Page 90 - Israel

Israel briefs US on evacuation of Palestinian civilians ahead of Rafah ops

Israel this week briefed Biden administration officials on a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of a potential operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah aimed at rooting out Hamas militants, according to US officials familiar with the talks. The officials, who were not authorised to comment publicly and requested anonymity to speak about the sensitive exchange, said that the plan detailed by the Israelis did not change the US administration's view that moving forward with an operation in Rafah would put too many innocent Palestinian civilians at risk. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to carry out a military operation in Rafah despite warnings from President Joe Biden and other western officials that doing so would result in more civilian deaths and worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis. The Biden administration has said that there could be consequences for Israel should it move forward with the operation without a credible plan to safeguard ...

US colleges strike deals with pro-palestinian protestors to end protests

Anti-war demonstrations ceased this week at a small number of US universities after school leaders struck deals with pro-Palestinian protesters, fending off possible disruptions of final exams and graduation ceremonies. The agreements at schools including Brown, Northwestern and Rutgers stand out amidst the chaotic scenes and 2,400-plus arrests on 46 campuses nationwide since April 17. Tent encampments and building takeovers have disrupted classes at some schools, including Columbia and UCLA. Deals included commitments by universities to review their investments in Israel or hear calls to stop doing business with the longtime US ally. Many protester demands have zeroed in on links to the Israeli military as the war grinds on in Gaza. The agreements to even discuss divestment mark a major shift on an issue that has been controversial for years, with opponents of a long-running campaign to boycott Israel saying it veers into antisemitism. But while the colleges have made concessions .

Air India to resume flight services between Delhi-Tel Aviv on May 16

Air India on Friday said it will resume flight services between Delhi and Tel Aviv on May 16. The airline has temporarily suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv amid tensions in the Middle East. In a post on X, Air India said it will resume "services between Delhi and Tel Aviv with five weekly flights from 16 May, 2024". On April 19, the airline said Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended till April 30. The suspension was later extended till May 15. After nearly five months, the Tata group-owned carrier had recommenced services to the Israeli city on March 3. Tensions remain high in the Middle East due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

US campus standoffs: Protestors and donors are on collision course

Brown University, the liberal Ivy League institution, agreed this week only to hold a board vote this fall on whether its $6.6 billion endowment should divest from any Israeli-connected holdings

Israeli officials weigh sharing power with Arab states in postwar Gaza

Far-right members of Netanyahu's coalition are almost certain to dismiss such an idea, and so are the Arab countries mentioned as possible participants

Hostage held in Gaza dies as Israel, Hamas work on cease-fire deal

Dror Or, a 49-year-old held captive in Gaza, has died, the Hostages Families Forum said Friday. Or marks the 38th hostage killed, the forum said. He was one of about 250 people abducted when Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. Dozens of people demonstrated Thursday night outside Israel's military headquarters in Tel Aviv, demanding a deal to release the hostages. Meanwhile, Hamas said it would send a delegation to Cairo as soon as possible to keep working on cease-fire talks. A leaked truce proposal hints at compromises by both sides after months of talks languishing in a stalemate. Across the United States, tent encampments and demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war have spread across university campuses. More than 2,000 protesters have been arrested over the past two weeks as students rally against the war's death toll and call f

Turkey confirms it's halting trade with Israel because of war in Gaza

Turkiye's Trade Ministry says the country is halting imports and exports to Israel over its ongoing military actions in Gaza. A ministry statement on Thursday said export and import transactions in relation to Israel have been stopped, covering all products. It described the step as the second phase of measures against Israel, adding that the country would implement other steps against Israel until it allows an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Last month, Turkiye a staunch critic of Israel announced that it was restricting exports of 54 types of products to Israel with immediate effect. They include aluminum, steel, construction products and chemical fertilisers. Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz sharply criticised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying in a post on X that Turkiye is breaking agreements by blocking ports for Israeli imports and exports.

