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)
IRAN CRYS ABOUT TRUMP SAYING EITHER "BOMBS" OR A DEAL WILL STOP IT FROM GETTING NUKES.
EZEK 39:11-16
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: (IN THE JORDAN VALLEY) and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
13 Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord God.
14 And they shall sever out men of continual employment, (NUCLEAR SPECIALISTS) passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.
MEANING OF HAMONAH
Hamonah, ham-o'-nah (Heb.)-- host; multitude; noise; tumult; commotion of mind. The prophetic name of a city that is mentioned in conjunction with Hamon-gog: "And Hamonah shall also be the name of a city.
Metaphysical meaning of Hamonah (mbd) - Truth Unity
Strong's Lexicon-Hamonah: Hamonah-Original Word: הֲמוֹנָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location-Transliteration: Hamownah
Pronunciation: hah-mo-NAH-Phonetic Spelling: (ham-o-naw')
Definition: Hamonah-Meaning: Hamonah
Word Origin: Derived from the Hebrew root הָמוֹן (H1995), meaning "multitude" or "abundance."Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Greek equivalent for "Hamonah" in the Strong's Greek Dictionary, as it is a specific Hebrew proper noun. However, the concept of a multitude or abundance can be related to Greek words like πλῆθος (G4128), meaning "multitude."Usage: The term "Hamonah" is used as a proper noun referring to a specific location mentioned in the prophetic literature of the Old Testament. It is associated with the aftermath of a significant battle, symbolizing the multitude of the slain.Cultural and Historical Background: In the context of the Hebrew Bible, names often carry significant meaning and are used to convey theological and prophetic messages. "Hamonah" is mentioned in the book of Ezekiel, a prophetic text that addresses the restoration of Israel and the judgment of the nations. The name reflects the abundance of God's judgment upon the enemies of Israel, serving as a reminder of divine justice and sovereignty.
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.
The terror group said that mediators had promised to resolve issues preventing the continued flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, though a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied a Qatari report that mobile homes and heavy equipment were entering the Strip.
The Prime Minister’s Office called the Al Jazeera report, which claimed the mobile homes and earth-moving equipment would be allowed into the Strip on Thursday, “fake news.”“There is no basis for it,” the statement said, with Netanyahu spokesman Omer Dostri following up a short while later with a clarification that “there is no entry of mobile homes or heavy equipment into Gaza, and there is no coordination for it.”Egyptian security sources told Reuters they expected heavy construction equipment to enter on Thursday and if that happened then Hamas would release hostages on Saturday as scheduled.The terror group’s statement came a day after a Hamas delegation, led by top official Khalil al-Hayya, arrived in Cairo for talks with mediators on the flailing hostage-ceasefire agreement sealed last month.Hamas said it did not want the deal to collapse, though it rejected what it called the “language of threats and intimidation” from Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, who have said the ceasefire should end if the hostages are not released.“Accordingly, Hamas reaffirms its commitment to implementing the agreement as signed, including the exchange of prisoners according to the specified timeline,” the terror group said in a statement, adding that both Egyptian and Qatari mediators would press on with efforts “to remove obstacles and close gaps.”The fragile ceasefire has been strained since Hamas announced on Monday that it wouldn’t release hostages on Saturday as planned, accusing Israel of preventing aid from reaching the Strip, which Israel denies. Trump then warned that “hell” would break loose if Hamas failed to release all the hostages being held in Gaza by Saturday.Following those remarks, Netanyahu said Israel would resume “intense fighting” in Gaza if Hamas did not return hostages by Saturday noon. Israel then put out a series of conflicting statements saying Hamas must release “our hostages,” “nine hostages,” and “all of them” for the ceasefire to continue.Touring Gaza on Thursday morning, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar said forces were prepared for an escalation if the hostage deal with Hamas collapses.In remarks provided by the Shin Bet, Bar said that alongside efforts to complete the hostage release deal with Hamas, “the forces on the ground are at a high level of readiness to deal with various scenarios, including preparations for an escalation in the area.”Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter, a member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, told public radio on Thursday that he did not believe Hamas would be able to get out of the agreement.“There’s a deal, they won’t be able to give anything less than what is in the deal,” he said. “I don’t believe that Hamas can behave otherwise.”Hamas says 73,000 tents delivered but no mobile homes-The terror group said on Thursday that the most recent talks in Cairo have focused on issues such as Israel’s allowing the entry of mobile homes, tents, medical and fuel supplies, and heavy machinery needed for the removal of rubble.Salama Marouf, head of the Hamas-run government media office in Gaza, told Reuters only 73,000 of the required 200,000 tents had arrived in the enclave, while no mobile homes had been permitted so far.COGAT, the Defense Ministry agency overseeing aid deliveries into Gaza, said 400,000 tents had so far been allowed in, while countries meant to supply mobile homes had not yet sent them.International aid officials confirmed that aid was coming in despite considerable logistical problems, though they cautioned that far more was needed.“We have seen improvement in some ways, but certainly, the response is nowhere near enough to meet the needs of so many people who face so much destruction and loss,” said Shaina Low, an official from the Norwegian Refugee Council based in the Jordanian capital Amman.She said shelter materials were going in, despite Israeli restrictions on so-called “dual use” materials which can also be used for military purposes.Under the ceasefire, Hamas has so far released 16 Israeli hostages from an initial group of 33 children, women, and older men agreed to be exchanged for almost 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners and detainees in the first stage of a multi-phase deal. Hamas also freed five Thai hostages in an unscheduled release in January.Negotiations on a second phase of the agreement, which mediators had hoped would see the release of the remaining hostages as well as the full withdrawal of Israel Defense Forces troops from Gaza, were supposed to be already underway in Doha but an Israeli team returned home on Monday, two days after arriving.The threat to cancel the 42-day initial ceasefire that formed the basis of the agreement has drawn thousands of Israeli protesters onto the streets this week, calling on the government to stick with the deal in order to bring the remaining hostages home.Earlier on Thursday, Channel 12 news reported that Hamas was expected to release three hostages on Saturday, as per the truce schedule, if the hostage-ceasefire deal holds.Israel had reportedly sent a message to Hamas through mediators Egypt and Qatar that the deal would continue if the terror group released three hostages, as scheduled, on Saturday.Meanwhile, Hamas politburo official Husam Badran called for massive marches in the West Bank and East Jerusalem over the weekend in opposition to Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza in order to rebuild the war-torn enclave.Badran additionally called on Palestinians to mobilize amid escalating violence in the northern West Bank as Israeli troops continue a weeks-long counter-terror operation, urging them to “take part in the global movement” and unify “around the option of resistance.”Trump’s plan to take over Gaza has alarmed the Arab world, particularly Jordan and Egypt, which the US president has singled out as primary candidates to host relocated Palestinians.The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, mostly civilians, amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.Seventy-three of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF.Hamas has so far released 21 hostages — civilians, soldiers, and Thai nationals — during the ceasefire that began in January. Another 17 hostages are slated for release in the first phase of the accord, of whom the terror group has said eight are dead.Hamas also freed 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, and four hostages were released before that.Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 40 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors.Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the body of an IDF soldier who was killed in 2014. The body of another IDF soldier, also killed in 2014, was recovered from Gaza in January.Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.
Backing return to fighting, Rubio says Israel can’t let Hamas use ceasefire to rearm-US secretary of state reiterates Trump’s warnings that Israel will go in and eliminate terror group unless all hostages are released, but expresses hope issue ‘resolves itself’ By Jacob Magid,Lazar Berman-and ToI Staff Today, 1:08 pm-FEB 12,25
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Israel could not allow Hamas to use a ceasefire in Gaza to rearm, appearing to back a potential resumption of fighting by Israeli forces as a three-week-old truce and hostage release deal teetered on the precipice of collapse.Taking a victory lap through US news networks following a deal securing the release of American Marc Fogel from Russian prison, Rubio echoed tough talk from US President Donald Trump who said that Hamas would face harsh consequences if hostages were not released as planned Saturday, accusing the terror group of breaching the deal while expressing hope that the issue “resolves itself.”Hamas said Monday — and reiterated Tuesday — that it planned to delay the release of three hostages due to be freed Saturday because Israel allegedly failed to meet the terms of the ceasefire, including by not allowing an agreed-upon number of tents and other aid into Gaza.A spokesperson for the Defense Ministry unit coordinating aid deliveries has dismissed the Hamas officials’ claim as “totally fake news.”Asked about the Hamas claim by cable network NewsNation, Rubio responded that “you can’t believe anything Hamas says.” But he also appeared to justify potential Israeli restrictions on what goods can enter the Strip.“Part of the challenge here is that Hamas continues to use networks to smuggle in weaponry and aid for themselves to reconstitute themselves,” Rubio said.“Israel can’t allow that to happen. You can’t allow Hamas to use the ceasefire to rebuild itself and recover strength,” he continued. “It’s a ceasefire, but it’s not a stupid ceasefire.”The three-stage ceasefire agreement, reached last month, halted some 15 months of fighting triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel, when thousands of terrorists invaded southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 hostages.The deal requires Hamas to release all its hostages and Israel to release thousands of Palestinian security prisoners — including hundreds serving life sentences — and halt the fighting in the Strip, followed by negotiations for a “sustainable calm” and IDF withdrawal from the enclave.There are currently 17 hostages, living and dead, still set to return amid the deal’s ongoing 42-day first phase.On Monday, Trump proposed that Israel end the ceasefire and resume fighting if all hostages are not released by Saturday at noon.The ultimatum was partially adopted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Tuesday that the ceasefire would end if hostages were not freed Saturday without explicitly demanding that all 76 hostages still in Gaza, including the remains of those killed, be released then.In a series of shambolic statements, the government threatened a return to war if “our hostages” were not released, later revised that to demand that all nine living hostages slated to be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire be released “in the coming days,” and finally reverted to demanding “all of them” be freed, while leaving the door open to various interpretations.According to Army Radio, the vague statements reflected confusion in the security cabinet about the specifics of Trump’s demands.“We are in a situation where we can’t refuse to adopt [the plan from] Trump, and therefore the prime minister’s wording was convoluted,” an unnamed minister was quoted telling the station.Rubio said Trump had decided to demand that all hostages be freed after seeing the condition of three emaciated hostages released on February 8.“The president is tired of the drip, drip, drip… he wants people out. You saw the condition of the hostages that were released just a week ago, and they were on the verge of death,” he said.The secretary of state described the ceasefire as “very tenuous” while reiterating the threats issued by Trump.“He wants to see them released, and he’s made very clear that if that’s not the case on Saturday, then all bets are off,” Rubio told NewsNation. “And it’s not going to be good for Hamas. But let’s hope that that resolves itself. I don’t think anyone wants to see a resumption of hostilities.”In a separate interview with Fox News, Rubio accused Hamas of “breaking the deal,” without elaborating.He predicted a collapse of the ceasefire would return the region to “where we were a few months ago where Hamas is going to be eliminated and the Israelis are going to go in and take care of that problem.”Hamas said on Tuesday that Trump’s threat to “let hell break out” on Gaza if all hostages are not returned by Saturday “has no value and further complicates matters.”“Trump must remember that there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties and this is the only way to return the prisoners,” Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP, referring to the hostages.The Israel Defense Forces has girded for a possible resumption of fighting since Hamas’s Monday announcement, bolstering troop levels on the Gaza border, canceling planned leave for soldiers and testing sirens in the Tel Aviv area Wednesday morning.Negotiations on the agreement’s second phase — to include the return of the remaining 59 hostages, the release of many more Palestinian security prisoners, a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and a permanent ceasefire — were meant to begin last week, but have also been thrown into doubt by the flurry of threats and warnings in recent days.Netanyahu had already appeared to suggest a resumption of fighting with Hamas would take place rather than continuing to the second phase of the deal, while Trump had called for Israel to destroy Hamas and relocate Palestinians outside of the Strip to pave the way for an American takeover and redevelopment of the enclave.Sitting alongside Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Jordan’s King Abdullah announced that Amman would take in 2,000 sick children from Gaza, seeking to curry favor with Washington after the president threatened to withhold aid unless Jordan and Egypt agreed to take in Palestinians as part of his controversial plan.Rubio said Washington was open to hearing alternative plans from Arab allies who oppose Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza.“If people don’t like the Trump plan for Gaza — right now it’s the only plan. It’s now incumbent upon the Arab countries… if they think they’ve got a better plan, we need to hear it,” he said.Egypt said Tuesday that it would “present a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction” of the Gaza Strip that ensures Palestinians remain on their land, while expressing hopes of cooperating with the Trump administration “to reach comprehensive and just peace in the region.”
Senior Arab officials warn Trump’s Gaza plan would inflame Middle East-Arab League secretary general says scheme would have ‘damaging effect on peace and stability’; Gulf Cooperation Council chief urges ‘give and take’ with Arab world on issue By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 1:51 pm-FEB 12,25
US President Donald Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and resettle Palestinians, which has drawn global condemnation, will threaten the fragile ceasefire in the enclave and fuel regional instability, senior Arab officials said on Wednesday.Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned the World Government Summit in Dubai that if Trump pressed ahead with his plan, he would lead the Middle East into a new cycle of crises with a “damaging effect on peace and stability.”Trump enraged the Arab world by declaring unexpectedly that the United States would take over Gaza, resettle its over 2 million Palestinian population, and develop it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”“It’s unacceptable for the Arab world,” Aboul Gheit said.Palestinians fear a repeat of the “Nakba,” or catastrophe, when nearly 800,000 people fled or were driven out during the war that started when Arab states invaded the fledgling State of Israel in 1948. Many fled to the Gaza Strip.Trump has said that Gazans removed under his plan would have no right to return.A three-stage ceasefire agreement, reached last month, halted some 15 months of fighting triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel, when it led thousands of invading terrorists who killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.The deal requires Hamas to release all its hostages and Israel to release thousands of Palestinian security prisoners — including hundreds serving life sentences — and cease fighting in the Strip, followed by negotiations for a “sustainable calm” and IDF withdrawal from the enclave.Hamas has gradually been releasing hostages since the first phase of the ceasefire began on January 19, but on Monday said it would not free any more over accusations Israel was violating the deal.The threat drew calls from the international community that Hamas honor its commitments, while Trump said that if the hostages aren’t released on time the ceasefire should be stopped.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Tuesday the ceasefire in Gaza would end and the military would resume fighting Hamas until it was defeated if the terror group did not release hostages by midday on Saturday. Hamas later issued a statement renewing its commitment to the ceasefire and accusing Israel of jeopardizing it.“If the situation explodes militarily once more, all this (ceasefire) effort will be wasted,” Aboul Gheit said.Jasem al-Budaiwi, who heads the oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council political and economic alliance, called on Trump to remember the strong ties between the region and Washington.“But there has to be give and take, he says his opinion, and the Arab world should say theirs; what he is saying won’t be accepted by the Arab world.”Trump has said the Palestinians in Gaza, an impoverished tiny strip of land, could settle in countries like Jordan, which already has a huge Palestinian population, and Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous state. Both have rejected the proposal.For Jordan, Trump’s talk of resettlement comes close to its nightmare of a mass expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank, with the idea of Jordan becoming an alternative Palestinian home long promoted by ultra-nationalist Israelis.Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi partly views it as a security issue. He believes Islamists like Hamas are an existential threat to Egypt and beyond and would not welcome any members of the group crossing the border and settling in Egypt.Egypt will host an emergency Arab summit on February 27 to discuss “serious” developments for Palestinians.Aboul Gheit said the idea of the Arab Peace Initiative floated in 2002, in which Arab nations offered Israel normalized ties in return for a statehood deal with the Palestinians and full Israeli withdrawal from territory captured in 1967, would be reintroduced.Trump’s plan has rattled decades of US policy that endorsed a two-state solution in which Israel and a Palestinian state would coexist.Seventy-three of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF.Hamas has so far released 21 hostages — civilians, soldiers, and Thai nationals — during the ceasefire that began in January. The terror group freed 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, and four hostages were released before that.Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 40 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the Israeli military as they tried to escape their captors.Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the body of an IDF soldier who was killed in 2014. The body of another IDF soldier, also killed in 2014, was recovered from Gaza in January.
Egypt to present ‘comprehensive’ plan for Gaza reconstruction without displacement-Cairo says it wants to cooperate with US, but stresses its solution will enable Palestinians to stay in enclave ‘with the legitimate and legal rights of this people’By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 8:31 am-FEB 12,25
Egypt plans to “present a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction” of the Gaza Strip that ensures Palestinians remain on their land, the Egyptian foreign ministry said late Tuesday.The statement came a day after US President Donald Trump said he could “conceivably” halt aid to Egypt and Jordan if they refuse to cooperate with his plan to take over the Gaza Strip and displace its population to their countries.The foreign ministry said Egypt “hopes to cooperate” with Trump’s administration on the matter, with the goal of “reaching a fair settlement of the Palestinian cause.”It said its plan would provide for the reconstruction of Gaza “in a clear and decisive manner that ensures the Palestinian people stay on their land and in line with the legitimate and legal rights of this people.”During a meeting with Trump in Washington on Tuesday, Jordan’s King Abdullah II said Egypt would present a plan that Arab leaders would discuss at coming talks.Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi — who exchanged invitations for state visits with Trump last month, which have not yet been scheduled — on Tuesday urged the reconstruction of Gaza “without displacing Palestinians.”During a phone call with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Sissi “stressed the necessity of starting the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip… without displacing Palestinians and in a way that ensures the preservation of their rights… to live on their land.”Sissi also said the establishment of a Palestinian state was “the only guarantee for achieving lasting peace” in the region, according to a statement from his office.Gaza was largely laid waste during the war between Israel and Hamas that began on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian terror group that rules the Strip led thousands of terrorists to invade southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 to Gaza.The US, Egypt, and Qatar mediated a complex, three-phase ceasefire that began last month and includes the gradual release of the hostages and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.Trump has proposed the US taking over Gaza and clearing Palestinians out, envisioning rebuilding the devastated territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East” after resettling Palestinians elsewhere, namely Egypt and Jordan.His remarks have sparked a global backlash and Arab countries have condemned the proposal, insisting on a two-state solution of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.On Monday, Egypt’s foreign ministry rejected “any compromise” that would infringe on Palestinians’ rights, including their right to “remaining on the land,” in a statement issued shortly after Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, in Washington.The fragile ceasefire, barely halfway through its first stage, is already wobbling as Hamas has said it will not deliver the next batch of captives scheduled for release on Saturday, alleging Israeli violations of the pact.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday the ceasefire would be over and Israel would resume “intense fighting” in Gaza if Hamas doesn’t release the hostages by midday Saturday.
Abdullah says Jordan will take in 2,000 sick Gazan kids as Trump pushes relocation plan-US president calls king’s pledge ‘music to his ears’; wants ‘parcel of land’ in Jordan and Egypt for Gazans; doesn’t believe Hamas will release all hostages by his Saturday deadline By Jacob Magid-Today, 5:20 am-FEB 12,25
WASHINGTON — Sitting alongside Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Jordan’s King Abdullah announced that Amman would take in 2,000 sick children from Gaza, seeking to curry favor with a US president who had threatened to withhold aid if Jordan did not agree to take in Palestinians as part of his plan for Washington to take over the enclave and relocate its population.The figure proposed by Abdullah amounts to roughly 0.1% of the Gaza Strip’s population, but Trump was delighted nonetheless.“That’s so beautiful. It’s music to my ears,” said the US president.Trump’s plan to take over Gaza has alarmed the Arab world, particularly Jordan and Egypt, which the president has singled out as primary candidates to host relocated Palestinians. Cairo and Amman have rejected Trump’s proposal outright, viewing the arrival of so many Gazans as a security threat and arguing it would expand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into their borders.Both countries have sought to push back on the plan without entirely burning their bridges with Trump, who appears to be at the apex of his power after Republicans won the White House and full control of Congress in the November 2024 US elections.As they took questions from reporters between their one-on-one meeting and a subsequent sit-down with their advisers, Trump claimed there would likely be a “parcel of land” in Jordan and Egypt where the Palestinians would be housed.Asked whether he approved of this idea, a visibly uncomfortable Abdullah responded, “I have to look at the best interests of my country.” The king repeatedly dodged questions from reporters about the US proposal.Trump has stood by his Gaza plan, though his aides said last week that Washington was prepared to hear other ideas for rebuilding the Strip and expected Arab allies to come forward with their own proposals, rather than just rejecting the one from the US.In his opening remarks to reporters, Abdullah said the Arab world was working on putting together such a plan and that Egypt was leading the effort.Later Tuesday, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry announced that it plans to “present a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction” of the Gaza Strip that ensures Palestinians remain on their land.Egypt “hopes to cooperate” with the Trump administration “to reach comprehensive and just peace in the region,” the statement said.Abdullah noted that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also invited Arab counterparts to discuss the matter in Riyadh.Trump then claimed to largely know what the Arab plan will be. “It’s going to be… magnificent for the Palestinians. They’re going to be in love with it. I did very well with real estate. I can tell you about real estate.”In the meantime, the Jordanian monarch said his country was prepared to “take 2,000 children [who] either [have] cancer or are in a very ill state to Jordan as quickly as possible.”The king said that the Jordanian initiative will require cooperation from COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.“The best way to get [them out of Gaza] is by helicopters to get them straight to our institutions,” he said. “Quite a few countries will also probably like to take some of those kids and have them treated in their hospitals.”Abdullah also made a point in his opening remarks to lavish praise on Trump.“With all the challenges that we have in the Middle East, I finally see somebody [who] can take us across the finish line to bring stability, peace and prosperity to all of us in the region,” he said.2 million people ‘a very small number of people’Trump repeatedly dismissed claims that his Gaza plan amounts to ethnic cleansing, insisting that Palestinians want to leave.“We’re moving them to a beautiful location where they’ll have new homes, where they can live safely, where they have doctors and medical and all of those things. It’s going to be great,” Trump told reporters.Pressed on how he can simply relocate 2 million people, Trump responded, “It’s a very small number of people relative to other things that have taken place over the decades and centuries.”Asked if he’ll force Palestinians out if they don’t want to leave Gaza, Trump replied, “They’re going to be very happy.”“No place in the world is as dangerous as the Gaza Strip. They don’t want to be there. They have no alternative,” the US president said.Despite claiming that the US will own the Strip, Trump asserted that Washington won’t have to pay for it. “We’re not going to buy anything. We’re going to have it. We’re going to keep it, and we’re going to make sure that there’s going to be peace… and nobody’s going to question it.”Asked where he wants Palestinians to live, Trump responded, “It’s not about where I want them to live. It’s going to be where we ultimately choose as a group.”Trump then walked back his Monday threat to withhold aid from Egypt and Jordan if they don’t agree to take in Palestinians.“I don’t want to [threaten] that because we’ve had such a good relationship and we’re doing so well just in the short time that we’ve been talking,” he said.“The king just made a statement — I didn’t ask him to do that — about literally saving 2,000 young children from the Gaza Strip,” Trump noted. “We do contribute a lot of money to Jordan and to Egypt… But I don’t have to threaten that. We’re above that.”Asked if he’d consider other countries for housing Gazans, Trump said he would, claiming that lots of nations “want to get involved.”Trump slams Hamas ‘bullies,’ says annexation for another dayTrump was also asked about the 12 p.m. Saturday deadline he set a day earlier for Hamas to release all remaining Israeli hostages, and he said he didn’t expect Hamas to meet it.“They want to play tough guy, but we’ll see how tough they are,” Trump said. “Hamas is bullies. The weakest people are bullies.”Asked whether he’ll back Israeli annexation of the West Bank, Trump responded, “That’s going to work out very well… work out automatically.”“That’s not really what we’re talking about today,” he said.Last week, Trump said he’d be making an announcement regarding Israeli annexation of the West Bank in about four weeks.“It’s in good shape,” Trump said Tuesday.“We discussed it, other people have discussed it with us and with me,” he continued. “The West Bank is going to work out very well.”‘A man of peace’After the meeting, Abdullah tweeted that his talks with Trump were “constructive,” but said he used the meeting to reiterate “Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.”“This is the unified Arab position,” he added. “Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all.”Still, Abdullah called Trump “a man of peace,” praising him for ushering in the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal last month. “We look to the US and all stakeholders in ensuring it holds.”Abdullah said he also emphasized to Trump the importance of working toward a de-escalation of tensions in the West Bank.
Troops neutralize explosive-laden car, Palestinian shot near army base, in West Bank-Military says troops have killed over 60 Palestinian terror operatives, detained over 210, amid ongoing counter-terrorism operation expected to last several more weeks By Emanuel Fabian-Today, 5:05 pm-feb 13,25
Israeli troops shot a Palestinian suspect at the entrance to a military base near Nablus on Thursday, while commando troops destroyed an explosive-laden car in Jenin, amid the ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the West Bank.The Palestinian suspect was shot by soldiers at the entrance to the Samaria Regional Brigade’s base near Nablus, the Israel Defense Forces saidHe arrived at the entrance to the base in a vehicle, reportedly crashed into a fence, and tried to flee before being shot by the soldiers.“The suspect was neutralized after moving suspiciously toward the forces,” theIDF said.The condition of the man was not immediately clear, and the military’s comments provided no details about it. No soldiers were wounded in the incident.Also Thursday, troops of the Egoz commando unit destroyed an explosive-laden car in the West Bank city of Jenin, the military said.Footage published by the IDF showed a drone dropping a bomb on the parked car.In addition, the IDF said that on Wednesday, troops of the Maglan commando unit killed three gunmen during an exchange of fire in the Nur Shams camp near Tulkarem. One soldier was moderately wounded in the incident.The clashes came amid an offensive, dubbed Operation Iron Wall, that was launched on January 21 and that the military expects to last several more weeks.Israeli forces have been operating in the Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas areas.Troops have killed more than 60 Palestinian terror operatives and detained more than 210 amid the major ongoing counter-terrorism operation, the military said on Thursday.The IDF has acknowledged mistakenly killing several civilians during the operation, including a toddler and a pregnant woman.
INVENTION OF THE ATOMIC BOMB.
2 PETER 3:10-11
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements (NUKES) shall melt with fervent heat,(BLAST) the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.(BUT ITS NO END OF THE WORLD HOGWASH)
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,(BY NUKES INCLUDING 3 BILLION PEOPLE) what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US THAT WE CAN BE SAVED FOREVER.AND DURING WW3 PEOPLES BLOOD WILL BE SHED AS A JUDGEMENT FOR HATING HIM AND ISRAEL.GOD IS NOT MOCKED.
ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
PSALMS 97:3
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
EZEKIEL 5:15-17
15 So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the (ARAB/MUSLIM) nations that are round about thee,(ISRAEL) when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
17 So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts,(WHEN RUSSIA/MUSLIMS GET DEFEATED THIER BODIES GET EATEN BY BIRDS,ANIMALS IN ISRAEL MIGRATION SEASON) and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee;(NUKES) and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.
REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)
ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 3 BILLION).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:3,30
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMBS)(RUSSIA CHINA DESTROYED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
NAHUM 3:13
13 Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars.
Iran slams Trump for saying either ‘bombs’ or a deal will stop it from getting nuke-Tehran’s UN mission decries ‘deeply alarming and irresponsible’ remarks, after US president said he’d prefer to make an agreement ‘that’s not gonna hurt them’By AFP Today, 12:36 am-FEB 12,,25
Iran’s mission to the United Nations condemned on Tuesday remarks made by US President Donald Trump suggesting stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons could be achieved either “with bombs” or a deal.In an interview broadcast on Monday by Fox News, Trump said he believed there were two ways of stopping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, “with bombs or with a written piece of paper.”“I’d much rather do a deal that’s not gonna hurt them,” he said, adding that “I’d love to make a deal with them without bombing them.”On Tuesday, Iran submitted a letter to the UN Security Council to register its protest against what it called Trump’s “deeply alarming and irresponsible remarks.”“These reckless and inflammatory statements flagrantly violate international law and the UN Charter, particularly Article 2(4), which prohibits threats or use of force against sovereign states,” said Iran’s head of mission Saeed Iravani in the letter published by the official IRNA news agency.He further warned that “any act of aggression will have severe consequences, for which the United States will bear full responsibility.”Trump’s remarks came amid renewed tensions after he reinstated his “maximum pressure” policy against Iran over concerns the country was seeking to develop nuclear weapons.Tehran insists its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons.In the letter, Iravani also condemned the policy saying it “reinforces unlawful, unilateral coercive measures and escalates hostility against Iran”During Trump’s first term, which ended in 2021, Washington withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal that had imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.Tehran continued to adhere to the deal — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — until a year after Washington pulled out, but then began rolling back its commitments.Efforts to revive the 2015 deal have since faltered.On Friday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said there should not be negotiations with the United States, after Trump suggested striking a “verified nuclear peace agreement” with Iran.“No problem will be solved by negotiating with America,” he said, citing previous “experience.”
IDF strikes 2 Palestinians in Gaza allegedly picking up a drone flown from Israel-UAV, apparently used by smugglers, was tracked as it flew into Palestinian enclave’s south; IAF drone hits men as they try to retrieve it By Emanuel Fabian-Today, 11:55 am-FEB 12,25
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed it carried out an airstrike in southern Gaza’s Rafah Wednesday morning, saying it targeted two suspects who had gone to pick up a drone.The drone had been flown from Israel into the southern Gaza Strip, and was being tracked throughout its flight, the military said. In recent months, the IDF noted, it has identified several attempts to smuggle weapons and drugs into Gaza using drones. The drone was apparently being controlled by smugglers on the Israeli side.After the drone landed in Gaza, an Israeli drone struck it along with the two suspects who had taken possession of it. One was killed and the second was wounded, according to Palestinian media.The Israeli Air Force carried out the strike using a Hermes 450 unmanned aerial vehicle.The incident came as tensions in a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas reached a snapping point after the Palestinian terror group said it would not make good on the next stage of the truce, alleging Israeli violations.The three-stage ceasefire agreement, reached last month, halted some 15 months of fighting triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel, when it led thousands of terrorists to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.The deal in its entirety requires Hamas to release all its hostages and Israel to release thousands of Palestinian security prisoners — including hundreds serving life sentences — and halt the fighting in the Strip, followed by negotiations for a “sustainable calm” and IDF withdrawal from the enclave.However, Hamas said on Monday that it would not release the next batch of prisoners, scheduled for Saturday.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that if Hamas doesn’t release the hostages by noon Saturday, the ceasefire will be over and Israel will resume fighting in Gaza.“The IDF will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated,” he declared.Hamas has cited continued Israeli airstrikes as a violation of the ceasefire. Israel has repeatedly said it will determinedly enforce the terms of the ceasefire and has used drone strikes in the past to achieve that goal.
Expat moms in Saudi Arabia push unfinished desert megacity to millions on TikTok-Posts of women gushing about food, shopping and comforts of massive NEOM project seemingly part of viral campaign to raise profile of kingdom and ambitious $500 billion development By Emilie Beraud Today, 11:09 am-FEB 12,25
PARIS, France (AFP) — Expat “momfluencers” are taking to TikTok to sing the praises of life in Saudi Arabia and to extol the virtues of its nascent NEOM megacity, filming their idyllic lives spent picnicking by turquoise waters and shopping in gleaming malls.“If you have children, Saudi Arabia is the best place,” Aida McPherson, an Azerbaijani born in London, told her almost 60,000 followers as she filmed her daughter in traditional Saudi dress on a shopping trip.Around a dozen expat mothers have posted similar glowing accounts of the far-from-finished NEOM project in the desert championed by the kingdom’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite concerns about continued rights violations in the country and alleged abuse of migrant building workers.NEOM is a planned $500 billion futuristic megacity in northwestern Saudi Arabia meant to feature a ski resort, twin skyscrapers and a building known as “The Line” that will be a staggering 170 kilometers (105 miles) long.There has been increasing skepticism over the viability of the project and reports say population projections are being scaled down.But “mom influencers” — often English-speaking and dressed in Western clothes — rave about how “magnificent” everything is in NEOM, right down to the delicious food.One Thai mom, who goes by the username Sarasarasid, shared a video of her “typical afternoon in NEOM”: a scooter ride, going for a coffee and taking her toddler to a playground.The video has been viewed around 800,000 times. The city it shows is almost deserted.Sarasarasid also posted videos of herself at the NEOM hospital, where she gave birth, praising the quality of care.Nearly two million people watched her be driven across a long stretch of sand in a 4×4 by her partner, a senior sales manager at NEOM since 2022 according to his LinkedIn account.Like many influencers, Sarasarasid lives in a complex reserved for project employees and their families not far from Sindalah, a luxury resort island in the Red Sea that is the first part of the NEOM project to be completed.None agreed to be interviewed when contacted by AFP.When he unveiled The Line in 2022, the crown prince said NEOM would be home to more than a million people by 2030, and nine million by 2045.But the developers have radically reduced their ambitions to 300,000 residents by the end of the decade, according to Bloomberg.“These privileged influencers are part of the regime’s propaganda machine to woo the West, tourists and investors,” said Lina al-Hathloul from the NGO ALQST, which monitors rights in Saudi Arabia.“The daily lives of Saudi women and the people are totally different,.” she told AFP. Saudi Arabia “is still a police state where everything is a red line for freedom of expression.”Women are “considered to be under the guardianship of a man since birth, first that of their father and then their husband,” and their “disobedience” can earn them prison time, Hathloul added.While Mohammed is credited with Saudi Arabia’s modernization, notably allowing women to drive, the kingdom’s notorious guardianship system — which requires women to get permission from male relatives for many decisions — remains and those campaigning for its abolition have faced arrest.Nevertheless, Western beauty influencer “skincarebestie_” in the capital Riyadh insisted in a TikTok video with over a million views that “people think that women are oppressed here, but they can work, drive, do whatever they want.”Asked if they had collaborated with these influencers, neither NEOM, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Saudi Ministry of Media nor the Saudi embassy in Paris responded to AFP’s requests for comment.‘Smart PR’Nicholas McGeehan, co-director of the human rights NGO FairSquare, said the posts are “consistent with what sounds like a fairly smart PR strategy to use social media to help transform the country’s image.”“This is the type of demographic that needs to see Saudi Arabia as acceptable,” he told AFP.David Rigoulet-Roze, a researcher at the French Institute for Strategic Analysis, said Riyadh regularly mobilizes “hundreds of influencers” to “smash the image of an archaic country, closed in on itself, that is built on religious extremism.”Despite high-profile advertising campaigns led in particular by the likes of footballer Lionel Messi, and controversially landing the 2034 football World Cup, the kingdom and Prince Mohammed remain tarnished by the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.The killing of Khashoggi was described by a UN probe as an “extrajudicial killing for which Saudi Arabia is responsible.” US intelligence agencies determined that Mohammed had “approved” the operation. Riyadh denies this, blaming rogue operatives.While the young leader presents Saudi Arabia as a more liberal country now, with tourism to be a pillar of its post-oil era, its human rights record remains problematic. Dissidents face repression and capital punishment is used en masse, monitors say, with 338 executions recorded last year, the highest figure in three decades.In early December, Human Rights Watch also documented the “widespread abuse” of foreign workers from Asia or Africa, some of which can be considered “forced labor,” “including in major projects” like NEOM.
