Page 38 - Israel

UN court opens hearings on Israel's responsibility for Gaza aid access

The United Nations' highest court opened hearings Monday into Israel's obligation to ensure and facilitate urgently needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories, bringing the ongoing conflict in Gaza back into focus in The Hague. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the hearings part of a systematic persecution and delegitimisation of his country. Speaking in Jerusalem as the hearings began in The Hague, Saar said the court was becoming completely politicised. He called the proceeding shameful. A week of hearings has been scheduled in response to a request last year from the UN General Assembly, which asked the International Court of Justice to weigh in on Israel's legal responsibilities after the country blocked the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from operating on its territory. In a resolution sponsored by Norway, the General Assembly requested an advisory opinion, a non-binding but legally important decision from the court, on ..

Israeli jets intercepted Iranian planes aiding Syria's Assad: Netanyahu

Israeli warplanes last year intercepted Iranian aircraft headed toward Syria, preventing them from delivering troops meant to assist the country's embattled president at the time, Bashar Assad, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. The remarks in a speech gave a new glimpse into Israel's thinking in the final days in power for Assad, a longtime enemy who was overthrown by insurgents last December. Speaking to a conference hosted by the Jewish News Syndicate, a pro-Israel news agency, Netanyahu claimed that arch-rival Iran wanted to save Assad after watching the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in neighbouring Lebanon suffer heavy losses in fighting with Israel. "They had to rescue Assad," Netanyahu said, claiming that Iran wanted to send "one or two airborne divisions" to help the Syrian leader. "We stopped that. We sent some F-16s to some Iranian planes that were making some routes to Damascus," he said. "They turned back." He gave no further details. In fighti

Israeli strikes kill 51 in Gaza, taking Palestinian war toll to over 52K

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip received the remains of 51 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours, the local Health Ministry said Sunday, bringing the Palestinian death toll from the 18-month-old Israel-Hamas war to 52,243. Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas by launching a surprise bombardment on March 18, and has been carrying out daily waves of strikes. Ground forces have expanded a buffer zone and encircled the southern city of Rafah, and now control around 50 per cent of the territory. Israel has also sealed off Gaza's 2 million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, for nearly 60 days. Aid groups say supplies will soon run out and that thousands of children are malnourished. The overall death toll includes nearly 700 bodies for which the documentation process was recently completed, the ministry said in its latest update. The daily toll includes bodies retrieved from the rubble after earlier strikes. Israeli strikes killed another 23

Israeli jets strike Beirut's southern suburbs for 3rd time since ceasefire

Israeli jets struck Beirut's southern suburbs Sunday after issuing a warning about an hour earlier, marking the third Israeli strike on the area since a ceasefire took effect in late November. A huge plume of smoke billowed over the area after the strike. There were no immediate reports of casualties. In the warning, the Israeli military said that it was targeting Hezbollah facilities in the Hadath area and urged residents to move at least 300 meters from the site before the strike. Two warning strikes followed. Fighter jets were heard over parts of the Lebanese capital before the strike near the Al-Jamous neighbourhood, where gunfire was shot into the air to warn residents and urge them to evacuate, as families fled in panic. During the last Israel-Hezbollah war, Israeli drones and fighter jets regularly pounded the southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has wide influence and support. Israel views the area, where it has assassinated several of Hezbollah's top leaders, including chief

Why International Court of Justice weighing in on humanitarian aid in Gaza

The top United Nations court on Monday will begin hearing from 40 countries on what Israel must do to provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Last year, the UN General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice to weigh in on Israel's legal obligations after the country effectively banned the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the main provider of aid to Gaza, from operating. The United States, Israel's closest ally, voted against the resolution. Israel over a month ago again cut off all aid to Gaza and its over 2 million people. Israel has disputed that there is a shortage of aid in Gaza, and says it is entitled to block the aid because it says Hamas seizes it for its own use. The Hague-based court has been asked to give an advisory opinion, a non-binding but legally definitive answer, in the latest judicial proceedings involving Israel and the 18-month war in Gaza. That is expected to take several months. Wh

Gaza faces severe shortages as Israel blocks food supply for nearly 60 days

For nearly 60 days, no food, fuel, medicine or other item has entered the Gaza Strip, blocked by Israel. Aid groups are running out of food to distribute and markets are nearly bare. Palestinian families are left struggling to feed their children. In the sprawling tent camp outside the southern city of Khan Younis, Mariam al-Najjar and her mother-in-law emptied four cans of peas and carrots into a pot and boiled it over a wood fire. They added a little bouillon and spices. That, with a plate of rice, was the sole meal on Friday for the 11 members of their family, including six children. Among Palestinians, "Fridays are sacred," a day for large family meals of meat, stuffed vegetables or other rich traditional dishes, al-Najjar said. "Now we eat peas and rice," she said. "We never ate canned peas before the war. Only in this war that has destroyed our lives," she said. The around 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza are now mainly living off canned vegetables, rice, pasta and lentils.

