Israel

President Donald Trump has said that he would want the already fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to be “canceled” if the militant organization does not free all the hostages by his given deadline.

Knewz.com has learned that the ceasefire in Gaza has “facilitated hostage exchanges and humanitarian aid deliveries,” according to reports.

However, reports have pointed out that Trump’s latest comments threaten to upend the current truce in the region and ignite violence in the volatile Gaza Strip.

The first phase of the ceasefire saw Hamas releasing 21 hostages and Israel freeing over 730 Palestinian detainees so far over five exchanges since January 19.

“However, the second phase of the ceasefire—requiring Hamas to release all remaining hostages in exchange for a prolonged truce—remains unresolved,” reports have pointed out.

Amidst this uncertainty came Trump’s ultimatum where he said: “As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday 12 o’clock – I think it’s an appropriate time – I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out.”

Trump made the ultimatum days after Hamas threatened to delay the scheduled release of three Israeli hostages, citing allegations that Israel has breached the ceasefire by blocking humanitarian aid from reaching civilians.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement, “Trump must remember there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties.”

“The language of threats has no value; it only complicates matters,” he said, adding that the militant organization would only free the hostages if Israel completely abides by the ceasefire agreement and that Hamas’s stance would not change based on threats from the United States.

It is worth noting that Trump has stated that the final decision regarding the ceasefire ultimately rests with Israel.

“His comments have fueled concerns about an imminent return to military operations… If no deal is reached, military operations could resume as early as March,” reports have mentioned, citing statements from Israeli officials.

Trump’s statement came a week after he suggested that the U.S. “take over” the Gaza Strip in a “long-term ownership position” and develop the region, while the current residents are relocated elsewhere.

Trump made the suggestion while welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who seemed to be open to the American President’s proposal.

While welcoming the Israeli Prime Minister, the new American President said:

“I don’t think people should be going back to Gaza. I think that Gaza has been very unlucky for them… They’ve lived like hell. They lived like you’re living in hell. Gaza is not a place for people to be living, and the only reason they want to go back, and I believe this strongly, is because they have no alternative.”

“I do see a long-term ownership position, and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East, and maybe the entire Middle East,” Trump added.

When asked whether U.S. troops would be deployed to “take over” the Gaza Strip, Trump replied, “We’ll do what’s necessary. … We’ll take it over and develop it.”

He also described the current situation in Gaza as “hell” and said that a U.S. rebuilding effort in the enclave would create “economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”

“You take certain areas and you build really good-quality housing, like a beautiful town, like some place where they can live and not die, because Gaza is a guarantee that they’re going to end up dying. The same thing is going to happen again,” Trump said in a separate statement to reporters.

Regarding the development of Gaza, Trump added that it could remain a single piece of land, or be divided into “numerous pieces of land.”

President Donald Trump has made a suggestion that he believes will bring long-term stability in the war-battered Gaza enclave—that the United States take a “long-term ownership position” over Gaza and develop the region, while the current residents are relocated elsewhere.

Knewz.com has learned that Trump made the suggestion while welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who seemed to be open to the American President’s proposal.

It has been reported that Trump commented ahead of the meeting with PM Netanyahu that he believed the people of Gaza did not have a future in the contested and embattled land.

“Look, the Gaza thing has not worked. It’s never worked… I think they should get a good, fresh, beautiful piece of land, and we get some people to put up the money to build it and make it nice and make it habitable and enjoyable,” Trump said in a statement to reporters.

While welcoming the Israeli Prime Minister, the new American President said:

“I don’t think people should be going back to Gaza. I think that Gaza has been very unlucky for them… They’ve lived like hell. They lived like you’re living in hell. Gaza is not a place for people to be living, and the only reason they want to go back, and I believe this strongly, is because they have no alternative.”

“I do see a long-term ownership position, and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East, and maybe the entire Middle East,” Trump added.

When asked whether U.S. troops would be deployed to “take over” the Gaza Strip, Trump replied, “We’ll do what’s necessary. … We’ll take it over and develop it.”

He also described the current situation in Gaza as “hell” and said that a U.S. rebuilding effort in the enclave would create “economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”

“You take certain areas and you build really good-quality housing, like a beautiful town, like some place where they can live and not die, because Gaza is a guarantee that they’re going to end up dying. The same thing is going to happen again,” Trump said in a separate statement to reporters.