Musk walks back administration’s claim about $50 million condom allotment for Gaza-‘Some of the things I say will be incorrect,’ says DOGE chief after reporting reveals that Gaza Strip was mistaken for province in Mozambique By Jacob Magid-Today, 3:39 am-FEB 12,25
WASHINGTON — US Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk on Tuesday appeared to walk back the Trump administration’s claim that the previous administration allocated $50 million in condoms for Gaza.The figure was first cited by the White House to justify a sweeping freeze on foreign aid that the Trump administration imposed, though the claim was swiftly dismissed as a “feverish dream” by a former senior Biden administration official.While the tech mogul carried his son on his shoulders and stood next to US President Donald Trump, who was signing executive orders in the Oval Office, a reporter noted reporting revealing that DOGE’s condom claim mistook the Gaza Strip for a province in Mozambique that received contraceptives from the US Agency for International Development in order to combat AIDS.“Some of the things I say will be incorrect and should be corrected,” Musk replied. “Nobody is going to bat 1,000. We will make mistakes, but we’ll act quickly to correct any mistakes.”“I’m not sure we should be sending $50 million dollars worth of condoms anywhere… I’m not sure that’s something Americans would be really excited about. That really is an enormous number of condoms,” he continued.“If it were to Mozambique instead of Gaza, that’s not as bad, but still… why are we doing that?” Musk asked.Trump, who said last week that Musk discovered that “$100 million dollars” was earmarked by the Biden’s administration for “condoms to Hamas,” did not similarly retract his claim.Trump had also charged that the condoms were being used by Hamas “as a method of making bombs,” apparently referring to the inflated latex condoms that Palestinians in Gaza used to launch incendiary devices and explosives at southern Israel during his first term in office.Agencies contributed to this report.
Fearing return to war, Hamas tells senior officials to stop using phones – report-Terror group claims it is still committed to ceasefire a day after it said it was halting prisoner releases, blames Israel for ‘complications’ threatening deal By ToI Staff and Agencies 11 February 2025, 11:55 pm
Hamas has reportedly instructed senior figures in the terror group to stop using cell phones amid concerns that the fragile ceasefire with Israel could fall apart, bringing with it a return of Israel’s military offensive.Sources in Hamas told the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat outlet on Tuesday that the group’s military wing and senior leadership have instructed all senior political and military figures to stop using their phones, as many had returned to using the devices after the ceasefire began last month.According to the sources, several senior officials have already stopped using their phones over fears of attempts by the IDF to track them via the devices and assassinate them.The three-stage ceasefire agreement, reached last month, halted some 15 months of fighting triggered by the group’s October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel, when Hamas-led terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.The deal requires Hamas to release hostages, Israel to release thousands of Palestinian security prisoners — including hundreds serving life sentences — and halt the fighting in the Strip, followed by negotiations for a “sustainable calm” and an IDF withdrawal from the enclave.Hamas declared that it is still dedicated to the ceasefire, though a day earlier it had vowed not to release the next group of hostages until further notice, alleging Israeli violations of the ceasefire, in an announcement that shook the truce, sparked war preparations by Israel and prompted US President Donald Trump to declare that if the captives aren’t released by noon Saturday the ceasefire should be ended.“Hamas is committed to the ceasefire agreement that the (Israeli) occupation also committed to,” it said in a statement on Tuesday evening, adding that “we affirm that the occupation is the party that did not abide by its commitments and is responsible for any complications or delays.”The Israel Defense Forces, meanwhile, announced that it was “extensively” bolstering its forces in the Southern Command, calling up reservists and approving battle plans for the Gaza Strip in the event that the ceasefire-hostage deal with Hamas collapses.In a video statement he released after a four-hour security cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened that the ceasefire would be over and Israel will resume “intense fighting” in Gaza if Hamas doesn’t release “our hostages” by midday Saturday.“If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated,” he declared.An Israeli official said Netanyahu also ordered officials “to prepare for every scenario if Hamas doesn’t release our hostages this Saturday.”The sources that spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat also said that Hamas had recently uncovered spying equipment it claimed was found embedded in stones or ruins of buildings in Gaza. The equipment included cameras and listening devices that Hamas assessed as intended to identify senior officials or hostages.Hamas has broadened its sweeps to find such devices, which are being dismantled and examined to glean information, the sources said.Hamas is attempting its own monitoring operations to keep an eye on IDF movements in order to be ready to counter any incursions by special forces or other operations, the sources said.The terror group justified its decision to freeze the hostage releases by alleging Israeli violations of the deal, claiming falsely that the military has obstructed displaced Palestinians’ return to the northern Strip, and asserting that Israel has prevented the flow of some humanitarian aid items, such as trailers for temporary shelter, into the enclave.
The general armed with only a knife who set out to regain control of his kibbutz on Oct. 7-IDF investigators reportedly moved to tears by testimony of Brig. Gen. Yisrael Shomer, a resident of Kfar Aza-By ToI Staff 11 February 2025, 11:37 pm
As Israel Defense Forces investigators in past months delved into its failures surrounding the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, Brig. Gen. Yisrael Shomer, a resident of Kibbutz Kfar Aza who set out to defend his home armed with just a knife, testified about his experiences that day.According to a report Monday by the Walla news site, published as the IDF finalizes parts of its investigations, Shomer choked up at times while explaining what had occurred, and the details he recounted caused some of the generals present to well up with tears.Shomer has spoken publicly in the past about his experiences on October 7, when he found his kibbutz under attack by more than 100 armed Hamas terrorists, who slaughtered 62 people and took another 19 as hostages.He told the Israel Hayom daily that he had woken up a few minutes before the attack began to go on a morning run, and was drinking water in his kitchen at 6:29 a.m. when the sirens started blaring and the rockets began flying overhead.After the first few minutes of sirens, he peeked outside to see what was going on, and saw two paragliders flying toward the kibbutz. He understood immediately what was happening.“I didn’t understand the magnitude, but I understood that this was an invasion of Kfar Aza,” he told Channel 13 news in December 2023, when returning to his home for the first time since the attack.Without a firearm at home, he left his wife and three children in their reinforced saferoom, told them to lock the door, and set out armed with only a knife, clad in sportswear.He headed outside, took photos of the two paragliders that had been used to invade the kibbutz, and called a number of IDF generals, including chief of staff Herzi Halevi, Shomer told Israel Hayom.For about three hours, he fought back against Hamas gunmen with just the knife until he picked up a weapon from a wounded member of the local security squad, he said. For hours, he fired at terrorists he encountered inside the kibbutz, carefully preserving his ammo, estimating that he killed around 20 invaders.“I was constantly on the move,” he said, “searching, jumping out, firing two bullets and moving on.”A few hours after the attack began, he said he began to understand that this was not only an attack on Kfar Aza. As soldiers began to arrive in the kibbutz as reinforcements and told him about the attacks on almost every community along the Gaza border, the magnitude of the catastrophe was becoming clear.When still more troops, including units from the Golani, Paratroopers and Givati Brigades, arrived, “I felt for the first time that day that we were turning the tables,” Shomer said.At around 6 p.m., his wife contacted him and said that there were terrorists in the house and that she could hear gunshots, but by the time Shomer got there, the terrorists had left.“I only realized it then, when we got there, how close it was,” he added. “What a miracle.”Once he knew his family was safe and that the IDF had started to regain control of most of the kibbutz, Shomer decided it was time to meet up with his own IDF unit, which had been charged with deterring Hezbollah at the northern border.“It wasn’t an easy decision because there were still terrorists on the kibbutz and my family was still there, but I knew there were already a lot of soldiers and commanders, so I thought that I should go and join my division,” he said.He then got in his car, which was riddled with bullet holes, loaded his rifle, and headed north to join his unit.His wife’s younger brother Yuval Salomon was murdered that day in Kfar Aza. Shomer told Israel Hayom that Salomon fought back against the terrorists and succeeded in stabbing one of them. He then called Shomer, who recalled: “I spoke to him on the phone, and then they [the terrorists] came back and he didn’t survive. He was 29.”At the time of the October 7 attack, Shomer was serving as the commander of the 146th Division, the IDF’s largest reserve division. In June 2024 he took up the position as head of the IDF’s Operations Division.In December 2024, Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to wrap up its investigations into October 7 by the end of January, though it has yet to complete them.When IDF chief Herzi Halevi announced last month that he was stepping down from his role on March 6, he promised to complete the IDF’s investigations into the October 7 onslaught by his resignation date.“Upon completing the IDF’s investigations, we will better understand what happened to us, why it happened and how to fix it,” he said at the time, calling to also appoint an external committee to investigate the army’s failures.The IDF’s investigations at the General Staff level include four main subjects: the development of the IDF’s perception of Gaza, with an emphasis on the border, starting in 2018; the IDF’s intelligence assessments of Hamas from 2018 until the outbreak of the war; the intelligence and decision-making process on the eve of October 7, as well as the days leading up to it; and the command and control, formations, and orders given during battles between October 7 and 10, when troops restored control over all communities and army bases in southern Israel that had been invaded by Hamas.The investigations have been carried out by units seen as having had a role in the failure to notice Hamas preparations or adequately prepare for the terror group’s October 7 onslaught. In addition, the IDF is investigating 41 separate battles and major incidents that took place during the October 7 attack.Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.
Anxiety ahead of Saturday, and the Saturdays to come-As the weekend approaches, tensions are rising, and real life is now imitating reality TV-Amir Ben-David-By Amir Ben-David Today, 2:49 pm-feb 13,25
As the weekend approaches, tensions are rising. Will Hamas provide the names of the hostages set to be released on Saturday? Will the terror organization release three hostages, or perhaps nine? And if they are released, what condition will they be in? Will the gates of hell open, or remain closed for another week? If these questions sound like a promo for a reality TV show, it’s because the structure of the hostage deal has been designed and managed — frighteningly — like an episode of “Survivor” or “Big Brother,” with a countdown to the “big reveal,” background stories and interviews with family members, and predictions and commentary ahead of the airing. Stay tuned.Real life is now imitating television. Only this is about human lives. Human suffering.Military officials estimate this morning that Hamas is interested in continuing the deal rather than blowing it up. The crisis is real and is being fueled by aggressive statements from all sides, but the mediating countries are seeking a solution, and the assumption is that, at least this Saturday, the release of hostages will continue as planned.This morning, Palestinian sources reported that agreements had been reached for the release of three Israeli hostages. It was also reported that Israel will increase humanitarian aid entering the Strip.Furthermore, Hamas’s announcement yesterday that a delegation from the organization had arrived in Cairo and begun preparatory meetings with Egyptian intelligence officials is seen as evidence that the terrorist group does not currently intend to break the agreement and cause the collapse of the ceasefire.“In the internal [Palestinian] arena, pressure from the civilian population [in Gaza] is mounting,” writes Jackie Khoury in Haaretz this morning. “The rainy days sweeping through the Gaza Strip highlight the severe shortage of tents and mobile homes and worsen the distress of the displaced. Essential systems, foremost among them the healthcare system, are struggling to function without a stable supply of equipment.”Anxiety over the hostages’ fate-This morning, dozens of protesters advocating for the immediate release of all remaining hostages blocked the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv near the Shalom Interchange. They held signs reading “All eyes on you!” and “If the deal collapses – the country will burn.”The testimonies that have surfaced in the past day or two regarding the condition of the hostages in Gaza have significantly increased fears for their fate.Noa Argamani, who was rescued from captivity by the IDF in June, wrote yesterday in an Instagram story: “I saw two of the friends who were with me in captivity for so long die before my eyes after barely surviving three months in captivity. It’s inconceivable.”Questioning conducted by Shin Bet investigators of freed hostages indicates that most were held by relatively senior Hamas figures and spent long periods in their presence.Michael Hauser Tov writes in Haaretz that “the interrogations also revealed that for some senior Hamas operatives, the assassination of senior Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh was more significant than the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar — since the freed hostages who were in the company of high-ranking officials reported hearing far more cries of anguish following Haniyeh’s assassination.”Ran Gilboa, the father of IDF surveillance soldier Daniella Gilboa, who was released last month, told Yedioth Ahronoth this morning that Daniela was forced to drink contaminated groundwater from the floor, became severely ill, and was on the brink of death.His daughter recounted that if she and the other four recently released surveillance soldiers had been returned two or three weeks earlier, they would have looked like the men who returned from captivity last week — Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levy. But as the release of the female soldiers approached, they were fed to improve their appearance.As is known, Hamas released a video in November that created the impression that Daniella had been murdered in captivity. “At that moment, I saw a black screen in front of my eyes,” Ran Gilboa told Yedioth Ahronoth reporter Nadav Zenziper. “Time stopped. After a year of her suffering in captivity, I told myself that they had also killed her. I didn’t know what to do with myself.“In retrospect, it turned out that everything was staged and edited. They asked her to lie down, wrapped her in sheets, applied makeup, and emphasized her tattoo. They created a deliberate video, and we were left destroyed at home. We were helpless.”
28 injured as car drives into Munich crowd; Bavaria governor says attack suspected-Suspect, a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, in police custody; car plowed into a demonstration by union workers; children among those hurt-By Agencies Today, 2:45 pm-FEB 13,25
BERLIN — A man drove a car into a union demonstration in central Munich on Thursday, injuring at least 28 people including children, authorities said.Bavarian governor Markus Söder said the incident was “suspected to be an attack.”It had been initially unclear if the driver, who was arrested, had deliberately plowed into the crowd.Police said a car drove into the back of a demonstration by the service workers’ union Verdi that was taking place in a square near downtown Munich around 10:30 a.m. A damaged Mini could be seen at the scene, along with debris including shoes.The union said it did not have any information on the incident.Police said at least 28 people were injured and the suspect is believed to be a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker.The Bild newspaper said police would have to establish whether the driver of the Mini Cooper had deliberately driven into the crowd or mixed up the accelerator and brake.Police said on X they had detained the driver and did not consider him to pose any further threat, but declined to comment on whether it was an accident.Officers set up a gathering point for witnesses in the Loewenbraeukeller, one of Munich’s oldest beer halls.The Bavarian capital will see heavy security in the coming days because the three-day Munich Security Conference, an annual gathering of international foreign and security policy officials, opens on Friday. US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are both scheduled to attend.The car incident occurred around 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) from the security conference venue.Security has been in sharp focus in Germany ahead of a federal election next week and following a string of violent attacks.
IDF says Iran smuggling cash to Hezbollah on civilian planes through Beirut airport-Military has passed information to US-led committee supervising Lebanon ceasefire, assesses some transfers succeeded, vows to ‘use all tools at its disposal’ to enforce agreement By Emanuel Fabian-Today, 11:48 am-FEB 13,25
Iran has been smuggling cash to Hezbollah via Beirut’s international airport in recent weeks, according to the Israel Defense Forces, which has passed the information on to a US-led committee supervising the ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanon-based terror group.In a post on X on Thursday, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Col. Avichay Adraee, said the cash has been smuggled by the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force to Hezbollah using civilian flights. The money is being used by the Iran-backed terror group to rebuild itself, according to the IDF.Adraee said that the IDF has been in contact with a US-led committee supervising the November 27 ceasefire and was regularly updating it with “relevant information in order to foil these transfers.”
