The Hamas militant group said Saturday it has accepted a new Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators Egypt and Qatar, but Israel said it has made a counter-proposal in “full coordination” with the third mediator, the United States. Egypt early in the week made a proposal to get the troubled ceasefire back on track, following Israel’s surprise resumption of fighting. It was not immediately clear whether the proposal changed before Khalil al-Hayyah, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, announced it had been accepted.
Reuters: Iran will deliver 'strong blow' against US if it attacks, Khamenei says
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday the U.S. would receive a strong blow if it acts on President Donald Trump's threat to bomb unless Tehran reaches a new nuclear deal with Washington. Trump reiterated his threat on Sunday that Iran would be bombed if it does not accept his offer for talks outlined in a letter sent to Iran's leadership in early March, giving Tehran a two-month window to make a decision.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: VIDEO: 'Unique' radicalisation of German market attacker
Extremism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler says, while the perpetrator of the German Christmas market attack had been uniquely radicalised, they have been becoming more common since COVID-19.
CTC Sentinel: The New Syrian Government’s Fight Against the Islamic State, Hezbollah, and Captagon
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s background as a former branch of the Islamic State and al-Qa`ida has created a perception that it is untrustworthy when it comes to security concerns of the United States and its allies. This has come to the fore even more acutely with the fall of the Assad regime. Some of the largest threats to outside countries in Syria remain the Islamic State, remnant Hezbollah networks, and the criminal captagon trade.
BBC News: Trump labels alleged Turnberry vandals 'terrorists'
Donald Trump has labelled people accused of vandalising the Trump Turnberry golf resort as "terrorists". Grafitti was sprayed on the clubhouse in red paint and the course was dug up and daubed with the words "Gaza is not for sale." The US president said those who caused damage at the Ayrshire resort on 8 March should be "treated harshly" by authorities.
The Guardian: Trump’s counter-terror cuts will harm fight against far right, experts warn
Donald Trump’s administration has ended funding for a slew of counter-terrorism research projects, in a move experts say will hinder future law enforcement abilities to predict and prevent attacks on the public, especially from the far right. The cuts, affecting multiple agencies and departments, come after the US president granted “unconditional” pardons to about 1,500 people involved in the January 6 attacks on Capitol Hill and the appointment of the Trump ultra-loyalist Kash Patel to the helm of the FBI.
Jerusalem Post: US seizes $200,000 from cryptocurrency scheme to support Hamas
The US Justice Department seized $201,400 in cryptocurrency and a network of digital wallets intended for the support of Hamas, the department’s Office of Public Affairs announced. An encrypted group chat claiming association with Hamas allegedly provided donors with a shifting set of at least 17 cryptocurrency addresses, with funds reportedly sent to a wallet and laundered through a series of virtual currency exchanges and transactions by financiers and brokers, according to the Thursday press release. It was alleged that over $1.5 million in cryptocurrency had been laundered for Hamas through this system since October.
Bloomberg Law: Willkie Joins UC Berkeley Antisemitism Suit for Jewish Groups
Willkie Farr & Gallagher is stepping into a lawsuit against University of California-Berkeley over alleged antisemitism. The firm’s lawyers on March 28 sought to join the case, brought by Jewish groups that blame the school for the “longstanding, unchecked spread of antisemitism” that spiked after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. President Donald Trump’s administration is scrutinizing top law firms for their pro bono work and ties to his perceived enemies, leaving many to explore ways to help them stay off the targets list. Paul Weiss and Skadden recently struck deals with Trump to dedicate a combined $140 million to work on White House priorities, including cases alleging antisemitism.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Harvard pauses partnership with Palestinian university in the West Bank
Harvard University announced that it would pause a research partnership with Birzeit University, a Palestinian school, following public pressure, the Harvard Crimson reported last week. The decision to suspend ties with the West Bank university comes as pro-Palestinian activists at campuses across the United States and the world have long called on their schools to sever ties with Israel. In 2022, the Crimson’s editorial board endorsed an Israel boycott, and its graduate student union followed suit in November 2023, shortly after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
A French court on Monday barred Marine Le Pen from seeking public office for five years, with immediate effect, for embezzlement -- a hammer blow to the far-right leader’s presidential hopes and an earthquake for French politics. Although Le Pen can appeal the verdict, such a move won’t suspend her ineligibility, which could rule her out of the 2027 presidential race.
