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It's been a grim, record-breaking week for Ukraine, with Russia unleashing an unprecedented wave of missiles and drones, including decoys to overwhelm air defences. Amid the chaos, Trump seemed equally thrown—confused by Putin, then reversing course to reinstate military aid to Kyiv after pausing it just last week. Washington is now dangling sanctions as the carrot turns to stick in ceasefire efforts. Meanwhile, it's been pageantry over politics as the Macrons embarked on a three-day state visit to the UK. Kicking off with cocktails at Windsor Castle—“The Entente”, a symbolic mix of British gin and French pastis—the visit marked a reset in post-Brexit ties. There were toasts with the King and Keir, a nuclear cooperation deal, and a plan to stop migrant crossings. Macron couldn't resist a little “I told you so” on Brexit. And in tech: Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok sparked outrage after it began imitating Hitler and promoting anti-Semitic views. Just days after Musk hailed its progress, Grok called itself “MechaHitler.” Musk blamed manipulation and removed the posts. The fallout continued with the sudden resignation of X CEO Linda Yaccarino—met with a cold, two-line farewell.
UN humanitarians say Israeli authorities have allowed a UN team to bring 75,000 liters of fuel into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. It was the first batch of fuel allowed into Gaza in more than four months.
The CEO of Gaza aid group Project Hope tells Newshour there is ‘no justification' for the killing of civilians seeking medical care, after an Israeli strike killed 15 Palestinians, including ‘at least 8 children', waiting outside its clinic in central Gaza. The IDF said it had been targeting a Hamas fighter who took part in the October 7th attack. Also on the programme: we speak to Brazilian President Lula De Silva's chief foreign policy advisor following Mr Lula's pledge to match 50% US tariffs; and the original Birkin handbag has been sold at auction for more than ten million dollars. (Pictures A Palestinian woman reacts as casualties are brought into Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following an Israeli strike, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. To begin the program we discuss the current status of IDF operations in the Gaza Strip and then turn to two deadly incidents this week. In the first discussed event, we learn that Master Sgt. (res.) Abraham Azulay, 25, was killed during an abduction attempt by terrorists who also attempted to snatch his body in the southern Gaza Strip. On Monday night, five Israeli soldiers were killed and 14 were wounded by roadside bombs in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. The slain soldiers were named as: Staff Sgt. Meir Shimon Amar, 20, from Jerusalem; Sgt. Moshe Nissim Frech, 20, from Jerusalem; Staff Sgt. Noam Aharon Musgadian, 20, from Jerusalem; Staff Sgt. Moshe Shmuel Noll, 21, from Beit Shemesh; and Sgt. First Class (res.) Benyamin Asulin, 28, from Haifa. We learn about this deadly attack and discuss the significance of both attacks -- regarding Hamas's continued battle-readiness and the IDF's vigilance. Turning to the north, on Tuesday, the IDF said it killed a “key Hamas terrorist” in a strike in Lebanon's Tripoli, naming him as Mehran Mustafa Bajur, a prominent Hamas commander. We learn about this strike, as well as ground operations inside southern Lebanon where troops raided several sites, destroying Hezbollah weapon depots and other infrastructure. Twice earlier in the week, the IDF carried out overnight raids in southern Syria, where forces captured a cell of operatives operating on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Fabian weighs in on the power vacuum left in this part of Israel's border with the new Syrian regime. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Israeli soldier killed during attempted Hamas abduction in southern Gaza, IDF says 5 IDF soldiers killed, 14 injured by roadside bombs in northern Gaza IDF says it killed key Hamas figure in Lebanon, confirms death of Oct. 7 terrorist in Gaza Troops destroy Hezbollah arms in rare southern Lebanon ground raids, IDF says For 2nd time in days, IDF says troops arrested terror cell in Syria working for Iran Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: A July 4, 2025, handout photo of IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip. (IDF)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and US bureau chief Jacob Magid join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, DC, but mediators in the ongoing negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal have been notified by the Trump administration that the president expects them to secure an agreement this week. US Special Envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff will travel to Doha today to advance the deal. We hear from Magid and Berman what the atmosphere is like in DC: Are officials still hopeful a deal could occur according to Trump's timeline? Ahead of a White House dinner, both US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu took American media's questions, including a query about the viability of the two-state solution. We learn what Netanyahu said at the dinner, as well as remarks following the meal from a senior Israeli official who intimated that Israel is ready to temporarily govern the Gaza Strip: “There has to be a system there that manages life,” the official said. “Maybe for a certain amount of time, it is us." Yesterday, the US announced that it was revoking its “foreign terrorist organization” designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group once linked to Al-Qaeda that took control of Syria in December 2024. This comes after last week, Trump formally dismantled US sanctions against Syria. We learn what was said during the Trump-Netanyahu dinner and the US's hopes to reintegrate Syria into the global economy. Part of the reason that Netanyahu is in DC is to celebrate the success of the 12-day Israel-Iran war. In a briefing with a senior Israeli official following the dinner, it was also noted that Israel anticipates the US will permit it to launch new strikes on Iran, in the event that the Islamic Republic attempts to restart its nuclear program. There was no ceasefire deal announcement, but there was drama of a different sort: Following Trump’s opening remarks to reporters before their White House dinner, Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for the American leader on behalf of Israelis as well as Jews around the world and presented Trump with a letter he sent to the Nobel Prize committee nominating the US president for the peace prize. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: 5 IDF soldiers killed, 14 injured by roadside bomb in northern Gaza Witkoff to join hostage talks in Doha Tuesday as sides told Trump wants deal by week’s end Katz calls for confining all Gazans in ‘humanitarian city’ built over Rafah’s ruins US revokes terror label for Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which toppled Assad Proposal outlines massive camps for Gazans in bid to advance Trump’s ‘vision’ – report Israel said to expect US backing for future strikes on Iran if it revives nuclear program Netanyahu surprises Trump with Nobel recommendation, as leaders stress coordination Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: A Palestinian tent city in the Al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, July 6, 2025. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Originally aired on Oct. 16, 2024. Palestinian-American activist and resident senior fellow at The Atlantic Council Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib joins Adaam James Levin-Areddy to discuss growing up in the Gaza Strip, the challenge of polling public opinion in Gaza, the future of Palestinian self-governance, whether there is a meaningful contingent in support seeking peace with Israel. The Agenda: —The story of Gaza —Hamas vs. Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) —October 7 —Breaking down support for Hamas in Gaza —Palestinian sovereignty and UNRWA —Do Palestinians want peace? —The radicalism of the moderate voice Show Notes: —Ahmed's piece for The Dispatch —Adaam talks with Dr. Einat Wilf about UNRWA and the refugee industrial complex —Adaam and Jonah talk on Oct. 7, 2023 The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including members-only newsletters, bonus podcast episodes, and weekly livestreams—click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Benjamin Netanyahu has done it before: making positive noises about a Gaza truce before boarding a plane to America, only for it all to unravel after he lands. For the Israeli prime minister's third visit to the White House since Inauguration Day, the noises are more positive than they've been in a while, but hard evidence of progress is thin and these meetings with Donald Trump always feel loosely scripted; perhaps even improvised. The last time Netanyahu visited the Oval Office, he was ambushed by his host who gushed about Turkey's leader and announced direct talks with Iran. What about this time, after that 12-day war that roped in US fighter planes? We ask about an eventual deal. And how to feed Palestinian civilians forced to risk their lives each time they approach one of those US and Israeli-backed aid distribution centres, the ones that bypass international aid agencies? Could Sunday's announcement that Israel's war cabinet approved aid for northern Gaza Strip signal call time on that concept? Read more'Blood for food': The US soldier-spies sidelining UN aid work in Gaza And then there's the rebuilding of a territory that's been flattened. Does Trump still cling to his Gaza Riviera real estate development plan? Does Israel want to occupy Gaza? The US wants normalisation between Israel and the likes of Syria and Saudi Arabia. How badly? And where do Palestinians figure in all the grand bargaining? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Alessandro Xenos.
AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports on the White House's short memory about President Trump's declaration that the U.S. would 'take over' the Gaza Strip.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. This week, we're joined by John Spencer, the chief of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, a research center dedicated to the study of war and warfare. Spencer is a retired Major in the US Army and is a leading expert in military operations in dense and subterranean urban areas. Spencer reached out to us after we released a Friday Focus podcast, "10 truths about the Gaza war, 20 months in," based on Berman's in-depth analysis, "For now, victory is still within reach: 10 truths about the Gaza war, 20 months in." Today's conversation is a meeting of the minds in which Berman and Spencer delve into the nuts and bolts of the war in Gaza so far. Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch. IMAGE: IDF forces operate in the Gaza Strip in this July 3, 2025, handout photo. (IDF)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, the war in Gaza appeared to get closer to a 60-day truce. The past seven days also saw a corruption trial facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed by an Israeli court. The move came hours after US President Donald Trump took to social media, claiming the case was a witch hunt and would interfere with the Israeli prime minister's urgent diplomacy to negotiate a deal for Gaza.
