Shalom and good evening, this is TV7 Israel
News broadcast to you from Jerusalem.
And in today’s top stories:
Tensions on Israel’s southern front with
the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip escalate,
with rocket fire and retaliatory bombardments
raising prospects for wider escalation.
The United States has notified the president
of the Security Council that it is initiating
the restoration of virtually all UN sanctions
on Iran that were lifted under Resolution
2231.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani claims that
Iran’s newly developed ballistic and Cruise
missiles, which have a declared range of up
to 1,400 kilometers, are solely for defensive
purposes.
Tensions on Israel’s southern front with
the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip escalated
last night when Palestinian Islamists launched
three separate barrages of rockets, indiscriminately,
toward the southern communities of the Jewish
State.
Approximately 25 minutes after 10 PM, two
rockets were launched toward Israeli territory.
However, the IDF confirmed to TV7 that these
projectiles failed to cross into Israel, exploding
instead in the vicinity of the enclave’s
security barrier.
Consequently, less than an hour later, IDF
fighter jets and aircraft struck militant
installations in Gaza – including “a concrete
manufacturing site used for underground infrastructure
and tunnel construction” both of which were
said to belong to the Islamist Hamas organization.
During the Israeli bombardment, Palestinian
Islamists fired three projectiles toward the
southern Israeli community of Kissufim.
All of the incoming rockets, however, were
intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defense
System – causing no injuries or damage.
Subsequently, at approximately 2:30 AM, red-alert
sirens sounded in the city of Sderot and a
number of communities that are situated along
the Gaza front; forcing tens of thousands
of Israelis to rush into bomb-shelters within
the Home Front Commands instructed 15 seconds.
While three of the incoming rockets were successfully
intercepted by Israel’s aerial defense array;
one rocket struck a home while the residents
were still asleep.
While damage was caused to the house, the
residents emerged unharmed.
However, Paramedics reportedly treated three
women who suffered from sock.
Elsewhere in the city of Sderot, a 50-year-old
woman was in need of medical treatment after
she fell while rushing to a protected area.
Consequently, the IDF spokesperson’s unit
informed TV7 that IDF fighter jets and aircraft
conducted two separate retaliatory bombardments
against Hamas installations in the Gaza Strip.
Among the targets struck were subterranean
facilities and weapon manufacturing installations.
In light of the escalation on Israel’s southern
front, Jerusalem’s top defense echelons
have held a number of situation assessments
throughout the day.
Among the decisions, the IDF was instructed
to prepare for a wide-scale operation.
Furthermore, discussions are being held vis-à-vis
applying targeted assassinations of Islamist
leaders who are held responsible for the latest
escalation.
Turning now to the United Nations headquarters
in New York, where
the United States has notified the president
of the Security Council that it is initiating
the restoration of virtually all UN sanctions
on Iran that were lifted under Resolution
2231.
“Just a few minutes ago, I delivered letters
to both the UN Secretary General Guterres
and to the president of the Security Council.
I notified them that the United States is
initiating the restoration of virtually all
UN sanctions on Iran lifted under UN Security
Council Resolution 2231.
This process will lead to those sanctions
coming back into effect 30 days from today.”
Secretary Pompeo highlighted that the goal
of the Trump Administration is simple: never
to allow the world’s largest state sponsor
of terrorism to freely buy and sell weapons.
The American top diplomat also voiced a reminder,
during his announcement to the press, that
Washington’s move comes at a time when the
Ayatollah regime blatantly refuses to allow
inspectors of the International Atomic Energy
Agency access to sites suspected of undeclared
nuclear activity.
“This is happening, of course, at a moment
when Iran is refusing to allow the IAEA to
inspect sites suspected of undeclared nuclear
activity, that were formerly part of Iran’s
nuclear weapons program.
President Trump and this administration have
discarded the fiction that the regime merely
seeks a peaceful nuclear program.
We will never allow the Islamic Republic of
Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
When asked about a dismissal of the American
decision by the European - including EU Foreign
Policy Chief Josep Borrell who practically
sided with the Iranian narrative over the
legal position of the United States; Secretary
Pompeo stressed that while sovereign countries
get to make their own choices; Europe is making
“an enormous mistake.”
