Page 43 - Israel

US intelligence agencies warn about potential Israel strike on Iran

Iran and Israel have been engaged in a long-standing conflict that intensified following the war in Gaza. Israeli leaders believe that Iran is more vulnerable now, US intelligence findings revealed

Israeli military calls up reservists as Gaza ceasefire tensions rise

Trump meanwhile wants Saudi Arabia, which has vast influence in other Arab and Muslim countries, to normalise ties with Israel

Relatives of Israeli hostages terrified as fragile Gaza ceasefire may end

After 16 months of excruciating uncertainty, Idit Ohel finally received word this week that her 24-year-old son, a hostage in Gaza, is still alive. She said she fainted upon hearing the brutal details of his captivity from freed hostages who had been held with him by Hamas since October 7, 2023. Bound by chains in an underground tunnel, Alon Ohel has subsisted on a piece of bread or less each day. He hasn't seen sunlight in 493 days, she told reporters on Monday. As the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas seems increasingly at risk of falling apart Hamas says it will not free three hostages on Saturday as planned, and Israel says it's ready to resume the war if it doesn't families of the hostages are struggling to maintain hope. They are pleading with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to give up on the ceasefire framework, and to speed up the timeline of releases if possible. Their worries about the ceasefire collapsing have been exacerbated by President Donald Trump'

Netanyahu warns of ending Gaza ceasefire if hostages not returned on Feb 15

After nearly 16 months of war, Hamas has gradually been releasing hostages since the first phase of a ceasefire began on January 19, but on Monday said it would not free any more

India, Israel share warm ties beyond strategic partnership: Knesset speaker

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has said India and Israel not only are strategic partners in many areas but their people also share a warm and honest relationship. Ohana, seen as a close confidant of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also credited the prime ministers of both the countries for "having worked hard" to strengthen and deepen the relationship between "big and powerful" India and "small and creative" Israel. Recalling his visit to India in March 2023, the Speaker said it was not accidental that he chose India as his first overseas destination for a visit. "I chose India as the first destination for my overseas trip after entering office as the Speaker of the Knesset. The first trip is also a reflection of the importance of a place in our relationship. It was also the first visit of any Knesset speaker to India", Ohana said. "During the time of the visit and also after it, the strong sentiments towards India only deepened. India is not only a strategic partner of Isra

With ceasefire in question, Israel orders to beef up troops around Gaza

An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the army to beef up troops in and around the Gaza Strip after Hamas threatened to call off a scheduled hostage release on Saturday. The official said Netanyahu also ordered officials to prepare for every scenario if Hamas doesn't release our hostages this Saturday. The preparation plans come after Netanyahu met with his Security Cabinet for four hours on Tuesday to discuss Hamas' threat, which has put the fragile ceasefire agreement in danger. Under the ceasefire, Hamas has released 21 hostages in a series of exchanges for Palestinian prisoners. But it said Monday it was delaying the next release of three more hostages after accusing Israel of failing to allow enough aid into Gaza under the deal. President Donald Trump has said Israel should cancel the entire ceasefire if all of the roughly 70 hostages held by Hamas aren't freed by Saturday. The Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a

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We are more than happy to collaborate with India on IMEC project: Israel

Israel on Tuesday expressed keenness to collaborate with India on the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and said a team is working on an element of the project. Billed as a path-breaking initiative, the IMEC envisages a vast road, railroad and shipping networks among Saudi Arabia, India, the US, and Europe to ensure integration among Asia, Middle East, and West. The IMEC initiative was firmed up on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023. An agreement was signed by India, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the US and some other G20 partners for the corridor. "We are more than happy to collaborate on IMEC which is actually connecting India and Asia to Europe via Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel," Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Nir M Barkat told reporters here. He was addressing the media after co-chairing India-Israel CEO Forum meet with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. Barkat is leading a big .

Delay in next hostage release by Hamas threatens fragile Gaza ceasefire

The Hamas announcement that it will delay the next planned release of Israeli hostages from Gaza has threatened a fragile truce that's seen as having the potential to wind down 16 months of war. It has brought new dismay for Israelis who watched the latest Hamas handover of hostages in growing horror over the weekend as the three emaciated men came into sight. Of the hostages yet to be released from Gaza under this phase of the ceasefire, Israel has said eight are dead. The next handover of three hostages had been scheduled for Saturday, and families say time is running out for those still alive. Israel now awaits what comes from a security Cabinet meeting Tuesday morning, moved up in response to Monday's Hamas announcement. The developments also have led to new fear in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have surged to what remains of their homes in the territory's north after being evacuated in the war's earliest weeks. The uncertainty, just over halfway i

Best of BS Opinion: How India's renewable energy success turned sour

Today's pieces cover diverse topics: our editorials examine how India's renewable energy sector is now a victim of its own success, and ponder the government's inexplicable pause on privatisation.

