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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 ...
Israeli police, Jewish pilgrims clash at beleaguered festival site
Reuters Videos5 hours agoSTORY: :: Israeli police and Jewish pilgrims appear to clash at a religious festival site :: Authorities had closed the site this year due to rocket fire from Lebanon :: Police said they turned away thousands of pilgrims, though hundreds had managed to reach the area :: Meron, Israel :: Israeli Police Handout :: Released on May 26, 2024 :: Admma Videos circulating on social media from Israeli Police and ADMMA appeared to show clashes between Israeli officers and worshippers on site. Reuters was able to locate videos from the shape of the mountain and building on the background match Google Earth topography imagery and nearby buildings, greenery, floor surface and fence panels match the satellite imagery corroborating video shows the same scene. Reuters was not able to confirm when the videos were filmed. Since the 2021 tragedy at the tomb of a 2nd-century sage during the annual Lag B'Omer celebration, police have limited the number of attendees. The all-night sessions of prayer, mystical songs and dance had in previous years drawn crowds in the tens of thousands. This year's festival was canceled since the site at Meron in the Galilee region has been targeted by rocket fire from Lebanon. Many northern Israeli towns have been evacuated since Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon began firing at them following Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza. Both sides have traded blows since. Despite the closure, police said they turned away thousands of pilgrims over the weekend, though hundreds managed to reach the site, where things got out of hand. The visitors damaged property and hurled objects at officers, police said. Nineteen officers were injured. Israeli media reported that several people among the unauthorized crowd were hurt. At least one officer was suspended for pushing an older man to the ground, and police said it was examining other incidents from the site.
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- 0:54Israeli police, Jewish pilgrims clash at beleaguered festival siteReuters VideosSTORY: :: Israeli police and Jewish pilgrims appear to clash at a religious festival site :: Authorities had closed the site this year due to rocket fire from Lebanon :: Police said they turned away thousands of pilgrims, though hundreds had managed to reach the area :: Meron, Israel :: Israeli Police Handout :: Released on May 26, 2024 :: Admma Videos circulating on social media from Israeli Police and ADMMA appeared to show clashes between Israeli officers and worshippers on site. Reuters was able to locate videos from the shape of the mountain and building on the background match Google Earth topography imagery and nearby buildings, greenery, floor surface and fence panels match the satellite imagery corroborating video shows the same scene. Reuters was not able to confirm when the videos were filmed. Since the 2021 tragedy at the tomb of a 2nd-century sage during the annual Lag B'Omer celebration, police have limited the number of attendees. The all-night sessions of prayer, mystical songs and dance had in previous years drawn crowds in the tens of thousands. This year's festival was canceled since the site at Meron in the Galilee region has been targeted by rocket fire from Lebanon. Many northern Israeli towns have been evacuated since Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon began firing at them following Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza. Both sides have traded blows since. Despite the closure, police said they turned away thousands of pilgrims over the weekend, though hundreds managed to reach the site, where things got out of hand. The visitors damaged property and hurled objects at officers, police said. Nineteen officers were injured. Israeli media reported that several people among the unauthorized crowd were hurt. At least one officer was suspended for pushing an older man to the ground, and police said it was examining other incidents from the site.5 hours ago
- 2:57Israeli strike on Rafah kills dozens, Palestinian officials sayCBS News VideosPalestinian officials say an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza city of Rafah killed dozens of people in a makeshift refugee camp. Israel says it targeted two Hamas leaders in the attack. It came hours after Hamas fired rockets toward Tel Aviv.6 hours ago
- 2:28Israeli air strikes on Rafah said to kill dozensReuters VideosSTORY: :: Warning Graphic Content Israeli air strikes killed at least 35 Palestinians and wounded dozens in part of the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah designated for the displaced. That’s according to Palestinian health and civil emergency service officials on Sunday. Video taken that day showed people searching through rubble and carrying bodies into emergency vehicles. "We were sitting at the door of the house safely. Suddenly we heard the sound of a missile. We ran and found the street covered in smoke. We did not see anything. We went into the house and did not find anyone until we checked over the wall and found a girl and a young man who had been cut to pieces." The Israeli military said its air force struck a Hamas compound in Rafah, and that the strike was carried out with "precise ammunition and on the basis of precise intelligence." It said it took out Hamas' chief of staff for the West Bank and another senior official behind deadly attacks on Israelis. The strike hit the Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood in western Rafah, setting parts of the area ablaze. Thousands of people were taking shelter there after fleeing the eastern areas of the city where Israeli forces began a ground offensive over two weeks ago. Gaza’s health ministry said 35 people were killed and dozens others, most of them women and children, were wounded in the attack. Video obtained by Reuters showed several children receiving medical treatment after the strike. The International Committee of the Red Cross said its field hospital in Rafah was receiving an influx of casualties, and that other hospitals also were taking in a large number of patients. Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military said eight projectiles were identified crossing from Rafah, prompting sirens to sound in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv for the first time in months. Video obtained by Reuters showed the remains of a rocket outside a school. Another rocket struck the roof of this home in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. The military added some of the projectiles were intercepted, and reported no casualties. :: May 26, 2024 Israel has kept up operations in Rafah despite a ruling by the top U.N. court on Friday ordering it to stop attacking the city. But Israel argues that the U.N. court's ruling allows room for some military action there, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his war cabinet later on Sunday to discuss continued operations in Rafah. Israeli tanks have probed around the edges of the city, but have not yet entered Rafah in force.14 hours ago
- 2:31Israel strikes refugee camp in GazaCBS News VideosThe Israeli military targeted Al Mawasi refugee camp, where many in Gaza had fled seeking safety from the assault on Rafah. The injured will seek medical attention at hospitals, which have also been targeted by Israel, claiming the medical facilities are used as command centers by Hamas. Imtiaz Tyab has the latest.20 hours ago
- 0:51Hundreds of Israelis mourn hostage at funeralReuters VideosSTORY: :: Mourners join a funeral procession after the body of a hostage was recovered from Gaza :: Tel Aviv, Israel :: May 26, 2024 :: The Israeli military said it recovered the bodies of Hanan Yablonka and two others Hundreds of mourners joined the funeral procession and attended the service. The Israeli military said on Friday (May 24) it had recovered the bodies of three hostages taken into the Gaza Strip after they were killed during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas-led militants. It said the bodies of Hanan Yablonka, Michel Nisenbaum and Orion Hernandez Radoux were recovered overnight in a joint operation by the army and the intelligence services in Jabalia, in northern Gaza where there has been intense fighting in recent days. Yablonka, 42 was killed at the Nova music festival, an outdoor party near Gaza, the military said. The bodies were identified by medical officials at the Israeli National Forensic Institute and the Israeli police, the military said.24 hours ago
- 1:39Tel Aviv hit by Hamas rockets for first time in monthsReuters VideosSTORY: :: Graphic Warning Air raid sirens blared in Tel Aviv on Sunday (May 26), sending residents running for cover for the first time in months. The Hamas militant group said it had launched a missile attack on Israel's largest city. :: Herzliya, Israel Video obtained by Reuters shows the remains of a rocket outside a school. Another rocket struck the roof of this home in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. The Israeli military said eight projectiles were identified crossing from the area of Rafah, the southern tip of the Gaza Strip. It said a number of the projectiles were intercepted. Israeli emergency services said they had received no reports of casualties. But the volley demonstrated the armed Palestinian group's resilience despite Israel's Gaza offensive. Source: Israeli Military Israel invaded Gaza after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory operation is now in its seventh month, and Palestinian health officials say Israel's campaign has killed more than 35,000 people. :: Gaza City, Gaza Swaths of the densely-populated Gaza Strip have been reduced to rubble. :: May 25, 2024 Relief organizations have warned Gaza's population is catastrophically short of food and medicine, and blamed Israel for limiting aid into the enclave. :: Source: Israeli Military To relieve some of the pain, the U.S. military built a pier to receive aid by sea. Video released by the Israeli military on Sunday purports to show trucks loaded with supplies at the new pier. :: Source: Israeli Military Focus in both the fighting and cease-fire talks continues to center on the city of Rafah, where Israeli forces say they are committed to rooting out remaining Hamas fighters. :: May 24, 2024 The International Court of Justice last week ordered Israel to halt its military operation in Rafah, citing the threat to civilians seeking refuge there.1 day ago
- 0:56Rocket sirens sound in Tel Aviv for the first time in monthsAssociated Press VideosHamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months on Sunday in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel's massive air, sea and ground offensive. (AP video shot by Paz bar)1 day ago
