Times of Israel News Updates August2024
TimesOfIsraelNewsUpdatesAugust2024
Death Toll Rises In Bangladesh Protests Demanding the Prime Minister Resign
Death Toll Rises In Bangladesh Protests
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July 28: Security cabinet authorizes Netanyahu, Gallant to decide on response to Golan attack
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes a security cabinet meeting on July 28, 2024, to discuss Israel's reaction to the deadly Hezbollah strike in the Golan Heights a day earlier. (Haim Zach/GPO)
Security cabinet empowers Netanyahu, Gallant to decide on response to Golan strike
The security cabinet meeting ends after over four hours.
The forum gives Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant authority to decide on the scale and timing of Israel’s response to yesterday’s deadly rocket attack in the Golan, says Netanyahu’s office.
After ministers objected to the cursory manner in which the strike on Yemen was approved last week, in today’s meeting, every minister was given ample time to speak, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
The report says, however, that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir abstained from the vote.
The hostage talks were discussed, but another meeting will be set to focus on Israel’s next steps in that regard, according to the paper.
Report: Families of kids killed in Golan rocket attack refuse to meet Netanyahu
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has unsuccessfully tried to organize a meeting today or tomorrow between the premier and several relatives of the children killed in the Hezbollah rocket strike on Majdal Shams, Haaretz reports.
The unsourced report says senior members of Netanyahu’s office contacted a few relatives, and were told that the families prefer not to meet the prime minister.
Haaretz says the Prime Minister’s Office has not responded to a request for comment.
UN chief condemns deadly attack on Golan, without mentioning Hezbollah
Ismail Haniyeh, the Qatar-based leader of Hamas, during a visit in Tehran, May 22, 2024. (Iranian Supreme Leader's Website / AFP)
Hamas leader Haniyeh assassinated in Tehran | The Times of Israel
Hamas politburo head Ismail Haniyeh has been assassinated in Tehran, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards says in a statement carried by state media.
July 30: Israel kills top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in reprisal for deadly Majdal Shams attack
No statement yet from Lebanese terror group on Israeli strike * Harris stresses US support for Israel to defend itself against Hezbollah, hopes for diplomatic solution
Mossad chief returns from meeting mediators in Rome, with hostage talks to continue
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine says she is “deeply concerned” by an Israeli airstrike south of Beirut targeting Hezbollah terror commander Fuad Shukr, which she says “resulted in multiple civilian casualties.”
In a statement released by her office, Hennis-Plasschaert “underscores once again that there is no such thing as a military solution and calls on both Israel and Lebanon to avail of all diplomatic avenues to pursue a return to the cessation of hostilities and to recommit to the implementation of resolution 1701 (2006).” The statement adds that the special coordinator is in close contact with interlocutors and urges for calm.
US: Fuad Shukr sits on Hezbollah’s top military body, previously aided pro-Assad forces in Syria
According to the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program, Fuad Shukr — aka Hajj Mohsin — serves as a senior military adviser to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. He also 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.
The US placed a $5 million bounty on his head.
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Lebanese FM claims he was told Israeli reprisal, Hezbollah reaction to be ‘limited’Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib says Beirut has received “calming” messages from relevant countries that Israel’s retaliation for yesterday’s deadly rocket attack on Majdal Shams will be “limited,” as will Hezbollah’s subsequent response, according to Hebrew media.
Bouhabib told Saudi-owned Al Hadath news earlier today that Hezbollah is ready to withdraw beyond the Litani River — which runs some 29 kilometers (18 miles) north of the Israel-Lebanon border — if Israel halts its “violations.”IDF: We aren't looking to go to war, but we are ready for itIDF 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
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 military took credit for the airstrike carried out by Israeli Air Force fighter jets, saying Shukr had been killed in the attack.
A man inspects damage following an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP/Hussein Malla)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.
Israel Defense Forces)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 military took credit for the airstrike carried out by Israeli Air Force fighter jets, saying Shukr had been killed in the attack.
A man inspects damage following an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP/Hussein Malla)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.”
Israeli rescue forces at the site of deadly a Hezbollah rocket attack on a soccer field in the northern Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, July 27, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)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.
