2021.05.17 國際新聞導讀-以巴衝突繼續,無停火跡象,美國特使調停但未見哈瑪斯也枉然、美伊核武協議談判繼續僵持

2021-05-17·17 分鐘

本集介紹

2021.05.17 國際新聞導讀-以巴衝突繼續,無停火跡象,美國特使調停但未見哈瑪斯也枉然、美伊核武協議談判繼續僵持

自敵對行動以來,已發射了2900多枚火箭,有10名以色列人喪生
在該國猶太人和阿拉伯人之間的騷亂和衝突中,約有191名以色列人也受傷。
通過耶路撒冷郵報STAFF
2021年5月16日19:47
巴勒斯坦激進分子於2021年5月12日在加沙向以色列發射了火箭彈。
(照片來源:REUTERS / IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)
廣告
自周一以色列與加沙之間的敵對行動爆發以來,已有超過2,900枚Qassam火箭彈射入以色列,麥肯·戴維·阿多姆(MDA)週日表示,這導致10名以色列平民喪生。同樣從星期天開始,至少有190枚火箭從加沙發射到以色列。
除人員傷亡外,還有294人因火箭彈受傷而受傷,其中101人因彈片受傷,另有181人在沖向以色列南部和中部的防空洞時受傷。
在該國猶太人和阿拉伯人之間的騷亂和衝突中,約有191名以色列人也受傷。
超過206名以色列人在火箭彈襲擊中接受了焦慮發作的治療。
在巴勒斯坦方面,有181架以色列空襲和卡薩姆火箭彈落在加沙地帶,造成181人喪生。根據以色列國防軍的說法,其中包括80多名哈馬斯和巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織成員,據報導其中一些是高級指揮官。
由於以色列和加沙之間持續的敵對行動,加沙地帶的1200多名巴勒斯坦人受傷。
週日,在加沙的以色列國防軍空襲中,有33名巴勒斯坦人喪生。
Over 2,900 rockets fired, 10 Israelis killed since onset of hostilities
Some 191 Israelis have also been injured in riots and clashes between Jews and Arabs in the country.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
MAY 16, 2021 19:47

Rockets are launched by Palestinian militants into Israel, in Gaza May 12, 2021.
(photo credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)

Over 2,900 Qassam rockets have been fired into Israel since hostilities between Israel and Gaza broke out on Monday, leading to the deaths of 10 Israeli civilians, Magen David Adom (MDA) said on Sunday. Also since Sunday, at least 190 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel.
In addition to the casualties, 294 Israelis have been injured as a result of rocket fire, of which 101 were wounded by shrapnel and another 181 injured while running to bomb shelters throughout south and central Israel.
Some 191 Israelis have also been injured in riots and clashes between Jews and Arabs in the country.
Over 206 Israelis have been treated for anxiety attacks amid rocket fire.
On the Palestinian side, 181 have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and Qassam rockets landing within the Gaza Strip. According to the IDF, this includes over 80 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad members, some of whom have been reported to be high-ranking commanders.
Over 1,200 Palestinians in Gaza have injured as a result of the ongoing hostilities between the Israel and Gaza.
On Sunday, 33 Palestinians were killed in IDF air strikes on Gaza.
嚴重暴力,全國各地的騷亂仍在繼續
阿拉伯12歲男孩在賈法汽油炸彈襲擊中遭受嚴重燒傷,阿拉伯極端分子被懷疑錯誤地瞄準了阿拉伯人,而不是猶太人的住所。
由傑里米SHARON,耶路撒冷郵報STAFF
2021年5月16日19:05

2021年5月11日,以色列羅德發生騷亂,一天后一輛燒毀的公共汽車
(照片來源:禮貌)
廣告
在周五晚上和安息日期間,嚴重的族裔間暴力繼續在全國范圍內肆虐,週末期間繼續發生騷亂,炸彈襲擊和襲擊。
在賈法,兩名汽油兒童被炸死,其中一枚汽油炸彈被扔進了他們在阿賈米(Ajami)居民區的住所。
儘管最初懷疑是猶太極端分子,但第12頻道報導說,警察現在懷疑這次襲擊的阿拉伯極端分子正試圖襲擊猶太人的住所,但錯誤地襲擊了阿拉伯家庭。
一位高級警察告訴瓦拉!週日下午,“兩名以色列阿拉伯人有責任在身份證明中的錯誤導致在雅法的房子里扔掉一瓶莫洛托夫雞尾酒,並傷害一名12歲的阿拉伯兒童。”
這位官員說,兩人尚未被捕,並補充說:“我們非常接近他們的手。我們知道他們的身份。”
該家庭的12歲男孩現在因嚴重疾病被送往Sheba醫療中心兒童ICU住院,通風良好,昏迷不醒,臉上被燙傷。
MDA軍醫將這名男孩和他10歲的姐姐頭顱受傷後撤離了拉馬特甘的Sheba。
“他們坐在沙發上,然後突然我們看到一個瓶子扔向我們,”男孩的父親告訴第12頻道。
“我們立即帶他去洗澡,他被徹底燒死了。他們把我兒子燒死了。”
Severe violence, disturbances continue across the country
Arab 12-year old boy suffers severe burns from petrol bomb attack in Jaffa, Arab extremists suspected of mistakenly targeting Arab, not Jewish home.
By JEREMY SHARON, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
MAY 16, 2021 19:05

A burnt out bus after a day of riots in Lod, Israel, May 11, 2021
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Severe inter-communal violence continued to wrack the country over Friday night and Shabbat, as riots, fire-bombings and assaults continued during the weekend.
In Jaffa, two Arab children were burnt, one severely, when a petrol bomb was thrown into their residence in the Ajami neighborhood.
Although suspicion initially fell on Jewish extremists, Channel 12 reported that the police now suspect Arab extremists of the attack who were seeking to attack a Jewish home but mistakenly attacked an Arab family instead.
A senior police official told Walla! on Sunday afternoon that "Two Israeli Arabs are responsible for throwing a Molotov cocktail at the house in Jaffa and injuring a 12-year-old Arab child due to a mistake in identification."
The official said the two had not yet been arrested, adding that "We are very close to getting their hands on them. Their identity is known to us."
The family’s 12-year-old boy is now hospitalized in Sheba Medical Center's children's ICU in serious condition, ventilated and unconscious with burns to his face.
MDA medics evacuated the boy and his 10-year-old sister with a head wound to Sheba in Ramat Gan.
“They were sitting on on the couch and then suddenly we saw a bottle thrown at us,” the boy's father told Channel 12..
“We took him to the bath immediately, he was completely burnt… They burnt my son.”
哈馬斯試圖襲擊以色列的天然氣設施
火箭彈和自殺式無人駕駛飛機都被用來打擊以色列的戰略資產。
通過ANNA AHRONHEIM
2021年5月16日16:44

