HOUSE,SENATE WANT BIDEN IMPEACHED OR 5TH AMENDMENT FOR INSANITY.AS UKRAINE SHOOTS 6 LONG RANGE MISSLES INTO RUSSIA

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)

 HOUSE,SENATE WANT BIDEN IMPEACHED OR 5TH AMENDMENT FOR INSANITY.AS UKRAINE SHOOTS 6 LONG RANGE MISSLES INTO RUSSIA

LONG EXPLANATION OF AMERICAS DESTRUCTION (NEW YORK POLITICAL BABYLON OF REVELATION CHAPTER 18)(REVELATION CHAPTER 17 IS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE RELIOUS BABYLON THE VATICAN IN ROME)

JEREMIAH 51:29-32
29  And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon,(AMERICA-NEW YORK) to make the land of Babylon (NEW YORK) a desolation without an inhabitant.
30  The mighty men of Babylon (AMERICA) have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.
31  One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon (NEW YORK) that his city is taken at one end,
32  And that the passages are stopped,(THE WAR COMPUTERS HACKED OR EMP'D) and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.(DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO)

LEVITICUS 26:30-34 (NY IS BUILT ON A GARBAGE DUMP)
30  And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my (GODS) soul shall abhor you.
31  And I will make your cities waste,(GARBAGE-DESTROYED) and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.
32  And I will bring the land into desolation:(RUIN) and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it.
33  And I will scatter you among the heathen,(ENEMY NATIONS) and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.
34  Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.

2 KINGS 19:25
25  Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps.

ISAIAH 34:10
10  It (NEW YORK-POLITICAL BABYLON) shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

EZEKIEL 39:21
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.

ISAIAH 18:1-2
1 Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:
2 That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!(AMERICA)

JEREMIAH 50:11,37,12
11 Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage,(ISRAEL) because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;(BACKSLIDERS)
37 A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed.(A NATION OF MINGLED PEOPLE)
12 Your mother (england) shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed:(MOTHER ENGLAND) behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.

JEREMIAH 51:13,7,53
13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
7 Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD's hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.
53 Though Babylon (NEW YORK) should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.

REVELATION 18:3,5,7
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

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

REVELATION 18:9-11,15-21
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,(NUKE ATTACK I BELIEVE FROM RUSSIA)
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 And saying, Alas, alas that great city,  (NEW YORK) that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! (NEW YORK)
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.(1 HOUR NEW YORK IS GONE)
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon (NEW YORK) be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
THE CRAZY WORLD IS STILL TRYING TO POKE GOD IN THE EYE WITH THIS USELESS WASTE OF TIME ISRAEL HATE CEASEFIRE.he continued.“When the locals realized that the elephant population was dwindling, they gradually shifted their focus to fallow deer. Identifying the deer’s plentiful source, they began to develop the unique scrapers in the same place. This is the earliest instance of a phenomenon that later spread throughout the world,” Litov said.The Mount Gerizim location, near Nablus, is especially important because numerous fallow deer bones were found there at an ancient altar site. As Gerizim is associated with the Israelite’s entry into the Land of Israel and is considered a sacred site by the local Samaritan community, “apparently, the Mountains of Samaria gained a prominent, or even sacred status as early as the Paleolithic period, and retained their unique cultural position for hundreds of thousands of years,” the researchers said.

SENATE AND HOUSE MEMBERS IN AMERICA ARE CALLING FOR THE 35TH AMENDMENT TO FORCE BRAIN-DEAD BIDEN OUT OF OFFICE.BECAUSE OF HIS DEMENTIA.AND OTHERS ARE CALLING TO IMPEACH BIDEN AND GET HIM OUT OF OFFICE FOR BRINGING WW3 ON AMERICA.BY HIM SAYING THE UKRAINE CAN SHOOT LONG RANGE MISSLES INTO ISRAEL.

Putin broadens rules on Russia's use of nuclear arms.by AFP Staff Writers.

Moscow (AFP) Nov 19, 2024-Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a decree broadening the scope of when Moscow can use nuclear weapons in a clear message to the West and Ukraine.The move comes on the 1,000th day of Russia's offensive on Ukraine and after the United States gave Kyiv permission to use long-range missiles to strike military targets inside Russia.The new doctrine outlines that Russia will consider using nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear state if they are supported by nuclear powers."Aggression by a non-nuclear state with the participation of a nuclear state is considered as a joint attack," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday -- a clear reference to Ukraine and its Western backers."It was necessary to bring our principles in line with the current situation," Peskov added, calling the update a "very important" document that should be "studied" abroad.Russia "has always viewed nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence," he said, adding that they would only be deployed if Russia felt "forced" to respond.Putin has issued a string of nuclear threats throughout the almost three-year campaign against Ukraine, triggering concern in the West over rhetoric it has slammed as reckless.The new doctrine also allows Moscow to unleash a nuclear response in the event of a "massive" air attack, even if it only uses conventional weapons.When the Kremlin first unveiled the proposed changes in September, Peskov called it a "warning" against anybody who was thinking about participating "in an attack on our country by various means, not necessarily nuclear".Moscow's nuclear umbrella will also be extended to its close ally Belarus under the new doctrine.Speaking on the 1,000th day of the conflict, Peskov said the "collective West" had unleashed a "war" against Russia, pledging that Moscow would see what it calls its "special military operation" through to the end.

Russia says Ukraine fired US long-range missiles; Borrell urges EU states to follow US on missile use-by AFP Staff Writers.

Moscow (AFP) Nov 19, 2024-Russia's military said Tuesday that Ukraine fired US-supplied long-range missiles at a military facility in the Bryansk border region, in what would be the first attack since Washington authorised the use of its weapons."At 03:25 am (0025 GMT), the enemy struck a site in the Bryansk region with six ballistic missiles. According to confirmed data, US-made ATACMS tactical missiles were used," the defence ministry as saying in a statement.Ukraine had for months been demanding that Washington let it use the longer-range ATACMS missiles to hit sites on Russian territory.Moscow has said the use of Western weapons to attack Russia's internationally recognised territory would make the United States a direct participant in the conflict and pledged an "appropriate and palpable response".In its statement, Russia's defence ministry said five missiles were shot down by its air defences, while fragments from a sixth fell onto an unspecified "military facility", causing a small fire."There were no casualties or damage," it said.Ukraine's foreign minister hailed on Monday the permission to use the missiles for strikes inside Russia as a potential "game changer" in the nearly three-year old conflict.Borrell urges EU states to follow US on Ukraine missile use-Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Nov 19, 2024 - The EU's outgoing top diplomat Josep Borrell pressed member states Tuesday to align with the United States in allowing Ukraine to strike inside Russia using donated long-range missiles.Speaking to reporters before chairing his final EU defence ministers' meeting -- 1,000 days after Russia's invasion -- Borrell called the US policy shift "very good news" for Ukraine."Today we will discuss about it, and I hope that all member states will follow the US decision," he said."I'm sure that they will follow the example of the US in order to allow the Ukrainians to use their arms to fight against the Russians inside Russian territory -- because it is from Russian territory where they are being attacked," Borrell added."It is fully in accordance with international law," he said.While President Joe Biden has not spoken publicly on the matter, a US official has confirmed Washington would now allow Kyiv to use American-supplied long-range missiles for strikes inside Russian territory.The shift puts the focus on other allies supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles -- notably the British and French Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday ruled out, once again, his country's sophisticated Taurus missiles being sent to Ukraine for use.But French President Emmanuel Macron -- who previously voiced openness to letting Ukraine strike military targets inside Russia -- hailed the US decision as "a good one."As he prepared to hand over the bloc's diplomatic helm to his designated successor Kaja Kallas next month, Borrell renewed his call for European unity and ramped-up defence spending.He warned Russia's war -- which the West says is being militarily supported by Iran and North Korea, and "enabled" by China -- had changed the international security equation for good."No one can escape to the consequences of this war," Borrell said. "It has changed the world. It started the new era. So let's face the current circumstances and make all the member states united in support."