Israel Defense Forces)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 military took credit for the airstrike carried out by Israeli Air Force fighter jets, saying Shukr had been killed in the attack.
A man inspects damage following an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP/Hussein Malla)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.”
Israeli rescue forces at the site of deadly a Hezbollah rocket attack on a soccer field in the northern Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, July 27, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)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.
ystanders surround an ambulance near the site of an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on July 30, 2024. (Anwar Amro/AFP)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.”
A man inspects damage following an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP/Hussein Malla)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.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, with his chief of staff Tzachi Braverman, his military secretary Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, in a photo released soon after an Israeli strike on a Hezbollah target in Beirut, July 30, 2024 (PMO)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.
People inspect damaged cars in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP/Hussein Malla)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.
US Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at a campaign event in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/ Stephanie Scarbrough)US Vice President Kamala Harris condemns the Hezbollah rocket attack that killed a dozen children on a soccer field in Majdal Shams over the weekend, says her national security adviser, Phil Gordon.
“Israel continues to face severe threats to its security, and [Harris’s] support for Israel’s security is ironclad. The US will continue working on a diplomatic solution to end all attacks once and for all, and allow citizens on both sides of the border to safely return home,” adds Gordon
Israeli FM likens Erdogan’s threat to Iraq’s Saddam Hussein: ‘Remember how that ended’
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8Protesters cleared from Beit Lid, hours after Sde Teiman was mobbed * Police deflect criticism over chaos at military facilities * UK advises Brits to leave Lebanon
US military says it destroyed Houthi drone that threatened ships off Yemen’s coast
CAIRO, Egypt — US Central Command (CENTCOM) says its forces successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen in the past 24 hours.
“It was determined this weapon presented an imminent threat to US coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” CENTCOM’s statement adds.
US military says it destroyed Houthi drone that threatened ships off Yemen’s coast
CAIRO, Egypt — US Central Command (CENTCOM) says its forces successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen in the past 24 hours.
“It was determined this weapon presented an imminent threat to US coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” CENTCOM’s statement adds.
UK advises its citizens to leave Lebanon, avoid travel there
LONDON — The UK advises British nationals to leave Lebanon and not to travel to the country, as diplomats race to contain any escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.
“We are advising British nationals to leave Lebanon and not to travel to the country. This is a fast-moving situation,” UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy posts on X.
We are advising British nationals to leave Lebanon and not to travel to the country.
This is a fast-moving situation. FCDO staff are working round the clock to help ensure the safety of British nationals. https://t.co/47BeXyvG6V
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 29, 2024
Macron calls Netanyahu, strongly condemns Golan attack, urges avoiding escalation
French President Emmanuel Macron condemns “in the strongest terms” the rocket attack in Majdal Shams in a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the French readout.
Macron emphasizes that “France is fully committed to doing everything possible to avoid a new escalation in the region by sending messages to all parties to the conflict.”
He does not mention Hezbollah.
Media cites conflicting assessments on whether Israel-Lebanon front is heading to war
Hezbollah’s response to an impending Israeli strike in Lebanon will determine the extent of escalation in the north, an Israeli official tells Haaretz.
“We will have to wait and see,” says the official, shortly after the security cabinet met to determine Israel’s course of action after Saturday’s rocket strike in the Golan that killed 12 children.
Western diplomats tell the paper that there is a significant effort to head off an Israeli reaction that will spark a full-blown war in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, a security official tells the Israel Hayom daily that though there may be several days of significant escalation, Israel is not interested in a war against Hezbollah right now. The goal is to effect a strategic change in the north.
Officials
Media cites conflicting assessments on whether Israel-Lebanon front is heading to war
Hezbollah’s response to an impending Israeli strike in Lebanon will determine the extent of escalation in the north, an Israeli official tells Haaretz.
“We will have to wait and see,” says the official, shortly after the security cabinet met to determine Israel’s course of action after Saturday’s rocket strike in the Golan that killed 12 children.
Western diplomats tell the paper that there is a significant effort to head off an Israeli reaction that will spark a full-blown war in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, a security official tells the Israel Hayom daily that though there may be several days of significant escalation, Israel is not interested in a war against Hezbollah right now. The goal is to effect a strategic change in the north.
