Russia suspected of plot to send incendiary devices on planes: Sources
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(MOSCOW) — Russia schemed to send incendiary devices, shipped through a commercial carrier on planes that would potentially end up in the United States, according to sources familiar with the situation.
In Poland, four people were charged in connection with camouflaged explosives that “detonated during land and air transport” in the U.K. in July, according to a statement from the country’s prosecutor’s office.
“The group’s activities consisted of sabotage and diversion related to sending parcels containing camouflaged explosives and dangerous materials via courier companies to European Union countries and Great Britain, which spontaneously ignited or detonated during land and air transport,” the Polish prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
“The group’s goal was also to test the transfer channel for such parcels, which were ultimately to be sent to the United States of America and Canada,” according to the statement.
“I’m not sure the political leaders of Russia are aware of the consequences if one of these packages exploded, causing a mass casualty event,” Pawel Szota, the head of the foreign intelligence agency told The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story.
ABC News has reached out to Szota for a comment.
The Kremlin on Tuesday dismissed reports about the alleged plot, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov describing the allegations as “incoherent” and saying they weren’t backed by “truthful information,” according to Russian news agency Interfax.
The U.K.’s Metropolitan Police also confirmed that officers from the counter-terrorism unit are investigating the incident that occurred in Birmingham, England.
“On Monday, 22 July, a package at the location caught alight. It was dealt with by staff and the local fire brigade at the time and there were no reports of any injuries or significant damage caused,” the Met said in a statement.
There have been no arrests made in the incident.
A U.S. official told ABC News that the Transportation Security Administration remains vigilant against threats to aviation and air cargo systems and said there is no current active threat targeting U.S.-bound flights.
The incident that occurred in England and another incident in Germany are believed to be part of a wider plot, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
A senior U.S. counterterrorism official confirmed to ABC News that the U.S. was alerted to the Russian effort over the summer. European officials told their American counterparts that they believed the Russians were trying to ship incendiary devices that would go off inside locations supporting the Ukrainian war effort to hinder Ukraine as it continues fighting the Russian invasion.
European officials said they do not believe the Russians were planning or trying to take down a commercial or cargo plane, the official said. But devices don’t always work properly and the risks to commercial and civilian aviation are serious when incendiary devices are enabled and shipped.
TSA did not address the incidents abroad, but said in a statement to ABC News that the agency “continually adjusts their posture” and promptly shares any and all relevant information.”
“Over the past several months, as part of a multi-layered security approach, TSA worked with industry partners to put additional security measures for U.S. aircraft operators and foreign air carriers regarding certain cargo shipments bound for the United States, in line with the 2021 TSA Air Cargo Security Roadmap,” the statement said. “We greatly appreciate the cooperation and collaboration with industry as together we work to ensure the safety and security of air cargo.”
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
(LONDON) — Kate, the Princess of Wales, is opening up about her health six months after announcing she had been diagnosed with cancer.
Kate, the wife of Prince William and a mom of three, said in a video message Monday that she is focused on staying “cancer free” and gradually returning to work after completing chemotherapy.
“As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” Kate, 42, said in the video message shared by Kensington Palace. “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.”
Kate went onto describe her cancer journey as “complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone,” adding of the perspective it’s given her, “This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved.”
The video gives an intimate glimpse into Kate and her family, including William and their three children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte.
The footage, taken by photographer Will Warr in August in Norfolk, England, shows the Wales family playing outside, enjoying a picnic together and embracing in hugs and kisses.
In one clip, Kate, William and their three children are seen playing a card game with Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton.
In other clips, William and Kate are seen walking and sitting together and embracing.
Kate announced in March that she had been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing what the palace described as “planned abdominal surgery” in January.
She has not revealed publicly what type of cancer she faced, nor exact details of her treatment beyond that she was undergoing “preventative chemotherapy.”
In the newly-released video, Kate said she plans to take on a few additional public duties after remaining out of the public spotlight for most of the past year.
“Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” she said. “I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.”
Since March, she has been seen only a few times publicly, including attending Trooping the Colour in June and watching the men’s singles final at Wimbledon in July alongside her daughter Charlotte.
Prior to attending Trooping the Colour in June, Kate shared a health update, saying she was “making good progress” while undergoing chemotherapy but was not “out of the woods yet.”
Kate said at the time that her treatment would continue “for a few more months.”
Kate’s absence from public duties came at the same time that her father-in-law, King Charles III, also faced a cancer diagnosis.
Buckingham Palace announced in February that Charles was diagnosed with cancer, but did not specify the type of cancer, the stage of cancer or the type of treatment.
Charles also spent time away from public duties before returning to a modified schedule of public engagements in late April.
The king’s first public royal engagement since his own cancer diagnosis was a visit to a cancer treatment center in London.
(NEW YORK) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt on Wednesday for fresh talks on an Israel-Hamas cease-fire, and as tension with Hezbollah persists at the Israel-Lebanon border.
Here’s how the news is developing:
11,000 students killed in Gaza, education ministry says
The Palestinian Ministry of Education said Tuesday that some 11,000 students have been killed and more than 17,000 others have been injured in the Gaza Strip since Israel’s campaign there started on Oct. 7.
The ministry also said 500 schools and universities have been bombed across the territory in almost one year of war.
Islamic Jihad rocket commander ‘eliminated’ in Gaza, IDF says
The Israel Defense Forces said it “eliminated” the head of the Islamic Jihad militia group’s southern rocket and missile unit in a Monday airstrike on a humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.
Ahmed Aish Salame al-Hashash was the commander of the Islamic Jihad’s rocket forces in the southern Rafah area, the IDF said in a statement. He was “an important source of knowledge of rocket fire within the Islamic Jihad terror organization in Gaza,” the IDF added.
Al-Hashash was killed while “operating inside the Humanitarian Area in Khan Younis,” the IDF said, referring to one of the areas designated by the Israeli military as safer locations for civilians amid the devastating campaign in Gaza.
“Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence,” the IDF said.
The IDF often launches strikes inside Gaza humanitarian zones in pursuit of militant leaders.
Gaza Health Ministry identifies more than 34,300 people killed
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry published a 649-page document identifying 34,344 people killed in the strip between Oct.7, 2023 and Aug. 31, 2024.
The document includes the name, age, gender and identification number of each person killed.
The first 13 pages of the document include names of people all under 1 year old.
The document only includes the names of those the Health Ministry said it has been able to identify. Thousands more who are a part of the overall death toll are considered missing, the ministry said.
The current death toll in Gaza is 41,226 as of Sept. 16, according to the Hamas-run ministry.
Blinken to travel to Egypt
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt this week to discuss efforts to reach a Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal, the State Department said.
Blinken will travel to Egypt Wednesday through Friday to co-chair the opening of the U.S.-Egypt Strategic Dialogue with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, the department said.
He will also meet with Egyptian officials “to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that secures the release of all hostages, alleviates the suffering of the Palestinian people, and helps establish broader regional security,” the State Department said in a statement.
State Department doesn’t have timeline on new cease-fire proposal
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller declined to predict when a new Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal proposal might be ready.
“We continue to engage with our partners in the region, most specifically with Egypt and Qatar, about what that proposal will contain, and making sure — or trying to see that it’s a proposal that can get the parties to an ultimate agreement,” Miller told reporters Monday.
“I don’t have a timetable for you other than to say that we are working expeditiously to try to develop that proposal, try to find something that would bring both the parties to say yes and to formally submit it,” Miller added.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously said more than a week ago that a proposal would be presented to both Israel and Hamas “in the coming days.”
Miller said Monday that — just like in the negotiations overall — the main hurdles for creating the new proposal were the security situation in the Philadelphi corridor and the number of hostages and Palestinian prisoners that would be released.
‘Trajectory is clear’ at Israel-Lebanon border: Gallant
Time is running out for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict at the Israel-Lebanon border, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in an overnight phone call.
“Hezbollah continues to ‘tie itself’ to Hamas — the trajectory is clear,” Gallant told Austin per a readout from the Israeli Defense Ministry.
Gallant “reiterated Israel’s commitment to the removal of Hezbollah presence in southern Lebanon, and to enabling the safe return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes,” the defense ministry said.
Cross-border fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah — which is aligned with Iran and Hamas through the so-called “Axis of Resistance” — has been near-constant since Oct. 8.
Tens of thousands of Israelis have left their homes in the north of the country amid the fighting, with Israeli leaders repeatedly threatening a significant military operation to pacify Hezbollah forces operating in southern Lebanon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Sunday statement that the “current situation will not continue. This requires a change in the balance of forces on our northern border. We will do whatever is necessary to return our residents securely to their homes.”
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Israel now says Houthi missile was hit by interceptor
A missile described by the Houthis as a “new hypersonic ballistic missile” was hit by an Israeli interceptor, Israeli military officials said Sunday, after initially saying it got through its defenses and fell in an open area.
An Israeli interceptor hit the missile fired into central Israel from Yemen, causing it to fragment, according to Israeli officials. The missile was not destroyed, but caused no damage, the Israeli officials said.
“The conclusion into the review of the surface-to-surface missile that was fired this morning is that there was a hit on the target from an interceptor, as a result of which the target fragmented but was not destroyed,” an Israeli military official said in a statement.
The Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the missile attack, claiming in a statement that it was aimed at an “important military target” in the Tel Aviv region. The Houthis claimed the missile flew some 1,267 miles in less than 12 minutes and that Israeli anti-missile defenses “failed to intercept” the weapon.
The Israel Defense Forces initially confirmed to ABC News that its defenses failed to intercept the missile but changed its conclusions upon further investigation.
-ABC News’ Victoria Beaule
IDF: ‘High probability’ 3 hostages were killed by Israeli airstrike in November
On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces released the results of its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of three hostages, whose bodies were recovered from Gaza by IDF forces in December.
The three hostages — two soldiers, Ron Sherman and Nik Beizer, and civilian Elia Toledano — were killed “as a byproduct” of an Israeli airstrike on the compound where they were being held, according to the investigation. The IDF said the strike was targeting a Hamas commander, and that they believed the hostages were being held elsewhere.
“The findings of the investigation suggest a high probability that the three were killed as a result of a byproduct of an IDF airstrike, during the elimination of the Hamas Northern Brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, on November 10th, 2023,” the IDF said Sunday in a statement.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Netanyahu vows to inflict ‘high price’ for Houthi missile attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate against the Houthi movement after a missile fired from Yemen fell in central Israel on Sunday morning.
“This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen at our territory,” Netanyahu said before a cabinet meeting. “They should know that we exact a high price for any attempt to attack us.”
“Whoever needs a reminder of this, is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah,” the prime minister added, referring to Israel’s bombing of the strategic Yemeni port in July after a Houthi drone strike killed one person in Tel Aviv.
“Whoever attacks us will not evade our strike,” Netanyahu said.
(NEW YORK) — Israel had a hand in the manufacturing of pagers that exploded on Hezbollah operatives this week, with this type of “supply chain interdiction” operation having been planned for at least 15 years, a U.S. intelligence source confirmed to ABC News.
The CIA has long been reluctant to employ this tactic because the risk to innocents was too high, the source said.
Planning for the attack involved shell companies, with multiple layers of Israeli intelligence officers and their assets fronting a legitimate company that produced the pagers, the source confirmed to ABC News, with at least some of those doing the work unaware of who they were actually working for.
Israel’s hand in the manufacturing was first reported by The New York Times.
One to two ounces of explosives and a remote trigger switch to set off the blast were planted in the pagers, according to the sources.
The last two days of explosions in Lebanon, triggered remotely with explosives inside pagers or walkie-talkies, have killed at least 37 people and wounded 2,931, according to Lebanese Health Minister Firass Al-Abyad.
The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel grew wider on Thursday, with Israel launching strikes on Lebanon and Hezbollah returning fire.
ABC News has reached out to BAC Consulting — the Hungary-based company contracted to produce the pagers on behalf of Gold Apollo in Taiwan — but neither company has responded to our repeated requests.
The pagers were never in Hungary and the company was “a trading intermediary, with no manufacturing or operational site in Hungary,” a spokesperson for the Hungarian government told ABC News on Wednesday.
In a speech Thursday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the group’s top leadership had old pagers, not the new ones used in the attack, which were reportedly shipped in the last six months. The group has begun a full investigation into the explosions.
“Not all of the pagers had been distributed and some of them were turned off,” Nasrallah said.
“Over two days, the enemy wanted to kill at least 5,000 people. … The enemy knew that the pager devices numbered 4,000,” he added.