Putin ratchets up nuclear threat after Ukraine fires US-supplied missiles at Russia-Russian leader signs order allowing use of nuclear weapons in case of conventional attack by country backed by a nuclear power, as defiant Kyiv marks 1,000 days since invasion-By AFP and AP Today, 5:20 pm-NOV 19,24

KYIV, Ukraine — Moscow said Tuesday that Ukraine had fired US-supplied long-range missiles into its territory for the first time since Washington authorized such strikes, as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree broadening the justification for using nuclear weapons.With neither side showing any sign of relenting, Putin officially authorized the use of nuclear weapons in the case of a conventional attack by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power.Putin signed the decree shortly before Moscow confirmed that Ukraine had fired six US-made ATACMS missiles early Tuesday at a military facility in Russia’s Bryansk region that borders Ukraine. It said air defenses shot down five of them and damaged one more.Washington this week said it had cleared Ukraine to use long-range ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile System, weapons against military targets inside Russia — a long-standing Ukrainian request, but one that could change the contours of the war, now in its 1,000th day.Elsewhere, a Russian strike in the eastern Ukrainian region of Sumy gutted a Soviet-era residential building and killed at least 12 people, including a child.President Volodymyr Zelensky published images of rescue workers hauling bodies from the debris and called on Kyiv’s allies to “force” the Kremlin into peace.The foreign ministry released an anniversary statement calling on allies to ramp up military support to bring about a “sustainable” end to the war.“Ukraine will never submit to the occupiers, and the Russian military will be punished for violating international law,” the ministry said.“We need peace through strength, not appeasement,” it added, referring to growing calls for Ukraine to sit down at the negotiating table with Russia to end the war.The Kremlin also vowed to defeat Ukraine.“The military operation against Kyiv continues… and will be completed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, using Russia’s preferred language for its invasion.Nuclear saber-rattling-Russia’s military said Ukraine used ATACMS missiles against a facility in the Bryansk region close to the border overnight.“At 03:25 am (0025 GMT), the enemy struck a site in the Bryansk region with six ballistic missiles. According to confirmed data, US-made ATACMS tactical missiles were used,” said a defense ministry statement.Moscow said Monday the use of Western weapons against its internationally recognized territory would make the US a direct participant in the conflict and pledged an “appropriate and palpable response.”The new nuclear doctrine allows Moscow to unleash a nuclear response in the event of a “massive” air attack, even if it is only with conventional weapons.While the doctrine envisions a possible nuclear response by Russia to such a conventional strike, it is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons and keep Putin’s options open.Asked Tuesday if a Ukrainian attack with longer-range U.S. missiles could potentially trigger a nuclear response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered affirmatively, pointing to the doctrine’s provision that holds the door open for it after a conventional strike that raises critical threats for the “sovereignty and territorial integrity: of Russia and its ally, Belarus.Commenting on whether the updated doctrine was deliberately issued to follow Biden’s decision, Peskov said the document was published “in a timely manner” and that Putin instructed the government to update it earlier this year so that it is “in line with the current situation.”Putin first announced changes in the nuclear doctrine in September, when he chaired a meeting discussing the proposed revisions. He has previously warned the US and other NATO allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory would mean that Russia and NATO are at war.Washington permitted Ukraine to use the longer-range weapons on targets inside Russia after declaring that thousands of North Korean troops were deployed in the Russian region of Kursk to fight an incursion by Kyiv’s forces.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced the revised nuclear doctrine as the “latest example of irresponsibility” from “the depraved Russian government,” according to spokesperson Camilla Marshall.“Russia’s the one that continues to escalate this war, and the use of North Korean troops is just one example of that,” Marshall said. “He could remove his troops, roll back his tanks and end the onslaught and needless bloodshed in both Ukraine and Russia… We would urge him to do so.”Deadly strike on Sumy-Russia has stepped up strikes on Ukraine in recent days as its troops advance in the east of the country.One overnight Russian attack hit a dormitory in the town of Glukhiv, which had a pre-war population of around 30,000 people and lies just 10 kilometers (six miles) from the Kursk region in Russia, where Ukrainian troops captured territory in a major ground offensive in August.The drone attack killed 12 people including a child, the emergency services said.In total, Kyiv said Russia had launched 87 drones over Ukraine during the night, and that 51 were shot down.A separate missile strike on Monday on Odesa in southern Ukraine left 10 dead and 55 wounded.US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to cut US assistance to Ukraine and bring about a swift end to the war, without detailing how he would do so.A group of European foreign ministers meeting in Warsaw on Tuesday discussed stepping up aid to Ukraine if Washington’s support wanes.“I note with appreciation the readiness of the largest European Union countries to assume the burden of military and financial support for Ukraine in the context of a possible reduction in US involvement,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said after the talks.‘Direct threat’ to West-Ukrainian forces have steadily lost ground in the Kursk region and have warned that Russia has massed some 50,000 troops, including North Korean forces, to wrest back the region.The anniversary of Russia’s invasion — launched on February 24, 2022 — comes at a perilous time for Ukrainian forces across the front, particularly near the war-battered cities of Kupiansk and Pokrovsk.NATO chief Mark Rutte warned Tuesday that Putin must not be allowed to prevail.“Why is this so crucial that Putin will not get his way? Because you will have an emboldened Russia on our border… and I’m absolutely convinced it will not stop there,” Rutte told reporters in Brussels.“It is then posing a direct threat to all of us in the West,” he said.The EU’s outgoing top diplomat Josep Borrell also pressed member states to align with Washington in allowing Kyiv to strike inside Russia using donated long-range missiles.“It is fully in accordance with international law,” he said.

US slams Russia's 'irresponsible rhetoric' on nukes.

