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)
ISRAEL WAR NEWS.
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.
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.
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.
NOW WERE TALKING THE EU MUST BE INVOLVED IN THE FINAL PEACE DEAL WITH ISRAEL IN THE FUTURE. SO NOW THAT THE EU IS SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT THE MIDEAST. THINGS WILL HAPPEN. SINCE ITS THE EU THAT CONTROLS THE WHOLE WORLDS ECONOMIES. SWEDEN IN THE EU ARE THE ONES MICROCHIPPED AS A START. I SAY THE 10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS WILL SOMEHOW BECOME ASSOCIATE MEMBERS OF THE EU. WHICH THE EU CAN CONTROL THE WHOLE WORLDS ECONOMIES AND THEN AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. THE EU CAN CONTROL THE WHOLE WORLD AFTER THE EU PRESIDENT HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION AND SATAN BRINGS HIM BACK TO LIFE.
In Lebanon, EU’s Borrell says ‘absolutely necessary’ country not dragged into war-Europe’s top diplomat speaks as terrorists fire salvos at Israel, IDF strikes south Lebanon following death of Hamas deputy leader in Beirut bombing-By Agencies and Emanuel Fabian Today, 4:46 pm 0
The European Union foreign policy chief on Saturday warned against a regional conflict that would involve Lebanon, as border clashes intensified nearly three months into Israel’s war with Hezbollah ally Hamas.“It is imperative to avoid regional escalation in the Middle East. It is absolutely necessary to avoid Lebanon being dragged into a regional conflict,” Josep Borrell said during a press conference in Beirut with Lebanon’s foreign minister.“I am sending this message to Israel too: Nobody will win from a regional conflict,” he added.Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah has attacked Israel on a near-daily basis, sparking Israeli retaliations since Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel, which triggered the war.But a strike attributed to Israel that killed Hamas’s deputy leader in Hezbollah’s south Beirut stronghold on Tuesday intensified fears of a wider conflagration. The Lebanese terror group on Saturday said it retaliated by launching dozens of rockets at a northern Israeli base, and several further barrages of rockets ensued.“I think that the war can be prevented, has to be avoided and diplomacy can prevail,” Borrell told reporters.Earlier Saturday, Borrell met Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, United Nations peacekeeping force (UNIFIL) commander Aroldo Lazaro and the influential speaker of parliament Nabih Berri.His visit is part of a diplomatic push to avoid further regional escalation, especially on the Lebanon-Israel border, and to call for a solution to the Gaza war.“Diplomatic channels have to be open to signal that the war is not the only option but it is the worst option,” he said.Hezbollah called the barrage of dozens of rockets at the Mount Meron area “an initial response” to the alleged Israeli killing of Hamas terror chief Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon last week. There were no reports of injuries.The Israel Defense Forces said that some 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon. Hezbollah said it targeted an Israeli military installation in the area with 62 “various types of missiles.”The rocket salvo triggered incoming rocket and drone alerts in 90 communities across northern Israel, but the IDF said only the Mount Meron area was targeted.Video circulating on social media appears to show smoke in a number of areas in the national park. It was unclear if the smoke was caused by impacts or interceptions.Sirens were later triggered multiple times in dozens of communities in northern Israel, amid further barrages and suspected drone infiltrations.???? Massive Rocket Alerts [08:06:30] – 94 Alerts: • Southern Golan — Almagor#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/TO4kmTNK8E— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) January 6, 2024-The army said it struck a terror cell in southern Lebanon responsible for some of the rocket launches.In a later statement, the IDF said it carried out airstrikes on a series of Hezbollah sites in Lebanon in response to the attacks on northern Israel.The targets in Ayta ash-Shab, Yaroun and Ramyah included rocket launch positions, military sites and other infrastructure used by the terror group, according to the IDF.The IDF said a drone struck the cell behind the attack on Metula.The barrage, one of the largest since the start of skirmishes on the northern border linked to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, came a day after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah threatened that Israel’s northern residents would be “the first to pay the price if a full-scale war were to erupt” along the front.Nasrallah also used the address to repeat many of the same threats against Israel that he made earlier this week, again vowing to avenge deputy Hamas chief Arouri’s killing in Beirut while remaining vague on the specifics.Nasrallah said that all of Lebanon would be exposed to further Israeli strikes if the group did not react to the assassination of Arouri in Beirut.“The response is coming. The decision has already been made. The matter now depends on what will unfold on the ground, and on Allah,” Nasrallah said.The attack on Arouri has sparked fears of a broader conflagration because he was the most high-profile figure to be killed since October 7 and because his death came in the first strike on the Lebanese capital since hostilities started.Lebanon filed a complaint to the UN Security Council over the killing of Arouri, calling it the “most dangerous phase” of Israeli attacks on the country.Since the deadly Hamas onslaught of October 7, in which some 1,200 people were slaughtered, mostly civilians, and around 240 were taken hostage, Hezbollah and allied Palestinian terror factions have engaged in daily cross-border clashes with Israeli troops along the Lebanon border. Lebanese terrorists have also targeted Israeli civilians and their homes, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate the area.The fighting along the border has resulted in four civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of nine IDF soldiers.Hezbollah has named 148 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon, but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 19 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and at least 19 civilians, three of whom were journalists, have been killed.
