LIVE UPDATES — FROM MAY 25TH – 31ST
Israel At War: Week Thirty-Four Coverage
TRUSTED ANALYSIS
Day 238 — Friday, May 31
'No Prizes For Terrorism' - Visiting Israel, Spanish Opposition Leader Condemns Spain’s Recognition Of Palestine
The leader of the conservative Spanish VOX party arrived in Israel on Tuesday to express solidarity and show his support for the Israeli military to dismantle the Hamas terrorist organization and secure the release of the hostages from the Gaza Strip.
Spanish politician Santiago Abascal met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli during his visit and stated there would be, “No prizes for terrorism. No state for Palestine.”
On Wednesday, Abascal was accompanied by Chikli on a tour of the City of David in Jerusalem, where he met with IDF troops.
“Today in Jerusalem, I understand more than ever the attachment of the people of Israel to Jerusalem,” Abascal said.
Abascal’s visit to Israel coincides with the announcement by Spain, Norway, and Ireland that they would recognize a “Palestinian state,” which has drawn harsh criticism across Israel and among Christians for ostensibly rewarding terrorism.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was accused of using the announcement to divert attention from corruption and influence-peddling charges related to his wife’s business and private affairs.
During the tour, Abascal criticized Sánchez for being disconnected from reality and the Spanish people, accusing him of acting “out of personal political needs.”
“Any decision he makes that harms the people of Israel will be canceled by me,” Abascal added.
Abascal noted the political situation in Spain regarding Catalonia separatism, drawing parallels to Israel’s fight to exist. “We face a similar thing in Spain – all kinds of groups that claim sovereignty based on nothing and nothing.”
Chikli thanked Abascal and his party for supporting Israel and standing with them in the fight against Jihadist terror.
Abascal’s visit was a welcomed display of Spanish solidarity with the Jewish state amid the call last week by Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz for the European Union to break ties with Israel.
Diaz used the slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” in a video speech, claiming it was a call for a two-state solution. Her comment evoked sharp criticism from Israeli leaders.
“The Israeli people and the Spanish people are friendly people. We will not allow you, Sánchez and Díaz, nor the members of your government, to separate us,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote.
“Khamenei, Sinwar and the Vice Premier of Spain, Yolanda Díaz, call for the disappearance of the State of Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian Islamic terrorist state from the river to the sea.”
Katz called Díaz an “ignorant hate-filled person,” and said if she “wants to truly understand what radical Islam wants, she should learn about the 700 years of Islamic rule in Al-Andalus – modern-day Spain.”
The phrase “From the river to the sea” is a reference to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea in Israel and is understood to be a call for the elimination of a Jewish homeland and the ethnic cleansing or genocide against Israel’s Jewish population.
Díaz told the EFE News Agency that her call for the EU to break ties with Israel was not a call for the ethnic cleansing of Jews, as her critics charge, but an endorsement of how “Israel and Palestine must share a future of peace and prosperity.”
European Jews have called for Díaz’s resignation, saying her statements were “an endorsement of Hamas’ ideology and “carried with it echoes of the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Jews from Spain in 1492.”
“She must resign,” the European Jewish Association said in a statement.
ACOM, a Spanish pro-Israel lobby group based in Madrid, said Díaz is “a communist and leader of the Sumar far-left party – a miserable Nazi.”
Day 237 — Thursday, May 30
US Suspends Aid Deliveries After Biden's $320m Gaza Pier Gets Destroyed
Fox News Digital has obtained satellite images showing the now-destroyed temporary pier the U.S. military installed on the coast of Gaza earlier this month.
The $320 million structure lasted roughly a week before choppy weather battered it apart. President Biden’s administration says it is working to repair the pier, but they offered no timeline for completion. The pier had been used as a conduit for delivering aid to Gaza.
The images show that less than a third of the pier remains intact, and there is no sign of the remnants of the deeper sections of the structure.
The U.S. announced that it was forced to suspend deliveries of aid to the pier on Tuesday, though much of the damage occurred prior to then.
Four vessels that had stabilized the pier broke off due to choppy waters earlier this week, leading to the deterioration.
Of the four stabilizing vessels that detached earlier this week, two of the boats floated northward and landed on a beach in Ashdod, Israel, while the two others remain anchored at the beach near the pier.
While the pier has been used to transfer roughly 569 metric tons of aid into Gaza, none of that aid had been delivered to Palestinians as of last week, the Pentagon confirmed.
The pier’s failure comes as Israel conducted a sizable operation in Rafah, with tanks rolling into the heart of the city for the first time since the war began.
Witnesses in Rafah told Reuters the Israeli military appeared to be using remote-operated armored vehicles, as there was no immediate sign of personnel in or around them. The Israeli Defense Forces did not comment on those reports.
Day 236 — Wednesday, May 29
Dozens Of Palestinians Killed In Rafah Blast Died From ‘Secondary Explosions’ Likely From Hamas Weapons: IDF
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released results from their initial investigation into the deaths of dozens of people at a tent camp in Rafah on Tuesday, saying that the munitions the country used were too small and were used too far away from where the people died to have been responsible for their deaths.
The IDF launched a strike against senior Hamas terrorists on Sunday night who were meeting inside a compound in Rafah that is used by Hamas.
Hamas-controlled local officials claimed that approximately four dozen people were killed in the strike and claimed that Israel was responsible for their deaths.
“The strike was based on precise intelligence that indicated that these terrorists, who were responsible for orchestrating and executing terror attacks against Israelis, were meeting inside the specific structure we targeted,” said IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. “These terrorists were responsible for the deaths of Israelis and they were actively commanding operations that could have killed even more. Their deaths saved lives.”