Rio de Janeiro, Nov 19 (AFP) Nov 19, 2024-The White House condemned Russia's "irresponsible rhetoric" Tuesday after Vladimir Putin eased Moscow's rules for nuclear strikes, but said it saw no need to change its own force posture.Putin's move came after Washington allowed Ukraine to fire long-range US-made missiles into Russian territory, with Moscow saying Kyiv had used the weapons for the first time on Tuesday."This is more of the same irresponsible rhetoric from Russia, which we have seen for the past two years," a spokesperson for the US National Security Council told AFP.The spokesperson said that "we were not surprised by Russia's announcement that it would update its nuclear doctrine" and that Moscow had been "signaling its intent" to do so for several weeks."Observing no changes to Russia's nuclear posture, we have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture or doctrine in response to Russia's statements today."US officials have previously confirmed that outgoing President Joe Biden, who is attending a G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, gave the green light for ally Kyiv to use long-range missiles against Russia.While the White House has not done so on the record, it has hinted that the move is a response to Russia's use of North Korean soldiers against Ukraine.The deployment of Pyongyang's troops is a "significant escalation... and we warned that the United States would respond. I won't get into the details of that response today," the National Security Council spokesperson said.The US reaction came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused G20 leaders of failing to act after Putin's nuclear rule change.Ukraine is anxiously watching to see whether US President-elect Donald Trump will switch off American military aid and try to push through a peace deal that could force Kyiv to cede territory to Moscow.

Macron hails 'good' US decision on Ukraine missiles despite doubts-by AFP Staff Writers.

Rio De Janeiro (AFP) Nov 19, 2024-French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday hailed the United States' decision allowing Ukraine to fire US-supplied long-range missiles into Russia as it fights Moscow's invasion."It was a decision that was a totally good one," Macron said in Brazil, on the sidelines of a G20 summit also attended by US President Joe Biden, who made the policy change."I understand it was also triggered by a grave change in the conflict which shouldn't be underestimated, which is the entry of North Korean troops alongside Russia on what is European soil," he told journalists.Macron added that Russia was "the only power making an escalation in this conflict today" with the North Korean mobilization. "So it's really a sudden change in this war that led to the Americans' decision."While Biden himself has not spoken publicly on the move, a US official has confirmed that Washington was now to allow Kyiv to use American-supplied long-range missiles for strikes inside Russian territory.The shift puts the focus on other allies supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles -- notably the British-French Storm Shadow missile.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday ruled out, once again, his country's sophisticated Taurus missiles being sent to Ukraine for use.US permission to fire missiles on Russia no game-changer: experts-Paris (AFP) Nov 18, 2024 - Permission from Washington for Ukraine to strike Russian territory with American-supplied long-range missiles may have come too late and hedged with too many restrictions to slow Moscow's advance, experts warn.US President Joe Biden did not grant Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky's request for deep strike capability until two months before he hands the keys to the White House to Ukraine aid sceptic Donald Trump.The shift comes as Russian forces press their advance through eastern Ukraine, claiming on Monday they had captured a new village south of Pokrovsk -- a crucial logistics hub for the defenders.Moscow's troops took a further 60 square kilometres (23 square miles) over the weekend, according to an AFP analysis based on data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).That brought the figure for November so far to 458 square kilometres -- on track to beat October's total of 610, a record since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022."Putin hasn't reached the borders of the Donbas. So long as he isn't there yet, he'll keep pushing," a senior French military source told AFP."If you take a cool-headed look at the balance of forces, the advantage is with the Russian side," the source added."News from eastern Ukraine continues to be grim," agreed Mick Ryan, a former Australian army general."While no major Russian operational breakthrough is expected, the Russians have been able to sustain their pressure on the Ukrainians for about a year now and it is telling".Deep strikes into Russian territory with US-supplied ATACMS missiles could in theory disrupt or even push back Moscow's advance.But "these missiles have already been in use for at least a year and a half" in Crimea and the Donbas, Moscow-based military analyst Alexander Khramchikhin pointed out.- Limited impact -"You can't launch missiles directly from the front line, because then the launchers won't last long," he added.He suggested the US had delivered a "very limited" number of missiles and launchers to Kyiv, although no reliable estimates are available of the true figures.In any case, the Russians "long ago moved their most critical resources out of ATACAMS' range", said Stephen Biddle, an international relations professor at New York's Columbia University."I don't think it's going to be decisive for the direction of the war" that Ukraine now has permission to hit Russian territory with them, he added.ATACMS missiles can carry a payload of a single charge or cluster munitions that spread multiple small explosives over a large area, analysts at British private intelligence firm Janes told AFP.Ukraine could use them against "deep targets such as logistics hubs that would slow resupply, or command and control nodes," they added -- although given the time Russia has had to prepare, "this might not be as great an influence as initially expected" on the front line.Just like Western deliveries of major equipment such as heavy tanks or fighter aircraft, Kyiv has had to push relentlessly for many months to secure Washington's green light.- Bargaining chip? -No individual weapons system alone will be enough to turn the conflict in one side's favour.Fast-moving, highly manoeuverable ATACMS missiles are "difficult targets to intercept" but "the Russian S-400 air defence system offers an ability to counter tactical ballistic missiles," the Janes' analysts noted.Several experts suggested that rather than handing Kyiv a decisive weapon, Biden's decision is aimed at influencing both domestic and international policy towards Ukraine -- which faces being forced into talks on unfavourable terms as support from the West flags.Within the US, Trump will take over the presidency in two months and could reverse Biden's move."The administration wants to push all of the aid that has currently been authorised by the Congress into Ukraine, before January 20th," Biddle said.After then, any commitment from Biden "doesn't constrain the Trump administration in any way".On the global stage, the missile authorisation marks a counter-move to the deployment of North Korean reinforcements to Russia's front line.Biden's team "wants Putin and... the North Koreans to understand that there are costs to escalation," Biddle said."I worry that the administration's emphasis on the missile issue has been too much on 'sending a message' to China and North Korea and not on delivering a consequential upgrade to Ukraine's strike capability," said Ivan Klyszcz of the Estonia-based International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS)."Will Washington allow Kyiv to aim for targets inside Russia that are not connected to north Korea?... This point remains ambiguous to me," he added."Some have argued that the authorisation could be a bargaining chip in negotiations" between Russia and the US, Klyszcz noted -- although "Trump remains as unpredictable as usual".

Missiles will speak for themselves,' says Zelensky; Biden OKs deeper strikes in Russia-by Darryl Coote.