Hamas chief Haniyeh tells Blinken to focus on ending Israeli ‘aggression’Terror chief urges regional leaders to tell US secretary of state that there will be no stability in region without addressing Palestinian demands-By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 2:26 pm-JAN 6,23
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has called on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to use his current Middle East tour to end Israel’s “aggression” as war rages in Gaza.The top US diplomat arrived in Turkey on Friday at the start of a trip that includes planned visits to Israel and the West Bank as well as several Arab and Gulf states.US officials have said that Blinken, in his fourth regional tour since fighting erupted with Hamas’s October 7 assault on Israel, would focus on getting more aid into the Strip.In a video message posted late Friday on Hamas’s social media channels, Haniyeh, who lives in exile, said he hoped Blinken had “learned the lessons of the last three months.”The war was sparked by the October 7 onslaught, when some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists burst into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, most of them civilians slaughtered in their home communities and at a music festival amid brutal atrocities, and seizing an estimated 240 hostages.In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and launched a wide-scale military campaign in Gaza aimed at destroying the group’s military and governance capabilities and returning the hostages.The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says at least 22,700 people have been killed in the Strip since the war erupted on October 7. The Hamas figure does not differentiate between civilians and combatants and includes Palestinians killed by errant rocket fire from Gaza. Israel says it has killed 8,500 terrorists since launching the war.US support for Israel’s military campaign “has caused unprecedented massacres and war crimes against our people in Gaza,” Haniyeh said.“We… hope that he will be more focused this time on ending the aggression” as well as “the occupation of all Palestinian lands,” the Qatar-based Hamas chief added.Haniyeh also urged regional leaders due to meet Blinken to tell him that stability in the Middle East was “closely linked to our Palestinian cause.”The United States is Israel’s chief military and political backer and has repeatedly refused to support calls for a ceasefire.However, Washington has lent its support to humanitarian pauses and backed a UN Security Council resolution demanding more aid be let into Gaza.
Blinken starts Mideast tour in Turkey in bid to prevent escalation into regional war-US secretary of state was expected to ask Erdogan to exert influence to restrain Iran, participate in planning for postwar Gaza reconstruction and governance-By Matthew Lavi Today, 1:25 pm-JAN 6,23
ISTANBUL (AP) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has kicked off his latest urgent Middle East diplomatic mission in Turkey, as fears mount that Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza may explode into a broader conflict.Blinken’s fourth visit in three months comes amid worrying developments outside of Gaza, including in Lebanon, northern Israel, the Red Sea and Iraq, that have put intense strains on what had been a modestly successful US push to prevent a regional conflagration in the weeks after the war began, and growing international criticism of Israel’s military operation.Blinken met Saturday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss what Turkey and others can do to exert influence, particularly on Iran and its proxies, to ease soaring tensions, speed up humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and begin in earnest to plan for reconstruction and governance of postwar Gaza, much of which has been reduced to rubble by three months of intense Israeli strikes.The war was sparked by the October 7 onslaught when some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists burst into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and seizing an estimated 240 hostages, mostly civilians.In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and launched a wide-scale military campaign in Gaza aimed at destroying the group’s military and governance capabilities and returning the hostages.The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says at least 22,700 people have been killed in the Strip since the war erupted on October 7. The Hamas figure does not differentiate between civilians and combatants and includes Palestinians killed by errant rocket fire from Gaza. Israel says it has killed 8,500 terrorists since launching the war.The immediate difficulty of Blinken’s task was underscored just hours before his talks with Erdogan as Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group fired dozens of rockets at northern Israel, warning that the barrage was just an initial response to the targeted killing, presumably by Israel, of a top leader from the allied Hamas group in Lebanon’s capital earlier this week.Meanwhile, stepped-up attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have disrupted international trade and led to increased efforts on the part of the US and its allies to patrol the area and respond to threats, including possibly taking direct action against the group at its bases in Yemen. The Houthis have carried out at least two dozen attacks in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza just since December 19, which have further heightened tensions and raised risks for the global economy.In Istanbul, US officials said Blinken would be seeking Turkish buy-in, or at least consideration, of potential monetary or in-kind contributions to reconstruction efforts and some form of participation in a proposed multi-national force that could operate in or adjacent to the territory. Turkey, and Erdogan in particular, has been harshly critical of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the prosecution of the war and the impact it has had on Palestinian civilians.In addition, officials said, Blinken will stress the importance the US places on Turkey ratifying Sweden’s membership in NATO, a long-delayed process that the Turks have said they will complete soon. Sweden’s accession to the alliance is seen as one critical response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.From Turkey, Blinken will travel to Turkish rival and fellow NATO ally Greece to meet Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at his residence on the Mediterranean island of Crete. Mitsotakis and his government have been supportive of US efforts to prevent the Gaza war from spreading and have signaled their willingness to assist should the situation deteriorate further. Greece has also shown patience in waiting for the delivery of advanced US fighter jets as the issue of Sweden’s accession to NATO is worked out with Turkey.Blinken will end his Saturday in Jordan, which apart from Israel has been the secretary’s most frequent stop on his recent Middle East tours. Jordan will be the first Arab nation on Blinken’s current tour, and will be followed by Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Monday. Blinken will then visit Israel and the West Bank on Tuesday and Wednesday before wrapping up the trip in Egypt.“We don’t expect every conversation on this trip to be easy,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said shortly before Blinken departed Washington late Thursday. “There are obviously tough issues facing the region and difficult choices ahead. But the secretary believes it is the responsibility of the United States of America to lead diplomatic efforts to tackle those challenges head-on, and he’s prepared to do that in the days to come.”As well as pressing Israel for dramatic increases in humanitarian aid to Gaza, a shift toward less intense military operations and a concerted effort to rein in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank by Jewish settlers, Blinken will be urging reluctant Gulf Arab nations to work with the US on the future of Gaza.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Hezbollah fires dozens of rockets in ‘initial response’ to killing of Hamas leader-Salvo of more than 40 missiles sets of alarms in 90 Israeli communities; no injuries reported in strikes that targeted Mount Meron area; IDF hits terror infrastructure in response-By Emanuel Fabian and Agencies Today, 11:58 am-JAN 6,24
The Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon fired a barrage of dozens of rockets into Israel on Saturday in a move it called “an initial response” to the alleged Israeli killing of Hamas terror chief Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon last week. There were no reports of injuries.The Israel Defense Forces said that some 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon at the Mount Meron area of northern Israel. Hezbollah said it targeted an Israeli military installation in the area with 62 “various types of missiles.”The Iran-backed terror group said in a statement that the attack was “part of the initial response to the crime of assassinating the great leader Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri.”The rocket salvo triggered incoming rocket and drone alerts in 90 communities across northern Israel, but the IDF said only the Mount Meron area was targeted.Video circulating on social media appears to show smoke in a number of areas in the national park.It is unclear if the smoke was caused by impacts or interceptions.An hour later, sirens were again triggered in 40 communities in northern Israel. Several more projectiles were fired by Hezbollah at the Metula and Margaliot areas on the border. ???? Massive Rocket Alerts [08:06:30] – 94 Alerts: • Southern Golan — Almagor#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/TO4kmTNK8E— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) January 6, 2024-The army said it struck a terror cell in southern Lebanon, responsible for some of the rocket launches.In a later statement, the IDF said it carried out airstrikes on a series of Hezbollah sites in Lebanon in response to the attacks on northern Israel.The targets in Ayta ash-Shab, Yaroun, and Ramyah included rocket launch positions, military sites, and other infrastructure used by the terror group, according to the IDF.The IDF says a drone struck the cell behind the attack on Metula.The barrage, one of the largest since the start of skirmishes on the northern border linked to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, came a day after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah threatened that Israel’s northern residents would be “the first to pay the price if a full-scale war were to erupt” along the front.Nasrallah also used the address to repeat many of the same threats against Israel that he made earlier this week, again vowing to avenge deputy Hamas chief Arouri’s killing in Beirut while remaining vague on the specifics.Nasrallah said that all of Lebanon would be exposed to further Israeli strikes if the group did not react to the assassination of Arouri in Beirut, allegedly carried out by Israel.“The response is coming. The decision has already been made. The matter now depends on what will unfold on the ground and on Allah,” Nasrallah said.“We cannot remain silent on a violation of this magnitude because it means the whole of Lebanon would be exposed,” he asserted, adding that allowing Israel to succeed in its operations in Gaza would lead to the IDF following suit in Lebanon.The attack on Arouri has sparked fears of a broader conflagration because he was the most high-profile figure to be killed since October 7 and because his death came in the first strike on the Lebanese capital since hostilities started.Lebanon filed a complaint to the UN Security Council over the killing of Arouri, calling it the “most dangerous phase” of Israeli attacks on the country.The complaint, dated January 4 but seen by Reuters on Friday, said Israel used six missiles in the attack that killed Arouri and added that Israel uses Lebanese airspace to bomb Syria.The complaint appeared largely symbolic and is unlikely to lead to any tangible action against Israel.Nasrallah claimed Friday that Hezbollah carried out 670 operations on the border since October 8, destroying a “large number of Israeli vehicles and tanks,” as well as technical and intelligence collection equipment, “exhausting Israel” on the front.“No site along the border has been spared” in the attacks, he said, adding that 48 Israeli border positions and 11 rear bases were targeted.Some experts were skeptical of the claims, posing that the figures were directed at the terror group’s supporters in Lebanon to justify the organization’s losses since it began launching attacks.Since the deadly Hamas onslaught of October 7, in which some 1,200 people were slaughtered, mostly civilians, and around 240 were taken hostage, Hezbollah and allied Palestinian terror factions have engaged in daily cross-border clashes with Israeli troops along the Lebanon border. Lebanese terrorists have also targeted Israeli civilians and their homes, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate the area.The fighting along the border has resulted in four civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of nine IDF soldiers.Hezbollah has named 148 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 19 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and at least 19 civilians, three of whom were journalists, have been killed. Nasrallah added in his speech that its current operations on the southern borders opened a “historic opportunity” for Lebanon to liberate its land occupied by Israel.Israel’s political and military leaders have said repeatedly since October 7 that Hezbollah will have to withdraw its forces from the border area to north of the Litani River, as required by 2006’s UN Resolution 1701, and that either this will be achieved diplomatically or by force.Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reiterated the position Friday during a visit to the northern border and warned time was running out for a diplomatic solution.“We prefer the path of an agreed-upon diplomatic settlement, but we are getting close to the point where the hourglass will turn over,” Gallant says during a situational assessment at the IDF’s Northern Command base.The territory Lebanon claims remains occupied following Israel’s withdrawal from the country’s south in 2000 includes the disputed Mount Dov region, also known as the Shebaa Farms, the Kfar Shouba hills and the Lebanese side of the village of Ghajar.Israel and the United Nations say those areas were captured from Syria, and not Lebanon.Hezbollah is estimated to have some 150,000 rockets and missiles, including thousands or tens of thousands with the range to reach central Israel and hundreds of precision-guided missiles.
