Page 6 - Israel

PM Modi departs for Israel, to hold talks with Netanyahu, address Knesset

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday left for Israel for a two-day visit during which he will have discussions with his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, address the Israeli Parliament, Knesset, and interact with the Indian diaspora. In his departure statement, the prime minister said India and Israel share a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership that has witnessed remarkable growth and dynamism, and he is looking forward to his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Modi said the visit comes at the invitation of his "dear friend Prime Minister Netanyahu." "I look forward to my discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu aimed at further strengthening our cooperation across various domains, including science and technology, innovation, agriculture, water management defence and security, trade and investment, as well as people-to-people ties," he said. Modi will address the Israeli Parliament, Knesset, becoming the first Indian prime minister to have the honour. During th

US embassy to offer consular services at Israeli settlement in West Bank

The US embassy in Jerusalem plans to offer consular services for the first time at an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. A statement posted Wednesday to the US embassy's account on the social platform X said consular officers "will be providing routine passport services" to US citizens Friday in the West Bank settlement of Efrat. The embassy said a similar outreach service is planned in the coming months in the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit, calling the services part of its "efforts to reach all Americans." The US embassy has previously provided consular services in Ramallah and other Palestinian cities in the West Bank. The move continues a shift in policy under US President Donald Trump's administration, which has been far friendlier to Israeli settlements in the West Bank than past US presidents. "We welcome the historic decision by the US embassy in Jerusalem to extend consular services to American citizens in Judea and Samaria," Israel's Foreign Ministry said o

PM Modi's second Israel visit to boost bilateral defence, trade cooperation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a two-day visit to Israel beginning Wednesday to shore up bilateral defence and trade cooperation amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle-east including deteriorating ties between the US and Iran. Modi's engagements will include his address to Israel's parliament, wide-ranging talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and a meeting with President Isaac Herzog. It is learnt that boosting overall defence and security cooperation between the two sides will be a major area of discussions during delegation level talks involving the two prime ministers on Thursday. Netanyahu is scheduled to host a private dinner for Modi on Wednesday night. It will be Modi's second visit to Israel in nine years. The India-Israel relationship was elevated to the level of strategic partnership during Modi's first visit to that country in July, 2017. Netanyahu had made a return visit to India in January 2018. India and Israel share a robust strategic

PM Modi to visit Israel: What’s on the agenda? | India-Israel relations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Israel on February 25–26, 2026, marking his second trip since the landmark 2017 visit.

EU diplomats to meet 'Board of Peace' director over Gaza's future

The European Union's top diplomats are set to meet Monday with the director of the Board of Peace in Brussels after a shaky and controversial embrace of U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to secure and rebuild the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. Nikolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian politician and U.N. diplomat chosen by Trump to manage the Board of Peace, will meet the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and foreign ministers from across the 27-nation bloc. The EU diplomats are also expected to discuss the war in Ukraine and fresh sanctions on Russia. Just across the Mediterranean Sea from the Middle East, the EU has deep links to Israel and the Palestinians. It now plays a crucial oversight role at the Rafah border crossing, and is the top donor to the Palestinian Authority. The question of whether to work with the Trump-led board has split national capitals from Nicosia to Copenhagen. The EU is supportive of the United Nations' mandate in Gaza. EU members Hungary and Bulgaria are fu

Netanyahu outlines PM Modi's itinerary ahead of 'historic' Israel visit

This will be PM Modi's second visit to the country, following his 2017 visit when he became the first-ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel

Israel eyes return to pre-Covid Indian tourist levels of around 69k by 2027

Israel, which witnessed a double crisis of Covid-19 and the war, is expecting to recover and reach the 2019 level of around 69,000 visitors from India by 2027, a senior representative of the Israel Ministry of Tourism said. Israel received 65,100 visitors from India in 2019. "We faced crises like Covid-19 and then the war, which affected our tourism industry. In 2019, we welcomed 65,100 visitors from India. If everything is positive and we get enough campaigns and promotions like we did in 2019, it should take us another year and a half or two years- that is, 2027- to reach around 69,000 level," Galit Hoffman, Consul - Tourism Affairs, India, told PTI. After the Covid-19 crisis, which affected the travel industry worldwide, Israel entered a war with Hamas on October 7, 2023, impacting the tourism sector as many countries suspended flights to the Middle Eastern country. In 2024, Israel welcomed 9,600 tourists from India who majorly went for pilgrimage and 12,500 travellers in 2025,

14 nations slam US envoy's remarks on Israel's territorial expansion

Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday sharply condemned comments by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who said Israel has a right to much of the Middle East. Huckabee made the comments in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired Friday. Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include essentially the entire Middle East, and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land. Huckabee responded: "It would be fine if they took it all." Huckabee added, however, that Israel was not looking to expand its territory and has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds. His comments sparked immediate backlash from neighboring Egypt and Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States. Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry described Huckabee's comments as "extremist rhetoric" and "unacceptable," and called for the State Department to

12 killed in Israeli strikes on Hezbollah command centres in Lebanon

The strikes were among the deadliest since the November 2024 US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon

US envoy's 'Israel take it all' remark sparks backlash in West Asia

Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday sharply condemned comments by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who said Israel has a right to much of the Middle East. Huckabee made the comments in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired Friday. Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include essentially the entire Middle East, and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land. Huckabee responded: "It would be fine if they took it all." Huckabee added, however, that Israel was not looking to expand its territory and has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds. His comments sparked immediate backlash from neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States, which in separate statements called them extremist, provocative and not in line with the US position. Egypt's foreign ministry called Huckabee's comments a "blatant violati

Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill at least 12, intensifying regional tensions

At least 12 people were killed and 24 wounded - including three children - in Israeli strikes in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley Friday, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported. Another two people were killed by an Israeli strike on a Palestinian refugee camp earlier in the day. Israel said it had hit "command centers" of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in Bekaa Valley. There was no immediate statement from Hezbollah. Local television footage from the scene of one of the strikes in the Bekaa showed the targeted site appeared to be an apartment building, and emergency crews were fighting a fire and searching in the rubble for survivors. Earlier Friday, another Israeli strike had hit a Palestinian refugee camp in the port city of Sidon, killing two people. The Israeli military said it hit a "Hamas command center" in the Ein el-Hilweh camp. Hamas acknowledged that two of its members had been killed in the strike but called the claim that a command center was struck a "flimsy pretex

Netanyahu calls India 'gigantic power' ahead of PM Modi's Israel visit

Describing India as a "gigantic power", Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel is "tightening alliances" with its allies, as he mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jerusalem next week. Prime Minister Modi is expected to arrive in Israel on February 25 on a two-day visit during which he is likely to address the Knesset (parliament) and meet Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. Netanyahu made the comments while addressing the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Cadets' Graduation Ceremony in Bahad 1 (IDF Officers School), about 190 kms south of Jerusalem, on Thursday. After describing valiant efforts by the Israeli army over the years, Netanyahu said how the country goes out and takes "pre-emptive measures" against the evil, and, therefore, will act time and again "to neutralise the risks in the area, as necessary." "We will also act to tighten alliances with our allies. Next week, the Prime Minister of India will visit the country a gigantic power," Netanyahu

Israel condemns attack on Indian workers in Ashkelon, perpetrators held

The Israeli embassy in India informed that the perpetrators have been caught and assured that justice will be delivered

India joins over 100 countries in opposing Israel's actions in West Bank

India has joined over 100 countries and global organisations in condemning Israel's "unilateral" decisions and measures aimed at expanding its "unlawful presence" in the West Bank. A statement was issued by the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the UN on Wednesday on behalf of the 100 countries and organisations "condemning Israel's unilateral measures and rejecting annexation." According to the statement, the signatories "strongly condemn unilateral Israeli decisions and measures aimed at expanding Israel's unlawful presence in the West Bank." "Such decisions are contrary to Israel's obligations under international law and must be immediately reversed. We underline in this regard our strong opposition to any form of annexation," it said. Earlier, 85 nations had condemned Israel's unilateral measures and policies in the occupied West Bank through the statement issued on February 17. India was not among these initial nations that had jointly issued the statement. Later, Ne

