Israeli airstrikes kill hundreds in Gaza as Hamas ceasefire talks stall

GOOD MORNING

I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI

IT’S TUESDAY, MARCH 18-TH, 20-25

AND THESE ARE YOUR UNBIASED UPDATES:

THE CEASE-FIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS TAKES A DRAMATIC AND DEADLY TURN, AS ISRAEL LAUNCHES ATTACKS AGAINST  HAMAS IN GAZA.  WHY NOW,  IF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WAS LOOPED IN ON THE DECISION AND WHAT HAPPENS FROM HERE 

AND — COMING HOME AT LAST.  THE TWO AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS,  STRANDED on the International Space Station, ARE NOW HEADED BACK HOME. HOW THE MISSION nine months in the making is going and when they are expected to splash down from space. 

THIS MORNING — IT APPEARS THE ALREADY FRAGILE CEASEFIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS IN GAZA IS OVER, AS THE ISRAELI MILITARY HAS DECLARED A “MASSIVE OFFENSIVE” IN GAZA AND ORDERED CIVILIANS IN VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS TO EVACUATE.

THIS JUST HOURS AFTER ISRAEL LAUNCHED “EXTENSIVE STRIKES” ON HAMAS TARGETS INSIDE GAZA — KILLING MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE AND INJURING HUNDREDS MORE, ACCORDING TO GAZA’S HEALTH MINISTRY.

THE WHITE HOUSE HAS CONFIRMED ISRAEL DID CONSULT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BEFORE THESE LATEST STRIKES IN GAZA.

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU VOWING TO USE QUOTE “INCREASING MILITARY STRENGTH” AGAINST HAMAS TO FORCE THE RELEASE OF ALL THE ISRAELI HOSTAGES STILL IN GAZA QUOTE “LIVING AND DEAD.”

IN A STATEMENT, ISRAEL’S DEFENSE MINISTER DECLARED QUOTE “TONIGHT WE RETURNED TO FIGHTING IN GAZA” AND SAID “IF HAMAS DOES NOT RELEASE ALL THE HOSTAGES, THE GATES OF HELL WILL OPEN IN GAZA.”

A SENIOR HAMAS OFFICIAL SAID THE STRIKES AMOUNT TO QUOTE “A DEATH SENTENCE” FOR THE REMAINING HOSTAGES — ABOUT TWO DOZEN OF WHOM ARE BELIEVED TO STILL BE ALIVE.

MEANWHILE — YEMEN’S HOUTHI REBELS ARE CONDEMNING ISRAEL’S LATEST STRIKES ON GAZA,  REITERATING THEIR SUPPORT FOR HAMAS.

IN A STATEMENT — THE IRAN-BACKED MILITANT GROUP’S SUPREME POLITICAL COUNCIL SAID  “THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE WILL NOT BE LEFT ALONE IN THIS BATTLE, AND YEMEN WILL CONTINUE ITS SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE, AND ESCALATE CONFRONTATION STEPS.”

THE THREAT COMES AS TENSIONS ARE ALREADY BOILING OVER BETWEEN THE HOUTHIS AND THE UNITED STATES.

OVER THE WEEKEND, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION  LAUNCHED A SERIES OF AIRSTRIKES IN YEMEN AFTER THE MILITANT GROUP THREATENED TO RENEW ATTACKS ON ISRAELI SHIPPING IN THE RED SEA.

THE PENTAGON SAYS it STRUCK 30 TARGETS IN YEMEN SINCE SATURDAY.  THE PRESIDENT SAYS THE HOUTHIS HAVE WAGED A CAMPAIGN OF PIRACY, VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM AGAINST AMERICAN SHIPS IN THE RED SEA, THE SUEZ CANAL AND GULF OF ADEN AND IT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

THE HOUTHIS’ VOW TO ESCALATE THE FIGHT WITH ISRAEL WILL APPARENTLY COME WITH A PRICE FOR IRAN.

IN A POST ON HIS TRUTH SOCIAL PLATFORM MONDAY — PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAID QUOTE  “EVERY SHOT FIRED BY THE HOUTHIS WILL BE LOOKED UPON FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, AS BEING A SHOT FIRED FROM THE WEAPONS AND LEADERSHIP OF IRAN.

AND IRAN WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE, AND SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES, AND THOSE CONSEQUENCES WILL BE DIRE!”

THE PRESIDENT ALSO ACCUSED IRAN OF FUNDING THE MILITANT GROUP AND SUPPLYING IT WITH WEAPONS AND INTELLIGENCE — ALL OF WHICH TEHRAN DENIES.

Trump’s comments come after the administration launched a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen over the weekend.

NOW TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE — PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SET TO speak WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN TODAY ABOUT NEGOTIATING A CEASEFIRE, AS THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT,  ULTIMATELY PUSHES FOR PEACE IN THE REGION.

DONALD TRUMP SAYS WASHINGTON AND MOSCOW HAVE ALREADY BEGUN DISCUSSING “DIVIDING UP CERTAIN ASSETS” BETWEEN UKRAINE AND RUSSIA AS PART OF A DEAL TO END THE CONFLICT — AND THAT SWAPS OF LAND AND POWER PLANTS WILL BE PART OF TODAY’S phone call WITH PUTIN.

IN A POST ON TRUTH SOCIAL MONDAY — PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID QUOTE “MANY ELEMENTS OF A FINAL AGREEMENT HAVE BEEN AGREED TO, BUT MUCH REMAINS” — he DID NOT GIVE ANY SPECIFICS.

MEANWHILE, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, IN HIS NIGHTLY VIDEO ADDRESS ON MONDAY,  INDICATED THAT HE REMAINS DOUBTFUL PUTIN IS READY FOR PEACE — ACCUSING THE RUSSIAN LEADER OF DRAGGING OUT THE WAR.

A FEDERAL JUDGE IS QUESTIONING WHETHER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IGNORED HIS ORDERS TO TURN AROUND PLANES CARRYING DEPORTEES TO EL SALVADOR — A POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF THE DECISION the judge had  ISSUED,  REPORTEDLY AS THE FLIGHTS WERE ALREADY IN THE AIR.

THE ADMINISTRATION CONTENDS THAT DISTRICT JUDGE JAMES BOASBERG’S VERBAL DIRECTIONS DID NOT COUNT — SAYING ONLY HIS WRITTEN ORDER NEEDED TO BE FOLLOWED.

A GOVERNMENT LAWYER ALSO SAID THE ORDER COULD NOT APPLY TO FLIGHTS THAT HAD LEFT THE U-S AND HE REFUSED TO ANSWER THE JUDGE’S QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DEPORTATIONS DUE TO “NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES.”

WHEN SPEAKING WITH REPORTERS ON MONDAY, TRUMP’S DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR POLICY, STEPHEN MILLER, QUESTIONED THE AUTHORITY OF A DISTRICT COURT JUDGE TO RULE OVER THE PRESIDENT’S IMMIGRATION POLICIES — AND SAID TRUMP HAD EVERY RIGHT TO DEPORT ALLEGED MEMBERS OF THE VENEZUELAN GANG TREN DE ARAGUA UNDER THE ALIEN ENEMIES ACT OF 17-98 — WHICH TRUMP INVOKED ON SATURDAY.

[STEPHEN MILLER, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF]

“At a fundamental level a district court judge has no authority to direct the national security operations of the executive branch. The president is operating at the apex of his authority. When you are dealing with questions of invasion and questions of alien enemy infiltration, as well as the expulsion of terrorist illegal aliens from the country.”

INVOKING THE ALIEN ENEMIES ACT COULD ALLOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO DEPORT ANY NONCITIZENS ASSOCIATED WITH THE GANG. THE ACLU ARGUES,  WITHOUT PROOF.

THE JUDGE PUT A TEMPORARY ORDER ON THE ACT TAKING EFFECT AFTER A LAWSUIT WAS FILED ON BEHALF OF SEVERAL VENEZUELANS IN U-S CUSTODY WHO FEAR THEY WILL BE FALSELY ACCUSED OF BEING TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS AND IMPROPERLY REMOVED FROM THE COUNTRY.

THIS MORNING, THEY ARE HOMEWARD BOUND.  AFTER NINE MONTHS IN SPACE, AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS BUTCH WILMORE AND SUNI WILLIAMS ARE NOW ABOARD a SPACEX CAPSULE THAT DEPARTED FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION OVERNIGHT, AND IS HEADED BACK TO THE U-S. 

WILMORE AND WILLIAMS HAD BEEN AT THE I-S-S FOR WHAT WAS EXPECTED TO BE Approximately a weeklong mission — BUT TURNED INTO A VERY LONG ORDEAL.  THEY ARRIVED IN JUNE ABOARD THE NEW BOEING STARLINER CREW CAPSULE.  BUT DIFFICULTIES WITH THE STARLINER FORCED NASA TO BRING IT BACK,  UNMANNED,  WHILE THE TWO ASTRONAUTS REMAINED IN SPACE. A FEBRUARY RETURN THEN WAS POSTPONED AS THERE WERE ISSUES WITH THE SPACEX CAPSULE.  

PRESIDENT TRUMP THEN URGED ELON MUSK TO SPEED THINGS ALONG.  MUSK’S SPACEX SENT UP A USED CAPSULE THAT DOCKED ON SUNDAY AND PICKED UP WILMORE AND WILLIAMS, ALONG WITH TWO OTHER ASTRONAUTS.  

THE CAPSULE IS SET TO SPLASH DOWN OFF THE FLORIDA COAST, AROUND 6 PM EASTERN. 

One more note — Thanks to her extended time in space — With 62 hours over nine spacewalks, Williams set a new record: the most time spacewalking by a female astronaut. 

FINALLY THIS MORNING… AN EXTREMELY RARE SIGHT SPOTTED IN NORTHERN PAKISTAN — emphasis on spotted.

FOUR SNOW LEOPARDS — SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST ELUSIVE ANIMALS — CAUGHT ON CAMERA MOVING ACROSS A MOUNTAIN RANGE IN NORTHERN PAKISTAN.

SNOW LEOPARDS ARE NATIVE TO CENTRAL AND SOUTH ASIA AND ARE CLASSIFIED AS A VULNERABLE SPECIES BY THE INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE.

IT’S UNCOMMON FOR EVEN ONE TO BE OUT IN THE OPEN,  LIKE THIS — LET ALONE FOUR.

IN A SOCIAL MEDIA POST, THE FOREST’S PARKS, WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT OF GILGIT BALTISTAN — THAT’S THE REGION WHERE THE BIG CATS WERE SPOTTED — SAID THE VIDEO SHOWS PROTECTION EFFORTS ARE PAYING OFF.