Ali Larijani, one of the most powerful figures in Iran’s Islamic regime, was killed by the Israel Defense Forces after months of issuing threats against President Donald Trump and U.S. service members. 
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed the strike, noting that Larijani had been the subject of a $10 million U.S. bounty.
“Ali Larijani had a $10 million prize on his head. We did it for free,” Sa’ar said.
The 67-year-old hardliner had recently emerged as a central voice for Tehran after being appointed head of the National Security Council following the 12-day war. He was accused of leading the regime’s brutal January crackdown on protests that left more than 30,000 dead, according to some estimates. The U.S. sanctioned him for his role, <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0364">claiming he</a> was one of the first leaders to “call for violence” against the protesters.
In the weeks leading up to his death, Larijani used social media to deliver increasingly explicit warnings to the United States, including threats against President Donald Trump and vows to “hunt down” U.S. servicemembers.
A longtime regime insider, Larijani held numerous senior roles, including head of Iran’s state broadcaster, chief nuclear negotiator, security adviser to former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and speaker of parliament until 2020. He also had deep ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, and served as a commander during the Iran-Iraq War.
While some left-wing journalists have <a href="https://x.com/JohnSimpsonNews/with_replies">described</a> him as a pragmatic person to negotiate with, he said in <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20250401-iran-will-have-no-choice-but-to-get-nukes-if-attacked-khamenei-adviser-usa-trump-nuclear-weapons-deal-bombing-threats">January</a> that Iran would have “no choice” but to acquire a nuclear weapon if the United States or Israel attacked. On March 1, following the U.S. attack, he <a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2028323835938832483">said</a> that Iran “will not negotiate with the United States.”
Since January, he has been running Iran, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/22/world/middleeast/iran-larijani-khamenei-pezeshkian.html">The New York Times</a>, after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei turned to him to steer the country through mass protests and the growing threat of war with the United States and Israel.
Last week, Larijani posted photos and videos of himself attending a Quds Day protest in Iran, appearing among crowds of civilians in an apparent show of confidence in the regime.
“Mr. Hegseth! Our leaders have been, and still are, among the people. But your leaders? On Epstein&#8217;s island!” he <a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2032488143568425368">tweeted</a>. 
In another <a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2032553348797182095" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> about the protest, he said that the combination of brave people, brave officials, and brave leaders “cannot be defeated.”
Larijani didn’t hide his rhetoric. In the weeks before his assassination, he flooded social media with tough rhetoric and threats targeting the United States military, regional partners, and President Donald Trump. Here are some of them:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“We will make the Zionist criminals and the shameless Americans regret their actions. The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will deliver an unforgettable lesson to the hellish international oppressors.” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2027826860625731732">2/28/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“To the countries of the region: We are not seeking to attack you. But when the bases located in your country are used against us, and when the United States carries out operations in the region relying on these forces, then we will target those bases. For these bases are not part of the land of those countries; rather, they are American soil.” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2028084331638313169">3/1/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">America and the Zionist regime have scorched the heart of the Iranian nation. We will scorch their hearts… (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2027996103690330382">3/1/2026</a>) </li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“TRUMP HAS BETRAYED “AMERICA FIRST” TO ADOPT ‘ISRAEL FIRST.’” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2028370080908587432">3/2/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Iran, unlike the United States, has prepared itself for a long war…We will fiercely defend ourselves and our six thousand years old civilization regardless of the costs and will make the enemies sorry for their miscalculation.” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2028447853576626328">3/2/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Trump&#8217;s wishful thinking has dragged the whole region into an unnecessarily war and now he is rightly worried about more American casualties. It is indeed very sad that he is sacrificing American treasure and blood to advance Netanyahu&#8217;s illegitimate expansionist ambitions.” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2028370468193902817">3/2/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“The story has not ended yet, and the martyrdom of Imam Khamenei will come at a heavy price for you, God willing.” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2029212727152153068">2/4/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Some American officials have said that they intend to enter Iran on the ground with a few thousand troops. The valiant children of Imam Khomeini and Imam Khamenei are waiting for you to expose those corrupt American officials with a few thousand killed and captured. The land of Iran is no place for the hellish dance of demons.” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2029575734268944389">3/5/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“It has been reported to me that several American soldiers have been taken prisoner. But the Americans claim that they have been killed in action. Despite their futile efforts, the truth is not something they can hide for too long.” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2030399293173969120">3/7/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“When the enemy attacks us from bases in the region, we respond — and we will continue to respond. This is our right and a standing policy. Regional countries must either prevent the US from using their territory against Iran, or we will have no choice but to do it ourselves.” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2030379472382308495">3/7/2026</a>)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Some American soldiers have been captured. They are lying that 5-6 American soldiers have been killed. Later, they will inflate the number of deaths under the pretext of an accident too.” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2030384900969304354">3/7/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“We won&#8217;t let<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Trump?src=hashtag_click"> #Trump</a> off the hook; he must pay the price—he&#8217;s martyred our leader and our people. This isn&#8217;t a simple matter; we won&#8217;t let it go until we retaliate in kind.” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2030376505709101452">3/7/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“The Ashura-loving nation of Iran does not fear your hollow threats. Those greater than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation. Watch out for yourself lest you be eliminated!” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2031323351952568569">3/10/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Trump has said ‘we can take apart Iran&#8217;s electric capacity within one hour, but we have not done it.’ Well, if they do that, the whole region will go dark in less than half an hour and darkness provides ample opportunity to hunt down US servicemen running for safety.” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2032077584809292183">3/12/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Trump says he is looking for a speedy victory. While starting a war is easy, it cannot be won with a few tweets. We will not relent until making you sorry for this grave miscalculation.<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/TrumpMustPay?src=hashtag_click"> #TrumpMustPay</a>” (<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2032128509817037247">3/12/2026</a>)</li>
</ul>

