Paul Nuki: Israelis fear Donald Trump will stay out of war and leave them to fight Iran alone
Deep anxiety over US president's next move
©Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd
Today at 21:30
'We will be the first nation to become extinct through tiredness.'
This is the very Israeli joke doing the rounds in Tel Aviv, where no night for the last five has gone uninterrupted without at least one dash to the bomb shelter.
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Israel-Iran air war enters second week as Europe pushes diplomacy
Israel and Iran's air war entered a second week on Friday and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table after US [resident Donald Trump said any decision on potential US involvement would be made within two weeks. Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful. Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, the Human Rights Activists News Agency said. Those killed include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists. Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks. Reuters could not independently verify the death toll from either side. Israel has targeted nuclear sites and missile capabilities, and sought to shatter the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Western and regional officials. "Are we targeting the downfall of the regime? That may be a result, but it's up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom," Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Iran has said it is targeting military and defence-related sites in Israel, although it has also hit a hospital and other civilian sites. Israel accused Iran on Thursday of deliberately targeting civilians through the use of cluster munitions, which disperse small bombs over a wide area. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. With neither country backing down, the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany along with the European Union foreign policy chief were due to meet in Geneva with Iran's foreign minister to try to de-escalate the conflict on Friday. "Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one," said British foreign minister David Lammy ahead of their joint meeting with Abbas Araqchi, Iran's foreign minister. US secretary of state Marco Rubio also met Lammy on Thursday and held separate calls with his counterparts from Australia, France and Italy to discuss the conflict. The US state department said that Rubio and the foreign ministers agreed that "Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon." Israeli security forces arrive to inspect a destroyed building that was hit by a missile fired from Iran, in Holon, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Lammy said the same on X while adding that the situation in the Middle East "remained perilous" and a "window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution." Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping both condemned Israel and agreed that de-escalation is needed, the Kremlin said on Thursday. The role of the United States remained uncertain. Trump's special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, has spoken with Araqchi several times since last week, sources say. The White House said Trump will take part in a national security meeting on Friday morning. The president has alternated between threatening Tehran and urging it to resume nuclear talks that were suspended over the conflict. MISSILE STRIKES At dawn on Friday, the Israeli military issued a fresh warning of an incoming barrage of missiles from Iran. At least one made a direct impact in Beersheba, Israel's largest southern city, which has been targeted in recent days. The missile struck near residential apartments, office buildings, and industrial facilities, leaving a large crater and ripping off the facade of at least one apartment complex while damaging several others. "We have a direct strike next to one of the buildings. The damage here is quite (extensive)," paramedic Shafir Botner said. Smoke rises from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli strike on Saturday, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Israeli public broadcaster Kan aired footage showing cars engulfed in flames, thick plumes of smoke and shattered windows at apartment buildings. At least six people sustained light injuries in the blast, according to Botner, who said that first responders were still searching apartments for casualties. On Thursday, Iran hit a major hospital in Beersheba, Israel's largest city in the south. Iran said it was targeting Israeli military headquarters near the hospital but Israel has denied there were any such facilities in the area. Israel's military also said it had carried out several overnight strikes in the heart of the Iranian capital. The military said the targets included missile production sites and a facility for nuclear weapons research and development. Trump has mused about striking Iran, possibly with a "bunker buster" bomb that could destroy nuclear sites built deep underground. The White House said Trump would decide in the next two weeks whether to get involved in the war. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while flying aboard Air Force One. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) That may not be a firm deadline. Trump has commonly used "two weeks" as a time frame for making decisions and allowed other economic and diplomatic deadlines to slide. With the Islamic Republic facing one of its greatest external threats since the 1979 revolution, any direct challenge to its 46-year-long rule would likely require some form of popular uprising. But activists involved in previous bouts of protest say they are unwilling to unleash mass unrest, even against a system they hate, with their nation under attack. "How are people supposed to pour into the streets? In such horrifying circumstances, people are solely focused on saving themselves, their families, their compatriots, and even their pets," said Atena Daemi, a prominent activist who spent six years in prison before leaving Iran. Read More Trump sets deadline of two weeks to decide if US will join Israel's war on Iran
