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)
HAMAS EX LEADER NOW IN HELL FIRE FOREVER AND EVER ISMAIL HANIYEH KILLED IN IRAN.SRY HANIYEH NO 70 BABY VIRGINS TO HAVE FOREVER. ONLY DEMONS IN HELL PULLING YOU FROM YOUR HELL JAIL CELL OR PIT OF FIRE TO HAVE THEIR WAY WITH A ISLAMIC PUPPET LIKE YOU.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US THAT WE CAN BE SAVED FOREVER.AND DURING WW3 PEOPLES BLOOD WILL BE SHED AS A JUDGEMENT FOR HATING HIM AND ISRAEL.GOD IS NOT MOCKED.
ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
PSALMS 97:3
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
EZEKIEL 5:15-17
15 So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the (ARAB/MUSLIM) nations that are round about thee,(ISRAEL) when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
17 So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts,(WHEN RUSSIA/MUSLIMS GET DEFEATED THIER BODIES GET EATEN BY BIRDS,ANIMALS IN ISRAEL MIGRATION SEASON) and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee;(NUKES) and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.
REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)
ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 3 BILLION).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:3,30
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMBS)(RUSSIA CHINA DESTROYED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)(50% OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
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 32:18-29 (NOTICE ALL THE COUNTRIES LAND PROMISED ISRAEL BY GOD ARE IN THE JORDAN VALLEY BURIED)
18 “Son of man, wail for the multitudes of Egypt, and consign her and the daughters of the mighty nations to the depths of the earth with those who descend to the Pit:
19 Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be placed with the uncircumcised! (IN HELL FIRES)
20 They will fall among those slain by the sword. The sword is appointed! Let them drag her away along with all her multitudes.
21 Mighty chiefs will speak from the midst of Sheol about Egypt and her allies: ‘They have come down and lie with the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.’
22 Assyria (SYRIA) is there with her whole company; her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.
23 Her graves are set in the depths of the Pit, and her company is all around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—those who once spread terror in the land of the living.
24 Elam (IRAN) is there with all her multitudes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—those who went down uncircumcised to the earth below, who once spread their terror in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.
25 Among the slain they prepare a resting place for Elam with all her hordes, with her graves all around her. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, although their terror was once spread in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit. They are placed among the slain.
26 Meshech and Tubal (RUSSIA) are there with all their multitudes, with their graves all around them. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because they spread their terror in the land of the living.
27 They do not lie down with the fallen warriors of old, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads, whose shields rested on their bones, although the terror of the mighty was once in the land of the living.
28 But you too will be shattered and lie down among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.
29 Edom (JORDAN) is there, and all her kings and princes, who despite their might are laid among those slain by the sword. They lie down with the uncircumcised, with those who descend to the Pit.THIS IS RIGHT FROM 93:
SECOND ANGEL: MIDDLE EAST
Then I saw that the second angel had a sickle in his hand, such as is used in harvesting.The second angel said: "Harvest time has come in Israel and the countries all the way to Iran."I saw those countries in a few split seconds."All of Turkey and those [inaudible] countries that have refused me and refused my message of love shall hate each other and kill one another."I saw the angel raise the sickle and come down on all the Middle East countries. I saw Iran, Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, all of Georgia - Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, all of Asia Minor - full of blood. I saw blood all over these countries. And I saw fire; Nuclear weapons used in many of those countries. Smoke rising from everywhere. Sudden destruction – men destroying one another. I heard these words:"Israel, Oh Israel, the great judgment has come." The angel said, "The chosen, the church, the remnant, shall be purified. The Spirit of God shall prepare the children of God."I saw fires rising to heaven.The angel said: "This is the final judgment. My church shall be purified, protected and ready for the final day. Men will die from thirst. Water shall be scarce all over the Middle East. Rivers shall dry up, and men will fight for water in those countries."The angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken in pieces because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no more United Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.
PSALMS 83:1-8 (GODS LAND PROMISED TO ISRAEL)
1 O God, do not remain silent;do not turn a deaf ear,do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they (ARAB,MUSLIMS) conspire against your people;they plot against those you cherish.(ISRAELIS)
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;(TREATIES) they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom (JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites, (EGYPTIAN ARABS SO CALLED PALESTIANS) of Moab (JORDAN) and the Hagrites,(EGYPT)
7 Byblos,(HEZBOLLOH) Ammon (JORDAN) and Amalek,(SYRIAN ARABS IN THE SINAI) Philistia,(ARABS) with the people of Tyre (LEBANON).
8 Even Assyria (SYRIA) has joined them to reinforce Lot’s descendants.
A HIGH LEVEL SECRET SERVICE WHISTLE BLOWER SAID GET RID OF ALL THE BIG WIGS IN THE SECRET SERVICE OFFICES.THEIR CORRUPT TO THE CORE. AND HE PREDICTS BEFORE NOVEMBERS ELECTIONS THEY WILL TRY TO ASSASSINATE TRUMP ONE MORE TIME.
AND ANOTHER HYPOCRITICAL BLINKIN REMARK AFTER HEZZBOLLAH KILLED THE 12 CHILDREN ON THE SOCCER FIELD. ISRAEL HAS THE RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF HE SAYS. THEN IN THE VERY HYPOCRITICAL OTHER SIDE OF HIS MOUTH BLINKIN SAYS IN THE SAME SENTENCE (MY PARAPHRASE-OH ISRAEL BUT DON;T BE HARD ON THE SEX FOR MURDER PEDOPHILIA DEATH CULT ISLAM-YOU WILL INCREASE A WIDER WAR.WE CAN'T HAVE THE BABY MUSLIMS OFFENDED OR KILLED OFF OR THEY WILL CRAP IN THEIR LITTLE LIGHT PINK PAMPERS).
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran, Hamas says-By Reuters-July 30, 202411:33 PM EDT
CAIRO, July 31 (Reuters) - Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran on Wednesday, the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said in separate statements.The Islamist faction mourned the death of Haniyeh, who it said was killed in "a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran".Hanieh attended Iran's new president's swearing in ceremony on Tuesday."Early this morning, the residence of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran was struck, resulting in his and one of his body guards' martyrdom. The cause is under investigation and will be announced soon," the Revolutionary Guards said.Reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, Nidal al-Mughrabi, Enas Alashray and Ahmed Tolba in Cairo; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Stephen Coates.
Trump shooter posted antisemitic, anti-immigrant content online, FBI official says-At US Senate hearing, intelligence official paints picture of loner with no close friends who used social media to ‘espouse political violence’By Allende Miglietta, David Morgan and Sarah N. Lynch 30 July 2024, 8:14 pm
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The man who tried to assassinate Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump appears to have posted violent antisemitic and anti-immigration content online as a teenager, a senior FBI official told a US Senate hearing on Tuesday.FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate at the hearing revealed the existence of the social media account, which dated to 2019-2020 — when Thomas Crooks, who authorities have identified as the shooter, would have been 15 or 16 years old. It is some of the first evidence to become public about a potential motive in the July 13 attack at a campaign rally in western Pennsylvania.“Something just very recently uncovered that I want to share is a social media account which is believed to be associated with the shooter in about the 2019-2020 time frame,” Abbate told lawmakers, adding that more than 700 comments were posted by the account.“Some of these comments, if ultimately attributable to the shooter, appear to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration themes to espouse political violence and are described as extreme in nature,” Abbate said.Crooks, who was 20, shot at Trump with an AR-15-style rifle during the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, wounding the former president’s ear, killing one rally attendee and wounding two others. Secret Service snipers killed Crooks after he opened fire.Investigators have described Crooks as a loner with no close friends and a social network limited mainly to immediate family members.The first shooting of a US president or major party candidate in more than four decades was a glaring security lapse that led last week to former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s resignation under bipartisan congressional pressure.Her immediate successor, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, told lawmakers that he visited the outdoor rally site in Butler and climbed onto the roof of a nearby building from which Crooks fired.“What I saw made me ashamed,” Rowe told a joint hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees.“As a career law enforcement officer, and a 25-year veteran with the Secret Service, I cannot defend why that roof was not better secured.”Rowe sought to assure lawmakers that he has since taken steps to prevent similar lapses from occurring amid concerns among both Democrats and Republicans about further political violence as the campaign intensifies ahead of the November 5 US election.Crooks flew a drone near the rally site ahead of his assassination attempt, a flight that officials failed to detect because a system designed to detect drones was not working properly due to problems with cellular network bandwidth, Rowe said.The Secret Service, a federal law enforcement agency whose duties include protecting the president and certain other top political figures, has added six people to its protection list since July 13, including Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance and his family, and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, while reinforcing security details, Rowe said.“This attack was a shocking reminder that the threat of political violence is alive and well in our country. By all accounts, this was inexcusable security and planning failure,” Democratic Senate Homeland Security Chairman Gary Peters said, adding that his panel is working on reforms to strengthen security protocols for the Secret Service.Senator Rand Paul, the committee’s top Republican, said his staff had found communication gaps between local police who first noticed Crooks and the Secret Service.Rowe said that Secret Service counter snipers and members of the Trump security detail had no knowledge that there was a man with a firearm on the roof of a nearby building.
IDF: We aren't looking to go to war, but we are ready for it-IDF kills top Hezbollah commander in Beirut in response to deadly Majdal Shams attack-Fuad Shukr considered by Israel to be terror group’s most senior military officer, ‘right-hand man’ to chief Hassan Nasrallah, was also wanted by US for role in 1983 barracks bombing-By Emanuel Fabian-and Agencies 30 July 2024, 9:58 pmUpdated at 12:36 am
The Israel Defense Forces struck a building in southern Beirut on Tuesday evening, killing the Hezbollah terror group’s most senior military commander, who Israel said was responsible for Saturday’s deadly rocket attack on Majdal Shams.Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah’s most senior military commander and a right-hand man to terror leader Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in the strike, which blew a large hole into the side of an eight-story apartment building in southern Beirut, the IDF said late Tuesday.The strike followed days of intensive diplomacy aimed at curbing Israel’s response to a rocket strike on a Golan Heights soccer field Saturday that killed 12 children, amid fears that Israel’s retaliation could lead to tensions snowballing into all-out war.Hezbollah did not immediately confirm Shukr’s death and the Israeli military said it did not plan on issuing special instruction for civilians to take shelter, as is sometimes done when the country expects blowback from a regional neighbor, though it advised Israelis to remain alert.The Israeli strike occurred in Dahieh, a suburb south of Beirut and a stronghold of the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group, at around 7:40 p.m. Residents reported hearing a loud blast followed by a plume of smoke seen rising over the neighborhood.Lebanon’s health ministry said three people were killed, including two children, and 74 people were wounded in the strike.The Israeli military took credit for the strike, saying Shukr had been killed in the attack.In a statement, the IDF said that Shukr, also known as Hajj Mohsin, was responsible for the Saturday Majdal Shams strike, as well as other deadly attacks on Israel. Since Hamas’s October 7 onslaught in southern Israel, Shukr has been managing Hezbollah’s near-daily attacks against Israel, according to the military.Shukr sat on the Jihad Council, Hezbollah’s top military body, and was the head of its strategic division, the military said.He was named by the IDF several years ago as a commander of Hezbollah’s precision missile project. He is also wanted by the United States for his role in the 1983 bombing of a US Marines barracks in Beirut, with a $5 million bounty placed on his head by Washington.The IDF said he was also a senior military advisor to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, serving as his “right-hand man.”The IDF said he was “responsible for the majority of Hezbollah’s most advanced weaponry, including precise-guided missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range rockets, and UAVs” and for the terror group’s “force build-up, planning, and execution of terror attacks against the State of Israel.”He joined Hezbollah in the 1980s and has held several senior positions. The IDF said that in the 1990s he advanced numerous attacks against the IDF and allied South Lebanon Army, and in 2000, was involved in the abduction of three Israeli soldiers in an attack in the Mount Dov area.According to the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program, in addition to advising Nasrallah, Shukr sits on the Jihad Council, Hezbollah’s top military body.Shukr played a “central role” in the 1983 bombing of US Marine Corps barracks that left 241 US Marines dead, according to the State Department. The State Department reported that during the Syrian civil war he “aided [Hezbollah] fighters and pro-Syrian regime troops” as they battled anti-Assad forces.Hezbollah did not immediately confirm Shukr’s death, and some earlier media reports claimed that he had survived the attack.Lebanon’s state-run National News Agenc said the Israeli strike targeted the area around Hezbollah’s Shura Council in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut’s Dahieh suburb.It reported that the strike was carried out with a drone that launched three rockets.Shortly after the strike, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tweeted in English: “Hezbollah crossed the red line.”It was the first Israeli attack on the Lebanese capital since a January strike that killed Hamas’s deputy leader abroad Saleh al-Arouri.The strike came after days of Israeli officials threatening a harsh response to the Hezbollah rocket attack that killed 12 children playing on a soccer field and playground in Majdal Shams, a Druze town in the Golan Heights.The IDF said shortly after midnight that there were no immediate changes to the Home Front Command guidelines for Israeli civilians, despite fears of a possible Hezbollah counterattack.“We have very good air defense systems, but the defense is not hermetic,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a press conference, adding that the public should be vigilant and follow the Home Front Command guidelines.He said the IDF is holding assessments on the home front, and would update if there are any changes.“We are not looking to go to war, but we are well prepared for it,” Hagari said. “Hezbollah is dragging Lebanon and the entire Middle East into an escalation.”The Israeli airstrike was precipitated by a flurry of diplomatic activity with Western nations seeking to avoid a larger escalation and urging both Israeli and Lebanese officials to practice restraint. A number of airlines canceled flights to Beirut over the past few days, and Lufthansa canceled several flights to Tel Aviv.Israel gave the US a heads-up before launching the strike, an Israeli and a US official told The Times of Israel.Shortly after the strike, US State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told a briefing that “we’re continuing to work toward a diplomatic resolution that would allow Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return to their homes and live in peace and security. We certainly want to avoid any kind of escalation.”Patel reiterated that US support for Israel remained “ironclad” and that “Israel has every right to defend itself” and “certainly faces threats like no other country does in that region of the world.”The Russian foreign ministry called the Israeli strike on Beirut “a flagrant violation of international law,” according to the Russian state-run TASS news agency.According to the Kan public broadcaster, the security cabinet was not updated ahead of the strike in Beirut. The outlet also reported that the US is expected to approve of the strike, especially given the fact that Shukr was wanted for the killing of 241 US servicemen. Channel 12 news reported that ministers were ordered not to publicly comment on the strike.The heads of UNIFIL — the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon — and UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hannis-Plasschaert were speaking to both Lebanon and Israel in an attempt to prevent the outbreak of war, UN Secretary-General spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.Earlier Tuesday, Hezbollah fired a volley of 10 rockets toward the Upper Galilee, killing an Israeli civilian in Kibbutz HaGoshrim. The victim was later named as Nir Popko, 28, from the kibbutz.The IDF said that most of the rockets fired by Hezbollah were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had launched dozens of rockets at a nearby military base. The military said it was shelling the launch site with artillery.Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.So far, the skirmishes have resulted in 25 civilian deaths on the Israeli side — including in Tuesday’s attack — as well as the deaths of 18 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.Hezbollah has named 384 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 68 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have been killed.
Experts say all evidence shows Hezbollah behind Majdal Shams strike that killed 12-Weapons researcher says jagged shrapnel removed from wounded children is consistent with Falaq rocket; soccer field fence blown in direction indicating rocket came from the north-By AP 30 July 2024, 11:09 pm
Two days after a rocket slammed into a soccer field in the Golan Heights, killing 12 children, many questions remain about the attack on the Druze town of Majdal Shams.Israel and the US have accused Hezbollah in Lebanon of targeting civilians, while the Iran-backed terror group quickly issued a rare denial of any responsibility for the attack.As Israel vowed retaliation, and then struck a Hezbollah target in the southern Beirut suburbs on Tuesday evening, for what was the highest civilian death toll in the country since Hamas’s October 7 assault, diplomats rushed to prevent an escalation that could spiral into an all-out war after months of exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah over the Lebanese-Israeli border.Weapons experts told The Associated Press that evidence points to a rocket from Lebanon hitting the field. But they raised the possibility that the hit on civilians was an accident.Here’s what we know and what remains unclear about the attack.The strike-The strike left a crater about two meters wide, breaking through the carpet of artificial grass where the children were playing. Around it were scattered burned-out bicycles and scooters, and some electric bikes with their batteries melted. Walls of a nearby tent and shelter were pockmarked from shrapnel.Video footage circulated on social media on Tuesday, apparently taken by a child at an adjacent playground, showed the moment the rocket struck the soccer field.The Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said an Iranian-made Falaq rocket with a 53-kilogram (117-pound) warhead belonging to Hezbollah was used in the attack that landed in the town of over 11,000 inhabitants.Israel released images of rocket fragments it said the military found, with visible lettering that matched pictures of Falaq rockets also provided by the military. The AP was unable to verify that the fragments were found on-site. No ordinance debris was visible when AP reporters visited the site on Monday.The Israeli military was investigating why the Iron Dome air defense system did not intercept the rocket.While the Iron Dome’s radar detected the launch, it did not release an interceptor missile to knock down the rocket, an Israeli military official told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.The military said the flight time may have been too brief. The rocket was fired from just north of the Lebanese town of Chebaa, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Majdal Shams, it said. Hezbollah has experimented with launching rockets from a shorter distance.The Iron Dome alert set off sirens at 6:18 p.m. Majdal Shams’ local council reported the rocket landed less than a minute later, leaving no chance for the children to run to shelters.“At very short distance, you don’t have enough time to operate the Iron Dome,” said Yehoshua Kalisky, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank. It’s nearly impossible to intercept rockets fired from within 5 kilometers (3 miles) that take 2-3 seconds to reach their destination, he said.As a result, the interception rate along the northern border is considerably lower than in central Israel, where Iron Dome batteries have more time, he said.Hezbollah’s denial-Hezbollah, a designated terror organization in dozens of countries and the most powerful paramilitary and political force in Lebanon, was quick to say it was not behind the attack, a rare denial from a group that normally claims every attack launched.What Hezbollah would gain from attacking a Druze community is unclear. Many Druze in the Golan see themselves as citizens of Syria, where the government in Damascus is a Hezbollah ally. A strike on them could hurt the terror group’s standing — including with Druze in Lebanon — when it’s trying to keep support in the war.An overt intentional strike on civilians would also be a dramatic escalation in Hezbollah’s near-daily exchange of fire with Israel. The group’s officials have claimed they don’t aim to expand the war and will cease their attacks in the event of a ceasefire in Gaza.In the thousands of rockets it has fired in support of Hamas and the Palestinians in Gaza since October, Hezbollah has insisted it targets military and intelligence installations.Still, Hezbollah rockets have hit civilian areas countless times. As of Tuesday, skirmishes have resulted in 25 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 18 IDF soldiers and reservists.Hezbollah has named 384 members who have been killed by Israel during the same period, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 68 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have been killed.Just before news of Saturday’s deadly attack emerged, Hezbollah claimed at least two strikes, using Katyusha rockets and the larger Falaq-1, targeting an Israeli military base on Mount Hermon, about 3 kilometers (2 miles) north of Majdal Shams.A small faction allied with Hezbollah that also operates from southern Lebanon, often from near Chebaa, also denied responsibility for the attack, and Hezbollah-allied media posited that Israel was looking for an excuse to widen the war amid the most serious push yet to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.Was it an error? From satellite images, pictures and videos from the scene and analysis of previous launches, experts said the evidence fits with a rocket attack.“The evidence that we can see from the ground … is much more consistent with that of a rocket artillery of the type and size of the Falaq,” said Richard Weir, crisis and weapons researcher with Human Rights Watch.The warhead would explode on impact with a deadly high explosive load, spraying irregular-shaped fragments.Dr. Ran Steinberg, chief of Pediatric Surgery at Rambam Hospital who took part in treating children wounded in the blast, told the AP that irregular, jagged pieces of shrapnel were removed from their bodies.Weir said the damage did not appear consistent with the scenario of a hit by an air defense missile that malfunctioned. Such missiles are designed to disperse regular-shaped fragments in every direction, and there was no sign of such fragmentation.The shape of the crater and the direction a fence was blown down indicate that the rocket came from the north, said Chris Cobb-Smith, a weapons analyst.But he said that without independent verification of the munition’s remnants it is impossible to say whether the hit was intentional.Weir said a Hezbollah rocket aimed at the military position on Mount Hermon may have overshot its target, landing in Majdal Shams. He said any number of mistakes could have taken place, including a mechanical fault or human error in estimating the distance.“These kinds of things happen even with the best-trained forces,” he said. “So it is possible that, given that this is an unguided piece of rocket, that this was a mistake.”The Druze stance-After Israel blamed Hezbollah for the blast, many Druze leaders in Lebanon, Syria and Israel spoke out against what they called an attempt to drive a wedge within the close-knit community. Followers of the Druze faith are divided between the three countries.Some 300 Majdal Shams residents protested a visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, shouting that he was exploiting the bloodshed for political gain.Only 20% of residents in Majdal Shams, part of the Golan Heights annexed by Israel in 1981, have accepted Israeli citizenship. Many still consider themselves citizens of Syria.“For sure, it was not targeting Majdal Shams. There are many Israeli military bases around the town. I expect this threat was heading their way,” said Nabeeh Abu Saleh, a paramedic from the town who rushed to the scene of the attack on Saturday.Nothing prepared Abu Saleh, who has 25 years of experience as a paramedic, for what he saw. Some body parts were found 100 meters from the explosion. One of his nephews was killed, another wounded.The military said Iron Dome sirens have gone off in Majdal Shams 30 times during the conflict. A few months ago, a rocket landed short of the town, Abu Saleh said.“We buried our children. We don’t want retaliation,” he said. “We have families in Lebanon, in Syria, and we have brothers here in Israel.”Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.
Washington Post admits front page on Majdal Shams attack lacked ‘adequate context’Newspaper issues editor’s note acknowledging criticism of cover juxtaposing image of mourning Druze family members with headline on Israeli strikes on Lebanon-By ToI Staff 30 July 2024, 11:39 pm
The Washington Post on Tuesday apologized for the front page it ran a day earlier, which juxtaposed an image of family members mourning a child killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack on the Golan Heights with a headline reading “Israel hits targets in Lebanon.”The subheadline of the story accompanying the image also did not mention the Hezbollah strike that killed 12 children playing on a soccer field and playground in the Druze town of Majdal Shams.In an editor’s note published in the print edition on Tuesday, the newspaper admitted that the “headline and subheadline that accompanied a July 29 Page One photo and article about Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon did not provide adequate context.”The note added that “[t]he headlines should have noted that the Israeli strikes were a response to a rocket strike from Lebanon that killed 12 teenagers and children in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. The photo depicted mourning for one of those victims, as the caption noted.”The original front page had sparked outrage from many pro-Israel figures and groups online, with the American Jewish Committee tweeting: “This isn’t journalism. It’s a dangerous distortion of reality.”The official X account of the Israeli Embassy in the US wrote: “Even with a photo from the funeral of an Israeli child killed by Hezbollah, @washingtonpost chose to frame Israel as the aggressor in the headline. Shameful journalism.”It is not the first time the newspaper has faced criticism over its coverage of the ongoing Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza.Earlier this month, it was slammed after it criticized the parents of American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra for not mentioning “Israel’s assault on Gaza” as they addressed the Republican National Convention and called for his release.The paper also described Neutra who was captured by Hamas terrorists on October 7 as “missing.”“Omer Neutra has been missing since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel,” the paper posted on X with a link to their article about Neutra’s parents Ronen and Orna addressing the RNC in Milwaukee on Wednesday, leading the crowd in a chant of “bring them home.”“When his parents speak publicly, they don’t talk about Israel’s assault on Gaza that has killed over 38,000 Palestinians, according to local officials. Experts have warned of looming famine,” the post said.The post drew an immediate outcry, and the news outlet later replaced that post, but the story maintained the original language noting that the Neutras “don’t talk about the ferocity of Israel’s counterattack, which has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians and left nearly 90,000 injured, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.”The Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was also accused earlier this year of employing an antisemitic trope to criticize supporters of Israel.In May, New York Deputy Mayor Fabian Levy said that he was “shocked” when the newspaper asked him to comment on its report that Jewish billionaires had influenced Mayor Eric Adams’s decision to send the NYPD to disperse an anti-Israel encampment at Columbia University.“The insinuation that Jewish donors secretly plotted to influence government operations is an all too familiar antisemitic trope that The Washington Post should have been ashamed to ask about, let alone actually publish,” wrote Levy.In November, the newspaper added an extensive editor’s note to a story it published about the challenges facing newborn babies in Gaza. The note pointed out that the original story “mischaracterized some aspects of Israeli rules for permits” for pregnant women to give birth in Israel, and also “incorrectly said that all Palestinian mothers who received authorization to leave Gaza for humanitarian reasons had to return to Gaza to reapply.”The editor’s note also pointed out that the newspaper “neglected to seek comment from Israeli officials for this article, an omission that fell short of The Post’s standards for fairness.”
Iran’s new president sworn in at parliament as heads of Hamas, Islamic Jihad look on-Masoud Pezeshkian takes oath as parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf gives speech lambasting Israel’s ‘crimes’ in Gaza; Hezbollah, Houthis also send delegates to ceremony-By AFP and ToI Staff 30 July 2024, 6:23 pm
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn in before parliament on Tuesday as the Islamic Republic’s ninth president at a ceremony attended by foreign dignitaries, including officials from terror groups Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and the Houthis.Pezeshkian, considered by some to be a reformist, won a runoff race against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili on July 5 to replace president Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash in May.Tuesday’s ceremony came two days after Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei officially endorsed Pezeshkian and gave the 69-year-old heart surgeon presidential powers.“I, as the president, in front of the Holy Quran and the people of Iran, swear to almighty God to be the guardian of the official religion and the Islamic Republic system and the constitution of the country,” Pezeshkian said at the ceremony which was broadcast live on state TV.Pezeshkian, who is expected to unveil his government within two weeks, had secured more than 16 million votes during the runoff, or about 54 percent of the roughly 30 million ballots cast.Tuesday’s ceremony was attended by senior officials from several countries including Armenia, Tajikistan, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Cuba and Brazil. European Union envoy Enrique Mora was also present.Regional Iran-backed allies were also in attendance, namely Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and the head of the Islamic Jihad Ziyad al-Nakhalah. Lebanon’s Hezbollah was represented by the terror group’s deputy secretary general Naim Qassem while Yemen’s Houthi rebels sent spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam.Haniyeh and Nakhalah, whose terror groups have been fighting Israel in the Gaza Strip since Hamas’s October 7 onslaught against Israel, met earlier in the day with Khamenei and Pezeshkian.“Supporting the cause of the oppressed Palestinian nation will continue with strength, and no factor can disrupt our will in this direction,” said Pezeshkian in a statement on Monday.Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony came amid concerns of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah following a rocket attack from Lebanon on Saturday on the Golan Heights, which killed 12 children playing on a soccer field in the Druze town of Majdal Shams.During Tuesday’s ceremony, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf gave a speech lambasting what he called Israel’s “crimes” in Gaza. Some Iranians present in parliament chanted: “Death to Israel, Death to America.On Monday, Pezeshkian warned Israel against attacking Lebanon, saying such an act would have “heavy consequences.” Since his election, Iran’s new president has reaffirmed support for the so-called “axis of resistance,” Tehran-aligned terror groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthis that support Hamas against arch-foe Israel.Pezeshkian was the only candidate representing Iran’s reformist camp allowed to stand in Iran’s presidential election, for which all contenders were approved by the conservative-dominated Guardian Council.During his campaign, the former health minister had vowed to try and revive a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers which collapsed in 2018 after the United States unilaterally withdrew from agreement. The deal had given Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear activity.Pezeshkian has recently called for “constructive relations” with European countries, even though he accused them of reneging on commitments to mitigate the impact of renewed US sanctions.