Washington DC (UPI) Nov 17, 2024-President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said "missiles will speak for themselves," following reports that U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to conduct strikes deeper into Russian territory.The besieged Eastern European nation has repeatedly increased its requests for assistance from the United States amid its war, with many being granted. However, Ukraine has for months now called on Washington to allow it to strike deeper into Russia with U.S munitions -- a request that the Biden administration has been reluctant to grant out of fear of escalating the nearly 1,000-day-old war.On Sunday, it was reported that U.S. President Joe Biden, who is to leave the White House in two months, has given Zelensky authorization to use Army Tactical Missile Systems, which are long-range missiles, to strike Russia."Today, there's a lot of talk in the media about us receiving permission for respective actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves. They certainly will," Zelensky said in his nightly address on Sunday.Biden's authorization of Ukraine to attack further in Russian territory was reported by The New York Times, CNN and ABC News. All three news organizations cited unnamed U.S. officials.The authorization comes as North Korean troops have entered combat in the Ukraine-Russia war.The U.S. State Department last week said some 10,000 soldiers of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea have been sent to eastern Russia, most to Kursk Oblast, where Ukrainian forces have occupied hundreds of square miles, taken in a surprise August incursion.With the authorization, Ukraine is expected target Russian and North Korean troops in defense of Ukrainian forces in Kursk region, officials told The Times, adding that Biden may also allow Kyiv to use them elsewhere in Russia.The decision to allow the use of longer-range weapons in the war is the latest shift in Ukraine war policy in Washington. It had also turned down Ukrainian requests for Patriot missiles, Abrams tanks and F-16 fighter jets, only to later acquiesce.President Vladimir Putin of Russia has threatened to use nuclear weapons in the war. In September, amid debates about the use of Ukraine conducting longer-range attacks, he warned that Moscow could respond to conventional missiles with its nuclear arsenal.

Biden answers missile pleas from Ukraine as clock ticks down.

Washington (AFP) Nov 18, 2024 - US President Joe Biden's decision to authorize Ukraine to use long-range American missiles against targets inside Russia is a bold shift in position in the final months before he hands over power to Republican Donald Trump.Despite repeated pleas for a greenlight from Ukraine, Biden had long resisted calls for a change from within the US Congress and latterly from allies such as Britain.But with the clock ticking down before the inauguration of Trump -- who has expressed admiration for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and vowed to end the fighting in Ukraine in "one day" -- on January 20, Biden has given permission for the powerful Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to target Russian territory.The New York Times and The Washington Post, which first reported the news, said the 81-year-old Democrat's shift came in response to North Korean troops being deployed to help Moscow's war effort against its neighbor.Previously, US officials had worried about the danger of escalating the conflict with nuclear-armed Russia, as well as the risk of depleting Washington's own stocks of the valuable munitions.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had pleaded again for restrictions to be lifted on Friday."We see every site where Russia is amassing these North Korean soldiers on its territory -- all their camps. We could strike preventively, if we had the ability to strike long enough," Zelensky said in an evening address.On Sunday, he noted that the reports about Biden's policy change had not been openly confirmed by the White House but said the "missiles will speak for themselves."Putin has warned that the use of ATACMS inside Russia would mean the NATO alliance being "at war" with his country -- a threat he has made previously when Ukraine's Western backers have escalated their military assistance.Western intelligence reports suggest that around 10,000 North Korean troops are being deployed in Russia.- European moves -The American shift is likely to lead European allies to review their stances on long-range missiles, even though experts say the weapons alone will not decisively tilt current battlefield dynamics.France and Britain have provided Ukraine with their long-range Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles, but have held back from authorizing their use inside Russia without American approval for ATACMS.During a meeting with French leader Emmanuel Macron on Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain discussed how to put Ukraine in "the strongest possible position going into the winter," his office said afterward.Speaking in Argentina on Sunday, Macron said Putin "does not want peace" and that "it's clear that President Putin intends to intensify the fighting."German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has refused to supply Ukraine with his country's Taurus missiles with a range of over 310 miles (500 kilometers) over fears that they could hit Russian territory.In the final two months of the Biden administration, US officials have promised to spend the remaining $6 billion of approved Ukraine funding at their disposal.It is unclear how many ATACMS remain in Ukraine's arsenal.The missile is made by US defense group Lockheed Martin and has a top range of 190 miles (300 kilometers).- Negotiation -Trump has provided no specifics on how he plans to end the conflict in Ukraine, and is expected to pressure Kyiv to give up its claim to some or all of its territory conquered by Russia.Trump's pick for his National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, said recently that "pouring more billions in (to Ukraine) is the definition of insanity at this point," adding that the conflict was a "stalemate."Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has even mocked Zelensky online, sharing a clip on Instagram last weekend that said the Ukrainian leader was just weeks away "from losing your allowance."Writing Sunday about Biden's missile decision, he said "the military industrial complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives."Russia pounded Ukraine on Sunday with a massive attack that killed 11 civilians across several regions and damaged the country's already fragile energy grid.

Poland scrambles jets during Russia's missile attack on Ukraine: army by AFP Staff Writers.

Warsaw (AFP) Nov 17, 2024-Poland said it had scrambled fighter jets and mobilised all available forces on Sunday in response to a "massive" Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine."Due to a massive attack by Russia, which is carrying out strikes using cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones against sites located, among other places, in western Ukraine, operations by Polish and allied aircraft have begun," Poland's Operational Command posted on social media platform X.These measures were "aimed at insuring security in the areas adjacent to the threatened zones."Ukraine's Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on the Telegram platform that "a massive attack on our energy system is ongoing" and that Russian forces were "attacking electricity generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine".Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said one person was wounded by falling debris from a drone on a residential building.Local authorities and Ukrainian media reported numerous explosions throughout the country including in Zaporizhzhia, Odessa and Mykolaiv in the south and Chernigiv in the north.

NKorea to boost economic cooperation with Russia alongside growing military ties-by Thomas Maresca.

Washington DC (UPI) Nov 19, 2024-North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with the leader of a Russian delegation in Pyongyang and called for deeper economic and scientific ties between the two countries, state media reported Tuesday, amid an already heightened military cooperation.Kim sat down with Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology Alexandr Kozlov for one-on-one talks Monday, state-run Korean Central News Agency reported. Kozlov and his delegation were in North Korea for a meeting of the intergovernmental committee for cooperation in trade, economy, science and technology.During the session, Kim noted that bilateral cooperation has grown under a new treaty between the two countries. Moscow and Pyongyang signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty in June, which includes a mutual defense clause that calls for mutual military assistance in the event either country is attacked.North Korea ratified the pact last week."It is necessary to mutually and powerfully propel the co-prosperity and development of the two countries by further promoting the inter-governmental trade, economic, scientific and technological exchange and cooperation in a more extensive and diversified way," Kim said, according to KCNA.Relations between the countries have reached a "new strategic level," Kim added.In a separate report on Tuesday, KCNA said that a delegation from Russia's Military Academy of the Armed Forces' General Staff arrived in Pyongyang the previous day.Pyongyang has been assisting Moscow in its war against Ukraine by sending munitions and, more recently, troops to Russia.The Pentagon said Tuesday that more than 11,000 North Korean troops had moved into the Kursk region of southwest Russia, where Ukrainian forces have occupied hundreds of square miles since a surprise incursion in August.The U.S. State Department and Ukrainian military intelligence have reported that North Korean forces have already begun combat operations.During a press briefing, spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said that the Pentagon had not yet confirmed the reports but noted the North Korean troops are "moving into Kursk for a reason.""We have every expectation that they would be engaging in combat operations," she said."North Korea entering this war makes them co-belligerents with Russia and we're talking about North Korean soldiers being used to take Ukraine's sovereign territory and continue to push this war forward," Singh said. "Certainly we view [that] as escalatory."U.S. President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued a joint statement at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru last week condemning North Korea's decision to deploy troops to Russia for combat against Ukraine, saying the move will "dangerously expand Russia's war of aggression."North Korea's hosting of the Russian trade delegation appears to be aimed at receiving maximum compensation for the troop deployment, an official from South Korea's Unification Ministry told reporters.The meeting between Kim and Kozlov "seems to be intended to express expectations for economic exchanges between the two countries and to demonstrate the close ties," a ministry official told reporters, according to news agency Yonhap.Both Russia and North Korea are under heavy international sanctions, but the military cooperation is believed to be delivering much-needed funding to Pyongyang via weapons sales and payments for troops.During a meeting with foreign journalists in Seoul last week, analyst Doo Jinho of government-funded think tank Korea Institute Defense Analyses estimated that North Korea could receive more than $700 million per year for dispatching the soldiers.South Korean officials have also raised concerns over Moscow sharing missile and nuclear technology with Pyongyang. Seoul's military intelligence said last week that North Korea's new Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile, test-fired on Oct. 31, could have been developed with Russian technical assistance.On Monday, Kim Jong Un called for North Korea to expand its nuclear arsenal "without limit" in response to what he called a "frantic" military buildup in Asia led by the United States.