He showed images from Israeli aerial surveillance from the time of the strike that shows the IDF targeted a structure approximately 200 yards away from where the fire broke out in the tent camp.
“Contrary to reports, we conducted the strike outside the area that we designated as a humanitarian area and called civilians to evacuate to,” he said. “Our strike was over a kilometer and a half away from the Al-Mawasi humanitarian area.”
The strike hit an area approximately 200 yards away from the tent camp using munitions with the smallest warheads that can be used by military aircraft. The warheads had only 35 pounds of explosive material, which is extremely small compared to what is commonly used on battlefields around the world.
“Our munition alone could not have ignited a fire of this size,” he said, noting that Hamas has been operating out of the area since October 7, which is a war crime since they are operating around civilians.
Hagari showed that there were rocket launchers just a few dozen yards away from where their strike targeted.
“We are also assessing footage documented by Gazans on the night of the strike, posted on social media, which appear to show secondary explosions, indicating that there may have been weapons in the area,” he said. “Our signal intelligence intercepted some phone calls that reinforce this concern, raising the possibility that weapons stored in a nearby compound caught fire.”
The IDF released an audio file of a conversation that was intercepted between two Gazans in which one says that the fire erupted because Hamas had a bunch of ammunition in the area at a warehouse that started exploding.
“I mean the Jewish bombing wasn’t strong, it was a small missile, because it didn’t create a large hole,” the Gazan said to his friend.
Lastly, the IDF released an audio conversation between two Gaza describing the Rafah attack. pic.twitter.com/ip1AuARTdJ
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) May 28, 2024
Day 236 — Wednesday, May 29
'Israel Will Not Remain Silent In The Face Of Those Undermining Its Sovereignty': Spain, Norway, Ireland Formally Recognise Palestinian State
Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez led a group of European states in recognising Palestine as a state on Tuesday, saying the move was a step towards focussing “all our efforts to implement a two-state solution and make it a reality”.
Spain, Norway, and Ireland recognised Palestine as a state on Tuesday, making official by writ the announcement made by the group last week. The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, was the first among the group to move on the issue this morning, claiming his position was that giving Palestine international recognition would “help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace.”
He said Palestine includes “West Bank and Gaza connected by a corridor”, and has its capital and “legitimate government of the Palestine National Authority” in East Jerusalem.
Israel responded, saying the group are “rewarding terrorism” by giving Palestine the veneer of legitimacy around the world so soon after the October 7th terrorist attacks. Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a message addressed to Sánchez: “You are complicit in inciting the Jewish genocide and war crimes”.
Speaking in Madrid on Tuesday, Sánchez defended the outrage-provoking move by insisting he was working for peace. Further, he said, asserting Palestine is a state puts Spain in a club with “more than 140 countries that already recognise Palestine” worldwide. However, not many of those nations could be described as Western, European, or NATO members.
Describing Spain’s ambitions for the Middle East, socialist politician Sánchez continued: “The only way to realise the solution that we all recognise as the only possible one to achieve a future of peace, that of a Palestine state that coexists alongside the state of Israel in peace and security… starting tomorrow we will focus all our efforts to implement a two-state solution and make it a reality.”
Sánchez insisted the move was not “against” Israel, but rather “reflects our absolute rejection of Hamas, a terrorist organisation who is against the two-state solution. From the outset, Spain has strongly condemned the terrorist attacks of October 7th.”
Norway and Ireland also made their declarations this morning. The Irish government said in a statement that it “recognises Palestine as a sovereign and independent state and agreed to establish full diplomatic relations between Dublin and Ramallah.
“An Ambassador of Ireland to the State of Palestine will be appointed along with a full Embassy of Ireland in Ramallah.”
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris echoed Spain’s Sánchez when he made clear a “two-state solution” was the purpose of the move. He said: “We had wanted to recognise Palestine at the end of a peace process however we have made this move alongside Spain and Norway to keep the miracle of peace alive. I again call on Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel to listen to the world and stop the humanitarian catastrophe we are seeing in Gaza.”
Representatives of Spain, Norway, and Ireland met with Palestine’s Mohammad Mustafa in Brussels on Monday. He said per Euronews: “This is the beginning of realisation of peace, rather than a promise of peace that we have been waiting for for 30 years.
“It’s time to make it a reality recognition of these states and a full membership of the United Nations is the right thing to do to keep the two-state solution viable, and to keep the hope of peace for our people and the region”.
As reported, Israel responded with despair and outrage last week when the move to recognise Palestine by the European group of nations was first announced. Foreign Minister Katz accused the countries of rewarding Hamas terrorism by now giving in to their demands and said they were undermining efforts to get hostages returned.
“Israel will not remain silent in the face of those undermining its sovereignty and endangering its security. Today’s decision sends a message to the Palestinians and the world: Terrorism pays… these countries chose to reward Hamas and Iran by recognizing a Palestinian state.”
Day 235 — Tuesday, May 28
EU Said To Be Considering Sanctions On Israel If It Doesn’t Comply With ICJ Ruling On Rafah
Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin is quoted as saying that he and his EU counterparts had a “significant” discussion about the possibility of levying sanctions on Israel if it fails to comply with “international humanitarian law.”
“For the first time at an EU meeting, in a real way, I’ve seen significant discussion on sanctions and ‘what if,’” Martin is quoted as saying by Politico.
He qualifies that there is “some distance between people articulating the need for a sanctions-based approach if Israel does not comply with the ICJ’s ruling … to agreement in the Council meeting, given all of the different perspectives there.”
