U.S. temporarily shutters Kyiv embassy over airstrike fears, which apparently turned out to be a Russian psy-op

JERUSALEM – Israel/Middle East Morning Brief

U.S. temporarily shutters Kyiv embassy over airstrike fears, which apparently turned out to be a Russian psy-op

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The U.S. has temporarily shut down its embassy in Kyiv and instructed diplomats to remain in secure areas due to intelligence reports warning of a potential airstrike. pic.twitter.com/NO9T4NXjpD

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 20, 2024

The U.S. embassy in Kyiv has received information of a potential significant air attack on Wednesday and will be closed, the U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs said in a statement.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the embassy will be closed, and embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place,” the department said in a statement published on the website of the US embassy in Kyiv.

Iran boosts uranium stockpile to near weapons-grade level

BREAKING: IRAN BOOSTS URANIUM STOCKPILE NEAR WEAPONS-GRADE

Iran now holds 182.3 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, an increase of 17.6 kg since August, nearing the 42 kg required for a weapon if further enriched to 90%, according to an IAEA report.

The total uranium stockpile… pic.twitter.com/H58ZxD6h1f

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 19, 2024

Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels in defiance of international demands, according to a confidential report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA.

IDF announces 800th soldier to fall in battle

The heart can’t take it anymore.

Since October 7th, 800 soldiers have lost their lives.

May their memory be blessed. pic.twitter.com/Dk4JTzwysG

— Eli Afriat (@EliAfriatISR) November 20, 2024

Sgt. First Class (res.) Roi Sasson, 21, from Mevaseret Zion, a soldier in the Nachshon Battalion of the Kfir Brigade fell Tuesday in an encounter with terrorists in Jabaliya, the IDF announced on Wednesday morning. Since the outbreak of the war, 800 IDF soldiers have died in battles, 28 of them in the current operation in Jabaliya.

Turkish strikes on Syrian Kurds cuts off water supply for 1 million people

Looking forward to seeing the spontaneous and totally grassroots protest movement pop up across Western campuses protesting against this atrocity.

Turkish dictator and Hamas fanboy Erdogan bombs Kurds in Syria and cuts off water and electricity for 1 million Kurds. pic.twitter.com/MzMHRGlieu

— Emily Schrader – אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) November 19, 2024

According to the BBC investigation, accompanied by a full-length documentary, Turkey has conducted over 100 attacks on Kurdish-controlled northeastern Syria between October 2019 and January 2024. These strikes targeted oil and gas facilities and power stations vital to civilians in the region.

Hezbollah rocket strikes UNIFIL position in southern Lebanon, four Ghanaian peacekeepers wounded

Four Ghanaian peacekeepers on duty sustained injuries as a rocket – fired most likely by non-State actors within Lebanon – hit their base “UNP 5-42” in the east of the village of Ramyah.

— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) November 19, 2024

The Israel Defense Forces said that two UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) posts were hit by Hezbollah attacks, which wounded peacekeepers and did damage to the posts.

The first rocket attack was launched at 9:50 a.m. from Deir Aames, which hit the UNIFIL base near Ramyeh in southern Lebanon. Later, at 1:30 p.m., another barrage of rockets hit and damaged a post in the area of Chamaa, which Hezbollah launched from Maaliyeh in southern Lebanon.

Argentina removes troops from UNIFIL ‘peacekeeping’ force

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Argentina has notified @UNIFIL_ of its decision to withdraw from the UN peacekeeping mission. Over two decades, UNIFIL has failed to stop Hezbollah from reclaiming southern Lebanon and attacking Israel on a large scale. pic.twitter.com/o9D2AypSee

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 19, 2024

Buenos Aires announced it would be pulling its troops out of the 10,000-strong UNIFIL peacekeeping force, which is supposed to enforce U.N. Resolution 1701. The move by Argentina appeared to represent the first sign of cracks in the unity of the mission, which has been caught in the crossfire as Israel battles against Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.

Iran warns Western states over imposing IAEA sanctions on its nuclear program

The E3 formally submitted the censure resolution against #Iran‘s regime at the IAEA BoG just before midnight on Tuesday, with an aim to vote on it probably on Thursday.https://t.co/8R1hGv9vbO

— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) November 20, 2024

Western countries on Wednesday formally submitted a new resolution critical of Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency ahead of its board meeting, diplomatic sources said, pushing ahead despite Iran’s warnings against the move.

Is Israel about to attack Iranian-backed militias in Iraq?

This evening I sent a letter to the President of the UN Security Council in which I called for immediate action regarding the activity of the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, whose territory is being used to attack Israel.

I emphasized that the Iraqi government is responsible for… pic.twitter.com/3Bq7nJENkS

— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) November 18, 2024

Some two weeks ago, the U.S. warned Iraq that permitting Iranian-backed militias to use its territory to attack Israel, could lead Jerusalem to decide to retaliate militarily. There has been no let up in the interim, and several missiles and drones have been fired from Iraqi territory at the Jewish state, and Israel might be preparing air strikes at various targets.

U.N. Security Council to vote on no-strings Gaza ceasefire

Did you know?

Today the UNSC will vote on resolution that will demand an immediate & unconditional ceasefire in Gaza – without mentioning Hamas genocidal terror proxy, that VIOLATED previous ceasefire launching THOUSANDS of rockets at on & since October 7, 2023, &… pic.twitter.com/2PgWLIff59

— מיכל קוטלר-וונש | Michal Cotler-Wunsh (@CotlerWunsh) November 20, 2024

The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza neither tying it to the release of the hostages nor mentioning Hamas as the war’s architect, according to Israeli media.

The ceasefire proposal was developed by 10 non-permanent council members, with the U.S. at the center of the decision, and it is uncertain whether it will exercise its veto power. Not doing so would be reminiscent of one of the final acts of the Obama administration, which backed a resolution criticizing Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria.

Jerusalem court orders P.A. to pay $12 million in damages to second intifada victims

The Jerusalem District Court has ruled that the Palestinian Authority must compensate the victims of the 2001 Sbarro suicide terrorist attack in Jerusalem, N12 reported on Tuesday pic.twitter.com/TnP0Q5UMKT

— Yisrael official (@YisraelOfficial) November 19, 2024

In a precedent-setting decision, the Jerusalem District Court has ordered the Palestinian Authority to pay approximately 46 million shekels ($12.3 million) in compensation to three siblings whose family members were killed in the 2001 Sbarro restaurant bombing in Jerusalem. The ruling marks the first implementation of a new Israeli law mandating punitive damages for terrorism victims.

Former Hamas hostage confronts UCLA protest leader in campus debate

Powerful: An uncomfortable moment for UCLA encampment leader Aidan Doyle – who made life a misery for Jewish students there – as he is faced with the truth by brave Moran Stella Yanai, who was kidnapped and held hostage in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/5Kkooq8yJn

— Michael Dickson (@michaeldickson) November 18, 2024

A survivor of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel delivered powerful testimony about her 54 days in captivity as she faced off with a student protest leader at a campus debate in Southern California.

The confrontation, captured in a video segment released Monday by The Gr8 Debate and filmed by Trusted Confidential Coverage (TCC), brought together former hostage Moran Stella Yanai, UCLA encampment leader Aidan Doyle, and Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef.