Page 69 - Hamas

Trump vows to ban Hamas sympathisers from US if he wins a second term

Doubling down on the hardline immigration policies that have long animated his base, former President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to bar refugees from Gaza and immediately expand his first-term Muslim travel ban if he wins a second term following the deadly attack on Israel last week. Trump, speaking to supporters in Iowa, said that if he returns to the Oval Office, he will immediately begin ideological screening for all immigrants and bar those who sympathise with Hamas and Muslim extremists. No longer will we allow dangerous lunatics, haters, bigots, and maniacs to get residency in our country, he said. If you empathise with radical Islamic terrorists and extremists, you're disqualified... If you want to abolish the state of Israel, you're disqualified. If you support Hamas or any ideology that's having to do with that or any of the other really sick thoughts that go through people's minds very dangerous thoughts you're disqualified. It is unclear how he would enforce that ...

Head of Israel's ISA takes responsibility for failure to foil Hamas attack

The head of Israel's Internal Security Agency (ISA), Ronen Bar, took responsibility for failing to foil Hamas' brutal attack on October 7 in which more than 1,300 people died, but vowed to fight till the end for a decisive victory in the war. Bar, in his first comments following the surprise attack that has left everybody shell-shocked in Israel, said the ISA "failed to generate" a warning. "Despite a series of actions we carried out, unfortunately, last Saturday, we were unable to create a sufficient advance warning that would allow us to thwart the attack. As the one who heads the organisation, the responsibility for this is mine," Bar was quoted by the local media as saying on Monday. However, he emphasised that "there will be time for investigations. Now we are fighting". The intelligence officer noted that his organisation on the very day of the attack set up a special system, in cooperation with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), to locate, identify, and concentrate efforts to

Israel suspends exports to Colombia over its prez's criticism of Gaza seige

Israel has suspended security exports to Colombia in an escalating diplomatic spat over online messages by Colombia's president comparing Israel's siege of Gaza to the actions of Nazi Germany. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has doubled down on his criticism of Israel and suggested that his country may need to suspend diplomatic relations with Israel, while his foreign minister has suggested Israel's ambassador should leave the country. In a statement published Sunday, Israel's foreign ministry said that Petro's recent statements on X, previously known as Twitter, inflame antisemitism" and "threaten the safety of the Jewish community in Colombia." The Israeli government said it called Colombia's ambassador to a meeting in which she was informed that defense cooperation between the countries would be suspended. Colombia currently has diplomatic relations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and over the past two decades it has been one of Israel's closes partners in Lati

Hamas ready to free hostages if Israel stops airstrikes, says Iran

The war that began October 7 has become the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides, with more than 4,000 dead

US: Man kills 6-yr-old Muslim boy in Israeli-Hamas war motivated hate crime

A 71-year-old Illinois man accused of fatally stabbing a 6-year-old boy and seriously wounding a 32-year-old woman was charged with a hate crime Sunday. Police allege he singled out the victims because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas. In recent days, police in US cities and federal authorities have been on high alert for violence driven by antisemitic or Islamophobic sentiments. Jewish and Muslim groups have reported an increase of hateful and threatening rhetoric on social media. In the Chicago case, officers found the woman and boy late Saturday morning at a home in an unincorporated area of Plainfield Township, southwest of the city, the Will County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on social media. The boy was pronounced dead at a hospital. The woman had multiple stab wounds and was expected to survive, according to the statement. An autopsy on the child showed he had been stabbed dozens of times. "Detectives were able to determine

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Who funds Hamas? A global financing network of crypto, cash, charities

Between December 2021 and April this year, Israel seized almost 190 crypto accounts it said were linked to Hamas

Impact of Israel-Gaza conflict on auto industry negligible, says Siam

Israel is currently preparing its forces along its border with Gaza for a possible ground operation

Palestinians scramble to find food, safety, water as Israeli invasion looms

More than a million people have fled their homes in the besieged Gaza Strip in the past week, ahead of expected Israel invasion that seeks to eliminate Hamas' leadership after its deadly attack. The enclave's food and water supplies are dwindling, and its hospitals are warning that they are on the verge of collapse. Israeli forces, supported by a growing deployment of US warships in the region and the call-up of some 360,000 reservists, positioned themselves along Gaza's border and drilled for what Israel said would be a broad campaign to dismantle the militant group. Israel said it has already struck dozens of military targets, including command centres and rocket launchers, and also killed Hamas commanders. Israeli officials have given no timetable for a ground incursion that aid groups warn could hasten a humanitarian crisis in the coastal Gaza enclave. A week of blistering airstrikes have demolished entire neighbourhoods but failed to stem militant rocket fire into Israel. Th

