Free Republic

Amid the early stages of its invasion of northern Gaza by land, sea, and air, the IDF has confirmed that it killed a senior Hamas commander. U.S. President Joe Biden also ordered airstrikes against Iranian positions in Syria on Friday night, after U.S. forces were attacked. This marks a significant escalation in the region and could suggest that the United States is being drawn in to fight alongside Israel against Iran and its terror proxies. More on that in a moment. “Overnight, based on IDF and ISA intelligence, IDF fighter jets struck the head of Hamas' Aerial Array, Asem Abu...

A young American-Israeli attending a rave that was disrupted by Hamas terrorists on Saturday texted his parents “I love you” and “I’m sorry,” before becoming unreachable — as horrifying videos of attackers paragliding into the party and kidnapping attendees emerge. Hersh Golberg-Polin, who just turned 23 this week, was celebrating in the desert in northern Negev when Hamas militants invaded the party and began attacking attendees, his father told The Jerusalem Post. After texting his parents, “I love you” and “I’m sorry,” Golberg-Polin became unreachable. “We just want him home and safe,” his father, Jonathon Polin told the outlet, adding...

Questions still remain regarding the double fatal collision at Torrey Pines Gliderport on Saturday afternoon. The two certified pilots were flying their paragliders when they collided into each other, fell into a cliff, and died, authorities said. Many who were at the Gliderport said Saturday's weather conditions were absolutely perfect, so they do not believe the incident was weather-related. Both men were certified pilots, one with an advanced certification. They both were aware of the rules -- to keep a safe distance between each other, and that the glider along the ocean needs to make way for the one flying...

SNIPPET: "India is on heightened alert for new terrorist attacks by the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Among the concerns, the Times of India reported, is that the LeT has acquired more than 50 hang-gliders, possibly for use in an air-borne terrorist attack." SNIPPET: "The use of hang-gliders by terrorist groups, although sounding like something out of a James Bond film, is not completely unheard of. On November 15, 1987, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine—General Command undertook a similar attack aimed at Israel. The attack, known as the "night of the gliders" was undertaken by two PFLP-GC guerrillas with...

Criminals may be used to looking over their shoulders for police, but a new crime-fighting tool introduced in Florida means they will now also be looking above their heads. Officers in the town of Palm Bay are being sent aloft on motorised paragliders to act as spies in the sky, in a first-of-its-kind mission codenamed Operation Soar. Suspended beneath parachutes wearing lawnmower-style motors on their backs, they will patrol the skies ... equipped with radios, cameras and GPS navigation systems. The seats of their unconventional aircraft have been specially bulletproofed and the officers have standby parachutes, to protect against criminals...