Explosive Materials Bound for Israel Are Flying Out of JFK Airport
On Saturday afternoon, a cargo airplane carrying 14 tons of explosive materials bound for an Israeli weapons manufacturing company is expected to fly out of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Saturday afternoon, according to air cargo documents reviewed by The Intercept.
The explosive material, grade A nitrocellulose, is a widely used industrial material that plays a key role in making ammunition — from sniper bullets to rockets. According to the air cargo documents obtained by journalists at Irish news site The Ditch and researchers with the Palestinian Youth Movement, 51 pallets of nitrocellulose are expected to be delivered to the Israeli weapons manufacturing company IMI Systems, headquartered outside of Tel Aviv in the city of Ramat Hasharon. The main client of IMI Systems, previously known as Israeli Military Industries, is the Israel Defense Forces.
Saturday's cargo flight is the largest single shipment of explosives to pass through NYC's busiest airport.
The cargo flight by Challenge Airlines Israel is scheduled to depart from JFK at 2 p.m. on Saturday and land in Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Sunday, according to flight information. The manufacturer of the materials is not known, but the cargo's sender is listed as deriving from a Los Angeles ZIP code. While other weapons-related shipments have been sent from JFK to Israel, Saturday's cargo flight is the first confirmed shipment of nitrocellulose and the largest single shipment of explosives to pass through New York City's busiest airport, said journalist and lawyer Roman Shortall, co-founder of The Ditch.
Previously, The Ditch has reported on other military equipment flown out of the JFK airport, including ammunition propellants, detonating fuses, tear gas, F-35 combat jet parts, and firearms. Explosive materials, however, typically have been shipped in smaller amounts in separate flights, Shortall said. The concentrated amounts of nitrocellulose on Saturday are notable and prompt safety concerns for both civilians and workers at the New York airport, the researchers said.
'Over almost two years of genocide in Gaza, JFK airport has served as the coordination point for the shipment of ammunition primer, small arms cartridges, detonators, and aircraft parts to sustain the Israeli military,' said Aisha Nizar, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, a Palestinian solidarity group that has chapters across the U.S. and Europe. 'These arms are threats to our communities here in New York, and show yet again, the complete coordination between the Zionist project and the U.S. ruling class, who are currently waging a war of extermination against the Palestinian people.'
IMI Systems' parent company Elbit Systems and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates JFK, did not immediately respond to The Intercept's requests for comment.
Read our complete coverage
The Israeli military regularly receives billions of dollars' worth in weapons from the U.S., whether transferred from U.S. military stockpiles or bought directly from U.S. defense companies. During the first year of Israel's war on Gaza, the U.S. military sent $17.9 billion in aid to Israel. The majority of Israeli military aid from the U.S. comes through grants for Israel to spend on buying new military weapons and materials directly from U.S. companies, which helps fuel the country's weapons industry.
Researchers with the Palestine Youth Movement have previously uncovered sea shipments of ammunition and other material to Israel from the U.S. Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, or MOTSU, in North Carolina, including a Department of Defense shipment last year that violated Spain's arms embargo on Israel. A separate Israel-bound shipment of military goods by Danish shipping giant Maersk, which typically ships from Port Elizabeth in New Jersey, also violated the Spanish embargo.
A media investigation into Challenge Air by Belgian news outlet RTBF has also shown the airline has transported weapons from the JFK airport to Brussels, then to Tel Aviv.
Researchers with the Palestinian Youth Movement expressed safety concerns for workers and civilians posed by the highly flammable explosive materials. A U.S. Army report cited by the group described nitrocellulose as explosively equivalent to TNT. The group also pointed to China's Tianjin Port explosion in 2015 caused by nitrocellulose stockpiles, which had spontaneously combusted, killing 173 people and injuring more than 700 others. Both passenger flights and cargo flights at JFK share the same runways. Cargo flights can also be taxied to the runway while passing civilian planes and terminals.