PalestineThe Israeli forces as part of their on going genocide, in the last 24hrs have killed 142 Palestinian civilians, and injured 487. InternmentA British Supreme Court judgement in 2020 ruled that almost 400 internees were unlawfully detained under British law in the 1970s. These internees are now elderly and some are quite poorly. They were victim of appalling treatment at the hands of the British state forces and were held in shameful conditions.‘British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made his views clear earlier this year when he told the British Parliament that he would block compensation.Internment was an abuse of power and a denial of human rights by the British state. This was compounded for these 400 because the British government breached even its own law.The original injustice endured by the internees will be deepened by the stupidity of a vindictive British government which doesn't accept its own law. Another example of the British waiving the rules when it suits their political agenda Defend the GPOThe Dublin GPO and the streets and laneways around it are forever linked with the Easter Rising of 1916. This is a Battlefield site of major historic and international significance which successive Irish governments have failed to develop properly. Successive promises of investment and planning in Moore St have come to nothing. Succesive governments have reduced the National Monument to four houses leaving the rest of the historic area to be destroyed by a London based developer.In keeping with this shameful approach the Irish government last week published a 10-year plan which will see the General Post Office (GPO) become a mixed-use development. The spin from Government is that the GPO will become a flagship project, including retail and office components with a Designated Activity Company being established. Uachtarán Shinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald TD described it well when she said the government's proposal as “another shameful betrayal of Ireland's proud revolutionary history.” In any other city in the world we would see visionary, ambitious plans to develop the site, preserving our history with a national museum, arts and culture, education, tourism and homes to make it a living, breathing area.So, join the battle to Save the GPO and Moore St. Sign up to the petition and support the campaign of the Moore St. Preservation Trust for a modern historical quarter – shaped around the GPO, Moore Street Battlefield site and O'Connell Street. The link is: https://outreach.sinnfein.ie/save-the-gpo/ Kneecap AbúWell done to Kneecap and those other performers at Glastonbury who stood up to the British political and media establishment and courageously spoke out against the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip and the west Bank. Well done also to the tens of thousands who applauded and cheered as Mo chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, demanded ceasefires, an end to the mass murder of Palestinian people and stood up to the censorship of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Féile an Phobail – A festival extravaganzaThis week I was given a copy of the minutes of a meeting held on the 22nd June 1902 in the Catholic Boys Hall on the Falls Road to establish a league for junior hurlers. The venue was the Catholic Boys Hall. So far I have three locations for this hall. One is off Dunlewey Street not far from
Today, we're speaking with Matt Bowles, a longtime Palestinian human rights activist.With a Master's Degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, Matt has over two decades of human rights and activism experience. He led activist delegations to monitor human rights abuses in the north of Ireland, co-founded an organization to stop U.S. aid to Israel, organized solidarity delegations to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and did solidarity work with the indigenous Zapatista communities in Chiapas, Mexico.In the past few years, many more people around the world have tuned in to the injustice that has been happening in Palestine for the past 75 years. If you want to understand the origins of this injustice AND what you can do to help stop it, this episode is for you. I first became immersed in the struggle for Palestinian liberation in 2017, when I visited the West Bank and saw the Israeli soldiers at checkpoints, the humiliation of people, the treatment of Arabs like second-class citizens, and the Israeli system of apartheid with my own eyes. Matt has been working on Palestinian solidarity since 1998. It has been so helpful to hear the perspective of someone with this much longer view on the struggle. Become a Going Places member for as little as $6 a month. Visit our reimagined platform at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more.Thanks to our Founding Member: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel education.What you'll learn in this episode:Current moment in the Palestinian human rights advocacyTravel media's sanitized version of seeing the worldHow Matt's Palestinian advocacy started with the Black liberation struggle in the USBritain's first and last colony (is the same?)The gap in awareness between what Palestine is and what the media showsThe power asymmetry and the longest military occupation in modern historyConfronting antisemitism and misrepresentationWhat the Rwandan, Guatemalan, and Cambodian genocides can teach usMatt dismantles "It's too complicated"Why do we give states more rights than people?The origins of this settler colonial projectWhy the US shifted its Palestine stance in 1967The history of Palestinian nonviolent resistance Why is there zero accountability for the State of Israel's actions?US law enforcement training with IOFWhat can an individual do? A lot!What gives Matt hope todayWhy Yulia believes that Gaza will change the worldFeatured on the show:Listen to Matt's Maverick Show podcastFollow @maverickshowpod on InstagramSubscribe to Matt's Monday Minute newsletter Learn more about the International Solidarity MovementLearn more about Jewish Voice for PeaceLearn more about If Not NowLearn more about the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions...
We've seen this movie before. US President Donald Trump is talking up a ceasefire initiative, only for the killing to continue in Gaza; killing that is relentless and off-the-scales ever since the rollout of a US-Israeli aid delivery scheme that bypasses traditional international agencies. We ask about Trump's claim that Israel has agreed to his 60-day truce and the reaction of a Hamas that's down but not completely out. We also ask what's changed since Benjamin Netanyahu walked away in March from a phased agreement that was to lead to a permanent ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages. For starters: Israel's 12-day war with Iran, where it was the US president who told Netanyahu to declare victory and go home. Will Trump twist the Israeli leader's arm again when Netanyahu travels to Washington next week? All bets are off: will it be the Trump who gushes about a Gaza Riviera construction scheme that kicks out Palestinians, or the one who forces Netanyahu's hand by announcing Iran negotiations or recognising Syria's government? More broadly, when is enough enough? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Aurore Laborie, Ilayda Habip and Yann Pusztai.
PREVIEW GAZA: Colleague David Daoud presents some of the unknowns of the proposal that Egypt and Jordan will share governance of the Gaza Strip after the war ends. More. 1914 GAZA
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will embark on his third trip to to Washington early next week to meet with US President Donald Trump. This comes alongside increased pressure to end the war in Gaza and perhaps the potential of a domino-type deal between Israel and regional players. Berman speaks about reports that Israel and Syria are holding “advanced talks” on a bilateral agreement halting hostilities between the countries. Could this lead to Syria joining the Abraham Accords? And what position does this put Turkey in, even as its neighbor, Iran, just suffered a defeat at the hands of the US and Israel. Israel’s military chief has advised cabinet ministers against ordering the Israel Defense Forces to expand operations in the Gaza Strip, over fears that doing so could significantly endanger the lives of hostages still held in the Palestinian enclave, according to Hebrew media accounts Monday. Berman speaks about the terrible decision that has faced Israel's political echelons for almost 21 months -- hostages or defeating Hamas -- and how Israeli soldiers in Gaza will likely increasingly be on Hamas's radar as long as no decision is taken. At least 11 people in Gaza were killed yesterday in the area of a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution center, according to local Palestinian media outlets. Also Monday, the military admitted in a statement that it has killed several civilians near aid sites in recent weeks and said it has learned lessons that will avoid similar incidents in the future. Berman recently spoke with the head of GHF, Reverend Johnnie Moore Jr. He brings us highlights from their conversation. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Netanyahu set to visit White House July 7 as US pushes for end to Gaza war Israel in ‘advanced talks’ for deal to end hostilities with Syria, says senior official Israel says Hezbollah must disarm before any Lebanon peace talks can advance Dozens said killed in Gaza; IDF admits it has killed several civilians near aid sites Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025. (Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Zohran Mamdani's campaigning and victory in the Democrat NYC Mayoral primary has been a hyper-polarizing issue. One side says he is the new Democrat, even more radical than the originals, as if this is a good thing. Another side says he is an antisemite, radical Social Democrat Muslim, which makes no sense because Muslims are a very conservative people. The entire race has been focused on Israel rather than NYC, with one Israeli newspaper claiming that anti-Muslim attacks on Mamdani are actually anti-Jewish. But, see, it's actually social democracy that is a byproduct of Jews like Karl Marx. The democrats get 50% of all their money from the Jewish lobby and nearly 3/4 of all Jews support Democrats. Yet Mamdani is painted as anti-Jewish for not seeking to visit Israel, which is a separate issue from the Jews of NYC, who he says he will help by cracking down on hate crimes and speech - why would some groups call on Jews to evacuate NYC then? And there it is; the same policies coming from the conservative White House. Mamdani also reinforces October 7 as a reason for this censorship and says Jews feel unsafe in NYC, all of which takes away from the fact Jews are citizens and it is the NY citizen who should be the focus of the Mayor, not a foreign state or individual people; that the crime in NYC is a result of people like Mamdani himself. Mamdani is therefore likely working for Israel or the Mossad, or something equivalent. He is a plant. As for the other news about a “death” threat on Trump and Netanyahu, Infowars says Islam and Iran have issued a “death fatwa.” But a “fatwa” is only “a ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized authority,” and that is what Iranian religious leader Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi did when declaring anyone who threatens Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as “an enemy of God.” Infowars then goes on to say that it “potentially incites” violence, which is different than both a “death threat” and “fatwa.” The same things are falsely being reported about the Al-Asghar (PBUH) World Assembly in Iran, which occurs every year. Numerous sources are reporting that the Iranian women seen holding their babies in the air are offering them up as radical sacrifices to Islam, when what they are really doing is honoring mothers and remembering the infant martyrs in Iran and the Gaza Strip. A martyr is “a person who is killed or made to suffer because of their religious or other beliefs,” meaning one who is persecuted for being, in this case, Muslim. And these mothers are honoring the dead killed by Israel, who says their chants are meant to kill their own babies and those of Israel and the U.S., which is a disgusting display of propaganda that like the word “fatwa” completely demeans a language, culture and religion. The chants of “death” to America or Israel are always provoked - by starvation, war, peace deals broken, lies about diplomacy etc. - not a byproduct of hating American freedom. *The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.-FREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVEX / TWITTER FACEBOOKWEBSITECashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings--5328407/support.
