The Times of Israel is liveblogging Thursday’s events as they unfold.
Bernie Sanders accuses Israel of ‘genocide’ in Gaza, the first US senator to do so
US Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont describes Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza as “genocide,” becoming the first United States senator to make such a charge against the Jewish state.
While Sanders has led efforts in the Senate to block the sale of US bombs and firearms to Israel, he had previously stopped short of describing the war as a “genocide,” a charge that Israeli leaders have rejected as antisemitic “blood libel.”
But in a statement titled “It’s a genocide,” Sanders declares “the conclusion is inescapable.”
“Having named it a genocide, we must use every ounce of our leverage to demand an immediate ceasefire,” says Sanders.
US judge orders deportation of Columbia University anti-Israel protest leader Khalil
A US immigration judge orders the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, an anti-Israel protest leader at Columbia University in New York City.
Khalil became a high-profile figure after his arrest by the Trump administration in March. He has waged a legal battle against deportation since then.
The immigration judge in one of his case, Jamee Comans, orders Khalil be deported to Algeria or Syria.
Comans says the grounds for the deportation include that Khalil committed “fraud” during the immigration process by deliberately concealing his ties to the UN agency for the Palestinians, UNRWA, and Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a coalition of anti-Israel campus activists.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also said Khalil’s presence in the US could hurt foreign policy, the judge says.
IDF says 2 soldiers lightly hurt in ultra-Orthodox protest, one draft dodger managed to escape
The IDF says that two soldiers were lightly injured when ultra-Orthodox protesters threw stones and sprayed teargas at a van transporting draft dodgers to a military prison.
“Two IDF soldiers were slightly injured as a result of the tear gas, received medical treatment at the scene, and no evacuation was required,” the IDF says.
Hundreds of Haredi protesters surrounded a van trying to take detainees to the Beit Lid military prison, blocking its route.
“While still in the course of the incident, one of the detainees managed to escape. After initial treatment and rescue, the vehicle continued on its way to the military prison,” the IDF says.
“The IDF views the incident seriously and condemns any action against IDF service members who seek to enforce the law. The IDF will continue to act in accordance with the law as required,” the military says.
עשרות חרדים השתוללו הערב ליד כלא 10 סמוך לכפר יונה, יידו אבנים והתיזו גז מדמיע לעבר רכב צבאי. שני שני חיילים ברכב נפצעו באורח קל.
האירוע החמור הזה, התרחש בזמן הבאת משתמטים לריצוי עונש מאסר בכלא 10 ליד צומת בית ליד, משתמטים חרדים שנשלחו למכבוש. אחד העצורים, נמלט מהרכב ונמלט… pic.twitter.com/9Id2GDH7gs
— איתי בלומנטל ???????? Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) September 17, 2025