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Middle East Eye
3 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israeli media praise killing of Palestinian journalist Anas al-Sharif
"It's about time," wrote Daphna Liel, a senior journalist at Israel's Channel 12 News, on her Telegram page on Sunday night. "The IDF killed the terrorist who operated under the guise of an Al Jazeera journalist," her report said, referring to the Israeli army. The picture of Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif was attached. The killing of Sharif on Sunday has provoked outrage from press freedom groups and other media outlets - but in Israel, the response by most of the media has seemingly been that Sharif, in fact, had it coming. Ynet described Sharif as "the reporter-terrorist who was assassinated", Maariv newspaper said he was "a journalist in the service of Hamas", and Israel Hayom wrote that he was "a terrorist disguised as a journalist". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters On Sunday night, the Israeli military announced that it had attacked a journalists' tent near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Sharif, who was one of the most prominent journalists covering Israel's assault on Gaza, was the target of the attack. In addition to Sharif, six other Palestinians were killed in the attack, including Al Jazeera correspondent and Middle East Eye contributor Mohammed Qreiqeh as well as camera operators Mohammed Noufal, Ibrahim Zaher and Moamen Aliwa. "The Israeli media's response to the killing of the journalists was frightening," Zahra Saeed, a Palestinian journalist at Radio Al-Shams, told MEE. "Amit Segal [a senior journalist at Channel 12 News] wrote on his Telegram account that he was waiting for this assassination, it's unbelievable. He is part of the Israeli apparatus of incitement against journalists." 'Murder. Plain and simple' The Israeli attack on Sunday was condemned around the world. Sara Qudah, regional director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said: "Israel wiped out an entire news crew. It has made no claims that any of the other journalists were terrorists. That's murder. Plain and simple." The war in Gaza is the deadliest conflict for journalists since such data began to be collected. Since the beginning of the war, Israel has killed 270 journalists and media workers. The Israeli army spokesperson claimed it had documents indicating that Sharif was active in Hamas, but did not produce the evidence. 'The Israeli media plays a central role in the genocide in Gaza, whether actively or silently' - Hanin Majadli, Haaretz Hanin Majadli, a Palestinian journalist who writes for Haaretz, told MEE that Israeli media were actively trying to misrepresent the current situation as normal. "The Israeli media is an inseparable part of the Israeli apparatus, which also includes the government, the military, and the public, which commits crimes in Gaza," Majadli said. "The Israeli media plays a central role in the genocide in Gaza, whether actively or silently." Right-wing journalist Yinon Magal of Channel 14 criticised a demonstration by Palestinians in Umm al-Fahm, in northern Israel, "for the 'journalist'-terrorist, Anas al-Sharif". Saeed said there was effectively no difference between the mainstream media and the far-right media regarding the coverage of the assassination of Sharif. "Anyone who asks questions and casts doubts finds himself under attack and outside the national consensus. He is labelled a traitor," she told MEE. "The Israeli crimes in Gaza are justified in the mainstream media, just as they are in the extreme right media outlets," Majadli said. "There is no justification for the assassination of Anas al-Sharif. According to Israeli logic, Israeli journalists are also legitimate targets - while an Israeli journalist called for the killing of 100,000 Gazans and another blew up houses in Lebanon, they are considered professional journalists." 'Hunt down Arabs' Journalists in Israel that condemned the attack faced criticism of their own. Majadli and Saeed said they received abuse while expressing their views on the assassination of Sharif. Saeed said that a post on her Instagram account lamenting the killing of Sharif was translated into Hebrew and led to incitement. According to Saeed, the purpose of translating the post was to "hunt down Arabs", adding that this is what happens "when a Palestinian journalist in Israel wants to express her opinion". Exclusive: MPs urge UK to disclose if it holds spy plane footage of Israel's journalist killings Read More » "All of our journalistic work has been reduced to whether you are for or against terrorism. Asking questions beyond the borders of the IDF spokesperson is considered a crime," Saeed said, adding that "it is dangerous to be a journalist in Israel as well, not only in Gaza". "In Israel, the equation is very simple - the Palestinians are terrorists," Majadli said. "A Palestinian journalist who speaks out against the killing of Anas al-Sharif is considered an encourager of terrorism, a sympathiser of terrorism, or an inciter to terrorism. "There is no journalistic space in Israel. The vast majority of Palestinians in Israel can't even say about Anas al-Sharif 'may Allah have mercy on him'." "The incitement against Palestinian journalists is open, it is the norm, it is urgent," Majadli said. "The incitement is here to stay for a long time. In Israel, the Palestinians need to know that they have to keep their mouths shut."
Middle East Eye
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
How Netanyahu's plan to occupy Gaza is bringing the Israeli army to its knees
This week, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had decided to order the army to fully occupy the Gaza Strip. According to reports, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir is strongly opposed to such a move and has even threatened to resign. If these reports are true, the importance of this moment is difficult to overstate. Such a head-on clash between the government and the army puts Netanyahu and his government in a position that challenges not only the military but also the will of much of the Israeli public. For a long time, polls indicate that most Israelis support ending the war in exchange for a deal that would see Hamas releasing its remaining captives. In recent weeks, this public demand has grown. A Channel 12 News poll last month shows that 74 percent of Israelis support signing such a deal. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The army warns that the full occupation of Gaza will risk the captives' lives. The government is fully aware of these dangers: Culture Minister Miki Zohar admitted that expanding the war would put the remaining captives in grave danger. If the decision to occupy the entire Gaza Strip is indeed made, it marks a moment when Netanyahu's government abandons what most of the public wants. The government is leading Israel to a move with unknown results and significance for the country, for the army and even for Netanyahu himself. In turn, this uncertainty is fuelling opposition to the war, both by the public and the army. This week's appeal by various former heads of the security forces to end the war, which included people who led the military, Mossad, Shin Bet and the police, indicates the army's grave concerns about fully occupying the Palestinian enclave. The former officials believe that in practice Israel has nothing more to achieve in Gaza, and to some extent attests to the army's position. This is also what most of those demonstrating in the streets against the government think. This view, which sees the continuation of the war as futile, stems from a failure to achieve the government's stated goals of the war. Hamas resistance in Gaza continues, despite the severe damage it has suffered, and Israeli soldiers continue to be killed. Similarly, the military has not been able to secure the release of the hostages as it had promised in March after Israel unilaterally ended the ceasefire. But fear of a pointless war is not the whole story of Israeli opposition to the onslaught. There are two internal and external aspects that can be added to the list of Israeli grievances. More Israelis, including from the political mainstream, are expressing reservations, and sometimes even opposition, to Israel's war crimes in Gaza. It began at the end of 2024, when former defence minister Moshe Yaalon said that Israel was carrying out ethnic cleansing in the northern Gaza Strip. It intensified after Israel collapsed the ceasefire, with former prime minister Ehud Olmert acknowledging that Israelis were committing crimes in Gaza. A demonstrator wearing a mask depicting Benjamin Netanyahu during an anti-government protest in Tel Aviv on 31 July 2025, calling for a stop to the war on Gaza (AFP/Jack Guez) Now they are joined by a growing number of public figures, such as author David Grossman, a beacon on the Israeli left, who last week said that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. More soldiers are speaking about how they are unable to live with what they have done and what they have seen in Gaza. And the images of starving Palestinians have contributed to the growing resistance to Israel's crimes in Gaza, even though the Israeli media is conducting a propaganda campaign that denies the famine and Israel's role in creating it. International image At the same time, the demand to end the war is also linked to the international image of Israel following mounting pressures from its allies and the world. Naftali Bennett, who aspires to be Israel's next prime minister, recently returned from the United States and testified that Israel has become a 'leper state'. According to Bennett, a move to fully occupy the enclave must not be carried out without taking into account international public opinion. Bennett, who does not oppose the killing of Palestinians - morally or politically - understands, like others in Israel, that the country is moving towards global isolation. Such isolation could have fateful economic consequences. Israel's trade agreements with the European Union, which constitute a significant pillar of the Israeli economy, are in jeopardy. Poland, which until recently was considered one of Israel's allies in the EU, came out against its actions in Gaza in a statement made by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Former Israeli PM Bennett says Israel is seen as a 'leper state' in US Read More » It is not just economic concerns that are troubling Israelis. Just yesterday, a German football team cancelled the signing of an Israeli player in light of his support for the war. The chairman of the Israel Football Association said this week that it has become more difficult to find places in Europe that will agree to host Israeli teams, which have been unable to hold European fixtures domestically since the war began. From here, the road to exit football's flagship European competitions is short. Large numbers of Israelis are beginning to comprehend the cost of Israel's war on