China, Russia ministers discuss Korea tensions at G20: state media-by AFP Staff Writers.

Rio De Janeiro (AFP) Nov 19, 2024-The Chinese and Russian foreign ministers discussed tensions on the Korean peninsula during a meeting at the G20 summit in Brazil on Monday, according to Beijing's state media.China and Russia have drawn closer since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Western countries accusing Beijing of providing tacit support for its partner's war of aggression.Beijing has also given a mostly muted response to North Korea's decision to send military assistance to Russia, though President Xi Jinping told US leader Joe Biden last week that China would protect its "core interests" on the peninsula.Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that foreign minister Wang Yi met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, where the two sides "exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and the situation on the Korean peninsula".The report did not give specific details of the discussions.Wang said China was "willing to work with the Russian side to further strengthen cooperation and alignment", according to CCTV.He added that Beijing would make "due contributions to the development and revitalisation of our respective countries and the reform of global governance", the broadcaster said.Longtime socialist giants with a history of tempestuous ties, China and Russia have bolstered diplomatic, economic and defence ties in recent years while making much of the supposed personal amity between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.But some analysts have said North Korea's decision to send troops to Russia for potential deployment in Ukraine has made Beijing uneasy about the security implications in its East Asian backyard.China is traditionally North Korea's biggest diplomatic ally, and has been a critical source of economic support for Pyongyang's moribund economy.Last week, Xi told Biden at a summit in Peru that Beijing "does not allow conflict and turmoil to happen on the Korean Peninsula", according to state news agency Xinhua."China will not sit idly by when its strategic security and core interests are under threat," Xinhua reported Xi as saying.

Iran faces fresh censure over lack of cooperation at UN nuclear meeting-By Anne BEADE, Kiyoko METZLER.

Vienna (AFP) Nov 19, 2024-European powers -- backed by the United States -- are pushing ahead with a plan to censure Iran for its poor cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog at a board meeting starting Wednesday, diplomats told AFP.Tensions between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have repeatedly flared since a 2015 deal curbing Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanction relief fell apart.In recent years, Tehran has cut cooperation with the IAEA by ramping up its nuclear activities, deactivating surveillance devices to monitor the nuclear programme and barring UN inspectors.A plan by Britain, France, and Germany -- with US support -- to submit a new resolution against Iran comes as concerns over the rapid expansion of its nuclear programme heightened fears that Tehran might be seeking to develop a nuclear weapon.According to the IAEA, Tehran is the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to 60 percent, a short step from the 90 percent level needed for atomic weapons.Iran has always denied seeking a nuclear weapon.Diplomats told AFP that the planned censure is driven by a need to raise diplomatic pressure on Iran to come back into compliance and address the IAEA's long-standing concerns.- 'Too little too late' -A similar resolution was passed by the IAEA board in June.According to a confidential draft of the censure seen by AFP, Western powers this time ask for a "comprehensive report" to be issued by IAEA head Rafael Grossi.The report would seek to shed more light on Iran's nuclear activities, including "a full account" of Tehran's cooperation with the IAEA on uranium traces found at undeclared sites.The resolution -- due to be submitted on Tuesday -- follows a trip by Grossi to Tehran last week for talks with President Masoud Pezeshkian and other high-ranking officials.During his visit, Grossi also toured the Natanz and Fordo uranium enrichment plants in central Iran."Grossi's visit to Tehran was... too little and too late to stave off a censure from the board," Kelsey Davenport, an expert with the Arms Control Association, told AFP.His visit was "a missed opportunity for Pezeshkian to demonstrate that he is serious about de-escalation," she said."Taking tangible steps to enhance IAEA oversight of Iran's nuclear programme and address the agency's questions about past undeclared nuclear activities would have quelled speculation that Iran is engaged in illicit nuclear activities," Davenport said.- Trump's return -Earlier this week, Iran expressed hope that talks on its nuclear programme would be conducted "away from political pressure and considerations".During his meeting with Grossi, Pezeshkian said that Tehran was willing to resolve "doubts and ambiguities" over its programme.Grossi's visit was seen as one of the last chances for diplomacy before Donald Trump returns as US president in January.During his first term between 2017 and 2021, Trump imposed a "maximum pressure" policy against Iran.This included Washington tearing up a deal on Iran's nuclear programme that had been reached under his predecessor, Barack Obama in 2015.The landmark deal struck with the United States, China, Russia, France, Germany and Britain provided Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its atomic programme.Efforts to revive the deal have so far failed.

NATO holds large Arctic exercises in Russia's backyard.By Anna KORKMAN.