TOPSHOT-LEBANON-ISRAEL-CONFLICT-HEZBOLLAH

He Threatened America — Then Came The Strike His Words Now Haunt

Iranian Leader Flooded Social Media With Threats Against U.S., Trump Before Assassination

Donald Trump

Iran

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

Operation Epic Fury

The Israeli military said Tuesday that a targeted overnight strike killed Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) referred to Larijani as the “effective” leader of Iran since the war began.
Larijani was a close adviser of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed last month. He was responsible for Iran&#8217;s military response to the joint U.S.-Israeli operation launched on February 28. The IDF also accused Larijani of overseeing the regime&#8217;s violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
“Throughout the years, Larijani was considered one of the most veteran and senior figures within the Iranian regime leadership, and was a close associate of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei,” the IDF <a href="https://x.com/IDF/status/2033861461596930479">said</a> in a social media post. “During the most recent wave of protests against the Iranian terror regime, Larijani personally oversaw the massacre that was carried out against Iranian protestors.”
Iran has not commented on the status of Larijani, but a <a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2033840853370683829">statement</a> honoring Iranian navy “martyrs” was posted to Larijani&#8217;s X account shortly before the IDF said he had been killed. 
Last week, Larijani <a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2031323351952568569">threatened</a> President Donald Trump after the president warned Iran he would strike the country harder if it blocked oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.  
“The Ashura-loving nation of Iran does not fear your paper threats,” Larijani posted on social media. “ Even those greater than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation. Watch out for yourself—lest you be eliminated!”
In January, the Treasury Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/01/u-s-sanctions-to-support-the-courageous-people-of-iran">sanctioned</a> Larijani over Iran’s response to the anti-government protests. 
In a separate strike, the IDF said it killed Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the Basij Resistance Force, a paramilitary unit under Iran&#8217;s Revolutionary Guard Corps. 
“Yesterday, the IDF targeted &amp; eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, who operated as commander of the Basij unit for the past 6 years,” the IDF <a href="https://x.com/IDF/status/2033827283341824256">said</a>. “Under Soleimani, the Basij unit led the main repression operations in Iran, employing severe violence, widespread arrests, and the use of force against civilian demonstrators.”
Soleimani was heavily involved in the crackdown on protesters that killed thousands of Iranians. 
An Israeli official told Fox News that the U.S. military was involved in the strikes targeting Soleimani. 
“This was a joint U.S. and Israeli effort,” the official <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/us-iran-israel-war-latest-march-17">said</a>. &#8220;A strike in Tehran targeted the Basij commander and around a dozen others, including the most senior figures in the Basij forces—people with a lot of blood on their hands.&#8221;
The Basij unit has been <a href="https://www.state.gov/bureau-of-near-eastern-affairs/report-to-congress-on-list-of-persons-who-are-responsible-for-or-complicit-in-certain-human-rights-abuses-in-iran">sanctioned</a> by the State Department for human rights abuses in Iran. The group has also been accused of recruiting child soldiers.

IRAQ-IRAN-PARLIAMENT-DIPLOMACY

Israel Takes Out Iran’s ‘Effective Leader’ In Overnight Strike

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

In a stunning demonstration of precision military power, Israeli forces reportedly struck deep into the heart of Tehran on Friday, obliterating an underground bunker built beneath the Iranian regime’s leadership compound — a site long believed to be one of the Islamic Republic’s most protected command centers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
בלב טהרן: צה&quot;ל השמיד את הבונקר התת-קרקעי של עלי ח&#39;אמנהאי שהוקם מתחת למתחם ההנהגה של המשטר
כ-50 מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר תקפו הבוקר בהכוונה מדויקת של אמ&quot;ן ובשיתוף אמ&quot;ץ, את הבונקר התת-קרקעי של עלי ח&#39;אמנהאי, שהוקם מתחת למתחם ההנהגה של משטר הטרור האיראני בלב טהרן.
לכל הפרטים… <a href="https://t.co/EWg4mPZDEI">pic.twitter.com/EWg4mPZDEI</a>
&mdash; צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) <a href="https://twitter.com/idfonline/status/2029878689907835294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
According to military statements and released footage, approximately 50 Israeli fighter jets took part in the operation, which officials described as a devastating blow to the regime’s strategic infrastructure.
The target, according to the Israel Defense Forces, was a sprawling subterranean facility built beneath a compound used by Iran&#8217;s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. According to Israeli military sources, the bunker <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/06/world-news/50-fighter-jets-destroy-ayatollah-khameneis-secret-underground-bunker-video">functioned</a> as an emergency war-management center, featuring multiple entry points and meeting rooms designed for senior regime officials. The facility reportedly stretched beneath several city streets, serving as a critical component of Iran’s command-and-control network.
The attack came just days after Khamenei was killed in a separate precision operation, reportedly before he could retreat into the hidden stronghold that was meant to shield him from retaliation. Israeli officials say the underground complex had remained in use by senior members of the Iranian regime even after the assassination, making it a high-value strategic target.
Aerial footage released by the IDF appeared to show approximately 100 bombs raining down in a wave of explosions that reduced the facility to rubble. Israeli military statements indicated that the bunker had been built to enable the regime’s leadership to conduct wartime operations from deep underground, a symbol of the theocracy’s reliance on fortified secrecy. Analysts noted that destroying the site further cripples Tehran’s ability to coordinate military actions.
The strike, reportedly conducted during “Operation Epic Fury,” represents what Israeli officials characterize as a sustained campaign to dismantle Iran’s strategic military leadership infrastructure, degrading the regime’s command apparatus.
U.S. military leaders have praised the IDF for its efforts as they teamed with Americans to fight against the Iranian terror regime. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the mission was being carried out with &#8220;unmatched skill and iron determination,&#8221; adding that &#8220;fighting shoulder to shoulder with such a capable ally is a true multiplier.&#8221;
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine <a href="https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syn8eemkbg?utm_source=chatgpt.com">said</a> U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and other units “worked in extraordinary coordination with the IDF” during the operation.

