Hebrew media reports that the army is urging Tel Aviv that ‘now is the right time’ for escalation against Hezbollah and Lebanon | Former Israeli intelligence and security official Yuval Malka told Hebrew media on 25 July that Washington has greenlit a wider war on Lebanon. “According to the information I received from the delegation and what I know, Netanyahu has received full legitimacy in the United States to wage a war in Lebanon,” Malka told Israel’s Channel 14. [...] “The Israeli army is prepared for a major ground maneuver in Lebanon and warns: Any delay will be in Hezbollah’s favor when there is progress in the background in negotiations to release the hostages,” said Amir Bohbot, military editor and senior defense analyst for Israeli news site Walla, on 24 July.

■ US armed Israel with 25,000-plus bombs, missiles since Oct. 7: Report (PressTV)

Mike Whitney | Chinese diplomats expect the path to peace to be implemented in three phases [...] China should be applauded for bringing the rival factions together and making such a courageous effort to bring the 10 month-long bloodbath in Gaza to an end. They should also be commended for understanding that the broader crisis cannot be resolved without internal reconciliation, which is why China’s foreign ministry arranged to bring all the factions together at one time. Fortunately, the three-day confab helped the leaders to iron-out their differences on key issues including the creation of a provisional “national reconciliation government that will be formed according to the consensus of Palestinian factions and the current Basic Law of the Palestine.” [...]

The Saudi Ministry of Defense has reacted to the reports released by Israeli media sources regarding the country's alleged involvement in the Zionist regime's attack on Yemen last night. | Reacting to the claims, Defense Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki said on Sunday that his country did not participate in the Israeli raids targeting the Yemeni city of Hodeidah on Saturday. He further stressed that Saudi Arabia would not allow any party to violate its airspace. ● Israeli war jets launched a series of airstrikes on Saturday targeting Yemen's province of Hodeidah on the Red Sea coast. The aggression targeted an oil refinery, leading to a massive fire that can be seen kilometers away. ● After the Israeli attack on Yemeni soil, the spokesperson of the Arab country's Army Yahya Saree said that Yemeni armed forces would not hesitate to retaliate the Israeli strikes on Hudaydah Port.

■ UN warns of escalation risk after Israeli attacks on Yemen (TRT World)
■ Cairo Says Concerned About Israeli Airstrikes on Yemen’s Hudaydah (Sputnik News)
■ Israeli attack against Yemen signals ‘dangerous’ new phase: Hezbollah (Anadolu)
■ Yemen successfully hits occupied Eilat, US ship in Red Sea (Mehr News Agency) | Local sources reported a massive explosion in the Israeli-occupied Eilat early on Sunday. Zionist media sources reported that alarm sirens sounded after a loud explosion was heard in Eilat. The incident occurred just hours after the Israeli regime attacked Yemen's Al-Hudaydah Port.

Washington and London have launched dozens of airstrikes inside Yemen without congressional or parliamentary approval | The commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), General Michael Erik Kurilla, has urged authorities in Washington to take a more forceful approach against Yemen, saying current efforts to deter the nation’s pro-Palestine operations are “failing.” ● In a private letter addressed to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Kurilla calls for a “stepped-up ‘whole of government’ effort against the Houthis, employing economic, diplomatic, and potentially military pressure to discourage attacks on ships in the Red Sea,” according to officials who spoke with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The Houthis used a novel UAV dubbed Jaffo which, according to the rebels, is capable of bypassing air defense systems [...] According to a statement published on his Telegram channel, the Houthis carried out a "military operation which involved delivering strikes on one of important targets" in Tel Aviv. The Houthis used a novel UAV dubbed Jaffo which, according to the rebels, is capable of bypassing air defense systems. ● The Houthis noted that Tel Aviv is "no longer safe and will become the main target" of the rebels within the range of their weapons. The rebel movement has determined a number of targets in Israel, "including important military facilities," and will continue to deliver strikes on them in response to Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip, the statement noted.

■ Yemen's Houthis claim deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv (MEE)
■ ‘Suicide drone’ explodes near US consulate in Tel Aviv – reports (RT.com)

Oman’s Maritime Security Center announced, on Wednesday, the rescue of nine out of 16 crew members from an oil tanker that capsized off the coast of the Sultanate earlier this week. | Oman’s Maritime Security Center announced, on Wednesday, the rescue of nine out of 16 crew members from an oil tanker that capsized off the coast of the Sultanate earlier this week. [...] A warship from the Indian Navy rescued the nine survivors after an all-night search around the tanker’s last known location off the coast of Duqm, a coastal province in Oman.

