Page 16 - Benjamin Netanyahu

Behind the dismantling of Hezbollah: Decades of Israeli intelligence

Worried that the operation would be exposed, top intelligence officials persuaded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to give the order to detonate them

Netanyahu undergoes prostate removal amid crises on multiple fronts

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is having his prostate removed on Sunday, his office said, a procedure that comes as he manages multiple crises at once, including the ongoing war in Gaza and his own trial for alleged corruption. Netanyahu, 75, is among a cohort of older world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, 82, and President-elect Donald Trump, 78, whose health and physical fitness are under deep scrutiny both at home and abroad because of their advanced age and the effect that could have on their leadership. Netanyahu, who has had a string of health issues in recent years, has gone to great lengths to bolster a public image of himself as a fully healthy, energetic leader. During his trial this month he boasted about working 18-hour days, even if those long hours are accompanied by a cigar. But as Israel's longest-serving leader, such a grueling workload over a total of 17 years in power could also take a toll on his well-being. The procedure has already had a .

Israeli police to probe Netanyahu's wife over TV show allegations

The acrimony escalates a lingering clash between Netanyahu and the judiciary

Netanyahu eyes Iran after triumphs over Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria

Without Syria, the alliances Tehran has nurtured for decades have unraveled

Netanyahu denies media manipulation as corruption trial testimony resumes

The Prime Minister faces charges of fraud, accepting bribes, and breach of trust stemming from three separate police investigations

Israel's borders shifted throughout history, acts in Syria may reshape them

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, entered Syrian territory Tuesday and said Israeli troops would remain in the area indefinitely, blurring the border with its northern neighbour. Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has never had fully recognized borders. Throughout its history, the frontiers with its Arab neighbours have shifted as a result of wars, annexations, ceasefires and peace agreements. Now, the downfall of Syrian President Bashar Assad has created a situation that could once again reshape Israel's borders. As Assad was toppled early this month, Israel quickly moved into the Syrian side of a 50-year-old demilitarized buffer zone. Netanyahu described the move as defensive and temporary, and said it was aimed at making sure that none of the groups jostling for power inside Syria threatened Israel. But in Tuesday's visit to the Syrian side of the buffer zone, Netanyahu made clear that Israel plans on staying for some time. Speaking on the windswept summit of Mou

Israeli troops to occupy buffer zone inside Syria anytime soon: Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israeli forces will stay in a buffer zone on the Syrian border, seized after the ouster of Syria's President Bashar Assad, until another arrangement is in place that ensures Israel's security. Netanyahu made the comments from the summit of Mount Hermon the highest peak in the area inside Syria, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with the Israel-held Golan Heights. It appeared to be the first time a sitting Israeli leader had set foot that far into Syria. Netanyahu said he had been on the same mountaintop 53 years ago as a soldier, but the summit's importance to Israel's security has only increased given recent events. Israel seized a swath of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights days after Assad was ousted by rebels last week. Israel's capture of the buffer zone, a roughly 400-square-kilometer (155-square-mile) demilitarised area in Syrian territory, has sparked condemnation, with ...

Netanyahu, Trump have 'very warm' call on Israel's need to complete victory

Netanyahu said in the video message that he had a 'very friendly, very warm, and very important conversation'

Israeli cabinet agrees to double settlements in 'occupied' Golan Heights

Netanyahu's office said the government had 'unanimously approved' the 'demographic development' of the territory, which would seek to double the Israeli population there

Iran intends to maintain relations with Syria even after ally's ouster

On Tuesday, Iran government's spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani called for 'respect for Syria's territorial integrity'

Have waited 8 yrs for this moment: Netanyahu testifies in corruption trial

The Prime Minister faces charges of fraud, accepting bribes, and breach of trust stemming from three separate police investigations

Netanyahu warns Syria against aiding Iran or arming Hezbollah, vows action

Netanyahu had further acknowledged that while the collapse presents great opportunities, it also poses significant dangers