On today's Front Page: Senate Republicans are still trying to wrangle votes to pass President Trump's tax cuts and spending package, President Trump has called for Israel and Hamas to end their war in the Gaza Strip, and more.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Friday night, throngs of rioting Israeli settlers attacked IDF soldiers at the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik near Ramallah, after the forces arrived there to prevent them from rampaging in the village. Six Israelis were arrested following the violence. According to Hebrew media reports, the Israeli assailants beat, choked and hurled rocks at the troops. Later, on Saturday, a police outpost was vandalized by settlers in what authorities said was an apparent act of revenge for the arrest of the six suspects accused in the nighttime attack. Fabian explains the rollout of the events. This morning, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told CBS news that Iran likely will be able to begin to produce enriched uranium “in a matter of months,” despite damage to several nuclear facilities from US and Israeli attacks. But this is in contrast to what IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has reportedly told colleagues that Iran is no longer a nuclear threshold state following the Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear program. Fabian relays the army's assessment of the 12-day war and discusses whether the ceasefire will be similar to the November 27, 2024, ceasefire with Hezbollah. This morning, the IDF re-issued a wide evacuation warning for Palestinians in the Gaza City and Jabalia areas in the northern Gaza Strip. This comes as Zamir said Friday that the military’s latest offensive in Gaza will soon “reach the lines” defined by the government, which would see the military assert control over 75% of the territory. We hear what is happening on the ground in Gaza. Finally, one of the founders of Hamas, who was also one of the planners of its onslaught of October 7, 2023, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza City on Friday night. We learn about Hakem al-Issa, who served as chief of staff at the “combat and administrative support division” in the Palestinian terror group’s military wing. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Settlers attack IDF soldiers, try to ram them amid riot in West Bank village; 6 detained PM, defense chiefs condemn settler attack on soldiers; suspects try to torch police post IDF chief believes Iran no longer a nuclear threshold state after Israeli, US strikes 34 Gazans said killed in IDF strikes; army issues evacuation warning after rocket fire Gaza offensive will soon ‘reach the lines’ set by the government, says IDF chief Veteran Hamas operative who helped plan Oct. 7 killed in Gaza City strike, IDF says Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: IDF soldiers operate in the northern Gaza Strip in this June 19, 2025, handout photo. (IDF)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder responds to allegations made by the head of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, Reverend Johnnie Moore, who told Newshour that the UN was being dishonest about reports of Palestinians being killed near GHF aid sites.Also on the programme: Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo sign a peace deal in Washington, but concerns remain over long-term stability; and the “wedding of the year” as celebrities flock to Venice for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's celebrations.(Photo: Palestinians gather to collect what remains of relief supplies from the distribution centre of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, 5 June 2025. Credit: Reuters/Stringer)
More Palestinians are reported to have been killed waiting for food near an aid site run by Israel and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The head of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation tells us that it is the victim of a disinformation campaign.Also on the programme: Tonga's minister of health has a message for the hackers demanding a $1m ransom; and the Argentine-born composer, Lalo Schifrin, the man behind the Mission Impossible theme, has died at the age of 93. (Photo: A Palestinian carries a sack as he and others gather to collect aid supplies from the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 29, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
How is Iran adjusting to life after its 12-Day War with Israel, where it suffered the elimination of its top military brass and eleven of its elite nuclear scientists along with the destruction of its nuclear and ballistic missiles programs? During this episode of the Blessors of Israel Podcast, Dr. Matthew Dodd shares insights from Iran's defiant response and what it may mean for the future of Israel. Visit the Blessors of Israel Website: https://www.blessors.org/ Thank you for supporting Blessors of Israel. Donate Online: https://blessors.org/donate/Please Subscribe and Like our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfbl_rf8O_uwKrfzCh04jgSubscribe to our Spotify Channel: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blessorsofisrael Subscribe to our Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blessors-of-israedl/id1699662615Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlessorsofIsrael/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlessorsIGettr: https://gettr.com/i/blessorsofisrael Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1670015Thank you for watching. Please like and share this video.We would love to hear your comments.Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones Blessors of IsraelMatthew Dodd Blessors of IsraelBlessors of IsraelBlessers of IsraelTags:Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddRich JonesDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones, Blessors of Israel, Rich Jones, Blessers of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessors of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessers of Israel, Blessers of Israel, Blessors of Israel, Two-State Solution, Palestine, Modern Palestinian Problem, Israel, Jesus Christ, Anti-Semitism, Prophecy Update, End Times Prophecy, Latter Days, Bible Prophecy, The Great Tribulation, Hamas, Gaza Strip, Terrorism, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, Persia, Gog and Magog, BRICS, China, CCP, Persia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Yahya Sinwar, Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Deif, United Nations, Terrorism, Antisemitism, Syria, Bashar al Assad, HTS, Damascus, Mount Hermon, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Trump, Putin, Ceasefire, Hostages, al Jolani, al Sharaa, Holocaust Day of Remembrance, China, Egypt, Iran Nuclear Deal, Trump, War, WWIII, Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan
The legal architecture that would define and prosecute what's happening in Gaza is failing. Reporter Suzy Hansen explains how 80 years of international humanitarian law is being tested. And professor Omer Bartov thought calling Israel's offensive in Gaza a genocide immediately after the October 7 attacks was inaccurate. He's changed his mind. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Further reading: Crimes of the Century Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Palestinians carrying aid packages in the northern Gaza Strip. Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
President Donald Trump today invited everyday Americans to the White House as he made another push for his sweeping tax and border legislation—the “Big Beautiful Bill.” However, Republicans are facing hurdles in the Senate as they try to pass the measure before Independence Day.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, revealed new details about the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities—including that the Massive Ordnance Penetrator munition used against the Fordow nuclear site was specifically created for that target.Iran's supreme leader made his first public statement since the cease-fire with Israel. Ayatollah Khamenei declared victory in the war and claimed that U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites failed to cause significant damage. Meanwhile, families of hostages held in the Gaza Strip continue to call for the release of their loved ones.
Seven IDF soldiers fall in battle in southern Gaza Strip. US President Trump says great progress toward Gaza deal. Questions over impact of strikes on Iran nuclear sitesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of Arts 24, Eve Jackson speaks with Arab Nasser, co-director of "Once Upon a Time in Gaza" – a striking, Cannes‑awarded film that reframes Gaza not through destruction, but through resilience, surrealism and cinematic boldness. Blending genre and personal memory, the film offers a hauntingly beautiful portrait of life under siege.
In a first, United States President Donald Trump ordered the military to strike three of Iran's nuclear facilities. During this episode of the Blessors of Israel Podcast, Dr. Matthew Dodd provides an overview of the U.S. surgical strike on Iran along with the updates concerning Iran's response. Visit the Blessors of Israel Website: https://www.blessors.org/ Thank you for supporting Blessors of Israel. Donate Online: https://blessors.org/donate/Please Subscribe and Like our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfbl_rf8O_uwKrfzCh04jgSubscribe to our Spotify Channel: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blessorsofisrael Subscribe to our Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blessors-of-israedl/id1699662615Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlessorsofIsrael/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlessorsIGettr: https://gettr.com/i/blessorsofisrael Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1670015Thank you for watching. Please like and share this video.We would love to hear your comments.Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones Blessors of IsraelMatthew Dodd Blessors of IsraelBlessors of IsraelBlessers of IsraelTags:Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddRich JonesDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones, Blessors of Israel, Rich Jones, Blessers of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessors of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessers of Israel, Blessers of Israel, Blessors of Israel, Two-State Solution, Palestine, Modern Palestinian Problem, Israel, Jesus Christ, Anti-Semitism, Prophecy Update, End Times Prophecy, Latter Days, Bible Prophecy, The Great Tribulation, Hamas, Gaza Strip, Terrorism, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, Persia, Gog and Magog, BRICS, China, CCP, Persia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Yahya Sinwar, Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Deif, United Nations, Terrorism, Antisemitism, Syria, Bashar al Assad, HTS, Damascus, Mount Hermon, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Trump, Putin, Ceasefire, Hostages, al Jolani, al Sharaa, Holocaust Day of Remembrance, China, Egypt, Iran Nuclear Deal, Trump, WarWWIII, Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan
For review:1. US CJCS: 7 x B2 Bombers Dropped 14 x GBU-57/B MOP Bombs.2. IAEA Chief on Fordo: "Clear Indications of Impacts...Cannot Announce Degree of Damage.3. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Sunday morning of “everlasting consequences” after the American military had carried out an attack” on the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites in Iran.4. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation that he would be traveling to Moscow later in the day to hold “serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow.”5. World Reaction.6. Israeli PM Netanyahu on Iran Campaign: “We won't pursue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve [the goals], but we also won't finish too soon- vowing to avoid entering a war of attrition. When the objectives are achieved, then the operation is complete and the fighting will stop,” he told Israeli reporters.7. The bodies of three slain hostages, Ofra Keidar, Jonathan Samerano, and Staff Sgt. Shay Levinson, were recovered in a joint military and Shin Bet operation from the Gaza Strip overnight, the IDF announces.8. Israel's Campaign continues: According to the IDF, some 30 fighter jets carried out bombing missions in four areas of Iran earlier Sunday, targeting missile and drone sites. A second sortie later Sunday involved 20 planes dropping 30 bombs on various sites, including in the capital, Tehran.9. Current and former senior officials in the Israeli security establishment are cited by Ynet's Ronen Bergman as saying the US may ultimately unilaterally declare a ceasefire in Iran.
