Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom have all said that Iran was behind the deadly attack on the Mercer Street ship last Thursday. The three countries are now reportedly coordinating a response to the drone strike on the vessel which was sailing off the coast of Oman.
The Romanian captain of the ship and a British crew member were killed in the assault amid what has been described as the worst outbreak of maritime violence since 2019.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the Islamic republic viewed the Liberian-flagged vessel as a target because it is managed by Israeli company Zodiac Maritime. Calling on the international community to mount a swift response, Bennett stressed: “I determine, with absolute certainty Iran carried out the attack against the ship. The intelligence evidence for this exists, and we expect the international community will make it clear to the Iranian regime that they have made a serious mistake.”
He added: “In any case, we know how to send a message to Iran in our own way. Iran’s thuggishness endangers not only Israel, but also harms global interests, namely freedom of navigation and international trade.”
While Tehran has denied involvement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Minister Dominic Raab announced they supported Israel’s assessment that Iran orchestrated the deadly attack.
Hamas has stepped up efforts to plan and perpetrate attacks in the West Bank, a report claims. Israel’s Kan news agency has said an intelligence document shows a key member of the Gaza-based, US-designated terrorist group has been contacting Palestinians in a bid to recruit them.
Abdallah Arrar, a Hamas terrorist who was released from an Israeli jail as part of the 2011 prisoner exchange for abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, reportedly communicated with 60 Palestinians in the West Bank in the last six months. He is said to have reached out to individuals via social media and by phone.
The report states Arrar is known for his recruitment skills and has guided people through the process of carrying out terror attacks, including offering detailed instructions on how to build bombs and choose targets.
Meanwhile, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was re-elected to his position as the terror group’s political bureau chief. The secret ballot is held every four years, with votes reportedly even being cast by convicted Hamas terrorists being held in Israeli prisons.
Haniyeh will now lead the group until at least 2025.
Nearly two dozen teachers employed by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) have spread antisemitic content online, including photos praising Adolf Hitler, conspiracy theories and posts that incite violence towards Jews.
A UN Watch report found that 22 UNRWA teachers in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan had posted anti-Jewish content on their Facebook accounts. The report identifies 100 such incidents since 2015.
The Geneva-based NGO has now called on UNRWA donors, such as the United States and the European Union, to pull funding from the agency following the disturbing discoveries.
It has also accused the organization of ignoring evidence that was presented to it by UN Watch over the last six years. “Around the world, educators who incite hate and violence are routinely removed from the classroom for life, yet UNRWA, despite proclaiming zero tolerance for incitement, knowingly and systematically employs purveyors of terror and anti-Jewish hate,” said UN Watch director Hillel Neuer in a statement.
The UNRWA refused to specifically comment on the report but said it takes seriously the allegations.
Israel enjoyed its second-ever taste of Olympic gold medal glory when Artem Dolgopyat scooped the top prize in the artistic gymnastics men’s floor exercise on Sunday. The Ukrainian-born athlete was awarded Israel’s first gold medal since the Athens Games in 2004.
Israel has seen some success at the Tokyo Olympics, with the mixed judo team taking a bronze and Avishag Semberg taking third place in women’s taekwondo.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took to Twitter to congratulate the gymnast. “You made history blue and white. Congratulations to Artem Dolgopyat on winning a gold medal now at the Tokyo Olympics,” Bennett wrote. “Huge pride and great excitement for all the people of Israel. The song of hope will be played immediately in the gym in Tokyo.”
“Hatikva” is the Hebrew word for hope and the name of Israel’s national anthem.
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