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- Israel Not Behind Beirut Blast, Sources on Both Sides Say; at Least 10 Killed
Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza ahead of polio campaign
Reuters Videos5 hours agoSTORY: :: Khan Younis, Gaza Children at Nasser Hospital in Gaza started to get vaccinated against polio on Saturday… Ahead of the planned start to a United Nations campaign. Marwa al-Qot says she’s doing her best to keep her baby girl safe — both from polio — and fighting in the enclave. “I was worried and afraid because this is scary, the polio disease.” // “Every step we take, we thank God that we are safe, because of the strikes, jets and everything happening.” Underscoring the risk in the area... Palestinian health authorities said Israeli strikes killed dozens of people on Saturday... :: August 30, 2024 ... with clashes in Gaza's central and southern areas. In a statement, the Israeli military said it continued to operate in the central and southern Gaza Strip. :: WHO The U.N. is due to start vaccinating some 640,000 children on Sunday. It will rely on daily eight-hour pauses in fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in specific areas of the war-torn territory. World Health Organization officials say at least 90% of children need to be vaccinated twice — four weeks apart — for the campaign to succeed. Gaza’s deputy health minister Yousef Abu Al-Reesh said teams would try to get to as many areas as possible - but added the daily pauses may not be enough to guarantee enough children are reached. “We call for a real ceasefire so that this campaign can really succeed,” he said. :: August 28, 2024 The vaccination push comes after confirmation that a baby was partially paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus — the first case in the territory in 25 years. But the effort faces huge challenges in Gaza. :: Khan Younis, Gaza :: August 30, 2024 The enclave has largely been destroyed by nearly 11 months of war. Nearly the entire Gaza population of 2.3 million has been displaced and there is hunger crisis. :: Ashkelon, Israel :: October 7, 2023 The conflict was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed territory has killed more than 40,600 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry.
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- 2:20Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza ahead of polio campaignReuters VideosSTORY: :: Khan Younis, Gaza Children at Nasser Hospital in Gaza started to get vaccinated against polio on Saturday… Ahead of the planned start to a United Nations campaign. Marwa al-Qot says she’s doing her best to keep her baby girl safe — both from polio — and fighting in the enclave. “I was worried and afraid because this is scary, the polio disease.” // “Every step we take, we thank God that we are safe, because of the strikes, jets and everything happening.” Underscoring the risk in the area... Palestinian health authorities said Israeli strikes killed dozens of people on Saturday... :: August 30, 2024 ... with clashes in Gaza's central and southern areas. In a statement, the Israeli military said it continued to operate in the central and southern Gaza Strip. :: WHO The U.N. is due to start vaccinating some 640,000 children on Sunday. It will rely on daily eight-hour pauses in fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in specific areas of the war-torn territory. World Health Organization officials say at least 90% of children need to be vaccinated twice — four weeks apart — for the campaign to succeed. Gaza’s deputy health minister Yousef Abu Al-Reesh said teams would try to get to as many areas as possible - but added the daily pauses may not be enough to guarantee enough children are reached. “We call for a real ceasefire so that this campaign can really succeed,” he said. :: August 28, 2024 The vaccination push comes after confirmation that a baby was partially paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus — the first case in the territory in 25 years. But the effort faces huge challenges in Gaza. :: Khan Younis, Gaza :: August 30, 2024 The enclave has largely been destroyed by nearly 11 months of war. Nearly the entire Gaza population of 2.3 million has been displaced and there is hunger crisis. :: Ashkelon, Israel :: October 7, 2023 The conflict was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed territory has killed more than 40,600 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry.5 hours ago
- 0:59Families fled from the Jenin refugee camp on Saturday during the fourth day of the deadliest Israeli operationAssociated Press VideosFamilies fled from the Jenin refugee camp on Saturday during the fourth day of the deadliest Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank since October when the Israel -Hamas war erupted.10 hours ago
- 2:14West Bank violence worsens, Israel says Hamas leader killedCBS News VideosIsrael's operation in the occupied West Bank continues as Gaza may be getting some pauses in fighting so children there can be vaccinated against polio. CBS News foreign correspondent Imtiaz Tyab reports.1 day ago
- 3:52Israel says it killed a top Hamas commander in West BankCBS News VideosIsrael is pressing forward with its expanded operations in the occupied West Bank for a third consecutive day after the IDF says it killed a senior Hamas commander and several militants during a strike in Jenin. CBS News foreign correspondent Imtiaz Tyab has more.1 day ago
- 1:44Tanker hit by Houthis still ablaze, but no oil spill detectedReuters VideosSTORY: :: Houthi Military Media :: Released August 29, 2024 A crude oil tanker recently attacked by Yemen's Houthis is leaking oil, but the barrels of crude oil on board remain intact. That’s according to Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh on Thursday. “The tanker is carrying 1 million barrels of crude oil. Those barrels remain intact right now. The vessel itself is leaking some oil from where it was hit. There is still a fire going on, or multiple fires still burning on the ship itself.” :: Houthi Military Media The Houthis also released a video Thursday said to show storming and burning of the Greek-flagged tanker Sounion in the Red Sea. The vessel has been on fire since August 23. Reuters was not able to independently verify the date or location the video was filmed, but the tanker's visuals are consistent with Reuters' corroborating reports. On Wednesday, the Iran-aligned militants said they would allow salvage crews to tow the ship to safety, a move that may help avoid what experts warned could be a devastating spill of 150,000 tons of crude oil. As salvage operations began on Sounion, the EU's Red Sea naval mission Aspides said on Thursday that no oil spill has been detected. :: Houthi Military Media :: File The Houthis have launched more than 70 attacks on commercial ships in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. In their 10-month campaign, the group has sunk two ships and killed at least three crew members. That has disrupted global trade by forcing ships to avoid the vital Suez Canal shortcut. The Houthis said in a televised speech they attacked the tanker in part because the Athens-based company Delta Tankers violated its ban on "entry to the ports of occupied Palestine."2 days ago
- 0:32Houthis release video said to show Greek-flagged tanker attackReuters VideosSTORY: :: Houthis Military Media :: Yemen’s Houthis release a video said to show the storming and burning of a Greek-flagged tanker :: Released August 29, 2024 :: Given as Red Sea The Iran-aligned Houthis over 10 months have launched more than 70 attacks on commercial ships in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Those assaults have sunk two vessels, killed at least three crew and disrupted global trade by forcing ships to avoid the vital Suez Canal shortcut.2 days ago
- 3:06Israel, Hamas agree to localized cease-fires for polio vaccinesReuters VideosSTORY: The World Health Organization on Thursday said both the Israeli military and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have agreed to abide by three separate, short cease-fires in specific areas of the Gaza Strip to allow for a massive vaccination program to protect children from polio in the war-ravaged enclave. "A two-round polio vaccination campaign is, will actually starts on the 1st of September..." The WHO official overseeing the Palestinian Territories said the campaign is due to start Sunday. Each pause in fighting will last three days, with hostilities halted between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. local time each day. "... and we start in central Gaza for three days, followed by South Gaza and then followed by the north of Gaza." The campaign comes after the WHO last week confirmed at least one baby has been paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus. It's the first such case in the territory in 25 years. The child, Abdul-Rahman, is just days away from his first birthday. He should be learning to walk. His mother, Nivine Abu Al-Jidyan, says he was born just weeks before the war began and because they had been displaced from one place to another, he did not have all his routine infant vaccinations. Almost two months ago she noticed something was wrong, when her son couldn’t crawl as usual. "Suddenly, I found the boy vomiting, he stopped moving and had a fever. He also stopped walking and crawling. I took him to al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital and I was told my son might have polio. He took antibiotics for 15 days and they took some sample from him to Jordan. I got a call from the health ministry saying Abdul Rahman is the only child, and the only detected case of polio until now. It was a shock for me." Nivine says she’s in shock, especially as she says she’s been told by doctors there is little more they can do for her son. "He is my only baby boy. It's his right to travel and be treated; it's his right to walk, run and move like before. It's his right to get the proper treatment, travel, get out and get his chance in life. It is unfair that he stays thrown in the tent without care or attention." Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious virus primarily spread through the fecal-oral route. It can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. Cases of polio have declined by 99% worldwide since 1988 thanks to mass vaccination campaigns and efforts continue to eradicate it completely. The U.N. says it is now preparing to vaccinate an estimated 640,000 children in Gaza. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7 when Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed enclave has since killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.2 days ago
- 3:05Gazans hope for humanitarian pause for polio vaccinationsReuters VideosSTORY: This is Baby Abdul-Rahman. He’s days away from his first birthday and should be learning to walk. But at just nine months of age, he became Gaza’s first recorded polio case in 25 years. His mother, Nivine Abu Al-Jidyan, says he was born just weeks before the war began and because they had been displaced from one place to another, he did not have all his routine infant vaccinations. Almost two months ago she noticed something was wrong, when her son couldn’t crawl as usual. "Suddenly, I found the boy vomiting, he stopped moving and had a fever. He also stopped walking and crawling. I took him to al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital and I was told my son might have polio. He took antibiotics for 15 days and they took some sample from him to Jordan. I got a call from the health ministry saying Abdul Rahman is the only child, and the only detected case of polio until now. It was a shock for me." Nivine says she’s in shock, especially as she says she’s been told by doctors there is little more they can do for her son. "He is my only baby boy. It's his right to travel and be treated; it's his right to walk, run and move like before. It's his right to get the proper treatment, travel, get out and get his chance in life. It is unfair that he stays thrown in the tent without care or attention." Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious virus primarily spread through the fecal-oral route. It can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. Cases of polio have declined by 99% worldwide since 1988 thanks to mass vaccination campaigns and efforts continue to eradicate it completely. The U.N. says it is preparing to vaccinate an estimated 640,000 children in Gaza, but achieving this is easier said than done. U.N. agencies have called for a seven-day humanitarian pause, to begin on September 1, to allow a vaccination campaign. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week denied media reports Israel was preparing for a generalized humanitarian truce, saying that a more limited plan had been presented. A senior Hamas official reiterated the group's support for the U.N. and international organizations' initiative for an urgent humanitarian truce to allow the polio vaccination campaign. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7 when Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed enclave has since killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.2 days ago
- 1:31Israeli forces launch a large operation in the occupied West Bank, AP explains what's behind itAssociated Press VideosIsrael has launched a major military operation in the occupied West Bank that has killed at least 10 Hamas militants. Israel says it is rooting out West Bank militants to prevent attacks, while Palestinians fear it intends to broaden the war and expel them from territories they want for a future state.3 days ago
- 1:50'Unbelievable prices' of food worsen hardship in GazaReuters VideosSTORY: Forty-one dollars. That’s how much three potatoes in Gaza costs. This Palestinian man says before the war, three potatoes would cost just $0.55 or 2 Shekels. The soaring costs don’t stop at potatoes. All of these canned goods once cost 20 Shekels or $5.50. Now, 20 Shekels can’t buy you one can. Palestinians in the north of the Gaza Strip, where people have been hit hardest by hunger, say they can barely afford to eat, and there's no work for them to try to afford the exorbitant prices. “The prices here in the north are unbelievable” says this man shopping in Gaza City’s old market. “The basic necessities are not available, we don’t have vegetables, meat, eggs.” Most of the food found in the market is canned, with many saying that it makes them sick. The number of children with acute malnutrition in northern Gaza was four times higher in July than in May. While in the more accessible south, where fighting is less severe, the number more than doubled. United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said last week that the amount of food entering Gaza in July was one of the lowest since October, when Israel imposed a full siege after Hamas gunmen stormed Israeli communities killing 1,200 and taking hundreds of hostages, according to Israeli tallies. More than 40,500 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to Gaza's health ministry, and the crowded enclave has been laid to waste.3 days ago
