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☆ Widening Mideast Crisis Families of Israeli Hostages Plan Protest at Border Crossing Used for Aid to Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Egypt, which borders the Gaza Strip, has also played a key role. Another key negotiating track involves the future of the Gaza Strip after the guns fall silent. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, expelling the rival Fatah party, which dominates the Palestinian Authority. Mr. Netanyahu has largely ruled out the return of the Palestinian Authority to ruling Gaza, at least in its present form. Complicating matters further, the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, faces severe internal challenges.

Persons: Brett McGurk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s, Husam, Netanyahu, “, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas Organizations: Wednesday, White, Gaza, Hamas, Biden, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Fatah Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Europe, Egypt, Western, U.S, Palestinian, Palestine

☆ Ackman Tel Aviv Stock Exchange investment correction
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Bill Ackman and his wife's purchase would be about $25 million, according to CNBC calculations. An earlier version misstated the figure.

Persons: Bill Ackman Organizations: CNBC

☆ Opinion | The Man Who Could Unseat Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Anshel Pfeffer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But the most complex challenge facing Mr. Gantz sits with him at the war cabinet table: Mr. Netanyahu. He has accused the prime minister numerous times in the past of dividing Israeli society. Several security officials and foreign diplomats were also interviewed about Mr. Gantz. Mr. Gantz, 64, is in a unique and contradictory position. At the same time, according to polls, he is also the man most likely to replace Mr. Netanyahu and his disastrous government.

Persons: Benny Gantz, Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Mr, Netanyahu —, Israel — Organizations: Defense Ministry Locations: Tel Aviv, Gaza, Iranian, Lebanese

☆ Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman and wife Neri Oxman buy nearly 5% stake in Tel Aviv Stock Exchange
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman and his wife Neri Oxman are buying a nearly 5% stake in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, the exchange reported in a press release Wednesday. The announcement came as the Israeli bourse announced the pricing of a secondary offering of 17,156,677 shares priced at 20.60 shekels ($5.50) per share. "The transaction drew robust interest from investors across Israel, the United States, Europe, and Australia, reflecting a strong vote of confidence in both the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and the Israeli economy at large," the statement read. "Among the prominent buyers were Neri Oxman and Bill Ackman who have agreed to purchase approximately a 4.9% equity stake in the TASE." His wife, Neri Oxman, is an American-Israeli designer and professor.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Neri Oxman Organizations: Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Israeli bourse, New, Pershing, Capital Management Locations: Israel, United States, Europe, Australia, New York, Gaza, American

☆ Bill Ackman buys stake in Tel Aviv’s stock exchange in ‘strong vote of confidence’ for Israeli economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman and his wife Neri Oxman are buying a stake in Tel Aviv’s stock market in what the exchange said Wednesday was a “strong vote of confidence” in Israel’s economy. The couple have agreed to buy a stake of nearly 5% in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE), joining other buyers of around 17 million shares in total, the exchange said in a statement. But his latest investment suggests he is optimistic about the prospects for Israeli companies despite the country’s ongoing war against Hamas. The value of stocks listed on the exchange has swung wildly since October 7, the day Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel. A report by Business Insider in early January alleged that Oxman had plagiarized parts of her doctoral dissertation.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Neri Oxman, Ackman, Claudine Gay, Gay, —, Oxman Organizations: London CNN —, Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, bourse, Pershing, Capital Management, Hamas, Harvard, Jewish, Business Locations: Tel Aviv’s, Israel, United States, Europe, Australia

☆ Iran-backed groups in the Middle East and major US military deployments
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Abbas Allawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The US has attacked Iranian-backed groups in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, while Iran-linked groups have targeted American personnel in Iraq and Syria. The US, having been trying to pivot away from the Middle East for years, finds itself drawn back into the region. And in some places, including Iraq and Syria, the US military presence overlaps that of Iran and its allies. The US has around 13,500 US forces in Kuwait, the largest American military presence in the region. The US this month quietly reached an agreement that extends its military presence for another 10 years at the base.

