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Israel is the only country to have a revived official language, Hebrew. Its culture comprises Jewish and Jewish diaspora elements alongside Arab influences. Israel has one of the biggest economies in the Middle East and among the highest GDP per capita and standards of living in Asia.
Israel-Hamas war latest: Over 700 killed in Lebanon in a week as Israel escalates strikes
Associated Press Videos6 hours agoTop Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah fire continues - the United States, France and other allies jointly called for a 21-day cease-fire. (Produced by Luke Garratt)
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- 1:23Israel-Hamas war latest: Over 700 killed in Lebanon in a week as Israel escalates strikesAssociated Press VideosTop Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah fire continues - the United States, France and other allies jointly called for a 21-day cease-fire. (Produced by Luke Garratt)6 hours ago
- 1:32Netanyahu tells UN Israel seeks peace, amid war in Gaza & LebanonReuters VideosSTORY: :: Netanyahu says Israel seeks peace while issuing a warning to Iran :: Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel :: United Nations :: September 27, 2024 "I decided to come here to speak for my people, to speak for my country, to speak for the truth. And here is the truth. Israel seeks peace. Israel yearns for peace. Israel has made peace and will make peace again." "Ladies and gentlemen, the curse of October 7th began when Hamas invaded Israel from Gaza. But it didn't end there. Israel was soon forced to defend itself on six more war fronts organized by Iran. I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran. If you strike us, we will strike you. There is no place, there is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach. And that's true of the entire Middle East." "As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice. And Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And that's exactly what we're doing." Netanyahu spoke as Israel continued to strike Iran-backed Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon amid fears that the attacks could flare into an all-out regional war. In his speech, he sought to pin blame for the conflict on Israel's arch foe, Iran. He said Israel was defending itself against Tehran on seven fronts. Israel will press on with discussions on ceasefire proposals for Lebanon in the days ahead, Netanyahu said earlier on Friday, and Washington warned that further escalation would make it harder for civilians on both sides to return home. Israel's foreign minister on Thursday rejected global calls for a ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group and continued airstrikes that have killed hundreds of people in Lebanon and heightened fears of a regional war. He said the war in Gaza can end if the Iranian-backed Hamas militants who carried out an Oct. 7 attack in Israel surrender, lay down their weapons and return hostages seized in the attack.7 hours ago
- 0:55Mahmoud Abbas urges UN to stop the war in GazaReuters VideosSTORY: :: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urges the U.N. to stop the war in Gaza "Stop this crime. Stop it now. Stop the killing of children and women. Stop this genocide. Stop sending weapons to Israel. This madness cannot continue. The entire world is responsible." // "Israel reoccupied the Gaza strip, and has almost entirely destroyed it. It is no longer fit for life, after destroying the buildings, the homes, the educational and medical centres." :: September 26, 2024 :: Israel's ambassador accused Abbas of failing to condemn the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants that triggered the war Abbas called for a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the delivery of humanitarian aid throughout Gaza and a full withdrawal of the Israeli military from the enclave. He said that the Palestinian Authority, which he leads, should have control over all Palestinian territories and that it would hold elections once the war is over. Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon responded to Abbas' speech in a statement, accusing him of only talking about a peaceful solution when he is at the United Nations and failing to condemn the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants that triggered the war in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.1 day ago
- 1:52Palestinian President defiant in address to UN General AssemblyAssociated Press VideosPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent a defiant message to UN General Assembly, starting his address with: "We will not leave, we will not leave." He spoke almost one year after Israel launched its war on Hamas in Gaza.1 day ago
- 0:23Smoke billows over southern Lebanon as hostilities intensifyReuters VideosSTORY: :: Smoke rises over southern Lebanon as hostility between Israel and Hezbollah continues :: September 26, 2024 :: Tyre, Lebanon The Israeli military has been carrying out its heaviest air strikes of the conflict this week, targeting Hezbollah leaders and hitting hundreds of targets deep inside Lebanon. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah on Wednesday (September 25), said it fired a rocket targeting the Mossad spy agency's headquarters near Tel Aviv, which it blamed for the assassination of its leaders. After almost a year of war against Hamas in Gaza on its southern border, Israel is shifting its focus to the northern frontier, where Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel in support of Hamas.2 days ago