Multiple strong explosions reported in Tehran

WATCH: Precision Strike Blows Apart Iran Regime Secret War Bunker

Dan Caine

Pete Hegseth

Tehran

Israel isn’t just striking Iran — it’s staring down thousands of Hezbollah rockets and daring the terror group to try.
As Operation Epic Fury targets Iran’s missile and military infrastructure, Israeli intelligence officials say Hezbollah still retains significant firepower. According to two officials who spoke to Fox News, the terror group has between 11,000 and 12,000 rockets and missiles remaining in its arsenal.
Roughly 5,500 to 6,000 of those are believed to be within range of Israel.
That’s about one-fifth of Hezbollah’s pre-war firepower — a dramatic reduction — but still enough to threaten civilian population centers, including parts of central Israel. Hundreds of the remaining weapons are medium-range missiles capable of reaching deep into the country.
And Israeli officials say Hezbollah isn’t backing down.
“They are actually trying to increase their capabilities,” one intelligence official said. “Both in the fire capabilities with rockets and rocket launchers, and ground units that they still have.”
In short, even after taking heavy losses, the Iran-backed group is trying to rebuild.
The warning comes as Israel expands its campaign following Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.–Israel strike aimed at dismantling Iran’s missile and nuclear infrastructure. Israeli leaders have described the mission as controlled and decisive — not a regime-change war and not an endless conflict — while making clear they prepared for retaliation from Tehran’s proxy network.
That includes Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s government says it is committed to the ceasefire framework brokered in part through U.S. diplomacy during President Donald Trump’s tenure.
Hezbollah terrorists appear to be operating outside that framework.
Despite Lebanon’s stated commitment, the group has continued rocket activity and military positioning that Israeli officials say undermines the ceasefire and increases the risk of escalation.
For Israeli leaders, that is precisely why preparations were made ahead of Operation Epic Fury.
The posture from Jerusalem is straightforward: Israel knows exactly what Hezbollah has left — and it is prepared for it.

Hezbollah rocket Lebanon

Hezbollah Terrorists Down To A Fraction Of Their Arsenal — Here’s What Remains

Hezbollah

Israel

President Trump

World

Israel is not waiting to be attacked — it is dismantling threats in real time.
As Israeli aircraft strike underground bunkers in Tehran, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed it is also targeting Hezbollah command centers and launch sites in Lebanon, warning the terror group it is entering a fight it cannot win.
An IDF official said the strikes against Hezbollah were part of preparations tied to the broader operation against Iran’s regime leadership and military infrastructure.
“We were ready for this,” the official said. “As part of the preparations for our operation in Iran, the IDF prepared for an attack from Hezbollah, allowing us to carry out a swift response.”
According to the IDF, retaliatory strikes hit Hezbollah command and control centers, launch sites, and what the official described as senior terrorists embedded within the organization’s operational network.
Israeli strikes inside Iran were still underway.
“As I am speaking right now, our aircraft are striking targets in Iran, including Tehran,” the official said, noting that underground bunkers tied to the regime are among the targets.
The objective, the IDF stressed, is to eliminate threats before they reach Israeli civilians.
“We are operating to eliminate any threats to our civilians, and will continue doing so,” the official added.
The warning to Hezbollah was blunt.
“Hezbollah is entering a fight it cannot win.”
The escalation comes after the unprecedented joint U.S.–Israel operation targeting Iranian regime assets, a move that military analysts have long warned could trigger retaliation from Tehran’s proxy network — particularly Hezbollah, which maintains a vast arsenal of rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.
As the military campaign unfolds, a political voice long in exile is positioning himself for what could follow.
Appearing on Fox &amp; Friends, Reza Pahlavi — the exiled crown prince of Iran — thanked President Donald Trump for giving Iran a chance to take his country back, while signaling he is ready to return to Iran and help lead a democratic transition should the regime collapse.
“If you were to give me the opportunity to say to the Iranian people and the world, when is it that I go back there?” Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, said. “It will be the first minute I get the opportunity to do that. And that has to be, of course, orchestrated properly.”
He added that he is prepared to return.
“I’m ready to go there as soon as possible. I would like to be there, whether it is before the regime collapses or right after the regime collapses. It is important for me to be among my compatriots to fight the final battle and bring it to fruition.”
Pahlavi has pledged that any transition would involve free and fair elections and a democratic system of government.
For now, however, the battlefield remains active. Israeli aircraft continue striking Iranian regime targets while signaling to Hezbollah that escalation will be met immediately.
The message from Israeli officials is clear: retaliation was anticipated, preparations were made, and the response is already underway.

