Day 224 — Friday, May 17

On Thursday, the GOP-led House passed a bill that pressures the Biden administration not to withhold arms from Israel as the U.S. ally fights Iran-backed Hamas following a deadly terrorist attack in October of last year.

The “Israel Security Assistance Support Act,” which President Joe Biden has threatened to veto, received support from 224 lawmakers. A total of 187 members, including three Republicans and 184 Democrats, voted against the bill. Nineteen lawmakers did not vote.

House Democrat leaders had urged members of their caucus to oppose the legislation, but that did not stop 16 Democrats from breaking ranks and joining the 208 Republicans to advance it to the Senate.

“The Biden Administration’s decision to withhold weapons is catastrophic and goes directly against the will of Congress,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in a statement. “With the passage of the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, we send a clear message of solidarity and support to Israel and demand the urgent delivery of defense weapons to our most important ally in the Middle East.”

A group of House Republicans unveiled the bill over the weekend after Biden halted the delivery of 3,500 large bombs to Israel in protest of a full-scale ground operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Biden has since moved forward with sending other arms to Israel.

The bill pushes for the “expeditious delivery of defense articles and defense services for Israel and other matters.” It also seeks to withhold funds from the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and National Security Council until delivery is confirmed.

Other provisions are geared toward condemning the Biden administration’s decisions to pause certain arms transfers to Israel, reaffirming “Israel’s right to self-defense,” and requiring a report on actions taken to withhold security assistance from Israel.

The White House issued a statement of administrative policy on Tuesday that warned Biden would veto the bill if it reaches his desk, claiming it would “undermine the President’s ability to execute an effective foreign policy.”

That veto threat was enough for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to say during a press conference the bill was “not going anywhere.” It is not immediately clear whether the legislation will even get a vote in the Senate.

In his statement, Johnson said, “The President’s threat to veto this legislation and Leader Schumer’s refusal to bring it to a vote in the Senate are acts of betrayal to our closest ally in the region.” He added, “What’s more alarming is the 184 House Democrats that joined them in siding with the radical, pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic party. Security assistance to Israel is an urgent priority that must not be delayed.”

Daily Wire

Day 224 — Friday, May 17

A standoff still exists over certain arms shipments to Israel. U.S. House Republicans have pushed a bill that would force the Biden administration to send the frozen shipment of bombs to Israel. The president has already indicated that he would veto the bill, should it pass to him. Instead, the administration is putting forth a new $1 billion package of military aid, which includes tactical vehicles, ammunition for tanks, and shells. While the aid is appreciated, it is not what is most needed for the operation in Rafah. And that is the sticking point. The Biden administration is trying to interfere in the IDF’s ability to conduct an operation in Rafah.

What the Republicans are saying with their bill is that Israel knows best how to carry out the war with Hamas, and that the U.S. should support their allies in their actions.

Biden has a strong ally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the plan for the IDF to complete the war. Sadly, that ally comes from within Israel. Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has aligned with the U.S. president to bring Netanyahu and his government down. And Gallant isn’t the only one. It’s all the generals and ex-generals who were educated in America. They have become liberal leftists, and they are seeking to do to Israel what the hard left has been doing to the U.S.

Once they have taken Netanyahu down, it will pave the way for Hamas’s survival and the creation of an international force to rule Gaza. This would be disastrous. Netanyahu’s administration has no desire to rule over the Palestinians. But Israel is at a place where it is not about what we want, but about what we need. If any other option than Israeli military control of the Gaza Strip is implemented, it is a reward to Hamas and a guarantee that October 7 will one day happen again.

It will also lead to the grand prize of the terrorist agenda – a Palestinian state. And what would then be the lesson to the terrorists around the world? What a long struggle can’t achieve, a massacre can. Butcher, rape, and behead to your heart’s content, and you’ll be richly rewarded.

Day 223 — Thursday, May 16

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Israel on Wednesday not to reoccupy Gaza, to refrain from a major Rafah operation, and to finalize a day-after plan for the enclave, as he spoke to reporters in Kyiv.

“When it comes to the future of Gaza, we do not support and will not support an Israeli reoccupation,” Blinken said, amid a bitter row between Jerusalem and Washington over the Gaza war.

Blinken had spoken with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday to discuss Gaza. In Jerusalem on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also at odds with Gallant, who took him to task for failing to approve a day-after plan, a step he said had only prolonged the military conflict in the enclave.

In a scathing public critique, he stated that Netanyahu’s indecision had eroded “our military achievements, lessen[ed] the pressure on Hamas, and sabotage[d] the chances of achieving a framework for the release of hostages.”

In an interview with CNBC, Netanyahu stressed that those who want Israel to halt its military campaign in Gaza and refrain from a major Rafah operation to destroy the four Hamas battalions there, are empowering the terror group.

“Those who tell us stop the war now” and to “leave those four battalions in Rafah are saying ‘Enable Hamas to regroup, recapture Gaza and threaten [Israel] again;’ that’s not going to happen,“ he said.

Once the war is over, Gaza should be governed by a “non-Hamas civilian administration,“ but the IDF would retain military responsibility, he said.

He similarly told his government that he had attempted to replace Hamas with an alternative local governance when it came to food distribution. “One hundred days ago, I directed the security echelon to allow local Gazans, who are not identified with Hamas, to be integrated into the civilian management of food allocation in Gaza,“ Netanyahu said.

“This attempt has not been successful because Hamas has threatened them and even hurt some of them in order to deter others,“ he stated.

It is not possible to put in place a local alternative to Gaza, as long as Hamas remains there, he said.

“Until it is clear that Hamas does not control Gaza militarily, nobody will be prepared to take upon himself the civil management of Gaza out of fear for their lives.