- 2:14Ceasefire talks could resume but Israel-Hamas war rages onReuters VideosSTORY: :: Graphic Warning :: Gaza City, Gaza In Gaza City on Saturday, displaced people sheltering at a school were cleaning up after an Israeli airstrike hit the grounds, killing at least 10, according to the ministry of health. This woman was among the hundreds sheltering at the school. "I do not know where to go. We were in the schools in the camp, they threw bombs at us, and burnt down the classrooms, they burnt the tents, a handicapped girl was killed in the tent. Isn't this awful? We came here and we saw catastrophes. We want to flee but we do not know where to go. Where can we go?" :: May 25, 2024 Israeli forces killed dozens in new attacks on the strip, according to Palestinian medics, amid reports that ceasefire talks could soon resume. The Israeli military had said it is trying to prevent Hamas from reestablishing its hold in northern Gaza. :: May 24, 2024 :: The Hague, Netherlands The attacks took place just a day after judges at the top United Nations court ordered Israel to halt its offensive on the southern city of Rafah. :: Southern Israel :: May 25, 2024 Plumes of black smoke could be seen rising over the Gaza Strip's southern border. New talks are set to restart next week between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, according to an official with knowledge of the matter. :: Deir al Balah, Gaza :: May 24, 2024 The decision was made after the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency met the head of the CIA and the prime minister of Qatar, said the source, who declined to be identified by name or nationality, given the sensitivity of the matter. A Hamas official denied Israeli media reports that the talks would resume in Cairo on Tuesday, telling Reuters: "There is no date." After more than seven months of war in Gaza, mediators have struggled to secure a breakthrough. :: Gaza City, Gaza :: May 25, 2024 Israel is seeking the release of hostages held by Hamas, while Hamas is seeking the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and an end to the war. Nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive in Gaza, Gaza's health ministry says. In Israel, 1,200 people were killed and another 250 seized hostage, according to Israeli tallies, after Hamas-led militants attacked on October 7.1 day ago
- 1:43Italy resumes UNRWA funding for PalestiniansReuters VideosSTORY: Italy became the latest country on Saturday (May 25) to resume funding for the United Nations' Palestinian relief organization UNRWA. It made the announcement on a visit to Rome by Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told Mustafa that Italy supported efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and improved humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, her office said in a statement. Italy was one of a number of countries to block aid for UNRWA following accusations by Israel that some of the agency's staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. The step came a day after judges at the U.N.'s World Court ordered Israel to immediately halt its military assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, in a landmark emergency ruling in South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide. Foreign minister Antonio Tajani announced a 35 million euro, or $38 million, aid package for the Palestinians, of which five million euros would go to UNRWA projects. UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running the enclave's schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid. It has set out an action plan to better ensure its impartiality, strengthen internal reviews, and improve how its staff are monitored. In recent weeks, several countries have resumed funding the agency, including Austria and Germany.2 days ago
- 2:17Top U.N. court orders Israel to halt military offensive in RafahCBS News VideosThe International Court of Justice, the top United Nations court, has ordered Israel to halt its military operations in Rafah, and is repeating its demands that Hamas release all the hostages. Imtiaz Tyab reports on Israel's response from East Jerusalem.3 days ago
- 4:46Latest on Israel-Hamas war as U.N. court orders end of Rafah operationsCBS News VideosThe International Court of Justice, the United Nations' top judicial body, has ordered Israel to pause all operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces say they have recovered the bodies of three more hostages killed in the initial Hamas attack on Oct. 7. CBS News national security contributor Sam Vinograd joins to discuss the latest developments in the war.3 days ago
- 1:04World Court ruling on Israel difficult to enforce, analysts sayReuters VideosSTORY: :: Enforcement of a World Court ruling ordering Israel to halt its assault on Rafah could be hard to enforce, analysts say :: May 24, 2024 :: Heidi Matthews, Assistant law professor, York University “The court itself doesn't have any enforcement powers, so it's the highest judicial body of the United Nations, but it doesn't have, you know, its own police or military force that would perform that kind of enforcement. What it does have pursuant to the U.N. charter is resort to the security Council." // "And so that's the option. Clearly, the big problem with that is the U.S. veto on the Security Council." :: Kenneth Roth, Former executive director of Human Rights Watch “South Africa used genocide because that was its jurisdiction hook, that's how it could get before the International Court of Justice. And indeed, there is a very credible case of genocide. But the court will not resolve that case on the merits for some time to come. Today's ruling was just a preliminary ruling, which it has a very low threshold of proof. But we should not let the genocide debate deter us from focusing on the other serious war crimes and crimes against humanity that quite clearly are going on." Reading out the ruling, World Court president Nawaf Salam said the situation in the Palestinian enclave had deteriorated since the court last ordered Israel to take steps to improve it, and conditions had been met for a new emergency order. Israel launched its air and ground war on Gaza after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. More than 35,000 Palestinians have since been killed in the offensive, Gaza's health ministry says. Under the U.N. charter the U.N. Security Council could compel enforcement of the ICJ ruling, Matthews said, but it would likely face opposition from the United States which frequently uses its veto power to support Israel.3 days ago
