forces

Major Israeli offensive has also destroyed roads, water networks and private property.

Israeli forces have wounded more than 200 Palestinians in raids on the West Bank governorate of Tubas, as a major offensive on northern parts of the occupied territory that began on Wednesday continues to inflict widespread destruction.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) told Al Jazeera that 78 of the people wounded in Israeli attacks on Tubas since Wednesday required treatment in hospital.

After withdrawing from Tammun and Far’a refugee camp on Friday, Israeli soldiers have shifted the focus of raids to the city of Tubas, as well as the nearby villages of Aqqaba and Tayaseer.

Local officials said Israeli forces have detained nearly 200 Palestinians in the past four days. Most were interrogated on site and let go, but at least eight people were arrested and taken to Israeli military jails.

At least nine Palestinians were detained in other military raids in Qalqilya, Jenin and Nablus. The Wafa news agency quoted local sources as saying on Saturday that two children and a woman were among five arrested at dawn in Qalqilya.

Violent raids by Israeli soldiers and attacks by armed settlers have escalated since October 2023, with 47 army incursions taking place on average every day across the occupied West Bank in November.

The mayor of Tammun told Al Jazeera that while the town in the Tubas governorate was subject to dozens of raids in the past couple of years, the ones this week were the worst in terms of scale, destruction and violence.

He said that more than 1.5km (one mile) of roads have been torn up, water networks destroyed, private property vandalised and people severely beaten, repeating the pattern of other major Israeli military attacks across the occupied West Bank.

In the Jenin refugee camp, where Israeli soldiers have been advancing in a major offensive launched in January, Israeli bulldozers are making way for the demolition of at least 23 more Palestinian homes.

This comes several days after they issued notices claiming that the demolitions were necessary to ensure “freedom of movement” for the Israeli forces within the camp – even though the area remains largely empty as most families have been displaced.

The condemned buildings were home to 340 Palestinians. Only 47 of them, mostly women, were allowed to retrieve their belongings on Thursday.

A member of the Jenin Refugee Camp Services Committee told Al Jazeera that residents were given two hours to collect possessions, and some could not even recognise their homes due to the level of destruction after the Israeli assault.

The armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad said on Friday its fighters carried out a series of attacks on Israeli soldiers during raids in Jenin and Tubas.

The group said its fighters in Tubas targeted an Israeli foot patrol with an antipersonnel explosive device in the Wadi al-Tayaseer area. Fighters detonated explosives against Israeli military vehicles in the al-Ziyoud and al-Bir areas of the town of Silat al-Harithiya in Jenin, it added.

Since October 2023, Israeli soldiers have killed at least 1,086 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, including 223 children. At least 251 were killed in 2025.

At least 10,662 Palestinians have also been wounded since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, with more than 20,500 rounded up. As of the beginning of November, there were 9,204 Palestinians in Israeli jails, 3,368 of whom are detained without charges.

Palestinian deaths have also surged in the custody of both the Israeli army and the Israel Prison Service, with at least 94 deaths documented since October 2023.

It’s that time again! The holidays are upon us. Although we took a hiatus last year due to logistical and timing issues, we are back in full force with this year’s TWZ holiday tee! And to go with the theme of a very stealthy Christmas, we are also bringing back some of our most beloved designs that we made with our partners at Blipshift for rare re-issues. So if you missed them the first time, here’s your shot!

Our new offering, ‘Waritos,’ pays homage to the nickname tossed at flying-wing designs and the snack that inspired it. “Flying Doritos” or “Doritos of Death” are becoming much more common with rapid developments in stealthy platforms here at home and around the globe. So these soaring wedge-shaped treats are only going to become more of a staple in our skies. For the U.S., the king of the hill in this category is the B-21 Raider. Northrop Grumman’s creation takes what it learned after decades of B-2 Spirit development and operations, and packages it into something even farther reaching, stealthier, more connected and adaptable.

With all this in mind, and due to the fact that we hear readers call it a Dorito all the time, we let the B-21 take center stage in our design.

Still, we must caution that while the B-21 may share a common shape with America’s favorite heavily seasoned tortilla chip, don’t take a bite out of the bomber — radar absorbent coatings are notoriously toxic.

Grab your human upper body-sized bag of “Waritos” at the link below. And remember, like all our designs, they are only available for a very short window of time!

