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☆ US and Israeli weapons able to kill missiles in outer space were used to stop an Iranian attack. Those intercepts are tough shots.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Both the US and Israel used weapons capable of killing missiles in space to fend off Iranian weapons last weekend. Videos circulating online from the fight appeared to show an exo-atmospheric kill, though details are few. Intercepting a ballistic missile outside the Earth's atmosphere is a challenging task, an expert told Business Insider. Very unique footage showing an exoatmospheric interception amid the Iranian ballistic missile attack, likely by the Arrow 3 air defense system. The SM-3 is also capable of destroying short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles during the midcourse phase and can hit targets outside the Earth's atmosphere.

Persons: —, Arrow, wrZNCV01tn — Emanuel, Mannie, Fabian, @manniefabian, Sidharth, Kaushal, Amir Cohen Organizations: Service, US, Iranian, ABM, Times, US Department of Defense, Israel Defense Force, Arrow, Royal United Services Institute, Reuters, Israel, Houthi, Center, Strategic, International Studies, Washington DC, US Navy, Missile Defense Locations: Israel, Iranian, Iran, Ashkelon, Washington

☆ The US and Israeli defeat of Iranian missiles is a big boost for its strained regional alliance
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

That's a boost for the regional air defense network the US wants. AdvertisementThe United States shot down more of the incoming Iranian drones than Israel and played a central role in the "multinational air defense operation" consisting of British, French, and Jordanian air forces. An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel on April 14, 2024. "Russia will seek to offset the US success in backing Israel by looking to buttress Iran's defense with advanced Russian systems such as the Su-35," Heras said. There were also reports last year indicating Iran also seeks the advanced Russian S-400 air defense missile system.

Persons: —, Biden, Jordan, MEAD, Nicholas Heras, Amir Cohen, Heras, Nadimi, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Su Organizations: Service, Biden, East Air Defense, UAE —, New Lines Institute, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Washington Institute for Near East, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, AP Locations: Israel, Russia, Iran, Ukraine, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, States, Jordanian, Israeli, Mar, Ashkelon, United States, Tehran, Russian, Syria, Moscow, Su

☆ Restraint or retribution? Israel faces dilemma in its response to Iran’s attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Israel must balance international pressure to show restraint on the one hand, while searching for an appropriate response to an unprecedented attack. Western and Arab allies of Israel have been discouraging it from responding to Iran’s attack. Benny Gantz, a key member of the war cabinet, has pushed for a swifter response to Iran’s attack, two Israeli officials told CNN. He believes that the longer Israel delays its response to Iran’s attack, the harder it will be to garner international support for it, the sources said. Risking Arab tiesArab states, including those that are friendly with Israel, have expressed concern about a potential escalation from Iran’s attack, but haven’t outright condemned it.

Persons: CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Raz Zimmt, Israel …, Amir Cohen, ” Zimmt, Alon Pinkas, Tamir Hayman, Israel’s, Jordan, ” Hayman, Joe Biden, Biden, Adam Schultz, Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, it’s, ” Pinkas, Pinkas, Louai Beshara, Israel, ” Yaakov Amidror, Iran’s, Benny Gantz, haven’t, CNN’s Becky Anderson, Ayman Safadi, ” Safadi Organizations: CNN, Islamic, Analysts, Hamas, Institute for National Security Studies, Sunday, Reuters, National Security, White, Domestic, Getty Locations: CNN — Israel, Islamic Republic, Israel, Iran, Damascus, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Tehran, Ashkelon, Israeli, France, Pinkas, Iranian, Syria, AFP, Rafah, United States, Jerusalem, Jordanian, “, Persian, Hormuz

☆ Israel vows to 'exact a price' after Iran's attack. Here's what analysts expect could happen
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But Israel will need to strike a delicate balance, he noted, highlighting that "they don't want an overt conflict with Iran." Iran has said the attack on Israel was in response to an Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Damascus, Syria earlier this month. The Islamic regime has accused Israel of the April 1 attack which killed seven Iranian military personnel, including senior commanders. Israel and Iran have been at odds for decades, with Iran funding and supporting groups opposing Israel including Palestinian militant group Hamas. The ongoing conflict in Gaza has often been referred to as a proxy war between Israel and Iran.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Israel, Joe Biden, Ryan Bohl, Bohl, CNBC's, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Amir Saeid Iravani, Bashar al, Assad, David Roche, Roche, Israel's, What's Organizations: Reuters, Middle East, Rane, NBC News, United Nations, Palestinian, Hamas, Yemeni, Independent, CNBC Locations: Gaza, Ashkelon, Israel, Reuters Israel, Iran, North Africa, Damascus, Syria, Tehran, United States

