israel targeted Iranian nuclear and military sites, saying it could not allow Tehran to develop atomic weapons and that it feared the Islamic Republic was close.

China criticises Australia, Canada warships in Taiwan Strait.

Beijing, Sept 6 (AFP) Sep 06, 2025-China said Saturday that its military monitored the passage of Australian and Canadian warships through the Taiwan Strait, criticising their presence in the sensitive waterway as "causing trouble".Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory and claims jurisdiction over the body of water that separates the self-ruled island from the Chinese mainland."On September 6, the Canadian frigate 'Quebec' and the Australian destroyer 'Brisbane' transited the Taiwan Strait, causing trouble and provoking," said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).The PLA "organised naval and air forces to monitor and supervise their entire transits, effectively responding and handling the situation", Shi said in a statement."The actions of Canada and Australia send the wrong signals and increase security risks," he added."(Chinese) troops remain on high alert at all times, resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and security and regional peace and stability."China has not ruled out the use of force to take control of democratic Taiwan.Beijing has ramped up deployment of fighter jets and naval vessels around Taiwan in recent years to press its sovereignty claim, which Taipei rejects.The United States frequently sends ships through the Taiwan Strait, and several of its Western allies have increased their presence with regular -- though less common -- transits.In June, China criticised the United Kingdom for sending a navy patrol vessel through the waterway, saying it "undermined peace and stability".

AI giant Anthropic expands restrictions on Chinese entities by AFP Staff Writers.

San Francisco, United States (AFP) Sept 5, 2025-US artificial intelligence giant Anthropic said it was expanding restrictions on Chinese entities to include subsidiary companies and organisations based overseas, citing national security risks in an industry first.The startup, heavily backed by Amazon, is known for its Claude chatbot and AI models, and positions itself as focused on safety and responsible development.Companies based in China -- as well as in other countries including Russia, North Korea and Iran -- are already unable to access Anthropic's commercial services "due to legal, regulatory, and security risks," the company said in a statement dated Friday.Yet some groups "continue accessing our services in various ways, such as through subsidiaries incorporated in other countries," it said."When these entities access our services through subsidiaries, they could use our capabilities to develop applications and services that ultimately serve adversarial military and intelligence services and broader authoritarian objectives," Anthropic warned.Anthropic -- valued at $183 billion -- said that the change would affect entities more than 50 percent owned, directly or indirectly, by companies in unsupported regions.The update to the company's terms of service affects such entities "regardless of where they operate," it said.ChatGPT and other products from US competitor OpenAI are also unavailable within China, spurring the growth of homegrown AI models from Chinese companies such as Alibaba and Baidu.Some users in China access US generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Claude using VPN services.- First mover? -"This is the first time a major US AI company has imposed a formal, public prohibition of this kind," said Nicholas Cook, a lawyer focused on the AI industry with 15 years of experience at international law firms in China."The immediate commercial effect may be modest, since US AI providers already face barriers to operating in this market and relevant groups have been self-selecting for their own locally developed AI tech," he told AFP.But "taking a stance like this will inevitably lead to questions as to whether others will or should take a similar approach."An Anthropic executive told the Financial Times that the move would have an impact on revenues in the "low hundreds of millions of dollars."The San Francisco-headquartered company was founded in 2021 by former executives from OpenAI.It announced this week it had raised $13 billion in its latest funding round, saying it now has more than 300,000 business customers.The number of accounts on pace to generate more than $100,000 annually is nearly seven times larger than a year ago, Anthropic said Tuesday.When questioned on Anthropic's announcement at a regular briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said he was not familiar with the situation."The Chinese side has consistently opposed the politicization, instrumentalization, and weaponization of science, technology, and economic and trade issues. Such practices are not in the interest of any party," he said.Assumptions that the US was far ahead of China in the fast-moving AI sector were upended this year when Chinese start-up DeepSeek unveiled a chatbot that matched top American systems for an apparent fraction of the cost.

British PM meets Palestinian Authority chief; they agree no role for Hamas in future governance-By AFP and ToI Staff-SEP 8,25

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in London, as the UK government edges towards recognizing a Palestinian state.The leaders discussed “the need for an urgent solution to end the horrific suffering and famine” in Gaza and the release of hostages held by the Hamas terror group, a spokesperson for Starmer’s Downing Street office says in a statement.Abbas welcomed the UK’s “pledge to recognizing a Palestinian state ahead of the UN General Assembly meeting later this month, unless Israel changes its course,” the spokesperson adds.Several countries, including Britain and France, have announced they intend to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations later this month. Starmer’s government has said it will take the step if Israel fails to agree to a ceasefire in the war, triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 onslaught, or doesn’t take “substantive” steps to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace.His meeting with Abbas “is part of the prime minister’s ongoing efforts to reach a political solution to the ongoing conflict in Gaza,” Downing Street said ahead of the bilateral.During their talks, both leaders “agreed there will be absolutely no role for Hamas in the future governance of Palestine” and reiterated the need for a “long-term solution” to the conflict.Starmer “welcomed” Abbas’s “commitment to reform of the Palestinian Authority as a vital part of this work,” his office says.Abbas, 89, arrived in London on Sunday night for a three-day visit.He has been barred from attending the UN General Assembly in New York by the US State Department.

Qatar PM urges Hamas to accept latest US-backed ceasefire deal, source says-Trump reportedly tasks Jared Kushner with composing Gaza ‘day-after’ plan * Four soldiers killed in Hamas attack outside Gaza City * Katz says ‘heinous’ Jerusalem terror attack will have ‘severe and far-reaching consequences’ * Netanyahu: ’50 terror towers’ destroyed in Gaza City By ToI Staff Today, 3:12 am-SEP 8,25

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani pressed Hamas political leaders to “respond positively” to the latest US-proposed Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal during talks in Doha today, an official briefed on the talks tells Reuters.“The Qatari prime minister pressed Hamas to respond positively to the latest American proposal, conveyed through mediators, and aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza,” the official says.Hamas senior official Bassem Naim said today that the US’s Gaza ceasefire proposal amounted to “preliminary” ideas meant to elicit a rejection from the terror group.“It is clear that the primary goal is to reach the refusal of the offer and not reach an agreement that leads to the end of the war,” he said in a post on his Telegram channel, without presenting the group’s official stance.He added that Hamas is not interested in “signing a humiliating surrender document, and Hamas leadership does not include an emperor like Japan’s Hirohito,” a reference to Japan’s unconditional surrender to the US at the end of World War II.Nurit Yohanan contributed to this report. 

After reported Homs-area strike, vicinity of 2 more Syrian cities said hit by Israel-By Reuters-SEP 8,25

In addition to striking a military base near Syria’s central city of Homs, Israel has also hit targets in the vicinity of the coastal city of Latakia and the historic city of Palmyra, Syrian state-affiliated media reports.There is no immediate comment from the IDF on any of the strikes.Syrian media does not elaborate further on the size or the impact of the reported strikes.Israeli airstrikes in Syria have been relatively rare in recent months.Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.