Netanyahu takes to witness stand for first time in alleged corruption trial

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday took the stand for the first time in his trial for alleged corruption, setting off what will be weeks of testimony. Netanyahu said hello to the judges. One judge told him he had the same privileges as other witnesses and could sit or stand as he chose. Netanyahu will answer during his appearances to charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. He is accused of promoting advantageous regulation for media moguls in exchange for favourable coverage of himself and his family. He is also accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars' worth of cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer in exchange for assisting him with personal and business interests. He denies wrongdoing, saying the charges are a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media and a biased legal system that is out to topple his lengthy rule. The trial will be an inconvenient legal spectacle for the Israeli leader at a

As Israel advances on Syrian buffer zone, it sees peril, opportunity

The dramatic downfall of Syrian President Bashar Assad presents possible danger, and an opening for neighbouring Israel. After fighting wars on multiple fronts for months, Israel is now concerned that unrest in Syria could spill over into its territory. Israel also views the end of the Assad regime as a chance to disrupt Iran's ability to smuggle weapons through Syria to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The Israeli military over the weekend began seizing control of a demilitarised buffer zone in Syria created as part of a 1974 ceasefire between the countries. It said the move was temporary and meant to secure its border. But the incursion sparked condemnation, with critics accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire and possibly exploiting the chaos in Syria for a land grab. Israel still controls the Golan Heights that it captured from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed a move not recognized by most of the international community. Here's a look at recent ...

Netanyahu to take witness stand for first time in his corruption trial

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to take to the witness stand Tuesday for the first time in his trial on corruption allegations, a pivotal point in the drawn-out proceedings that comes as the leader wages war in Gaza and faces an international arrest warrant for war crimes charges. At home, Netanyahu is on trial for accusations of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate affairs. Netanyahu denies wrongdoing, but his appearance on the witness stand will be a low point in his decades-long political career, standing in contrast to the image of a sophisticated, respected leader he has tried to cultivate. The trial will take up a chunk of Netanyahu's time at a crucial point for Israel. While he makes his case for weeks from the stand, he will still be tasked with managing the war in Gaza, maintaining a fragile ceasefire with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and keeping tabs on threats from the wider Middle East, including Iran. It will be the fir

Trump's return may be boon for Netanyahu, but challenges abound in Mideast

Shortly after Donald Trump's win in last month's US election, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed to congratulate the president-elect: History's greatest comeback! he gushed. If Trump's staunchly pro-Israel first term and his nominations for top administration positions are any indication, Netanyahu's glee is justified. But much has transpired since Trump left office in early 2021. The wars in the Middle East, the lofty ambitions of Netanyahu's far-right governing coalition and Netanyahu's personal relationship with him could dampen that enthusiasm and complicate what on the surface looks like a seamless alliance. For Bibi, this is his dream. He wanted this, said Mazal Mualem, an Israeli journalist and Netanyahu biographer, referring to the Israeli leader by his nickname. For Bibi, it's too good to be true. With Netanyahu set to testify in his corruption trial and facing an international arrest warrant over the war in Gaza, Trump's backing will be all the more ...

Netanyahu thanks Donald Trump for warning Hamas to release hostages

Trump made it clear that those responsible for the hostage situation would face severe consequences

Israeli strikes kill shepherd in Lebanon; tensions threaten ceasefire

Israeli forces carried out several new drone and artillery strikes in Lebanon on Tuesday, including a deadly strike that the Health Ministry and state media said killed a shepherd, further shaking a tenuous ceasefire meant to end more than a year of fighting with Hezbollah. The shooting came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed keep striking with an iron fist against perceived Hezbollah violations of the truce. His defence minister warned that if the ceasefire collapses, Israel will target not just Hezbollah but the Lebanese state an expansion of Israel's campaign. Since it began last Wednesday, the US- and French-brokered 60-day ceasefire has been rattled by near daily Israeli strikes, although Israel has been vague about the purported Hezbollah violations that prompted them. On Monday, it was shaken by its biggest test yet. Hezbollah fired two projectiles toward an Israeli-held disputed border zone, its first volley since the ceasefire began, saying it was a warning

'All hell to pay if hostages not released': Trump issues warning to Hamas

US President-elect Donald Trump said that despite global concern over the Israeli hostages, there has been no significant action taken

Hezbollah's firing at Mount Dov a serious violation of ceasefire: Netanyahu

The Israel Defense Forces said Hezbollah fired two missiles toward Mount Dov on Monday but the missiles fell in open areas, causing no casualties.