MPs have backed the legalisation of assisted dying by a majority of 23. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will now progress to the House of Lords where it'll face further scrutiny and amendments. We spoke to campaigners outside Parliament as the votes were cast and two members of the House of Lords who will now shape the Bill.The BBC has charted the final days of Al Awda hospital in northern Gaza via voice notes from its director. The hospital was rendered out of service last month amid Israel's escalating offensive in the Gaza Strip.And could the hot weather inspire a literary classic? We speak to an author on the prevalence of heatwaves in English literature.
Today on America in the Morning Trump Holding Iran Decision For Now President Trump announced he will make a final decision within the next two weeks as to whether the US will take military action in Iran. This comes after Israel's surprise attack a week ago that has seen Israel send warplanes by the hundreds into the skies of Iran for targeted strikes on nuclear facilities, missile launchers, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, while Iran has shot hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, including one that hit a hospital in Southern Israel injuring 200 people, a move that Israel's leadership vowed will come with a heavy price. Correspondent Ed Donahue reports. Democrats Walk Out Of Biden Hearing The talk on Capitol Hill was a Wednesday Senate Judiciary Committee hearing investigating President Biden's mental fitness during his term as President, and Democrats on the committee either refused to show up or walked out after the hearing began. John Stolnis has the details from Washington. SpaceX-plosion SpaceX planned to send a Starship rocket into orbit on a test flight, but instead it never made it off the ground, exploding in a fireball prior to launch in Texas. Correspondent Donna Warder reports. Debating THC A decision surrounding banning THC in Texas is looming as Governor Abbott considers both sides of the argument. Correspondent Clayton Neville reports. Plane Crash Early Conclusions The National Transportation Safety Board has provided new details about a deadly May plane crash in San Diego. Correspondent Ben Thomas reports. Dodgers Accused Of Blocking ICE A Major League baseball team is being accused of not allowing members of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enter their stadium, which led to protests by fans against the ICE agents. Correspondent Marcela Sanchez reports. Latest In The Middle East President Trump is laying out a time line for a decision surrounding potential U-S involvement in the war between Israel and Iran, with no letup as Iran continues to fire ballistic missiles at Israel, and the Israeli Air Force continues its assault against Iranian targets. Correspondent Clayton Neville reports. Honoring A Hostage He spent 584 days as a hostage of Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the October 7 attacks in Israel, and now finally back in the United States, Edan Alexander's hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey held a parade in his honor. Sue Aller reports. Canada Threatening Tariffs Canada's prime minister is threatening to increase tariffs on US steel and aluminum products if talks with President Trump fail. Correspondent Ed Donahue reports the implications on these talks will be more far-reaching that just the United States and Canada. Court Rules On Troop Deployment An appeals court has sided with President Trump, allowing the White House to keep control of the California National Guard troops he deployed to Los Angeles. National Heatwave Temperature records are expected to be smashed as close to 200 million people are in the crosshairs of a massive heatwave heading into next week. Correspondent Haya Panjwani reports. Finally There were celebrations and remembrances of Juneteenth across the nation. Correspondent Marcela Sanchez reports on the significance of this Federal holiday for one community in New Hampshire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Daniel and Wilbur are back in the SHACK and Wilbur just flew back from Louisiana and boy are his arms tired. Wilbur somehow navigated the airport security without a passport or a magic star on his driver's license. Can the gov't stop you from traveling in your own country? I thought this was America, not the Gaza Strip. Apparently, that's what our gov't wants, an open-air prison you can't travel out of without special paperwork. I don't know about you, but I will not give away my right to travel. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
This week we talk about tit-for-tat warfare, conflict off-ramps, and Israel's renewed attacks on Iran's nuclear program.We also discuss the Iron Dome, the Iran-Iraq War, and regime change.Recommended Book: How Much is Enough? by Robert and Edward SkidelskyTranscriptIn late-October of 2024, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes against targets in Iran and Syria. These strikes were code-named Operation Days of Repentance, and it marked the largest such attack on Iran by Israel since the 1980s, during the height of the Iran-Iraq War.Operation Days of Repentance was ostensibly a response to Iran's attack on Israel earlier than same month, that attack code-named Operation True Promise II, which involved the launch of around 200 ballistic missiles against Israeli targets. Operation True Promise II was itself a response to Israel's assassination of the leader of Hamas, the leader of Hezbollah, and the Deputy of Operations for Iran's Revolutionary Guard.If you feel like there might be a tit-for-tat pattern here, you're right. Iran and Israel have been at each other's throats since 1979, following the Islamic Revolution when Iran cut off all diplomatic relations with Israel; some backchannel relations continued between the two countries, even through part of the Iran-Iraq War, when Israel often supported Iran in that conflict, but things got tense in the early 1980s when Iran, partnering with the Syrian government, started backing Hezbollah and their effort to boot Israel out of Southern Lebanon, while also partnering with Islamist militants in Iraq and Yemen, including the Houthis, and at times Hamas in Gaza, as well.Most of these attacks have, until recently, been fairly restrained, all things considered. There's long been bravado by politicians on both sides of the mostly cold war-ish conflict, but they've generally told the other side what they would be hitting, and signaled just how far they would be going, telling them the extent of the damage they would cause, and why, which provides the other side ample opportunity to step off the escalatory ladder; everyone has the chance to posture for their constituents and then step back, finding an off-ramp and claiming victory in that specific scuffle.That back-and-forth in late-2024 largely stuck to that larger pattern, and both sides stuck with what typically works for them, in terms of doing damage: Israel flew more than 100 aircraft to just beyond or just inside Iran's borders and struck a bunch of military targets, like air defense batteries and missile production facilities, while Iran launched a few hundred far less-accurate missiles at broad portions of Israel—a type of attack that could conceivably result in a lot of civilian casualties, not just damage to military targets, which would typically be a no-no if you're trying to keep the tit-for-tat strikes regulated and avoid escalation, but because Israel has a fairly effective anti-missile system called the Iron Dome, Iran could be fairly confident that just hurling a large number of missiles in their general direction would be okay, as most of those missiles would be shot down by the Iron Dome, the rest by Israel's allies in the region, and the few that made it through or struck unoccupied land in the general vicinity would make their point.While this conflict has been fairly stable for decades, though, the tenor and tone seems to have changed substantially in 2025, and a recent wave of attacks by Israel is generally being seen as the culmination of several other efforts, and possibly an attempt by the Israeli government to change the nature of this conflict, perhaps permanently.And that's what I'd like to talk about today; Operation Rising Lion, and the implications of Israel's seeming expansion and evolution of their approach to dealing with Iran.—In mid-June of 2025, Israel's military launched early morning strikes against more than a dozen targets across Iran, most of the targets either fundamental to Iran's nuclear program or its military.The strikes were very targeted, and some were assassinations of top Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists, like the Commander of the Revolutionary Guard, along with their families, including twenty children, who were presumably collateral damage. Some came from beyond Iran's borders, some were conducted by assets smuggled into Iran earlier: car bombs and drones, things like that.More attacks followed that initial wave, which resulted in the collapse of nuclear sites and airport structures, along with several residential buildings in the country's capitol, Tehran.This attack was ostensibly meant to hobble Iran's nuclear program, which the Iranian government has long claimed is for purely peaceful, energy-generation purposes, but which independent watchdog organizations, and pretty much every other non-Iranian-allied government says is probably dual-purpose, allowing Iran to produce nuclear energy, but also nuclear weapons.There was a deal on the books for a while that had Iran getting some benefits in exchange for allowing international regulators to monitor its nuclear program, but that deal, considered imperfect by many, but also relatively effective compared to having no deal at all, went away under the first Trump administration, and the nuclear program has apparently been chugging along since then with relative success; claims that Iran is just weeks from having enough fissile material to make a nuclear weapon have been common for years, now, but they apparently now have enough nuclear weapons-grade materials to make several bombs, and Israel in particular is quite keen to keep them from building such a weapon, as Iran's leaders, over the years, have said they'd like to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth, and nuclear weapons would be a relatively quick and easy way to make that happen.Of course, even without using such a weapon, simply having one or more is a sort of insurance policy against conventionally armed enemies. It ups the stakes in every type of conflict, and allows the nuclear-armed belligerent to persistently raise the specter of nuclear war if anyone threatens them, which is truly terrifying because of how many nuclear-related failsafes are in place around the world: one launch or detonation potentially becoming many, all at once, because of Dr. Strangelove-like automated systems that many militaries have readied, just in case.So the possibility that Iran might be on the brink of actually, really, truly this time making a nuclear weapon is part of the impetus for this new strike by Israel.But this is also probably a continuation of the larger effort to dismantle Iran's influence across the region by the current Israeli government, which, following the sneak attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces, has been trying to undermine Iran's proxies, which again, include quite a few militant organizations, the most powerful of which, in recent years, have been the trio of Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, right on Israel's border.Israel's invasion of Gaza, which has led to an absolutely catastrophic humanitarian situation for Gazan civilians, but has also led to the near-total collapse of Hamas as a functioning militant organization in the Strip, could be construed as a successful mission, if