Friday, July 4, 2025

Israel Has Received Hamas’s Response To Hostage Deal, Is Studying Its Contents


Israel says it received Hamas’s response to hostage deal offer, is studying its contents




Israel has received Palestinian group Hamas’ response on the Gaza ceasefire proposal with details currently being examined, Hebrew media reports, citing Israeli officials.



Palestinian Islamic Jihad says it supports plans for proximity talks on a truce with Israel in Gaza but demands “guarantees” that the process would lead to a permanent ceasefire.

“We presented (Hamas) a number of detailed points on the mechanism for putting in place the mediators’ proposal, and we want additional guarantees to assure us (that Israel) will not resume its aggression after (hostages) are freed,” the terror group says in a statement after Hamas indicated it was ready for talks.



Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the latest commander of Hamas’s military wing, is said to have told counterparts in recent weeks that he will either achieve an “honorable deal” to permanently end the war in Gaza or the conflict will become “a war of liberation or a war of martyrdom,” The New York Times reports, citing an unnamed Mideast intelligence official.

The comment highlights the hardline stance of Hamas’s Gaza leaders, as mediators work to secure a ceasefire in the coming days.

Haddad has spent time with hostages in northern Gaza and is currently believed to be in Gaza City, NYT reports.







Russia launches largest missile and drone barrage on Kyiv since war in Ukraine began

Russia launches largest missile and drone barrage on Kyiv since war in Ukraine began


Waves of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv overnight in the largest aerial assault since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began more than three years ago, officials said Friday, amid a renewed Russian push to capture more of its neighbor’s land.

Hours after the barrage that killed one person and wounded at least 26 others, including a child, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a “very important and productive” phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The two leaders discussed how Ukrainian air defenses might be strengthened, possible joint weapons production between the U.S. and Ukraine, and broader U.S-led efforts to end the warwith Russia, according to a statement by Zelenksyy.

The U.S. has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles. Ukraine’s main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelenskyy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine’s domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the call.

The seven-hour bombardment of Kyiv caused severe damage across multiple districts of the capital in a seven-hour onslaught, authorities said. Blasts lit up the night sky and echoed across the city as air raid sirens wailed. The blue lights of emergency vehicles reflected off high-rise buildings, and debris blocked city streets.

“It was a harsh, sleepless night,” Zelenskyy said.

Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. Less than a week ago, Russia launched what was then the largest aerial assault of the war. That strategy has coincided with a concerted Russian effort to break through parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where Ukrainian troops are under severe pressure.

Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine during the night, the country’s air force said. The majority were Shahed drones, but Russia also launched 11 missiles in the attack.

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Fears Of Disaster Brewing For Ukraine As U.S. Halts Weapons Shipments Over Stockpile Concerns


Fears Of Disaster Brewing For Ukraine As U.S. Halts Weapons Shipments Over Stockpile Concerns



Ukrainian officials say that despite media reports that the Trump administration is halting the delivery of critical air defense interceptors and other munitions, at least some U.S. arms continue to be provided and they have not been informed that these transfers will no longer be made. The news comes at a particularly critical time, as Russia has stepped up its aerial attacks. Earlier this week, Moscow launched its largest air barrage of the war, firing 477 drones and 60 missiles, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Overall, major and relatively sudden shortfalls in planned weapons deliveries could have wide-ranging impacts on the battlefield.

 “The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has requested a telephone conversation with colleagues from the United States to further clarify the details. The results of contacts with our American partners will be further reported at the level of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.”

On Tuesday, National Public Radio reported Nick Schifrin said on X that the U.S. halted deliveries of PAC-3 MSE interceptors for the Patriot air defense system, guided multiple launch rocket systems (GMLRS ) ground-to-ground guided munitions fired by U.S.-made Army High Mobility Rocket System (HIMARS) andM270 MLRS, 155mm artillery rounds, Stinger man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles, and Hellfire missiles.

In addition to that list, a retired high-ranking Ukrainian officer told The War Zoneon Wednesday that the U.S. is also halting delivery of repurposed U.S.-supplied heat-seeking AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles Ukraine uses as an effector on some of its so-called FrankenSAM air defense systems.

We asked the White House to confirm that the U.S. would no longer send these weapons to Ukraine and received an answer provided to the media on Tuesday that the decision was based on preserving America’s weapons stocks.

“This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a DOD review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,” Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly said. “The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran.” 

Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, doubled down on Kelly’s statement, telling Fox News on Wednesday that “This is what America First looks like. We first have to take care of the United States’ needs.”

