#Israel's prime minister convened

[sayruq]

Palestinian banks could be cut off from the Israeli banking system starting next week following a decision by Israel’s finance minister to cease dealings between the two financial institutions, according to a report on Thursday by Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has two days to convene a cabinet meeting to discuss reversing plans by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to isolate Palestinian banks from both the Israeli and international banking systems. The Palestinian economy is based on the Israeli currency, the shekel, making it reliant on ties to Israel and its financial dealings with the rest of the world must go through the Bank of Israel and Israeli banks.

We call this Apartheid.

[girlactionfigure]

GREES TO CEASEFIRE TERMS

🎯 Earlier today, the IDF conducted a precise, intelligence-based strike near Beirut, eliminating Mohammed Afif, the Chief Propagandist and Spokesperson of Hezbollah.

Afif, a senior Hezbollah operative since the 1980s, wielded significant influence over the group's military operations. He maintained contact with senior officials and played a critical role in planning and executing attacks against Israel.

Afif directed operatives to gather field footage for propaganda and psychological terror purposes. He also oversaw Hezbollah's responsibility for the UAV attack on the Israeli Prime Minister's residence in Caesarea on October 19, 2024.

Known for inciting violence and glorifying terrorism through Lebanese media, Afif was deeply involved in psychological warfare targeting the Israeli public, solidifying his pivotal role in Hezbollah's anti-Israel agenda.

🔸 Lebanon has informed the US administration of its agreement to the proposed ceasefire terms. US mediator Amos Hochstein is expected in Beirut on Tuesday to review the proposal's details.

⚠️ Iranian MP Ebrahim Azizi, head of the parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, warned that all Israeli facilities are "legitimate targets" for the Islamic Republic. He threatened retaliation "far more severe" than previous operations against Israel.

🔷 Hamas leaders have reportedly left Qatar for Turkey, as reported by Israel's Channel 11.

🎗️ Defense Minister Israel Katz convened a meeting with defense officials to discuss the hostages. A separate meeting included Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Mossad Director David Barnea, and Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon to coordinate efforts to secure the hostages' return.

⭕ The Israeli Air Force intercepted a hostile UAV approaching from the east. Sirens were sounded in Eilat per protocol, and the UAV was neutralized before entering Israeli airspace.

[athena5898]

(PrR) (Al Mayadeen) Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for large-scale destruction in the West Bank cities of Nablus and Jenin, drawing parallels to the devastation in Jabalia, northern Gaza, where Israeli forces are committing horrific massacres.

“Nablus, Jenin, and Funduq must look like Jabalia,” Smotrich declared.

His remarks followed a shooting operation in the West Bank village of Funduq, where three Israeli settlers were killed.

The extremist minister urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convene an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss what he described as a need for a "shift in Israel's approach" to the occupied West Bank.

Jabalia has been reduced to rubble amid "Israel's" relentless genocidal campaign in northern Gaza, marked by unspeakable crimes and massacres targeting innocent families and civilians.

[workersolidarity]

🇮🇱 🚨

ISRAELI MINISTERS ISSUE DEMAND TO END NEGOTIATIONS AND HUMANITARIAN AID TO GAZA

In a letter issued to the Israeli occupation's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, notorious Zionist, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, slammed ongoing negotiations for a hostage release with Hamas, and called for an end to the passing of Humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

According to the occupation's media, the recently rescued hostage, Fernando Marman, told Israeli authorities that he never received any of his medications while in Hamas's captivity, even though this was supposed to happen as part of a previous hostage deal which called for Marman to receive them.

Despite a minimal American push to see talks with Hamas come to fruition in a hostage deal, Netanyahu remains under near constant pressure from his Zionist right-wing to reject any "irresponsible deal" that might see an end to Israel's offensives and bombing campaigns in the Gaza Strip that have now claimed more than 28'000 Palestinian civilian lives and wounded another 69'000.

After the Zionist media reported that Netanyahu had ordered his IOF hostage envoy Nitzan Alon, along with the Mossad's chief David Barnea and the Shin Bet leader, Ronen Bar, to represent the Israeli entity in Cairo, Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich said Monday that Israel's intelligence heads would be better used on the battlefield in Gaza.

Speaking of the Shin Bet leader, Smotrich said Ronen Bar should “be sent to Rafah together with his men and the IDF soldiers to destroy, kill and annihilate the heads of the murderers and all the Nazi Hamas terrorists."

Ben Gvir also put pressure on Netanyahu, telling an audience that he trusted Netanyahu would reject an “irresponsible deal, and that with God’s help, we will fight to the end.”

Previously, Minister Gvir told reporters he would leave the Netanyahu coalition if Israel's ongoing military offensive didn't "continue at full strength."

