Page 27 - Benjamin Netanyahu

Truce begins in Israel-Hamas war; stage set for release of hostages

A temporary truce in the Israel-Hamas war took effect early Friday, setting the stage for the exchange of dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. The halt in fighting began at 7 am local time (0500 GMT) and is to last at least four days. During the truce, Gaza's ruling Hamas group pledged to free at least 50 of the about 240 hostages it and other militants took in their deadly Oct 7 attack on Israel. In turn, Israel is to free three Palestinian prisoners for each released hostage. The releases are to take place in stages over the next four days. The truce deal was reached in weeks of intense indirect negotiations, with Qatar, the United States and Egypt serving as mediators. If it holds, it would mark the first significant break in fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas seven weeks ago. About 1,200 people were killed by Hamas attackers in Israel on Oct 7. Israel responded with a massive air and ground offensive that has devastated lar

More than 13,000 died in Gaza, say officials as detailed count resumes

The director of the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza says it has resumed its detailed count of casualties from the Israel-Hamas war, and has documented more than 13,000 deaths. Medhat Abbas confirmed the resumption to The Associated Press on Thursday. The Health Ministry had stopped updating its figures on Nov. 11 after the breakdown of access and communication in northern Gaza, where Israeli ground troops are battling Palestinian militants. The latest count is based on updated figures from hospitals in the south and Nov. 11 figures from the northern hospitals. The real toll is likely higher. The Health Ministry says another 6,000 people have been reported missing, and are feared buried under the rubble.

Hostage release under truce deal not before Friday, says top Netanyahu aide

National Security Council chairman Tzachi Hanegbi circulated a statement that said the negotiations for the hostages "are constantly progressing"

Good news soon: Israeli PM Netanyahu; truce deal close, says Hamas

"The movement delivered its response to the brothers in Qatar and the mediators, and we are close to reaching a truce agreement," Haniyeh said in a statement on Telegram

Unworkable: Swapping Palestinian workers with Indians

Israel has an aging population. The Times of Israel reported that the country's 75-plus population is expected to increase by 48 per cent by 2030, increasing the demand for foreign caregivers

Turkish President labels Israel a 'terrorist state', Netanyahu hits back

Erdogan said, "Israel is implementing a strategy of total annihilation of a city and its people. I say very clearly and frankly that Israel is a terrorist state."

Turkish President Erdogan calls Israel terrorist state; Netanyahu hits back

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also vowed to take steps to ensure that Israel's political and military leaders face trial in international courts for their actions in Gaza.

PM Netanyahu says Israel will pursue war against Hamas 'to the end'

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when pressed on accountability for the October 7 attack on Israel, he such "difficult" questions until the conclusion of the ongoing war.

Even if Israel has to stand against world: Netanyahu vows to defeat Hamas

On October 7, over 2000 Hamas terrorists breached Israeli borders and carried out a horrific terror attack killing over 1400 people

Fighting rages near main Gaza hospital as PM dismisses calls for cease-fire

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back Saturday against growing international calls for a cease-fire, saying Israel's battle to crush Gaza's ruling Hamas militants will continue with "full force". A cease-fire would be possible only if all 239 hostages held by militants in Gaza are released, Netanyahu said in a televised address. The Israeli leader also insisted that after the war, now entering its sixth week, Gaza would be demilitarized and Israel would retain security control there. The position appears to run counter to post-war scenarios floated by Israel's closest ally, the United States, which has said it opposes an Israeli reoccupation of the territory. Asked what he meant by security control, Netanyahu said Israeli forces must be able to enter Gaza when necessary to hunt down militants. Pressure was growing on Israel after frantic doctors at Gaza's largest hospital said the last generator had run out of fuel, causing the death of a premature baby, another child in an

Israel refraining from harming civilians, Hamas using as shields: Netanyahu

He further said that Israel is doing everything possible to avoid harming Gazan civilians, whereas, Hamas is doing everything to prevent them from leaving for safe zones

Occupation hazards

Indefinite control of Gaza will not bring peace

Israel's inner socio-economic cabinet discusses Iron Swords war in Gaza

The Prime Minister added that his government will spend on businesses "four times what we spent during COVID. Four times. We are going to spend very large amounts. There will be no lack of funds"

Israel-Hamas war: Thousands of Palestinians flee south amid battle in Gaza

Thousands of Palestinians are fleeing south on foot with only what they can carry after running out of food and water in the north, a UN agency said Wednesday, as Israel said its troops were battling Hamas militants deep inside Gaza City. Over 70 per cent of Gaza's population of 2.3 million have already fled their homes, but the growing numbers making their way south point to an increasingly desperate situation in and around Gaza's largest city, which has come under heavy Israeli bombardment. The war triggered by Hamas' October 7 assault inside Israel has entered a second month, with an increasingly dire humanitarian situation inside the besieged Palestinian enclave and no end in sight. Israel has said its war to end Hamas' rule and crush its military capabilities will be long and difficult, and that it will maintain some form of control over the coastal enclave indefinitely. About 15,000 people fled northern Gaza on Tuesday, triple the number that left Monday, according to the UN .