“Therefore, all the talk about ‘the day-after‘, while Hamas stays remains intact, will remain mere words devoid of content,“ he said.

Jerusalem Post

Day 223 — Thursday, May 16

After hundreds of anti-Israel protesters swarmed campus buildings and set up barricades at the University of California, Irvine, local law enforcement agencies responded and students were ordered to leave immediately on Wednesday.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a UC Irvine spokesperson said that the campus erupted into chaos after several hundreds of protesters entered the Physical Sciences Lecture Hall on the California campus and began to barricade the building at 2:30 p.m. PST.

The university said that it put out a call to local law enforcement and received immediate assistance from the Irvine Police Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

In livestream footage of the anti-Israel agitators’ confrontation with police, at least one protester was arrested.

In a follow-up statement, students were told to “leave [the] area” as the protest continued.

“Anyone currently in buildings in the vicinity of the protest are advised to exit buildings & leave area at this time,” UC Irvine said in a statement. “Please disregard all previous orders to shelter in place. If able, please leave immediately & continue to avoid the protest area until further notice.”

Footage from the campus showed law enforcement, dressed in protest gear and holding batons, clashing with anti-Israel agitators.

The protesters were seen holding umbrellas and chanting, “free, free Palestine.”

“From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free” they were heard chanting. “Long live Palestine.”

Authorities said that the protesters who entered the campus on Wednesday afternoon joined the established encampment that had been occupying the campus since April 29.

In an earlier X post, UC Irvine told students to “shelter in place” as police descended onto the campus.

“Protest has escalated near Physical Science Quad. Avoid the area,” the social media post said. “If you are in the area, shelter in place for your safety until further notice.”

Beto Mendez, a UC Irvine student Senator, told Fox News Digital that police are slowly clearing some of the encampments.

“Police are clearing out some encampments, very slowly, there are like five helicopters flying above right now,” Mendez said.

The college student said that many of the protesters do not appear to be UC Irvine students, adding that he saw children at the protest.

He added that it was “shocking” that the protests were happening on campus and that school administration is being “very careful and moving slowly.”

UC Irvine said that classes have been canceled for the remainder of the day and that they are monitoring the situation.

“We are continuing to monitor the situation and strongly urge people to stay away from the campus,” the school said.

Fox News

Day 223 — Thursday, May 16

Are you with Israel or not? That’s a great question for US President Joe Biden, who is playing both sides of the Israel-Hamas War. One moment, he supports Israel’s right to defend itself and defeat Hamas; the next moment, he seems to want to let Hamas live to fight another day.

Such was the case just last week when Biden approved a pause on the shipment to Israel of 3,500 pound bombs, 6,500 kits used to turn dumb bombs into precision-guided weapons, tank munitions, mortar rounds, and other weapons. Biden told CNN on May 8th, “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along the same lines, told CBS News on Sunday, “What we’ve been clear about is that if Israel launches this major military operation into Rafah, then there are certain systems that we’re not going to be supporting and supplying for that operation.”

Blinken asserted that Israel, instead of working to eliminate Hamas’ in its last stronghold (Rafah), should pull out of Gaza entirely. The Secretary of State claimed Israel’s exit would be a “more effective, durable way” to demilitarize Hamas.

Seriously? Israel should just forget about it and let Hamas live another day? You can’t be serious… but that’s what they’re saying.

These threats have been coming out of the United States for quite some time now. In response last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. I have already said that if we have to – we will fight with our nails. But we have much more than our nails, and with the same determination, with God’s help, we will win together.”

On May 14th, Israel celebrated Independence Day. Seventy-six years ago, in 1948, they defeated five Arab countries that came against the Jewish people and vowed to finish what Hitler started. The armies of those Arab Nations (Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon) lost despite having ten-to-one odds in their favor. That should tell us something. The God of this universe has His hand on His chosen people, and He is regathering them back to their ancestral homeland. No one can thwart those plans.

Are you standing with Israel or not? I also asked that question to all pastors. Many, even of the dispensationalist pastors who are solid in what the Bible says concerning Israel and the Jewish people, since October 7th have been silent at their pulpits. Why? Your silence resonates loudly with those that hate Israel.

Why not instead educate your congregation on what God’s Word says concerning Israel in the days in which we live? Teach your congregation to obey God’s command to comfort and move with compassion for His chosen people.

Day 222 — Wednesday, May 15

A top Hezbollah field commander was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday night, the military said.

Hussein Ibrahim Makki, according to the Israel Defense Forces, was a senior commander in the terror group’s so-called Southern Front unit. He had previously commanded Hezbollah’s coastal division.

Makki was targeted while driving near Tyre, according to the IDF and Lebanese media. Emergency responders said two others were wounded in the strike.

Hezbollah announced Makki’s death, saying he was killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” its term for operatives slain in Israeli strikes. The terror group did not refer to Makki as a commander or list a role for him.

The IDF said Makki “planned and carried out many terror attacks against the Israeli home front amid the war.”

The military says that more than 30 Hezbollah commanders have been killed in its strikes in southern Lebanon amid the war in the past seven months.

The strike came hours after an Israeli civilian was killed and five soldiers were wounded in a Hezbollah anti-tank guided missile attack against a military position near the northern community of Adamit.

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 on the border have resulted in ten civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 14 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.

Times Of Israel

Day 221 — Tuesday, May 14

The United Nations recently — and quietly — revised the casualty numbers coming out of Gaza amid the ongoing war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, prompting questions about the reporting from Gaza and whether any of it could be trusted.

According to multiple sources, adjustments were quietly made to the casualty count — regarding those killed in Gaza during the ongoing conflict — as more and more of the dead have been positively identified. Those adjustments suggest that Gaza’s Hamas-controlled Health Ministry has grossly inflated the number of women and children who have been killed.