Rovaniemi, Finland (AFP) Nov 19, 2024-Thousands of NATO soldiers are taking part in large-scale artillery exercises in Finland's Arctic this month, seen by some as a signal to neighbouring Russia over its war on Ukraine.Sounds of cannon fire and rocket artillery echo across the snowy, hilly Lapland landscape as some 3,600 soldiers from the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France and other NATO members conduct live fire drills throughout November.They are part of NATO's largest artillery exercise ever held in Europe, dubbed Dynamic Front 25, which also includes drills in Estonia, Germany, Romania and Poland involving a total of around 5,000 soldiers.Joel Linnainmaki, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, said the massive exercises should be interpreted as a message to Russia, with which Finland shares a 1,340-kilometre (830-mile) border."These NATO exercises are increasingly intended to show other countries, in this case especially Russia of course, that the alliance is united and is capable of defending its members," he said.The exercises are the first large-scale manoeuvres held in Finland since the Nordic country joined NATO last year, when it dropped decades of military non-alignment following Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.The move angered Moscow, which has long opposed any expansion of NATO.Colonel Janne Makitalo, director of the Dynamic Front 25 exercise in Finland, said the main goal was to train and develop inter-operability within the alliance's artillery units, and prepare troops for harsh Arctic conditions, now that Norway, Sweden and Finland are all NATO members."Of course this sends a message that we are able to train together and we are developing our assets," he told reporters."Artillery is basically the king and queen of the battlefield, as we have seen from experience of combat in Ukraine," Makitalo said.He dismissed the notion that NATO could provoke Moscow by flexing its military might in Russia's backyard."It is not any sort of show of force," he insisted.That said, Finland joining NATO brought "280,000 soldiers to NATO's northern flank", he said.- 'Unique place to train' -In the hilly Rovajarvi area, troops are camped and stationed at gun positions covered in thin layers of snow and ice.The sun rises at around 9:30 am this time of year above the Arctic Circle and sets less than six hours later, before 3:00 pm.Measuring more than 1,000 square kilometres (620 square miles), it is Europe's largest firing range and training area, and allies come to rehearse in its difficult conditions."This is a unique place to train, because this is one of the few places where you can train things at their actual scale," said lieutenant Antti-Matti Puisto, a firing platoon leader for the Finnish Karelia brigade.In a region where temperatures typically drop to below minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus four degrees Fahrenheit) during winter months, the Finnish defence forces are known for being well-trained and equipped for harsh winter conditions.Puisto underlined the importance of staying warm by wearing many layers of clothes, and of keeping encampments dry and free of humidity."The aim is to practise our skills as artillerymen and mountaineers, working in a very cold environment," said Captain Romain, the French unit commander of the Ecrins battery of the 93rd mountain artillery regiment, told AFP."Also to work on interoperability with our allies, to carry out artillery fire in coherence with our NATO allies", he told AFP, choosing only to give his first name."We are making history and it's really nice to see different nations in Finland," conscript and sergeant Olli Myllymaki said after his brigade conducted fire drills with K9 tanks in a snowy forest.

Iran offers to cap enriched uranium stock if UN watchdog scraps resolution-Proposed 185 kg of 60% enriched material is higher than verified tally so far, but Tehran already preparing for implementation, IAEA says ahead of high-level meeting-By Agencies Today, 8:22 pm-NOV 19,24

VIENNA, Austria — Iran has offered to not further expand its stock of highly enriched uranium and has made preparations to implement the restriction, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said in a confidential report to member states on Tuesday.The International Atomic Energy Agency assessed that Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity since its last tally in August, in defiance of international demands, according to the report, which was seen by news agencies.Uranium enriched to 60% purity has no civilian application and is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.During IAEA chief Rafael Grossi’s trip to Iran last week, “the possibility of Iran not further expanding its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% U-235 was discussed, including technical verification measures necessary for the Agency to confirm this if implemented,” the report read.Iran’s offer would cap the stock at around 185 kilograms,On November 16, one day after Grossi left Iran, IAEA inspectors verified that Tehran had started to get ready to curb its stockpile at underground nuclear sites in Fordow and Natanz, the report said.“Iran ha[s] begun implementation of preparatory measures aimed at stopping the increase of its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 % U-235,” it read.A senior diplomat, however, said Iran’s offer, which would cap the stock at around 185 kg, was conditional on Western powers scrapping a planned resolution against Iran at this week’s IAEA board of governors meeting.The IAEA assessed that as of October 26, Iran had 182.3 kilograms (401.9 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60%, an increase of 17.6 kilograms (38.8 pounds) since the last report in August.The IAEA also estimated in its quarterly report that as of October 26, Iran’s overall stockpile of enriched uranium stands at 6,604.4 kilograms (14,560 pounds), which represents an increase of 852.6 kilograms (1,879.6 pounds) since the last report in August.That puts the stockpile at more than 32 times the limit set in the 2015 accord between Iran and world powers to limit its nuclear program. That agreement, which the US pulled out of in 2017, allowed Iran to maintain a stockpile of up to 300 grams (661 pounds), but only enriched to 3.67%.Under the IAEA’s definition, creating a single atomic weapon requires 42 kilograms (92.5 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity, assuming the material is enriched further to 90%.Iran maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, despite moving toward military-grade enrichment levels.Grossi has in the past warned that Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make “several” nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. He has also acknowledged the UN agency cannot guarantee that none of Iran’s centrifuges may have been peeled away for clandestine enrichment.According to the IAEA report, Iran has failed to take concrete steps to improve cooperation, despite pleas by Grossi, who last week traveled to Tehran for talks with Mohammad Eslami of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian.The report said that during Grossi’s visit, Iran agreed to consider accepting the appointments of four new inspectors, after booting “several experienced Agency inspectors.”In September 2023, Iran barred some of the Vienna-based agency’s most experienced inspectors.The report noted that no progress had been made in getting Iran to allow the reinstallation of monitoring equipment, including cameras, removed in June 2022, which also has “detrimental implications for the Agency’s ability to provide assurances of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.”Since then, the only recorded data is that of IAEA cameras installed at a centrifuge workshop in Isfahan in May 2023 — although Iran has not provided the IAEA with access to this data, and inspectors have not been able to service the cameras.The report came on the eve of the IAEA board of governors meeting, where European powers — backed by the United States — will seek to censure Iran for its poor cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.Diplomats told AFP that the planned censure is driven by a need to raise diplomatic pressure on Iran to come back into compliance and address the IAEA’s long-standing concerns.Last week, Eslami warned that Iran could retaliate if taken to task at the upcoming IAEA board meeting. Grossi acknowledged some nations were considering taking action against Iran.A senior diplomat said Iran could renege on some of the commitments made to Grossi in response to a resolution against the country being passed.

Israeli troops kill three Islamic Jihad gunmen in West Bank gunbattle-Border Police officers surround building in Qabatiya, near Jenin, after coming under fire during arrest raid; troops find rifles, bombs, other combat equipment-By Emanuel Fabian-Today, 8:20 pm-NOV 19,24

Three gunmen from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group were killed by Israeli forces during a firefight in the northern West Bank, the army said Tuesday.No Israeli soldiers were injured in the Tuesday morning exchange, which came as troops raided the Jenin area as part of an ongoing anti-terror operation.Border police troops had entered the town of Qabatiya south of Jenin to arrest Raed Hanaysha, 24, a PIJ operative previously imprisoned for terrorism. Hanshaya is suspected of being involved in shooting and bombing attacks against soldiers in the West Bank that did not cause casualties, according to a joint statement from the Israel Defense Forces, Israel Police, and Shin Bet security service.Officers laid siege to the building where Hanaysha was holed up after coming under fire from two other gunmen in the building, using a tactic known as a “pressure cooker,” which involves escalating the volume of fire against a building to flush suspects out.Both Hanaysha and the two gunmen were killed, with Islamic Jihad later confirming that the three had been members of the terror group.The other two men were identified by PIJ as Anwar Saba’neh, 25, and Suleiman Tazazaa, 32. — Asrawi (@Asrawithethird) November 19, 2024-Three assault rifles and other military equipment were found on the bodies of the terrorists.In addition, the Israeli troops found three more weapons and destroyed two bomb-making labs, as well as several bombs that had been placed under roads to harm soldiers.Since October 7, 2023, when the Hamas terror group attacked Israel, starting the ongoing war in Gaza, troops have arrested some 5,250 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,050 affiliated with Hamas.According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, more than 716 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists killed while carrying out attacks.During the same period, 41 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another six members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.Since October 7, 2023, the IDF has carried out more than 70 airstrikes in the West Bank, using drones, attack helicopters, and fighter jets.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Record-breaking rains swamp northern coast, with more showers on the way-High school in Ma’agan Michael closes early after drainage fails, flooding area with knee-high water; nearly 200mm of rain recorded in Zichron Yaacov over just 4 hours-By ToI Staff Today, 7:19 pm-NOV 19,24