- 1:28Israel and Hezbollah are on the brink of all-out war. Here’s how we got here.Yahoo News VideoAs the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza nears its one-year anniversary, Israel finds itself edging closer to a second all-out war with the Israeli military and Hezbollah engaging in escalating attacks across the Israel-Lebanon border. Yahoo News presents a brief timeline of the events that are pushing the two sides toward what could be their first major conflict in nearly two decades.2 days ago
- 3:34Displaced Lebanese recount their ordeal of fleeing Israeli strikesReuters VideosSTORY: Feryal Mehsen evacuated her family from the village of Seddiqine in southern Lebanon. She went back to fetch their belongings and help her neighbors leave. "I don't scare easily," she says. Then an Israeli airstrike hit close by. In a school-turned-shelter in Beirut, she scrolls through messages from loved ones who feared the worst. "Are you still alive? I heard you were dead," this one says. Israel's bombardment of southern villages, striking what it says are sites linked to the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, has driven tens of thousands of Lebanese like Mehsen from their homes. The two-hour drive to Beirut took the whole day when they joined the throng clogging the highways. And they ended up in the same shelter that Mehsen used during the last major conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, in July 2006. “I witnessed the July war, we were definitely scared, but not like these days. We suffered and were displaced onto the streets, and we also faced that in 2006, but now the situation is much harder." Souad Mahde was registering her name at the same shelter, after fleeing the southern village of Qsaibah. Reaching Beirut did not bring a sense of peace. "Even in Beirut, there is an atmosphere of war. Of course, we are in a war," she says. The residents of both women's villages had got used to sporadic bombardment nearby over months of cross-border fire triggered by the war in Gaza. But they were unprepared for a sudden escalation on Monday - Lebanon's deadliest single day since its civil war ended in 1990. "The first thing I thought of was to take some clothes so I could change if we got somewhere. Just the basics, and of course the medicines I take. Nothing more than that. No one cares any more about little things like the house because fear takes over, you just want to get out alive." That's the sound of rockets being intercepted over northern Israel, where Oren Kakun is sheltering in a hotel, as he has since last October 7, when he fled the town of Shlomi fearing Hezbollah fighters might cross the nearby Lebanese border and attack Israel like Hamas did that day, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. He's one of tens of thousands who have left homes in northern Israel in recent months. He sees hope in the latest escalation. "I think we see a little bit light, a little bit. (Now) that we attack seriously Hezbollah, that we show them that we want to go back home. And this is what we see now, the strength of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) that wasn't there in the 7 of October (2023) and all of us are hopeful that it will be until we get safe again..." As the fighting has slowed in the ruins of Gaza, Israel's military focus has shifted to the north. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been under growing political pressure to bring the evacuated residents back to their homes.2 days ago
- 2:03Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalates, thousands flee, and UN convenes to avoid all-out warAssociated Press VideosExchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel ratcheted up tensions as the region appeared to be teetering toward another all-out war, even as Israel continues to battle Hamas in the Gaza Strip. (Produced by Luke Garratt)2 days ago
- 1:01Iran ready to end nuclear standoff with world powers: presidentReuters VideosSTORY: :: Iran's president says Tehran is ready to end its nuclear standoff with the West :: September 24, 2024 :: United Nations :: Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s President "Sanctions are a destructive and inhumane weapons designed to cripple the nation's economy. The deprivation of access to essential medications is one of the most painful consequences of the sanctions, endangering the lives of thousands of innocent people. This measure is not only a blatant violation of human rights, but also constitutes a crime against humanity. Our nation has demonstrated resilience in the face of numerous hardships throughout the past few years caused by sanctions. Although the wounds inflicted by these sanctions are deep within our society, confronting this bitter experience has transformed us into a stronger nation with unwavering resolve and self-confidence in order to build a better future world. Iran stands prepared to foster meaningful economic, social, political and security partnerships with global powers and its neighbors based on equal footing.” Pezeshkian criticized Iran's arch-foe Israel for what he called 'its genocide in Gaza' and said it should stop immediately. Iran's leaders hope to see an easing of U.S. sanctions over its nuclear program. But relations with the West have worsened since the Iranian-backed Hamas militant group attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7 and as Tehran has increased its support for Russia's war in Ukraine. "We seek peace for all and have no intention of conflict with any country ... Iran opposes war and emphasizes the need for an immediate cessation of military conflict in Ukraine," Pezeshkian said.3 days ago