Persons: Yemen’s, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Harakat, Sayyid, Al, Haq, Asad, Bashar al, Assad, Israel, Ali, Dalton Williams Organizations: UAE CNN, Hamas, Islamic, Navy, Marine Expeditionary Unit, Institute for National Security, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, National Intelligence, Badr Organization, Asad Air Base, Erbil AB, Al, Force, Fatemiyoun, ISIS, Syria Security, Syrian Democratic Forces, Syrian Free Army, CNN, Gaza, US Air Force, Battalion, 163rd Cavalry Regiment, Ali Al Salem Air Base, U.S . Air Force, Washington, United Arab, US, Udeid, Base, Forward Headquarters, Combined Air Operations Centre, Prince Sultan Air Base, UAE, Al Dhafra, Al Dhafra Air Base, Gulf Air Warfare Center, US Naval Forces Central Command Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Iran, US, Iranian, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Tehran, Pakistan, Islamic Republic, Washington, Lebanon Lebanon, East, Lebanon, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Iraq Tehran, Baghdad, Al, Erbil, Syria Iran, Syrian, Pakistani, ”, Red, Saudi, Yemen’s, Kuwait, U.S, Palestinian, Arab, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Doha, Al Dhafra Air, Bahrain, Jordan, Incirlik

CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Hamas’ conditions for an end to the Gaza war in exchange for the release of hostages held there, labeling such a prospect as “surrender.”In order to release the remaining hostages, Netanyahu said Hamas was demanding an end to the war, the release of Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Out of the 253 hostages Israel says Hamas seized on October 7, Israel believes that 132 are still in Gaza, of whom 104 are thought to be alive. Relatives and supporters of the Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas attend a protest calling for their release outside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence, in Jerusalem on Sunday. Netanyahu is under mounting pressure from the Israeli public to secure the release of captives in Gaza. Leo Correa/APMeanwhile, the death toll in Gaza on Sunday surpassed 25,000, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry in the enclave.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Netanyahu, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Ohad, Gadi Eisenkot, Eisenkot, You’d, ” Netanyahu, “, Leo Correa, Joe Biden, Israel’s, Josep Borrell Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Hamas, CNN’s, Sunday Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Jordan, Palestinian

☆ Air Traffic Climbs at Israel's Tel Aviv Airport in 2023 but War Weighs
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Steven ScheerJERUSALEM (Reuters) - Air travel to and from Israel plunged in the last three months of 2023 amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, but the number of passengers travelling through Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv still rose 10% in 2023. The number of international travellers reached 21.1 million in 2023, up from 19.2 million in 2022, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) said in a report on Sunday. But since then, traffic has plunged, culminating in a 78% drop in November and 71% dive in December, the IAA said. Ryanair was third with a 5.4% share, although its number of passengers dipped 12% in 2023. In 2023, 3 million tourists visited Israel, up from 2.7 million in 2022.

Persons: Steven Scheer JERUSALEM, Ben Gurion, Oz, Israel . Bar Oz, Steven Scheer, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Ben Gurion, Israel Airports Authority, Palestinian, Hamas, IAA, Al Israel Airlines, Ryanair, Israel ., Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, Tel Aviv . Air France Locations: Israel, Tel Aviv, Gaza, El Al, United States, York's JFK, France, Britain, Austrian, Aegean

American, British and European officials are pressuring Israel to let aid for Gaza transit through the Israeli port of Ashdod to help alleviate a metastasizing humanitarian crisis, according to six U.S. and European officials. Israel’s military responded to the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by invading and declaring a siege on Gaza, which was already under a yearslong blockade. Humanitarian workers say vastly more aid is needed to meaningfully help Gaza’s 2.2 million residents amid dire shortages of food, water and supplies. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken pressed Israeli officials about allowing Gaza aid through the port of Ashdod when he was in Tel Aviv earlier this month, according to one U.S. official. That official and the others interviewed about the new aid proposal spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken Locations: Israel, Gaza, Ashdod, Egypt, Tel Aviv

CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday rejected calls for Palestinian sovereignty following talks with US President Joe Biden on post-war Gaza. Netanyahu said Israel’s need for security control over all territory west of Jordan is incompatible with the existence of a Palestinian state. Biden administration officials have recently been engaged in discussions about a future demilitarized Palestinian state, an idea the US president finds “intriguing,” the source said. It remains an open question how post-war Gaza will be governed but Netanyahu has had long-standing objections to a two-state solution. He and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sparked anger when advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Israel’s, ” Netanyahu, Jack Guez, Critics, Gadi Eisenkot, Biden, “, ” Biden, Samuel Corum, Antony Blinken, —, General Antonio Guterres, ”, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Twitter, West Bank, Hamas, Getty, Saturday, Biden, UN, White, National Locations: Gaza, Jordan, Palestinian, “, Israel, AFP, Tel Aviv, East

☆ Protesters in Tel Aviv Call for Change to Netanyahu Government
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, accusing the veteran leader of mishandling the nation's security and calling for a new election. Anti-government protests that shook the nation for much of 2023 ceased after the attacks by Hamas in southern Israel on Oct. 7. This was reflected in Saturday night's turnout in a central Tel Aviv square where many of last year's protests took place. While divisions have emerged among members of his wartime cabinet, Netanyahu is intent on staying in power. Opposition leaders have offered to form a unity government not led by Netanyahu, but no moves have gained traction.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Noam Alon, Alexandre Meneghini, Ari Rabinovitch Organizations: Reuters Locations: TEL AVIV, Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza

☆ At least 16 cemeteries in Gaza have been desecrated by Israeli forces, satellite imagery and videos reveal
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Tel Aviv CNN —The Israeli military has desecrated at least 16 cemeteries in its ground offensive in Gaza, a CNN investigation has found, leaving gravestones ruined, soil upturned, and, in some cases, bodies unearthed. CNN’s analysis of satellite imagery and videos showed that Israeli bulldozers turned multiple cemeteries into staging grounds, leveling large swaths and erecting berms to fortify their positions. In the Shajaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, Israeli military vehicles could be seen where the cemetery once stood, with berms surrounding them on all sides. ‘I couldn’t find her grave’Munther al Hayek’s daughter Dina was killed in the 2014 Gaza war. “The occupation forces destroyed and bulldozed them,” Hayek, a spokesman for the Palestinian opposition group Fatah in Gaza, told CNN.

Persons: Khan Younis, Jehad, “, ”, PlanetLabs, Bani, Al, Graves, Al Nasser, Israel, al, Dina, ” Hayek, Fatah, ” Mosab Abu Toha, Abu Toha, ” Munther al Hayek, ” Janina Dill, Dill, ” Dill, ” Muna Haddad, Muna Haddad Organizations: Tel, Tel Aviv CNN, CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Al Nasser Hospital, Getty, Maxar Technologies CNN, Maxar Technologies, IDF, PlanetLabs CNN, New York Times, Yorker, of Health, Criminal Court, ICC, Oxford University’s Institute for Ethics, Law, International Court, Justice, “ International, Commonwealth, Commission Locations: Tel Aviv, Gaza, Al, Khan Younis, Anadolu, Shajaiya, Gaza City, Hamas, Bani, Bani Suheila, Al Falouja, Jabalya, Sheikh Ijlin, Palestinian, Khan, Jordanian, Radwan, Cairo, Rome, Israel, South Africa

☆ Israel’s Netanyahu rejects any Palestinian sovereignty in post-war Gaza, rebuffing Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