Since Hamas's attack on Israel in 2023, the Israeli military has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians in its incursion on Gaza, which has escalated in recent months after Israel broke its ceasefire agreement in March. Israel's war cabinet recently announced plans for the Israeli military to indefinitely occupy all of Gaza and displace Palestinians from the territory. It comes amid an Israeli blockade on all humanitarian aid — food, water, fuel, and medical supplies — in violation of humanitarian law.
The final destination for Saturday's shipment of nitrocellulose — the Elbit-owned IMI Systems — is known to manufacture a wide range of weapons, such as combat vehicles, rifles, missiles, rocket launchers, and cluster munitions. Nitrocellulose is also used in industrial and medical materials, including paint or aluminum foil, and in medical settings to create topical ointments.
Other companies ship weapons and military materials through JFK, including Lockheed Martin, according to The Ditch. While Challenge Air has been the main airline to fly such military goods out of JFK, U.S. transportation giant FedEx has also transported military goods through the New York airport.
Elbit, Israel's largest arms manufacturer, operates across the globe, including in the U.S, the United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland and Brazil. Palestinian solidarity activists in the U.S. have protested at Elbit facilities in Virginia and South Carolina, as well as a factory in Merrimack, New Hampshire, where four women attempted to halt production.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
8 minutes ago
- USA Today
UN chief puts Israel, Russia 'on notice' over conflict-related sexual violence accusations
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 12 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Israel and Russia on Tuesday that he has significant concerns about patterns of certain forms of sexual violence by their armed and security forces, according to a report seen by Reuters. The alleged crimes included incidents of genital violence, prolonged forced nudity of captives, and abusive and degrading strip searches aimed at humiliation and interrogation. More: Russian troops advance in Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin peace summit In his annual report to the Security Council on conflict-related sexual violence, Guterres put Israel and Russia "on notice" that they could be listed next year among parties "credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence." The warning resulted from "significant concerns regarding patterns of certain forms of sexual violence that have been consistently documented by the United Nations," he wrote. Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon described the concerns as baseless accusations. "The U.N. must focus on the shocking war crimes and sexual violence of Hamas and the release of all hostages. Israel will not shy away from protecting its citizens and will continue to act in accordance with international law," Danon said in a statement. More: Israel approves plan to take control of Gaza City Palestinian militants Hamas - whose Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel triggered the current war in Gaza - were listed in Guterres' report on Tuesday as a group "credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence" in armed conflict. 'We categorically reject all these allegations," senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters, adding in reference to Israeli remarks: 'These are certainly new attempts to use lies to divert attention from the ongoing brutal crimes committed by this fascist government and its army against our people in Gaza." 'CREDIBLE INFORMATION' In his warning to Israel, Guterres said he was "gravely concerned about credible information of violations by Israeli armed and security forces" against Palestinians in several prisons, a detention center and a military base. "Cases documented by the United Nations indicate patterns of sexual violence such as genital violence, prolonged forced nudity and repeated strip searches conducted in an abusive and degrading manner," he wrote in the report. More: Zelenskyy says Russia is preparing for new offensive operations While Israeli authorities had engaged with his special envoy on sexual violence in conflict over the past year, Guterres said "limited information has been provided on accountability measures undertaken in relation to alleged incidents of sexual violence, despite witness testimony and digital evidence of Israeli soldiers committing such violations." Russia's mission to the U.N. in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. Guterres said Russian authorities have not engaged with his special envoy. Guterres wrote that he was "gravely concerned about credible information of violations by Russian armed and security forces and affiliated armed groups" primarily against Ukrainian prisoners of war, in 50 official and 22 unofficial detention facilities in Ukraine and Russia. "These cases comprised a significant number of documented incidents of genital violence, including electrocution, beatings and burns to the genitals, and forced stripping and prolonged nudity, used to humiliate and elicit confessions or information," he said. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. More: Hamas hostage videos silenced Israeli media's talk of Gaza aid crisis (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Additional reporting by Nidal Al Mughrabi; Editing by Don Durfee and Daniel Wallis)
USA Today
38 minutes ago
- USA Today
Too many empty churches, not enough homes. Is it a match made in heaven?