- 1:17Biden pushes for cease-fire deal at U.N. General AssemblyCBS News VideosPresident Biden on Tuesday delivered his final address to the United Nations General Assembly. He pushed for Israel and Hamas to accept a cease-fire deal while also urging peace in several other conflicts actoss the globe. Weijia Jiang reports.3 days ago
- 2:26Israel kills Hezbollah commander, cross-border attacks increaseReuters VideosSTORY: Israel's military said an airstrike on Beirut killed the commander of Hezbollah's missile and rocket force on Tuesday, as cross-border attacks by both sides increased. Lebanon reported more than 560 people had been killed, including 50 children, and more than 1,800 wounded since Israel launched heavy strikes on Monday morning, the country's health minister told Al Jazeera Mubasher TV. Israel's military later said the air force also conducted "extensive strikes" on Hezbollah targets, including weapons storage facilities and dozens of launchers that were aimed at Israeli territory. :: Israeli Army Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari addressed the situation in a live televised statement. "We strive that the operation is as short as possible, that is why we are striking with huge power, thus we have to be prepared for it to take time." :: Safed, Israel Hezbollah said it launched rockets on Tuesday at the Dado military base in northern Israel and attacked the Atlit naval base south of Haifa with drones. :: Sidon, Lebanon In Lebanon, families from the south clogged the highways fleeing north. Members of the Sidon Municipality said they have received at least 3,000 displaced people and have so far opened 14 schools to host them. “Our situation is like garbage, strikes, planes (hovering), and a war of total destruction.” Israel's new offensive against Hezbollah has stoked fears that nearly a year of conflict between Israel and the militant Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza could destabilize the Middle East. At the U.N., U.S. President Joe Biden sought to calm tensions. "Full scale war is not in anyone's interest. Even if the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible." Meanwhile, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said Israel was open to ideas for de-escalating the conflict in Lebanon. "We had experience in Lebanon in the past. We are not eager to start any ground invasion anywhere." :: Kiryat Shmona, Israel Israel wants to secure its northern border and allow displaced residents to return. This has set the stage for a long conflict, while Hezbollah has said it will not back down until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. The fighting has raised fears that the United States, Israel's close ally, and regional power Iran, which has proxies across the Middle East will be sucked into a wider war.3 days ago
- 0:52'We prefer diplomacy' with Lebanon, says Israel's UN envoyReuters VideosSTORY: :: Israel's UN envoy says Israel is open to ideas to de-escalate the conflict with Lebanon :: September 24, 2024 :: Danny Danon, Israel's Ambassador to the U.N. "We prefer diplomacy, and we still think it's not too late for the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people to put pressure on Hezbollah to stop their aggression. If they will not fire rockets into Israel, then we will be able to bring our residents back to their communities. That's it. You have no escalation. And as we speak, yes, there are important forces trying to come up with ideas and we are open-minded for that." "We had experience in Lebanon in the past. We are not eager to start any ground invasion anywhere. I don't want to send my son and we don't want to send our boys to fight in a foreign country. But we are determined to protect the civilians of Israel. We prefer a diplomatic solution. If it's not working, we are using other methods to show to the other side that we mean business." Fierce fighting this week between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah has increased fears that nearly a year of conflict will explode and destabilize the Middle East, where a war between Hamas and Israel is already raging in Gaza. Israel has said it is shifting its focus from Gaza to the northern frontier, where Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel in support of Hamas, which is also backed by Iran. The Israeli government has made a war priority of securing its northern border and allowing the return there of some 70,000 residents displaced by the conflict, while Hezbollah has vowed not to back down until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. On Monday, a senior State Department official said the U.S. was discussing with allies and partners some "concrete ideas" to find an off ramp that will prevent further escalation in the fighting and reduce tensions. Danon said Israel was taking the ideas seriously. "We still think it’s not too late for the Lebanese government, for the Lebanese people, to put pressure on Hezbollah to stop their aggression. If they will not fire rockets into Israel, then we will be able to bring back our residents, back to their communities, that’s it," he said. Asked by reporters what they were actively discussing at present, Danon said: “I cannot get into that.”3 days ago
