New York Times: Israel Resumes Strikes on Gaza, Killing Hundreds, as Cease-Fire Breaks Down
Israeli forces launched deadly aerial attacks across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, ending a temporary cease-fire with Hamas that began in January and raising the prospect of a return to all-out war. More than 400 people, including children, were killed in the strikes, Gaza’s health ministry said. Those numbers did not distinguish between civilians and combatants — but the relentless Israeli bombardment produced one of the war’s deadliest single-day tolls. The attacks came after weeks of fruitless negotiations aimed at extending the fragile cease-fire, which paused 15 months of devastating fighting in the territory. The truce’s first phase expired in early March, but it had largely held as diplomats worked to broker an extension to free the surviving Israeli hostages and end the war. The office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said he had ordered the military operation after Hamas’s “repeated refusal” to release the remaining captives seized in the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel and the bodies of those hostages who have died. Of the 59 remaining in Gaza, fewer than half are believed to be alive.
A roadside bomb exploded Tuesday near Somalia’s presidential palace and the government said the attack by a militant group targeted the president’s convoy. The Information Ministry in a statement called the attack in the capital Mogadishu a “cowardly act of desperation” by the militant group al-Shabab, which claimed responsibility. The statement did not provide an official death toll but a witness said he counted three bodies at the scene. The president was unharmed.
Cipher Brief: Oman’s Double Game in Yemen Has Dangerous Consequences
CEP Non-Resident Fellow Ari Heistein writes: "For more than three decades, Oman has served in the role of mediator for the resolution of disputes in Yemen. This began after north and south Yemen unified in the early 1990s, and then Yemen and Oman officially demarcated the contested border between the two countries. Today, however, there is good reason to question whether Oman is in fact a neutral arbiter and whether its current role in the Yemeni arena promotes regional stability."
Washington Post: Pentagon says operation targeting Yemen’s Houthis is open-ended
The U.S. military will continue attacks on Houthi militants in Yemen, officials said Monday, as the Trump administration launches a new, open-ended attempt to prevent the group’s assaults on commercial shipping or U.S. and allied targets. The Pentagon said U.S. forces had struck more than 30 Houthi targets since Saturday, including command-and-control and training sites, drone infrastructure, and weapons production and storage facilities, in what officials have said would be an intensified campaign against the militants. “Today, the operation continues, and it will continue in the coming days until we achieve the president’s objectives,” Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, a senior official on the Joint Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday explicitly linked the actions of Yemen’s Houthi rebels to the group’s main benefactor, Iran, warning Tehran it would “suffer the consequences” for further attacks by the group. The comments by Trump on his Truth Social website escalate his administration’s new campaign of airstrikes targeting the rebels, which killed at least 53 people this weekend alone. U.S. officials said the strikes were carried out against more than 40 targets and more airstrikes were planned in the coming days. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of military operations. Meanwhile, the Iranians continue to weigh how to respond to a letter Trump sent them last week trying to jump-start negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Vox: The Trump right’s pro-Israel antisemitism
Over and over again, the Trump administration has claimed to be fighting antisemitism while wielding power against its domestic enemies. Yet, at the same time, there’s been a troubling surge in antisemitism among MAGA influencers and even some Trump administration staff.
Reuters: Judge says Columbia protestor must remain in US for now, moves case to NJ
A U.S. judge on Wednesday said Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil must remain in the United States for now, but moved his challenge to the legality of his arrest over his participation in pro-Palestinian protests to a court in New Jersey. Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman denied a bid by the Trump administration to dismiss the case, but agreed with the Justice Department that he did not have jurisdiction because Khalil was held in New Jersey at the time his lawyers first challenged his arrest in New York.
Reuters: EU proposes joint defence push amid Russia fears and US worries
Europe should further boost military spending, pool resources on joint defence projects and buy more European arms, according to an EU blueprint unveiled on Wednesday, driven by fears of Russia and doubts about the future of U.S. protection. The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, presented the proposals in a White Paper on defence, which aims to ensure Europe has a "strong and sufficient" defence posture by 2030.
