BBC: Hamas fires rockets at Tel Aviv as Israel renews Gaza ground campaign
Hamas says it launched three rockets at Tel Aviv - the first time the group is known to have fired back since Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza. Israel said it intercepted one of the missiles and the others fell into uninhabited land. At least 591 people - including more than 200 children - have been killed since Israel resumed fighting on Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday that it had started a ground operation in the Palestinian territory. There had been a reprieve from large-scale military action since January, when a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began. The IDF said late on Thursday that soldiers had begun "conducting ground activity" in Rafah, which lies in the south of the territory near the Egyptian border.
Guardian: Counter-terror police leading inquiry into ‘unprecedented’ Heathrow fire
Counter-terror police are leading the investigation into the “unprecedented” electrical substation fire that has closed down London Heathrow, stopping more than 1,300 flights, as engineers tried to restore power to the airport on Friday. Airlines face days of disruption with hundreds of thousands of scheduled passengers already unable to fly in and out of Europe’s busiest airport, after what ministers said was an “unusual and unprecedented incident”.
The villa was bought by the American NGO Counter Extremism Project (CEP), which works worldwide against all forms of extremism, hatred and racism. "We are definitely not going to turn it into a museum," says CEP director Hans-Jakob Schindler. The organization has coined the building House 88, which is to serve as an 'experience space'. The house number 88 of Höss' home refers to the eighth letter of the alphabet and is a code for Heil Hitler. The world-famous architect Daniel Libeskind, son of Holocaust survivors and architect of the Holocaust Namenmonument in Amsterdam, is going to completely renovate the villa. The CEP has also bought the adjacent building, which will house a think tank.
DW News: Will the extraordinary amount of civilian casualties in Gaza continue?
CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed: Israel has restarted strikes on Gaza, the fiercest since a now-expired ceasefire came into effect in January. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the recent airstrikes on Gaza are, "only the beginning." Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says the strikes killed over 400 Palestinians, including many children. The IDF has ordered evacuations in eastern Gaza, while Israelis have called for protests. In Tel Aviv, the families of hostages joined thousands protesting against the Israeli strikes on Gaza - accusing Netanyahu's government of sacrificing their relatives.
Reuters: Exclusive: FBI scales back staffing, tracking of domestic terrorism probes, sources say
The FBI has cut staffing in an office focused on domestic terrorism and has scrapped a tool used to track such investigations, in a shift that could undermine law enforcement’s ability to counter white supremacists and anti-government extremists, according to sources familiar with the matter. The moves, sources said, are an indication that domestic terrorism investigations, which in recent years have largely involved violence fueled by right-wing ideologies, may be less of a priority under FBI Director Kash Patel, a prominent critic of the effort.
Christian Science Monitor: Why extreme violence in the US has police trying new tactics
Across the United States, recent political protests have taken the form of violence against the car company Tesla – whose CEO Elon Musk is advising the Trump administration in its efforts to radically downsize the federal government. People have vandalized Tesla charging stations and dealerships, fired bullets into one Oregon showroom, and set cars ablaze this week at a Las Vegas Tesla collision center. These property attacks are part of a broader increase in politically or ideologically motivated violence. Prominent examples, against a backdrop high overall gun violence in America, range from the killing of a health insurance executive to an attempted assassination of then-candidate Donald Trump. Then there was also the mowing down of pedestrians in New Orleans by a truck driven by a radicalized former American soldier.
New York Times: D.H.S. Detains a Georgetown University Academic
The U.S. government has detained an Indian citizen who was studying and teaching at Georgetown University, and said he had been deemed “deportable” for violating the terms of his academic visa. On Thursday, a federal judge in Virginia ruled that the scholar, Badar Khan Suri, could not be deported from the United States for now, pending further litigation.
Associated Press: US government cannot deport Georgetown scholar until court rules, judge orders
A federal judge on Thursday ordered immigration officials not to deport a Georgetown scholar who was detained by the Trump Administration and accused of spreading Hamas propaganda in the latest battle over speech on U.S. college campuses. U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles in Alexandria, Virginia, ordered that Indian national Badar Khan Suri “shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court issues a contrary order.”