Gaza. They are seeing how Israel is perceived in the world today as a pariah state, as a lonely nation. In fact, apart from the Trump administration - and even there, it seems that there are cracks - there is no one in the world who accepts the Israeli story on Gaza anymore. The world's perception of Israel, as Israelis perceive it, has a fundamental impact on the demand to end the war. Often, Israelis' initial response to international criticism is accusations of antisemitism, misunderstanding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or that the world does not know Palestinians and Arabs. However, when international criticism is so harsh, it can crack even this set of defence mechanisms. According to a Channel 12 News poll, about 56 percent of Israelis fear that in the future they will not be able to travel abroad due to Israel's bad image. Israel will become an isolated island, they fear, which will create a sense of ghetto. In addition, most Israelis, apart from some supporters of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, see themselves as part of the western world. For Israelis, being outcast from the West is a fatal blow to their very identity. Therefore, the continuation of the war poses a great threat to the Israelis themselves. Affecting capabilities Concerns of international isolation are evident also in the Israeli army. Despite the central role that the United States plays in arming Israel, it is not the only country with which Israel has arms trade relations with. Weapons and parts of aircraft also come from European countries such as Britain, France, Germany and Italy, whose governments have come under severe pressure to end ties with the Israeli military apparatus. Therefore, along with the fear of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the military is very concerned about the influence of international public opinion on its very capabilities. In conclusion, the Israeli army is concerned about the order to occupy the entire Gaza Strip because of various reasons. The military is very concerned about the influence of international public opinion on its very capabilities The army, which still sees itself as the people's army, is afraid of losing its unifying status in Israeli society. The full occupation of the Gaza Strip with its unknown consequences, the danger to captives and soldiers, the pointlessness of the war and the growing Israeli isolation, could lead to a rift between the people's army and its people, who see such a move as a crime against the hostages or against the Palestinians. The consequences of such a rift could be a failure to report for army reserve duty, which has been suffering from a manpower shortage. If the army makes such a move, it risks becoming a mercenary force that is completely loyal to the settlers, a process that has been going on for some time but could become even more literal. Now the Israeli army finds itself in a decisive moment. On the one hand, the army can listen to the public and end the war, and on the other hand, it can agree to Netanyahu's demand to occupy the entire Gaza Strip and bring about an unprecedented rift between the military and many in the Israeli public. We are now facing a dramatic moment in the war on Gaza.
Middle East Eye
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israeli press review: Fears Iran is prepared for a long war
Israelis wary of attritional war While many Israelis are celebrating Saturday night's US attack on three Iranian nuclear sites, fears are growing that Iran will drag Israel into a war of attrition where ballistic missiles will be fired for several months, according to an Army Radio report. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that his country 'will not be dragged into a war of attrition, but we will not stop this historic operation before we achieve our goals'. On Monday morning, missiles were fired again from Iran and a strategic facility of the Israel Electric Corporation near the southern city of Ashdod was hit. "Fifteen missiles were launched. This proves that Iran's launch capability has not really weakened, and they still have hundreds of mobile and stationary launchers, although the Air Force has destroyed more than 200 of them so far," journalist Yossi Melman wrote on X in response. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'It's a war of attrition in every respect.' According to Army Radio, senior military officials have said Israel will increase attacks on Iran to push Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei into a corner. Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert expressed reservations about the possibility that Iran would surrender in the wake of the Israeli and American attacks. "The notion that a series of pre-emptive military strikes can bring a nation of over 90m people to its knees… is arrogant and unrealistic," he wrote in the Economist. "Iran will not collapse or shatter, even after the exceptionally painful blow of the American attack. And remember, it still possesses a formidable arsenal of long- and short-range missiles." Israelis flee Tel Aviv Tel Aviv has been a ghost town since the hostilities with Iran began. The Israeli Home Front Command has ordered only essential workers to work in the commercial capital over the past week. "There is a feeling among Tel Avivians that the Iranians are aiming mainly at Tel Aviv. Therefore, many Tel Avivians have left the city," a resident told Channel 12 News. "A few days ago, I went down to the shelter of our building, and there were 10 people at most, out of a building of 12 apartments.' Many buildings in the city do not have a protected space or shelter, which has prompted people to leave after witnessing the destructive capabilities of Iranian missiles. "Most of the people in our building have left the city. Both young couples and young families,' another resident told Channel 12 News. Others choose to remain and seek shelter offered by the municipality. "We have an underground parking lot in a nearby building, which we go to when there is a siren, so within a minute and a half we are there, protected," said a resident. "We don't see a reason to leave." Iranian missiles cause extensive damage Since Iran responded to Israeli attacks by firing missiles at Israel, extensive damage has been endured across the country. According to Israeli media estimates, after only six days of war the damage caused to property all over the country is estimated at more than 2 billion shekels ($576m). Since then, missiles have only caused more damage. There is concern in Israel that many citizens whose property or homes were damaged will remain without compensation for many months. According to a report in The Marker, the Property Tax Authority is under extreme workload pressures due to the heavy damage. "Given that thousands of apartments have already been evacuated of their residents across the country, probably close to 5,000 apartments, and appraisers have to move between them and decide their fate, the wait for an appraiser could take days or even weeks," the report said. "Until then, the evacuees will not be able to receive compensation from the state." According to the report, "the dimensions of the destruction in the war with Iran are already too great to contain. In just a week, 33,000 lawsuits were filed, and about 11,000 people were evicted from their homes". At the same time, The Marker reports that there is a shortage of workers to rebuild the destroyed residential buildings. "Without an additional 15,000 foreign workers to rebuild the destruction in Gush Dan, the construction industry could stagnate," the report said. A source in the Tax Authority told The Marker the level of damage from the war with Iran is not something Israelis have known before. Just one building in a high-density urban landscape was so badly damaged it was slated for demolition due to the Gaza war. Now, according to The Marker's source, Iranian missiles have condemned another 30.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Easy target': Trump threatens Iran's supreme leader, says he's safe 'for now'
WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump threatened Iran's supreme leader as he pushed Tehran to end its retaliatory airstrikes on Israel and warned against any threats to U.S. servicemembers in the region. "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He is an easy target, but is safe there." "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now," the president said on June 17. "But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin." There was no immediate response from the Iranian government. More: Iran's nuclear sites before and after Israeli attacks: See updated maps, satellite images A short while later, Trump upped the ante with a two-word post: "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" USA TODAY reported June 16 that Trump had warned Israel off a plan to kill Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate sway over Iran. Trump's statement came as new explosions were heard in the Iranian capital and Vice President JD Vance suggested the U.S. military could get involved if Iran's clerical leadership refuses to give up its nuclear enrichment program. Here's what to know about Trump, the Israel-Iran conflict, and what might come next. Iranian security forces on Tuesday arrested a "terrorist team" linked to Israel with explosives in a town southwest of the capital Tehran, Iranian state media reported on June 17. Israel's National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi offered the clearest signal yet about the goals and resolve behind Israel's air campaign, telling local Channel 12 News the military is going after the hardest target in Iran: The Fordo nuclear enrichment plant. 'This operation will not conclude without a strike on the Fordo nuclear facility,' Hanegbi said. Fordo, built into a mountain to withstand airstrikes, has 1,000 centrifuges used to enrich uranium. Hanegbi made clear Israel's war would only end after Fordo was hit. Analysts say that would take a U.S. 'bunker buster' bomb, dropped from an American plane. But Hanegbi said Israel was ready to go it alone. 'We're not trying to convince the Americans to join,' he said. 'The prime minister has a close and intimate dialogue with President Trump, but we never received any promise the U.S. would take part.' Hanegbi added the plan is 'entirely blue and white' - fully Israeli, without external military support. The president has issued a blizzard of statements over less than 48 hours pointing to negotiations with Iran, a desire for Tehran's "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER" and a focus on protecting U.S. troops in the Middle East who might be targets for Iran or its proxy militias. The Iran conflict was two clashes in one. While neither Israel, nor the U.S., nor Europe wants to see a nuclear-armed Tehran, Trump until late last week was forcefully pushing negotations to end Iran's uranium enrichment program. Israel, meanwhile, launched its massive June 13 attack on nuclear and military facilities. Soon the president was warning the Iranian