Page 10 - Israel

Starvation as warfare: UN panel finds Israel committed genocide in Gaza

A UN panel accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, citing 60,000 Palestinian deaths and the use of starvation as warfare. Israel rejected the report as 'fake' and biased

'Gaza is burning', says Israeli defence minister after overnight strikes

Israel's defence minister said Tuesday that Gaza is burning after heavy strikes overnight targeted Gaza City. Defence Minister Israel Katz's remarks come as Israel has been planning a new offensive targeting Gaza City. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to journalists while leaving Israel for Qatar, suggested the offensive had begun. The Israelis have begun to take operations there. So we think we have a very short window of time in which a deal can happen, Rubio said. We don't have months anymore, and we probably have days and maybe a few weeks.

Trump calls Qatar 'a great ally', warns Netanyahu to act with caution

Following Israeli strikes that killed a Qatari officer and five Hamas members in Doha, Trump praised Qatar's role and urged Israel to exercise restraint

Qatari PM calls Israeli attack on Doha 'state terrorism, grave escalation'

He affirmed that Qatar, alongside Egypt and the United States, will continue efforts to end the war

Rubio arrives in Israel as strikes intensify on northern Gaza region

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Sunday, as Israel intensified its attacks against northern Gaza, flattening another high-rise building and killing at least 12 Palestinians. Rubio said ahead of the trip that he will be seeking answers from Israeli officials about how they see the way forward in Gaza following Israel's attack on Hamas operatives in Qatar last week that upended efforts to broker an end to the conflict. His two-day visit is also a show of support for the increasingly isolated Israel, as the United Nations holds what is expected to be a contentious debate on commitment to the creation of a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly opposes the recognition of a Palestinian state. Rubio's visit went ahead despite President Donald Trump's anger at Netanyahu over the Israeli strike against Hamas leaders in Doha, which he said the United States was not notified of beforehand. On Friday, Rubio and Trump met with Qatar's prime

Trump meets Qatari PM after Israeli strike in Doha raises regional concerns

President Donald Trump met Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed in New York days after an Israeli strike in Doha targeting Hamas leaders heightened tensions between the US and its Gulf ally

Israel slams Pakistan at UNSC, says 'bin Laden killed on your territory'

Pakistan cannot change the fact that Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden was sheltered and killed on its soil, Israel has said, as it lashed out at Islamabad in the UN Security Council for its "double standards". "When bin Laden was eliminated in Pakistan," Israel's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Danny Danon said, pointing his hand towards Pakistan's UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, the question asked was not 'why target a terrorist on foreign soil'?" "No one asked that question. The question was, 'Why was a terrorist given shelter at all?' The same question must be asked today. There was no immunity for bin Laden, and there can be no immunity for Hamas, Danon said. The sharp exchange between the envoys of Israel and Pakistan came on Thursday at a Security Council meeting held to discuss the Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital of Doha. In his remarks, Ahmad strongly condemned what he called Israel's illegal and unprovoked aggression against Qatar, term

Rubio meets Qatar PM ahead of Israel visit as US balances ties with allies

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Qatar's prime minister on Friday before he visits Israel this weekend, showing how the Trump administration is trying to balance relations between key Middle East allies days after Israel targeted Hamas leaders in a strike on Doha. Despite tensions between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rubio will arrive in Israel on Sunday for a two-day visit. It is a show of support for the increasingly isolated country before the United Nations holds likely contentious debate on the creation of a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu opposes. Rubio also is expected to travel to a divisive archeological site in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim for the capital of what they hope is an eventual independent nation. The same day his trip to Israel was announced, America's top diplomat sat down at the White House with Vice President JD Vance and Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. There was n

Spain summons Israeli envoy over Netanyahu office remarks amid Gaza war row

Spain summoned Israel's acting ambassador in Madrid Friday in response to comments made by the Israeli Prime Minister's office that accused the European nation's prime minister of threatening Israel. Spanish Foreign Minister Jos Manuel Albares called in Dana Erlich, Israel's charge d'affaires in Spain and the highest-ranking diplomat in the country to categorically reject the false and slanderous statements from the Israeli Prime Minister's office, an official at Spain's Foreign Ministry said. The Foreign Ministry official was not authorized to speak publicly and declined to be named. It's the latest development in an ongoing diplomatic tit-for-tat between the two countries that ensued after Spain's prime minister announced measures Monday to pressure Israel to end the Gaza war. In a post Thursday on social platform X, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Snchez had made a blatant genocidal threat," in reference to comments made by th

Best of BS Opinion: Is the US still a reliable ally to its friends?