'It goes out there hot off the line to save lives' Shield of Israel: At evacuated Kibbutz Sasa, an armor factory toils to protect troops
Despite orders to leave the Lebanon border, Plasan employees work around the clock to create and deploy innovative solutions in real time, as the IDF battles on multiple fronts-By John Jeffay Today, 12:41 pm-JAN 6,24
Just two miles from Israel’s border with Lebanon, the Plasan armor factory at the abandoned Kibbutz Sasa hums with activity, as hundreds of employees work around the clock to protect IDF soldiers and their vehicles.Residents of the kibbutz have long been evacuated — along with residents of other northern communities — after 1,200 people, most of them civilians, were brutally murdered in southern Israel and another 240 were abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, threatening the stability of Israel’s borders and leading to increasingly heated skirmishes with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror group.Plasan staff members are working harder than ever despite frequent rocket attacks — an anti-tank guided missile scored a direct hit on the kibbutz’s school auditorium on December 17 — and having to take refuge in safe rooms.In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas onslaught, the company ramped up production of much-needed body armor plates for bulletproof vests, Plasan’s core product when it was founded in 1985. Since then, the company’s focus has shifted to bolt-on armor kits for military vehicles — a sector in which it is a world leader.“The IDF and the Defense Ministry came to us and said we need as much as possible, as quickly as possible,” said Nir Kahn, the company’s director of design.The company got the production line working again and has since supplied “tens of thousands” of body armor plates to the IDF and other security forces in Israel, Kahn said.Plasan also handed over all the armored vehicles it had in stock as a matter of urgency, and set about increasing 24/7 production of the SandCat Tigris — a military version of the Ford F-Series commercial truck.In addition, it is now providing a round-the-clock spares and maintenance service to ensure all its vehicles are mission-ready.But the real sense of pride at Plasan is over its development of new products to meet the emerging needs of the IDF in the theater of war.“We see our products being used on the news every night,” said Kahn. “And we know that it’s something hot off the line that’s gone straight out there, saving lives, that it’s involved in bringing the hostages home, and it’s doing good work out there — and that’s incredibly motivating.”Kahn cannot share any details. Much of what Plasan does is shrouded in secrecy. That is the nature of the military hardware business.“If there’s anything that needs a very special solution, or design, or thinking of out of the box, we are the place to go,” said Gilad Ariav, vice president of marketing and business development at Plasan.“You’re always prepared for the last war, you try to prepare for the next war, but there are always surprises and the enemy is thinking outside the box — so once the battle starts, you face new challenges that you didn’t expect before or you didn’t expect in that magnitude,” he said.In some cases, said Ariav, what the IDF needs is something that Plasan has already developed as a product and just needs validating for soldiers to use, while in others the army faces a very particular challenge and seeks the company’s help in finding a solution.“We’ve been building stuff we had already, we ramped up production, we’ve been getting out of the door as fast as we possibly can,” said Kahn. “But what’s certainly in engineering and design, what’s kept us busy the last couple of months, is developing new stuff.”Kahn said that during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Plasan’s role was to design vehicles and solutions for the American and British militaries in real-time, as the conflicts unfolded — and that it felt very much like a personal mission to protect those soldiers.“Now we’re highly motivated because it’s close to home,” he said. “This is the first time in my 22 years in Plasan that I’ve really felt, on the home market, that we’re coming in in the morning and that everything we do matters.”“We’re creating solutions that are going to be out in the field very, very quickly,” he said. “We obviously can’t go into details about what any of that is. But we’re developing new products for the IDF based on urgent requirements and based on threats that are being seen.”It was back in the early 1990s in response to the First Intifada that Plasan expanded from protecting people to protecting vehicles.The company pioneered a way of armoring vehicles that was just as effective as the traditional solution — essentially a welded steel box — but significantly lighter, cheaper, more adaptable, and quicker to produce.Plasan takes the chassis of existing production vehicles and designs bolt-on panels using a variety of specialist materials to withstand bullets, bombs and improvised explosive devices.“We looked at it like an IKEA wardrobe, instead of as a welded steel box,” said Kahn.The success of the mold-breaking approach is clear. The US military is incorporating Plasan’s armor into the 150,000-strong fleet of new Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) that is currently replacing its all-purpose Hummers and jeeps.And Plasan has a wide range of clients across the globe. The current war means it needs to juggle its domestic duties with its obligations to others abroad. But the ongoing war in Gaza presents its own challenges.“I was on a flight to the US for an exhibition in Washington,” said Ariav. “I hit the ground on the night of October 7 in JFK, did a U-turn, and came straight back to Israel.”He returned not to Plasan, but to reserve duty in the IDF — along with as much as 20 percent of the company’s workforce, which has also been called up.Most remaining employees at Plasan are on-site. Those working on the production line obviously cannot take their work home, while those in design and other roles are able to work remotely, but generally choose not to.That is despite the evacuation of the 400-strong population of the kibbutz, who have had to abandon the kiwi, apple, avocado, and grapefruit crops they were growing.Evacuating the Plasan premises remains an unwelcome possibility, if Hezbollah escalates its activities in Lebanon.“It all depends on the severity of the situation up in the north,” said Ariav. “And we have a plan for that — a backup facility to make sure that we continue the work.”