The French far-right politician Marine Le Pen has been found guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds over a 12-year-period. In a ruling that will shake both French and European politics, the Paris court ruled that she is ineligible from running for any political office with immediate effect -- meaning she most likely is out of the presidential race that is scheduled to take place in the spring of 2027 at the latest. She left the courtroom without comment. While she can appeal the ruling, any such step could take years -- potentially spelling the end of her political career.
On Saturday, 29 people were arrested at a demonstration organized by the small right-wing extremist party "Der Dritte Weg" in Berlin-Hellersdorf. This is according to a police statement on Sunday. There were also riots after the end of the demonstration: Participants in the march attacked three members of the press and, in two cases, police officers. In some cases, bottles were thrown at them. According to police spokesman Florian Nath, there was "considerable violence" against the police officers. The attacks by the neo-Nazis on the police officers took place at a subway station and on the subway. The police are now investigating for breach of the peace, assault and resisting law enforcement officers. A surprisingly large number of people attended the neo-Nazi rally on Saturday afternoon. According to the police, around 250 participants turned up. That is more people than the "Third Way" is likely to have active members in Berlin.
Around 1000 members of Leipzig's Al-Rahman Mosque currently pray in a low-rise building. However, according to Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster, a new building is due to open in just a few months. The AfD member of the state parliament Carsten Hütter (60) had asked. The mosque run by Syrian-born preacher Hassan Dabbagh (53) is classified as a center of political Salafism by Saxony's Office for the Protection of the Constitution and is monitored as an extremist movement. The MKBD is also classified as Islamist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and is monitored accordingly. According to the report, the association around board member Saad Elgazar (58) is close to the radical Muslim Brotherhood and aims to embed its radical views among the Muslims living here.
Far-right extremism has long been present in Sweden, but – as in other parts of Europe and the US – the last few years have seen a dramatic shift in the dominant groups, their structure, activities and recruitment. The number of active groups in the Swedish far right are at their highest level since 2008, according to a new report by Expo, a Swedish anti-racism institute. After several years in decline, last year saw an increase in the number of groups “attracting a new generation of young men who have lost faith in democracy”. Violence, it reports, plays an increasingly important role – “both rhetorically and in actual acts of violence”.
The National: Boss of UK Prevent anti-extremism unit quits over Taylor Swift dance class murders
The head of Britain’s Prevent antiterrorism programme has resigned following the agency’s failings over the Southport stabbing spree last year. Michael Stewart left his post after a report commissioned soon after Axel Rudakubana killed three girls and injured eight others at a Taylor Swift-inspired dance class found that Prevent had “prematurely” dismissed the threat posed by him on each of the three occasions he was referred by teachers to the programme between 2019 and 2021. Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighted systematic failures over the handling of Rudakubana’s Prevent referral for concerns about his obsession with violence but was never recommended for further intervention.
Prevent practitioner Charlotte Littlewood has claimed the counter-terrorism programme has a "fear of tackling Islamist extremism". Her comments come as Michael Stewart, head of the Prevent scheme, left his role following failings related to the Southport attacker who killed three children last year.
British Hindu extremists are forming alliances with Far-Right groups over their 'common hatred' of Muslims, says a police intelligence report seen by the Mail on Sunday. The study also claims that the extremists, who are aligned with India's hardline prime minister Narendra Modi, are feared to be interfering in British elections by telling Hindus which parties to vote for and which to avoid. The secret report, compiled by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), says Hindu extremism - which is known as Hindutva - may worsen community relationships between Hindus and other faith groups like Muslims and Sikhs.