israel_hezbollah

Blunt Warning To Hezbollah Terrorists As Israel Widens War Footing

Global Politics

Politics

Dramatic new footage released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shows what officials say is the moment Israeli and U.S. forces struck deep inside western Iran — wiping out missile units and key defense systems before they could fire on Israel.
The black-and-white aerial videos, captured from high above the battlefield, show what appears to be Iranian missile infrastructure nestled into rugged terrain. Crosshairs hover over the site. Seconds later, plumes of smoke erupt as precision strikes hammer the target.
According to the IDF, the footage is part of Operation Roaring Lion, a “broad and joint operation” carried out alongside U.S. armed forces aimed at degrading what it calls the Iranian regime’s “existential threat” to Israel.
The videos come as tensions exploded overnight.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🎯STRUCK: Operatives from the Iranian regime’s surface-to- surface missiles unit as they loaded a missile launcher and prepared to immediately launch towards Israel.
The threat was identified and quickly struck, preventing the launch aimed toward Israel. <a href="https://t.co/nMcOeOtleX">pic.twitter.com/nMcOeOtleX</a>
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/2027735956678222317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🎥WATCH: IDF strikes hundreds of targets in western Iran as part of Operation Roaring Lion <a href="https://t.co/KYMYVL8DOQ">pic.twitter.com/KYMYVL8DOQ</a>
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/2027710571261403556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel,” the military said in a statement. Defensive systems were activated immediately as barrages were detected. Israel’s Home Front Command pushed precautionary alerts directly to mobile phones in affected areas while the Aerial Defense Array intercepted incoming threats.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-iranian-protests-intensify-as-citizens-demand-end-to-ayatollah-rule?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+United+States+And+Israel+Strike+Iran+In+‘Operation+Epic+Fury’">Follow The Daily Wire&#8217;s live-blog coverage of the U.S. strikes on Iran.</a>
An additional barrage of missiles was later launched toward Israel, according to the IDF.
But the counterpunch came swiftly.
The IDF said it struck operatives from Iran’s surface-to-surface missile unit as they were actively loading a launcher and preparing to fire toward Israel. The threat was “identified and quickly struck,” preventing the launch.
In addition, Israeli forces targeted multiple strategic aerial defense systems — including what the IDF described as an advanced SA-65 system in the Kermanshah region of western Iran.
The military said hundreds of targets were struck as part of the operation.
President Donald Trump addressed the joint operation early Saturday morning, framing the action as both defensive and necessary.
Trump described the strikes as a “major combat operation” targeting the Iranian regime’s military capabilities and reiterated that the United States would not allow Iran to threaten Israel or destabilize the region.
He also delivered a direct message to the Iranian people, distinguishing them from the ruling regime and signaling that the U.S. sees the conflict as being with Tehran’s leadership — not its citizens.
The president has long taken a hard line on Iran, withdrawing from the Obama-era nuclear deal during his first term and re-imposing sweeping sanctions. His administration has repeatedly warned that Iran’s continued financing and arming of proxy forces on Israel’s borders — including Hezbollah and other militant groups — would not go unanswered.
The IDF echoed that message in its statement, saying that the Iranian regime “has not abandoned its plan to destroy Israel” and continues to finance, train, and arm proxies positioned along Israel’s borders — actions it says pose a threat not only to Israel, but to the broader Middle East and the world.
The newly released footage underscores how quickly the confrontation has moved from shadow conflict to open strikes.

Iran Strikes

WATCH: Bird’s-Eye Video Shows U.S.-Israel Strike That Stopped Iran Missiles Cold

U.S. Military

The Israeli military said Wednesday that a ceasefire remained in effect after it carried out a series of strikes in Gaza, following the killing of an Israeli soldier by Hamas terrorists a day earlier.
Dozens of terrorists were killed in response to Hamas violations of a ceasefire negotiated by the Trump administration, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) said Wednesday. The strikes came after Israel accused Hamas of lying about the return of the remains of deceased hostages and attacking IDF troops in Rafah. 
“In accordance with the directive of the political echelon, and following a series of strikes, in which dozens of terror targets and terrorists were struck, the IDF has begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire in response to Hamas’ violations,” the IDF said in a statement. “As part of the strikes, the IDF and ISA struck 30 terrorists holding command positions within the terrorist organizations operating in Gaza.”
“The IDF will continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and will respond firmly to any violation of it,” it added. 
The IDF soldier <a href="https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/artc-idf-announces-soldier-killed-in-sniper-attack-in-rafah-2">killed</a> on Tuesday by <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-871996">reported</a> Hamas sniper fire was identified as Master Sergeant Yona Efraim Feldbaum, father of five children. 
Commenting on the strikes during his Asia trip, President Donald Trump said that Israel had “a right” to retaliate because “they took out an Israeli soldier.” He added that “nothing’s going to jeopardize” the ceasefire and said that Hamas needed to “behave.” 
“They said they would be good, and if they’re good they’re going to be happy,” Trump said. “And if they’re not good, they’re going to be terminated.”
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="http://dailywire.com/Subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
Vice President JD Vance <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vance-provides-update-on-ceasefire-after-hamas-attack-in-gaza?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Vance+Provides+Update+On+Ceasefire+After+Hamas+Attack+In+Gaza">said</a> Tuesday night that the ceasefire would hold despite the back-and-forth fighting. 
“The president achieved a historic peace in the Middle East, the ceasefire is holding. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t going to be little skirmishes here and there,” said Vance. “We know that Hamas, or somebody else within Gaza, attacked an IDF soldier. We expect the Israelis are going to respond, but I think the president’s peace is going to hold despite it.”

