The Times of Israel is liveblogging Tuesday’s events as they happen.
San Francisco police say 70 arrested for occupying building housing Israeli consulate
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco police arrested 70 pro-Palestinian demonstrators on trespassing charges after they entered the lobby of the building housing the Israeli consulate and refused to leave, police say.
“Officers developed probable cause to arrest 70 suspects who refused to vacate the building,” police say in a statement. No injuries are reported.
Ex-PM Bennett rips government over response to Hezbollah attacks: North ‘is going up in flames’
Amid the major fires in the north sparked by Hezbollah attacks, former prime minister Naftali Bennett tears into the government, charing that “the country is not being managed” and is devoid of leadership.
“These are tough days, but the sense that there’s someone in charge, even in difficult times, is not a luxury. It’s an existential need,” Bennett says in a statement.
“We must save the north. The Galilee is going up in flames. The fire is spreading,” he continues, referring to Hezbollah’s intensified rocket and drone attacks.
“Beautiful and flourishing places have turned into heaps of rubble. Some residents who were evacuated are already planning their lives elsewhere. This is a grave strategic event and can in no way be normalized.”
Bennett goes on warns “the north’s abandonment is dangerous for our future” and calls on the government and security chiefs “to chart a new course.”
“The prime minister must begin to manage, and now,” he adds.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid meanwhile hits out at far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, whose ministry oversees the fire service, for attending an event in Jerusalem as blazes raged across the north.
“There has never been a more reckless government in the country’s history. They just don’t care. Not about the north, the south or the hostages,” Lapid charges.
Over 30 firefighting teams battling blazes in the north
The Israel Fire and Rescue Services says over 30 firefighting teams are currently battling the blazes raging in the north, following rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon.
A statement from the fire department stresses there is no current threat to lives or homes, adding it’s “working hard to protect communities and property.”
The fire service says the blazes have raged for over 13 hours, while noting the extreme heatwave currently blanketing the area.
The Israel Defense Forces says that it’s assisting in the firefighting efforts, and that six reservists lightly hurt from smoke inhalation have been taken to a hospital.
US submits UN Security Council resolution expressing support for latest Gaza deal
The United States has submitted a new resolution to the UN Security Council expressing support for the latest Israeli hostage release-ceasefire proposal unveiled by US President Joe Biden last week.
“Numerous leaders and governments, including in the region, have endorsed this plan and we call on the Security Council to join them in calling for implementation of this deal without delay and without further conditions,” says US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. “The Security Council must insist that Hamas accept the deal.”
“Members of the council have consistently called for the steps outlined in this deal: bringing the hostages home, ensuring a complete ceasefire, enabling a surge of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and in the refurbishment of essential services, and setting the stage for a long-term reconstruction plan for Gaza,” the US envoy notes. “Council members should not let this opportunity to pass by. We must speak with one voice in support of this deal.”
The development comes amid an Algerian effort to pass a Security Council resolution aimed at ordering a halt to Israel’s ongoing operations in Rafah, which the US has indicated it will oppose.
At least 12 detained in Baghdad over latest attack on KFC amid Israel-Hamas war
BAGHDAD — Iraqi security forces cracked down on rioters in Baghdad who attacked a KFC on Monday, wounding three with live fire and detaining at least 12, security and medical sources tell Reuters.
The attack on a KFC on the city’s Palestine Street is at least the third in just over a week and was reported just as a senior official in the Iran-backed Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah releases a statement calling on Iraqis to “boycott and expel” US brands.
The attack caused significant damage but no injuries to staff or customers, the sources say.
The store was opened by Americana Group, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of fast-food restaurants KFC and Pizza Hut. Americana doesn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Iraqi security forces don’t immediately comment on Monday night’s attacks.
The KFC brand, previously known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is owned by US-based Yum! Brands YUM.N.
Iraq has been trying to encourage foreign businesses to set up shop in the country amid a period of relative stability that has at times been shaken by security incidents, including months of tit-for-tat attacks between Iran-backed armed groups and US forces.
Western brands in many parts of the world have been facing boycotts and other protests during the war in Gaza, reflecting public anger over the military offensive Israel launched in response to Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught.
Noting Shavuot, PM’s office denies Netanyahu will address US Congress on June 13
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denies a report claiming that he will give an address to a joint session of Congress on June 13.
The PMO says a date has not yet been finalized and that the speech will not take place on June 13, as that would fall on the second day of the Shavuot holiday.
The Punchbowl news site sparked a brief political storm after it revealed the date for Netanyahu’s speech without citing any sources an hour and a half ago.