Page 16 - Israel

Orthodox Party quits Israeli cabinet but throws Netanyahu a lifeline

A key governing partner of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday it is quitting the government, leaving him with a minority in parliament. The Shas ultra-Orthodox party said it was leaving over disagreements surrounding a proposed law meant to grant wide military draft exemptions to its constituents. A second ultra-Orthodox party quit earlier this week over the same issue.

West Bengal protest, Jio Black Rock gets Sebi’s approval, Israel's strike on Syria & more

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a protest in Kolkata against the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states.

Netanyahu coalition rattled as ultra-Orthodox party plans exit over new law

An Israeli ultra-Orthodox party that has been a key governing partner of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Tuesday it was leaving the coalition government, threatening to destabilise the Israeli leader's rule at a pivotal time in the war in Gaza. United Torah Judaism's two factions said they were bolting the government over disagreements surrounding a bill that would codify broad military draft exemptions for their constituents, many of whom study Jewish texts instead of enlisting in the military. The issue has long divided Jewish Israelis, most of whom are required to enlist, a rift that has only widened since the war in Gaza began and demands on military manpower grew. The departure of a party that has long served as a kingmaker in Israeli politics doesn't immediately threaten Netanyahu's rule. But, once it comes into effect within 48 hours, it will leave the Israeli leader with a slim majority in a government that could now more heavily rely on the whims of two far-rig

BBC Gaza film narrated by Hamas official's son breached guidelines: Review

Britain's media regulator said Monday it will investigate a BBC documentary about children's lives in Gaza, after a review concluded that the narrator's father has Hamas links and the programme therefore breached editorial guidelines on accuracy. The broadcaster removed the programme, Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone, from its streaming service in February after it emerged that the 13-year-old narrator, Abdullah, is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who has worked as Hamas's deputy minister of agriculture. Ofcom, the media regulator, said that it was launching an investigation under rules that state factual programmes must not materially mislead the audience. That came after a review by the broadcaster found that the independent production company that made the programme didn't share the background information regarding the narrator's father with the BBC. It said that the production company, Hoyo Films, bears most responsibility for the failure, though it didn't intentionally mislead the ..

Israel kills seven senior Hamas terrorists released in 2011 prisoner deal

Among those killed were Riyad Asila and Bassem Abu Sanina, who carried out the 1998 stabbing murder of Israeli civilian Haim Kerman in Jerusalem

Israeli defence minister calls strike on Syrian tanks a 'warning' to regime

The IDF attacked targets in Syria as a message and a clear warning to the Syrian regime - we will not allow harm to the Druze in Syria, Katz said

Israeli strikes kill 32 in Gaza as war death toll tops 58K after 21 months

Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 32 people on Sunday, including six children at a water collection point, while the Palestinian death toll passed 58,000 after 21 months of war, local health officials said. Israel and Hamas appeared no closer to a breakthrough in indirect talks meant to pause the war and free some Israeli hostages after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Washington visit last week. A new sticking point has emerged over Israeli troops ' deployment during a ceasefire. Israel says it will end the war only once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something it refuses to do. Hamas says it is willing to free all the remaining 50 hostages, about 20 said to be alive, in exchange for an end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces. Throughout the war in Gaza, violence has surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Funerals were held there Sunday for two Palestinians, including Palestinian-American Sayfollah Musallet, killed by Israeli .

At least 30 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza Strip, say officials

Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 30 people on Sunday, including six children at a water collection point, local health officials said, despite attempts by mediators to bring about a ceasefire. Israel and Hamas appeared no closer to a breakthrough in talks meant to pause the 21-month war and free some Israeli hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington last week to discuss the deal with the Trump administration, but a new sticking point has emerged over the deployment of Israeli troops during the truce, raising questions over the feasibility of a new deal. Israel says it will only end the war once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something it refuses to do. Hamas says it is willing to free all the remaining 50 hostages, less than half said to be alive, in exchange for an end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces. Gaza's Health Ministry said Sunday that more than 58,000 people have been killed in the war. The ...

Israeli forces kill two Gaza terror leaders, including sector commander

Fazal Abu al-Ata previously served as deputy commander of the Shuja'iyya sector in Gaza, and during the Iron Swords war was appointed commander of the Shanaiyah sector

Israel says Iran could recover enriched uranium at nuclear site hit by US

While Israeli officials suspect uranium remains at Isfahan, experts say any attempt by Iran to retrieve it would require a highly complex and difficult recovery effort

Gaza ceasefire possible in a week or two, not in a day: Israeli official

Israeli official said that if the two sides agree to a proposed 60-day ceasefire, Israel would use that time to offer a permanent ceasefire that would require the Palestinian militant group to disarm

