Feed aggregator

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu visited the northern front on Friday, where he met with senior military leaders and troops operating against Hezbollah, praising the IDF’s progress and declaring that Israeli forces are inflicting significant damage on the terror organization throughout Lebanon.

Joining Netanyahu during the visit were Defense Minister Israel Katz and Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Tamir Yadai. The delegation toured positions of the IDF’s 36th Division near the northern border and received operational briefings from Northern Command chief Maj.-Gen. Rafi Milo and 36th Division commander Brig.-Gen. Yiftach Norkin.

The Israeli leaders were updated on ongoing military activity in Lebanon and held discussions with brigade commanders currently overseeing combat operations in the field.

Addressing troops and commanders, Netanyahu emphasized the determination he witnessed among those serving on the front lines.

“I came here today with the Minister of Defense, with the Deputy Chief of Staff, with the Commander of the Northern Command, with the Division Commander, with the commanders you see here, and with the soldiers in the field. I spoke with the brigade commanders who are currently in the field,” Netanyahu said. “I hear them, and I also hear the soldiers, some of whom are standing here behind me; there is an immense fighting spirit. From here, the battle against Hezbollah in the north is being managed.”

The prime minister pointed to what he described as substantial military achievements, saying Israeli forces have expanded their operational reach and established control over strategic areas.

“And I must tell you that there are very impressive results here. Our forces have crossed the Litani; they have advanced to controlling positions. We are operating in Beirut, in the Beqaa, across the entire width of the front, and we are dealing Hezbollah a crushing blow,” the Prime Minister said.

Netanyahu rejected any suggestion that the assessment was exaggerated, saying battlefield reports from both commanders and soldiers reflected the same reality.

“When I say this, it is no empty statement. The brigade commanders tell me, as do the soldiers, that in every contact with them, in every encounter, we are both eliminating Hezbollah and causing them to flee,” Netanyahu continued.

He attributed the military’s successes to the determination and morale of the troops engaged in combat operations and praised both the soldiers and their leadership.

“And it is this spirit that brings us these achievements. I salute you. You are lions. You have commanders who are lions, and you are proving the strength of the spirit of the Israel Defense Forces. Keep going, with great success, until the very end,” he concluded.

The visit comes as Israeli forces continue operations against Hezbollah positions throughout Lebanon, with military officials maintaining pressure on the terror group across multiple sectors of the northern front.

{Matzav.com}

[Videos below.] Blue Origin suffered a major setback Thursday when its New Glenn rocket exploded during a ground test at Cape Canaveral, Florida, sending a huge fireball and plume of smoke into the sky and dealing another blow to Jeff Bezos’ efforts to compete in the rapidly evolving commercial space industry.

Videos captured the dramatic blast as spectators watched in disbelief. The towering rocket was engulfed in flames moments after the test began, producing a massive explosion that prompted onlookers to exclaim, “Oh no!” and “Oh my God!”

Blue Origin later acknowledged the incident in a brief statement posted on X, describing the event as an “anomaly” and confirming that “all personnel have been accounted for.”

The accident adds to a growing list of challenges facing Bezos’ aerospace company as it attempts to establish itself as a major player in the race to dominate space transportation and exploration.

At the time of the explosion, the New Glenn vehicle was not conducting a launch. Instead, engineers were carrying out a standard static-fire test, a procedure in which the rocket’s engines are ignited while the vehicle remains anchored to the launch pad.

The failed test is particularly significant because New Glenn is expected to handle a wide range of future missions, including deployments of Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband satellites, NASA cargo, and commercial payloads. No flight had been scheduled when the explosion occurred.

Bezos addressed the incident on social media, emphasizing that investigators are still working to determine what went wrong.

“It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it,” Bezos wrote on X.

“Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”

Standing 98 meters (321 feet) tall, New Glenn is Blue Origin’s flagship launch vehicle and a central component of the company’s long-term strategy to challenge Elon Musk’s SpaceX, whose Starship rocket program continues to advance.

Musk responded to news of the explosion with a brief message expressing sympathy for the setback, describing the mishap as “most unfortunate.”

The latest failure follows another recent problem for New Glenn. Only weeks ago, the rocket fell short during a mission intended to place a communications satellite into its designated orbit, triggering a formal review.

Although the mission successfully recovered and reused a booster stage, the uncrewed flight was unable to deploy a satellite for AST SpaceMobile into the planned orbit.

Following that mission, the Federal Aviation Administration directed Blue Origin to undertake a “mishap investigation,” a review process that concluded earlier this month.

In comments released last week, the company said regulators had accepted its findings.

“The FAA has approved our NG-3 report, and corrective measures have been implemented,” Blue Origin said last week, explaining that thermal conditions caused one of the rocket’s engines to not achieve its full thrust, causing it to miss its target orbit.

Florida Congressman Mike Haridopolos, whose district includes Cape Canaveral, said he had been in communication with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman after the explosion.

“I am grateful there were no reported injuries and thankful for the first responders, engineers, and launch crews who acted quickly,” Haridopolos said.

The explosion comes as Blue Origin continues working with NASA on technology intended to support future Artemis lunar missions, including the development of a lunar landing system.

Isaacman confirmed that NASA was monitoring the situation and stressed the difficulty of building powerful new launch vehicles.

“Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult,” he wrote on X.

“We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets.”

NASA’s current plans call for testing orbital rendezvous operations involving lunar landers in 2027, with a crewed mission to the Moon targeted before the end of 2028.

Whether those goals can be achieved on schedule remains uncertain. Both Blue Origin and SpaceX still face major technical hurdles, and many analysts in the aerospace industry have repeatedly questioned whether either company can meet the ambitious timelines required for upcoming lunar missions.

{Matzav.com}

A forthcoming memoir by Jill Biden offers a behind-the-scenes account of the dramatic hours following President Joe Biden’s decision to abandon his 2024 re-election campaign, portraying Vice President Kamala Harris as aggressively pressing for an immediate presidential endorsement.

In her new book, View from the East Wing, scheduled for release on June 2, the former first lady describes a July 21, 2024, phone conversation in which Biden informed Harris that he would not seek another term, becoming the first sitting president since Lyndon Johnson in 1968 to step aside rather than pursue re-election.

According to excerpts published by USA Today, Jill Biden recalls Harris reacting with surprise when she heard the news.

“Oh my God, Joe. Are you sure?” Jill Biden recalls Harris saying before pushing for her boss’s backing, according to an excerpt reported by USA Today.

The memoir describes Harris as quickly turning the discussion toward securing Biden’s endorsement for her own candidacy.

When Joe Biden suggested postponing any endorsement announcement until the following morning, Harris reportedly objected and insisted: “I want it sooner.”

As Biden attempted to buy time and told Harris he would reconnect with her after reaching a decision, she continued to press the issue.

After the president said he would call her back “when I figure this out,” the veep pressed: “Could you do it soon? Say, in 20 minutes?”

Jill Biden writes that she ultimately removed herself from the conversation, suggesting she had heard enough of the exchange.

At that point, Jill Biden writes, she walked out of the room, apparently unable to bear any more.

Within roughly 30 minutes of announcing his withdrawal from the race, Biden publicly endorsed Harris in a separate statement, effectively ending any possibility of a contested fight for the Democratic nomination ahead of the party’s convention in Chicago the following month.

The book also revisits the long-standing tensions between Harris and Jill Biden, whose strained relationship dates back years before they served together in the White House.

One of the most notable flashpoints came during a Democratic primary debate in 2019, when Harris sharply criticized Biden over his earlier opposition to federally mandated busing programs intended to promote school integration.

Jill Biden later defended her husband in a call with supporters, expressing outrage over Harris’ attack.

“With what he cares about, what he fights for, what he’s committed to, you get up there and call him a racist without basis?”

According to reports cited in the memoir, Jill Biden’s reservations about Harris did not end there. After Joe Biden secured the Democratic nomination, she reportedly opposed selecting Harris as his running mate.

As recounted in the book, Jill questioned the decision at the time, saying: “There are millions of people in the United States. Why do we have to choose the one who attacked Joe?”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump announced Friday that he is preparing to make a final decision on a proposed agreement with Iran that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, and potentially involve American participation in removing and destroying Iran’s remaining enriched uranium reserves.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump emphasized that any agreement must ensure Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon, indicating that the United States would oversee the elimination of uranium buried at Iranian nuclear sites damaged during last year’s military campaign.

“The enriched material, sometimes referred to as ‘Nuclear Dust,’ which is buried deep underground with virtually collapsed mountains, caused by our powerful B2 Bomber attack 11 months ago, sitting on top of it, will be unearthed by the United States … in close coordination and conjunction with the Islamic Republic of Iran, plus the International Atomic Energy Agency, and DESTROYED,” he wrote.

Trump further asserted that the United States possesses unique capabilities necessary for such an operation.

“He also noted that ‘it is agreed’ that the US ‘is the only Country, along with China, with the mechanical capability’ of extracting the uranium.”

Questions remain about whether the destruction of Iran’s enriched uranium is actually part of the proposed agreement. White House descriptions of the draft accord released Thursday did not include any commitment by Tehran to eliminate its existing stockpile.

It was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to an additional understanding still being negotiated or a provision already included in the draft framework.

Iranian officials quickly pushed back on Trump’s characterization of the proposal. The semi-official Fars news agency dismissed the president’s comments as a “mixture of truth and falsehood” used in an “attempt to portray a fabricated victory.”

Despite the disagreement over details, the proposed accord would represent the most significant diplomatic development since the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on Feb. 28. Those operations were aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, degrading its military and missile infrastructure, and increasing pressure on the ruling regime.

According to the memorandum of understanding put forward by the Trump administration, the cease-fire would be extended for an additional 60 days, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would resume, and both sides would continue negotiations over unresolved nuclear issues, including future limits on uranium enrichment.

Trump reiterated what he described as a non-negotiable requirement for any deal.

“Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb.”

He also said Iran would lose the ability to collect fees from vessels traveling through the strategic waterway, guaranteeing “unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions.”

Addressing security concerns in the region, Trump stated that mines in the waterway would be removed.

“All water mines (bombs), if any, will be terminated (we have removed, through detonation, numerous such mines with our great underwater mine sweepers,” he added.

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear activities are intended solely for civilian purposes and has repeatedly denied pursuing nuclear weapons.

Supporters of Trump’s approach argue that previous agreements failed to adequately address Iran’s ability to retain enriched uranium and maintain enrichment capabilities. They point to the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated by President Barack Obama, which stated that Tehran “will ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program,” but did not require the complete dismantling of Iran’s enrichment infrastructure.

For that reason, Trump has focused on the complete removal of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and preventing the country from restoring enrichment operations in the future.

Although Trump said he was heading to the Situation Room to decide whether to move forward with the agreement, some of his comments suggested that at least one element of the proposal may already have been settled.

“Ships caught in the Strait due to our amazing and unprecedented Naval Blockade, which will now be lifted, may start the process of ‘heading home!’” he said. “Say HELLO to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favorite President!”

Iran has reportedly insisted that the blockade be lifted before it reopens the Strait of Hormuz, according to Fars, leading some observers to interpret Trump’s remarks as an effort to satisfy that demand.

At the same time, Iranian officials continued to project confidence and signaled that pressure, rather than negotiations, had brought Washington to the table. Fars reported claims that Tehran would extract concessions from the United States “not through dialogue, but with missiles.”

Earlier Friday, Iran’s chief negotiator and parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, cautioned that Tehran would judge any agreement solely by actions rather than promises.

“We do not trust guarantees and words, only actions are the criterion. No action will be taken before the other side acts,” Qalibaf said in a post to X.

He also issued a cryptic warning about the balance between diplomacy and military readiness.

“In negotiations, we merely make them understand,” he said without adding context. “The winner of any agreement is the one who is better prepared for war from the day after.”

The White House confirmed Thursday that the proposal remains under active consideration. If approved, it would launch a new round of negotiations focused on broader questions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program and regional activities.

Iran is reportedly seeking extensive sanctions relief, a reduction of the American military presence in the region, and an end to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon as part of any long-term agreement.

Trump indicated that financial concessions are not currently part of the package.

“No money will be exchanged, until further notice.”

His statement suggested that economic relief and other financial arrangements could be deferred to future negotiations.

The latest developments come as Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington on Friday for meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Pakistan has been playing a key intermediary role in efforts to broker an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

{Matzav.com}

Former Rishon LeZion Rav Yitzchak Yosef issued a strongly worded letter Friday morning condemning the small group of young attendees who booed and jeered when the name of Shas chairman Aryeh Deri was mentioned during a major gathering held Thursday night at Binyanei HaUma in Yerushalayim.

The letter, written personally in the Rav’s own handwriting, came after reports that several youths disrupted the event, known as Ve’atah Kisvu Lachem, by whistling and expressing disapproval when Deri’s name was referenced. According to those close to the Rav, he chose to handwrite the letter specifically to avoid any claims that it had been drafted by aides or political associates.

In the opening of the letter, Rav Yosef emphasized that the incident involved only a small minority and praised Deri’s longstanding service to the Sephardic community.