LINK TO BUY “Waritos”

And while your at it, snap up these other low-observable classics we are reissuing:

“On A Silent Night,” one of our biggest selling shirts (and our only tree ornament) ever:

LINK TO BUY “On A Silent Night”

“Stealthier Things” was also a big crowd pleaser and it’s more relevant now than on our first release as the final season of Netflix’s biggest hit just dropped.

LINK TO BUY “Stealthier Things”

Finally, maybe our best inside joke shirt ever, “Tonopah Canyons,” which celebrates the F-117’s semi-clandestine ‘active’ retirement community.

LINK TO BUY “Tonopah Canyons”

The sale of these wearable gems ends Monday (so you can get them by Christmas), then the designs go back into the TWZ apparel vault. Also be sure to check the pull down menu when selecting your shirt as hoodies and other fabric offerings are available.

And to all our readers, commenting community, friends in the industry, and military and colleagues, we wish you all a fantastic holiday and the best for you and your family.

Thank you so much for all the continued support, we literally would not be here without all of you!

Contact the author: [email protected]

Nov. 26 (UPI) — Officials with the U.S. Air Force and the Republic of Korea Air Force met this month to coordinate security efforts for the first time in 72 years.

Respective leaders of the USAF and the ROKAF military police units convened in Washington on Nov. 14 to strengthen relationships, assess security risks and explore mutual training opportunities, USAF officials announced on Tuesday.

USAF Security Forces Director Brig. Gen. Brian Filler and ROKAF Military Police Agency commander Col. Jongsun Woo also met in Washington.

“Our fruitful discussions highlighted the bond between our forces,” Filler said. “This is not merely a tactical alliance, but a vital strategic partnership forged in shared commitment, mutual respect and a common purpose.”

“By strengthening our relationship through combined training, knowledge sharing and unified strategic planning, we aim to build a robust and resilient deterrent against any potential threat to our collective security,” Filler added.

The visit included a trip to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where Filler and Woo met with the 316th Security Forces Group commander and others, examined counter-small unmanned aircraft systems, observed a military working dog demonstration and learned about the work done by the Ravens special-asset force that protects Air Force locations, equipment and staff.

“The site visit was an opportunity to demonstrate security forces competencies, not only our everyday battle rhythm but our warfighting capabilities as well,”316th SFG commander Col. Joseph Bincarousky said.

“It was interesting to compare and contrast our forces,” Bincarousky added. “We discussed opportunities for partnership between our air forces’ security forces.”

He said the discussion included how they could train together and learn from each other’s respective strengths and challenges.

Such discussions helped to emphasize the relationship between the USAF and the ROKAF, their commitment to collaborative defense and the continued importance of “interoperability in maintaining peace and stability,” Filler said.

“I look forward to furthering the ability of our forces to operate in a combined environment and expand training opportunities to establish a cohesive force able to withstand the uncertainties of emergent threats in the Indo-Pacific,” Filler added.

Nov. 21 (UPI) — The Dominican Republic’s Constitutional Court struck down legal provisions that criminalized same-sex relationships within the National Police and the Armed Forces.

The ruling invalidates two articles in the justice codes of both institutions that imposed criminal penalties, including prison time, on service members who engaged in same-sex relationships.

The regulations, in place since the mid-20th century, imposed penalties of up to one year in prison for officers and six months for enlisted personnel under the stated aim of “maintaining discipline and institutional morality.”

However, the high court found that the provisions violated fundamental rights, including privacy, equality before the law and the free development of one’s personality.

The decision responds to a direct constitutional challenge filed by Dominican attorneys Anderson Dirocie de León and Patricia Santana. According to the attorneys, the disciplinary codes of the National Police and the Armed Forces violated fundamental rights recognized in the Dominican Constitution and in human rights treaties the country has ratified.

The measure adopted by the Constitutional Court has prompted mixed reactions in the country.

Cristian Gonzales Cabrera, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, said “for decades, these provisions forced LGBT officers to live in fear of punishment simply for who they are.”

“This ruling is a resounding affirmation that a more inclusive future is both possible and required under Dominican law,” Gonzales said.

Conservative groups in the country, especially those linked to evangelical churches, described the measure as an affront to moral values.

“This ruling is a direct blow to the moral, ethical and spiritual principles that have sustained our nation since its founding. This decision by the Constitutional Court is unconstitutional because it disregards the spirit, value framework and guiding principles established in the Constitution.”

