June 19, 2018
Gaza Terrorists Blow Themselves Up Trying To Destroy Underground Wall
Palestinian terrorists blew themselves up Monday (18th) while trying to blow a hole in an underground wall separating Israel from the Gaza Strip, the IDF said.
Of a terror cell of five, one terrorist was killed and another was seriously injured as they used a bomb to carve an opening in the underground barrier.
Israel is currently constructing an underground wall around the Gaza Strip, which is meant to thwart attack tunnels dug into Israeli territory from the coastal enclave.
(worldisraelnews.com)
Gaza Front Escalates As Hamas Fires Rockets, IDF Responds
Palestinian terror groups operating in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip fired three rockets at southern Israel early Monday morning (18th), the army said, after Israeli aircraft hit a number of targets in the coastal enclave in response to numerous arson attacks by Palestinians the day before.
One of the rockets landed in Gaza.
In response to the rockets, IAF fighter jets struck nine military targets in two military compounds and a munitions manufacturing site belonging to Hamas in the northern Gaza strip.
(jpost.com)
IDF Said Opposed To Directly Targeting Gazans Launching Incendiary Devices
Israeli military officials are pushing back against calls to target Palestinians launching incendiary kites and balloons from the Gaza Strip, according to reports on Sunday night (17th).
A military official reportedly told residents of southern Israel that if the IDF were to respond more harshly to the airborne arson devices being sent from the Gaza Strip, it would lead to war.
The IDF was addressing residents of the towns adjacent to the coastal enclave who are losing patience with daily arson attacks.
(timesofisrael.com)
Palestinian Islamic Jihad to CNN: “We’re Proud Of Iran’s Support”
While giving a CNN reporter a tour of a Palestinian terror tunnel in Gaza, Islamic Jihad member Abu Abdallah said, “We are proud of Iran’s support of the Palestinian resistance on the moral and logistical level. There is nothing wrong with it and it is not a secret.”
Abu Abdallah also showed the reporter a rocket launcher used against Israel.
(ynetnews.com)
Minister Blasts Prince William For Listing Old City As “Palestinian” In Itinerary
Jerusalem Affairs Minister Ze’ev Elkin criticized Britain’s Prince William for listing his upcoming tour of the Old City of Jerusalem as part of his trip to the Palestinian territories, rather than to Israel.
The royal itinerary, published last week by Kensington Palace, had raised eyebrows in Israel, as it implies that the palace considers the Old City to be located in the “Occupied Palestinian Territories,”
(afp.com)
Britain Condemns ‘Anti-Israel Bias’ At UN Human Rights Council
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Monday (18th) urged the UN Human Rights Council to reform its treatment of Israel.
He joined the United States in demanding an end to what has been described as the body’s bias against the Jewish state.
(ap.com)
U.S. Poised to Quit UN Rights Council Over Anti-Israel Bias – Stephanie Nebehay
Talks with the U.S. over how to reform the UN Human Rights Council have failed, activists and diplomats say. Diplomatic sources said it was not a question of if but of when the U.S. quits the Geneva-based forum. The U.S. had boycotted the council for three years under President George W. Bush.
(reuters.com)
Priest Stabbed In Bethlehem – Joey Millar
Father Fadi Shalufa was stabbed on June 1 as he tried to stop a group of men abusing Christians visiting the birthplace of Jesus at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. In a bid to protect worshipers from a violent crowd, the priest guided the pilgrims to safety at the adjacent Catholic Chapel of the Milk Grotto before closing the gate on the group of men. One of the men then stabbed Father Shalufa through the metal bars of the gate.
(express.co.uk)
French Police Block Gaza-bound Boats From Docking In Paris
French police prevented two boats belonging to the “Freedom Flotilla” bound for the Gaza Strip from docking along the Seine River in Paris on Sunday (17th), as they began sailing toward the Palestinian coastal enclave in an attempt to breach Israel’s naval blockade.
French police carried out extensive searches of the boats earlier in the day before prohibiting them from docking.
“Police said, “We were unfortunately surprised – we didn’t know that Israeli waters now begin in the Seine in Paris – it’s unimaginable.”
(israelhayom.com)
New Colombian President Open To Moving Embassy To Jerusalem
The newly elected Colombian president said recently he would be open to moving the country’s embassy to Jerusalem, potentially becoming the fourth country, and third from Latin America to do so.
Conservative Ivan Duque won just over 54% of the vote, beating out leftist rival Gustavo Petro who took 41%, electoral authority figures showed Sunday (17th).
On May 16, Duque said at a campaign event that if elected he would not rule out “the possibility of placing the diplomatic seat in Jerusalem.”
(timesofisrael.com)