Leviathan天然氣平台,10公里。以色列近海
(照片來源:ALBATROSS)
廣告
自周一加沙地帶恐怖組織與以色列國防軍之間發生暴力衝突以來,哈馬斯向以色列在地中海的天然氣設施發射了火箭。
儘管沒有一枚火箭接近安裝裝置,但出於預防目的,它們一直處於最低運行狀態。
以色列有幾個天然氣裝置,而塔瑪爾氣田的生產平台位於以色列南部海岸僅25公里處。
2019年5月,在另一次暴力回合中,哈馬斯和PIJ在不到48小時的時間內向以色列發射了690枚火箭和迫擊砲,能源部長尤瓦爾·斯坦尼茨(Yuval Steinitz)下令暫停塔瑪(Tamar)氣田的天然氣供應,原因是擔心它可能成為目標。
最新一輪戰鬥是在哈馬斯向耶路撒冷發射了幾枚火箭之後於週一爆發的,該恐怖組織試圖用火箭和自殺無人機攻擊該國的天然氣設施,這是以色列的戰略資產。
由於不需要接近火箭平台,因此無需攔截火箭,但以色列空軍的F-16在行動開始時就將一架無人機擊落。
據一位高級軍事官員稱,向這種裝置發射的數万枚火箭中只有一個能擊中它。但是,如果恐怖組織成功打敗了一個恐怖組織,那將被視為一項重大成就。



以色列高度依賴海洋,以色列90%以上的進口是通過地中海到達的。儘管與其他IDF軍團相比,該國的海軍規模相對較小,但它有大量的領土需要保護。

自2014年“保護邊緣行動”以來,
哈馬斯和巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織都大大擴展了海軍部隊,建立了一個軍火庫,其中包括海軍突擊隊,摩托艇,自動潛艇,爆炸性突擊艦船,精確無人機等。
在最新一輪戰鬥中,以色列海軍對哈馬斯和PIJ的目標進行了數十次襲擊,包括有針對性地殺害了哈馬斯蛙人部隊的三名高級特工,摧毀了八個裝有海軍武器的倉庫,十個哈馬斯海軍哨所,屬於該集團海軍的22艘船隻,以及更多。
海軍司令少將說:“與任何IDF部隊一樣,最重要的是拒絕能力和強大的防禦能力。” 伊萊·沙維特(Eli Sharvit)。“這就是為什麼我們襲擊了前哨,船舶,武器庫,基礎設施和特工。我們努力確保哈馬斯和PIJ的海軍部隊受到壓力。”
Hamas tried to attack Israel's gas installations
Both rockets and suicide drones were used to hit Israel's strategic assets.
By ANNA AHRONHEIM
MAY 16, 2021 16:44

The Leviathan gas platform, 10km. offshore Israel
(photo credit: ALBATROSS)
Hamas has fired rockets towards Israel’s gas installations in the Mediterranean since violence between terror groups in the Gaza Strip and the IDF broke out on Monday.
While none of the rockets came close to reaching the installations, they have been placed at their lowest functioning out of precaution.
Israel has several gas installations and the Tamar gas field’s production platform stands just 25 kilometers off the coast of southern Israel.
In May 2019 during another violent round which saw Hamas and PIJ launch 690 rockets and mortars towards Israel over the span of less than 48 hours, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz ordered the suspension of natural gas supplies from the Tamar field over concerns that it could be targeted.
The latest round of fighting, which broke out on Monday after Hamas fired several rockets towards Jerusalem, has seen the terror group try to attack the country’s gas installations, strategic assets for Israel, with both rockets and suicide drones.
While the rockets did not need to be intercepted as they were not close to striking the platforms, an Israel Air Force F-16 downed a drone at the beginning of the operation.
According to a senior military official, only one out of tens of thousands of rockets fired towards such an installation would be able to hit it. Nevertheless, should the terror group succeed in hitting one, that would be viewed as a major achievement.
Israel is highly dependent on the sea with over 90% of Israel’s imports arriving via the Mediterranean. And while the country’s navy is relatively small compared to other IDF corps, it has a significant amount of territory to protect.
Since Operation Protective Edge in 2014 both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have significantly expanded their naval units, building an arsenal to include naval commandos, jet skis, autonomous submarines, explosive commando ships, precision drones and more.
In the latest round of fighting, the Israeli Navy has carried out dozens of attacks against targets belonging to Hamas and PIJ, including the targeted killings of three senior operatives in the Hamas’s frogmen unit, destroyed eight warehouses that contained naval weaponry, ten Hamas naval posts, 22 ships belonging to the groups’ naval forces, and more.
“The most significant thing, as in any IDF corps, is the denial of capabilities and a strong defense,” says Navy Commander Maj.-Gen. Eli Sharvit. “That is why we attacked outposts, ships, weapons depots, infrastructure and operatives. We worked to ensure that the naval units of Hamas and PIJ have been under pressure.”
如果得到核武器,伊朗可以使用巡航導彈射擊-獨家
原子能機構應著眼於武器化;停止彈道導彈是一個失敗的原因。
由Yonah的傑里米BOB
2021年5月16日23:19
2019年12月,伊朗阿拉克水核反應堆周圍的人們聚集。
(照片來源:WANA新聞社/路透社)
廣告
伊朗頂級核專家之一告訴《耶路撒冷郵報》,如果伊朗獲得核武器,它不僅可以使用陸基彈道導彈,而且可以通過艦載巡航導彈來提供核武器。
在新書中,由郵政,科學與國際安全研究所所長戴維·奧爾布賴特(David Albright)和研究員薩拉·伯克哈德(Sarah Burkhard)獨家獲得的《伊朗的危險追求核武器》首先說:將重點放在核爆炸物生產和核武器化支柱上。”
該書指出,重點應轉移到國際原子能機構對武器化的檢查的部分原因是,實際上,“消除[核]運載系統支柱更加難以阻止,因為伊朗有許多運載核武器的選擇,從彈道導彈到巡航導彈再到船艦。”
總體而言,迄今為止,針對伊朗的艦載巡航導彈核武器選擇尚未得到太多討論。
此外,奧爾布賴特寫道:“鑑於多年的西方自滿情緒和伊朗 在此問題上的進展,談判必須旨在限制彈道導彈,但應該認識到,要完全消除這一支柱是不可能 的。”
在獲得其他強有力的啟示之前,奧爾布賴特的書以某種方式顛覆了伊朗鷹派(其中奧爾布賴特是難民營中最突出的鷹派之一)對核問題的看法。
按照慣例,針對美國對伊斯蘭共和國的政策之爭分為贊成或反對重返2015年核協議的人,包括取消特朗普政府時代對德黑蘭重返該協議核限制的製裁。