Our food stocks in Gaza have run out under Israel's blockade: WFP

The World Food Programme says its food stocks in the Gaza Strip have run out under Israel's nearly 8-week-old blockade, ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the territory. The WFP said in a statement that it delivered the last of its stocks to charity kitchens that it supports around Gaza. It said those kitchens are expected to run out of food in the coming days. Some 80% of Gaza's population of more than 2 million relies primarily on charity kitchens for food, because other sources have shut down under Israel's blockade, according to the UN. The WFP has been supporting 47 kitchens that distribute 644,000 hot meals a day, WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa told the Associated Press. It was not immediately clear how many kitchens would still be operating in Gaza if those shut down. But Etefa said the WFP-backed kitchens are the major ones in Gaza. Israel cut off entry of all food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza on March 2 and then resu

'Lousy spy fiction': Hindenburg denies Adani, Mossad, Congress conspiracy

An article from news agency Press Trust of India earlier this month had cited unnamed sources claiming that Adani collaborated with agents from Israel's intelligence agency Mossad in an international

Deleted condolence after Pope's death exposes Israel-Vatican tensions

Hours after Pope Francis' death was announced, Israel's Foreign Ministry posted a short message on X: Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing." Several hours later, it was deleted without explanation. Coming at a time of effusive global mourning over Francis' death, the decision to delete the post appeared to reflect the tensions that have emerged between Israel and the Vatican over Francis' frequent criticism of Israel's conduct during the war in Gaza. The Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the deletion. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is usually quick to issue statements on the passing of major international figures. But he has been silent on the pope's death, as has Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. The only official condolences came from Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, who holds a largely ceremonial role and who praised Francis for being a man of deep faith and boundless compassion. For most of Francis' papacy, ties between Israel and the Vatican steadily

West Asia latest: Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 28 people

Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 28 people, mostly women and children, the territory's Health Ministry said on Thursday. Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and renewed its air and ground war over a month ago. It has sealed off Gaza's 2 million Palestinians from all food and other imports since the beginning of March to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining 59 captives, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 hostages. Most have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's offensive has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say

We stand with India in times of need: Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson

Israel is a "friend" of India and friends stand with each other in times of need," Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said on Wednesday. Marmorstein's remarks, made during a virtual interaction with journalists, comes against the backdrop of a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday in which at least 26 people, most of them tourists, died. "Israel is a friend of India. That is a constant. Friends stand with each other in times of need. And, we stand with India," he said. The message of solidarity with India had also come from Israel hours after the attack. "Deeply saddened by the heinous terror attack on tourists in #Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. Israel stands united with India in the fight against terror," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar posted on X on Tuesday. Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar had said on Tuesday that he was appalled by the attack. "Sad and appalled .

Yemen's Houthi rebels fire missile targeting northern Israel in rare strike

Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a missile early Wednesday toward northern Israel, a rare target for the group as a monthlong intense US airstrike campaign continues to target them. Sirens sounded in Haifa, Krayot and other areas west of the Sea of Galilee, the Israeli military said. An interceptor was launched toward the missile, and the missile was most likely successfully intercepted, the Israeli military said. Those in the area could here booms in the predawn darkness. The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, though it can take them hours or even days to acknowledge their assaults. American airstrikes, meanwhile, continued targeting the Houthis on Wednesday morning, part of a campaign that began on March 15. The Houthis reported strikes on Hodeida, Marib and Saada governorates. In Marib, the Houthis described a strike hitting telecommunication equipment, which has previously been a target of the Americans. The US military's Central Command did not immediately respond

UN to review impact of its agency helping Palestinian refugees in Gaza

The United Nations chief appointed a British human rights activist on Tuesday to carry out a strategic review of the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees to assess its impact under the"present political, financial, security and other constraints. Israel has banned the agency, known as UNRWA, from operating on its territory, but its Palestinian staff have still been key to delivering aid and running medical clinics in Gaza, even though Israel has cut off all humanitarian deliveries since March 2. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who announced the review, said Ian Martin, a former head of Amnesty International, would also be looking at the consequences and risks for Palestinian refugees of UNRWA's operations. UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly in 1949 to provide relief for Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes before and during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, which followed the establishment of Israel, as well as their descendants, until there is a politica