Six months after the ICJ's provisional measures, torture allegations continue unabated in Syria. | A UN expert has urged Syria to implement the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and take steps to eradicate all forms of torture and ill-treatment in the country. [...] The top UN court issued provisional measures on November 16, ordering Syria to take all necessary measures to prevent acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment while also instructing the regime to ensure that no one under its control can commit such acts and that evidence related to torture allegations is preserved.

Georges Malbrunot | Le chef de la milice chiite pro-iranienne accuse l’île de servir de base arrière à l’État hébreu. « Il faut bien avoir en tête que Chypre est une sorte de hinterland pour Israël », selon un diplomate jadis en poste à Nicosie, « on voit les côtes libanaises des hauteurs de Chypre ». [...] Moins affirmative, une source militaire française, qui connaît Chypre, le Liban et Israël, estime qu’il faut être attentif aux menaces du Hezbollah. « Nasrallah a en grande partie raison sur ses accusations », ajoute-t-il, avant de détailler la coopération sécuritaire israélo-chypriote. D’abord l’ouverture de l’espace aérien chypriote aux avions de combat israélien. « Après avoir décollé de leurs bases, et afin de prendre un axe d’attaque depuis la mer pour éviter tout système de défense antiaérienne, les chasseurs israéliens effectuent un virage large, quitte à traverser l’espace aérien gréco-chypriote pour réaliser leurs missions », précise le militaire français. ● L’île est depuis longtemps au carrefour d’influences multiples au Moyen-Orient. Pendant la guerre civile, de nombreux Libanais y avaient trouvé refuge. Depuis, d’autres s’y sont établis : des maronites notamment qui disposent d’un évêque, mais aussi les Palestiniens de l’OLP, après les accords d’Oslo de 1993, qui y ont établi – en accord avec la France notamment – un centre de renseignements et de repli de sa Force 17, l’unité d’élite autour de Yasser Arafat. Puis le Hezbollah, l’Iran, et la Russie. ● « Israël s’est aperçu que Chypre était une très bonne base d’observation de ce qui se passait au Moyen-Orient », précise une source française du renseignement. « Israël a travaillé avec les services de renseignements chypriotes avant d’implanter au moins une base du Mossad, forte de plusieurs dizaines d’hommes », ajoute l’espion. [...]

Officer in Hezbollah’s Artillery Division, Hajj Mohammad Ali, affirmed that what has been displayed so far is a very little bit of the efforts that have been made for 17 years.

💬 “This is on the levels of quantity, accuracy, and ranges of fire. The enemy is to face major surprises on the level of the ground battle,” the officer added, explaining that “the weapons which were displayed in the latest episode, and other ones, will be deployed in the battle.”

The Artillery Division officer emphasized that the current stage of the battle might expand into a war, and might also remain in the current regulations and circumstances until the end. Yet, according to the Resistance leadership, once the war in Gaza ends, the battle in Lebanon ends. ● In an episode of the program entitled “But It Was Allah Who Did So” aired on Al-Manar TV, Hajj Mohammad Ali insisted that hadn’t this battle been limited, then the scene would have appeared differently on the levels of weapons and ammunitions that will be used in the battle be it on their destructive level of ranges of attacks.

The Israeli military says 18 soldiers were wounded, including one seriously, in a drone attack conducted by the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement in the occupied Golan Heights. | n a statement released Sunday on its X account, Israel’s Army Radio said the casualties came after “the explosion of a Hezbollah drone launched from southern Lebanon.” Hezbollah also announced that it had targeted the headquarters of the 91st Brigade north of the occupied territories in response to Israeli strikes against the resistance group. Earlier on Sunday, Hezbollah said three of its fighters were killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit a two-story building in the village of Houla.

"Iran deems as psychological warfare the Zionist regime’s propaganda about intending to attack Lebanon", the Iranian mission to the UN said | The Iranian mission to the UN issued a stern warning to Israel that a full-on attack on Lebanon would kick off a war of annihilation. ● "Albeit Iran deems as psychological warfare the Zionist regime’s propaganda about intending to attack Lebanon, should it embark on full-scale military aggression, an obliterating war will ensue. All options, including the full involvement of all Resistance Fronts, are on the table," the mission said on X. ● In mid-June, the Israeli military approved an operational plan for an offensive in Lebanon. Following the ongoing operation against Hamas in Gaza, the military plans to the forces of Hezbollah, which, like Hamas, is acting against Israel, occasionally shelling the Jewish state from the north.