The Pentagon’s policy chief Elbridge Colby drove the decision, which was made after a review of Pentagon munitions stockpiles, leading to concerns that the total number of artillery rounds, air defense missiles and precision munitions was sinking, Politico reported, citing three people familiar with the issue. Politico was the first to report on the arms cutoff.

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AI-Powered 'Digital Workers' Deployed At Major Bank, Another 'Digital Leviathan' Launching Independence Day


AI-Powered “Digital Workers” Deployed At Major Bank To Work Alongside Humans



This is the next level.” Not surprisingly, banking was the early and most aggressive adopter of AI. AI assistants are increasingly treated as fellow employees who have identities tied to email addresses and phone numbers. Banker dials phone: “Sally, I am helping Mr. Smith in my office with some adjustments to his trust document. Please review it for us and ensure it is in line with the latest changes in the law; cc both of us by email when you are done.” Sally: “Will do. I will get back to you in 30 minutes.” There are endless examples. ⁃ Patrick Wood, Editor.


If you’re working in banking, your next colleague could be a bot. Once unthinkable, the Bank of New York Mellon announced that it has deployed dozens of artificial intelligence-powered “digital employees” that operate with human employees, and even have their own company login credentials.


The Wall Street Journal reports:

Similar to human employees, these digital workers have direct managers they report to and work autonomously in areas like coding and payment instruction validation, said Chief Information Officer Leigh-Ann Russell. Soon they’ll have access to their own email accounts and may even be able to communicate with colleagues in other ways like through Microsoft Teams, she said.

What the bank, also known as BNY, calls “digital workers,” other banks may refer to as “AI agents.” And while the industry lacks a clear consensus on exact terminology, it’s clear that the technology has a growing presence in financial services.

This is the next level,” Russell told the Journal. “I’m sure in six months’ time it will become very, very prevalent.

BNY said its AI Hub developed two digital employee personas in three months, according to Adrienne Russell. One persona is engineered to identify and resolve coding vulnerabilities, while the other verifies payment instructions. Each persona can operate in multiple instances—up to several dozen—with each instance confined to a specific team to limit company wide data access.

Soon, the bank plans to integrate its digital workforce with email addresses and Microsoft Teams access in the near future, enabling these AI personas to proactively communicate with human managers, but will maintain its focus on recruiting top human talent while simultaneously expanding its digital workforce, according to the Journal.

Of course, BNY isn’t the only bank looking to shift work from its human staff to AI. Goldman Sachs has already launched an internal AI assistant to 10,000 of its bankers, traders and asset managers to use. In an interview with CNBC, the bank’s Chief Information Officer, Marco Argenti, said the AI assistant will pitch in with basic tasks like proofreading documents and improving language. “Think about all the tasks that you might want to complete with regards to a variety of use cases for all those professions that can be now at your fingertips,” Argenti said. “The AI assistant becomes really like talking to another GS employee.”

“As we progress, the second step is when you’re starting to have this agentic behavior, that is, ‘I’m completing a task on behalf of a Goldman employee, and I need to take a set of steps,’” he added. “That’s where the model is going to start to do things like a Goldman employee, not only say things like a Goldman employee.”


At JPMorgan Chase, Chief Analytics Officer Derek Waldron thinks of “digital employees” as more of a helpful model for business people to conceptualize AI tools. They are fundamentally different from human employees, of course, but also traditional software systems, and so they may need their own type of system connectivity and access management, he said. It’s an open question exactly how much or how little access to give an agent, and it’s going to have to be figured out on a case-by-case basis, he said.

And while it’s not clear yet exactly what it will look like, he does envision a future where every employee will have an AI assistant and every client experience will have an AI concierge. 230,000 employees already have access to a general AI chatbot through the company’s proprietary platform, and the goal is to build out more autonomous and more agentic versions of it that are further and further tailored to individual job groups. -WSJ


According to Scott Mullins, Managing Director of AWS for Financial Servies, the question of how to integrate digital workers with a human workforce is a top issue across the finance industry.

“How do we coordinate that work together?” he said, adding “How do we manage those folks? How do we actually instruct those folks? What’s the new operating model? Those are the answers that we’re all working on right now.”

Read full story here…




Beautiful souls, we stand at the precipice of the most dangerous transformation in American governance since the founding of our republic. While you’ve been distracted by the theater of partisan politics, a far more sinister revolution has been quietly orchestrating itself in the shadows of Silicon Valley boardrooms and federal bureaucracies.

On July 4, 2025——the Trump administration will launch AI.gov, a centralized artificial intelligence command center that represents nothing less than the digitization of tyranny. This isn’t hyperbole or conspiracy theory. This is documented fact, leaked from government repositories and confirmed by multiple sources. What you’re about to learn will fundamentally change how you understand the battle for human agency in the 21st century.

The veil of secrecy surrounding AI.gov was torn away when researchers at 404 Media discovered a publicly accessible GitHub repository containing the project’s complete blueprint. Before government officials could slam the digital door shut, the entire architecture of America’s technocratic future had been exposed to public scrutiny.

AI.gov isn’t simply another government website—it’s a unified platform designed to give federal agencies unprecedented power to monitor, analyze, and control every aspect of digital life within government operations, with the infrastructure already in place to extend far beyond. The platform consists of three primary components that together form what I call the “Trinity of Technocratic Control”:

1. The AI Chatbot Assistant

Positioned as a helpful tool for “streamlining research, problem-solving, and strategy guidance,” this chatbot is designed to replace human judgment with algorithmic determination. By removing the “messy unpredictability” of human decision-making, it creates a veneer of efficiency while eroding the democratic process.

2. The Unified API Framework

This system promises to connect all government systems to AI models from major providers including OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Amazon, and Meta. The centralization creates a single point of control over how artificial intelligence interfaces with every branch of federal government—from defense to healthcare to law enforcement.

3. CONSOLE: The Panopticon Dashboard

The most chilling component, CONSOLE, provides real-time monitoring of AI usage across government agencies. It tracks which tools federal employees use, analyzes their performance, and enables managers to “optimize resource allocation.” In plain English: comprehensive workplace surveillance disguised as management analytics.


Russian Drones & Missiles "Rained Down" On Kyiv In One of the War's Most Devastating Attacks Yet


Russian Drones & Missiles "Rained Down" On Kyiv In One of the War's Most Devastating Attacks Yet

TYLER DURDEN



Russia launched one of the largest aerial assaults of the war on Ukraine overnight, unleashing more than 500 drones, with Kyiv as the primary target. The timing of the attack—just hours after a phone call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin—yielded no success toward ending the war in Eastern Europe. 

On X, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha said, "Hundreds of Russian drones and ballistic missiles rained down on the Ukrainian capital." He described the attack as "one of the worst so far." 


Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv. One of the worst so far. 

Hundreds of Russian drones and ballistic missiles rained down on the Ukrainian capital.  

Right after Putin spoke with President Trump. And he does it on purpose. 

Enough of waiting! Putin clearly shows his complete disregard for the United States and everyone who has called for an end to the war.  

Moscow must be slapped with the toughest sanctions without delay. Ukraine must be provided with all necessary means to defend itself. 

Wrong decisions can only encourage the aggressor to escalate terror. Every criminal regime in the world is now watching closely Putin's actions and responses to them. If he gets away with all of this, everyone will get a very clear message. 

Stop waiting for peace. Act to achieve peace. Peace through strength."


This is Kyiv in the overnight hours...


The Russian drone and missile attack comes just hours after President Trump and President Putin held a call that yielded little to no progress toward ending the years-long war.

Trump told reporters on Thursday before boarding Air Force One on his way to Iowa that he was "not happy" with the conflict raging on, adding, "I didn't make any progress with him at all."

Earlier in the week, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a pause in sending a shipment of missiles and ammunition to Ukraine over concerns about rapidly depleting U.S. stockpiles. 

Axios noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to speak with Trump later today to discuss the pause of the weapons shipments. 

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Saudi report says Hamas could offer guarantees on disarmament, paving way for lasting Gaza ceasefire


Saudi report says Hamas could offer guarantees on disarmament, paving way for lasting Gaza ceasefire
TOI


Hamas officials have shown “flexibility” on the issue of disarmament, which Israel has demanded as a condition for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Saudi outlet Asharq News reports, as Israel awaits the Palestinian terror group’s response to a ceasefire and hostage deal proposal.

Citing unnamed Hamas officials familiar with the matter, Asharq News reports that the terror group may commit, through mediators Qatar and Egypt, to put an end to weapons smuggling, shut down weapons manufacturing operations in the Gaza Strip, and hand over their existing weapons supplies to be stored in a location without any Hamas presence.

Additionally, the officials say that the terror group could agree to temporarily exile a symbolic number of its officials who currently reside in Gaza, as a way of compromising with Israel’s demand to deport Hamas leaders out of the Palestinian enclave.