According to media reports, CIA director William Burns, alongside Mossad chief David Barnea and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani are all to meet in Cairo for a meeting "to discuss a truce in Gaza."

The meeting is expected to be convened in order to craft a "final draft" of a 6-week ceasefire deal that would see guarantees for the continuation of negotiations to create a lasting and permanent ceasefire.

For its part, Hamas has proposed a ceasefire deal which calls for a four months-long truce which would include hostage swaps in three stages, along with a push for an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu has responded by calling the proposed ceasefire deal "delusional" and argued that only military operations in the Gaza Strip will secure the release of Israeli hostages.

#source

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[lepartidelamort]

Macron Says Jews are Sowing Barbarism, Raises $200M for Lebanon’s Military and $800M for Humanitarian Aid.

Oooosh.

Mic drop.

The Guardian:

Emmanuel Macron has warned Benjamin Netanyahu that “civilisation is not best defended by sowing barbarism ourselves”, as a conference convened by the French president in Paris raised $200m (£154m) for Lebanon’s official military and $800m in humanitarian aid for the country. Macron also vowed to help train 6,000 extra Lebanese official forces. He called for a ceasefire and an end to Israeli attacks on UN peacekeepers, for which he said there was no justification.

So, is France at war with Israel now?

They’re not funding Hezbollah, but there is really no chance that the IDF is not going to end up in direct confrontation with the Lebanese military.

Cool?

The twin aims of the conference were to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Lebanon and to strengthen Lebanese state institutions including the official army. France has historical ties to Lebanon and has a large Lebanese diaspora population. In his opening remarks, Macron also said it was a matter of bitter regret that Iran, backer of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, had “engaged Hezbollah against Israel, while Lebanon’s higher interest required that it stay away from the Gaza war”. In words directed at the Israeli prime minister, with whom his relationship has deteriorated badly, he said: “We have been talking a lot in recent days about a war of civilisations or about civilisations that must be defended. I am not sure that we defend a civilisation by sowing barbarism ourselves.” Netanyahu had said on Europe 1 radio on Wednesday: “It is a war of civilisations against barbarism; we are at the forefront of this war and France must support Israel.” … As the conference closed, the French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, told participants: “In total, we have jointly gathered $800m in humanitarian aid.” He said there was a further $200m for Lebanon’s official security forces, bringing the total to “almost a billion, even more than a billion … with the latest contributions”. The total far outstrips both France’s target of €500m ($540m) and the $400m originally requested by the UN for Lebanon.

On some level, I’m sure Macron is concerned about the tens of millions of Moslems in his own country rioting over French support for Israel.

However, on another level, I’m sure that all French people are simply fed up with this sickening relationship with the Jews.

You love to see it.

Andrew Anglin

Elvis Dunderhoff contributed to this article. 

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Bethan McKernan, Emma Graham-Harrison, Julian Borger, and Peter Beaumont at The Guardian:

Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday night, in the Islamic Republic’s first ever direct attack on the Jewish state, bringing a years-long shadow war into the open and threatening to draw the region into a broader conflagration. Israel, with the help of key western allies including the US, UK and Jordan, claimed to have intercepted some 99% of the launches during the mass strike, but added that some ballistic missiles had reached Israel, damaging the key Nevatim air base in southern Israel which remained operational. As the UN security council prepared to convene an emergency session, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said more than 350 missiles were launched during the attack from Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, and called the interception rate a “significant strategic success”.

Commenting on Israel’s response to the attack, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, posted on X: “We intercepted, we repelled, together we shall win.” “The Iranian attack was foiled,” Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement adding that no drones or cruise missiles that had entered Israeli territory, and “only a few” ballistic missiles reached Israel. Although Israel moved to reopen its air space, officials said the incident was not yet over. As of Sunday morning, Israeli officials indicated no decision had been made about an Israeli response to the Iranian attack, as an official said any potential response would be discussed at the war cabinet meeting. Israeli war planes, however, were reported to be bombing Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. On the Gaza front of the fast expanding regional war, Netanyahu said Hamas had rejected a ceasefire proposal and that Israel would continue pursue its conflict there with “full force”.

On Saturday, Iran launched retaliatory drone strikes against Israel.

[bloghrexach]

💥 — IF ONLY!! —I don’t trust these organizations to do the right thing — Justice in this world? So far I haven’t seen much!!

By: LaillaB, founder of ‘Reclaim the Narrative’, on LinkedIn …

“Israel is increasingly worried by the prospect of the International Criminal Court in The Hague issuing arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli political and military leaders for alleged breaches of international law in Gaza, Channel 12 reports.

(AGAIN — IF ONLY!) …

It says three ministers and several government legal experts held an ’emergency discussion” at the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday regarding how to fend off the feared imminent issuing of such arrest warrants.

