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Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Southern Levant, West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon and Syria to the north, the West Bank and Jordan to the east, Egypt, the Gaza Strip and the Red Sea to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Tel Aviv is the country's financial, economic, and technological center.
Israel ends draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews
Reuters Videos8 hours agoSTORY: Israel's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday (June 25) that the state must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students into the military. It's a decree that has divided lawmakers, and could cause further tension in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition. Netanyahu's government relies on two ultra-Orthodox parties. Both see conscription exemptions as key to keeping their constituents in religious seminaries, and away from a melting-pot military that might test their conservative customs. Leaders of those parties said they were disappointed with the ruling - but neither issued an immediate threat to the government. Moshe Roth is from the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party. "This ruling actually doesn't have any implications, any practical implications. It is more of a declaration, more than anything else. It doesn't add anything to the defense issue at this time. So it's very hard to give any credit to this ruling, it doesn't mean very much. In fact, the High Court shouldn't have interfered at all in this issue." The prospect of the military starting to draft seminary students could widen cracks in Netanyahu's increasingly brittle coalition. Some voiced hopes that all parties will work together on the conscription issue. Ariel Kallner is from Netanyahu's own Likud party. "We are committed in the Knesset to to the IDF needs, but we are also committed that this paradigm that the ultra-Orthodox community will feel comfortable in the army and it will not feel a threat on their beliefs and they and they will be able to enter the army is it looks and go out of the army as ultra-Orthodox and this is our commitment and we are going to work on it." Opposition parties have welcomed the ruling. The ultra-Orthodox conscription waiver has come at a time when Israel's armed forces are overstretched due to the multi-front war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israelis are bound by law to serve in the military from the age of 18 - three years for men and two years for women. Members of Israel's Arab minority are exempt, though some do serve. And ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students have also been largely exempt for decades. The law for their exemption expired last year, but the government continued to allow them not to serve. In the absence of a new legal basis for the exemption, the Supreme Court's ruling means the state must draft them. Ultra-Orthodox leaders see the exemptions as vital for preserving their traditions. The long-standing military waiver has sparked protests in recent months by Israelis angry that they are shouldering the risk of fighting the war in Gaza. Ultra-Orthodox demonstrators have taken to the streets, blocking roads and marching with signs and banners. The ultra-Orthodox community makes up 13% of Israel's 10 million population - a figure expected to climb due to their high birth rates.
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- 3:06Israel ends draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox JewsReuters VideosSTORY: Israel's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday (June 25) that the state must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students into the military. It's a decree that has divided lawmakers, and could cause further tension in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition. Netanyahu's government relies on two ultra-Orthodox parties. Both see conscription exemptions as key to keeping their constituents in religious seminaries, and away from a melting-pot military that might test their conservative customs. Leaders of those parties said they were disappointed with the ruling - but neither issued an immediate threat to the government. Moshe Roth is from the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party. "This ruling actually doesn't have any implications, any practical implications. It is more of a declaration, more than anything else. It doesn't add anything to the defense issue at this time. So it's very hard to give any credit to this ruling, it doesn't mean very much. In fact, the High Court shouldn't have interfered at all in this issue." The prospect of the military starting to draft seminary students could widen cracks in Netanyahu's increasingly brittle coalition. Some voiced hopes that all parties will work together on the conscription issue. Ariel Kallner is from Netanyahu's own Likud party. "We are committed in the Knesset to to the IDF needs, but we are also committed that this paradigm that the ultra-Orthodox community will feel comfortable in the army and it will not