UCLA draws flak for failure to act to stop attack on pro-Palestinian camps

Administrators and campus police at UCLA faced intense criticism Wednesday for failing to act quickly to stop an attack on a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus by counter-demonstrators who threw traffic cones and chairs, released pepper spray and tore down barriers. Some pro-Palestinian demonstrators fought back, and skirmishes continued for hours before outside law enforcement agencies were called to intervene. No one was arrested, and at least 15 protesters suffered injuries in the confrontation, part of a recent spate of escalating violence that's occurring on some college campuses nationally over the Israel-Hamas war. The community needs to feel the police are protecting them, not enabling others to harm them, Rebecca Husaini, chief of staff for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said in a news conference on the Los Angeles campus later Wednesday, where some Muslim students detailed the overnight events. The call for more police intervention at UCLA stood in stark contrast to

NYPD raids Columbia University, dozens arrested: All you need to know

The protests at Columbia University began on April 18 as part of a broader wave of demonstrations on college campuses across the US against Israel's war on Gaza

India, Israel conduct security drill to counter potential future threats

The Israeli embassy said on Wednesday that it collaborated with Indian security forces in conducting a joint security drill with an objective to counter potential future security threats. The drill was conducted in Delhi last week. The exercise witnessed the involvement of various agencies, including the Delhi Police, the National Security Guard and local emergency services, the embassy said. Israeli envoy Naor Gilon said the joint security drill marked a significant milestone. "This joint security drill with Indian security forces marks a significant milestone. We extend our gratitude for their efforts," he said. "These collaborative exercises strengthen our nations' cooperation in security and defence and reinforce our shared commitment to global stability. We remain steadfast in our determination to foster continued collaboration for a safer world," Gilon added. The embassy said the primary objective of the drill was to assess and synchronise the readiness of the security forc

Antony Blinken urges Israel, Hamas to move ahead with ceasefire deal

The current round of talks appears to be serious, but the sides remain far apart on one key issue - whether the war should end as part of an emerging deal

Trump downplays Capitol attack by comparing it to students' protest

Donald Trump on Tuesday lamented the possibility that Columbia University's pro-Palestinian protesters could be treated more leniently than the rioters who stormed the US Capitol in January 2021, marking the second time in a week the former president has invoked the ongoing campus protests to downplay past examples of right-wing violence. Speaking in the hallway outside a Manhattan courtroom where his criminal hush money trial is taking place, Trump questioned whether student demonstrators who seized and barricaded a campus building early Tuesday, some of them vandalising it in the process, would be treated the same way as his supporters who attacked the Capitol on January 6 to stop certification of the presidential results. I think I can give you the answer right now, he said. And that's why people have lost faith in our court system. Trump's remarks demonstrate anew how he and the Republican Party have tried to minimise the deadliest assault on the seat of American power in over 2

Protesters reach a deal with Northwestern University, draws criticism

For five days, Northwestern University's Deering Meadow rang with the shouts of student protesters and supporters joining demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war on college campuses nationwide. But Tuesday morning the grassy meadow on Northwestern's suburban Chicago campus was silent after student organizers and the school announced an agreement late Monday to curb protest activity in return for a new advisory committee on university investments and other commitments. On campus Tuesday, two unoccupied tents remained, surrounded by abandoned folding chairs, cases of bottled water and other supplies. Some who are protesting the war in Gaza condemned the agreement as a failure to stick to the original demands of student organizers. Some supporters of Israel said the deal represented "cowardly" capitulation to protesters. The harsh response and escalated protests elsewhere Tuesday suggest that the agreement at Northwestern is unlikely to spur similar deals, even if it quickly stal

Police clear 30-40 protesters from Columbia University's Hamiltion Hall

Police cleared 30 to 40 people from inside Columbia University's Hamilton Hall late Tuesday after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied the administration building in New York earlier in the day. NYPD officers acted after the school's president said there was no other way to ensure safety and restore order on campus and sought help from the department. The occupied building had expanded the demonstrators' reach from an encampment elsewhere on the Ivy League school's grounds. Law enforcement will be there through May 17, the end of the university's commencement events. Columbia's protests began earlier this month and kicked off demonstrations that now span from California to Massachusetts. As May commencement ceremonies near, administrators face added pressure to clear protesters. Hundreds of police officers swept into Columbia University on Tuesday night to end the pro-Palestinian occupation of an administration building and sweep away a protest encampment, acting after the school's

Columbia University vows to expel protestors as demonstrations rise in US

Columbia University vowed to expel protesters who occupied a building on the New York college's grounds Tuesday as universities nationwide grapple with intensifying campus demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war. More than 1,000 protesters have been arrested on campuses in states including Texas, Utah, Virginia, North Carolina, New Mexico, Connecticut and New Jersey in recent days, some after violent clashes with police in riot gear. The White House condemned the standoffs at Columbia and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where protesters had occupied two buildings until officers with batons intervened overnight and arrested 25 people. Officials estimated the northern California campus' total damage to be upwards of USD 1 million. President Joe Biden believes students occupying an academic building is absolutely the wrong approach, and not an example of peaceful protest, said National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby. New York City Mayor Eric Adams clai

Columbia University students occupy building as campus protests continue

The New York Police Department is on standby near Columbia's campus, with officers ready to respond if called upon by university officials

Air India extends suspension of flights to Tel Aviv in Israel till May 15

Air India on Tuesday said it has extended the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv till May 15 amid tensions in the Middle East. On April 19, the airline said Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended till April 30. It operates four weekly flights between the national capital and the Israeli city. In view of the ongoing situation in parts of the Middle East, Air India said it has extended the temporary suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv to May 15. "We are continuously monitoring the situation and are extending support to our passengers who have confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv during this period, with a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges," the airline said in a statement. Tensions remain high in the Middle East due to the conflict between Israel and the Hamas group. After nearly five months, the Tata group-owned carrier had recommenced the services to the Israeli city on March 3. Air India had suspended flights to and from Tel Av

US ships working to build pier for Gaza aid, to cost at least $320 million

A US Navy ship and several Army vessels involved in an American-led effort to bring more aid into the besieged Gaza Strip are offshore of the enclave and building out a floating platform for the operation that the Pentagon has said will cost at least USD 320 million. Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters the cost is a rough estimate for the project and includes the transportation of the equipment and pier sections from the United States to the coast of Gaza, as well as the construction and aid delivery operations. Satellite photos analysed by The Associated Press on Tuesday show the USNS Roy P. Benavidez about 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) from the port on shore, where the base of operations for the project is being built by the Israeli military. The USAV General Frank S. Besson Jr., an Army logistics vessel, and several other Army boats are with the Benavidez and working on the construction of what the military calls the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, ...

Antony Blinken presses Hamas to accept new proposal for Gaza cease-fire

The United States stepped up pressure Monday for a cease-fire deal in Gaza as the secretary of state said a new proposal had been put to Hamas, whose officials were in Cairo talking to Egyptian mediators. Israeli airstrikes killed 26 people in Gaza's southernmost town of Rafah, according to hospital records. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, ahead of a visit to Israel this week, urged Hamas to accept the latest proposal, calling it extraordinarily generous on Israel's part. The terms were not made public. But according to an Egyptian official and Israeli media, Israel has softened its position, lowering the number of hostages it demands that Hamas free during the initial six-week phase of the cease-fire in return for the release of hundreds of Palestinians from Israeli prisons. One question is whether that will be enough to overcome Hamas concerns over the cease-fire's second phase. Hamas has demanded assurances that an eventual release of all hostages will bring a complete end

Top UN court to rule on Nicaragua's plea for Germany to halt aid to Israel

The United Nations' top court is ruling Tuesday on a request by Nicaragua for judges to order Germany to halt military aid to Israel, arguing that Berlin's support enables acts of genocide and breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza. Nicaragua's case is the latest legal bid by a country with historic ties to the Palestinian people to stop Israel's offensive. Late last year, South Africa accused Israel of genocide at the court. The cases come as Israel's allies face growing calls to stop supplying it with weapons, and as some including Germany have grown more critical of the war. On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel must still do more to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip. At hearings early this month, Nicaragua's Ambassador to the Netherlands Carlos Jos Argello Gmez told the 16-judge panel that Germany is failing to honour its own obligation to prevent genocide or to ensure respect of international humanitarian .