Philippines says 'no incidents' as it resupplies reef; China warns of 'resolute' response-by AFP Staff Writers.
Manila (AFP) July 27, 2024-The Philippines said it carried out a resupply and rotation mission to troops on a South China Sea reef Saturday without "untoward incidents", more than a month after a violent clash with Chinese forces in the area.It said the mission to Second Thomas Shoal was the first since Manila and Beijing reached a "provisional arrangement" last week for the delivery of daily necessities and rotation missions for Filipino troops based on a rusty warship grounded atop the reef.The shoal has been a focus of clashes between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months, sparking concern it could draw in Manila ally the United States in a conflict as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to almost the entire South China Sea.A Filipino sailor lost a thumb in the latest confrontation on June 17, when Chinese coast guard members wielding knives, sticks and an axe foiled a Philippine Navy resupply attempt."No untoward incidents were reported" after a civilian vessel escorted by a Philippine Coast Guard boat reprovisioned the BRP Sierra Madre and rotated troops there on Saturday, a Philippine foreign department statement said.China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu confirmed that the Philippines had carried out a resupply mission "in accordance with the temporary arrangement reached between China and the Philippines".The two sides disagreed on the details of the mission, with a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson saying "China had been notified of the resupply before it was carried out"."After confirming on-site that the Philippine vessel carried only humanitarian living necessities, the Chinese side let the Philippine vessel through," the spokesperson added.Philippine foreign department spokeswoman Teresita Daza told reporters Saturday that Manila gave no prior notification to the Chinese side, and there was no on-site inspection of the vessels."We were informed the Chinese coast guard vessels were at a reasonable distance with no risk of collision," Daza added.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday called on the Philippines to "honour its commitments" under the deal, according to a readout of his meeting with Philippine foreign secretary Enrique Manalo at an ASEAN gathering in Laos.Manalo said he hoped Beijing would keep its side of the bargain."If the parties implement, and we hope China implements the agreement, then we'll be able to resupply our military personnel on the ship without any obstruction," he told reporters."I think that would be an important step forward in diffusing tensions and hopefully lead to other areas of cooperation on the South China Sea."A handful of Filipino troops are stationed on the rusty Sierra Madre that was deliberately grounded on the shoal in 1999 to assert Manila's claims to the area.They require frequent resupplies for food, water and other necessities as well as transport for personnel rotations.The shoal lies about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan island.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday hit out at China's "escalatory and unlawful actions" in the South China Sea, hours before he was due to hold talks with Wang in Vientiane.Washington and ASEAN had to work together to "address challenges," Blinken told ministers from the 10-member bloc, including China's "escalatory and unlawful actions taken against the Philippines in the South China Sea over the last few months."
China warns Philippines of 'resolute' response in South China Sea.
Vientiane (AFP) July 27, 2024 - China will "respond resolutely" to any violation by the Philippines of a recent deal to calm tensions between the two countries in the South China Sea, its top diplomat told his Filipino counterpart, Beijing said Saturday.Manila is locked in a longstanding territorial row with Beijing over parts of the strategic waterway through which trillions of dollars worth of trade passes annually.Last week, the two sides agreed to a "provisional arrangement" for resupply missions to Filipino troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, which has been the focus of violent clashes in recent months.Wang Yi on Friday called on the Philippines to "honour its commitments" under the deal rather than "backtracking or creating complications", according to a readout of his meeting with Philippine foreign secretary Enrique Manalo at an ASEAN gathering in Laos."Otherwise, China will definitely respond resolutely," he said.Speaking to reporters late Friday, Manalo said he hoped Beijing would keep its side of the bargain."If the parties implement, and we hope China implements the agreement, then we'll be able to resupply our military personnel on the ship without any obstruction," he said."I think that would be an important step forward in diffusing tensions and hopefully lead to other areas of cooperation on the South China Sea."The two diplomats met in Laos capital Vientiane, host of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers meeting that comes amid a time of high tensions over the South China Sea.Beijing claims the waterway -- through which trillions of dollars of trade passes annually -- almost in its entirety despite an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.The clashes have fuelled fears of a conflict that could drag in the United States due to its mutual defence treaty with Manila.US top diplomat Antony Blinken arrived in Laos on Saturday for talks with ASEAN foreign ministers and will also meet with Wang.Blinken has prioritised promoting a "free and open" Asia-Pacific region -- a thinly veiled criticism of China's regional economic, strategic and territorial ambitions.
Quad 'seriously concerned' about situation in South China Sea-By L�on BRUNEAU, Katie Forster.
Tokyo (AFP) July 29, 2024-The foreign ministers of the United States, Japan, Australia and India on Monday expressed "serious concern" over the situation in the South China Sea in a veiled rebuke to Beijing.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts in the so-called Quad grouping issued a joint statement calling for a "free and open" Pacific after talks in Tokyo.The statement did not name China directly but referenced a series of recent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea."We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," the communique said."We continue to express our serious concern about the militarization of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea," it added.The group also condemned North Korea's "destabilizing" missile launches.Their words prompted ire from Beijing, which accused the four nations of "creating tension, inciting confrontation, and containing the development of other countries".Blinken is on a tour of Asia-Pacific countries aimed at reinforcing regional cooperation in the face of Beijing's growing assertiveness and its deepening ties with Russia.The Quad talks in Tokyo, the first since September, included Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, India's S. Jaishankar and Australia's top diplomat Penny Wong.- 'Imaginary enemies' -Their statement was noticeably more muted than a communique issued after talks on Sunday between Blinken, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Japanese counterparts.Without India and Australia present, the two countries issued scathing verbal attacks that, unlike the Quad statement, named and criticised not only China but also Russia.Washington and Tokyo said China's "foreign policy seeks to reshape the international order for its own benefit at the expense of others".They also slammed Russia's "growing and provocative strategic military cooperation" with China.Criticism of Moscow by the Quad is awkward for India, which relies heavily on Russian arms supplies and whose Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Vladimir Putin this month.Beijing on Monday warned Japan and the US to "stop creating imaginary enemies", saying their bilateral statement "maliciously attacks China's foreign policy".- Maritime clashes -The Philippines -- Blinken and Austin's next stop -- is locked in a longstanding territorial row with Beijing over parts of the South China Sea.Violent clashes in the area have sparked concern that Manila's ally Washington could be drawn into a conflict as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to almost the entire waterway, through which trillions of dollars' worth of trade passes annually."We are charting a course for a more secure and open Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region by bolstering maritime security and domain awareness," Blinken told reporters after the talks on Monday.Kamikawa said the Quad was determined to "cooperate for the coexistence and co-prosperity of the international community".Bec Strating, professor of international relations at La Trobe University, warned ahead of the talks that the Quad's varied agendas meant their message did not always ring clear.On one hand, the idea that the four countries are willing to work together on defence and foreign policy issues presents them "as a 'partner-of-choice' in the region, compared with China", she told AFP.But "global issues such as the war in Ukraine have demonstrated that the Quad countries are not necessarily as 'like-minded' as the rhetoric suggests", Strating said.
Germany says will not be 'intimidated' by Putin's nuclear threats.
Berlin, July 29 (AFP) Jul 29, 2024-Germany said on Monday it was not deterred by Russian President Vladimir Putin's threats to relaunch production of intermediate-range nuclear weapons if the United States confirms its intention to deploy missiles to Europe."We will not be intimidated by such statements," foreign ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told a government press conference.In early July, Washington and Berlin announced that the "episodic deployments" of long-range US missiles, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, to Germany would begin in 2026.Putin on Sunday threatened to relaunch production of intermediate-range nuclear weapons if the plans go ahead."We will consider ourselves liberated from the unilateral moratorium previously adopted on the deployment of medium- and short-range strike capabilities," Putin said during a naval parade in Saint Petersburg.Putin added that now in Russia "the development of a number of such systems is in the final stages"."We will take mirror measures in deploying them, taking into account the actions of the US, its satellites in Europe and in other regions of the world," the Russian president warned.Such missiles, which can travel between 500 and 5,500 kilometres (300-3,400 miles), were the subject of an arms control treaty signed by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1987.But both Washington and Moscow withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, each accusing the other of violations."This type of missile... had already been developed and deployed long ago" by Russia, Fischer said."What we are now planning is a response to deter these weapons from being used against Germany or other targets," he added.
China warns US, Japan to 'stop creating imaginary enemies'by AFP Staff Writers.