- 2:59Israel rescues hostage from GazaCBS News VideosIsrael has rescued another hostage from Hamas captivity in Gaza. Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a member of Israel's minority Muslim Bedouin community, was taken hostage on Oct. 7 at a kibbutz where he was working as a guard for a packing factory.4 days ago
- 2:03Israeli military says hostage rescued from Gaza tunnelReuters VideosSTORY: The Israeli army released video on Tuesday that it said showed Qaid Farhan Alkadi, an Israeli hostage the military said was rescued from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip. Video showed a military helicopter landing at a hospital to receive the 52 year-old, who spent more than 10 months in captivity after he was abducted by Hamas-led gunmen on Oct. 7. “I am happy to inform you that today in the afternoon we received Mr. Farhan Qadi, a returned captive from Hamas tunnels.” Dr. Shlomi Codish of the Soroka Medical Center said Alkadi was in stable condition. “He underwent initial evaluation in our emergency department. He appears to be in general good condition, but will require another day or two of medical tests to make sure he is still ok.” Military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Alkadi was recovered in "a complex rescue operation" from an underground tunnel in southern Gaza. He gave no other details of the operation, citing the security of the remaining hostages and Israeli forces. The operation was hailed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he had spoken with Alkadi. He added that Israel would work "tirelessly" to return the more than 100 hostages still in Gaza back home. Ismail Alkadi, the brother of the rescued hostage, spoke to reporters outside the hospital: "Can't express my feelings. I hope my mother will be happier than us. We prayed for him, my mother prayed for him more, her prayer reached the sky.” Alkadi was taken hostage in Kibbutz Magen, one of a string of communities around the Gaza Strip that were attacked by Hamas-led fighters on Oct. 7. More than 250 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in the attack, in which some 1,200 people were killed. Since then, Israel's military has leveled much of the Gaza Strip and displaced most of the 2.3 million population. And Palestinian health authorities say more than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces.4 days ago
- 1:1010-month-old boy contracts Gaza's first case of polio in 25 yearsAssociated Press VideosAbdel-Rahman Abu El-Jedian was less than a month old when Hamas launched its cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7. Amid continued displacement, the infant didn’t receive the required vaccinations including the crucial anti-polio vaccines. Ten months into the grinding war, the infant was confirmed to have polio. (AP Video: Abd Al Kareem Hana)4 days ago
- 1:56Israel says it has rescued a hostage captured during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack from tunnel in GazaAssociated Press VideosIsrael said Tuesday it had rescued a hostage from an underground tunnel in Gaza on Tuesday, freeing one of the scores of people abducted during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that ignited the war in Gaza. The rescue brought a rare moment of joy to Israelis after 10 months of war but also served as a painful reminder that dozens of hostages are still in captivity as international mediators try to broker a cease-fire in which they would be released.4 days ago
- 0:56Iran doubles down on threats to strike Israel after Hamas leader's assassinationABC News VideosA retaliation "is definitive and will be measured and calculated," Iran's foreign minister said. The U.S. noted that two aircraft carrier strike groups will remain in the region to defend Israel.5 days ago
- 1:41Families flee after new Israeli evacuation orders in GazaReuters VideosSTORY: Premature Palestinian babies were being evacuated from the main hospital in Gaza's Deir Al-Balah on Monday, following new evacuation orders issued by Israel. The United Nations said humanitarian aid operations in the area have ground to a halt as a result of the new orders. And more families have been forced to flee. Some now live in makeshift tents on the beach in Gaza’s Khan Younis. DISPLACED GAZAN WOMAN UMM NIDAL SHARIM, FROM RAFAH: "We are ordinary people, peaceful people. We have nothing to do (with what is happening). We end up stepped on like this. They want Hamas, where are they? Have the Israelis caught them? They only caught the people and destroyed the people. They have sent them back to the Stone Age. All of our life’s harvest is gone. Bulldozers have run over our house and flattened it - leaving no trace. All the shops are gone. Why? What have we done? We have been displaced four times in two days. We were displaced twice in one day and one night.” Israel has issued several evacuation orders across Gaza in recent days, the most since the beginning of the 10-month old war. Israel said its forces intended to act against Hamas and other militant groups operating in the area. On Monday, medics said Israeli military strikes killed several Palestinians. The recent escalation comes with little hope of an end in sight to the war as diplomacy efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have so far failed to close the gap between Israel and Hamas, whose leaders traded blame over the lack of a ceasefire agreement. According to two Egyptian security sources, neither Hamas, nor Israel, agreed to several compromises presented by mediators at talks in Cairo on Sunday.5 days ago