Ship attacked by Houthi rebels sinks in Red Sea, six of 25 aboard rescued

A Liberian-flagged cargo ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels sank on Wednesday in the Red Sea, and a European naval force in the Mideast said only six of the 25 people who were on board have been rescued. The attack on the Eternity C, which also killed at least three of the crew, represents the most serious assault carried out by the Houthis in the crucial maritime trade route where USD 1 trillion in cargo once passed through annually. From November 2023 to December 2024, the Houthis targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones in a campaign the rebels describe as supporting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. The Iranian-backed rebels stopped their attacks during a brief ceasefire in the war. They later became the target of an intense weekslong campaign of airstrikes ordered by US President Donald Trump. The attack on the Eternity C, as well as the sinking of the bulk carrier Magic Seas in another attack Sunday, raise new questions about the Red

Israeli strikes kill 40 in Gaza with no sign of progress in ceasefire talks

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 40 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including 10 members of a family sheltering in a tent, hospital officials said Wednesday. The strikes came as US President Donald Trump pushed for a ceasefire that might end the war and free dozens of Israeli hostages. Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second time in two days at the White House on Tuesday evening, but there was no sign of a breakthrough. Netanyahu has vowed to continue the 21-month war until Hamas is destroyed, while the militant group has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis said the dead included 17 women and 10 children. The war has gutted Gaza's health system, with several hospitals taken out of service and leading physicians killed in Israeli strikes. The Israeli military said it had struck more than 100 targets across Gaza

5 IDF soldiers killed overnight in north Gaza, 18 dead in Israeli strikes

Five Israeli soldiers were killed overnight in northern Gaza, the Israeli military said Tuesday. Two other soldiers were seriously wounded. Meanwhile, health officials in Gaza said Israeli strikes at two locations in the territory killed 18 people. Israeli media said the infantry soldiers were on patrol when explosive devices were detonated against them. Media said militants also opened fire on the reinforcements sent to evacuate the dead and wounded. The latest violence comes as Israel and Hamas consider a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal to pause the 21-month conflict in the territory The soldiers' deaths came roughly two weeks after Israel reported once of its deadliest days in months in Gaza, when seven soldiers were killed when a Palestinian attacker attached a bomb to their armoured vehicle. Health officials at the Nasser Hospital, where victims of the Israeli strikes were taken, said one of the strikes targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza

Trump secures 2nd Nobel Peace Prize nomination - this time from Israeli PM

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu cites Trump's role in brokering the Abraham Accords as key to West Asian diplomacy

After Iran victory, Gaza war looms over Trump, Netanyahu's third meeting

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump might look to take a victory lap on Monday after their recent joint strikes on Iran, hailed by both as an unmitigated success. But as they meet for the third time this year, the outwardly triumphant visit will be dogged by Israel's 21-month war against Hamas in Gaza and questions over how hard Trump will push for an end to the conflict. Trump has made clear that following the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, he would like to see the Gaza conflict end soon. The meeting between Trump and Netanyahu could give new urgency to a US ceasefire proposal being discussed by Israel and Hamas, but whether it leads to a deal that ends the war is unclear. The optics will be very positive, said Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington. But behind the victory lap are going to be some very serious questions. Before departing for Washington on Sunday, Netanyahu praised the cooperation with the US for bringing a

Israel launches airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthis; rebels retaliate

Israel's military launched airstrikes early Monday targeting ports and facilities held by Yemen's Houthi rebels, with the rebels responding with missile fire targeting Israel. The attacks came after a suspected Houthi attack targeting a ship in the Red Sea that caught fire and took on water, later forcing its crew to abandon the vessel. The Israeli military said it struck Houthi-held ports at Hodeida, Ras Isa and Salif. These ports are used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are employed to carry out terrorist operations against the state of Israel and its allies, the Israeli military said. The Houthis then responded with an apparent missile attack on Israel. The Israeli military said it attempted to intercept the missile, but it appeared to make impact, though there were no immediate reports of injuries from the attack.

Hamas agrees to 'immediately' enter talks on 60-day Gaza ceasefire plan

A deal on the framework would see Hamas return half of the 50 hostages it still holds and pursue mediated talks with Israel to end the war

'Positive' response given to latest Gaza ceasefire proposal, says Hamas

Hamas said Friday it has given a positive response to the latest proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza but said further talks were needed on implementation. It was not clear if Hamas' statement meant it had accepted the proposal from US President Donald Trump for a 60-day ceasefire. Hamas has been seeking guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war, now nearly 21 months old. Trump has been pushing hard for a deal to be reached, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to visit the White House next week to discuss a deal. The Hamas statement came as Israeli airstrikes killed 15 Palestinians in Gaza early Friday, while a hospital said another 20 people died in shootings while seeking aid. The UN human rights office said it has recorded 613 Palestinians killed within the span of a month in Gaza while trying to obtain aid. Most were killed while trying to reach food distribution points run by an Israeli-backed American organisation, while others were

Iran sets terms for US talks, demands credible guarantee for dialogue

On the nuclear issue, the ambassador reiterated that Iran's programme remains peaceful