奧爾布賴特(Albright)多年來指出了2015年交易中的漏洞,但也是現實主義者。
鑑於拜登政府的立場,奧爾布賴特(Albright)探索了美國和其他有關國家如何設法阻止伊朗獲得核武器,即使其某些“核支柱”並未像他希望的那樣受到阻礙。
簡而言之,如果拜登(Biden)團隊重返2015年協議,那麼如何仍可遏制伊朗?
伊朗批評家的拳頭之一是,2015年協議沒有限制伊朗彈道導彈計劃的決心。
奧爾布賴特早在幾年前就想要這個程序。
但是鑑於伊朗自2015年以來取得的進展以及華盛頓目前的態勢,他說在這一方面封鎖伊朗可能是一個失敗的事業。
他解釋說,伊斯蘭共和國可以使用太多種不同類型的彈道導彈。
他還說,它甚至可以使用艦載巡航導彈,這樣對某些彈道導彈施加局部限制是無效的。
相反,他建議2018年摩薩德突襲德黑蘭秘密核武器檔案庫的一個主要好處是,它使世界大國能夠更深入地了解如何監督和阻止核計劃中伊朗的武器化工作。
當然,這需要原子能機構和世界大國採取更加有力的方法來解決檔案檔案所揭示的武器化的各個要素被存儲在何處並對其進行監測。
在某些方面,這本身就是改變遊戲規則的方法,但是奧爾布賴特認為,鑑於新的信息以及被監視的要素除了武器化之外沒有任何藉口的想法,它可能是可口的。
他援引國際原子能機構 至少 需要探討和監督有關伊朗努力的三個項目 。
其中一個就是伊斯蘭共和國的“保持使用計算機代碼模擬核武器爆炸的能力。大量使用仿真將使組件測試的必要性降低。”
第二個是“保持對多點啟動系統(例如,衝擊波發生器)的掌握,包括可能已經對具有替代核芯的核炸藥進行了成功的'冷測試'”。
另外,三分之一將是“具有製造中子引髮劑的能力”。
所有這三個要素,如果沒有得到國際原子能機構的監管,都可以幫助德黑蘭迅速採取行動,使其能夠爆炸其富集的核彈鈾。
相反,如果國際原子能機構對摩薩德暴露的這些因素獲得新的檢查權,那麼儘管2015年核協議中有其他重大漏洞,伊朗仍可能被阻止研製核武器。
關於伊朗需要將鈾濃縮到可武器化水平所需的時間,奧爾布賴特探討了目前的情況,即到2020年底,目前討論的三到四個月可能會降至兩個月,甚至只是一個多月。
這個想法是,隨著伊斯蘭共和國將更多的鈾從5%的水平濃縮到20%的水平,有些甚至達到60%的水平,要達到90%的水平必須跨越的距離大大減少了。
儘管有此警告,奧爾布賴特告訴《華盛頓郵報》,伊朗將鈾濃縮至60%的水平仍然很小,而減少其生產核武器時間的更大問題與鈾濃縮和先進20%的體積有關。離心機,例如IR-4或IR-6。
先進的離心機可以比構成該國大部分核計劃的該國標準IR-1更快的速度富集鈾。
奧爾布賴特(Albrights)建議的另一種解決方案是讓伊朗同意核限制,這將使伊朗從核武器兩年而不是一年的期限轉移到伊朗。
這將要求德黑蘭既取消其先進的離心機計劃,又可能將其在2015年協議下允許運行的舊IR-1離心機數量減少一半。
儘管該書指出,在管理武器化工作方面,伊朗軍事核首長穆罕默·法赫里扎德(Mohsen Fakhrizadeh)於2020年11月被暗殺,但書中還補充說,他已經準備了新一代的核科學家來接替他的職務。
這解釋了儘管伊朗損失了伊朗仍將如何繼續提出這種核威脅。
該書還提供了令人印象深刻的伊朗核計劃的歷史,以及討論秘密核檔案館發現的深刻深度。
If it gets nukes, Iran could fire using cruise missiles - exclusive
IAEA should focus on weaponization; Stopping ballistic missiles a lost cause.
By YONAH JEREMY BOB
MAY 16, 2021 23:19
PEOPLE GATHER around the water nuclear reactor at Arak, Iran, in December 2019.
(photo credit: WANA NEWS AGENCY/REUTERS)
If Iran gets nuclear weapons, it could potentially deliver them not only using land-based ballistic missiles, but by ship-fired cruise missiles, one of the top Iran nuclear experts has told The Jerusalem Post.
In a new book, Iran’s Perilous Pursuit of Nuclear Weapons, obtained first exclusively by the Post, Institute for Science and International Security president David Albright and researcher Sarah Burkhard say that, “The most straightforward way to dramatically reduce Iran’s prospects of building nuclear weapons is to focus on the nuclear explosive production and nuclear weaponization pillars.”
Part of the reason that the focus should shift to IAEA inspections of weaponization, notes the book, is because realistically, “The elimination of the [nuclear] delivery system pillar is more difficult to thwart because Iran has so many options for delivering nuclear weapons, ranging from ballistic missiles to cruise missiles to ships.”
Generally, a ship-based cruise missile nuclear weapon option for Iran has not been discussed much to date.
Further, Albright writes that, “Negotiations should aim to limit ballistic missiles, but it should be recognized that eliminating this pillar in its entirety is impossible,” given years of Western complacency and Iranian progress on the issue.
Before even getting to some other powerful revelations, Albright’s book in some ways upends the entire way that Iran hawks (of which Albright is one of the more prominent in the camp) view the nuclear issue.
Conventionally, the fight over US policy toward the Islamic Republic divides into those who are pro or anti returning to the 2015 nuclear deal, including lifting Trump administration era sanctions for Tehran returning to the deal’s nuclear limitations.