The meeting was convened after information reached Al Quds indicating that such warrants could be issued in the near future, the report says.

Netanyahu also raised the concern in his meetings this week with Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

At Tuesday’s discussion, with the participation of Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, it was decided that “Israel would also seek assistance in other influential international diplomatic circles to try to thwart the effort”, the report says.

Israel reportedly fears the arrest warrants would be sought on the basis of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with countries that claim Israel is breaching international law and the 4th Geneva Convention said to be leading the effort.

**Source: The Times of Israel: https://lnkd.in/eVanNjpb … **

Military researchers believe the attack on Gaza has been one of the most intense bombardments since the Second World War.

According to an international law expert Prof. Eliav Lieblich, Putin’s warrant heightens the risk for Israel’s leadership. Q

South Africa’s Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor says she was left unanswered in February by the International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan on why he issued an arrest warrant against the Russian President Vladimir Putin and not for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The prosecutor assured us that this matter is in hand and being looked at by his office. He gave us an elaborate explanation as to personnel assignments and the work that the prosecutor is currently undertaking”

“What I felt he did not answer me sufficiently on was, I asked him ‘why was he able to issue an arrest warrant for Mr Putin and is unable to do so for the Prime Minister of Israel’.

He could not answer and did not answer that question.

“But I read into what he said that the investigations are still under way and until their conclusion, he cannot pronounce on this matter,” said Pandor.” … 💥

“When the true criminals are running around free, the only honourable place for a decent human being is in prisons”. — Henry David Thoreau.

#reclaimthenarrative — 🍉🕊 — #FreePalestine … @hrexach

[mariacallous]

No biblical text has been more central to the politics of modern Israel than the book of Joshua. Named after a military leader who became the successor to Moses, it depicts the march of the ancient Israelites into Canaan, describing how they subjugated and massacred the indigenous peoples. The Joshua Generation examines the book’s centrality to the Israeli occupation today, revealing why nationalist longing and social reality are tragically out of sync in the Promised Land.

Though the book of Joshua was largely ignored and reviled by diaspora Jews, the leaders of modern Israel have invoked it to promote national cohesion. Critics of occupation, meanwhile, have denounced it as a book that celebrates genocide. Rachel Havrelock looks at the composition of Joshua, showing how it reflected the fractious nature of ancient Israelite society and a desire to unify the populace under a strong monarchy. She describes how David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, convened a study group at his home in the late 1950s, where generals, politicians, and professors reformulated the story of Israel’s founding in the language of Joshua. Havrelock traces how Ben-Gurion used a brutal tale of conquest to unite an immigrant population of Jews of different ethnicities and backgrounds, casting modern Israelis and Palestinians as latter-day Israelites and Canaanites.

Providing an alternative reading of Joshua, The Joshua Generation finds evidence of a decentralized society composed of tribes, clans, and woman-run households, one with relevance to today when diverse peoples share the dwindling resources of a scarred land.

[mightyflamethrower]

(America First Report)—Iran appears to be on the verge of attacking Israel directly. This will be the second time they have attacked this year following a series of drone and missile strikes on April 13. Rumors of war percolate as both sides have vowed to escalate beyond a single-day skirmish.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III communicated with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, to reaffirm U.S. backing for Israel as tensions escalate with Iran and its proxies, raising the specter of a broader regional conflict following ten months of fighting against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

During their conversation, Austin and Gallant discussed U.S. military positioning adjustments aimed at reinforcing defenses for U.S. troops in the region, supporting Israel’s defense, and deterring and defusing broader regional tensions, as per a statement from the Pentagon.

This discussion took place as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed a Cabinet meeting that Israel is already engaged in a “multi-front war” with Iran and its proxies.

Tensions in the region have reached unprecedented levels following the recent killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran. Both Iran and its allies have pointed fingers at Israel and threatened retaliation. Hamas has begun the process of selecting a new leader.

Netanyahu stated that Israel is prepared for any scenario. In a rare move, Jordan’s foreign minister traveled to Iran as part of diplomatic efforts, with the aim to quell the escalation.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly informed his counterparts on Sunday that Iran and Hezbollah might launch attacks against Israel as early as Monday, according to Axios.

Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, head of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday to coordinate preparations for the anticipated attack, according to the Times of Israel.

President Biden is also set to convene with his national security team in the situation room on Monday to discuss the Middle East situation, as reported by Reuters.

In Israel, some have prepared bomb shelters, recalling Iran’s unprecedented direct military assault in April following a suspected Israeli strike that killed two Iranian generals. Israel claimed that nearly all the drones and ballistic and cruise missiles were intercepted.

