Israel carries out deadly airstrikes against suspected Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon
A series of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have killed at one person and wounded eight others. The Israeli military said it bombed infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah militant group that included weapons and tunnel shafts as part of an underground network. AP video shot by Ali Sharafeddine and Fadi Tawil
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Epoch Times
31 minutes ago
- Epoch Times
Jewish Leader, US Diplomat Weigh in after Australia Cancels Visa for Pro-Israeli Blogger
A Jewish organisation has responded after a right-leaning influencer was barred from entering Australia on a charity tour. Prominent American Israeli tech advisor and blogger Hillel Fuld was due to arrive in Australia to present on behalf of Magen David Adom, the Israeli equivalent of Australia's State Emergency Service or the Red Cross.
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Inside the MAGA vs. hawk battle to sway Trump on bombing Iran
An influential group of GOP hawks has launched a behind-the-scenes lobbying offensive pressing President Donald Trump to not only back off his administration's quest for a nuclear deal with Iran, but greenlight an attack on Tehran by Israel. The campaign is raising alarms among Trump and his allies, who have launched a counteroffensive to keep the president's diplomacy on track. During a private lunch with the president at the White House last Wednesday, conservative talk show host Mark Levin told Trump that Iran was days away from building a nuclear weapon, an argument Trump's own intelligence team has told the president is not accurate, according to an intelligence official as well as another Trump ally familiar with the matter. Levin urged Trump to allow the Israeli government to strike Iranian nuclear sites, which Trump has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would torpedo the diplomacy. Levin has been waging a public war against Trump's longtime friend and special envoy leading talks, Steve Witkoff, who also attended the meeting. They were joined by GOP megadonor Ike Perlmutter, the onetime Marvel Entertainment executive who is friendly with Witkoff. On a separate front, MAGA loyalists have been warily eyeing Rupert Murdoch's papers, particularly the New York Post, as they've savaged Witkoff, suggesting at one point that he's a mouthpiece for Qatar. The allegations have infuriated some in Trump's inner circle, who see them as an effort to undercut the talks. Murdoch has, meanwhile, privately complained to confidants about Witkoff's effort, according to a person familiar with the matter. 'They're trying to push the president to make a decision that's not what he wants,' a senior administration official told POLITICO. This person, like others in this story, was granted anonymity to speak freely. 'There's clearly a lobby for war with Iran vs. those who are more aligned with the president, that know he is the one that has been able to bring them to the negotiating table.' The lobbying has triggered a coordinated effort to defend Trump and Witkoff's diplomatic posture. Hours after Levin's meeting with Trump, Tucker Carlson, who had clearly been alerted to the gathering by someone familiar with what happened, took to X to accuse Levin of trying to bully the U.S. into war. 'There is zero credible intelligence that suggests Iran is anywhere near building a bomb, or has plans to. None,' Carlson tweeted. 'So why is Mark Levin once again hyperventilating about weapons of mass destruction? To distract you from the real goal, which is regime change — young Americans heading back to the Middle East to topple yet another government.' The private lobbying and public sniping highlight a vast breach in the GOP over U.S. foreign policy just months into Trump's first term. While many hawkish members of the old guard have viewed Witkoff's diplomatic effort with skepticism, the more restrained wing of the party has been adamant about defusing tensions with Tehran. In the middle of the tug-of-war is Trump, who ran on a promise of ending what his followers see as endless U.S. foreign adventurism and war. Some Trump allies believe the president will stand his ground — and even predict the pressure tactics are starting to grate on him. 'Levin and Murdoch are all over Trump all the time — I actually think they hurt their case because I know Trump,' said one longtime Trump confidant. 'Once he's kind of made his mind up, you can come at it later from a different angle, but you keep pressing, he digs in.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told POLITICO the president 'has always been willing to listen to a wide range of voices on every issue — but ultimately, he is the final decision maker.' 'With respect to Iran, President Trump has made his own opinion clear: he would like to pursue diplomacy and make a deal, but IF Iran makes a deal impossible, President Trump has other options on the table,' she added. Trump sounded a note of skepticism about a potential deal while speaking to reporters Monday afternoon. While noting that his administration will engage with Iran for their latest talks on Thursday, Trump said the Iranians are 'just asking for things that you cannot do.' 'They do not want to give up what they have to give up — you know what that is: They seek enrichment. We can't have enrichment,' he said. 'We want just the opposite. And so far they are not there. I hate to say that because the alternative is a very, very dire one.' While both camps have a tendency to frame their positions as binary choices — a deal or war, an attack on Iran's program or a guaranteed Iranian nuclear weapon — the reality is less clear. If the nuclear talks fail, that would increase the likelihood that the U.S., Israel or both would feel compelled to act militarily. But the U.S. could also more immediately look to ratchet up economic pressure on Tehran to see if it might eventually return to talks, a strategy some Republicans are already pushing privately. As for those favoring a strike on Iran's facilities, many military and nuclear experts say that U.S.