“Last night, at the distinguished event held at Binyanei HaUma in conjunction with the Rishon LeZion Prize and attended by the members of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, including Rav Avraham Salim, Rav Yehudah Cohen and Rav Shlomo Machpud, there was a small group of youths who failed to show proper respect and harmed the honor of shlucha d’Rabbanan, who devotes himself on behalf of the Sephardic public, our very dear Rav, the emissary of the sages, HaRav HaGaon Rabbi Aryeh Deri, shlita, chairman of our movement.”

The former Sephardic Chief Rabbi sharply criticized the conduct of those involved and described the behavior as a serious breach of proper respect.

“And I am pained and protest this lack of derech eretz toward our friend, HaRav Rabbi Aryeh, shlita. This behavior is a serious matter!”

Rav Yosef concluded the letter with a call for unity within the Sephardic Torah community and the Shas movement.

“We need unity in our movement. We are all united!”

The letter was released just hours after Deri met with Rav Yosef at his home for what was described as an urgent consultation regarding the growing wave of arrests targeting yeshiva students and Torah learners.

During the gathering at Binyanei HaUma, Rav Yosef addressed the assembled bnei Torah and spoke about the arrests, saying: “Unfortunately, they are arresting only our Sephardic boys, but do not be afraid—you are the strength of the Jewish people.”

{Matzav.com}

In an unprecedented move, the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum, delivered an emergency address on Thursday that was broadcast live without advance notice to Satmar communities and institutions around the world. The dramatic speech focused entirely on what the Rebbe described as the growing spiritual threat posed by artificial intelligence, which he warned is causing widespread damage among yeshiva students, young women, and even married kollel members.

Speaking emotionally and at times through tears, the Rebbe compared the current challenge to earlier battles against computers, video technology, and smartphones. However, he stressed that AI presents a far greater danger, describing it as a spiritual breach unlike anything previously encountered.

Opening his remarks with verses from Tehillim, the Rebbe focused on the words, “Hashem, You have raised my soul from the grave,” explaining that without Divine assistance, a person cannot overcome the yetzer hara.

Quoting the Gemara in Sukkah, the Rebbe noted that the evil inclination grows stronger each day and that a person would be unable to defeat it without Heavenly help. He then connected that concept to modern technology.

“In our generation, the power of technology renews itself every day,” the Rebbe said. “Every day there are new tools, more advanced than the day before. In earlier generations, the yetzer hara grew stronger gradually. We fought those battles with all our strength in order to save Klal Yisroel, especially its young people, from falling into spiritual destruction.”

The Rebbe then reviewed the struggles against earlier technologies.

He recalled the fierce opposition to home computers and said that communities eventually found workable solutions, such as keeping computers out of the home and installing filters where computers were needed for business purposes.

According to the Rebbe, those safeguards protected countless Jewish families and prevented many people from being drawn into harmful influences.

He similarly pointed to the battles against video technology and smartphones.

“When video and smartphones arrived, there was still a solution,” he said. “A person could choose not to bring those devices into the home. Through those efforts, thousands of G-d-fearing Jews were protected, and holy Jewish homes remained pure and safeguarded.”

The central focus of the speech came when the Rebbe turned to artificial intelligence, which he repeatedly described as a new and uniquely dangerous spiritual threat.

“Now, however, a new yetzer hara has arrived, far worse than what came before. This yetzer hara is called AI.”

The Rebbe warned that AI can be accessed through virtually any device, including what are commonly considered kosher phones.

“Even through a kosher phone, one can become connected to this yetzer hara,” he said. “And it possesses an enormous power of attraction.”

The Rebbe distinguished between business-related uses of AI and other forms of engagement with the technology, saying that while business applications also require extreme caution, his primary concern was a second category that he believed presents grave spiritual risks.

“Oy li im omar, oy li im lo omar — woe is me if I speak and woe is me if I remain silent,” he said. “The children already know about this. The young boys and girls already know about it. Everything is open before them.”

The Rebbe went on to warn that AI provides easy access to material and influences that violate the most fundamental prohibitions of Judaism.

“Every forbidden thing — idolatry, immorality, bloodshed — this tool opens a path to it,” he declared. “It draws young people into those terrible places and pulls them down into the depths.”

At one point, the Rebbe became visibly emotional as he described what he said is already taking place within Jewish homes.

“Many, many young people are already immersed in this,” he said. “With every phone in the house, a person can connect to this kelipah in an instant. Parents are unaware. They have no way to supervise it.”

He repeatedly described the situation as “geferlich” — frightening and dangerous — and cried out, “Gevald! Gevald on the world!”