■ UK has sent 74 warplanes from Cyprus to Lebanon since March (MATT KENNARD)
■ Israeli Defense Minister Vows to Return Lebanon to ‘Stone Age’ (06/28/24)

The UN's secretary general calls on both sides to commit to Security Council Resolution 1701, and adds that efforts by UN peacekeepers are being made across the Blue Line to defuse tensions. | Following threats by "Israel" to invade Lebanon, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a warning against a larger conflict in the Middle East. ● In remarks to reporters in New York, the UN chief mentioned the daily exchanges of fire and verbal spats between the Lebanese Resistance and the Israeli occupation as evidence that there is a genuine chance for the crisis in the region to worsen. He expressed feeling “compelled” to voice his concerns about the situation between “Israel” and the Lebanese Resistance.

■ New war is coming – UN (RT.com)
■ Former Ombudsman Warns Netanyahu: ‘Israel’ Attack on Hezbollah Will Be Mass Suicide (Al Manar TV)
■ Ambassadors EVACUATING Lebanon; Outbreak of War Deemed "Imminent" (Hal Turner Show)
■ Israel will be the ‘ultimate loser’ in war with Hezbollah, Iran says (Al Jazeera)

A senior administration official tells CNN that US officials emphasized that the Biden administration would provide "Israel" with the necessary security assistance. | Senior US officials assured a delegation of top Israeli officials visiting Washington this week that the Biden administration is fully prepared to support its ally in case of a full-scale war with Hezbollah, CNN reported, citing a senior administration official. ● The Biden administration has consistently claimed that it wants to avoid a war between "Israel" and Hezbollah, advocating for diplomatic de-escalation. This week, US envoy Amos Hochstein was sent to the region in an attempt to supposedly help ease tensions. ● The media outlet noted that top Israeli officials, including Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and "National Security" Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, held meetings with Biden administration officials such as National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and White House Middle East Coordinator Brett McGurk. Sources revealed that the Israeli and American officials discussed various topics, including the situation along the border with Lebanon, Iran, and ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations.

■ New war is coming – UN (RT.com)
■ Former Ombudsman Warns Netanyahu: ‘Israel’ Attack on Hezbollah Will Be Mass Suicide (Al Manar TV)
■ Ambassadors EVACUATING Lebanon; Outbreak of War Deemed "Imminent" (Hal Turner Show)
■ Israel will be the ‘ultimate loser’ in war with Hezbollah, Iran says (Al Jazeera)
■ Is Cyprus about to be dragged into a war between Israel and Hezbollah? (Al Jazeera)
■ US State Dept. official on Israeli-Palestinian affairs resigns: WashPo (Al Mayadeen)
■ Hezbollah drones constitute 'new generation of unconventional threats' (06/20/24)

A new Washington Post report highlights how Hezbollah's drones can evade Israeli air defences and gather sensitive intelligence, significantly altering the strategic balance. | In a new report on Hezbollah's drones and the threat they pose to "Israel's" security, The Washington Post stressed their particular ability to evade Israeli air defense systems without being detected. ● The report stated that "For years, the standoff on Israel’s border was between the massive rocket stockpile" of Hezbollah and the "vaunted Iron Dome antimissile system that ably handled most incoming rockets and artillery." However, this equation changed after Hezbollah deployed drones that successfully bypassed Israeli air defense, which also constitutes the cornerstone of "Israel's national security strategy." These drones are characterized by their high speed and low altitude flight, allowing them to gather intelligence and drop explosives. ● In its coverage of the Hoopoe mission video released by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon's Military Media on Tuesday, The Washington Post noted that "Israel" was shocked by what the drone captured of sensitive installations and sites in "Israel," and by the advanced military capabilities that the video showed Hezbollah possesses.

👉 Video| About Hezbollah’s Undetected Drones: All Israeli Installations Within Sight, Reach + HERE
👉 Resistance to know no bounds if Lebanon attacked: Sayyed Nasrallah (Al Mayadeen)
■ ‘No place’ is safe if Israel starts war – Hezbollah (RT.com)

Israel’s military said it has “approved and validated” operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon as months of fighting with Hezbollah threaten to spiral into a full-blown war. | The military statement did not promise an imminent Israeli offensive in Lebanon — any plans must still be vetted by Israel’s leaders. But it appeared to indicate that after months of tit-for-tat fighting, the army wants to show it's prepared for tougher action. The military did not specify what the plans entailed. ● It came as the US tries to broker a diplomatic solution to the cross-border conflict and avert a major escalation. Amos Hochstein, a senior advisor to US President Joe Biden, was meeting with officials in Beirut Tuesday in an attempt to quell tensions. ● Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah have exchanged fire across the border almost daily since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October.