Israeli attacks on Gaza in violation of the ceasefire

Israel Says Ceasefire Stands After Striking Back When IDF Soldier Killed By Hamas

Ceasefire

Hamas

<div>
Speaking in 2023, Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s hyper-antisemitism, intertwined with his socialist contempt for police and the capitalist system, was amply displayed in a comment about the NYPD and Israel.
</div>
<div>
Mamdani referred to the “boot of the NYPD” being on the neck of New York City residents, adding that the “boot” was “laced by the IDF.”
</div>
<div>
In a gobbledygook statement that was redolent with his completely anti-Western views, Mamdani stated, “The importance for me of international solidarity is that it takes me out of the American political landscape and reminds me just how tame some of the things that I’m actually calling for in the next board. And it reminds me of the necessity of grounding ourselves in the struggles as opposed to the fights around the struggles. For anyone to care about these issues &#8230; We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it&#8217;s been laced by the IDF. We’re in a country where those connections abound. Especially in New York City, you have so many opportunities to make clear the ways in which that struggle over there is tied to capitalist interests over here.”
</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
September, 2023. 
Zohran Mamdani: &quot;We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it&#39;s been laced by the IDF.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/sr8pQyKvCq">pic.twitter.com/sr8pQyKvCq</a>
&mdash; MAZE (@mazemoore) <a href="https://twitter.com/mazemoore/status/1982974662175752646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<div>
In 2020, Mamdani <a href="https://news.meaww.com/zohran-mamdani-slammed-as-old-defund-police-stance-resurfaces-after-ny-cop-killed-in-manhattan-shooting?utm_source=chatgpt.com">wrote</a> on social media, &#8220;No, we want to defund the police,&#8221; &#8220;Queer liberation means defund the police,&#8221; and accused the NYPD of being &#8220;racist, anti-queer &amp; a major threat to public safety.&#8221; He later wrote, &#8220;There is no negotiating with an institution this wicked and corrupt. Defund it. Dismantle it. End the cycle of violence.&#8221;
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
</div>
<div>
In May 2025, Mamdani, who supports the BDS movement targeting Israel, <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2025/05/zohran-mamdani-new-york-mayor-candidate-forum-uja-jcrc-ny-cuomo-jewish-israel/">refused to say</a> whether Israel had a right to exist as a Jewish state. He has <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-nyc-mayoral-frontrunner-zohran-mamdani-has-said-about-jews-and-israel/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">repeatedly referred</a> to Israel’s war against Hamas as a “genocide.”
</div>
<div>
Mamdani has sponsored a bill that would fine Jewish groups at least $1 million for donating to “unauthorized” charities operating in Israel. The legislation would ban Jewish synagogues and charities from donating to groups such as United Hatzalah and ZAK. These nonprofit groups specialize in emergency response and treatment of victims of terrorism, according to <a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-859627?dicbo=v2-puQTs4k#google_vignette">The Jerusalem Post</a>.
</div>
<div>
Tim Pearce contributed to this article.
</div>

US-POLITICS-VOTE-NEWYORK-MAYOR

More Of Mamdani’s Anti-NYPD, Anti-Israel Rhetoric Resurfaces As Critics Warn Of Dangerous Extremism

Elections

New York City

NYPD

Zohran Mamdani

President Donald Trump said Sunday night that the ceasefire was still in place after Israel launched strikes in Gaza after accusing Hamas of opening fire on its soldiers over the weekend. 
Israel attacked parts of Gaza on Sunday after accusing Hamas terrorists of killing two Israel Defense Forces soldiers operating in Rafah. Despite the back-and-forth, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the ceasefire was still in place. 
“We&#8217;re going to have to see what’s happening. We want to make sure that it&#8217;s going to be very peaceful with Hamas and as you know, they&#8217;ve been quite rambunctious,” he said. “They&#8217;ve been doing some shooting and we think maybe the leadership isn&#8217;t involved in that. You know, some rebels within, but either way, it&#8217;s going to be handled properly. It&#8217;s going to be handled toughly but properly.”
Later on, when asked by a reporter if he believed the Israeli strikes were justified, Trump said that he would “have to get back to you on that.” 
The IDF said Sunday that terrorists launched anti-tank missiles and gunfire at its troops working to “dismantle terrorist infrastructure” in southern Gaza. 
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
“In response, the IDF has begun striking in the area to eliminate the threat and dismantle tunnel shafts and military structures used for terrorist activity,” the IDF <a href="https://x.com/IDF/status/1979872480056504512">said</a>. “These terrorist actions constitute a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement, and the IDF will respond firmly.”
The IDF later said that these strikes were directed toward weapons storage facilities, firing posts, terrorist cells, and terror infrastructure. It also took out about six kilometers of “underground terrorist infrastructure,” the IDF said. 
Vice President JD Vance, who is expected to travel to Israel on Tuesday, said Sunday that there were still a lot of moving parts on the ground in Gaza that complicated the ceasefire. 
“We don&#8217;t actually know even what the reality on the ground is there. When we talk about Hamas, you&#8217;re talking about 40 different cells. It&#8217;s disjointed. Some of those cells will probably honor the ceasefire. Many of those cells, as we saw some evidence of today, will not. Before we actually can ensure that Hamas is properly disarmed that&#8217;s going to require, as we know, some of these Gulf Arab states, to get forces in there to actually apply some law and order and some security keeping on the ground.”
Vance also said that the ceasefire would likely include “fits and starts” because members of Hamas would fire on Israel, and Israel would have to respond.

