Free Republic

A senior security source addressed the expansion of the fighting in Gaza, which has been codenamed "Operation Gideon Chariots," and says that the goal will be "to defeat and subdue Hamas in Gaza and release all hostages." According to the source, "In accordance with the plan formulated by the Chief of Staff and the IDF Command and approved by the Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister, the IDF will increase its forces and act forcefully to defeat and subdue Hamas and destroy its military and governmental capabilities, while creating strong pressure for the release of all the hostages. A...

The Houthi rebels in Yemen announced on Tuesday evening that they will attack any ship that violates the group's ban on Israeli vessels passing through the Red and Arabian seas, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden, effective immediately. The "ban on the passage of all Israeli ships" will continue "until the crossings to the Gaza Strip are reopened and aid, food, and medicine are allowed in," said the Houthis’ military spokesperson, Yahya Saree. Earlier on Tuesday evening, Al-Arabiya reported that the United States attacked Houthi radar facilities and weapons storage sites in the port of Al-Hudaydah in...

America’s major cities are crumbling under Democrat leadership. From San Francisco to Chicago, urban centers have become showcases of dysfunction rather than beacons of prosperity. The pattern repeats itself with disturbing predictability. Beautiful, historic downtowns transformed into tent cities. Public spaces commandeered by the homeless. Tourist areas that visitors increasingly avoid. All while Democrat mayors talk about “compassion” and “equity” instead of actually solving problems. -------------- “In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, the president specifically referenced areas near the State Department and the White House that are populated with homeless encampments that need to be removed, adding that the...

The Hamas terror organization on Tuesday night issued an official response to Israel's ultimatum, under which Hamas will either release hostages on Saturday, as per the deal, or the fighting will restart. In its announcement, Hamas claimed that it is committed to the ceasefire deal, but that its commitment is dependent on Israel - "as long as the occupation is committed to it." The terror group also claimed that Israel is not meeting its obligations, and blamed Israel for "delays and complications" in the deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a Cabinet meeting following Hamas' violation of the agreement...

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon officially informed the members of the UN Security Council today (Tuesday) that UNRWA has 48 hours to end all operations in Jerusalem and leave Israel's capital. “Within 48 hours, the State of Israel will cease its cooperation with UNRWA. UNRWA must cease its activities and evacuate all its facilities in Jerusalem," he said. Ambassador Danon elaborated, "The legislation prohibits UNRWA from operating within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel and prohibits any contact between Israeli authorities and UNRWA. In addition, the organization is prohibited from maintaining any representative office, service...

"I told the European Union that they must make up their tremendous deficit with the United States by the large scale purchase of our oil and gas. Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform shortly after 1:08 a.m. ET.

George Stephanopoulos was threatened with being taken off air if he didn't clarify his position on Joe Biden's ability to serve another four years. The ABC host gave his blunt assessment of the president's performance in a brief interview when he was ambushed on Tuesday. The former Bill Clinton aide was asked on the street in Manhattan if Biden should step down and responded: 'I don't think he can serve four more years'. Biden's interview with the former White House press secretary on Friday followed a disastrous debate performance on June 27. Stephanopoulos, 63, appeared to quickly regret his off-the-cuff...

(Reuters) -Moscow's proposals for settlement in Ukraine are well known to Kyiv and either Ukraine fulfils them for their own good or the Russian army will decide the issue, TASS agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying. "Our proposals for the demilitarization and denazification of the territories controlled by the regime, the elimination of threats to Russia's security emanating from there, including our new lands, are well known to the enemy," the state news agency quoted Lavrov as saying late on Monday. "The point is simple: Fulfil them for your own good. Otherwise, the issue will be decided...

Rhode Island is one of the latest states to reintroduce a mask mandate, which went into effect on Monday. Gov. Daniel McKee (D) announced the mandate this month, requiring “masking or proof of vaccination at certain indoor venues, including entertainment venues, retail, places of worship, manufacturing, and offices,” according to the state’s website. It applies to indoor establishments with a capacity of 250 individuals or more.

Twice failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton issued an ultimatum Thursday, contending Congress must choose between preserving the filibuster or protecting voting rights for minorities. But doing both, she suggested, is an impossibility.

