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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 Strip along the southwest.
'Challenging': UCLA student editor on protest coverage
Reuters Videos5 hours agoSTORY: The pro-Palestinian rallies have sparked intense campus debate over where school officials should draw the line between freedom of expression and hate speech. Some pro-Israel counter-demonstrators have accused the other side of engaging in antisemitism. Friedman, Editor in Chief of the Daily Bruin, says her university has taken a "hands off" approach, minimizing arrests and confrontation with police, unlike schools in Texas or New York. She described the challenges of reporting on the protests while juggling classes and life: "It's tough to balance all of that, but we really want to make sure the community is staying as up to date on what's happening as possible and that we can provide any information that we think is helpful." Friedman also said the Daily Bruin team works hard to try and keep personal biases out of their coverage, in part by having a clear separation between news content and opinion pieces. At the University of California, Los Angeles, where opposing sides had clashed over the weekend, pro-Israeli activists set up a large screen and loudspeakers to play a tape loop of the Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel by Hamas militants. The video appears aimed at countering pro-Hamas chants that seeped into campus protests in support of Palestinian civilians besieged in Gaza. UCLA also stepped up security around a pro-Palestinian encampment, consisting of more than 50 tents surrounded by metal fencing near the main administration building on campus.
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- 01:25'Challenging': UCLA student editor on protest coverageReuters VideosSTORY: The pro-Palestinian rallies have sparked intense campus debate over where school officials should draw the line between freedom of expression and hate speech. Some pro-Israel counter-demonstrators have accused the other side of engaging in antisemitism. Friedman, Editor in Chief of the Daily Bruin, says her university has taken a "hands off" approach, minimizing arrests and confrontation with police, unlike schools in Texas or New York. She described the challenges of reporting on the protests while juggling classes and life: "It's tough to balance all of that, but we really want to make sure the community is staying as up to date on what's happening as possible and that we can provide any information that we think is helpful." Friedman also said the Daily Bruin team works hard to try and keep personal biases out of their coverage, in part by having a clear separation between news content and opinion pieces. At the University of California, Los Angeles, where opposing sides had clashed over the weekend, pro-Israeli activists set up a large screen and loudspeakers to play a tape loop of the Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel by Hamas militants. The video appears aimed at countering pro-Hamas chants that seeped into campus protests in support of Palestinian civilians besieged in Gaza. UCLA also stepped up security around a pro-Palestinian encampment, consisting of more than 50 tents surrounded by metal fencing near the main administration building on campus.5 hours ago
- 04:49What's in the latest Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal?CBS News VideosAs the Israel-Hamas war nears its seventh month, world leaders are looking for ways to pressure both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders to agree to a cease-fire. Jon Alterman, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins CBS News to discuss.8 hours ago
- 01:00Hundreds protest in Israel demanding a ceasefire deal and the immediate release of hostagesAssociated Press VideosHundreds took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Monday during the last day of the Passover holiday, demanding a cease-fire deal and the immediate release of the hostages kept by Hamas in Gaza. (April 30, 2024)8 hours ago
- 02:28U.S. pressures Israel and Hamas to reach cease-fire dealCBS News VideosPresident Biden spoke with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar on Monday in a renewed push for a cease-fire in the war in Gaza. The U.S. is putting pressure on Israel and Hamas to finally sign off on a proposal. Debora Patta has the latest.8 hours ago
- 02:25Middle East experts on state of Israel-Hamas war ceasefire talks, humanitarian aid to GazaAssociated Press VideosMiddle East experts on state of Israel-Hamas war ceasefire talks, humanitarian aid to Gaza8 hours ago
- 02:04Blinken, Family Members of Hostages Push for Deal Between Israel and HamasWSJSecretary of State Antony Blinken pushed leaders to finalize a Gaza cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, which would lead to more hostages being released and a delay in a Rafah offensive. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/AFP/Getty9 hours ago
- 04:59New Israel-Hamas war cease-fire proposal: What to knowCBS News VideosSecretary of State Antony Blinken is back in the Middle East as a new proposal takes shape for a temporary Israel-Hamas war cease-fire and potential hostage releases. CBS News contributor Robert Berger breaks down the latest in the negotiations.12 hours ago
- 02:29Blinken urges Hamas to quickly accept ceasefire dealReuters VideosSTORY: Hamas should swiftly accept Israel's proposal for a truce in Gaza, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday. "Hamas has before it a proposal that is extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous, on the part of Israel. And in this moment, the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas. They have to decide, and they have to decide quickly." Blinken made the comments at a special World Economic Forum meeting in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Negotiators for Palestinian militant group Hamas arrived in Cairo on Monday to meet Qatari and Egyptian mediators about the phased ceasefire proposal Israel presented over the weekend. A source briefed on the talks said Israel's proposal involved the release of fewer than 40 of the roughly 130 hostages believed to be still held in Gaza. In exchange Palestinians jailed in Israel would be freed. The second phase of the truce would consist of a "period of sustained calm" - Israel's compromise response to a Hamas demand for a permanent ceasefire. Amidst the negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces pressure on multiple fronts. Israel is voicing concern that the International Criminal Court (ICC) could be preparing to issue arrest warrants for government officials on charges related to the conduct of its war against Hamas. Gaza health authorities say about 34,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground assault. The ICC is also investigating Hamas' Oct. 7 cross-border attack, which killed about 1,200 Israelis and saw 253 hostages seized, according to Israeli counts. Netanyahu said on Friday that any ICC decisions would not affect Israel's actions, but would set a dangerous precedent. Netanyahu is also facing pressure from far-right allies to reject a new Gaza ceasefire, jeopardizing his government's stability. An offensive in Rafah, which Israel says is the last Hamas stronghold in the Gaza Strip, has been anticipated for weeks. But foreign governments and the United Nations have expressed concerns that such action could result in a humanitarian disaster, given around one million displaced people are crammed into the area. Israeli airstrikes in Rafah on Monday killed more than two dozen people and wounded many others, medics said.12 hours ago
- 00:58Israel-Hamas war protesters defy Columbia University's deadline to disband camp or face suspensionAssociated Press VideosColleges around the U.S. implored pro-Palestinian student protesters to clear out tent encampments with rising levels of urgency Monday, including an ultimatum from Columbia University. (AP video by Ted Shaffrey) (AP produced by Javier Arciga)12 hours ago
- 02:14Push for Israel-Hamas cease-fire growsABC News VideosHamas and Israeli officials are participating in hostage negotiations as more world leaders call for a cease-fire.14 hours ago
- 01:00University of Wisconsin students protest Israel-Hamas warAssociated Press VideosPro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied on the University of Wisconsin- Madison campus on Monday morning. (AP VIdeo: Todd Richmond)14 hours ago
- 00:27Students at the University of Wisconsin set up tents, protest Israel-Hamas warAssociated Press VideosStudents at the University of Wisconsin in Madison have set up tents and are protesting the Israel-Hamas war. WKOW-TV reports the rally is organized by Students for Justice in Palestine and the Young Democratic Socialists of America.15 hours ago
- 01:08Blinken urges Hamas to accept Israel's truce proposalReuters VideosSTORY: Hamas negotiators were expected to meet Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Cairo on Monday to deliver a response to the phased truce proposal Israel presented at the weekend, ahead of a threatened Israeli assault on the southern border city of Rafah. Blinken reiterated that the U.S. could not support an Israeli ground assault on Rafah - where Israel says Hamas' last four intact battalions are holed up - "in the absence of an (Israeli) plan to ensure that civilians will not be harmed." Blinken, speaking earlier at the opening of a meeting with Gulf Arab states, said the most effective way to address the crisis and create space for a more lasting solution was to get a ceasefire that allowed the release of hostages held by Hamas.17 hours ago
- 04:04Over 130 hostages remain in Gaza as Biden pushes Israel to end war through diplomacyCBS News VideosPresident Biden is pushing Israel’s prime minister to end the war through diplomacy instead of a military assault. There are more than 130 hostages remaining, including five U.S. citizens. The U.S. publicly blames Hamas for recent failed diplomacy, but hostage families also put blame on the Netanyahu government.19 hours ago
- 01:03Gazans mourn dead after Israeli airstrikes on RafahReuters VideosSTORY: The strikes on Rafah, where more than one million people are seeking refuge from months of Israeli bombardment, took place hours before Egypt was expected to host leaders of the Islamist group Hamas to discuss prospects for a ceasefire agreement with Israel. Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas, which controls Gaza, in a military operation that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, at least 66 of them in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza's health authorities. The war has displaced most of the 2.3 million population and laid much of the enclave to waste. The conflict was triggered by an attack by Hamas militants on Israel on Oct. 7 in which they killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. An assault on Rafah, which Israel says is the last Hamas stronghold in the Gaza Strip, has been anticipated for weeks but foreign governments and the United Nations have expressed concern that such action could result in a humanitarian disaster given the number of displaced people crammed into the area.19 hours ago
- 00:36Progress on Gaza humanitarian situation: BlinkenReuters VideosSTORY: Speaking in Riyadh at the opening of a US-Gulf Cooperation Council meeting, Blinken said the most effective way to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was to achieve a ceasefire. He also said Washington continued efforts to prevent the Gaza war from expanding. The country is the first stop for Blinken in a broader trip to the Middle East to discuss issues including the governance of Gaza once the war with Israel ends. The Secretary of State is also expected to bring together Arab countries with the European states and discuss how Europe can help the rebuilding effort of the tiny enclave, which has been reduced to a wasteland in the six-month long Israeli bombardment. Blinken's trip comes as Egypt was expected to host leaders of the Islamist group Hamas to discuss prospects for a ceasefire agreement with Israel.19 hours ago