Harvard Crimson: Harvard Faces Calls To Disband PSC for Violating New Antisemitism Policies
More than 200 Harvard affiliates and alumni signed an open letter to University President Alan M. Garber ’76 on Wednesday urging Harvard to permanently dissolve the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee. The letter, which garnered around 3,470 signatures, accused the PSC of “consistent and unrepentant antisemitism,” arguing that a PSC event last week with Palestinian writer and poet Mohammed El-Kurd violated Harvard’s policies against antisemitism.
Spokesman-Review: Eastern Washington University, Whitman College deny allowing antisemitic activity
Two Eastern Washington colleges were threatened on March 10 with potential enforcement actions by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights over alleged antisemitic discrimination and harassment. Both Eastern Washington University and Walla Walla-based Whitman College condemned antisemitism and stressed their institution’s commitments to providing environments free of discrimination, in written statements to The Spokesman-Review.
Wall Street Journal: Violent Attacks on Tesla Are Surging. Is It Domestic Terrorism?
Teslas set on fire. Bullets and bombs aimed at showrooms and charging stations. Is it terrorism? Attorney General Pam Bondi thinks so, declaring a Justice Department crackdown on what she views as politically motivated attacks against Tesla leader Elon Musk, one of President Trump’s most powerful advisers. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars,” Bondi said Thursday. Earlier in the week, she said prosecutors would pursue charges that carry long, mandatory minimum sentences. Law-enforcement agencies have seen a surge in attacks on electric vehicles and other property carrying the Tesla logo since Musk’s government efficiency project began slashing millions of dollars in jobs and programs.
The grandmother of a 19-year-old Winnipegger facing terrorism-related charges says she burst into tears when she heard the seriousness of the allegations against him. Nevin Young was arrested on Jan. 12 on 26 counts of mischief under $5,000 after he allegedly spray-painted antisemitic graffiti, including the initials of an international extremist group, on various structures within a Charleswood neighbourhood over a three-month period late last year.
CBC: This violent extremist network targets kids online
Maria desperately banged on the door as she pleaded through tears for her 15-year-old daughter Trinity to come out. “Look what they've done to me,” Trinity said as she finally unlocked the door in their Red Deer, Alta., home, lifting her shirt to reveal the myriad of usernames and symbols, including a swastika, carved into her skin. “I can't take this anymore.” Just moments before, Trinity was livestreaming her attempt to kill herself on a private Discord server while dozens of predators goaded her on. It was July 11, 2021, and the culmination of months of exploitation by members of a violent extremist group called 764 who prey on vulnerable minors and lure them into their dark and depraved online community.
BBC: Man arrested after explosive substance found
A man has been arrested after an explosive substance which poses "a threat to life" was found in a property in a Sussex seaside town, police said. Residents within a 100-metre cordon around the address on the A259 Marina in St Leonards were evacuated following the discovery of the chemicals on Thursday, prompting Sussex Police to declare a major incident. A 28-year-old man has been held on suspicion of producing illegal substances and making an explosive substance for an unlawful purpose and he remains in police custody.
France 24: French court to rule on jihadist accused of holding journalists hostage in Syria
A court in France is to rule on Friday in the case of a 39-year-old convicted French jihadist charged with holding four journalists captive more than a decade ago in war-torn Syria. Mehdi Nemmouche has been indicted over allegedly holding the French reporters hostage for the Islamic State jihadist group from June 2013 to April 2014.
Deutsche Welle: Germany reopens embassy in Syria after 13-year closure
More than three months after the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, Germany reopened its embassy in Damascus on Thursday. The embassy, which was closed in 2012 amid the Syrian civil war, was officially reopened by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who was visiting Syria for the second time since the collapse of the Assad regime. A small number of German diplomats will resume their activities in Damascus, but consular work, such as issuing visas, will continue in Beirut in neighboring Lebanon, according to Baerbock. Baerbock also met Syria's interim leaders. She said they must bring under control and hold accountable the extremist groups behind sectarian massacres committed this month. "It is imperative that extremist groups are brought under control and those responsible for crimes are held accountable," she said after talks in Damascus with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. "Any attempt at renewed escalation must be prevented."
B.Z.: Fear of terrorist attacks - First public festivals canceled
Have the terrorists achieved their goal? The first public festivals and even events such as flea markets and Easter bonfires are now being canceled because they are not attack-proof. After the rampage at the Magdeburg Christmas market and terrorist attacks such as the one on the Verdi demonstration in Munich, security concepts have been tightened. Additional costs: five to six-figure sums. Too much for most organizers and local authorities. It was announced that Berlin is planning to become the first federal state to introduce its own security law for major events. This law is intended to provide the organizers of large public events (concerts, parades, marathons) with binding security requirements. The law is expected to be passed before the end of this legislative period.