■ Israel ready for ‘all-out war’ in Lebanon (Al Jazeera)
👉 Video| About Hezbollah’s Undetected Drones: All Israeli Installations Within Sight, Reach + HERE
👉 Resistance to know no bounds if Lebanon attacked: Sayyed Nasrallah (Al Mayadeen)
■ White House cancels meeting, scolds Netanyahu in protest over video (Al Mayadeen)
■ Διαταγή στον IDF για στρατηγική νίκη επί της Χεζμπολάχ (War News 24/7)

A bulk carrier sank days after an attack by Yemen's Houthi militias believed to have killed one mariner on board, authorities said early Wednesday. | The Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned-and-operated Tutor sank in the Red Sea, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said in a warning to sailors in the region. ● “Military authorities report maritime debris and oil sighted in the last reported location,” the UKMTO said. “The vessel is believed to have sunk.” ● The Tutor came under attack about a week ago by a bomb-carrying Houthi drone boat in the Red Sea. John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, said Monday that the attack killed “a crew member who hailed from the Philippines.” ● The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, killing four sailors. They've seized one vessel and sunk two since November, according to the US Maritime Administration. A US-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January. In March, the Belize-flagged Rubymar carried a load of fertilizer sank in the Red Sea after taking on water for days following a militia attack.

Western naval missions have failed dramatically at stemming Yemen's pro-Palestine operations, with officials describing the battle as the 'most sustained combat that the US Navy has seen since World War II' | The leader of Yemen's ruling Ansarallah resistance movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, revealed on 13 June that the Yemeni armed forces targeted 145 ships linked to Israel, the US, and the UK since the start of Sanaa's pro-Palestine operations in November. ● The number includes 11 naval operations and two military operations “deep inside Israel” conducted over the past week, which used “31 ballistic and winged missiles, drones, and military boats.” ● The most recent of these operations took place on Thursday, when Yemeni cruise missiles struck the M/V Verbena commercial bulk cargo carrier in the Gulf of Aden, reportedly setting it on fire and wounding at least one crew member.

Yemeni forces are attacking Israeli commercial ships and US and UK naval destroyers in the Red Sea in response to Israel's genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza | The US military says it has spent about $1 billion in an unsustainable campaign to fight the Ansarallah-led Yemeni armed forces in the Red Sea, the Wall Street Journal reported on 15 June. Since November, Yemeni forces have attacked Israeli-linked commercial ships traveling through the Red Sea, the world’s most important commercial sea route, in response to Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. After US and UK naval warships began carrying out attacks on the Yemeni navy and sites in the capital, Sanaa, Yemeni forces began attacking the warships as well. To defend against Yemeni attacks, the US Navy has conducted more than 450 strikes and intercepted 200 drones and missiles in a campaign that US officials worry is not sustainable.

BRICS countries are abandoning the greenback because it is being used as a political tool, Vyacheslav Volodin has said | Washington has completely undermined trust in the US dollar as a global reserve currency by using it as a political tool to impose “illegal” sanctions on Russia, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin has said. ● The US government announced a new batch of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, targeting the energy, metals, and mining industries, as well as the Moscow Stock Exchange and major lenders Sber and VTB. The measures, which cover 300 additional individuals and entities, are aimed at impacting trade between Russia and its partners in China, Türkiye, and Kyrgyzstan, as well as other nations in Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.

■ The Collapse of the Petrodollar: Exposing the End of U.S. Dollar Dominance and the Rise of BRICS Power (MEDIA)
■ The Petrodollar Ended On June 9th; Sauds No Longer Ally w. U.S. (Eric Zuesse/Paul Hoffman)
■ Do the new US sanctions mark Russia’s final divorce from the dollar? (Henry Johnston)
■ U.S. Empire Is Now Falling Apart (Eric Zuesse)

The spokesperson of the YAF says that the Verbena cargo ship was targeted and hit in the Arabian Sea, leading to a fire erupting onboard. | The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) targeted three ships in the Red and Arabian Seas as part of the operations in support of Gaza, and in retaliation to the US-UK aggression on Yemen, spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree stated on Thursday, as the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Strip has now surpassed 250 consecutive days. ● The first operation was carried out by the YAF's missile force against the Verbena cargo ship in the Arabian Sea, Saree said, confirming that it was hit, leading to a fire erupting on board.

■ Houthis Attack Three More Ships In Gulf Of Aden, Red Sea (South Front)

Israel Bombs Hermel, Lebanon | Israeli Air Force jets have conducted air strikes against the city of Hermel, Lebanon, in the far north of Lebanon, near the Syria border. For months, Israel has been demanding Hezbollah members in Lebanon be moved to "north of the Latani River" but Hermel is nowhere near that river or near southern Lebanon. Yet Israel has bombed it with multiple air strikes. Initial reports say there are numerous dead and injured.

■ Hezbollah intercepts an Israeli warplane, forces it to retreat (Al Mayadeen)
■ LIVE: Israel attacks Rafah as official says Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire plan (Al Jazeera)

The United Nations Security Council has passed a US-sponsored resolution that backs Washington's ceasefire plan in the Gaza Strip and calls on Palestinian group Hamas to accept it. | The resolution, which was backed by 14 nations except Russia, welcomed the truce and hostage release proposal announced on 31 May by President Joe Biden, and urged “both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition”. Unlike earlier drafts, the resolution states that Israel has “accepted” the ceasefire proposal and calls on Hamas to do the same. [...] Hamas welcomed the resolution after the vote, saying it is ready to cooperate with mediators over implementing the principles of the plan.

■ Israel attacks Rafah as official says Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire plan (Al Jazeera)
■ Iran calls on UN to pressure Israel into honoring ICJ rulings (Iran Front Page)

Yemeni naval forces have carried out two separate operations against a British destroyer and two commercial vessels off the nation's coast, demonstrating solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip. | The Yemeni military announced in a statement on Sunday that the forces targeted the HMS Diamond in the Red Sea with a number of ballistic missiles, emphasizing that the strike was “accurate.” The statement, however, did not say whether the retaliatory attack had caused any damage. ● The Yemeni army further noted that the country’s naval forces had also attacked two commercial vessels which it identified as the Norderney and Tavvishi. The statement said the Tavvishi – which was in the Arabian Sea – and the Norderney had both been hit, and that a fire broke out on the Norderney. ● Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine’s struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s Palestinian resistance movements carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity.

■ Yemen strikes UK warship in response to Israel’s Nuseirat massacre (The Cradle)

Mariam Amini | Physical upheaval has been a defining characteristic of the Palestinian experience. Amid Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, the Palestinian artist reflects on her family’s own displacement from Akka and her journey to the UK | The door opens to a bundle of curly, silver hair. Wearing a black hoodie and leggings, Sandra Watfa offers an inviting smile as she clears the entrance to her London home. ■ Inside, the aura is one of purposeful zen. Ocean blue walls and patterned cushions evoke a sense of longing for the Levantine coast. “I was born in Lebanon by the sea,” says Watfa, about the palette. “I didn’t know anything other than that.” She brings over a white mug patterned with tiny Palestinian flags at its base. A plate of baklava and ginger biscuits dresses the table. ■ “Growing up in a Palestinian family, you begin to understand the repercussions of being in a country that is not your own,” she says. ■ Watfa’s parents fled Akka during the Nakba of 1948, which saw the Zionist dispossession of Palestinian land to establish the Israeli state. With the family having found refuge in Lebanon, where the artist was born, the onset of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 led to a second exodus.“We ended up in Greece, which oddly enough, made Lebanon feel like home. A year and a half later, we came here, which made Athens feel like home.” ■ Physical upheaval has been a defining characteristic of the Palestinian experience. For many Palestinians, the search for safety and belonging continues today, as demonstrated by the ongoing displacement and killing of Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war in October. “I didn’t speak a word of English. It literally felt like landing on a different planet. The weather, the coldness of the people - it was very difficult at first.” (More @ Middle East Eye)

Israeli media discuss the dangers of expanding the war with Lebanon, stressing that this "will push Israel to the brink of the abyss." | Israeli media discussed the dangers of expanding the war with Lebanon into a full-scale war, stressing it would "push Israel to the brink of the abyss, especially with the absence of international legitimacy and an exhausted army." Military affairs analyst Amos Harel, writing for Haaretz, emphasized,

💬 "A war with Hezbollah would present an unprecedented challenge to Israel's home front, with the northern and central regions confronting a level of threat previously unseen." He added, "It is increasingly challenging to anticipate positive developments on the horizon, particularly as we approach the ninth month of war." Harel continued, citing "a series of discussions held over the past two weeks with officials in security and military circles," which disclosed growing signs that "Israel is heading towards a multidimensional failure."

In this context, he emphasized that "Israel" finds itself entangled in all fronts, with the most critical being "the arena of confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon," facing the looming threat of a full-scale war. He warned that such a war would dwarf all previous events, asserting, "Everything that occurred before would pale in comparison."

■ Israeli president threatens war on Hezbollah (RT.com)
■ Hezbollah Inflicts More Losses upon Israeli Enemy Troops, Fires Air Defense Missiles at War Jets (Al Manar TV)
■ HRW: Israel’s White Phosphorous Use against South Lebanon Risks Civilian Harm (Al Manar TV)
■ Israel’s War on Lebanon’s Trees (Bilal Nour Al-Deen)

Former Major General [Res] Gershon Hacohen described Hezbollah's military operations in northern occupied Palestine as “a great art by the likes of [Sayyed Hassan] Nasrallah." | In an interview with Zionist Radio 104.5FM, Hacohen discussed the security situation in northern occupied Palestine, stating "I did not enter into hysteria, ‘Israel’ is in a state of war on all its land, and we are reasonably agitated, because Hezbollah is humiliating us in a very efficient manner, and this is a great art for the likes of Nasrallah.” ● He further added: “We must unite in this war for our existence, grasp the need for leadership and common understanding, and acknowledge the concepts that existed before October 6.” In parallel, the former military official underlined that “In order to achieve victory, we must understand the magnitude of the situation we are in.” ● He then discussed the threats made by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, so-called “National: Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and War Cabinet member Benny Gantz to withdraw from the government if Netanyahu agrees to a ceasefire deal in Gaza. He emphasized that “we are in a fateful hour, and this is not a time for political games or for threats of quitting, as this is not how things work in these critical times.” ● In a message to the settlers in northern occupied Palestine who are preoccupied with the date of their return to their homes: “War is not a contractual dispute between a client and a contractor seeking a key.” ● We must grasp the assumptions behind our involvement with Hezbollah: “US hopes that calm in Gaza will extend to the north are uncertain, no one can guarantee this assumption.”

■ Hezbollah video confirms Iron Dome struck by missile (The National)

This story has been DELETED as it has been deemed "Not credible" for various reasons by numerous readers.

Lebanon has accused Israel of using controversial white phosphorus rounds, in attacks authorities say have harmed civilians and the environment. White phosphorus, a substance that ignites on contact with oxygen, can be used to create smokescreens and to illuminate battlefields. | Mohammad Hammud, in his late 70s, was at home with his wife in a south Lebanon border village when Israeli bombing hit. This time, the attack was different. 💬 "Fire broke out in front of the house... there was a strange smell... we had trouble breathing," he told AFP by telephone from his village of Hula. "We thought it was a regular bombing but when the emergency responders arrived they told us it was phosphorus and took us to hospital," he said. ● The Israeli military and Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement have been exchanging near-daily fire since Palestinian resistance group Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war.

■ Netanyahu: Israel prepared for strong action in the north (aNews)

Yemen has vowed a "painful response" to overnight airstrikes by US-British forces against targets across the Arab nation, which killed at least 14 people and left several others injured. | The remarks came hours after Yemen's media reported that a US-British airstrike hit the radio station building in the al-Hawak district of Yemen’s strategic western province of Hudaydah early on Friday. ● US and British forces also conducted strikes against the communications network in an area of the Hayfan district in Yemen's southwestern province of Ta'izz, and on several buildings in the capital province of Sana’a. ● Yemen's al-Masirah television channel said 14 people were killed and more than 30 were wounded in the strikes. ● American and British warships have been carrying out attacks against the Arab Peninsula nation to force Yemen to stop its operations against Israeli vessels or those heading towards the ports lying in the occupied Palestinian territories.

■ Live: US, UK strikes hit Houthi targets in Yemen (France24)
■ Yemen Downs **ANOTHER** U.S. MQ-9 "Reaper" Drone - almost INTACT! (05/30/24)
■ Israeli-linked ship hit by 5 Yemeni missiles: LSS-SAPU (Al Mayadeen)(29 May 2024)

The Houthis who run the country of Yemen, have shot down another U.S. MQ-9 "Reaper" drone. This one landed softly and is almost completely INTACT. It will be sent to Iran for reverse-engineering to get all its secrets. IF my count is correct, this is the FIFTH MQ-9 "Reaper" shot down by Yemen in the last two months. (Hal Turner REMARK: At $31 Million each, these are becoming a little too expensive for the clearly inadequate results they seem to be achieving.)