Should the Israeli regime commit any military aggression again, Iran's response will assuredly and decisively be stronger and more resolute,” Ambassador Iravani added. Citing self-defense against repeated Israeli military aggressions, Iravani said the strikes were specifically in retaliation to an Israeli attack on April 1 against what Iran says were diplomatic facilities in Damascus. Iran claims the attack violated international law and led to the death of seven Iranian military advisors, including key commanders from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The statement also criticizes the United Nations Security Council for “failing to uphold international peace,” allowing Israel to “breach” established international norms and “escalate” regional tensions. However an Israel Defense Forces spokesman told CNN that their intelligence showed the building was not a consulate and was instead “a military building of Quds forces disguised as a civilian building.”

Persons: Amir Cohen, Israel, Amir Saeid Iravani, Iravani, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, ” Organizations: Reuters, Islamic, Representative, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, United Nations Security Council, Revolutionary Guards, Israel Defense Forces, CNN Locations: Ashkelon, Israel, Reuters Iran, Tehran, Syria's, Damascus, “, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Iranian, Quds

☆ Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel has pushed the region to the edge — but not past the point of no return yet, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must weigh up the implications of escalating the conflict in the Middle East as he mulls Israel's response to Iran's attack, experts say. And depending on how Israel and Iran move forward, the countries may risk taking their yearslong shadow war into an open, regional conflict. AdvertisementAn anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles toward Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel April 14, 2024. "At no point previously had Iran directly struck Israel in a way that violated its sovereignty, meaning directly on Israeli soil. Iran has since warned Israel and its allies against a counterstrike, saying it would launch an even larger attack if they retaliated.

Persons: —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ali Khamenei, Michael Horowitz, Zonszein, Israel, Amir Cohen, Reuters Shashank Joshi, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Gantz, Joe Biden, Arbit, Jordan Organizations: Service, Business, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's, International Crisis, Reuters, LBC, Atlantic Council, CNN Locations: Jordanian, Iran, Iranian, Damascus, Israel, Ashkelon, Republic

☆ Iran’s attack seemed planned to minimize casualties while maximizing spectacle
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Tehran’s operation was highly choreographed, apparently designed to minimize casualties while maximizing spectacle. Over 300 drones and missiles navigated above Iran’s neighbors, including Jordan and Iraq — both with US military bases — before penetrating the airspace of Iran’s mortal enemy, Israel. Rather than fire from one of the neighboring countries where Iran and its non-state allies are present, this was a direct attack from Iranian territory on Israeli territory. This compromised Iran’s ability to damage Israel because it robbed the operation of the element of surprise. Demonstrators wave Iran's flag as they gather at Palestine Square in Tehran on April 14, 2024, after Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel.

Persons: Lebanon CNN —, Israel’s, Amir Cohen, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Donald Trump’s, Qassem Soleimani, Asad, Iran’s, Netanyahu’s, Atta Kenare, “, ”, Parsi Organizations: Lebanon CNN, West Bank, United Nations, Trump, Iranian, US, Getty, Quincy Institute Locations: Beirut, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, —, Iran, Ashkelon, Republic, Damascus, Syria, Yemen, Tehran, Netanyahu’s Israel, Palestine, AFP, DC

☆ See Israel's aerial defense systems in action on land and sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Lauren Frias | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The IDF described the Iron Dome with three adjectives: "accuracy, speed, and capacity." Armed with Tamir interceptor missiles, the multi-mission defense system can shoot down enemy rockets and artillery up to 43.5 miles away. The advanced missile system has a radar station that detects and tracks the course of enemy rockets before launching a missile to intercept it. But the Iron Dome is just one layer of what is considered one of the most advanced air defense systems in the world. The Tamir missiles fired by Iron Dome are estimated to each cost around $50,000.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Tamir Organizations: REUTERS, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Tamir, Iron Dome Locations: Gaza, Ashkelon, Israel