ARD: Left-wing extremist in hiding turns herself in
Emilie D. is suspected of having been involved in violent attacks on participants of the right-wing extremist march "Day of Honor" in Budapest in February 2023 together with other German left-wing extremists. The young woman was therefore wanted on an international arrest warrant. According to information from WDR and NDR, the 23-year-old from Jena turned herself in today, Thursday, at the local justice center in the presence of her lawyer.in Germany, the Federal Public Prosecutor General is investigating Emilie D. She is one of the accused in the so-called "Budapest" complex of proceedings. German prosecutors are investigating a group of German left-wing extremists who are accused of dangerous bodily harm, among other things.
New York Times: Israeli Cabinet Approves Ouster of Shin Bet Chief, Who Calls the Move Illegal
The Israeli government around midnight on Thursday approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel’s ouster of the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency, a move that has further roiled a deeply divided country still at war. The cabinet unanimously decided that the Shin Bet chief, Ronen Bar, would be removed from his post on April 10, or sooner if another director is named, according to a statement released by the prime minister’s office shortly after midnight. But in a stark challenge to Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Bar refused to attend the nighttime meeting over his dismissal. Instead, he sent a stinging letter addressed to the government stating that the process was illegal and that the prime minister’s motives were “fundamentally flawed.”
New York Times: Israel Tries to Pressure Hamas to Free More Hostages
The Israeli defense minister tried on Friday to turn up the pressure on Hamas to release more hostages, saying Israel was preparing to seize more territory in Gaza and intensify attacks by air, sea and land if the armed Palestinian group does not cooperate. The statement by the defense minister, Israel Katz, came days after a cease-fire that had been in place for more than two months was shattered with a renewed Israeli bombardment and limited ground operations inside Gaza. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed since Israel restarted attacks on Tuesday, according to the Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Hamas says it is considering the latest US ceasefire plan for Gaza and remains “fully engaged” in the mediation process as Israel vowed to escalate its renewed campaign in Gaza to pressure the militants into releasing hostages. The shaky truce collapsed on Tuesday when Israel bombarded Gaza, shattering two months of calm that also saw dozens of hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. In a statement Friday, Hamas said it was continuing to deliberate on a proposal from US envoy Steve Witkoff, who has suggested extending the first phase of the ceasefire-hostage deal through early April.
Jerusalem Post: 'My world collapsed': Freed hostage Gadi Moses recounts Hamas psychological torture
Gadi Moses's captors lied to him that his partner Efrat was alive and his daughter, Moran, was held hostage while he was in Gaza captivity, the released hostage shared in an interview with Channel 12's Uvda on Thursday. Moses was taken captive from outside his home on October 7 when Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he lived, was invaded by Hamas terrorists. "At some point, they gave me a page with pictures of all the hostages. I see Efrat, and he also shows her to me on his computer as one of the captives."
Hamas terrorists were eating like kings from stolen aid as Israeli hostages were kept chained up and starving underground, one of the freed captives told the United Nations Thursday. Speaking before the UN Security Council in New York, former hostage Eli Sharabi told world leaders that Hamas has ransacked the aid meant for hostages and Gaza’s civilian population, enjoying the spoils while everyone around them suffers. “Hamas eats like kings, while hostages starve,” said Sharabi, whose emaciated body shocked the world when he was released back in February.
Reuters: Hamas studying US 'bridge' proposal on ceasefire as Israel escalates return to war
Hamas said on Friday it was reviewing a U.S. proposal to restore the Gaza ceasefire as Israel intensified military operations in the enclave to press the Palestinian militant group into freeing remaining Israeli hostages. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff's "bridge" plan, presented last week, aims to extend the ceasefire into April, beyond Ramadan and Passover, to allow time for negotiations on a permanent cessation of hostilities.