you ignore all those civilians casualties and fatalities, and the near-leveling of a good portion of the Strip.Israel was also able to take out a significant portion of Hezbollah's leadership via conventional aerial attacks and ground-assaults, and a bizarrely effective asymmetric attack using bombs installed in the pagers used by the organization, and it's been able to significantly decrease the Houthis' ability to menace ships passing through the Red Sea, using their own military, but also through their relationship with the US, which has significant naval assets in the area.Iran has long projected power in the region through its relationship with these proxies, providing them training and weapons and money in exchange for their flanking of Israel. That flanking was meant to keep Israel perpetually off-balance with the knowledge that if they ever do anything too serious, beyond the bounds of the controllable tit-for-tat, Cold War-style conflict in which they were engaged with Iran, they could suffer significant damage at home, from the north via Lebanon, from their southwestern flank via Gaza, or from a little ways to the south and via their coast from Yemen.Those proxies now largely hobbled, though, Israel found itself suddenly freed-up to do something more significant, and this attack is being seen by analysts as the initial stages of what might be a more substantial, perhaps permanent solution to the Iran problem. Rather than being a show of force or a tit-for-tat play, these might be the beginning days of an assault that's meant to enact not just a dismantling of Iran's nuclear program, but full-on regime change in Iran.And regime change means exactly what it sounds like: Iran's government is Islamist, meaning that it wants to enforce a fairly brutal, repressive version of Islam globally, and it already does so against its people. There have periodically been successful protests against these measures by Iranian citizens, especially by severely repressed women and minority groups in the country, including folks of different religions and LGBTQ identifying folks, among others, almost always these protests, and any other attempts to attain more rights and equality for people who aren't strictly Islamist men, generally result in violence, the black-bagging of protest leaders, extrajudicial killings and lifetime imprisonment and torture; a whole lot of really authoritarian, generally just villain-scale behavior by the Iranian government against anyone who steps out of line.So the Iranian government is pretty monstrous by most modern, democratic standards, and the Israeli government's seeming desire to crush it—to cry false on the regime's projection of strength, and create the circumstances for revolution, if that is indeed what they're doing—could be construed as a fairly noble goal.It perhaps serves the purposes of Israel, as again, Iran has said, over and over, that they want to destroy Israel and would totally do so, given the chance. But it arguably also serves the purpose of democratic-leaning people, and perhaps even more so folks who are suffering under the current Iranian regime, and maybe even other, similar regimes in the region. Which again, in terms of spreading democracy and human rights, sounds pretty good to some ears.That said, Israel is killing a lot of Iranian civilians alongside military targets, and its efforts in Gaza have led to accusations that it's committing genocide in the region. Israeli leaders have themselves been accused of anti-democratic actions, basically doubling-down on the nation's furthest-right, most militant, and most authoritarian and theocratic impulses, which makes any claims of moral superiority a little tricky for them to make, at this point.There's a chance, of course, that all this speculation and analysis ends up being completely off-base, and Israel is really, truly just trying to hobble Iran a bit, taking out some of their missile launchers and missile- and drone-manufacturing capacity, while also pushing back their acquisition of nuclear weapons by some meaningful amount of time; that amount of time currently unknown, as initial reports, at least, indicate that many of the attacks on Iran's most vital nuclear research and development facilities were perhaps not as effective as Israel had hoped. There's a chance that if enough overall damage is done, Iran's government will enthusiastically return to the negotiating table and perhaps be convinced to set their nuclear program aside willingly, but at the moment both Iran and Israel seem committed to hurting each other, physically.On that note, so far, as of the day I'm recording this, Iran has launched around 100 missiles, killed a few dozen Israelis, and injured more than 500 of the same. The Iranian government has said Israel's strikes have killed at least 224 people and wounded more than 1,200; though a human rights group says the death toll in Iran could be quite a bit higher than official government numbers, with more than 400 people killed, around half of them civilians, so far.It's been nearly a week of this, and it looks likely that these strikes will continue for at least another few days, though many analysts are now saying they expect this to go one for at least a few weeks, if indeed Israel is trying to knock out some of Iran's more hardened nuclear program-related targets; several of which are buried deep down in the ground, thus requiring bunker-buster-style missiles to reach and destroy, and Israel doesn't have such weapons in their arsenal.Neutralizing those targets would therefore mean either getting those kinds of weapons from the US or other allies, taking them out via some other means, which would probably take more time and entail more risk, or doing enough damage quickly than Iran's government is forced to the negotiation table.And if that ends up being the case, if Israel is really just gunning for the nuclear program and nothing else, this could be remembered as a significant strike, but one that mostly maintains the current status quo; same Iranian leadership, same perpetual conflict between these two nations, but Israel boasting even more of an upper-hand than before, with less to worry about in terms of serious damage from Iran or its proxies for the next several years, minimum.It does seem like a good moment to undertake regime change in Iran, though, as doing so could help Israel polish up its reputation, at least a little, following the reputational drubbing it has taken because of its actions in Gaza. I doubt people who have really turned on Israel would be convinced, as doing away with an abusive, extremist regime, while doing abusive, extremist regime stuff yourself the homefront, probably won't be an argument that convinces many Palestinian liberation-oriented people; there's a chance some of those people will even take up the cause of Iranian civilians, which is true to a point, as many Iranian civilians are suffering and will continue to suffer under Israel's attacks—though of course that leaves out the part about them also suffering, for much longer, under their current government.That said, taking Iran out of the geopolitical equation would serve a lot of international interests, including those of the US—which has long hated Iran—and Ukraine, the latter of which because Russia has allied itself with the Iranian government, and buys a lot of drones, among other weapons, from Iran. That regime falling could make life more difficult for Russia, at least in the short term, and it would mean another ally lost in the region, following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria in late-2024.There's a chance that these same geopolitical variables could pull other players into this conflict, though: Russia could help Iran, for instance, directly or indirectly, by sending supplies, taking out Israeli missiles and drones, maybe, while the US could help Israel (more directly, that is, as it's apparently already helping them by shooting down some of Iran's counterstrike projectiles) by providing bunker-buster weapons, or striking vital military targets from a distance.Such an escalation, on either side, would probably be pretty bad for everyone except possibly Iran, though Israel has said it wants the US to join in on its side, as that would likely result in a much quicker victory and far fewer casualties on its side.The US government is pretty keen to keep out of foreign conflicts right now, though, at least directly, and Russia is pretty bogged down by its invasion of Ukraine; there's a chance other regional powers, even smaller ones, could act as proxies for these larger, outside forces—the Saudis taking the opportunity to score some damage on their long-time rival, Iran, for instance, by helping out Israel—but any such acts would expand the scope of the conflict, and it's seldom politically expedient to do anything that might require your people make any kind of sacrifice, so most everyone will probably stay out of this as long as they can, unless there are serious benefits to doing so.Show Noteshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_2025_Israeli_strikes_on_Iranhttps://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/06/13/israel-iran-regime-attack-goal-column-00405153https://www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/real-threat-iran-tehran-most-dangerous-option-responding-israelhttps://www.twz.com/news-features/could-iran-carry-out-its-threat-to-shut-the-strait-of-hormuzhttps://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-857713https://kyivindependent.com/israel-asks-us-to-join-strikes-on-irans-nuclear-sites-officials-told-axios/https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-june-15-2025/https://www.twz.com/air/israel-escalates-to-attacking-iranian-energy-targets-after-ballistic-missiles-hit-tel-avivhttps://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-strikes-news-06-14-25https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-confirms-irgc-air-force-chief-top-echelon-killed-in-israeli-strike/https://time.com/7294186/israel-warns-tehran-will-burn-deadly-strikes-traded-nuclear-program/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/14/world/israel-iran-newshttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/13/opinion/israel-iran-strikes.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/14/world/middleeast/drones-smuggled-israel-iran-ukraine-russia.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/15/world/iran-israel-nuclearhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/15/world/middleeast/iran-military-leaders-killed.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/14/world/europe/israel-iron-dome-defense.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/14/world/middleeast/israel-iran-missile-attack.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/14/world/middleeast/iran-israel-energy-facility-strikes-tehran.htmlhttps://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-strikes-news-06-15-25https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/was-israel-s-strike-on-iran-a-good-idea--four-questions-to-askhttps://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-06-16-2025-c98074e62ce5afd4c3f6d33edaffa069https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/world/middleeast/iran-israel-war-off-ramp.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_2024_Iranian_strikes_on_Israelhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_2024_Israeli_strikes_on_Iranhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_of_Resistancehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Lebanon_electronic_device_attacks This is a public episode. 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AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports Gaza's Health Ministry says at least 45 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip while waiting for U.N. and commercial trucks to enter the territory with desperately needed food.