According to the report, the Irish foreign minister told reporters yesterday that the discussion focused on provisional orders issued by the International Court of Justice last week calling on Israel to halt military operations in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah that would risk the destruction of the civilian population sheltering there.
Martin is quoted as saying that the EU foreign ministers agreed that Israel should “adhere to those provisional orders… and cease its military operations in Rafah,” though four ICJ justices argued that the key operative clause in the ruling does not require that Israel immediately halt all operations there, but rather that it specifically halt military operations that “could bring about physical destruction in whole or in part” of the Palestinians.
The report does not give details on the types of sanctions discussed by the EU diplomats.
The meeting follows Israeli airstrikes near Rafah on Sunday night that drew outraged reactions from Palestinians and around the world, with Hamas health authorities [alledging] that 45 people were killed and dozens injured in the attack and in an ensuing blaze in a camp housing displaced civilians.
The Israel Defense Forces said it had targeted a Hamas compound and eliminated two commanders in the terror group’s ranks, and that it is investigating what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a “tragic mishap.”
Day 235 — Tuesday, May 28
Who Were The Two Senior Terrorists Eliminated Overnight In Rafah?
The recent elimination in Rafah of two senior members of Hamas’ West Bank command highlights the ongoing efforts of Israeli security forces to disrupt this unit within the terrorist organization. The unit’s members, who transfer funds and provide instructions to terrorists operating in Judea and Samaria, are based in various locations abroad but still pose a threat to Israel.
According to the IDF, the command is responsible for guiding, financing, and supporting the execution of attacks in the West Bank areas of Judea and Samaria, and within Israel proper.
One of the eliminated terrorists, Khaled A-Najar, had previously established a cell affiliated with Hamas that carried out 11 attacks during the Second Intifada. Members of this cell were arrested in 2003 and sentenced to life imprisonment after killing three Israeli soldiers. A-Najar was also involved in the murder of Shalom Har-Melech, the husband of MK Limor Son Har-Melech. He was released in 2011 as part of the Gilad Schalit prisoner exchange deal and deported to the Gaza Strip, where he joined the headquarters directing from Gaza attacks in the West Bank.
The other eliminated terrorist, Yassin Rabia, who was also released in the Schalit deal, managed all the military branches of the command, facilitated the transfer of funds for terrorist activities, and guided attacks by Hamas operatives in the West Bank. Rabia had previously carried out several deadly attacks, including those in 2001 and 2002 that resulted in the deaths of Israeli soldiers.
However, A-Najar and Rabia were not the only terrorists from the command eliminated since Oct. 7. Its most senior terrorist eliminated to date was Saleh al-Arouri, who was killed in an attack attributed to Israel in the heart of Beirut. Al-Arouri was the driving force behind the West Bank command.
In the same attack, Samir Findi and Azzam Al-Aqraa were also eliminated, with the latter being involved in the West Bank command and planning attacks in Judea and Samaria from his residences in various Arab countries over the years. The goals behind striking the command are to cut off the elements transferring funds to the arena from abroad and to disrupt their sources of income.
Since Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021 and with greater intensity in the following summer, Iranian-funded terrorist organizations such as the Jenin Battalion of Palestinian Islamic Jihad have established themselves in Jenin and other hotspots in the West Bank. Another notable group comprised of different terrorist organizations is the Lion’s Den, which includes members from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.
Day 234 — Monday, May 27
Rafah Rocket Volley Targets Tel Aviv Area, In First Such Attack In 4 Months
The Hamas terror group fired eight rockets at central Israel on Sunday afternoon, marking the most significant attack out of the Gaza Strip in some four months and underscoring some of the challenges remaining for the Israeli military as it seeks to oust the Palestinian group from its last major stronghold.
Three of the projectiles were downed by the Iron Dome anti-missile system, according to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, and five landed in open areas.
A home in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya suffered minor damage from falling shrapnel, police said, and two people suffered light injuries, but no serious losses were reported.
In Kfar Saba, northeast of Tel Aviv, at least one rocket struck an open field causing a large crater, images showed.
The attack, which came at about 2 p.m., was swiftly claimed by Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades armed wing, which said it “bombarded Tel Aviv in response to Zionist massacres of civilians.”
Some 80 minutes later, rocket sirens rang out in several communities adjacent to Gaza, including some where residents have returned to live in the last several months.
One projectile landed next to a school in Kibbutz Sa’ad, lightly damaging a car but causing no injuries.
The attacks served as a reminder of the terror group’s armed capabilities, despite more than seven months of an intense Israeli military campaign aimed at eliminating Hamas following its October 7 onslaught on southern Israel.
The volley at central Israel was launched from Rafah, a city on Gaza’s southern edge that is currently the focus of Israel’s military campaign, amid intense international concern for the wellbeing of the million-plus Gazans who had fled to the city from elsewhere in the Strip for shelter before Israel launched its offensive there. Over the past few weeks, close to a million Gazans have evacuated the city as IDF troops advanced.
A picture taken by a soldier near the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt showed streaks of white smoke reaching skyward from a short distance away; the proximity between the attackers and the troops underlined the difficulties facing Israel as it attempts to destroy Hamas’s remaining forces in the city.
Day 233 — Sunday, May 26
Rafah Op. Will Continue: Israel Responds To 'Outrageous' ICJ Ruling Underscoring IDF's Longstanding Efforts to Protect Civilians
In its military operation in Rafah, Israel is already acting according to the order issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday, the Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council stated, implying that Israel is not halting its ongoing incursion in the city.