According to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on May 6, some 9,500 women and 14,500 children were reported to have been killed in Gaza since the October 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel. Less than a week later, those numbers had dropped significantly to 5,000 women and 8,000 children, the National Post reported.

According to David Adesnik, director of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), that change could be the result of the UN adopting a different source of information. He noted that prior to May 6, the UN had cited the Hamas-controlled Government Media Office as a source for the casualty numbers — but more recently, they had not cited the GMO.

“So you see May 6 and before, the GMO (is listed as a source); all of a sudden, May 8, they don’t cite a source,” Adesnik said, suggesting that the UN was relying on the Gaza Health Ministry instead — despite the fact that Hamas controls that as well. “So clearly here we’ve done a switch from GMO’s big number, which never had any clear basis elaborated; like they just offered nothing but their own assertion. Whereas the Health Ministry does more to back its stuff up.”

A number of critics pointed out that relying on any numbers influenced by Hamas terrorists was likely a mistake.

According to David Adesnik, director of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), that change could be the result of the UN adopting a different source of information. He noted that prior to May 6, the UN had cited the Hamas-controlled Government Media Office as a source for the casualty numbers — but more recently, they had not cited the GMO.

“So you see May 6 and before, the GMO (is listed as a source); all of a sudden, May 8, they don’t cite a source,” Adesnik said, suggesting that the UN was relying on the Gaza Health Ministry instead — despite the fact that Hamas controls that as well. “So clearly here we’ve done a switch from GMO’s big number, which never had any clear basis elaborated; like they just offered nothing but their own assertion. Whereas the Health Ministry does more to back its stuff up.”

A number of critics pointed out that relying on any numbers influenced by Hamas terrorists was likely a mistake.

“The UN has significantly adjusted Palestinian casualty figures for the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, halving the number of women and children previously reported killed. Who is surprised to learn the Hamas-run Ministry of Health lied and the UN went along with it for 7 months?” Aviva Klompas posted.

“UN revises Gaza death toll, almost 50% less women and children killed than previously reported. Hamas’ death toll figures have been disputed by Israel, yet they have been quoted by media, humanitarian organizations and world leaders, including Biden,” news outlet Visegrád 24 added.

“How convenient that for 7 months they peddled lies. The United Nations seemingly halved the estimated number of women and children killed in Gaza, according to UN data published on May 6 and 8,” Adam Milstein said.

“UN has revised the Gaza death toll, almost 50% less women and children killed than previously reported. A big congratulations to media organisations like the BBC & Sky News who reported unverified figures and Hamas propaganda. Who knew a terrorist organisation would lie?”

The shifting numbers raise legitimate questions as to whether other reports out of Gaza can be trusted – such as claims that Israel was behind the reported “bombing” of Al Shifa Hospital or that Israel was behind attacks on humanitarian aid trucks, and even reports that made it as far as the BBC blaming Israel for things that only Hamas terrorists were guilty of doing.

Daily Wire 

Day 221 — Tuesday, May 14

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday boasted of the fact that more than 1,000 members of the Hamas terrorist organization were being treated in hospitals across Turkey, Reuters reported.

Erdogan made the comments at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Ankara. He also rebuked the Greek Prime Minister, after he referred to Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Mitsotakis said that Israel had entered Gaza after losing its citizens in a “terror” incident, and that Greece considered Hamas a “terrorist organization.”

Erdogan said in response, “If you call Hamas a ‘terrorist organization,‘ this would sadden us. We don’t deem Hamas a terrorist organization… More than 1,000 members of Hamas are under treatment in hospitals across our country.”

A Turkish official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, later said that Erdogan had meant to refer to Palestinian Arabs from Hamas-run Gaza in general, rather than Hamas members.

“President Erdogan misspoke, he meant 1,000 Gazans are under treatment, not Hamas members,” a Turkish official said, according to Reuters.

Erdogan has increased his verbal attacks on Israel since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7.

In one speech, the Turkish President said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “committed one of the greatest atrocities of this century in Gaza and has already put his name down in history as the butcher of Gaza.”

On Sunday,Erdogan said that the United States and European countries were not doing enough to pressure Israel to agree a ceasefire in Gaza, after Hamas’ move to accept a truce proposal.

Speaking to Muslim scholars in Istanbul, Erdogan said Hamas had accepted a ceasefire proposal by Qatar and Egypt in a “step in the path toward a lasting ceasefire“, but Netanyahu’s government did not want the war to end.

“The response of the Netanyahu government was to attack the innocent people in Rafah,” he charged. “It has become clear who sides with peace and dialogue, and who wants clashes continuing and more bloodshed.

“And did Netanyahu see any serious reaction for his spoiled behavior? No. Neither Europe nor America showed a reaction that would force Israel into a ceasefire,” added Erdogan.

The Turkish Trade Ministry recently said it had suspended all export and import operations with Israel due to what it described as its “aggression against Palestine in violation of international law and human rights.”

The move came several weeks after Turkey restricted exports to Israel of 54 product categories.

Erdogan later said that Turkey’s move to halt trade with Israel was designed to force the country to a ceasefire in Gaza.

Arutz Sheva

Day 220 — Monday, May 13

The Biden administration is under fire after reportedly withholding intelligence on the locations of senior Hamas officials to pressure Israel into giving up its planned invasion of Rafah.

Biden officials have reportedly offered to supply Israel with intelligence on top Hamas officials in exchange for assurances that the Israeli military will not conduct a full-scale invasion of Rafah, which Israeli officials have repeatedly promised to do in order to take out the remaining battalions of Hamas left in the Gaza Strip, according to The Washington Post.

Critics blasted the proposal, accusing President Joe Biden of withholding information that could finish the Israel-Hamas war faster, as well as potentially lead to the rescue of hostages still held by Hamas.