The Dominican Bar Association called the ruling “unfortunate and unnecessary.”

In comments reported by Diario Libre, the association’s president, Trajano Potentini, said the Constitutional Court applied a constitutional test that does not apply to an area that, by its nature, relies on a work ethic, discipline and special subordination inherent to military and police institutions.

In the Dominican Republic, same-sex marriage remains illegal and high levels of stigma toward LGBTQ+ people persist.

With this ruling, the country joins Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela in eliminating similar discriminatory laws and policies that criminalized same-sex conduct among military personnel.

However, activists warn that although the ruling is historic, it does not by itself guarantee a cultural shift within the armed forces.

The judgment, which still must be implemented, marks a milestone in Dominican jurisprudence and could set a precedent for future reforms in other areas of public service.

A 15-year-old Palestinian boy was shot by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank and was not given medical attention, leading to his death. He is among dozens of children who have been targeted and killed by Israeli troops in the occupied territories.

Nov. 19 (UPI) — Indonesia’s Mount Semeru sent volcanic ash columns 6,500 feet high after erupting Wednesday afternoon, posing a danger to regional air traffic and forcing more than 300 to evacuate.

The eruption occurred at 4 p.m. local time on East Java’s tallest peak at 12,060 feet and triggered a red aviation alert by Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin.

The alert indicates a threat to aviation, and officials at Qantas and Jetstar Airways said they are monitoring the situation but so far have not changed any flights.

The airlines will contact any customers who might be affected if the situation changes.

Virgin Australia also has not cancelled any scheduled flights.

Officials in Indonesia increased Mount Semeru to a Level 4 for volcanic activity, which is the highest warning level and indicates an eruption that is in progress, Fox Weather reported.

The volcano is capable of ejecting pyroclastic rocks as far as 5 miles from its peak, and local officials are prohibiting people from coming within 12 miles of the volcano due to the dangers posed by potential lava flows and clouds of hot ash.

Indonesia has 101 volcanoes and frequently experiences eruptions, according to the Smithsonian Institution Museum of Natural History Global Volcanism Program.

Chief investigator declines to say how many arrested; some were identified by videos on social media.

Syria has arrested members of the country’s security and military services as part of a probe into sectarian violence in the southern province of Suwayda earlier this year that left hundreds dead.

Judge Hatem Naasan, head of a committee investigating the eruption of violence in Suwayda in July, said that members of security services and the military “who were proven to have committed violations” based on findings and videos posted online had been detained.

“Videos posted on social media clearly showed faces, and they were detained by the authorities concerned,” Naasan said, adding that security personnel were detained by the Interior Ministry while members of the military are being held by the Defence Ministry.

Videos that surfaced online had shown armed men killing Druze civilians kneeling in public squares and shaving the moustaches off elderly men in an act of humiliation.

Naasan did not specify how many arrests were made. Nor did he announce a death toll, saying this would come in the final report that is expected by the end of the year.

He acknowledged that “some foreign fighters randomly and individually entered the city of Suwayda”, saying that some had been detained and questioned. He stated that none of them were members of the Syrian armed or security forces.

Fighting broke out in the Druze-majority province after a Druze truck driver was abducted on a public highway, drawing in Bedouin tribal fighters from other parts of the country.

Government forces were deployed to restore order, but were accused of siding with the Bedouins. Hundreds of civilians, mostly Druze, were killed, many by government fighters.

A ceasefire was established after a week of violence.

Claiming that it was protecting the Druze, Israel also intervened, launching dozens of air attacks on government forces in Suwayda and even striking the Syrian Ministry of Defence headquarters in the centre of the capital Damascus.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes around the country since the end of the 54-year al-Assad dynasty in December, mainly targeting, it says, assets of the Syrian army, but also carrying out incursions.

After the acts of violence in July, many in Suwayda now want some form of autonomy in a federal system. A smaller group is calling for total partition.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been painstakingly trying to usher Syria back into the international fold, with notable successes. In September, he was the first Syrian leader to address the United Nations General Assembly in six decades, and he was invited to the White House on Monday for a second meeting with United States President Donald Trump.

Al-Sharaa, who wants to unify his war-ravaged nation and end its decades of international isolation, was the first-ever Syrian leader to visit the White House since the country’s independence in 1946.