- 1:23Chile's Palestinian community shows solidarity with Gaza as Israel-Hamas war continuesAssociated Press VideosChilean soccer team Club Deportivo Palestino has a huge following in Gaza despite being more than 8,000 miles away. Chile's Palestinian community, the largest in Latin America with around 500,000 people, is expressing deep concern over the ongoing conflict in Gaza. (Mauricio Cuevas)6 days ago
- 0:59US working to avert Israel-Hezbollah escalation: SullivanReuters VideosSTORY: :: U.S. says it's working to prevent 'all-out regional war' after Israel and Hezbollah exchange missiles :: August 25, 2024 :: Halifax, Canada :: Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor "We have been concerned about the conflict escalating into an all-out regional war since October 7th, and we have worked round the clock with partners and allies, moving military assets, engaging in intensive diplomacy both publicly and privately behind the scenes to avert that outcome. We continue to work to avert that outcome. And our hope is that the events of last night do not spill out into an escalation that leads to regional war." "We are feverishly working in Cairo as we speak with our team and the teams of the other mediators, as well as with the Israelis to get to a ceasefire and hostage deal along the framework that President Biden laid out to get calm between Israel and along that border between Israel and Lebanon, and ultimately to get to a broader circumstance of regional stability. And, of course, we think that a part of that is a credible path to a two state solution for the Palestinian people as well." Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel early on Sunday, as Israel's military said it struck Lebanon with around 100 jets to thwart a larger attack, in one of the biggest clashes in more than 10 months of border warfare. Any major spillover in the fighting, which began in parallel with the war in Gaza, risks morphing into a regional conflagration drawing in Hezbollah's backer Iran and Israel's main ally the United States. Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel immediately after the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas gunmen on Israel. Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire constantly ever since, while avoiding a major escalation as war rages in Gaza to the south.6 days ago
- 2:03Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks are on ‘life support’: RaddatzABC News VideosABC News’ Martha Raddatz breaks down the fallout of the missile exchange between Israel and Hezbollah on “This Week.”7 days ago
- 0:42Biden gives thumbs up when asked about Gaza ceasefire talksReuters VideosSTORY: :: August 24, 2024 :: Solvang, California :: Biden gives a thumbs up when asked about Gaza ceasefire talks Biden was departing after attending service at the Old Mission Santa Ines church in Solvang, California when reporters outside the venue pressed him on the status of the talks. The president has been in California since his speech on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday (August 19). Negotiators in Cairo discussed new compromise proposals on Saturday, seeking to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas, but there was no indication of progress after hours of talks. Months of on-off talks have failed to produce a breakthrough to end Israel's devastating military campaign in Gaza or free the remaining hostages seized by Hamas in the militant group's Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.7 days ago
- 1:03French police hunt for arsonist who targeted synagogueReuters VideosSTORY: Authorities searched for a man who set fire to a synagogue in the southern French city of La Grande-Motte on Saturday. The incident left a policeman slightly injured, as a gas bottle exploded while law enforcement secured the site of the attack. That’s according to French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who told reporters the assailant set fire to several entry doors of the synagogue, as well as several vehicles. He said the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office had taken charge of the investigation. Police protection of synagogues, Jewish schools and shops will be stepped up across France, the government said. France, like other countries in Europe, has seen a surge in antisemitic incidents following the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza. French media reported the suspect was seen on surveillance video, shortly before the attack, with a Palestinian flag tied around his waist.1 week ago