people of destruction and threatening Iran's supreme leader. So what does Trump want? A negotiated solution? Regime change? A military endgame − possibly including American forces? More: Iran: 11 facts about a country rarely visited by Westerners "I think we can take his word for his word, but I'm not going to speculate on, in a large sense, what that would mean," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters. "That is up to the president. He is the singular guiding hand about what will be occurring from this point forward − as he has been." Earlier in the day as members of Trump's MAGA base urged the administration to stay out of the war, Vice President JD Vance said the answer isn't complicated. Trump, he said, "has been amazingly consistent, over 10 president has made clear that Iran cannot have uranium enrichment," Vance wrote on X. "And he said repeatedly that this would happen one of two ways − the easy way or the 'other' way." Not long before Israel launched a stunning surprise attack on Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure, President Donald Trump was still holding out hope Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would accept a U.S. proposal to end its uranium enrichment program. "As long as I think there is an agreement, I don't want them going in, because I think that would blow it. Might help it, actually. But it also could blow it," Trump told reporters on June 12. When the Israeli airstrikes first started punching holes in apartment houses and secret bases, U.S. officials were quick to say Washington wasn't involved. Since then, over five days of a bitter air war, Trump has warmed to Israel's campaign, bragging more than once that Israeli pilots were flying American-made jets, dropping American-made bombs. 'We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,' he wrote on Truth Social on June 17. 'Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn't compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured 'stuff.'' 'Nobody does it better than the good ol' USA,' he added. President Trump's threat to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei isn't an idle boast. In January 2020, Trump ordered a fatal drone strike on Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in Baghdad. But it's Israel that Iran truly fears, when it comes to targeted killings. Israel killed numerous top military leaders and nuclear scientists in its first wave of attacks on Iran on June 13 and has since killed other military leaders. More: MTG, Tucker Carlson urge Trump to stay out of Iran, exposing a MAGA rift A clandestine Israeli assassination program has taken the lives of several scientists who were key to the Iranian nuclear program over the last decade. And Israel killed Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July 2024 with a bomb hidden in his official guest house. Israeli airstrikes killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last year, as well as Nasrallah's successor. Scores of Hezbollah operatives were killed and maimed by exploding pagers engineered by Israel. Hezbollah had been Iran's strongest proxy in the region. More: Trump indicates US involved in Israeli attacks on Iran in social media post With Iran's clerical rulers suffering their worst security breach since taking power in 1979, the country's cyber security command banned officials from using communications devices and mobile phones, Fars news agency reported June 17. The threats go both ways. In November 2024, federal prosecutors charged an Iranian man with plotting Trump's assassination in revenge for Soleimani's killing. President Donald Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu June 17, according to a White House official, amid ongoing fighting between Israel and Iran. The White House hasn't released details of the conversation between Trump and Netanyahu. Trump also met with his top national security advisers in the White House Situation Room June 17 to discuss the war between Israel and Iran, having flown home from the G7 summit in Canada to focus on the conflict in the Middle East. The United States is temporarily closing its embassy in Jerusalem as tensions mount in the conflict between Israel and Iran. The embassy will close June 18 through June 20, with staff directed to 'shelter in place in and near their residences until further notice,' according to a security alert from the embassy. The embassy statement cites 'the security situation and ongoing conflict.' Vice President JD Vance raised the possiblity that Trump could order U.S. military action if Iran doesn't give up its nuclear enrichment program. In a lengthy post on X, Vance made the case that Trump has been consistent in his opposition to Iran attaining a nuclear weapon, and that the president has offered them a peaceful alternative. More: Pentagon sends warplanes, aircraft carrier to Middle East as Iran-Israel war rages Throughout the Israel-Iran shooting war, Trump "has shown remarkable restraint in keeping our military's focus on protecting our troops and protecting our citizens," Vance said. "He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment." "That decision ultimately belongs to the president," he added. In a nod to rising anti-war sentiment from Republicans in Congress, Vance said that "people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue." Air raid sirens wailed again in Tel Aviv shortly after 5 p.m. local time (10 a.m. Eastern) as Israel and Iran continued their retaliatory strikes. The Israeli military said another volley of missiles was en route from