Pippa Hudson is joined by Bhaso Ndendze, International Relations Expert at the University of Johannesburg, to unpack the current status of the escalating tensions between Israel, Iran, and the Gaza Strip. With international concern mounting, Ndendze explains how recent developments have shifted regional alliances, what’s at stake for global powers, and how the conflict is reverberating through diplomatic, military, and humanitarian channels.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jim Fitzpatrick signed Limited Print of Elizabeth O'Farrell Regular readers of this column will know that I wholeheartedly support the efforts of the Moore St. Preservation Trust to preserve the 1916 Moore St. Battlefield site in Dublin that is under threat from the developers wrecking ball. This week the Trust - a not for profit organisation led by Relatives of the Signatories of the 1916 Proclamation – will launch a new limited edition signed print of Elizabeth O'Farrell by the renowned Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick. One hundred prints will be available from Thursday evening at €150 as part of the fundraising efforts of the Trust to raise much needed funds in support of its alternative plan for a cultural and historical quarter in the Moore Street battlefield site. Health and Care in a New IrelandLast month the European Movement in Ireland –Amárach Research – reported that a majority of people in both parts of the island were in favour of a united Ireland within the EU. The figures were 67% in favour in the North and 62% in favour in the South.Last week the Life and Times Survey, which is conducted by Queens University, reported that the gap between those who support the union with Britain and those who favour Irish Unity, has halved in the last year. In 2021 the gap was 23 points. In 2023 that had halved to 12 points. This year it has halved again to 5 points.An Act of International PiracyIn an act of international piracy Israeli forces hijacked the humanitarian aid vessel the Madleen in international waters as it was making its way to the Gaza Strip with much needed humanitarian aid for the beleaguered community. The Madleen is part of the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition and it had a crew of 12 including environmental activist activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan MEP. The Israel action is part of its strategy to control the public narrative around events in the Palestinian occupied territories, particularly Gaza, where millions face starvation.In the Gaza Strip and the west Bank the daily slaughter of innocents by the Israeli regime's murder squads continues unimpeded. So too does the deliberate targeting of the health service which has been all but obliterated by Israel's genocidal military campaign. The objective is clearly to remove sll Palestinians from Gaza.
10 killed, 200 injured in Iranian missile barrages. IDF warns Iranians near arms plants to evacuate. IDF soldier killed by RPG fire in southern Gaza Strip.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
First up, Georgetown law professor and former national legal director at the ACLU, David Cole, joins us to discuss the legal response to the Trump Administration's serial violations of the Constitution. Then Mike Ferner of Veterans for Peace checks in to update us halfway through his Fast for Gaza, 40 days of living on 250 calories per day, which is the average caloric intake of Palestinian survivors in Gaza. Finally, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Joe Holley, stops by to pay tribute to his mentor and colleague, the late crusading journalist, Ronnie Dugger, founder of the progressive Texas Observer.David Cole is the Honorable George J. Mitchell Professor in Law and Public Policy and former National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He writes about and teaches constitutional law, freedom of speech, and constitutional criminal procedure. He is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books and is the legal affairs correspondent for The Nation.Trump is obviously not concerned about antisemitism. He's concerned about targeting schools because they are places where people can criticize the president, where people can think independently, are taught to think independently, and often don't support what the president is doing. He's using his excuse to target a central institution of civil society.David ColeThe decision on Trump versus the United States is only about criminal liability for criminal acts, not for unconstitutional acts. And violating the Constitution is not a crime. Every president has violated the Constitution probably since George Washington. That's not a crime.David ColeMike Ferner served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and he is former National Director and current Special Projects Coordinator for Veterans for Peace. He is the author of Inside the Red Zone: A Veteran for Peace Reports from Iraq.Two hundred and fifty calories is technically, officially, a starvation diet, and we're doing it for 40 days. The people in Gaza have been doing it for months and months and months, and they're dying like crazy. That's the whole concern that we're trying to raise. And I'll tell you at the end of this fast, on the 40th day, we are not just going out silently. There are going to be some fireworks before we're done with this thing. So all I'm saying is: stay tuned.Mike Ferner: Special Projects Coordinator of Veterans for Peace on “FastforGaza”They're (The Veterans Administration is) being defamed, Ralph, for the same reason that those right-wing corporatists defamed public education. So they can privatize it. And that's exactly what they're trying to do with the VA. And I can tell you every single member of Veterans for Peace has got nothing but praise for the VA.Mike FernerJoe Holley was the editor of the Texas Observer in the early 1980s. A former staff writer at The Washington Post and a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer and columnist at the Houston Chronicle, he is the author of eight books, mostly about Texas.He would talk to people, and he would find out things going on about racial discrimination, about farm workers being mistreated, all kind of stories that the big papers weren't reporting. And this one guy, young Ronnie Dugger, would write these stories and expose things about Texas that a lot of Texans just did not know.Joe Holley on the late progressive journalist, Ronnie DuggerHe knew the dark side of Texas, but he always had an upbeat personality. I had numerous conversations with Ronnie (Dugger), and he was ferociously independent.Ralph NaderNews 6/13/251. On Monday, Israeli forces seized the Madleen, the ship carrying activist Greta Thunberg and others attempting to bring food and other supplies past the Israeli blockade into Gaza, and detained the crew. The ship was part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thunberg had been designated an “Ambassador of Conscience,” by Amnesty International. The group decried her detention, with Secretary General Agnès Callamard writing, “Israel has once again flouted its legal obligations towards civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip and demonstrated its chilling contempt for legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice.” On Tuesday, CBS reported that Israel deported Thunberg. Eight other passengers refused deportation and the Jerusalem Post reports they remain in Israeli custody. They will be represented in Israeli courts by Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel. One of these detainees is Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament.2. Shortly before the Madleen was intercepted, members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing concern for the safety of these activists, citing the deadly 2010 raid of the Mavi Marmara, which ultimately resulted in the death of ten activists, including an American. This letter continued, “any attack on the Madleen or its civilian crew is a clear and blatant violation of international law. United Nations experts have called for the ship's safe passage and warned Israel to “refrain from any act of hostility” against the Madleen and its passengers…We call on you to monitor the Madleen's journey and deter any such hostile actions.” This letter was led by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and drew signatures from Congressional progressives like Reps. Summer Lee, AOC, Ilhan Omar, Greg Casar, and others.3. On the other end of the political spectrum, Trump – ever unpredictable – seemed to criticize Israel's detention of Thunberg. In a press conference, “Trump was…asked about Thunberg's claim that she had been kidnapped.” The president responded “I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg…Is that what she said? She was kidnapped by Israel?” The reporter replied “Yes, sir,” to which “Trump responded by shaking his head.” This from Newsweek.4. Of course, the major Trump news this week is his response to the uprising in Los Angeles. Set off by a new wave of ICE raids, protesters have clashed with police in the streets and Trump has responded by increasingly upping the ante, including threatening to arrest California Governor Gavin Newsom, per KTLA. Beyond such bluster however, Trump has moved to deploy U.S. Marines onto the streets of the nation's second-largest city. Reuters reports, “About 700 Marines were in a staging area in the Seal Beach area about 30 miles…south of Los Angeles, awaiting deployment to specific locations,” in addition to 2,100 National Guard troops. The deployment of these troops raises thorny legal questions. Per Reuters, “The Marines and National Guard troops lack the authority to makes arrests and will be charged only with protecting federal property and personnel,” but “California Attorney General Rob Bonta… [said] there was a risk that could violate an 1878 law that…forbids the U.S. military, including the National Guard, from taking part in civilian law enforcement.” Yet, despite all the tumult, these protests seem to have gotten the goods, so to speak: the City of Glendale announced it would, “end its agreement with…ICE to house federal immigration detainees.” All of this sets quite a scene going into Trump's military parade in DC slated for Saturday, June 14th.5. In classic fashion however, Trump's tough posture does not extend to corporate crime. Public Citizen's Rick Claypool reports, “Trump's DOJ just announced American corporations that engage in criminal bribery schemes abroad will no longer be prosecuted.” Claypool cites a June 9th memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, which reads, “Effective today, prosecutors shall…not attribute…malfeasance to corporate structures.” Claypool also cites a Wall Street Journal piece noting that “the DOJ has already ended half of its criminal investigations into corporate bribery in foreign countries and shrunk its [Foreign Corrupt Practices Act] unit down to 25 employees.”6. Americans can at least take small comfort in one thing: the departure of Elon Musk from the top rungs of government. It remains to be seen what exactly precipitated his final exit and how deep his rift with Trump goes – Musk has already backed down on his harshest criticisms of the president, deleting his tweet claiming Trump was in Epstein files, per ABC. Yet, this appears to be a victory for Steve Bannon and the forces he represents within Trump's inner circle. On June 5th, the New York Times reported that Bannon, “said he was advising the president to cancel all [Musk's] contracts and… ‘initiate a formal investigation of his immigration status'.” Bannon added, “[Musk] should be deported from the country immediately.'” Bannon has even called for a special counsel probe, per the Hill. Bannon's apparent ascendency goes beyond the Oval Office as well. POLITICO Playbook reports Bannon had a 20-minute-long conversation with Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman on Monday evening – while Fetterman dined with Washington bureau chief for Breitbart, Matt Boyle – at Butterworth's, the DC MAGA “watering hole.” This also from the Hill.7. On the way out, the Daily Beast reports, “Elon Musk's goons at the Department of Government Efficiency transmitted a large amount of data—all of it undetected—using a Starlink Wi-Fi terminal they installed on top of the White House.” Sources “suggested that the [the installation of the Starlink terminal] was intended to bypass White House systems that track the transmission of data—with names and time stamps—and secure it from spies.” It is unknown exactly what data Musk and his minions absconded with, and for what purpose. We can only hope the public gets some answers.8. With Musk and Trump parting ways, other political forces are now seeking to woo the richest man in the world. Semafor reports enigmatic Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley and chaired Bernie Sanders' campaign in California, “talked with one of…Musk's ‘senior confidants' …about whether the ex-DOGE leader…might want to help the Democratic Party in the midterms.” Khanna added, “Having Elon speak out against the irrational tariff policy, against the deficit exploding Trump bill, and the anti-science and anti-immigrant agenda can help check Trump's unconstitutional administration…I look forward to Elon turning his fire against MAGA Republicans instead of Democrats in 2026.” On the other hand, the Hill reports ex-Democrat Andrew Yang is publicly appealing to Musk for an alliance following Musk's call for the establishment of an “America Party.” Yang himself founded the Forward Party in 2021. Yang indicated Musk has not responded to his overtures.9. Meanwhile, the leadership of the Democratic Party appears to be giving up entirely. In a leaked Zoom meeting, DNC Chair Ken Martin – only elected in February – said, “I don't know if I wanna do this anymore,” per POLITICO. On this call, Martin expressed frustration with DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, blaming him for, “[destroying] any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to.” Hogg meanwhile has doubled down, defying DNC leadership by “wading into another primary,” this time for the open seat left by the death of Congressman Gerry Conolly in Virginia, the Washington Post reports. The DNC is still weighing whether to void Hogg's election as Vice Chair.10. Finally, in some good news from New York City, State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani appears to have closed the gap with disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo began the race with a 40-point lead; a new Data for Progress poll shows that lead has been cut down to just two points. Moreover, that poll was conducted before Mamdani was endorsed by AOC, who is expected to bring with her substantial support from Latinos and residents of Queens, among other groups. Notably, Mamdani has racked up tremendous numbers among young men, a demographic the Democratic Party has struggled to attract in recent elections. Cuomo will not go down without a fight however. The political nepo-baby has already secured a separate ballot line for the November election, meaning he will be in the race even if he loses the Democratic primary, and he is being boosted by a new million-dollar digital ad spend by Airbnb, per POLITICO. The New York City Democratic Primary will be held on June 24th.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe
During the early morning hours of June 13, 2025, Israel conducted a preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile installations, and Iran's military and nuclear science leadership. Israel initiated this action based on intelligence it had acquired which revealed Iran is very close to closing the loop for obtaining a nuclear weapon. During this episode of the Blessors of Israel Podcast, Pastor Rich Jones joins Dr. Matthew Dodd in studio to provide the latest updates on Israel's strike against Iran along with the ramifications for the Middle East and beyond. Visit the Blessors of Israel Website: https://www.blessors.org/ Thank you for supporting Blessors of Israel. Donate Online: https://blessors.org/donate/Please Subscribe and Like our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfbl_rf8O_uwKrfzCh04jgSubscribe to our Spotify Channel: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blessorsofisrael Subscribe to our Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blessors-of-israedl/id1699662615Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlessorsofIsrael/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlessorsIGettr: https://gettr.com/i/blessorsofisrael Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1670015Thank you for watching. Please like and share this video.We would love to hear your comments.Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones Blessors of IsraelMatthew Dodd Blessors of IsraelBlessors of IsraelBlessers of IsraelTags:Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddRich JonesDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones, Blessors of Israel, Rich Jones, Blessers of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessors of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessers of Israel, Blessers of Israel, Blessors of Israel, Two-State Solution, Palestine, Modern Palestinian Problem, Israel, Jesus Christ, Anti-Semitism, Prophecy Update, End Times Prophecy, Latter Days, Bible Prophecy, The Great Tribulation, Hamas, Gaza Strip, Terrorism, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, Persia, Gog and Magog, BRICS, China, CCP, Persia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Yahya Sinwar, Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Deif, United Nations, Terrorism, Antisemitism, Syria, Bashar al Assad, HTS, Damascus, Mount Hermon, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Trump, Putin, Ceasefire, Hostages, al Jolani, al Sharaa, Holocaust Day of Remembrance, China, Egypt, Iran Nuclear Deal, Trump, WarWWIII
It's 1,315 days until the legally-defined end of the 47th Administration, and things are getting tense. LA is the latest ring-wing whipping boy, Israel decided that they've flattened enough of the Gaza Strip and the latest cool idea is open war with Iran. Also, according to Ukrainian officials, over 1,000,000 invaders have been killed in their war. Congratulations, Putin! Other Titles Considered Non-Guild Actors Military-Issue Rubbers Iron Dome NOW with Human Shielding Special Show Links: Senator Alex Padilla handcuffed for asking questions: https://apnews.com/video/cellphone-footage-shows-california-sen-alex-padillas-removal-from-noems-la-press-conference-8a99118de8a74eb6a569f72cd970698d Israel Attacks Iran: https://apnews.com/article/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299 Immigration Raids affect businesses that supply food: https://apnews.com/article/immigration-raids-california-farmworkers-1301639766f55c8d4e8e15ff2fd45687 Trump booed at the Kennedy center: https://apnews.com/video/trump-booed-and-cheered-at-the-kennedy-center-while-attending-les-miserables-645c4773796b4d64b57f23a16ee78358 E.Jean Carol wins again: https://apnews.com/article/trump-e-jean-carroll-sexual-abuse-appeal-8e2db7bdb881ff0b9353b6fb17750f48
The second iteration of Donald Trump's travel ban goes into effect.A federal judge rules that the government must release Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil.The International Monetary Fund looks to support Syria's economic recovery, saying that it will require investment from abroad.And, more deaths are reported at food aid distribution sites in the Gaza Strip.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
In unusual public statement last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted “activating” Palestinian militias in Gaza. Acting on the advice of security officials, he said, it was a way to weaken Hamas and protect Israeli soldiers. The admission came after Israeli media reported that Mr Netanyahu had authorised the arming of a militia, known as the Abu Shabab Popular Forces, in the southern Gaza Strip. The group is named after its leader, Yasser Abu Shabab. Now, Hamas has a new rival amid its battle with Israel. Hamas fighters have retaliated at the gang and claimed to have killed dozens from its small-but-growing ranks. It is believed that there are only 300 men serving Abu Shabab but sources told The National they are armed with assault rifles and are equipped with walkie-talkies and night-vision goggles. Among them are men with criminal records and links to ISIS. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to experts about the origins of Abu Shabab, why the group is surfacing now and how Israel is backing it. She is joined by Muhammad Shehada, a visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relation's Mena programme, and Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Centre for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University. Editor's Note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.
A death spiral in Gaza with no end in sight; a Middle East peace process that's been moribund for years. What's the point of talking solutions when not even a truce is in sight? In New York next week, France is slated to co-chair with Saudi Arabia what's officially billed as a "UN International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution". Emmanuel Macron had strongly suggested he would recognise a Palestinian state at the event. Is that still the case? We ask about the pressure on the French president to dial it back. With the US silent as Israel pounds Gaza and expands illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank, what does recognising Palestinian statehood change in practice? Watch more'The two-state solution is going to happen': Israel's Olmert and ex-Palestinian FM Qudwa On Thursday, Paris will host a springboard event for New York. We hear from civil society participants at a conference hosted by the Paris Peace Forum. How to find common ground to proposals that can win over a population where positions have hardened for so long? Produced by Rebecca Gnignati, Aurore Laborie and Ilayda Habip.