- 4:20Why the U.N.'s top court is demanding Israel halt Rafah operationsCBS News VideosThe International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Gaza's southern city of Rafah. Israel has not heeded the ruling and defended its military response to the Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas. CBS News foreign correspondent Imtiaz Tyab has more.3 days ago
- 1:38Israeli troops have recovered bodies of 3 more hostages from GazaABC News VideosThe bodies of the three hostages who Hamas terrorists murdered on Oct. 7 have now been returned to Israel for burial.3 days ago
- 0:44ICJ ruling 'not enough' say pro-Palestinian protestersReuters VideosSTORY: :: Pro-Palestinian protesters say the International Court of Justice’s ruling is ‘not enough’ :: after the UN's top court ordered Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah :: The Hague, Netherlands :: May 24, 2024 :: ML Hagui, Protester “Today’s hearing is good, but it’s not enough, it’s not enough. We are looking for a free Palestine without any problems, and you see that more than 15,000 children have died. What do you want more? Only a free Palestine, also a free two-state solution is enough.” :: Eman Khasawneh, Protester “Yes, we appreciate the halt in Rafah operations, but that’s not merely enough. That’s signaling to us that the rest of Gaza is fair game, and that’s absolutely not OK. We demand a ceasefire.” Judges at the top United Nations court ordered Israel on Friday to immediately halt its military assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, in a landmark emergency ruling in South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide. The court also ordered Israel to open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza to allow in humanitarian aid, and said it must provide access to the besieged enclave for investigators and report back on its progress within one month. Israel has repeatedly dismissed the case's accusations of genocide as baseless, arguing in court that its operations in Gaza are self-defense and targeted at Hamas militants who attacked Israel on Oct. 7.3 days ago
- 3:24World Court orders Israel to halt Rafah assaultReuters VideosSTORY: The U.N.'s top court has ordered Israel to immediately halt its military assault on Rafah in southern Gaza. It is a landmark emergency ruling made as part of South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide. The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, has no means to enforce its order. However, the decision is a stark sign of Israel's growing global isolation over its devastating campaign in Gaza. That's particularly since it began its offensive against Rafah this month, against the pleas of its closest ally, the United States. On Friday (May 24), World Court President Nawaf Salam said conditions had deteriorated in the Palestinian enclave since the court last ordered Israel to take steps to improve it. "The court is not convinced that the evacuation efforts and related measures that Israel affirms to have undertaken to enhance the security of civilians in the Gaza strip, and in particular those recently displaced from the Rafah governorate, are sufficient to alleviate the immense risk to which the Palestinian population is exposed as a result of the military offensive in Rafah." Israel launched its air and ground war on Gaza after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel last year, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages according to Israeli tallies. Gaza's health ministry says more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive. Rafah, Israel says, is serving as a stronghold for thousands of Hamas fighters and senior commanders. It began its armored attack on the city earlier this month - forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee. Rafah had become a refuge for around half Gaza's 2.3 million population. It's also been the main route in for aid. International organizations say Israel's operation has cut off Gaza and raised the risk of famine. "...the humanitarian situation is now to be characterised as disastrous." The World Court ordered Israel to open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza to allow in humanitarian aid. Israel must also provide access for investigators, it added, and report back on its progress within one month. South Africa's international relations department welcomed the ruling as "groundbreaking", saying it is the first time "explicit mention is made for Israel to halt its military action in any area of Gaza." Israel has repeatedly dismissed the South African case's accusations of genocide as baseless. It argues its operations are self-defense and targeted at Hamas militants. On the eve of Friday's decision an Israeli government spokesperson said that "no power on Earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza."3 days ago