US offers $10 million reward for info that thwarts Hamas financial network-Washington to pay out for information on five senior Hamas financiers or anything leading to the disruption of the Palestinian terror group’s financial mechanisms-By Reuters and Jacob Magid Today, 9:09 am-JAN 6,24
The United States is offering up to $10 million for information on five Hamas financiers or anything leading to the disruption of the Palestinian terror group’s financial mechanisms, the State Department said Friday.The reward offering follows four rounds of US sanctions on Hamas after the group’s terror onslaught incursion into Israel on October 7 that killed some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and saw some 240 people taken hostage.The five are Abdelbasit Hamza Elhassan Khair, Amer Kamal Sharif Alshawa, Ahmed Sadu Jahleb, Walid Mohammed Mustafa Jadallah and Muhammad Ahmad ‘Abd Al-Dayim Nasrallah, who have all been previously designated global terrorists by the United States, the department says in a statement.The first financier, known as Hamza, is based in Sudan, has managed numerous companies in Hamas’s investment portfolio and was involved in the transfer of almost $20 million to Hamas, the department said. He is tied to former Sudanese president Omar Bashir and Islamist groups undermining stability in Sudan, according to the State Department.Three of the Hamas operatives cited — Amer Kamal Sharif Alshawa, Ahmed Sadu Jahleb, and Walid Mohammed Mustafa Jadallah — are part of the group’s investment network in Turkey, the department said.Nasrallah has close ties to Iranian entities and has been involved in the transfer of tens of millions of dollars to Hamas, including its military wing, the agency said, adding that he was based in Qatar in October.The rewards would be provided for information on any source of revenue for Hamas, major donors, financial institutions that facilitate transactions for Hamas, front companies that procure dual-use technology for the group and criminal schemes that benefit Hamas, the State Department said.Last month, The New York Times reported that Israeli intelligence obtained comprehensive details on vast Hamas financial operations in 2018 but did nothing to shut them down and stem the flow of funds to the terror group.These same funds were likely key to Hamas’s preparations for the deadly October 7 attacks, the report said, citing Israeli and American officials.The report detailed documents found on the computer of a senior Hamas official that listed assets around the world worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The papers pointed to Sudanese companies owned by Hamas that dealt in mining, chicken farming and road construction, two skyscrapers owned by the group in the United Arab Emirates and other property-related business ventures in Algeria and Turkey.Despite having access to the documents, and a potential path toward cutting off Hamas funds, nothing was done. Both Israel and the US operated under the assumption that Hamas was more interested in ruling the Strip than in conflict with Israel, and focused instead on implementing sanctions against Iran.
US Supreme Court to decide if states can keep Trump off 2024 presidential ballots-Justices agree to hear former president’s appeal against Colorado court ruling that he should be removed from the GOP primary ballot over 2021 storming of US Capitol-By Mark Sherman and Nicholas Riccardi Today, 1:19 am-JAN 6,24
WASHINGTON (AP) — The US Supreme Court said Friday it will decide whether former president Donald Trump can be kept off the ballot because of his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, inserting the court squarely in the 2024 presidential campaign.The justices acknowledged the need to reach a decision quickly, as voters will soon begin casting presidential primary ballots across the country. The court agreed to take up Trump’s appeal of a case from Colorado stemming from his role in the events that culminated in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.Arguments will be held in early February.The court will be considering for the first time the meaning and reach of a provision of the 14th Amendment barring some people who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office. The amendment was adopted in 1868, following the Civil War. It has been so rarely used that the nation’s highest court had no previous occasion to interpret it.Colorado’s Supreme Court, by a 4-3 vote, ruled last month that Trump should not be on the Republican primary ballot. The decision was the first time the 14th Amendment was used to bar a presidential contender from the ballot.Trump is separately appealing to state court a ruling by Maine’s Democratic secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, that he was ineligible to appear on that state’s ballot over his role in the Capitol attack. Both the Colorado Supreme Court and the Maine secretary of state’s rulings are on hold until the appeals play out.The high court’s decision to intervene, which both sides called for, is the most direct involvement in a presidential election since Bush v. Gore in 2000, when a conservative majority effectively decided the election for Republican George W. Bush. Only Justice Clarence Thomas remains from that court.Three of the nine Supreme Court justices were appointed by Trump, though they have repeatedly ruled against him in 2020 election-related lawsuits, as well as his efforts to keep documents related to January 6 and his tax returns from being turned over to congressional committees.At the same time, Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh have been in the majority of conservative-driven decisions that overturned the five-decade-old constitutional right to abortion, expanded gun rights and struck down affirmative action in college admissions.Some Democratic lawmakers have called on Thomas to step aside from the case because of his wife’s support for Trump’s effort to overturn the results of the election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Thomas is unlikely to agree. He has recused himself from only one other case related to the 2020 election, involving former law clerk John Eastman, and so far the people trying to disqualify Trump haven’t asked him to recuse.The 4-3 Colorado decision cites a ruling by Gorsuch when he was a federal judge in that state. That Gorsuch decision upheld Colorado’s move to strike a naturalized citizen from the state’s presidential ballot because he was born in Guyana and didn’t meet the constitutional requirements to run for office. The court found that Trump likewise doesn’t meet the qualifications due to his role in the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021. That day, the Republican president had held a rally outside the White House and exhorted his supporters to “fight like hell” before they walked to the Capitol.The two-sentence provision in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment states that anyone who swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and then “engaged in insurrection” against it is no longer eligible for state or federal office. After Congress passed an amnesty for most of the former confederates the measure targeted in 1872, the provision fell into disuse until dozens of suits were filed to keep Trump off the ballot this year. Only the one in Colorado was successful.Trump had asked the court to overturn the Colorado ruling without even hearing arguments. “The Colorado Supreme Court decision would unconstitutionally disenfranchise millions of voters in Colorado and likely be used as a template to disenfranchise tens of millions of voters nationwide,” Trump’s lawyers wrote.They argue that Trump should win on many grounds, including that the events of January 6 did not constitute an insurrection. Even if it did, they wrote, Trump himself had not engaged in insurrection. They also contend that the insurrection clause does not apply to the president and that Congress must act, not individual states.Critics of the former president who sued in Colorado agreed that the justices should step in now and resolve the issue, as do many election law experts.“This case is of utmost national importance. And given the upcoming presidential primary schedule, there is no time to wait for the issues to percolate further. The Court should resolve this case on an expedited timetable, so that voters in Colorado and elsewhere will know whether Trump is indeed constitutionally ineligible when they cast their primary ballots,” lawyers for the Colorado plaintiffs told the Supreme Court.The issue of whether Trump can be on the ballot is not the only matter related to the former president or January 6 that has reached the high court. The justices last month declined a request from special counsel Jack Smith to swiftly take up and rule on Trump’s claims that he is immune from prosecution in a case charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election, though the issue could be back before the court soon depending on the ruling of a Washington-based appeals court.And the court has said that it intends to hear an appeal that could upend hundreds of charges stemming from the Capitol riot, including against Trump.
Goal is to improve IDF, not replace external investigation-Amid political uproar, IDF says probe of army’s failures is crucial for future fighting
Military spokesman Hagari says results of probe will be presented to public when completed, day after ministers assail IDF chief for plans at cabinet meeting-By Emanuel Fabian, Jacob Magid and ToI Staff 5 January 2024, 10:23 pm 1
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari insisted Friday that an “operational investigation” into the military’s failures on October 7 was essential to its fighting in the Gaza Strip, as well as preparing itself for other fronts. He stressed that the probe was not a substitute for any external investigations.The comments came against the backdrop of a security cabinet meeting Thursday night that ended in a loud and angry dustup between ministers and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi as right-wing lawmakers denounced his plans for the army to probe its mistakes surrounding the October 7 Hamas invasion.The row continued through to Friday, with war cabinet minister Benny Gantz warning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to choose between unity or playing politics, and the ruling Likud party hitting back at Gantz, defending the conduct of the right-wing ministers.“Our goal is to always improve, to draw conclusions from the fighting, to deepen the achievement and minimize casualties to our forces,” Hagari said in an evening press conference.“The operational investigation is one of the basic principles of the IDF. Only a thorough investigation of the truth will allow us to learn from the failures and prepare for the security challenges in the future — 2024 will be a year of fighting, and there are lessons to be learned that will help us fight better, in all the arenas,” he said.He stated that the IDF is busy fighting and has not yet begun its investigation into the failures that led to Hamas’s October 7 onslaught.“The General Staff is formulating these days the process of planning the investigations, and picking those leading the operational investigation,” Hagari said.He said some investigations are intended to be internal, and others will include former defense officials looking into the chain of command from an outside perspective.The results of the probes will be presented to the public once completed, he said.“IDF investigations are intended to improve the army and they do not replace any external investigation,” Hagari added.Hagari’s statement came after the IDF chief’s decision to form the investigation sparked further political tensions within the emergency coalition.The panel is set to probe the military’s failures ahead of October 7 when some 3,000 Hamas terrorists swept across the border, overrunning military bases and communities in southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking another 240 hostages.The probe is meant to help the IDF identify shortcomings as it gears up for further fighting, including a possible expanded conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and is not meant to touch on political failures in the runup to October 7.Reports in Hebrew media outlets, which quoted unnamed participants of Thursday night’s stormy cabinet session, said Netanyahu cut off the meeting after three hours with shouting erupting as some ministers came to Halevi’s defense; he was not reported to have intervened to stop the assailing of the chief of staff. One minister told the Kan broadcaster that they understood the uproar “could be heard outside the room.” Another said some defense officials left early, in apparent protest of their treatment.Hagari declined to discuss the events of the cabinet meeting, saying that deliberations were private.The security cabinet meeting was intended to discuss planning for the administration of Gaza following the war with the Hamas terror group. Kan reported Friday evening that while National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi presented the plans, the meeting ended in a loud and angry dispute between ministers and the military brass.Unnamed ministers told Kan that the emergency coalition wouldn’t last very long in its current state and that Netanyahu and his allies were trying to put blame on the top security brass for October 7.According to the ministers, Netanyahu announced the meeting was about to end when the shouting match began.“The attack on the chief of staff was planned by Netanyahu and Likud ministers. The prime minister did not open his mouth when they shouted at the chief of staff, and only announced in the end that the meeting was over and there would be a follow-up,” one of the ministers said.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and IDF chief Herzi Halevi at the start of a security cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, November 16, 2023. (Haim Zach/GPO)-Unnamed IDF officials told Channel 12 news: “We are fighting in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank, and there are those in the cabinet that are fighting us.”Asserting that Netanyahu was culpable for the ugly scenes, Gantz said in a video statement Friday that it was now up to the premier to correct the mistake.He conceded that ministers are supposed to ask questions and challenge the information provided to them by security chiefs at cabinet meetings, but “what happened yesterday was a politically motivated attack in the middle of a war.”“I have participated in many cabinet meetings. Such conduct has never occurred and must not occur,” he said and defended Halevi’s measure.Gantz, the National Unity chairman — who agreed to join the government on an interim basis days after the war’s outbreak — also appeared to take a swipe at Netanyahu, who has refused to admit any real culpability for the failures that enabled the assault.