Full transcript of September 8 Daily Briefing podcast: Trump’s last warning to Hamas-US bureau chief Jacob Magid discusses latest in hostage talks, US President Donald Trump’s optimistic tweet and a hostage deal proposal by Israel that veers from PM’s conditions-By Jessica Steinberg-and Jacob Magid Today, 6:15 pm-SEP 8,25

Below is a full transcript of today’s Daily Briefing:Jessica Steinberg: Hi, welcome to the Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing. It is Monday, September 8, and I’m Jessica Steinberg.I’m speaking today with US Bureau Chief Jacob Magid, currently in Israel. It’s day 703 of the war. Four people were killed in a terror shooting attack at the Ramot Junction in Jerusalem. The terrorists who carried out the deadly terror attack at the junction in Jerusalem were shot and neutralized at the scene. We will talk about US President Donald Trump, who on Sunday gave Hamas what he called his last warning. To agree to his terms for ending the war, Israel is reportedly seriously considering the proposal. We’ll talk about that, as well as the news that Israel has submitted a hostage deal proposal that veers away from what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted for several weeks regarding the conditions for Israel to end the war in Gaza. Stay with us.Okay, Jacob, let’s talk with what’s headlining on our pages right now. Trump’s statement, his warning to Hamas, you know, it definitely feels like there is something brewing, but it’s hard to know exactly what and how much to believe in what we’re hearing and seeing. So why don’t we first take the Trump warning and statement and you can tell us what you’ve been hearing about it.Jacob Magid: Sure. And if it feels like it’s a bit deja vu, it’s because it is. President Trump on Sunday tweeted that this is his last warning to Hamas to agree to his terms. And he says that Israel has already agreed to his terms. So that actually is something he said before. He’s claimed that Israel’s agreed to his terms exactly not so long ago. And he’s called on Hamas to do the same. Actually, in March, you can go all the way back to March when Trump has used the term last warning to Hamas. We don’t know exactly what Trump’s terms actually are, at least that not publicly. And I can talk a little bit about the reporting of what behind the scenes what they might be. But this is a threat that Trump has issued before and also a claim that Israel has accepted what’s been on the table. He’s once again after this post that kind of came not out of nowhere because there’s been a little bit of rumbling several days ago. He also called on Hamas to release the hostages, all of them, and insinuated that he would even be willing to allow them to stay in power if they just released all the hostages.That was basically his ask in that post several days ago. And then now today, he doesn’t get more specific on what, but basically is now threatening them as opposed to urging them in the previous one. But I think after that, it seems to me he’s more optimistic again. And he believes that there will be a release very soon. And again, something that he’s said before, if you recall, in June, July, there were several weeks in a row where he was talking about we’re a week away or two to three weeks away. And then he switched and said, actually, the whole time, I actually I knew that this was never going to work out, that once we got down to the final hostages, Hamas would not be willing to give them up because then Israel would go in and destroy. And therefore, he effectively gave this green light for Israel to move ahead with this Gaza City takeover operation that it’s kind of started to do, but not in full force, even though there’s been quite massive strikes over the past few days.So that’s where Trump is now. He’s a lot more optimistic. What we’re understanding, I spoke with a US official and an Arab diplomat who said that basically over the last week, US President Trump and Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, were golfing together and came together with an understanding that they wanted to put another framework together or just another push for a ceasefire, because basically it’s been the Arab mediators, Qatar and Egypt, doing the heavy lifting for the past few weeks. They had gotten Hamas to agree to the previous proposal that Israel had accepted in July. And on August 18, they finally, the Arab mediators, got Hamas to get on board. But since then, as you recall, that phased framework, Israel is no longer interested in. And as a result, the US and Israeli focus has been on getting a more immediate release of the hostages instead of in batches.And that’s basically the framework that was put together and submitted on Sunday to both Israel and Hamas. The US used a couple of intermediaries again to try to send messages to Hamas, telling them, A, that they’re willing to ensure that Israel doesn’t resume the war. So another thing that we’ve heard time and again, the concern and a need from Hamas for guarantees. And that is what they tried to assure Hamas, one, through mediators Bishara Bahbah, who they’ve used, that Palestinian-American activist who they used in recent months to try to send messages indirectly to Hamas. And now we have a new mediary named Gershon Baskin, who could be a familiar name, who’s not so new to this issue.Jessica Steinberg: Yeah.Jacob Magid: He was involved in the efforts to try to secure the release of Gilad Shalit in 2011 and has been maintaining contact with a Hamas official named Ghazi Hamad [Senior Member], who is based abroad, not in Gaza. And they’ve been in touch for a long time. And actually, Baskin announced publicly that he had cut his ties with Ghazi Hamad after he had the latter had talked about carrying out another October 7 attack, doing it again and again and not showing any remorse. And Gershon Baskin very publicly severed ties. But I guess they patched that up. And Baskin’s now once again been, according to a source familiar I spoke with, passing along messages between Witkoff and Hamas. It is a bit bizarre that that’s who they’re using. Only because Bahbah has also been in touch with Ghazi Hamad. That’s his contact with Hamas. So I don’t know why Witkoff is choosing to send messages to the same Hamas official. But that’s been his strategy. I’m not getting so involved directly either with Hamas. They had  [US businessman and government official] Adam Boehler doing that earlier in the administration. And then once that blew up, the US stopped those direct talks. So they’re using intermediaries.Jessica Steinberg: But Jacob, this is all, of course, and I know you pointed this out in your story. This is all, of course, away from Qatar, away from anything that’s happening in Qatar. It’s like a separate negotiating space, correct?Jacob Magid: Correct. I think the Egyptians and the Qataris are still involved. And definitely the Egyptians, I can talk a little bit in a bit about what they’ve been trying to do over the past few days. But I think the US is keeping them apprised of what’s happening. And I do think it is using them as well, because the US believes that both the Qataris and the Egyptians have actually been very helpful in the negotiation process. And I think you had Adam Boehler, the hostage envoy for the Trump administration, who’s not very involved in these talks, but did make a statement a couple of days ago on Twitter saying that those two countries have been great. But beyond that, I think they do want to try to use all the tools at their disposal besides, I guess, getting directly involved, besides actually coming to the region and meeting with the negotiators. He did come to Israel, but that was mainly for the Gaza humanitarian issue. So this is just another effort. I, based on the conversations that I’ve had, I wouldn’t be as optimistic as Trump is right now.And as has been the case in the past, I would say I am more cynical. But that did prove to be accurate. My understanding also is just that there’s splits between Hamas abroad and Hamas in Gaza, with the Hamas in Gaza not really trusting the US anymore because the US wasn’t able to prevent Israel from resuming the war before. And they don’t want just verbal guarantees or written guarantees. They want something more concrete. And on the Israeli side, there hasn’t actually been a cabinet discussion to to agree to this proposal that Witkoff’s talking about, that would see the immediate release of hostages, which is obviously something Israel wants. But it’s probably going to require Israel to end the war in a way that it doesn’t exactly want or isn’t exactly envisioned by [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir, [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich. So whether or not this actually even passes the Israeli side is also a question.Jessica Steinberg: All right, let’s take a break. When we’re back, we’ll talk about yet another hostage deal proposal, one that reportedly was submitted by Israel. And it veers away from the Prime Minister’s pre-announced conditions. So stay with us for that.Okay, so now we’ve gone through what we’ve been hearing from President Trump, what we’ve been hearing from Steve Witkoff and from the negotiators that have been involved. But then you also found out about a reported Israeli hostage deal proposal, yet another one that veers very far, in a sense, from what the Prime Minister has been saying are his absolute conditions for Israel to end the war in Gaza. So tell us how you came to that.Jacob Magid: Sure. So this came about towards the end of last month, so about a little over a week or two ago. And the Egyptian negotiating team came to Israel and they came with the understanding that they were trying to close a deal on a phased framework, similar to the one that Hamas accepted on August 18. Israel was saying publicly it wasn’t interested, but the signals that the mediators were getting was that it actually was open to it. And that’s why they showed up in late July. But when they arrived, Israel actually came with its own proposal and not for a phased framework, but for something more comprehensive and actually agreeing to end the war as a part of the proposal on the very first day. And I’ll get into some of the details, but what’s interesting is how it just veers. The main way it veers is talking about an end to the war up front. But there are other ways. And if you just go back to what Israel, the cabinet, agreed to on August 8, so this was actually after this proposal was submitted, but the cabinet has stuck to these proposals since, despite that this proposal is still on the table, my understanding.Basically, on August 8, there were these five conditions that Israel had set forth for what it would agree to do to end the war. The first, if you recall, was disarming Hamas completely. The second was the release of all hostages in one batch. The third is the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. So going through all the tunnels and finding other infrastructure there that needs to be destroyed. Israeli security control over the Strip and the establishment of an alternative civilian government that is in Gaza that is neither Hamas or the Palestinian Authority [PA]. So those conditions were set and approved on August 8, and Netanyahu has issued repeated statements saying, these are my conditions for ending the war, nothing less. And this proposal that Israel and Netanyahu signed off on actually does agree to something less than that. And the concept is to have a six month, basically, framework that is also set into three stages, but does up front, in addition to Israel, Green Town, the war does see all the hostages released during the first 48 hours. That’s the time that’s given. But then you have an interesting acknowledgment in the framework. It’s only a one page document, and I think it’s kept vague in a lot of ways for in order to give Israel wiggle room, but also save space for negotiations that would still need to happen. And there’s not exactly a specific timeline for each term. But what it does note is that even though there’s 48 hours to release all the hostages, there’s a recognition that Hamas doesn’t know, unfortunately, where all the bodies of hostages that it’s still holding are located.Israel does believe it has an idea of where most of them are. But the fact that there’s even acknowledgment on the Israeli side that Hamas doesn’t know where all of them are and gives them basically time to look for them. And that’s part of, I guess you could say, the first, second and third stage, depending on when they find those remaining hostages. But those first 48 hours, you get all the living ones out. And the first phase will also see the disarmament of Hamas’s heavy weaponry. The second phase moves to light weaponry. And then the third phase sees Israel withdraw from Gaza and to the perimeter, what is what it’s called, basically to one kilometer around the border of the Strip, including the Philadelphia Corridor. So that’s something that’s probably would be very difficult for Hamas to agree to and even the Egyptians to agree to because they don’t like the idea of Israel controlling that area. But there’s also a very long list of conditions that Israel wants to see before it agrees to fully withdraw. One of them is that Hamas returns the remaining bodies. The other is that the disarmament process is completed. Another is that you have an established governing, even the word Palestinian is used, which is pretty noteworthy, a new government in Gaza that is able to start administering the Strip.The idea of that happening within six months also seems a little bit difficult to imagine. But what’s noteworthy also is that it doesn’t rule out the PA in the way that the cabinet proposal does. I’m not sure if that’s because, bottom line, Bibi is willing to allow for some role for the PA or he recognizes that the Arab support that he needs in order to rebuild the Strip is conditioned on PA involvement or because this is something that wasn’t passed in the cabinet. So he was able to get that through without upsetting Ben-Gvir, Smotrich. Now, the officials I spoke with said this is still a long shot proposal and they don’t agree that this is the right approach to take. But they are going to try to incorporate different aspects of it into what they’re going to be trying to do in the coming days.Jessica Steinberg: So how does this jive with what we talked about in the first half of the podcast? Right. We’ve got there is the last warning proposal, the Hamas proposal, the proposal Hamas is currently supposedly reportedly considering. And now we have this. Do we think they’re essentially one in the same?Jacob Magid: No, that’s something else. But I think what it shows is that there are different approaches to try to get this done. I think also you’ll see whatever the final deal is that’s really reached, it will probably incorporate various aspects of this proposal. And my understanding is that the US framework, which is a lot more general than this, does do that also does take parts of this idea that Israel put forward. But it is definitely interesting to see that some of the stuff that some of the things Netanyahu is saying publicly are not necessarily what’s happening behind the scenes.Jessica Steinberg: Right. Right. The constant reiteration of I will only this can only happen under the conditions that you just laid out.Now, Jacob, you are in Israel right now. You are in Jerusalem Saturday night at the weekly hostage protest in Jerusalem, not the one in Tel Aviv. The one in Jerusalem this week was much larger than usual. I was also there. The speakers included three hostage mothers, Vicky Cohen, Anat Angrest, and Einav Zangauker. The tone, I thought, was very intense, very powerful. What was it like for you to be there? And given all the news headlines that are swirling around us right now, given what we what we’re covering, what we’re talking about?Jacob Magid: Yeah, I’m surprised I didn’t see you there, Jessica, because I was running around, not running, but walking around to really try to get a feel because this was my first time at one of these protests since almost a year ago. So it’s a very different vibe, as you mentioned, and a lot more intense. Yeah, this was the first time I’d been at one of these protests, given that I’m not based here. It’s been almost a year, I would say, since I went. And it was a very different vibe. Definitely. There’s always unique facets to Jerusalem versus going to one in Tel Aviv. And that was the last one I was at. But definitely it was very emotional to be there. I think maybe it’s something that people are used to if they go every week or it’s less emotional for them or it’s really just the same.Jessica Steinberg: Very heavy atmosphere every week. But I think the rhetoric, as you mentioned, was incredibly bitter.Jacob Magid: I think it was actually Elad Katzir’s sister who was a slain hostage who used the term that Netanyahu or the government is putting the remaining living hostages in front of a firing squad. That was a pretty far reaching on her part. And you had, of course, as you mentioned, the three other hostage mothers who also spoke very bitterly about their feelings with this government. And it seemed like unanimity in terms of the feeling in the crowd. I did notice at one point there was some shouting between, I think it actually was just members of the protests who obviously support a hostage deal. And there was a Channel 14 reporter, the pro Netanyahu hardline right wing network that was sent a correspondent to cover. And I think they were getting into a fight with her and each each side was telling each other to go back to Gaza. I think that’s kind of the very sad deterioration of kind of the social cohesion that we’ve seen. It was probably before the war with this judicial overhaul protest, but now definitely it’s in high drive since. I think it was helpful to get beyond the ground and see the emotions up close. I think it can help inform the way I’m trying to report on these issues from abroad. But obviously, emotions are very high right now in Israel on all sides of the political spectrum.Jessica Steinberg: For sure. I noticed having not been there for a while, obviously there’s a much larger crowd. I didn’t even actually see all of it, but I could sense it going in different directions, down different streets. And because, you know, usually in Jerusalem, the speakers are often hostage family members or reservists or families of reservists. But this time, because it was those particular three mothers and Carmit Platy Katzir, the sister of Elad Katzir, her father was also killed. Her mother was taken hostage and brought back and died of illness and a broken heart. It was, there was a sense of, there was a sense of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem coming together. That’s kind of what I felt like on Saturday night that we haven’t seen that in a while. You know, and I look around as a Jerusalemite and I see many, many familiar faces and really from a lot of different walks of life in Jerusalem. And for me as a Jerusalemite, it’s the sense of community that you don’t get all the time any longer, but you do feel it in those moments at a weekly protest. And maybe that’s also, in a sense, as complicated as it is, people come out for that as well.Jacob Magid: Yeah, I mean, there’s the, yes, there is obviously a breakdown in some ways, as I mentioned, of social cohesion in the country. But I think what these protests are also based off of in another way is the idea of social cohesion, that you don’t leave anyone behind. And that’s what the Israelis are showing up for on a weekly basis, despite the possible reality that this is not going to change anything. And that they’ve, I mean, they’ve seen the fact that they’ve come out every week and it hasn’t led to a deal or led to the government to make compromises that they would like to see. And yet they still show up because they feel that they are, they have a commitment to secure the release of every citizen that’s still in Gaza.Jessica Steinberg: And that is actually what hostage family members tell me over and over again. Many of them still go, still go out to the protests, the weekly protests, most of them to Tel Aviv, but not only. And they tell me that they are very well aware that the protests may not have accomplished anything. But for them to see Israelis out there, thousands of them on a weekly basis, supporting them, backing them, it gives them that strength to go on and do what they’ve been doing. So there you have that, right?Jacob Magid: Yeah.Jessica Steinberg: OK. All right. Let’s call an end to this Daily Briefing.Thanks, Jacob, for being with us. And it’s been good to have you here on this side of the ocean.Jacob Magid: Thanks, Jessica.Jessica Steinberg: And thanks to you for listening to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s installment. This episode was produced by The Podwaves. Always feel free to recommend us to other listeners and rate us wherever you find your podcasts. Until next time, take care, be well, have yourselves a good week.

In blow to Macron, French lawmakers oust prime minister after 9 months in office-No obvious successor in line for Francois Bayrou, the 5th PM under Macron since 2022; poll shows most French want president to resign rather than name a new premier By Anne Renaut and Stuart Williams Today, 11:30 pm

PARIS, France (AFP) — France’s parliament on Monday ousted the government of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after just nine months in office, leaving President Emmanuel Macron rushing to find a viable successor within the coming days.Bayrou had blindsided even his allies by calling a confidence vote to end a lengthy standoff over his austerity budget, which foresaw almost 44 billion euros ($52 billion) of cost savings to reduce France’s debt pile.In the vote in the National Assembly, 364 deputies voted that they had no confidence in the government while just 194 gave it their confidence. “In line with article 50 of the constitution, the prime minister must submit the resignation of his government,” said speaker Yael Braun-Pivet.Bayrou became the first prime minister in the history of modern France to be ousted in a confidence vote, which is called by the premier, rather than a no-confidence vote, which is called by parliament.The French presidency said in a statement that Macron “took note” of the outcome and said he would name a new premier “in the next days,” ending any remaining speculation that the president could instead call snap elections.Macron will meet Bayrou Tuesday “to accept the resignation of his government,” it added.Bayrou is the sixth prime minister under Macron since the president’s 2017 election, but the fifth since 2022. Bayrou’s ousting leaves Macron with a new domestic headache at a time when he is leading diplomatic efforts over Russia’s war on Ukraine war.But defending his decision to call the high-risk confidence vote, Bayrou told the National Assembly: “The biggest risk was not to take one, to let things continue without anything changing… and have business as usual.”Describing the debt pile as “life-threatening” for France, Bayrou said his government had put forward a plan so that the country could “in a few years’ time escape the inexorable tide of debt that is submerging it.”Unpopular president-Macron now faces one of the most critical decisions of his presidency over who to appoint as the seventh prime minister of an increasingly turbulent mandate.The Socialist Party (PS) has expressed readiness to lead a new government, but it is far from clear whether such an administration led by a figure such as PS leader Olivier Faure could survive.“I think it’s time for the left to govern this country again and make sure we can break with the policies of the last eight years,” Faure told TF1 television.Heavyweight right-wing cabinet ministers, such as Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, are trusted by Macron, but risk being voted out by the left.Lower-profile options exist, but who could find a center-left consensus that would include Health Minister Catherine Vautrin or Finance Minister Eric Lombard? According to a poll by Odoxa-Backbone for Le Figaro newspaper, 64 percent of the French want Macron to resign rather than name a new prime minister, a move he has ruled out. He is forbidden from standing for a third term in 2027.Le Pen ruling-Alongside political upheaval, France is also facing social tensions. A left-wing collective named “Block Everything” is calling for a day of action on Wednesday, and trade unions have urged workers to strike on September 18.The 2027 presidential election meanwhile remains wide open, with analysts predicting the French far-right will have its best-ever chance of winning.Three-time presidential candidate for the National Rally (RN) Marine Le Pen suffered a blow in March when a French court convicted her and other party officials over an EU parliament fake jobs scam.Le Pen was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, two of which were suspended, and also banned her from standing for office for five years, which would scupper her ambition of taking part in the 2027 vote — unless overturned on appeal.But a Paris court said Monday that her appeal would be heard from January 13 to February 12, 2026, well before the election — potentially resurrecting her presidential hopes.Cheered by her MPs, Le Pen urged Macron to call snap legislative elections, saying holding the polls is “not an option but an obligation.”

Sa'ar: Spain has chosen to stand with Hamas against Israel-Spain sanctions Israel over Gaza ‘genocide,’ recalls envoy after antisemitism charge-Israel sanctions two Spanish ministers, accuses country of ‘overt antisemitism’ after Madrid freezes defense ties, bans settlement goods and bars entry of those taking part in warBy Nava Freiberg-and Agencies Today, 7:39 pm-SEP 8,25

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced an arms embargo and partial import ban over Israel’s wartime conduct in Gaza, setting off an angry back-and-forth that culminated in Madrid pulling its envoy from Tel Aviv.In a televised address, Sanchez said the sanctions and other measures against Israel were aimed to “stop the genocide in Gaza, pursue its perpetrators, and support the Palestinian population.”Aside from an embargo on defense trade with Israel, Sanchez said Spain would also bar entry of those participating in what he dubbed a “genocide” against Palestinians, prohibit Israel-bound ships and aircraft carrying weapons from docking at Spain’s ports or entering its airspace, and ban the import of goods from West Bank settlements.The wide-reaching measures were condemned by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who announced shortly ahead of Sanchez’s address that he would impose sanctions on two Spanish ministers, accusing Spain’s government of advancing antisemitic policies.“The government of Spain is leading a hostile, anti-Israel line, marked by wild, hate-filled rhetoric,” Sa’ar said, accusing Sanchez’s administration of trying to “divert attention from grave corruption scandals” with its anti-Israel stance.In response to Sa’ar’s accusations, Spain’s Foreign Ministry said it was recalling its ambassador from Tel Aviv for consultations.Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares made the decision “in the face of the slanderous accusations against Spain and the unacceptable measures against two members of our country’s government,” a foreign ministry source said.The Foreign Ministry in Israel did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the move.The exchange marked a new low in ties between Jerusalem and Madrid, which have steadily deteriorated, as Spain’s government has expressed increasing anger and frustration against Israel over the war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which killed some 1,200 people, most of them civilians.Spain’s government has prohibited sales and purchases on military equipment with Israel since the start of the war, however, the recently announced measures would enshrine the prohibition in law, Sanchez said in his statement.The Spanish premier added that “those people participating directly in the genocide, the violation of human rights and war crimes in the Gaza Strip” will be barred from entering Spanish territory.Spain will also ban the importation of products from “illegal settlements” in the West Bank with the aim of stopping “the forced displacement of the Palestinian population” and supporting the two-state solution, he continued. Consular services for Spanish citizens residing in Israeli settlements will also be limited “to the legally obligatory minimum assistance.”Sanchez also announced new collaboration projects in agriculture, food security and medical aid to support the Palestinian Authority and additional humanitarian funds for Palestinians.Sanchez, an outspoken critic of Israel, is the most senior European leader to have called the fighting in Gaza a “genocide.” His left-wing government broke with European allies last year by recognizing a Palestinian state, a move which infuriated Israel.Several European countries, including France and the UK, have since announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state next month.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 64,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.Sa’ar hits back-Shortly ahead of Sanchez’s speech, Foreign Minister Sa’ar issued a lengthy statement announcing that Israel would impose sanctions on Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz and Minister of Children and Youth Sira Rego.“It is no longer possible to avoid imposing personal sanctions on members of the Spanish government who have crossed every red line,” Sa’ar said in his announcement. “The entry of these ministers into Israel is prohibited, and Israel will not maintain any contact with them.”He said the Spanish government’s statements and policy are “tainted” with antisemitism, and the issue would be brought to the plenary of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, accusing Spanish politicians of “overt antisemitism.”“Further decisions will be taken in due course,” he added.At a later press conference in Budapest, Sa’ar said Spain would suffer more from the arms trade ban than Israel would.“If [Spain wants] to halt defense ties with Israel, who do you think will lose from that? We don’t need Spain to defend the land of Israel. On the contrary, they probably need Israeli capabilities far more than we need theirs,” he said.In response to Sa’ar’s statement about antisemitism, the Spanish Foreign Ministry said it “strongly rejects the false and slanderous accusations of antisemitism” and that Madrid “would not be intimidated in its defense of peace, international law and human rights.”Spanish national slain in terror attack-Sanchez’s announcement came as Palestinian gunmen opened fire on a crowded Israeli bus stop, killing six people and wounding 12 more. Among those killed was 25-year-old Spanish-Israeli dual national Yaakov Pinto, and Sa’ar later linked the attack to European moves toward recognition of a Palestinian state, which Israel has charged is a reward for terror.Sanchez expressed his “strongest condemnation” of the shooting attack.“I wish to convey my condolences to the Israeli people and, in particular, to the families of the victims, among whom is the Spanish citizen Yaakov Pinto,” Sanchez wrote in a Spanish-language post on X.“Violence is not the way. We are convinced that peace in the Middle East is possible,” he added.Sa’ar blasted Sanchez on X for the timing of his announcement.“At the very same time that [Sanchez] attacked Israel — Palestinian terrorists attacked and murdered six Israelis, among them [Pinto]” wrote Sa’ar on X.“Sanchez, and his twisted ministers who justified the [2023 Hamas-led] October 7 massacre, has long since chosen to stand with Hamas and against Israel. Disgraceful!” the foreign minister fumed.

Putin: Foreign troops in Ukraine would be seen as 'legitimate targets'by Simon Corlett.

Washington DC (UPI) Sep 5, 2025-A day after the concept was discussed among European nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday any foreign troops sent to Ukraine would become "legitimate targets for destruction."Putin made the remarks in response to the concept of a European-constructed "reassurance force," while speaking at the annual Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian Pacific port city of Vladivostok."If any troops appear there, especially now, during the fighting, we assume that they will be legitimate targets for destruction," Putin said in a speech during the forum Friday."Peace guarantees must be for both Russia and Ukraine."Putin also touched on the possibility of reaching a peace deal with Ukraine, calling the idea "practically impossible."Moscow continues to steadfastly reject any idea of Ukraine joining NATO, one of the key hurdles to any peace deal."I do not see much point. Why? Because it is nearly impossible to reach agreement with the Ukrainian side on key issues," Putin said Friday, when asked about possible direct peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.On Thursday, the so-called "Coalition of the Willing" met in Paris to discuss the idea of a reassurance force.The group is largely composed of European entities and led by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. It includes leaders of 34 supporters of Ukraine and would provide military support only after any peace agreement is reached between Moscow and Kyiv, to ensure terms are adhered to.Both Starmer and Macron said any such force would need the support of the United States. Macron confirmed Thursday any reassurance force would only be deployed to stop "any new major aggression" on the part of Russian troops.

China's Xi calls on BRICS countries to 'resist all forms of protectionism'

Beijing, Sept 8 (AFP) Sep 08, 2025-Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the 11-nation BRICS bloc to "resist all forms of protectionism" at a virtual leaders' summit on Monday."We must uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core and resist all forms of protectionism," he said in his speech to the group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia."No matter how the international situation changes, we must remain steadfast in promoting the building of an open global economy, sharing opportunities and achieving win-win results through openness," Xi added.Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva convened the virtual meeting to discuss "the defence of multilateralism".

Mahdism: The Apocalyptic Insanity Behind Iran’s Nuclear Program-iStock.com/huseyintuncer-Shi'a Muslims in Iran commemorating the death of Hussain, whom they revere as one of the true early leaders of Islam.By Raymond Ibrahim Published on December 19, 2023

The West’s greatest blind spot concerning Iran’s nuclear program can perhaps be summed up in one word — Mahdism.The Muslim doctrine of Mahdism revolves around an eschatological figure — the Mahdi, or “Rightly Guided One”—who vanquishes evil and ushers in Islamic rule during the end times. Both Sunnis and Shias believe in the Mahdi, though they have different versions of his exact nature and role.Iran’s Apocalypse Doctrine-The Islamic Republic of Iran is a Shia nation of the “Twelver” variety. Like all Shias, Iran believes that true leadership of the Muslim world belongs to the prophet Muhammad’s bloodline, beginning with Ali (Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law through his marriage to the prophet’s daughter, Fatima). According to Shia teaching, Ali was the first “rightly guided” imam, followed by his male descendants. Like Muhammad, all of them are seen as infallible and the true interpreters of Islamic law.For the Twelvers of Iran, Muhammad ibn Hasan — better known as Muhammad al-Mahdi — is the twelfth and final imam (other Shias, such as the Fivers and Seveners, believe the Imamate ends with the fifth and seventh imams, respectively). Born in 868, al-Mahdi is believed to have gone into a state of “occultation” in 874 — meaning Allah miraculously caused him to “disappear.” Still alive, the 1,155 year-old Muhammad al-Mahdi is patiently biding his time to return and usher in the takeover of the Muslim — and eventually entire — world.While such traditions may seem harmless enough, Mahdism poses a serious, though vastly overlooked, threat to international security, primarily because its current articulation in Iran requires its adherents to take “proactive” steps to help usher in the Mahdi — most notably by initiating an “apocalyptic” showdown with the “greater” and “lesser” satans, namely, America and Israel.An Ideological Army-No entity is more wedded to — or indoctrinated in — Mahdism than Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which, as described by Iran’s 1979 Constitution, is an “ideological army,” mandated with an “ideological mission of jihad in Allah’s way.”As Hojatoleslam Ali Saeedi, then representative of the Supreme Leader to the IRGC, said in a 2012 speech, “The IRGC is one of the tools for paving the way for the emergence of the Imam of the Age [Mahdi] in the field of a regional and international awakening.”In 2015, Mehdi Taeb, a leading cleric and brother of Hossein Taeb, the head of the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization, made clear how they are to “pave the way.” In a speech, he called on IRGC members to “remove the obstacles to the emergence of the Imam of the Age, the most important of which is the existence of the usurper regime of Israel (emphasis added).”Israel Must Die-A Middle East Institute paper from 2022, titled “Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the Rising Cult of Mahdism,” elaborates on the growing importance of eliminating Israel in the context of Iranian Mahdism:The IRGC is increasingly understanding and communicating its official policy of eradicating Israel and Zionism through the doctrine of Mahdism. While the destruction of Israel has been the IRGC’s working objective since its inception, like other Islamist groups this hostility was borne out of viewing the Jewish state [as] an illegitimate, oppressive, and usurping entity for the West to achieve its supposed colonial goals across the Muslim world. More recently, however, the existence of Israel is being viewed and understood as the ‘greatest barrier’ to the reappearance of the 12th Imam. According to the doctrine of Mahdism, part of preparing for the reappearance of the 12th Imam is removing all obstacles and barriers to his return.Against this backdrop, Iran’s hardline clergy affiliated with the IRGC claim religious hadiths state that the ‘Jewish state will be destroyed before Mahdi’s arrival.’ According to these accounts, which are legitimized through religious scripture, ‘Sh’ia Muslims will be on the side of the war against Jews’ prior to the reappearance of Mahdi. As such, the collapse of [the] ‘Israeli regime and Zionist Jews’ at the behest of ‘Iran and the Resistance Axis’ will take place ‘prior to the emergence of Mahdi.’ … Indeed, the ideological belief that the eradication of Israel is a necessary step for the reappearance of the 12th Imam is increasingly being mainstreamed in the IRGC.Still, considering that Mahdism has had a renewed and official place in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution — which occurred a full 44 years ago — the threat it poses may not seem overly urgent. In reality, however, it is only recently that Iran has begun to pound the cult of Mahdi into the minds of both Iran’s youth and the IRGC. As a result, current and upcoming generations are much keener on playing a role in facilitating the return of Mahdi than the generations immediately following the Islamic revolution of 1979. According to the 2022 paper:Since its inception, the Guard has had a formal program of ‘ideological-political’ training that seeks to radicalize its members, recruits, and their families. Over time the scope of this training has significantly increased and today it accounts for more than half of the required training for both incoming recruits and existing members.Please Support The Stream: Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.The great change came under Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, particularly following 2009 post-election unrest. As a result, “the third (2000-10) and forth generations (2010-20) of IRGC members are among the most ideologically radical in the Guard.”Khamenei and his hardline circle have sought to nurture a more radical IRGC generation by dedicating more time to ideological indoctrination of its members. The promotion system within the ranks of the IRGC also favors ideological conviction over technical expertise, ensuring the most zealous members rise up within the chain of command…. From the post-2009 period onwards, the doctrine of Mahdism has become one of the main prisms through which the IRGC and affiliated hardline clerics would understand the world around them and the IRGC’s actions, as well as communicate that understanding. In turn, there has been greater emphasis on viewing the IRGC as the military vehicle to prepare the foundations for the reappearance of the 12th Imam, with policy objectives such as hostility toward the U.S. and the eradication of Israel being understood through this prism…. In this regard, efforts by Khamenei and the Guard’s Ideological-Political Organization to nurture a more radical generation among the IRGC has paid, and is paying, dividends.”Iran Is Getting More Radical, Not Less-In short, while Mahdism has been around for ages, certain developments — a recent uptick in indoctrination and an entire generation of fanatical Mahdists coming of age and at the helm of Iran — make it especially dangerous in the current era, though few in the West are even aware of its existence and role. As the 2022 paper observes:[D]evoted Mahdists could occupy senior leadership positions. Such a scenario could have far-reaching consequences as it would bring the three pillars of the IRGC’s foreign policy — militias, ballistic missiles, and the nuclear program — under their control. Even if a small number of devout Mahdists occupy senior positions in the Guard, it is possible that they may seek to facilitate and speed up the return of Mahdi. This would have major implications for some of the policies that are being understood through the prism of Mahdism, such as Israel’s existence being the ‘greatest barrier’ to the reappearance of the 12th Imam. At present the doctrine of Mahdism in the IRGC remains a complete blind spot for Western policymakers, yet it could have major implications for the Islamic Republic’s militia network, ballistic missile program, and even its nuclear program.In other words, when it comes to Iran and nukes, the so-called “balance of power” theory does not apply. According to this widely accepted model, the more nations have nuclear weapons, the more “balanced” they are apt to behave towards one another. No one nation will be tempted to “press the button” if it knows that doing so will cause the button to be pressed against it.This, however, only applies to rational nations interested in self-preservation. For nations whose leaders and upcoming leaders have been systematically indoctrinated into believing that the greatest good is to usher in a “rightly guided” figure from Islamic legend — no matter the cost, including to that nation itself — the implications are nothing short of apocalyptic.Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West and Sword and Scimitar is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN

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

MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

EZEKIEL 32:6-9
6  I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7  And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
8  All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9  I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.

REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator and baby murderers by abortion) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

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

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

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP) (HOT SUN, NUKES ETC)
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 
7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON THE MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS-PROPHECY SIGNS) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)

6.4-Vanuatu region-2025-09-08 21:47:48 (UTC)-10.0 km 

‘Blood moon’ rises in skies above Israel during total lunar eclipse-Israelis camp out with families and friends to catch a glimpse of phenomenon that was visible across Asia and swaths of Europe and Africa By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 2:30 am-SEP 7,25

Israelis across the country stepped outside to catch a glimpse of a “blood moon” during a rare total lunar eclipse on Sunday evening, as did millions of people around the world.The eclipse was visible across Asia and swaths of Europe and Africa.Many in Israel camped out with their families or friends to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon in the early evening hours.When the sun, Earth and moon line up, the shadow cast by the planet on its satellite makes it appear an eerie, deep red color that has astounded humans for millennia.People in Asia, including India and China, were best placed to see Sunday’s total eclipse, which was also visible on the eastern edge of Africa as well as in western Australia.The total lunar eclipse lasted from 7:30 p.m. to 8:52 p.m local time in Israel.Stargazers in Europe and Africa also got a brief chance to see a partial eclipse just as the moon rose during the early evening, but the Americas missed out.The moon appears red during lunar eclipses because the only sunlight reaching it is “reflected and scattered through the Earth’s atmosphere,” said Ryan Milligan, an astrophysicist at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland.Blue wavelengths of light are shorter than red ones, so are more easily dispersed as they travel through Earth’s atmosphere, he told AFP. “That’s what gives the moon its red, bloody color.”While special glasses or pinhole projectors are needed to safely observe solar eclipses, all that is required to see a lunar eclipse is clear weather — and being in the right spot.The last total lunar eclipse was in March this year, while the one before that was in 2022. A rare total solar eclipse, when the Moon blocks out the light from the Sun, will be visible in a sliver of Europe on August 12, 2026.Next year’s totality — the first in mainland Europe since 2006 — will be visible only in Spain and Iceland, though other countries will be able to see a significant partial eclipse.In Spain, the totality will be visible in a roughly 160-kilometer (100-mile) band between Madrid and Barcelona, but neither city will see the full phenomenon, Milligan said.It will be the first total solar eclipse since one swept across North America in April 2024.

Total lunar eclipse will paint the full moon blood red for over 7 billion skywatchers tonight-Story by Daisy Dobrijevic-SEP 7,25

Tonight (Sept. 7–8, 2025), the moon will slip into Earth's shadow for a total lunar eclipse — creating a dramatic 'blood moon'.It's completely safe to watch with the naked eye; no filters or glasses are needed. All you need to do is make sure you find the moon at the right time, sit back, relax and enjoy the show.If you live outside of the viewing area or can't make it outside to view the eclipse live, luckily you can watch the blood moon total lunar eclipse on Sept. 7 with these free livestreams, or right here at Space.com. You can also follow along with our lunar eclipse live blog for updates, images and milestones as the eclipse unfolds. Find everything you need to know about the total lunar eclipse with our comprehensive September 2025 total lunar eclipse guide.Asia and Western Australia get the full show. Much of Europe and Africa will see the moon already in totality as it rises, while the Americas will miss out this time. Altogether, over 7 billion people will be in range of at least part of the eclipse, according to Time and Date.When to look-The eclipse runs from 11:28 a.m. EDT (15:28 GMT) to 4:55 p.m. EDT (20:55 GMT). The highlight is the unusually long 82 minutes of totality, lasting from 1:30 p.m. to 2:52 p.m. EDT (17:30 to 18:52 GMT).This eclipse occurs just 2.7 days before the moon reaches perigee, or its closest point to Earth. That makes the moon appear slightly larger than usual, adding to the spectacle.Viewing tips for tonight-Beat the clouds: Check your local forecast and have a nearby backup spot.Give it time: The drama builds slowly — plan to watch before, during and after totality.Low horizon? In parts of Europe, the moon rises already eclipsed. Pick an observing spot with a clear view of the eastern horizon.No kit required: Binoculars help with detail, but aren't essential.Because the moon will sit deep within Earth's umbra — the darkest part of our planet's shadow — expect a rich, dark red hue during totality. Lunar eclipses can vary in brightness depending on Earth's atmosphere, but this one is forecast to be particularly striking.Editor's note: If you capture a photo of the total lunar eclipse and would like to share it with us, please email it over to spacephotos@space.com along with any comments. 

‘Blood Moon’ to rise Sunday night in Asia, including Israel, during total lunar eclipse-As Earth comes between Sun and Moon, eclipse will peak for those in Israel between 8:30 p.m. and 9:52 p.m.; phenomenon also visible in parts of Europe, Australia and Africa By AFP and ToI Staff 7 September 2025, 6:29 am

Stargazers, including in Israel, will have a chance to see a “Blood Moon” on Sunday night during a total lunar eclipse visible across Asia and swaths of Europe, Australia and Africa.When the Sun, Earth and Moon line up, the shadow cast by the planet on its satellite makes the latter appear an eerie, deep red color that has astounded humans for millennia.People in Asia, including India and China, will be best placed to see Sunday’s total eclipse, which will also be visible on the eastern edge of Africa as well as in western Australia.Stargazers in Europe and Africa will get a brief chance to see a partial eclipse just as the Moon rises during the early evening, while the Americas will miss out.The total lunar eclipse will last from 1730 GMT to 1852 GMT.The partial eclipse begins when it is 6:28 p.m. in Israel, though the Moon will only rise in the Jewish state at 6:51 p.m. The Moon will gradually grow darker and redder until the full eclipse takes place from 8:30 p.m. until 9:52 p.m., with the eclipse peaking at 9:12 p.m.The Moon will then gradually grow brighter until the eclipse ends at 11:55 p.m.The Moon appears red during lunar eclipses because the only sunlight reaching it is “reflected and scattered through the Earth’s atmosphere,” said Ryan Milligan, an astrophysicist at Northern Ireland’s Queen’s University Belfast.Blue wavelengths of light are shorter than red ones, so are more easily dispersed as they travel through Earth’s atmosphere, he told AFP.“That’s what gives the moon its red, bloody color.”While special glasses or pinhole projectors are needed to safely observe solar eclipses, all that is required to see a lunar eclipse is clear weather — and being in the right spot.The last total lunar eclipse was in March this year, while the one before that was in 2022.Milligan, a self-described “solar eclipse chaser,” said he considered Sunday’s event a prelude to what he called the “big one” next year.A rare total solar eclipse, when the Moon blocks out the light from the Sun, will be visible in a sliver of Europe on August 12, 2026.For more than a decade, Milligan has traveled the world to witness 12 totalities, which is when the Moon completely obscures the Sun.Next year’s totality — the first in mainland Europe since 2006 — will be visible only in Spain and Iceland, though other countries will be able to see a significant partial eclipse.In Spain, the totality will be visible in a roughly 160-kilometer (100-mile) band between Madrid and Barcelona, but neither city will see the full phenomenon, Milligan said.It will be the first total solar eclipse since one swept across North America in April 2024.

Manitoba Hydro pledges to restore power to Mathias Colomb Cree Nation by end of September-By APTN National News-Sep 05, 2025

100 days after wildfires, frustrated evacuees can hope they may finally be going home-Chief Gordie Bear of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation at a press conference in Winnipeg.Manitoba Hydro says it will restore partial power to critical infrastructure at Mathias Colomb Cree Nation by Sept. 11 and full power the week of Sept. 28.The news comes 100 days after the community was evacuated due to wildfires that swept the province last May.“We’ve got to get home,” Bear told reporters at a news conference in Winnipeg on Friday. “Our children are suffering, we’re suffering. We’re trying to keep each other intact as leaders. As supporters.”The Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (Puktawagan) is located 800 km northwest of Winnipeg near the Saskatchewan border. Most of its citizens were relocated to Winnipeg, Brandon and Niagara Falls, Ont.According to Manitoba Hydro, they have been in discussions with the community’s leadership.“We appreciate and understand the difficult situation they are in. We are focusing our efforts on safely restoring power as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson wrote in an email to APTN News.Officials at Manitoba Hydro say 253 wood pole structures were damaged or destroyed in the community and along two transmission lines. They have repaired or replaced 155 so far.Many areas are in remote, difficult terrain accessible only by helicopter and holes must be bored in rock to set new poles, according to Manitoba Hydro.First Nation leaders from Manitoba chastised the federal and provincial governments for failing to follow through on a verbal promise to provide a northern Cree community with a generator.Bear said people are ready to go home, and he had asked for four generators costing $8 million to get the infrastructure, including the water treatment plant, back online.The generators would be permanent and used for future outages, as it is not uncommon for the community to lose power due to fire and other outages.

The Washington Post-Why are so many of Canada’s wildfires burning ‘out of control’?Story by Angie Orellana Hernandez-SEP 7,25