Record rains lashed northern Israel and the Haifa region Tuesday, inundating roads and prompting flash flood warnings for the Judean Desert and Dead Sea areas as the weather system moves south overnight.In Ma’agan Michael, pouring rains swamped drainage channels, leading to flooding in parts of the coastal kibbutz. The Hof HaCarmel High School, located in the community, sent students home early due to the flooding.Video footage posted online showed students wading through knee-high water next to half-submerged cars in the school’s parking lot.In a statement, the Hof HaCarmel regional council explained that the “large quantity [of rain] put a burden on the drainage system, which had been clean and in working condition, but it could not withstand the unusually large amounts of water.”The Israel Meteorological Service said in a tweet that 196 millimeters (7.7 inches) of rainfall were recorded over a four-hour period in nearby Zichron Yaacov, setting a new record for the country. The figure represented some 60% of the area’s average yearly rain total.The record for a single day is 255 millimeters (10 inches), set in Kafr Qassem in November 1955.Flooding fears led authorities to close a portion of Route 2, the busy coastal highway linking Tel Aviv to Haifa, for several hours Tuesday, with traffic redirected further inland.The rain tapered off toward the evening, but was expected to pick up again across the north later on Tuesday night and continuing into Wednesday before clearing up on Thursday. Other parts of the country, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the Dead Sea region, were also expected to see heavy rains Wednesday.The IMS said there was a slight risk of flooding in the Judean Desert and around the Dead Sea, as well as along the coast and in the Shfela region due to the rain.Tami Ganot, deputy director of environmental advocacy organization Adam Teva V’Din, said Tuesday’s flooding was proof of “Israel’s complete lack of preparedness” for changes to the climate that experts say are exacerbating extreme weather events.Noting that normally arid Israel had an interest in ensuring the rain enters the natural water system, Ganot took aim at the “climate-denying government” for pushing a climate change bill she termed “meaningless.”Critics say the legislation will allow the government to change emissions targets and give undue influence to industry interests.The law “will allow government ministries and local authorities to fail to prepare,” Granot said. “And this is nothing short of recklessness.”Sue Surkes contributed to this report.

Qatar confirms departure of Hamas leaders, says group’s Doha mission may remain-Terror group’s political bureau serves no purpose in absence of negotiations, Qatari foreign ministry spokesman tells reporters, but no decision yet on shutting it down permanently-By Jacob Magid,ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 4:59 pm-NOV 19,24

A Hamas office in the Qatari capital has not yet been shut down, but negotiators for the terror group are no longer in the country, Qatar said on Tuesday, indicating that the decision could still be reversed.On Sunday, an Arab diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity told The Times of Israel that senior members of Hamas’s political arm had decamped for Turkey, apparently after the US pressured Doha to stop hosting the group.“The leaders of Hamas that are within the negotiating team are now not in Doha,” Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said Tuesday.On November 8, the Biden administration revealed that it had asked Qatar to oust Hamas leaders amid Washington’s frustration with the terror group rejecting repeated hostage deal proposals.Qatar later confirmed asking Hamas to leave but insisted that it made the decision on its own due to frustration with both sides’ refusal to engage constructively in negotiations. Moreover, it framed the move as reversible, insisting that it is prepared to resume its role as mediator if Israel and Hamas change their approach to the talks.But he added that Hamas’s mission in Qatar, opened in 2012, could still remain open in the future.Al-Ansari said during a press conference that the Hamas political office in Doha has not been closed permanently. If such a decision is made, it will be announced by Qatar and not through other means, he added, in an apparent shot at Biden administration officials, who had announced the move on November 8.Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, had led months of fruitless negotiations for a truce in the Gaza war but the Gulf state said earlier this month it was pausing its mediation efforts.“The mediation process right now… is suspended unless we take a decision to reverse that which is based on the positions of both sides,” Ansari said on Tuesday.“The office of Hamas in Doha was created for the sake of the mediation process. Obviously, when there is no mediation process, the office itself doesn’t have any function,” he added, declining to confirm whether Qatar had asked the Hamas officials to leave, as has been reported.A senior Hamas leader told AFP on Monday that “no one has asked us to leave” and rebuffed reports that members had relocated to Turkey, where many of them have families and already spend significant time, according to the Arab diplomat.“Leaders from different levels in the political echelon in Hamas make coordinated visits to Turkey from time to time,” the Hamas official said.Turkey confirmed on Monday that Hamas’s key foreign leaders are in Ankara while insisting that it has not opened an office for them — an apparent effort to avoid the ire of the Biden administration. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller still cautioned Turkey yesterday against hosting Hamas officials at all.For its part, Israel has begun engaging more intensively with Turkish officials in order to jumpstart hostage negotiations. Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar traveled to Ankara over the weekend to meet with his Turkish counterpart on the matter, the Arab diplomat said.The development may call into question the purpose of ousting Hamas from Doha, with the sides apparently planning to conduct negotiations in a similar manner in Ankara.After Israel killed Hamas’s Gaza-based leader Yayha Sinwar in mid-October, the US voiced optimism that it would mark a step forward in efforts to end the war and return the hostages, framing Sinwar as the main obstacle to a deal.But successive rounds of negotiations have made little headway since a one-week pause in fighting last year brokered by Qatar, during which 105 hostages were released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.Hamas earlier this month rejected a proposal from Egypt and Qatar for a short-term truce in exchange for a small number of hostages, demanding an open-ended ceasefire instead.Israel has repeatedly vowed it will not stop fighting until it achieves its war objectives — to eliminate Hamas and bring the hostages home.In April, Qatar said it was re-evaluating its mediation role during an impasse in negotiations, prompting several group members to leave for Turkey — only to return two weeks later at the request of the United States and Israel.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting with government ministers and top defense officials Sunday night to discuss the hostage crisis. Security chiefs were reportedly expected to warn that Israel would need to show more flexibility in talks to free the hostages, who are facing dire conditions.According to a poll aired by Channel 12 news last week, 69 percent of Israelis said they support a hostage deal that would end the war compared to 20% who prefer continuing fighting.It is believed that 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.

ZOA fetes Trump victory, ‘most pro-Israel cabinet’ in US history at annual gala-Attendees brush off concerns over US president-elect’s picks for AG and defense secretary, stressing their pro-Israel stances, remain unbothered by anti-Israel protesters outside-By Joseph Strauss Today, 1:44 pm-NOV 19,24

New York Jewish Week via JTA — There were plenty of people Morton Klein was eager to praise as he ascended the stage at Cipriani 42nd Street on Sunday night to address a room dense with black ties, cocktail dresses, and kippot, some red and emblazoned with the word “TRUMP.”Over the course of a 30-minute speech, Klein lavished compliments not only on the US president-elect — “the greatest friend we Jews have ever had in the White House” — or his incoming foreign policy team, which he called “the most pro-Israel cabinet in the history of the United States.”Klein also praised some of Trump’s most controversial appointees, including his designated attorney general, Matt Gaetz, who has drawn backlash for, among other things, inviting a Holocaust denier to the State of the Union address in 2018.While Klein did express reservations about Gaetz following the dinner, his address was unequivocally supportive.“I find it remarkable that Jewish leaders are now condemning Gaetz, potential Attorney General Gaetz, for being antisemitic, for being hostile to Jews,” Klein declared. “Nonsense, I know him, he is very pro-Israel.”The event was the annual gala of the Zionist Organization of America, which Klein has led for decades, and the mood was festive. Unlike in many other Jewish spaces, where attendees have mourned the election result or fretted over what the next four years might bring, the gala felt like a deferred victory party for November 5’s result.The crowd at Cipriani radiated joy about both Trump and the crew he is assembling.“It’s really an incredible miracle,” said Joe Frager, a physician and former senior official at the National Council of Young Israel, an Orthodox synagogue association that is also vocally pro-Trump.Regarding the president-elect, Frager added, “I’m sure he feels that God saved him a number of times from assassination, and I think he felt that He was going to help him in the election – and I think He did.”Barbara Fix, an attendee who lives in New York and has an apartment in Jerusalem, said, “I’m a trillion percent optimistic that the world will be a better place for these elections.”The lavish neo-Renaissance venue next to Grand Central Station was filled with hundreds of attendees for the dinner, and each table held a centerpiece with blue sequins, an American flag, and an Israeli flag printed with the words “We stand with Israel.” Most of the guests came in formalwear, but one man’s jacket was lined with buttons featuring photos of Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and other Trump allies, in addition to the famous photo of the candidate raising his fist in the air after his assassination attempt.ZOA has been a home for pro-Trump Jews for years — it once honored Trump adviser Steve Bannon and in 2022 it awarded Trump a rare honor, the Theodor Herzl Medal, for his contributions on behalf of Israel — and on Sunday night, speakers presented his return to office as a chance to turn some of the Israeli right’s dreams into reality.Gilad Erdan, the former Israel ambassador to the United Nations, declared to roaring applause, “Friends, the UN must be defunded!” ????** ISRAELI AMBASSADOR URGES U.S. TO TEAM UP AND DEFUND THE UN! ????????????????Gilad Erdan, former Israeli Ambassador to the UN, passionately called on Trump to join forces with Israel and defund the United Nations ‼️ The audience erupted in applause at the NYC event.“President Trump,… pic.twitter.com/WaPGJfCX5H— Lenka Houskova White (@white_lenka) November 18, 2024-Retired IDF brigadier general Amir Avivi likewise drew loud applause when he said, “We need to finish something that started when President Trump was in office, but we didn’t finish — we need to bring [Israeli] sovereignty to Judea and Samaria,” the biblical term for the West Bank.Mike Huckabee, whom Trump has tapped as his ambassador to Israel, also supports West Bank annexation. “Mike Huckabee is the only person more pro-Israel than me,” Klein said in an interview.And Klein lauded another Trump pick, Defense Secretary-designate Pete Hegseth, for wanting to rebuild the Jewish Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Klein brushed off the myriad of concerns that have surrounded Hegseth, a Fox News host.“‘We must establish a Temple, a Jewish Temple, and Temple Mount,’ said Peter Hegseth!” Klein said in his speech. “So don’t tell me about, ‘He’s a problem,’ in any way, shape or form — we Jews love Peter Hegseth. We want him to be defense secretary.”Despite praising Gaetz from the podium, following the dinner Klein said in an interview that he “[doesn’t] know what is true” regarding the then-congressman’s invitation of a Holocaust denier to the State of the Union. Although the man, Charles Johnson, had suggested falsely that only 250,000 Jews had died of illness during World War II, Gaetz had claimed at the time that Johnson was not a Holocaust denier — though he said he regretted not vetting Johnson better.Klein, who noted that he was the child of Holocaust survivors, said Gaetz’s office told him the congressman “didn’t know, and he doesn’t believe it’s true about this guy,” Johnson.Klein added, “So I don’t know what’s true. But if in fact he knowingly brought a Holocaust denier, this would be so deeply concerning that it would make him unqualified to be attorney general. But they assured me it wasn’t true.”Klein downplayed concerns about Gaetz’s opposition to a bill that would codify a definition of antisemitism. Gaetz had opposed the bill because it said the view that Jews killed Jesus — which Gaetz endorsed — was antisemitic. Klein said Gaetz wasn’t the only pro-Israel politician to oppose the bill, and that Gaetz only did so “because of his religious beliefs, which are different from mine.”Some attendees did express reservations about Gaetz. But Aaron, 26, who attended the gala with his family and declined to give his last name due to concerns about privacy, said that Klein’s endorsement of Gaetz during his speech made him feel more comfortable.“The only thing I’ve heard about Gaetz over the years has been pretty negative coverage,” he said. “I was a bit concerned about that, but honestly, I have to look into it.”He added, “Morton Klein vouched for Gaetz — I value his word, so that’s a good sign.”Jackie, a law student who attended the gala with Students Supporting Israel and likewise declined to share her last name, said she’s hopeful that Trump’s pro-Israel policies would help reduce antisemitism in America.“I know that antisemitism in our country is not just because of the current administration, it’s also foreign events and everything altogether,” Jackie said. “But I’m hoping there’s a change.”The only disruption at the gala came when three protesters, who’d gotten through security and had been sitting quietly at a table, got up during Erdan’s speech and yelled “Free Palestine,” drawing loud boos. They were swiftly removed by security.Dozens more protesters had gathered outside the gala, chanting “Miriam Adelson’s inside, billionaires for genocide” and holding a banner with a caricature of Adelson, the Republican pro-Israel megadonor who was on the event program but did not attend. Next to the cartoon of her face were the words “Zionism = Nazis.”“We are opposed to genocide,” one protester, who refused to give their name, said by way of explanation. “And Miriam Adelson is a big proponent of Zionism. So we’re protesting.”But the attendees did not seem too disturbed.“They’re yelling at me, calling me names — who cares, right? Who cares?” said David Friedman, Trump’s former ambassador to Israel, during his speech. “We know that what we’re doing is right. We’re on the side of God.”