Latest news with #IsraelHostages
New York Times
2 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Before the Attack in Boulder, the Gaza War Consumed the City Council
In the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the college town of Boulder, Colo., has long been known as a laid-back, hippie haven. Its residents cherish the outdoors, and its leaders are often elected on reliably liberal promises to expand affordable housing, address climate change and increase racial equity. In recent months, however, the City Council has been pulled apart over an entirely different matter: the war in Gaza. Pro-Palestinian protesters have regularly interrupted meetings with shouting and other unruly behavior, even prompting the council to temporarily move its meetings online to avoid further disruption and later adding rules to more easily bar people from City Hall. It was against that backdrop that an outsider, a man from Colorado Springs, Colo., yelled 'Free Palestine,' the authorities said, as he threw Molotov cocktails at demonstrators marching on Sunday to support the Israeli hostages. Twelve people were injured. Federal officials plan to charge the man with a hate crime. There was no indication that he had any connection to Boulder, his target apparently chosen through an online search for Colorado groups that he believed were supportive of Israel, according to law enforcement officials. But the attack rattled a city that was already feeling consumed by tensions over a war thousands of miles away. 'It's been a hard time here in Boulder,' Mayor Aaron Brockett said. 'We reiterate over and over and over again that international affairs are not the business of the Boulder City Council, and our work is to clean the streets and make sure the water comes out when you turn the tap.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
What we know about the suspect and victims in the Boulder, Colorado, attack
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Six people calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza were injured at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colorado, by a man who police say used a makeshift flamethrower and hurled an incendiary device into a crowd. The FBI immediately described Sunday's violence as a 'targeted terror attack.' The suspect, identified by the FBI as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled 'Free Palestine' during the attack on the group of demonstrators, said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office. Soliman was arrested and taken to the hospital for treatment, but authorities didn't elaborate on his injuries. Here is what we know about the attack: How the attack unfolded Authorities said the attacker targeted demonstrators with a volunteer group called Run for Their Lives, which organizes run and walk events to call for the immediate release of the Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza since they were captured by militants during the incursion into southern Israel that started the Israel-Hamas war in 2023. The group had gathered at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder frequented by tourists and students. The Israel-Hamas war has inflamed global tensions and contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. A week earlier, two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot to death in Washington by a man who yelled 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza' as he was being led away by police. Police in Boulder evacuated multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear. The violence occurred four years after 10 people were killed a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Several people hospitalized The people hospitalized for injuries in the Pearl Street attack range in age from 67 to 88. Photos from the scene showed a woman lying on the ground in the fetal position with her hair soaked, and a man helping her and getting water from someone with a water jug. The injuries authorities found were consistent with reports of people being set on fire, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said, adding that injuries ranged from serious to minor. Redfearn told reporters Sunday evening that it was too early to discuss a motive but that witnesses were being interviewed. 'It would be irresponsible for me to speculate on motive this early on,' he said. The suspect was arrested at the scene Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was arrested at the scene. No charges were immediately announced, but officials said they expect to hold him 'fully accountable.' Video from the scene showed him shirtless and wearing jeans and holding two clear bottles with a transparent liquid in them while shouting at onlookers. Another video shows a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on the suspect. FBI leaders in Washington said they were treating the Boulder attack as an act of terrorism, and the Justice Department — which leads investigations into acts of violence driven by religious, racial or ethnic motivations — decried the attack as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans.' 'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a post on X.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Eight injured in ‘flamethrower' attack at pro-Israel rally in Colorado
Six people were injured in Boulder, Colorado, when a man attacked a group calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza using a makeshift flamethrower and an incendiary device. The FBI is investigating the incident as a "targeted terror Attack," with the suspect yelling "Free Palestine" during the assault. The victims, aged 67 to 88, sustained injuries consistent with being set on fire and were hospitalised with injuries ranging from serious to minor. A man was arrested at the scene; authorities expect to hold him accountable, with the FBI treating the Attack as an act of ideologically motivated violence. The Attack occurred at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall and follows a rise in antisemitic violence in the U.S. amid ongoing Israel-Hamas war tensions.
Forbes
4 days ago
- General
- Forbes
6 Injured In Attack On Colorado Event For Israeli Hostages
At least six people were injured at a gathering in Boulder, Colorado, in support of Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, after a man attacked the event using a makeshift flamethrower, the FBI said. Law enforcement officials investigate after an attack on the Pearl Street Mall Sunday, in Boulder, ... More Colo. The suspected attacker was immediately taken into custody after he was identified by witnesses and the FBI said it was investigating the attack with Boulder Police as an act of terrorism. In a press conference, Mark Michalek, the F.B.I. special agent in charge, said witnesses told investigators the suspect used a 'makeshift flamethrower', threw an incendiary device at the crowd and shouted 'Free Palestine' during the attack. The FBI official said the arrested suspect has been identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman of Colorado Springs. The six victims injured in the attack are between the ages of 67 to 88, among whom four were taken to the Boulder Community Hospital, while two others with serious injuries were airlifted to a medical facility in Denver. Police said they first received calls about the incident, which took place in downtown Boulder's Pearl Street pedestrian mall area, around 1:26 p.m. local time. As of late Sunday night, some portions of Pearl Street remained closed, according to Boulder Police. 'My thoughts go out to the people who have been injured by this heinous and targeted act on the Jewish community…As the Jewish community reels from the recent antisemitic murders in Washington, D.C., it is unfathomable that the community is facing another antisemitic attack here in Boulder on the eve of the holiday of Shavuot…Hate is unacceptable in our Colorado for all, and I condemn this act of terror,' Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.
Al Arabiya
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Hamas reportedly accepts Gaza truce proposal; Trump lashes out at Putin
In this episode of W News, presented by Leigh-Ann Gerrans, we report on a Palestinian official close to Hamas telling Reuters that the group has agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal put forward by US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The plan includes the release of ten living Israeli hostages in two groups, in exchange for a 70-day ceasefire and a partial Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. We also bring you the latest from the Russia-Ukraine war, as US President Donald Trump calls Russian President Vladimir Putin 'crazy' over attacks on Ukrainian cities, and warns that a full takeover attempt would 'lead to the downfall of Russia.' Guests: Jotam Confino – Middle East correspondent Adnan Abu Hasna – UNRWA spokesperson Ross Cullen – Correspondent Patrick Fok – Correspondent