- 2:14Biden Says the World Faces ‘Inflection Point’ in U.N. SpeechWSJIn President Biden’s likely final address to the United Nations, he called on world leaders to continue their support for Ukraine against Russia and urged Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire and hostage-release deal.3 days ago
- 0:55Thousands of teddy bears pay tribute to children killed in GazaReuters VideosSTORY: :: An art installation of thousands of teddy bears in Qatar pays tribute to the children killed in Gaza :: Doha, Qatar :: Bachir Mohamad, Lebanese artist "'The Echo of Lost Innocence' is an art installation made out of 15,000 art pieces. Every piece represents the echo of the voice of the martyred children of Gaza, who were killed due to Israeli aggression since October 7, 2023. The symbol of the teddy bear represents innocence and childhood, which is globally agreed upon, even religiously, culturally, and socially as well, and that is why I used it in this art piece. The cement symbolizes the destruction that happened and is still happening in Gaza and Palestine." :: September 22, 2024 The exhibition titled "Echo of Lost Innocence" is part of an initiative to raise awareness among fallen children and raise funds for the enclave. The art installation, designed by multidisciplinary Lebanese artist Bachir Mohammad, will be on display until September 26 at Msheireb Downtown Doha. The Israel-Hamas war was triggered by Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, when the militant group killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The resulting Israeli military campaign has reduced the Strip to rubble and killed more than 41,300 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health ministry.3 days ago
- 4:43Breaking down the Middle East conflict as Israel fights Hezbollah in LebanonCBS News VideosCease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas are still reportedly transpiring as conflict in the Middle East expands into Lebanon, where Israeli strikes are apparently targeting Hezbollah leaders and weapons. David Daoud, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins CBS News with more.3 days ago
- 0:34Activists spray 'genocide' on entrance to UK Labour conferenceReuters VideosSTORY: ::September 24, 2024 :: Workers clean up after pro-Palestinian activists spray 'genocide' outside Britain's Labour Party conference ::Liverpool, England British finance minister Rachel Reeves was interrupted by a pro-Palestinian protester on Monday (September 23) as she gave a speech at the conference. TV footage showed the protester being removed from the conference hall by security after shouting: "We are still selling arms to Israel. I thought we were voting for change, Rachel." Britain suspended 30 of its 350 arms export licenses with Israel earlier this month because there was a risk such equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the decision to suspend the licenses did not amount to a blanket ban or an arms embargo, and only involved those exports that could be used in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.3 days ago
- 2:22We Will Dance Again | Paramount+ Official TrailerCBS News VideosThe Tribe of Nova music festival was supposed to be a celebration of life, love and music for thousands of young people, but the gathering became one of the first targets of Hamas' deadliest terror attack in Israel's history. In "We Will Dance Again," more than a dozen young festival-goers tell gripping stories of how each of them managed to survive from one minute to the next.3 days ago
- 4:59The danger journalists face in a time of warABC News VideosJodie Ginsberg, CEO of Committee to Protect Journalists, on the obstacles a free and independent press faces in covering the Israel-Hamas war.3 days ago
- 2:54Lebanon says Israeli strikes kill hundreds as people flee northReuters VideosSTORY: Israel's military said it struck over a thousand Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Monday. And Lebanese authorities said those same strikes killed 492 people, including 35 children. A Lebanese official said it was the country's deadliest day in decades. :: Israeli Military Handout Israel's military said it struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon's south, east and north, including "launchers, command posts and terrorist infrastructure." It released this video of what it said were air strikes on Hezbollah weapons caches. On Monday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Lebanese people in a short video. “Israel's war is not with you. It's with Hezbollah. For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garage. Those rockets and missiles are aimed directly at our cities, directly at our citizens. To defend our people against Hezbollah strikes, we must take out those weapons. Now starting this morning, the IDF has warned you to get out of harm's way. I urge you – take this warning seriously.” Reuters could not independently verify Netanyahu's assertion that Hezbollah has hidden weapons in houses, but Hezbollah has said it does not place military infrastructure near civilians. Traffic slowed to a crawl on Monday along roads leading out of the city of Sidon as families from south Lebanon fled the bombing. “Strikes, warplanes, destruction. No one is left there; everyone has fled. We took