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Memri
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Prior To Washington D.C. Murder Of Israeli Embassy Staffers At Jewish Event, Hamas Had Called For Attacks On Israeli, American Targets Worldwide
Just hours after Elias Rodriguez, from Chicago, shot and killed a young couple, Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, outside a Jewish event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. on the night of May 21, 2025, a Hamas-affiliated X account hastened, on May 22, 2025, to label the murder an "heroic act" and to praise the shooter. This attack did not occur in a vacuum; just a week ago, on May 15, 2025, Sami Abu Zuhri, head of Hamas's political department abroad, had explicitly called for attacks on Israeli interests worldwide. It was not the first time; previously, he had on several occasions incited attacks against Israeli and American targets around the globe, calling on anyone with a weapon to act and "spare no IED [improvised explosive device], bullet, knife, or stone." Other Hamas officials, as well as Hamas supporters and Hamas-affiliated media outlets, likewise incited "jihad operations" against Israeli, American, and Western targets, and some even threatened to carry out such attacks. This report reviews Hamas's praise of the May 21 murder, as well as recent calls by Abu Zuhri and other Hamas officials for attacks against Israeli and American targets: Hamas Praises Murderer Of Two Members Of Israeli Embassy Staff In Washington A few hours after the murder of the two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, the Telegram account of the Hamas-affiliated Shehab News Agency posted a photo of suspect Elias Rodriguez, writing: "[Soar] high like an eagle."[1] Praise for shooter Elias Rodriguez (Source: May 22, 2025) Expressing similar sentiments, the X account of the Gaza Now website – Gaza Now was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department as a "key financial facilitator involved in fundraising for Hamas" in March 2024[2] – also praised Rodriguez. One post referred to him as "a resistance fighter," and stated: "In a moment of courage, he decided to raise his voice to the world and to bravely confront the murderers. He fired, killed one of the Israeli clerks [sic], stood and issued his challenge while restrained, and in so doing raised the flag of justice against the oppressor..."[3] Another post on the Gaza Now X account compared Rodriguez to slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, with photos of them side by side and stating: "Even though he isn't a Muslim, he has an active conscience, like the conscience of Yahya Sinwar. He carried out his brave act in the heart of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, to avenge the children of Gaza. He killed two Zionist terrorists and then sat down resolutely and crossed his legs. He proved that conscience has no religion, but [takes] a stand."[4] Rodriguez and Sinwar (Source: May 22, 2025) Senior Hamas Official Sami Abu Zuhri Called For Terrorist Attacks On Israeli And American Interests Across The World Earlier in May 2025, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri had called for terrorist attacks against Israeli and American interests across the world. On May 15, 2025, he told the Hamas-affiliated Shehab News Agency: "Today we once again tell our ummah [Islamic nation] that the time has come for everyone to take action against the occupation and its interests in every place, after the failure of all the gambles regarding the possibility of stopping the massacres by political means. "Do not abandon Gaza. Slumber or inactivity are not options. The entire ummah will be sinning if it doesn't act quickly to save Gaza and to avenge it, everywhere."[5] Threat by senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri: "The time has come for everyone to take action against the occupation and its interests everywhere." (Source: May 15, 2025) Abu Zuhri: "Spare No IED, Bullet, Knife, Or Stone" On March 30, 2025, the Palestinian Quds News Network published a post on its X account citing a statement by Abu Zuhri calling for attacks on Israeli and American interests, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for the "voluntary relocation" of Gazans. According to the post, Abu Zuhri stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent statements about Israel's intention to implement Trump's plan reveal an "American-Zionist scheme linked to the displacement project." During a government meeting that morning, Netanyahu had declared that Israel would "enable the implementation of Trump's plan." Abu Zuhri declared: "In the face of this diabolical plan, which combines massacres and starvation, everyone who can bear arms anywhere in the world must act. Spare no IED, bullet, knife, or stone. Let everyone break their silence. We are all sinners if the interests of America and the Zionist occupation remain safe in light of the slaughter and starvation of Gaza."