Jüdische Allgemeine: Public prosecutor's office: Significantly more antisemitic crimes in Berlin
The number of anti-Semitic crimes in Berlin has risen significantly, according to the Public Prosecutor General's Office. Last year, 756 cases were registered (2023: 586), as Florian Hengst, anti-Semitism officer at the Public Prosecutor General's Office, told the German Press Agency. In addition, there were 4,096 cases in 2024 in the context of the Middle East conflict, which are often at least suspected of having an anti-Semitic background. The anti-Semitism commissioner sees a turning point in the terrorist attack on Israel by the Islamist Hamas on October 7, 2023. Since then, a significant increase in proceedings has been noted. This is particularly evident in the figures for cases related to the Middle East conflict. In 2023, there were still 158 such proceedings. According to Hengst, there has been a significant increase in anti-Semitic crimes related to Israel. The majority of the offenses involved incitement to hatred, damage to property such as anti-Jewish or anti-Israeli graffiti or insults. However, there is also an increase in threats, insults and bodily harm, explained the lawyer. For Jews in Berlin, the terrorist attack represents a "deep cut", said Hengst. He reported on conversations with the community, saying that some people were very worried about becoming victims of an anti-Semitic crime themselves. There are people who have deliberately refrained from wearing visible symbols of their faith ever since.
UPI: German parliament votes for massive debt reform, defense spending hike
Germany's parliament voted Tuesday in favor of incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz's massive debt reform, which will free up hundreds of billions of euros for Europe's defenses amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. "Such debt can only be justified under very specific circumstances," Merz, the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union, said Tuesday. "The circumstances are determined above all by Vladimir Putin's war of aggression against Europe."
The Manhattan-based federal trial of two alleged contract killers hired by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to murder the Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad coincided with shocking revelations that Tehran ordered the assassinations of dissidents in Europe, news that could have profound implications for President Trump’s Iran policy. The trial of the two suspects and the disclosures of a former founder of the U.S.-sanctioned terrorist organization IRGC that the ayatollahs ordered the murders of Iranians in exile add greater urgency to the need to address Iran’s threats to murder President Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Iranian-American critics of the regime, according to experts. Mohsen Rafiqdoost, a former high-level IRGC official who also served as a bodyguard for the Islamic republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, declared in a video interview that he oversaw operations to eliminate exiled Iranian dissidents.
A UK-based Muslim TV channel is facing an Ofcom investigation after it was accused of inciting extremism and breaching rules on impartiality. The free-to-air Islam Channel, which operates out of London, is facing claims they have praised violent Islamist movements, encouraged hostility against the West and portrayed terrorism with sympathy. In complaints submitted to the broadcasting regulator, the channel has also been accused of comparing Israel to the Nazi regime, giving airtime to extremists and broadcasting misinformation. It has also been said to have, on multiple occasions, praised the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, which saw around 1,200 people killed. The channel, which was founded in 2004 by Tunisian activist Mohamed Ali Harrath, has roughly two million daily viewers and is said to be watched by 60 per cent of British Muslims.
Times of Israel: UK parliament group publishes landmark report to combat Oct. 7 denial
The UK parliament’s Israel friendship group releases a 318-page report that aims to establish an incontrovertible historical record of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led atrocities in southern Israel. “The purpose of commissioning our report has been to chronicle the events of 7 October with clarity and meticulous, fact-checking precision, to ensure it is never forgotten,” says Lord Andrew Roberts, an influential historian who chaired the report.
Independent: Plans for national day to remember terror victims ‘major step forward’
Plans for a national day to honour victims and survivors of terror attacks have been announced as part of Government efforts to boost support for those affected by terrorism. Views are being sought over the move from victims, survivors and the public on what the day would be called, ways for victims to be commemorated and a date for the event.
NDTV: "Hamas Has Only Two Options...": Israeli Ambassador On Gaza War Solution
The military campaign will continue in Gaza till there is a Gaza free of Hamas, Israeli Ambassador Reuven Azar told NDTV World today. The 42-day temporary ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas is now over and Hamas has gone back on its promise of releasing the hostages kidnapped by the terrorist organisation. This, Mr Azar said, is a violation of the agreement, and hence, left Israel with no option but to resort to military pressure. "There can be a peace today, if Hamas agrees and abides by the conditions set out for it," said Mr Azar explaining that the two main conditions include freeing all the remaining hostages and never to be able to arm itself to launch terrorist attacks on Israel.
ABC News: Hamas will be 'hammered' until hostages released, Israeli official says
On Tuesday, an Israeli official told ABC News of Hamas, "They got hammered last night and they're going to continue to be hammered until we get the hostages out." The official described the Israel Defense Forces' renewed attacks against Hamas in Gaza as a "different form of negotiating", and said Israel had "not closed the door" to talks resuming via mediators if Hamas is willing to accept further hostage-prisoner swaps.
Jerusalem Post: Hamas gathered forces during ceasefire for attempted invasions into Israel – report
The Israeli security cabinet convened an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss a culmination of alerts over the past few weeks that indicate that Hamas has been making preparations for other invasions into Israeli territory, N12 reported. Separately, Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated these concerns in a meeting with the Otef Israel Forum, a group primarily composed of residents from the Gaza border region, on Tuesday morning,
The Anti-Defamation League confirmed Tuesday that CEO Jonathan Greenblatt has backed out of an upcoming Israeli conference on combating antisemitism, following the lead of other officials who are boycotting the event to protest the inclusion of far-right European politicians. “In light of some of the recently announced participants at the Israeli government’s antisemitism conference, Jonathan decided last week that he would no longer be attending the event, and he notified the Israeli government about the decision after the weekend,” an ADL spokesperson said.
JNS: European officialpulls out of Israel’s antisemitism conference due to far-right political invitees
An international antisemitism conference scheduled to take place in Jerusalem next week was hemorrhaging after various planned European participants backed out due to the inclusion of far-right French lawmakers, despite their strong support of Israel. The extraordinary development at a time of global antisemitism set off by the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, highlights the chasm that exists between liberal Jewish and non-Jewish officials, and ultra-nationalist and populist parties in Europe that have become increasingly vocal supporters of Israel in recent years in the wake of Arab migration.
Reuters: In Lebanon, Israeli strikes point to a precarious ceasefire
As Israel resumes heavy strikes in the Gaza Strip, escalating Israeli attacks in south Lebanon have killed five Hezbollah members in the last few days, according to security sources in Lebanon, underlining the fragility of a U.S.-backed ceasefire. The war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon marked the deadliest spillover of the Gaza war, rumbling across the frontier for months before escalating into a devastating Israeli offensive that wiped out the group's command and many of its fighters, along with much of its arsenal.
Naharnet: In town overlapping Syria, Hezbollah supporters call Lebanese troops 'traitors'
A video circulating online shows a number of Hezbollah supporters calling Lebanese troops “traitors” and “Israeli agents” as the Lebanese Army deploys in the Lebanese part of the Hawsh al-Sayyed Ali town on Syria’s border. The crowd, surrounded by Lebanese gunmen from the region, also chanted “At your service, Nasrallah!”, in reference to slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September as Israel began an all-out war on Lebanon. The Lebanese Army entered the town on Wednesday after Syrian forces withdrew from it, as part of Lebanese-Syrian efforts aimed at halting days of clashes.
Naharnet: UNIFIL head stresses mission's commitment to easing tensions by fostering dialogue
As UNIFIL today, Wednesday completed 47 years of its establishment, its head and Force Commander, Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro, called for looking forward with hope following the recent devastating conflict. Lázaro said the peacekeeping mission remains committed to easing tensions and fostering dialogue towards a permanent ceasefire. The UNIFIL head was addressing a gathering of local Lebanese leaders, senior Lebanese Army officers and fellow U.N. personnel and peacekeepers to mark the day. This ceremony was held for the first time in two years, as it didn’t take place last year due to ongoing exchanges of fire across the Blue Line.
Kane Ahmed, the commander of Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) troops for al Hol camp, told us: "The threat of ISIS has increased both inside and outside the camp... especially after the fall of the Syrian regime, it's gone up a lot and we see attempts by them to escape on almost a daily basis."
Reuters: Israeli jets target ex-Syrian army outposts in Homs, security sources say
Israeli jets targeted former Syrian army outposts in the central Homs province, two security sources said on Tuesday. The jets bombed army fortifications in the villages of Shinshar and Shamsin south of Homs city in central Syria, the sources said.
Long War Journal: Syrian authorities continue crackdown on Hezbollah and its affiliates
Tensions have once again flared along Syria’s western border with Lebanon, following intense clashes in February when the newly formed Syrian army deployed reinforcements to Al Qusayr in western Homs to crack down on smuggling networks and militant groups. Those clashes resulted in the deaths of multiple Syrian army personnel, as well as Lebanese tribesmen and Hezbollah affiliates. The latest round of violence erupted on March 16, with the Syrian Ministry of Defense accusing Hezbollah of infiltrating Syrian territory and killing three Syrian soldiers. Hezbollah, however, denied any involvement, asserting that it had no connection to what happened on the Syria-Lebanon border.
NL Times: Dutch Deputy PM won't be prosecuted for saying anti-Semitism is part of Muslim culture
Deputy Prime Minister Mona Keijzer will not be prosecuted for saying that “hatred of Jews is almost part of the culture” in Islamic countries, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal ruled in a procedure trying to force prosecution. The BBB Minister of Housing now wants the Public Prosecution Service (OM) to clear her name, she told the Telegraaf. Keijzer made her statement on the talk show Sophie & Jeroen on May 17th last year, before she was sworn in as Minister. In July, the OM dropped the case against her, saying that Keijzer was “in principle guilty” of group insult, but prosecution would be too much of an infringement of the right to freedom of expression for politicians.
ANI: Experts from EU and India discuss strategies to counter violent extremism
The European Union (EU) convened a technical workshop in New Delhi today on preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE), held on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue. Organised in cooperation with the Embassy of the Netherlands, the event was opened by EU Ambassador to India Herve Delphin.
India has urged the Netherlands to refrain from supplying arms, weapon systems, platforms, and military technologies to Pakistan, citing concerns over the latter's long-standing support for cross-border terrorism. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made this statement during a meeting with his Dutch counterpart, Ruben Brekelmans, on Tuesday.
Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir on Tuesday (March 18, 2025) emphasised the need to turn Pakistan into a "hard state," asserting that the struggle against militancy was "a battle" for the country's "survival".
Khyber News: Terrorism in Pakistan: High-Level Security Meeting Calls for Unified Action
Terrorism in Pakistan continues to claim innocent lives, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has blamed the country’s “soft state” status for the growing wave of attacks. He raised a hard-hitting question — “How long will the armed forces fill the gaps of governance with the blood of martyrs?” During a high-level in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, COAS Munir urged the need for better governance. “We must turn Pakistan into a hard state,” he stressed. The session took place amid the rising threat of terrorism in Pakistan. However, several key opposition parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), did not attend the meeting.
Pakistan Observer: MAP extends unwavering support to decisions in fight against terrorism
The Minorities Alliance Pakistan (MAP) has extended its unwavering support to the national-level decisions taken to eradicate terrorism from the country. Akmal Bhatti, Chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan, emphasized that minorities have always stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the majority in their unwavering support for Pakistan’s stability and security.
Pakistan Today: Pakistan urges UNSC to prioritise action against terror threats from Afghanistan
Pakistan has urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to prioritize addressing the growing threat of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, calling it a matter of urgent concern for regional stability. Speaking at a UNSC session on Monday, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram, expressed deep concern over Afghanistan’s role as a safe haven for various terrorist groups. He highlighted the Taliban government’s failure to effectively eliminate ISIS/Daesh and its tolerance of other militant organizations. Ambassador Akram accused the Taliban of complicity in cross-border attacks against Pakistan, particularly by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), including its Majeed Brigade.
Amu: Pakistan says train hijack mastermind in Afghanistan, Taliban deny claims
The Pakistani military has alleged that the mastermind behind the recent train hijacking in Balochistan is based in Afghanistan and that militants involved in the attack were in contact with their handlers across the border during the security operation to free hostages. A Taliban spokesman, however, rejected the allegations, calling them unfounded.
Business Standard: Taliban rejects Pak proposal to halt construction of 2 posts near border
Afghanistan's Taliban regime has rejected Pakistan's proposal regarding suspending the construction of two posts near the border as a result of which the Torkham border crossing will remain closed. The movement of people via the Torkham border crossing has been suspended since February 21 after Pakistani and Afghan security forces developed differences over construction activities on both sides of the border.
Reuters: US strikes Houthi strongholds in Yemen where leaders are hiding, Yemeni sources say
The U.S. hit targets across Yemen in airstrikes overnight, including Saada province, which Yemeni sources say is a long-time hideout for Iran-aligned Houthi leaders, and the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported more than 10 strikes on various locations, including the Al-Safra district of Saada. The area houses weapons storage and training sites, and is considered one of the group's most important and heavily fortified military strongholds, according to Yemeni sources.
Reuters: Yemen's al-Houthi leads defiant force under US attack
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen's Houthi fighters whose Red Sea attacks have drawn U.S. strikes, has emerged as Iran's most prominent Arab ally and an enduring thorn in Israel's side after many of its enemies were killed in the last year. Al-Houthi, who is in his 40s, had already led his group through a decade of war against a powerful Saudi-led coalition when it waded into conflict with Israel, declaring solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza after the Hamas-led October 7 attacks.
Reuters: Turkey detains Istanbul mayor in what opposition calls 'coup'
urkey detained Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the main rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, on charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group in what the main opposition party on Wednesday called "a coup against our next president". The move against the popular two-term mayor caps a months-long legal crackdown on opposition figures across the country which has been criticised as a politicised attempt to hurt their electoral prospects and silence dissent.
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
Fact:
On October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded southern Israel where, in the space of eight hours, hundreds of armed terrorists perpetrated mass crimes of brutality, rape, and torture against men, women and children. In the biggest attack on Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, 1,200 were killed, and 251 were taken hostage into Gaza—where 101 remain. One year on, antisemitic incidents have increased by record numbers.
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