Israeli President urges India to boost ties on key geostrategic issues

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday urged India to further deepen bilateral ties by working together on geostrategic issues, especially emphasising on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project, which he described as the "future of the world". "We have a huge respect for the nation of India and its leadership. Israelis love your country. I can only anxiously wait to visit your country and host your President and Prime Minister in Israel," Herzog told India's newly appointed Ambassador to Israel J P Singh, who presented his credentials at a ceremony at the President's Official residence. "I wish you great success in your term. We can only go from height to height," the Israeli President said, welcoming India's new envoy. He urged India and Israel "to work together on the geostrategic issues, on the strategic issues, getting the hostages back home, preventing Iran (from acquiring nuclear weapons), moving towards peace and inclusion, connectivity and of course .

Israel admits 'professional error' in Gaza strike that killed 15 medics

An Israeli investigation into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics last month in Gaza by Israeli forces said Sunday it found a chain of professional failures and a deputy commander has been fired. The shootings outraged many in the international community, with some calling the killings a war crime. Medical workers have special protection under international humanitarian law. The International Red Cross/Red Crescent called it the deadliest attack on its personnel in eight years. Israel at first claimed that the medics' vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire but later backtracked. Cellphone video recovered from one medic contradicted Israel's initial account. The military investigation found that the deputy battalion commander acted under the incorrect assumption that all of the ambulances belonged to Hamas militants. Video footage obtained shows the ambulances had lights flashing and logos visible as they pulled up to help another ambulance that earlier

Israeli probe finds 'professional failures' in Palestine medic killings

An Israeli probe into the killings of Palestinian medics in Gaza says it has found professional failures and a deputy commander will be fired. The findings issued on Sunday come after the killings of 15 medics last month by Israeli forces. Israel at first claimed that the medics' vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire but later backtracked. Cellphone video recovered from one of the medics contradicted Israel's initial account of the shooting. The military investigation found that the deputy battalion commander, due to poor night visibility, assessed that the ambulances belonged to Hamas militants. Video footage obtained from the incident shows the ambulances had lights flashing.

Israel has 'no choice' but to continue fighting in Gaza, says Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced again Saturday that Israel has no choice but to continue fighting in Gaza and will not end the war before destroying Hamas, freeing the hostages and ensuring that the territory won't present a threat to Israel. The prime minister also repeated his vow to make sure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. Netanyahu is under growing pressure at home not only from families of hostages and their supporters but also from reservist and retired Israeli soldiers who question the continuation of the war after Israel shattered a ceasefire last month. In his statement, he claimed that Hamas has rejected Israel's latest proposal to free half the hostages for a continued ceasefire. The prime minister spoke after Israeli strikes killed more than 90 people in 48 hours, Gaza's Health Ministry said Saturday. Israeli troops have been increasing their attacks to pressure Hamas to release the hostages and disarm. Children and women were among the 15 people

Hezbollah says it won't disarm while Israeli troops stay in south Lebanon

The leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group said on Friday that its fighters will not disarm as long as Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon and the Israeli air force regularly violates Lebanese air space. Naim Kassem addressed supporters in a speech broadcast on Hezbollah's television station. Kassem took over Hezbollah after Israeli airstrikes killed longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, his successor Hashem Safieddine and other top Hezbollah figures last year, decimating the group's leadership. Kassem said Hezbollah had implemented its commitments related to the US-brokered ceasefire that halted the fighting in Hezbollah's latest, 14-month war with Israel. Since the ceasefire went into effect in late November, Israeli airstrikes have killed scores of people in Lebanon including civilians and Hezbollah members. Israel says it's targeting Hezbollah holdouts in southern Lebanon. On Tuesday, the office of the UN high commissioner for human rights said that at least 71 civilian

Yemen's Houthis vow more attacks after US airstrikes kill 74 in port attack

The group also warned that US 'aggression' would only lead to further targeting, engagement, and confrontation

Ready to release all remaining hostages to end Gaza war, says Hamas

Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas's Gaza chief and lead negotiator, said the group seeks a comprehensive deal including a full ceasefire, release of Palestinian prisoners, and Gaza's reconstruction