In a case alleging genocide brought forward by South Africa, the ICJ ruled that “Israel must immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”
In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry and National Security Council emphasized that “Israel has not and will not conduct military actions in the Rafah area which may inflict on the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”
With this statement, Israel adheres to the interpretation of the order supported by four ICJ judges, including Court Vice President Sebutinde, who warned against misinterpreting the ICJ ruling as prohibiting Israel from conducting its military operations in Rafah.
Instead, the judges said the order enabled the IDF to continue with its operation in Rafah while being conscious of its responsibilities under the Genocide Convention.
“The charges of genocide brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice in the Hague are false, outrageous and morally repugnant,” the statement continued.
“Following the horrific attack against the citizens of Israel on October 7th, 2023, Israel embarked upon a defensive and just war to eliminate Hamas and to secure the release of our hostages. Israel is acting based on its right to defend its territory and its citizens, consistent with its moral values and in compliance with international law, including international humanitarian law.”
In the statement, Israel also vowed to continue enabling humanitarian assistance to enter Gaza, keeping the Rafah border crossing open for humanitarian aid deliveries from Egypt, and preventing terror groups from controlling the passage.
Israel “will act, in full compliance with the law, to reduce as much as possible harm caused to the civilian population in Gaza.”
Following the ICJ’s ruling, the Cabinet ministers were instructed not to comment on it publicly. Nevertheless, Israel’s right-wing firebrands Ben Gvir and Smotrich released statements shortly before the start of the Sabbath.
“The irrelevant order of the antisemitic tribunal in The Hague should have only one answer,” wrote National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. “The occupation of Rafah, the increase of military pressure and the complete defeat of Hamas – until complete victory in the war is achieved.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, “Those who demand that the State of Israel stop the war, demand that it decree the cessation of its existence – we will not agree to that. We will continue to fight for ourselves and for the entire free world. History will judge who stood by the Nazis of Hamas and ISIS today.”
Day 232 — Saturday, May 25
'Countless Evidence Of Brutal Violence': Father And Son Hamas Terrorists Confess To Rape, Murder Of Civilians On Oct. 7
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT — Jamal Hussein Ahmad Radi, 47, and his son Abdullah, 18, were captured by IDF forces in Gaza and questioned about the atrocities they committed in a kibbutz near the border. The video footage shows the men detailing their actions, including murdering civilians in their homes, kidnapping others, and brutally raping women before shooting them.
In the weeks after the invasion that resulted in over 1,200 fatalities and prompted harsh Israeli retaliation in Gaza, details emerged about the horrific sexual violence committed by the terrorists.
Jamal Hussein Ahmad Radi, a father of seven and Hamas Security Service member, along with his son and other terrorists, forcibly entered the Nir Oz kibbutz. Showing no remorse, Radi stated, “In each house where we found someone, we either killed them or kidnapped them.” When questioned further, he confessed, “In the first house I found a woman and her husband, and we hit them with fire and killed them…they were in their late 40s.” He then admitted to raping one woman, recounting, “She was screaming, she was crying, I did what I did, I raped her. I threatened her with my gun to take her clothes off, I remember she was wearing jean shorts, that’s about it. I don’t know what happened to her, I was there for fifteen minutes and then I left.”
However, his son Abdullah claimed that his father killed the woman after they finished raping her. “My father raped her, then I did and then my cousin did and then we left but my father killed the woman after we finished raping her. Before this woman, we had raped another girl as well, I killed two people, I raped two people, and I broke into five houses,” he told investigators.
The confessions corroborated the report released by Pramila Patten, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, two months ago. After questioning several victims, she stated, “What I witnessed in Israel were scenes of unspeakable violence perpetrated with shocking brutality.”
Patten visited four kibbutzim and morgues during her month-long visit earlier this year, speaking to 34 survivors. She described “a catalog of the most extreme and inhumane forms of killing, torture and other horrors.”
Women who were at the Nova music festival were also victims of sexual violence related to the conflict during the attack on Oct. 7.
Commenting on the confessions video, an IDF spokesperson told MailOnline, “Over the past months, we’ve seen countless evidence of the brutal violence used by Hamas on October 7th, including harrowing acts of gender-based and sexual violence. These confessions further prove that any attempt to deny the horrors of Oct. 7, and discredit the testimonies of witnesses, survivors, and freed hostages, is part of a campaign to de-legitimize Israel, and to promote the justification of terrorism.”
The spokesperson added that both father and son were in custody awaiting trial.
Day 232 — Saturday, May 25
Do You Love Israel? The Answer Determines The Fate Of Nations
Zion is the place where God has placed His name forever. We read in Psalm 132:13-14, “For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: ‘This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.’”
You would think that everyone who has the ability to think would see that God has His hand on His chosen people and His covenant land. All those that have come against them have vanished from this world scene. Shouldn’t the world have learned its lesson by now? Where are all those ancient kingdoms? Think of the ancient Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Third Reich. The list goes on. Where are all those kingdoms that came against God’s chosen people? They’re all gone. But where are the Jewish people? Right back there in the land He swore to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to have an everlasting possession.
Open your eyes, haters of Israel! Do you not fear God? What group of people have been scattered from their ancestral homeland for 2,000 years only to return and rebuild their waste cities, restore their ancient language, and make the desert blossom as a rose? There are no other people groups on this planet that have ever done that, only one, and that is Israel and the Jewish people. Why? Because that’s what God said He would do.
Interestingly, by fighting against God, individuals are only adding further legitimacy to His Word. Zechariah chapter 14 prophesied 2,500 years ago that the Lord Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, will one day go forth and fight against those nations that come against Israel. Doesn’t it show how much Yeshua loves the Jewish people that he is going to fight on their behalf?