Times of Israel: Houthis fire 2nd ballistic missile at Israel since early morning; none hurt
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis fired a ballistic missile at Israel Thursday afternoon, in the third such attack since Wednesday and the second since the early morning, having renewed their attacks on the Jewish state as it strikes in the Gaza Strip. The IDF said the missile was successfully intercepted by air defenses and shot down before crossing Israel’s borders. There were no reports of injuries or damage in the attack, which triggered sirens in Jerusalem and surrounding towns, West Bank settlements, the Dead Sea area, and parts of central Israel.
New Arab: Germany urges Syrian interim leaders to control extremist groups
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said after meeting Syria's interim leaders Thursday that they must bring under control and hold accountable extremist groups behind sectarian massacres committed this month. Baerbock during her one-day visit to Damascus also reopened the German embassy, which closed in 2012 amid the Syrian civil war, on her second trip there since the fall of president Bashar al-Assad over three months ago.
Washington Post: Killings in Syrian village foreshadowed flare-up of sectarian violence
As the pickup truck carrying the body of the dead general wound through this mountainside village, residents lined the roadside. No one dared lift a phone to record. Officials from Syria’s new government had decreed no videos, residents said. The deceased, an officer from the ousted regime of President Bashar al-Assad, had been killed along with 15 others as government forces swept through the community hunting for weapons and “remnants” of the old regime.
New Arab: Syria could revoke the citizenships of 'up to 740,000 foreign pro-Assad fighters'
The interim Syrian government revealed on Thursday that it could soon begin procedures to revoke citizenship granted to foreign fighters brought into prop up Bashar Al-Assad's regime with as many as 740,000 people affected by the law. Director General of Civil Affairs in Syria, Abdullah Abdullah, said that the revocation of citizenships will apply to all foreign nationals who were granted Syrian citizenship by Assad in exchange for fighting for his regime during the nearly 14-year-long civil war. This will include individuals from other Arab countries.
Naharnet: FM blames Hezbollah for war devastation, says Lebanese want to live in peace
Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, who was named by the Lebanese Forces, has again blamed Hezbollah for more than a year of clashes with Israel, which he said caused destruction, human loss, and Israeli occupation. "We must remember who brought about the Israeli ground invasion of south Lebanon and who caused the destruction and the human losses," Rajji said in an interview with France24. Rajji also accused Hezbollah of violating a ceasefire agreement reached in late November. "The ceasefire says the Lebanese government should be the sole bearer of arms and this has not yet been implemented," he said.
Lebanon’s prime minister said Friday that the “page has been turned” on Hezbollah’s weapons and slammed Israel for continuing to occupy parts of southern Lebanon. “The slogan ‘people, army, and resistance’ is now a thing of the past,” Nawaf Salam, referring to Hezbollah’s previous demands to include it in every government’s policy statement, effectively legitimizing its weapons.
Times of Israel: IDF strikes Hezbollah facilities in eastern Lebanon amid ceasefire
The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday said it carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah facilities in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, after identifying activity by the terror group there amid the ongoing ceasefire. One site included underground infrastructure, and another was used to store rocket launchers, according to the military. Lebanese state media on Thursday reported Israeli strikes on the country’s south and east.
New York Times: Why the Shipping Industry Isn’t Rushing Back to the Red Sea
When President Trump ordered military strikes last weekend against the Houthi militia in Yemen, he said the militia’s attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea had harmed global trade. “These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk,” he said on Truth Social. But getting shipping companies to return to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal could take many months and is likely to require more than airstrikes against the Houthis. For over a year, ocean carriers have overwhelmingly avoided the Red Sea, sending ships around Africa’s southern tip to get from Asia to Europe, a voyage that is some 3,500 nautical miles and 10 days longer.
Reuters: Iran's leader says Yemen's Houthis act independently, warns against US action
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that Tehran does not need proxies in the region and that Yemen's Houthis, who are among the groups in the Middle East that Iran is aligned with, act on their own motivations. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would hold Iran responsible for any attacks carried out by the Houthis, as his administration expanded the biggest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since he returned to the White House.
PBS News Hour: Top Houthi official says ‘we are at war with America’ as U.S. resumes strikes
The Houthis are labeled by the U.S. as a terrorist organization supported by Iran. President Trump has once again demanded Iran cease its support and wrote the Houthis “will be completely annihilated.” Nick Schifrin spoke with a top Houthi official and reports on how the Trump administration hopes its new campaign of airstrikes will succeed where previous campaigns failed.