The Telegraph: ‘Arrogant’ BBC bosses rejected anti-Semitism training for staff
Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, refused anti-Semitism training for the broadcaster, the Government’s adviser on anti-Jewish hatred has revealed. Lord Mann, Sir Keir Starmer’s independent adviser on anti-Semitism, said he had visited BBC bosses to offer training on three occasions since taking up his role in 2019. However, he said senior figures, including Mr Davie himself, turned down his repeated offers despite growing fears of an anti-Semitism problem at the BBC.
Sky News: Hamas begins brutal crackdown and executes Gazan protesters
Hamas has begun brutally cracking down on Gazans as they protest the terrorist organisations, according to Israeli media. The terror organisation has reportedly executed at least six Gazans and beaten others, including torturing 22-year-old Odai al-Rubai. A Gaza City resident revealed what members of Hamas did to Odai al-Rubai before he was dumped and left to die on his family’s doorstep.
A deal for the release of additional hostages could be reached in the upcoming days if Hamas agrees to certain conditions posed by mediators, officials have said. The attendees of a security cabinet meeting held on Saturday were told that Hamas was signaling its readiness to accept a deal involving the release of five living hostages in exchange for a 50-day ceasefire. During the ceasefire period, discussions will take place regarding the second phase of the deal, namely, the conditions under which the war will end. Israel told the mediators over the weekend that it expects US envoy Steve Witkoff’s outline to be implemented, which entails the release of 10-11 hostages in exchange for a 40-day ceasefire.
Jewish Insider: Israeli FM warns world: Don’t buy Palestinian claim ‘pay for slay’ ended
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has been warning his counterparts not to believe the Palestinian Authority’s claim that it ended its payments to terrorists and their families, his office confirmed to Jewish Insider on Sunday. When Sa’ar met with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas last month, he showed her a video of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at a Fatah Revolutionary Council in which he said of those who carry out terror attacks against Israelis: “Even if we only have one cent left, it will be for the prisoners and martyrs … They are more precious than all of us combined.”
Jewish News Syndicate: Israel nabs Samaria terrorist cell Hamas ran from Turkey
Israeli security forces foiled a terrorist plot to carry out attacks in Judea and Samaria that was directed and funded by Hamas headquarters in Turkey, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said on Monday. The Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet, and the Judea and Samaria District of the Israel Police recently arrested seven Palestinian members of a terrorist cell from Nablus in Samaria that planned to carry out attacks against security forces and other targets in the region, the Shin Bet and Israel Police said.
Jewish News Syndicate: Knesset votes to revoke social benefits for terrorist convicts
Israeli lawmakers passed a law on Monday that will permanently disqualify those convicted of grave terrorist offenses, as well as their family members, from receiving National Insurance Institute benefits. The amendment to the National Insurance Law passed with the support of 38 Knesset members, while one lawmaker voted against.
Times of Israel: Houthi missile triggers sirens in central Israel, is downed en route
A ballistic missile launched at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen was successfully intercepted by air defenses Sunday morning, hours after the rebels claimed they had targeted an American aircraft carrier in the Red Sea. The Israel Defense Forces said the missile aimed at Israel was shot down before crossing the country’s borders.
Associated Press: Hezbollah says it will act if Israel’s attacks on Lebanon continue
The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group warned Saturday that if Israel’s attacks on Lebanon continue and the Lebanese state does not act to stop them, the group will eventually resort to other alternatives. Naim Kassem’s comments came a day after Israel launched an attack on Lebanon’s capital for the first time since a ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November. The strike on Beirut came hours after two rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Israel and Hezbollah denied it fired them.
ABC News: US embassy in Syria tells Americans to leave, warns of 'potential imminent attacks'
The American embassy in Syria has warned all U.S. citizens to leave the country due to "the increased possibility of attacks" during the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of March, which marks the end of Ramadan in the Muslim world. The embassy posted a notice to its website late on Friday cautioning citizens of potential attacks targeting "embassies, international organizations and Syrian public institutions" in the Syrian capital Damascus. "Methods of attack could include, but are not limited to, individual attackers, armed gunmen, or the use of explosive devices," the embassy notice said. "Leave Syria now," it added. The State Department's current travel advisory for Syria is at level 4 -- its highest alert meaning Americans are advised not to travel to the country for any reason.
CNN: Syria swears in new transitional government months after Assad’s removal
Syria’s new transitional government was sworn in Saturday nearly four months after the Assad family was removed from power and as the new authorities in Damascus work to bring back stability to the war-torn country. The 23-member Cabinet, which is religiously and ethnically mixed, is the first in the country’s five-year transitional period and replaces the interim government that was formed shortly after Bashar Assad was removed from power in early December.
NPR: What happened when Syria's conservative new leaders tried to shut 60 Damascus bars
Naveen Mahmoud was out running errands when an alarmed neighbor called: The conservative Muslim rebels who ousted Syria's dictator late last year had arrived to shut down the trendy cocktail bar Mahmoud runs in the Old City of Damascus.Two government agents placed an iron rod across the front door of Mahmoud's bar, called Cosette, and sealed it shut Thursday with red wax — a method that goes back to antiquity.Hers was one of 60 Damascus bars that were either forcibly shut this past week, or received government notices that they soon would be, for serving alcohol without a license, Mahmoud and three other people who work in Syria's alcohol industry told NPR. But after a social media outcry, and appeals to the Damascus mayor, all 60 closures were lifted — after less than a day.
Newsweek: Iran's Missiles 'Loaded onto Launchers' After Trump Threat
Iran has reportedly loaded missiles on launchers and is ready for retaliation, according to state media. The threat follows U.S. President Donald Trump's warning of "bombing" if Tehran refuses a new nuclear deal. Newsweek has reached out to the State Department and Iran's foreign ministry fo comment.
Newsweek: Suspected Missile Cargo Ship Arrives in Iran from China
The Jairan, an Iranian cargo ship linked to the transport of missile components, has been spotted in Bandar Abbas port after departing China. According to The Maritime Executive, the vessel, under U.S. sanctions, has arrived in Iran despite ongoing concerns over Iran's missile capabilities and its ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL).
Associated Press: Iran has rejected direct negotiations with the US in response to Trump’s letter
Iran’s president said Sunday that the Islamic Republic rejected direct negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, offering Tehran’s first response to a letter that U.S. President Donald Trump sent to the country’s supreme leader. President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran’s response, delivered via the sultanate of Oman, left open the possibility of indirect negotiations with Washington. However, such talks have made no progress since Trump in his first term unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.
Reuters: Trump threatens bombing if Iran does not make nuclear deal
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Sunday with bombing and secondary tariffs if Tehran did not come to an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program. In Trump's first remarks since Iran rejected direct negotiations with Washington last week, he told NBC News that U.S. and Iranian officials were talking, but did not elaborate.
The Express Tribune: PM leads high-level meeting to strengthen national narrative against terrorism
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a key meeting attended by the federal and provincial leadership to address the ongoing threat of terrorism in the country. The meeting, held at the Prime Minister’s House, included representatives from all four provinces, as well as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, alongside military and civilian leaders, Express News reported. The meeting focused on unveiling the attackers responsible for the Jaffar Express assault and ensuring that every effort is made to expose them to the international community.
Turkish authorities said Sunday they arrested a Swedish journalist dispatched to cover ongoing nationwide protests on charges of terrorism and insulting the president. Joakim Medin of the daily Dagens ETC was detained as he arrived at Istanbul airport on Thursday and placed under arrest on Friday on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “insulting the president.” The Counter Disinformation Center, part of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Department, said in a statement that Medin’s arrest was “not over his journalism activities.”
Associated Press: New US strikes against Houthi rebels kill at least 1 in Yemen
Suspected U.S. airstrikes pounded Yemen overnight into Saturday, reportedly killing at least one person as the American military acknowledged earlier bombing a major military site in the heart of Sanaa controlled by the Houthi rebels. The full extent of the damage and possible casualties wasn’t immediately clear. The attacks followed a night of airstrikes early Friday that appeared particularly intense compared to other days in the campaign that began March 15.New US strikes against Houthi rebels kill at least 1 in Yemen
Jewish News Syndicate: Israeli, US strikes destroyed most of Houthi missile arsenal
Yemen’s Houthi terrorist forces have suffered a significant reduction in their missile-launch capabilities due to a series of coordinated airstrikes by Israeli and American forces, Hebrew media reported on Monday. Israeli military officials believe that the Iranian-backed rebels now possess only a limited number of operational ballistic missile launchers, representing a sharp decline in their stockpile, according to Israel’s Channel 12 News.
Defense Post: Suspected Jihadist Attack Kills ‘Several Dozen’ Soldiers in Burkina
“Several dozen” soldiers and civilian auxiliaries have been killed in a suspected jihadist attack in eastern Burkina Faso, local and security sources told AFP on Sunday. Since 2015 Burkina Faso has been plagued by jihadist violence from groups linked to the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda. In the latest attack, a security source in Tapoa province said an army detachment from the main city of Diapaga was targeted in a “violent attack” on Friday.
The United Nations on Saturday condemned the killing of a Kenyan peacekeeper in an ambush of a patrol in the east of the Central African Republic. Florence Marchal, the spokesperson for MINUSCA, the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, said the soldier was killed during a UN patrol near the village of Tabant, 24 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of Sémio.
Reuters: Niger withdraws from Lake Chad military force
Niger has quit an international force fighting armed Islamist groups in West Africa's Lake Chad region as it seeks to shore up security around oil assets at home, the government said in a bulletin on state television. The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which also includes soldiers from Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon, has been working to stem the insurgency since 2015, but progress has been hobbled by division and poor coordination, allowing armed groups to flourish across the region's sparsely populated scrublands.
Associated Press: Clash between Nigerian security forces and members of pro-Palestinian group kill 6
Soldiers and members of a Shiite Muslim group clashed in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, killing six people, police said Saturday. One security force and five members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria were killed in the violence Friday, a police spokesperson said. Members of the religious group were marching in solidarity with Palestinians in their conflict with Israel. The demonstration took place on International Quds Day, which is held on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in solidarity with Palestinians worldwide.
The East African: ISIS extremists leave foreign passports behind after raid in Puntland, Somalia
Fighters of the proscribed extremist group ISIS have left behind foreign passports as they died or fled a rain of aerial raids in Puntland, Somalia. This week, Puntland Forces continued their scorch-earth policy on the ISIS-Somalia cell in the federal state, backed by aerial support from the US-Africa Command. And they left behind evidence of their foreign connections as in the Golis Mountain ranges, including passports, IDS, credit cards and other paraphernalia.
SBS: Islamophobia envoy should be reviewed but antisemitism envoy's job safe, Dutton says
The Opposition leader has confirmed a Coalition government won't review the position of antisemitism envoy, despite saying the Islamophobia envoy role would be scrutinised. Earlier today, Peter Dutton said a Coalition government would look at how effective the Islamophobia envoy role had been, stopping short of committing to retaining the position if elected. "In terms of the envoy, if it is making a difference, if it is helping, then happy to continue it," Dutton told SBS World News chief political correspondent Anna Henderson.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has failed to commit to a single recommendation from the Sky News Antisemitism Summit. A month after the recommendations were first put forward, at the conclusion of the bipartisan summit by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry’s Co-CEO, Alex Ryvchin, Mr Albanese sent a letter to the organisation where he did not commit to a single suggestion. Instead, he outlined the measures his government had already taken to combat antisemitism. The Antisemitism Summit, held on February 20, brought the nation’s brightest minds together to come up with solutions to the crisis in social cohesion that has gripped Australia since October 7, 2023.
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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