- 02:47Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks resumeABC News VideosNegotiators are expected to meet today to discuss a potential deal between Israel and Hamas. It comes as top Israeli officials reportedly may face arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court1 day ago
- 00:58US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in RiyadhAssociated Press VideosU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday began his seventh diplomatic mission to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began more than six months ago. (Apr. 29, 2024)1 day ago
- 02:48Protesters in Israel demand hostage dealCBS News VideosThousands of Israelis again took to the streets this weekend, demanding their government strike a deal to bring home the remaining hostages being held by Hamas. Still, Israel continues to bombard Rafah ahead of an expected ground invasion. Debora Patta reports.1 day ago
- 01:18College campus chaos continues amid anti-war protests | 60 MinutesCBS News VideosAngry student protests over the Israel-Hamas war began months ago and continue across the country today. In Texas, the governor recently sent in state troopers to quell the protests at one school.1 day ago
- 01:50Biden, Netanyahu talk ahead of possible Rafah assaultReuters VideosSTORY: U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday and “reiterated his clear position” on a possible invasion of the Gaza border city of Rafah. Israel’s military is poised to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah and assault Hamas hold-outs there, according to comments last week by a senior Israeli defense official. The invasion would come despite international warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe. Washington has said it could not support a Rafah operation without an appropriate and credible humanitarian plan. The White House in a statement also said that Biden and Netanyahu reviewed talks designed to secure the release of some of the Israeli hostages coupled with an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation is set to visit Cairo on Monday for talks aimed at securing a ceasefire, according to a Hamas official. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also set to meet with regional partners this week on a trip to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel. His trip to the region comes after Reuters reported that some senior U.S. officials have questioned whether Israel is using U.S.-supplied weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law. According to an internal State Department memo reviewed by Reuters, some top officials advised Blinken they do not find Israel’s assurances on the matter "credible or reliable". Other U.S. officials accepted Israel's assurances. Blinken must report to Congress by May 8 whether he finds Israel's assurances credible that its use of U.S. weapons does not violate U.S. or international law.1 day ago
- 02:01Hundreds arrested in campus protests over Israel-Hamas warABC News VideosSome of the protesters are demanding that schools cut ties with Israel. The unrest has triggered one of the largest police responses to campus activism in years.1 day ago
- 00:36Toasts, jokes and protests at White House Correspondents' DinnerABC News VideosOutside, entertainers and journalists were greeted by demonstrators protesting the Israel-Hamas war. Inside, President Biden joked about his age while taking several swipes at Donald Trump.1 day ago
- 00:55Abbas - only US can stop Israel attack on RafahReuters VideosSTORY: During a special meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Abbas added that the Israeli assault, which he expects within days, could force much of the Palestinian population to flee the enclave. "We call on the United States of America to ask Israel to not carry on the Rafah attack. America is the only country able to prevent Israel from committing this crime." Abbas said. Israel, which has threatened for weeks to launch an all-out assault on the neighborhood saying its goal is to destroy Hamas' remaining battalions there, stepped up airstrikes on Rafah last week. Abbas also said he rejects the displacement of Palestinians into Jordan and Egypt an is concerned that once Israel completes its operations in Gaza, it will attempt to force the Palestinian population out of the West Bank and into Jordan.2 days ago
- 02:45Hamas releases new hostage videos as protesters demand cease-fire, hostage returnABC News VideosABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge reports on the latest in the Israel-Hamas war on “This Week.”2 days ago
Stay updated on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World with The Times of Israel, the leading source of news and analysis.
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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...
8 hours ago · Israeli researchers see major drop in international cooperation since October 7. After nearly seven months without a plan, the Innovation, Science and Technology Ministry says it will form a panel ...
- DictionaryIs·ra·el/ˈizrēəl/
- 1. the Hebrew nation or people. According to tradition, they are descended from the patriarch Jacob (also named Israel), whose twelve sons became founders of the twelve tribes of ancient Israel.
- 2. the northern kingdom of the Hebrews (c. 930–721 bc), formed after the reign of Solomon, whose inhabitants were carried away to captivity in Assyria.
Follow the latest news on the Israel Gaza war. Get live updates, maps, verified video reports and expert analysis from BBC journalists on the ground.
Oct 13, 2023 · Israel country profile. 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 ...
6 days ago · Population. 9,043,387 (2023 est.) (includes populations of the Golan Heights or Golan Sub-District and also East Jerusalem, which was annexed by Israel after 1967) note: approximately 236,600 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2021); following the March 2019 US recognition of the Golan Heights as being part of Israel, The World Factbook no longer includes Israeli settler population of ...