We are on 'verge of collapse', running out of body bags: Head of UN agency

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, which has the largest UN footprint in the Gaza Strip, has warned that it is on the verge of collapse and was even running out of body bags amidst the raging conflict between Israel and the Hamas militants. As I speak with you, Gaza is running out of water and electricity. In fact, Gaza is being strangled and it seems that the world right now has lost its humanity, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on the situation in the Gaza Strip on Sunday. Gaza is now even running out of body bags. Entire families are being ripped apart," he said. Addressing a press conference at UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem, Lazzarini said his colleagues in Gaza are no longer able to provide humanitarian assistance. The number of people seeking shelter in our schools and other UNRWA facilities in the South is absolutely overwhelming, and we do not have any

Release hostages, allow humanitarian aid: UN chief appeals to Hamas, Israel

To Israel, rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid must be granted for humanitarian supplies and workers for the sake of the civilians in Gaza, Guterres said

Hamas' willingness to commit war crimes visible even from outer space: IDF

The IDF asserted that they will see to the removal of Hamas' terrorist infrastructure and weapon manufacturers in Gaza

Haley slams Islamic countries for 'closing doors' for civilians from Gaza

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Sunday slammed Islamic countries for not opening up their gates for civilians from Gaza who are seeking to flee their homes in the face of an imminent ground invasion by Israel. She also hit out at former US president Barack Obama and Joe Biden, the incumbent, over the Iranian nuclear deal and accused Tehran of strengthening Hamas and Hezbollah. "We should care about the Palestinian citizens, especially the innocent ones, because they didn't ask for this. But where are the Arab countries? Where are they? Where is Qatar? Where is Lebanon? Where is Jordan? Where is Egypt? Do you know we give Egypt over a billion dollars a year? Why aren't they opening the gates? Why aren't they taking the Palestinians?" Haley told CNN in an interview. "You know why? Because they know they can't vet them, and they don't want Hamas in their neighbourhood. So why would Israel want them in their neighbourhood? So let's be honest with what's going on. The Ar

Biden considering trip to Israel in the coming days, but travel isn't final

President Joe Biden is considering a trip to Israel in the coming days but no travel has been finalised, a senior administration official said on Sunday. It would be a powerful symbol of sympathy and support following the brutal attack by Hamas. A trip would be a chance for Biden to personally affirm to the Israeli people the US is standing firm behind them. But it would come amid growing fears that a looming Israeli move into Gaza could spark a wider war with devastating humanitarian consequences. And Biden's presence could be seen as a provocative move by Hamas' chief sponsor, Iran, or potentially viewed as tone deaf by Arab nations as civilian casualties mount in Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has already been travelling around the Mideast this past week trying to prevent the war with Hamas from igniting a broader regional conflict. The official could not publicly discuss internal deliberations about the potential presidential travel and spoke to The Associated Press o

India and Indonesia risk the biggest fallout from geopolitical shocks

Economists are fretting over the fallout on developing Asia from a widening of the Israel-Hamas war, with policymakers struggling to assess the consequences for oil supply

Blinken voices confidence in Gaza aid delivery, Rafah crossing to reopen

"We're putting in place with the United Nations, with Egypt, with Israel, with others, a mechanism by which to get the assistance in and to get it to people who need it," he said

USS 'Eisenhower' Carrier strike group headed to Israel amid Hamas attack

In a statement, Austin said this is being done "as part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts towards widening this war following Hamas's attack on Israel"

Israel Defence Forces carries out fresh strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have struck the Hezbollah "military infrastructure" in Lebanon as a retaliatory move to Sunday's fire, The Times of Israel reported.The attacks were in reaction to Sunday's fire from Lebanon that was directed against Israel.Notably, on Sunday morning, six anti-tank guided missiles were fired towards an Israeli town and military outposts near the Lebanon border, killing at least one civilian, according to The Times of Israel.Nine further rockets were also fired at Nahariya, a city in the north, and adjacent towns, however, there were no reports of any casualties.The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has been cautioned by the United States and its allies against escalating the conflict in Israel. This comes after the deployment of US military assets to prevent a potential widening of the war, multiple US officials aware of the matter told CNN.At this point, senior administration officials do not believe that Hezbollah is likely to join Hamas' war in force ...

US stands by Israel today, tomorrow, and every day, says Blinken amid war

Highlighting his brief interaction with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his recent visit, Blinken told reporters there is a not of assistance "moving forward"

Israeli rabbis work around the clock to count the dead from Hamas attack

Rarely do rabbis spend the Sabbath counting bodies. But on Saturday, a week after Hamas militants blew easily past Israel's fortified security fence and gunned down hundreds of Israelis at music festivals, in their homes, in cars while trying to flee Israel's military rabbinate made an exception. At Shura military base in central Israel, bodies have been coming in faster than the rabbis can identify them. Hundreds of soldiers, women, and children in body bags line shelves of refrigerated trucks, awaiting examination. Identification teams gather on plastic stools opposite the trucks to take smoke breaks between shifts. They wear heavy gas masks the smell of death is overwhelming. Generally, Jewish law says that you cannot break the Sabbath for a dead person, said Rabbi Israel Weiss, who is helping lead the operation. The exception is when a family is in doubt, and the death is so crippling that it may risk the family's lives. Then, you must work on the Sabbath to identify the body