feel a threat on their beliefs and they and they will be able to enter the army is it looks and go out of the army as ultra-Orthodox and this is our commitment and we are going to work on it." Opposition parties have welcomed the ruling. The ultra-Orthodox conscription waiver has come at a time when Israel's armed forces are overstretched due to the multi-front war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israelis are bound by law to serve in the military from the age of 18 - three years for men and two years for women. Members of Israel's Arab minority are exempt, though some do serve. And ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students have also been largely exempt for decades. The law for their exemption expired last year, but the government continued to allow them not to serve. In the absence of a new legal basis for the exemption, the Supreme Court's ruling means the state must draft them. Ultra-Orthodox leaders see the exemptions as vital for preserving their traditions. The long-standing military waiver has sparked protests in recent months by Israelis angry that they are shouldering the risk of fighting the war in Gaza. Ultra-Orthodox demonstrators have taken to the streets, blocking roads and marching with signs and banners. The ultra-Orthodox community makes up 13% of Israel's 10 million population - a figure expected to climb due to their high birth rates.8 hours ago
- 0:56Gazans run after Israeli strike on school-turned-shelterReuters VideosSTORY: :: Palestinians run from a fire after an Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter :: Gaza City :: June 25, 2024 The war started when Palestinian Hamas militants burst over the border and attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage, according to Israeli tallies. The Israeli offensive in retaliation has killed almost 37,600 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, and has left Gaza in ruins.13 hours ago
- 2:03Families of Israeli hostages pressure Netanyahu to bring loved ones homeABC News VideosNew harrowing video has been released by the Hostage Family Forum of three hostages being abducted by Hamas militants on October 7th from the Nova Music Festival in Israel.17 hours ago
- 1:28Blinken urges Israel's Gallant to make post-war planReuters VideosSTORY: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant arrived at the U.S. State Department for talks with top American diplomat Antony Blinken on Monday. The visit comes amid U.S. calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and for the development of a realistic post-war plan, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. "We have been quite consistent that for there to be an enduring defeat of Hamas, there needs to be a plan for what replaces them and what replaces them needs to be Palestinian-led governance. It needs to be realistic security plans. It needs to be realistic reconstruction plans. And that's what we continue to work towards with our partners in the region. And as we continue to push the government of Israel to properly consider." Washington has warned Israel that the absence of such a plan could trigger lawlessness and chaos as well as a comeback by Hamas in the enclave. After the meeting, Gallant didn't address this point with reporters but did say the alliance with the United States is "extremely important" to the future of Israel. He also met with advisors to President Joe Biden and CIA Director Bill Burns Monday in discussions he called "critical" as Israel deals with Gaza and escalating hostilities on Israel's border with Lebanon, where exchanges of fire with Hezbollah have stoked fears of wider conflict. He's set to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday.1 day ago
- 1:20Netanyahu warns of possible war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, AP ExplainsAssociated Press VideosIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that the current phase of fighting against Hamas in Gaza is winding down, setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.1 day ago
- 2:30Gazan cancer patients await medical evacuationReuters VideosSTORY: Nada al-Kanoo sits with her two young children in Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital in the southern part of the Gaza Strip on Monday. Her son Amjad is suffering from malnutrition and Ahmed has testicular cancer. Originally from the north, Al-Kanoo says she has been trying to facilitate medical evacuation for some time now... and recently received a call telling her a transfer would go ahead. "I didn't believe it," she says about the call. "I said this is impossible, the Rafah crossing is closed and under siege. How can we get out?" The World Health Organization has been unable to carry out medical evacuations from Gaza since the closure of the Rafah crossing in early May. Through coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), the two boys are to be transferred out of Gaza for medical treatment through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Doctor Ahmed al-Farra told Reuters that nearly 50,000 patients were in need of transfer. “Some of them malignant diseases - cancer - some of them metabolic diseases; some of them immune deficiency diseases and of course, some of them injured by the explosive injury that they got in the war.” Another Palestinian mother, Samira, has been told her daughter Jori will also be transferred out. Jori had to stop chemotherapy when the war began and now is one of many thousands who suffer from malnutrition. "It's the most difficult of situations to not be able to provide the necessary nutrition for a child. There is no food for her body, only canned food. There's no fruit to give her, or vegetables to get for her and if there is, it's all unimaginably expensive. So, thank God that she will be able travel to get medical treatment and eat more food than we have here.” A group of U.N.