Hamas accuses Israel of ceasefire breaches, to delay next hostage release

A Hamas spokesman on Monday accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement with the group, including targeting Palestinians in Gaza with airstrikes, and said that next Saturday's hostage release would be delayed. A Hamas spokesperson said Monday that the group will delay the next hostage release after accusing Israel of violating ceasefire agreement. Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas is releasing dozens of the hostages captured in its October 7, 2023, attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and over 730 prisoners. The next exchange was scheduled for Saturday, releasing three Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, accused Israel on Monday of systematically violating the ceasefire agreement over the past th

India, Israel to discuss ways to promote trade, investments in Feb 11 meet

Top business leaders, policymakers, and industry stakeholders from India and Israel will meet here on Tuesday to discuss ways to further promote trade and investments between the two countries, an official statement said on Monday. They will explore new avenues of economic cooperation, technological collaboration, and investment opportunities, the commerce and industry ministry said. It said that the India-Israel Business Forum meeting will focus on expanding trade relationships, fostering cross-sector collaborations, and identifying investment opportunities. A high-level Israeli business delegation, led by Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Nir M Barkat will participate in the forum. The delegation includes Israeli enterprises and representatives from sectors such as technology, manufacturing, healthcare, agri-tech, food processing, defense, homeland security, water management, logistics, and retail. There is also a meeting of the India-Israel CEO Forum. "These forums will

'We were treated like animals': Freed Israeli hostages reveal Hamas abuse

Freed Israeli hostages recount brutal captivity under Hamas, describing starvation, torture, and emotional trauma

Saudi Arabia rejects Netanyahu's proposal for Palestinian state on its land

Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there, said Netanyahu

Pressure mounts on extending Gaza ceasefire as details on hostages emerge

New details and growing shock over emaciated hostages renewed pressure Sunday on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend a fragile Gaza ceasefire beyond the first phase ending in three weeks. Talks on the second phase, meant to see more hostages released and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, were due to start Feb. 3. But Israel and Hamas appear to have made little progress, even as Israeli forces withdrew Sunday from a Gaza corridor in the latest commitment to the truce. Netanyahu sent a delegation to Qatar, a key mediator, but it included low-level officials, sparking speculation that it won't lead to a breakthrough. Netanyahu, who returned after a U.S. visit to meet with President Donald Trump, is expected to convene security Cabinet ministers on Tuesday. Trump himself suggested he was losing patience with the deal after seeing the emaciated hostages released this week. I watched the hostages come back today and they looked like Holocaust survivors. They were i

Israel begins to withdraw from key Gaza corridor as part of truce

Israeli forces withdrew from a key corridor in Gaza on Sunday, Israeli officials and Hamas said, the latest commitment under a tenuous ceasefire that faces a major test over whether the sides can negotiate its planned extension. Israelis' shock at the sight of three emaciated hostages released Saturday has added pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend the truce instead of returning to fighting when the ceasefire's first phase ends in early March. Israel and Hamas appear to have made little progress on negotiating the deal's second phase, which is also meant to see more hostages released. Talks had been due to start on February 3. Netanyahu was sending a delegation to Qatar, a key mediator, but it included low-level officials, sparking speculation that it won't lead to a breakthrough. Netanyahu, who returned to Israel on Sunday after a US visit to meet with President Donald Trump, is expected to convene key Cabinet ministers this week. The 4-mile (6-kilometre) Netzar

'Deprived of food': Freed Israeli hostages recall ordeal in Hamas captivity

Family members of hostages said some of the hostages had at least occasional access to radio or television and heard or saw their relatives campaigning for their release, which helped them survive

Hamas must release all hostages now: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

The President was clear - Hamas MUST release ALL hostages NOW! Rubio was quoted as saying in a White House post on X

UAE strongly condemns provocative Israeli statements against Saudi Arabia

Khalifa Bin Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, underlined the UAE's full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Israel's Minister Nir Barkat to lead business delegation to India on Feb 10

Israel's Minister of Economy and Industry, Nir Barkat, will be leading the largest business delegation from the country to India next week to boost bilateral trade in what would be his third official visit to New Delhi. The two-day visit starts next week on Monday. Barkat will also be meeting Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal during the trip. "The largest ever multi-sectoral CEO level delegation from Israel comprises over 100 innovative Israeli companies from healthcare, energy, cybersecurity, defence and HLS, agritech, smart mobility, watertech, foodTech, and more," officials told PTI. The high-profile visit is being coordinated by the Ministry of Economy & Industry on the Israeli side and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on the Indian side. It will involve the participation of all the major chambers from Israel - the Israel Export Institute, Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce and The Manufacturers Association of Israel, while FICCI and CII will be taking