President Biden said America will respond in a "time and manner of our choosing" to the Iran-backed terror attack that killed three U.S. servicemembers in Jordan on Sunday. Speaking to reporters today, White House spokesperson John Kirby emphasized that the attack "requires a response, make no mistake about that."
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog offered condolences to the grieving families and stated that the attack "highlights the need to hold the regime accountable for stoking fire in the region and beyond."
AIPAC mourns the deaths of Sgt. William Rivers, Spc. Kennedy Sanders and Spc. Breonna Moffett who were killed in the attack. Iran must be held accountable for this latest aggression and its ongoing support for attacks on our troops, allies, and interests.
WSJ: UNRWA payroll includes 1,200 people with ties to terror groups
More details are emerging about the extent to which UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 massacre and are tied to Palestinian terror groups in Gaza.
Today a new Wall Street Journal report cited Israeli intelligence that 1,200 UNRWA employees – 10% of the agency’s staff – have ties to either Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The report revealed that 12 UNRWA employees directly participated in the massacre, including by helping to kidnap Israelis. About half of UNRWA’s employees in Gaza reportedly have at least one close relative with ties to the terror groups.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the report "highly, highly credible." Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the new intelligence "proves once more that UNRWA is part of the problem and cannot be part of any future solution in Gaza. It’s time for the UN to answer tough questions about how one of its agencies became so deeply connected to terrorist organizations."
Read The Wall Street Journal story here (paywall) and a piece in The Times of Israelhere.
Senate Democrats and Republicans have reportedly agreed to a deal on the immigration portion of the president’s emergency funding request. This full package, which includes the $14.3 billion for Israel’s security, could be considered as soon as this week. Urge your senators to support the full $14.3 billion for Israel – and to oppose Senator Chris Van Hollen’s dangerous amendment to add conditions on this vital aid.
Pelosi: Protestors calling for ceasefire delivering "Putin’s message"
Speaking yesterday to CNN’s Dana Bash, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said that anti-Israel protests "are connected to Russia…and I say that having looked at this for a long time now."
"For them to call for a ceasefire is Mr. Putin’s message. Mr. Putin’s message, make no mistake this is directly connected to what he would like to see." Watch the video below.
Hamas launches rocket barrage at Tel Aviv
Today Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv and cities across central Israel, sending millions of Israelis into bomb shelters. The rockets were reportedly launched from within Khan Yunis, where the IDF is engaged in tense battles as it works to destroy Hamas’ terror infrastructure.
Journalist Bari Weiss, who is in Israel covering the war, posted this video of her sheltering in a gutter pipe at Ben-Gurion Airport as Iron Dome intercepted rockets overhead.
Meanwhile, the IDF uncovered and destroyed another Hamas terror tunnel in Khan Yunis – this one beneath a cemetery under the major city. The IDF published this video of the tunnel and the detonation. The IDF has reportedly killed 2,000 Hamas operatives operating in the city.
136 Israelis are still held hostage by Hamas. Join us in sharing their stories.
Every hostage is a life interrupted and a family in pain. We encourage you to join us in making each of their stories known by sharing a graphic on social media and using the hashtag #BringThemHomeNow.
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