-led aid agencies estimates that around 7% of Gazan children may be acutely malnourished, compared with 0.8% before the Israel-Hamas conflict began on Oct. 7. :: Gaza City, Gaza :: June 23, 2024 Israel’s offensive has killed more than 37,400 people in the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory, according to health authorities there. It launched its assault after Hamas fighters stormed across the border into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 people hostage, according to Israeli tallies.1 day ago
- 0:47Netanyahu says Israel is winding down its Gaza operations. But he warns a Lebanon war could be nextAssociated Press VideosThe Israeli leader said in a lengthy TV interview that while the army is close to completing its current ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, that would not mean the war against Hamas is over. But he said fewer troops would be needed in Gaza, freeing up forces to battle Hezbollah.1 day ago
- 1:05Some visitors to Israel have a new stop on their tours: Hamas' destruction in the southAssociated Press VideosFor people visiting Israel, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. This is a new kind of tourism that has emerged in the country in the months since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. (AP Video: Ami Bentov)2 days ago
- 0:57Netanyahu says 'intense fighting' with Hamas is endingReuters VideosSTORY: :: ISRAELI CHANNEL 14 :: Israel's Netanyahu says 'intense fighting' with Hamas is ending, but war will go on Channel 14 Host: "I mean it's within a month?" Netanyahu: “The end of the phase of intense fighting?" Channel 14 Host: “Yes, is it up to a month?" Netanyahu: "Very soon." :: June 23, 2024 :: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister “If there is an agreement, it will be an agreement according to our terms, and our terms are not to end the war, to leave Gaza and leave Hamas as it is. I refuse to leave Hamas as it is. We need to eliminate it." :: Modiin, Israel “In the end you will have to do two things: you will need the ongoing military demilitarization by the Israel Defense Forces and you will need to establish a civil administration, I hope with the support and management of certain countries in the region. I think this is the right way to move forward. I'll tell you what I'm not ready to do, I'm not ready to establish a Palestinian state there, I'm not ready to hand it over to the Palestinian Authority. I'm not ready to do that.” Once the intense fighting is over in Gaza, Netanyahu said, Israel will be able to deploy more forces along the northern border with Lebanon, where fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah has escalated. Many Israeli towns near the border with Lebanon have been evacuated during the fighting.2 days ago
- 1:51Israeli strike kills eight at Gaza aid center: witnessesReuters VideosSTORY: Eight Palestinians were killed on Sunday (June 23) in an Israeli airstrike on a building near Gaza City being used to distribute aid, according to witnesses. They said the strike hit part of an industrial college run by the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA. Mohammed Tafesh, one of the witnesses, described how some were collecting waters and others were receiving coupons when the strike hit. He said they'd since been pulling people from the rubble, including one person who had been selling cold drinks and another who used to sell pastries. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Juliette Touma, UNRWA's director of c ommunications, said the agency was looking into the details of the reported attack before providing more information. She said that since the beginning of the war, nearly 190 of their buildings had been hit - the vast majority of their facilities in Gaza. More than eight months into the conflict and Israel's advance is focused on two areas it is yet to seize. One is the area surrounding Deir al-Balah in the enclave's center, the other is Rafah in the south. Residents said on Sunday that Israeli tanks had advanced to the edge of the Mawasi displaced persons' camp in the northwest of Rafah amid fierce clashes with Hamas-led fighters. The Israeli military said it was continuing "intelligence-based, targeted operations" in the Rafah area and had located weapons stores and tunnel shafts, and killed Palestinian gunmen. The armed wings of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movement said their fighters had attacked Israeli forces in Rafah with anti-tank rockets, mortar bombs and pre-planted explosive devices.2 days ago
- 1:08Thousands in Israel call for release of Hamas hostagesReuters VideosSTORY: :: June 22, 2024 :: Tel Aviv, Israel :: Tens of thousands gather in Tel Aviv, calling for the release of Hamas-held hostages :: "I'm here to demonstrate and ask my government and all the governments in the whole world, please, please do sign the deal. Sign, Netanyahu deal. Just do it bring them back home to the children, to the parents, to their families. We are all broken and tired and we want to make end to this tragedy." :: "We are here to mark 260 days that our loved ones are being held captive in Gaza under hell conditions. We are here to demand that the organization Hamas to bring back our hostages. It all started with the hostages and it will all end with the hostages back home." Such protests have become weekly events, underscoring the divisions in Israeli society, which have reopened following a period of unity at the start of the war. The mother of two released hostages, Hadas Kalderon, urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "sign a deal" for a ceasefire and put an end to the crisis. Another protester, Ilay David, said the protest marked 260 days since hostages were taken to Gaza to be held captive "under hell conditions". Israel's ground and air campaign in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The offensive has left Gaza in ruins, killed more than 37,400 people, of whom 101 were killed in the past 24 hours, according to Palestinian health authorities, and left nearly the entire population homeless and destitute3 days ago
- 1:26Israeli forces strap Palestinian to jeep during raidReuters VideosSTORY: The Israeli military says it's investigating an incident where Israeli soldiers strapped a wounded Palestinian detainee to the hood of a military vehicle. It happened during an arrest raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Saturday, and was captured on video verified by Reuters. It shows the vehicle passing through two ambulances with Palestinian resident, Mujahed Azmi, on top. Eyewitness Raafat Azmi: "This is my cousin, Mujahed, he was wounded, and stayed here for about two to three hours, we were sitting here, and he was wounded in there, they (the Israeli army) put him on the hood of the jeep and then we were told that they handed him over to the governmental hospital." The Israeli military in a statement said Israeli forces were fired at and exchanged fire, wounding a suspect and apprehending him. According to the statement, the soldiers then violated military protocol when the suspect “was taken by the forces while tied on top of a vehicle." The Israeli military said "conduct of the forces in the video of the incident does not conform to the values" of the Israeli military. It added the individual was transferred to medics for treatment. Violence in the West Bank, already on the rise before the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, has escalated since then, with frequent army raids on militant groups, rampages by Jewish settlers in Palestinian villages, and deadly Palestinian street attacks.3 days ago
- 2:20Dozens killed in Israeli strikes across northern GazaCBS News VideosA series of Israeli strikes across northern Gaza Saturday left several dozen people dead, according to Palestinian health officials. One of the strikes struck the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. Israel's military confirmed it targeted the camp but said it struck what it called "two Hamas military infrastructure sites." Imtiaz Tyab reports from Tel Aviv.3 days ago
- 1:56Israeli strikes kill at least 42, Gaza govt media office saysReuters VideosSTORY: At least 42 people were killed in Israeli attacks on districts of Gaza City on Saturday, (June 22) the director of the Hamas-run government media office has said. Ismail Al-Thawabta said one Israeli strike in Al-Shati, one of the Gaza Strip's eight historic refugee camps, killed 24 people while another 18 died in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood. This man, Hassan Zayara, said he was 300 meters away when the strike hit in Al-Shati. Half his house has been destroyed, he says, and his wife, son, daughter and granddaughter are all in hospital. Israel's military said IDF fighter jets had struck two "Hamas military infrastructure sites in the area of Gaza City". It said more details would be released soon. Hamas did not comment on the Israeli claim to have hit its military infrastructure. In a statement it said the attacks had targeted the civilian population and vowed that a price would be paid for Israel's "violations against our people". Israel's ground and air campaign was triggered when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7. According to Israeli tallies, around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage. Israel's retaliation has left Gaza in ruins. More than 37,400 people have been killed, according to Hamas-run Palestinian health authorities. More than eight months into the war, Israel's advance is now focused on the two last areas its forces have yet to seize. That's Rafah on Gaza's southern edge and the area surrounding Deir al-Balah in the center.3 days ago
- 1:42Palestinian children injured in Gaza war and their families try to adapt to life in UAEAssociated Press VideosThe scars of the war are apparent everywhere, on the child who’s missing a part of his leg, his friend with a bandaged eye, the girl who’s trying to walk with her two new prosthetic limbs, or the kid who has a hole in his neck. These are the children injured in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, who have been brought to the United Arab Emirates for treatment.4 days ago
- 1:02Israeli strikes on tent camps near Rafah kill at least 25 and wound 50, Gaza health officials saidAssociated Press VideosGaza health officials say Israeli strikes on tent camps outside the southern city of Rafah have killed at least 25 people and wounded another 50. Friday's strikes were the latest deadly attack on displaced people in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands have fled fighting between Israel and Hamas. (AP video: Mariam Daggah. Production: Wafaa Shurafa)4 days ago
- 3:22Could Lebanon be dragged into a wider war?Reuters VideosSTORY: SIDON RESIDENT QASSEM QARAM: "Of course everyone is afraid. Anyone who tells you they're not afraid is lying to themselves." In the southern city of Sidon, fears are growing that the Gaza war could expand and drag in Lebanon. :: Shomer Israel via Telegram Regular puffs of smoke on the border show where Hezbollah missiles are intercepted over northern Israel... Or Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon. Lebanese were bracing for war after stark threats on Wednesday (June 19) from Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah. He said nowhere in Israel would be safe if there were a war, and even Cyprus could be in danger if it let Israel use its bases. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Israel would "turn Beirut into Gaza" in the event of a war. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had this warning on Friday (June 21). "The risk for the conflict in the Middle East to widen is real and must be avoided. When rash move, when miscalculation could trigger a catastrophe that goes far beyond the borders and frankly, beyond imagination." :: Border escalation Hezbollah has been firing rockets at Israel in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas since the Gaza war erupted in October. It says they won't stop until a ceasefire in Gaza. That's forced tens of thousands to flee homes in Israel, where political pressure is building for tougher action. Tens of thousands of Lebanese have also fled their homes because of the Israeli airstrikes. U.S. diplomacy this week showed deepening concern too - U.S. President Joe Biden sent over his special envoy Amos Hochstein, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli officials to avoid further escalation. :: Threat or deterrent? Some diplomats and analysts say Nasrallah's threats aim to match escalating rhetoric from Israel and act as a deterrent. :: Hezbollah Media Office Hezbollah has been flexing its muscle - drawing on ever more potent weaponry - while signaling it doesn't want all-out war. Israel has the most powerful army in the Middle East. But Hezbollah has thousands of fighters, many with experience in the Syrian civil war, and an arsenal of tens of thousands of missiles capable of hitting cities all over Israel. It has a large fleet of drones and apparently flew one over the Israeli port city of Haifa this week, underlining the potential threat to key economic infrastructure including power systems. :: Israel preparing Israeli officials assess that the end of the main phase of fighting in Gaza is weeks away. This week, the army's northern command said it had approved operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon. :: Golan Heights :: May 8, 2024 For weeks, Israeli commanders have been holding training exercises and assessments in preparation. But war could overwhelm Israel's famed Iron dome missile-defense system. :: May 2000 And Israel has had a bruising experience in Lebanon in the past. After its forces invaded in 1982, they occupied a swathe of southern Lebanon for nearly two decades. :: 2006 Israel and Hezbollah waged war for a month in 2006. Lebanon's infrastructure and economy is already crippled - a result of decades of poor government and conflicts, including with Israel.4 days ago
- 0:43Community group rises to support Israel's survivors of October 7 attack on Nova music festivalAssociated Press VideosMore than 3,000 people were at the Tribe of Nova electronic music festival on the morning of Oct. 7, when Hamas militants stormed into Israel. Since then, the Tribe of Nova Community has organized a wide range of services and support for survivors, offering diverse therapeutic methods like ice baths, horse riding, surfing, art, travel, and many others. (AP video/Moshe Edri)6 days ago