“For years, Iran has been arming and financing terrorist organizations across the Middle East, including smuggling explosives into Israeli territory for terror attacks against civilians,” IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagar said in a statement. “The IDF and ISA have already thwarted numerous attacks in which Claymore type explosives were smuggled into the country’s territory. We are determined to continue acting against Iranian terrorism wherever it may be.”

The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of around 250 individuals. Israel’s ongoing counteroffensive has been brutal as they seek to completely eliminate Hamas, which has embedded itself among citizens of Gaza, using them as human shields.

The militant group Hezbollah and Israel have continued to exchange fire along the Lebanon border since the war began, with the intensity increasing in recent months. Hezbollah stated that its actions are intended to alleviate pressure on fellow Iran-backed ally Hamas.

[news-of-the-day]

7/24/23

The Knesset passed the first part of the controversial judicial overhaul that's caused major upheaval in Israel, which would limit the Supreme Court's power to strike down laws or appointments it considers "unreasonable." I've touched on this before, but I'll go over it again. Shortly after Netanyahu was reelected as prime minister, he announced his plan. He's had problems with the judiciary during his long tenure, so many are seeing this as squashing dissent. It's really rocking Israeli society with larger and more vehement protests ever in the country's history. For one, people see the judiciary as a counterbalance to the Knesset (being parliamentary, the executive and legislative are more intertwined), and all of this as fundamentally messing with democracy. For another, Netanyahu's coalition is very right-wing at the moment and they're worried there'll be nothing putting the brakes on his government.

Elon Musk revealed that he planned on rebranding twitter into "X," and tweets will be called "X"s.

Trump made several posts about his legal issues on his social media site, Truth Social. Normally I don't cover that, but I'm going to use it as a convenient segue to discuss those issues while I wasn't posting.

In June, Trump was arraigned for mishandling classified government documents and obstruction of justice. I'll go over the timeline once again because it's a bit crucial: In 2021, the National Archives realized that it hadn't received all the classified documents it legally is supposed to get from the Trump administration and reached out to Trump in Mar-a-Lago. In early 2022, it received several boxes but realized there were still many more missing, so that August the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found more. This is important because people are asking why Biden and Pence weren't charged for having classified documents (and Hilary Clinton as well for the emails), and it's because once they were discovered, those two immediately cooperated with authorities and returned everything, and it appears to be mostly accidental (although you can still be charged for that). From what I can tell, Trump is only charged for the documents the FBI found in the search. The Justice Department laid out quite a bit of evidence through texts and witness statements demonstrating Trump deliberately moving documents so his lawyers didn't realize they weren't relinquishing the full batch when the National Archives picked them up that first time. It's going to be interesting how this trial shapes up, and with federal guidelines he at maximum will get a few years. Trump wanted to delay this trial until after the 2024 election but the judge set it for this upcoming May.

Trump revealed that he was given opportunity to talk to a grand jury that was convened to look over his activities during the January 6th riot and his efforts to overturn the election. In case you've forgotten, a grand jury is just to decide whether or not the prosecutor has enough evidence to charge someone, however they're not open to the public so we don't know exactly what charges are being discussed here.

Trump also wanted to move his hush-money trial from NYS to federal court, but a federal judge ruled against that. Trump clearly does not like Manhattan DA Bragg, nor does he like NY AG James, and I’m guessing he thinks moving the case away from them would be more favorable.

Spain had an election over the weekend, but no party was able to secure a solid majority. The center-right Popular Party won the most votes, but the current Prime Minister Sanchez is from the center-left Socialist Party, so forming a coalition will be fun. It was a pretty contentious election overall, reviving issues about the economy (there's a high unemployment rate), national unity (you may recall a few years back there was a movement to make Catalonia independent), LGBT issues.

1) NYT, BBC 2) CNBC 3) US News, NYT, Washington Post, The Hill, AP 4) Politico

I apologize for being so unreliable. I’ll try to keep a steady schedule for the rest of the year, but unfortunately things keep popping up in my life. Thank you as always for your patience with me.

[sayruq]

Jerusalem is concerned that the International Criminal Court in The Hague could soon issue arrest warrants against senior officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the Israel Defense Forces operation against Hamas, Channel 12 News reported Thursday. According to the report, an emergency meeting was held at Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday in the presence of Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Foreign Minister Israel Katz. The four decided to take “urgent action with international authorities” to prevent the arrest of Israelis abroad, Channel 12 added.

[girlactionfigure]

🚨 ISRAELI PM NETANYAHU AND CABINET TO REMAIN IN BUNKER; ISRAELI AND US LEADERSHIP TAKE EMERGENCY MEASURES AMID HEIGHTENED TENSIONS 🚨

‼️Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will stay at the Kirya tonight, accompanied by his cabinet. The Kirya houses a bunker system built to withstand a nuclear attack, equipped with satellite communication systems and sufficient food storage for at least a month. It can accommodate senior Israeli leaders and military leadership.

