Page 20 - Benjamin Netanyahu

In apparent blow to Biden's plan, Hamas leader demands full end to Gaza war

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said there would be no let-up in Israel's offensive while negotiations over the ceasefire proposal were under way

Netanyahu congratulates PM Modi, hopes Indo-Israel ties reach 'new heights'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated his counterpart Narendra Modi on his party's victory in India's general election, expressing hopes that Indo-Israel ties surge to "new heights". According to the results for all Lok Sabha constituencies, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 240 of the 543 seats and the Congress 99. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has comfortably crossed the majority mark of 272 in the 543-member Lok Sabha. "I extend my warmest congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on being reelected for a third consecutive term. May the friendship between India and Israel continue to surge towards new heights. Badhaai Ho !", Netanyahu tweeted on social media platform X. Modi was the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992. He visited Israel in July 2017 in a much-publicised standalone visit, seen by many as de-hyphenating India's ties in the region till then seen in the context

No permanent ceasefire unless Hamas destroyed, says Israeli PM Netanyahu

His comments raise further questions about the three-phase peace plan laid out by Biden, which he said had been put forward by Israel

Protesters in Tel Aviv demand hostage swap, call for Netanyahu's ouster

Organisers claim that Saturday's demonstration marked the largest gathering since October 7, estimating a turnout of 120,000 individuals in Tel Aviv alone

US condemns loss of life but says no policy changes after deaths in Rafah

The US would be monitoring the investigation into the incident and expected Israel to learn lessons from the airstrike, Kirby said

Israel says Gaza war likely to last another 7 months as tanks probe Rafah

The United States, Israel's closest ally, reiterated its opposition to a major Israeli ground offensive in Rafah on Tuesday while saying it did not believe such an operation was under way

Netanyahu acknowledges 'tragic mistake' after strike kills Palestinians

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Monday that a tragic mistake had been made after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah set fire to a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians and, according to local officials, killed at least 45 people. The strike only added to the surging international criticism Israel has faced over its war with Hamas, with even its closest allies expressing outrage at civilian deaths. Israel insists it adheres to international law even as it faces scrutiny in the world's top courts, one of which last week demanded that it halt the offensive in Rafah. Netanyahu did not elaborate on the error. Israel's military initially said it had carried out a precise airstrike on a Hamas compound, killing two senior militants. As details of the strike and fire emerged, the military said it had opened an investigation into the deaths of civilians. Sunday night's attack, which appeared to be one of the war's deadliest, helped push the overall

Spain, Ireland to recognise a Palestinian state; EU, Israel ties to plummet

Relations between the European Union and Israel took a nosedive Monday, the eve of the diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian state by EU members Ireland and Spain, with Madrid insisting that sanctions should be considered against Israel for its continued deadly attacks in southern Gaza's city of Rafah. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Spain that its consulate in Jerusalem will not be allowed to help Palestinians. At the same time, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell threw his weight to support the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, including leaders of the Hamas militant group. The prosecutor of the court has been strongly intimidated and accused of antisemitism as always when anybody, anyone does something that Netanyahu's government does not like," Borrell said. The word antisemitic, it's too heavy. It's too important. Spain, Ireland and Norway plan to make .

Netanyahu admits 'mistake' after Rafah strike kills dozens of Palestinians

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Monday that a tragic mistake had been made after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah set fire to a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians and killed at least 45 people, according to local officials. Israel has faced surging international criticism over its war with Hamas, with even some of its closest allies, particularly the United States, expressing outrage at civilian deaths. Israel insists it adheres to international law even as it faces scrutiny in the world's top courts, one of which last week demanded that it halt the offensive in Rafah. Israel's military had earlier said that it launched an investigation into civilian deaths after it struck a Hamas installation and killed two senior militants. Sunday night's attack, which appeared to be one of the war's deadliest, helped push the overall Palestinian death toll in the war above 36,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish .

ICJ orders end to Israeli assault on Rafah: What does this mean for Israel?

International Court of Justice ruling against Israel comes just days after the International Criminal Court top prosecutor's decision to seek arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders

Bodies of 3 more hostages recovered overnight from Gaza, says Israel army

The bodies of three more hostages killed on October 7 were recovered overnight from Gaza, Israel's army said on Friday. The bodies of Hanan Yablonka, Michel Nisenbaum, and Orion Hernandez were found and their families have been notified. The army said they were killed on the day of the attack at the Mefalsim intersection and their bodies were taken to Gaza. The announcement comes less than a week after the army said it found the bodies of three other Israeli hostages killed on October 7. Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and abducted around 250 others in the October 7 attack. Around half of those hostages have since been freed, most in swaps for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of around 30 more.

Benjamin Netanyahu ICC arrest warrant: Can Israeli PM actually be arrested?

Israeli media has described possible International Criminal Court arrest warrants against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as a 'legal earthquake' and 'legal bombshell'

ICC arrest request for Israeli PM Netanyahu is unhelpful, says UK

President Joe Biden on Monday condemned as outrageous an attempt by the chief prosecutor of the world's top war crimes to seek arrest warrants for Israeli leaders

ICC seeks arrest warrants against Israel PM Netanyahu, Hamas head Sinwar

Warrants against Israeli politicians mark the first time the ICC is targeting the top leader of a close US ally

Ultimatum raises pressure on Netanyahu to make postwar plans for Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under mounting pressure from his own War Cabinet and his country's closest ally over postwar plans for Gaza, even as the war with Hamas shows no sign of ending. On Saturday, Benny Gantz, a member of the War Cabinet and Netanyahu's main political rival, said he would leave the government on June 8 if it did not formulate a new war plan including an international, Arab and Palestinian administration to handle civilian affairs in Gaza. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, the third member of the Cabinet, has also called for a plan for Palestinian administration, and said in a speech this week that he wouldn't agree to Israel governing Gaza itself. The United States has meanwhile called for a revitalized Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza with assistance from Saudi Arabia and other Arab states ahead of eventual statehood. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is expected to push those plans when he visits Israel on Sunday. So far, Netanyahu ha

'Sent envoy to Israel to stop bombing at least during Ramzan': PM Modi

'I sent my special envoy to Israel and asked him to convey and explain to the Prime Minister that at least do not carry out bombings in Gaza during Ramzan,' said PM Modi

Israel Q1 economic growth rebounds 14.1%, lifted by shopping, building

The recovery in the January to March period was led by large increases in private spending and investment, both of which slid in the fourth quarter

Fierce battle between Israel and Hamas-led militants in north, south Gaza

Gaza's Civil Emergency Service and health ministry said rescue teams have been unable to reach areas where the army was operating to respond to calls for help

Israeli tanks push deeper into Rafah despite allies warning against it

A US official who declined to be identified told Reuters that Israel promised not to make a major move in Rafah without advising Washington

If Israel is forced to stand alone, it will stand alone, says Netanyahu

Netanyahu spoke after President Joe Biden said the United States would not provide offensive weapons for Israel's long-promised assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah