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Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, the Red Sea to the south, Egypt to the southwest, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, and the Palestinian territories – the West Bank along the east and the Gaza ...
Israel claims control of Gaza-Egypt border zone
Reuters Videos6 hours agoSTORY: :: Israeli Army Israeli forces have taken control of a buffer zone along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, giving Israel effective authority over the Palestinian territory's entire land border. That’s according to Army spokesperson Daniel Hagari on Wednesday. He said that Israeli forces has gained "operational control" over the so-called 'Philadelphi Corridor', which he said had served as the "pipeline through which Hamas engaged in smuggling in Gaza strip on regular basis," referring to the armed Palestinian group that governs the blockaded territory. :: Israeli Army Hagari did not spell out what he meant by 'operational control,' but an Israeli military official earlier said there were "boots on the ground" along parts of the nearly 10-mile-long corridor. This video released by Israeli army is said to show operations in Rafah. Reuters was not able to independently verify the location or the date when the videos were filmed. The area along Gaza's southern edge is the territory's only land border that previously was not directly controlled by Israel. :: May 29, 2024 Hagari said Israeli forces located some 20 tunnels along the corridor, and that soldiers discovered and destroyed a near mile-long tunnel route in eastern Rafah containing "large quantities of weapons," with the entrance shaft found near the Rafah Crossing. Egyptian state-affiliated media reported that a "high-level" Egyptian source denied Israeli reports on the existence of tunnels along the shared border. :: May 28, 2024 Hagari's statement came as Israel continued its deadly raids on Rafah in southern Gaza, despite an order from the International Court of Justice for a halt to the attacks on the city, where half of Gaza's 2.3 million people had previously taken refuge. The United Nations says a million Gazans, most already displaced, have been forced to move again since Israel launched its assault on Rafah in early May. The assault has also cut off aid routes, worsening the humanitarian catastrophe from malnutrition and a collapsed health system.
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- 2:04Israel claims control of Gaza-Egypt border zoneReuters VideosSTORY: :: Israeli Army Israeli forces have taken control of a buffer zone along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, giving Israel effective authority over the Palestinian territory's entire land border. That’s according to Army spokesperson Daniel Hagari on Wednesday. He said that Israeli forces has gained "operational control" over the so-called 'Philadelphi Corridor', which he said had served as the "pipeline through which Hamas engaged in smuggling in Gaza strip on regular basis," referring to the armed Palestinian group that governs the blockaded territory. :: Israeli Army Hagari did not spell out what he meant by 'operational control,' but an Israeli military official earlier said there were "boots on the ground" along parts of the nearly 10-mile-long corridor. This video released by Israeli army is said to show operations in Rafah. Reuters was not able to independently verify the location or the date when the videos were filmed. The area along Gaza's southern edge is the territory's only land border that previously was not directly controlled by Israel. :: May 29, 2024 Hagari said Israeli forces located some 20 tunnels along the corridor, and that soldiers discovered and destroyed a near mile-long tunnel route in eastern Rafah containing "large quantities of weapons," with the entrance shaft found near the Rafah Crossing. Egyptian state-affiliated media reported that a "high-level" Egyptian source denied Israeli reports on the existence of tunnels along the shared border. :: May 28, 2024 Hagari's statement came as Israel continued its deadly raids on Rafah in southern Gaza, despite an order from the International Court of Justice for a halt to the attacks on the city, where half of Gaza's 2.3 million people had previously taken refuge. The United Nations says a million Gazans, most already displaced, have been forced to move again since Israel launched its assault on Rafah in early May. The assault has also cut off aid routes, worsening the humanitarian catastrophe from malnutrition and a collapsed health system.6 hours ago
- 0:47Mothers of Israeli troops stage protest in Tel Aviv against Israel-Hamas warAssociated Press VideosMothers of Israeli soldiers fighting in the Gaza Strip protested on Wednesday in Tel Aviv, calling for an end to the war between Israel and Hamas. Protesters blocked roads and shouted anti-government slogans, while covering their bodies with blood-red paint, symbolizing the ongoing bloodshed in the conflict. (AP video shot by Moshe Edri)6 hours ago
- 4:01Dr. Jill Biden talks campus protests and the youth vote, consumer pricesABC News VideosFirst lady Dr. Biden tells “The View” she supports students peacefully protesting the Israel-Hamas war on college campuses around the country: "People do have the right to protest ... That's why we have a democracy."22 hours ago
- 2:26Israeli tanks reach center of Rafah for 1st timeABC News VideosABC News’ Britt Clennett reports on the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war.1 day ago
- 0:51Scenes of destruction in Lebanese border village hit by Israeli strikesAssociated Press VideosDriving through Aita al-Shaab, shops and homes have been flattened, with a trickle of people walking amidst the destruction to collect their belongings. This small village is one of the hardest hit areas by Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon. The country has been in the throes of violence since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. (AP video shot by Mohammad Zanaty)1 day ago
- 2:23Dozens killed in blasts at Palestinian encampmentsCBS News VideosAt least 20 civilians were killed Tuesday in blasts at an encampment for displaced Palestinians, the Gaza Ministry of Health said. Hamas officials say the deaths were caused by Israeli airstrikes, but Israel denies carrying out the latest attacks. Imtiaz Tyab reports.1 day ago
- 1:43Israel airstrike kills dozens in Rafah as Netanyahu acknowledges "tragic mishap"Associated Press VideosAn Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah set fire to a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians and killed at least 45 people, only adding to the surging international criticism Israel has faced over its war with Hamas.2 days ago
- 2:45Israel presses Rafah offensive despite global outcryReuters VideosSTORY: :: Rafah, Gaza Displaced Palestinians in Rafah made their way through mangled tents and scattered belongings on Tuesday... after an early morning Israeli airstrike killed Palestinians sheltering there, according to Gaza health officials. "We want to go but we don't know where to go,” says Manal Tanboura. “They told us this was a safe place." Israel's military denied striking a tent camp west of Rafah on Tuesday, after Gaza health authorities said Israeli tank shelling had killed more than 20 people there. Witnesses told Reuters tanks had advanced to the heart of Rafah for the first time during Israel's three-week-old assault on the southern city. :: May 26, 2024 The latest bombardment comes days after an Israeli attack set off a fire at a Rafah tent camp... :: May 27, 2024 ...that killed at least 45 people. The incident sparked global condemnation and calls for the implementation of a World Court order for Israel to stop its assault. Israel said it had targeted Hamas commanders and had not intended to cause civilian casualties. :: Israeli Army REAR ADMIRAL DANIEL HAGARI: "This is a devastating incident..." An Israeli army spokesperson said the military was investigating the possibility that munitions stored near a compound targeted in Sunday's airstrike may have ignited the blaze. "Our munition alone could not have ignited a fire of this size." :: Dublin, Ireland Meanwhile, in a diplomatic move purportedly aimed at speeding up efforts towards a ceasefire... IRISH TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS: "Ireland formally recognizes the state of Palestine..." Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognized a Palestinian state. :: Madrid, Spain Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the country is recognizing a unified Palestinian state, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, under the Palestinian National Authority with East Jerusalem as its capital. "The recognition of Palestine is not against anyone, least of all Israel…” // “Our decision reflects our absolute rejection of Hamas…” Israel says it wants to root out Hamas fighters holed up in Rafah and rescue hostages it says are being held in there. According to the U.N.'s Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, around a million people have fled the Israeli offensive in Rafah since early May, many of them repeatedly displaced by shifting waves of the war. :: Ashkelon, Israel :: October 7, 2023 Israel's assault on Gaza began after the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks that killed around 1,200 people and saw more than 250 hostages seized, according Israeli tallies. :: Deir al-Balah, Gaza :: May 24, 2024 More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, according to Palestinian health officials.2 days ago
- 0:55Palestinians flee areas of Rafah as blasts heard in streetsReuters VideosSTORY: :: Palestinians flee areas of Rafah as blast sounds echo in the streets :: May 28, 2024 :: Ahmed al-Namleh, Displaced Palestinian “We don’t know where we are going. We woke up at 6 in the morning, at 5.30, from the shelling and rockets. We are going... God knows where. We don’t have tents, and we don’t have anything. We have children with us. We have more people to transport, my aunt and my mother-in-law. They are under the shelling and I will go and get them. There is no transportation. There is nothing, in terms of means to live. This is what we woke up to at 5.30 in the morning.” Israel pounded Rafah with airstrikes and tank fire on Tuesday, pressing its offensive in Gaza's southern city despite an international outcry over an attack on Sunday that sparked a blaze in a tent camp, killing at least 45 Palestinians, more than half of them children, women and the elderly. Since that strike, at least 26 more people have been killed by Israeli fire in Rafah, officials in the enclave run by Hamas militants said.2 days ago
- 1:06Palestinians displaced by the Israeli offensive live in tents and search for foodAssociated Press VideosIsrael’s offensive in Rafah has sent nearly a million Palestinians fleeing the southern Gaza city and scattering across a wide area. Most have already been displaced multiple times during Israel’s nearly 8-month-old war in Gaza, which is aimed at destroying Hamas but has devastated the territory and caused what the U.N says is a near-famine. The situation has been worsened by a dramatic plunge in the amount of food, fuel and other supplies reaching the U.N. and other aid groups to distribute to the population. Palestinians have largely been on their own to resettle their families and find the bare essentials. (AP Video/Mohammad Jahjouh, Production/Wafaa Shurafa)2 days ago
- 0:58Spain to recognize Palestinian state run by PNA - PMReuters VideosSTORY: :: Madrid, Spain :: May 28, 2024 :: Pedro Sanchez, Spanish Prime Minister :: “The state of Palestine must be viable with the West Bank and Gaza connected by a corridor and with East Jerusalem as its capital and must be unified under the legitimate government of the Palestine National Authority (PNA)” :: “Although it is not up to Spain to define the borders of other countries, our position is aligned with the U.N. Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 and with the position of the European Union. Therefore we will not recognize change in the 1967 lines other than those agreed to by the parties." :: "The recognition of Palestine is not against anyone, least of all Israel, a friendly nation that Spain values and holds in high regard and with whom we aim to foster the strongest possible relationship. Furthermore, our decision reflects our absolute rejection of Hamas, a terrorist organization who is against a two-state solution." The Spanish government will formally approve the recognition later on Tuesday. The development came as Norway said it would maker a similar announcement. European Union members Ireland, Slovenia and Malta have indicated in recent weeks that they plan to make the recognition, arguing a two-state solution is essential for lasting peace in the region.2 days ago
- 0:30Protests in NY after Israeli strike on Rafah campReuters VideosSTORY: :: Protesters march in New York after an Israeli air strike caused a fire in a Rafah tent camp, killing dozens :: May 27, 2024 :: New York After marching through the city, they gathered under their umbrellas at Zuccotti Park. They could be heard chanting, "Resistance is justified when people are occupied." Israel's military, which is trying to eliminate Hamas in Gaza, said it was investigating reports that a strike it carried out against commanders of the Islamist militant group in Rafah had caused the fire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike had not been intended to cause civilian casualties. More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, Gaza's health ministry says. Israel launched the operation after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.2 days ago
- 2:36Israel's Netanyahu says Rafah strike went tragically wrongReuters VideosSTORY: :: Rafah, Gaza Palestinians sifted through smoking wreckage in Rafah on Monday, as others mourned the dead... :: May 26, 2024 ...hours after an Israeli airstrike triggered a massive blaze in a tent camp where displaced people were taking shelter. Dozens were killed, according to Palestinian officials in Hamas-run Gaza, who said the toll was likely to rise. :: Jerusalem Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told parliament the strike was not intended to kill civilians: "In Rafah we already evacuated about one million non-combatant residents and despite our utmost effort not to harm non-combatants, something unfortunately went tragically wrong. We are investigating the incident and will reach conclusions because this is our policy.” The attack has prompted an outcry from global leaders, who are now calling for implementation of a Friday ruling from the U.N.’s top court, ordering Israel to stop its assault on Rafah. Israel had kept up its offensive, saying the court ruling grants it some scope for military action there. :: Beirut, Lebanon “I saw images, they are deeply disturbing and horrifying.” The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, or UNRWA - Phillippe Lazzarini - said he was waiting to hear more about casualties from his team. “There is no safe space in Gaza." :: May 26, 2024 The U.S. called images following the strike "devastating" and urged Israel to take every precaution to protect civilians. On social media, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "outraged." :: Brussels, Belgium The German foreign minister and EU foreign policy chief called for the court’s ruling to be respected. EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL: "I condemn this in the strongest terms." More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, Gaza's health ministry says. :: October 7, 2023 Israel launched the operation after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7… Killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel says it wants to root out Hamas fighters holed up in Rafah and rescue hostages it says are being held in the area. Israel's military said Sunday's strike, based on, quote, "precise intelligence", had eliminated Hamas' chief of staff for the West Bank, plus another official behind deadly attacks on Israelis.3 days ago
- 0:54Israeli police, Jewish pilgrims clash at beleaguered festival siteReuters VideosSTORY: :: Israeli police and Jewish pilgrims appear to clash at a religious festival site :: Authorities had closed the site this year due to rocket fire from Lebanon :: Police said they turned away thousands of pilgrims, though hundreds had managed to reach the area :: Meron, Israel :: Israeli Police Handout :: Released on May 26, 2024 :: Admma Videos circulating on social media from Israeli Police and ADMMA appeared to show clashes between Israeli officers and worshippers on site. Reuters was able to locate videos from the shape of the mountain and building on the background match Google Earth topography imagery and nearby buildings, greenery, floor surface and fence panels match the satellite imagery corroborating video shows the same scene. Reuters was not able to confirm when the videos were filmed. Since the 2021 tragedy at the tomb of a 2nd-century sage during the annual Lag B'Omer celebration, police have limited the number of attendees. The all-night sessions of prayer, mystical songs and dance had in previous years drawn crowds in the tens of thousands. This year's festival was canceled since the site at Meron in the Galilee region has been targeted by rocket fire from Lebanon. Many northern Israeli towns have been evacuated since Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon began firing at them following Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza. Both sides have traded blows since. Despite the closure, police said they turned away thousands of pilgrims over the weekend, though hundreds managed to reach the site, where things got out of hand. The visitors damaged property and hurled objects at officers, police said. Nineteen officers were injured. Israeli media reported that several people among the unauthorized crowd were hurt. At least one officer was suspended for pushing an older man to the ground, and police said it was examining other incidents from the site.3 days ago
- 2:57Israeli strike on Rafah kills dozens, Palestinian officials sayCBS News VideosPalestinian officials say an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza city of Rafah killed dozens of people in a makeshift refugee camp. Israel says it targeted two Hamas leaders in the attack. It came hours after Hamas fired rockets toward Tel Aviv.3 days ago
- 2:28Israeli air strikes on Rafah said to kill dozensReuters VideosSTORY: :: Warning Graphic Content Israeli air strikes killed at least 35 Palestinians and wounded dozens in part of the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah designated for the displaced. That’s according to Palestinian health and civil emergency service officials on Sunday. Video taken that day showed people searching through rubble and carrying bodies into emergency vehicles. "We were sitting at the door of the house safely. Suddenly we heard the sound of a missile. We ran and found the street covered in smoke. We did not see anything. We went into the house and did not find anyone until we checked over the wall and found a girl and a young man who had been cut to pieces." The Israeli military said its air force struck a Hamas compound in Rafah, and that the strike was carried out with "precise ammunition and on the basis of precise intelligence." It said it took out Hamas' chief of staff for the West Bank and another senior official behind deadly attacks on Israelis. The strike hit the Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood in western Rafah, setting parts of the area ablaze. Thousands of people were taking shelter there after fleeing the eastern areas of the city where Israeli forces began a ground offensive over two weeks ago. Gaza’s health ministry said 35 people were killed and dozens others, most of them women and children, were wounded in the attack. Video obtained by Reuters showed several children receiving medical treatment after the strike. The International Committee of the Red Cross said its field hospital in Rafah was receiving an influx of casualties, and that other hospitals also were taking in a large number of patients. Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military said eight projectiles were identified crossing from Rafah, prompting sirens to sound in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv for the first time in months. Video obtained by Reuters showed the remains of a rocket outside a school. Another rocket struck the roof of this home in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. The military added some of the projectiles were intercepted, and reported no casualties. :: May 26, 2024 Israel has kept up operations in Rafah despite a ruling by the top U.N. court on Friday ordering it to stop attacking the city. But Israel argues that the U.N. court's ruling allows room for some military action there, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his war cabinet later on Sunday to discuss continued operations in Rafah. Israeli tanks have probed around the edges of the city, but have not yet entered Rafah in force.3 days ago
- 2:31Israel strikes refugee camp in GazaCBS News VideosThe Israeli military targeted Al Mawasi refugee camp, where many in Gaza had fled seeking safety from the assault on Rafah. The injured will seek medical attention at hospitals, which have also been targeted by Israel, claiming the medical facilities are used as command centers by Hamas. Imtiaz Tyab has the latest.3 days ago
- 0:51Hundreds of Israelis mourn hostage at funeralReuters VideosSTORY: :: Mourners join a funeral procession after the body of a hostage was recovered from Gaza :: Tel Aviv, Israel :: May 26, 2024 :: The Israeli military said it recovered the bodies of Hanan Yablonka and two others Hundreds of mourners joined the funeral procession and attended the service. The Israeli military said on Friday (May 24) it had recovered the bodies of three hostages taken into the Gaza Strip after they were killed during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas-led militants. It said the bodies of Hanan Yablonka, Michel Nisenbaum and Orion Hernandez Radoux were recovered overnight in a joint operation by the army and the intelligence services in Jabalia, in northern Gaza where there has been intense fighting in recent days. Yablonka, 42 was killed at the Nova music festival, an outdoor party near Gaza, the military said. The bodies were identified by medical officials at the Israeli National Forensic Institute and the Israeli police, the military said.4 days ago
- 1:39Tel Aviv hit by Hamas rockets for first time in monthsReuters VideosSTORY: :: Graphic Warning Air raid sirens blared in Tel Aviv on Sunday (May 26), sending residents running for cover for the first time in months. The Hamas militant group said it had launched a missile attack on Israel's largest city. :: Herzliya, Israel Video obtained by Reuters shows the remains of a rocket outside a school. Another rocket struck the roof of this home in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. The Israeli military said eight projectiles were identified crossing from the area of Rafah, the southern tip of the Gaza Strip. It said a number of the projectiles were intercepted. Israeli emergency services said they had received no reports of casualties. But the volley demonstrated the armed Palestinian group's resilience despite Israel's Gaza offensive. Source: Israeli Military Israel invaded Gaza after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory operation is now in its seventh month, and Palestinian health officials say Israel's campaign has killed more than 35,000 people. :: Gaza City, Gaza Swaths of the densely-populated Gaza Strip have been reduced to rubble. :: May 25, 2024 Relief organizations have warned Gaza's population is catastrophically short of food and medicine, and blamed Israel for limiting aid into the enclave. :: Source: Israeli Military To relieve some of the pain, the U.S. military built a pier to receive aid by sea. Video released by the Israeli military on Sunday purports to show trucks loaded with supplies at the new pier. :: Source: Israeli Military Focus in both the fighting and cease-fire talks continues to center on the city of Rafah, where Israeli forces say they are committed to rooting out remaining Hamas fighters. :: May 24, 2024 The International Court of Justice last week ordered Israel to halt its military operation in Rafah, citing the threat to civilians seeking refuge there.4 days ago
- 0:56Rocket sirens sound in Tel Aviv for the first time in monthsAssociated Press VideosHamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months on Sunday in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel's massive air, sea and ground offensive. (AP video shot by Paz bar)4 days ago
- 2:14Ceasefire talks could resume but Israel-Hamas war rages onReuters VideosSTORY: :: Graphic Warning :: Gaza City, Gaza In Gaza City on Saturday, displaced people sheltering at a school were cleaning up after an Israeli airstrike hit the grounds, killing at least 10, according to the ministry of health. This woman was among the hundreds sheltering at the school. "I do not know where to go. We were in the schools in the camp, they threw bombs at us, and burnt down the classrooms, they burnt the tents, a handicapped girl was killed in the tent. Isn't this awful? We came here and we saw catastrophes. We want to flee but we do not know where to go. Where can we go?" :: May 25, 2024 Israeli forces killed dozens in new attacks on the strip, according to Palestinian medics, amid reports that ceasefire talks could soon resume. The Israeli military had said it is trying to prevent Hamas from reestablishing its hold in northern Gaza. :: May 24, 2024 :: The Hague, Netherlands The attacks took place just a day after judges at the top United Nations court ordered Israel to halt its offensive on the southern city of Rafah. :: Southern Israel :: May 25, 2024 Plumes of black smoke could be seen rising over the Gaza Strip's southern border. New talks are set to restart next week between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, according to an official with knowledge of the matter. :: Deir al Balah, Gaza :: May 24, 2024 The decision was made after the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency met the head of the CIA and the prime minister of Qatar, said the source, who declined to be identified by name or nationality, given the sensitivity of the matter. A Hamas official denied Israeli media reports that the talks would resume in Cairo on Tuesday, telling Reuters: "There is no date." After more than seven months of war in Gaza, mediators have struggled to secure a breakthrough. :: Gaza City, Gaza :: May 25, 2024 Israel is seeking the release of hostages held by Hamas, while Hamas is seeking the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and an end to the war. Nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive in Gaza, Gaza's health ministry says. In Israel, 1,200 people were killed and another 250 seized hostage, according to Israeli tallies, after Hamas-led militants attacked on October 7.4 days ago