-Israeli action would probably only temporarily set back Iran's program rather than completely destroy it. Other MAGA figures, from Charlie Kirk to activist Jack Posobiec, have used their public profiles to bolster the case for diplomacy. They're encouraging Trump to stick to his negotiations and resist what they fear could be an Israeli-led sleepwalk into war. Vice President JD Vance, perhaps the most powerful leader of the anti-war faction of the party — and who has close ties with many online MAGA influencers — has also weighed in. Just after Levin's meeting with Trump, he came to Witkoff's defense in a podcast with Theo Von. Witkoff recently gave Iran a proposal for a deal that would allow Tehran to enrich uranium at low levels but eventually become part of a regional enrichment consortium. Iran has made clear it will not abandon its domestic enrichment capability, while Trump has set that as a red line. That's left Witkoff to try to bridge the gap with a solution, which Iran has not yet formally responded to. 'It is a very creative proposal that allows both sides to claim a win,' a senior administration official said. Witkoff will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for a sixth round of talks on Friday or Sunday. Advocates for military action or ratcheting up significant pressure on Iran say this is the best opportunity in years to strike Iran after Israeli attacks weakened its regional proxies. Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank and a fierce critic of Iran's government, said the public debate has weakened the perception that the U.S. would be prepared to strike or back Israel if necessary. 'Those who are advocating that there be no credible military threat are making it more likely there'll be a bad deal, and more likely that the Israelis will be forced to strike,' he said. Trump allies and administration officials wary of military action have been seeing stories in some conservative media that they privately discount as plants by hawks and other pro-military, Israel-aligned groups. The officials spent much of last week working to discredit a Fox News story about an Austrian intelligence agency report that suggested Iran has grand plans to develop nuclear weapons that will help it assert dominance in the region. The posturing also comes on the heels of the latest assessment by the U.N.'s nuclear energy watchdog, IAEA, which has concluded that Tehran has increased its stockpile of 'near-bomb uranium' over the past three months. That's given Tehran the ability to fuel 'roughly 10 weapons, up from around five or six' when Trump took office, according to the New York Times. U.S. intelligence has pegged Iran's so-called breakout time — the amount of time it needs to produce enough weapons grade material for a nuclear weapon — at one to two weeks, U.S. officials say. But officials also continue to assess that Iran has not made the decision to actively go for a nuclear weapon. If Iran were to pursue the bomb, experts and diplomats disagree how long it would take to weaponize it, ranging from a few months to over a year. There's one big wildcard in all of this: People on both sides of the debate aren't sure what Trump will do. One person noted that the president has been so firm in his beliefs that he fired Michael Waltz as national security adviser in part because he'd been coordinating with the Israelis for an Iran offensive. Still, even among those pressing for diplomacy, there is concern about the president's penchant for changing his mind depending on who he's last spoken to. There's a fear Trump — who has threatened to bomb Iran if they don't come to heel — could act on rhetoric many largely deem negotiating bravado. '[Trump is] very solid in what he wants and letting Witkoff do his thing,' said one person close to the talks. 'But depending on who he hears from, he may move a little bit.' Some of the hawks in and around the lobbying effort, meanwhile, say that Trump has made clear that he is prepared to use military force if necessary. Pursuing diplomacy at any cost, they say, is a misreading of what he wants. 'The good news is Donald Trump is … not an isolationist. He's bombed Yemen, he's taken out [IRGC leader Qasem] Soleimani and [ISIS leader Abu Bakr al] Baghdadi. He's done what he needs to do. But [isolationism] is a force that continues to try pressuring him,' Levin said during a recent episode. In some ways, the push and pull with Israel has been going on for months. Israel has been privately imploring the administration to join them to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. But Trump has headed off that pressure. When Ron Dermer, Israel's strategic affairs minister and a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, came to Washington in early May, Trump asked him to prevent Israel from attacking Iran while Trump was on his Middle East swing, according to one Trump ally and one U.S. official familiar with the conversations. The president stayed another attempt again in late May. Israeli officials have told the Trump administration that they believe they have a limited window to strike. Trump's decision to favor diplomacy over military action — at least for now — also highlights the growing rift between Washington and Israel. Trump's pro-Israel actions from his first term have given him cover from attacks from Netanyahu or others who would suggest he is not pro-Israel enough. Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the U.S. embassy there, recognized Israeli sovereignty in the Golan Heights, and brokered the Abraham Accords, among other actions. But now the two close allies are at odds over Iran. Even before the dispute over strategy, Israelis have expressed disappointment in the U.S. decision to end its campaign on the Iran-backed Houthis without notifying the Jewish nation, and bypassing a visit to Israel on the president's Middle East swing. 'The president is not going to support war… But I'm telling you, these guys won't take no for an answer,' said a longtime Trump ally. 'This is why there's a breach in the Bibi-President Trump relationship. ... Israel isn't reading the room. The MAGA movement doesn't support military operations.'