Albright has pointed out holes in the 2015 deal for years, but is also a realist.
Given the Biden administration’s posture, Albright explores how the US and other interested countries could try to head off Iran from getting a nuclear weapon even if some of its “nuclear pillars” are not blocked as much as he might hope.
Put simply, if the Biden team returns to the 2015 deal, how could Iran still be contained?
One of the punch-lists of Iran critics has been that the 2015 deal did not have teeth for limiting Iran’s ballistic missile program.
Albright would have wanted this program limited years ago.
But given Iran’s progress since 2015 and Washington’s current posture, he is saying that blocking Iran on this front might be a lost cause.
He explains that the Islamic Republic has too many different kinds of ballistic missiles it can use.
Also, he says that it could even use ship-based cruise missiles, such that putting partial limits on some ballistic missiles would be ineffectual.
Rather, he suggests that a major benefit of the 2018 Mossad raid on Tehran’s secret nuclear archive is it gives the world powers much more insight into how to supervise and block the Iranian weaponization efforts side of the nuclear program.
Of course, this would require a much more forceful approach by the IAEA and world powers in terms of resolving where each element of weaponization revealed by the archive is being stored and monitoring them all.
In some ways, this would in and of itself be a game-changer approach, but Albright suggests that it could be palatable given the new information and the idea that the elements being monitored have no excuse of being used for anything but weaponization.
There are at least three items he cites the IAEA  would need to explore and monitor regarding Iran’s efforts.
One would be the Islamic Republic’s “maintaining the capability to use computer codes to simulate a nuclear weapons explosion. Greater use of simulations would make component testing less necessary.”
A second would be “retaining a mastery of the multipoint initiation system, e.g., the shock wave generator, including possibly having conducted a successful ‘cold test’ of a nuclear explosive with a surrogate nuclear core.”
In addition, a third would be, “having the capability to make the neutron initiator.”
All three of these elements, if not policed by the IAEA, could help Tehran move much more swiftly to being able to explode the uranium it enriches for a nuclear bomb.
In contrast, if the IAEA gains new inspection powers over these elements exposed by the Mossad, Iran could be prevented from developing a nuclear weapon despite other major holes in the 2015 nuclear deal.
In terms of how much time Iran would need to enrich uranium to weaponizable levels, Albright explores scenarios where the currently discussed three to four months could drop to two months or even just over one month by the end of 2020.
The idea is that as the Islamic Republic enriches more uranium up from the 5% level to the 20% level and some even to the 60% level, the distance it has to cross to get to the 90% level is reduced significantly.
Despite this warning, Albright told the Post that the volume of uranium which Iran has enriched to the 60% level is quite small, and the bigger problems in reducing its time to a nuclear weapon relate to the volume of 20% enriched uranium and to advanced centrifuges like the IR-4 or IR-6.
Advanced centrifuges can enrich uranium at a much faster rate than the country’s standard IR-1 which makes up most of its nuclear program.
Another solution Albrights suggests is getting Iran to agree to nuclear limits which would leave it two years from a nuclear weapon instead of one year.
This would require Tehran to roll back both its advanced centrifuge program and possibly to cut in half the number of older IR-1 centrifuges it was allowed to operate under the 2015 deal.
Though the book notes the assassination of Iran military nuclear chief Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in November 2020 as a significant setback in managing weaponization efforts, it adds that he had prepared a whole new generation of nuclear scientists to take his place.
This accounts for how Iran can continue to present such a nuclear threat despite his loss.
The book also gives an impressive history of Iran’s nuclear program as well as tremendous depth in discussing the findings of the secret nuclear archive.
兩名約旦人持刀越過以色列邊界
警察懷疑這兩名約旦人持刀越過邊界進入以色列,並試圖到達耶路撒冷。
通過耶路撒冷郵報STAFF
2021年5月16日13:48

2021年5月14日,示威者在約旦河谷卡拉梅的抗議活動中高舉巴勒斯坦旗幟,以表達對巴勒斯坦人民的聲援。
(照片來源:REUTERS / JEHAD SHELBAK)
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警方周日報導,兩名約旦人持刀越過邊界進入以色列,並在北部小鎮吉爾伯亞被捕。
向警察報告的人看到嫌疑犯沿著6666號路走。
警察詢問並蒐查了他們,發現了刀。警察懷疑這兩個人試圖去耶路撒冷。
一名真主黨成員上週五被以色列國防軍大火殺害,當時示威者試圖衝進與黎巴嫩和以色列的邊界,原因是阿拉伯世界因以色列和哈馬斯之間的最新暴力而怒火中燒。
星期五,在約旦邊境,支持巴勒斯坦人的示威者試圖突圍,到達以色列和西岸。
同樣在星期五,從敘利亞向以色列發射了三枚火箭。其中一枚火箭未能發射,落在邊界的敘利亞一側。另外兩枚火箭彈落在一個空曠的地方,導致只發出露天警報聲。沒有受傷的報導。
希拉·西爾科夫(Shira Silkoff),塞思·弗朗茲曼(Seth Frantzman)和耶路撒冷郵報的工作人員為這份報告做出了貢獻。
Two Jordanians cross Israel border armed with knives
Police suspect that the two Jordanians who crossed the border into Israel armed with knives were attempting to get to Jerusalem.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
MAY 16, 2021 13:48

Demonstrators hold Palestinian flags during a protest to express solidarity with the Palestinian people,in Karameh, Jordan valley, May 14th, 2021.
(photo credit: REUTERS/JEHAD SHELBAK)
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Two Jordanians crossed the border into Israel armed with knives and were stopped in the northern town of Gilboa, Police reported Sunday.
The suspects were seen walking along Road 6666 by people who reported it to the police.
Police questioned and searched them and found the knives. Police suspect that the two were attempting to get to Jerusalem.
A Hezbollah member was killed by IDF fire on Friday when protesters tried to storm the border with Lebanon and Israel as anger boils in the Arab world over the latest violence between Israel and Hamas.
On Friday on the Jordan border, demonstrators supporting the Palestinians tried to break through to reach Israel and the West Bank.
Also on Friday, three rockets were launched from Syria toward Israel. One of the rockets failed to launch, falling on the Syrian side of the border. The other two rockets fell in an open space, leading to only open air sirens being sounded. No injuries were reported.
Shira Silkoff, Seth Frantzman and Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.
美國特使Amr會見以色列阿拉伯領導人甘茨
Amr是拜登政府唯一負責以色列-巴勒斯坦問題的任命。
通過拉哈夫·哈科夫(LAHAV HARKOV)
2021年5月16日15:47

總理兼國防部長本尼·甘茨(Benny Gantz)將於2021年3月7日在耶路撒冷出席以色列電視新聞公司的會議。
(照片來源:YONATAN SINDEL / FLASH 90)
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美國負責以色列和巴勒斯坦事務的副國務卿海蒂·阿姆(Hady Amr)週日會見了國防部長本尼·甘茨(Benny Gantz),這是該地區為鼓勵降級而舉行的一系列會議的一部分。
甘茨告訴Amr:“與美國有著民主價值觀的以色列會採取一切預防措施,只對軍事目標發動攻擊,避免傷害平民,而平民則是濫殺濫傷的目標。
甘茨補充說:“當前軍事行動的目標是恢復以色列邊界的長期安靜,並恢復其公民的安全。”
國防部長發言人說,他要求美國代表團感謝美國總統拜登對“以色列捍衛自己的權利和義務”的支持。
這次會議是在以色列安全內閣舉行會議之前進行的,以權衡“圍牆行動”的下一步行動。
預計Amr還將與外交大臣加比·阿什肯納齊(Gabi Ashkenazi)會晤,但會議尚未安排完畢,可能在內閣會議後舉行。他還可能會見外交部總幹事阿隆·烏斯皮茲(Alon Ushpiz)。
據第12頻道報導,Amr還會見了以色列阿拉伯社會的高級人物,他們要求他為立即停火而努力。

據報導,他回應說,總理本傑明·內塔尼亞胡對和平大火不感興趣,這與內塔尼亞胡和以色列其他官員關於以色列希望繼續以武力打擊哈馬斯目標的公開聲明相稱。

Amr是拜登政府唯一負責以色列-巴勒斯坦問題的任命。政府尚未宣布任命以色列大使,也未宣布許多總統任命的和平談判特使。

Amr是克林頓和奧巴馬政府以及世界銀行和世界經濟論壇的政策分析師和經濟學家。他曾是布魯金斯學會(Brookings Institution)位於卡塔爾的多哈中心(Doha Center)的創始董事,該中心成立於2008年。