- 0:17Israeli military video appears to show soldiers fighting in GazaAssociated Press VideosIsrael's military released footage on Saturday it claimed showed troop operations in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, the military said it targeted infrastructure of the militant group Hamas in different areas of the Gaza Strip, killing a number of militants. Early Saturday, an Israeli airstrike killed at least 11 people, including two children, in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis, the Palestinian civil defense service said.1 week ago
- 3:26Philadelphi Corridor becomes Israel, Hamas cease-fire talks sticking pointCBS News VideosThe bridging proposal in the Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks includes points on Israeli presence in Gaza, including along the border with Egypt at the Philadelphi Corridor. CBS News' Imtiaz Tyab has more on chats about this aspect of the negotiation.1 week ago
- 2:24Israeli demands for troops in Gaza blocking truce deal, sources sayReuters VideosSTORY: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been shuttling from Jerusalem to Cairo to Doha... pressing mediators and representatives of Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal that would pause fighting in Gaza and bring Israeli captives home. But despite the intense pressure from Washington, no deal has yet been reached. And ten sources familiar with the talks - including two Hamas officials and two Western diplomats - told Reuters that the impasse stems from Israeli demands it maintain a military presence in Gaza. ::Israeli military handout All the sources said Hamas was especially concerned about the latest demand that Israel keep troops along what is called the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects the narrow Gaza Strip, which prevents Palestinians' movement between north and south. Israel also wants to keep troops along the Philadelphi Corridor, a border strip between Gaza and Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not respond to questions about the talks, and Hamas's media office did not respond to a request for comment on this story. Fighting erupted after Hamas fighters from Gaza rampaged through Israeli communities on October 7, killing 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliation has killed more than 40,000 people and reduced most of the densely populated territory to rubble. U.S. President Joe Biden outlined a potential ceasefire deal in May, which would pause fighting in what has now been ten months of war, facilitate the release of Israelis hostages, a withdrawal of Israeli forces, and open negotiations on extending the truce. But disagreements emerged due to what Hamas says are new Israeli demands to maintain troops in parts of Gaza. In a statement prior to the talks last week, Netanyahu's office denied making new demands, saying its positions built on the previous proposal. Blinken this week spoke about a "bridging proposal" aimed at reconciling remaining differences. :: August 20, 2024 :: Doha, Qatar "And over the coming days, we are going to do everything possible to, one, get Hamas on board with the bridging proposal and then to make sure that both parties work on and agree to necessary details of implementation that would allow everything to go forward." The sides have not released the text of that proposal, and Reuters has not seen a copy. It will form the basis of the next round of talks, expected in Cairo in the coming days.1 week ago
- 2:40Kamala Harris DNC speech addressed the Israel-Hamas war. What to know.CBS News VideosVice President Kamala Harris addressed matters of national security and conflict abroad during her Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Harris noted the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, Iranian threats to the U.S. and the NATO alliance. CBS News' Imtiaz Tyab has more.1 week ago
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Israel, [ a] officially the State of Israel, [ b] is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon and Syria to the north, the West Bank and Jordan to the east, the Gaza Strip and Egypt to the southwest, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. [ 22]
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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...
2 days ago · From her kitchen, Saja Bawaqneh, 29, recounts the first day of Israel’s raid into the West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp. Published On 30 Aug 2024 30 Aug 2024. Advertisement . Content Feed.
Israel rescues Bedouin hostage held by Hamas in Gaza. Commandos free Kaid Farhan Elkadi in a "complex operation" in southern Gaza, the military says. Follow the latest news on the Israel Gaza war ...
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 ...