our belongings and left.” Reuters spoke to several families that were headed north to Beirut. They did not know where they would stay, or when it would be safe to return. On Monday evening Israel launched a strike on Beirut's southern suburbs aimed at Hezbollah leader Ali Karaki, the head of the group's southern front. Hezbollah later said he was safe and had moved to a secure location. However the armed wing of Hamas said its field commander in southern Lebanon was killed in an Israeli strike. In response to Monday's airstrikes, Hezbollah said it had launched dozens of missiles at a military base in northern Israel. Israel's military said sirens warning of Hezbollah rocket fire sounded across the region, including in the port city of Haifa. This video taken by bystanders show what appeared to be interceptions of Hezbollah rockets there. Monday marks the heaviest cross-border exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah since hostilities flared in October last year. The fighting has raised fears that the U.S., Israel's close ally, and Iran will be dragged into a wider war. A senior U.S. official said the United States does not support a cross-border escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. They added that Washington was going to discuss "concrete ideas" with allies and partners to prevent the war from broadening.4 days ago
- 0:49Netanyahu urges Lebanese to 'get out of harm's way'Reuters VideosSTORY: :: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel's war is with Hezbollah, not Lebanon :: Tel Aviv, Israel :: September 23, 2024 "I have a message for the people of Lebanon: Israel's war is not with you. It's with Hezbollah. For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garage. Those rockets and missiles are aimed directly at our cities, directly at our citizens. To defend our people against Hezbollah strikes, we must take out those weapons. Now starting this morning, the IDF has warned you to get out of harm's way. I urge you – take this warning seriously. Don't let Hezbollah endanger your lives and the lives of your loved ones. Don't let Hezbollah endanger Lebanon. Please, get out of harm's way now. Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes." After almost a year of war against Hamas in Gaza on its southern border, Israel is shifting its focus to its northern frontier, from where Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel in support of its ally Hamas. Israel's military on Monday struck Hezbollah in Lebanon's south, eastern Bekaa valley and northern region near Syria in its most widespread strikes. Lebanon's health minister said 274 people were killed, including 21 children and 39 women, and 1,024 were wounded in Israel's strikes in what one Lebanese official said was the highest death toll since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war. Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, causing damage but not casualties. In an earlier statement, Netanyahu said Israel faced "complicated days" as it stepped up attacks in southern Lebanon and called on Israelis to stay united as the campaign unfolded. The fighting has raised fears that the U.S., Israel's close ally, and Iran will be sucked into a wider Middle East war.4 days ago
- 2:35Hezbollah, Israel exchange heavy fire after deadly Israeli strikeReuters VideosSTORY: Israel and Hezbollah exchanged heavy fire into Sunday (September 22). Smoke rose above Lebanon as Israeli warplanes carried out the most intense bombardment across the country's south in almost a year of conflict, while Hezbollah fired rockets deep into northern Israel. The Israeli military said it struck around 290 targets on Saturday - and that it would continue to hit more. In the Lebanese capital of Beirut, residents like Diala expressed frustration and hurt after a week of escalating tensions. "For sure, we don’t want war, and we are not happy about it. But in the end, we don’t have a decision or an answer for what’s happening. I believe all Lebanese people share the same perspective and the same pain. No words can describe what’s going on or the sequence of the incidents." Sirens sounded across Israel all night, as multiple rockets and missiles were fired from Lebanon and Iraq. The Israeli military said most of those were intercepted by the country's aerial defense systems. The country closed schools, restricted gatherings in many northern areas and told hospitals there to transfer operations to facilities with extra protection from rocket and missile fire. There were no government directives from Lebanon on Sunday morning. The conflict has raged since Hezbollah opened a second front against Israel. That's after Israel went to war with Hamas in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza - triggered by the Oct.7 Hamas-led rampage in Israel. Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed more than 41,400 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, and displaced nearly the entire 2.3 million-strong population. The escalating attacks come less than 48 hours after an Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah commanders in a suburb of the Lebanese capital. The Lebanese health ministry said on Sunday that the death toll from that strike had risen to at least 45. Friday's strike inflicted another blow on Hezbollah after two days of attacks last week, in which pagers and walkie-talkies used by its members exploded. The death toll in those attacks, widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, has risen to at least 39 with more than 3,000 injured. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.5 days ago
