US sees Iran attack on Israel soon; no clarity on what form * Haifa braces * Too quiet at the airport * Hostage Ariel Bibas turns 5 * Druze soccer club mourns its teens

[Times of Israel]( [The daily edition]( Monday, August 5, 2024 Presented by [Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin]( [US said to believe Iran attack on Israel imminent, Biden to hold situation room meeting]( By ToI Staff G7 urges Mideast de-escalation: Recent events ‘threaten to ignite a broader conflict’; Gallant, Austin discuss ‘series of scenarios and corresponding defensive, offensive capabilities’ [Iran claims it does not want to escalate regional tensions, but must ‘punish’ Israel]( By Agencies and ToI Staff [Iran said to dismiss US, Arab calls for restraint — even if it sparks war]( By ToI Staff Live updates [LIVE: At Air Force command center, Gallant says preparing for ‘quick transition to offense’]( By Michael Bachner and ToI Staff Smotrich says he’d like to halt aid until hostages freed * CNN: IDF action in central Gaza limited as many hostages believed held there * Truck driver lightly hurt from Gaza rocket Reporter's notebook [In Haifa, locals meet the prospect of imminent war with calm resolve]( By Canaan Lidor Unperturbed by Iran and Hezbollah’s threat to strike, locals in the northern port city say they’re ready for a showdown they intend to ride out from our sponsor [Help us give Lone Soldiers a Home]( It’s never been harder to serve in the IDF without family nearby. The Lone Soldier Center offers sanctuaries where soldiers can live, relax, and connect with peers in their native language. [Report: Israel could preemptively strike Iran if intelligence shows attack is imminent]( By ToI Staff and Agencies In meeting with PM, defense officials weigh options, say preventative action only possible if there is absolute certainty that intelligence on Iran’s intentions is accurate [Shin Bet said to prepare bunker for Netanyahu, senior leadership amid Iranian threat]( By ToI Staff [Herzog calls for unity as attack looms: ‘Our enemies celebrate when they see division’]( By Amy Spiro ToI podcast [Daily Briefing Aug. 5: Day 304 – Iran leans on its proxies as Israel gathers its friends]( By ToI Staff Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur zooms out to explore the powers aligning ahead of a potential Iran strike on Israel and weighs in on last week’s Sde Teiman arrests and mob scene [IDF can now send location-based alerts to phones in case of large-scale attacks]( By Emanuel Fabian [Israeli shares slide and the shekel weakens amid fears of a retaliatory Iran attack]( By Sharon Wrobel Reporter's Notebook Gavriel Fiske [Amid war fears, at Ben Gurion Airport, it’s business as usual — just less of it]( On a Sunday, after some 18 international carriers cancelled services to the Jewish state in anticipation of escalating hostilities, Israel’s main airport was quieter than usual [Those We Are Missing]( [The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown]( [Read Here]( [Hundreds mark hostage Ariel Bibas’s 5th birthday with bubbles, candles in Central Park]( By ToI Staff Bibas family plans march in honor of Ariel in Tel Aviv on Monday, while Israel Railways, Jerusalem honor him with orange lights [Two IDF soldiers moderately wounded in Hezbollah drone attack on north]( By Emanuel Fabian Israeli strike in south Lebanon said to kill two, as skirmishes continue on northern border amid heightened tensions [Travelers rush to leave Lebanon amid spiking tensions, canceled flights]( By AFP and ToI Staff Inside Story [Broken hearts club: Northern Druze soccer club mourns teen members blown up by Hezbollah]( By Shaul Adar Killed in the Majdal Shams rocket attack, Ameer Abu Saleh, Johnny Ibrahim, Hazem Abu Saleh were part of an intensely symbolic soccer team that is left bereft but remains resolute Top Ops Shayna Goldberg [I’m grateful for what ‘might be our last normal day’]( We’re Israelis: We make plans for next week even as we make jokes about the end of the world, because life is too precious to sit around waiting Gary Epstein [A (maybe) valediction]( The Ayatollah might not let me get all the way through War and Peace, but at least I published this post in time [CRM]( [Truck driver lightly injured as rocket barrage fired from Gaza at south]( By Emanuel Fabian 15 rockets fired in latest attack from Khan Younis area; IDF kills Hamas economy minister in airstrike; bodies of 80 Palestinians said returned to Strip [Israel says Australian probe into Gaza aid worker deaths ‘omitted crucial details’]( By AFP [Smotrich: It may be ‘justified’ to starve 2 million Gazans, but world won’t let us]( By ToI Staff Far-right minister expresses support for resettling Gaza, says October 7 wouldn’t have happened had it not been for 2005 disengagement from Strip [Smotrich freezes NIS 100 million in PA funds over ‘incitement to terror’]( By ToI Staff and Reuters [Day 304 – Iran leans on its proxies as Israel gathers its friends]( [listen to the podcast]( 2024 Paris Olympics [Judo Olympic medalists return home: ‘Our goal was to raise the flag of Israel high’]( By Amy Spiro Raz Hershko, Peter Paltchik and Inbar Lanir greeted as heroes at Ben Gurion Airport, say they were honored to represent Israel in such challenging times [Haredim clash with police as first draftees slated to report to IDF recruitment office]( By ToI Staff Violence toward female journalists, shouts of ‘shiksa’; no reports of arrests; ‘This is Auschwitz, the last stop,’ says demonstrator; only a third of draftees expected to serve [Facing family tragedy, online antisemitism, US wrestler Amit Elor vies for gold in Paris]( By Aimee Berg Undefeated for 5 years, the California native will step onto the mat Monday as a gold medal contender. She’s been pitted against more trying circumstances in the past [Report: Netanyahu decides not to seek normalization with Saudis before US election]( By ToI Staff Israel’s Channel 12 suggests PM is waiting to see who is elected to White House this fall before deciding on approach to Riyadh [Those We Have Lost]( [Those We Have Lost]( [Civilians and soldiers who have fallen since Oct. 7]( [Read Here]( [After a slow start in Philadelphia, Israeli soccer player Tai Baribo is on a roll]( By Jon Marks The striker, who has also played for Israel’s national team, had a breakout month in July with a stunning hat trick but hasn’t forgotten his homeland as war rages on More Headlines [UK’s Starmer warns far-right rioters will ‘regret’ being part of mass unrest]( By Paul Barker and Peter HUTCHISON [3 suspects in Sde Teiman abuse case released after new evidence presented]( By Emanuel Fabian [Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina resigns, flees country as protesters storm residence]( By JULHAS ALAM and Krutika Pathi [Australia raises terror threat level to ‘probable,’ citing ‘extreme ideologies’]( By Laura CHUNG [Head of Arab Americans for Trump says candidate supports two-state solution]( By ToI Staff [Two men shot dead in northern Israel’s Baqa al-Gharbiya]( By ToI Staff [Harris to interview vice president candidates Sunday evening ahead of deadline]( By Nandita Bose [Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admits he left dead bear in New York’s Central Park in 2014 prank]( By JONATHAN J. COOPER [The daily edition]( [facebook]( [twitter]( [instagram]( [View in browser]( [Contact support](mailto:support@timesofisrael.com) [Advertise with us](mailto:advertise@timesofisrael.com) Were you forwarded this email? [Subscribe here]( [Unsubscribe]( from this List © 2024 The Times Of Israel, All Rights Reserved