The Times of Israel is liveblogging Wednesday’s events as they happen.
AP calls NY primary race for Latimer, spelling defeat for anti-Israel incumbent Bowman
The Associated Press has called the primary race between incumbent Jamal Bowman and George Latimer for the challenger in a Democratic battle that highlighted the party’s deep divisions over the war in Gaza.
Latimer, a pro-Israel centrist, holds 55 percent of the vote, with 51% of ballots counted.
With the victory, Latimer has almost certainly ousted one of the most liberal voices in Congress and one of its most outspoken critics of Israel. Bowman has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have died in military strikes.
Latimer is a former state legislator who has served as Westchester County executive since 2018.
Bowman had been seeking a third term, representing a district in New York City’s northern suburbs. His defeat is a blow to the party’s progressive wing and a potential cautionary tale for candidates trying to shape their messaging around the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Missile strikes near ship off Yemen, UK monitor says
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations says it has received a report of an incident 52 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Aden, as a merchant vessel’s captain reports a missile impacting the water in close proximity to a ship.
UKMTO adds that the crew are reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been carrying out regular attacks against ships traversing the vital waterway for months as part of a campaign meant to support Hamas in Gaza.
Incumbent Bowman falls behind to AIPAC-backed challenger in NY primary
An early lead claimed by Rep. Jamal Bowman in his Democratic primary battle has been reversed as more votes are counted in the closely watched race.
With 27 percent of votes counted, challenger George Latimer leads 55.8% to 44.2% to unseat the congressman.
Polls had predicted a handy victory for Latimer, 70, who has been in politics for more than three decades. He was in the state legislature for years before becoming the Westchester County executive in 2018.
Bowman, a former school principal, has faced a torrent of negative ads funded by the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC after he accused Israel of genocide in its war against Hamas,
Israel critic Bowman takes early lead as polls close in closely watched NY primary
Polls have closed in New York, where a hotly contested Democratic primary has focused attention on congressional attitudes toward Israel.
Jamal Bowman, a vociferous critic of Israel who represents the 16th District in the suburbs north of New York City, is facing a tough challenge from local leader George Latimer, whose campaign has been heavily backed by the America Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Early returns give Bowman a sizable lead with over 78 percent of the votes, though only some 5 percent of votes have been counted so far, the lions share of them from the Bronx, where Bowman is expected to perform better than in the wealthier suburbs of Westchester County to the north.
AIPAC’s allied super PAC has spent nearly $15 million on the primary, according to Federal Election Commission records. The cash paid for a torrent of ads attacking Bowman, who has accused the influential pro-Israel lobbying group of trying to buy the race.
The winner of the primary will be the prohibitive favorite to win in the general election. The district, which includes parts of Westchester County and a small piece of the Bronx, is a Democratic stronghold.
The primary fight has emerged as a case study of where Democratic voters might stand on Israel and has exposed the ever-simmering tensions between the party’s liberals and centrists.
Army says drone crashed near Eilat, indicates failed interception
The Israel Defense Forces confirms a drone went down near Eilat, but does not say it was intercepted.
In a statement, the army says it tracked the drone as it approached Israel from the direction of the Red Sea.
“The vessel impacted in offshore territory adjacent to Eilat,” the statement says, noting that it did not enter Israeli airspace.
“In addition, during the incident, an interceptor was fired at the vessel,” the statement says, without noting if the effort was successful.
The statement appears to confirm videos which showed an interceptor missile crashing into the water shortly after being fired from somewhere near the city, and a separate object exploding as it appears to hit the water near the city.
⚡️Looks like a failed interception in Eilat pic.twitter.com/4HXCHAvo7E
— Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) June 25, 2024
⚡️Some sort of hit on Eilat
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) June 26, 2024
Iraqi group claims responsibility for drone attack on Eilat
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a consortium of Iran-backed militias, claims responsibility for launching a drone at Eilat.
In a statement posted online, the group says it targeted a “vital target” in the Red Sea city.
‘Target’ aimed at Eilat shot down before reaching city, municipality says
The city of Eilat says in a statement posted online that an object targeting the city was successfully shot down.
The statement, citing security officials, says the intercepted “target” did not cross into Eilat’s airspace.
A UAV was successfully intercepted above the Red Sea near Eilat. pic.twitter.com/g2BrHlXPfN
— Israel News Feed (@IsraelHatzolah) June 25, 2024
There is no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Drone alert sounds in Eilat, video shows explosion near city
The IDF’s Homefront Command has issued an all-clear after sirens sounded in Eilat some 10 minutes ago warning of a drone attack on the Red Sea city.
Video footage posted online appears to show a projectile exploding near the city.
Interceptor fired over Eilat a short time ago may have been targeting a drone. pic.twitter.com/94Gy8dqzbg
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) June 25, 2024
תיעוד: יירוט במפרץ אילת@Itsik_zuarets pic.twitter.com/KZgjnPz79g
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 25, 2024
Arson reportedly suspected as large blazes put out near Jerusalem hospital, base
Firefighters have managed to bring a large blaze that broke out near a hospital and military base on Jerusalem’s Mount Scopus under control after some three hours, authorities say.
According to the Fire and Rescue Service, two fires broke out in the area just before 10 p.m. and were bolstered by high winds, threatening Hadassah Hospital and the Oferet military base.
Firefighters aided by police and troops managed to create defensive lines around both the hospital and the base, the service said earlier.
According to an uncofirmed Channel 12 news report, authorities suspect the blazes were started by Molotov cocktails hurled from the nearby Palestinian neighborhood of Issawiya.
“During the night and into the morning, multiple crews will remain to finish putting out the fire and to prevent blazes from starting back up and defend the area from more fires being started or firebombs being thrown,” the fire service says in a statement.