Day 238 — Friday, May 31
'No Prizes For Terrorism' - Visiting Israel, Spanish Opposition Leader Condemns Spain’s Recognition Of Palestine
The leader of the conservative Spanish VOX party arrived in Israel on Tuesday to express solidarity and show his support for the Israeli military to dismantle the Hamas terrorist organization and secure the release of the hostages from the Gaza Strip.
Spanish politician Santiago Abascal met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli during his visit and stated there would be, “No prizes for terrorism. No state for Palestine.”
On Wednesday, Abascal was accompanied by Chikli on a tour of the City of David in Jerusalem, where he met with IDF troops.
“Today in Jerusalem, I understand more than ever the attachment of the people of Israel to Jerusalem,” Abascal said.
Abascal’s visit to Israel coincides with the announcement by Spain, Norway, and Ireland that they would recognize a “Palestinian state,” which has drawn harsh criticism across Israel and among Christians for ostensibly rewarding terrorism.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was accused of using the announcement to divert attention from corruption and influence-peddling charges related to his wife’s business and private affairs.
During the tour, Abascal criticized Sánchez for being disconnected from reality and the Spanish people, accusing him of acting “out of personal political needs.”
“Any decision he makes that harms the people of Israel will be canceled by me,” Abascal added.
Abascal noted the political situation in Spain regarding Catalonia separatism, drawing parallels to Israel’s fight to exist. “We face a similar thing in Spain – all kinds of groups that claim sovereignty based on nothing and nothing.”
Chikli thanked Abascal and his party for supporting Israel and standing with them in the fight against Jihadist terror.
Abascal’s visit was a welcomed display of Spanish solidarity with the Jewish state amid the call last week by Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz for the European Union to break ties with Israel.
Diaz used the slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” in a video speech, claiming it was a call for a two-state solution. Her comment evoked sharp criticism from Israeli leaders.
“The Israeli people and the Spanish people are friendly people. We will not allow you, Sánchez and Díaz, nor the members of your government, to separate us,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote.
“Khamenei, Sinwar and the Vice Premier of Spain, Yolanda Díaz, call for the disappearance of the State of Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian Islamic terrorist state from the river to the sea.”
Katz called Díaz an “ignorant hate-filled person,” and said if she “wants to truly understand what radical Islam wants, she should learn about the 700 years of Islamic rule in Al-Andalus – modern-day Spain.”
The phrase “From the river to the sea” is a reference to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea in Israel and is understood to be a call for the elimination of a Jewish homeland and the ethnic cleansing or genocide against Israel’s Jewish population.
Díaz told the EFE News Agency that her call for the EU to break ties with Israel was not a call for the ethnic cleansing of Jews, as her critics charge, but an endorsement of how “Israel and Palestine must share a future of peace and prosperity.”
European Jews have called for Díaz’s resignation, saying her statements were “an endorsement of Hamas’ ideology and “carried with it echoes of the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Jews from Spain in 1492.”
“She must resign,” the European Jewish Association said in a statement.
ACOM, a Spanish pro-Israel lobby group based in Madrid, said Díaz is “a communist and leader of the Sumar far-left party – a miserable Nazi.”
Day 237 — Thursday, May 30
US Suspends Aid Deliveries After Biden's $320m Gaza Pier Gets Destroyed
Fox News Digital has obtained satellite images showing the now-destroyed temporary pier the U.S. military installed on the coast of Gaza earlier this month.
The $320 million structure lasted roughly a week before choppy weather battered it apart. President Biden’s administration says it is working to repair the pier, but they offered no timeline for completion. The pier had been used as a conduit for delivering aid to Gaza.
The images show that less than a third of the pier remains intact, and there is no sign of the remnants of the deeper sections of the structure.
The U.S. announced that it was forced to suspend deliveries of aid to the pier on Tuesday, though much of the damage occurred prior to then.
Four vessels that had stabilized the pier broke off due to choppy waters earlier this week, leading to the deterioration.
Of the four stabilizing vessels that detached earlier this week, two of the boats floated northward and landed on a beach in Ashdod, Israel, while the two others remain anchored at the beach near the pier.
While the pier has been used to transfer roughly 569 metric tons of aid into Gaza, none of that aid had been delivered to Palestinians as of last week, the Pentagon confirmed.
The pier’s failure comes as Israel conducted a sizable operation in Rafah, with tanks rolling into the heart of the city for the first time since the war began.
Witnesses in Rafah told Reuters the Israeli military appeared to be using remote-operated armored vehicles, as there was no immediate sign of personnel in or around them. The Israeli Defense Forces did not comment on those reports.
Day 236 — Wednesday, May 29
Dozens Of Palestinians Killed In Rafah Blast Died From ‘Secondary Explosions’ Likely From Hamas Weapons: IDF
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released results from their initial investigation into the deaths of dozens of people at a tent camp in Rafah on Tuesday, saying that the munitions the country used were too small and were used too far away from where the people died to have been responsible for their deaths.
The IDF launched a strike against senior Hamas terrorists on Sunday night who were meeting inside a compound in Rafah that is used by Hamas.
Hamas-controlled local officials claimed that approximately four dozen people were killed in the strike and claimed that Israel was responsible for their deaths.
“The strike was based on precise intelligence that indicated that these terrorists, who were responsible for orchestrating and executing terror attacks against Israelis, were meeting inside the specific structure we targeted,” said IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. “These terrorists were responsible for the deaths of Israelis and they were actively commanding operations that could have killed even more. Their deaths saved lives.”