‼️In response to recent developments, Israeli Minister of Energy Eli Cohen convened an emergency meeting, deciding to increase coal and diesel stocks.

‼️The Israeli General Staff has ordered reinforcements for forces affiliated with the Northern Front Command and has raised the alert level.

‼️The Israeli top brass is preparing for a response that could last at least three days

‼️US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the Iranian response. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Blinken is currently holding a phone call with the Iraqi Prime Minister.

‼️In a related move, the UK has evacuated the families of staff members and non-essential staff from its embassy in Lebanon with other Countries expected to follow suit.

🟢 SUNDAY night - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

▪️CROSS BORDER SMUGGLING TUNNELS.. Gaza to Egypt, orders to NOT blow up, because doing so is doing damage to Egyptian border wall defenses.

▪️US CENTCOM COMMANDER.. will arrive in Israel tomorrow to complete the coordination with the IDF in preparation for a possible Iranian attack.

▪️AIR TRAVEL - MIN OF TRANSPORT SAYS.. Those who want to fly should fly - keep in mind that the return flights will be delayed due to the cancellations and because there is no room on the Israeli airlines.

❗️HOME FRONT COMMAND SAYS.. activating EMERGENCY CELL BROADCAST system, which will send an emergency pop-up SMS-like message to EVERYONE, with an alert sound.  This is a standard government emergency capability, and I personally saw this while in California earlier this year with an earthquake warning.  It is NOT a substitute for a Red Alert app - but a quick way to get an emergency message out to everyone.  

.. HOWEVER, Home Front says it ONLY works for Cellcom and Pelephone customers, and only 4th generation on Cellcom and 3rd generation on Pelephone phones at this time.  It DOES NOT include kosher phones. (We asked Home Front.)

💩IRANIAN FEAR CAMPAIGN - propaganda from all social media channels

.. Wall Street Journal: Iran has refused many requests from Western diplomats to moderate its response against Israel.

.. Report: Iran will respond in a way that crosses Israel's red lines.

.. The US asked European governments to warn Iran that a major attack against Israel would trigger a response.  Iran, for its part, told Arab diplomats that it did not care if the reaction against Israel led to an outbreak of war.

▪️ISRAEL OUR HOME MK LIBERMAN.. wrote on X: "In the jungle of the Middle East, we must conduct ourselves differently. A situation in which an entire country panics and waits for a multi-arena attack must not be allowed. The initiative must always be in our hands"

⭕ ROCKET ATTACK from HEZBOLLAH at Snir, northern border town.

⭕ ROCKET BARRAGE from HAMAS at Bitzaron, Gan Yavne, Hatzor, Azrikam, Sdeh Uziahu, Shtulim.

[saotome-michi]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have approved a deal for the release of some of the hostages held by Hamas, the Israeli government said in a statement. The decision, early Wednesday local time, came after Netanyahu convened his war cabinet to discuss the deal following recent progress in the negotiations.

"The Government of Israel is obligated to return home all of the hostages. Tonight, the Government has approved the outline of the first stage of achieving this goal, according to which at least 50 hostages — women and children — will be released over four days, during which a pause in the fighting will be held," the statement reads, adding, "The release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the pause." Hamas's leadership issued a statement on Telegram saying it agreed to the deal, which it called a "cease-fire from both parties."

The group also thanked Qatar and Egypt for assisting with the deal. According to a U.S. senior administration official, three Americans are expected to be among the 50 women and children released. The agreement is expected to be implemented 24 hours after it is finalized — which would be early Thursday morning, local time — the official said.Hamas wrote that the terms of the deal included the release of 50 Israeli women and children hostages in exchange for the release of 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons. They said it also required a cessation of all air traffic over south Gaza, and air traffic over north Gaza for six hours a day, and that "hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian, relief, medical and fuel aid" would be brought into all areas of the Gaza Strip "without exception, north and south." 

According to the senior U.S. official, Qatar approached the U.S. and Israel to begin the talks on the release of hostages in Gaza, asking that a cell be established to work on the issue "very carefully, very secretly" given the "difficult process" of dealing with Hamas. The official added that Qatar "made clear from the beginning that the taking of hostages is totally outrageous and that these hostages need to be released unconditionally."Qatar formally announced Wednesday morning local time that a humanitarian pause had been agreed to, highlighting the success of its joint efforts with Egypt and the U.S. "The starting time of the pause will be announced within the next 24 hours and last for four days, subject to extension," the Qatari government said in a statement.