在奧巴馬任職期間,Amr參與了多個項目,例如允許
加沙地帶建立3G互聯網網絡,以及在2014年“保護邊緣行動”期間向加沙地帶提供人道主義援助。
今年早些時候,Axios援引Amr的話說,他正在尋求一種漸進的方法來改善該地區的局勢,因為拜登政府不認為在不久的將來達成以巴和平協議。與Amr合作的以色列官員稱他務實,專注於人道主義問題。
但是,根據2000年代初期的著作,阿姆(Amr)也面臨來自親以色列聲音的批評。他警告說,阿拉伯人“將永遠不會忘記以色列人民……對巴勒斯坦兒童所做的一切。將有成千上萬的人試圖為這些殘酷的無辜謀殺報仇。” 他指責以色列具有“與安全無關的恥辱和報復目標。”
另一個批評是他領導由卡塔爾支持的多哈中心,該中心也是哈馬斯的主要出資者。
歐盟外交事務高級代表約瑟夫·博雷爾宣布,鑑於以色列和巴勒斯坦之間的持續升級和平民傷亡人數令人無法接受,他將在周二召開一次歐盟外交部長會議。
博雷爾在推特上說:“我們將進行協調和討論,歐盟將如何為結束當前的暴力做出最好的貢獻。”
週五,博雷爾在與外交部長加比·阿什肯納齊(Gabi Ashkenazi)打了電話後說,他“重申歐盟對以色列安全的支持,並譴責哈馬斯濫發火箭彈。”
他在推特上寫道:“重要的是,任何回應都可以避免平民傷亡。” “我正在與區域行為者接觸,為降級做出貢獻。”
US envoy Amr meets with Gantz, Israeli Arab leaders
Amr is the only Biden Administration appointee focused on Israeli-Palestinian issues.
By LAHAV HARKOV
MAY 16, 2021 15:47
Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Benny Gantz attends a conference of the Israeli Television News Company in Jerusalem on March 7, 2021.
(photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH 90)
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US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israel and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr met with Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Sunday, as part of a series of meetings in the region to encourage de-escalation.
Gantz told Amr that “Israel, which shares democratic values with the U.S., takes every precaution to strike at military targets only and avoid harming civilians, while its civilians are the targets of indiscriminate attack.
“The objective of the current military campaign is to restore long-term quiet to Israel’s borders and safety to its citizens,” Gantz added.
The defense minister’s spokeswoman said he asked the American delegation to thank US President Joe Biden for his support for “Israel’s right and duty to defend itself.”
The meeting took place right before a meeting of Israel’s Security Cabinet to weigh the next steps in Operation Guardians of the Walls.
Amr is also expected to meet with Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, but the meeting has not been scheduled yet and may take place after the cabinet meeting. He is also likely to met with Foreign Ministry Director-General Alon Ushpiz.
Amr also met with senior figures in Israeli Arab society, who asked him to work towards an immediate ceasefire, Channel 12 reported.
He reportedly responded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not interested in a peacefire, which is commensurate with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials' public statements that Israel wants to continue to forcefully strike Hamas targets.
Amr is the only Biden Administration appointee focused on Israeli-Palestinian issues. The administration has yet to announce an ambassador to an Israel, nor an envoy for peace talks, which many presidents appoint.
Amr is a policy analyst and economist who worked in the Clinton and Obama administrations, as well as the World Bank and World Economic Forum. He was the founding director of the Brookings Institution's Doha Center in Qatar, founded in 2008.
In the Obama years, Amr worked on projects like allowing 3G Internet networks in Gaza, and getting humanitarian aid into Gaza during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.
Earlier this year, Amr was quoted in Axios as saying that he is seeking an incremental approach to improve the situation in the region, because the Biden administration doesn't view an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement as possible in the near future. Israeli officials who have worked with Amr described him as pragmatic and focused on humanitarian issues.
But Amr has also faced criticism from pro-Israel voices, based on his writing from the early 2000s. He warned that Arabs "will never forget what the Israeli people…have done to Palestinian children. And there will be thousands who will seek to avenge these brutal murders of innocents." He accused Israel of having a "crude objective of disgrace and revenge that has little to do with security."
Another criticism has been of his leading the Doha Center, backed by Qatar, which is also a leading funder of Hamas.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell announced that he would convene a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on Tuesday, "in view of the ongoing escalation between Israel and Palestine and the unacceptable number of civilian casualties."
"We will coordinate and discuss how the EU can best contribute to end the current violence," Borrell tweeted.
On Friday, after a phone call with Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, Borrell said that he "reaffirmed he EU’s support to Israel’s security & condemned Hamas indiscriminate firing of rockets."
"Important that any response avoids civilian casualties," he wrote on twitter. "I am reaching out to regional actors to contribute towards de-escalation."
隨著其代理哈馬斯轟炸以色列,伊朗協議談判仍在繼續
以色列反對重返伊朗協議,因為該協議將於2030年到期,這給了德黑蘭發展核武器的國際合法性,而且它沒有解決為哈馬斯提供資金的問題。
通過拉哈夫·哈科夫(LAHAV HARKOV)
2021年5月16日13:47
歐洲對外行動局(EEAS)副秘書長恩里克·莫拉(Enrique Mora),外交部伊朗代表阿巴斯·阿拉格奇(Abbas Araghchi)和伊朗駐聯合國核監督機構大使Kazem Gharibabadi等待5月1日在奧地利維也納舉行的JCPOA聯合委員會會議開始。 ,202
(照片來源:通過路透社在維也納/ HANDOUT舉行的歐盟代表團)
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儘管伊朗代表哈馬斯和伊斯蘭聖戰組織繼續用火箭炮轟炸以色列的城市,但在周末,在維也納繼續進行有關美國和伊朗恢復2015年核協議的談判。
俄羅斯駐維也納國際組織大使米哈伊爾·烏里揚諾夫(Mikhail Ulyanov)週六在推特上說:“恢復JCPOA的工作仍在繼續,包括在本週末進行。”
烏里揚諾夫指出:“關於JCPOA的維也納會議是在各種非正式場合,以及在解除制裁,核問題和恢復協議的實際措施的工作組中進行的。” “起草過程正在進行中。如果有需要,可以召集一個聯合委員會。”
美國和伊朗進入間接談判,要求伊朗恢復對JCPOA的遵守,並於今年早些時候取消制裁,迄今已舉行了四輪會談。伊朗上個月開始將濃縮度提高到60%,這是前所未有的水平,遠遠超過了核協議所允許的5%。
美國於2018年退出了伊朗協議,特朗普政府開始對伊斯蘭共和國實行嚴厲制裁制度。拜登政府力圖重返JCPOA,並商定該協議的“更長和更強”版本。
以色列反對重返伊朗協議,因為該協議將於2030年到期,使德黑蘭具有發展核武器的國際合法性,並且因為它不涉及伊朗的導彈計劃或該地區恐怖分子代理的資金。
這些代表包括哈馬斯和巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織,它們在過去一周中在以色列平民區射擊了2000多枚火箭。
據伊朗《塔斯尼姆新聞》報導,伊朗伊斯蘭革命衛隊聖戰部隊領導人埃斯梅爾·加尼在周末與哈馬斯領導人伊斯梅爾·哈尼耶爾就加沙地帶的最新事態發展進行了交談。
塔斯尼姆報導說:“加尼“在面對猶太復國主義者不斷進攻和犯下針對耶路撒冷和加沙的罪行時,重申了伊朗伊斯蘭共和國對巴勒斯坦民族和巴勒斯坦抵抗的支持。”
伊斯蘭革命衛隊司令官“讚揚伊朗伊斯蘭共和國的立場,以支持該國和巴勒斯坦的正義事業。”
上週,伊斯蘭革命衛隊的另一位重要人物侯賽因·薩拉米(Hossein Salami)警告說,以色列很小,因此很容易受到海上襲擊。
共有伊朗和哈馬斯摧毀以色列目標的另一個伊朗代理人是黎巴嫩什葉派恐怖組織真主黨。
上週,奧地利部長會議徹底禁止了真主黨,這比歐盟宣布黎巴嫩黎巴嫩恐怖組織的軍事機構非法的政策要遠,但組建了一支仍然可以合法化的政治機構。
星期五,奧地利總理塞巴斯蒂安·庫爾茲(Sebastian Kurz)和外交大臣亞歷山大·沙倫伯格(Alexander Schallenberg)在其辦公室頂部升起了以色列國旗,以支持以色列與哈馬斯的戰鬥。
鑑於奧地利對以色列的公開支持,伊朗外交大臣穆罕默德·賈瓦德·扎里夫(Mohammad Javad Zarif)取消了原定的前往維也納與沙倫堡(Schallenberg)會晤的計劃。
沙倫貝格的一位發言人說:“我們對此感到遺憾並註意到這一點,但對我們而言,很顯然,當哈馬斯向以色列平民目標發射2000多枚火箭時,我們將不會保持沉默。”
在德黑蘭,外交部發言人賽義德·哈蒂布扎德(Saeed Khatibzadeh)告訴半官方新聞社:“在這種情況下,扎里夫先生認為這次旅行沒有好處,因此旅行安排尚未最終確定。”
參加維也納會談的伊朗代表團團長阿巴斯·阿拉奇(Abbas Araqchi)批評奧地利對以色列表示支持。
阿拉奇在推特上寫道:“維也納是原子能機構和聯合國的核監督機構,迄今為止,奧地利是談判的重要主辦地。” “看到佔領政權的旗幟感到震驚和痛苦,該政權在維也納的政府辦公室殘酷地殺死了數十名無辜平民,在短短幾天內就招致了許多兒童。我們與巴勒斯坦站在一起。”
Iran Deal talks continue as its proxy Hamas bombs Israel
Israel opposes a return to the Iran deal, because it expires in 2030, giving Tehran the international legitimacy to develop a nuclear weapon, and it does not address funding for Hamas.
