Tag Archives: Hamas

The Washington Post reports: The Biden administration is preparing for the possibility that hundreds of thousands of American citizens will require evacuation from the Middle East if the bloodshed in Gaza cannot be contained, according to four officials familiar with the U.S. government’s contingency planning. The specter of such an operation comes as Israeli forces, aided by U.S. weapons and …

“We’re talking about Americans now. Jake, we’re talking about Americans that have been captured and taken hostage, by the brutal Hamas terrorists. I said the better part of two weeks ago, Jake, that if I was president, I would have already been on the phone with the Joint Special Operations Command, I would have given orders for Delta Force and …

Reuters reports: Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, has released two U.S. hostages from Gaza – a mother and her daughter – “for humanitarian reasons” in response to Qatari mediation efforts in the war with Israel, its spokesman Abu Ubaida said on Friday. Hamas says it took about 200 hostages during a deadly Oct. 7 rampage carried out …

Axios reports: President Biden landed in Tel Aviv today to show solidarity with Israel in its war against Hamas, and to try to prevent the war from spreading. But the Middle East is already bubbling over with rage — and the war’s shockwaves are increasingly tough to contain. A deadly missile blast Tuesday at a hospital in Gaza killed hundreds …

The Associated Press reports: The Gaza Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike Tuesday hit a Gaza City hospital packed with wounded and other Palestinians seeking shelter, killing hundreds. If confirmed, the attack would be by far the deadliest Israeli airstrike in five wars fought since 2008. Photos from al-Ahli Hospital showed fire engulfing the hospital halls, shattered glass and body …

The New York Times reports: Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has ordered about 2,000 more U.S. troops to prepare to deploy to the Middle East in support of Israel, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, as Israeli forces prepare to launch a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. The troops are currently stationed in the United States and other locations, …

“I don’t think we can have a Palestinian state at this point. I’ve had it with the Palestinians. I’ve given up on the Palestinians. If I was in Israel, I wouldn’t be talking about a Palestinian state right now. I don’t think Joe Biden should be talking about a Palestinian state right now. “And I don’t like how people try …

CNN reports: President Joe Biden will make an extraordinary wartime visit to Israel this week as he seeks to demonstrate staunch support for the country as it works to eliminate Hamas while also pressing for ways to ease humanitarian suffering in Gaza. The dueling objectives, spelled out by his top diplomat Monday evening, bring with them significant risks for the …

CNN reports: The White House on Monday announced President Joe Biden is scrapping a planned trip to Colorado just hours before he was set to depart, so he can instead hold meetings with his national security team as Israel’s war with Hamas appears set to escalate. Discussions are underway for a possible Biden visit to the Middle East after Israeli …

CNN reports: The FBI has seen an increase in reported threats in the US amid the Israel-Hamas war, Director Christopher Wray told reporters on a call Sunday. “Here in the US, we cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas or other foreign terrorist organizations could exploit the conflict to call on their supporters to conduct attacks on our …

The New York Times reports: President Biden warned Israel in an interview aired on Sunday not to reoccupy Gaza, his first significant public effort to restrain America’s ally in the wake of the Hamas assault that killed more than 1,300 people, including at least 29 Americans. Mr. Biden has offered staunch support for Israel since the Oct. 7 attack and …

The Daily Beast reports: National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Sunday that he won’t rule out the possibility that American troops could be deployed to help free hostages captured by the Hamas militant group, but noted there are no plans currently in place to do so. In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Kirby was asked whether he would …

Axios reports: Israel resumed on Sunday the water supply to the southern Gaza Strip after strong pressure from the Biden administration, two Israeli officials told Axios. Israel’s decision to completely stop the water supply to Gaza exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, with aid groups warning water supplies were quickly running out. Israel announced on the second day …

The Associated Press reports: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Saturday for protecting civilians in the Gaza Strip and Israel as the Israeli military ordered half of the Palestinian territory’s population to evacuate in advance of an expected ground assault. Blinken met with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan as America’s top diplomat held a third day …

CNN reports: The US intelligence community produced at least two assessments based in part on intelligence provided by Israel warning the Biden administration of an increased risk for Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the weeks ahead of Saturday’s seismic attack on southern Israel, according to sources familiar with the intelligence. One update from September 28 warned, based on multiple streams of intelligence, …

NBC News reports: Local and federal law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are stepping up their patrols of Jewish houses of worship, Jewish-owned businesses and Israeli diplomatic buildings as calls for attacks on the Jewish community in the U.S. intensify online. Former Hamas leader Khaled Mashal recently called for Friday to be a global day of “anger” in support of …

CBS News reports: As it continues to conduct relentless airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in the wake of the surprise Hamas attacks, the Israeli military informed the United Nations late Thursday night that the entire population in northern Gaza should evacuate south almost immediately. Stephane Dujarric, a U.N. spokesperson, told CBS News that liaison officers with the Israel Defense Forces …

The Jerusalem Post reports: Four out of five Jewish Israelis believe the government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are to blame for the mass infiltration of Hamas terrorists into Israel and the massacre that followed, a new Dialog Center poll released on Thursday found. An overwhelming majority – 86% of respondents, including 79% of coalition supporters, said the surprise attack …

The Washington Post reports: U.S. officials and the Qatari government have agreed to stop Iran from accessing a $6 billion account for humanitarian assistance in light of Hamas’s attack on Israel, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told House Democrats on Thursday, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private remarks. The decision not …

Reuters reports: The X social media platform has removed hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts and taken action to remove or label tens of thousands of pieces of content since the militant group’s attack on Israel, its chief executive Linda officer Yaccarino said on Thursday. The move came in response to EU industry chief Thierry Breton’s 24 hour-ultimatum to Elon Musk to …