Israeli defense officials believe that Iran was behind an attack on a cargo ship in the northern Indian Ocean on Saturday, possibly in response to the targeting of an Iranian centrifuge production site last month. The Islamic Republic apparently thought that the vessel, identified as the Liberia-flagged CSAV Tyndall, was owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. However, Ofer sold the ship to a foreign buyer months ago.
Hezbollah-affiliated outlet Al-Mayadeen reported that a fire had broken out on the ship as it was en route from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates. No one was wounded in the attack and the ship sustained only minor damage.
Meanwhile, a private Israeli intelligence group released satellite photos of what it said was damage from a reported drone attack on an Iranian nuclear facility last month.
According to Nournews, June 24th, 2021 “Security forces have managed to foil an act of sabotage against one of the buildings of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) in Karaj, Alborz province”. Satellite Image from July 1st tells a different story. #Iran #Nuclear #JCPOA pic.twitter.com/QTAqTml4HT
— The Intel Lab (@TheIntelLab) July 3, 2021
The Iranian centrifuge production site was allegedly on a list of targets that Israel presented to the Trump administration last year.
Following the latest developments, former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot said that Tehran was closer than ever to being able to produce a nuclear weapon. “We can see today that the [Trump administration’s] exit from the deal and maximum pressure campaign and actions against Iran led to some achievements, but we can’t deny the fact that Iran is the closest it’s been to a bomb, in its capabilities, since it launched the [nuclear] program,” Eisenkot said.
In response to incendiary balloons launched from the Gaza Strip over the past two days, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) on Saturday struck Hamas military targets in Gaza. IDF fighter planes bombed a Hamas rocket launching pad and weapons manufacturing facility following a fire that broke out in southern Israel’s Eshkol region. A spokesperson for Israel Fire and Rescue Services reported that the blaze was caused by an exploding balloon launched from the Palestinian enclave.
Amid the strikes, Gaza-based terror groups fired machine guns, reportedly aimed at Israeli aircraft.
Late last week, incendiary balloons from Gaza caused four fires to break out in several localities in the Eshkol region.
Since a May 21 ceasefire ended 11 days of fierce fighting between the Jewish state and Hamas, Palestinian terrorists in Gaza have sporadically launched balloons laden with incendiary material across the border, setting off fires across Israel’s south.
The response by the new government led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has indicated a shift in policy from the previous administration of Benjamin Netanyahu, which did not always respond to arson balloon attacks with airstrikes.
Hundreds of people gathered in Ramallah on Saturday to demonstrate against Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, as part of a protest movement sparked by the death of political activist Nizar Banat, who was severely beaten during a raid on his house by security forces loyal to Abbas.
The demonstration began with a few hundred protesters gathering in al-Manara Square in central Ramallah, where the PA is headquartered. The mother and other relatives of Banat were welcomed with applause and gave brief speeches.
Thousands could be heard chanting: “The people want the fall of the regime” and “Abbas, leave,” slogans used during the so-called Arab Spring protests that swept through the Middle East in 2011.
There was initially no visible security presence, but when the protesters marched down a main street leading to PA headquarters they encountered a line of riot police manning barricades.
Last week, Palestinian security forces and groups of men in plainclothes violently dispersed similar protests, drawing expressions of concern from the United States and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.
The PA, which governs parts of the West Bank, has grown increasingly autocratic and unpopular. Abbas canceled the first elections in 15 years in April when it looked like his Fatah party would lose badly. He was largely sidelined during the recent conflict between Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian terrorist groups.
After a huge forest fire spread across northern cities in Cyprus, Israel pledged to help fight the blaze and aid in evacuations.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid spoke with with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides, with the former stating that Jerusalem will do everything in its power to help battle the fire.
The blaze has ravaged the foothills of the Troodos mountain range, an area of pine forest that is thick with vegetation. It has impacted at least six communities in the area, specifically the cities of Limassol and Larnaca.
While no injuries have been reported, there has been widespread property damage and power outages.
Though the cause of the fire is currently unknown, Cyprus has been in the midst of a heat wave – with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past week.
Israel took home first prize at the World Acrobatics Championships in Geneva, Switzerland.
With a score of 28.450 points, the three Israeli athletes — Michal Stratievsky, Yarden Ron, and Tamar Stoller — beat out teams from Russia and Portugal to win the gold medal. The Israeli team members range in age from 13 to 20 years old.
In addition to participating in international competitions, the Jewish state’s athletes also represent their local acrobatics club Hapoel Begin Holon and won last year’s Union Cup.
The victory in Geneva is the most recent of several Israeli victories on the international stage. Last month, rhythmic gymnast Linoy Ashram took first place at the European championships, earning her a spot in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
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Recommended Reading
- IDF Soldier Who Was First Into Entebbe Airport in Legendary July 4, 1976 Operation Speaks (Benjamin Kerstein, Algemeiner)
- Iranian Presidential Selection Paves New Path for Nuclear Extortion (Behnam Ben Taleblu and Andrea Stricker, Foundation for Defense of Democracies)
- New Study: Israeli Breakthrough Migraine Treatment ‘Zaps’ Away Pain (Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman, Jerusalem Post)
- Former Colombian Telenovela Star Now an Orthodox Jew in Israel (Times of Israel)