“Is there anything more cynical than this? More repulsive? The administration says it has intel on the wherabouts [sic] of the Hamas terror masters but will only share if Israel agrees not to eradicate Hamas. This is an ally? This is a friend?” said Caroline Glick, the senior contributing editor at the Jewish News Syndicate.

Ilan Berman, a senior vice president at the American Foreign Policy Council, posted: “Am I reading this right?!?! Has the U.S. had info on the locations of Hamas leaders (and presumably the hostages) that it’s kept from Israel up until now?? Methinks the White House has a bit of explaining to do.”

HotAir managing editor Ed Morrissey said: “Biden, US intel have intel on locations of hostages, Hamas leaders but haven’t shared it with Israel. That’s not how the WaPo spins it, but that’s exactly what this means.”

The report comes after President Joe Biden said last week that the U.S. would freeze offensive military aid to Israel if the Israeli military invades Rafah.

“I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem,” Biden said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a member of the war cabinet that is currently in charge of the Israeli government, responded to Biden’s threat in a video statement

“If Israel needs to stand alone, it will stand alone,” Netanyahu said.

Daily Wire

Day 219 — Sunday, May 12

Israel Defense Forces on Saturday called on additional neighborhoods of the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip to evacuate ahead of an expected widening in its ongoing military operations over the past few days.

The IDF entered the eastern outskirts of the town on Tuesday, capturing the important border crossing with Egypt. Since then, Israeli soldiers have located numerous tunnels and killed about 50 terrorists in the area.

Two soldiers of the 401st Armored Brigade were seriously injured by RPG fire targeting their tank amid the continuing clashes in the area.

So far around 300,000 Palestinians have followed the IDF’s instructions and left the southern town of Rafah, moving to the designated humanitarian zone along the coast over the past several days.

The “measured” expansion of Rafah operations was decided by the Israeli cabinet on Thursday, in the face of continued U.S. pressure after President Joe Biden threatened to halt weapons shipments in case Israel entered population centers in the Gaza Strip earlier this week.

On Friday, the Biden administration announced that the U.S. will continue transferring military arms to Israel for its ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. This decision follows a U.S. report which affirmed that Israel’s assurances of compliance with international law were “credible and reliable.”

Meanwhile, Hamas continued to ramp up its rocket fire from Rafah, shooting four rockets at the area of the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing.

“Thanks to the IDF Aerial Defense Array, the rockets were successfully intercepted and no injuries were reported,” IDF International Spokesman Lt.-Col. (s.) Nadav Shoshani wrote on 𝕏.

“Hamas keeps firing at one of the biggest crossings of aid into Gaza, the IDF keeps protecting it,” Shoshani added. Hamas fire has interrupted aid transfers through Kerem Shalom numerous times over the past few days.

On Friday, Hamas also launched two rocket barrages at Beersheva, which originated from Rafah and near Deir al-Balah, further north in the enclave. Israeli airstrikes destroyed the launch sites in Rafah a short time afterward.

This was the first time since December that a rocket alarm had been activated in the city of Beersheva following launches from the Gaza Strip. Several rockets were intercepted no serious damage or injuries were reported.

All Israel News

Day 218 — Saturday, May 11

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations addressed the UN General Assembly before it voted to adopt a resolution granting the Palestinian Authority the powers and rights of a UN member state.

“Today, another travesty is being committed here by the General Assembly. An unforgivable act: the destruction of the United Nations Charter. The UN Charter, the ‘sacred’ document that serves as the foundation of everything we are supposed to do here, is being trampled upon. It is being thrown out the window. You are spitting on the very values that were formulated to bind this organization!” Erdan stated.

“With today’s destructive resolution, you are circumventing the Security Council, ignoring its decision, and violating the norms this organization has abided by. The Charter was drafted for a reason, but most of you care nothing for the qualifications it outlines,” he continued.

The Ambassador explained: Let me remind you what the Charter says about admitting new UN members:

1) Membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states that accept the obligations contained in the present Charter.

2) The admission of any such state to membership in the United Nations will be effected by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.”

Erdan declared: “With today’s vote, you are not only bypassing the Security Council – in violation of the Charter. But you are bastardizing the meaning of ‘peace-loving.’ You know that the Palestinians are the exact opposite of peace-loving! You know this! Since they rejected the UN Partition Plan in 1947, they have only tried to destroy Israel, time and again! They are terror-loving! They are anything but peace-loving!”

To demonstrate what the resolution would mean to the UN Charter, Ambassador Erdan pulled out a small paper shredder and shredded a copy of the UN Charter.

Arutz Sheva

Day 218 — Saturday, May 11

Eighty former U.S. generals and admirals called in an open letter on Friday for a reaffirmation of the U.S.-Israeli bond.

“Given our experience as retired American military leaders, we are very concerned about the security impacts of increasingly strained U.S.-Israel ties, as Israel becomes a growing source of domestic division,” the group wrote in a letter, which the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) released.

The group stated that it feels “compelled to declare that a strong Israel is vital to the United States national security, and it is imperative that America unequivocally stand by this indispensable ally.”

The JINSA letter named Iran and its terrorist proxies as “barbaric,” declaring them “enemies of the United States and everything we stand for.”

“This Iranian-backed axis of terror, as well as other adversaries and allies around the world, are watching closely to see whether the United States will stand by one of its closest allies fighting in self-defense, even when the going gets tough,” it stated.

“Against these barbaric enemies, Israel stands on the front lines of the fight for civilization, the lone stable, democratic American ally in a critical, yet tumultuous, region,” they added. “Even in facing adversaries who respect neither the laws of war nor human life, we believe Israel has fought in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.”

JNS

Day 224 — Friday, May 17

On Thursday, the GOP-led House passed a bill that pressures the Biden administration not to withhold arms from Israel as the U.S. ally fights Iran-backed Hamas following a deadly terrorist attack in October of last year.

The “Israel Security Assistance Support Act,” which President Joe Biden has threatened to veto, received support from 224 lawmakers. A total of 187 members, including three Republicans and 184 Democrats, voted against the bill. Nineteen lawmakers did not vote.

House Democrat leaders had urged members of their caucus to oppose the legislation, but that did not stop 16 Democrats from breaking ranks and joining the 208 Republicans to advance it to the Senate.

“The Biden Administration’s decision to withhold weapons is catastrophic and goes directly against the will of Congress,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in a statement. “With the passage of the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, we send a clear message of solidarity and support to Israel and demand the urgent delivery of defense weapons to our most important ally in the Middle East.”

A group of House Republicans unveiled the bill over the weekend after Biden halted the delivery of 3,500 large bombs to Israel in protest of a full-scale ground operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Biden has since moved forward with sending other arms to Israel.

The bill pushes for the “expeditious delivery of defense articles and defense services for Israel and other matters.” It also seeks to withhold funds from the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and National Security Council until delivery is confirmed.

Other provisions are geared toward condemning the Biden administration’s decisions to pause certain arms transfers to Israel, reaffirming “Israel’s right to self-defense,” and requiring a report on actions taken to withhold security assistance from Israel.

The White House issued a statement of administrative policy on Tuesday that warned Biden would veto the bill if it reaches his desk, claiming it would “undermine the President’s ability to execute an effective foreign policy.”

That veto threat was enough for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to say during a press conference the bill was “not going anywhere.” It is not immediately clear whether the legislation will even get a vote in the Senate.

In his statement, Johnson said, “The President’s threat to veto this legislation and Leader Schumer’s refusal to bring it to a vote in the Senate are acts of betrayal to our closest ally in the region.” He added, “What’s more alarming is the 184 House Democrats that joined them in siding with the radical, pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic party. Security assistance to Israel is an urgent priority that must not be delayed.”

Daily Wire

Day 224 — Friday, May 17

A standoff still exists over certain arms shipments to Israel. U.S. House Republicans have pushed a bill that would force the Biden administration to send the frozen shipment of bombs to Israel. The president has already indicated that he would veto the bill, should it pass to him. Instead, the administration is putting forth a new $1 billion package of military aid, which includes tactical vehicles, ammunition for tanks, and shells. While the aid is appreciated, it is not what is most needed for the operation in Rafah. And that is the sticking point. The Biden administration is trying to interfere in the IDF’s ability to conduct an operation in Rafah.

What the Republicans are saying with their bill is that Israel knows best how to carry out the war with Hamas, and that the U.S. should support their allies in their actions.

Biden has a strong ally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the plan for the IDF to complete the war. Sadly, that ally comes from within Israel. Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has aligned with the U.S. president to bring Netanyahu and his government down. And Gallant isn’t the only one. It’s all the generals and ex-generals who were educated in America. They have become liberal leftists, and they are seeking to do to Israel what the hard left has been doing to the U.S.

Once they have taken Netanyahu down, it will pave the way for Hamas’s survival and the creation of an international force to rule Gaza. This would be disastrous. Netanyahu’s administration has no desire to rule over the Palestinians. But Israel is at a place where it is not about what we want, but about what we need. If any other option than Israeli military control of the Gaza Strip is implemented, it is a reward to Hamas and a guarantee that October 7 will one day happen again.

It will also lead to the grand prize of the terrorist agenda – a Palestinian state. And what would then be the lesson to the terrorists around the world? What a long struggle can’t achieve, a massacre can. Butcher, rape, and behead to your heart’s content, and you’ll be richly rewarded.

Day 223 — Thursday, May 16

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Israel on Wednesday not to reoccupy Gaza, to refrain from a major Rafah operation, and to finalize a day-after plan for the enclave, as he spoke to reporters in Kyiv.

“When it comes to the future of Gaza, we do not support and will not support an Israeli reoccupation,” Blinken said, amid a bitter row between Jerusalem and Washington over the Gaza war.

Blinken had spoken with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday to discuss Gaza. In Jerusalem on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also at odds with Gallant, who took him to task for failing to approve a day-after plan, a step he said had only prolonged the military conflict in the enclave.

In a scathing public critique, he stated that Netanyahu’s indecision had eroded “our military achievements, lessen[ed] the pressure on Hamas, and sabotage[d] the chances of achieving a framework for the release of hostages.”

In an interview with CNBC, Netanyahu stressed that those who want Israel to halt its military campaign in Gaza and refrain from a major Rafah operation to destroy the four Hamas battalions there, are empowering the terror group.

“Those who tell us stop the war now” and to “leave those four battalions in Rafah are saying ‘Enable Hamas to regroup, recapture Gaza and threaten [Israel] again;’ that’s not going to happen,“ he said.

Once the war is over, Gaza should be governed by a “non-Hamas civilian administration,“ but the IDF would retain military responsibility, he said.

He similarly told his government that he had attempted to replace Hamas with an alternative local governance when it came to food distribution. “One hundred days ago, I directed the security echelon to allow local Gazans, who are not identified with Hamas, to be integrated into the civilian management of food allocation in Gaza,“ Netanyahu said.

“This attempt has not been successful because Hamas has threatened them and even hurt some of them in order to deter others,“ he stated.

It is not possible to put in place a local alternative to Gaza, as long as Hamas remains there, he said.

“Until it is clear that Hamas does not control Gaza militarily, nobody will be prepared to take upon himself the civil management of Gaza out of fear for their lives.