Regarding the development of Gaza, Trump added that it could remain a single piece of land, or be divided into “numerous pieces of land.”

Reports have pointed out that while Trump has not specified exactly where he would find new land for the Gazans displaced during his envisioned project, he made the proposal after expressing his desire for Egypt and Jordan to take in Gaza’s residents.

The Israeli Prime Minister responded to Trump’s proposition, saying, “He sees a different future for that piece of land.”

“It’s worth paying attention to this. We’re talking about it… It’s something that could change history,” Netanyahu said in his statement.

Netanyahu also praised Trump during their meeting, saying, “You say things others refuse to say… And after the jaws drop, people scratch their heads and they say, ‘You know, he’s right.’”

However, numerous Gazans have since expressed dissent over Trump’s proposed plans to relocate them from the war-torn territory.

Mahmoud Bahjat, who is from the north, said in a statement to BBC, “Even if it costs us our souls, we will not leave Gaza… We are against Trump’s decision. He ended the war but displacing us would end our lives.”

By “ended the war,” the Gaza resident seemingly referred to the ceasefire that has currently taken hold in the Strip following the inauguration of President Trump.

“We endured a year and half of war. When [the Israeli military] finally withdraw from here, we want to remove the rubble and live on the land,” said Jamalat Wadi, another Gaza resident.

“After the US made Israel destroy our houses in Gaza, he is telling us that Gaza is destroyed and we have to leave?… If there is only one drop of blood left in our children, we won’t go out of Gaza. We won’t give up on it!” Wadi said in her statement.

Following relentless devastating airstrikes on Syria since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the Israel Defense Forces troops will continue to occupy a “buffer zone” in the embattled country.

Knewz.com has learned that the Israeli Prime Minister made the announcement from atop Mount Hermon – the highest peak in the region – in Syria, located around 6 miles from Israel-held Golan Heights.

It has been reported that several powerful militaries have been trying to take advantage of the power vacuum left behind after President al-Assad was forced into exile, with warring factions trying to fulfill their own interests in this “opportune” moment.

Among the most powerful and significant forces involved in the ongoing turmoil in Syria is Israel, which has been carrying out massive airstrikes on the nation in a bid to cripple Syria’s potential to emerge as a threat to Netanyahu’s regime.

On the night of Saturday, December 14, Israeli forces bombarded Syria with one of the heaviest airstrikes on the country in 12 years.

Reports mentioned that the explosion from the bombardment caused shockwaves that measured the same as a 3.0-magnitude earthquake on seismic sensors, and residents reported seeing a gigantic fiery mushroom cloud as the deafening noise from the blast swept across Northwestern Syria.

It has been reported that the weekend strike targeted an arms and ammunition depot near the city of Tartus.

Israeli forces had also been carrying out incessant bombardments across Syria over the past week, targeting weapons depots, surface-to-surface missile depots, air defense systems, and President Assad‘s fleet of military aircraft and ships.

Reports said that Israel carried out around 300 airstrikes in a single week, with the Israel Defense Forces stating that the strikes were aimed at preventing the military capabilities of the fallen Syrian government from falling into “terrorist hands.”

The Syrian Security Forces reported earlier the previous week that the Israeli Air Force had struck at least three major Syrian air bases—where reportedly “dozens of military aircraft” were stationed.

Confirmed strikes were reported on the Qamishli airbase in northeast Syria and the Shinshar military base in the West.

Amidst heavy bombardments and ground assaults, Israeli forces have reportedly already carved out a 155-square-mile territory in the demilitarized zone on the Southern border of Syria.

On Tuesday, December 17, Israeli PM Netanyahu announced that the occupied buffer zone will continue to be under Israeli occupation for the “foreseeable future.”

Netanyahu made his announcement from the summit of Mount Hermon, with reports mentioning that it might be the first time an Israeli national leader has set foot this far into the territory of Syria.

In his announcement, the Israeli Prime Minister said that the last time he was at this summit was 53 years ago as a soldier, adding that the strategic importance of Mount Hermon and the surrounding territory has grown to considerable significance, especially in light of the ongoing turmoil in Syria.

“The summit of the Hermon is the eyes of the state of Israel to identify our enemies who are nearby and far away,” said Israel Katz, the Defense Minister of Israel, who accompanied Netanyahu on his visit to the summit.

The Israeli Defense Minister added that he had instructed the nation’s military to swiftly set up fortifications in the area, possibly in anticipation of their prolonged presence in the territory.

It has been reported that the summit of Mount Hermon is divided between the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, Lebanon, and Syria.

It is worth noting that the buffer zone between Golan Heights and Syria was created by the United Nations after the 1973 Mideast war, establishing a ceasefire between Israel and the embattled nation.

As a result, the Israeli forces have sparked significant condemnation from across the world for capturing the buffer zone, with the United Nations pointing out that every day the Israel Defense Forces occupies the region is a violation of the 1974 ceasefire.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu seemingly plans to keep the territory under his control for as long as possible, saying: “We will stay … until another arrangement is found that ensures Israel’s security.”

The Israeli bombardment of Syria has reached a colossal magnitude following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, as the impact from the latest salvo of airstrikes could be felt on the Richter Scale—marking the heaviest attack on the embattled nation in 12 years.

Knewz.com has learned that the massive explosion rocked Syria over the weekend, and residents reported seeing a gigantic fiery mushroom cloud as the deafening noise from the blast swept across Northwestern Syria.

The devastating overnight airstrike reportedly carried out by Israel came amidst heavy bombardments and active conflicts across the embattled nation, as various warring factions strive to fulfill their aspirations in Syria by taking advantage of the power vacuum left behind in President al-Assad’s absence.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the massive explosion in Northwestern Syria on the night of Saturday, December 14, occurred near the city of Tartus.

Reports suggest that the Israeli bombardment was targeting an arms and ammunition depot in the region, adding that the explosion caused shockwaves that measured the same as a 3.0-magnitude earthquake on seismic sensors.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also described the strike as the heaviest one in “Syria’s coastal region since the start of strikes in 2012.”

Israel is one of the most powerful and significant forces currently operating in the country, taking advantage of the turmoil to cripple Syria’s potential to emerge as a threat to Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime.

Apart from the aforementioned airstrike, Israel has been carrying out incessant bombardments across Syria over the past week, targeting weapons depots, surface-to-surface missile depots, air defense systems, and President Assad’s fleet of military aircraft and ships.

It has been reported that Israel carried out around 300 airstrikes in a single week, with the Israel Defense Forces stating that the strikes were aimed at preventing the military capabilities of the fallen Syrian government from falling into “terrorist hands.”

The Syrian Security Forces reported earlier the previous week that the Israeli Air Force had struck at least three major Syrian air bases—where reportedly “dozens of military aircraft” were stationed.

Confirmed strikes were reported on the Qamishli airbase in northeast Syria and the Shinshar military base in the West.

The Qamishli airbase is believed to house missiles supplied by Iran, reports have mentioned.

It is worth noting that the government of Iran has shared a statement regarding the barrage of Israeli airstrikes pounding Syria, saying that the nation condemns Netanyahu’s “repeated violations of Syrian infrastructure” and the seizure of Syrian territory.

Notably, the power vacuum left behind in Syria following the rapid fall of President Assad’s allegedly oppressive regime has led to several powerful militaries rushing in to fulfill their own interests during this “opportune” moment.

The previous week, led by the al-Qaeda splinter militant organization HTS, armed groups successfully overthrew the Syrian President and forced him and his family into exile, thus ending a significant civil war—but reportedly giving rise to further geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

According to reports, rebel factions backed by Turkey launched an attack on Kurdish forces and seized territory in Northern Syria, while Israel bombarded hundreds of military targets across the nation in a bid to demolish “the capabilities of a longtime enemy.”

Amidst the turmoil, the United States carried out airstrikes on more than 75 ISIS targets in Central Syria using B-52 bomber aircraft.

It has also been pointed out that the conflicts arising as a result of the power vacuum left behind by President al-Assad will put to test Washington’s commitment to protecting its primary ally in Syria—the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

If the U.S. does honor its vow to protect the Kurdish forces, the nation will come into a direct conflict of interest with fellow NATO-ally Turkey, which now has the opportunity to resume its efforts to oust Kurdish-led groups out of the territory along Syria’s northern border.

Reports have mentioned that Turkey has already resumed its attacks on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Northern Syria on December 10, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying in a statement that he hoped the presence of Kurdish “terrorists” in Syria would “be crushed as soon as possible.”

On the other hand, the U.S. has repeatedly closely partnered with the SDF and the YPG – another Kurdish group that leads the SDF – in its fight against the ISIS presence in Syria.

Notably, it has been reported that the ongoing conflict in the embattled nation poses a “geopolitical challenge” for President-elect Donald Trump, who believes America should stay out of the war in Syria.

Paris has learned a lesson from the violence that unfolded in Amsterdam on the night of November 7 – when Israeli soccer fans were targeted and brutally attacked – and deployed 4,000 police officers for a France-Israel soccer match.

Knewz.com has learned that 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed as well for the UEFA Nations League match on Thursday, November 14.

According to a statement from the Elysee presidential palace, French President Emmanuel Macron will also be attending the match at the Stade de France stadium north of Paris.

An official from the Macron entourage stated that the President’s presence at the match is not only aimed at being a show of support for the French soccer team but also aimed at sending “a message of fraternity and solidarity following the intolerable antisemitic acts that followed the match in Amsterdam.”

To ensure security in and around the stadium and on public transportation, Paris Police Chief Laurent Nuñez said in a statement to the media that 2,500 police officers will be deployed around the stadium, in addition to 1,500 officers stationed in the French capital and on public transport.

“There’s a context, tensions that make that match a high-risk event for us… There will be an anti-terrorist security perimeter around the stadium,” Chief Nuñez said in his statement, adding that the “reinforced” security checks on the day of the match will include “systematic pat-downs and bag searches.”

He further stated that the authorities “won’t tolerate” any violence, like the incident in Amsterdam a week before the scheduled UEFA Nations League match.

The Paris Police Chief added that the organizers in France have contacted Israeli authorities and security forces to prepare for the game night.

It is worth noting that in the wake of the violent incident in Amsterdam, the National Security Council of Israel issued a statement on Sunday, November 10, warning Israeli citizens abroad to avoid cultural and sporting events—including the France-Israel UEFA Nations League match in Paris.

The Israeli National Security Council also urged its citizens to be wary of possible violent attacks “under the pretense of demonstrations.”

On November 7, a week before the France-Israel match, supporters of the Israeli soccer club Maccabi Tel Aviv were hunted down and assaulted in several violent incidents across Amsterdam following a soccer match between Maccabi and the Dutch football club Ajax.

According to reports, tensions in the Dutch capital city were already on the rise prior to the soccer match, with videos circulating on social media showing fans of the Israeli club chanting anti-Arab slurs and yelling “F— the Arabs.”

Israeli soccer fans were also heard praising the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the ongoing military operation in Gaza—which has left more than 43,000 people dead in the past 13 months, most of whom are women and children.

It has been reported that video clips on social media supposedly filmed prior to the soccer match also showed Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ripping Palestinian flags off buildings.

The atmosphere at the stadium was relatively calm during and after the match, which the Israeli soccer club lost by five goals.

However, after the Europa League match was over, a night of targeted violent assault descended upon Israeli soccer fans as “criminals on scooters” looked for Maccabi supporters to “ambush and attack.”

The Israeli embassy to the United States shared video clips of the attacks on social media, one of which showed a man being kicked repeatedly as he lay helplessly on the ground. Another rather shocking clip purportedly showed an Israeli soccer fan being run over by a car—which was seemingly filmed from the driver’s point of view.

Yet another video clip showed a Maccabi fan being beaten up by an individual yelling “Free Palestine” and “For the children, motherf—–,” presumably referencing the numerous children who have died in the Gaza conflict so far.

One of the video clips also showed a man shouting “I am not Jewish” while being chased down the street. His “clarification” seemingly made no difference, however, as he was soon thrown to the ground and beaten up.

It has been reported that five of the injured Israeli soccer fans were released from the hospital on the morning of Friday, November 8, and that 20 to 30 people were lightly injured in the attacks.

Law enforcement officials in Amsterdam have stated that 63 individuals were arrested over the night and 10 remain in custody.

Police reportedly detained several other people on Sunday, November 10, for “taking part in a demonstration in central Amsterdam that had been outlawed following the violence targeting Israeli fans.”

Violent clashes broke out in Amsterdam as Israeli soccer fans were targeted and ambushed by allegedly antisemitic individuals in several “hit-and-run” attacks.

Knewz.com has learned that the incidents occurred after the Europa League soccer game between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Dutch soccer club Ajax on the night of November 7.

According to reports, tensions in the Dutch capital city were already on the rise prior to the soccer match, with videos circulating on social media showing fans of the Israeli club chanting anti-Arab slurs and yelling “F— the Arabs.”

Israeli soccer fans were also heard praising the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the ongoing military operation in Gaza—which has left more than 43,000 people dead in the past 13 months, most of whom are women and children.

It has been reported that video clips on social media supposedly filmed prior to the soccer match also showed Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ripping Palestinian flags off buildings.

After the Europa League match was over, a night of targeted violent assault descended upon Israeli soccer fans as “criminals on scooters” looked for Maccabi supporters to “ambush and attack.”

It has been reported that the atmosphere at the stadium was relatively calm during and after the match, which the Israeli soccer club lost by five goals.

The attacks were reported around the Amsterdam city center at night as “hundreds” of Maccabi supporters were chased down and violently assaulted, according to the Israeli embassy to the United States.

The embassy shared video clips of the attacks on social media, one of which showed a man being kicked repeatedly as he lay helplessly on the ground. Another rather shocking clip purportedly showed an Israeli soccer fan being run over by a car—which was seemingly filmed from the driver’s point of view.

Yet another video clip showed a Maccabi fan being beaten up by an individual yelling “Free Palestine” and “For the children, motherf—–,” presumably referencing the numerous children who have died in the Gaza conflict so far.

One of the video clips also showed a man shouting “I am not Jewish” while being chased down the street. His “clarification” seemingly made no difference, however, as he was soon thrown to the ground and beaten up.

“Hundreds of fans of the [Maccabi soccer club] were ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam tonight as they left the stadium following a game against [Ajax]. The mob who targeted these innocent Israelis has proudly shared their violent acts on social media,” the Israeli embassy to the U.S. wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In a follow-up post, the embassy added:

“Responses to this video so far have ranged from: they started it (by chanting), they deserve it (since they’re Israelis), and they don’t belong there. Let’s get one thing clear: there is no justification for a lynching mob.”

“Israeli soccer fans should be allowed to support their team without fear of physical danger. The days of chasing Jews down European city streets should remain in the dark annals of history,” the post further read.

Femke Halsema, the Mayor of Amsterdam, shared a statement in the aftermath of the violent attacks, saying, “This is a terrible moment for our city. … I am very ashamed of the behavior that was shown last night.”

“There can be tensions there are many demonstrations and protests and we are always prepared for them, and of course, they are related to the situation in the Middle East and the ongoing war. But what happened last night wasn’t a protest. … It was crime,” she added.

Authorities in Amsterdam also shared a statement following the night of targeted violence, saying, “There is no excuse for the antisemitic behavior exhibited last night by rioters who actively sought out Israeli supporters to attack and assault them.”

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof wrote on social media that he was “horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens.”

“This is completely unacceptable. I am in close contact with all parties involved and have just spoken to [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu by phone to stress that the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted. The situation in Amsterdam is now calm once more,” PM Schoof wrote on X.

Geert Wilders, founder and leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom called the attacks a “pogrom in the streets of Amsterdam.”

“We have become the Gaza of Europe. Muslims with Palestinian flags hunting down Jews. I will NOT accept that. NEVER. The authorities will be held accountable for their failure to protect the Israeli citizens. Never again,” Wilders wrote.

It has been reported that five of the injured Israeli soccer fans were released from the hospital on the morning of Friday, November 8, and that 20 to 30 people were lightly injured in the attacks.

Law enforcement officials in Amsterdam have stated that 63 individuals were arrested over the night and 10 remain in custody.

Noted politicians from all around the world shared their thoughts on the violence Israeli soccer fans were subjected to in Amsterdam on Thursday night, with Canadian Member of Parliament and strong Israel advocate Melissa Lantsman commenting that “This is what ‘globalize the intifada’ looks like.”

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer wrote that images of the Amsterdam attack are “eerily reminiscent” of Kristallnacht—a pogrom carried out by the Nazi Party’s Sturmabteilung and Schutzstaffel paramilitary forces against the Jews on November 9-10, 1938.

Senator Katie Boyd Britt from Alabama also shared her thoughts about the attack, writing, “It is absolutely despicable to see the blatant attacks on Jews in Amsterdam, many forced to flee for their lives. After the Holocaust, we said Never Again, yet here we are nearly 80 years later. I am praying for the Jewish people worldwide.”

