Feed aggregator

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir came face-to-face in prison with senior Hamas terrorist Hassan Salameh, the mastermind convicted of directing a string of devastating suicide bombings that murdered dozens of Israelis during the 1990s, and told him that he intends to work toward having him executed.

The encounter carried particular significance for Ben-Gvir, who recalled that in the aftermath of Salameh’s attacks decades ago, he took part in protests demanding that authorities deal harshly with the Hamas terrorist. Ben-Gvir told Salameh that returning to confront him years later as Israel’s national security minister brought matters full circle, and he pledged to pursue his execution.

Salameh played a central role in Hamas’ murderous suicide-bombing campaign during the mid-1990s. A senior operative in the terror group’s military wing, he helped plan the two bombings of Jerusalem’s Route 18 buses that were carried out just one week apart in February and March 1996. Dozens of Israelis were murdered and scores more were wounded in the attacks.

A court ruling in the case of Mahmoud Abu-Warda, who recruited the suicide bombers used in the attacks, found that the recruitment was conducted as part of preparations made in advance by Salameh together with Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif.

On February 25, 1996, a suicide terrorist blew himself up aboard a Route 18 bus in Yerushalayim, murdering 24 people. Later that same day, another terrorist struck at the Ashkelon Junction, killing IDF soldier Hofit Ayesh. One week later, on March 3, a second Route 18 bus in Yerushalayim was targeted by a suicide bomber, leaving another 20 people dead.

Salameh was serving as an operative in Hamas’ military wing during that period. After Hamas bombmaker Yahya Ayyash was assassinated in January 1996, Deif assigned Salameh to help carry out a campaign of revenge attacks against Israel. Salameh had earlier been expelled to Lebanon, where he received military instruction that included training in the preparation and construction of explosive devices.

Israeli forces eventually tracked Salameh down in May 1996. An IDF unit located him in the Chevron area, where he was shot and wounded before being taken into custody. He was subsequently prosecuted in Israel for his role in the deadly terror attacks.

Salameh was convicted by a military court and handed 46 consecutive life sentences, as well as an additional 20-year prison term. A United Nations document detailing the sentence records his conviction for responsibility in three suicide bombings that murdered 46 people and wounded approximately 90 others. One of the judges who heard the case maintained at the time that Salameh deserved the death penalty.

Salameh has continued to hold a significant position within Hamas despite spending decades in an Israeli prison. In 2023, a book he authored behind bars, titled “Buses Catch Fire,” was published in the Gaza Strip. The book dealt with the terror attacks carried out following Ayyash’s assassination and was unveiled at an event organized by Hamas’ military wing that was attended by senior members of the terrorist organization.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared Sunday that Tehran is prepared to wage a “doomsday war” against the United States if necessary, even as he insisted that Iran remains interested in diplomacy and continues to seek a cease-fire agreement rejected by President Trump.

“We stand firm in the face of any aggression against us, even when it comes to a doomsday war,” Araghchi told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “At the same time, we are ready for diplomacy.”

Araghchi defended Tehran’s proposed seven-day cease-fire, describing it as a “very reasonable plan on the table,” despite Trump’s rejection of the proposal.

Under the reported terms of the Iranian offer, Washington would unfreeze approximately $12 billion in Iranian assets, ease sanctions and bring an end to the blockade. In return, Iran would agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump rejected those terms, while senior administration officials maintained that Tehran’s proposal required the United States to provide too many concessions at the outset.

“They want to make a deal to open the Hormuz Strait immediately because they’re losing so badly,” Trump told reporters on Saturday.

Other administration officials, including U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, have questioned whether Tehran could be trusted to honor another cease-fire. They have pointed to Iranian attacks on vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz while an earlier Memorandum of Understanding was still in effect.

Araghchi, however, indicated that Tehran does not consider the matter completely settled and is awaiting a formal response through diplomatic channels.

“I have to say that although we heard from President Trump that he is rejecting this deal, but we are still waiting for an official response through the mediators,” Araghchi noted.

Iran has targeted vessels traveling through portions of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coastline. The Trump administration, meanwhile, says ships have continued moving through the strategically critical waterway by traveling along routes closer to Oman.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have climbed to nearly the levels seen before the war. The waterway historically handled nearly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies. According to Wright, elevated petroleum prices are now being driven largely by refining problems rather than an inability to move crude through the strait.

Diplomatic efforts continued on the sidelines of last week’s United Nations General Assembly, where special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Iranian negotiators for roughly three hours. The talks, however, produced little public evidence of a significant breakthrough.

Trump has also left open the prospect of dramatically intensifying military action against Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported that the president is weighing a major escalation following the midterm elections. For now, the administration has continued applying economic pressure through the blockade and the Treasury Department’s Operation Economic Outcast.

Araghchi warned that if the United States launches another round of strikes, Tehran believes it is now better positioned to respond than it was during previous fighting.

“We are fully prepared for that,” the foreing minister said. “We have learned our lesson from the two previous wars, and we have corrected our tactics. We have changed our tactics, and we are fully prepared to do that.”

Despite his threats of a massive confrontation, Araghchi maintained that Iran has not closed the door on negotiations. At the same time, he accused Washington of undermining Tehran’s confidence in the diplomatic process, citing U.S. military operations that took place while negotiations were underway.

“There is always hope for diplomacy,” Araghchi said. “But to be honest with you, we have no reason to come back to diplomacy and engage with this administration once again, because of how they’ve behaved in the past two years.”

Araghchi was also questioned about the condition and whereabouts of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained out of public view since Israeli strikes killed his father and reportedly left him seriously wounded.

“Well, there are security concerns, and you’re well aware of that. You know, our Supreme Leader was illegally assassinated during the last war. And I think it is very logical that we protect our leader in any way,” Araghchi said.

“We are all in one front, facing all challenges imposed on us by the US, by the sanctions or military operations.”

Araghchi insisted that Khamenei continues to exercise authority over Iran and said security considerations explain why Tehran has not released even a video showing the supreme leader publicly.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu made a secret trip to Abu Dhabi on Sunday, flying aboard a private aircraft for an unannounced meeting with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to Israeli media reports.

The trip was first reported by Channel 12, which cited two sources familiar with the visit. The Jerusalem Post subsequently reported that a diplomatic source independently confirmed that Netanyahu traveled to the UAE and met with the Emirati leader.

According to additional details reported Sunday night, Netanyahu departed Israel shortly after noon and arrived in Abu Dhabi at approximately 3:10 p.m. He reportedly remained in the UAE for about four hours before departing for Israel.

The purpose and substance of Netanyahu’s talks with bin Zayed were not immediately disclosed. The Prime Minister’s Office did not provide details about the meeting or publicly comment on what the two leaders discussed.

The highly unusual, closely guarded visit comes at a sensitive moment, amid renewed controversy in Israel over reports concerning communications between the UAE and Netanyahu ahead of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack.

Recent reports have alleged that bin Zayed contacted Netanyahu in September 2023 and raised concerns about the possibility of a major Hamas attack. Netanyahu’s office has disputed claims that the Emirati president provided him with an advance warning of the October 7 assault.

Sunday’s meeting therefore drew particular attention because of its timing, although there was no confirmation that the controversy over the alleged pre-October 7 communications was discussed during Netanyahu’s talks with bin Zayed.

Neither the Israeli government nor the UAE initially released an official account of the meeting, leaving the agenda of the secret Abu Dhabi talks undisclosed.

The IDF has reportedly stopped conducting proactive arrest raids targeting yeshiva bochurim classified as draft evaders in major chareidi population centers, even as enforcement continues at Israel’s airports and border crossings, where more than 200 alleged draft evaders have reportedly been arrested since the beginning of the Yom Tov season.

According to a report in Haaretz, the proactive arrest operations inside chareidi neighborhoods have been suspended since last month. The decision was initiated by the Military Police, while Israel Police serves primarily as the operational force assisting in carrying out such arrests.

Police sources cited in the report said they do not expect the raids to resume in the immediate future. The suspension has also coincided with an end to the large demonstrations staged by chareidi groups in response to military arrest operations.

The IDF has attributed the reduction in proactive operations to operational considerations, including the need to deploy personnel to other missions amid heightened security requirements surrounding the Yomim Tovim.

Some law-enforcement officials, however, offered a different explanation, alleging that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Personnel Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa are concerned that aggressive arrest operations in chareidi neighborhoods could trigger widespread unrest during the election period. That assertion is disputed by the IDF.

“In the army, they place the responsibility on the police, but in practice this is an issue that comes from the top of the IDF, which is deliberately abandoning the matter,” a senior law-enforcement official was quoted as saying.

While proactive raids inside chareidi communities have been curtailed, enforcement against draft evaders has continued through other channels, particularly at Israel’s points of entry and exit.

According to the IDF, more than 200 draft evaders have been arrested since the beginning of the Yom Tov period. Most were apprehended at border crossings, including some who were caught while returning to Israel. Others were transferred to Military Police custody after being encountered incidentally by civilian police.

The increased emphasis on border enforcement was already evident in the weeks before Rosh Hashanah. Military Police personnel were deployed at Ben Gurion Airport and other crossings as large numbers of travelers headed abroad, including those traveling to Uman. Earlier this month, more than 60 draft evaders were reported arrested at border crossings over a period of several days.

The reported suspension of neighborhood raids comes at a particularly sensitive legal moment. In approximately three weeks, the state is expected to submit an updated response to the High Court of Justice detailing the enforcement measures being taken against those who have failed to report for military service.

Earlier this month, a nine-justice High Court panel unanimously struck down legislation that had sought to suspend arrests, investigations and other enforcement measures against chareidi yeshiva bochurim who failed to report for military service. Eight of the nine justices also concluded that the legislation was unconstitutional because of its serious infringement on the principle of equality.

Questions about the scale of enforcement have already reached the political arena. Opposition lawmakers recently demanded updated figures from the IDF amid reports that proactive arrests of chareidi draft evaders had fallen sharply despite the High Court ruling.

The IDF, for its part, denied that any directive had been issued to stop proactive arrests in chareidi population centers because of the upcoming elections.

In its response to the report, the military said the Military Police continues to carry out enforcement operations with assistance from Israel Police. The IDF added that forces at border crossings have been reinforced in accordance with ongoing security assessments and said enforcement would continue equally against those violating the law.

{Matzav.com}