US intel assesses Israel mulling strikes on Iran nuclear sites this year — reports-Two dossiers prepared for Biden and Trump administrations both found Israel sees opportunity to hit a weakened Iran-By ToI Staff Today, 11:43 am-FEB 13,25
The US intelligence community recently presented assessments that Israel is considering strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, and that the attacks could come this year, according to Wednesday reports.The Washington Post report that a preemptive attack on Iran’s nuclear program could come by midyear. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. The White House declined to comment. The Post says the Israeli government, CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency and Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.The most comprehensive of the intelligence reports came in early January and was produced by the intelligence directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Post said. It assessed that Israel was likely to attempt an attack on Iran’s Fordo and Natanz nuclear facilities.Officials in Israel and the US refused to comment.Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal also reported on the files, citing two sources familiar with the developments. One assessment, including the 2025 timeframe, was presented during the last days of the Biden administration, it said.A second intelligence report provided in the first days of the Trump administration also said that Israel was mulling strikes on Iran, one of the sources said.The first analysis said Israel would likely press the Trump administration to support the strikes, seeing the incoming Republican as more amenable to military action, two sources with knowledge of the assessment said.According to the report, during the transition from Biden to Trump, some members of the latter’s staff considered having US forces join an Israeli attack.The Prime Minister’s Office and the Israel Defense Forces declined to comment on the report, as did the Directorate of National Intelligence and the National Security Council in the US.On Thursday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran’s enemies may be able to strike the country’s nuclear centers but cannot deprive it of its ability to build new ones.Iran, which is sworn to Israel’s destruction, insists its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. However, the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA has said that Iran is currently enriching uranium to levels that have no civilian use, and the country has obstructed international inspectors seeking to visit its facilities.In addition, The New York Times reported earlier this month that American intelligence indicates a covert team of Iranian scientists was exploring ways to quickly develop a nuclear weapon if the country’s leadership decided to pursue one.Some Israeli officials have indicated a desire to hit Iran, seeing a ripe opportunity given the damage Israel has inflicted on Iran and its proxies since the start of the Gaza war in 2023.War erupted on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian terror group Hamas led a devastating invasion of southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The next day, Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon began attacking across Israel’s northern border. As Israel battled Hamas in Gaza and responded to Hezbollah’s rocket fire, Iran-backed Houthis rebels also began firing drones and ballistic missiles at Israel.In September Israel launched a major campaign against Hezbollah, decimating the terror group’s leadership and depleted its fighting abilities. A ceasefire was reached at the end of November. Hezbollah was long seen as a deterrent to an Israeli strike on Iran, due to the threat of its massive missile arsenal, but the war left it with greatly diminished capabilities.Meanwhile, Israel bombed the Houthi rebels in Yemen — demonstrating its ability to strike even further than Iran — and in Syria, the Iran-aligned Assad regime was ousted by rebels who have since courted the West.In spillover from the fighting, Iran twice fired massive missile and drone barrages at Israel which were largely thwarted by air defenses, in cooperation with the US and its regional allies.Israel responded with two rounds of strikes on Iran, the second of which, in October, destroyed much of the Islamic Republic’s air defense systems as well as some key military facilities while demonstrating Israel’s ability to operate uninhibited over Iranian airspace.At the time, then-US president Joe Biden reportedly urged Israel against hitting nuclear sites.By contrast, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer reportedly left a November meeting with then-president-elect Donald Trump believing he would either support an Israeli military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities or direct a US strike on those sites himself.In November last year, Defense Minister Israel Katz said, “Iran today is more exposed than ever to damage to its nuclear facilities.“There is a chance of achieving the most important goal, to thwart and remove the threat of annihilation from hanging over the State of Israel,” he said.Trump has since said he wants to negotiate a solution but has also reimposed his maximum pressure strategy of strict sanctions on Iran, which in return has said it wants to reach a diplomatic solution.On Monday, Trump expressed his confidence that a deal can be reached with Iran to curb its nuclear program and prevent it from producing a bomb.“I think we’re gonna make a deal in Iran,” he told Fox News. “I think they’re scared. I think Iran would love to make a deal and I would love to make a deal with them without bombing them.“Everyone thinks Israel, with our help or our approval, will go in and bomb the hell out of ’em. I would prefer that not happen,” he told the cable network.
Interior minister orders 3 Palestinians to be deported for alleged terror support-Moshe Arbel says the three East Jerusalem residents have all expressed backing for terrorism and have family members who carried out attacks-By ToI Staff Today, 3:09 am-FEB 13,25
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel announced Wednesday that he intends to deport three East Jerusalem Palestinians who are family members of terrorists and have allegedly expressed support for terrorism.“I have decided to exercise my authority under the law and act to deport three terror supporters, who are family members of terrorists and chose to side with the enemy in time of war and support the harm to Israeli citizens,” Arbel told the Israel Hayom daily.“Anyone who incites, praises, and supports terror has no place among us. I will continue to act decisively against anyone who threatens Israeli citizens,” he added.In November 2024, the Knesset passed a law permitting the deportation of family members of terrorists and the incarceration of terror convicts under the age of 14.The controversial law gives the interior minister the power to expel a first-degree relative of someone who carried out an attack if they had advance knowledge, and either failed to report the matter to the police or “expressed support or identification with an act of terrorism or published words of praise, sympathy or encouragement for an act of terrorism or a terrorist organization.”The three Palestinians who Arbel intends to deport are East Jerusalem residents Muhammad Abu Halwa, Tansim Odeh, and Zina Barber, none of whom are Israeli citizens.According to Arbel’s announcement, Abu Halwa is affiliated with Hamas and was indicted last August for incitement and identifying with the terror organization. His brother carried out a stabbing attack in October 2023 against a Border Police officer in East Jerusalem.Arbel said Odeh had expressed support for terrorism several different times the past three years, and that her father was behind a bombing in October 2022 that injured multiple soldiers.The minister said Zina Barber was to be deported for having”directly called for terrorism, provided services to a terrorist organization, expressed identification with a terrorist organization, and incited terrorism.”“Her father is a convicted terrorist as a member of a terrorist cell who drove a car bomb in the early 2000s in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for this,” he added.
PM reportedly says 'no point' in discussing deal's 2nd phase-Israel said to tell Hamas ceasefire can continue if three hostages freed on Saturday-‘We’re working hard with mediators to get the deal back on track,’ senior Israeli official quoted saying; report claims talks between Egypt and Hamas ‘headed toward a breakthrough’ By Lazar Berman-Today, 1:50 am-FEB 13,25
Israel has reportedly sent a message to Hamas through mediators Egypt and Qatar that the hostage release-ceasefire deal will continue if the terror group releases three more hostages on Saturday.The message, which was first reported Wednesday by the Walla news site, came a day after Israel put out a series of conflicting statements, including by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which said Hamas must release “our hostages,” “9 hostages,” and “all of them” for the ceasefire to continue.On Tuesday, the premier declared that “if Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end,” and that the security cabinet “welcomed [US President Donald] Trump’s demand for the release of our hostages.”A day earlier, Trump called for all hostages to be released by the terror group by Saturday, but Netanyahu’s statement, along with the statements from various Israeli officials, did not explicitly call for all hostages to be released.“We are working hard with the mediators to get the deal back on track,” a senior Israeli official told Walla, while adding that as of Wednesday the agreement appeared less at risk of collapse than the day before.A report by Qatari-owned outlet Al-Araby Al Jadeed quoted Egyptian sources saying that “things headed toward a breakthrough,” after a meeting between Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad and a Hamas delegation in Cairo.The Hamas delegation is headed by deputy politburo chief Khalil al-Hayya.Efforts by Qatar and Egypt, as well as US special envoy Steve Witkoff, have resolved some of the outstanding issues, said the Al Araby Al Jadeed.The sources added that a list of international organizations have been approved to bring fuel and medical equipment into the Gaza Strip, but Israel has yet to give the green light to bringing in caravans and more tents.If Israel gives its approval for the caravans on Thursday, the sources said, there is time for Hamas to announce on Friday the names of the three hostages to be released the next day.Earlier this week, Hamas said it was freezing hostage releases until further notice over alleged Israeli violations of the deal, including restricting the entry of some aid items such as tents to enter Gaza.‘No point in discussing second phase’Israeli television meanwhile reported that Netanyahu told Tuesday’s cabinet meeting that there was no point in discussing the second phase of the hostage deal at the moment, while the fate of the first stage was still up in the air.“There is no point in discussing the second phase because it is just a hypothetical issue at the moment,” Netanyahu was quoted by Channel 13 news as saying in leaked remarks from the closed-door meeting.The report said the meeting did not otherwise address the second phase, which is expected to see Hamas release all the remaining living hostages in return for an end of hostilities.The three-stage ceasefire agreement, reached last month, halted some 15 months of fighting triggered by the group’s October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel, when Hamas-led terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.The deal requires Hamas to release all the hostages, Israel to release several thousand Palestinian security prisoners — including hundreds of terror convicts serving life sentences — and a halt to fighting in the Strip, followed by negotiations for a “sustainable calm” and IDF withdrawal from the enclave.The three-week-old truce, only halfway through its first stage, has come under immense strain in recent days following Hamas’s announcement that it was pausing the hostage releases. Negotiations for the second and third stages have formally begun.Also Wednesday, Channel 12 reported that during the cabinet meeting, ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Orit Strock from the far-right Religious Zionism party demanded that if Hamas fails to release the three hostages scheduled to go free on Saturday, Israel should round up and rearrest hundreds of the Palestinian prisoners it has so far freed under the deal.The report said security officials balked at the demand, saying such a move was hasty and could endanger the lives of the hostages.The proposal was rejected by the cabinet, the report added.
Upending US policy on Ukraine, Trump says he and Putin agreed to start talks to end war-US president says he and Russian leader agreed in a phone call to work closely to wrap up conflict, potentially meet in person; Hegseth says Ukraine NATO membership ‘unrealistic’ By Matthew Lee, Eric Tucker and Zeke Miller 12 February 2025, 11:35 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — US President Donald Trump upended three years of US policy toward Ukraine on Wednesday, saying that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin negotiations on ending the war following a dramatic prisoner swap.Trump said in a social media post that he and Putin held a lengthy phone call during which they committed to “work together, very closely” to bring the conflict to an end and would meet in person, including perhaps in each other’s countries.It was unclear how closely Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be involved. Trump held a phone call with him Wednesday, Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said, characterizing it as a “good conversation.”However, in a blow to Ukraine’s aspirations, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at NATO headquarters in Brussels that NATO membership was unrealistic for Ukraine and that any security guarantees for Ukraine would have to be borne by European countries.The Biden administration had joined other NATO members since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 in vowing that membership in the alliance was “inevitable.”White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during her briefing on Wednesday that Trump and Zelensky “spoke at great length,” adding, “It’s time to stop this ridiculous war.”Leavitt added of the call between Trump and Putin and Trump’s call with Zelensky: “They were very good calls. They were very positive.”She was asked specifically about Ukraine’s NATO membership and the Trump administration’s views on that but said she’d not talked to Trump about it.Leavitt said Trump views Putin and Russia as “a great competitor in the region. At times an adversary,” but added that Trump enjoys “finding common ground” while always seeking to demonstrate strength.Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump’s special Russia-Ukraine envoy, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, will all be in Germany later this week for the annual Munich Security Conference, which Zelensky will also attend. Leavitt said discussions will continue then.In the meantime, Trump’s announcement appeared to dismantle the Biden-era mantra that Kyiv would be a full participant in any decisions made. “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” Biden and his top national security aides said repeatedly.Wednesday’s Trump-Putin call and resulting policy sea change followed a prisoner swap in which Russia released American schoolteacher Marc Fogel of Pennsylvania after more than three years of detention in return for convicted Russian criminal Alexander Vinnik.“We each talked about the strengths of our respective Nations, and the great benefit that we will someday have in working together,” Trump said in a social media post disclosing details about the call. “But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine.”Trump said they also “agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately” and would be alerting Zelensky to their conversation. He appointed Rubio, CIA director John Ratcliffe, national security advisor Michael Waltz, and his special Mideast envoy Steven Witkoff to lead those talks.White House officials later declined to clarify whether Ukraine would be a party to the US negotiations.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the conversation between Trump and Putin covered a good deal of ground, including the Middle East and Iran in addition to Ukraine, which was the main focus.Peskov said that Trump called for a quick cessation of hostilities and a peaceful settlement and that “President Putin, in his turn, emphasized the need to remove the root causes of the conflict and agreed with Trump that a long-term settlement could be achieved through peace talks.”“The Russian president supported one of the main theses of the US president that the time has come for our two countries to work together,” Peskov told reporters. “The Russian president invited the US president to visit Moscow and expressed readiness to host US officials in Russia for issues of mutual interest, naturally including Ukraine, the Ukrainian settlement.”Meanwhile, Zelensky sought to put a brave face on what many in Ukraine will see as a major disappointment. In a social media post, he said he had had “a meaningful conversation with” Trump that included discussion of “opportunities to achieve peace” and Kyiv’s “readiness to work together at the team level, and Ukraine’s technological capabilities—including drones and other advanced industries.”“I am grateful to President Trump,” he said.The White House described the prisoner swap as evidence of a diplomatic thaw that could advance negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine. Leavitt didn’t comment on whether Ukraine came up on the prisoner swap.Fogel, an American history teacher who was deemed wrongfully detained by Russia, was arrested in August 2021 for possession of marijuana and was serving a 14-year prison sentence. He had been left out of previous prisoner swaps with Russia that were negotiated by the Biden administration.Vinnik — the other person involved, according to two US officials — was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the US on cryptocurrency fraud charges and was later extradited to the United States, where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering.He is currently in custody in California awaiting transport to return to Russia, the officials said. The Kremlin confirmed that a Russian citizen was freed in the United States in exchange for Fogel but refused to identify him until he arrived in Russia.Trump had welcomed Fogel at the White House on Tuesday evening after his return to US soil on Witkoff’s personal plane. On Wednesday, Trump declined to say if he spoke with Putin about Fogel and didn’t say what the United States had provided in exchange for Fogel’s release.Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump suggested that Fogel’s release could help anchor a peace deal on Ukraine, saying: “We were treated very nicely by Russia, actually. I hope that’s the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war.”
Israel Antiquities Authority rejects bid to put it in charge of West Bank antiquities-Professionals warn that bill extending Israeli law over West Bank may strengthen claims of de facto annexation, would not solve neglect and looting threatening archaeological sites-By Rossella Tercatin 12 February 2025, 11:16 pm
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has rejected the idea of receiving responsibility for antiquities in the West Bank as proposed in a bill introduced by Likud MK Amit Halevi. As a result, Halevi has presented an amendment to the bill to establish a new body under the authority of the Heritage Ministry to fulfill this purpose.“The aim of this law is giving the State of Israel direct responsibility over the antiquities in the West Bank and creating the entity that will take care of it practically, in light of the concerns expressed by the Antiquities Authority,” Halevi said during a meeting of the Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee on Tuesday.“I would have been happy to task the Antiquities Authority with this responsibility, but in light of their opposition, this is the solution we found,” he added.The authority for managing archaeological sites and preserving relics in the West Bank currently resides with the archaeology unit in the Civil Administration, Israel’s governing body in the territory, which is headed by a military office.The bill presented by Halevi aimed to alter this arrangement and bring in the civilian IAA.However, the IAA said in a statement to the committee that the proposed law “could cause significant damage to the academic ties of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the State of Israel with international bodies and damage its professional reputation.”The responsibility over the archaeological sites in the West Bank has been a hotly contested issue for decades.According to the Civil Administration’s Archaeology Unit website, the area contains over 2,600 archaeological sites spanning various historical periods and cultural influences, including Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and pre-biblical civilizations.Some of the sites also happen to be among the most significant in Jewish history, such as the Qumran Caves, where the Death Sea Scrolls were found, the capital of the Kingdom of Israel Sebastia, and Shiloh, the most important religious center before the Temple of Jerusalem was built, as well as several Hasmonean fortresses.Many sites have been subject to constant looting, damage and neglect, as often denounced by right-wing organizations, as well as many archaeologists.At the same time, Palestinians and Israeli human rights groups have repeatedly accused Israel of using archaeology as a political tool, often employed to seize land from the local Palestinian population or to disconnect them from universal cultural heritage.During the committee meeting, IAA Chief Scientist Dr. Gideon Avni acknowledged the poor status of the antiquities in the West Bank due to neglect and damage. Still, he argued that transferring the responsibility for the sites to the IAA would not help because the Staff Officer for Archaeology is more effective than what the authority could be.“The IAA has been working in cooperation with the Civil Administration’s Archaeology Unit for years, and if the Staff Officer for Archaeology were under the IAA, his power would be diminished,” Avni said.Staff Officer for Archeology, Benny Har Even, also attended the meeting and warned that the bill could backfire.“The most important thing is to protect our antiquities,” he said. “We should discuss the powers that this directorate needs to be given so that it can perform the most important work in the most challenging region.”Har Even described the situation of the archaeological sites in the West Bank as “a terrorist attack against antiquities and Jewish history.”“The decision [regarding what to do] has to be made in full coordination with the IDF, which gives us the ability in the field to reach these antiquities without dangers,” he noted. “I’m afraid we’ll shoot ourselves in the foot.”The representatives of the Justice Ministry also expressed reservations about the bill, warning against possible claims of a de facto annexation that would raise alarm with the international community.“The legislation is inconsistent with the long-standing policy of the State of Israel and presents sensitivities at the international level,” said Natalie Assaf from the Justice Ministry. “To this day, Israel has chosen to manage the Judea and Samaria in this manner [through the Civil Administration], and therefore, the bill can strengthen claims regarding annexation [of the West Bank].”Halevi, however, was not deterred.“The Israeli law on antiquities will be applied in Judea and Samaria, period,” he said, using the biblical name for the West Bank. “This is the position of the government, this is the position of the majority in the Knesset, and this is what will happen, I hope, during the current [Knesset] term.”Charlie Summers contributed to this report.
US said to accept IDF request to remain in 5 south Lebanon posts after Feb. 18 deadline-Israel had reportedly asked to stay for an additional 10 days; Lebanese president insists Israel stick to existing date; IDF again warns Lebanese not to return to homes in south-By ToI Staff and Reuters 12 February 2025, 11:00 pm
The United States has reportedly authorized a “long-term” Israeli troop presence in southern Lebanon, as Israel is said to be seeking an extension to a February 18 deadline to withdraw its forces.Under a truce deal brokered by Washington in November, Israeli troops were granted 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where they had waged a ground offensive against fighters from Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah since early October.Hezbollah operatives were to leave the zone and Lebanese troops were to deploy in the area within the same period.The initial deadline was already extended from January 26 until February 18. A Lebanese official and a foreign diplomat in Lebanon told Reuters on Wednesday that Israel has asked to remain in five posts in the south for a further 10 days, until February 28.The Kan public broadcaster later cited senior officials in Israel’s security cabinet as saying that the US had granted Israeli troops permission to stay “in several locations” in Lebanon beyond February 18. It did not specify a new deadline.Kan said that the IDF has begun establishing the five outposts where it would like to remain after receiving approval from Washington.The request to remain in those five outposts came after the US rejected previous requests for the IDF to extend the deadline, Kan said.While establishing the new outposts, IDF forces are withdrawing from nearby Shiite villages, including in southeast Lebanon and the Mount Dov area, according to Kan.The withdrawals come as the Israeli security establishment has identified efforts by Hezbollah to reestablish its intelligence-gathering capabilities in southern Lebanon, the network said.The US, Israel’s closest military ally, chairs a committee that oversees the implementation of the Lebanon ceasefire.Later on Wednesday, Israel’s military jets broke the sound barrier over the Lebanese capital, Beirut, for the first time since the ceasefire was agreed.There was no immediate response to a request for comment sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, but the head of the Israeli military’s Northern Command said he believed the terms of the deal would be executed.“I think we will indeed reposition ourselves next week, and the agreement will be implemented,” Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin said during a conference in memorial of those killed in the 1997 Israeli helicopter disaster on Wednesday, according to Army Radio.The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, said in a post on X on Wednesday that Israeli troops remained in Lebanon after the first extension and ordered Lebanese citizens not to return to their homes in the country’s south “until further notice.” Adraee has published the same message every few days since the extension to the ceasefire began.In a written statement, Lebanon’s presidency denied reports that Beirut had agreed to a second extension and said President Joseph Aoun had “repeatedly stressed Lebanon’s insistence on the complete withdrawal” of Israeli troops by February 18.Israeli forces have remained in parts of southern Lebanon, and its air force has continued to carry out strikes across the country on what it says are Hezbollah weapons stores or attempts by the group to smuggle arms.Hezbollah has said it does not accept Israel’s justifications for staying in Lebanon and has urged Lebanon’s government to ensure the troops leave. The group has not explicitly threatened to resume fighting.Separately, Wednesday, the Education Ministry said it would reopen schools and educational facilities for residents of northern Israel who were evacuated amid the conflict with Hezbollah.The ministry said in a statement that schools will be open from March 2, by a government decision to let residents return from the start of the month.“Every student who will return to the north will be integrated into an educational framework that is suitable to them,” the ministry said.Israel asked the Trump administration on Monday for another extension to the February 18 deadline, a US official told The Times of Israel. The response from Washington was that it was planning to stick to the deadline, said the US official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity Tuesday to discuss the matter.Channel 12 reported similar details, adding that Israel had reiterated to the US its claim that the Lebanese army was not effectively deployed in south Lebanon, as the terms of the ceasefire said it would, and was not preventing Hezbollah from reorganizing. Israel has warned that Hezbollah aims to return to the border area as soon as IDF troops depart.US deputy Mideast envoy Morgan Ortagus traveled to Lebanon and then Israel over the weekend to survey the progress of the US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that ended the war that spiraled from border attacks by the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group. Ortagus told reporters that the Trump administration views February 18 as a “firm date” for the completion of Israel’s withdrawal.Israel’s military says its forces have continued to uncover and seize Hezbollah weapons in prohibited areas and that the Lebanese army is not keeping its part of the deal.Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel is entitled to act against immediate threats posed by Hezbollah but must forward complaints about longer-term threats to an oversight committee composed of representatives from the US, France, Lebanon, and the international observer force UNIFIL.The November 27 deal ended two months of full-scale war that followed months of lower-intensity exchanges. Hezbollah began near-daily attacks on northern Israel one day after the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by its Palestinian ally Hamas, which triggered the war in Gaza. Tens of thousands of Israeli residents of the north were displaced by the attacks, with rocket fire eventually spreading to the center of the country.Israel intensified its campaign against Hezbollah in September, launching a series of devastating blows against the group’s leadership and killing its longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah before launching a ground invasion in southern Lebanon aimed at securing the border and enabling the return of displaced Israelis.Israel insists that Hezbollah be kept away from the boundary between the two countries to make the region safe for its northern border residents.Like their patron, Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah avowedly seek the destruction of Israel.Jacob Magid contributed to this report.
Big win for Trump’: US welcomes PA prisoner payment reform, which Israel dismissed-State Department spokesperson tells ToI decree signed by Abbas ‘appears to be positive step,’ Washington will monitor its implementation; EU envoy voices similar cautious optimism By Jacob Magid-12 February 2025, 10:38 pm
US President Donald Trump’s administration welcomes the decree signed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to end Ramallah’s prisoner payment program, a State Department spokesperson told The Times of Israel on Wednesday.The statement represented the first response from Washington to the PA announcement after two days of silence.It also appeared to amount to a notable break with Israel, which had quickly dismissed the reform.“This appears to be a positive step and a big win for the administration,” the State Department spokesperson said. “We welcome any and all steps to end this abhorrent practice.”“We will monitor how the law is implemented over the coming weeks and months and will verify that the practice has ended,” the statement to The Times of Israel continued. “We look forward to consulting with the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government on this development.”The decree signed by Abbas canceled legislation that conditioned welfare payments to Palestinian security prisoners on the length of their sentences in Israeli jails, in addition to providing stipends to the families of terrorists killed while carrying out attacks.The decree states that families of prisoners and slain attackers who require welfare assistance will be eligible for stipends based solely on their financial needs, as is the case with other Palestinians.Successive US administrations sought to coax the PA into reforming the policy but were met with pushback from Ramallah, which lionizes the thousands of Palestinians currently in Israeli jails, arguing that many of them are there unjustly.The Biden administration managed to make significant progress on the effort, and the reform was largely finalized late last year. However, Ramallah chose to hold off on announcing the initiative until after Trump’s election as a gesture of goodwill to the new administration.The European Union’s Mideast envoy Sven Koopmans voiced similarly cautious optimism to that heard from the Trump administration.“The EU has long and vocally argued for fundamental reform by the Palestinian Authority of the ‘prisoner payment’ system. The publication of such reform, while we must study the details, is very welcome news at a very difficult time,” Koopmans tweeted.The response in Jerusalem was far less excited, with the Foreign Ministry on Monday calling the decree “a new fraudulent exercise by the PA, which intends to continue making payments to terrorists and their families through other channels.”Israeli law requires the government to conduct a review of the PA’s prisoner payment system at the beginning of every calendar year, so Jerusalem could theoretically wait until early 2026 before deciding whether Ramallah complies with Knesset legislation targeting the PA over its controversial stipends.The Trump administration may also have different criteria for adjudicating the PA reform, even though it was authorized by career legal bureaucrats under the previous administration.Biden officials also briefed congressional lawmakers about the reform last year and received support from both sides of the aisle, including Republican Lindsey Graham, the second source said.Ramallah presented the reform to the US near the beginning of the previous administration, seeking to bring the PA into compliance with the Taylor Force Act — 2018 congressional legislation that suspended US aid to the PA as long as it continued granting the stipends.According to the text of the decree, the program to allocate welfare funds will be transferred from the Social Development Ministry to a fund called the Palestinian National Foundation for Economic Empowerment.A strict criteria system has been put in place to determine eligibility that will be reviewed twice a year, a source familiar told The Times of Israel on Monday.Many families of prisoners and slain attackers who were receiving government stipends will continue to receive financial aid, given the high poverty rate in the West Bank. This has only gone up further since October 7, with Israel ending its permit system to over 100,000 Palestinians working in Israel and the settlements — a key component of the West Bank’s economy.The practice of paying allowances to those convicted of carrying out terror attacks and to the families of those killed while carrying out attacks has been pilloried by critics as incentivizing terror and held up by Israel as a symbol of PA corruption and its inability to serve as a partner for peace.Palestinian leaders have long defended the payments, describing them as a form of social welfare and necessary compensation for victims of what they said is Israel’s callous military justice system in the West Bank.Abbas signed the decree as the US Supreme Court prepares to adjudicate a case in the coming months on whether American victims can sue the PA and its international arm, the Palestine Liberation Organization, for damages due to Ramallah’s payments program.While the Biden administration believed that the reform would bring the PA into compliance with the Taylor Force Act, the US would still be barred from directly funding the PA due to separate US legislation preventing such aid once Ramallah began advancing investigations against Israel at the International Criminal Court.However, the reform would still theoretically be sufficient enough to enable the US to fund projects that directly benefit the PA.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Hamas claims ‘positive signs’ as Qatar, Egypt scramble to resolve Gaza truce crisis-As Trump deadline looms, Witkoff warns of ‘big problem’ unless ‘something different occurring’ on hostages by Saturday; Sissi holds off on scheduling White House visit, works on alternative Gaza plan By Agencies, Jacob Magid-and Emanuel Fabian-12 February 2025, 8:21 pm
As Israeli and American officials continued to threaten Hamas on Wednesday, several reports said Egypt and Qatar were intensifying efforts to save the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, with Cairo and the Palestinian terror group reportedly optimistic that the impasse could be solved.The ceasefire has looked increasingly fragile since Hamas said this week it was postponing the release of any more Israeli hostages held in Gaza until further notice, accusing Israel of violating the terms of the ceasefire agreement. US President Donald Trump then warned that “hell will break loose” if the hostages are not released by noon on Saturday, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently added that Israel will resume “intense fighting” if Hamas does not meet the deadline.While Netanyahu did not specify whether Hamas had to release all remaining hostages, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff warned Wednesday that there would be “a big problem” if they weren’t released by Trump’s deadline.“Hamas is a terrorist organization. They should not be allowed to be part of the government in Gaza. This is an unhealthy situation; they need to go,” Witkoff told reporters.“The president said all that we all need to know, which is Saturday, 12 o’clock he expects there to be something different occurring, and if it’s not there’s going to be a big problem,” he said.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Israel could not allow Hamas to use a ceasefire in Gaza to rearm, appearing to back a potential resumption of fighting.Jerusalem also reiterated the threat of a renewal of the war, with Defense Minister Israel Katz warning that if Hamas does not release Israeli hostages by Saturday, “the gates of hell will open, just as the US president promised.”“If Hamas stops the release of the hostages, then there is no agreement, and there is a war,” he said during a visit to the IDF Operations Directorate’s command center.Katz vowed that renewed fighting in Gaza “will be different in its intensity compared to before the ceasefire, and will not end without the defeat of Hamas and release all the hostages, and will also allow the realization of US President Trump’s vision for Gaza.”Egyptian sources told Reuters that Qatar and Egypt were in discussions with Hamas and Israel to prevent the cancellation of the ceasefire deal and to ensure its completion.Egypt’s state-affiliated Al Qahera news TV said the pressure by the mediators was intensifying, citing an Egyptian source.A Palestinian source told AFP that Qatar and Egypt were “working extensively” to resolve the crisis, adding that the Arab mediators were in touch with the Trump administration as part of their effort.A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to continue ceasefire talks, the terror group said in a statement.An Egyptian official with knowledge of the talks told AP that the two sides were close to an agreement. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations, said Israel had committed to delivering more tents, shelters and heavy equipment to Gaza.An official with Hamas, Mahmoud Merdawi, cited “positive signals” that the hostages would be released on Saturday, the news agency said. But he cautioned that the group had yet to receive the guarantees it seeks from Israel regarding the delivery of humanitarian aid.Egypt and Qatar, alongside the United States, brokered the deal that took effect on January 19 after more than a year of extensive diplomatic efforts.Sixteen Israeli hostages have been released since, out of 33 on a list to be freed in the 42-day first phase of the deal. In all, Hamas is holding 73 of the 251 hostages it abducted on October 7, 2023; some 30 of them are believed to be alive.“They are working intensively to resolve the crisis and compel Israel to implement the humanitarian protocol in the ceasefire agreement and begin negotiations for the second phase,” added the unnamed Palestinian source. Israel has denied violations of the ceasefire, including claims that it has limited aid in Gaza.On Tuesday, United Nations humanitarian aid officials reported there has been a spike in deliveries since the ceasefire started, but did not provide specific details that could settle the spat between Israel and Hamas.The three-stage ceasefire agreement, reached last month, halted some 15 months of fighting triggered by the group’s October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel, when Hamas-led terrorists slaughtered some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took 251 hostages.The deal requires Hamas to release all its hostages, Israel to release several thousand Palestinian security prisoners — including hundreds of terror convicts serving life sentences — and a halt to fighting in the Strip, followed by negotiations for a “sustainable calm” and IDF withdrawal from the enclave.The three-week-old truce, only halfway through its first stage, has come under immense strain in recent days following Hamas’s announcement.Hamas praises Jordan and Egypt for opposing Gazans’ relocation-Meanwhile, Hamas praised Jordan and Egypt on Wednesday for their repeated rejections of Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and displace its population to the two neighboring countries.The terror group said in a separate statement that the Jordanian and Egyptian positions “confirm that there is an Arab plan to reconstruct Gaza without displacing its people.”The US plan was at the top of the agenda during Trump’s Tuesday Oval Office meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah, who sought to cautiously repel the idea without upsetting Trump.He announced that Amman would take in 2,000 sick Gazan children — a figure that amounts to 0.1% of the Strip’s population.“That’s music to my ears,” said a gratified Trump, who still proceeded to raise the idea of using “parcels of land” in Egypt and Jordan to house Palestinians.Abdullah responded that he’d have to do what was best for his country, adding that Arab countries, led by Egypt, were putting together their plan for the rehabilitation of Gaza.Hours later, the Egyptian foreign ministry announced that it would soon be presenting its plan for a “comprehensive vision for the reconstruction” of the Gaza Strip that ensures Palestinians remain on the territory.Egypt announced earlier this week it would hold an “emergency Arab summit” on February 27 addressing Trump’s plan.Notably, the White House readout on the meeting between Trump and Abdullah made no direct mention of Trump’s desire for Jordan to take in Palestinians.“The two leaders also discussed the President’s goal of ensuring that Gaza is rebuilt beautifully after the conflict ends and providing options for the people of Gaza that allow them to live in security and dignity, and free of Hamas’s tyranny,” it said.Trump asked Jordan’s King Abdullah to help ensure that Hamas understands “the severity of the situation” if the terror group does not release the hostages by Saturday, the readout added. Abdullah is not known to have noteworthy contacts with Hamas.“The president reiterated that Hamas must release all hostages, including all Americans, by Saturday, and asked for the King’s assistance in ensuring that Hamas, as well as the leaders of the region, understand the severity of the situation,” the US readout added.Trump extended a White House invitation to Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, with onlookers believing the visit would come shortly after that of AbdullaBut such a sit-down has yet to be scheduled, apparently as Cairo seeks to finalize its Gaza plan first.An unconfirmed report from Reuters citing anonymous Egyptian security sources claimed Wednesday that Sissi would not travel to Washington if Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza remains on the agenda — a likely unrealistic expectation, given that Trump has repeatedly stood by the plan.Sissi and Abdullah held a phone call on Wednesday, during which they reiterated their stance that Gaza should be rebuilt without displacing Palestinians, according to Egypt’s presidency.“The two leaders affirmed the unity of the Egyptian and Jordanian positions, including the necessity of the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, the continued release of hostages and prisoners and facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid,” the Egyptian readout said, stressing the need for the “immediate start of the reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip, without displacing the Palestinian people from their land.”The aversion to Trump’s plan is widespread in the Arab world. The United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al Otaiba, said on Wednesday that the US approach to Gaza is “difficult.”“But at the end of the day, we’re all in a solution-seeking business. We just don’t know where it’s going to land yet,” he said during the World Governments Summit in Dubai.At the summit, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned that if Trump pressed ahead with his plan, he would lead the Middle East into a new cycle of crises with a “damaging effect on peace and stability.”
Op-ed: Day 495 of the war-Netanyahu and Abdullah are living in Trump’s world now. Is Hamas? As Jordan’s king was praying for the Oval Office floor to swallow him up, Israel’s PM was trying to work out how high the president wanted him to jump. What about the bullies of Hamas? By David Horovitz-12 February 2025, 4:55 pm
This Editor’s Note was sent out earlier Wednesday in ToI’s weekly update email to members of the Times of Israel Community. To receive these Editor’s Notes as they’re released, join the ToI Community here.At last Tuesday’s Oval Office briefing for the media, anticipating a fairly short session given that a full press conference was scheduled for later in the day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially appeared irritated that reporters were being given time to shout barrages of questions at him and his host, US President Donald Trump.“I would think that’s about enough,” he said, early in what turned into a 14-minute Q and A. He next accused the Israeli reporters in the room of taking over the event, and then snapped, “I think that I should talk to President Trump, okay?”Gradually, however, he realized that Trump was relishing the moment and, moreover, was talking about “permanently” removing the entire population of Gaza. If you look at the transcript, you’ll see that Trump dominated the rest of the proceedings, with Netanyahu contentedly taking a back seat.Flash forward a week, and the foreign leader getting the Oval Office treatment this Tuesday was Jordan’s Abdullah II. Unlike for Netanyahu, for the king the encounter was nightmarish from start to finish.The lowest low point was probably when Trump insisted that “we’ll have a parcel of land in Jordan… a parcel of land in Egypt,” where the president’s exiled Gazans “are going to live very happily and very safely.”“And is there a parcel of land in Jordan that you’re willing to have Palestinians…?” Abdullah was naturally asked.“Well, I think what we said, er, I have to look at the best interests of my country,” managed the monarch, mustering language that was about as defiant as he could dare when seated knee-to-knee with the unpredictable leader of the free world, on whose support his monarchy depends, and who is insisting he import large numbers of a potentially destabilizing populace into his perpetually wobbling kingdom.Throughout the ordeal, Abdullah looked like a particularly elegant fish flailing hopelessly on the hook, features locked in a rictus grin, a nervous tic highlighting his discomfort — his every sinew screaming, “Get me out of here.”But Netanyahu is on Trump’s hook, too — as evidenced by the drama that was playing out almost simultaneously in Jerusalem. As Abdullah was heading to the White House, Israel’s security cabinet was meeting, ostensibly in the wake of Hamas’s declaration on Monday that it was halting until further notice the hostage releases to which it is committed under the Gaza ceasefire. In fact, however, Netanyahu and his senior ministers were trying to work out exactly what Trump meant by his ultimatum to Hamas, issued Monday and repeated on Tuesday, to free “all of the hostages” by noon Saturday or risk “hell” breaking out.It is, as so often, somewhat unclear what Trump has in mind when it comes to the unleashing of hell. It is hard to imagine what further hellishness could be directed at Hamas in Gaza that would not also deeply harm those who Trump has called the “wonderful” non-Hamas populace there and the very hostages — 33 of whom are believed to be alive — for whose well-being the president is profoundly concerned.But it is clear that Trump’s admirable frustration with a deal under which hostages are “dribbling in” from Gaza three at a time, looking like “Holocaust survivors,” is a public rejection of the protracted phased framework that Netanyahu approved and conveyed to the Biden administration in May, and that Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff finally got rolling last month.Netanyahu and his coalition have refused since October 7 to seriously contemplate a one-time deal involving the release of all hostages in exchange for vast numbers of Palestinian security prisoners and an end to the war. And the prime minister spent months — from May 2024 to January 2025 — condemning Hamas for rejecting his favored phased framework, while furiously denying that he was preventing its implementation. On Tuesday, however, Netanyahu and his ministers sprinted to dissociate themselves from their own deal, in favor of Trump’s “all of them, now” approach.As a succession of short, carefully composed and ultimately contradictory statements were issued to the media by one or more official sources who must not be named, and Netanyahu issued a video statement of his own, all in the space of about two hours, I wondered whether someone at the White House was calling the Prime Minister’s Office after each utterance and saying, increasingly testily, “Wrong, do it again.”We went from an anodyne statement by the anonymous official source that ministers had unanimously backed Trump’s hostage-release call and deadline; to a specific demand, again conveyed by Mr. No Name, for the release of the nine living hostages yet to be freed in phase one; to Netanyahu in person warning that the ceasefire will end and intensive fighting resume if “our hostages” are not freed by noon on Saturday; and then back to Official X, finally uttering the “all” word: “Prime Minister Netanyahu and the cabinet are sticking to US President Trump’s message about the release of hostages: That is, that all of them will go out on Shabbat.”Jump, Mr. President? Well, of course. But how high? More than one security cabinet member is apparently of the opinion that the Trump ultimatum, eventually endorsed on the fourth attempt, will work — at least to some extent. According to an Army Radio report on Wednesday morning, the expectation in the security cabinet is that Hamas will on Saturday release more than the three hostages it is required to free under the deal and whose release it had said it was freezing.It is worth remembering that Trump’s similarly ominous and nonspecific threat of hell breaking loose if the current deal was not signed and sealed by his inauguration indeed produced the desired effect — albeit for a deal he now denounces.A key question this time is what kind of leverage Trump can exercise — or Hamas fears he could exercise — in support of his commendable demand that all the hostages go free now.Plainly, he has leverage over Qatar — which holds vulnerable assets in the US, is a designated major non-NATO ally of the US, and hosts the largest US military installation in the Middle East. It has for years enabled Hamas to thrive financially. And it funds the Al Jazeera network that has been intermittently outlawed by numerous US allies in the region and beyond, and is currently banned by the Palestinian Authority (for incitement) and Israel (as a threat to national security).But is he prepared to use that leverage? He said at his Oval Office session with Netanyahu that “Qatar is absolutely trying to help” on Gaza. And would Hamas care if, in turn, Qatar tried to squeeze it?As is his way, Trump was airily confident on Tuesday as regards Gaza’s terrorist monsters and his ultimatum. “They want to play tough guy, but we’ll see how tough they are,” he declared. “They’re bullies. Hamas is bullies. The weakest people are bullies.”Just like King Abdullah, praying for the Oval Office floor to open up and swallow him whole, so too Netanyahu, his government and by extension the rest of us here are all living in Trump’s world now. We’re about to find out whether Hamas is too.
BlackSky and Rocket Lab Set Launch Date for First Gen-3 Satellite-by Clarence Oxford.
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 12, 2025-BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) and Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) have scheduled the launch of BlackSky's first Gen-3 satellite, targeting a February 18 liftoff. The mission, dubbed "Fasten Your Space Belts," will introduce advanced 35-centimeter resolution imaging, enhancing BlackSky's high-frequency, low-latency geospatial intelligence and AI-powered analytics."This launch represents a major inflection point for our global defense and intelligence customer base as BlackSky introduces very high-resolution Gen-3 capabilities to our high-frequency, low-latency monitoring constellation," said Brian O'Toole, BlackSky CEO. "As more Gen-3 satellites complete production, we expect a regular cadence of additional launches over the coming year."Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle will deploy the Gen-3 satellite, continuing the long-standing collaboration between the two companies. "Electron is a trusted and reliable constellation builder for companies like BlackSky, allowing them to be in control of how, when, and where to deploy their constellation," said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck. "BlackSky is one of our earliest and longest-standing commercial satellite customers, and it's great to be heading back to the pad with them once again to continue to advance and expand their constellation."The ongoing deployment of Gen-3 satellites will enhance BlackSky's constellation, ensuring greater imaging capacity and operational flexibility. With these upgrades, BlackSky customers will be able to leverage automated tools for detecting, identifying, and classifying various objects of interest, including vehicles, aircraft, and vessels. These capabilities are designed to support a broad range of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations for tactical and strategic applications.
Iran says will rebuild nuclear facilities if attacked-Tehran, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2025
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday said his country would rebuild its nuclear facilities if attacked, following US media reports that Israel was likely to launch a strike on key Iranian nuclear sites."They are threatening us that they will attack our Natanz nuclear facility. Come and attack it. It is the brains of our children that built it," Pezeshkian said during a visit to the southern province of Bushehr."If you destroy a hundred (nuclear facilities), our children will build a thousand," he said, without directly referring to the US reports.The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing US intelligence, that Israel was "likely to attempt a strike on Iran's Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities in the first six months of 2025".The report referred to "two potential strike options, each involving the United States providing support in the form of aerial refuelling as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance".The Wall Street Journal had earlier carried a similar report.The reports came as tensions soared after US President Donald Trump reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy over allegations that Iran is seeking to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran has consistently denied the allegations.At the same time, Trump called for striking a deal with Iran."I would like a deal done with Iran on non-nuclear. I would prefer that to bombing the hell out of it," Trump told the New York Post on Friday, adding: "If we made the deal, Israel wouldn't bomb them."Iran and Israel traded direct attacks last year for the first time against the backdrop of soaring regional tensions triggered by the Gaza war.On October 26, Israel bombed military sites in Iran, killing four servicemen, in response to an October 1 barrage of about 200 missiles from Iran.Some analysts say Israel inflicted severe damage on Iranian air defences and missile capacities and could yet launch more wide-scale action against the Islamic republic, while Iran denied any major damage to its facilities.On April 13, Iran sent drones and missiles in Israel, in retaliation for a deadly April 1 attack on its Damascus consulate, blamed on Israel.
High wind halts dismantling of Fukushima nuclear plant's water tanks-Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Japan, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2025
Gusty winds prevented the operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant from starting to dismantle treated water tanks on Thursday, a crucial step towards decommissioning the entire facility.The "water tank dismantling has been postponed because of strong winds", Tatsuya Matoba, a Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) spokesperson, told AFP."The process could start from tomorrow depending on weather conditions", he added.The step was seen as a milestone in TEPCO's decades-long project to decommission the stricken plant in northern Japan, which went into meltdown after it was hit by a catastrophic tsunami in 2011.Officials were to have started the process on Thursday to get rid of some of the tanks to clear space needed to store nuclear debris to be extracted from the plant's reactors.TEPCO has stored around 1.3 million tons of water -- a combination of groundwater, seawater and rainwater -- at the site, along with water used for cooling the reactors, since the 2011 accident.The water is filtered to remove various radioactive materials but has remained inside more than 1,000 tanks that occupy much of the plant.Scrapping the water tanks became possible after TEPCO began releasing the stored water from the plant into the Pacific Ocean in August 2023.After removing the tanks, the utility plans to build facilities to store highly dangerous molten fuel debris to be extracted from inside the reactors.
Europe warns Trump against Ukraine deal 'behind our backs'.
Brussels, Belgium, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2025-Blindsided Europeans warned Thursday that a "dirty deal" between US President Donald Trump and Moscow on ending the Ukraine war was doomed to fail -- insisting they and Kyiv must have a seat at the negotiating table.Meeting NATO partners the day after Trump revealed he had agreed to start peace talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth denied it meant a betrayal of Kyiv's three-year war effort.But Trump's move stunned European allies -- several of whom openly called his strategy into question.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected any "dictated peace" and his defence minister called it "regrettable" that Washington was already making "concessions" to the Kremlin.In a blunt address to reporters at NATO talks in Brussels, EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas insisted that no deal "behind our backs" could work, as she accused Washington of "appeasement" towards Russia."We shouldn't take anything off the table before the negotiations have even started because it plays to Russia's court and it is what they want," she said."Any quick fix is a dirty deal," she said. "It will just simply not work."- 'No betrayal' -After a 90-minute phone call with Putin, his first since returning to power, Trump said he expected to meet the Russian leader in Saudi Arabia for Ukraine peace talks -- sparking fears Kyiv would be frozen out.That came after his administration poured cold water on Ukraine's goals of reclaiming all its territory and pushing to join NATO's protective umbrella."There is no betrayal there. There is a recognition that the whole world and the United States is invested and interested in peace," Hegseth said at NATO."That will require both sides recognising things they don't want to," added the US Defense Secretary.Trump, who has been pushing for a quick end to the war, denied that Ukraine was being excluded from direct negotiations between the two nuclear-armed superpowers.The Kremlin said both leaders had agreed the "time has come to work together," insisting it wanted to organise a face-to-face meeting promptly and that broader European security should be on the agenda.After speaking to Putin, the US president called Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and shared details of his talks with the Kremlin leader.Ukraine's defence minister Rustem Umerov told Kyiv's NATO backers "we're continuing, we're strong, we're capable, we're able, we will deliver".Zelensky is set to meet US Vice President JD Vance at a security conference in Munich on Friday to kick off negotiations.It will be the latest in a flurry of high-level meetings after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held talks in Kyiv on Wednesday on granting Washington access to Ukraine's rare earth deposits in return for security support.- 'Overwhelming share' -Trump's outreach to Putin had been broadly expected, but the quick pace of his peace push has left heads spinning after three years of staunch Western support for Kyiv.Kyiv's European backers are terrified that Trump could force Ukraine into a bad peace deal that will leave them facing an emboldened Putin -- while fronting the lion's share of costs for post-war security.Hegseth Wednesday laid out a string of US expectations to halt the conflict, saying it was not realistic for Ukraine to regain all its land or become a NATO member.He also said Europe must now start providing the "overwhelming share" of aid to Ukraine and that the United States would not deploy troops as a security guarantee under any deal.In a statement on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of key European powers including Germany, France, Poland and Britain said "Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations."Throughout Russia's war on Ukraine since 2022 it has been a mantra for Western powers that there should be no decisions taken on Ukraine's future without Kyiv.NATO chief Mark Rutte on Thursday said it was crucial that Kyiv was "closely involved" in any talks about what happens in Ukraine.Britain's defence minister John Healey echoed that message."There can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine, and Ukraine's voice must be at the heart of any talks," he said.Rutte insisted that any potential peace deal had to be "enduring", pointing to similar comments made earlier by Hegseth.Russia's ally China meanwhile said it was "happy" to see the United States and Russia "strengthen communication".
India, Pakistan exchange fire across Kashmir border: reports.
Srinagar, India, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2025-Indian and Pakistani troops have exchanged fire across the heavily militarised Kashmir frontier that divides the two archrivals, with at least four casualties reported by the Pakistani side Thursday.Kashmir has been divided between the neighbours since they were carved out of the Asian subcontinent at the end of British colonial rule in 1947.Both nations claim it in full and have fought two wars and numerous smaller battles over control of the Himalayan territory.Pakistan state broadcaster PTV, citing unnamed security sources, said Wednesday's incident injured two soldiers and two civilians, all from that country.Unnamed Indian security officials told broadcaster NDTV that Pakistani troops had fired unprovoked, prompting India's forces to return fire.Pakistan's military declined to comment when asked by AFP. India army officials did not respond to a request for comment.The incident comes two days after two Indian army soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device in the region.A border ceasefire agreement signed by the neighbours in 2003 has largely held in the decades since, but both frequently accuse the other of breaching it.Last month, India's army said its soldiers killed two rebel fighters along the Kashmir border as they attempted to cross into the Indian-administered territory.Several rebel groups have fought Indian forces deployed in the territory, demanding independence for the Muslim-majority region or its merger with Pakistan.Tens of thousands of people have died in the conflict, most of them civilians.Fighting has decreased since 2019, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government imposed direct control of the territory from New Delhi after cancelling its partial autonomy.But last year, thousands of additional troops were deployed across the southern mountainous areas following a series of deadly rebel attacks that left more than 50 soldiers dead in three years.India regularly blames Pakistan for pushing rebels across their shared frontier to launch attacks on Indian forces.Pakistan denies the allegation, saying it only supports Kashmir's struggle for self-determination.
NATO faces 'moment of truth' on alliance's future: France.
Brussels, Belgium, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2025-NATO faces a moment of reckoning on its future, as the United States and Russia set in motion negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine, France's defence minister warned on Thursday.Sebastien Lecornu said NATO allies needed to think long-term and beef up their defence industries as Washington demands that Europe take security into its own hands."It's a crucial moment of truth," Lecornu told reporters ahead of a NATO meeting in Brussels."People call it the most important, the strongest military alliance in history. That's historically true -- but the question is, will it still be true 10 or 15 years from now."US President Donald Trump on Wednesday blindsided Ukraine and Washington's European allies by agreeing to launch peace talks in his first publicly announced phone call with Putin since returning to power.On Thursday, ahead of the Brussels NATO talks, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described the Ukraine conflict as "a factory reset for NATO, a realization that this alliance needs to be robust and strong and real".He echoed Trump's demands for allies to more than double their defence spending target to five percent of GDP, although he seemed to allow for some leeway suggesting growth could be incremental."Two percent of GDP is not enough. Three and four and ultimately, as President Trump has said, five percent of defense spending is critical," Hegseth said."There is a Russian war machine that has sought to take more and more land in Ukraine, and standing up against that is an important European responsibility."The United States has underpinned European security through NATO over the past seven decades.US allies have already stepped up their spending in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and are pledging to do more to back Kyiv.Lecornu said France and others were committed to do more -- but warned money had to be spent wisely, arguing that simply filling "hangars" with US gear, "without seeking real military efficiency" would be a historic "failure" for Europe.Lecornu is a staunch loyalist of French President Emmanuel Macron, a fierce proponent of a more militarily independent Europe who once described NATO as brain dead during Trump's first term and is pushing for EU countries to buy European when it comes to defence.Conveying European fears that Trump could force Ukraine into a bad peace deal, he warned that this could embolden Putin and other western rivals, including Iran, North Korea and China."Either we are within the parameters of a discussion that will genuinely bring peace through strength, or, on the contrary, it will be peace through weakness", he said adding the latter could lead to "dramatic security situations" and a "widening of the conflict".
Iran's Khamenei warns against negotiating with US.
Tehran, Feb 7 (AFP) Feb 07, 2025-Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Friday that there should not be negotiations with the United States, days after US President Donald Trump called for a new nuclear deal."You should not negotiate with such a government, it is unwise, it is not intelligent, it is not honourable to negotiate," Khamenei said during a meeting with army commanders.The United States had previously "ruined, violated, and tore up" a 2015 nuclear deal, he said, adding that "the same person who is in power now tore up the treaty".On Wednesday, Trump suggested striking a "verified nuclear peace agreement" with Iran, adding in his social media post that Tehran "cannot have a Nuclear Weapon".Trump, who returned to the White House on January 20, reinstated on Tuesday his "maximum pressure" policy towards Iran over allegations the country is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.Iran insists its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons.Following the policy's reinstatement, Washington on Thursday announced financial sanctions on entities and individuals accused of shipping hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of Iranian crude oil to China.Tehran on Friday condemned the sanctions as "illegal", saying they were "categorically unjustified and contrary to international rules"."We must understand this correctly: they should not pretend that if we sit down at the negotiating table with that government (the US administration), problems will be solved," Khamenei said."No problem will be solved by negotiating with America," he said, citing previous "experience".- Reciprocity -Khamenei also warned of reciprocal measures if the United States threatened or acted against Iran."If they threaten us, we will threaten them. If they carry out this threat, we will carry out our threat. If they attack the security of our nation, we will attack their security without hesitation," he said.During Trump's first term, which ended in 2021, Washington withdrew from the landmark nuclear deal that had imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.Tehran adhered to the 2015 deal -- known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action -- until a year after Washington pulled out, but then began rolling back its commitments. Efforts to revive the deal have since faltered.Khamenei said Iran was "very generous" during the negotiations that culminated in the deal, but it "did not achieve the intended results".Iranian political expert Afifeh Abedi said the Khamenei's remarks highlight "a serious concern" that negotiations "will result in the US breaching its commitments"."Iran understands that Trump's willingness to negotiate is a disingenuous, reactionary move driven by other objectives, rather than a genuine commitment to reaching an agreement," she said.Iran has repeatedly expressed a willingness to revive the nuclear deal, and President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for an end to the country's isolation.Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said recently the new US administration should work to regain Tehran's trust if it wants a new round of nuclear talks.- 'Only on paper' -Western sanctions, especially since the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, have taken a toll on millions of Iranians struggling to make ends meet amid high inflation and a plunging currency.Khamenei acknowledged this on Friday, saying "almost most segments of the population have some problems" but adding they could be solved internally.The current "respected government can reduce the livelihood problems of the people", he said.Tehran has said it hopes Trump will adopt a "realistic" approach towards countries in the Middle East including Iran.However, on Thursday, it joined Arab countries and world leaders in condemning a Trump plan to move Palestinians out of Gaza "permanently".In the wake of the uproar, the Trump administration appeared to backtrack, with Washington's top diplomat saying any transfer of Gazans would be temporary.Without directly mentioning Gaza, Khamenei said Friday the US administration was trying "to change the map of the world"."Of course it is only on paper, it has no basis in reality," he said.