Iran. Less than 30 minutes later, an all-clear message went out telling residents it was safe to leave their shelters. It was unclear if any of the missiles evaded air defenses. An Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear complex at Natanz directly hit the underground uranium enrichment plant there, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said, after initially reporting it had been hit only indirectly. Since Israel's launched wide-ranging attacks on Iran on June 13, the International Atomic Energy Agency has been providing updates on the damage to nuclear sites − although it has not been able to carry out inspections. The IAEA had previously said an above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz was destroyed but the larger underground plant was not directly hit, although IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said June 16 its centrifuges had very likely been badly damaged by a strike on the plant's power supply. On June 17 the agency revised its estimate, saying satellite imagery pointed to "direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz." Early on June 17, the president denied he had reached out to Tehran seeking an end to the five-day Iran-Israel air war, after earlier suggesting he was working toward a broad Iran nuclear deal. "I have not reached out to Iran for 'Peace Talks' in any way, shape, or form," he wrote on Truth Social early on June 17. "If they want to talk, they know how to reach me. They should have taken the deal that was on the table - Would have saved a lot of lives!!!" Trump did encourage his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Vice President JD Vance to offer to meet with the Iranians, a source familiar with those discussions said. A U.S. official separately said Witkoff sought to determine whether there was any room for diplomacy with the Iranians before Trump's statement on June 17 suggesting the time for talking was over. Trump urged residents of Tehran to evacuate the night of June 16 and left the Group of Seven summitt in Alberta, Canada, a day early to focus on the Israel-Iran conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters Trump was returning to Washington to work on a ceasefire, but Trump refuted that. "Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Trump said he wants something that's "better than a ceasefire," without elaborating. "IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" he said in a post on Truth Social. "And it's painful for both parties," he said "but I'd say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately before it's too late." More: Pentagon pizza account reported high activity before Israel's attack on Iran Staff and family members at the American Embassy in Jerusalem were sheltering in place before dawn on June 17. More: 'They'd like to talk': Trump says Iran looking to de-escalate with Israel "The U.S. Embassy is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel," the mission said in a security alert, noting that Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and Israel's seaports were closed. Trump's administration warned Americans not to travel to Israel the day before, as Iran retaliated for last week's strikes. The Chinese embassy in Israel urged its citizens to leave the country via land border crossings as soon as possible. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News on June 16 the U.S. still wants a nuclear deal with Iran. 'Of course,' Hegseth said on 'Jesse Watters Primetime" on Fox. 'We are postured defensively in the region to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal. And we certainly hope that's what happens here.' Several members of Congress said they will cosponsor measures to block the United States from going to war with Iran. Rep. Thomas Massie, a self-described "constitutional conservative" Republican from Kentucky, announced a measure "to prohibit our involvement," and invited all members of Congress to cosponsor it. More: Israel threatens 'Tehran will burn' after Iran revenge strikes "This is not our war. But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution," Massie posted. Progressive Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York jumped at the invitation. "No war in Iran," Khanna posted. "It's time for every member to go on record. Are you with the neocons who led us into Iraq or do you stand with the American people?" An hour later, Sen. Bernie Sanders announced he had "introduced legislation to stop Trump from... leading us into an illegal war with Iran." Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said earlier on June 16 he would introduce a war powers resolution in the Senate. "If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential," Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X, imploring Trump to intervene with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Sources told Reuters that Tehran had asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press President Donald Trump to use his influence on Netanyahu and push for an immediate ceasefire. In return, Iran would show flexibility in nuclear negotiations, said the two Iranian and three regional sources. Israel struck first on June 13. In a surprise attack, it killed top military commanders and nuclear scientists. Airstrikes on Iran have also taken at least two of Iran's uranium enrichments sites offline. Iran has retaliated with waves of ballistic missiles that have pierced Israel's defenses, striking residential neighborhoods. Netanyahu told troops at an air base that Israel was on its way to achieving its two main aims: wiping out Iran's nuclear program and destroying its missiles. By midday on June 16, officials from each country said 224 Iranians and 24 Israelis had been killed in the conflict. Trump was at the G7 Summit in Canada when he sent his stark warning to Iran. Not long after, the White House abruptly said he would return to Washington early to focus on the deepening conflict. At a photo with world leaders, Trump told reporters: "I have to be back early." "You probably see what I see, and I have to be back as soon as I can," the president said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also left Canada for Washington. Contributing: Ben Adler, USA TODAY; Reuters. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Easy target': Trump threatens Iran's supreme leader
