Page 114 - Israel

US presses Israel to shift from combat as Iranian-backed attacks escalate

The top two US military leaders are travelling to Tel Aviv to advise the Israeli government on how to transition from major combat operations against Hamas in Gaza to a more limited campaign and prevent a wider regional war. Their trip comes as Iranian-backed militants on Saturday launched a wave of attack drones against ships in the Red Sea and said they would continue until Israel's aggression ends. One of the American warships assigned to the Ford carrier strike group, the destroyer USS Carney, successfully engaged 14 one-way attack drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, US Central Command said in a statement. Britain reported that a Royal Navy destroyer downed another drone that was targeting commercial ships. It was the latest in a series of attacks threatening commercial and US Navy ships in the Red Sea that have escalated after Israel intensified its response to the Hamas' strike against Israel on October 7. Israel is stinging from the deadliest attack ever

3 hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli troops had been holding white flag

Three Israeli hostages who were mistakenly shot by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip had been waving a white flag and were shirtless when they were killed, military officials said on Saturday, in Israel's first such acknowledgement of harming any hostages in its war against Hamas. Anger over the mistaken killings is likely to increase pressure on the Israeli government to renew Qatar-mediated negotiations with Hamas over swapping more of the remaining captives, which Israel says number 129, for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. Israeli leaders have said the hostages' release can only be achieved through military pressure. A senior Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, reiterated on Saturday that there will be no further release of hostages before the war ends and Israel accepts Hamas conditions for an exchange. Hamdan, a member of the militant group's decision-making political bureau, said he had no information on unconfirmed reports of a meeting between Israeli and Qatari officials regardin

Under shadow of war in Gaza, Bethlehem gearing up for a subdued Christmas

Bethlehem is gearing up for a subdued Christmas, without the festive lights and customary Christmas tree towering over Manger Square, after officials in Jesus' traditional birthplace decided to forego celebrations due to the Israel-Hamas war. The cancellation of Christmas festivities, which typically draw thousands of visitors, is a severe blow to the town's tourism-dependent economy. But joyous revelry is untenable at a time of immense suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, said Mayor Hana Haniyeh. The economy is crashing, Haniyeh told The Associated Press on Friday. But if we compare it with what's happening to our people and Gaza, it's nothing. More than 18,700 Palestinians have been killed and more than 50,000 wounded during Israel's blistering air and ground offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers, according to health officials there, while some 85 per cent of the territory's 2.3 million residents have been displaced. The war was triggered by Hamas' deadly assault October 7 on south

Pentagon orders US aircraft carrier to remain in Mediterranean near Israel

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier and one other warship to remain in the Mediterranean Sea for several more weeks to maintain a two-carrier presence near Israel as its war with Hamas grinds on, US officials said. It would be the third time the Ford's deployment has been extended, underscoring the continued concerns about volatility in the region during Israel's war in Gaza. The US has two aircraft carriers in the region, a rarity in recent years. Multiple US officials confirmed the longer deployments approved this week for the Ford and the USS Normandy cruiser on condition of anonymity because they have not yet been made public. Other ships in the Ford's strike group had already had their deployments extended. The Pentagon ramped up its military presence in the region after Hamas' October 7 attacks to deter Iran from widening the war into a regional conflict. In the months since, Iranian-backed militants in Iraq and Syria have seized o

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Israeli president says 'two-state solution' not a solution: What is it?

The two-state solution means establishing two separate states for the people of two communities, i.e., Israel for the Jewish and Palestine for the Palestinian people

Israel-Hamas war: Top ten updates on Israel's offensive against Hamas

India was among the countries that voted in favour of the United Nations General Assembly resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza

Hamas war to last mths, says Israeli min as US envoy discusses timetable

Israel's defence minister said it will take months to destroy Hamas, predicting a drawn-out war even as his country and its top ally, the United States, face increasing international isolation and alarm over the devastation from the campaign in Gaza. Yoav Gallant's comments came as US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Israeli leaders to discuss a timetable for winding down major combat in Gaza. Israeli leaders repeated their determination to pursue the military assault until they crush the militant group for its Oct 7 attack. The exchange seemed to continue a dynamic the two allies have been locked in for weeks. President Joe Biden's administration has shown unease over Israel's failure to reduce civilian casualties and its plans for the future of Gaza, but the White House continues to offer wholehearted support for Israel with weapons shipments and diplomatic backing. I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives, Biden said Thursday when asked if he wants