Secret documents obtained by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have revealed the militant group Hamas had planned the toppling of a skyscraper in Tel Aviv in an attack similar to the destruction of the World Trade Center in the United States on 9/11 over two decades ago.

Knewz.com has learned that the militant group had plotted a wave of attacks on Israel far “deadlier” than the Hamas incursion on October 7, 2023, per the recently obtained documents.

The secret documents include both electronic records and papers recovered by IDF officials from Hamas command centers in the Gaza Strip.

The documents detailed advanced plans for attacks using trains, boats, and even horse-drawn chariots, as well as the outlines of a combined assault on Israel on multiple fronts with the help of Iran and the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, targeting the embattled nation from the north, south, and east.

According to reports, the “trove of documents includes an annotated, illustrated presentation detailing possible options for an assault as well as letters from Hamas to Iran’s top leaders in 2021 requesting hundreds of millions of dollars in funding and training for 12,000 additional Hamas fighters.”

Per the documents, the Palestinian militant group Hamas assumed that once it launched the initial attack on Israel, the terror group Hezbollah and Iran would soon join the operation, which would involve “linking and preparing the external fronts (Lebanon, Syria, and Sinai) and agreeing on mechanisms for communicating peacefully and in war.”

The documents further mentioned Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar‘s “crystal clear” ambition—the destruction of the state of Israel.

IDF officials had recovered a series of letters – which were reportedly written in June 2021 – from Sinwar’s command bunker in Khan Younis, Gaza, in January 2024, which contained the Hamas chief’s requests to Iran for more money and training for a “division’s worth of new fighters.”

The letters were signed by Sinwar and other Hamas leaders in Gaza and were addressed to the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Quds Force Chief Ismail Qaani, and Sayed Izadi, Quds Force’s Beirut-based head of Palestinian operations who was one of the three Iranian officials killed in the Israeli military strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus, Syria, in April.

“We are in dire need of your standing with us with all strength, determination, support and backing; first to restore our strength and what has been exhausted in this confrontation or what has been targeted, and to develop our capabilities many times over,” one of the letters read, per reports.

It is worth noting that Hamas’s plans for the plotted attack on the Tel Aviv skyscraper – among others – involved extensive intelligence gathering.

The documents obtained by the IDF showed that the Palestinian militant group had created a considerable database of 17,000 photos, which included “satellite images to photos of Israeli cities and landscapes taken by drone cameras or gleaned from social media postings.”

It has been reported that the images also included layouts of Israeli air bases and military installations, along with diagrams of the flight patterns of commercial aircraft using the Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv.

Possible targets for the Hamas-planned 9/11-like attack on Tel Aviv were the Moshe Aviv Tower, a 70-story building that is Israel’s second tallest, and the Azrieli Center complex, which comprises three skyscrapers, a large shopping mall, train station, and cinema.

The outlined plans in the documents mention that the destruction of a skyscraper of considerable size in Tel Aviv should cause significant damage to the nearby military facilities as well.

However, the plans to carry out a 9/11-esque attack have been criticized by several news outlets as “aspirational” and somewhat impractical.

Furthermore, Hamas had admitted in the documents that the group had not figured out exactly how they could go about destroying a skyscraper in Tel Aviv.

Notably, the documents show that the militant group too finally realized how unfeasible attacking a building of that size would be, and turned their sights on an “easier target”—the railway system of Israel.

The document outlined several variations of a plan to transport explosives and soldiers into Tel Aviv using the Israeli railway network.

“The railway line is designated for transporting fuel, which is a weak point in the event of a train explosion after moving inside one of the cities (a moving bomb),” the documents further stated.

The disappearance of Iran‘s overseas military intelligence service chief Brigadier General Esmail Qaani has given rise to several rumors and assumptions, including theories that the elite Quds Force commander was, in fact, secretly a Mossad agent.

Knewz.com has learned that the secret forces head has not been heard from or seen since October 4, when Israel carried out an airstrike on a bunker in Beirut where Qaani was believed to be meeting top brass of the Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah.

It has been reported that Iran’s secret forces head Qaani was supposed to meet Hezbollah‘s deputy chief and head of internal security Hashem Sefieddine – who reports suggest was being eyed as the next leader of the terror group after the death of Hassan Nasrallah – in Beirut‘s southern suburbs, known as the Dahiyeh.

According to reports, the purpose of Qaani’s meeting with the Hezbollah top brass was to help the militant organization regroup.

However, two Iranian security officials have stated that although Qaani was in Dahiyeh during the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strike, he was not meeting Sefieddine.

The officials further stated that Qaani had traveled to Beirut following the death of Hezbollah head Nasrallah in September and that neither Iran nor Hezbollah has been able to contact the Quds Force chief since the Israeli attack in October.

It was initially believed that the secret forces chief had been killed in the Israeli airstrike on Beirut.

However, on Monday, October 8, Quds Force deputy commander Iraj Masjedi denied the initial reports that suggested Qaani’s demise in the attack.

Furthermore, Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the Iranian secret forces chief, was quoted as saying, “Commander Qaani is in perfect health and will receive the Fath medal from the Supreme Leader in the coming days.”

On the other hand, multiple sources have suggested that the Quds force chief is currently under house arrest, and is being questioned under suspicions of being a secret agent acting under orders from Mossad—Israel’s overseas military intelligence agency.

Reports suggest that he is also being investigated for his alleged involvement in the Israeli airstrike that killed the former Hezbollah chief Nasrallah toward the end of September 2024.

Nasrallah’s death led to a widespread search of a suspected Israeli “mole,” with investigators from the overseas military intelligence service now turning their sights on their own disappeared leader.

The commander of an armed faction close to Iran said in a statement:

“The Iranians have serious suspicions that the Israelis have infiltrated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, especially those working in the Lebanese arena, so everyone is currently under investigation.”

“Nothing is certain at the moment. The investigations are still ongoing and all possibilities are open,” the commander added.

Qaani was named the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ overseas military intelligence unit after his predecessor Qassem Soleimani was killed near the Baghdad International Airport in a drone strike launched by the United States in January 2020.

The U.S. Department of Defense had said at the time that prior to his death, Soleimani was “actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.”

He was also accused of approving the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad a week prior to the drone strike that killed him.

It has been reported that an adviser to the then-Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had warned the former American President Donald Trump of retaliation for Soleimani’s death.

“Trump through his gamble has dragged the U.S. into the most dangerous situation in the region… Whoever put his foot beyond the red line should be ready to face its consequences,” presidential advisor Hessameddin Ashena said in a social media statement at the time.

Scientists in the capital city of Jerusalem, Israel, have grown a 10-foot-tall tree from a 1,000-year-old seed discovered in the 1980s.

Knewz.com has learned that the mystery tree sprouted from the seed within five weeks of planting.

However, the process of bringing the ancient seed to life has taken over a decade, according to the team of scientists behind the miracle.

The 1,000-year-old seed from which the tree grew was excavated from a cave in the Judean Desert in Israel in the late 1980s.

Dr. Sarah Sallon of the Hadassah Medical Centre, the founder of the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center in Jerusalem, created a research team and planted the seed years after its discovery.

It has been reported that it took the research team a total of 14 years to plant and grow the tree to its present height.

The fully-grown tree has been named “Sheba” by the team of researchers and towers at a height of 10 feet.

According to reports, scientists have been able to perform DNA, chemical, and radiocarbon analyses of the tree, now that it has fully grown.

Research into the mystery tree has revealed that the seed it came from dates back to somewhere between 993 and 1202 C.E.

“It likely survived from a now-extinct population of trees that existed in the Southern Levant, a region comprising modern-day Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, and is the first of its kind to be found there,” it has been reported.

According to the research done on Sheba, which was published in the journal Communications Biology on September 10, Sheba belongs to a species of trees that could be the source of “tsori,” a resinous extract reported to have healing properties mentioned in the Bible—Genesis, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

“The substance is linked with the historical region of Gilead, which sits to the east of the Jordan River between the Yarmuk River and the northern end of the Dead Sea,” it was reported.

“Now, having revived Sheba, the team thinks it has finally unraveled the mystery behind Biblical tsori.”

The research conducted by Dr. Sallon’s team identified Sheba as belonging to the genus Commiphora, which belongs to the family of myrrh and frankincense—which were both mentioned in the Bible as well.

The published paper read:

“A seed recovered during archaeological excavations of a cave in the Judean desert was germinated, with radiocarbon analysis indicating an age of 993 CE– 1202 calCE.”

“DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis identified the seedling as belonging to the angiosperm genus Commiphora Jacq., sister to three Southern African Commiphora species, but unique from all other species sampled to date.”