By LAHAV HARKOV
MAY 16, 2021 13:47
European External Action Service (EEAS) Deputy Secretary General Enrique Mora, Iranian Deputy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi and Iran's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear watchdog Kazem Gharibabadi wait for the start of a meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria May 1, 202
(photo credit: EU DELEGATION IN VIENNA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
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Talks for the US and Iran to return to the 2015 nuclear deal continued in Vienna over the weekend, even as Iranian proxies Hamas and Islamic Jihad continued to bombard Israel’s cities with rockets.
"The work on the restoration of the JCPOA continues, including during this weekend," Russian Ambassador to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov tweeted on Saturday, using the abbreviation for the Iran deal's name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
"The Vienna talks on JCPOA are conducted in various informal settings, as well as in the working groups on sanctions lifting, nuclear issues and practical measures to restore the deal," Ulyanov specified. "The drafting process is under way. If the need arises a joint commission can be convened."
The US and Iran entered indirect negotiations for Iran to return to compliance with the JCPOA and the US to lift sanctions earlier this year, and have held four rounds of talks thus far. Iran began enrichment up to 60% last month, an unprecedented level far beyond the 5% that the nuclear deal permits.
The US left the Iran deal in 2018, with the Trump administration moving to a heavy sanctions regime on the Islamic Republic; the Biden administration seeks to return to the JCPOA and negotiate a “longer and stronger” version of the agreement.
Israel opposes a return to the Iran deal, because it expires in 2030, giving Tehran the international legitimacy to develop a nuclear weapon, and because it does not address Iran’s missile program or funding for terrorist proxies in the region.
Among those proxies are Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which have shot over 2,000 rockets at Israeli civilian areas in the past week.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds force leader Esmail Ghaani spoke with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh over the weekend about the latest developments in Gaza, Iranian Tasnim news reported.
Ghaani "reiterated the support of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the Palestinian nation and the Palestinian resistance in the face of the incessant aggression and crimes of the Zionist enemy against Jerusalem and Gaza," Tasnim reported.
The IRGC commander "praised the positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran in support of the nation and the just cause of Palestine."
Last week, another leading IRGC figure, Hossein Salami, warned that Israel is vulnerable to a maritime attack, because it is so small.
Another Iranian proxy, which shares Iran and Hamas’ goal of destroying Israel is Lebanese Shi’a terrorist group Hezbollah.
Last week, Austria’s council of ministers banned Hezbollah outright, going farther than the European Union policy of outlawing the Lebanese terrorist group’s military arm, but fabricating a political arm that could remain legal.
On Friday, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg raised Israeli flags on top of their offices, in support of Israel in its fight against Hamas.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif canceled a planned trip to Vienna to meet with Schallenberg in light of Austria’s open support for Israel.
“We regret this and take note of it, but for us it is as clear as day that when Hamas fires more than 2,000 rockets at civilian targets in Israel then we will not remain silent,” a spokeswoman for Schallenberg said.
In Tehran, foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told the semi-official news agency ISNA: “Mr Zarif did not consider the trip beneficial in these circumstances, and therefore the travel arrangements were not finalized.”
Abbas Araqchi, who heads the Iranian delegation at the Vienna talks, criticized Austria for showing support for Israel.
“Vienna is the seat of [nuclear watchdog] IAEA & UN, and [Austria] so far been a great host for negotiations,” Araqchi wrote on Twitter. “Shocking & painful to see flag of the occupying regime, that brutally killed tens of innocent civilians, inc many children in just few days, over govt offices in Vienna. We stand with Palestine.”
巴勒斯坦人關注伊朗試圖挫敗停火談判
巴勒斯坦消息人士伊朗革命衛隊司令埃斯梅爾·卡亞尼(Esmail Qaani)將軍對於繼續支持哈馬斯和巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織的承諾可能會破壞哈瑪斯與以色列達成新停火的努力。
由KHALED ABU TOAMEH
2021年5月15日20:37
伊朗人在2021年5月7日在伊朗德黑蘭舉行的一年一度的Quds Day(耶路撒冷日)集會中焚燒以色列國旗。
(照片來源:路透社MAJID ASGARIPOUR / WANA(西澳大利亞新聞社))
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隨著美國,俄羅斯和其他各方在周末努力結束以色列與哈馬斯之間的戰鬥,伊朗讚揚了哈馬斯和加沙的巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織,並誓言將繼續支持巴勒斯坦的“抵抗”。
長期以來一直向恐怖組織提供武器和金錢的伊朗說,它“與巴勒斯坦人站在一起,支持他們的堅定和勇敢”。
伊朗的承諾是由伊朗革命衛隊聖城旅司令官Emasil Qaani在與哈馬斯領導人伊斯梅爾·哈尼耶(Ismail Haniyeh)的電話中做出的。
哈馬斯發表聲明說:“卡尼讚揚了巴勒斯坦的抵抗,其先進的表現以及保護和捍衛巴勒斯坦人民的能力。” “他還譴責佔領在謝赫·賈拉(Sheikh Jarrah)和加沙地帶(東耶路撒冷附近)對我們人民的行徑。”
聲明說,哈尼耶向伊朗軍事指揮官介紹了以色列“耶路撒冷和加沙地帶的犯罪,包括殺害婦女和兒童以及破壞[哈馬斯]政府設施”。它引用了哈尼耶告訴伊朗軍事指揮官的話:“耶路撒冷之戰是所有穆斯林的戰爭和事業。”
卡薩姆·索萊馬尼將軍在巴格達國際機場附近遭到美國定向的無人機襲擊暗殺後,卡阿尼於2020年1月3日被任命為Quds部隊司令。
巴勒斯坦消息人士對卡阿尼繼續支持哈馬斯和巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織的承諾可能會破壞與以色列達成新停火的努力表示關切。
消息人士稱,伊朗人不希望美國政府或埃及為結束戰鬥而稱讚。消息人士還表示擔心,伊朗正試圖在西岸煽動動盪,以破壞巴勒斯坦權力機構。
星期五,在西岸各地與以色列國防軍發生衝突期間,有10名巴勒斯坦人被殺。在哈馬斯和其他巴勒斯坦團體聲援加沙地帶在西岸“憤怒的一天”之後爆發了衝突。
一位巴勒斯坦權力機構官員說,拉馬拉越來越擔心以色列與哈馬斯的衝突可能導致西岸的“嚴重升級”,並可能導致“新起義”。
這位官員告訴《耶路撒冷郵報》,巴勒斯坦權力機構主席馬哈茂德·阿巴斯(Mahmoud Abbas)週六主持了巴勒斯坦安全部隊指揮官和巴勒斯坦權力機構高級官員的緊急會議,討論防止暴力蔓延到西岸的方法。
這位官員說:“我們認為,哈馬斯,伊朗和其他各方正在試圖點燃西岸的起義。” “以色列必須停止對巴勒斯坦人的侵略,以避免發生更多的流血事件和暴力,特別是在西岸。”
哈馬斯領導人瑪哈爾(Khaled Mashaal)週五說,埃及,卡塔爾,土耳其,美國和俄羅斯正在努力達成新的停火協議。他沒有說調解人是否取得了任何進展。
星期五,一些阿拉伯媒體的未經證實的報導聲稱,在製止以色列與以加沙為基地的伊斯蘭組織之間的敵對行動方面取得了某些進展。
哈馬斯要求以色列“撤出”阿克薩清真寺大院,撤銷法院的決定,驅逐一些阿拉伯家庭離開其在謝赫·賈拉的住所,釋放在最近的暴力中被拘留的巴勒斯坦人,並停止其在加沙的軍事打擊總部位於卡塔爾的瑪沙爾(Mashaal)在接受土耳其電視台採訪時說,加沙地帶同意達成新的停火協議。
但是哈馬斯軍事聯隊星期六發表的聲明表明,該組織目前不准備與以色列達成停火協議。
“連續六個月,我們已經為砲擊特拉維夫做好了準備,”該組織軍事部門伊扎德·卡薩姆旅的發言人阿布·奧貝達說。
巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織軍事組織聖城旅的發言人阿布·哈姆扎(Abu Hamzah)威脅說,以色列將為在加沙地帶的襲擊付出“沉重的代價”。
馬沙阿爾和另一位哈馬斯高級官員薩利赫·阿魯裡(Saleh Arouri)警告以色列,不要對加沙地帶發動地面攻勢。
阿魯裡在接受哈馬斯al-Aqsa電視台採訪時說,“地面戰鬥”對以色列將是“災難性的”。“我很清楚我在說什麼,”阿魯裡補充道。
他說,有幾個政黨就與以色列達成停火問題聯繫了哈馬斯,但沒有詳細說明。
Palestinians concerned Iran trying to foil ceasefire talks
Palestinian sources expressed concern that Brig.-Gen. Esmail Qaani’s promise to continue supporting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad could undermine efforts to reach a new ceasefire with Israel.
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
MAY 15, 2021 20:37