Vancouver Sun
19-06-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Iranian missile hits hospital in Israel
At least six people were seriously wounded by an Iranian missile barrage on Israel on Thursday morning. Beersheva's Soroka Medical Center sustained a direct hit, and impacts were also reported in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Holon. Four serious injuries were caused by a direct hit on a residential building in Holon, south of Tel Aviv, according to Wolfson Medical Center. The hospital said it was also treating 19 people listed in mild condition. Two people were seriously wounded in the direct hit in Ramat Gan. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. As of Thursday afternoon, the number of injured stood at more than 200, including at least 147 in the greater Tel Aviv region and around 60 in Beersheva. The figures include those injured while running to shelters, individuals suffering from anxiety, and hurt people who arrived independently at hospitals. In addition to Wolfson and Soroka, victims were evacuated for treatment to Ichilov, Sheba, Beilinson, Assaf Harofeh, Barzilai, Mayanei Hayeshua, Assuta, and Schneider medical facilities. Shrapnel severely damaged the home of former Health Minister Dan Naveh in Savyon, southeast of Ramat Gan. The president and CEO of Israel Bonds is on a fundraising trip in the United States, but he told Channel 12 News that his children were at home and survived unharmed. 'Our home suffered severe damage today. Thank God, the three children were together in the safe room and are OK; they were truly saved by a miracle. I was on a video call with the children when the explosion was heard—there were many moments of anxiety,' he said, adding, 'We are in an important existential war, and our spirit is strong.' The barrage, composed of some 30 ballistic missiles, was the heaviest launched by the Islamic Republic in nearly 48 hours. Emergency teams were responding at several sites, searching for wounded and treating several individuals for minor injuries, according to the Magen David Adom emergency medical service. In total, 22 individuals with mild injuries were being transported to hospitals. Following direct missile strikes on residential buildings in central Israel, United Hatzalah volunteers provided initial treatment to three women in serious condition, two men in moderate condition, and more than 50 additional people who sustained mild injuries, including many suffering from emotional shock. Officials from the IDF Home Front Command surveyed the damage at the impact site in Holon, with Home Front Command head Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo praising the actions of local residents. 'This incident is an exceptional example of civilian behavior—the civilians heard the alert, went down to the shelter, and that saved their lives,' Milo said. Israel's Channel 12 News reported that a suspected leak of hazardous materials on one of the floors of Soroka Medial Center was being investigated and that the area was being evacuated; however, it was later reported that a dangerous leak had been ruled out. 'There has been damage to the hospital and extensive damage in various areas. We are currently assessing the damage, including injuries,' the Soroka spokesperson said, requesting that people not come to the medical center at this time and stating that further updates would be provided as soon as possible. According to reports, part of the Soroka complex had been evacuated a day before Thursday's strike by a special order of the Health Ministry, including the floor hit by the missile. 'Just yesterday, they evacuated the old surgical building, which today took a direct hit. It's a great miracle,' a doctor at Soroka told Kan News. Israeli Health Minister Uriel Buso called the Soroka strike 'an act of terror' that crosses a red line. 'It is a war crime by the Iranian regime, deliberately targeting innocent civilians and medical teams dedicated to saving lives. The Health Ministry was prepared in advance, and thanks to the immediate actions we took, a major disaster was averted,' said Buso. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the Iranian regime 'Nazis who launch missiles at hospitals, at the elderly, and at children.' If the regime had nuclear weapons, it would deploy them 'without even thinking for a second,' he added. He called 'Operation Rising Lion,' the IDF campaign in Iran, 'the most just campaign Israel has ever embarked on in its history. 'I embrace the citizens of Israel and strengthen the hands of the prime minister and my colleagues in the Cabinet during these days. We are all united—to remove this threat once and for all, until the end and until absolute victory! The people of Israel live,' Ben-Gvir said.