India, Israel sign another MoU to deepen defence ties ahead of Modi's visit

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel later this month, an MoU was signed between India and Israel to deepen defence ties and strengthen ongoing joint activities, including future seminars and cooperative initiatives. The International Defence Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT) within Israel's Ministry of Defense (IMOD) have facilitated meetings between leading Indian and Israel defence industries leading to the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). SIBAT in cooperation with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and India's Ministry of Defence led a seminar and B2B meetings this week between leading Indian and Israeli defence companies, the IMOD said. "The seminar was led by SIBAT Director, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yair Kulas, and brought together small, medium and large Israeli and Indian defence companies for substantive engagements, with the goal of deepening familiarity with India's defense industrial ecosystem and its updated Defense Acquisition

PM Narendra Modi to visit Israel next week, says Benjamin Netanyahu

'Tremendous alliance between Israel and India, and we are going to discuss all sorts of cooperation', the Israeli PM said

PM Modi to visit Israel on Feb 25-26, second trip since 2017: Report

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Israel on a two-day visit from February 25 to 26, sources said on Monday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first broke news of Modi's visit while addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations on Sunday. "Parliament address on the anvil. Who's coming here next week? Narendra Modi," Netanyahu told the gathering. "Tremendous alliance between Israel and India, and we are going to discuss all sorts of cooperation. Now, you know, India is not a small country. It has 1.4 billion people. India is enormously powerful, enormously popular," he stressed. A source here told PTI that PM Modi's visit is 'likely to be short from February 25 to 26", but "its impact is deep given the popularity Modi enjoys not only in Israel but around the world". While the programme around the visit is being worked out, PM Modi is expected to address the Israeli Knesset (parliament). Modi is likely to touch upon all issues of ..

Netanyahu seeks to strip Israeli nationality of convicted Palestinians

Israel has asked a court to revoke the citizenship of two men convicted of terrorism offences, in what appears to be the first test of a law allowing the deportation of Palestinian citizens convicted of certain violent crimes. Court documents filed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday argued that the severity of the crimes, along with payments those found guilty allegedly received from a Palestinian Authority fund, justify revoking citizenship and expelling the individuals convicted of violent attacks. Roughly one in five Israeli citizens is Palestinian. When the law passed, critics said it was one instance in which Israel's legal system treats Jewish and Palestinian citizens differently. Rights groups argued that basing a deportation law on Palestinian Authority payments effectively limited its application on the basis of race and excluded Jewish Israelis - including settlers convicted of attacks against Palestinians - from the threat of having their citizenship ...

Netanyahu to urge expanded Iran talks as Trump says Tehran wants a deal

With President Donald Trump saying he believes Iran wants to make a deal on its nuclear program, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to arrive at the White House on Wednesday with his own urgent message: Expand the talks further. The visit from Netanyahu - their seventh meeting in Trump's second term - comes as both Tehran and Washington are projecting cautious optimism after holding indirect talks in Oman on Friday about how once again to approach negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. "We'll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal," Trump said in an interview Tuesday with Fox Business Network's Larry Kudlow. "I think they'd be foolish if they didn't. We took out their nuclear power last time, and we'll have to see if we take out more this time." He added, "It's got to be a good deal. No nuclear weapons, no missiles." Netanyahu pushes for more in Iran talks ------------------------------------------ Netanyahu's office has said he wants those talks

Trump, Netanyahu meet to likely focus on energy, deregulation: White House

Heading to Washington on Tuesday to meet Trump, Netanyahu said he planned to convey Israel's position on US nuclear talks with Tehran during the meeting