“Therefore, all the talk about ‘the day-after‘, while Hamas stays remains intact, will remain mere words devoid of content,“ he said.

Jerusalem Post

Day 223 — Thursday, May 16

After hundreds of anti-Israel protesters swarmed campus buildings and set up barricades at the University of California, Irvine, local law enforcement agencies responded and students were ordered to leave immediately on Wednesday.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a UC Irvine spokesperson said that the campus erupted into chaos after several hundreds of protesters entered the Physical Sciences Lecture Hall on the California campus and began to barricade the building at 2:30 p.m. PST.

The university said that it put out a call to local law enforcement and received immediate assistance from the Irvine Police Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

In livestream footage of the anti-Israel agitators’ confrontation with police, at least one protester was arrested.

In a follow-up statement, students were told to “leave [the] area” as the protest continued.

“Anyone currently in buildings in the vicinity of the protest are advised to exit buildings & leave area at this time,” UC Irvine said in a statement. “Please disregard all previous orders to shelter in place. If able, please leave immediately & continue to avoid the protest area until further notice.”

Footage from the campus showed law enforcement, dressed in protest gear and holding batons, clashing with anti-Israel agitators.

The protesters were seen holding umbrellas and chanting, “free, free Palestine.”

“From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free” they were heard chanting. “Long live Palestine.”

Authorities said that the protesters who entered the campus on Wednesday afternoon joined the established encampment that had been occupying the campus since April 29.

In an earlier X post, UC Irvine told students to “shelter in place” as police descended onto the campus.

“Protest has escalated near Physical Science Quad. Avoid the area,” the social media post said. “If you are in the area, shelter in place for your safety until further notice.”

Beto Mendez, a UC Irvine student Senator, told Fox News Digital that police are slowly clearing some of the encampments.

“Police are clearing out some encampments, very slowly, there are like five helicopters flying above right now,” Mendez said.

The college student said that many of the protesters do not appear to be UC Irvine students, adding that he saw children at the protest.

He added that it was “shocking” that the protests were happening on campus and that school administration is being “very careful and moving slowly.”

UC Irvine said that classes have been canceled for the remainder of the day and that they are monitoring the situation.

“We are continuing to monitor the situation and strongly urge people to stay away from the campus,” the school said.

Fox News

Day 223 — Thursday, May 16

Are you with Israel or not? That’s a great question for US President Joe Biden, who is playing both sides of the Israel-Hamas War. One moment, he supports Israel’s right to defend itself and defeat Hamas; the next moment, he seems to want to let Hamas live to fight another day.

Such was the case just last week when Biden approved a pause on the shipment to Israel of 3,500 pound bombs, 6,500 kits used to turn dumb bombs into precision-guided weapons, tank munitions, mortar rounds, and other weapons. Biden told CNN on May 8th, “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along the same lines, told CBS News on Sunday, “What we’ve been clear about is that if Israel launches this major military operation into Rafah, then there are certain systems that we’re not going to be supporting and supplying for that operation.”

Blinken asserted that Israel, instead of working to eliminate Hamas’ in its last stronghold (Rafah), should pull out of Gaza entirely. The Secretary of State claimed Israel’s exit would be a “more effective, durable way” to demilitarize Hamas.

Seriously? Israel should just forget about it and let Hamas live another day? You can’t be serious… but that’s what they’re saying.

These threats have been coming out of the United States for quite some time now. In response last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. I have already said that if we have to – we will fight with our nails. But we have much more than our nails, and with the same determination, with God’s help, we will win together.”

On May 14th, Israel celebrated Independence Day. Seventy-six years ago, in 1948, they defeated five Arab countries that came against the Jewish people and vowed to finish what Hitler started. The armies of those Arab Nations (Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon) lost despite having ten-to-one odds in their favor. That should tell us something. The God of this universe has His hand on His chosen people, and He is regathering them back to their ancestral homeland. No one can thwart those plans.

Are you standing with Israel or not? I also asked that question to all pastors. Many, even of the dispensationalist pastors who are solid in what the Bible says concerning Israel and the Jewish people, since October 7th have been silent at their pulpits. Why? Your silence resonates loudly with those that hate Israel.

Why not instead educate your congregation on what God’s Word says concerning Israel in the days in which we live? Teach your congregation to obey God’s command to comfort and move with compassion for His chosen people.

Day 222 — Wednesday, May 15

A top Hezbollah field commander was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday night, the military said.

Hussein Ibrahim Makki, according to the Israel Defense Forces, was a senior commander in the terror group’s so-called Southern Front unit. He had previously commanded Hezbollah’s coastal division.

Makki was targeted while driving near Tyre, according to the IDF and Lebanese media. Emergency responders said two others were wounded in the strike.

Hezbollah announced Makki’s death, saying he was killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” its term for operatives slain in Israeli strikes. The terror group did not refer to Makki as a commander or list a role for him.

The IDF said Makki “planned and carried out many terror attacks against the Israeli home front amid the war.”

The military says that more than 30 Hezbollah commanders have been killed in its strikes in southern Lebanon amid the war in the past seven months.

The strike came hours after an Israeli civilian was killed and five soldiers were wounded in a Hezbollah anti-tank guided missile attack against a military position near the northern community of Adamit.

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 on the border have resulted in ten civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 14 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.

Times Of Israel

Day 221 — Tuesday, May 14

The United Nations recently — and quietly — revised the casualty numbers coming out of Gaza amid the ongoing war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, prompting questions about the reporting from Gaza and whether any of it could be trusted.

According to multiple sources, adjustments were quietly made to the casualty count — regarding those killed in Gaza during the ongoing conflict — as more and more of the dead have been positively identified. Those adjustments suggest that Gaza’s Hamas-controlled Health Ministry has grossly inflated the number of women and children who have been killed.