Even if Hamas successfully meets Israel’s conditions for a permanent ceasefire and an end to the war that has been raging since October 7, 2023, the sources tell Asharq that there is still a way to go regarding the future of the Gaza Strip and its governance.

Israel has said that Hamas cannot have any role in running the war-torn Palestinian enclave, but mediators believe that this cannot happen overnight, and that there will need to be a transitional phase. Speaking to Asharq, the unnamed Hamas sources say that the terror group will likely insist on maintaining control over law enforcement systems inside the Strip.

“The movement is the only entity capable of understanding the dynamics of Gazan society and maintaining security there,” one source tells the Saudi news outlet, adding that this is truer than ever “after two years of war, during which societal collapses occurred as a result of killing, destruction, starvation and displacement.”

IAF struck some 100 terror sites across Gaza over past day, military says


With U.S. support rising, Israeli leaders push for Judea and Samaria sovereignty


With U.S. support rising, Israeli leaders push for Judea and Samaria sovereignty


As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for his upcoming trip to Washington to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, members of his own party are urging him to take bold action at home. In a rare show of full unity, all Likud ministers—along with the Speaker of the Knesset—have signed a joint letter calling for the immediate application of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria before the end of the Knesset’s summer session.

The message is direct: the time for waiting is over.

The statement, organized with the support of the Yesha Council, appeals to Netanyahu to seize what they call a “historic window of opportunity.” With Iran’s regional influence diminished and the U.S.-Israel alliance growing stronger, the ministers believe the conditions are finally right to take the long-debated step of extending Israeli law to the disputed territories.

“The government must act now,” the letter declares. “We have a responsibility to complete the mission and secure Israel’s future.” The ministers referenced the October 7th massacre and the broader threat posed by terrorist factions operating in the region as proof that Israel can no longer afford to rely on interim solutions or ambiguous territorial arrangements.

Among those who signed the call are Defense Minister Israel Katz, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Transportation Minister Miri Regev, and Economy Minister Nir Barkat, alongside more than a dozen other senior Likud officials. They argue that any delay risks missing a rare moment of political alignment between Jerusalem and Washington.


Adding to the pressure is support from other key figures outside Likud. Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionist Party and leader of the Settlement Administration, voiced full backing for the initiative. He pledged that his office is fully prepared to implement sovereignty measures the moment Netanyahu gives the go-ahead.

“This is the right answer to those who seek Israel’s destruction,” Smotrich said. “Sovereignty is not just a political move — it’s a declaration of national resilience.”

During a previous press appearance in Washington, President Trump addressed the topic when asked about U.S. support for sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. While he stopped short of confirming an official stance, he acknowledged the conversation is ongoing and suggested a formal announcement could come within weeks.


As Netanyahu heads to Washington, the stakes are high. The alignment of political will in Israel, the strategic timing, and support from key U.S. figures all point to a critical inflection point. For Likud leaders, the message is clear: the moment for sovereignty is now — and it should not be missed.


WHO: ‘Pandemic Treaty By 2025’ Despite Global Outcry


WHO: ‘Pandemic Treaty By 2025’ Despite Global Outcry
Stefan J. Bos


Undeterred by global criticism, the World Health Organization (WHO) aims to conclude a global pandemic treaty by 2025.

In a statement, the WHO suggests that talks on reaching an agreement will be concluded within the coming months.

The U.N. agency says the global health rules will shore up the world’s defenses against new pathogens after COVID-19 “killed more than 7 million people,” according to WHO data.

Its announcement is due to raise eyebrows among critics in the United States and other countries who warn that the pandemic treaty will undermine the sovereignty of the U.S. and other nations.

U.S. Congressional Republicans have told President Joe Biden’s administration that the WHO should not get too much power given its track record during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We must ensure that the final draft does not violate our national sovereignty or infringe upon the rights of the American people,” said Republican Congressman Brad Wenstrup, a doctor and chair of a special subcommittee investigating the COVID-19 pandemic.

He and others fear the accord will increase the WHO’s power at the expense of U.S. interests – including free speech and freedom of religion.

The WHO says that 194 member states have been negotiating for two years on the agreement to increase “collaboration” before and during pandemics after admitting failures during COVID-19.

The U.N.-agency aimed for an accord last week, but talks were extended due to tensions between wealthy and poorer countries on issues like vaccine-sharing and
preparedness.

Yet countries reached a parallel deal to update existing legally binding health rules, known as the International Health Regulations (IHR).

That includes a new “pandemic emergency” category for the most significant and globally threatening health crises.