According to the Rebbe, the consequences are already being felt among young men, young women, and even married Torah scholars.

“There are victims,” he said. “Young bochurim, older bochurim, girls in Bais Yaakov, even young avreichim. They become connected to this kelipah and fall into spiritual ruin.”

He warned that such involvement destroys yiras Shamayim, weakens a person’s desire to learn Torah, and introduces influences that can fundamentally alter a person’s spiritual life.

“This removes all desire for the holy Torah,” he said. “It strips away the taste of Torah and brings the impurity of America directly into holy Jewish hearts.”

The Rebbe then issued one of the most striking directives of the address, calling on community members to intervene if they become aware of individuals who are involved with what he described as the dangerous side of AI.

Citing the Torah’s command regarding testimony and responsibility, he said that anyone aware of another person’s involvement has an obligation to notify the administration of the institution where that individual studies.

“If someone knows of another person who is connected to this kelipah, he must immediately inform the administration of the institution so they can save that soul from destruction,” the Rebbe said.

He stressed that the primary defense against the danger is personal vigilance and self-supervision, arguing that no external system of monitoring can effectively address the challenge.

Despite the grim tone of much of the speech, the Rebbe concluded with a message of hope for those who have already become involved with AI and wish to change course.

Returning to the verse “Hashem, You have raised my soul from the grave,” he cited the teachings of the Shelah HaKadosh and emphasized that no one is beyond recovery.

“Even someone who has already fallen into these traps can still be rescued,” he said. “A person can sever his connection to this kelipah and leave it behind.”

He urged listeners to turn to Hashem in sincere prayer and ask for the strength to break free from harmful influences and reclaim their spiritual lives.

“May Hakadosh Boruch Hu help us subdue the sitra achra,” the Rebbe concluded, “and merit to serve the Creator with a pure heart throughout our lives, ‘and I shall dwell in the House of Hashem for length of days.’ Amein.”

Senior Hamas officials have no intention of giving up their weapons and believe the terrorist organization has emerged stronger since the ceasefire agreement, according to a regional diplomat who recently met with members of the group’s leadership.

The diplomat told Israel’s Channel 13 News on Thursday that Hamas leaders are convinced the United States will prevent Israel from launching any major new military campaign in Gaza and believe their position in the territory continues to improve.

According to the diplomat, Hamas officials told him, “Our strength has increased since the ceasefire agreement. There is no reason whatsoever for us to disarm. Trump will not allow Netanyahu to advance large-scale and far-reaching military operations in Gaza. Israel must fulfill its side of the agreement.”

The diplomat said Hamas has gained confidence since the withdrawal of significant Israeli military forces from parts of Gaza and believes its grip on the territory will continue to grow.

He added that during one of the meetings, Hamas officials referenced the phrase “total victory” in Arabic and openly questioned whether Israel would ever be able to achieve such an outcome.

The report comes as Israel continues its campaign against Hamas leadership. On Wednesday, the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed the elimination of Mohammed Odeh, who had recently assumed command of Hamas’s military wing following the death of Izz al-Din Haddad.

According to the joint statement, Odeh was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City after months of intelligence-gathering aimed at tracking his movements and those of his associates. Several buildings used as hideouts in the Rimal neighborhood were targeted during the operation. A nearby apartment used by a Hamas terrorist who participated in the October 7 massacre and was part of Odeh’s support network was also struck.

“Odeh served as the head of Hamas’ military wing over the past two weeks, following the elimination of Izz al-Din Haddad,” the IDF Spokesperson said. “In recent years, Odeh served as the head of Hamas’ intelligence headquarters. In his role, he was responsible for planning and coordinating attack and raid targets carried out by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 massacre.

“In addition, throughout the war, Odeh was involved in directing numerous terrorist attacks and led intelligence collection and analysis efforts for the purpose of carrying out terrorist operations against IDF forces and Israeli civilians. The Hamas intelligence apparatus under his command supported the organization’s terrorist activities and provided the operational framework for actions that posed a threat to IDF troops and citizens of the State of Israel.”

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Cory Booker sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s immigration policies during a CNN appearance Thursday, describing the administration’s enforcement efforts as “chaotic, cruel and corrupt” after visiting a detention facility in Newark, New Jersey.

During an interview on The Lead, host Jake Tapper asked the New Jersey Democrat about his visit to the center and what he learned from speaking with detainees housed there.

“Senator, you went inside the facility yesterday. You said it is a moral stain in our nation. What did you see? What did the detainees tell you?” Tapper asked.