- 0:49West Bank Al Jazeera bureau chief on Israeli raid and office closureAssociated Press VideosIsraeli troops raided the offices of the satellite news network Al Jazeera in the Israeli-occupied West Bank early Sunday, ordering the bureau to shut down amid a widening campaign by Israel targeting the Qatar-funded broadcaster as it covers the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. (AP Video by Immad Isseid)6 days ago
- 0:45Gaza authorities say children among those killed in Israeli strikeReuters VideosSTORY: ::September 21, 2024 ::Gaza's health ministry says an Israeli strike on a school killed women and children ::Gaza City, Gaza ::Israel's military says it struck a Hamas command center embedded in a former school compound The Hamas-run government's media office said at least 13 children, including a three-month-old baby, and six women were among at least 22 people dead. Israel's military said it hit a Hamas command center embedded in the compound that previously served as a school, repeating an accusation that Hamas uses civilian facilities for military purposes - a charge Hamas denies.6 days ago
- 2:06Hezbollah leaders, and children, among dozens dead in Beirut strikeReuters VideosSTORY: :: WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT Several children were among those killed in an Israeli strike on a Beirut suburb, according to Lebanon's health ministry, who said the death toll rose to dozens on Saturday (September 21). Overnight, Hezbollah confirmed that 16 of its members, including senior leader Ibrahim Aqil and top commander Ahmed Wahbi were killed in the Friday afternoon strike. It marks the second time in less than two months that Israel has targeted a leading Hezbollah military commander in Beirut. ::July 2024 An airstrike in July killed Fuad Shukr, the group’s top military commander. It also sharply escalates the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed group. Speaking to reporters at the scene on Saturday, Hezbollah-aligned transport minister Ali Hamieh said many people were still missing. He also accused Israel of “taking the region to war.” Friday’s strike is the deadliest in a year of clashes between Hezbollah and Israel and the worst conflict since the two fought an all-out war in 2006. ::September 17, 2024 It has also inflicted another blow on Hezbollah following two days of attacks earlier this week, in which pagers and walkie-talkies used by its members exploded. The total death toll in those attacks is now in the dozens, with more than 3,000 having been injured. The attacks are widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement. In a brief statement on Friday evening carried by Israeli media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's goals were clear and its actions spoke for themselves. His comments come as Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel is launching a new phase of war on the northern border. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from homes on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border since October 2023. That’s when Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel in sympathy of Palestinians in Gaza, as the Israeli war against Hamas approaches a year.6 days ago
- 1:03Biden says he still has hope for a cease-fire and hostage deal between Israel and HamasAssociated Press VideosPresident Joe Biden said Friday his administration must keep working at trying to win a cease-fire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas as tensions rise along the Israel-Lebanon border.1 week ago
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Amid push for 21-day ceasefire, some reports had claimed halt expected shortly * 45 rockets launched toward Acre after 19-hour lull * PM heads to US for General Assembly. 11:59 am. Netanyahu says...
Oct 7, 2023 · See where Israel has bulldozed vast areas of Gaza, as its invasion continues to advance south.
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Israel, country in the Middle East, located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bounded to the north by Lebanon, to the northeast by Syria, to the east and southeast by Jordan, to the southwest by Egypt, and to the west by the Mediterranean Sea. Jerusalem is the seat of government and the proclaimed capital, although the latter status has not received wide international recognition.
Israel is a small country with a relatively diverse topography, consisting of a lengthy coastal plain, highlands in the north and central regions, and the Negev desert in the south. Running the length of the country from north to south along its eastern border is the northern terminus of the Great Rift Valley.
The State of Israel is the only Jewish nation in the modern period, and the region that now falls within its borders has a lengthy and rich history that dates from prebiblical times. The area was a part of the Roman Empire and, later, the Byzantine Empire before falling under the control of the fledgling Islamic caliphate in the 7th century ce. Although the object of dispute during the Crusades, the region, then generally known as Palestine, remained under the sway of successive Islamic dynasties until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, when it was placed under British mandate from the League of Nations.