Qatar confirmed that the terms of the agreement included the release of multiple Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons, adding that "the number of those released will be increased in later stages of implementing the agreement."Qatar also said that the terms allow for the entry of a larger number of humanitarian convoys and for relief aid, including fuel designated for humanitarian needs, to be allowed into Gaza.

Netanyahu said Tuesday that President Biden had joined the effort to improve the outline of the deal. "In recent days, I have spoken with our friend, U.S. President Joe Biden, and I requested his intervention in order to improve the outline that will be presented to you," Netanyahu said in a statement before the government meeting. "Indeed, it has been improved to include more hostages and at a lower cost. These talks have been productive. President Biden joined in the effort and I thank him for it."

Netanyahu called the decision before his government "a difficult decision but it is the correct decision," adding that "the security of our forces will be ensured during the pause and that the intelligence effort will be maintained in those days." Mr. Biden said in a statement Tuesday night, "Jill and I have been keeping all those held hostage and their loved ones close to our hearts these many weeks, and I am extraordinarily gratified that some of these brave souls, who have endured weeks of captivity and an unspeakable ordeal, will be reunited with their families once this deal is fully implemented."

"Today's deal should bring home additional American hostages, and I will not stop until they are all released," Mr. Biden said. During the pause, aid will be allowed into Gaza, with 300 trucks per day carrying aid, including cooking oil for bakeries and fuel for hospitals, a source familiar told CBS News.

(click the link for more)

[workersolidarity]

🇮🇱🇵🇸 PART OF ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU'S ADDRESS DECLARING THE NATION OF ISRAEL TO BE IN A STATE OF WAR ON OCTOBER 7TH, 2023

Transcript:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

Citizens of Israel, we are at war. Not in an operation, but at war.

This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the state of Israel and its citizens. We have been in this since the early morning hours.

I convened the heads of the security establishment and ordered, first of all, to clear out the communities that have been infiltrated by the "terrorists." This is currently being carried out.

At the same time, I have ordered an extensive mobilization of reserves and that we return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known.

The enemy will pay an unprecedented price.

In the meantime, I call on the citizens of Israel to strictly adhere to the directives of the army and Home Front Command.

We are at war, and we will win it.

Observation and opinion: Notice at no point does he suggest or call on Israelis to withhold from retribution against civilians. One could imagine a humane leader calling upon their citizens not to act as animals, but to instead show the world through their humanity that the Jews of the world will not resort to vindictive retribution against civilians, regardless of what their adversary has done. But we will never see this kind of humane, self-disciplined response out of Israel or Israeli politicians because the very ideology of Zionism presupposes the ethnic cleansing of non-Jewish Palestinians to make room for European Jews, an inherently colonialist project. There can be no room for an Arab majority in a Jewish, Zionist, Nationalist Israel.

WorkerSolidarityNews

[biblenewsprophecy]

Hamas-Israel ceasefire and Daniel 9:27

COGwriter

Israel’s security cabinet has approved the ceasefire deal that US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday:

17 January 2025

The high-level security cabinet voted Friday afternoon to approve the hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza, and recommended that the government adopt it, the Prime Minister’s Office said. The full cabinet convened minutes before the start of Shabbat for a discussion and vote, with the meeting extending into the Jewish day of rest.

The full cabinet is expected to vote by a large majority to approve the deal, which was signed overnight in Qatar and is set to take effect on Sunday.

The recommendation by the forum of top ministers was made “after examining all diplomatic, security and humanitarian” aspects of the agreement, with the understanding that the deal “supports the achievement of the war’s goals,” the PMO said. https://www.timesofisrael.com/security-cabinet-approves-hostage-ceasefire-deal-full-cabinet-convenes-to-review-vote/

The full cabinet did approve it Friday in the USA, but Saturday in Israel:

January 17, 2025

Israel’s Cabinet approved a deal early Saturday for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages that will pause the 15-month war with Hamas for six weeks. The deal brings Israel and Hamas a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever. https://apnews.com/live/israel-hamas-ceasefire-updates

The deal, officially, has three parts or phases. Here is what it calls for:

Phase 1

The first phase will halt fighting for 42 days with 33 Israeli hostages incrementally freed from captivity in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

There are 97 hostages – civilians and soldiers – in captivity, but only 60 are thought to be alive.

On the first day of cease-fire, now set for Sunday, Hamas will release three hostages, then another four on the seventh day.

After that, there will be weekly releases during the initial six-week period.

Israel will let 30 Palestinian women, children and elderly imprisoned go in exchange for every civilian hostage freed from Gaza.

For every female Israeli soldier released, the Jewish state will deliver 50 Palestinian prisoners, including 30 facing life sentences.