- 1:43Italy resumes UNRWA funding for PalestiniansReuters VideosSTORY: Italy became the latest country on Saturday (May 25) to resume funding for the United Nations' Palestinian relief organization UNRWA. It made the announcement on a visit to Rome by Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told Mustafa that Italy supported efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and improved humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, her office said in a statement. Italy was one of a number of countries to block aid for UNRWA following accusations by Israel that some of the agency's staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. The step came a day after judges at the U.N.'s World Court ordered Israel to immediately halt its military assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, in a landmark emergency ruling in South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide. Foreign minister Antonio Tajani announced a 35 million euro, or $38 million, aid package for the Palestinians, of which five million euros would go to UNRWA projects. UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running the enclave's schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid. It has set out an action plan to better ensure its impartiality, strengthen internal reviews, and improve how its staff are monitored. In recent weeks, several countries have resumed funding the agency, including Austria and Germany.5 days ago
- 2:17Top U.N. court orders Israel to halt military offensive in RafahCBS News VideosThe International Court of Justice, the top United Nations court, has ordered Israel to halt its military operations in Rafah, and is repeating its demands that Hamas release all the hostages. Imtiaz Tyab reports on Israel's response from East Jerusalem.5 days ago
- 4:46Latest on Israel-Hamas war as U.N. court orders end of Rafah operationsCBS News VideosThe International Court of Justice, the United Nations' top judicial body, has ordered Israel to pause all operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces say they have recovered the bodies of three more hostages killed in the initial Hamas attack on Oct. 7. CBS News national security contributor Sam Vinograd joins to discuss the latest developments in the war.6 days ago
- 1:04World Court ruling on Israel difficult to enforce, analysts sayReuters VideosSTORY: :: Enforcement of a World Court ruling ordering Israel to halt its assault on Rafah could be hard to enforce, analysts say :: May 24, 2024 :: Heidi Matthews, Assistant law professor, York University “The court itself doesn't have any enforcement powers, so it's the highest judicial body of the United Nations, but it doesn't have, you know, its own police or military force that would perform that kind of enforcement. What it does have pursuant to the U.N. charter is resort to the security Council." // "And so that's the option. Clearly, the big problem with that is the U.S. veto on the Security Council." :: Kenneth Roth, Former executive director of Human Rights Watch “South Africa used genocide because that was its jurisdiction hook, that's how it could get before the International Court of Justice. And indeed, there is a very credible case of genocide. But the court will not resolve that case on the merits for some time to come. Today's ruling was just a preliminary ruling, which it has a very low threshold of proof. But we should not let the genocide debate deter us from focusing on the other serious war crimes and crimes against humanity that quite clearly are going on." Reading out the ruling, World Court president Nawaf Salam said the situation in the Palestinian enclave had deteriorated since the court last ordered Israel to take steps to improve it, and conditions had been met for a new emergency order. Israel launched its air and ground war on Gaza after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. More than 35,000 Palestinians have since been killed in the offensive, Gaza's health ministry says. Under the U.N. charter the U.N. Security Council could compel enforcement of the ICJ ruling, Matthews said, but it would likely face opposition from the United States which frequently uses its veto power to support Israel.6 days ago
Top Israeli official says fighting in Gaza likely to last at least another 7 months. By ToI Staff. Live updates (closed) May 29: IDF says it demolished ‘significant’ Hamas tunnel near Rafah ...
1 day ago · May 29, 2024, 10:52 pm. Gallant warns Nasrallah: Lebanon will pay the price for reality you’ve created. Defense minister presents photos of 9 senior Hezbollah commanders IDF has killed, countering...
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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...
May 22, 2024 · Israel and its Arab neighbors fought wars in 1956, 1967, and 1973, and Israel signed peace treaties with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Israel took control of the West Bank , the eastern part of Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip , the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights in the course of the 1967 war .
Oct 8, 2023 · Israel battled on Saturday to repel one of the broadest invasions of its territory in 50 years after Palestinian militants from Gaza launched an early-morning assault on southern Israel,...
Oct 13, 2023 · 13 October 2023. A country on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel is the only state in the world with a majority Jewish population. It has been locked in conflict with the...