DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Israeli women and children have been freed by Hamas. But families of other hostages are in limbo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Each weekend since the Hamas attacks, Sherman has taken part in a rally in Tel Aviv for the hostage families. Under the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas, groups of Israeli citizens and other nationals have been freed from Gaza every day since Friday, while Israel has released Palestinian women and children detainees. All of the Israelis released under this deal have been civilian women and children. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured on October 28, has indicated he would be open to extending the country's truce with Hamas. Tsafrir Abayov/APA group of Israelis watch as a helicopter carrying hostages released by Hamas lands in Petah Tikva, in Israel, on November 26.

Persons: Israel CNN — Alex Sherman, Ron, Sherman, Yahya Sinwar, “, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Hamas , Abir, Nadav Eyal, Eyal, Khan Younis, ” Amir Oren, ”, Tsafrir, Leo Correa, Netanyahu, ” Eyal, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Oren, Biden Organizations: Israel CNN, Hamas, CNN, Israeli, Reuters, Palestinian, Israel Defense Forces, Israel Democracy Institute, US, United Nations Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, United States, Qatar, Abir Sultan, Khan, Israel’s, Egypt, Petah Tikva, “ Israel, Sinwar

☆ 'I Dreamt We Came Home' Says Israeli Girl Released From Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

PETAH TIKVA, Israel (Reuters) - Released with her mother and little sister after almost 50 days in captivity in Gaza, four-year-old Raz Asher sits in her father's arms on a hospital bed in Israel. "I dreamt we came home," she tells her father, Yoni. Around 240 people, civilians and soldiers, as well as some foreign nationals, were abducted to Gaza during Hamas' deadly Oct 7 attack. He later saw a video on social media of her and his two little girls being taken to Gaza on a vehicle, gunmen around them. (Reporting by Rami Amichay in Petah Tikva and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

Persons: Raz Asher, Raz, Doron, Yoni Asher, Nir Oz, Yoni, Rami Amichay, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Hamas, Schneider Children's Medical Locations: PETAH TIKVA, Israel, Gaza, Aviv, Petah Tikva, Maayan, Jerusalem

☆ 'I dreamt we came home' says Israeli girl released from Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I dreamt we came home," she tells her father, Yoni. Raz was released with her two-year-old sister, Aviv and mother Doron on Friday, in the first stage of the Israel-Hamas hostage deal that is set to see another 14 hostages, women and children, released on Saturday. Around 240 people, civilians and soldiers, as well as some foreign nationals, were abducted to Gaza during Hamas' deadly Oct 7 attack. Yoni Asher had stayed home on that day, in central Israel, when his wife took the two girls to visit their grandmother in Kibbutz Nir Oz, near the border with Gaza. Reporting by Rami Amichay in Petah Tikva and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Editing by Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aviv Asher, Raz Asher, Doron, Yoni, Raz, Aviv's, Doron's, Yoni Asher, Nir Oz, Rami Amichay, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Schneider Children's Medical, Hamas, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Israel, PETAH TIKVA, Gaza, Aviv, Petah Tikva, Maayan, Jerusalem

☆ As second hostage-for-prisoners release looms, Egypt sees 'positive signals' on Gaza truce extension
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

International Red Cross vehicles, carrying Israeli prisoners released from Gaza, are on their way to Rafah crossing under the 4 day deal in Gaza on November 24, 2023. Egypt, which controls the Rafah border crossing through which vital aid has resumed passing into the Gaza Strip under the truce accord, also said it had received "positive signals" from all parties over a possible extension of that deal. Since then, Israel has rained bombs on Gaza, killing about 14,000 people, roughly 40% of them children, Palestinian health authorities say. Fifty trucks carrying food, water, shelter equipment, and medical supplies, have been deployed to the northern Gaza Strip and to shelters in non-evacuated areas of the Palestinian enclave, Israel said. Since then, Israel has rained bombs on Gaza, killing about 14,000 people, roughly 40% of them children, Palestinian health authorities say.

Persons: Mustafa Hassona, Diaa Rashwan, Biden, Munder, Gilat Livni, Paediatrics, Raz Asher, Yoni, Ronen Zvulun, Joe Biden, Ayman Nofal, Khan Younis, Thomas Samson, Haitham Ahmed, Mohammed Ghandour, I'm Organizations: Cross, Anadolu, Getty, Egypt's, Information Service, Gaza, Schneider Children's Medical, Reuters, Airbus, Arish International Airport, Afp, Israeli Defence Ministry, Reuters Tv Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Israeli, Cairo, Israel, London, Gaza Gaza, Palestinian, Petah Tikva, U.S, Khan, El

☆ Rubik's Cube-loving 9-year-old among hostages freed from Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Rami Amichay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The 13 Israeli hostages released by Hamas fighters included sisters aged 2 and 4 and their mother, a 5-year-old girl and her mother, as well as elderly women. As well as the Israeli hostages, 10 Thais and one Filipino, who were taken captive at the same time, were also freed under a separate agreement, Qatari mediators said. The rest of a group of at least 50 Israeli hostages due to be exchanged under a Qatari-brokered agreement are expected to be freed in the coming days and more hostages could be added if the truce deal is extended. MIXED EMOTIONSFor the families of the hostages, there was happiness mingled with concern for those who remained in Gaza. That's a human thing," said Yoni Katz Asher, whose wife Doron and children Raz and Aviv were freed on Friday.

Persons: Munder, Gilat Livni, Livni, Roni Haviv, Keren, Ruth, Avraham Munder, Yosef Mendelovich, Benjamin Netanyahu, it's, Yoni Katz Asher, Doron, Raz, Shelly Shem Tov, Omer Shem Tov, Omer, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovitch, Henriette Chacar, Eli Berlzon, James Mackenzie, Alexandra Hudson, Hugh Lawson, Daniel Wallis, Mark Potter Organizations: Schneider Children's Medical, Pediatrics, Hamas, Red Cross, Qatari, Israel's, Thomson Locations: PETAH TIKVA, Gaza, Israel, Petah Tikva, Aviv

[1/7] Hostages released as part of a deal between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas arrive by helicopter at Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel, November 24, 2023. They were then taken to Israel for medical checks and reunions with relatives. The Israeli hostages freed included four children accompanied by four family members, and five elderly women. According to Israeli tallies, Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people in the October attack and took about 240 hostages. In at least three cases, before the prisoners were released, Israeli police raided their families' homes in Jerusalem, witnesses said.

Persons: Ronen, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Cross, Joe Biden, Israel's, Shelly Shem Tov, Omer Shem Tov, Omer, Roni Haviv, Munder, Sawsan Bkeer, Marah Bkeer, Bassam Masoud, James Mackenzie, Henriette Chacar, Jeff Mason, Idrees Ali, Grant McCool, Deepa Babington Organizations: Schneider Children's Medical, REUTERS, Palestinian, Hamas, International Committee, ICRC, U.S, Palestine Red Crescent Society, Israel's, Police, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Petah Tikva, Gaza GAZA, JERUSALEM, Gaza, Rafah, Qatar, Filipino, Palestine, Jerusalem, Egypt

☆ Israel's far-right finance minister demands expanded war cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 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. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Israel's far-right finance minister, who has so far been excluded from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet, called on Monday for lawmakers taking a harder line towards Hamas to be included in decisions about the war. "I think this grave mistake necessitates the expansion of the war cabinet," said Smotrich, arguing that letting in fuel gave Hamas a lifeline during the war. Smotrich, in a statement, said the war cabinet should include "opinions that until today have not been heard", including from those with a record of calling for Hamas to be eliminated. Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch and Steve Scheer Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Amir Cohen, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Smotrich, Ari Rabinovitch, Steve Scheer, Peter Graff Organizations: Tel, REUTERS, Rights, Likud, Finance, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Israel, Israel's, U.S, Gaza

☆ Exclusive: UAE plans to maintain ties with Israel despite Gaza outcry, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Abu Dhabi became the most prominent Arab nation to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in 30 years under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. "The indiscriminate damage visited upon the people of Gaza in pursuit of Israel's security risks extinguishing that hope," she said. Israel and the UAE have developed close economic and security ties in the three years since normalisation, including defence cooperation. None of four sources ruled out that the UAE could downgrade or sever its ties if the crisis escalated. While criticising Israel's conduct of the war, Abu Dhabi has also condemned Hamas for its attack.

Persons: Ronen, Abu Dhabi, Israel ABU, Abraham, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sheikh Mohamed, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Israel, Washington, Anwar Gargash, Lana Nusseibeh, Abu, Jordan, James Dorsey, Netanyahu, Israel's, Abdel Fattah al, Mohammed Mursi, Omar Hassan al, Bashir, Alexander Cornwell, Dan Williams, Steven Scheers, Maha El Dahan, Michael Georgy, Daniel Flynn Organizations: REUTERS, UAE, United Arab Emirates, Israel, U.S, Abraham Accords, Israeli, Qatari, UN Security Council, Reuters, West Bank, Gaza, National University of Singapore, European Union, Egypt's, Thomson Locations: Petah Tikva, Israel, UAE, Gaza, Israel ABU DHABI, Abu, Palestinian, Arab, United States, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, reining, East Jerusalem, Israeli, Iran, Yemen, OPEC, Al Aqsa, Islam, Egypt, Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attend an inauguration event for Israel's new light rail line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, in Petah Tikva, Israel, August 17, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Israel's finance ministry said on Friday it would divert to the war effort some 1.6 billion shekels ($440 million) this year out of billions earmarked for parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition government. They expressed alarm last month at the government's plan to transfer 9 billion shekels ($2.2 billion) to ultra-Orthodox and far-right-wing pro-settler parties, as part of an agreement Netanyahu made with them to secure his ruling coalition. The finance ministry's proposal would cut around 70% of 2.5 billion shekels of funding for coalition partners still due to be paid in the current 2023 budget. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a letter on Friday that he planned to cut some 4 billion shekels ($1 billion) from the 2023 budget excluding war funding, and increase war funding by a further 9 billion, on top of 22 billion shekels already allocated.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Bezalel Smotrich, Amir Cohen, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Maytaal, Peter Graff Organizations: Israeli Finance, Tel, REUTERS, Rights, Finance, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Israel

☆ Massive surge in the buying of Israel Bonds from the United States
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Jason Gewirtz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It also makes 2023 a record year for Israel Bonds. Two counties in Florida, Broward and Palm Beach, also bought Israel Bonds in the last four weeks, as did Ohio's Franklin County. A spokesperson for the bank called the sales part of "a more than 35 year relationship with Israel Bonds." Celal Gunes | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesExecutives at Israel Bonds said about $250 million of the total raised in the last month came from individual investors, large and small, throughout the United States, who purchased the bonds directly. Naveh, the CEO of Israel Bonds, lives in the town of Savyon, just east of Tel Aviv.

Persons: Jack Guez, Israel Bonds, Celal, Dani Naveh, Nir Elias, Thomas DiNapoli, Ilan Rosenberg Organizations: Development Corporation, Israel, Palestinian, Afp, Getty, Finance, Bonds, Israel Bond, Bank, Cleveland, Key Bank, of American University, Washington , D.C, Anadolu Agency, CNBC, Gaza, Reuters, Hamas, Gaza Ministry, Health, New York State, New York Locations: United States, Palestinian, Tel Aviv, Israel, Florida , New York , Alabama, Arizona , Ohio , Illinois , Texas, Georgia , Oklahoma , Nevada , Louisiana, South Carolina , Indiana, Pennsylvania, Florida , Broward, Palm, Franklin County, New Jersey, Gaza, Washington ,, Petah Tikva, Savyon, Kibbutz Be'eri

☆ Israel cuts Gaza funds from Palestinian tax transfer
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Following a debate over whether to make the transfer as Israel battles Hamas militants in Gaza, the Israeli cabinet said it would also withhold money to offset stipends the PA pays to Palestinian militants and their families. There was no immediate comment from the PA, which in the past has refused to accept trimmed tax transfers. The PA is estimated to spend some 30% of its budget in Gaza, where it also pays for medicine and social assistance programs. Together with aid from foreign donors, the tax funds make up the bulk of the cash-strapped PA's public revenues and also help pay for civil servant salaries and other services in the West Bank. In 2019, the Palestinians rejected the tax money several times after Israel cut the sum over the PA's support to the families of jailed or slain Palestinian militants.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Amir Cohen, Israel, Yoav Gallant, Mahmoud Abbas, Steven Scheer, Emily Rose, Rami Ayyub, Maytaal Angel, William Maclean, Sandra Maler Organizations: Finance, Tel, REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Palestinian, Bank, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Israel, Gaza

☆ Intel, Salesforce and Cisco are giving cash payments to workers in Israel amid the war with Hamas, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tech giants including Intel, Salesforce and Cisco are giving cash payments to employees in Israel. AdvertisementAdvertisementSeveral big tech firms are giving cash payments to employees in Israel to help support them amid the conflict with Hamas. Intel plans to give $5,000 to each of its 12,000 workers in Israel in November, business news outlet Globes reported . Gelsinger also told workers in the memo that their efforts to continue working and support colleagues who haven't been able to "has not gone unnoticed." Cisco is also providing a grant of between 9,500 and 19,000 ($2,355 to $4,710) to 800 workers in Israel, tech news site Ctech reported.

Persons: Pat Gelsinger, they'd, —, Gelsinger, haven't, Jenseng Huang, Cisco didn't Organizations: Tech, Intel, Cisco, Globes, Nvidia, Israel, Service, Hamas Locations: Israel, Nazareth, Petah Tikva, Tel Aviv, Gaza

☆ Microsoft exec says Israel's tech sector could suffer from war with Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Israeli national flags flutter near office towers at a business park also housing high tech companies, at Ofer Park in Petah Tikva, Israel August 27, 2020. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Nov 1 (Reuters) - A senior Microsoft Israel official expressed concern for the future of Israel's high tech sector due to the country's war with Islamist group Hamas, warning multinational companies may close research and development activities. Tomer Simon, chief scientist at Microsoft Israel's R&D Center, said he expressed his concerns in a letter to Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel's head of the National Security Council, but never received a reply. "The country must create a positive horizon so that multinational companies continue to grow," Simon said, noting that for every tech job, there were five more created that drive Israel's economy. Simon did not cite figures but the government has estimated as much as 15% of tech workers were called to military service.

Persons: Ronen, Tomer Simon, Tzachi, Simon, Israel, Steven Scheer, Alison Williams Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Microsoft Israel, Hamas, Microsoft, D Center, National Security Council, Thomson Locations: Petah Tikva, Israel

☆ Opinion: ‘Dark, terrifying, claustrophobic.’ What it’s like inside Hamas’ tunnels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Jennifer Smith | Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In the decade since, she has done extensive research into Hamas’ tunnel system as well as the underground network built by Hezbollah. Peter Bergen: What’s it like inside a Hamas tunnel? A Hamas fighter appears inside an underground tunnel in Gaza in 2014. Israeli soldiers went into Hamas’ tunnels during Operation Protective Edge, and they were not trained and not equipped, and there was combat in the tunnels. Bergen: Is a dog force used by Israel inside tunnels?

Persons: Peter Bergen, ”, Daphné Richemond Barak, Richemond Barak, they’re, Mohammed Salem, Israel, it’s, Rina Castelnuovo, Gilad Shalit, Shalit, Israel — Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, Peter Bergen CNN, Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy, Reichman University, Subterranean Warfare, British, IDF, Israel Defense Forces, Bloomberg, Getty, Hamas, ISIS, Northern Locations: New America, Gaza, Israel, Herzliya, Vietnam, Viet, Messines, Belgium, Iran, Lebanon, Hamas, Bergen, Petah Tikva, —, Mosul, Iraq, Syria

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops and tanks briefly raided northern Gaza overnight, the military said Thursday, engaging with Hamas fighters and targeting anti-tank weapons in order to “prepare the battlefield” before an expected ground invasion. Israel has imposed a suffocating siege on Gaza since Hamas’ bloody rampage and hostage-taking across southern Israel ignited the war. The Israeli military says it only strikes militant targets and accuses Hamas of operating among civilians in an attempt to protect its fighters. That is more than three times the number of Palestinians killed in the six-week-long Gaza war in 2014. On Wednesday, the wife, son, daughter and grandson of Wael Dahdouh, a veteran Al-Jazeera correspondent in Gaza, were killed in an Israeli strike.

Persons: Khan Younis, Israel, Benny Gantz, ”, Daniel Hagari, ” Israel, Wael Dahdouh, William Schomburg, “, ___ Chehayeb, Wafaa, Jack Jeffery, Brian Melley Organizations: Health Ministry, Hamas, ’, West Bank, The United, Gaza Health Ministry, Al, UNRWA, International Committee, World Health Organization, Shifa, United Nations, United Locations: RAFAH, Gaza, Israel, Petah Tikva, Iranian, Lebanon, Syria, The United States, Jazeera, Palestinian, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Morocco, Beirut, Teibel, Jerusalem, Deir al, Cairo, London

☆ Israel's leaders failed to protect citizens, finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 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. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Sunday the government was taking responsibility for the devastating attack that allowed Hamas militants to enter Israel and kill hundreds of Israeli civilians. "We have to admit honestly, painfully and with a bowed head - we, the state leadership and the security establishment, have failed in maintaining the security of our citizens," Smotrich, a key partner in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, told a news conference. "We failed to implement the unwritten contract, the first of its kind between a state and its citizens. Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch and Steven Scheer; editing by James MackenzieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Amir Cohen, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Ari Rabinovitch, Steven Scheer, James Mackenzie Organizations: Tel, REUTERS, Rights, Israeli, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Israel

He said in the short-term resources could be diverted if the conflict expands, such as staff at tech companies being called up as military reservists. "They will probably increase the investment in AI," Krosby said. "It could bolster support for more financial resources for tech for the military, which then ultimately transitions to the private sector tech companies," Krosby added. The tech sector has shown resilience in the past, overcoming a number of conflicts with Hamas in Gaza. Apjit Walia the Managing Director at DVN Capital said the Israeli tech sector "has historically bounced back from geopolitical tragedies."

Persons: Amir Cohen, Israel, Jack Ablin, Quincy Krosby, Jensen Huang, Benjamin Netanyahu, LPL's Krosby, Krosby, DVN Capital, Max A, Cherney, Mica Rosenberg, Steven Scheer, Kenneth Li, Megan Davies, Jamie Freed Organizations: Intel, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Tech, Hamas, Cresset Wealth, Financial, Intel Corp, Sunday, Nvidia, Tel, Semiconductor, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Google, Facebook, DVN, Thomson Locations: Petah Tikva, Tel Aviv, Israel, JERUSALEM, Gaza, Charlotte , North Carolina, United States, Silicon Valley, Kiryat Gat, Apjit, Francisco, New York, Jerusalem

☆ Donald Trump may have had a bad week with US voters, but Republicans in Israel still love the former president
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Insider met with Republicans Overseas in Israel to discuss Donald Trump's popularity in the country. It's named in honor of former President Donald Trump, a figure who is generally beloved in the country. Trump Square's modest sign reads: "The USA's 45th president and the first to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel." Joshua Zitser/Insider"Israel never had a president who is as supportive and helpful as US President Donald Trump," Rami Greenberg, the mayor of Petah Tikva, at the unveiling of Trump Square in 2019. A 2018 University of Maryland poll of 650 Israeli Jewish people found that 73% of those surveyed supported moving the embassy.

☆ Ministrul de externe german a ajuns în Israel pentru discuţii cu privire la conflictul din Fâșia Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-20 | by ( ) www.zdg.md time to read: +1 min

Ministrul de externe german Heiko Maas a început joi o vizită în Israel şi teritoriile palestiniene pentru a evalua mijloacele prin care comunitatea internaţională poate ajuta la o încetare a focului, la zece zile de la declanşarea noilor violenţe între Israel şi mişcarea palestiniană islamistă Hamas, care controlează Fâşia Gaza, relatează presa internațională. După sosirea pe aeroportul Ben Gurion de la Tel Aviv, Maas va avea întâlniri cu premierul israelian Benjamin Netanyahu, cu şeful diplomaţiei Gabi Ashkenazi, cu ministrul apărării Benny Gantz şi cu preşedintele Reuven Rivlin. El va avea o întrevedere separată cu preşedintele palestinian Mahmoud Abbas. Heiko Maas i se va alătura omologului său Gabi Ashkenazi într-o vizită la Petah Tikva, la est de Tel Aviv, la locul unde o rachetă palestiniană a lovit o clădire. Cu puţin înaintea de sosirea sa în Israel, sirenele de alarmă au sunat din nou, după mai multe ore de linişte.

Persons: Heiko Maas, Ben Gurion, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gabi Ashkenazi, Benny Gantz, Reuven Rivlin, Mahmoud Abbas Organizations: Heiko, Hamas Locations: Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Maas, Petah

Search resuls for: "Petah"

21 mentions found