DANIEL 2:37-45
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
DANIEL 7:17-26
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
THE WORLD IN 10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS LEAD BY THE EUROPEAN UNION THE WORLD LEADER, NOT AMERICA.I PREDICT.
THE EUROPEAN UNION AND REVIVED ROMAN WORLD GOVERNMENT
DANIEL 2:31-33,36-43, DAN 7:3-8,17
First From Daniel Chapter 2
1 EGYPT
2 ASSYRIA
3 BABYLON (HEAD OF GOLD) DAN 2:31-32,36-38, DAN 1:1
4 MEDO-PERSIANS (CHEST & ARMS OF SILVER) DAN 2:32,39, DAN 9:1
5 GREECE (WAIST & HIPS OF BRONZE) DAN 2:32,39, DAN 11:2
6 ROME (2 LEGS OF IRON) DAN 2:33,40, ROM 1:6
7 REVIVED ROME (EU) (FEET IRON & CLAY) DAN 2:33,41-43,10 TOES
Now From Daniel Chapter 7
1 EGYPT
2 ASSYRIA
3 BABYLON (LION WITH EAGLES WINGS) DAN 7:4, DAN 1:1
4 MEDO-PERSIANS (BEAR ON HIND LEGS) DAN 7:5, DAN 9:1
5 GREECE (LEOPARD 4 WINGS, 4 HEADS) DAN 7:6, DAN 11:2
6 ROME (HUGE IRON TEETH) DAN 7:7 (10 HORNS), ROM 1:6
7 REVIVED ROME (EU) DAN 7:8,19-20,23-25 10 HORNS, 10 KINGS
REV 17:9,12, 10 HORNS, 10 KINGS, 7 HILLS ROME. REV 13:1 BEAST WITH 7 HEADS. THE E.U LEADER OF WORLD GOVERNMENT DAN 2:40-45, 7:7-8,23-25,27, 8:23, REV 13:3,7,8,12,14,16
REVELATION 17:10-12
10 And there are seven kings (7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY) five are fallen, (EGYPT, ASSYRIA, BABYLON,:MEDO-PERSIAN,GREECE and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS DAY-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh,(FUTURE-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE-EUROPEAN UNION TODAY) he must continue a short space.(7 YEARS OF WORLD DOMINATION-BUT 3 1/2 YEARS OF NEW WORLD ORDER OR ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT)
12 And the ten horns (10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS OR REGIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS-NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind,(WORLD SOCIALISM) and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent.James Paul Warburg appearing before the Senate on 7th February 1950
Like a famous WWII Belgian General,Paul Henry Spock said in 1957:We need no commission, we have already too many. What we need is a man who is great enough to be able to keep all the people in subjection to himself and to lift us out of the economic bog into which we threaten to sink. Send us such a man. Be he a god or a devil, we will accept him.And today, sadly, the world is indeed ready for such a man.
DICK MORRIS-This truly creates a global economic system. From now on, don’t look to Washington for the rule making, look to Brussels.
THE CLUB OF ROME FOUNDER AURELIO PECCEI WANTS THE WORLD IN 10 REGIONAL TRADING BLOCKS
HERES WHAT THE WORLD WOULD LOOK LIKE (SINCE THERE WILL BE WORLD GOVERNMENT IN THE FUTURE)-UPDATED VERSION
01 CANADA, U.S.A, MEXICO
02 EUROPEAN UNION,WESTERN EUROPE
03 JAPAN
04 AUSTRALIA,NEW ZEALAND, S AFRICA, ISRAEL AND PACIFIC ISLANDS
05 EASTERN EUROPE
06 SOUTHERN, CENTRAL AND LATIN AMERICAS
07 NORTH AFRICA, AND MIDEAST (MOSLEMS)
08 CENTRAL AFRICA
09 SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
10 CENTRAL ASIA
THE CLUB OF ROME WANTS A WORLD CHARISMATIC DICTATOR (EITHER RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL OR SCIENTIFICAL) TO HEAD THIS WORLD GOVERNMENT. REV 13:3,7-8, DAN 7:23-24
WORLD POWERS IN THE END TIME
NORTH - RUSSIA EZEK 38:1-2, 39:1-2
SOUTH - EGYPT DAN 11:42
EAST - CHINA DAN 11:44,REV 16:12
WEST - EUROPEAN UNION DAN 7:23-24 (NOT THE U.S.A)
http://israel7777777.blogspot.ca/2012/03/10-world-trade-blocs-one-world.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2006/09/how-eu-takes-world-control.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2012/05/one-world-religion-crislam.html
Essex Police reveal impressive accuracy of LFR from Corsight, Digital Barriers-Feb 13, 2025, 11:56 am EST | Chris Burt
England’s Essex Police have performed 383,356 match attempts with live facial recognition software from Corsight AI and Digital Barriers, with a single incorrect alert from a false match.The force reveals details of its use of LFR in a transparency report listing the results of 38 completed deployments. The first was in October of 2023, the last two are from January and February of this year, and the remaining 35 are between August and the end of 2024. The notice also informs the public of a deployment at Harlow on February 11, and another upcoming on February 16 at Southend.Essex Police used different watchlists for different deployments, with a combined total 1,322 identities to compare the faces of people in public against. Sixty-one alerts were generated over all of the deployments, and all but one were correct matches, according to the report, resulting in 57 “interventions” and 11 arrests, including for assault and sexual assault.The deployment in which the false match was observed included nearly 40,000 scans.The overall accuracy of the biometric matches so far is 99.9997 percent, which Corsight says reinforces the dependability of the technology in dynamic policing scenarios.“Accuracy is not just about the strength of the algorithm but also a matter of settings,” notes Corsight AI President and CEO Rob Watts. “Mall of America, for example, has 40 million visitors a year. They want to receive alerts only if an individual is identified with a very high level of certainty, otherwise, security would have to handle a lot of noise. On the other hand, police pursuing an armed murderer would want to examine any relevant footage, even if the algorithm is only 90 percent sure the target is identified.”The Met Police Director claimed last July that its live facial recognition deployments were beating that force’s accuracy expectations.A release from Corsight notes that Essex Police use facial recognition with cameras on dedicated police vans, rather than fixed CCTV cameras owned by municipal authorities.Corsight AI Chief Privacy Officer and former UK Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter tells Biometric Update in an email that the success is attributable to the software’s tolerance of challenging conditions for biometric matching, such as low lighting and step angles. He also notes that the Persons of Interest database used is comprised of suspects from the area, which enhances accuracy.The transparency report also provides details on data retention and deletion.“It is a privilege for Corsight AI to contribute to the safety and security of the law-abiding people of Essex,” says Porter. “Drawing on our vast experience with law enforcement agencies worldwide, Essex Police adhere to the highest standards of fair use and transparency.”
UK needs unified regulation for facial recognition: Biometrics Institute-Feb 12, 2025, 2:52 pm EST | Masha Borak
The UK needs a clearer and consistent framework for governing facial recognition in public spaces as missteps in deploying the technology could erode public trust, the Biometrics Institute says in a new paper.The UK’s lack of a single law governing the technology is hightening the risk of rejecting facial recognition outright due to perceived risk, the organization says in a document titled Members’ Viewpoints: The Use of Facial Recognition in Policing.“Its potential to enhance security, improve efficiency, and address societal issues is undeniable,” says Isabelle Moeller,” CEO of the Biometrics Institute. “However, it is crucial that the deployment of FRT and live facial recognition (LFR) is guided by a strong ethical framework, robust regulatory oversight, and a commitment to transparency and accountability.”The performance of facial recognition algorithms has improved dramatically over the last decade: Testing by the UK National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has shown the facial recognition system used by the UK’s largest police force, the London Metropolitan Police, is “very accurate.”Algorithm accuracy, however, is not sufficient. There are many variables that must be considered, including how the police approach the technology, the organization notes.“Real-time surveillance uses of face recognition should be subject to a court order, similar to that required for a wiretap,” the paper argues.The paper was published in January following the UK Policing Minister Diana Diana Johnston’s call for discussions on the police use of LFR.Over the past year, the country has seen an increase in live and retrospective facial recognition deployments both by law enforcement and the private sector. The increase in the use of technology, however, has caused alarm among lawmakers, civil rights groups and citizens.The London Met Police is currently facing a legal challenge from digital privacy group Big Brother Watch over a case of misidentification by the system. Communities have also shared mixed opinions while city councillors are skeptical towards the technology, according to a community impact assessment.Another cause for concern has been law enforcement’s approach to data. The UK’s biometrics commissioner has been warning that the police are still storing images of innocent people in its national database which may be used for facial recognition checks.The Biometrics Institute has released a Good Practice Framework which serves as a risk management tool. The group is advocating for open and honest communication on facial recognition deployments, ethical principles, addressing the potential for bias and discrimination as well as robust data protection, oversight and accountability.The private sector’s use of facial recognition should match the same standards and policies as police and law enforcement, it adds.The Biometrics Institute gathers government, academia and private sector stakeholders alongside biometrics and privacy experts. The group is headquartered in the UK and Australia.Suffolk police trial live facial recognitionAlthough criticism is piling on UK police use of facial recognition, deployments are continuing.Police in Suffolk have announced a live facial recognition trial in the Ipswich town center on February 22nd. The police force will be using two vans and equipment from the Essex police, according to announcements.Assistant Chief Constable Eamonn Bridger assured the public that the technology would only be used to seek individuals who have committed serious offenses. The live camera feeds will match faces against a predetermined database of people of interest while faces of people who are not on the watchlist will be instantly deleted.“This technology has been proven elsewhere to be an effective tactic for locating and arresting suspects that are wanted for serious offenses,” says Bridger.The Suffolk police have cited results from live facial recognition deployments in the London town of Croydon, which led to the arrest of approximately 200 people, including for grievous body harm, fraud, domestic burglary and rape. Croydon and Westminster have been the most targeted areas for facial recognition deployments between January to the end of August 2024.Some London districts, however, are seeing resistance to the introduction of FTR technology.
Georgia seeks candidates to build digital ID wallet-Feb 13, 2025, 11:53 am EST | Masha Borak
Georgia has published a tender seeking to run a proof of concept for a national digital identity wallet.The Central Asian state is planning to build a digital ID wallet that will issue verifiable credentials based on personal identification Data (PID) from the Georgian ID card. The system will allow Georgian citizens and businesses to manage their digital identities securely.The country’s Public Service Development Agency (PSDA), which handles public services, the citizen registry and issuing identity documents, is in charge of the tender.The digital identity wallet solution will include issuer, holder and verifier capabilities, and comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The tender specifies applicants should have a thorough understanding of the eIDAS ecosystem and the industry specifications of the EUDI Wallet Architecture and Reference Framework (ARF), including OpenID Connect, OpenID4VCI, oAUTH, W3C DID and ISO/IEC 18013.The tender document implies the wallet could be integrated with eID services for identity verification and used for KYC checks for financial services, as well as credentials for travel, healthcare and education.The World Bank supplies financing for the digital ID wallet through the Georgia Relief and Recovery for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises project. The US$102.9 million project is designed to upgrade the local digital payments and financial infrastructure among other goals.The tender includes the supply, installation and integration of the IT and technologies, along with services such as software development, customization, commissioning and training. The estimated period of services is 18 months, according to the tender.Applicants to be considered as a candidate should have experience with multiple countries and several organizations, and have fulfilled contracts worth at least $2 million involving Service Level Agreements and 100,000 registered users.The documents for the initial selection must be submitted before March 18th, 2025. The request for proposal is expected in April 2025.
EU investigating Atos over buying EES software through Russian office-Feb 6, 2025, 6:01 pm EST | Masha Borak
European prosecutors are investigating French IT company Atos for using its Russian office to purchase software for the upcoming EU’s Entry-Exit System (EES), a traveler registration scheme that will gather biometric and other data from non-EU visitors entering the bloc.The discovery of the involvement of Russia-based staff is raising alarms over the security of the EES system which is expected to collect massive amounts of sensitive data. Atos’s Moscow office operated under a license issued by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) which also grants the security agency access to the company’s work in the country.The investigation into Atos Russia was launched by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), an agency combating financial crimes against the EU. No charges have been brought so far, according to sources cited by The Financial Times.Atos Belgium won a contract to help build the core of the biometric border system together with its consortium partners IBM Belgium and Leonardo in 2019. The system is designed to record third-country nationals entering the Schengen area by requiring them to submit biographic information, fingerprints and facial images.The software purchases were conducted in 2021 before Russia invaded Ukraine and Atos divested from its Russian office.According to leaked documents, the Moscow office procured software allowing airlines to verify traveler information such as visa status, including cryptographic certificates from U.S. company AppViewX and middleware from Swiss company Magnolia. Although the deal was managed through the Russian office, the two software suppliers signed contracts with Atos France and Atos Belgium.One of the questions left lingering is whether Moscow-based employees had the proper security clearance to make purchases for the EES.The European agency in charge of building the border system EU-Lisa says that the Moscow-based Atos employee who purchased AppViewX software, Yulia Plavunova, did not have access to EES “IT systems, sensitive information or premises.”EU-Lisa also says it has not identified any security breaches nor does it have contractual relations with Atos Russia. Software from AppViewX was never used while Magnolia’s product was used until 2022, it added. Meanwhile, the European Commission has promised that EU-Lisa would perform a security audit before EES goes live.The EPPO investigation is not the first time that Atos Russia has been probed. Last year, the EU’s anti-corruption agency OLAF made its own inquiries, concluding that EU-Lisa’s internal security measures were not sufficient. The agency, however, did not find enough evidence to open an anti-fraud investigation, per FT.Currently, there is no set date for the launch of the EES as the system is expected to be gradually introduced throughout 2025. The border scheme has already experienced several delays. Media reports have placed a major part of the blame for the delays on Atos and its consortium partners which have reportedly been missing deadlines since 2020.
Sri Lanka’s biometric hardware market to grow with SL-UDI-Feb 13, 2025, 8:01 am EST | Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera
Sri Lanka’s biometric hardware market is poised for growth with the implementation of Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SL-UDI) by the government, top government officials tells Biometric Update. Implementation of digital public infrastructure (DPI) and rolling out national digital ID will provide many key government services online, with the support of tech companies in foreign countries.“The biometric market is slated to grow with the arrival of the digital ID. While the Department of Registration of Persons will be capturing the data, institutions such as banks and financial companies will need to have biometric hardware for validation,” according to Sumudu Ratnayake, Advisor, Ministry of Digital Economy.Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy added that most often financial institutions take individuals’ fingerprints on paper for account opening, etc. but with the digital IDs implementation, institutions will need to procure biometric hardware. He also highlighted the importance of the after-sales service of this equipment.Already, the Ministry of Digital Economy has received inquiries on the implementation of digital hardware by several Sri Lankan firms, acting as agents for Chinese and Indian biometric hardware companies.A marketing general manager for a multinational company dealing in biometric hardware in Sri Lanka noted that the country’s biometrics industry is growing at a high rate. “The digital users are growing. The speed of increase in the biometric industry has doubled in the last few years,” he told Biometric Update.Sri Lanka currently has about 25 to 30 big players in biometric hardware. “They do repeat purchases from countries such as China and India. However, there are also single container orders done by at least 300 importers,” an analyst at a major commercial bank in Sri Lanka said.By implementing this comprehensive biometric-based digital ID system, we’ll revolutionize how identity verification works nationwide, Weeraratna said. “This centralized solution will eliminate redundancy, enhance security, and streamline access to essential services like driver’s licensing.”The national ID system’s integration across all identity-dependent applications ensures efficiency and reliability for every citizen, he added.