According to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on May 6, some 9,500 women and 14,500 children were reported to have been killed in Gaza since the October 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel. Less than a week later, those numbers had dropped significantly to 5,000 women and 8,000 children, the National Post reported.

According to David Adesnik, director of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), that change could be the result of the UN adopting a different source of information. He noted that prior to May 6, the UN had cited the Hamas-controlled Government Media Office as a source for the casualty numbers — but more recently, they had not cited the GMO.

“So you see May 6 and before, the GMO (is listed as a source); all of a sudden, May 8, they don’t cite a source,” Adesnik said, suggesting that the UN was relying on the Gaza Health Ministry instead — despite the fact that Hamas controls that as well. “So clearly here we’ve done a switch from GMO’s big number, which never had any clear basis elaborated; like they just offered nothing but their own assertion. Whereas the Health Ministry does more to back its stuff up.”

A number of critics pointed out that relying on any numbers influenced by Hamas terrorists was likely a mistake.

According to David Adesnik, director of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), that change could be the result of the UN adopting a different source of information. He noted that prior to May 6, the UN had cited the Hamas-controlled Government Media Office as a source for the casualty numbers — but more recently, they had not cited the GMO.

“So you see May 6 and before, the GMO (is listed as a source); all of a sudden, May 8, they don’t cite a source,” Adesnik said, suggesting that the UN was relying on the Gaza Health Ministry instead — despite the fact that Hamas controls that as well. “So clearly here we’ve done a switch from GMO’s big number, which never had any clear basis elaborated; like they just offered nothing but their own assertion. Whereas the Health Ministry does more to back its stuff up.”

A number of critics pointed out that relying on any numbers influenced by Hamas terrorists was likely a mistake.

“The UN has significantly adjusted Palestinian casualty figures for the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, halving the number of women and children previously reported killed. Who is surprised to learn the Hamas-run Ministry of Health lied and the UN went along with it for 7 months?” Aviva Klompas posted.

“UN revises Gaza death toll, almost 50% less women and children killed than previously reported. Hamas’ death toll figures have been disputed by Israel, yet they have been quoted by media, humanitarian organizations and world leaders, including Biden,” news outlet Visegrád 24 added.

“How convenient that for 7 months they peddled lies. The United Nations seemingly halved the estimated number of women and children killed in Gaza, according to UN data published on May 6 and 8,” Adam Milstein said.

“UN has revised the Gaza death toll, almost 50% less women and children killed than previously reported. A big congratulations to media organisations like the BBC & Sky News who reported unverified figures and Hamas propaganda. Who knew a terrorist organisation would lie?”

The shifting numbers raise legitimate questions as to whether other reports out of Gaza can be trusted – such as claims that Israel was behind the reported “bombing” of Al Shifa Hospital or that Israel was behind attacks on humanitarian aid trucks, and even reports that made it as far as the BBC blaming Israel for things that only Hamas terrorists were guilty of doing.

Daily Wire 

Day 221 — Tuesday, May 14

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday boasted of the fact that more than 1,000 members of the Hamas terrorist organization were being treated in hospitals across Turkey, Reuters reported.

Erdogan made the comments at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Ankara. He also rebuked the Greek Prime Minister, after he referred to Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Mitsotakis said that Israel had entered Gaza after losing its citizens in a “terror” incident, and that Greece considered Hamas a “terrorist organization.”

Erdogan said in response, “If you call Hamas a ‘terrorist organization,‘ this would sadden us. We don’t deem Hamas a terrorist organization… More than 1,000 members of Hamas are under treatment in hospitals across our country.”

A Turkish official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, later said that Erdogan had meant to refer to Palestinian Arabs from Hamas-run Gaza in general, rather than Hamas members.

“President Erdogan misspoke, he meant 1,000 Gazans are under treatment, not Hamas members,” a Turkish official said, according to Reuters.

Erdogan has increased his verbal attacks on Israel since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7.

In one speech, the Turkish President said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “committed one of the greatest atrocities of this century in Gaza and has already put his name down in history as the butcher of Gaza.”

On Sunday,Erdogan said that the United States and European countries were not doing enough to pressure Israel to agree a ceasefire in Gaza, after Hamas’ move to accept a truce proposal.

Speaking to Muslim scholars in Istanbul, Erdogan said Hamas had accepted a ceasefire proposal by Qatar and Egypt in a “step in the path toward a lasting ceasefire“, but Netanyahu’s government did not want the war to end.

“The response of the Netanyahu government was to attack the innocent people in Rafah,” he charged. “It has become clear who sides with peace and dialogue, and who wants clashes continuing and more bloodshed.

“And did Netanyahu see any serious reaction for his spoiled behavior? No. Neither Europe nor America showed a reaction that would force Israel into a ceasefire,” added Erdogan.

The Turkish Trade Ministry recently said it had suspended all export and import operations with Israel due to what it described as its “aggression against Palestine in violation of international law and human rights.”

The move came several weeks after Turkey restricted exports to Israel of 54 product categories.

Erdogan later said that Turkey’s move to halt trade with Israel was designed to force the country to a ceasefire in Gaza.

Arutz Sheva

Day 220 — Monday, May 13

The Biden administration is under fire after reportedly withholding intelligence on the locations of senior Hamas officials to pressure Israel into giving up its planned invasion of Rafah.

Biden officials have reportedly offered to supply Israel with intelligence on top Hamas officials in exchange for assurances that the Israeli military will not conduct a full-scale invasion of Rafah, which Israeli officials have repeatedly promised to do in order to take out the remaining battalions of Hamas left in the Gaza Strip, according to The Washington Post.

Critics blasted the proposal, accusing President Joe Biden of withholding information that could finish the Israel-Hamas war faster, as well as potentially lead to the rescue of hostages still held by Hamas.

“Is there anything more cynical than this? More repulsive? The administration says it has intel on the wherabouts [sic] of the Hamas terror masters but will only share if Israel agrees not to eradicate Hamas. This is an ally? This is a friend?” said Caroline Glick, the senior contributing editor at the Jewish News Syndicate.

Ilan Berman, a senior vice president at the American Foreign Policy Council, posted: “Am I reading this right?!?! Has the U.S. had info on the locations of Hamas leaders (and presumably the hostages) that it’s kept from Israel up until now?? Methinks the White House has a bit of explaining to do.”

HotAir managing editor Ed Morrissey said: “Biden, US intel have intel on locations of hostages, Hamas leaders but haven’t shared it with Israel. That’s not how the WaPo spins it, but that’s exactly what this means.”

The report comes after President Joe Biden said last week that the U.S. would freeze offensive military aid to Israel if the Israeli military invades Rafah.

“I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem,” Biden said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a member of the war cabinet that is currently in charge of the Israeli government, responded to Biden’s threat in a video statement

“If Israel needs to stand alone, it will stand alone,” Netanyahu said.

Daily Wire

Day 219 — Sunday, May 12

Israel Defense Forces on Saturday called on additional neighborhoods of the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip to evacuate ahead of an expected widening in its ongoing military operations over the past few days.

The IDF entered the eastern outskirts of the town on Tuesday, capturing the important border crossing with Egypt. Since then, Israeli soldiers have located numerous tunnels and killed about 50 terrorists in the area.

Two soldiers of the 401st Armored Brigade were seriously injured by RPG fire targeting their tank amid the continuing clashes in the area.

So far around 300,000 Palestinians have followed the IDF’s instructions and left the southern town of Rafah, moving to the designated humanitarian zone along the coast over the past several days.

The “measured” expansion of Rafah operations was decided by the Israeli cabinet on Thursday, in the face of continued U.S. pressure after President Joe Biden threatened to halt weapons shipments in case Israel entered population centers in the Gaza Strip earlier this week.

On Friday, the Biden administration announced that the U.S. will continue transferring military arms to Israel for its ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. This decision follows a U.S. report which affirmed that Israel’s assurances of compliance with international law were “credible and reliable.”

Meanwhile, Hamas continued to ramp up its rocket fire from Rafah, shooting four rockets at the area of the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing.

“Thanks to the IDF Aerial Defense Array, the rockets were successfully intercepted and no injuries were reported,” IDF International Spokesman Lt.-Col. (s.) Nadav Shoshani wrote on 𝕏.

“Hamas keeps firing at one of the biggest crossings of aid into Gaza, the IDF keeps protecting it,” Shoshani added. Hamas fire has interrupted aid transfers through Kerem Shalom numerous times over the past few days.

On Friday, Hamas also launched two rocket barrages at Beersheva, which originated from Rafah and near Deir al-Balah, further north in the enclave. Israeli airstrikes destroyed the launch sites in Rafah a short time afterward.

This was the first time since December that a rocket alarm had been activated in the city of Beersheva following launches from the Gaza Strip. Several rockets were intercepted no serious damage or injuries were reported.

All Israel News

Day 218 — Saturday, May 11

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations addressed the UN General Assembly before it voted to adopt a resolution granting the Palestinian Authority the powers and rights of a UN member state.

“Today, another travesty is being committed here by the General Assembly. An unforgivable act: the destruction of the United Nations Charter. The UN Charter, the ‘sacred’ document that serves as the foundation of everything we are supposed to do here, is being trampled upon. It is being thrown out the window. You are spitting on the very values that were formulated to bind this organization!” Erdan stated.

“With today’s destructive resolution, you are circumventing the Security Council, ignoring its decision, and violating the norms this organization has abided by. The Charter was drafted for a reason, but most of you care nothing for the qualifications it outlines,” he continued.

The Ambassador explained: Let me remind you what the Charter says about admitting new UN members:

1) Membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states that accept the obligations contained in the present Charter.

2) The admission of any such state to membership in the United Nations will be effected by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.”

Erdan declared: “With today’s vote, you are not only bypassing the Security Council – in violation of the Charter. But you are bastardizing the meaning of ‘peace-loving.’ You know that the Palestinians are the exact opposite of peace-loving! You know this! Since they rejected the UN Partition Plan in 1947, they have only tried to destroy Israel, time and again! They are terror-loving! They are anything but peace-loving!”

To demonstrate what the resolution would mean to the UN Charter, Ambassador Erdan pulled out a small paper shredder and shredded a copy of the UN Charter.

Arutz Sheva

Day 218 — Saturday, May 11

Eighty former U.S. generals and admirals called in an open letter on Friday for a reaffirmation of the U.S.-Israeli bond.

“Given our experience as retired American military leaders, we are very concerned about the security impacts of increasingly strained U.S.-Israel ties, as Israel becomes a growing source of domestic division,” the group wrote in a letter, which the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) released.

The group stated that it feels “compelled to declare that a strong Israel is vital to the United States national security, and it is imperative that America unequivocally stand by this indispensable ally.”

The JINSA letter named Iran and its terrorist proxies as “barbaric,” declaring them “enemies of the United States and everything we stand for.”

“This Iranian-backed axis of terror, as well as other adversaries and allies around the world, are watching closely to see whether the United States will stand by one of its closest allies fighting in self-defense, even when the going gets tough,” it stated.

“Against these barbaric enemies, Israel stands on the front lines of the fight for civilization, the lone stable, democratic American ally in a critical, yet tumultuous, region,” they added. “Even in facing adversaries who respect neither the laws of war nor human life, we believe Israel has fought in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.”

JNS