When Cristiana Perez and Nick Porter began house-hunting in New York State in 2021, they were open-minded about their prospects. Perez has a background in historic preservation, and both expected to be able to work from home. 'But at every turn we were just getting priced out,' explained Perez, the director of social media for CIRCA Old Houses, the media company affiliated with Cheap Old Houses, which is a popular newsletter and HGTV show, among other things. Finally, they had an epiphany. 'Well, if we're taking the 'handcuffs off' geographically speaking, if I'm going to live in the middle of nowhere, I want it to be my dream house,' Perez said. 'And I'd always dreamed of living in a non-traditional something, whether it used to be a schoolhouse or a general store or a fire station or a church. So I was like, if we're gonna really go for it, I'm all in.' Four years later, the couple are the proud owners of 'Welsh Hall,' a former church that dates back to the 1790s and which had been vacant for a few decades. It's been a 'learning curve,' Perez told USA TODAY, and an expensive one – but the beauty of the building and its historical significance have been worth it. As church attendance declines and the housing market gets tighter, Perez and Porter's path may seem increasingly promising. There are plenty of vacant houses of worship around the country, but there's also a lot to consider before taking the leap (of faith). A 'tipping point' for vacant churches As recently as 1999, 70% of Americans responding to a Gallup poll said they belonged to a church, synagogue, or mosque. But by 2020, that number had fallen to just 47%. One estimate suggests that as many as 100,000 houses of worship could be closed over the next several years. Stephen Ferrandi is the founder and broker of PraiseBuildings, a Maryland-based religious building brokerage. '20 years ago when we first started, I said there's going to be a tipping point and you're going to see a lot of churches hit the market, but I didn't know what it was going to be,' Ferrandi said in an interview. 'Turns out it was COVID.' The majority of the houses of worship PraiseBuildings brokers are sold by one congregation to another, primarily newer immigrant groups. Ferrandi describes what may be a long path before congregations get to that point: 'It's just not sustainable," he said. "Honestly, they probably should have closed 30 years ago when they first started having the problems. The problem that everybody ran into was nobody wanted to make the decision to close the church.' Despite the opportunity these vacant churches represent, there are plenty of potential pitfalls, as anyone familiar with fixer-uppers may expect. 'All the pieces have to come together,' said Bill Skubik, founder of Michigan-based Religious Real Estate. Can churches and other religious buildings be residences? Most older churches for sale have one extremely wide-open space and exceptionally tall ceilings. In many cases, houses of worship have few bathrooms – and perhaps none of them full – and either a small, rudimentary kitchen, or a giant commercial-scale one. There can be some charm in that: Glen Jackson, who owns two churches in the metropolitan Pittsburgh area, likens the blank slate of a historic church to the industrial loft buildings made into cool residences a few decades ago. And as Elizabeth Finkelstein, co-founder of CIRCA Old Houses, puts it, 'you will have the coolest house in town.' Still, many of them may require drastic overhauls to make them feel more like homes, and many will need expensive updates to plumbing, heating and electrical work, and perhaps a new roof. Financing a church renovation No matter the specific circumstances, buying a church that needs to be renovated to serve as a home will likely require nontraditional financing, according to people who spoke to USA TODAY. Perez and Porter got a traditional mortgage for the purchase of the church, and are taking out construction loans for renovations as they go. Churches can often be bought for far less than houses: Jackson is currently selling one of his for only $60,000. So other owners have paid cash for the building, as it can be challenging to take out small mortgages, and then borrowed funds for the rehab work. In many cases, church buildings may have a separate building on the grounds, such as a minister's home, which can be occupied while the construction work is ongoing, and may also be rented for income later on, once the main building is habitable. Notably, sources caution that it may take work to get appraisals and homeowners insurance because of the lack of comparable properties. Skubik offers another consideration: if the church is in an area of lower property values, you may want to consider how much work you put into the renovations so the completed property doesn't have a drastically higher value that's completely out of place in its neighborhood. Finally, if you're counting on financial assistance from the community or a nonprofit or the government, make sure you have it nailed down – a lesson Glen Jackson, who believed local government officials had the same goals he did, learned the hard way. Buying a home with spirit In some suburban or rural areas, churches may sit on land that's surrounded by cemeteries. Consider how you'll feel if people come to visit, but more importantly make sure you have a plan for construction projects or infrastructure that has to enter the building through that land. On a more positive note, you may find that your neighbors and others in the community can share stories about the history of your home. It may even be an anchor of the community. "You kind of become a local hero because you've preserved an anchor of the town," Finkelstein said. "A building like that, really (is) kind of the centerpiece of the community.' Embrace the challenge of converting a church Perhaps the best advice comes from Perez, who says anyone buying a 'non-traditional building' for a home should embrace its essence. 'I get it that changes need to happen to make it livable,' she said. 'But the way that we're making our mark is as minimal as possible, so that hopefully it will forever be the thing that attracted us to it in the first place. So I would encourage people, if they're going to look for a church, be prepared to keep it churchy.'
USA Today
38 minutes ago
- USA Today
Trump is a bully. He's using the National Guard to conquer DC as a test run.
The District of Columbia should be allowed statehood, not forced to endure deployment of the National Guard to stop an imagined crime wave. President Donald Trump's activation of the National Guard in Washington, DC, has less to do with an imagined 'out of control' crime wave and more to do with conquest. It is more misguided bullying by the president. To facilitate this racialized farce, he dehumanized the capital district's citizens by labeling them 'bloodthirsty criminals' and 'roving mobs of wild youth.' Let there be no mistake: This rhetoric portends violence against Black, Brown and poor citizens and complete disdain for the unhoused. This action and whatever else might follow is deeply personal to the 700,000 people who call the District of Columbia home and who are tired of the meddling from the administration and Capitol Hill politicians who treat our city like a play toy, likely because of our history as a majority Black jurisdiction. Home to a federal government that offers well-paying positions, Washington has attracted Black professionals and blue-collar workers, creating one of the largest Black middle-class populations in the country. We've innovated with affordable housing, invested flush tax revenue in education and implemented a slew of smart labor and justice policies. There's a real city beyond what the tourists know Many Americans don't know this story. They think Washington starts and ends with memorials, museums and monuments. The residential and commercial city is often invisible as a thriving metropolis in its own right, with a deep history and a vibrant culture. Share your opinion: In the wake of Trump's federal DC takeover, are you worried about crime? Tell us. | Opinion Forum Not only have we outshined many of our peer cities, but states, too. DC has a population comparable to Vermont, Alaska and North Dakota, but a budget larger than Arizona's. Residents pay the equivalent of state taxes. DC balances its budget every year, manages a highly functioning mass transit system and employs thousands in jobs that DC residents do with great pride. Still, the way congressional politicians treat us would have our red state friends up in arms if it were done to them. This summer, as the result of a so-called error, Congress withheld more than $1 billion from our approved budget, and that money remains out of our reach − instead of providing the services that our citizens voted and paid for. Opinion: Trump ushers in new DC tourist event − 'A Live Re-creation of Authoritarianism!' The Republican budget proposal for the next fiscal year includes all kinds of culture war initiatives in an attempt to impose conservative values on the more sensible and moderate residents of DC. We're tired of being the punching bag for politicians who wouldn't last a week living under the policies they impose on us. It's as dishonest as it is insulting. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. So much of what this administration and Congress do is informed by their stated orthodoxy around local control and 'rights.' That somehow doesn't apply to us. DC needs statehood, not a federal takeover Fortunately, the president and Congress can't truly 'take over' Washington without ending home rule, which would be difficult to do with the Senate filibuster blocking them. But the president can fearmonger through state-sanctioned violence. And he can use Washington as the test run for the federal takeover of Black and Brown cities daring to oppose this administration's death-dealing politics. We will not accept death. Washington, DC, has proved our right to self-governance and, indeed, statehood. Instead of forcing us to manage a manufactured crisis, elected officials who believe in democracy in earnest should let DC leaders spend our energy on building a more successful and safe city that must become the 51st state. William H. Lamar IV is the pastor at the Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, DC. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.