North Carolina, Arkansas work toward mDL launches-Feb 12, 2025, 5:05 pm EST | Chris Burt
The strategic plan for North Carolina’s implementation of mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) is contained in a study published in revised form in January, along with a strategic analysis of the initiative. The report reflects insights from the steady advance of mDLs across America, which also includes a new bill in Arkansas and acceptance at two more international airports.The Mobile Driver License Study from the N.C Division of Motor Vehicles recommends contracting an experienced vendor and aligning with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) guidelines and international standards.The study considers process challenges, staffing needs, cost estimates, a third-party vendor evaluation, revenue changes, security and confidentiality implications, law enforcement concerns, the implementation timeline and other issues.The N.C. DMV found that using the same vendor to supply mDLs as already supplies the state’s physical driver’s licenses could help “reduce discrepancies, ensure system compatibility, and streamline the integration process.” Vendors with mDL experience could also help make the implementation a success. Security and privacy must be prioritized and protected with encryption and multi-factor authentication (MFA). The state should work with Google and Apple on integration with their digital wallets. A comprehensive training program for law enforcement and DMV staff should be established. A robust public awareness campaign is necessary.Staffing adjustments may be necessary, but will likely only be temporary, according to the study. North Carolina should treat mDLs as a way to improve service delivery, rather than a source of revenue.The most interesting finding may be the need to prioritize long-term interoperability, which will mean working with third-party vendors and the AAMVA “to ensure that mDLs are compliant with national standards for cross-jurisdictional verification.”The report also sets out policy decisions lawmakers will have to make. North Carolina’s Notary Act will likely have to be amended to allow mDLs to be counted as “satisfactory evidence” equivalent to physical IDs, the study found.One-time costs are projected to fall somewhere between $750,000 and $1.4 million, with annual costs likely under $500,000.The vendor evaluation section does not single out any mDL technology providers, but concludes that North Carolina should contract a third party to manage its mDL system. The recommendation is in recognition that “States that opted to contract with vendors report significant benefits, such as faster rollout times, more advanced security features, and ongoing support for mDL maintenance and updates.”The state should utilize AAMVA’s Digital Trust Service and follow its recommendations for compliance with ISO/IEC 18013-5 and related standards, including the related new online presentation standard.The timeline for getting mDLs into the phones of Tar Heel State residents could be as long as four years, plus a two-year rollout, but could be expedited to as few as 12 months “by leveraging (the state’s) existing credential issuance contract.” The legal basis for North Carolina’s mDLs takes effect in July of this year.Arkansas law establishes legal equivalence-Arkansas HB1135 has been signed into law by Governor Sarah Sanders, setting the stage for a launch of mDLs and digital IDs to an unspecified app, 5newsonline.com reports. Public and private-sector organizations will be able to accept the digital credentials. A previous bill established a legal basis for mDLs, but did not give them the same status as physical IDs.While driver’s may have to hand their phone over to a police officer in the event of a traffic stop, police are prohibited from searching the phone without consent, and must return the mobile device as soon as the identity and license are confirmed.The legislative amendment gives the state Office of Driver Services the option to charge up to $10 for the mDL.TSA adds 2 more airports-The Transportation Security Administration has upgraded to Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2) scanners, supplied by Idemia, at Sacramento International Airport (SMF) and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE).That means the TSA can now accept California mDLs, or Ohio mDLs available in Apple Wallet, for identity verification at the respective airports.
Nametag secure onboarding and ID verification bars entry to IT plants-VerifiedHire tool takes on ‘deepfake-wielding nation-state threat actors’ from DPRK-Feb 12, 2025, 5:01 pm EST | Joel R. McConvey
The United States’ latest tool in clamping down on North Korean espionage? Look no further than Nametag’s integrated identity verification and deepfake defense software.A release from the Seattle firm says investigations have uncovered “numerous programs to place Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)-affiliated operatives into remote IT jobs within U.S. and global enterprises” – and outlines how its VerifiedHire product can help prevent infiltration by threat actors attempting remote IT worker fraud.The firm claims that hundreds of western enterprises have been compromised, noting “one program involving two front companies employing more than 130 DPRK IT workers,” which has generated over $88 million for the North Korean government. In addition to financial gain, IT plants enable the country to dodge sanctions, funnel money to weapons developers and steal secrets.VerifiedHire was created to address the issue, leveraging Nametag’s deepfake defense identity verification engine for secure employee onboarding and initial credentialing. The platform consists of a self-service onboarding microsite with intuitive workflows for independent, automated authentication and identity verification.“Nametag’s launch of VerifiedHire underscores our continued commitment to creating end-to-end workforce account protection,” says Aaron Painter, CEO at Nametag. “Since every organization employs a unique approach to employee onboarding, we developed an out-of-the-box-solution that is easily customized to each enterprise’s workflows, software environments, and business requirements.”Because enterprises can quickly verify their extended workforce at scale, it’s simpler to root out imposters and stop contractor fraud. And, per the release, “by deflecting new employee verification and initial credentialing to self-service, VerifiedHire creates substantial time and cost savings for IT and Human Resources departments.”VerifiedHire offers plug-and-play integrations with Identity and Access Management (IAM) providers such as Okta, Microsoft Entra, Cisco Duo, and OneLogin, and allows for extensive configuration and customization.
Appeals court orders NYPD facial recognition contracts made public-$3B worth of surveillance deals from last 13 years to be disclosed-Feb 12, 2025, 4:49 pm EST | Joel R. McConvey
An appeals court in New York has ruled that the New York Police Department (NYPD) must disclose all documents relating to surveillance, cell phone tracking and maintenance of its facial recognition database, which have until now been kept confidential.A report from the New York Daily News says the documents relate to contracts the department entered into between March 2007 and October 2020, totaling an estimated $3 billion. They’ve been protected from public view under terms of the Special Expenses (SPEX) program for items vital to public safety and defense against terrorism.SPEX was shut down following the passage of the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act in the summer of 2020. Since then, the NYPD has faced allegations of ignoring the POST Act guidelines, which address police use of a variety of surveillance technologies. They say the department is compliant.In October 2020, the Legal Aid Society filed a Freedom of Information Law request to obtain the SPEX information, but the NYPD refused. Legal Aid took the matter to court and, in 2023, won the case. The NYPD’s appeal sent it to the appeals court – which, in its ruling, castigated the police force for being obstinate and vacuous.Following the court’s decision, much will come to light, with the force now required to provide a “rolling production every quarter and provide status updates on its compliance.”Jerome Greco, head of Legal Aid’s digital forensics unit, says he expects to learn “how much is being spent on these different technologies and services and the terms of those contracts – how they’re supposed to be used and what security or privacy measures were included in these contracts.“We expect that there may be a lot that has been hidden and not previously revealed.”NYPD officer says facial recognition is dangerous-In what is becoming a reliable pattern of hypocrisy around FRT in law enforcement, the Police Benevolent Association is protesting an online tool that searches a database of thousands of NYPD officers’ records for a biometric facial match.50-a.org is a tool designed to let people look up NYPD officer misconduct, which supports search by officer name or badge number.According to the New York Post, the present pushback began when a retired NYPD officer posted on X about a new facial recognition photo-search option on the site, which lets the public upload photos of police to find matches, identifying their name, assignment and disciplinary records.Ex-Lt. John Macari said the tool was likely to be “weaponized” by anti-cop activists and agitators and – ironically – noted the chance that officers might be misidentified by facial recognition tech.The Police Benevolent Association, a union organization representing more than 20,000 cops, has sent a cease-and-desist order to 50-a.org. President Patrick Hendry says“these activists are against any kind of technology that helps catch criminals, but they’ll use those same tools to target police officers.”The NYPD has used facial recognition for law enforcement since 2011.
Biometric e-gates speeding up border processing around the world-Feb 12, 2025, 2:38 pm EST | Lu-Hai Liang
Face biometrics is a fast-growing trend for border control and travel. The past year saw increasing implementation of biometrics for travel checkpoints while the technology and its adoption is constantly evolving. In a blog post by HID, key biometric trends in border control for 2025 were identified.These include “frictionless authentication in public spaces” with airports and border crossings enabling self-service biometrics for more rapid and convenient identification. It increases efficiency while biometric credentials provide robust digital security.This leads on to ethical considerations, and stricter regulations, as biometric providers commit to data diversity and there discussions are ongoing in society around data privacy and fairness. Meanwhile, regulations such as GDPR, BIPA and CCPA continue to shape how biometric data is collected, stored and used, according to HID Global. Lastly, algorithms are becoming more adaptive to combat the growing problems presented by deepfakes and spoofing, thereby necessitating advancements in face biometric technology.HID focuses on a case in Southeast Asia, an international seaport at Batam Center, which processes over eight million travelers annually. Previously, manual checks caused lengthy wait times that led to frustration and missed connections. Then the Indonesia Immigration and Seaport Authorities integrated a face biometric camera and document reader into the port’s automated border control (ABC) gate. The system made a dramatic impact, instantly transforming the border crossing experience.Valour Consultancy has identified 13,409 e-gates deployed in airports in the latest edition of its “Smart Airports Tracker.” Launched 12 months ago, the service is based on analyzing 1,800 contracts to give insight into the current status of automation and self-service for passenger processing in airports.The company estimates the total of 13,409 represents 82 percent of the actual number of e-gates deployed. The three main applications for e-gates, the consultancy found, are pre-security, self-boarding and border control.Interestingly, Valour Consultancy found that over half of self-boarding e-gates are biometrically enabled while the majority of those installed last year were non-biometric. John Devlin, the company’s Airports and Borders director, said that this is due to the “growing adoption” in “lower tier” airports which are seeking improvements in operational efficiency rather than “implementing seamless biometric experiences.”For much more detail, head on over to the article here.Johor and Singapore CIQ get 26 new e-gatesA border crossing between Malaysia and Singapore is getting 26 new electronic gates installed at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex.Those travelling to Johor in Malaysia or to Singapore can expect quicker and smoother immigration processing when the e-gates become operational by February 19.Of the 26 new e-gates, 17 will be installed in the arrival area of the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) CIQ complex and nine in the departure area, reports New Straits Times.The new gates are part of continuing efforts to reduce long lines and improve efficiency especially as large numbers of travelers commute daily between Johor and Singapore.Zimbabwe speeds up Beitbridge Border with e-gates-Zimbabwe’s Department of Immigration has launched e-gates at Beitbridge Border Post. In addition, the country’s Online Border Management System (OBMS) has been upgraded to complement usage of the e-gates.Designed to capture travelers’ biometric data, and identify flagged individuals, the OBMS can automatically allocate stay durations for different types of travel (transit versus touristic, for example).“We have started with a test run effective 14 January, and we are impressed so far with the effectiveness of these e-gates,” said Regional Immigration Officer for the Southern Region Joshua Chibundu, as reported by Bulawayo 24 News.It follows a 17-year public-private partnership between the Zimbabwean government and the Zimborders Consortium, which added the e-gates to the Beitbridge Border Post.Bhutan and India border crossing gets automated-Travelers at Bhutan’s busiest border crossing with India will soon experience a more efficient immigration process courtesy of new e-gates.The Himalayan Kingdom’s Department of Immigration is implementing automated border control systems at Phuentsholing pedestrian terminal which links to Jaigaon, India. The e-gates are expected to reduce wait times and improve security.Bhutan has for years been collecting biometric data among its citizens. Bhutanese citizens and foreign nationals with registered biometrics can be processed without needing manual clearance once the e-gates are operational. Currently, immigration can be slow due to immigration officers manually inputting data for each traveler with insufficient staff for the number of travelers.Bhutan aims to expand use of automated gates to other border crossings in the future. “With this new system, people can travel easily with facial recognition and biometrics,” said Jigme Tenzin, Regional Director of Phuentshogling Regional Immigration.
Ethiopia, UNICEF look to scale up birth registration, Fayda ID adoption-Feb 12, 2025, 2:32 pm EST | Ayang Macdonald
Officials of Ethiopia’s National ID Program (NIDP), the Immigration and Citizenship Services (ICS), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have shared thoughts on ways of improving birth and digital ID registration in the country.NIDP said in a recent brief that its Executive Director, Yodahe Zemichael; UNICEF’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Director of the Information and Communications Technology Division, Kaan Cetinturk, the agency’s Deputy Regional Director, Jeremy Hopkins, and representatives of the ICS, had a discussion on “innovative ways to scale up birth registration and national identification systems.”During the discussion, the partners agreed on the need to give a stronger push to ongoing birth registration efforts in the country so as to ensure that “all children in Ethiopia, along with their families, can access essential services like healthcare, education, and social protection.”Recognizing birth registration as the foundation of legal identity and a path that leads to opportunity, protection and inclusion, the UN agency officials said they remain available to supporting Ethiopia in making progress in that activity, ensuring that every child has the right to identity and the tools they need to succeed in life.This meeting months after the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expressed concerns over what it described as the slow pace of birth registration in the country, saying in an operational update in October that the situation was not advancing Fayda digital ID registration efforts.UNICEF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NIDP in October 2023 to accompany ID enrollment efforts in the country, with a focus on birth registration.Efforts in line with Ethiopia digital ID for inclusion and services project-Measures being taken by NIDP as well as its partners from government and the international development community to improve birth registration and National ID coverage align with the government’s digital transformation agenda, headlined by the Ethiopia digital ID for inclusion and services projects.The project, which has funding from the World Bank, intends to register at least 90 million Ethiopians for digital ID by 2030, laying the foundation for a strong digital government ecosystem outlined in a five-year strategy.Already, the 12-digit Fayda digital ID has been issued to more than 12.2 million individuals, as the ID is increasingly being required for access to a wide array of services from government and the private sector.More public acceptance needed for Fayda digital ID-As part of the push by NIDP for stronger adoption and public acceptance of the digital ID which is essential for access to several important services, a public forum aimed at further popularising it was held at the close of last month.The forum dubbed “Fayda for Ethiopia” was organised by the Ethiopian News Agency, and served as an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the role of the biometric ID in accelerating Ethiopia’s digital transformation and economic growth.Speaking at the event, NIDP deputy coordinator, Rahel Yitbarek, said the ID is meant to enable citizens enjoy their full rights and contribute to the growth of the economy.The event, which was attended by representatives from 25 government and private sector entities, emphasized how the Fayda ID can promote transparency and efficiency in the delivery of public services across various sectors.
Growth of digital wallet use shaking up payment regulations and benefits delivery-Feb 11, 2025, 5:07 pm EST | Chris Burt
Digital wallets are transforming online, offline and cross-border payments around the world, prompting calls for regulatory change in Australis and modernizing Thailand’s pubic benefits delivery. They can also be used to enable Open Banking and Open Finance, and an article from the Tony Blair Foundation highlights an opportunity for the UK to do just that.Payments regulation should cover wallet providers: Aussie banksAustralian banks are calling on the government to pass legislation that accommodates payments with digital wallets within the country’s regulatory framework.A release from the Australian Banking Association (ABA) argues that with the country’s residents making $20 billion worth of payments across 500 million transactions each month with mobile wallets, all players within the payment ecosystem should be under the remit of the Reserve Bank of Australia. Apple and Google are“The payments system has rapidly evolved, yet regulations have not been updated for over 25 years,” says ABA CEO Anna Bligh.The reforms ABA is seeking were identified “over 1200 days ago,” she says, and are already on the table as part of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2024. Bligh suggests they could be passed “this sitting fortnight.”“With mobile wallets becoming a dominant force in Australia’s payments architecture – it’s only fair that global tech companies are subject to the same oversight and consumer protection laws as the rest of the payments system,” Bligh says.Australia’s banks are exploring the use of the government’s Trust Exchange (TEx) to perform identity verification and accept digital IDs.Usage grows in Israel and for cross-border transactions-The same trend is being witnessed all over the world, with American Express Israel reporting a 58 percent increase in transaction volume with digital wallets in the country from 2023 to 2024. As a share of overall transaction volume, digital wallets rose from 38 percent to 26 percent in a year, The Jerusalem Post reports. The increase for online transactions was even greater.Digital wallets are by far the most popular method of making cross-border payments, according to a new report from Payments Cards & Mobile. The How Digital Wallets Are Transforming Cross-Border Transactions report shows digital wallets are chosen for international transactions by 42.1 percent. That makes them more people than the next two most popular methods, money transfer services (16.8 percent) and bank accounts (14.8 percent) combined.Transactions with digital wallets are much faster than wire transfers, are available to people who don’t possess bank accounts, and have lower fees than bank transfers, the report says. Interoperability remains a challenge, and regulations and infrastructure limitations could pose barriers to adoption, but the report authors only expect the dominance of digital wallets to increase in the years ahead.Thai benefits program approaches stage 3Thailand is preparing for the third phase of its digital wallet program, the first which actually makes use of the digital wallet, according to The Bangkok Post.Registration for the program was initially launched last July. The first phase involved welfare and disability benefits, and the second delivering social assistance to the elderly. Those two phases reached about 17.5 million people, combined, the Post says. In those phases, the funds were distributed through the Pao Tang app.More than 99 percent of the earmarked aid reached its intended recipients.The government plans to distribute funds for the remaining individuals registered to the “Tang Rat” (or alternatively “Thang Rath”) app during the second quarter of 2025, through an open-loop digital wallet payment system.This payment system connects to financial institutions across the country, and is currently being tested. The digital wallet is still in development, and does not support cash withdrawals at this time.Blair Institute suggests UK digital wallet to open finance, property transactions-The successes of Open Banking in the UK show the potential for Open Finance, Open Energy and Open Property reforms to boost the domestic economy by up to 27 billion pounds, according to a post by The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.The Data (Use and Access) Bill gives the UK government the ability to extend open data schemes to other areas of the economy, post author Alexander Iosad says.“Open Finance would expand data-sharing to savings, investments, mortgages and pensions,” Iosad explains. “This would enhance financial inclusion and transparency, and spur another wave of fintech innovation.”Smart data would also help reduce the number of duplicate checks during the home-buying process, while also reducing how many transactions are started but not completed, increasing transparency and cutting fraud.The recently-unveiled Gov.uk digital wallet and app could be leveraged as a tool for open data exchanges, Iosad writes.But to realize the full benefit of the opportunity, he urges fast and strategic action.