☆ Teenage refugees who fled Ukraine for Israel immersed in second war
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Ashkelon, Israel CNN —It was supposed to be a safe haven – a new life for those seeking refuge from the turbulence of war. “I started crying when I began to understand that I’m not going back,” he told CNN at Kfar Silver. These four teenagers all moved from wartorn Ukraine to Kfar Silver near Ashkelon in Israel. Courtesy Monique ZahaviGofer told CNN that “thousands of rockets” flew over the village, while fires broke out everywhere around them. “When the war started here there was relative silence in Ukraine and my family felt more safe,” he said.

Persons: Little, ”, Artem Karpin, “, ” Karpin, Karpin, upended, Michael Reider, Maria, Sviatoslav Kulyk, Monique Zahavi, Reider, Amos Gofer, Kfar Silver, Gofer, Monique Zahavi Gofer, they’re, Amir Cohen, Kulyk, ‘, I’ll, Gofer –, aren’t, –, Israel Organizations: Israel CNN, Kfar, ORT, CNN, ”, “, Hamas, Reuters, Rockets Locations: Ashkelon, Israel, Ukraine, Gaza, Russia, Odesa, Kfar Silver, Kyiv, Poland, Lebanon, Netanya, ”, Europe, Greece, Germany, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Russian, Moldova, I’m

☆ Saudi Arabia isn’t ruling out befriending Israel. But it may come at a higher price
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +70 min

Fatima Shbair/AP Mourners collect the bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza, on December 24. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa/picture-alliance/AP Relatives and friends bid farewell to the body of Al Jazeera camera operator Samer Abu Daqqa in Khan Younis, Gaza, on December 16. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images Israeli soldiers form an honor guard at the funeral of Israeli reserve soldier Master Sgt. Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Children use candles for lighting in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Friday, October 20. Maya Alleruzzo/AP A boy carries salvaged belongings from the wreckage of his family's home in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 11.

