Page 71 - Israel

Beirut residents scramble to make contingency plans after Israeli airstrike

Residents of Beirut's southern suburbs have been scrambling to make contingency plans since an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building in a busy neighbourhood killed a top Hezbollah commander and touched off fears of a full-scale war. For most, that means moving in with relatives or renting homes in Christian, Druze or Sunni-majority areas of Lebanon that are generally considered safer than the Shiite-majority areas where the Hezbollah militant group has its main operations and base of support. But for a small number, plan B is a move to neighbouring Syria. Although Syria is in its 14th year of civil war, active fighting has long been frozen in much of the country. Lebanese citizens, who can cross the border without a visa, regularly visit Damascus. And renting an apartment is significantly cheaper in Syria than in Lebanon. Zahra Ghaddar said she and her family were shaken when they saw an apartment building reduced to rubble by the July 30 drone strike in her area, known as ...

World leaders express shock as six Israeli hostages found dead in Gaza

The deceased hostages have been identified as Hersh Goldberg-Polin (23), Eden Yerushalmi (24), Ori Danino (25), Alex Lobanov (32), Carmel Gat (40), and Almog Sarusi (27)

Protestors in Israel demand ceasefire deal after 6 more captives killed

The protesters chanted Now! Now! and demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a ceasefire deal

Israel's main labour union calls strike as pressure mounts for hostage deal

High-tech companies, manufacturers to join strike. Protesters block key roads to pressure government

Israel's main labour union calls strike as pressure mounts for hostage deal

High-tech companies, manufacturers to join strike. Protesters block key roads to pressure government

Israel recovers bodies of 6 hostages in Gaza, including Hersh Goldberg

Israel on Sunday said it had recovered the bodies of six hostages in Gaza, including a young Israeli-American man who became one of the most well-known captives held by Hamas as his parents met with world leaders and pressed for his release, including at the Democratic convention last month. The news sparked calls for mass protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who many of the families of hostages and much of the wider public blame for failing to bring them back alive in a cease-fire deal with Hamas. Negotiations over such a deal have dragged on for months. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was seized by militants at a music festival in southern Israel on October 7. The native of Berkeley, California, lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the attack. In April, a Hamas-issued video showed him, his left hand missing and clearly speaking under duress, sparking new protests in Israel urging the government to do more to secure his and others' freedom. The army said he was among

Palestinian militants kill 3 Israeli police officers in West Bank

Palestinian militants killed three Israeli police officers on Sunday when they opened fire on a vehicle in the occupied West Bank, where Israel has carried out large-scale raids in recent days. The attack took place along a road in the southern West Bank. The raids have mainly been focused on urban refugee camps in the northern part of the territory, where Israeli forces have traded fire with militants on a near-daily basis since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. The police confirmed that all three killed were officers and said the assailants slipped away. A little-known militant group calling itself the Khalil al-Rahman Brigade claimed responsibility. Hamas praised the attack as a natural response to the war in Gaza and called for more. The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since Hamas' October 7 attack out of Gaza ignited the war there. Over 650 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, mainly during Israeli military arrest raids. Most appear to have been militants ...

Mahindra Group, Sentrycs ink pact for development of anti-drone solutions

Mahindra Group and Israel's Sentrycs Ltd on Friday said they have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities for developing and providing 'differentiated anti-drone solutions' in India. The solutions will cover civilian and military applications, the two companies said in a joint statement. The MoU relates to the 'anti-drone systems' technology space and will focus on the Transfer of Technology (TOT) and manufacturing of radio frequency-based counter-drone solutions under the government of India's 'Make in India' initiative, it added. The 'differentiated anti-drone solution' is an autonomous and integrated system with a command and control (C2) module, and enables detection, tracking, identification and mitigation of incoming drones. "We believe that this MoU with Sentrycs would enable the group to explore opportunities in the anti-drone space and set the stage for cutting-edge technological offerings with global partners for a full suite of ...

Israeli Defence Minister Gallant discusses war goals with IDF chief

The focus of the discussion was expanding the goals of the war to include ensuring the return of Israel's northern communities

Israeli army kills five more West Bank militants, including local commander

The Israeli military says it has killed five more militants in a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank, including a well-known local commander. There was no immediate Palestinian confirmation of the death of Mohammed Jaber, known as Abu Shujaa, a commander in the Islamic Jihad militant group in the Nur Shams refugee camp. The military said he was killed along with four other militants in a shootout with Israeli forces early Thursday after the five had hidden inside a mosque. It said Abu Shujaa was linked to numerous attacks on Israelis, including a deadly shooting in June, and was planning more. He was reported killed earlier this year, but then made a surprise appearance at the funeral of other militants, where he was hoisted onto the shoulders of a cheering crowd. The military said another militant was arrested in the operation in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, and that a member of Israel's paramilitary Border Police was lightly wounded. Israel launched a large-scale

Threat of war with Israel redefines 'normal' life in Lebanon's Beirut

Beirut is used to living with the threat of war, and this was a couple of weeks ago. That threat is now getting more acute

Houthis will allow rescue ships to aid tanker ablaze in Red Sea: Iran

Yemen's Houthi rebels have agreed to allow tugboats and rescue ships to assist a Greek-flagged oil tanker that remains ablaze in the Red Sea in consideration of humanitarian and environmental concerns, Iran's UN Mission said late Wednesday. The Pentagon said Tuesday that attempts by an unidentified third party to send two tugboats to the stricken Sounion were blocked by the Iranian-backed Houthis. Air Force Maj Gen Pat Ryder told reporters that the Houthis' actions demonstrate their blatant disregard for not only human life, but also for the potential environmental catastrophe that this presents. Last week's attack on the Sounion marked the most serious assault in weeks by the Houthi rebels, who continue to target shipping through the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. The attacks have disrupted the $1 trillion in trade that typically passes through the region, as well as halted some aid shipments to conflict-ravaged Sudan and Yemen. Iran's UN Mission ...