The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
Gaza's blackouts: 'You might be killed for trying to have internet access at public points'
Hana Salah Palestinian journalist GAZA HAS BEEN offline completely for days at a time over the past month. Between 12 and 14 June, there was a full blackout across the the Strip. It takes me back to October 2023 when Israel's bombardment began and I vanished from the digital world because of the targeting of the main lines providing Gaza telecommunication companies with the internet. In the face of repeated communication blackouts in Gaza, eSIM cards have become the only lifeline for many. On 12 June, the Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority confirmed that all internet and landline services had been cut across Gaza following Israeli strikes on telecom infrastructure — part of what it described as a 'systematic targeting' that has digitally isolated the territory. With traditional networks down, digital SIM cards — often purchased abroad and activated by scanning a QR code — allowed some residents to connect to foreign networks, mainly Israeli or Egyptian. These fragile connections became critical for staying in touch with relatives or reporting the war's realities to the outside world. Back to October 2023, the network collapsed within days. I could no longer check in with my UN manager to say I was still alive — part of a daily headcount we'd become accustomed to. I couldn't even share my GPS location as my family and I fled from one strike zone to the next, obeying shifting evacuation orders or sudden strikes. Each move cut us off from what little protection systems we had. At one point, my manager offered me a satellite phone. But in Gaza, carrying one could get you killed. At hospitals and checkpoints, such devices are seen with suspicion especially by Hamas agents or militants — because they are often assumed to be used by spies. I refused to hold it. Instead, I relied on an eSIM — a digital SIM card — my American friend Aideen had given me. It worked, sometimes. I'd climb rooftops or stairwells, searching for the faintest signal. Occasionally, I could send a message, file a report, or simply say: 'We are still here, alive or just send them a funny emoji amid the hell.' (The editor of The Journal was also a frequent receiver of these messages, gifs and emojis.) But the risk never went away. During blackouts, even holding a phone in the wrong place could invite suspicion — or worse. To access the internet in Rafah, before it was evacuated, a mobile phone equipped with an eSIM was placed on top of a wooden pole outside a tent. The phone's signal was shared via hotspot to connect the displaced family living nearby. Aideen Byrne, 29, an international law expert based in the United States and a close friend, has been part of a volunteer initiative called Crips for eSIMs for Gaza. The group has distributed hundreds of eSIMs to journalists and civilians across Gaza — a quiet but vital effort to keep people connected in the darkest of times. We moved to new shelter in Deir al-Balah in November 2023, where my family sheltered in the middle of the Strip and the internet was even more unstable. The higher you went, the better the chance of catching a signal using the Israeli eSIM. But our building's rooftop was locked. Advertisement One neighbour kindly shared access to their connection — an act of quiet generosity in a war defined by loss. Weeks later, that rooftop was hit. Two rockets tore through it and our neighbour who provided me with the internet line was killed with his family while my family survived. I had just returned from searching for food. As I walked back toward the building, I heard the blast. Smoke rose from where my family had been sheltering. For a moment, I collapsed. My knees buckled under the fear that they were gone. Seconds later, I ran inside — alongside others — to help pull out the wounded. Somehow, my family survived. The strike appeared to target the telecommunications and internet relay equipment on the rooftop — a setup similar to many across Gaza in the early days of the war. These makeshift signal poles were often assumed to be linked to Hamas infrastructure, and as a result, rooftop communication devices became. In Gaza, for every story I reported, there were others I couldn't get to. Others I couldn't write. Not because they weren't happening — but because we were buried beneath silence. Fears around Internet cafés My colleague, the veteran journalist in Gaza Fathi Sabbah, 65, and his family were able to get eSIMs from the same project. He said internet connectivity when the blackout is forced by Israel is not the only reason for using the eSIMs. He also uses them to access the internet in public places as other access points pose a risk. Sabbah told me, 'Some public internet access points or cafés may themselves become targets to the Israeli drones. You might be killed for trying to have internet access there. 