Page 97 - Israel

Joe Biden criticises Israel for death of 7 aid workers in Gaza airstrike

US President Joe Biden has criticised Israel, saying it has not "has not done enough" to protect civilians as he expressed "outrage" over the deadly strike that killed seven aid workers, including one American, in Gaza. Seven aid workers who were working for the World Central Kitchen, a charity delivering food to besieged Palestinians, were killed in the Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Tuesday. The victims comprised three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, an American-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian. In a statement on Tuesday, Biden said he is outraged and heartbroken by the tragic incident. They were providing food to hungry civilians in the middle of a war. They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy. Israel has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into why the aid workers' vehicles were hit by airstrikes. That investigation must be swift, it must bring accountability, and its findings must be made public, he said. Even more tragically,

Israel has to get Gaza war over 'fast' as it is 'losing the PR war': Trump

Former President Donald Trump offered a tough message to Israel in its war against Hamas on Thursday, urging the country to: Get it over with. In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump said that Israel is absolutely losing the PR war and called for a swift resolution to the bloodshed. Get it over with and let's get back to peace and stop killing people. And that's a very simple statement," Trump said. "They have to get it done. Get it over with and get it over with fast because we have to -- you have to get back to normalcy and peace. The presumptive GOP nominee, who has criticised President Joe Biden for being insufficiently supportive of Israel, also appeared to question the tactics of the Israeli military as the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to mount. Since Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, Israel's military has battered the territory, killing more than 30,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and creating a humanitari

McDonald's to buy Israel franchise that became flashpoint in Hamas war

Alonyal launched the McDonald's brand in Israel more than 30 years ago and grew the business to 225 restaurants and more than 5,000 employees, according to a statement from the Chicago-based chain

First batch of Indian workers left for Israel; govt urges to ensure safety

India on Thursday said it has urged Israel to ensure safety of the Indian construction workers who have gone to the country this week under the framework of a bilateral mobility agreement. Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon said on Tuesday the first batch of over 60 Indian construction workers has left for Israel. "As you are aware, these (first batch) workers have gone to Israel as part of a mobility agreement that we have signed with the country," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing. "This agreement predates the conflict. We are conscious of their safety. We have urged the Israeli authorities to ensure their safety and well-being," he said. Jaiswal said around 18,000 Indian caregivers are currently employed in Israel and the Indian embassy in that country is in touch with them. Following the Israel-Hamas conflict, there were media reports that said the Israeli construction industry is looking at recruiting 100,000 Indian .

Prez Biden faces protest over support for Israel during White House meeting

US President Joe Biden has faced protests over the conflict in Gaza all over the country, but this week he confronted one inside the White House itself. The occasion was a private meeting on Tuesday where Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and national security leaders could hear from Muslim Americans about their concerns involving the war between Israel and Hamas. Shortly after the conversation began, a Palestinian American doctor from Chicago named Thaer Ahmad who has volunteered in Gaza announced that he was walking out. Before leaving, Ahmad presented the president with a letter from an orphaned 8-year-old girl in Rafah, a city that Israel plans to target next. He included a photo. Ahmad said Biden's response to his protest was muted. He said, I understand,'" the doctor recalled. Biden's support for Israel's military operations in Gaza, including the sale of US weapons, has angered Muslim Americans. The war began on Oct 7 when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis in a surprise ...

Gaza war has caused $18.5 billion in infrastructure damage, finds study

'The shock to Gaza's economy as a result of the ongoing conflict is one of the largest observed in recent economic history,' according to the report

Aid group halts food delivery in Gaza after Israeli strike kills 7 workers

Some of Israel's closest allies, including the United States, on Tuesday condemned the deaths of seven aid workers who were killed by airstrikes in Gaza a loss that prompted multiple charities to suspend food deliveries to Palestinians on the brink of starvation. The deaths of the World Central Kitchen workers threatened to set back efforts by the US and other countries to open a maritime corridor for aid from Cyprus to help ease the desperate conditions in northern Gaza. President Joe Biden issued an unusually blunt criticism of Israel by its closest ally, suggesting that the incident demonstrated that Israel was not doing enough to protect civilians. Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians, he said, adding he was outraged and heartbroken" by their killings. Incidents like yesterday's simply should not happen, he added. "The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their military operations against Ha

First batch workers from India under G2G agreement arrives in Israel

The first batch of more than 60 workers from India have arrived in Israel under a government-to-government agreement to bolster the country's construction industry facing a huge shortage of trained hands. The G2G mechanism has been worked out to keep away middlemen and to make the process of hiring fair through the screening tests conducted by Israeli examiners, who visited India a few times and coordinated the process with the Indian government agencies. The first batch of Indian construction workers arrived in the country on Tuesday evening. "Today we had a farewell event from the first batch of 60+ Indian construction workers going to Israel under the G2G agreement. This is an outcome of hard work of many, including @NSDCINDIA. I'm sure that the workers become 'ambassadors' of the great P2P relations between India and Israel," Israel's ambassador to India Naor Gilon posted on X on Tuesday. Earlier, a little over 900 construction workers had arrived from India during the last few