Iranians burn an Israeli flag during a rally marking the annual Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, in Tehran, Iran May 7, 2021.
(photo credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)
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As the US, Russia, and other parties pursued efforts over the weekend to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas, Iran has praised Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza and vowed to continue its support for the Palestinian “resistance.”
Iran, which has long been supplying the terrorist groups with weapons and money, said that it “stands with the Palestinians and supports their steadfastness and bravery.”

The Iranian pledge was made by Brig.-Gen. Esmail Qaani, commander of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, during a phone call with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
“Qaani praised the Palestinian resistance, its advanced performance and its ability to protect and defend the Palestinian people,” according to a statement issued by Hamas. “He also expressed condemnation of the occupation’s practices against our people in [the east Jerusalem neighborhood of] Sheikh Jarrah and the Gaza Strip.”
Haniyeh, for his part, briefed the Iranian military commander on the Israeli “crimes in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, including the killing of women and children, and the destruction of [Hamas] government installations,” the statement read. It quoted Haniyeh as telling the Iranian military commander that, “The battle of Jerusalem is the battle and cause of all Muslims.”
Qaani was appointed as commander of Quds Force on January 3, 2020 after General Qasem Soleimani was assassinated by a targeted US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport.
Palestinian sources expressed concern that Qaani’s promise to continue supporting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) could undermine efforts to reach a new ceasefire with Israel.

According to the sources, the Iranians do not want the US administration or Egypt to take credit for ending the fighting. The sources also expressed fear that Iran was seeking to instigate unrest in the West Bank in order to undermine the Palestinian Authority.

On Friday, 10 Palestinians were killed during clashes with the IDF in various parts of the West Bank. The clashes erupted after Hamas and other Palestinian groups called for a “day of rage” in the West Bank in solidarity with the Gaza Strip.

A Palestinian Authority official said that there was growing concern in Ramallah that the Israel-Hamas conflict could lead to a “serious escalation,” and possibly a “new intifada,” in the West Bank.
On Saturday, PA President Mahmoud Abbas chaired an emergency meeting of the commanders of the Palestinian security forces and senior PA officials to discuss ways of preventing the violence from spreading to the West Bank, the official told The Jerusalem Post.
“We believe that Hamas, Iran and other parties are trying to ignite an intifada in the West Bank,” the official said. “Israel must stop its aggression against the Palestinians to avoid more bloodshed and violence, especially in the West Bank.”
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said on Friday that Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, the US and Russia were making efforts to reach a new ceasefire. He did not say whether the mediators had achieved any progress.
On Friday, unconfirmed reports in a number of Arab media outlets claimed that certain progress has been achieved to stop the hostilities between Israel and the Gaza-based Islamist groups.
Hamas is demanding that Israel “withdraw” from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, rescind the court decision to evict a number of Arab families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah, release Palestinians detained during the recent violence, and halt its military strikes in the Gaza Strip in return for agreeing to a new ceasefire, Mashaal, who is based in Qatar, said in an interview with a Turkish TV station.
But statements issued by Hamas’s military wing on Saturday suggested that the group was not prepared at this stage for a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
“For six months continuously, we have prepared ourselves for shelling Tel Aviv,” said Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the group’s military wing, the Izaddin al-Qassam Brigades.
Abu Hamzah, a spokesman for Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s military wing, al-Quds Brigades, threatened that Israel will pay a “very heavy price” for its attacks in the Gaza Strip.
Mashaal and another senior Hamas official, Saleh Arouri, warned Israel against launching a ground offensive against the Gaza Strip.
Arouri, in an interview with Hamas’s al-Aqsa TV, said that a “ground battle” would be “disastrous” for Israel. “I know very well what I’m saying,” Arouri added.
He said that several parties have contacted Hamas regarding a ceasefire with Israel, but did not elaborate.