Even before the mandate, the desire for a Jewish homeland prompted a small number of Jews to immigrate to Palestine, a migration that grew dramatically during the second quarter of the 20th century with the increased persecution of Jews worldwide and subsequent Holocaust perpetrated by Nazi Germany. This vast influx of Jewish immigrants into the region, however, caused tension with the native Palestinian Arabs, and violence flared between the two groups leading up to the United Nations plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab sectors and Israel’s ensuing declaration of statehood on May 14, 1948.
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Despite its small size, about 290 miles (470 km) north-to-south and 85 miles (135 km) east-to-west at its widest point, Israel has four geographic regions—the Mediterranean coastal plain, the hill regions of northern and central Israel, the Great Rift Valley, and the Negev—and a wide range of unique physical features and microclimates.
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The coastal plain is a narrow strip about 115 miles (185 km) long that widens to about 25 miles (40 km) in the south. A sandy shoreline with many beaches borders the Mediterranean coast. Inland to the east, fertile farmland is giving way to growing agricultural settlements and the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa and their suburbs.
In the north of the country, the mountains of Galilee constitute the highest part of Israel, reaching an elevation of 3,963 feet (1,208 metres) at Mount Meron (Arabic: Jebel Jarmaq). These mountains terminate to the east in an escarpment overlooking the Great Rift Valley. The mountains of Galilee are separated from the hills of the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the south by the fertile Plain of Esdraelon (Hebrew: ʿEmeq Yizreʿel), which, running approximately northwest to southeast, connects the coastal plain with the Great Rift Valley. The Mount Carmel range, which culminates in a peak 1,791 feet (546 metres) high, forms a spur reaching northwest from the highlands of the West Bank, cutting almost to the coast of Haifa.
The Great Rift Valley, a long fissure in Earth’s crust, begins beyond the northern frontier of Israel and forms a series of valleys running generally south, the length of the country, to the Gulf of Aqaba. The Jordan River, which marks part of the frontier between Israel and Jordan, flows southward through the rift from Dan on Israel’s northern frontier, where it is 500 feet (152 metres) above sea level, first into the Ḥula Valley (Hebrew: ʿEmeq HaḤula), then into the freshwater Lake Tiberias, also known as the Sea of Galilee (Hebrew: Yam Kinneret), which lies 686 feet (209 metres) below sea level. The Jordan continues south along the eastern edge of the West Bank—now through the Jordan Valley (Hebrew: ʿEmeq HaYarden)—and finally into the highly saline Dead Sea, which, at 1,312 feet (400 metres) below sea level, is the lowest point of a natural landscape feature on the Earth’s surface. South of the Dead Sea, the Jordan continues through the rift, where it now forms the ʿArava Valley (Hebrew: “savannah”), an arid plain that extends to the Red Sea port of Eilat.
The principal drainage system comprises Lake Tiberias and the Jordan River. Other rivers in Israel are the Yarqon, which empties into the Mediterranean near Tel Aviv; the Qishon, which runs through the western part of the Plain of Esdraelon to drain into the Mediterranean at Haifa; and a small section of the Yarmūk, a tributary of the Jordan that f...
The coastal plain is covered mainly by alluvial soils. Parts of the arid northern Negev, where soil development would not be expected, have windblown loess soils because of proximity to the coastal plain. The soils of Galilee change from calcareous rock in the coastal plain, to Cenomanian and Turonian limestone (deposited from about 99 to 89 millio...
21 hours ago · Israel’s defense industry churned out so many weapons last year that it was able to export some, even despite the war in Gaza beginning in October. The United States has sent Israel at least ...
Learn about Israel, a country in the Middle East with a predominantly Jewish population and a long history of conflict with its Arab neighbours. Explore its regions, economy, politics, and culture, as well as its ancient and modern landmarks.
Sep 10, 2024 · Introduction. Background. Israel has become a regional economic and military powerhouse, leveraging its prosperous high-tech sector, large defense industry, and concerns about Iran to foster partnerships around the world. The State of Israel was established in 1948.