Australia outraged by death of aid worker in Israeli airstrike, says PM

The strike killed citizens of Australia, Britain and Poland as well as Palestinians and a dual citizen of the US and Canada

World Central Kitchen suspends Gaza operations after 7 workers killed

WCK confirmed that seven of its workers were killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike on a convoy of trucks delivering food in Deir al-Balah in the early hours of Tuesday morning

Israel passes law to expel Al Jazeera, channel rejects allegations

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday vowed to shut down Al Jazeera's operations in Israel, calling it a terror channel that spreads incitement, after parliament passed a law clearing the way for the closure. Netanyahu's pledge escalated Israel's long-running feud against Al Jazeera. It also threatened to heighten tensions with Qatar, which owns the channel, at a time when the Doha government is playing a key role in mediation efforts to halt the war in Gaza. The broadcaster condemned Netanyahu's incitement claim as a dangerous ludicrous lie. Al Jazeera said late Monday that it holds Netanyahu responsible for the safety of its staff and offices, that it would continue what it described as its bold and professional coverage, and that it reserves the right to pursue every legal step. Israel has long had a rocky relationship with Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias against Israel. Relations took a major downturn nearly two years ago when Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was

Israeli strike on Iran's Syria consulate killed two generals, says Iran

An Israeli airstrike that demolished Iran's consulate in Syria killed two Iranian generals and five officers, according to Iranian officials. The strike appeared to signify an escalation of Israel's targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon. Since the war in Gaza began nearly six months ago, clashes have increased between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon. Hamas, which rules Gaza and attacked Israel on Oct. 7, is also backed by Iran. Israel, which rarely acknowledges strikes against Iranian targets, said it had no comment on the latest attack in Syria, although a military spokesman blamed Iran for a drone attack early Monday against a naval base in southern Israel. Israel has grown increasingly impatient with the daily exchanges of fire with Hezbollah, which have escalated in recent days, and warned of the possibility of a full-fledged war. Iranian-backed Houthi rebel

Israeli strike destroys Iran's consular building in Damascus, kills several

An Israeli airstrike destroyed the consular section of Iran's embassy in Syria, killing a senior Iranian military adviser and several others, Syrian officials and state media said on Monday. The strike appears to signify an escalation of Israel's targeting of Iranian military officials and their allies in Syria, which have intensified since Hamas militants - who are supported by Iran - attacked Israel on October 7. Israel, which rarely acknowledges such strikes, said it had no comment. The attack killed Iranian military adviser Gen. Ali Reza Zahdi, who led the elite Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016, according to the Iranian Arabic-language state television channel Al-Alam and pan-Arab television station Al-Mayadeen, which has reporters in Syria. Iranian Ambassador Hossein Akbari condemned Israel and said as many as seven people were killed. First responders were still searching for bodies under the rubble. Akbari said two police officers who guard the building were ...

Israel PM Netanyahu calls for law for closure of foreign news networks

Netanyahu has promised to "immediately act to close Al Jazeera" after the law is passed

Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza's main hospital after 2-week raid

Palestinian residents say the Israeli military has withdrawn from Gaza's main hospital after a two-week raid, leaving behind a vast swath of destruction. Hundreds of people returned to Shifa Hospital and the surrounding area after the withdrawal early Monday, where they found bodies inside and outside of the facility. The military has described the raid as one of the most successful operations of the nearly six-month war, saying it killed scores of Hamas and other militants, as well as seizing valuable intelligence. Mohammed Mahdi, who was among those who returned, described a scene of total destruction. He said several buildings had been burned down. He counted six bodies in the area, including two in the hospital courtyard. Another resident, Yahia Abu Auf, said there were still patients, medical workers and displaced people sheltering inside the medical compound. He said several patients had been taken to the nearby Ahli Hospital. He said army bulldozers had plowed over a makeshi

Israeli airstrike in Damascus kills top Iranian commander Zahedi: Report

A Lebanese security source, speaking to Reuters, said one of the dead was Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)

Israelis rally in anti-govt protest since Gaza war, urge hostages' release

Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered outside the parliament building in Jerusalem on Sunday in the largest anti-government demonstration since the country went to war in October. They urged the government to reach a deal to free dozens of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and to hold early elections. Nearly six months of war have renewed divisions in Israeli society. The Hamas militant group killed some 1,200 people during its cross-border attack on October 7, and took 250 others hostage. Roughly half the hostages were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November, but repeated attempts by international mediators to broker another cease-fire deal have failed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas and bring all the hostages home. But those goals have been elusive. While Hamas has suffered heavy losses, it remains intact, and hostages' families believe time is running out. After six months, it seems like the government understands that Bibi Netanyahu is an ..

Ultra-orthodox need to join military to help economy: Israel's central bank

In its 2023 annual report, the central bank said Israel's war against Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza that began on October 7 had highlighted the personnel needs of the military

Isarel's central bank registers $8 billion growth in assets in 2023

The increase on the assets, explained the Bank, derived primarily from the increase of $47.7 billion Shekels ($13 billion) in the assets abroad item

US approves bombs, warplanes sales to Israel amid escalating tensions

While the Biden administration has expressed concerns about the potential ramifications of an Israeli offensive in southern Gaza, it has refrained from conditioning aid or imposing restrictions