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Hamas Takes Aim at Rival 'Outcast' Group Amid Gaza Infighting
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A senior Hamas official has slammed a rival Palestinian militia in Gaza, telling Newsweek the group has received direct support from Israel and has ties to the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and criminal organizations. The opposition faction, known as the Popular Forces and led by Rafah native Yasser Abu Shabab, has entered the spotlight in recent weeks for its open calls to challenge Hamas' authority in Gaza some 20 months into its war with Israel. The Popular Forces' rise has been surrounded with controversy as current and former Israeli officials had claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was actively backing the group to undermine Hamas from within its territory—an allegation confirmed by the premier himself on Thursday. The Popular Forces have denied any connection, claiming they operated under the mandate of the West Bank-based Palestinian National Authority (PA). The group has previously been accused of looting humanitarian assistance throughout the conflict, while former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has claimed that the Popular Forces had also fostered ties with ISIS. As Abu Shabab and his militia continue to fend off the allegations, Basem Naim, Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson, asserted that the group had little influence in Gaza, marking an apparent blow to Israel's efforts to challenge Hamas' rule in the territory. "For more than 20 months, Israel has failed to create a Palestinian alternative to the resistance to achieve its goals in Gaza, whether by creating chaos or administering the Gaza Strip," Naim told Newsweek. "Now, it is trying again, through a group of criminals and extremists, to create an alternative." "This group is ostracized among Palestinians," he added, "some of whom are agents, others drug dealers, thieves, or extremists linked to ISIS." Naim argued "Israel will not succeed again" in its strategy, " as they forget [German physicist Albert] Einstein's definition of insanity: "using the same inputs and expecting different outputs." "These groups pose no threat to anyone and are Palestinian outcasts," Naim said. "The only thing they are capable of is murder and banditry." Newsweek has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Popular Forces for comment. A Hamas sniper in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on February 22. A Hamas sniper in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on February 22. Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Who Are the Popular Forces? The Popular Forces first garnered media coverage in May 2024 as the IDF conducted an offensive in the southern city of Rafah. It has sometimes operated under the title of the "Counter-Terrorism Service." In a December interview with The New York Times, Abu Shabab acknowledged that his group had been involved in stealing humanitarian aid from convoys after being accused by multiple truck drivers, aid workers and locals. He argued then that these actions were undertaken out of a necessity to survive at a time when Hamas also stood accused of raiding supplies and reselling them to raise funds, something Hamas has denied. The European Council on Foreign Relations think tank describes the Popular Forces as a "Palestinian armed group and criminal gang," estimated to have "have several hundred members, drawn primarily from Abu Shabab's clan which has reported ties to ISIS." Hamas, on the other hand, is estimated by the IDF to have had a pre-war strength of around 30,000 fighters. Lieberman, now head of the Yisrael Beiteinu opposition party, was the first to draw a purported connection between the Popular Forces and ISIS, which has a presence in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula that borders Gaza, during an interview on Thursday with Israel's Kan Bet radio station. Lieberman described the Popular Forces and its leader as being linked to the Hamasha clan, referring to them as "lawless criminals who in recent years wanted to give themselves an ideological angle or spin, so they became Salafi and began identifying with ISIS." He warned that any weapons delivered by Israel to the Popular Forces "will eventually be turned against us." French newspaper Le Monde reported that Abu Shabab was a prominent member of the Bedouin Tarabin tribe, which is present in both Gaza and Sinai. Allegations of ties between the Popular Forces and ISIS have also since been voiced by other prominent Israeli opposition figures such as Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and The Democrats head Yair Golan. Following Lieberman's revelation, Netanyahu downplayed the notion of his former minister having leaked information, acknowledging that "on the advice of security officials, we activated clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas." "What is bad about that?" Netanyahu said in a video posted to social media on Thursday. "It is only good. It is saving lives of Israeli soldiers." The Popular Forces have repeatedly denied receiving support from Israel. In a post to a Facebook page attributed to the group that same day, the Popular Forces warned that "Israeli media has published false allegations claiming that our Popular Forces received weapons from the occupation." "We categorically reject these accusations and consider them a blatant attempt to distort the image of a grassroots force born from suffering—one that stood up to injustice, looting, and corruption," the group said. "Our weapons are simple, outdated, and came through the support of our own people," the group added, "through the sacrifices of families, the donations of civilians, and the determination of young men who found no other way but to protect the aid from being stolen and to defend the families of eastern Rafah." Abu Shabab reiterated this denial during an interview published Sunday with IDF Radio, though he did not rule out the potential for coordination on humanitarian issues. He also rejected alleged ties with ISIS, saying such "rumors are intended to damage our reputation and create a situation of hostility between us and Israel and the Arab countries." An undated photo shows a man identified as Popular Forces leader Yasser Abu Shabab, as published to the group's Facebook page. An undated photo shows a man identified as Popular Forces leader Yasser Abu Shabab, as published to the group's Facebook page. Popular Forces Hamas Cracks Down Abu Shabab's open calls for civilians to seek protection from his group and oppose Hamas have made him and his organization a target for Gaza's most powerful faction. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Abu Shabab was arrested by Hamas for a time until managing to escape amid Israeli airstrikes. A number of Popular Forces personnel have also reportedly been killed and detained by Hamas, including in operations conducted in recent days. A Quds News Network report published Monday and shared with Newsweek by Naim stated that a Popular Forces member with the initials "A.N." and described as Abu Shabab's right-hand man had been arrested, accused of killing a police officer before the start of the war in Gaza and of colluding with Israel. A report by Palestinian outlet Al-Resalah described the detainee as a "takfiri"— a term used by critics to describe adherents of extremist interpretations of Salafi Islam, such as ISIS—who had previously traveled to Sinai, according to unnamed security sources. The report also identified another leading member of the Popular Forces as Ghassan al-Dahini, who was said to have pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2015 and to have participated in the March 2007 kidnapping of BBC News journalist Alan Johnston, who was released that July. While Hamas and ISIS are both widely viewed as Islamist militant groups designated terrorist organizations by Israel and the United States, they clash ideologically and often condemn one another. The former has its roots as an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement in the 1980s and seeks to establish an Islamist Palestinian state in place of Israel, while the latter emerged from Al-Qaeda in Iraq in the early 2010s, seeking to establish a multinational caliphate spanning vast territory across Africa, Asia and Europe. Since taking over Gaza in a violent rift with the PA's leading nationalist Fatah faction in 2007, Hamas has sought to suppress Salafi jihadi groups tied to Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Palestinian Salafists wave a flag identical to that of ISIS during a protest against satirical French weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo's cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, outside the French Cultural Centre in Gaza City on January... Palestinian Salafists wave a flag identical to that of ISIS during a protest against satirical French weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo's cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, outside the French Cultural Centre in Gaza City on January 19, 2015. More Ashraf Amra/SIPA/AP The Players in Gaza Amid the current war, sparked by a Hamas-led surprise attack against Israel in October 2023, Hamas has coalesced with groups across a broad ideological spectrum, from fellow Islamists to far-leftists. They include Palestinian Islamic Jihad; the Popular Resistance Committees; the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine; the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine—General Command; the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades; and the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement. These factions have increasingly participated in joint operations against the IDF, and the coalition has thus far largely withstood wartime pressure. At the same time, following several instances of rare protests among Gaza residents calling for Hamas to end the war, pressure has also built on the group to produce results amid deadlocked negotiations being mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine recently urged Hamas "to intensify efforts, in cooperation with the Arab mediators, to reach an agreement to halt the aggression—even if only for 60 days." A spokesperson for the group later told Newsweek that the message "was an attempt by us to reach a 'partial step' that would guarantee a ceasefire, open the crossings, and meet the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people in Gaza because we observed that living conditions had worsened and that the specter of famine was beginning to loom large." Meanwhile, Netanyahu has also faced mounting pressure from the international community and domestic voices to reach a ceasefire. But with talks being hosted in Qatar dragging on without a breakthrough, Israel and the United States have yet to outline a clear plan for what Gaza's postwar governance would look like despite asserting that Hamas would have to be removed from power. Israeli Deputy Consul General in New York Tsach Saar has previously told Newsweek that neither Hamas nor Israel would be in control of Gaza in a postwar landscape. Last week, he reiterated this stance, telling Newsweek that "it's not for us to determine who is going to be there the day after [the war is over]." "We are making sure that it's not going to be Hamas," Saar said. "And when Hamas is defeated, we will have to work together with our allies, with regional countries, surrounding countries, neighboring countries to find a solution for the day after." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem on May 21. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem on May 21. Ronen Zvulun/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Where the US Stands President Donald Trump's administration has said relatively little about its ally's announced ties to the Popular Forces in Gaza. U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Thomas Pigott declined to delve into the specifics of the issue when asked by reporters on Thursday but reiterated the broader U.S. policy on the conflict. "What I can say is our approach and our policy remains that we stand with Israel, and we stand for peace," Pigott said. "And those are our goals that we want to see." In addition to providing Israel with extensive military and political support throughout the war, the U.S. has also backed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as the only organization approved by Israel to distribute aid in the territory. While an unnamed diplomatic official cited by CNN on Sunday claimed that Abu Shabab had established some level of direct or indirect contact with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the organization denied any connection in comments shared with the outlet.
