Page 8 - Israel

HIGHLIGHTS: Protesters confront security at main venue of COP30

Veteran actor Dharmendra was discharged from the Breach Candy hospital in south Mumbai on Wednesday morning and will continue his recovery at home, the family said

Israeli soldiers battle trauma, PTSD after two years of war with Hamas

Wrapped tightly around his forearms, the former Israeli soldier feels the snakes' cold skin against his, and for a moment, he's able to breathe. It's been nearly 18 months since he left the army after fighting in the war in Gaza, and the flashbacks and panic attacks haven't ceased. He was wounded in a Hamas missile attack on his military base, and said two of his friends also soldiers in their 20s died by suicide. This farm in central Israel dedicated to helping soldiers has been a lifeline, he said. It doesn't matter if a plane goes by or if the drone goes by or if someone is yelling. ... Because I'm here with the snake right now, said the 27-year-old sergeant major, who called the experience grounding. Like other soldiers who spoke to The Associated Press, he insisted on anonymity to discuss private mental health matters. Israel's longest war is leaving a trail of traumatised soldiers, with a growing number suffering from mental health illnesses after two years of war with Hamas

US offers support to Lebanon army to enforce plan to disarm Hezbollah

The US officials, in a meeting with Lebanon's President Aoun, expressed readiness to help the war-battered country stabilise security in the south, where Israel has been regularly carrying out strikes

Gaza death toll tops 69,000 as Israel, militants again exchange remains

More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war so far, Gaza health officials said Saturday, as both sides completed the latest exchange of bodies under the terms of the tenuous ceasefire. The latest jump in deaths occurred as more bodies are recovered in the devastated Gaza Strip since the ceasefire began on October 10, and as other bodies are identified. The toll also includes Palestinians killed by strikes that Israel says target remaining militants. Israel on Saturday returned the remains of another 15 Palestinians to Gaza, according to hospital officials there, a day after militants returned the remains of a hostage to Israel. He was identified as Lior Rudaeff, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that Rudaeff was born in Argentina. The exchanges are the central part of the ceasefire's initial phase, which requires that Hamas return all hostage remains as quickly as possible. Families and .

Israel returns bodies of 15 Palestinians for Israeli hostages' remains

Israel on Saturday returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza, hospital officials in the strip said, a day after militants returned the remains of a hostage to Israel under the terms of the tenuous ceasefire agreement in the two-year war. The exchange marked another step forward for the tenuous, US-brokered truce. As part of the deal, Israel has returned the remains of 15 Palestinians for each Israeli hostage. The Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis said the 15 bodies were brought there. The return came shortly after Israel confirmed the remains given back Friday night were of an Israeli man who died while fighting Hamas in the militants' Oct. 7, 2023, attack that started the war. The hostage's body was identified as that of Lior Rudaeff, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Rudaeff was born in Argentina and moved to Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, a farming community in southern Israel, as a child. H

Kazakhstan to join Abraham Accords with Israel in boost to Trump initiative

Kazakhstan is set to join the Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab and Muslim majority countries in a symbolic move aimed at boosting the initiative that was a hallmark of US President Donald Trump's first administration. The action, announced on Thursday, is largely symbolic as Kazakhstan has had diplomatic relations with Israel since 1992 and is much farther geographically from Israel than the other Abraham Accord nations -- Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the UAE. Those countries agreed to normalise relations with Israel as a result of joining the accords, something Kazakhstan did shortly after gaining independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The move was first confirmed to The Associated Press by three US officials who insisted on anonymity to detail plans that hadn't yet been made public. Hours later, Trump posted on his social media site that he'd had a great call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of Israel, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, of ...

India, Israel discuss anti-terror cooperation, trade boost | India-Israel ties

India and Israel on Tuesday explored ways to build a global approach of "zero tolerance" to combat terrorism and enhance cooperation in areas of trade, infrastructure and connectivity even as New Delh

Defence secy explores production avenues in Israel's defence companies

As per the Ministry of Defence, the delegation led by Singh aimed at strengthening Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative

Air India to restart Delhi-Tel Aviv direct flights from January 2026

The Israel Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday said there will be an enhancement in connectivity with the resumption of Air India's direct flight service between New Delhi and Tel Aviv, which is set to relaunch on January 1, 2026. This is expected to provide a stimulus for tourism and economic exchange between the two nations, the Israel Ministry of Tourism said in a statement. The restored route will see five weekly flights operating from Sunday to Thursday, utilising the advanced Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The flight from Tel Aviv will depart at 11:40 am and arrive in Delhi at 8:50 pm, while the flight from Delhi will depart at 7:00 am and arrive in Tel Aviv at 9:55 am, facilitating easy onward connections. Adding to this positive momentum, Arkia Airlines, an Israeli carrier, has also expressed a strong interest in reopening its direct route to India. Arkia's recent high-level meeting with the Indian Ambassador further underscores the enormous potential and desire to strengthe

Defence secretary, Israeli minister sign MoU to boost defence ties

The MoU outlines a wide range of areas for cooperation, including strategic dialogues, training, defence industrial partnerships, and capability development

India, Israel need to work together in combating terrorism: Jaishankar

India and Israel should work together to build a global approach of "zero tolerance" in combating terrorism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday. He made the remarks at a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar. "Our two nations face a particular challenge from terrorism," Jaishankar said. "It is essential that we work towards ensuring a global approach of zero-tolerance towards terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations," he said. The Israeli foreign minister landed in New Delhi on Monday night on a three-day visit.