Persons: UAE CNN —, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, ”, “, “ There’s, ” Prince Khalid bin Bandar, ” Ali Shihabi, Shihabi, Israel, Blinken, Evelyn Hockstein, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Abraham, Biden, Yousef Al Otaiba, Israel “, ” Otaiba, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Firas Maksad, Abir, Prince Khalid, Maksad, Jamal Khashoggi, ” Maksad, ” Prince Khalid, Isaac Herzog, Oded, Abed Rahim Khatib, Noam Galai, Majdi, Sufian Dagash, Ohad, Abed Zagout, Harel Ittah, Ariel Schalit, Khan Yunis, Stringer, Elisha Yehonatan Lober, Mount Herzl, Maja Hitij, Fatima Shbair, Ahmad Hasaballah, Mohammed Salem, Yaacov Elian, Boris Dunavetski, Amir Levy, Mohammed Abed, Mahmud Hams, Alon Lulu Shamriz, Ilia Yefimovich, Abu Daqqa, Khan, Khan Younis, Ben Shelly, Clodagh Kilcoyne, Eviatar Cohen, Mostafa Alkharouf, Mohammed Dahman, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Atef Safadi, Gal Meir Eisenkot, Eisenkot, Gadi Eisenkot, Leo Correa, Alexi Rosenfeld, Alleruzzo, Amir Cohen, Gil Cohen, Menahem Kahana, Sergeant Aschalwu Sama, Tsafrir, John MacDougall, Ahed Tamimi, Nasser Nasser, Viktor, Helena Brodski, Kiril Brodski, Ammar Awad, Jack Guez, Jabel Mukaber, Mahmoud Illean, Alexander Ermochenko, Younis, Mustafa Hassona, Asher, Raz, Doron, Schneider, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, Majed Al, Ansari, Mohammed Hajjar, Said Khatib, Jalaa Marey, Victor R, Liron Snir, James Oatway, Ashraf Amra, Ahmad Gharabli, Rizek Abdeljawad, Major Jamal Abbas, Shir Torem, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Christopher Furlong, Hatem Ali, Avraham Fetena, Sgt, Raz Abulafia, Fadel Senna, Nasser, Matan Meir, Haitham Imad, Roni Eshel, Eshel, Kenzo Tribouillard, Sadi Berek, Salah al, Varda Goldstein, Nir Oz, Bernat, Tomer Appelbaum, Mohammad Abu Elsebah, Khaled Ibn Al, Walid, Ya'akov Ozeri, Ronen Zvulun, Mohammed Alaloul, Neil Hall, Saeed Jaras, Mohammad Abu Hattab, Mohammed Talatene, Ditza Heiman, Salman Habaka, Yuval Zilber, Jalaa Merey, Ahmad Salem, Ali Jadallah, Anas al, Yosef Vahav, Kiryat Shmona, Albert Miles, Ilan Rosenberg, Manna, Tamar Chaya Torpiashvili, Abed Khaled, Tamir Kalifa, Yoav Gallant, Jehad Al, Kafarnah, Teddy, Dan Kitwood, Dima Vazinovich, Sagiv Ben Zvi, Omar El, Yasser Qudih, Francisco Seco, Mohammed Saber, Ali Mohmoud, Mai Yaghi, Yam Goldstein, Nadav, Khaled Joudeh, Samar Abu, Leon Neal, Hatem Moussa, Wolfgang Schwan, Yousef Masoud, Shadi Tabatibi, Belal al Sabbagh, Janis Laizans, Gallant, Ofir Libstein, Aza, Belal Khaled, Hod, Ayal Margolin, Brendan Smialowski, Netanyahu, Kenny Holston, Kfar Aza, Mahmoud Khaled, Dor Reder, Violeta Santos Moura, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Antonio Macías, Macías, Eli Albag, Liri, Sergey Ponomarev, Dor Kedmi, Saher, Abraham Cohen, Valentin Ghnassia, Ghnassia, Yuri Cortez, Ibrahim Hams, Bashar Taleb, Baz Ratner, Yahya Hassouna, Mapal Adam, Agha, Reuters Itzik, Miriam Shafir, Dor Shafir, Savion Kiper, Maya Alleruzzo, CNN Sergey Ponomarev, Eden Guez, Mohammed Soboh, Said, Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg, Ilai Bar Sade, Erik Marmor, Oren Ziv, Ramez Mahmoud, Roi Levy, Tali Touito, Ahmad Hasballah, Eyad Baba, Itai Ron, Hadas Parush, Lana Nusseibeh, “ That’s, Abu Dhabi, Anwar Gargash, ” Gargash Organizations: UAE CNN, Hamas, BBC, CNN, Palestinian, West Bank, Reuters, United Arab, Abraham Accords, Israel, UAE, Arab League, Saudi, Fox News, Washington Institute for Near East, Middle East Institute, Israeli, Getty, of Health, Congressional, Republicans, United Nations Security, AP, European Hospital, Mount, Rockets, UN, Anadolu, Museum of Art, Security, Nova, Magen, Getty Images, Kiryat, Islamic Jihad, Red, Tel, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical, Young, AP People, Schneider Children's Medical, Sisters, Schneider Children's, Ofer, Cross, Foreign, Artillery, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Al, Unicef, AP Journalists, Israel Defense Forces, Modern, Nasser Hospital, Nasser Medical, Najjar, Israel Defence Forces handout, Shutterstock, Reuters United Nations, Shifa, Palestine, Pictures, Bloomberg, Israeli Apache, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, IDF, EyePress, New York Times, Nasser Medical Hospital, Deir Al, Tel Aviv University, Reuters Civil, AP Rockets, AP Israel's, Regional, Israel's, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Ben Gurion International, Aris Messinis, Haim, Puma, Mount Herzl Military, Anadolu Agency, Nova Festival, Ben Gurion, United Nations, Reuters Police, Reuters Rockets, Wall, Shihabi Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi, United Kingdom, Gaza, United States, ”, Palestinian, East Jerusalem, Al Ula, Reuters Israeli, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Washington , DC, Jerusalem, Abir Sultan, AFP, Turkey, Gulf, Tel Aviv, Israeli, Rafah, Maghar, Anadolu, Netanya, Khan, Khan Younis, Shaul, Shefayim, Jazeera, Kidron, Kfar Saba, Nahal Oz, Herzliya, Ashkelon, Petah Tikva, Ramallah, Egypt, Ofakim, Jabel, Khezaa, Gazan, Sisters Aviv, Beitunia, Gaza City, Galilee, Lebanon, Al, Aqsa, Al Bureij, Deir Al Balah, Xinhua, Pekiin, Mavki'im, Haifa, Sderot, Beit Hashmonai, Europe, Rishpon, Odem, Gaza's Al, Deir Al, Balah, Bureij, Kfar Aza, Meron, Jerusalem's, City, Jerusalem's Old City, Deir Balah, Mahmud, Southern Israel, Yanuh Jat, Netaim, Golan Heights, Shareef, Beit Guvrin, Kiryat, Al Aqsa, Kibbutz Be'eri, Ashdod, Holon, Najjar, Ichilov, Kibbutz Shefayim, Deir, Samar, Samar Abu Elouf, Deir al, Kibbutz Kissufim, Zahra City, Ras, Israel's, Yehuda, Hod HaSharon, Kiryat Shmona, Ahli, Gan, Kfar, North Sinai, Beit Kama, Cyprus, Be'eri, Rehovot, Mount Herzl, Modiin Maccabim, Mount Herzel, Yassin, Beitar Ilit, Ramat Gan, Itai, Beit Hanun, Rishon Lezion, Dhabi, Dubai, Al Arabiya

[1/2] Israeli soldiers stand in order, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, near Israel's border with Gaza, in southern Israel, December 4, 2023. The U.S. official spoke after three days of resumed aerial bombardments of southern Gaza left residents pulling the bodies of children and adults from the rubble. But the U.S. official said reducing military support to Israel would carry major risks. On Friday, Israel's military began posting grid-based maps online ordering Palestinians to leave parts of southern Gaza, directing them towards the Mediterranean coast and Rafah, near the Egyptian border. Residents and journalists on the ground said intense Israeli airstrikes hit southern Gaza on Monday, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Israel's, Biden, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ophir Falk, Seth Binder, Binder, Eylon Levy, Jake Sullivan, Omar Shakir, Humeyra Pamuk, Jonathan Saul, Maggie Fick, James Mackenzie, Steve Holland, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, U.S, Health Ministry, Washington, United, Reuters, Reuters Graphics, East Democracy, Biden, Democratic, Israel, . National, Palestine, Human Rights, Amnesty, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Israel's, Gaza, LONDON, BEIRUT, U.S, United States, East, Gaza City, Rafah, Jerusalem, Washington

Israel largely captured the northern half of Gaza in November, and since a week-long truce collapsed on Friday they have swiftly pushed deep into the southern half. The Israeli military said the central road out of Khan Younis to the north "constitutes a battlefield" and was now shut. Desperate Gazans in Khan Younis packed their belongings and headed towards Rafah. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Washington expected Israel to avoid attacking areas identified as "no-strike" zones in Gaza. Israel accuses Hamas of putting civilians in danger by operating from civilian areas, including in tunnels which can only be destroyed by large bombs.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Stephane Dujarric, Khan Younis, Antonio Guterres, Philippe Lazzarini, Lazzarini, Israel, Gazans, Jake Sullivan, Mohammed Salem, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovich, Emily Rose, Maggie Fick, Andrew Mills, Humeyra Pamuk, Stephen Coates, Rosalba O'Brien, Lincoln Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, United Nations, Islamic, State Department, U.S . National, Street, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Israel, Palestinian, Israel's, Gaza, Khan, Khan Younis GAZA, United States, Gaza's, Rafah, Washington, U.S, Jerusalem, Beirut, Doha

Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas following its Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel in which it says 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage. "Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering, and the images and videos coming from Gaza, are devastating," Harris told reporters. The United States has been increasingly vocal that Israel must narrow the combat zone during any offensive in southern Gaza and ensure safe zones for non-combatants. Gaza health officials said that in addition to the death toll, 650 people had been wounded since the truce collapsed. Gaza health officials said three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a house in Rafah.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Lloyd Austin, Israel, Harris, Austin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Wessam Farhat, Amir Cohen, Mark Regev, Robert Mardini, Emmanuel Macron, Saleh Al, Arouri, Yoav Gallant, Khan Younis, Suhaib, Nidal, Mohammed Salem, Ari Rabinovich, Emily Rose, Andrew Mills, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, Matt Spetalnick, Nick Zieminski, Matt Lewis, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Hamas, U.S . Defense, Simi Valley , California ., U.S, REUTERS, International Committee, Reuters, Crescent, Palestinian, Al, Israeli, Palestinian News Agency, Tel, Thomson Locations: GAZA, CAIRO, Israel, Gaza, Washington, Egypt, Dubai, Simi Valley , California, Simi Valley , California . Austin, U.S, Tel Aviv, United States, Palestinian, Rafah, Qatar, Al Jazeera, Suhaib Salem, Cairo, Jerusalem, Doha

☆ At Israeli rave site hit by Hamas, music plays again for the dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Amir Cohen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Thousands of young people were partying in the dawn hours of Oct. 7 when the armed Palestinian infiltrators swept in. All that faced the five Israeli DJs on the stage this time were silent and unmoving placards showing pictures of the dead. Sadness for all his friends lost and happiness for bringing music back to the rave-goers, whom he described as people of love, peace and music. Another 40 people were taken hostage by Hamas back to the Gaza Strip, 5 km (2 miles) away, police said. It was the bloodiest incident in a shock cross-border assault by the Palestinian Islamist faction, and triggered a devastating Israeli counter-offensive in Gaza.

Persons: Amir Cohen, . Asher Swissa, Skazi, Dan Williams, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Palestinian Islamist, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Re'im, Israel, Reim, Palestinian

☆ Israel's finance minister defends settlement funds in budget row
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends an inauguration event for Israel's new light rail line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, in Petah Tikva, Israel, August 17, 2023. On Sunday, centrist Minister Benny Gantz demanded that Netanyahu remove all political payouts from the new budget, saying they will harm the war effort. Those include so-called "coalition funds" intended for settlements in the occupied West Bank and for the ultra-Orthodox Jewish education system. The row over devoting funds to settlements comes at a sensitive moment for Israel as it seeks to mobilize international support for the war in Gaza. Israel's central bank and hundreds of economists have also called on the government to scrap funds not vital to financing the war.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Amir Cohen, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu, Smotrich, Josep Borrell, Gantz's, Mahmoud Abbas, Gantz, Maayan Lubell, Steven Scheer, Ari Rabinovitch, Ali Sawafta, Nick Macfie Organizations: Tel, REUTERS, Rights, Israeli, West Bank, Jewish, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Israel, Gaza, United States, Jerusalem

☆ Kenya to begin privatisation drive, offers stakes in 11 companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: The Nairobi skyline is seen in the background as zebras walk through the Nairobi National Park, near Nairobi, Kenya, December 3, 2018. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNAIROBI, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Kenya will start its privatisation drive by offering stakes in 11 companies including the state oil pipeline, the finance ministry said on Monday. The 11 firms are among more than 35 companies that are slated for sale to partially help the government raise revenue in the face of growing debt repayments. "Privatisation and restructuring is geared towards the government's efforts for fiscal consolidation and spurring economic development," the ministry added. The government revised the law governing the sale of state companies last month to the eliminate bureaucracy that had made the process grind to a halt, the president said last week.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Duncan Miriri, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Kenya Pipeline Company, Thomson Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Rights NAIROBI

☆ Hamas Releases More Hostages After Hours-Long Aid Dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Hamas Releases More Hostages After Hours-Long Aid DisputeAs part of an agreement struck earlier this week, Israel committed to release 150 Palestinian prisoners in return for Hamas releasing 50 hostages over four days. Photo: Amir Cohen/Reuters

Persons: Israel, Amir Cohen Organizations: Reuters

"We hoped and prayed today would come," Liz Hirsh Naftali and Noa Naftali, Edan's great aunt and cousin, said in a statement, thanking Biden and the Qatari government for their work in getting Abigail released. Her siblings were already there, Noa Naftali said, and the family can provide "the love and support that they need after losing their parents." According to Noa Naftali, Abigail had been held captive in Gaza with neighbors also taken from the Kfar Aza kibbutz, where the toddler, her parents and her siblings lived. Biden said he expects Hamas to release other U.S. hostages as well, and that he wants the pause in the fighting to be extended as long as prisoners are being released. "We will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones," Biden said.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Joe Biden, Abigail Edan, Abigail, Israel, Biden, Liz Hirsh Naftali, Noa Naftali, Edan's, Carmel Edan, he's, Aza, —, Judith Tai Raanan, Natalie, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jeff Mason, Andy Sullivan, Moira Warburton, Jason Lange, Steve Gorman, David Goodman, Alexander Smith, Mark Porter, Josie Kao Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, CBS, Qatari, Reuters, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Ofakim, Israel, Rights NANTUCKET , Massachusetts, Israeli, Palestinian, United States, Nantucket, Washington, Buffalo , NY

[1/11] An Israeli tank maneuvers, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, near Israel's border with Gaza in southern Israel, November 23, 2023. Egypt said 130,000 litres of diesel and four trucks of gas will be delivered daily to Gaza when the truce starts, and that 200 trucks of aid would enter Gaza daily. "We all hope that this truce will lead to a chance to start a wider work to achieve a permanent truce." "Control over northern Gaza is the first step of a long war, and we are preparing for the next stages," he added. Israel says Hamas fighters use residential and other civilian buildings, including hospitals, as cover - a charge that Hamas denies.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Majed Al, Ansari, Abu Ubaida, Daniel Hagari, Israel, U.N, Philippe Lazzarini, Deepa Babington, Stephen Coates Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Qatari, West Bank, UNRWA's, Gaza, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Israel, Israel's, Gaza, Rights DOHA, GAZA, Iran, Qatar, Gaza City, Doha, Egypt, Palestinian, Jabalia, Indonesian

☆ Reaction to Sam Altman's return as OpenAI CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sam Altman, CEO of Microsoft-backed OpenAI and ChatGPT creator speaks during a talk at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel June 5, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Openai LLC FollowNov 22 (Reuters) - OpenAI said on Tuesday it had reached an agreement for Sam Altman to return as CEO days after his ouster, capping frenzied discussions about the future of the startup at the center of the artificial intelligence boom. THRIVE CAPITAL, OPENAI SHAREHOLDER"OpenAI has the potential to be one of the most consequential companies in the history of computing. "Sam Altman seems awfully powerful and it is unclear that any board would be able to oversee him. Altman and (Microsoft CEO) Nadella may have pushed to allow Altman a much freer hand."

Persons: Sam Altman, Amir Cohen, OpenAI, DANNI HEWSON, BELL, Altman, DANIELA HATHORN, Altman's, Greg, Brockman, ChatGPT's, would've, SUSANNAH STREETER, HARGREAVES LANSDOWN, Sam Altman's, KELVIN WONG, MAK, Nadella, hasn't, Supantha Mukherjee, Ankika Biswas, Bansari Mayur, Aditya Soni, Miyoung Kim, Nivedita Organizations: Microsoft, Tel Aviv University, REUTERS, BANK, OpenAI, MNC, OF, UNIVERSITY OF, UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE BUSINSS, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE, OpenAI, Stockholm, Bengaluru

☆ Israel–Hamas war: The hostage deal and ceasefire explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Israeli tanks take position near a border with Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, November 22, 2023. The pause will be extended by a day for each additional batch of 10 hostages released, Israel said in a statement. Qatar's chief negotiator in ceasefire talks, Minister of State at the Foreign Ministry Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, said that under the deal there would be "no attack whatsoever. The deal was announced 46 days after the start of the war, one of the most fierce conflicts to erupt between the two sides. The initial negotiations for a deal between Israel and Hamas, both sworn enemies, began within days of the Oct. 7 attack but progress was slow.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Israel, Salah al, Foreign Ministry Mohammed Al, Mahmoud Abbas, Joe Biden, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's, Edmund Blair, Howard Goller Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, State, Foreign Ministry, Committee, WHO, U.S, Palestinian Prisoners Society, West Bank and, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Qatari, United, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Gaza ., Argentina, Britain, Chile, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, U.S, West Bank and Jerusalem, Doha, United States, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Israeli, Cairo

☆ Three Americans expected to be included in Gaza hostage release-US official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli bombardments since have flattened large swaths of Hamas-led Gaza and killed 13,300 civilians, according to authorities in Gaza. Under terms of the deal, Hamas is to release 50 hostages and Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners during a four- to five-day pause in the fighting. The hostage group will include two American women and an American girl named Abigail who will turn four on Friday, the official said. The deal will also include more deliveries of humanitarian relief aid to Gaza, the official said. A rigorous inspection regime will ensure Hamas does not use the pause to rearm the group's fighters in Gaza with weaponry, the official said.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Abigail, Steve Holland, Costas Pitas, Humeyra Pamuk, Arshad Mohammed, Scott Malone, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, U.S, Qatar, American

☆ Explainer: What do we know about Israeli hostages in Gaza?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

According to Israeli media and the Israeli government, up to 40 hostages being held are children, including a 10-month-old baby and preschoolers. The Israeli military said earlier this month that it recovered the bodies of two hostages in Gaza City, including 19-year-old soldier Noa Marciano. The Israeli military has said it found evidence that some hostages were held at or under hospitals. The military released video that it said also showed militants forcing two hostages into Shifa hospital on Oct. 7. Hamas released another video in October that showed three women hostages denouncing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Judith Raanan, Natalie Raanan, Nurit Cooper, Yocheved Lifshitz, Ori Megidish, Noa Marciano, Marciano, Lifshitz, Benjamin Netanyahu, HOW, Netanyahu, Cynthia Osterman, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas, WHO, Islamic, Israel Defence Forces, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, U.S, Thailand, Britain, France, Argentina, Germany, Chile, Spain, Portugal, Gaza City, Al Shifa, Jerusalem

Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said the proposal on a hostage release deal was delivered to Israel in the early hours of Tuesday. Before gathering with his full government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday with his war cabinet and wider national security cabinet over the deal. Israeli media including Channel 12 news said that if the deal was approved, the first release of hostages was expected on Thursday. Implementing the deal must wait for 24 hours to give Israeli citizens the chance to ask the Supreme Court to block the release of Palestinian prisoners, reports said. HOSPITAL ORDERED TO EVACUATEAs attention focused on the hostage release deal, fighting on the ground raged on.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Majed Al, Ansari, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Judith Raanan, Natalie Raanan, Nurit Cooper, Yocheved Lifshitz, Al Quds, Mounir, Al Shifa, Israel, WAFA, Khan Younis, Nidal al, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Andrew Mills, Steve Holland, Jonathan Landay, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Cynthia Osterman, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Netanyahu, Media, Officials, Hamas, Qatar Foreign Ministry, U.S, Islamic, Al Quds Brigades, Al, Indonesian, United Nations, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, Qatar, GAZA, JERUSALEM, U.S, State, Israeli, Gaza ., Al Jazeera, Gaza City, Palestinian, Jabalia, Hamas, Khan, Jerusalem, Doha, Washington, Cairo

Companies Microsoft Corp FollowOpenai LLC FollowNov 20 (Reuters) - Sam Altman will not return as the CEO of OpenAI and ex-Twitch boss Emmett Shear will become the new interim boss, The Information reported on Sunday, citing board director Ilya Sutskever's statement to the company's staff. The report said distraught employees "streamed out" of OpenAI headquarters in San Francisco shortly after the decision was announced internally. [1/2]Sam Altman, CEO of Microsoft-backed OpenAI and ChatGPT creator speaks during a talk at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel June 5, 2023. The appointment of Shear also means that Murati will not stay as the interim CEO, the report said. If Altman returns to OpenAI, Microsoft (MSFT.O), its biggest backer, is considering taking a role on the board, the Information reported on Sunday, citing two people familiar with the talks.

Persons: Sam Altman, Emmett Shear, Ilya Sutskever's, Altman, Sutskever, OpenAI, Amir Cohen, Rights Altman, Greg Brockman, Mira Murati, Shear, Brockman, Szymon Sidor, Sidor, Urvi Dugar, Stephanie Kelly, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Miyoung Kim, Sam Holmes Organizations: Microsoft, Reuters, Tel Aviv University, REUTERS, Rights, Sunday, Amazon.com Inc, OpenAI, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Israel, Bengaluru, New York

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