In exchange for bodies returned to Israel, all Palestinian women and children detained from Gaza by Israel since the war started on Oct. 7, 2023 will be released. …

Phase 2:

If Israel and Hamas reach a further agreement, all remaining hostages are supposed to be freed and in return Israel will completely withdraw from Gaza during this phase.

Reaching that next step could prove difficult, because Israel has said it won’t relent to a total withdrawal until the terror organization’s military and political power is wiped out.

Hamas has said it won’t release the last hostages until all Israeli troops leave. …

Phase 3:  

The third – and final phase — would entail Hamas trading the bodies of the rest of the remaining hostages in Gaza in return for a 3- to 5-year rebuilding plan in the decimated Palestinian territory under international supervision. https://nypost.com/2025/01/15/world-news/israel-hamas-cease-fire-timeline-revealed-for-all-3-phases/

In his speech, which I heard on the radio, Joe Biden said that there were three parts of the deal and that third part was a permanent peace deal. Notice:

US President Joe Biden says the hostage release and ceasefire deal his administration helped broker between Israel and Hamas will bring about a “permanent end of the war” in Gaza at the conclusion of its second of three phases. 01/15/25 https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/biden-stresses-tonights-hostage-ceasefire-deal-will-bring-about-a-permanent-end-of-the-war/

That is overly optimistic. This deal will be violated. It is NOT permanent.

Donald Trump also took credit for the deal, and indeed many believe it was his influence that got both Israel and Hamas to agree (see https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/01/16/thoughts-on-the-ceasefire-deal/).

The Bible prophesies:

10 “Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace — and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar — 11 say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down. 12 Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?'” (Ezekiel 13:10-12)

Now, this deal will basically be positive for the released Israeli hostages and their families. As well as for many in Gaza.

However, many convicted Palestinians terrorists are to be released. The prophet Isaiah was inspired to warn the following:

8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel. … 11 Therefore the Lord shall … spur his enemies on, 12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. (Isaiah 9:8, 11-12)

The Bible clearly is prophesying problems from some Syrians and some Palestinians. And this would be expected to include terrorism.

Notice also something else about the deal:

January 17, 2025

Without a complete analysis here and at this time, suffice it to say that the proposed deal has several major flaws: it does not create a permanent cease-fire, does not disarm Gaza, does not eliminate Hamas from Gaza, does not have terms for the release of ALL the 98 hostages, and has so many pitfalls that it could be violated at any stage in the first stage of 42 days during which 33 hostages, dead and alive, are slated to be released in exchange for thousands of Hamas terrorists. …

Before the deal has even begun to be implemented, the terms alone create national trauma. Releasing thousands of hardened terrorists to return to Gazan streets to perpetrate acts of terror that threaten all Israelis is creating pre-trauma. …

Some feel that any deal that Israel’s enemies agree to is a bad deal, because they will never stop trying to massacre innocent Jews and annihilate Israel. The thinking goes that if the terrorists think it’s a good deal, it’s bad for us. Indeed, Palestinian Arabs are celebrating their victory. https://israel365news.com/399530/the-trauma-of-the-hostage-deal-we-all-want/

Permanent peace will not come to the Middle East until AFTER Jesus returns. Pray for His return and the Kingdom of God to come (Matthew 6:10).

The Bible shows that the time will come when there will be a temporary ‘peace deal’ in the Middle East (see the article The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).

But the Hamas-Israel ceasefire is NOT the prophesied one.

The Hamas-Israel ceasefire deal has so many problems that it is doubtful that the three phases will be implemented–and if so, expect changes.

Furthermore, the Bible also shows that a European leader–probably a German one–will be involved in confirming a coming prophesied deal of Daniel 9:26-27–this is NOT the current Hamas-Israel deal.

Let’s look at what Daniel 9:26-27 states:

26 And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate (Daniel 9:26-27).

The “prince” is a European leader who is later called the King of the North in Daniel 11:40. The ‘one week’ has generally been understood by prophecy watchers to mean a seven year deal, that is broken in the middle of it (after 3 1/2 years). This break is also confirmed in the following scripture:

31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 11:31)

The “him” is the European King of the North.

One way to show Daniel is referring to a European kingdom is to realize that it was the people of the Roman Empire of the 1st century that fulfilled the portion of Daniel 9:26 as they destroyed the city (Jerusalem) in 70 A.D. Jewish sources, while not understanding all of this, also agree that it was Roman sources that destroyed the city and sanctuary as the following demonstrates:

“The people of the prince will come and destroy the city and the Sanctuary” Daniel 9:26, refers to the Roman legions of Vespasian and Titus, who destroyed Jerusalem. (Daniel 9 – A True Biblical Interpretation. Jews for Judaism. https://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/articles/answers/jewish-polemics/texts/daniel-9-a-true-biblical-interpretation/ accessed 07/30/16)

In the 21st century, the European Union includes much of the land and peoples that were part of the ancient Roman Empire. And it is the “prince” coming from that people that verse 27 of Daniel 9 is referring to. Thus, this prophecy tells us that a lower level European leader will somewhat officially start to rise up about 3 1/2 years before the great tribulation (and yes, according to Jesus, some “tribulation” does happen prior to the start of the Great Tribulation). Another is the fact that the “beast of the sea” of Revelation 13:1 fits with the beasts from the “great sea” of Daniel 7:2–and that sea is the Mediterranean Sea according to the Old Testament. Hence a power in Europe the only region that could have an empire geographically like the old Roman one (for more details, please see Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation).

The deal of Daniel 9:27 is an important prophetic event. It is one that the late Dr. Meredith of the Living Church of God taught, but that its current leadership has distanced itself from.

That said, consider the following prophetic sequence based upon Daniel’s writings and Jesus’ words in the Gospels:

The beginning of sorrows (Matthew 24:4-8)–this has begun.

A seven year deal is confirmed/advanced and the final countdown begun– this has not happened yet, though various ones are working on it.

There will be persecutions against those the support the true end-time Philadelphia work –this will intensify.

The Gospel of the Kingdom will reach the world as a witness — this is in progress but not finished.

The sacrifices, which will have started, will stop and the abomination spoken of by Daniel will be set up (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11). This is about 3 1/2 years after item 2.

The most faithful will flee (Revelation 12:14-16).

The Great Tribulation will begin and Jerusalem will be trampled down by Gentiles for 42 months.

Jesus will return 3 1/2 years after the Great Tribulation begins.

Jesus will bring peace (see How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About?).

Notice how many items are directly predicated on the seven-year deal of Daniel 9:27. Note: The sacrifices will have to start before they are stopped, but precisely where that appears in the sequence is unclear, other than it is after item 2 and prior to item 5.

Let me also add that the European Union has a Middle East “peace envoy” and it expects to be involved in a peace deal (see https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-751872).

Although the fighting between Hamas and Israel is NOT permanently over, with various ones wanting some part of Middle East peace deal, Europeans wanting to be involved, a deal will later happen.

UPDATE 01/19/25: We just uploaded the following related video:

14:47

Hamas Israel Ceasefire and Daniel 9:27

Peace at Last! Peace at Last! World News Item: Hamas and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire! But will this ceasefire really bring about peace in the mid-east? There are three phases to the ceasefire agreement. Is it possible that both Israel and Hamas will abide by the conditions set forth in all three phases? Would their past performance be any indication of their future performance? Dr. Thiel sheds the light of Bible prophecy on these world events in addition to giving us insight into a future peace deal spoken of in the book of Daniel. A peace deal between the King of the North and the King of the South. Will that peace deal result in peace? If the cease fire between Hamas and Israel and the peace deal between the Kings of the North and South don’t bring about peace – what will?

Here is a link to our video: Hamas Israel Ceasefire and Daniel 9:27.

World events are aligning with properly understood biblical prophecies.

Related Items:

The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.

How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in hundreds of languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible teach about Gaza and the fate of the Palestinians? Here is a link to a related video: Gaza and Palestine in Prophecy.

Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There are also two related YouTube videos you can watch: Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated and God’s and Satan’s Plan for Jerusalem.

Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

LATEST NEWS REPORTS

LATEST BIBLE PROPHECY INTERVIEWS

[darkmaga-returns]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced late Thursday that a deal was signed between his team in Qatar and Hamas to end fighting inside the destroyed enclave after a reported pressure campaign by the incoming Donald Trump administration in the U.S.

Trump said in an interview Thursday that the deal better get done before he takes office next week.

The Times of Israel, citing a spokesman for Netanyahu, said there will be a full cabinet meeting on Saturday night to finalize the deal because of the Sabbath on Friday. The newspaper wrote: “it was not clear why both the security cabinet and full cabinet could not still be convened before sundown,” which means, at the earliest, the truce will not come into effect until Monday.

Israel has not let the imminent ceasefire deal get into the way of its slaughter inside Gaza and killed at least 87 on Thursday, according to Al Jazeera. The IDF killed at least 46,000 since the start of the genocide, mainly women and children.

It is unclear how much of a role that Trump’s team played in the negotiations, and the outgoing Biden administration has been sure to claim at least some credit. But, either way, it seemed obvious that it was Trump that, at the minimum, sped the process up.

Trump took to Truth Social to share an article from The Times of Israel that quoted an Arab official who said, “Trump envoy swayed Netanyahu more in one meeting than Biden did all year.”