U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew on Tuesday privately told the State Department that Israel is following American and international law in its handling of weapons and humanitarian aid in its offensive in Gaza — deepening divisions between senior figures in the Biden administration, and other U.S. officials and aid experts who say Israel’s actions … Read more
Muslim and Arab groups in Illinois are refusing to meet with White House officials due to the Biden administration’s lack of policy change on Gaza, highlighting the president’s inability to square his unconditional support of Israel’s military offensive with his constituents’ calls for an immediate cease-fire. With just days until Illinois holds its primary election, … Read more
Vice President Kamala Harris called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza as Israel’s relentless bombardment of the region pushes forward. “The threat of Hamas poses to the people of Israel must be eliminated. And given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate cease-fire for at least the next six weeks, … Read more
On Feb. 1, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Israeli settler Yinon Levi, locking him out of the international economic system and spurring Israeli banks to freeze his accounts. The State Department accused Levi of leading fellow Israeli settlers in the West Bank — occupied Palestinian territory claimed by Israel — in attacking Palestinians, destroying their … Read more
Selma Blair is under fire for an anti-Islam comment she posted on Instagram last week. The “Cruel Intentions” star is one of the latest American actors to weigh in on the Israel-Hamas conflict, claiming that Islam has “destroyed Muslim countries” and then destroys “minds” in the United States. Blair made her remarks under an Instagram … Read more
Several major donor countries to UNRWA said they would suspend funding (Representational) Jerusalem: The UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees said Thursday that international funding cuts may force the shutdown of its operations across the region “by the end of February”. Several major donor countries to UNRWA said they would suspend funding after Israel alleged … Read more
The U.S. and U.K. launched airstrikes on Yemen on Thursday in a major escalation of tensions in the Middle East amid Israel’s controversial U.S.-backed military operation in the Palestinian territory of Gaza. The strikes targeted the Yemeni capital of Sana’a, among other areas in the country. HuffPost first reported on Thursday that the Biden administration … Read more
On Jan. 2, a surprise Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut suggested 2024 could open with a terrifying spiral: An expansion of the Israel-Hamas war into Lebanon that could draw in the U.S., Iran and even nuclear weapons. A few days later, that prospect seems slightly more remote, as the players involved have … Read more
Israel charged Abdelrahman al-Zaghal with hurling a petrol bomb, which he denies. Jerusalem: Fourteen-year-old Abdelrahman al-Zaghal was one of the youngest Palestinians released by Israel in exchange for hostages seized during the Oct. 7 Hamas-led raid on Israel. Weeks later, his life still bears little resemblance to that of a normal teenager – he is … Read more
As bloodshed continues in Gaza, State Department officials are quietly working to stymie an attempt to spur global pressure to end the fighting there. U.S. diplomats are finalizing a démarche ― a diplomatic initiative ― to their Swiss counterparts that Washington hopes will scuttle plans for a meeting to discuss violations of the Geneva Conventions … Read more