No safe passage for 200 Hamas terrorists trapped in Rafah: Netanyahu

Earlier, Israeli media reports suggested that Israel might approve the fighters' safe passage if they agreed to surrender their weapons and if Hamas returned the bodies of additional fallen hostages

Red Cross to hand over received remains of 3 hostages to Israel military

Israel said the Red Cross has received the remains of three hostages in Gaza and they will be handed over to Israel's military. A Hamas statement earlier said the remains were found Sunday in a tunnel in southern Gaza. Since the ceasefire in Gaza took effect on October 10, Palestinian militants had released the remains of 17 hostages, with 11 remaining in Gaza. Militants have released one or two bodies every few days. Israel has urged faster progress, and in certain cases it has said the remains aren't of any hostage. Hamas has said the work is complicated by widespread devastation. Israel's military said official identification of these remains would be provided to families first. Israel in turn has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians for the return of the remains of an Israeli hostage. Health officials in Gaza have struggled to identify bodies without access to DNA kits. Only 75 of the 225 Palestinian bodies returned since the ceasefire began have been identified, ...

Israel hands over bodies of 30 Palestinians as ceasefire deal edges forward

Israel returned the bodies of 30 Palestinians to health authorities in Gaza on Friday, completing an exchange after militants turned over remains of two hostages, in a sign that the tense Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement is edging forward. The incremental progress came despite Israeli strikes on Gaza this week that killed more than 100 people following the killing of an Israeli soldier. The bodies were transferred with the Red Cross serving as intermediary. The return of the Palestinian remains was confirmed by a doctor at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, where medical workers were striving to identify them. Gaza and Israel grapple with latest exchange of bodies ----------------------------------------------------------- Photos showed the remains, in white body bags, arranged in rows inside the grounds of Nasser Hospital. Health officials have struggled to identify bodies without access to DNA kits. The handover brings the number of Palestinian bodies returned

Israel's $1.2 bn Nimbus deal asked Google, Amazon for 'secret data codes'

The Nimbus agreement is a key Israeli initiative to move government and military data into private cloud centers, with leaked files revealing a covert 'winking' data alert system

Israel has set up nearly 1,000 new barriers across West Bank since 2023

Since Israel's war with Hamas began more than two years ago, Israel has erected nearly 1,000 barriers in cities and towns in the occupied West Bank, further stifling movement for Palestinians and hindering daily lives, a local government body says. While Israel's military has long imposed movement and access constraints after capturing the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, the number of new barriers is unprecedented, residents say. According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, an official Palestinian governmental body, 916 gates, barriers and walls have been installed since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel. Israeli military raids throughout the West Bank have also increased, with Palestinians killed or detained. Israel says it is trying to root out militancy. Among the new barriers are metal gates stationed at many village and town entrances and between cities, blocking access in and out. Sometimes the Israeli military is stationed at them. Palestinia

Pakistan plans to send peace troops to Gaza: 'We will be proud to do it'

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the government will take a decision after consulting parliament and other relevant institutions

Israeli strikes kill 60 in Gaza after Hamas allegedly violated ceasefire

The Israeli military said that the operation was in response to Hamas attacking its troops in Rafah, a claim denied by the militant group

Israel's military kills three Palestinian militants in West Bank raid

Israeli authorities said they had killed three Palestinian militants early on Tuesday during an operation in the northern part of the occupied West Bank. Israeli police said the three men were shot as they came out of a cave near Jenin, a town in the northern West Bank known as a militant stronghold. A statement claimed the militants were planning an attack, but gave no further details. The statement said the Israeli military carried out an airstrike shortly afterward to destroy the cave. The army confirmed an airstrike in the area but gave no further details. Israel has stepped up its military activity in the occupied West Bank since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the war in Gaza. Israel says the operations have cracked down on militants in the West Bank. But Palestinians and human rights groups say scores of uninvolved civilians have also been among the dead, while tens of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes.

British political commentator Sami Hamdi detained at California airport

Sami Hamdi, a British political commentator, was being held Monday by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after he was detained by ICE officers at San Francisco International Airport, according to federal officials. One senior US official said the detention was related to comments he has made about the Middle East. Hamdi, who is Muslim, was on a speaking tour in the US and on Saturday had addressed the annual gala for the Sacramento, California, chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. Earlier this morning, ICE agents abducted British Muslim journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi at San Francisco Airport, apparently in response to his vocal criticism of the Israeli government during his ongoing speaking tour, the group said in a Sunday social media post. The detention is the latest in the Trump administration's ramped up efforts to identify and potentially expel thousands of foreigners in the United States who it says have either fomented or ...