A pro-Hamas march in London, United Kingdom, Feb. 17, 2024. Photo: Chrissa Giannakoudi via Reuters Connect

A visibly Jewish man in England was brutally attacked after attending a prayer service, leaving him fearing for his eyesight, in what local police are investigating as a hate crime.

The attack took place on Feb. 3 in Manchester City Center around 1:30 om. As the victim was walking home, he was approached from behind and struck in the face with a hard glass object, shattering his glasses and leaving him covered in blood.

“I thought I could have been blinded in my right eye,” the victim told the Manchester Evening News.

“In the split second before, I gripped my phone tightly in case someone tried to grab it and did not have a chance to protect myself,” he recalled. “I was then hit extremely forcefully with what felt like a bottle around the right side of my face, instantly shattering my glasses and knocking me off balance.”

After being examined by paramedics, the victim said he suffered bruising around his eye and cuts to his upper cheek and side of his face, adding that he still experiences black dots in his vision.

A bystander who witnessed the attack said he heard the attacker shout “murderer” at the victim and accuse him of being “responsible for the war in Gaza.”

“I’m apprehensive walking around and now get nervous anyone could attack me at any time,” the victim said. “I remain very traumatized by what happened.”

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that an investigation was ongoing, but two weeks after the attack, no arrests had been made. Meanwhile, the British charity Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) has offered a £5,000 (around $6,300 US dollars) reward for information about the suspect leading to a conviction.

“This victim’s testimony is horrific. At a time of surging antisemitism, incidents like these are becoming far too common, and those responsible must be held to account,” a spokesperson for CAA said in a statement.

The incident came amid an ongoing surge in antisemitic crimes across the United Kingdom since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel, amid the ensuing war in Gaza.

Last week, the Community Security Trust (CST), a nonprofit charity that advises Britain’s Jewish community on security matters, released data showing the UK experienced its second worst year for antisemitism in 2024, despite recording an 18 percent drop in antisemitic incidents from the previous year’s all-time high

Specifically, CST 3,528 antisemitic incidents for 2024, a drop from the 4,296 in 2023. These numbers compare to 1,662 antisemitic incidents in 2022, 2,261 in 2021, and 1,684 in 2020.

In Greater Manchester, home to the largest Jewish community outside London, 480 cases were reported last year.

In a joint statement addressing the rise in antisemitic incidents, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police and CST said, “Everyone should feel safe and welcome when visiting our city-region.”

“Hate crimes in Greater Manchester will not be tolerated, and we will always endeavor to take action against those responsible for this type of offence to keep our communities safe,” they added.

Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists started the war in Gaza when they murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages during their invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza.

Last month, both sides reached a ceasefire and hostage-release deal brokered by the US, Egypt, and Qatar. Under phase one, Hamas agreed to release 33 Israeli hostages, eight of whom are deceased, in exchange for Israel freeing over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are serving multiple life sentences for terrorism-related offenses.

Talks for a second phase are set to begin in the coming days, focusing on the release of around 60 remaining hostages, about half of whom are believed to be dead, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

The post Jewish Man Violently Attacked in England, Assailant Reportedly Said He Was ‘Responsible for Gaza War’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Armed Palestinian carry one of the four coffins during the handover of the bodies of four Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Khan Yunis. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa via Reuters Connect

Argentina is set to declare a national day of mourning for the brothers Ariel and Kfir Bibas, the two young children with dual Israeli-Argentine citizenship whose dead bodies were returned to Israel on Thursday by Hamas terrorists who kidnapped them a year and a half ago.

Also returned to Israel were the dead bodies of their mother, Shiri Bibas, 32, and fellow Hamas hostage and Israeli citizen Oded Lifshitz, 84. Ariel was 5 years old and Kfir was 2 at their time of death. They are Argentinian by way of their father, Yarden Bibas, who was also abducted during the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, before being freed earlier this month as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Kfir was abducted when he was 9 months old, making him the youngest hostage kidnapped by terrorists from Israel during the Oct. 7 massacre and the youngest to have been killed.

“I am informed by the government that they will wait for official information on the DNA results of the bodies and that, if confirmed, Argentina will then declare a National Day of Mourning in their honor, ” Sabrina Ajmeche, president of the Argentine Commission for Human Rights, said Wednesday on X.

In a separate post announcing Argentine President Javier Milei’s decision to declare a day of national mourning for the Bibas children, she said, “Thank you, President, for your commitment to democracy, to freedom, to Western values ​​and to the fight against terrorism.”

“Kfir and Ariel were both Argentine citizens,” she added. “Two Argentine babies killed by Hamas terrorism. I hope that after this I never have to hear again that what happens in Israel and Gaza is not our business, or that of all Argentines.”

Milei, who won Argentina’s November 2023 presidential election, has publicly spoken about his support for Israel and Judaism, both of which were central components in his presidential campaign. During his visit to the Jewish state in February 2024 – his first international trip since taking office – he visited Kibbutz Nir Oz in the Negev, where the Bibas family and Lifshitz were abducted. Nearly 25 percent of Nir Oz’s residents were either murdered or kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre orchestrated by Hamas. Milei said at the time that he was traveling to Israel to “express my support against the attacks by the terrorist group Hamas.” Milei is also working to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization in Argentina.

Thursday marked the first time that the Hamas terrorist organization has released the remains of dead hostages since its attack on Israel in October 2023. Lifshitz was married for 63 years, a father of four, journalist, and peace activist for six decades. He helped found Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he was abducted from his home on Oct. 7, 2023, along with his wife, Yocheved Lifshitz. She was released by Hamas on Oct. 24, 2023.

Shiri, Yarden, and their two children were also kidnapped from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Yarden was released by Hamas on Feb. 1, and was one of the 19 living Israeli hostages freed so far as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal that took effect on Jan. 19.

The Lifshitz family released a statement on Thursday following confirmation of Oded’s death.

“We received with deep sorrow the official and bitter news confirming the identification of our beloved Oded’s body,” they said. “503 agonizing days of uncertainty have come to an end. We had hoped and prayed so much for a different outcome. Now we can mourn the husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who has been missing from us since Oct. 7. Our family’s healing process will begin now and will not end until the last hostage is returned.”

The post Argentina to Declare National Day of Mourning to Honor Israeli-Argentine Bibas Children Killed in Hamas Captivity first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Egyptian soldiers stand guard near the Rafah Crossing at the Egypt-Gaza border, in Rafah, Egypt, July 4, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter has accused Egypt of a “very serious violation” of its peace treaty with Israel, raising concerns over Cairo’s military buildup and armed presence in the Sinai Peninsula.

“There are bases being built, and they can only be used for offensive operations and offensive weapons. This is a clear violation [of the peace agreement],” Leiter said during a meeting with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations late last month.

“For a long time, this issue has been shoved to the side, but it continues. This is an issue that we are going to put on the table — very soon and very emphatically,” he continued.

While details about Egypt’s military buildup remain unclear, “satellite images have shown the movement of tanks and battalions that exceed the limits set by the Camp David Accords,” Mariam Wahba, research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told The Algemeiner.

Under the peace treaty, Cairo can request permission from Jerusalem to deploy more than the 47 battalions allowed. One estimate, however, suggests that there are currently camps for 180 battalions.

“The Camp David Accords have long been a pillar of peace and stability in the Middle East,” Wahba explained. “A breakdown of the agreement would have serious implications, not just for Israel and Egypt but for the broader region. It could embolden actors like Iran and its proxies to exploit tensions and could lead to increased militarization along Israel’s southern border.”

Leiter’s comments, which were posted in a video last Friday before being removed from online platforms, represent the first time an Israeli official publicly accused Egypt of violating the peace agreement by increasing its military presence in the Sinai Peninsula.

Wahba explained that this latest buildup could be a response to the war in Gaza, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and other domestic factors that have tested Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s hold on power. However, the key question is whether this movement was coordinated with Jerusalem.

“If the buildup was done unilaterally, it could strain relations with Israel and the United States,” Wahba told The Algemeiner. “If it was coordinated, the situation may be less of a concern, though it still raises questions about Egypt’s long-term military intentions in Sinai.”

Leiter’s remarks came days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump. During their meeting, Trump proposed his plan to “take over” Gaza to rebuild the war-torn enclave while relocating its Palestinian residents elsewhere during reconstruction efforts. He called on Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab states to take in Palestinians from Gaza after nearly 16 months of war between Israel and Hamas.

Like many other Middle Eastern countries, Egypt rejected Trump’s plan and informed the US of the impossibility of evacuating the people of Gaza. According to the Saudi outlet Al-Hadath, Egypt also confirmed that it has its own vision for rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians.

On March 5, Egypt will host an emergency Arab summit to discuss what it described as “dangerous” developments for Palestinians, according to a statement from the Egyptian foreign ministry. The statement also said the summit was being called in response to a Palestinian request.

Despite reports of growing tensions, Israeli defense sources have reportedly affirmed that security coordination between Cairo and Jerusalem remains tight, noting that such coordination has been in the interest of both countries for decades to protect their own national security and promote regional stability.

However, the growing Egyptian military presence in the Sinai Peninsula and ongoing infrastructure work has some observers in Israel alarmed. These concerns come amid growing tensions between Jerusalem and Cairo since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, particularly over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, where Egypt has demanded Israel withdraw its forces.

Egypt’s military buildup, reportedly in part in protest of Israel’s presence at the Philadelphi Corridor and to prevent a mass Palestinian exodus into the country, along with Jerusalem’s control of the corridor, could both violate the 1979 peace treaty.

Last month, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, also raised concerns about Egypt’s military buildup, questioning the need for so many submarines and tanks.

“They spend hundreds of millions of dollars on modern military equipment every year, yet they have no threats on their borders,” he said. “After Oct. 7, this should raise alarm bells.”

“We have learned our lesson,” Danon added, apparently referring to Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, surprise invasion of southern Israel from neighboring Gaza. “We must monitor Egypt closely and prepare for every scenario.”

On Feb. 4, the Beirut-based, Hezbollah-aligned Al Akhbar newspaper said Egyptian sources revealed that Cairo “conveyed an explicit warning to Israel in the military coordination meetings that the continued stay of IDF forces in the Philadelphi Corridor [on Gaza’s border with Egypt] would be considered a violation of the Camp David [Peace] Agreement between Israel and Egypt, and that Egypt would not be obligated to the agreement in the ongoing coordination regarding the situation of its forces on the border.”

This is not the first time Egypt may have violated the 1979 peace treaty with Israel. In 2012, it deployed fighter jets and tanks into Sinai for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, breaching the Camp David Accords. However, Egypt rejected claims of violating the agreement at the time, asserting its commitment to the peace treaty.

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