Israeli raids in occupied West Bank have killed 9: Palestinian officials

Israel launched raids across the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, where its forces killed at least nine Palestinians and sealed off the volatile city of Jenin, according to Palestinian officials. Israel has carried out near-daily raids across the West Bank since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack out of Gaza triggered the ongoing war there. Palestinian militant groups said they were exchanging fire with the Israeli military. The governor of Jenin, Kamal Abu al-Rub, said on Palestinian radio that Israeli forces had surrounded the city, blocking exit and entry points and access to hospitals, and ripping up infrastructure in the camp. The Israeli military confirmed it was operating in the West Bank cities of Jenin and Tulkarem but did not provide further details. Over 600 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli fire since the war in Gaza began over 10 months ago, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Most have died during such raids, which often trigger gunbattles with ...

Will win war against terror by fighting together, says top Israeli official

Terrorism is a disease that will not stop unless all like-minded nations fight against it, a top Israeli official has said, asserting that his country will win the war against terror amid the escalating tensions in West Asia. Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, Yakoov Blitshtein, Director General of Foreign Affairs of Israel, said it was necessary to put an end to terror in Israel and all other places. "Terrorism is a disease that we must face (fight), not only in Israel but in the entire world. This is a disease that will not stop unless all of us, like-minded countries, fight against it," he said. Referring to the terror attack by Hamas on Israel in October 2023, Blitshtein said the country is in difficult times but shall overcome it. "We will build new cities, new homes and bring back all the citizens to their homes, to their villages, to their kibbutz, to the cities. We will win the war against terrorism," he said. His remarks come after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes

Israel, Hezbollah step back, but for how long? All eyes on Iran's next move

The Israelis claim to have thwarted what could have been a large-scale Hezbollah assault

Negotiations more effective than rescues in bringing Israeli hostages home

Israel's military has rescued its eight hostage from Gaza since the 10-month-old war began. While the rescue Tuesday set off celebrations, it also renewed calls from the families of hostages who are still being held in Gaza for a deal that would bring home their loved ones before it's too late. They say an agreement, not military rescues, is the best hope. International mediators have tried for months to broker a deal that would see scores of hostages still held by Hamas exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and a cease-fire. But Israel and Hamas cannot agree on key portions of the deal. Of some 250 hostages taken by Hamas militants in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war, around 105 were released in a cease-fire last November. Israel says 108 remain in Gaza, at least 36 of whom are believed dead. After 10 months, the IDF managed just to release a small number of hostages from Hamas and the rest of them must be released by negotiations and by ending this war, said Mazen Abu Siam,

Rescued another hostage abducted in Hamas' Oct 7 attack: Israeli military

The Israeli military said Tuesday that it has rescued one of the scores of people abducted in Hamas' October 7 attack, which ignited the ongoing war in Gaza. The rescue brought a rare moment of joy to Israelis amid months of grinding war but also another painful reminder of the scores of hostages remaining in captivity despite international efforts to broker a cease-fire agreement in which they would be released. The military said Qaid Farhan Alkadi was rescued from a tunnel in a complex operation in the southern Gaza Strip," without providing further details. It was not immediately known if the rescue was made under fire or if anyone was killed or wounded during the operation. The 52-year-old was one of eight members of Israel's Arab Bedouin minority who were abducted on October 7. He was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen, one of several farming communities that came under attack. He has two wives and is the father of 11 children. Israel's Channel 12 showed

Israeli strikes across Gaza kill 14, including children, say Palestinians

Palestinian officials say Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 14 people, half of them children. The Civil Defense, first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government, said three children and their mother were killed in an airstrike late Monday in the Tufah neighborhood of Gaza City. It said three other people were missing after the strike. Another strike late Monday hit a building in downtown Gaza City, killing a child, three women and a man, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. In southern Gaza, a strike on a home early Tuesday killed five people, including a man, his three children as young as 3 years old and a woman, according to a casualty list provided by Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where the bodies were taken. Palestinian health officials do not say whether those killed in Israeli strikes are civilians or fighters. Israel says it tries to avoid harming civilians and accuses Hamas of putting them in danger by fighting in residential ar

Israeli military investigating sailor's death during Hezbollah barrage

According to the IDF's initial findings, the interceptor exploded adjacent to the ship while at least two Hezbollah drones were flying over the area at the time

Risk of broader war eases a bit after Israel-Hezbollah exchange: US general

Brown noted Hezbollah's strike was just one of two major threatened attacks against Israel