He showed images from Israeli aerial surveillance from the time of the strike that shows the IDF targeted a structure approximately 200 yards away from where the fire broke out in the tent camp.
“Contrary to reports, we conducted the strike outside the area that we designated as a humanitarian area and called civilians to evacuate to,” he said. “Our strike was over a kilometer and a half away from the Al-Mawasi humanitarian area.”
The strike hit an area approximately 200 yards away from the tent camp using munitions with the smallest warheads that can be used by military aircraft. The warheads had only 35 pounds of explosive material, which is extremely small compared to what is commonly used on battlefields around the world.
“Our munition alone could not have ignited a fire of this size,” he said, noting that Hamas has been operating out of the area since October 7, which is a war crime since they are operating around civilians.
Hagari showed that there were rocket launchers just a few dozen yards away from where their strike targeted.
“We are also assessing footage documented by Gazans on the night of the strike, posted on social media, which appear to show secondary explosions, indicating that there may have been weapons in the area,” he said. “Our signal intelligence intercepted some phone calls that reinforce this concern, raising the possibility that weapons stored in a nearby compound caught fire.”
The IDF released an audio file of a conversation that was intercepted between two Gazans in which one says that the fire erupted because Hamas had a bunch of ammunition in the area at a warehouse that started exploding.
“I mean the Jewish bombing wasn’t strong, it was a small missile, because it didn’t create a large hole,” the Gazan said to his friend.
Lastly, the IDF released an audio conversation between two Gaza describing the Rafah attack. pic.twitter.com/ip1AuARTdJ
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) May 28, 2024
Day 236 — Wednesday, May 29
'Israel Will Not Remain Silent In The Face Of Those Undermining Its Sovereignty': Spain, Norway, Ireland Formally Recognise Palestinian State
Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez led a group of European states in recognising Palestine as a state on Tuesday, saying the move was a step towards focussing “all our efforts to implement a two-state solution and make it a reality”.
Spain, Norway, and Ireland recognised Palestine as a state on Tuesday, making official by writ the announcement made by the group last week. The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, was the first among the group to move on the issue this morning, claiming his position was that giving Palestine international recognition would “help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace.”
He said Palestine includes “West Bank and Gaza connected by a corridor”, and has its capital and “legitimate government of the Palestine National Authority” in East Jerusalem.
Israel responded, saying the group are “rewarding terrorism” by giving Palestine the veneer of legitimacy around the world so soon after the October 7th terrorist attacks. Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a message addressed to Sánchez: “You are complicit in inciting the Jewish genocide and war crimes”.
Speaking in Madrid on Tuesday, Sánchez defended the outrage-provoking move by insisting he was working for peace. Further, he said, asserting Palestine is a state puts Spain in a club with “more than 140 countries that already recognise Palestine” worldwide. However, not many of those nations could be described as Western, European, or NATO members.
Describing Spain’s ambitions for the Middle East, socialist politician Sánchez continued: “The only way to realise the solution that we all recognise as the only possible one to achieve a future of peace, that of a Palestine state that coexists alongside the state of Israel in peace and security… starting tomorrow we will focus all our efforts to implement a two-state solution and make it a reality.”
Sánchez insisted the move was not “against” Israel, but rather “reflects our absolute rejection of Hamas, a terrorist organisation who is against the two-state solution. From the outset, Spain has strongly condemned the terrorist attacks of October 7th.”
Norway and Ireland also made their declarations this morning. The Irish government said in a statement that it “recognises Palestine as a sovereign and independent state and agreed to establish full diplomatic relations between Dublin and Ramallah.
“An Ambassador of Ireland to the State of Palestine will be appointed along with a full Embassy of Ireland in Ramallah.”
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris echoed Spain’s Sánchez when he made clear a “two-state solution” was the purpose of the move. He said: “We had wanted to recognise Palestine at the end of a peace process however we have made this move alongside Spain and Norway to keep the miracle of peace alive. I again call on Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel to listen to the world and stop the humanitarian catastrophe we are seeing in Gaza.”
Representatives of Spain, Norway, and Ireland met with Palestine’s Mohammad Mustafa in Brussels on Monday. He said per Euronews: “This is the beginning of realisation of peace, rather than a promise of peace that we have been waiting for for 30 years.
“It’s time to make it a reality recognition of these states and a full membership of the United Nations is the right thing to do to keep the two-state solution viable, and to keep the hope of peace for our people and the region”.
As reported, Israel responded with despair and outrage last week when the move to recognise Palestine by the European group of nations was first announced. Foreign Minister Katz accused the countries of rewarding Hamas terrorism by now giving in to their demands and said they were undermining efforts to get hostages returned.
“Israel will not remain silent in the face of those undermining its sovereignty and endangering its security. Today’s decision sends a message to the Palestinians and the world: Terrorism pays… these countries chose to reward Hamas and Iran by recognizing a Palestinian state.”
Day 235 — Tuesday, May 28
EU Said To Be Considering Sanctions On Israel If It Doesn’t Comply With ICJ Ruling On Rafah
Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin is quoted as saying that he and his EU counterparts had a “significant” discussion about the possibility of levying sanctions on Israel if it fails to comply with “international humanitarian law.”
“For the first time at an EU meeting, in a real way, I’ve seen significant discussion on sanctions and ‘what if,’” Martin is quoted as saying by Politico.
He qualifies that there is “some distance between people articulating the need for a sanctions-based approach if Israel does not comply with the ICJ’s ruling … to agreement in the Council meeting, given all of the different perspectives there.”