President Trump Returns To The White House

Trump: Gaza Ceasefire Still Holding Despite Hamas Violence, Israeli Strikes

Gaza

JD Vance

It is, in fact, possible to win wars.
I have spent my entire life watching the United States and the West lose wars, or at least not win wars. Initial victory, followed by gradual defeat or bizarre interventionism without the full force, weight, and commitment necessary to carry it through.
What President Trump is demonstrating, however, along with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel, is that it is, in fact, possible to win wars.
Let’s recall the timeline here.
On October 7, 2023, the genocidal terror group Hamas invaded Israel&#8217;s borders and killed 1,200 Israelis, mostly Jewish, and abducted 250 Israelis and took them back to their terror tunnel hellholes. In those tunnels, Hamas amassed a vast arsenal of rockets, grenades, and small arms over the course of 20 years with the support and funding from nations in the region, including Iran, Qatar, and Turkey.
There was also a serious possibility that Hezbollah was going to enter the war on the same day. In fact, Hezbollah started attacking with small rockets in the beginning and then gradually escalated. And, according to the military experts, Hezbollah was similarly genocidal and was a far better armed Iranian terror proxy based in Lebanon.
Israel also faced down a continuing terror threat from Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Judea and Samaria, the so-called West Bank. Syria was being used as a thoroughfare for Iranian arms for Hezbollah. The Houthis in Yemen were another Iranian-backed terror threat. And, of course, the Iranian government wasn&#8217;t merely spreading terrorism, they were also fast-tracking a nuclear weapons program.
That&#8217;s where things stood two years ago.
Now, two years later, the Middle East has turned completely upside down.
Israel has completely decimated Hamas, killing its entire top leadership from Gaza all the way to Iran. Israel has destroyed Hezbollah&#8217;s efficacy and killed its terror master, Hassan Nasrallah. Its attacks on Hezbollah were so effective that the Assad regime in Syria completely collapsed.
Judea and Samaria have been quieted by the work of the IDF during this time. Iranian proxies in Iraq went silent as well thanks to the Israeli Air Force. The Houthis in Yemen are sort of the one remaining outstanding enemy, and they&#8217;ve been thoroughly bombed. They are a nuisance, but they&#8217;re not an existential threat to Israel. And Iran&#8217;s nuclear program, the greatest existential threat to Israel, has been set back years, if not decades, thanks to the courage of the Israeli Air Force, and, of course, a timely, brave intervention from President Trump that led to an amazing mission flown by the United States Air Force.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2295-the-trump-effect-how-to-win-a-war?elementPosition=4&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
And now President Trump has brokered an amazing deal, one that seemed unthinkable not long ago. The release of the final 20 live Israeli hostages all at once, along with all the remaining bodies released. Israel maintains a secure posture in the Gaza Strip itself as a transitional plan toward a future without Hamas, supported by regional allies, including countries that one moment ago were sending cash and weapons into for Hamas to use, like Qatar and Turkey.
The possibility of future Abraham Accords with countries like Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are now on the table.
So, here is the question for the West: How is it that this war was won?
Because it&#8217;s hard to win wars.
Well, the answer is the conventional wisdom was stupid — and it has been stupid for decades.
And the decision makers here are ”out-of-the-box” thinkers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is someone who truly understands the nature of the Middle East and Middle Eastern history. But President Trump is the real difference maker here, because President Trump decided that America would no longer just go along with the 80-year-old slogans promoted by the Arabists at the State Department. 
The conventional wisdom was that military action does not guarantee security in the Middle East. That is a lie. It was always a lie. It was always catastrophically wrong.
In fact, every time Israel has provided for its own security, it was not through a peace deal. It was a peace deal after a victory. 
Military action is the only guarantor of support and security in the Middle East. It was military action that removed every supporting pillar beneath Hamas&#8217;s feet.
The conventional wisdom said the United States ought to play a weird, neutral role between Israel and its genocidal enemies. You saw this from Joe Biden. Kamala Harris talks like this all the time. Bill Clinton tried it until he realized that Yasser Arafat was totally uninterested in peace. 
But this was the conventional wisdom. Was that, sure, Israel was a strong ally of the United States, but America had to play honest broker between Israel and the Palestinians. And it turns out that that was not just wrong, it was idiotically wrong.
The Trump administration openly supported the IDF.
They openly provided the weapons. 
They openly provided the rhetorical support for Israel to win. And it was that that led to Hamas giving up the ghost and to Hamas, his allies, realizing that actually Israel was not going to be forced to simply accept the risk of its own survival. 
The conventional wisdom said that if you threaten to kill terror leaders abroad, that&#8217;d be conflagrationist and terrible. That, too, was wrong. 
Israel killed terror masters in Iran itself. Israel killed Ismail Haniya, the political leader of Hamas. And of course, it was the strike in Qatar that actually led to Qatar and Turkey deciding to press for Hamas’s ouster. 
Israel then hit inside Qatar in an attempted strike on Hamas&#8217;s leadership. They missed, but the message was made clear: Israel would be willing to do it again. 
And then the president essentially said, “Okay, you know what? We&#8217;ll come in. We&#8217;ll give a security guarantee to Qatar so this doesn&#8217;t happen again. But we need you to end this war. We need you to work with Turkey to stop all of this.”
It was a carrots-and-sticks approach led by President Trump.
President Trump understands the Middle East better than all the so-called experts.
And, by the way, he understands the Middle East far better than the supposed neocons, the total interventionists pushing for ”Democracy in the Middle East.” Trump is not one of those.
He also understands it better than the isolationists in his own party who wanted to reject Trump&#8217;s tempered and rational ”Peace through Strength” in favor of what might be called “Cowardice through Catastrophism,” the idea that World War III is lurking behind every corner — despite the fact that President Trump is the most rational purveyor of American force in modern American history. There was no shot that World War III would break out over one B-2 sortie over Iran. That was not going to happen because Trump was backing the IDF&#8217;s capacity to destroy Hamas in the Gaza Strip. That was not going to happen. The catastrophism was nonsense and it was nonsense from the beginning.
<h3><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a></h3>
Prime Minister Netanyahu, who soldiered through withering criticism both at home and abroad, of course, for the great crime of seeking victory over those who would destroy his country, deserves credit here.
Huge credit, obviously, as Jared Kushner says, to the Israeli people who mobilized in an unprecedented way to defend their nation and their civilization, we&#8217;re talking about 45-year-old guys leaving four kids at home and their business to go fight in Gaza in the “Sherut Miluim,” the Israeli Army Reserve Service.
And of course, huge props to the American people who provided Israel the support it needed to win, both in terms of material and mostly by making the right decision and electing Donald J. Trump as President of the United States. So, thank you to all the voters of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
It turns out that victory over genocidal enemies is indeed possible. What it requires is a smart strategy that bucks the conventional wisdom, a desire and willingness to win, and the perspicacity to dismiss people who promote either a starry-eyed millenarianism, in which every nation is going to break out into democracy someday, or a benighted conventional wisdom that fails every single time it&#8217;s tried.

