Browsing: United States

The new proposal from US special envoy Steve Witkoff for a deal between Israel and the Hamas terror group would see the release of 10 living Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the return of the bodies of 18 deceased hostages, in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire, an Israeli official confirmed to The Times of Israel on Thursday. The confirmation came as right-wing ministers, and some hawkish hostage families, came out in opposition to the proposed deal, arguing that Hamas is weakened and now is the time to force the terror group to surrender. As part of the US proposal, the…

Israel is getting ready to quickly strike Iran if ongoing talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic over the latter’s nuclear program break down, Axios reported Wednesday, citing a pair of Israeli sources. “Bibi is waiting for the nuclear talks to collapse and for the moment Trump will be disappointed about the negotiations and open to giving him the go-ahead,” said one of the sources, using Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nickname. According to the sources, the Israeli intelligence community now thinks the nuclear talks could collapse soon, after previously believing an agreement was close. One of the sources said the…

The head of U.S. Central Command arrived in Israel on Thursday for high-level talks, as talks between Washington and Tehran on the latter’s nuclear program continue. Gen. Michael Kurilla’s visit comes as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza and conducts strikes in Lebanon and Syria, while the U.S. carries out a campaign against Houthi targets in Yemen. Meanwhile, Washington is quietly engaging Tehran in renewed efforts to reach a nuclear agreement—an effort Israeli officials view with growing alarm. Israeli defense and political leaders continue to treat Iran’s nuclear program as their most urgent national security threat. Kurilla’s trip, seen…

The United States has formally redesignated the Yemeni Houthi movement as a “foreign terrorist organization,” according to a statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This announcement is in line with the promise made by President Donald Trump three days after he took office last month. The measure imposes more severe economic sanctions than those applied by Joe Biden’s administration to the Iran-aligned group, officially known as Ansar Allah. This decision follows the Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and on American warships defending this crucial maritime passage point. At the beginning of his presidential term…

The Israeli Air Force held a joint exercise with the US Air Force on Tuesday, in what was likely a message to Iran amid speculation about a potential joint strike on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities. During the exercise, pilots “practiced operational coordination between the two militaries to enhance their ability to address various regional threats,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Thursday. The drill included Israeli F-15I and F-35I fighter jets flying alongside a US B-52 bomber. “The exercise aimed to strengthen and maintain the longstanding cooperation between the forces while expanding connectivity and building integrated capabilities…

An Israeli American hostage recently freed from Hamas released a powerful message thanking Donald Trump for being the “reason I am home alive” and urged him to bring those remaining in captivity home. Keith Siegel, 65, issued a statement on Friday, February 14, commending the president for his “strength” and “leadership” during the conflict in Gaza while revealing the horrors he faced as a prisoner of Hamas. “Since February 1, I am a newly released Hamas hostage. I’m a survivor. I was held for 484 days in unimaginable conditions. Every single day felt like it could be my last,” Seigel…

by Shelley Neese Every December, a new controversy erupts over the national identity of the baby in the manger. While 2 billion Christians worldwide celebrate the miraculous birth of our Messiah, pro-Palestinian groups politicize Jesus’ birth to advance their cause. Susan Michael, USA president of the International Christian Embassy (ICEJ), rejects the annual attempts to recast Jesus as a modern-day Palestinian, saying, “It is not just anachronistic; it’s an erasure of the historical and theological truth that Jesus was a Jewish man born in the land of Israel known as Judea under the Roman Empire.” On December 8, the Vatican…

Analysis: Shiite axis remains determined to launch reprisal but hesitating due to threat of swift counterattack; US and Israel prepared for any scenario but aim to avoid regional conflict; Washington seeks hostage deal and cease-fire Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah in Lebanon appear to have decided on a plan for a retaliatory attack against Israel but are delaying its execution for strategic and operational reasons. The delay is due in part to the close surveillance and readiness of the IDF to launch a counterattack against any aggression from Iran or Hezbollah. Recent overflights by Israeli Air Force jets above Beirut…

The APT42, an IRGC-linked cyber group conducts targeted campaigns against Israeli diplomats, academics and former defense officials as well as both US presidential campaigns Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) shared their findings concerning APT42, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-backed threat agent, and their targeted phishing campaigns against Israel and Israeli targets. Google also confirmed recent reports around APT42’s targeting of accounts associated with the U.S. presidential election. According to the Threat Analysis Group, APT42, associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) consistently targets high-profile users in Israel and the U.S., including current and former government officials, political campaigns, diplomats,…

At least 12 American warships are concentrated in the region With Israel bracing for potential retaliation from Iran and its proxies after two assassinations in Beirut and Tehran, the United States is scrambling forces to prepare for an escalation that threatens to engulf the Middle East. At the same time, the U.S. is launching a diplomatic offensive aimed at preventing a regional conflict and returning Israel and Hamas to the negotiating table regarding a hostage release and ceasefire deal. A U.S. Pentagon official told the Washington Post on Thursday that at least 12 American warships were concentrated in the eastern Mediterranean and the…