Of the more than 200 wildfires incinerating Canadian forests — and sending smoke into the United States — more than half are burning “out of control,” and some are being monitored but allowed to burn, Canadian authorities said.As fires intensify, so do concerns over air quality. But conditions on the ground mean that suppressing many of the fires swiftly is not realistic, authorities and researchers say.Although Canadian authorities have mobilized a “full response” to most of the fires, which means firefighters are actively trying to suppress them, the majority are expected to continue growing, and some are being observed and analyzed without an immediate response, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC) said.Severe winds and smoke complicate suppression efforts, significantly impairing visibility, and remote areas with tall flames pose significant challenges for the deployment of firefighters, according to wildfire researchers in Canada. If there’s no imminent threat to human life or buildings and infrastructure, it is common practice for wildfires not to be immediately suppressed, said Paul Kovacs, executive director for the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction in Toronto.“Part of risk management is occasionally you say, ‘What’s appropriate for what we know about this fire?’ It’s possible that the proper response is to let it burn,” Kovacs said.The fires have scorched some 5.4 million acres, according to the CIFFC, mostly in forested areas north of the county’s major population centers. Two people died in fires last month in the province of Manitoba, according to reporting by the CBC, Canada’s national broadcaster.Whether a fire is fought, and to what degree, comes down to decisions by agencies on the ground across Canada’s provinces, Awa Cissé, a communications officer for CIFFC, said in an email.Authorities in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, which border the United States, have declared states of emergency. In Manitoba, 17,000 residents have been ordered to leave in the “largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people’s living memory,” Premier Wab Kinew said at a news conference last week.Historically, Indigenous communities, most of whom live in fire-prone and under-resourced areas, are disproportionately affected by wildfires, the Canadian government says.Of the 203 active blazes, about 104 are deemed “out of control” by CIFFC as of Wednesday and an additional seven are “out of control” but are being monitored by fire agencies. About 24 fires are not expected to grow past boundaries already determined by authorities and about 68 are contained and expected to be extinguished.The biggest wildfires are concentrated in Canada’s boreal forest, which spans the country’s vast north. Experts say fires are more difficult to contain in remote parts of Canada than places more dense with roads and infrastructure, such as California.All Canadian firefighters have been mobilized in response to the fires, and about 140 firefighters from the United States are also engaged, though that number can change as the situation develops, the CIFFC said.Far-reaching heavy plumes of smoke have traveled across North America, an inevitability given the atmospheric conditions, said fire ecologist Lori Daniels, a professor in the department of forest and conservation sciences at the University of British Columbia.Smoke has reached as far as Europe, skies were hazy in northern Florida over the weekend, and air quality in the U.S. Midwest and on the East Coast has been affected. The National Weather Service issued air quality warnings Wednesday, including for parts of New York and New England. Smoke particles can cause health issues and worsen asthma, experts warn.“The atmosphere doesn’t differentiate between international borders,” Daniels said. “That’s a reality on both sides of the border. We sometimes drink smoke that comes from the U.S., and unfortunately, right now, the U.S. is drinking smoke that comes from Canada.”While the smoke might be harmful to humans, wildfires are not purely destructive — another reason the goal is not always to extinguish them. They are sometimes determined to be beneficial by provincial agencies, to get rid of forest pests and maintain land, according to Mike Flannigan, an expert on wildfires at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia. In the boreal forest, Flannigan said, blazes are part of a “cycle of life” on land home to highly flammable spruce and pine trees.

New earthquake hits Afghanistan as death toll from first rises to 2,205-The initial 6.0 magnitude quake hit villages near the border with Pakistan.ByMorgan Winsor-September 4, 2025, 3:11 PM

LONDON -- Another earthquake has hit eastern Afghanistan as the death toll from Sunday's powerful earthquake climbed to 2,205, with another 3,640 people injured, a Taliban government spokesman said Thursday.The Thursday earthquake was a moderate 5.6 magnitude, according to the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center. It was still unclear whether the new quake caused further damage.Search and rescue efforts from the initial quake are ongoing in the affected areas, according to Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat, who provided the updated casualty numbers via social media.
An Afghan man looks for his belongings amidst the rubble of his collapsed house after a deadly magnitude 6 earthquake that struck Afghanistan on Sunday, at Lulam village, in Nurgal district, Kunar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 3, 2025."Tents have been installed for displaced families in multiple locations," he said, "and the organized distribution of primary and urgent humanitarian assistance is currently underway."The 6.0 magnitude quake struck just before midnight on Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.A series of aftershocks struck amid rescue efforts, including a 5.2 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday about 20 miles northeast of Jalalabad, according to the USGS.

Darfur landslide kills over 1,000 as Sudan reels from war and humanitarian crisis-FP News Desk • September 5, 2025, 23:55:33 IST

The deadly mountain landslide in Sudan’s western region of Darfur over the weekend killed as many as 200 children, a prominent aid group said Friday, with rescue operations in the area still underway.A massive landslide in Sudan’s conflict-hit Darfur region has claimed over a thousand lives, with aid workers saying many of the victims were children. The disaster struck on August 31, burying villages under mud and debris even as the country continues to grapple with a devastating civil war.Save the Children reported on Friday that around 200 children were among the dead. The group said 150 survivors, including 40 children, had been pulled out alive and were receiving treatment for their injuries. Rescue teams remain on site, searching for more people feared trapped.“This is a tragedy within the larger tragedy that Sudan is already enduring. It stands as one of the worst natural disasters in the country’s history,” said Francesco Lanino, Save the Children’s operations director in Sudan, speaking to The Associated Press.The landslide comes at a time when Sudan is already facing one of the world’s gravest humanitarian emergencies. The civil war, which erupted in Khartoum in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has since spread nationwide. The conflict has left more than 40,000 people dead and displaced around 12 million, compounding food shortages, disease outbreaks, and the collapse of essential services.Sudanese authorities recovered on Thursday the bodies of 375 people who died in the Aug. 31 landslide that followed days of heavy rains in the village of Tarasin in the Marrah Mountains.The landslide killed as many as 1,000 people, Mohamed Abdel-Rahman al-Nair, a spokesperson for the Sudan Liberation Movement Army, has said. The United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs had a similar death toll estimate but said it’s hard to confirm the magnitude of the tragedy because the area is hard to reach.“Think about a village with all its existing schools and health facilities totally under the mud, and half of the mountain collapsed all over the village which is fully covered so there is nothing left of the existing structure,” Lanino said.Lanino said his team arrived at Tarasin and its surrounding areas on Friday after heading out Thursday morning using donkeys due to the rough terrain and destroyed roads in areas of Darfur affected by heavy rains. He added that the village is outside of any cellular phone network or any other way to communicate with the outside world.Lanino said the team was shocked to see that almost half of the mountain had collapsed on the village at its bottom. He said the landslide involved at least two waves with the first starting Sunday afternoon, according to survivors who spoke with the group. A few hours later came the second wave, which hit nearby villages and victimized villagers who had been helping people hit by the initial wave.Lanino estimated that thousands are missing as the number of people still trapped under the mud is unclear. Survivors counted by Save the Children are now receiving medical and protection support from the aid group.Residents and local authorities still fear another landslide because there is still heavy rain.“People living by Tarasin they’re saying it’s still raining, that ’we can somehow hear the sound of the mountains cracking’ and they are really worried that more landslides might come,” said Lanino.This prompted people to move to nearby villages around 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the main center of the tragedy, but they still lack food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter and the ability to move to further safer locations that are away from the bottom of the mountains.Save the Children and other aid groups are delivering aid to affected people and helping facilitate their relocation to safer areas by camel and donkey.

There Is No Such Thing As ‘Transgender,’ Detransitioner Explains-By The Ruth Institute Published on November 23, 2024-The Ruth Institute

The transgender industry pretends to be concerned about resolving the mental distress of people with gender identity disorder. In fact, it’s a psychiatric and medical scam, detransitioner Walt Heyer tells Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse.Back in 1981, Heyer’s doctor lobbied to get gender dysphoria into the psychiatric reference guide, the DSM — not because it would help the patients, but because it would make it easier to sell wrong-sex hormones and genital surgeries.In subsequent decades, a full-blown industry emerged — raking in billions every year, blighting lives, and sterilizing children. The doctors involved made millions, and many of the patients walked away with loads of questions and mountains of regret. Heyer has dedicated his life to helping patients who have been betrayed by the system.The Ruth Institute is a global nonprofit organization, leading an international interfaith coalition to defend the family and build a civilization of love. Founder and President Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse is the author of The Sexual State: How Elite Ideologies are Destroying Lives and Love and Economics: It Takes a Family to Raise a Village. Subscribe to the group’s newsletter and YouTube channel to get all its latest news. You can also subscribe to the Ruth Institute’s channel on Locals, the free-speech alternative to YouTube.