[6] Abu Zuhri: "Spare no IED, bullet, knife, or stone" (Source: March 30, 2025) Abu Zuhri: The Trump Administration Is An Accomplice To The Aggression In Gaza And Must Bear Responsibility For It; Attack The Interests Of The Occupation And Its Allies Worldwide Also on March 18, 2025, Abu Zuhri told the Hamas-affiliated Shehab News Agency: "The objectives of the massacres by the occupation in Gaza are to demolish the ceasefire agreement, to attempt to impose [on Hamas] an agreement of surrender, and to write it in the blood of Gaza. Netanyahu's goals will not be actualized, and he must understand that his aggression constitutes a death sentence for the Zionist captives [i.e. the hostages]... "The statements from the White House that there were U.S.-Israel consultations prior to the escalation in Gaza make the Trump administration an accomplice to the aggression. Its hands are stained with the blood of the children of Gaza, and it must bear responsibility for the consequences of this aggression. "All the elements of the ummah are being tested, and history will have mercy on no one. Whoever is capable of taking action against the interests of the occupation and its allies across the world and does not do so is indeed a sinner."[7] For Years, Senior Hamas Officials And Hamas Affiliates Incited Terror Attacks Across The World In recent years, senior Hamas officials as well as Hamas affiliates have incited terror attacks on Israeli and American targets worldwide. Senior Hamas Official Khalil Al-Hayya Calls On Arabs And Muslims To Besiege Israeli And American Embassies On a May 16, 2024 show on Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV, Hamas political bureau member Khalil Al-Hayya called on Arabs and Muslims to besiege Israeli and American embassies in Arab countries, in order to let them know that the "Arab nations do not accept any injustice against the Palestinians." To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here or below: Hamas-Affiliated Palestine Scholars Association Calls For Global 'Jihad Operations' Against Israeli, U.S. Interests On March 18, 2025, the Palestine Scholars Association (PSA), which headed by Hamas members, posted a statement on its website accusing Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza and urging Muslims to carry out "jihad operations" against Israeli and American interests worldwide. It also exhorted the Arab and Islamic regimes to assist the Palestinians militarily and called for the revival of mass demonstrations everywhere to press for an end to the war.[8] Sami Abu Zuhri: If The West And The U.S. Continue Their Support For Israel, Our Nation Will View Them As An Enemy; This Conflict Might Go Beyond The Borders Of Palestine Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri warned in a January 5, 2024 broadcast on Qatar's Al-Jazeera that the West and the U.S. must reconsider their position regarding Israel. Saying that if they do not stop their support for Israel, Hamas will consider them enemies, just like the "Zionist occupation," he added that the conflict will continue as long as there is occupation. If the U.S. continues the same policy, he emphasized, "this conflict might go beyond the borders of Palestine and might expand in scope." To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here or below: Sami Abu Zuhri Calls For Violence Against American And British Interests Worldwide On a December 5, 2023 show on Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV, Abu Zuhri called for acts of violence worldwide against the interests of the U.S., U.K., and other countries that he said support Israel. U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, he said, was as much an "enemy" as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that he would pay the price just as Netanyahu would. He added that that the Americans and British must pay a price for the blood of the women and children in Gaza, and must know that Gaza is not alone.[9] To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here or below: Following Malaysia Murder Of Palestinian Engineer Fadi Al-Batsh, Hamas Supporters Discuss Acting Against Israel Abroad On April 21, 2018, Palestinian engineer Dr. Fadi Al-Batsh was killed in a drive-by motorcycle shooting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the London-based daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, he was an expert in electrical engineering and rocket manufacture who had been living in Malaysia for a decade after being sent there by Hamas to complete his studies. During a condolence visit to the family's home in the city of Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip, then-Hamas political bureau head Isma'il Haniyed called on the Malaysian government to investigate the murder, noting that doing so would "reveal the involvement of the Mossad organization in the assassination." He said that those behind the killing "will certainly yet pay the price," and added, "The battle with Israel has moved outside the occupied lands." Haniyeh's statement sparked a debate within Hamas on the question of whether it too should act against Israel outside Palestine. The pro-Hizbullah Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar reported on April 23, 2018 that associates of Hamas were seriously considering "moving some of the battle against the occupation outside of occupied Palestine." However, the London daily Rai Al-Yawm, which is owned by Palestinian journalist Abd Al-Bari 'Atwan, assessed that most Hamas officials still opposed anti-Israel activity abroad. The argument within Hamas was reflected in articles published following Al-Batsh's killing on Hamas-affiliated websites. Some writers wrote that Hamas should respond to Israel's alleged assassinations of its scientists, by harming Israeli interests and individuals abroad, since this was the best possible way to stop Israel from carrying out these killings. Others warned that Hamas activity against Israel abroad would likely boomerang, harming both Hamas and its relations with the countries in which it operates. (For more on the discussion, see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 5371, Following The Murder In Malaysia Of Palestinian Engineer Fadi Al-Batsh, Hamas Supporters Debate Whether To Act Against Israel Abroad,"May 1, 2018.) Article In Hamas Mouthpiece Calls For Expanding Arena Of Fighting With Israel To Include Its Interests Abroad In a January 21, 2018 article in the Hamas mouthpiece Al-Risala, 'Imad Al-'Afana, journalist and former secretary general of Hamas's faction in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), called on the movement to expand its target bank and its arena of operations in its fight with Israel. He wrote that the balance of deterrence that had long existed between Israel and Hamas had collapsed because Hamas had stopped responding with sufficient force to offensive action by Israel, such as the bombing of Hamas tunnels and facilities and the attempted targeted killing of its operatives. In order to restore the balance of deterrence, he added, Hamas must change its mode of operation, which had become predictable, and start to respond to Israeli attacks in unexpected ways, including by attacking Israeli targets abroad and by "moving the conflict into the enemy's territory and the into heart of its bases, settlements and airports – not only on the Gaza border but in the Zionist rear." (See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 7317, Article In Hamas Mouthpiece Calls To Expand Arena Of Fighting With Israel To Include Its Interests Abroad, February 5, 2018.) Senior Hamas Official: The Resistance Is Entitled To Attack Israel's Embassies, Interests, And Officials Worldwide – And The Interests Of Its Allies, Headed By The U.S. In an article published July 16, 2013 on the Hamas-affiliated website, Hamas Refugee Affairs Department head Dr Issam Adwan argued that Hamas had the right to attack Israeli embassies and interests as well as senior Israeli officials anywhere in the world. He added that the resistance was also entitled to harm the interests of Israel's allies, headed by the U.S. In his article, Adwan called for opening Hamas liaison offices in the Arab and Islamic countries "in order to recruit support, material and moral assistance, and even manpower assistance." Hinting at the Palestinian Authority, he stated that the resistance "has the right to smite with an iron fist any hand that seeks to rip apart the [Palestinian] people's unity and [cause it to] abandon its rights." (See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 5371, Senior Hamas Official: The Resistance Is Entitled To Attack Israel's Embassies, Interests, And Officials Worldwide – And The Interests Of Its Allies, Headed By The U.S., July 19, 2013.)
