Page 73 - Israel

Israel-Hamas war: Hard decisions remain over ceasefire, says Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza. He called on Hamas to do the same. Blinken on Tuesday was on his ninth urgent mission to the Middle East since the war in Gaza began more than 10 months ago. He did not say whether the bridging proposal addressed concerns cited by Hamas. Even if the militant group accepts the proposal, negotiators will spend the coming days working on clear understandings on implementing the agreement, Blinken said. He said there are still complex issues requiring hard decisions by the leaders, without offering specifics. Blinken is travelling to Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday for further negotiations after meetings in Israel on Monday. His visit came days after mediators, including the United States, expressed renewed optimism that a deal was close. His trip also came amid fears the conflict could widen into a deeper regional war following the killing

Israel accepts proposal to bridge impasse, Hamas must do same: Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, and he called on Hamas to do the same, without saying whether the latest draft had addressed concerns cited by the militant group. The high-stakes negotiations have gained speed in recent days as diplomats hope an agreement will deter Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah from avenging the targeted killings of two top militants that were blamed on Israel. The escalating tensions have raised fears of an even more destructive regional war. Blinken spoke after holding a 2 1/2 hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day, and will travel to Egypt and Qatar for further negotiations. The three mediators have spent months trying to end the war in Gaza, with the talks repeatedly stalling. In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel supports the bridgin

Record number of aid workers killed in 2023, this year may be worse: UN

A record number of aid workers were killed in conflicts around the world last year more than half after the Israel-Hamas war started on October 7 -- and this year may become even deadlier, the United Nations said on Monday. The 280 aid workers from 33 countries killed in 2023 was more than double the previous year's figure of 118, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs known as OCHA said in a report on World Humanitarian Day. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted that honouring the humanitarians killed in the deadliest year on record is not enough. In Sudan and many other places, aid workers are attacked, killed, injured and abducted. We demand an end to impunity so that perpetrators face justice, the UN chief said. OCHA said this year may be on track for an even deadlier outcome, with 172 aid workers killed as of August 7, according to a provisional account from the Aid Worker Security Database. More than 280 aid workers have been killed in the war i

US Secretary Blinken warns Israel, Hamas of last chance to end Gaza war

The talks in Qatar last week paused without a breakthrough, but the negotiations are to resume this week based on a US "bridging proposal".

Israel, Hamas accuse each other for impeding cease-fire & hostage deal

Mediators say the current round of negotiations have brought the two sides closest to an official pause in fighting in months

Israel strikes Gaza as Blinken heads to region to close ceasefire deal

Israeli strikes across Gaza killed 19 people overnight, including a woman and her six children, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to the region on Sunday to try to seal a cease-fire deal after months of contentious negotiations. The U.S. and fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar appeared to be closing in on a deal after two days of talks in Doha, with American and Israeli officials expressing cautious optimism. But Hamas has signaled resistance to what it says are new demands by Israel, and the long-running talks have repeatedly stalled. The evolving proposal calls for a three-phase process in which Hamas would release all hostages abducted during its Oct. 7 attack, which triggered the deadliest war ever fought between Israelis and Palestinians. In exchange, Israel would withdraw its forces from Gaza and release Palestinian prisoners. The mediators hope to end a war that has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, displaced the vast majority

Israeli GDP grows at 1.2% in April-June period as Gaza war rages on

First-quarter GDP was revised to 17.3% annualised from a prior estimate of 14.4%, bouncing back from a contraction of 20.6% in the fourth quarter of 2023

Hezbollah fires salvo of rockets at northern Israel after deadly strike

A commander in Hezbollah's Radwan force was killed in the IDF's attack on south Lebanon, the military said in a post on X

Deadly violence persists in Gaza despite mediators calling for a truce

As mediators expressed optimism for an imminent cease-fire deal, violence raged on Saturday in the Gaza Strip, where an Israeli airstrike killed at least 18 people, all from the same family. The attack came days after the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza announced the death toll surpassed 40,000 in the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas war, and just hours after officials from the United States, Egypt and Qatar wrapped up two days of cease-fire talks with a message of hope that a deal could be reached. A joint statement from the three mediators said a proposal to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas was presented and they expected to work out the details of how to implement the possible deal next week in Cairo. The mediation efforts were aimed not just at securing the release of scores of Israeli hostages and stopping the fighting that has devastated Gaza, where aid and health workers fear a possible polio outbreak. It is also aimed at tamping down regional tensions that have threatened