Beijing (AFP) July 29, 2024-Beijing on Monday warned the United States and Japan to "stop creating imaginary enemies" after the countries lashed out against China's actions in the South China Sea in Tokyo talks."We strongly urge the US and Japan to immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs and stop creating imaginary enemies," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.Following talks in the Japanese capital on Sunday, the US and the hosts slammed Beijing's "destabilizing actions" in the South China Sea while also condemning Russia's growing military cooperation with China and North Korea.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Japanese counterparts "reiterated their strong objections to the PRC's unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea", a joint statement said, using an acronym for China.China's "destabilizing actions in this region include unsafe encounters at sea and in the air, efforts to disrupt other countries' offshore resources exploitation, as well as the dangerous use of Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels", the communique added.They accused China of "intensifying attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea" and that Chinese "foreign policy seeks to reshape the international order for its own benefit at the expense of others".China's Lin on Monday said the joint statement "disregards facts, mixes up right and wrong maliciously attacks China's foreign policy".He added the communique "crudely meddles in China's internal affairs, maliciously attacks and smears China on maritime issues, makes thoughtless remarks on China's normal military development and defence policy, exaggerates and kicks up a fuss about the China threat, and maliciously hypes up regional tensions"."China deplores and firmly opposes this," Lin said.Quad 'seriously concerned' about situation in South China Sea-Tokyo (AFP) July 29, 2024 - The foreign ministers of the United States, Japan, Australia and India on Monday expressed "serious concern" over the situation in the South China Sea in a veiled rebuke to Beijing.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts in the so-called Quad grouping issued a joint statement calling for a "free and open" Pacific after talks in Tokyo.The statement did not name China directly but referenced a series of recent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea."We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion," the communique said."We continue to express our serious concern about the militarization of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea," it added.The group also condemned North Korea's "destabilizing" missile launches.Their words prompted ire from Beijing, which accused the four nations of "creating tension, inciting confrontation, and containing the development of other countries".Blinken is on a tour of Asia-Pacific countries aimed at reinforcing regional cooperation in the face of Beijing's growing assertiveness and its deepening ties with Russia.The Quad talks in Tokyo, the first since September, included Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, India's S. Jaishankar and Australia's top diplomat Penny Wong.- 'Imaginary enemies' -Their statement was noticeably more muted than a communique issued after talks on Sunday between Blinken, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Japanese counterparts.Without India and Australia present, the two countries issued scathing verbal attacks that, unlike the Quad statement, named and criticised not only China but also Russia.Washington and Tokyo said China's "foreign policy seeks to reshape the international order for its own benefit at the expense of others".They also slammed Russia's "growing and provocative strategic military cooperation" with China.Criticism of Moscow by the Quad is awkward for India, which relies heavily on Russian arms supplies and whose Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Vladimir Putin this month.Beijing on Monday warned Japan and the US to "stop creating imaginary enemies", saying their bilateral statement "maliciously attacks China's foreign policy".- Maritime clashes -The Philippines -- Blinken and Austin's next stop -- is locked in a longstanding territorial row with Beijing over parts of the South China Sea.Violent clashes in the area have sparked concern that Manila's ally Washington could be drawn into a conflict as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to almost the entire waterway, through which trillions of dollars' worth of trade passes annually."We are charting a course for a more secure and open Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region by bolstering maritime security and domain awareness," Blinken told reporters after the talks on Monday.Kamikawa said the Quad was determined to "cooperate for the coexistence and co-prosperity of the international community".Bec Strating, professor of international relations at La Trobe University, warned ahead of the talks that the Quad's varied agendas meant their message did not always ring clear.On one hand, the idea that the four countries are willing to work together on defence and foreign policy issues presents them "as a 'partner-of-choice' in the region, compared with China", she told AFP.But "global issues such as the war in Ukraine have demonstrated that the Quad countries are not necessarily as 'like-minded' as the rhetoric suggests", Strating said.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
THE FIRST JUDGEMENT OF THE EARTH STARTED WITH WATER-IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE LAST GENERATION WILL BE HAVING FLOODING (BUT WILL NOT KILL EVERY BODY WITH WATER)(BUT 50% OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE (4 BILLION PEOPLE) FROM NUCLEAR WAR)(THE BIBLE SAYS BY FIRE OR ATOMIC BOMBS THIS TIME)
GENESIS 7:6-12
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
GOD PROMISED BY A RAINBOW-THE EARTH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED TOTALLY WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.BUT FLOODIING IS A SIGN OF JUDGEMENT.
OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
EZEKIEL 32:6-9
6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9 I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator and baby murderers by abortion) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP) (HOT SUN, NUKES ETC)
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
Kerala's Wayanad landslides: Death toll rises to 151, search on for missing-By Chris Thomas and Jose Devasia-July 30, 202411:20 PM EDT
CHOORALMALA, India, July 31 (Reuters) - Rescue workers began looking for people trapped under debris early on Wednesday, a day after landslides caused havoc in the Wayanad district of India's Kerala state, with at least 151 people dead and many still missing.Heavy rain in one of India's most attractive tourist destinations collapsed hillsides and triggered torrents of mud, water and tumbling boulders in the worst disaster in the state since deadly floods in 2018.Most of the 350 families living in the area surrounded by tea and cardamom estates were caught unaware by the landslides early on Tuesday morning.At least 151 people died and 187 were still missing, the state chief minister's spokesman, P.M. Manoj, told Reuters by phone.Television visuals showed many houses destroyed and trees uprooted, as rescuers were pulled by ropes across muddy streams of water.The government was considering making a portable, pre-fabricated Bailey bridge to connect the affected area, after the main bridge to the nearest town of Chooralmala was destroyed, K. Rajan, the state revenue minister told Asianet TV.After a day of extremely heavy rainfall that hampered rescue operations, the weather department expects some respite on Wednesday, although the area is likely to receive rain through the day.Reporting by Chris Thomas and Jose Devasia, writing by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan
Grenada estimates damages from Hurricane Beryl at up to a third of economy-By Reuters-July 30, 20249:11 PM EDT
July 30 (Reuters) - Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said on Tuesday that early estimates suggest that losses from deadly Hurricane Beryl, which hit the Caribbean earlier this month, likely total as much as a third of economic output.The small Caribbean island nation had a gross domestic product (GDP) of about $1.3 billion last year, according to World Bank data. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan caused Grenada to suffer losses that doubled its GDP.Mitchell cautioned that the estimate was still preliminary, and that besides devastating homes and farms, Beryl had wrought destruction on electricity grids, mangrove forests, water infrastructure and the fishing sector.Reporting by Sarah Morland; Editing by David Alire Garcia