- 2:51Israel may have violated laws of war in Gaza - UNReuters VideosSTORY: :: File Israeli forces may have repeatedly violated the laws of war and failed to distinguish between civilians and fighters in the Gaza conflict, according to the U.N. human rights office on Wednesday (June 19). :: Jabalia, Gaza :: Israeli army Separately, the head of a U.N. inquiry accused the Israeli military of carrying out the "extermination" of Palestinians. The U.N. rights office, or OHCHR, issued a report examining six Israeli attacks that caused many casualties and destroyed civilian infrastructure. This was its spokesperson, Jeremy Laurence. "It notes that unlawful targeting when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population in line with the state or organizational policy may also implicate the commission of crimes against humanity." ::Near Gaza City, Gaza Israel's permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva characterized the analysis as "factually, legally, and methodologically flawed." It said the OHCHR had, "at best, a partial factual picture." Laurence said the attacks examined occurred before December but were part of a continued pattern, though it was getting harder to assess the situation on the ground as the war went on. In a separate meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, the head of a U.N. Commission of Inquiry, Navi Pillay, said perpetrators of abuses in the conflict must be brought to account. ::Jabalia, Gaza She repeated findings from a report published last week that both Hamas militants and Israel have committed war crimes. But she said Israel alone was responsible for the most serious abuses under international law known as "crimes against humanity." "We conclude that Israeli authorities are responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including extermination, intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, murder or wilful killing, using starvation as a method of war, forcible transfer, gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys, sexual and gender-based violence amounting to torture, and cruel or inhumane treatment.” Israel, which does not cooperate with the inquiry and alleges an anti-Israel bias, chose the mother of a hostage held by Hamas to speak on its behalf at the meeting. MEIRAV LESHEM GONEN: “The international community must not allow political consideration to override our core human values." ::Tel Aviv, Israel And it criticized the report on the grounds that it did not give due attention to the hostages taken by Hamas in its attack on southern Israel on October 7.6 days ago
- 1:20Europe must host Gaza children - Greek foreign ministerReuters VideosSTORY: :: Europe must host children harmed by the war in Gaza, Greece's foreign minister says :: Athens, Greece :: June 18, 2024 :: George Gerapetritis, Greek Foreign Minister “We we have offered ourselves to host injured people from Palestine but also children from Palestine to come to Europe and stay here until the war is over.” “A few days ago I talked to the Palestinian prime minister and we had a very extensive and constructive talk about how to be of meaningful assistance especially for the humanitarian aid but also for the day after for the reconstruction in Gaza. Also yesterday I talked to the Israeli foreign minister in order to see how Greece could promote the peace formula.” “There is a total lack of basic resources of fundamental networks which are absolutely essential in order for people to be able to live under humane conditions so we need to start working on, first, providing housing for people, secondly providing essential networks including electricity and water and food and then to be able to provide some adequate security.” Gerapetritis is seeking partners in what he hopes would be a project to temporarily bring the children to the European Union, and said he discussed the idea with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa this week. The 56-year old, who has held the post for a year, did not say how many people could be hosted by Greece or the EU but said the issue was under discussion with Palestinian authorities. Greece condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants against Israel but has called for a halt to Israel's ground and air assault on Gaza that Palestinian authorities say has killed more than 35,000 people and flattened whole cities.6 days ago
- 4:19US envoy visits Beirut amid criticism from Israel’s prime ministerABC News VideosIsrael Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called out the U.S. for withholding certain ammunitions in its war with Hamas saying, “Give us the tools and we’ll finish the job a lot faster.”1 week ago