Mideast mediators preparing for ceasefire deal in advance: US official

In a sign that mediators believe a Gaza cease-fire deal is imminent, a US official said Friday that Mideast negotiators are working out logistics for the potential release of hostages and distribution of aid as part of any agreement to end the Israel-Hamas war. The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity in keeping with rules set by the White House, said the proposal currently on the table basically bridges every gap between Israel and Hamas and mediators were making preparations before a final deal is approved. It was unclear what measures were being taken, but the official said a new implementation cell was being established in Cairo in advance. The cell would focus on logistics, including freeing hostages, providing humanitarian aid for Gaza and ensuring that the terms of the pact are met, the official said. The comments came hours after mediators expressed hope that a deal was within reach. They said two days of talks had wrapped up in Qatar and that they plan

US Secy Blinken to embark on Israel visit today, push for Gaza ceasefire

"Secretary Blinken will underscore the critical need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation or any actions that could undermine the ability to finalise an agreement," it added

Saudi Crown Prince fears assassination amid talks to normalise Israel ties

Saudi Arabia has been in talks with US lawmakers since 2023 to officially recognise Israel's sovereignty and normalise ties

Between Nakba and Shoah

'Israel has become its own ghetto, where Jews are less safe than Diaspora Jews,' says Kai Bird in his thought-provoking new memoir that leaves readers with much to think about

Mediators hold ceasefire talks as Palestinian death toll nears 40K

International mediators were set to hold a new round of talks Thursday aimed at halting the Israel-Hamas war and securing the release of scores of hostages, with a potential deal seen as the best hope of heading off an even larger regional conflict. The United States, Qatar and Egypt were to meet with an Israeli delegation in Qatar as the Palestinian death toll from the 10-month-old war nears 40,000. Hamas has not said whether it will participate, accusing Israel of adding new demands to an evolving proposal that had US and international support. A cease-fire in Gaza would likely calm tensions across the region and may persuade Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah to refrain from retaliatory strikes on Israel after the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli airstrike and of Hamas' top political leader in an explosion in Iran's capital. The mediators have spent months trying to hammer out a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release scores of hostages captured in the October 7

Biden admin approves fighter jets' sale to Israel in over $20 bn deal

Under the terms of the deal, the US would send up to 50 of the Boeing Co. F-15IA jets, along with upgrade kits for 25 other F-15s along with radar and other gear

India, Israel join hands for new water technology centre at IIT Madras

India and Israel have joined hands for the establishment of a new water technology centre at IIT-Madras, which is expected to serve as a "key contributor" to India's efforts to achieve sustainable water supply for all. The Embassy of Israel in India in its statement termed the deal a "significant milestone" in the ongoing collaboration between the two countries in the field of integrated water resource management. A Joint Statement of Intent was signed to establish a Center of Water Technology at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. "This tripartite agreement, signed by the Embassy of Israel, IIT Madras, and the AMRUT mission of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, reflects a shared commitment to address the critical challenges of water management in India," it said. The Center of Water Technology aims to become a hub for innovation, research, and capacity-building in water technologies, particularly focusing on sustainable solutions for urban water supply.

Ship in Red Sea targeted in third attack by suspected Yemen's Houthi rebels

A ship in the Red Sea was targeted in a third attack suspected to have been carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels Tuesday in their campaign of assaults over the Israel-Hamas war, officials said. The attacks come as the rebels' main sponsor, Iran, weighs possible retaliation against Israel over the assassination of Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh in July, which has renewed fears of a wider regional war in the Middle East. Already, the Houthi assaults have disrupted the USD 1 trillion annual flow of goods through the maritime route crucial to trade among Asia, Europe and the Middle East, while also sparking the most intense combat for the US Navy since World War II. The ship was first attacked around 115 kilometers (70 miles) south of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. An explosive was detonated near the ship, then a small vessel acting suspiciously flashed a light near the ship and came close, actions that .

Fitch cuts Israel's rating to A+ as Gaza war seen lasting into 2025

The action reflects the impact of the continuation of the war in Gaza, heightened geopolitical risks and military operations on multiple fronts, analysts wrote

US beefs up posture in Mideast, warns of an Iran-backed attack on Israel

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and is telling the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area, as the U.S. on Monday said it believes Iran or its proxies may launch a strike against Israel as soon as this week. The moves, announced by the Defense Department Sunday, come as the U.S. and other allies push for Israel and Hamas to achieve a cease-fire agreement that could help calm soaring tensions in the region following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut. Officials have been on the lookout for retaliatory strikes by both Iran and Hezbollah for the killings, and the U.S. has been beefing up its presence in the region. John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, said Iran's response to the killings could be this week, but that it is difficult to ascertain at this particular time if there's an attack

Hezbollah targets Northern Israeli military base with around 30 projectiles

The Israel Defence Forces said that several of them landed in open areas and there were no casualties