Today's wrap of the Opinion Page straddles borders and ideas, as always; from the reliability of the US, to institutional strength in democracies, to Las Vegas' shimmering lights, it's all here

LIVE news: Govt preparing incentives to encourage production of rare earth magnets, says minister

LIVE updates today: Catch all the latest developments here

Netanyahu killed hostage deal hopes with strike on Hamas in Doha: Qatar

Qatar's prime minister intensified his criticism of Israel over its attack targeting Hamas leaders in his country, saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu killed any hope of releasing hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. The comments from Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani ahead of appearing at the United Nations on Thursday underscored the wider anger among Gulf Arab countries over Israel's strike, which killed at least six people. I was meeting one of the hostage's families the morning of the attack, Sheikh Mohammed told CNN in an interview aired late Wednesday. They are counting on this (ceasefire) mediation, they have no other hope for that. Sheikh Mohammed added: I think that what Netanyahu has done yesterday, he just killed any hope for those hostages. Qatar and Egypt have been key mediators to try and reach a ceasefire in the war in Gaza. Qatar has hosted Hamas' political leadership for years in Doha, in part over a request by the US to encourage negotiation

Expel terrorists or bring them to justice: Netanyahu's warning to Qatar

Drawing references from the September 11 attack, Netanyahu said that Israel too has an event similar to September 11, referring to October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel

EU Commission President seeks sanctions against Israel over war in Gaza

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday said she plans to seek sanctions and a partial trade suspension against Israel over the war in Gaza. The 27-nation EU is deeply divided in its approach to Israel and the Palestinians, and it's unclear whether a majority will be found to endorse the sanctions and trade measures. Von der Leyen added that the commission will set up a Palestine donor group next month, part of which will focus on Gaza's future reconstruction. Von der Leyen said that the events in Gaza and the suffering of children and families has shaken the conscience of the world. Man-made famine can never be a weapon of war. For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity. This must stop, she added, to applause in the European Parliament at its meeting in Strasbourg, France.

White House's rare criticism of Israel highlights risks in Gaza conflict

Caught between two US allies, Trump said he spoke with both Netanyahu and Qatari leaders after the strike and that he assured Qatar that such an attack wouldn't happen again

Oil prices edge higher after Israeli strikes on Hamas leaders in Qatar

Brent crude futures settled 37 cents, or 0.6 per cent, higher at $66.39 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures also climbed 37 cents, or 0.6 per cent, to close at $62.63 a barrel

Israel expands list of Hamas officials, allies killed in past 2 years

Israel has killed multiple senior officials with Hamas and its regional allies since the deadly October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants in southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. On Tuesday, Israel struck the energy-rich nation of Qatar, which has been mediating ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Israel targeted a gathering of Hamas political leaders who were discussing the latest ceasefire proposal in Doha. Hamas said in a statement that six people were killed, but that all of the targeted officials survived. From Gaza to Lebanon to Iran, Israel has killed leaders with Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iranian military leaders. Here is a list of top officials who have been assassinated by Israel during the war: Saleh Arouri The deputy political head of Hamas and a founder of the group's military wing, Saleh Arouri was killed January 2, 2024, in a drone strike in a southern suburb of Beirut. Accused of masterminding attacks against Israel in the West

Trump tries to reassure Qatar after Israeli strikes but avoids rebuke

President Donald Trump was trying to walk a delicate line following Israel's attack on Hamas officials in Qatar, distancing himself from the strike Tuesday but stopping short of condemning Israel for carrying out an audacious strike on the soil of another major US ally. Trump said the unilateral action directed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not advance Israel or America's goals." He offered notably muted pushback, however, even suggesting this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for peace. This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me, Trump said on social media hours after the strikes. Trump is seeking to soothe concerns of a Gulf ally that has played a key role in mediating between the US and Iran and its proxies, including during talks with Tehran-backed Hamas as the war with Israel in Gaza grinds on. The US also has about 10,000 troops stationed at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, an installation that se

MEA calls for 'restraint' after Israeli strikes kill Hamas leaders in Doha

Earlier in the day, Israel carried out a strike against Hamas leadership in the capital of Qatar, which killed five top Hamas leaders

Israel urges full evacuation of Gaza City ahead of military escalation

The Israeli military urged a full evacuation of Gaza City on Tuesday morning ahead of its planned expanded offensive in the northern city, where hundreds of thousands of people struggle under conditions of famine. The announcement was the first warning for a full evacuation of the city in the current round of fighting. Previously, the military has warned specific sections of Gaza City to evacuate ahead of concentrated operations or strikes. Associated Press reporters saw more cars and trucks than in previous days passing from northern to southern Gaza on Tuesday, laden with supplies and people, but no widespread evacuation. Israel says multiple towers were destroyed in Gaza City. Defence Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday said Israel had demolished 30 high-rise buildings in Gaza, which it accused Hamas of using for military infrastructure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel destroyed at least 50 terror towers that he said are used by Hamas. It was unclear if