Saba Yemen
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Political, military analysts: Yemeni missile opens the door to strikes that could hit more sensitive targets
Capitals - (Saba): Military analysts agreed that the missile launched by the Yemeni Armed Forces on Sunday toward Ben Gurion Airport represents an exceptional event with profound strategic and military dimensions. It opens the door to a series of future Yemeni strikes that could hit more sensitive institutions, given the collapse of Israeli deterrence. They also believe that, after this strike, Yemen has transitioned from a marginal and impoverished state to one capable of strategic influence. The Conflict Equation Military expert Lieutenant General Qased Mahmoud said that the Yemeni targeting of Ben Gurion Airport reflects a qualitative shift in the nature of the ongoing confrontation in the region. In a statement to Shehab News Agency, Lieutenant General Mahmoud confirmed that by launching the missile, the Yemeni Armed Forces "once again demonstrate Yemen's effective presence in the conflict equation and its ability to execute its threats with high precision, despite long distances." He pointed out that the recent strike confirms the failure of both Israeli and American air defense systems, despite the Zionist entity's reliance on five advanced layers of interception systems. According to Mahmoud, the missile's landing at one of the most sensitive targets, Ben Gurion Airport, carries a dual significance: the first is operational, confirming the penetration of air defenses, and the second is moral, directly impacting Israel's international image and the confidence of investors and airlines, which have begun suspending flights to the airport. He pointed out that these attacks send direct messages to Washington and Tel Aviv that the military solution is no longer viable, and that continuing the aggression against Gaza will have repercussions beyond the borders of Palestine. He also emphasized that recurrence of such strikes could lead to greater regional escalation and potentially force the United States to face difficult choices, especially in light of its current negotiations with Iran. Mahmoud concludes by emphasizing that the strike represents real pressure on Israeli decision-makers and threatens Israel's internal and economic security. It also sends a political message to the region and the world that the balance of deterrence has truly begun to shift. Israel's Injury Israeli affairs expert Ahmed Shadid said that the missile's fall, despite warnings from the Israeli army and the American "Intuition 3" and "Patriot" systems, demonstrates the missile's evasion of interception and is not merely a technical failure. He pointed out that hitting the airport, one of the most fortified sites, demonstrates a qualitative development in Yemeni missile capabilities. He explained in a phone call to Cairo News Channel that Israel detected the missile as soon as it was launched from Yemen, 10 minutes before its arrival, but was unable to intercept it until 3-4 minutes before its target, proving "the existence of gaps in Israeli air defenses." Shadid revealed that hitting the airport was not the only damage. The missile also targeted a nearby power station, which would have caused the collapse of the infrastructure had it hit. He added, "Ben Gurion Airport is not ordinary. It is a symbol of Israeli sovereignty and military manufacturing. The strike here is more moral than material." The expert considered that reaching deep into Israel proves that Yemen, through Ansar Allah, has become "capable of causing strategic pain to Israel," comparing it to the threat of the nuclear reactor in Dimona. He noted that this could force Netanyahu to reconsider his calculations, especially after the issuance of conscription orders for an additional 60,000 soldiers. A Qualitative Strike Writer and political analyst Suleiman Basharat said, "The Yemeni strike against the occupation is qualitative and could bring about a change in the Israeli perspective, not only regarding the war on the Gaza Strip, but also in the form and nature of the situation in the coming period." In an interview with Quds Press, Basharat believed that "this Yemeni action will open the door to debate within the occupied territories about the feasibility of the war, especially if the Yemeni armed forces continue targeting Israeli territory. Consequently, voices within Israeli society may begin to demand a reconsideration of the Israeli perspective on the war." He added, "After this operation, the occupation is back to square one in terms of the concept of challenge imposed on October 7. In recent months, Benjamin Netanyahu's government and military officials have made statements indicating that they have succeeded in dismantling the axis of resistance and the unity of the arenas, and that the Israeli home front is now immune to direct targeting." Basharat pointed out that "one indication of the strength of the strike is the scale and nature of the Israeli threats issued by the political and military levels since this afternoon. These threats have been characterized by a very high ceiling, in terms of demanding an unconventional response and expanding the scope of the response to include Iranian and Yemeni territory." A Strategic Breach For his part, writer and political analyst Khaled Maali emphasized that "the Yemeni strike on Lod Airport represents a significant advantage for Yemen and carries several implications, the first of which is the inability of America and the occupation to achieve deterrence. It also indicates that Yemen has transitioned from a marginal and poor state to a state capable of strategic influence, particularly in the field of maritime navigation and the course of the Arab-Israeli conflict in general." Maali added that "for the occupying entity, this operation represents a major strategic breach and confirms that Israel has not achieved the goals Netanyahu has repeatedly spoken of." He continued: "The failure to achieve deterrence is a blow to navigation within the occupying entity, as well as to the economy, which is closely linked to air navigation." Maali emphasized that "this operation is likely to strengthen the position of the opposition within the occupying entity, which could constitute support for it against the Netanyahu government, given the significant negative impact the strike will have on the standing of the government and the army in the eyes of the public." He also noted that "these operations contribute to raising Palestinian morale, which was clearly reflected in the reactions and jubilation that pervaded the Palestinian street, especially since the strike came amid the ongoing Israeli occupation aggression against the Gaza Strip." His Excellency concluded by saying, "The strike was painful, qualitative, and impactful against the occupation, as evidenced by the statements issued by Israeli leaders since this morning, which included strongly worded threats against Yemen." Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (Reports)
Al Jazeera
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Israeli military kills Hamas spokesman as Gaza assault continues
A Hamas spokesperson has been killed by an Israeli air strike in northern Gaza, news outlets have confirmed, as Israel's army continues its renewed assault on the besieged enclave. Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua was killed when Israeli fighter jets bombed his tent shelter in the northern city of Jabalia in the early hours of Thursday morning, according to Al-Aqsa television and the Shehab News Agency. Several more people were wounded in the strike, including children, according to Hind Khoudary, an Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza. Khoudary said the attack was one of several carried out by the Israeli military across the Strip over recent hours, including a strike on a home in the as-Saftawi area of Gaza City, which killed six members of the same family. On March 18, Israel abruptly ended a fragile two-month ceasefire as it resumed its intense bombing campaign and ground operations in Gaza. Israel has since killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians in an attempt to pressure Hamas into freeing the remaining captives held in the war-torn enclave. Several senior Hamas officials have also been killed over the past week. On Sunday, an Israeli air strike on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza killed five people, including Ismail Barhoum, the head of finances and institutions within Hamas's political office. That same day, Israeli fighter jets also bombed tents housing displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis. Salah al-Bardaweel, a prominent Hamas political leader and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was killed in that attack alongside his wife. Both men were part of Hamas's political office – a 20-member decision-making body, 11 of whom have been killed since the start of the war in late 2023, according to the Reuters news agency. Hamas still holds 59 of the roughly 250 captives the group took during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas assault while the Israeli military has now killed at least 50,183 Palestinians and wounded 113,828 others since launching its ground and air assault on the Palestinian enclave. About 830 people have been killed since Israel resumed attacks 10 days ago, according to statistics from Gaza's Ministry of Health, with women and children making up more than half of the casualties. The United Nations' humanitarian agency (OCHA) also announced on Tuesday that 142,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced by the Israeli military since March 18, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation caused by Israel's ongoing restrictions on aid entering Gaza. The rising death toll in Gaza comes amid weeks of slow-moving and fractious ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Mediators – the United States, Qatar and Egypt – have failed to secure an extension to the first stage of the three-phase agreement, which expired on March 1. Hamas has accused Israel of intentionally jeopardising truce discussions, aimed at bringing about a permanent end to fighting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed he ordered Israeli forces to renew attacks on Gaza after Hamas rejected proposals to secure an extension. On Wednesday, Netanyahu repeated threats that Israel would seize territory in Gaza if Hamas failed to release the remaining captives.
Middle East Eye
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israel claims responsibility for strike in northern Gaza
The Israeli military claimed responsibility for an air strike in northern Gaza targeting people it suspected of "planting an explosive device" near its soldiers. Earlier, the Shehab News Agency reported that an Israeli drone attack in northern Gaza killed one person and injured another. This latest attack comes after Israel and Hamas failed to agree on the next phase of the ceasefire deal.