- 3:49US wants to avoid 'greater war' at Lebanon-Israel borderReuters VideosSTORY: A top American diplomat on Tuesday said the United States is trying to avert a greater war along the border between Israel and Lebanon. "What (U.S.) President (Joe) Biden wants to do is to avoid a further escalation to a greater war. That is the effort here." U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein was in Beirut following an escalation in cross-border fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Hochstein said he had been dispatched to Lebanon immediately following a brief trip to Israel because the situation was "serious." Iran-backed Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel, in parallel with the Gaza war that broke out on Oct. 7. Last week, the group fired the largest volleys of rockets and drones in the last eight months after an Israeli strike killed a high-ranking militant commander. Hochstein has something of a track record in the region. In 2022 he helped negotiate the first ever Israel-Lebanese accord on a maritime boundary between the two countries. But Hezbollah says it will not halt its attacks on Israel unless there is a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Hochstein on Tuesday urged the Palestinian militant group Hamas to accept a U.S.-backed proposal for a truce. "A ceasefire in Gaza and/or an alternative diplomatic solution could also bring the conflict across the blue line to an end, creating conditions for displaced Lebanese civilians to go home in the south and for Israeli civilians to go home in their north." But a ceasefire in Gaza appears remote. The Israeli military on Tuesday released video showing what it said were its forces in Rafah, where it claimed it is trying to root out remaining Hamas brigades and recover hostages. The conflict erupted after Hamas militants stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 and taking more than 250 captives, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's devastating retaliation has killed more than 37,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian health ministry figures. Earlier this month, Israeli special forces staged a daring rescue that freed four hostages, who were taken by helicopter back to Israel. Israel's military on Tuesday released this video of one of the pilots in the operation describing his conversation with the newly freed Shlomi Ziv. "During the flight to the hospital I looked back and I saw Shlomi looking out of the window so I asked the crew chief that was beside him, if Shlomi wants to get in the cockpit and talk with us. So we let him in, we gave him earphones and we had a 10 minute conversation with an hostage that was just released from captivity." "Well yes, June 8, the day of the operation was my birthday, and I'm positive that it's the best present that I could get." But for Palestinians in Gaza, no such happy moments. At a hospital in Khan Younis, residents mourned those killed in an Israeli airstrike on a commercial street. Umm Mohammed Daloul is the aunt of one of the dead. "They are merchants, they have nothing to do with anything. They hit them with missiles. There is no safety, there is no safety…They are innocent people. They are honest people. They have nothing to do with anything. They are merchants. They killed the merchants, they killed people. They killed children. They killed women. They have mistreated us. God is our suffice and the best disposer of our affairs. I can’t say anything more than that.” Funerals were held in the Nuseirat refugee camp on Tuesday after airstrikes killed 17 people.1 week ago
- 1:00Protesters clash in front of Israeli prime minister’s residenceABC News VideosABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge reports on the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war.1 week ago
- 4:00Analyzing Netanyahu's decision to disband war cabinetCBS News VideosIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved his country's war cabinet, which helped set Israel's war policy against Hamas. The move comes after one of Netanyahu's main rivals, former General Benny Gantz, resigned over the lack of a plan for Gaza after the war. Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins to discuss.1 week ago
- 4:37Netanyahu disbands Israel war cabinet after Gantz quitsCBS News VideosIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disbanded his war cabinet Monday after Benny Gantz, Netanyahu's leading moderate opponent, resigned from his post. This comes as Netanyahu faces political pressure from moderates and the far-right as the Israel-Hamas war continues. Jon Donnison with BBC News, a CBS News partner, has more.1 week ago
7 hours ago · A group of global experts said on Tuesday that Gaza is at high risk of famine, but it stopped short of saying that one had begun. Officially determining that a famine exists is a technical process ...
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- Eric Nagourney,Anjana Sankar
Get the latest updates on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the recognition of Palestine by some countries, and other regional and global issues. Read analysis, opinion, and features on politics, security, culture, and more.
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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...
3 days ago · Stay on top of Israel latest developments on the ground with Al Jazeera’s fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated maps.
Israel, officially State of Israel, Country, Middle East, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. Area (excludes the West Bank and Gaza Strip): 8,522 sq mi (22,072 sq km). Population (2024 est.) 9,177,000 (excludes Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza Strip).