Israel launches strikes in Gaza after talks with Hamas stalled
Israel unleashed a wave of airstrikes in Gaza after hostage-release negotiations with Hamas broke down, Israeli officials said. Officials in Gaza say at least 400 Palestinians were killed. Ramy Inocencio reports.
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New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
How NYC is stepping up to stop attacks on Jews BEFORE they happen
They were young and idealistic, and devoted their lives to peace. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim worked in diplomacy and conflict resolution at the Israeli Embassy in Washington. They were gunned down in cold blood last month, just steps from the US Capitol. Less than two weeks later, a Colorado man firebombed a peaceful demonstration calling for the release of Israeli hostages — injuring at least 12 people, including a Holocaust survivor. While the war in Gaza is thousands of miles away, its violence has sadly come home. The attacks in DC and Colorado were not isolated; they are the latest in a growing pattern of rhetoric shifting from outrage to incitement, from slogans to direct calls for violence in Western cities. And those calls are terrifyingly being answered, and are now being seen in cities across the nation. The NYPD is working relentlessly to prevent a future attack before it begins in New York City, because the assaults in DC and Colorado will likely inspire copycat attempts. History has shown that each one makes the next more likely — that's how contagion works. It's shocking, but not surprising. In the 20 months since Hamas' terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, hate has ricocheted across the globe. Just weeks after the attack, an Illinois man murdered his Palestinian-American tenants — a 6-year-old boy and his mother — in a brutal, hate-driven attack. More than 25 attacks or disrupted plots have targeted Israeli and US diplomatic sites. Just last month, a man was arrested at JFK for allegedly trying to firebomb the US Embassy in Tel Aviv. Nearly 40 additional incidents have targeted synagogues, schools and other visible parts of Jewish life across Europe and the United States. In September, the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force disrupted a mass-casualty plot against a Brooklyn synagogue allegedly planned for the first anniversary of Oct. 7. In December, a Virginia man was arrested for planning an attack against the Israeli consulate in Midtown. That's the terrorism. There's also the hate. Antisemitic hate crimes in the city were down 20% before Oct. 7, compared to that point in 2022. That changed almost overnight: By the end of 2023, they'd surged 80%. And while Jewish New Yorkers make up just over 10% of the city's population, they've accounted for more than half of all hate crime victims in that time. Hate crimes against the Muslim community are also up, more than 160% since Oct. 7. While the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is undeniable, it doesn't excuse violence. Tragically, it may inspire more. Every high-profile attack raises the risk of another. Unfortunately, individuals already on the edge don't need instructions; they just need a spark. That's why the NYPD is acutely focused on prevention: to snuff out sparks before they catch, and to ensure that hate has no chance to spread like wildfire. We calibrate our presence to meet the threat — no matter where it lurks or whom it targets. Since Oct. 7, the NYPD has surged uniformed patrols around synagogues and other houses of worship, Jewish schools and cultural institutions, hardening soft targets whenever and wherever necessary. That's how we protect all New Yorkers. The NYPD's Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau closely tracks developments at home and abroad, and we don't fight terrorism and hate alone. Task forces. Shared intelligence. Constant coordination with all our partners — international, federal, state, local and private sector — to detect threats early. That's how this work gets done. Anything less won't cut it. Importantly, some of the most serious threats we've stopped originated from a tip from an observant member of the public, making your eyes and ears just as critical as enforcement. That's why 'if you see something, say something' is not just a slogan; it's our force multiplier that allows us to disrupt attacks before they start. While there are no known specific, credible threats to New York City at this time related to the horrific incidents in DC or Colorado, all of us — law enforcement, intelligence officials, the public and the communities we serve — must always be vigilant to stay ahead of this threat. That means acting early. Moving fast. And stopping the next one before it happens. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim believed in something better. They built their lives around it — and they were killed for it. May their memories be a blessing. Eric Adams is mayor of New York. Jessica S. Tisch is NYPD commissioner.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Meet ICE Barbie of Arabia as Kristi Noem Takes Dress-Up Abroad
Kristi Noem's love for a photo opportunity has been on full display as the homeland security secretary embarks on a tour of the Middle East. Noem, dubbed 'ICE Barbie' by critics due to her highly stylized public appearance while showing off the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies, continued to dress the part in a rotating wardrobe of outfits during her diplomatic tour in Bahrain and Israel. Noem's visit to Israel in particular has come under the microscope after President Donald Trump did not visit the area during his recent own charm offensive in the Middle East. The snub was widely interpreted as a signal of Trump's growing frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid tensions over the war in Gaza. Instead, Noem has been seemingly dispatched to meet with Netanyahu to offer an olive branch, as well as commemorate the two Israeli embassy staff members who were shot dead in Washington, D.C. on May 21 in a suspected targeted attack. The homeland security secretary has also used the trip as another opportunity to play dress-up for the cameras, including donning Aviator sunglasses with a bulletproof vest. On Saturday, Noem was on meal-serving duties as she did a meet-and-greet with stationed U.S. sailors and coast guardsmen at Naval Support Activity base in Manama, Bahrain. As usual, she showed up in full makeup and jewelry, topped off with a camouflage Coast Guard baseball cap for effect. The following day, Noem wore a different Coast Guard hat while delivering a speech at the base, albeit this time in a t-shirt and jeans combination. Noem kept the more casual look but added her sunglasses and a lifejacket as she rode with Coast Guard and military officials on an Over the Horizon Small Boat as part of her visit to the Naval Support Activity. Next on the itinerary was a Sunday meeting with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and a camel ride prior to visiting the historic archaeological site, Qal'at al-Bahrain Fort. While riding the camels, Noem opted for more desert-suitable attire with a sleeveless black top and head scarf. Elsewhere on Sunday, Noem wore a dark blue dress as she visited the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem, alongside Janet Huckabee, wife of U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Noem also took part in a tree planting ceremony with Mike Huckabee and Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in Jerusalem, resulting in the homeland security secretary being forced to kneel with an unfortunate thigh-high split in her skirt. Finally, Noem put back on her earrings and black sunglasses and paired them with a bulletproof vest as she was shown the Black Arrow memorial site close to the Israel-Gaza border by Israeli armed forces on Monday. Noem met with Netanyahu on Sunday during a commemoration ceremony marking the deaths of U.S. Israeli embassy staff Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Noem told those in attendance that Trump that stand with Israel as 'we fight this hatred in the world,' and shared a message of 'unity among us that will help us defeat our enemies,' reported The New York Times.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Israel army announces 4 soldiers killed in Gaza, thousands more troops needed
Israel's military announced Friday the deaths of four soldiers in Gaza, saying it needed thousands more troops to press its offensive, just as the premier's coalition faces the prospect of collapse over ultra-Orthodox conscription. News of the soldiers' deaths came as Gaza's civil defence agency reported 38 killed Friday in Israeli attacks across the territory, where Palestinians observed the Eid al-Adha holiday under the shadow of war for a second consecutive year. Military spokesman Effie Defrin said the four soldiers were killed as they "were operating in the Khan Yunis area, in a compound belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation". "Around six in the morning, an explosive device detonated, causing part of the structure to collapse," he said, adding that five other soldiers were wounded, one of them severely. The deaths bring to 429 the number of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza since the start of the ground offensive in late October 2023. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extended his condolences to the soldiers' families, saying they "sacrificed their lives for the safety of all of us". Israel recently stepped up its Gaza campaign in what it says is a renewed push to defeat Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack sparked the war. - Conscription row - Asked by a reporter about the issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription, which has emerged as a thorn in the side of Netanyahu's government, Defrin said "this is the need of the moment, an operational necessity". The army was short around 10,000 soldiers, he added, including about 6,000 in combat roles, adding that "tens of thousands more notices will be issued in the upcoming draft cycle". The conscription issue has threatened to sink Netanyahu's government, with ultra-Orthodox religious parties warning they will pull out of his coalition if Netanyahu fails to make good on a promise to codify the military exemption for their community in law. At the same time, much of the public has turned against the exemption amid the increasing strain put on reservists' families by repeated call-up orders during the war. In April, a military representative told a parliamentary committee that of 18,000 draft notices sent to ultra-Orthodox individuals, only 232 received a positive response. Netanyahu's office announced shortly after 1:00 am on Friday that he had met with a lawmaker from his Likud party who has recently pushed for a bill aimed at increasing the ultra-Orthodox enlistment and toughening sanctions on those who refuse. The premier's office said "significant progress was made", with "unresolved issues" to be ironed out later. Netanyahu also faced scrutiny after he admitted to supporting an armed group in Gaza that opposes Hamas. Knesset member and ex-defence minister Avigdor Liberman had told the Kan public broadcaster that the government, at Netanyahu's direction, was "giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons". The European Council on Foreign Relations think tank describes the group a "criminal gang operating in the Rafah area that is widely accused of looting aid trucks". - 'He wears a white shroud' - The humanitarian situation in Gaza, meanwhile, has reached dire lows, with residents enduring severe shortages of food and other essentials, even after a more than two-month Israeli blockade on aid was recently eased. The shortages have made it all but impossible for many Gazans to celebrate Eid al-Adha, which fell on Friday and is traditionally marked with huge family meals and gifts of new clothes. Suad al-Qarra told AFP from Nasser Hospital on Friday that her son never got a chance to wear his new clothes. "He went to get dressed and there was an explosion," she said, her soft voice breaking. "I took him to the hospital and (they) found him dead." "They took the children from us," she continued. "I bought him Eid clothes yesterday and he didn't wear them, instead he wears a white shroud." In the Muslim faith, Eid commemorates the sacrifice Ibrahim -- known to Christians and Jews as Abraham -- was about to make by killing his son, before the angel Gabriel intervened and offered him a sheep to sacrifice instead. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday's strikes. Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, at least 4,402 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18 after a brief truce, taking the war's overall toll to 54,677, mostly civilians. mj/smw/jsa