Jerusalem Post: US to Israel: Don't strike Houthis in Yemen, 'leave it to us'
The US has asked Israel not to strike Houthi targets in Yemen, a source told the Jerusalem Post. "Leave it to us" was the US request. Israeli officials are holding discussions on whether to respond to the recent missiles launched from Yemen, but the assumption is that, at this point, Israel will accept the US request.
Indian Express: Expect US to act on designating SFJ as ‘terrorist’ outfit: MEA
India expects the US to take “appropriate action” on its request to designate the pro-Khalistan separatist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) as a “terrorist outfit”, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Friday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had conveyed the request during a meeting this month with Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence in the US administration.
Dunya News: Police repel terrorist attack on Taunsa checkpost: RPO
he police on Friday repelled a terrorist attack on the Taunsa checkpost, preventing what could have been a significant security breach. According to Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Hasan Khan, a group of 10 to 12 heavily armed terrorists, equipped with rocket launchers and advanced weaponry, launched an assault on the check post. In response, the police engaged in a retaliatory operation, forcing the assailants to flee.
Deccan Herald: Pakistan Army captain, 10 terrorists killed in operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
A Pakistani Army captain and at least 10 terrorists associated with a banned outfit were killed during a gunfight in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has said.
Hostage envoy Adam Boehler met in person with Taliban officials at the Kabul International Airport, Qatari sources told Fox News Digital, marking the first known time the White House has engaged with Afghanistan’s "interim government" following the 2021 takeover by the terrorist organization. While the meeting between Boehler and Afghan officials representing the Taliban’s foreign ministry met to secure the release of George Glezmann on Thursday, advisor and spokesman to Qatar's prime minister, Dr Majed al-Ansari, told Fox News Digital that other "beneficial" issues were discussed.
New York Times: Taliban Frees American Tourist Held in Afghanistan Since 2022
The Taliban on Thursday released George Glezmann, an American held since 2022 in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. Mr. Glezmann, an Atlanta native, was a Delta Air Lines mechanic who was detained while visiting Afghanistan as a tourist in December 2022. The State Department had officially designated him a wrongful detainee.
Kurdistan 24: ‘Türkiye Can End 40-Year ‘Calamity’ if PKK Disarms,’ Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated his government’s unwavering commitment to eradicating terrorism, framing the moment as a historic opportunity to end a four-decade-long conflict. In a statement posted on Thursday on his official account on the X platform, Erdogan outlined his administration’s strategy, emphasizing the goal of a terrorism-free Türkiye while extending an appeal for the dissolution of armed groups.
Eastleigh Voice: Kenya kicks off youth dialogue series on prevention of violent extremism in Nairobi
The government has kicked off a nationwide youth dialogue on the prevention of violent extremism as part of efforts aimed at building resilience amongst the segment that forms the bulk of the country's population. The dialogue is part of a policy discourse series supported by Sharp Development Solutions, Yaden East Africa and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Nairobi that is seeking to address challenges hindering meaningful youth participation in preventing and Countering Violent Extremism.
Standard Media: New strategy to fight violent extremism to target youth in ending the vice
A new strategy to counter violent extremism will now incorporate youth engagement to fighting the vice. This was revealed on Thursday during a high-level policy hybrid dialogue seminar in Nairobi of the strategy that will be implemented across the 47 counties. “Kenya, like many nations globally, continues to grapple with evolving and persistent threat of violent extremism. Over the years, extremist groups have adapted tactics preying on the vulnerabilities of our youth,” said Kibiego Kigen, director of National Counter Terrorism Centre(NCTC).
Reuters: Separatist Kanu faces new trial in Nigeria under fourth judge
Separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu pleaded not guilty to seven counts of terrorism and treason charges in a new trial in Nigeria on Friday, with a fourth judge now presiding over the case. Kanu, a British citizen who leads the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement, was first arrested in 2015 but disappeared from Nigeria while on bail in 2017.
Jurist News: Australia court convicts first man for transmitting extremist material online
The Perth District Court convicted a 19-year-old man for sharing Islamic State beheading videos online via social media on Thursday. The conviction, following a 3-year imprisonment, marks the first since the enactment of the counterterrorism laws in 2024. According to the Australian Federal Police, the content found on the man’s phone consisted of violent Islamic State-produced videos, audio recordings stating intent and encouragement for violence, as well as online conversations involving violence and contempt towards people based on their religious beliefs or ethnicity.
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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