It is impossible to overstate how hellish life in Gaza has been for the past 20 months.The death count is above 50,000 people — more than 15,000 of whom are children — and at least 1.9 million of Gaza's 2.1 million people have been displaced over and over again. Starvation is rampant. Hospitals are either damaged or closed; there are only 2,000 remaining hospital beds.Nearly two years after the atrocities of Oct. 7, Israel still has no plan for the day after the conflict ends. Instead, it is escalating its assault on what remains of Hamas and seizing territory to expand its security buffer zone. There are reports that the government is considering a plan that would herd the Gaza Strip's Palestinians into just a small fraction of the territory. In the West Bank, meanwhile, settler violence has increased sharply, and new settlements are moving forward at a record pace.Ehud Olmert, the prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, recently published a searing opinion essay in Haaretz, one of Israel's most influential newspapers: “Enough Is Enough. Israel Is Committing War Crimes.” He joins me to discuss why he believes Israel's war in Gaza can no longer be justified, what he finds missing in Israel's current political leadership and why he has not yet given up hope for a two-state solution.Book Recommendations:The Gates of Gaza by Amir TibonThomas Jefferson by Jon MeachamAll or Nothing by Michael WolffWait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns GoodwinThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.You can find the transcript and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.htmlThis episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Jack McCordick and Elias Isquith. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Kate Sinclair. Mixing by Isaac Jones and Aman Sahota. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show's production team also includes Marie Cascione, Annie Galvin, Rollin Hu, Marina King, Jan Kobal and Kristin Lin. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Frankie Martin of the Wilson Center and to Orca Studios. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Four more soldiers were declared dead on Friday morning after a booby trapped building exploded in the southern Gaza Strip. The slain soldiers were Sgt. First Class Tom Rotstein, Staff Sgt. Uri Yhonatan Cohen, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Chen Gross and Staff Sgt. Yoav Raver. Fabian weighs in on the challenges facing troops on the ground as Operation Gideon's Chariots continues. The leader of a small Gaza terror group responsible for the October 7, 2023, abductions and eventual murders of several hostages -- including Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir -- was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City on Saturday, the military said. Another senior member was killed in a separate strike in the city. Fabian explains what the Mujahideen Brigades group is and other hostages who were murdered by it. The body of slain hostage Nattapong Pinta, who Hamas-led terrorists abducted on October 7, 2023, was recovered in a joint Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet operation in the southern Gaza Strip, officials announced Saturday morning. This follows the recovery of two additional hostage bodies, Gadi Haggai and Judih Weinstein from the Khan Younis region. We learn how their whereabouts were determined. The Israeli Navy is expected to block a high-profile activist mission sailing to Gaza to challenge Israel’s blockade, should the boat near Israel’s territorial waters in the coming days. Among the 12 activists on the ship are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, Irish “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham, and Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian European Parliament member. With the world's gaze on Israel, Fabian describes how the Navy may block the boat from reaching the Gaza shore. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: IDF names two other soldiers killed in booby-trapped Gaza building on Friday 4 IDF soldiers killed, 5 wounded after booby-trapped south Gaza building collapses Gaza aid group says Hamas threats to staff kept distribution hubs closed on Saturday Heads of terror group that abducted and murdered Bibas family killed by IDF Body of Thai hostage Nattapong Pinta recovered by IDF from south Gaza’s Rafah Activist aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg reaches Egypt’s coast as it heads for Gaza Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch. IMAGE: Golani troops operate in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip in this June 3, 2025, handout image from the IDF. (Israel Defense Forces)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Donald Trump's travel ban is back. Its second iteration blocks all travelers from 12 countries and partially restricts those from seven more starting next week.The GOP's budget bill has made its way to the Senate, but not all Republicans are falling in line to pass it.In the Gaza Strip, at least 80 people are dead and hundreds more wounded in a series of shooting attacks near aid distribution sites.Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said this week that his country would not stop enriching uranium.This week, after the latest rounds of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia floundered, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is asking for a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
(00:00) Introduction (05:18) Israel's new aid program and its threat to Hamas(18:11) Anti-Hamas protest movement(24:22) Trump's Gaza migration plan(28:07) Who is Abu-Shabab?(31:39) Enclave program in Gaza(40:04) The day after and deradicalization in Gaza(47:32) ClosingWatch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcastSubscribe to Ark Media's new podcast ‘What's Your Number?': https://lnk.to/DZulpYFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: callmeback@arkmedia.orgTo contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/Ark Media on Instagram: http://instagram.com/arkmediaorgDan on X: https://x.com/dansenorDan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenorToday's episode:Political news has been erupting out of Israel over the past two days, as tensions simmer within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. The coalition's ultra-Orthodox parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, announced they will join the opposition to vote in favor of dissolving the Knesset due to its failure to pass a law exempting the ultra-orthodox from serving in the IDF. If a simple majority votes in favor of dissolving the Knesset, it would force parliamentary elections.As if the news pouring out of Israel wasn't enough, major developments are also taking place in Gaza. The food-aid program, run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, is showing signs of success in circumventing Hamas, weakening its political power of Gaza's population. This food aid program is not just a humanitarian endeavor; it is part of a larger strategy that was developed over the past year, referred to as humanitarian bubbles, in which Hamas-free zones are intended to be administered by vetted local Palestinians unaffiliated with Hamas. Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed today that Israel is providing weapons to an anti-Hamas militia, led by Yasser Abu-Shabab. The rise of Israel-backed Abu-Shabab, along with the weakening of Hamas' political and military power, has prompted a conversation about whether we are witnessing the early stages of the day after Hamas in Gaza.Our guest today is Joseph Braude. He leads the Center for Peace Communications (CPC), a nonprofit that amplifies Gazans who oppose Hamas, and has been active inside the Gaza Strip throughout the war. If you've seen a video of Gazans speaking out against Hamas, chances are they came to you through the CPC.It is the first time we will be speaking with someone who has been in close contact with direct sources inside Gaza's population. In fact, Joseph has helped us receive audio to questions that the Call me Back podcast sent directly to Gazan civilians. CREDITS:ILAN BENATAR - Producer & EditorMARTIN HUERGO - Sound EditorMARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional EditingMAYA RACKOFF - Operations DirectorGABE SILVERSTEIN - ResearchYUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. Just back from reserve duty, Berman has written an in-depth look at the war in Gaza and the questions it raises in Israeli society. For today's episode, we take a look at Berman's op-ed, "For now, victory is still within reach: 10 truths about the Gaza war, 20 months in," and discuss each point one by one. In a free-flowing conversation, we hear Berman assess the war's successes and failures and learn about the burning existential issues that Israelis have yet to address. Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch. IMAGE: IDF troops of the Nahal Brigade operate in the Gaza Strip, in images released on June 5, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The head of the International Red Cross has told the BBC that what's happening in Gaza has crossed any acceptable legal or moral standard.Mirjana Spoljarić said that the situation "should shock our collective conscience". Her comments come after dozens of Palestinians were killed near new aid distribution centres. A prominent US-Israeli businessman with long experience of humanitarian missions tells us what's gone wrong with the roll-out of aid by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.Also in the programme: Six months after a botched military coup, South Korea has a new president; and we'll hear howpoverty is driving men from Lesotho to the illegal mines of neioghbouring South Africa.(Photo shows people carrying aid supplies which they received from the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip on 3 June 2025. Credit: Reuters TV)
Health officials in Gaza say at least 27 people have been killed near one of the controversial new aid distribution centres - the third reported incident in three days. The Israeli military says they fired 'warning shots'; medics say they are dealing with a range of injuries. Also on the programme: the mother of a political prisoner still being held in an Egyptian prison eight months after his sentence ended tells us why she's on hunger strike in protest; and South Koreans have been choosing their next president after former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his failed martial law bid. (Photo: A mourner reacts during the funeral of Palestinians killed, in what the Gaza health ministry say was Israeli fire near a distribution site in Rafah, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 3, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
The Israeli military says it's to investigate the reported killing on Tuesday of 27 Palestinians near a US-backed aid distribution centre in Gaza. A government spokesman David Mencer earlier denied that Israeli forces had targeted civilians. Israel has also denied shooting Palestinians at the same site on Sunday. We speak to an advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu.Also in the programme: The opposition candidate in South Korea's presidential election celebrates a landslide win; and an award-winning writer on artificial intelligence urges scientists to contemplate a time when humans will no longer be the smartest ones on the planet.(Photo: Mourners react at the funeral of Palestinians killed, in what the Gaza Health Ministry says was Israeli fire near a distribution site in Rafah, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 3, 2025. Reuters/Hatem Khaled)
This week marked more than 600 days since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. In the wake of Hamas' horrific Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, Palestinian health officials say at least 50,000 people – including thousands of women and children – have died from Israeli airstrikes and bombings in the Gaza Strip. As the war drags on, protesters on both sides are speaking out and demanding that their governments do more to end the conflict. Shaiel Ben-Ephraim, an Israeli academic and host of the 'History of the Land' of Israel podcast, talks about the nuances of the protests and what they could mean for a potential end to the war.And in headlines: A federal appeals court temporarily reinstated most of President Donald Trump's Liberation Day tariffs, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will begin "aggressively" revoking the visas of Chinese college students, and the White House acknowledges errors in the hotly anticipated 'Make America Healthy Again' report.Show Notes:Check out Shaiel's podcast – https://tinyurl.com/5n8axdj2Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday