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☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, IDF recovers another hostage
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Adrienne Vogt | Matt Meyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Former Israeli defense minister and war cabinet member Benny Gantz attends a meeting with the press in Ramot Naftali, Israel, on October 29. Amir Levy/Getty ImagesFormer Israeli defense minister and war cabinet member Benny Gantz is demanding that the cabinet lays out a plan for the war against Hamas by June 8. Gantz said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must choose between "victory and disaster" as he issued the ultimatum. Gantz said that to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians, Hamas cannot remain in Gaza and must be cleared from Rafah. He acknowledged the harmful impact the war is having on civilians but insisted that “decisiveness” is needed.

Persons: Benny Gantz, Ramot Naftali, Israel, Amir Levy, Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu Organizations: Getty Locations: Ramat Gan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Rafah, Gaza

☆ Member of Israel's War Cabinet says he'll quit the government June 8 unless there's a new war plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz arrives at the US State Department ahead of a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on March 5, 2024 in Washington DC. Gantz, a popular politician and longtime political rival of Netanyahu, joined his coalition and the War Cabinet in the early days of the war. There was fresh frustration Friday when the military said its troops in Gaza found the bodies of three hostages killed by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack. The war began after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of around 30 more.

Persons: Benny Gantz, Antony Blinken, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gantz, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Jake Sullivan Organizations: US State Department, Washington DC, Israeli, U.S, West Bank Locations: Washington, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Rafah, U.S, —, Qatar, United States, Egypt

Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s war cabinet, presented Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with an ultimatum on Saturday, saying he would leave the government if it did not soon develop a plan for the future of the war in Gaza. While Mr. Gantz’s departure would not topple the country’s emergency wartime government, the move would further strain a fragile coalition that has provided Mr. Netanyahu’s far-right government with a boost of international legitimacy, and it would make the prime minister even more reliant on his hard-line partners. “If you choose the path of zealots, dragging the country into the abyss, we will be forced to leave the government,” Mr. Gantz said in a televised news conference. “We will turn to the people and build a government that will earn the people’s trust.”Mr. Gantz, who leads the National Unity party, said he would give Mr. Netanyahu until June 8 — three weeks’ time — to develop a plan that would aim to secure the release of hostages taken to Gaza by Hamas-led militants on Oct. 7, address the future governance of the territory, return displaced Israelis to their homes and advance normalization with Saudi Arabia, among other issues.

Persons: Benny Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gantz’s, Netanyahu’s, ” Mr, Gantz, “, Netanyahu Organizations: National Unity Locations: Gaza, Hamas, Saudi Arabia

☆ Yoav Gallant, Israel defense minister, says he would oppose ‘Israeli military rule’ in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | Tamar Michaelis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly rule out Israeli governance over Gaza and to lay out his post-war plans, warning that he opposes Israeli rule in the Palestinian enclave. Israeli military officials have quietly warned that the lack of a long-term strategy for post-war governance will result in this pattern repeating throughout Gaza. “I will not agree to the establishment of Israeli military rule in Gaza. Netanyahu also said that a complete routing of Hamas would be his prerequisite for a new civilian government in Gaza. The public clash between Gallant and Netanyahu follows repeated calls by the US for Israel to produce a clear plan for post-war Gaza.

Persons: CNN —, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu, ’, ” Gallant, “⁠, ”, Gallant’s, Antony Blinken, Israel, Netanyahu, “, CNN Netanyahu, “ I’m, Fatah, Benny Gantz, Gallant Organizations: CNN, CNN — Israel’s, Hamas, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Locations: Gaza, Israel, ”, Kyiv, Ukraine

☆ The Debate Over Rafah
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At the heart of the dispute between President Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu over invading Rafah is a larger disagreement about what Israel can reasonably hope to accomplish against Hamas. Israel’s military has already made progress, having dismantled at least 18 of Hamas’s 24 battalions since the Oct. 7 attacks. But Hamas’s top leaders and thousands of fighters have survived, many evidently fleeing to tunnels under Rafah. “Ending the war without clearing out Rafah is like sending a firefighter to extinguish 80 percent of the fire,” Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet and Netanyahu’s chief political opponent, has told U.S. officials. The Wall Street Journal editorial board, which tends to support Netanyahu, has called Rafah “the crucial city for the terrorist group’s future.”

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, I’ll, Netanyahu, ” Benny Gantz, ” Organizations: U.S Locations: Rafah, Israel

CNN —Hamas says it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza. It’s unclear whether Hamas has agreed to the most recent ceasefire proposal, as outlined last week, or a revised version of it. Palestinians in Rafah celebrate news that Hamas has accepted a ceasefire proposal, May 6, 2024. More than 1 million Palestinians have fled to Rafah, where Hamas is believed to have regrouped after Israel’s destruction of much of the north of Gaza. IDF operations ongoingAsked whether Hamas’ acceptance of a deal could change Israel’s plans for Rafah, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the military would continue to operate in Gaza.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, William Burns, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Matthew Miller, “, ”, Daniel Hagari, ” Netanyahu, ” Itamar Ben Gvir, Netanyahu, ” Benny Gantz Organizations: CNN, Hamas, CIA, Qatari, Getty, Israel Defense Forces, Families Forum Locations: Egypt, Qatar, Israel, Gaza, Doha, Qatar’s, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al, United States, Deir al, Gaza City, Rafah, AFP, Orit, Tel Aviv

☆ Hamas has proposed a ceasefire deal. Here’s why that won’t bring an immediate end to the war in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —When Hamas declared on Monday evening that it has “agreed” to a ceasefire deal, it caught many off guard. But US officials have pushed back on Hamas’ claim that it had “agreed” to a ceasefire deal, instead characterizing the response as a counterproposal with changes. The Hamas proposal calls for an end to the war, which is a red line for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior American official told CNN. “Both sides only want a ceasefire deal that ensures their political survival,” Lowenstein said. It is not a list of individuals who can be killed or infrastructure and equipment that can be destroyed,” Ibish told CNN.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Israel, Bill Burns, Benny Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu, Matan Golan, Frank Lowenstein, Barack Obama, ” Lowenstein, Netanyahu — “, Netanyahu, Barak Ravid, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Hamas’s, Biden, doesn’t, Lowenstein, “ Bibi, he’s, Khan Younis, “, that’s, Bibi, it’s, ” Hussein Ibish, Ibish, ” Ibish, “ Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Hamas, CIA, Qatari, Israeli, Palestinian, Israel, AFP, Getty, Gulf States Institute Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Cairo, Israel, “, American, Tel Aviv, Washington ,, Qatar

☆ Far-right Israeli ministers urge Netanyahu not to accept ceasefire proposal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Benjamin Brown | Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is coming under fierce pressure from far-right members of his government not to agree to the ceasefire proposal currently on the table, which could prevent an Israeli military offensive in Rafah from moving forward. Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages protest in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 27, 2024. Jack Guez/AFP/Getty ImagesFormer Israeli Prime Minister and opposition leader Yair Lapid hit back at Strook’s remarks. In the first phase, between 22 and 33 hostages are to be released over several weeks in exchange for the pause and the release of Palestinian prisoners. A woman looks at a wall of photos of hostages captured by Hamas on October 7, displayed in Tel Aviv.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Orit Strook, Strook’s, Netanyahu mulls, Bezalel Smotrich, ”, Netanyahu, Jack Guez, Yair Lapid, “, Benny Gantz, Gantz, ” Strook, Amir Levy, Blinken, Jordan, “ We’re, ” Blinken, Isaac Herzog, wouldn’t, Herzog, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Israel’s Army, Hamas, Getty Locations: Rafah, Egypt, Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, AFP, “, Saudi Arabia

☆ With Israel Poised to Invade Rafah, Negotiators Try Again for Cease-Fire Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Isabel Kershner | Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As international diplomats converged in the Middle East on Sunday seeking a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, Israel wrestled with whether to go forward with a ground invasion of Rafah, Hamas’s last bastion in the enclave, according to Israeli officials and analysts. Israeli officials have said repeatedly that they plan to move into Rafah, but over the weekend, they made clear they were open to holding off if it meant they could secure the release of Israeli hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet, said Sunday that while “entering Rafah is important for the long battle against Hamas,” freeing the remaining hostages, whose number is estimated at about 100, “is urgent and much more important.”As Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken headed for Saudi Arabia on Sunday to meet with officials from a half-dozen Arab nations, an American official said Mr. Blinken’s top priority was a cease-fire deal that would include the release of all hostages.

Persons: Benny Gantz, Antony J, Blinken Locations: Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Hamas’s, Saudi Arabia

Sitting together last month, Graham and MBS spoke with Trump for roughly five minutes, two people familiar with the call told CNN. The call encapsulates how Trump looms over an agreement that US, Israeli and Saudi officials all see as vital to achieving lasting stability in the Middle East. Graham informed Biden officials of the call between MBS and Trump and says they understand why he wants to keep Trump in the loop. With the election looming and the region engulfed by turmoil over Israel’s war in Gaza, the window of opportunity is rapidly shrinking, people involved in the negotiations told CNN. “I think President Trump understands this is building on what he did,” Graham told CNN.

Persons: South Carolina Republican Sen, Lindsey Graham, Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, — Donald Trump, Graham, Joe Biden, Salman, Biden’s, Trump, Abraham, Biden, Donald Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Evan Vucci, ”, ” Trump, “ They’re, That’s, “, ” Graham, Jamal Khashoggi, Sen, X.com Graham, Bibi Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Jake Sullivan, Amos Hochstein, Antony Blinken, Jake, ” CNN’s Alex Marquardt Organizations: CNN, South Carolina Republican, Biden Administration, Trump, Saudi, Abraham Accords, Saudi Crown, White, MBS, New York Times, Biden, Republican, Graham, Saudi Press Agency, Israel, President’s National, US Locations: Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, Saudi, Palestine, Bahrain, UAE, Washington, Gaza, Riyadh, NATO, Palestinian

☆ Israeli leaders and military criticize reported US plans to sanction IDF unit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Eugenia Yosef | Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other ministers have sharply criticized reports of plans by the United States to sanction an Israeli military unit for alleged human rights abuses against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The allegations are said to implicate members of the Netzah Yehuda battalion of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the occupied West Bank, a unit established in 1999 comprising religious and Ultra-Orthodox Jews. He didn’t explicitly name Netzah Yehuda. An ‘inseparable part’ of the IDF“The ‘Netzah Yehuda’ battalion is an inseparable part of the Israel Defense Forces. Remo Casilli/Reuters“The reports regarding sanctions against the Netzah Yehuda Battalion are not currently known to the IDF.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, “, ”, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, didn’t, Netzah Yehuda, Netzah Yehuda ’, ” Benny Gantz, Israel, Gantz, Bezalel Smotrich, Netzah, Remo Casilli, ” Blinken, I’ve, Blinken Organizations: CNN, Israeli, West Bank, Israel Defense Forces, “, Rights Watch, HRW, Palestinian Ministry of Health, IDF, International, Reuters, Netzah Locations: United States, Gaza, Israel, Capri, Italy

☆ Middle East Crisis Senior Israeli Military Official Offers to Resign After Oct. 7 Intelligence Failures
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Adam Rasgon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Mr. Netanyahu said in a social media post that his government would “act by all means” against any such move. The sanctions, if imposed, would not hold up the military aid that was just approved in Congress. The Israeli military disciplined three of the unit’s commanders after the investigation. Human rights organizations have long accused the Israeli military justice system of whitewashing wrongdoing and the military of acting with impunity. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed during the six months of war, according to Gazan health officials.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr, Netanyahu, Axios, Netzah Yehuda, Leahy, Yehuda, Omar Abdelmajed Assad, “, Assad’s, Biden, Benny Gantz, Yoav Gallant, Antony J, Blinken, Jacob J, Lew, Gallant, Mick Mulroy, ”, ” Natan Odenheimer, Gabby Sobelman Organizations: West Bank, Biden, Netzah, Jewish, Israel, Pentagon, State Locations: States, Gaza, Israel, Israel’s, Iran, U.S, United States

☆ Fears Over Iran Buoy Netanyahu at Home. For Now.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But a confrontation between Israel and Iran this week — including on Friday when Israel retaliated against last weekend’s missile barrage by Iran — may have helped change the dynamic, at least for the time being. Now, Mr. Netanyahu is in his strongest domestic position since the October attack, even as his global standing ebbs amid anger at the conduct of Israel’s war in Gaza. “This was his best week since October,” said Mazal Mualem, a biographer of Mr. Netanyahu. And that’s the reason that, this week, we can see Bibi recovering,” Ms. Mualem said, calling Mr. Netanyahu by his nickname. Mr. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition is still trailing the main opposition bloc in the polls, and he would still likely lose an election if it was called tomorrow.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Israel, Iran —, Netanyahu, ”, Mazal Mualem, Mr, “ We’re, Bibi, ” Ms, Mualem, Netanyahu’s, Benny Gantz — Locations: Israel, Iran, Gaza

☆ Opinion: 5 critical takeaways from Iran’s attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Miraculously, by a feat of military technology bolstered by coordination with friends and allies, Israel was able to repel the massive attack. The Quds Force commanders have been working with Iran-allied Hezbollah, which has been shelling Israel since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched an attack from Gaza. What if Iran’s missiles and drones had carried nuclear material? In addition, the US was able to work out of its bases in Qatar and northern Iraq to counter Iran’s attack. The Iranian attack has revealed that Israel does have friends, including some in very important places: across the Middle East.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Israel, Frida Ghitis Tanya Malott, Jerusalem —, Jesus, Israel unlivable, Israel —, Benjamin Netanyahu, —, General Antonio Guterres “, ”, Jordan, ” Saudi Arabia — Iran’s, Benny Gantz, ” Biden, “, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, John Bolton Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Israel, Quds Force, Hamas, Ukraine, Street Journal, United Arab, Finance, National Security Locations: Israel, Jerusalem, al, Aqsa, Iran, Arab Israeli, Damascus, Gaza, Beirut, Buenos Aires, Jordan, Iraq, North Korea, Israeli, Palestinian, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Russia, Argentina, Japan, United States, France, ” Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Republic

☆ 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

☆ 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 war cabinet hold heated debate over how to respond to Iran attack, Israeli officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Tel Aviv, Israel CNN —Israel’s war cabinet has been engaged in a heated debate about how and when to respond to Iran’s weekend attack on their country, two Israeli officials familiar with the deliberations tell CNN. In addition to a potential military response, the war cabinet is also mulling diplomatic options to further isolate Iran on the world stage. Benny Gantz, a key member of the war cabinet, has pushed for a swifter response to Iran’s attack, two Israeli officials said. But Israeli officials recognize that will be a difficult needle to thread, hence the ongoing debate. An hours-long war cabinet meeting on Sunday ended without a decision on how Israel will respond to Iran’s attack, an Israeli official said.

Persons: Israel CNN —, Benny Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gantz, Iran’s, Netanyahu, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, Joe Biden, Biden, ” Organizations: Israel CNN, CNN, Revolutionary Guards, White Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Iran, Syria, ” Israel

☆ Iran's missile attacks showed some calculated restraint. Will Israel's response?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Peter Gelling | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It was a response to Israel's attack on an Iranian consulate building in Damascus on April 1, which killed multiple high-level Iranian commanders. But Iran knows all too well about Israel's Iron Dome and its other air defense systems, which intercepted many of the incoming projectiles. Iran also warned everyone for weeks that the attack was coming — giving Israel's allies time to prepare — and avoided targeting civilian locations. It was a response aimed at demonstrating its capabilities and saving face while — its government hopes — avoiding further escalation. On the day of the Iranian attack, thousands gathered in Tel Aviv to protest against Netanyahu's government.

Persons: —, Ian Bremmer, Michael Horowitz, Will Israel, John Kirby, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden's, Biden, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Israel Organizations: Service, British, Business, Eurasia Group, Le Beck, NBC's, West Bank, Iranian Locations: Iran, Israel, Iranian, Damascus, Jordanian, States, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Lebanon, Syria

☆ Why Iran attacked Israel and what comes next
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

How did Iran attack Israel? Israel and Iran are long-standing rivals and have been engaged in a shadow war for years. Israel’s war on Hamas, waged since the militant group attacked Israel on October 7, has heightened those tensions. But fears of a spiralling regional war spiked further in early April, when Iran accused Israel of bombing its diplomatic complex in Syria. The “Zionist regime” is a term Iran uses to refer to Israel.

Persons: percolated, Daniel Hagari, won’t, Mohammed Reza Zahedi, Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, Donald Trump, IRGC, Qassem Soleimani, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israel, Ebrahim Raisi, “, IRNA, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Biden, Benny Gantz, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, Hossein Organizations: CNN, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Revolutionary Guards, West, Israeli, White, Finance, National Security, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, TV Locations: East, Iran, Damascus, Syria, Israel, Iranian, Iraq, Gaza, Baghdad, Lebanese, ”

☆ 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

☆ Iranian navy seizes Israel-linked container ship amid escalating tensions in Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Adam Pourahmadi | Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has confirmed the seizure, saying there are 25 crew on board. Portugal’s government said that it was in touch with the Iranian authorities. The Strait of Hormuz, at the northern end of the Gulf of Oman, is the biggest oil chokepoint in the world. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, wrote on social media platform X that he had spoken with Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz. The two discussed their “shared concerns about Iranian threats to attack Israel,” Cameron wrote, adding that “further escalation in the region is in no-one’s interest and risks further loss of civilian life.”

Persons: CNN —, IRNA, “, Eyal Ofer, Joe Biden, Daniel Hagari, Israel, David Cameron, Benny Gantz, ” Cameron, ” Organizations: CNN, CNN — Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, Navy, Zodiac, Mediterranean Shipping Company, United, Israel Defense Forces, United Kingdom’s Locations: Israeli, Hormuz, Iran, Syria, Portuguese, Gulf of Oman, Tehran, Iranian, United States, Damascus, Gaza, The Iran, Yemen, Red, Israel

☆ Six months into the war in Gaza, Israel has no exit strategy and no real plan for the future
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —The war in Gaza has been raging for six months and the patience of Israel’s allies is running out. Israel launched the war immediately after the deadly October 7 terror attacks by Hamas. “There is no viable plan for the future of Gaza, not just for the day after, but even today. The number of Israeli soldiers killed in combat in Gaza since the start of the war has now surpassed 250. “He does not have a significantly different set of ideas for Gaza or for the future of Israel, Palestine or for Palestinian sovereignty.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Israel, Yayha Sinwar, ”, Khaled Elgindy, Joe Biden, ” Elgindy, –, Nathan Thrall, “, Abed Salama, ” “, ” Thrall, don’t, Thrall, Elgindy, “ It’s, Yahya Hassouna, Harel Chorev, Moshe Dayan, ” Chorev, we’ll, it’s, ” Hellyer, Benny Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s, it’s Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Gaza Ministry, Health, Palestinian Affairs, Middle East Institute, Gaza, West Bank, European Union, Getty, Moshe, Moshe Dayan Center for, African, Tel Aviv University, America, “, United, United Arab Emirates, Hellyer, Royal United Services Institute, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Washington DC, Palestinian Authority, KFOR, NATO Locations: Gaza, Israel, United States, United Kingdom, Palestine, Rafah, Jerusalem, Hamas, Gaza City, AFP, Britain, Germany, France, Egypt, Palestinian, United Arab, London, Washington, Kosovo

☆ 6 months since Oct. 7, the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza has produced no winners
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Civilians in the southern part of the country, areas near the border with Gaza, were under a brutal, ongoing attack. Frida Ghitis CNNSix months after Hamas launched that deadly rampage, knowing that Israel’s response would be ferocious, there are only losers in this terrible war. It’s hard now to find many winners with the death toll mounting among Gazans and hunger growing in the strip. For Hamas, the fact that war continues may count as a victory, but thousands of Hamas’ fighters — the exact number is disputed — have been killed. Hamas — the Iran-allied group that rules Gaza — killed more than 1,200 Israelis and dragged back hundreds more as hostages.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, José Andrés, Israel, Ahmad Gharabli, Israel —, ”, Netanyahu —, —, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Abraham Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, Hamas, Israeli, vise, —, Gaza, IDF, Getty, Israel, Abraham Accords Locations: Gaza, Israel, Europe, Iran, AFP, Egypt, United States

☆ Netanyahu shows no signs of losing grip on power, despite mounting pressures
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And yet, Netanyahu’s grip on power doesn’t appear to be in any imminent danger of slipping away. Never betray your natural allies, the other parties in the right wing.”That concept has never been truer for Netanyahu than in this current governing coalition, the most right-wing in Israel’s history. But Israeli political analysts now estimate it will likely be months before the issue comes to a head and presents any real threat to his government. But a Gantz departure from the government could shatter the image of wartime unity that has already begun to fray. “The more you squeeze Netanyahu, the more firm Netanyahu… shows that he is strong.”

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Joe Biden, “, –, ”, Aviv, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, Bibi, ” Bushinsky, truer, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu’s, ” Gantz, Gantz, Netanyahu … Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Israeli, –, Former, Biden White House Locations: Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel, ’, Tel Aviv

☆ Israel may have just hit a turning point in its war on Gaza — but not for the reason you think
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Mass protests are taking place in Israel, and even its closest global allies are turning critical. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Instead, it's demonstrations by Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jews, fearful of mandatory conscription that they have long avoided, who may pose the biggest risk to Netanyahu's already fragile grip on power. AdvertisementTo prevent his downfall, and continue Israel's course in Gaza, Netanyahu has only one job: keeping his far-right coalition government intact. A Netanyahu ouster would undoubtedly have huge consequences for Israel's operations in Gaza and could prove more decisive than any outside intervention.

Persons: —, Benjamin Netanyahu, it's, Netanyahu, He's, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, they've, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Gantz Organizations: Service, Israel's, Israel Democracy Institute, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Yeshiva, Justice, Netanyahu's Likud Locations: Israel, Gaza, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Netanyahu's

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