TOPSHOT-US-ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-TRUMP-NETANYAHU-CONFLICT-DIPLOMACY

The Trump Effect: How To Win A War

Ben Shapiro

Benjamin Netanyahu

Jews

Middle East

Opinion

Peace Deal

Syria

Trump peace plan

After President Donald Trump announced that Israel and the terrorist group Hamas had agreed on the first phase of his peace deal, the Israel Defense Forces issued a statement welcoming the development but warning troops to remain on alert and “ready for any scenario.”
“The IDF welcomes the signing of the agreement for the return of the hostages, which was signed overnight,” the IDF stated on X. “During a situational assessment held overnight, the Chief of the General Staff instructed all forces, both on the front lines and in the rear areas, to prepare strong defenses and be ready for any scenario. Force deployments will be carried out in accordance with the directives of the political echelon and the stages of the agreement, with responsibility and a focus on the safety of our soldiers. At the same time, the Chief of the General Staff instructed to prepare to lead the operation for the hostages’ return, which is expected to be conducted with sensitivity and professionalism. The IDF will continue to act to achieve the objectives of the war and to defend the citizens of the State of Israel on all fronts.”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a> 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The IDF welcomes the signing of the agreement for the return of the hostages, which was signed overnight.
During a situational assessment held overnight, the Chief of the General Staff instructed all forces, both on the front lines and in the rear areas, to prepare strong…
&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1976138855368605715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Following the political echelon’s instructions and due to the situational assessment, the IDF has begun operational preparations ahead of the implementation of the agreement,” the IDF later added. “As part of this process, preparations and a combat protocol are underway to transition to adjusted deployment lines soon. The IDF continues to be deployed in the area and prepared for any operational development.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Following the political echelon’s instructions and due to the situational assessment, the IDF has begun operational preparations ahead of the implementation of the agreement. As part of this process, preparations and a combat protocol are underway to transition to adjusted…
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1976162379055374479?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A <a href="https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkmtqextex">report</a> released earlier this week by Israel’s Defense Ministry—timed to the second anniversary of the Hamas-led massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis—revealed that 1,152 Israeli security personnel have been killed since the attack. Of those, more than 40% (487 soldiers) were under the age of 21, and 30% (337 soldiers) were between 22 and 30. The report also noted that 66 women have been killed.
Forty babies have been born to widows who were pregnant when their partners were killed.
“The State of Israel carries a heavy burden. The history of our country is written in the blood of our sons and daughters,” Arie Moalem, head of the ministry’s Families and Commemoration Division, stated. “Each family is a world unto itself, and that is how we treat them. &#8230; In our hearts, we carry a prayer for the return of the hostages, healing for the wounded and the safe return of the IDF soldiers and security forces fighting for our future.”

ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT

‘Be Ready For Any Scenario’: Israel Defense Forces Welcome Peace Deal But Stay On Alert

The United Nations Security Council has issued <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/world/middleeast/israel-qatar-un-security-council.html">a statement</a> condemning Israel’s strike last week against the leaders of Hamas in Qatar. The statement only highlights how the international conversation surrounding the mission has been predictably loud and legally uninformed. While critics reflexively cry “aggression,” or “violation of sovereignty,” actual international law tells a very different story. Far from being outlawed conduct, the justification for the operation rests on the very framework the international community itself created after the attacks on September 11, 2001. Ironically, that framework is enshrined in a binding UN Security Council Resolution. 
Here’s the point: Harboring a terrorist organization is an outright violation of binding international law, and any State that does so should expect an appropriate response. 
For decades, the prevailing orthodoxy held that only States could commit “armed attacks” that would trigger the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. That might have made sense in 1945, when only governments fielded armies capable of the destruction envisioned by the Charter. Yet even then, international law acknowledged something crucial: If irregular forces caused destruction on a scale comparable to that of a regular army, those acts could be considered armed attacks. This became known as the “scale and effects” test.
The Hamas of today is not a ragtag insurgency. It is a heavily armed, organized, and entrenched militant army that governs territory, fields thousands of fighters, employs rockets, drones, and tunnels, and has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to inflict destruction on a massive scale. Its October 7, 2023, massacre of Israeli civilians, its ongoing rocket fire, its continued holding of Israeli hostages, and its declared intent to repeat such attacks all plainly qualify under the “scale and effects” test. By any reasonable military or legal standard, Israel has the right to target those directing such operations wherever they are located.
In truth, however, this analysis is almost unnecessary because the narrow legal interpretation requiring State action effectively died on 9/11. After the World Trade Center attacks, the entire world saw that terrorist groups could inflict devastation matching or exceeding many States. The United States invoked <a href="https://legal.un.org/repertory/art51.shtml">Article 51</a>, and the UN Security Council responded, explicitly acknowledging that terrorist groups can carry out armed attacks, and that States have the right under the Charter to respond in self-defense — even when the perpetrators are non-State actors operating abroad.
Resolution 1368 (2001), adopted the day after 9/11, <a href="https://legal.un.org/repertory/art51/english/rep_supp1_vol1_art51.pdf">declared</a>:
<blockquote>Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defense shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.</blockquote>
Just a few weeks later, the Council passed another Resolution 1373, which reaffirmed “the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence as recognized by the Charter of the United Nations as reiterated in resolution 1368 (2001).”
It also imposed additional obligations: States must “refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts” and must “deny safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts, or provide safe havens.” 
This second Resolution, which included the harboring doctrine, explicitly invoked the authority given to the Security Council under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Under Article 25 of the Charter, such Chapter VII decisions are binding on all UN Member States and create enforceable international law.
Nor is this practice controversial. Countries around the world consistently rely on the harboring doctrine to go after terrorists. Turkey has conducted operations in Iraq to go after the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), while Russia used it to pursue Chechen militants in Georgia. India cited it to justify surgical strikes within Pakistan to go after groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, and France applied it to conduct operations against violent jihadist groups in Mali, Niger, and Chad.
After 9/11, the U.S. framed the Taliban’s harboring of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda as grounds for self-defense under international law. As President Bush <a href="https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010911-16.html">stated</a>: “We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.” 
In the early 2000s and again in the 2010s, U.S. officials invoked the harboring doctrine against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula; Yemen was described as a “safe haven” where terrorists were harbored, justifying U.S. drone strikes and special forces operations. The same rationale guided U.S. policy in Somalia, justifying actions when Somali authorities were unable to restrain al-Shabaab or lacked the capacity to prevent its attacks. In fact, President Obama repeatedly invoked the notion of denying terrorist groups safe havens when he was reinforcing the legal and moral justification for U.S. strikes and operations in regions such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, and Iraq.
Of course, self-defense is not a blank check. International law requires necessity and proportionality. Here, necessity is obvious because Qatar is not detaining Hamas leaders or halting their activities. Proportionality is likewise satisfied. These are precise, intelligence-driven strikes aimed not at Qatari civilians or infrastructure, but at individuals orchestrating terrorist campaigns. In modern military terms, this is a textbook example of how a State can apply force in a manner that is both lawful and restrained, targeting the enemy while minimizing civilian harm.
Wars are decided not only on battlefields but also in the decisions to act, or to refrain from acting, against threats that originate abroad. History shows that when States allow terrorist sanctuaries to fester, violence metastasizes. Israel’s strike in Qatar is part of a long-established, legally grounded, and militarily necessary practice: denying safe haven to those who would continue to massacre innocents if left untouched.
The right to self-defense includes the right to eliminate a threat, even when that threat is being illegally harbored by a so-called neutral party.
If the United States lawfully struck and killed bin Laden in Pakistan, then Israel lawfully struck and killed Hamas leaders in Qatar. That is not bending international law. It is applying it correctly, even when it comes to Israel.
* * *
Mark Goldfeder is CEO of the National Jewish Advocacy Center and a law professor at Touro University.
John Spencer is the executive director of the Urban Warfare Institute. He is the coauthor of “Understanding Urban Warfare.”
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Meets With Congressional Lawmakers On Capitol Hill

The UN Is Wrong. Israel’s Strike In Qatar Was Justified.

Qatar

Terrorists

United Nations

Menu