Officials also believe that Israel’s response in the north will affect hostage talks, but they are not sure the direction — whether it will spur Hezbollah and Iran to push Hamas into a deal, or the opposite, says Israel Hayom.
Channel 12 news reports that Israel is considering various alternatives, all of which could hurt Hezbollah more than Israel has thus far, but which could also affect other fronts. The network says the next few days could be significant and intense.
It cites a security source saying the need to exact a price from Hezbollah currently trumps the fear of all-out war, and that all top security and political officials agree on need to strike hard. The army is ready “at the push of a button,” it claims, adding that Jerusalem is considering striking non-Hezbollah strategic targets in Lebanon.
Channel 12 reports that some in the ongoing discussions, such as far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, favor full-on war, but Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and others disagree.
The network also cites an unnamed diplomatic source as saying “war is also on the table,” though it notes it does not know how serious this intention is.
‘It was their rocket’: White House blames Hezbollah for rocket carnage, works for diplomatic solution
The White House declares that Hezbollah was responsible for yesterday’s deadly rocket attack in Majdal Shams, adding that it should be “universally condemned.”
“It was their rocket, and launched from an area they control,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson says in a statement.
“Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad and unwavering against all Iran-backed threats, including Hezbollah,” she notes, adding that the Iran-backed terror group “started firing at Israel on October 8, claiming solidarity with Hamas, another Iran-backed terror group.
“The United States is also working on a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line that will end all attacks once and for all, and allow citizens on both sides of the border to safely return to their homes,” Watson says.
Lebanese FM: Hezbollah ready to withdraw to behind Litani River if Israel stops attacks
Commenting on a possible escalation between Israel and Hezbollah following yesterday’s deadly rocket attack on Majdal Shams, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib says that Hezbollah is ready to withdraw beyond the Litani River — which runs some 29 kilometers (18 miles) north of the Israel-Lebanon border — if Israel halts its “violations.”
In an interview with the Saudi-owned Al Hadath news channel, Beirut’s top diplomat adds that Israel must “think carefully” before striking Lebanon, and that an escalation will affect Israel and the whole region.
Hezbollah is barred by UN Security Council Resolution 1701 from maintaining a military presence south of the Litani. The Shiite terror group has blatantly violated that resolution and regularly launches attacks on Israel from near the border.
In a separate interview, Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt tells Al Jazeera that he had a conversation with US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein and told him that Hochstein’s task is “not to relay Israeli threats, but to seek mediation.” The remark appears to refer to earlier reports that quoted diplomatic sources in Beirut and Washington saying that an Israeli attack on Lebanon is “inevitable.”
Jumblatt, a prominent figure in Lebanese politics, absolves Hezbollah of any responsibility in the Majdal Shams attack, and adds that “we are counting on the efforts of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to reach a serious ceasefire with the American envoy [Hochstein] in southern Lebanon.”
IDF airs images it says prove Hezbollah fired deadly rocket
that hit Majdal Shams
These images, released by the IDF on July 28, 2024, show shrapnel from a Falaq-1 rocket launched by Hezbollah at Majdal Shams. (Israel Defense Forces)
IDF airs images it says prove Hezbollah fired deadly rocket that hit Majdal Shams
These images, released by the IDF on July 28, 2024, show shrapnel from a Falaq-1 rocket launched by Hezbollah at Majdal Shams. (Israel Defense Forces)The IDF releases evidence showing shrapnel found at the scene of the rocket strike in Majdal Shams yesterday matching an Iranian-made Falaq-1 rocket, which in Lebanon is exclusively used by Hezbollah.
The Iranian-made Falaq-1 has a 50-kilogram warhead and a range of 10 kilometers, according to the IDF.
The IDF also publishes the flight path of the heavy rocket, launched from the Chebaa area in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah said yesterday that it launched a Falaq rocket at an IDF base near Majdal Shams, although once reports emerged of civilian casualties in the town, the terror group changed course and denied its involvement. The denial has been strongly rejected by Israel.