“It is good that the chief of staff, who knew how to take responsibility after the October 7 disaster, is taking responsibility and establishing a team that will produce operational lessons for the continuation of the fighting. This is his duty,” Gantz said.He added that a state commission would deal with failures on “all levels” but should focus on the political role, and not military matters.Hardline lawmakers fumed over Halevi’s reported decision to have former chief of staff and defense minister Shaul Mofaz sit on the panel probing the IDF’s pre-October 7 failures due to his involvement in the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza.But some of the criticism appeared motivated by fears that an IDF probe into its responsibility for October 7 would also look into the government’s role, or at the very least would lead to pressure for lawmakers to conduct the same type of investigation.Netanyahu has insisted that such a probe can only take place after the war is over, as critics claim he is buying time in order to remain in office.His Likud party later Friday hit back at Gantz and defended the conduct of the right-wing ministers.“The duty of the political and security cabinet is to ask questions and receive answers. This is not politics,” the Likud statement said.“In wartime when the public is united, Gantz is expected to act responsibly and stop looking for excuses to break his promise to remain in the unity government until the end of the war,” the Likud statement adds.Gantz’s call for Netanyahu to choose between security and politics did indeed renew speculation that the National Unity chairman is considering leaving the government.Contrary to the Likud statement, though, Gantz did not pledge to stick around until the end of the war, instead leaving his commitment vague.“Just as I knew when to enter it, I’ll know when to leave,” he has said when asked.Defense Minister Yoav Gallant broke with his party, issuing a statement late Friday in which he gave his backing to Halevi, while far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir waded into the dispute after Gantz’s statement, accusing him of trying to silence debate. Ben Gvir also accused Gantz of pushing to let the Palestinian Authority take over Gaza after the war.Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who has refused to join the unity government as long as the far-right parties remained, also attacked their behavior in the cabinet meeting, calling it “a descent to unprecedented depths.”“In the midst of a war, ministers attack the chief of staff and the prime minister does nothing to oppose it,” he said, also slamming Ben Gvir, “a terror supporter who never served in the military,” for attacking.
Netanyahu to US envoy: Israel committed to fundamental change on Lebanon border-Echoing Gallant’s comments to Hochstein, PM says attacks from Hezbollah must stop so thousands of displaced northern residents can return home-By ToI Staff 5 January 2024, 11:38 am 10
Israel is committed to bringing about a fundamental change in the security situation on its northern border with Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US special envoy to the region Amos Hochstein on Thursday, amid daily attacks by the Iran-backed terror group.
During a meeting in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu told Hochstein that security must be restored on the northern border so that the estimated 100,000 residents evacuated from the area can “return to their homes and live in safety and security.”“We will not stop until this goal has been achieved, whether diplomatically, which Israel prefers, or in some other way,” the premier said.Netanyahu also told Hochstein that “following the murderous assault of October 7, Israel is more determined, daring and united than ever.”Cross-border attacks from Lebanon have persisted since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 7, when thousands of terrorists burst into Israel from Gaza, killing some 1,200 people and kidnapping over 240, mostly civilians.As Israel launched a military campaign, including a ground incursion, to destroy Hamas, remove it from power in Gaza, and release the hostages, it also rushed forces to the north as a precaution against Hezbollah mimicking Hamas’s attack.Israel has increasingly warned that if the international community does not push Hezbollah — which, like Hamas, is sworn to Israel’s destruction — away from the border through diplomatic means, it will take action.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US Special Presidential Envoy Amos Hochstein and made it clear Israel is committed to bringing about a fundamental change on its border with Lebanon, so residents of the north will return to their homes and live in safety and security. pic.twitter.com/bxZrHQfcsT— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) January 4, 2024-Netanyahu’s statement echoed comments made by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant earlier on Thursday, when he told Hochstein that there is “a short window of time for diplomatic understandings” to be reached with Hezbollah.“There is only one possible result — a new reality in the northern arena that will allow for the secure return of our citizens,” Gallant told Hochstein, according to a readout provided by his office.US President Joe Biden dispatched Hochstein to the region on Thursday as Washington intensified its diplomatic engagement in a bid to lower roiling tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.Hochstein was heavily involved in shepherding talks that culminated in Israel and Lebanon demarcating a maritime border in 2022.Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.
Hailing Hamas, Iranian president says October 7 massacres will destroy Israel-Speaking to mourners at funerals for 89 victims of ISIS suicide bombings, Raisi threatens perpetrators: ‘Our enemies can see Iran’s power and the whole world knows its strength’ By ToI Staff and Agencies 5 January 2024, 2:09 pm 6
The October 7 Hamas massacres in southern Israel will bring about the downfall of Israel, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Friday, speaking in Kerman at a funeral for the 89 people killed in twin blasts claimed by the Islamic State group.The suicide bombings struck crowds in the southern city, where many had gathered on Wednesday to commemorate slain Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general Qassem Soleimani, on the fourth anniversary of his death in a US drone strike.The attack killed 89 people, state TV said, raising an earlier toll following the deaths of several of the wounded.Speaking at the funeral, Raisi hailed Hamas for its deadly October 7 onslaught, in which thousands of terrorists attacked more than 20 communities across southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and seizing around 240 hostages.“We know that ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ operation will bring about the end of the Zionist regime,” he said, using Hamas’s name for the attack.“Our enemies can see Iran’s power and the whole world knows its strength and capabilities. Our forces will decide on the place and time to take action,” he added in a reference to those who carried out the deadly blasts, for which ISIS has claimed responsibility.Despite the claim of responsibility, Iranian officials have continued to suggest Israeli and US involvement.ISIS “has disappeared nowadays,” said Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami during the funeral ceremony, arguing the jihadists “only act as mercenaries” for US and Israeli interests.The US rejected any suggestion that it or its ally Israel were behind the bombings, while Israel has yet to comment.Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state TV that “some individuals involved in the attack have been arrested,” without elaborating. Friday’s funeral took place at the Emam Ali mosque in Kerman, where crowds gathered in front of dozens of coffins wrapped in the Iranian flag, according to state media.The mourners waved the national flag as well as the yellow flag of Tehran’s ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah, along with portraits of Soleimani, amid shouts of “revenge, revenge,” “Death to America and “Death to Israel.”The victims included multiple women and children and at least a dozen Afghan nationals, according to Iranian state TV.President Raisi, who arrived in Kerman to attend the funerals, also visited Soleimani’s grave, state TV said.Iranian authorities called for mass rallies after the funerals and Friday prayers to protest the bombings.In a statement published Thursday on Telegram, ISIS said two of its members “activated their explosives vests” at the gathering.Iranian investigators had already confirmed that the first blast at least was the work of a “suicide bomber” and believed the trigger for the second was “very probably another suicide bomber,” official news agency IRNA had reported earlier, citing an “informed source.”A staunch enemy of the jihadist group, Soleimani headed the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guards’ foreign operations arm, overseeing military operations across the Middle East.
Mofaz.France and Jordan airdrop aid to Gaza as UN says Strip has become ‘uninhabitable’ Macron hails ‘complex operation’ bringing seven tons of supplies to enclave; UN humanitarian chief says public health system collapsing, famine on horizon after 3 months of war-By Agencies 5 January 2024, 11:18 pm 7
France and Jordan teamed up to airdrop seven tons of aid to civilians and aid workers in Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday, as Israel continued its offensive to eliminate the terror group from the Strip.“In a difficult context, France and Jordan delivered aid by air to the population and those aiding them,” Macron wrote on X (formerly Twitter).“The humanitarian situation remains critical in Gaza” after three months of conflict, he added.The French leader posted a photograph of an airman standing on the cargo ramp of a military plane, with parachutes visible in the sky below.Macron’s office said the “extremely complex operation” took place late Thursday, saying it had been made possible by close ties between the French and Jordanian militaries.Each nation sent a C-130 transport plane with mixed French-Jordanian crews, bringing a total of seven tons of “humanitarian and health” aid, the presidency said.The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains critical. In a difficult context, France and Jordan provided aid by air to the population and to those assisting them. pic.twitter.com/RXQYgPa9Ep— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 5, 2024-The supplies dropped by France and Jordan were equipped with systems that remotely guided them to a Jordanian field hospital operating in the territory, the French presidency said.Thursday’s mission “allows us to show that such operations are possible,” the Elysee added, without saying whether it would be repeated.Jordan has previously carried out air drops in Gaza, with the moves coordinated with the Israeli military.War broke out following the Hamas terror group’s October 7 massacres, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel from Gaza, killing some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and seizing over 240 hostages, mostly civilians.In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and launched a wide-scale military campaign in Gaza aimed at destroying the group’s military and governance capabilities.The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said Thursday at least 22,600 people have been killed in the Strip since the war erupted on October 7. The Hamas figure does not differentiate between civilians and combatants and includes Palestinians killed by errant rocket fire from Gaza. Israel says it has killed 8,500 terrorists since launching the war.The United Nations estimates that 1.9 million Gazans — 85 percent of the pre-war population — have been displaced as Israel urged civilians to leave area where there was fighting. There are shortages of food, water, fuel, and medicines despite efforts to bring in larger amounts of aid.The UN’s humanitarian chief said Friday that Gaza has become “uninhabitable” three months after Hamas’s horrific attacks against Israel and “a public health disaster is unfolding.”Martin Griffiths said in a statement that “people are facing the highest levels of food insecurity ever recorded (and) famine is around the corner.”And Gazans are “witnessing daily threats to their very existence – while the world watches on,” he said.The UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs said families are sleeping in the open as temperatures plummet, and areas where Palestinians were told to relocate have been bombed.The few partially functioning hospitals are overwhelmed and critically short of supplies, infectious diseases are spreading, and amidst the chaos some 180 Palestinian women are giving birth every day, he said.Griffiths reiterated UN demands for an immediate end to the war and the release of all hostages, declaring, “It is time for the international community to use all its influence to make this happen.”He said the humanitarian community is facing an “impossible mission” of supporting more than 2 million people in Gaza while aid workers are killed, communications blackouts continue, roads are damaged, truck convoys are shot at, and vital commercial supplies “are almost non-existent.”Gaza has shown “the worst of humanity,” Griffiths said, and it’s long past time for the war to end.Israel has accused the UN of failing to facilitate an increase in aid trucks entering Gaza.The IDF said last month it believes the humanitarian situation in Gaza is reasonable given the circumstances, and wishes to avoid a major crisis that would harm Israel’s legitimacy to continue its operations in the Strip.Israel has shown evidence of Hamas stealing some of the humanitarian aid meant for Gazan civilians.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