- 0:31Top UN court orders Israel to halt military operation in Rafah; Israel is unlikely to complyAssociated Press VideosThe top United Nations court has ordered Israel to halt its military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israel insists it has the right to defend itself from Hamas militants and is unlikely to comply with the ruling.3 days ago
- 4:543 more bodies of Israeli hostages recoveredABC News VideosThe bodies of the three hostages, who were murdered by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, have now been returned to Israel for burial.3 days ago
- 2:56Video of female Israeli soldiers' abduction airedReuters VideosSTORY: Israeli television aired footage on Wednesday of five female army conscripts in their pajamas being seized by Hamas gunmen during the October 7 raid that triggered the Gaza war. The captives' families agreed to air the previously withheld clips, in hope of stepping up pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree a truce with Hamas and secure the hostages' release. Among the conscripts is 19-year-old Naama Levy, seen here with her face bloodied, speaking to her captors. The gunmen order Levy and her group to sit against a wall, their hands bound. Some of the clips show exchanges in English. In one, a militant is heard calling the female captives "the cheap ones" in Arabic. While another tells a captive she is beautiful. The young women are later shown being bundled into jeeps and taken away. "Very hard, emotionally..." Levy's brother Amit told Reuters the videos were tough to watch. "But, also watching my little sister handles such an inhumane situation in such a way, she really looks like a superhero to me. And it also gives me and my whole family strength to see her this way, to see the other girls this way... But I know that her time is running out... A deal needs to happen soon." He and relatives of other hostages travelled to London, where they showed Britain's deputy prime minister the video and lobbied for support to bring home their loved ones. "It feels like more than ever things are getting a bit further away, the world forgets. Also maybe the Israeli government needs a reminder of what's the most important thing right now." Levy is part of the Hostages Families Forum, which represents relatives of the 124 people - mostly civilians - believed to still be held by Hamas. The group said the footage came from bodycams worn by gunmen who attacked the army base in southern Israel, where the women served as surveillance spotters. In a statement, it said: "The Israeli government must not waste another moment; it must return to the negotiating table today!" Within hours of its release, Netanyahu's security cabinet convened and authorized an effort to renew the talks, according to an Israeli official. The government also saw the release of the video as an opportunity to shore up support. A spokesperson told reporters, "Watch the film. Support Israel in bringing our people home." Hamas called it a bid to manipulate public opinion, and said the female soldiers were treated "according to the ethics of [their] resistance". Israel's foreign ministry said it would show the video to the ambassadors of Ireland, Norway and Spain. The ministry had summoned them to protest their governments' plans to recognize a Palestinian state.4 days ago
- 0:34US Speaker Johnson says Netanyahu to address CongressReuters VideosSTORY: :: Mike Johnson says Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu will soon address a joint meeting of Congress :: May 23, 2024 :: Washington, D.C. :: Mike Johnson, U.S. House Speaker "Today, as international bureaucrats have issued arrest warrants for Israel's leaders and likened Israel's just war to the barbarism of October 7th, Washington has been united, I'm proud to tell you in a bipartisan manner against this madness." "Tonight, I'm happy to announce something else to you that we will soon be hosting Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Capitol for a joint session of Congress. Yes, this will be a timely and I think a very strong show of support to the Israeli government in their time of greatest need." Delivering a keynote speech at the Israeli embassy's annual Independence Day reception, Johnson, the top congressional Republican and a critic of the Democratic president’s Israel policy, said it would be “a strong show of support for the Israeli government in their time of greatest need.” Such a speech is sure to further anger some progressive Democrats who are increasingly critical of Israel's military campaign in Gaza and Biden's support for it. The diplomatic gathering came amid strains between Biden and Netanyahu over a U.S. push for Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians in the war against Hamas militants in Gaza. Previous U.S. administrations have usually sent a high-level official to the Independence Day receptions, reflecting Israel's status as Washington’s top Middle East ally.4 days ago
- 0:50Smoke seen rising on the Gaza skyline as the war between Israel and Hamas continuesAssociated Press VideosSmoke was seen rising over the Gaza Strip on Friday morning as the Israel-Hamas war rages on across the Palestinian enclave.4 days ago
- 0:21Israeli video said to show aid trucks on Gaza pierReuters VideosSTORY: :: Israeli video said to show aid trucks arriving in Gaza via a U.S.-built floating pier :: May 23, 2024 :: Near Gaza Coast COGAT is an Israeli Defence Ministry agency tasked with coordinating aid deliveries into Palestinian territories. Reuters was able to confirm the location from the terrain layout which matched satellite imagery of the area. Reuters was not able to independently verify the date the video was filmed. COGAT said they were working in cooperation with the Israeli navy and the U.S. to operate the pier adding that on Wednesday (May 22) “27 trucks containing 371 pallets,” were transported to the logistics centers of international aid agencies. Israel is retaliating against Hamas in Gaza - an enclave of 2.3 million people - over a brutal Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian militants. Aid access into southern Gaza has been disrupted since Israel stepped up military operations in Rafah, a move that the U.N. says has forced 900,000 people to flee and has raised tensions with Egypt.4 days ago