According to the report, the Irish foreign minister told reporters yesterday that the discussion focused on provisional orders issued by the International Court of Justice last week calling on Israel to halt military operations in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah that would risk the destruction of the civilian population sheltering there.
Martin is quoted as saying that the EU foreign ministers agreed that Israel should “adhere to those provisional orders… and cease its military operations in Rafah,” though four ICJ justices argued that the key operative clause in the ruling does not require that Israel immediately halt all operations there, but rather that it specifically halt military operations that “could bring about physical destruction in whole or in part” of the Palestinians.
The report does not give details on the types of sanctions discussed by the EU diplomats.
The meeting follows Israeli airstrikes near Rafah on Sunday night that drew outraged reactions from Palestinians and around the world, with Hamas health authorities [alledging] that 45 people were killed and dozens injured in the attack and in an ensuing blaze in a camp housing displaced civilians.
The Israel Defense Forces said it had targeted a Hamas compound and eliminated two commanders in the terror group’s ranks, and that it is investigating what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a “tragic mishap.”
Day 235 — Tuesday, May 28
Who Were The Two Senior Terrorists Eliminated Overnight In Rafah?
The recent elimination in Rafah of two senior members of Hamas’ West Bank command highlights the ongoing efforts of Israeli security forces to disrupt this unit within the terrorist organization. The unit’s members, who transfer funds and provide instructions to terrorists operating in Judea and Samaria, are based in various locations abroad but still pose a threat to Israel.
According to the IDF, the command is responsible for guiding, financing, and supporting the execution of attacks in the West Bank areas of Judea and Samaria, and within Israel proper.
One of the eliminated terrorists, Khaled A-Najar, had previously established a cell affiliated with Hamas that carried out 11 attacks during the Second Intifada. Members of this cell were arrested in 2003 and sentenced to life imprisonment after killing three Israeli soldiers. A-Najar was also involved in the murder of Shalom Har-Melech, the husband of MK Limor Son Har-Melech. He was released in 2011 as part of the Gilad Schalit prisoner exchange deal and deported to the Gaza Strip, where he joined the headquarters directing from Gaza attacks in the West Bank.
The other eliminated terrorist, Yassin Rabia, who was also released in the Schalit deal, managed all the military branches of the command, facilitated the transfer of funds for terrorist activities, and guided attacks by Hamas operatives in the West Bank. Rabia had previously carried out several deadly attacks, including those in 2001 and 2002 that resulted in the deaths of Israeli soldiers.
However, A-Najar and Rabia were not the only terrorists from the command eliminated since Oct. 7. Its most senior terrorist eliminated to date was Saleh al-Arouri, who was killed in an attack attributed to Israel in the heart of Beirut. Al-Arouri was the driving force behind the West Bank command.
In the same attack, Samir Findi and Azzam Al-Aqraa were also eliminated, with the latter being involved in the West Bank command and planning attacks in Judea and Samaria from his residences in various Arab countries over the years. The goals behind striking the command are to cut off the elements transferring funds to the arena from abroad and to disrupt their sources of income.
Since Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021 and with greater intensity in the following summer, Iranian-funded terrorist organizations such as the Jenin Battalion of Palestinian Islamic Jihad have established themselves in Jenin and other hotspots in the West Bank. Another notable group comprised of different terrorist organizations is the Lion’s Den, which includes members from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.
Day 234 — Monday, May 27
Rafah Rocket Volley Targets Tel Aviv Area, In First Such Attack In 4 Months
The Hamas terror group fired eight rockets at central Israel on Sunday afternoon, marking the most significant attack out of the Gaza Strip in some four months and underscoring some of the challenges remaining for the Israeli military as it seeks to oust the Palestinian group from its last major stronghold.
Three of the projectiles were downed by the Iron Dome anti-missile system, according to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, and five landed in open areas.
A home in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya suffered minor damage from falling shrapnel, police said, and two people suffered light injuries, but no serious losses were reported.
In Kfar Saba, northeast of Tel Aviv, at least one rocket struck an open field causing a large crater, images showed.
The attack, which came at about 2 p.m., was swiftly claimed by Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades armed wing, which said it “bombarded Tel Aviv in response to Zionist massacres of civilians.”
Some 80 minutes later, rocket sirens rang out in several communities adjacent to Gaza, including some where residents have returned to live in the last several months.
One projectile landed next to a school in Kibbutz Sa’ad, lightly damaging a car but causing no injuries.
The attacks served as a reminder of the terror group’s armed capabilities, despite more than seven months of an intense Israeli military campaign aimed at eliminating Hamas following its October 7 onslaught on southern Israel.
The volley at central Israel was launched from Rafah, a city on Gaza’s southern edge that is currently the focus of Israel’s military campaign, amid intense international concern for the wellbeing of the million-plus Gazans who had fled to the city from elsewhere in the Strip for shelter before Israel launched its offensive there. Over the past few weeks, close to a million Gazans have evacuated the city as IDF troops advanced.
A picture taken by a soldier near the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt showed streaks of white smoke reaching skyward from a short distance away; the proximity between the attackers and the troops underlined the difficulties facing Israel as it attempts to destroy Hamas’s remaining forces in the city.
Day 233 — Sunday, May 26
Rafah Op. Will Continue: Israel Responds To 'Outrageous' ICJ Ruling Underscoring IDF's Longstanding Efforts to Protect Civilians
In its military operation in Rafah, Israel is already acting according to the order issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday, the Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council stated, implying that Israel is not halting its ongoing incursion in the city.