“The historic decisions” showed “a common desire by member states to protect their own people, and the world’s, from the shared risk of public health emergencies and future pandemics,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says.

“With this agreement, we take steps to hold countries accountable and strengthen measures to stop outbreaks before they threaten Americans and our security,” adds U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.

However, critics warn that the accord could weaken the U.S. and other nations as the treaty goes beyond information sharing and sets binding world policies for years to come.


Huckabee: Hamas Must Be Dismantled Like the Nazis—No Role in Gaza’s Future, Says Trump’s Ambassador to Israel


Huckabee: Hamas Must Be Dismantled Like the Nazis—No Role in Gaza’s Future, Says Trump’s Ambassador to Israel
Emmitt Barry



U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee declared Thursday that Hamas must be completely dismantled–drawing a sharp comparison to post-World War II Germany where the Nazis were barred from playing any future role. Speaking in a series of interviews, Huckabee reiterated President Donald Trump’s firm stance that Hamas will have “no future” in Gaza, calling any proposal that allows the terror group to retain power “as senseless as letting the Nazis rebuild Germany.”

In remarks to i24 News and Channel 12, Huckabee stressed that any lasting peace in Gaza hinges on the full removal of Hamas’s power, infrastructure, and influence. “Ending the war isn’t the hard part,” Huckabee said. “The hard part is ending it so that Hamas is removed from their power, their strength, and their ability to hold hostages and torture them.”

Huckabee voiced cautious optimism about ongoing ceasefire and hostage negotiations, but blamed Hamas for repeated breakdowns in talks. “We felt for many months now that we’ve been close, but Hamas is always the one that gums it up just when we think we’re on the brink of getting all of the hostages back,” he said. “Anything that gets all the hostages returned is a positive step.”

The ambassador confirmed that President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are scheduled to meet in Washington next week, with the hostage crisis and Gaza’s future topping the agenda. “Obviously, the number one thing is getting all of the hostages released,” Huckabee said.

Pressed on whether the Trump administration might condition aid to Israel on domestic issues such as Netanyahu’s ongoing trial, Huckabee rejected the notion, stating that Trump’s comments were “a mere observation” based on his own experience with lawfare in the United States. “He wasn’t trying to interfere in Israeli judicial matters. He simply saw something happening to a friend that he recognized from his own experience,” Huckabee said.



Kiev ablaze after reported overnight missile and drone barrage (VIDEOS)


Kiev ablaze after reported overnight missile and drone barrage (VIDEOS)
RT



Ukrainian officials have claimed that the Russian military launched a wave of missile and drone strikes targeting the capital early Friday. The Russian Ministry of Defense has yet to comment.

The first strikes in Kiev were reported shortly after midnight, with Mayor Vitaly Klitschko urging residents to seek shelter as the capital’s air defenses engaged incoming targets. Officials confirmed that by 4am, several mostly “non-residential” facilities in multiple districts had been hit in successive waves.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities, but Klitschko said at least 14 people were injured after falling debris from intercepted missiles and drones triggered fires in residential areas and private yards.

Kiev's Zhuliany International Airport is reportedly on fire following multiple ballistic missile and drone strikes this evening. US-supplied Patroit and other air defense batteries has been known to be stationed at the airport.

Meanwhile, multiple blurred-out videos shared on Ukrainian social media appeared to show the aftermath of the strikes, with numerous fires lighting up the city skyline. 

Officials confirmed at least 13 impacts in different parts of the capital.

Russia is ROCKING Kiev tonight. At least 10 explosions in one minute (video).

The exact locations and types of facilities hit were difficult to verify, as Ukrainian authorities heavily censor the flow of information and punish those who share footage of the impacts – unless a civilian facility is affected.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet issued a statement on the incident. Moscow regularly conducts drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure, maintaining that its operations do not target civilians and blaming Kiev for placing air defense systems in densely populated areas.

The reported strikes came just hours after President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with his US counterpart, during which Donald Trump reportedly urged Russia to cease hostilities in Ukraine “as soon as possible.” Putin, in turn, reaffirmed Moscow’s openness to a negotiated solution but reportedly stated that Russia would not back down until the “well-known root causes” of the conflict are addressed.

Despite several rounds of direct negotiations in Istanbul in recent months, Kiev has continued long-range attacks on Russian territory, including nightly drone operations. A Ukrainian drone strike reportedly caused fatalities and serious injuries at an industrial plant in the city of Izhevsk, located about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) east of Moscow. On Monday, a woman was killed and three others injured in a missile strike on the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).


US halts all military shipments to Ukraine – The Economist