Israel will have an 'overall security' role in Gaza indefinitely: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will have overall security responsibility in Gaza for an indefinite period after its war with Hamas, the clearest indication yet that Israel plans to maintain control over the coastal enclave that is home to some 2.3 million Palestinians. In an interview with ABC News that aired late Monday, Netanyahu expressed openness to little pauses in the fighting to facilitate the release of some of the more than 240 captives seized by Hamas in its October 7 attack into Israel, which triggered the war exactly one month ago. But he ruled out any general cease-fire without the release of all the hostages, and the White House said there was no agreement with United States President Joe Biden's call for a broader humanitarian pause after a phone call between the leaders on Monday. Israeli troops have been battling Palestinian militants inside Gaza for over a week, and have succeeded in cutting the territory in half and encircling Gaza City. Th

Hamas war: Amid US' push, Israel open to 'little pauses' in Gaza for aid

After more than a week of public pressure from the US for humanitarian pauses in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has allowed that his government might be open to only little pauses in its assault on Hamas. The Israeli leader sought to play down differences with his country's most vocal backer on the world stage at a time of rising scrutiny of the sharply rising civilian toll of fighting. Netanyahu spoke after President Joe Biden made a direct appeal to him nearly a month into the war seeking to rally support behind securing even limited relief for civilians in the spiralling conflict. The back-and-forth spotlighted the challenges facing Biden and his administration as they seek to manage what is emerging as one of the defining foreign policy crises of his presidency. The US thus far remains focused on keeping the fighting from exploding into a wider regional war and pushing for limited steps to alleviate civilian suffering. But it has remained steadfastly behind Is

Israel resists US pressure to pause the war to allow more aid to Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday pushed back against growing US pressure for a humanitarian pause in the nearly month-old war to protect civilians and allow more aid into Gaza, insisting there would be no temporary cease-fire until the roughly 240 hostages held by Hamas are released. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made his third trip to Israel since the war began, reiterating American support for Israel's campaign to crush Hamas after its brutal Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel. He also echoed President Joe Biden's calls for a brief halt in the fighting to address a worsening humanitarian crisis. Alarm has grown over spiralling Palestinian deaths and deepening misery for civilians from weeks of Israeli bombardment and a widening ground assault that risks even greater casualties. Overwhelmed hospitals say they are nearing collapse, with medicine and fuel running low under the Israeli siege. About 1.5 million people in Gaza, or 70% of the population, have fled

Nasrallah threatens escalation as Netanyahu rules out cease fire in Gaza

The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Friday that his powerful militia is engaged in unprecedented cross-border fighting with Israel and threatened escalation. In a widely anticipated speech, Hassan Nasrallah stopped short of announcing that Hezbollah is fully engaging in the Israel-Hamas war. Nasrallah said in a televised speech that the fighting on the Lebanon-Israel border would not be limited to the scale seen until now. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out a temporary cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, saying he will press ahead with a devastating military offensive until hostages held by the Hamas militant group are released. Netanyahu spoke on Friday shortly after meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who pressed Israel for a temporary pause in its offensive in order to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Blinken also urged Israel to do more to protect civilians from its attacks. In a statement to reporters on Friday, Netanyahu said Israel is

Israeli PM Netanyahu rules out cease-fire until Hamas frees hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out a temporary cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, saying he will press ahead with a devastating military offensive until hostages held by the Hamas militant group are released. Netanyahu spoke Friday shortly after meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who pressed Israel for a temporary pause in its offensive in order to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Blinken also urged Israel to do more to protect civilians from its attacks. In a statement to reporters on Friday, Netanyahu said Israel is continuing with all of its power and refuses a temporary cease-fire that doesn't include a return of our hostages. Hamas kidnapped some 240 people in its bloody October 7 cross-border attack that triggered the Israel-Hamas war. The attack killed some 1,400 people, while over 9,000 people have been killed since Israel began striking Gaza the same day, according to Palestinian health officials.

US President Biden calls for humanitarian 'pause' in Israel-Hamas war

President Joe Biden said he thought there should be a humanitarian pause in the Israel-Hamas war, after his campaign speech Wednesday evening was interrupted by a protester calling for a cease-fire. I think we need a pause, Biden said. The call was a subtle departure for Biden and top White House aides, who throughout the Mideast crisis have been steadfast in stating they will not dictate how the Israelis carry out their military operations in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas. But the president has faced intensifying pressure from human rights groups, fellow world leaders and even liberal members of his own Democratic Party, who say that the Israeli bombardment of Gaza is collective punishment and that it is time for a cease-fire. In his comments, Biden was exerting pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give Palestinians at least a brief reprieve from the relentless military operation that's left thousands dead and mired the 141-square-mile strip in a ..