Both the US and European Union have dropped sanctions against Syria, and major Gulf Arab investment is giving the war-devastated nation a critical economic lifeline.

But al-Sharaa’s quest for national unity after a 14-year ruinous civil war still faces major internal and external challenges ahead.

Arrival of US aircraft carrier off Latin America fuels speculation that US could try to overthrow Venezuelan government.

The Venezuelan government has said it is preparing its armed forces in the event of an invasion or military attack by the United States.

A statement shared by Minister of People’s Power for Defence Vladimir Padrino on Tuesday said that the preparations include the “massive deployment of ground, aerial, naval, riverine and missile forces”, as well as the participation of police, militias and citizens’ units.

The announcement comes as the arrival of a US aircraft carrier in the region fuels speculation of possible military action aimed at collapsing the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a longtime US rival.

Tensions between the two countries have escalated since the return of US President Donald Trump for a second term in January.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon confirmed that the Gerald R Ford Carrier Strike Group — which includes the world’s largest aircraft carrier — had arrived in the Caribbean Sea, bearing at least 4,000 sailors as well as “tactical aircraft”.

In recent weeks, the US government has also surged troops to areas near the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago, for training exercises and other operations.

The Trump administration has framed such deployments as necessary “to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland”. Trump officials have also accused Maduro of masterminding the activities of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang with a relatively modest presence in the US.

But Maduro and his allies have accused the US of “imperialistic” aims.

Questions remain, however, about whether Venezuela is equipped to fend off any US military advances.

Experts say the Maduro government has sought to project an image of military preparedness in the face of a large buildup of US forces in the Caribbean, but it could face difficulties from a lack of personnel and up-to-date equipment.

While the government has used possible US intervention to rally support, Maduro is also struggling with widespread discontent at home and growing diplomatic isolation following a contested election in 2024, marred by allegations of widespread fraud and a crackdown on protesters.

The military buildup in the Caribbean region began after the start of a series of US military strikes on September 2.

The US has carried out at least 19 air strikes against alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, killing approximately 75 people.

Trump has suggested that land strikes “are going to be next”. But when asked in late October whether he was considering attacks within Venezuela, Trump replied, “No”.

Legal experts say that a military attack on Venezuela would likely violate international law, and recent polling from the research firm YouGov suggests that about 47 percent of people in the US would oppose land attacks on Venezuelan territory. About 19 percent, meanwhile, say they would support such attacks.

While Venezuela’s armed forces have expressed support for Maduro and said they would resist a US attack, the Reuters news agency has reported that the government has struggled to provide members of the armed forces with adequate food and supplies.

The use of additional paramilitary and police forces could represent an effort to plug the holes in Venezuela’s lacklustre military capacity. Reuters reported that a government memo includes plans for small units at about 280 locations, where they could use sabotage and guerrilla tactics for “prolonged resistance” against any potential US incursion.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s armed forces have accused the M23/AFC rebels of undermining recent peace efforts, warning that renewed clashes threaten to derail fragile negotiations underway in Doha, Qatar, claiming it has taken the necessary steps to respond to these provocations. 

The M23 movement, largely composed of Congolese Tutsis, re-emerged in 2021 after years of inactivity, arguing they defend their communities against ethnic persecution. Kinshasa, however, accuses them of being backed by Rwanda — an allegation Kigali denies.

The Doha process, led by Qatar, focuses on securing a lasting ceasefire and prisoner exchanges between the Congolese government and the M23/AFC.

Sylvain Ekenge, the spokesperson for the DRC army, condemned serious violations of commitments made during the ongoing peace processes.

“Several positions of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo were the targets of this coalition of terrorists in South Kivu. It is notably positioned in Bulambula and Kibanda Mangobo on the Walungu-Shabunda highway, the bridge over the Mudugwe River on the Walungu-Mwenga highway, as well as Tuwetuwe, which was attacked by the Twirwaneho militia on the Fizi-Minembwe highway,” Ekenge declared.

“In North Kivu, the attacks are concentrated in Kasopo and Kajinga within the Nyamaboko 1, Osso-Banyungu sector in Masisi territory, not forgetting the attempt to occupy Mount Irimwi towards Bunyatenge, in Lubero territory.”

Several media reports say that renewed clashes have displaced hundreds of civilians in Masisi and Walungu territories, with aid groups warning of worsening humanitarian conditions. More than seven million people have been displaced across eastern DRC due to persistent fighting, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). 

The army spokesperson stated that both the international community and American and Qatari negotiators have witnessed these events. 

While expressing its commitment to the peace process, the armed forces emphasised that they are fully prepared to combat the rebels, who are clearly unwilling to adhere to the terms of the peace accords they voluntarily signed.

The Congolese army made these claims in a statement released during the fourth meeting of the mixed committee responsible for monitoring the Washington Accord. The committee acknowledged the slow pace of progress so far and urged the parties involved to intensify their efforts to effectively implement the peace accord.

The M23/AFC has not yet responded to the latest accusations. However, the group has previously denied violating ceasefire terms, blaming government forces for renewed clashes.

During the recent deal, the participants agreed on several short-term actions, particularly the neutralisation of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and its allies, the acceleration of the disengagement of forces, and the gradual lifting of defensive measures by Rwanda. They reviewed the preparations for joint operations in a specified area of interest and agreed on an implementation plan. 

They also acknowledged the efforts made by both parties to turn their commitments into concrete actions on the ground. The parties reiterated their commitment to refrain from any hostile actions or rhetoric, including in international forums, to maintain the peace dynamic established by the Washington Accord.

Qatar, acting as a mediator, provided an update on the status of negotiations currently underway in Doha between the DRC and the M23/AFC. The report showed significant progress in certain areas, particularly in the exchange of prisoners and the establishment of mechanisms to monitor the ceasefire, which was initially agreed upon on November 5, 2025.

The committee appreciated the progress made and reaffirmed its support for the Doha process, which is considered the essential pillar for implementing the Washington Accord and the progressive return of peace in the eastern DRC.

Nearly 1.3 million members of the security forces and more than 26,500 internally displaced people are eligible to vote ahead of Tuesday’s polls.

Members of Iraq’s security forces and its internally displaced population have begun casting their ballots in the parliamentary elections – the sixth since a United States-led invasion toppled longtime ruler Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Polls opened at 7am (04:00 GMT) on Sunday for 1.3 million members of the security forces at 809 polling centres and will close at 6pm (15:00 GMT) before they are deployed for security purposes on the election day on Tuesday.

More than 26,500 internally displaced people are also eligible for early voting on Sunday across 97 polling stations at 27 places in Iraq, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) said.

Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari told INA that the special voting process is advancing “smoothly and in an organised manner”.

Nearly 21 million Iraqis are eligible to vote on Tuesday across 4,501 polling stations nationwide, the INA said.

More than 7,750 candidates, nearly a third of them women, are running for the 329-seat parliament. Under the law, 25 percent of the seats are reserved for women, while nine are allocated for religious minorities.

The current parliament began its term on January 9, 2022, and will last four years, ending on January 8, 2026.

An old electoral law, revived in 2023, will apply to the ongoing elections, with many seeing it as favouring larger parties. While about 70 independents won in the 2021 vote, only 75 independents are contesting this year.

Observers also fear that turnout might dip below the record low of 41 percent in 2021, reflecting voters’ apathy and scepticism in a country marked by entrenched leadership and allegations of mismanagement and endemic corruption.

There were widespread accusations of corruption and vote-buying before the elections, and 848 candidates were disqualified by election officials, sometimes for obscure reasons, including insulting religious rituals or members of the armed forces.

Past elections in Iraq have been marred by violence, including assassinations of candidates, attacks on polling stations, and clashes between the supporters of different blocs. While overall levels of violence have subsided, a candidate was assassinated in the run-up to this year’s election.

Influential Shia leader Moqtada Sadr urged his followers to boycott what he described as a “flawed election”.

Al-Sadr’s bloc won the largest number of seats in 2021, but later withdrew after failed negotiations over forming the government amid a standoff with rival Shia parties. He has since boycotted the political system.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, elected in 2022 with the backing of pro-Iran parties, is seeking a second term and is expected to secure a sizeable bloc.

Among the other frontrunners are influential Shia figures, including former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Muslim scholar Ammar al-Hakim.

By convention in post-invasion Iraq, a Shia Muslim holds the powerful post of the prime minister and a Sunni of the parliament’s speaker, while the largely ceremonial presidency goes to a Kurd.