Following is a letter House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent to Democrats: On this Sunday, as we pray that God will continue to Bless America, I write to inform you of our next actions, which will be made with the great solemnity that this moment requires. I want to call to your immediate attention the action to be taken tomorrow morning, when Majority Leader Hoyer will request Unanimous Consent to bring up the Raskin resolution. This resolution calls on the Vice President to convene and mobilize the Cabinet to activate the 25th Amendment to declare the President incapable of executing the...

Giddy up… HPSCI Chairman Devin Nunes says either FBI Director Chris Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein give him the “electronic communication” (EC) documents (initiated the counterintelligence operation against candidate Trump in July 2016) or congress will hold an impeachment vote. FBI Director Wray and DOJ Deputy Rosenstein have until tomorrow night.

China has sent a final warning to North Korea over its military provocations, according to unconfirmed rumors spreading widely on Chinese social media Tuesday. Chinese news outlets have previously said Beijing could turn its back on Pyongyang if the latter conducted a sixth nuclear test. But the rumor that China has given North Korea a final warning has drawn particular interest from Weibo users. The rumor cited the May issue of Hong Kong monthly news outlet Dong Xiang. It said a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs junior minister invited Park Myung-ho, an official of North Korea, for a meeting. China's...

The following is an email to the city of Seattle and administration Too whom it may concern: My name is Brian Ball. I am an activist, small businessman and lobbyist from the New England Area. I am head of the New England Alliance for liberty And Free markets which is part of the free state movement. Recently I and several of my associates infiltrated the SHARE/WHEEL organization Last winter and one of my other associates spent last summer in 2015 at several of the indoor shelters and tent cities. We are not happy at all with how SHARE/WHEEL conducts itself...

A spokesman for Hamas's "military wing", the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, warned Thursday of renewed fighting with Israel if talks in Cairo to extend a 72-truce in Gaza collapsed. "We appeal to the Palestinian delegation to not accept a ceasefire, unless it satisfies the demands of our people," a spokesman using the nom-de-guerre Abu Obeida said in a televised address, adding that Hamas fighters were "ready to return to battle." The three-day truce ending four weeks of bloodshed between Israel and Hamas is due to end at 0500 GMT Friday. .....

The US secretary of state has said that President Bashar al-Assad has one week to hand over his entire stock of chemical weapons to avoid a military attack, but said he had no expectation that the Syrian leader would comply. John Kerry also said he had no doubt that Assad was responsible for the chemical weapons attack in east Damascus on 21 August, saying that only three people are responsible for the chemical weapons inside Syria – Assad himself, one of his brothers and a senior general. He said the entire US intelligence commnity was united in believing Assad was...

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin announced his opposition yesterday to military strikes on Syria, at least as the situation stands now. Instead, he pressed Obama to play out the string on diplomacy with a 45-day ultimatum to Bashar Assad to sign the chemical-weapons ban and presumably either give up or destroy his stockpiles. New York Times reporter David Sanger told Morning Joe that Obama may end up trying that tactic (via The Corner):CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO The Obama administration might consider a plan involving an ultimatum to Syrian president Bashar Assad as a diplomatic alternative to U.S. military action,...

The Egyptian army on Thursday gave the Muslim Brotherhood until Saturday afternoon to sign up for political reconciliation, according to a military-linked website. “We will not initiate any move, but will definitely react harshly against any calls for violence or black terrorism from Brotherhood leaders or their supporters. We pledge to protect peaceful protesters regardless of their affiliation,” the statement said, according to Al Arabiya. The statement added that military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sissi issued the ultimatum in a Wednesday speech in which he called for all Egyptians “to return to the national fold and prepare for the future.” The...

A senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) rejected on Monday the army’s 48-hour ultimatum for politicians to settle the country's political standoff. "Everyone rejects the statement of the armed forces," Yasser Hamza, a member of the FJP's legal committee, told the Al Jazeera network. He added, "Solutions will be in the framework of the constitution. The age of military coups is over." Earlier on Monday, Egypt's top general, Abd al-Fatah a-Sisi, warned President Mohammed Morsi that he had 48 hours to resolve the crisis in Egypt. If he did not, the army would “intervene.” The...

US Secretary of State John Kerry again warned Wednesday that time was slipping away to reach a Middle East peace deal, and for the first time said there may only be a year or two left. Appearing before US lawmakers for the first time since becoming America's top diplomat in February, Kerry said his three trips to the region already were proof of his commitment to try to find a way to resume peace talks, AFP reported. The Obama administration is "trying to find out what is possible," Kerry told the House foreign affairs committee, as he laid out the...