Booker responded by focusing on the facility’s private ownership and the conditions he said detainees are facing inside.

“Well, remember this is being run by a private corporation that showered Republicans with cash. Have $1 billion operation. So it is a private, for profit prison now profiting off of people’s pain. Inside, the conditions were insufficient and unacceptable. From lots of complaints about medical conditions, not getting the proper treatment from women, not getting the proper gynecological care when they were in severe crisis. And obviously, we’re hearing complaints about the food and more. Remember, these people are New Jersey’s neighbors. There are people in there that I talked to that have been in our country not years but decades, who have American children and grandchildren who have committed no crimes. A majority of the people there have committed no crimes. And so this is a problem and a moral abomination on multiple levels.”

Booker said his visit reinforced concerns he already had about the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, arguing that Newark has become a focal point in the broader national debate over the issue.

“I now see again, this is a president with a chaotic, cruel and corrupt, immigration enforcement. And we’re seeing the epicenter now moving to Newark, New Jersey.”

Syria’s transitional government announced that it has uncovered additional remnants of Bashar Assad’s long-concealed chemical weapons program and detained 18 individuals allegedly connected to its development and operation, marking one of the most significant investigations into the former regime’s weapons activities since Assad’s downfall.

Assad was driven from power in December 2024 and later fled to Russia, one of the key allies that supported his government throughout Syria’s devastating civil war. Following his removal, control of the country passed to a transitional administration led by a coalition of insurgent and jihadist factions under Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former member of al-Qaeda.

Since taking power, Syria’s new leadership has distanced itself from both Russia and Iran, Assad’s longtime backers, while seeking closer ties with Western governments. Among its initiatives was joining the Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State in November 2025.

The government has also expanded cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), headquartered in The Hague. On Tuesday, the OPCW reported that inspectors had gained access to multiple chemical weapons facilities that had never previously been disclosed by the Assad government. During those inspections, teams discovered “dozens of undeclared chemical munitions such as aerial bombs and rockets, as well as separately found chemicals and related equipment.”

Authorities working alongside OPCW personnel have so far identified more than 70 rockets and aerial bombs apparently built to deliver chemical agents, similar to munitions linked to attacks carried out by Assad’s forces against opposition-held areas in 2013 and 2017.

Investigators also located materials associated with the production of sarin nerve gas. Among the substances recovered was hexamine, a compound with legitimate industrial uses that was previously identified as a component used by Assad’s chemical weapons specialists in the manufacturing process for weaponized sarin.

Previous investigations by OPCW and United Nations teams uncovered stores of chlorine and mustard gas used by Syrian military units. Officials say nearly 100 additional sites across Syria remain on the list for future inspection.

Mahamad Katoub, the transitional government’s representative to the OPCW, described the discoveries and arrests as a major victory for both Syria and the international community.

“Today we delivered for the Syrian people and for the world, despite the secrecy, the danger, and the enormous security challenges,” he said.

“It is the first time such munitions could be recovered before they were used in crimes against the Syrian people,” he added.

Katoub declined to publicly identify the 18 people taken into custody but said those arrested include “high-level military, political, and technical officials.” He noted that at least four of the suspects are already under sanctions imposed by the United States, the United Kingdom, or the European Union.

Earlier this month, on May 8, Syria’s Interior Ministry announced the arrest of former Brig. Gen. Khardal Ahmed Dayoub, a senior Assad-era military commander accused of involvement in a 2013 chemical attack near Damascus. Authorities also linked him to chemical assaults in Eastern Ghouta.

Officials charged Dayoub with “direct involvement in systematic violations against civilians,” including responsibility for attacks that killed approximately 1,400 people.

OPCW Director-General Amb. Fernando Arias said Wednesday that the latest findings reinforce longstanding conclusions that Assad’s government concealed critical information about the scope of its chemical weapons activities.

“confirms the Secretariat’s repeated assessment since 2014 that the former Syrian regime withheld information and unsuccessfully attempted to mislead the Secretariat and the international community on the extent of its chemical weapons program.”

Arias praised the cooperation shown by Syria’s current authorities during the investigation.

“I welcome Syria’s cooperation and support for this deployment,” Arias said.

He stressed that substantial work remains ahead and called on Syrian officials to fully account for and eliminate the materials that have been uncovered.

“The Syrian authorities now need to declare and destroy what has been found, under the Secretariat’s verification and to continue supporting the Secretariat in unveiling the full scope of the chemical weapons program they have inherited,” he added.

{Matzav.com}