US President Joe Biden (L) meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. The families want the government to take bold steps to free the hostages, fearing that Israel's military activity in Gaza further endangers their lives. Health authorities in Hamas-ruled Gaza say Israel's offensive has killed nearly 25,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. As part of its search for the hostages, Israel's military dropped leaflets on Gaza's southernmost town of Rafah. Israel's military didn't immediately comment.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden's, Netanyahu, Biden, Gaza hasn't, Israel, Antonio Guterres, Gadi Eisenkot, We've, Yuval Bar, Keith Siegel, Eli Shtivi, Majd, Khan Younis, Halima Abdel, Rahman, Tawfiq, Hafez Ajaq Organizations: Israel's, Palestinian, Hamas, U.S, Israel, Health, United Nations, Police, Iranian, Revolutionary Guard, National News Agency, Associated Press, West Bank, . Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, United States, Uganda, Israeli, Caesarea, pita, Haifa, Rafah, Iranian, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Lebanese, Tyre, Jabaliya, Bani Suheila, Khan, Ramallah

After nearly 15 weeks of war, sharp divisions within Israel over the path forward in the Gaza Strip are increasingly coming into the open. A member of Israel’s war cabinet, a general who lost a son in the conflict, urged in a television interview broadcast late Thursday that the country pursue an extended cease-fire with Hamas to free the remaining hostages, a rebuke of the “total victory” being pursued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And in a sign of the growing exasperation among parts of the Israeli public over the government’s failure to free the hostages, relatives and supporters of the captives partially blocked traffic on a major highway in Tel Aviv before dawn on Friday, prompting the police to briefly detain seven for having “participated in disorderly conduct and unlawful behavior.”Israel’s emergency governing coalition is under intense and competing pressures as the war drags on. Right-wing politicians are urging the military to act more aggressively in Gaza, even while Israel is contending with outrage across the globe over the carnage and decimation of so much of the territory. At the same time, the families of hostages are urging concessions to secure their return.

Persons: ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, “ Locations: Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv

☆ Israeli Tanks Renew Push Towards Biggest Hospital Still Working in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

GAZA/DOHA/TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli tanks on Friday mounted a new push into southern Gaza's main city, which is sheltering hundreds of thousands of Palestinians driven there by Israeli bombardment, once more approaching the enclave's biggest functioning hospital. Twelve people were killed in Israeli strikes on a residential building near the largely non-functioning Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City in the north of the enclave, Palestinian health officials said. Israeli forces have made limited withdrawals from northern Gaza this month, saying operations there were largely complete. But Palestinians in the southern Gaza City suburb of Tel Al-Hawa said Israeli tanks pushed back into the neighbourhood, forcing people taking shelter in some schools there to evacuate and head south. The Islamic Jihad militant group said it had fought with Israeli forces in the Al-Bureij and Al-Maghazi refugee camps in central Gaza and in Khan Younis, while Hamas's armed wing said its fighters had clashed with Israeli forces in several areas across Gaza overnight and on Friday morning.

Persons: Khan Younis, Hawa, Benjamin Netanyahu, NETANYAHU, Netanyahu, Matthew Miller, A'Hed's, Hani Bseiso, Bseiso, Nidal al, Ibraheem Abu, Henriette Chacar, Kevin Liffey, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Reuters, Hospital, Nasser Hospital, Shifa, Islamic Jihad, . State Department, UNICEF Locations: GAZA, DOHA, TEL AVIV, Gaza's, Gaza, Gaza City, Tel Al, United States, Israel, Jordan, That's, Tel Aviv, Palestinian, Gaza . Washington, Al, Mughrabi, Doha, Ibraheem, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

☆ Biden downplays his disagreement with Netanyahu over possibility of a postwar Palestinian state
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Kevin Liptak | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“I’ll let you know when I get him to agree,” Biden told reporters. Biden suggested to reporters Friday that one solution would be the creation of a Palestinian state without its own military. “I think there’s ways in which this could work.”Biden raised the imperative of an eventual Palestinian state with Netanyahu during their telephone call earlier in the day. The administration simply did not believe that publicly shaming Netanyahu and his government, and their war decisions, would be constructive. On Friday, senior administration officials sought to downplay Netanyahu’s most recent rejection of the idea of a Palestinian state, insisting he had said as much publicly in the past.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu, “ I’ll, ” Biden, Antony Blinken, —, “, won’t, ”, Biden “, we’re, John Kirby, Gadi Eisenkot, ” Eisenkot, – Israel, shaming Netanyahu, Kirby, “ We’re, We’ve, ” Kirby Organizations: Washington CNN, American, UN, National Security, Hamas, Channel, United, US Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Jordan, Tel Aviv, White, United States

☆ Falling Domestic Fares and an A.I. Arms Race: What Travelers Can Expect in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Christine Chung | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +21 min

Arms Race: What Travelers Can Expect in 2024 At the start of what promises to be a very busy year, we look ahead at what you’re likely to encounter. With 2023 in the rearview mirror, we look ahead at what travelers will face in 2024. At United Airlines, for example, smarter software can offer rebooking options and issue food and lodging vouchers when a flight is canceled, rather than just rebooking a flight. United Airlines has suspended its flights indefinitely, said Josh Freed, a United spokesman. This year, travelers are expected to choose faraway places and board small ships, according to Virtuoso, the consortium of luxury travel agencies.

Persons: Chanelle, Hayley Berg, ” Ms, Berg, “, Robert W, Mann Jr, ”, Chad Burt, Oren Etzioni, Gilbert Ott, Hopper, Greg Forbes, Delta’s, Neville Pattinson, Mr, Pattinson, biometrics, Laura Lindsay, Joshua Smith, Smith, Laurel Brunvoll, Michael Zeiler, Airbnb, We’ve, Jamie Lane, ‘, ’ ”, Jan Freitag, “ We’ve, David Whiteside, Brian Kelly, Guy, Leigh Rowan, “ There’s, Kelly, Rowan, ” Mr, James Thornton, Sharm el Sheikh, Khaled Ibrahim, Harry Rubenstein, Rubenstein, Eyal Carlin, Josh Freed, Jack Ezon, Tom Marchant, Beth McGroarty Organizations: World Tourism Organization, International Air Transport Association, Analysts, Express Global, ”, airfare, University of Washington, United Airlines, Transportation, Administration, Salt Lake, International Airport, Denver International Airport, Delta Air Lines, U.S . Customs, Border Protection, La Guardia Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, biometrics, Thales, Air, American Airlines, Global, “, —, MidX Studios, LivSmart Studios, Hilton, Hyatt Studios, Accor Hotels, Boston University, Visa, Mastercard, Walmart, Target, Savanti, Chase, Intrepid Travel, Amisol Travel, East Travel Alliance, United, Consumers, Ki’ama, Wellness, Global Wellness Institute Locations: United States, Point.me, Salt, North America, London, Rome, Tokyo, Cancún, Las Vegas, Cayman Islands, Polynesia, Europe, Norway, Denmark, Air Canada, Bergen, Flam, Scandinavia, Italy, France, Malta, Slovenia, Maryland, Spain, Portugal, Britain, Egypt, India, Mexico ; Cape Girardeau, Mo, Niagara Falls, N.Y . Texas, Burnet, Sulphur Springs, New York, Vienna, Marriott, Israel, Jordan, Oman, Oman —, Tunisia, Northern Africa, Sharm, Cairo, Amisol Travel Egypt, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ramle, Kimberley, Western Australia, Mitre, Patagonia, Ki’ama Bahamas, Bahamas, South Africa, Hudson, Tuxedo Park, N.Y, Malibu , Calif, Mexico

Washington CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday appeared to reject the idea of creating a Palestinian state, a statement that could contribute to growing tensions between Washington and Jerusalem. “This conflict is not about the absence of a (Palestinian) state but about the existence of a state, the Jewish state,” Netanyahu also said. American officials said Thursday they would not allow Netanyahu’s apparent rejection of an eventual Palestinian state to stop them from pressing the matter with their Israeli counterparts. “But they underscored that this can only come through a regional approach that includes a pathway to a Palestinian state,” Blinken said. And this is this is not a new comment by Prime Minister Netanyahu,” he said.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, Joe Biden, Biden, Netanyahu, ”, he’s, Israel, ” Biden, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, John Kirby, “ We’re Organizations: Washington CNN, Israeli, American, Israel, Biden, US National Security Council, Air Force Locations: Washington, Jerusalem, “, Israel, Jordan, Tel Aviv, Palestinian, Gaza

☆ Kfir Bibas: Family marks first birthday of the youngest hostage in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | Mick Krever | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

His name is Kfir Bibas, and he is the youngest of the 253 hostages taken into Gaza by Hamas and other militant groups during the terror attacks against Israel on October 7. Friends and relatives of the Bibas family held a small event at Nir Oz on Tuesday, commemorating Kfir’s birthday with a large balloon display and a cake featuring the famous photo of Kfir with the pink elephant. “Kfir Bibas is not the enemy of the Hamas. The Hamas don’t have any rules,” Jimmy Miller, cousin of the Bibas family, told CNN on Wednesday. Following hostage releases and one rescue, the Prime Minister’s Office says 132 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom 105 are alive and 27 dead.

Persons: Kfir, Kibbutz Nir Oz, Yarden, Ariel, Nir Oz, “, Jimmy Miller, ”, Kfir’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bibas, ” Israel, Minister’s Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Israeli Locations: Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv

☆ Belgian police find stolen Picasso and Chagall paintings worth $900,000 in Antwerp house
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

CNN —Belgian police have found stolen Picasso and Chagall paintings in a basement in the city of Antwerp, local authorities said on Tuesday, adding that the artworks are still in good condition. The paintings, Picasso’s “Tête” and Chagall’s “L’homme en prière”, were stolen from an art collector in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 2010 and are worth $900,000. "Tete" by Pablo Picasso Parquet of Namu/ReutersAt the time of the theft, $680,000 worth of jewelry was also stolen but only the paintings have been found. Local police had started an investigation when a source informed them that a Belgian national was offering both artworks for sale. The local prosecutor said the main suspect has been arrested.

Persons: Picasso, Chagall, Picasso’s, Pablo Picasso Organizations: CNN, Belgian, Reuters, Local Locations: Antwerp, Tel Aviv, Israel, Namu

☆ Opinion: Psychology explains why the Israeli–Palestinian conflict is so intractable
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Opinion Nafees Hamid | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —As fighting continues between Israel and Hamas, many may wonder why this war — and, more broadly, the decades-long Israeli–Palestinian conflict — is so intractable. A feature of sacred values is that they cannot be traded-off with profane values like material incentives to compromise. When each side was offered foreign aid to incentivize the deal, it produced a backfire effect among those who held sacred values. When a symbolic concession was offered, those holding sacred values were less angered and disgusted by the deal, and support for violent opposition plummeted. Carrot-and-stick policies, such as the promise of foreign aid coupled with the threat of sanctions, backfire when presented to those holding sacred values.

Persons: Nafees Hamid, one’s, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Khaled Meshaal, Bezalel Smotrich, Israel ”, Israel, Bezalel, it’s, Netanyahu Organizations: King’s College London, CNN, UN, Getty, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Defense, Administration, West Bank, Palestinian, New School for Social Research, Jewish, Israel, Tel Aviv University, Bank Locations: Israel, US, Qatar, Palestine, Gaza, Jordan, Russian Republic of Dagestan, Berlin, Jerusalem, Israeli, Palestinian

Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed at least 24,100 Palestinians and injured another 60,834, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, pictured on December 18 in Tel Aviv, announced the withdrawal of some troops from Gaza on Monday. It was the most significant sign so far of a new phase in Israel's military offensive. The withdrawal means there are now three IDF combat divisions left in Gaza, alongside special forces, according to the spokesperson. Thousands of families have moved multiple times as Israel’s offensive has moved to new areas.

Persons: Itamar Ben Gvir, ”, Yoav Gallant, Violeta Santos Moura, Gallant, Ben Gvir’s, Bezalel Smotrich, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Abir Organizations: CNN, National, IDF, of Health, Israeli, Reuters Israeli, Getty, Palestinian Authority, UN Relief and Works Agency Locations: Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, Netanyahu’s, Jerusalem, Netanyahu's, Abir Sultan, AFP, United States, Palestine

The first video, released Sunday, showed clips of the three hostages – Noa Argamani, Itai Svirsky and another man, whose family have requested his name be withheld - speaking to a camera. The third video, released later Monday, appeared to show the dead bodies of two of the hostages, Itai Svirsky and the other man. ‘Please know that I love you very much’Hamas and other groups took around 240 hostages into Gaza on October 7. Argamani was seen in a video, released by Hamas at the time, being dragged away on a motorbike. According to his family, one of the hostages released in November contacted his sister to let her know he was alive after memorizing her phone number.

Persons: CNN — Israel, ”, Yoav Gallant, – Noa Argamani, Itai Svirsky, Noa Argamani, Argamani, Daniel Hagari, ” Hagari, “, ” Naama Weinberg, Manu Fernandez, Avinatan, Leora, “ Noa, ” Svirsky, Be’eri, Orit, Rafi – Svirsky’s, –, Aviva Sela, Grace Cabrera, Svirsky Organizations: CNN, Monday, Israeli, Hamas, IDF, Nova, Aviva Locations: Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv

☆ The Israel-Hamas war has already forced U.S. military action. Is war with Hezbollah next?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesIs a wider Middle East war — expanding beyond the borders of Gaza and Israel — inevitable? An all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah — the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shia militant organization designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. and UK — would be devastating for both sides. Lebanon, meanwhile, is in the midst of economic and political crisis, its infrastructure wholly unprepared for a new war. Evelyn Hockstein | Afp | Getty ImagesFor Charles Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser, war between Israel and Hezbollah is practically a foregone conclusion. But, he warned, "The war in Gaza pales in comparison to what a war with Hezbollah would look like.

Persons: Wissam tawil, Antony Blinken, Evelyn Hockstein, Charles Freilich, Freilich, Nimrod Novik, Hassan Nasrallah, Israel —, Naim Qassem, Wissam Tawil, Mahmoud Zayyat Organizations: Iranian, Getty, Israeli Air Force, State Department, Jan, Hezbollah, U.S, Afp, Haaretz, Israel Policy Forum Locations: Lebanese, Khirbit, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Red, . Washington, Doha, Tel Aviv, Kherbet Selm

Video posted Monday to X by Al Jazeera showed hundreds of people rushing toward what appeared to be an aid truck in what the news outlet said was Gaza City. The Associated Press could not immediately independently verify the video and it was not clear when the video was filmed. Political Cartoons View All 253 Images“People in Gaza risk dying of hunger just miles from trucks filled with food,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. Israel blames Hamas for the high death toll, saying its fighters make use of civilian buildings and launch attacks from densely populated urban areas. The U.S., as well as the U.N., have continued to push Israel to ease the flow of aid.

Persons: Israel, Al Jazeera, ”, Cindy McCain, “, Khan Younis, Moshe Tetro, John Kirby, Israel “, “ We’re, Benjamin Netanyahu, ___ Magdy, ___ Organizations: Associated Press, Food Program, UNICEF, World Health Organization, Ministry, Hamas, White, National Security, CBS, ” Locations: RAFAH, Gaza, Israel, Gaza City, Egypt, Ashdod, Rafah, U.S, Cairo, Goldenberg, Tel Aviv, israel

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