'Even going to a café carries real risk to our lives,' he explains. 'Even if there's internet in public cafes, we often avoid these places because they could be targeted — either because someone wanted by Israel might be inside, or simply nearby. Many people have lost their lives just by being there, even though they were civilians. 'We have seen massacres in an internet connection point were people gather around each other to be connected online. No one knows who is with you, so better to get your own internet point in the new displacement area/Tent.' Ashraf Amra, 38, who is currently reporting from Al-Jazeera has been able to send some voice notes over WhatsApp. 'The situation is very difficult as we are disconnected from the world, and it is very risky to go higher buildings to get better connection for the eSIM,' he said. Drones are watching us and could doubt our use and target us.' Other non-journalist civilians developed the use of the eSIMs too – like my friend AlMaza, 29, who was living in a tent near the Philadelphi Corridor, close to the Egyptian border in Rafah. With no stable internet access, her family improvised. They mounted a phone containing an eSIM on a tall wooden pole outside their shelter to catch even the faintest signal. Using the phone's hotspot connected to a basic router, they were able to distribute a fragile but essential internet connection throughout the tent. The setup gave them a few hours of connectivity at a time. When the battery drained, they'd lower the phone to recharge it — sometimes using a power bank, sometimes swapping devices. It was a lifeline not just to the outside world, but to hope. Salah is a Palestinian journalist and war survivor who reports on economics, conflict and development. Displaced during the Israeli assault on Gaza, she is now based in the UK. Her work has appeared in the LA Times, Al Jazeera, Al-Monitor, Channel 4 and other international outlets. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
5 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Israel-Iran air war enters second week as Europe pushes diplomacy
Israel and Iran's air war entered a second week and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump said any decision on potential US involvement would be made within two weeks. Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful. Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Those killed include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists. Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks. Reuters could not independently verify the death toll from either side. Israel has targeted nuclear sites and missile capabilities but also has sought to shatter the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Western and Regional officials. "Are we targeting the downfall of the regime? That may be a result, but it's up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Iran has said it is targeting military and defense-related sites in Israel, but it has also hit a hospital and other civilian sites. Israel accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilians through the use of cluster munitions, which disperse small bombs over a wide area. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. With neither country backing down, the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany along with the European Union foreign policy chief were due to meet in Geneva with Iran's foreign minister to try to de-escalate the conflict. "Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one," said British Foreign Minister David Lammy ahead of their joint meeting with Abbas Araqchi, Iran's foreign minister. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both condemned Israel and agreed that de-escalation is needed, the Kremlin said. The role of the United States, meanwhile, remained uncertain. In Washington, Mr Lammy met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mr Trump's special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, and said they discussed a possible deal. Mr Witkoff has spoken with Mr Araqchi several times since last week, sources say. Mr Trump, meanwhile, has alternated between threatening Tehran and urging it to resume nuclear talks that were suspended over the conflict. Mr Trump has mused about striking Iran, possibly with a "bunker buster" bomb that could destroy nuclear sites built deep underground. The White House said Mr Trump would decide in the next two weeks whether to get involved in the war. That may not be a firm deadline. Mr Trump has commonly used "two weeks" as a time frame for making decisions and has allowed other economic and diplomatic deadlines to slide. With the Islamic Republic facing one of its greatest external threats since the 1979 revolution, any direct challenge to its 46-year-long rule would likely require some form of popular uprising. But activists involved in previous bouts of protest say they're unwilling to unleash mass unrest, even against a system they hate, with their nation under attack. "How are people supposed to pour into the streets? In such horrifying circumstances, people are solely focused on saving themselves, their families, their compatriots, and even their pets," said Atena Daemi, a prominent activist who spent six years in prison before leaving Iran.