In a case alleging genocide brought forward by South Africa, the ICJ ruled that “Israel must immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”
In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry and National Security Council emphasized that “Israel has not and will not conduct military actions in the Rafah area which may inflict on the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”
With this statement, Israel adheres to the interpretation of the order supported by four ICJ judges, including Court Vice President Sebutinde, who warned against misinterpreting the ICJ ruling as prohibiting Israel from conducting its military operations in Rafah.
Instead, the judges said the order enabled the IDF to continue with its operation in Rafah while being conscious of its responsibilities under the Genocide Convention.
“The charges of genocide brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice in the Hague are false, outrageous and morally repugnant,” the statement continued.
“Following the horrific attack against the citizens of Israel on October 7th, 2023, Israel embarked upon a defensive and just war to eliminate Hamas and to secure the release of our hostages. Israel is acting based on its right to defend its territory and its citizens, consistent with its moral values and in compliance with international law, including international humanitarian law.”
In the statement, Israel also vowed to continue enabling humanitarian assistance to enter Gaza, keeping the Rafah border crossing open for humanitarian aid deliveries from Egypt, and preventing terror groups from controlling the passage.
Israel “will act, in full compliance with the law, to reduce as much as possible harm caused to the civilian population in Gaza.”
Following the ICJ’s ruling, the Cabinet ministers were instructed not to comment on it publicly. Nevertheless, Israel’s right-wing firebrands Ben Gvir and Smotrich released statements shortly before the start of the Sabbath.
“The irrelevant order of the antisemitic tribunal in The Hague should have only one answer,” wrote National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. “The occupation of Rafah, the increase of military pressure and the complete defeat of Hamas – until complete victory in the war is achieved.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, “Those who demand that the State of Israel stop the war, demand that it decree the cessation of its existence – we will not agree to that. We will continue to fight for ourselves and for the entire free world. History will judge who stood by the Nazis of Hamas and ISIS today.”
Day 232 — Saturday, May 25
'Countless Evidence Of Brutal Violence': Father And Son Hamas Terrorists Confess To Rape, Murder Of Civilians On Oct. 7
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT — Jamal Hussein Ahmad Radi, 47, and his son Abdullah, 18, were captured by IDF forces in Gaza and questioned about the atrocities they committed in a kibbutz near the border. The video footage shows the men detailing their actions, including murdering civilians in their homes, kidnapping others, and brutally raping women before shooting them.
In the weeks after the invasion that resulted in over 1,200 fatalities and prompted harsh Israeli retaliation in Gaza, details emerged about the horrific sexual violence committed by the terrorists.
Jamal Hussein Ahmad Radi, a father of seven and Hamas Security Service member, along with his son and other terrorists, forcibly entered the Nir Oz kibbutz. Showing no remorse, Radi stated, “In each house where we found someone, we either killed them or kidnapped them.” When questioned further, he confessed, “In the first house I found a woman and her husband, and we hit them with fire and killed them…they were in their late 40s.” He then admitted to raping one woman, recounting, “She was screaming, she was crying, I did what I did, I raped her. I threatened her with my gun to take her clothes off, I remember she was wearing jean shorts, that’s about it. I don’t know what happened to her, I was there for fifteen minutes and then I left.”
However, his son Abdullah claimed that his father killed the woman after they finished raping her. “My father raped her, then I did and then my cousin did and then we left but my father killed the woman after we finished raping her. Before this woman, we had raped another girl as well, I killed two people, I raped two people, and I broke into five houses,” he told investigators.
The confessions corroborated the report released by Pramila Patten, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, two months ago. After questioning several victims, she stated, “What I witnessed in Israel were scenes of unspeakable violence perpetrated with shocking brutality.”
Patten visited four kibbutzim and morgues during her month-long visit earlier this year, speaking to 34 survivors. She described “a catalog of the most extreme and inhumane forms of killing, torture and other horrors.”
Women who were at the Nova music festival were also victims of sexual violence related to the conflict during the attack on Oct. 7.
Commenting on the confessions video, an IDF spokesperson told MailOnline, “Over the past months, we’ve seen countless evidence of the brutal violence used by Hamas on October 7th, including harrowing acts of gender-based and sexual violence. These confessions further prove that any attempt to deny the horrors of Oct. 7, and discredit the testimonies of witnesses, survivors, and freed hostages, is part of a campaign to de-legitimize Israel, and to promote the justification of terrorism.”
The spokesperson added that both father and son were in custody awaiting trial.
Day 232 — Saturday, May 25
Do You Love Israel? The Answer Determines The Fate Of Nations
Zion is the place where God has placed His name forever. We read in Psalm 132:13-14, “For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: ‘This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.’”
You would think that everyone who has the ability to think would see that God has His hand on His chosen people and His covenant land. All those that have come against them have vanished from this world scene. Shouldn’t the world have learned its lesson by now? Where are all those ancient kingdoms? Think of the ancient Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Third Reich. The list goes on. Where are all those kingdoms that came against God’s chosen people? They’re all gone. But where are the Jewish people? Right back there in the land He swore to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to have an everlasting possession.
Open your eyes, haters of Israel! Do you not fear God? What group of people have been scattered from their ancestral homeland for 2,000 years only to return and rebuild their waste cities, restore their ancient language, and make the desert blossom as a rose? There are no other people groups on this planet that have ever done that, only one, and that is Israel and the Jewish people. Why? Because that’s what God said He would do.
Interestingly, by fighting against God, individuals are only adding further legitimacy to His Word. Zechariah chapter 14 prophesied 2,500 years ago that the Lord Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, will one day go forth and fight against those nations that come against Israel. Doesn’t it show how much Yeshua loves the Jewish people that he is going to fight on their behalf?