President Biden urges Israeli caution as leaders eye 'lower-intensity' war

Biden has delivered increasingly urgent appeals to Israel to exercise restraint in its Gaza offensive following Hamas's Oct. 7 attack

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Israel losing global support due to bombing on civilians in Gaza: Biden

Israel will continue the war against Hamas with or without international support," said Cohen

India votes in favour of UNGA draft resolution demanding ceasefire in Gaza

India voted in favour of a draft resolution in the UN General Assembly that demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict as well as the unconditional release of all hostages. The 193-member UN General Assembly adopted the draft resolution, introduced by Egypt, at an Emergency Special Session here Tuesday. The resolution was adopted with 153 votes in favour, while 23 nations abstained and 10 voted against the text. The resolution, sponsored among others by Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Palestine, demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and reiterated its demand that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, notably with regard to the protection of civilians." It also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access. The resolution however did not name Hamas and the US proposed an amendment to the draft ...

Israel-Hamas war: Seven Israeli soldiers killed in ambush in Gaza city

At least seven Israeli soldiers were killed in an ambush in Gaza City, Israeli media reported Wednesday, as the army continued to meet heavy resistance in an offensive against Hamas that has drawn international outrage and rare US criticism over the killing of thousands of civilians. President Joe Biden's administration has repeatedly called on Israel to take greater measures to spare Palestinians civilians, even as it has blocked international calls for a cease-fire and rushed military aid to its close ally. Israel has rejected US suggestions for a postwar plan that would revive the long-dormant peace process with the Palestinians. The air and ground offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 18,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, since the Oct 7 attack by Hamas that triggered the war. Nearly 85% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million have been forced to flee their homes, and much of northern Gaza resembles a moonscape. Israeli ground troops are still locked in heavy combat with ...

Israel pounds Gaza as hunger spreads, disease risk grows: Report

Residents said the shelling of Rafah, where the Israeli army this month ordered people to head for their safety, was some of the heaviest in days

The Myanmar puzzle

India must rethink its traditional position

Palestinians hope vote in UNGA will show wide support for a Gaza cease-fire

The Palestinians are hoping that a vote Tuesday in the UN General Assembly on a nonbinding resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire will demonstrate widespread global support for ending the Israel-Hamas war, now in its third month. After the United States vetoed a resolution in the Security Council on Friday demanding a humanitarian cease-fire, Arab and Islamic nations called for an emergency session of the 193-member General Assembly on Tuesday afternoon to vote on a resolution making the same demand. Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding. But as UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Monday, the assembly's messages "are also very important" and reflect world opinion. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, told The Associated Press on Sunday that the defeated resolution in the Security Council was cosponsored by 103 countries, and he is hoping for more cosponsors and a high vote for the .

Israel bombs Gaza after Hamas' 'no hostage will leave alive' warning

Israel has pledged to keep fighting until it removes Hamas from power, dismantles its military capabilities and returns all of the hostages taken by militants during Hamas' Oct 7 surprise attack

Battles rage across Gaza as Israel indicates it's willing to beat Hamas

Battles raged across Gaza on Sunday as Israel indicated it was prepared to fight for months or longer to defeat the territory's Hamas rulers, and a key mediator said willingness to discuss a cease-fire was fading. Israel faces international outrage after its military offensive, with diplomatic support and arms from close ally the United States, has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians. About 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been displaced within the besieged territory, where UN agencies say there is no safe place to flee. The United States has lent vital support in recent days by vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution to end the fighting and pushing through an emergency sale of over $100 million worth of tank ammunition to Israel. Russia backed the resolution. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed dissatisfaction with anti-Israel positions taken by Moscow's envoys at the U.N. and elsewhere,

Iran charges Swedish national Johan Floderus with spying for Israel

Iran on Sunday held the first hearing for a Swedish citizen who was detained last year on charges of spying for Israel, media reported. A report by Mizanonline.ir news website, which is affiliated with the country's judiciary, said that the prosecutor accused the man who was identified as Johan Floderus of having links with Israeli elements" and gathering information for Israel in the framework of projects through American, Israeli and European institutes that were active against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The prosecutor said Floderus had traveled to Israel, worked with Swedish intelligence and transferred money to Iran for projects aimed to toppling its government. He asked the judge to prosecute Floderus based on articles of Iranian law that carry penalties from six months to capital punishment. Judge Iman Afshari said a date for the next session will be decided later. The report also published images of Floderus and his lawyers in the courtroom. The report did not say anythin

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