This image shows the flight path of a Hezbollah Falaq-1 rocket fired at Majdal Shams on July 27, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Harris condemns Golan rocket attack, vows ‘ironclad’ support for Israel’s security
By Jacob Magid 28 July 2024,
US Vice President Kamala Harris condemns the Hezbollah rocket attack that killed a dozen children on a soccer field in Majdal Shams over the weekend, says her national security adviser, Phil Gordon.
“Israel continues to face severe threats to its security, and [Harris’s] support for Israel’s security is ironclad. The US will continue working on a diplomatic solution to end all attacks once and for all, and allow citizens on both sides of the border to safely return home,” adds Gordon.
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7
Image released of Netanyahu huddling with ministers, security brass on response to Golan strike
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes a security cabinet meeting on July 28, 2024, to discuss Israel's reaction to the deadly Hezbollah strike in the Golan Heights a day earlier. (Haim Zach/GPO)Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office releases a photograph of the ongoing security cabinet meeting called to discuss Israel’s reaction to the deadly Hezbollah strike in the Golan Heights yesterday.
Netanyahu is joined by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman, Mossad chief David Barnea (who returned from talks in Rome), Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Netanyahu’s military secretary Roman Goffman, and other members of the IDF General Staff.
Turkey’s Erdogan appears to issue open threat to invade Israel over war in GazaPresident says Turkey could intervene just as it did in Nagorno-Karabakh and Libya; Foreign Minister Katz hits back, comparing him to late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday appeared to threaten to invade Israel in support of the Palestinians, and to put an end to the nearly 10-month-old war Israel is fighting against Hamas in Gaza.
Turkey must be “very strong so that Israel can’t do these things to the Palestinians,” the Turkish leader said of the war. “Just as we entered [Nagorno-]Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we might do the same to them. There is nothing we can’t do. We must only be strong.”
The remarks, delivered at a party meeting in Rize, were the latest in a series of inflammatory statements he has issued about Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the months following the October 7 Hamas terror onslaught, and subsequent war in Gaza.
In 2020, Turkey, under Erdoğan’s direction, provided military support to Azerbaijan during a 44-day conflict sparked by a land dispute with Armenia and the breakaway territory of Artsakh, or the republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Turkish military did not intervene directly, and instead provided assistance, which included the deployment of Syrian mercenaries and a supply of drones.
Also in 2020, Turkey passed a one-year mandate to deploy troops to Libya in support of the United Nations-recognized Libyan government, as it fought a civil war.
As a member of NATO, which includes the US, Canada, the UK, Germany and other close allies of Israel, Erdogan would almost certainly face heavy opposition if he attempted to take military action over the war in Gaza.
He has been at odds with his Western allies in recent months, after accusing them several times of backing a supposed Israeli plan to intentionally “spread war” throughout the Middle East.
Erdogan: “We must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these things to Palestine. Just as we entered Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we might do the same to them. There is nothing we cannot do. Only we must be strong. “
capital Nicosia, Cyprus, July 20, 2024. (AP Photo/ Petros Karadjias)Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday appeared to threaten to invade Israel in support of the Palestinians, and to put an end to the nearly 10-month-old war Israel is fighting against Hamas in Gaza.
Turkey must be “very strong so that Israel can’t do these things to the Palestinians,” the Turkish leader said of the war. “Just as we entered [Nagorno-]Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we might do the same to them. There is nothing we can’t do. We must only be strong.”
The remarks, delivered at a party meeting in Rize, were the latest in a series of inflammatory statements he has issued about Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the months following the October 7 Hamas terror onslaught, and subsequent war in Gaza.
In 2020, Turkey, under Erdoğan’s direction, provided military support to Azerbaijan during a 44-day conflict sparked by a land dispute with Armenia and the breakaway territory of Artsakh, or the republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Turkish military did not intervene directly, and instead provided assistance, which included the deployment of Syrian mercenaries and a supply of drones.
Also in 2020, Turkey passed a one-year mandate to deploy troops to Libya in support of the United Nations-recognized Libyan government, as it fought a civil war.
As a member of NATO, which includes the US, Canada, the UK, Germany and other close allies of Israel, Erdogan would almost certainly face heavy opposition if he attempted to take military action over the war in Gaza.
He has been at odds with his Western allies in recent months, after accusing them several times of backing a supposed Israeli plan to intentionally “spread war” throughout the Middle East.
Erdogan: “We must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these things to Palestine. Just as we entered Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we might do the same to them. There is nothing we cannot do. Only we must be strong. “
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) July 28, 2024
In response to Erdogan’s latest threat, Foreign Minister Israel Katz compared him to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, whose regime was toppled by a US-led invasion in 2003. He was later executed by an Iraqi court, after being captured and tried.
“Erdogan is going down the path of Saddam Hussein and threatens to attack Israel. He should just remember what happened there and how that ended,” wrote Katz on X.
In recent months, Erdogan has gone as far as to suggest that Jerusalem would “set its sights” on Ankara once it has completed its stated goal of destroying Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, and freeing the hostages abducted by the Gazan terror group on October 7.
In a speech delivered in the Turkish parliament back in May, Erdogan told his party not to think “that Israel will stop in Gaza.”
capital Nicosia, Cyprus, July 20, 2024. (AP Photo/ Petros Karadjias)Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday appeared to threaten to invade Israel in support of the Palestinians, and to put an end to the nearly 10-month-old war Israel is fighting against Hamas in Gaza.
Turkey must be “very strong so that Israel can’t do these things to the Palestinians,” the Turkish leader said of the war. “Just as we entered [Nagorno-]Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we might do the same to them. There is nothing we can’t do. We must only be strong.”
The remarks, delivered at a party meeting in Rize, were the latest in a series of inflammatory statements he has issued about Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the months following the October 7 Hamas terror onslaught, and subsequent war in Gaza.
In 2020, Turkey, under Erdoğan’s direction, provided military support to Azerbaijan during a 44-day conflict sparked by a land dispute with Armenia and the breakaway territory of Artsakh, or the republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Turkish military did not intervene directly, and instead provided assistance, which included the deployment of Syrian mercenaries and a supply of drones.
Also in 2020, Turkey passed a one-year mandate to deploy troops to Libya in support of the United Nations-recognized Libyan government, as it fought a civil war.
As a member of NATO, which includes the US, Canada, the UK, Germany and other close allies of Israel, Erdogan would almost certainly face heavy opposition if he attempted to take military action over the war in Gaza.
He has been at odds with his Western allies in recent months, after accusing them several times of backing a supposed Israeli plan to intentionally “spread war” throughout the Middle East.
Erdogan: “We must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these things to Palestine. Just as we entered Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we might do the same to them. There is nothing we cannot do. Only we must be strong. “
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) July 28, 2024
In response to Erdogan’s latest threat, Foreign Minister Israel Katz compared him to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, whose regime was toppled by a US-led invasion in 2003. He was later executed by an Iraqi court, after being captured and tried.
“Erdogan is going down the path of Saddam Hussein and threatens to attack Israel. He should just remember what happened there and how that ended,” wrote Katz on X.
In recent months, Erdogan has gone as far as to suggest that Jerusalem would “set its sights” on Ankara once it has completed its stated goal of destroying Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, and freeing the hostages abducted by the Gazan terror group on October 7.
In a speech delivered in the Turkish parliament back in May, Erdogan told his party not to think “that Israel will stop in Gaza.”
“Unless it’s stopped… this rogue and terrorist state will set its sights on Anatolia sooner or later,” he said at the time, in a bizarre claim, and pledged that Turkey would “continue to stand by Hamas, which fights for the independence of its own land.”
Since the war erupted with the October 7 terror assault in southern Israel, when Hamas killed some 1,200 people, most of them civilians and abducted 251 others, the Turkish leader has met with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul — where he encouraged Palestinians to unite against Israel, and has compared Israel to Nazi Germany and Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Erdogan and Netanyahu have a long history of public attacks on each other, which have ebbed and flowed alongside Israel and Turkey’s on-again, off-again alliance.
The attacks had halted as Jerusalem and Ankara ties warmed, but the détente seemingly fell apart as the war in Gaza continued.
In May, Erdogan announced that Turkey would halt all trade with Israel.
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