- 4:19Israel's war cabinet orders negotiators to resume hostage release talksCBS News VideosIsrael's war cabinet is ordering negotiators to restart hostage release talks with Hamas. CBS News' Imtiaz Tyab reports.4 days ago
- 3:45ICC Netanyahu warrant a quandary for Israel's alliesReuters VideosSTORY: International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan's request for an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu creates a quandary for Israel's allies: How can they support Israel and the ICC? ANTONY BLINKEN: "Extremely wrongheaded." RISHI SUNAK: "This is a deeply unhelpful development." Khan's move was the first attempt to go after a sitting, Western-backed head of state. He requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza war. ICC judges must still sign off on it. :: A difficult balance Many European countries support the ICC and also send military support to Israel. Germany has already had to defend its policy of supplying arms to Israel at another international court in The Hague. Tom Buitelaar of the Netherlands' Leiden University says that balance could become hard to maintain. "It's going to be very difficult to say 'we are supporting Israel unconditionally, and we feel that this is the party that we should be supporting in this war' because now the ICC has made a certain declaration, and a certain attack against the legitimacy of the Israeli war effort in Gaza." If warrants are issued, member states would be obliged to detain Netanyahu or Gallant if they got the chance. Buitelaar said governments failing to obey could face legal challenges in their own courts. "It might be challenged though from the domestic level, because many states have implemented the Rome Statute, the important founding treaty of the International Criminal Court, into their domestic laws, which means that parties here could also be challenging, for example the Dutch state, the Dutch government, for a breach of international law if it doesn't arrest the prime minister of Israel in this case." :: Upholding other rulings And then there's the difficulty of upholding some ICC rulings but not others. The United States, like Israel itself, is not a member of the court. But it has supported past prosecutions, for example last year's arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. This time though, U.S. President Joe Biden called the request "outrageous." Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration is willing to work with Congress to potentially impose sanctions on ICC officials. :: European divisions The ICC step has exposed divisions among European ICC members. France, Ireland and Spain were among supporters of the decision. The French Foreign Ministry backed quote, "the fight against impunity in all situations." While Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz said: "International law must apply to everyone." Anthony Dworkin, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations: "I think the most important principle at this point is that European countries should not do anything to try and undermine, attack or block, or politically influence the operations of the Court, and I hope that they would consider ultimately that the actions of the Court could be helpful in terms of trying to bring an end to any crimes that are being committed there..." The exposed divisions reflect a deeper international schism over the Palestinians' longtime quest for statehood. This moved to the forefront on Wednesday (May 21) when Ireland, Norway and Spain said they would recognize a Palestinian state.4 days ago
- 0:48Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei meets Haniyeh in Tehran, says elimination of Israel 'feasible'Associated Press VideosIran's supreme leader told Hamas' top leader Ismail Haniyeh that the elimination of Israel was a divine promise and is feasible. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the comments during a meeting with the acting President Mohammad Mokhber on Wednesday in Tehran.5 days ago
- Overview
- Relief
- Drainage
- Soils
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...
19 hours ago · The web page covers the latest articles on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as other topics related to Israel and the Middle East. Read about the hostage deal, the IDF offensive, the US role, the diplomatic tensions and more.
1 day ago · Israel’s war cabinet will meet on Sunday night to discuss continuing efforts to reach a cease-fire deal and free hostages held in Gaza, according to an Israeli official who spoke on condition of ...
5 days ago · Learn about Israel's location, climate, natural resources, population, and conflicts from the CIA's comprehensive online reference. Find out how Israel became a regional powerhouse and what challenges it faces in the Middle East.
Oct 13, 2023 · 13 October 2023. A country on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel is the only state in the world with a majority Jewish population. It has been locked in conflict with the...
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 ). Capital (proclaimed): Jerusalem (the city’s status as capital has not received ...