“Since 1985 alone, the Iranian regime has
conducted terrorist operations across Europe.
It’s hijacked commercial jets; its bombings
murdered innocent Europeans.
It’s conducted assassinations of dissidents
in Europe, plots to blow up Jewish synagogues.
This is all in Europe by the Iranians.
Does it make any sense for them to have more
weapons?
But we should not forget that just this year
they took down a commercial airliner.
This is not a nation that is capable of or
trustworthy to be able to buy and sell weapon
systems.
And so, I just urge the whole world to unite.
We have every capacity under 2231 to do this,
and we’ll continue this effort.
We’re going to make sure that this arms
embargo doesn’t come back in place.”
In addition to the European evident objection
to the American approach; Secretary Pompeo
highlighted that neither China or Russia,
nor Iran, can change a UN Security Council
Resolution – unless a new resolution is
voted upon.
“No resolution can be altered unilaterally
by any country – not by Iran, not by Russia,
not China, nor by the United States.
Security Council resolutions can only be changed
by subsequent Security Council resolutions.
And so, we think this is really straightforward.
We think this is very simple.
These UN Security Council resolutions will
come back into place 31 days from now and
the United States will vigorously enforce
them.”
It is important to explain that the so-called
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (or JCPOA),
the technical term for the nuclear deal with
Iran, was never ratified by any of the parliaments
of the respective countries that had negotiated
the deal – including the United States,
Russia, China, France, Britain plus Germany.
Therefore, the only legal endorsement to the
JCPOA derived from U.N. Security Council Resolution
2231, which voted upon on the 20th of July
2015.
While in May 2018 Washington declared its
withdrawal from the JCPOA; the United States,
which is a permanent member of the Security
Council, had never legally notified the Council
of its decision to abandon Resolution 2231,
it maintained its legal rights, under paragraphs
10 through 12, to terminate the JCPOA, consequently
galvanizing all resolutions that had previously
crippled the Islamic Republic’s economy.
The Ayatollah regime, however, insists that
Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA are legally
intertwined – insisting that since the United
States withdrew from the multilateral agreement,
it had lost all legal grounds to advance its
latest move.
“We are definitely confident that the Security
Council will reject the latest US move, because
the latest US move has no place in international
law and has no place in the UN charter, does
not enjoy the political support of the members
of the Security Council and is definitely
doomed to failure.”
Despite the fact that in reality, none of
the participating parties to the so-called
JCPOA are in compliance with the agreement;
they are seemingly adamant to preserve its
lingering idea.
Nevertheless, Iran’s neighbors – including
Gulf Arab States and Israel – have repeatedly
voiced their frustration over the world body’s
handling of the Islamic Republic’s malign
activities.
Speaking from Jerusalem; Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu called on all “responsible countries”
to support the United States - in seeking
a real solution to the Iranian threat.
“Responsible countries should support the
United States in seeking a real solution,
one that will prevent Iran from building nuclear
weapons.
Israel stands proudly and firmly with the
United States, as do governments across the
Middle East who opposed the JCPOA quietly
and now support the restoration of sanctions
publicly.
Ultimately, the tyrants of Tehran must understand
this: If Iran wants to be treated like a normal
country, it must start acting like a normal
country."
Meanwhile in Tehran,
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held a meeting
with the Islamic Republic’s top defense
officials, during which sought to convince
Iran’s neighbors that the unveiling of newly
developed ballistic and Cruise missiles, which
have a declared range of up to 1,400 kilometers,
are solely for defensive purposes.
"Our neighbors need to be sure that our defense
is in their interest as well.
We will use our defense power for the benefit
of our friends.
We won't use this against our allies."
The Iranian President ironically made these
remarks several blocks away from the city’s
so-called Palestine Square, where the Ayatollah
regime placed a digital clock that counts
down to the destruction of the State of Israel
- which it has set for the year 2040.
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I am Jonathan Hessen, wishing you an Erev
Tov and Shabbat Shalom; and we will see you
again on Monday, at the same time!