“The germinated seedling was not closely related to Commiphora species commonly harvested for their fragrant oleoresins including Commiphora gileadensis (L.) C.Chr., candidate for the locally extinct “Judean Balsam” or “Balm of Gilead” of antiquity,” the paper further mentioned.

Since the 10-foot tree has not flowered or yielded fruit, scientists have not been able to pinpoint the species to which Sheba belongs.

It has been reported that chemical analysis of the leaves and resin from the tree revealed that it is rich in pentacyclic triterpenoids, which are biologically active compounds with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

Scientists also found that the leaves and stem of the tree are high in squalene, described as “a natural, oily substance with antioxidant and skin-smoothing properties.”

“We believe these findings support our second hypothesis, that ‘Sheba’ … may represent an extinct (or at least extirpated) [lineage] once native to this region, whose resin ‘tsori’ mentioned in Biblical texts was valuable, associated with healing but not described as fragrant,” the research paper mentioned.

“If Judean Balsam survives today as an extant Commiphora species there remains the possibility that scientists have not yet recognized it.”

Amidst an ongoing multifront conflict in the Middle East, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced that it will launch a “significant” retaliatory strike on Iran for launching a massive barrage of missiles on the embattled nation on October 1.

Knewz.com has learned that the IDF is currently engaged in operations against Iran’s proxies in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq, along with the ongoing conflict in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, according to reports.

While the IDF has announced a “significant” strike, the details of the planned attack are as of yet unknown.

It has been reported that the dispute with Iran is being viewed as a direct conflict with Israel.

On October 1, Iran launched a salvo of 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in one of the largest airstrikes on the embattled nation, according to reports.

It has been reported that the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah simultaneously fired rockets at Israel while the Iranian missile strike was ongoing.

According to reports, the attack prompted 1,800 air raid sirens to go off across Israel.

“Magen David Adom’s CEO Eli Bin announced that there was a direct hit to a building in north Tel Aviv on George Wise Street. MDA confirmed that three people had been wounded by falls in Tel Aviv,” one of the reports read.

“A strike also hit a home in Tel Sheva, according to Maariv. Further, a Chabad school in Gedera was hit directly, resulting in a crater and extensive damage to infrastructure, according to Israeli media.”

It has been reported that the IDF is planning to respond to Iran’s attack “while minimizing risks and maximizing opportunities.”

In addition, reports mention that the IDF also plans on launching a strike on Syria—using weapons made in Iran that were reportedly intended to be supplied to the Hezbollah terror group.

Furthermore, it has been reported that the Israeli military recently struck a port in Yemen reportedly used by Houthi rebels to receive oil supplies. Two power stations in the area were destroyed in the attack as well, per reports.

The Revolutionary Guard of Iran released a statement about the October 1 attack, saying that the massive airstrike was meant as revenge for the “martyrdom” of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Iranian Quds Force commander in Lebanon Abbas Nilforoushan.

The statement further stated that “if the Zionist regime responds to the Iranian attack, it will face violent assaults.”

On the other hand, Palestinian terror group Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv, Israel, on the first anniversary of the brutal incursion by the militant organization on October 7, 2023, that left over a thousand people dead.

A salvo of rockets was also launched by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah targeting northern Israel early morning on Monday, October 7.

The Israeli Home Front Command reported that air raid sirens sounded across the Greater Tel Aviv area and central Israel on Monday, with the embattled nation’s public media reporting that the rockets were fired from the Khan Yunis area of the southern Gaza Strip.

The Al-Qassam Brigades of the Hamas militant group have claimed responsibility for the rocket strikes, saying that the strike is part of a “continuous attrition battle” with Israel and “a response to Israeli atrocities against civilians and the displacement of the Palestinian people,” per reports.

In a social media statement, the Qassam Brigades wrote that it launched several Radium rockets at Israeli military positions at Al-Awdah, Holit, and Karem Abu Salem, as well as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops stationed at the Rafah border crossing.

Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, released a statement about the ongoing Gaza conflict and the October 7 massacre last year, saying:

“We are addressing you from Gaza, which is impenetrable to the invaders… One year has passed since the most professional commando operation in history, in which we dealt a major preemptive blow to the enemy, shaking the enemy and changing the face of the region.”

It has been reported that the rocket strike was thwarted by the Israeli Iron Dome air defense system, according to the nation’s military. However, falling debris in the city of Holon, south of Tel Aviv, left two people with minor injuries, according to emergency officials.