DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Israel's military chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said lessons would be drawn from the security failures around Gaza that enabled the attack. The U.S. military is placing no conditions on its security assistance to Israel, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, adding Washington expected Israel's military to "do the right things" in prosecuting its war against Hamas. Scores of Israeli and foreign hostages were taken back to Gaza; Israel said it had identified 97 of them. [1/4]Israeli soldiers hold an Israeli flag while in a tank near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, October 12, 2023. "This war is harsh beyond imagining," said Hamdan, who has worked through repeated wars since becoming a rescuer in 2007.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, King Abdullah, Mahmoud Abbas, America's, General Herzi Halevi, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Benjamin Netanyahu, East Jerusalem's, Kan, Ronen, Israel, Cross, Fabrizio Carboni, Los Angeles, Kathy Hochul, Mount Herzl, Khan Younis, Ibrahim Hamdan, Hamdan, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, Nidal, Emma Farge, Jeff Mason, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Gorman, Dan Whitcomb, Michael Martina, Howard Goller, Diane Craft Organizations: Israel U.S, West Bank Security, Hamas, U.S, NATO, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, United Arab, U.S . Defense, Washington, Public, REUTERS, International Committee, United Nations, Food Programme, ICRC, New, FBI, Mount, Thomson Locations: East Jerusalem, Europe JERUSALEM, GAZA, TEL AVIV, Gaza, Israel, Jordan, U.S, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iran, East, East Jerusalem's Al, Aqsa, Washington, Europe, Paris, Amsterdam, London, New York, Los, Jerusalem, Geneva, Tel Aviv, Los Angeles

The head of the Israeli military, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said lessons would be drawn from the security failures around Gaza that enabled the attack. Scores of Israeli and foreign hostages were taken back to Gaza; Israel says it has identified 97 of them. Amid international calls for a ceasefire to allow in aid, Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said there would be no halt to the siege without freedom for Israeli hostages. The Israeli military said it does not comment on such reports. The Israeli military says it has responded with artillery fire to launches coming from Lebanese territory.

Persons: Abbas, Antony Blinken, Blinken, General Herzi Halevi, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Kan, Cross, Fabrizio Carboni, Israel Katz, Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Najib Mikati, Jordan, King Abdullah, Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah, Jerusalem's Mount Herzl, Ibrahim Hamdan, Hamdan, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, Nidal, Emma Farge, Jeff Mason, Peter Graff, Alexandra Hudson, Alex Richardson, Nick Macfie, Toby Chopra, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: U.S, NATO, Public, International Committee, United Nations, Food Programme, ICRC, Israeli Energy, Israel, United Nations Security, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington, Egypt, Israel, JERUSALEM, GAZA, TEL AVIV, Gaza, Syria, Damascus, Aleppo, Iran, Lebanese, Jerusalem's Mount, Jerusalem, Geneva

REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta Acquire Licensing RightsRAMALLAH, West Bank, Oct 11 (Reuters) - As Israel declared war on Hamas and pounded Gaza following Saturday's devastating attack by the Islamist movement, violence has risen in the occupied West Bank, risking escalation after more than a year of continuous flare-ups. The Israeli military has said it is prepared for an escalation in the West Bank and its forces have been on high alert, carrying out arrests and thwarting possible attacks. By Wednesday, military checkpoints remained closed and roads in several parts of the West Bank were blocked with mounds of dirt, restricting movement. With uncertainty growing around who will replace the PA's unpopular octogenarian president, Hamas has been making efforts to expand its influence in the West Bank. Violence in the West Bank had already been surging, with stepped up Israeli military raids, settler assaults on Palestinian towns and a spate of Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis.

Persons: Odeh, Raneen, Israel, Daniel Hagari, Fatah, Mohammad Shtayyeh, Mahmoud Abbas, Nick Macfie Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian, UN, Thomson Locations: Nablus, RAMALLAH, West, Gaza, Qusra, West Bank, Judea, Samaria, East Jerusalem, U.S, ISRAEL, Israel, Palestinian, Jerusalem

On Saturday, Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip rampaged through parts of southern Israel, in the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel's history. Israel's embassy in Washington said on Tuesday the death toll from the weekend Hamas attacks had surpassed 1,000. Biden called the Hamas attacks "an act of sheer evil" and said Washington was rushing additional military assistance to Israel, including ammunition and interceptors to replenish the Iron Dome aerial defense system. They were the first senior Hamas members killed since Israel began pounding the enclave. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who denounced the Hamas attacks, said: "International humanitarian law is clear: the obligation to take constant care to spare the civilian population and civilian objects remains applicable throughout the attacks."

Persons: Kan, Joe Biden, —, Yoav Gallant, Israel, Biden, ", Washington, Antony Blinken, Matthew Miller, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Ammar Awad, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Khan Younis, Sabra, Gaza's Khan Younis, Ala Abu Tair, Abassan Al, Jawad Abu Shammala, Zakaria Abu Maamar, Abu Shammala, Human Rights Volker Turk, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Ari Rabinovitch, Nidal, Maayan, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Howard Goller Organizations: Hamas, U.S, Israel, Public, Israeli, White, United, Department, REUTERS, Defence, United Nations, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Human Rights, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Sabra, JERUSALEM, GAZA, WASHINGTON, Palestinian, Israel's, Washington, Lebanon, United States, Iran, U.S, Ashkelon, Israeli, Daraj Tuffah, Gaza City, Khan, Gaza's, U.N, East Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Kfar Aza, Lincoln

On Saturday, Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip rampaged through parts of southern Israel, killing hundreds of people in the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel's history. Israel's embassy in Washington said the death toll from the weekend Hamas attacks had surpassed 1,000. U.S. officials say they do not have evidence Iran orchestrated the attacks, but point to Iran's longterm support for Hamas. Biden called the Hamas attacks "an act of sheer evil" and said Washington was rushing additional military assistance to Israel, including ammunition and interceptors to replenish the Iron Dome aerial defense system. Israeli soldiers went from house to house to take away the dead.

Persons: Ronen, Israel, Biden, Joe Biden, Israel's, Yoav Gallant, ", Washington, Antony Blinken, Matthew Miller, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Gaza's Khan Younis, Ala Abu Tair, Abassan Al, Jawad Abu Shammala, Zakaria Abu Maamar, Khan Younis, Abu Shammala, Human Rights Volker Turk, Elad Hakim, Aza, Itai Veruv, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Ari Rabinovitch, Nidal, Maayan, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, Rockets, Hamas, U.S, Israel, Israeli, White, United, Department, Defence, The United Nations, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Human Rights, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Ashkelon, Lebanon, Syria, U.S, JERUSALEM, GAZA, WASHINGTON, Palestinian, Israel's, Washington, United States, Iran, Gaza's, U.N, East Jerusalem, Be'eri, stretchers, Europe, Jerusalem, Kfar Aza

☆ Hezbollah, Hamas claim attacks on Israel from Lebanon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Flame and smoke rise over Lebanon as seen from Israel's border with Lebanon, in northern Israel, October 10, 2023. The violence, triggered by the war between Israel and Palestinian militants, marks the most serious escalation along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier since the 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The Israeli army said no injuries were reported in Tuesday's attack by Hezbollah, three of whose fighters were killed on Monday in Israeli shelling into Lebanon. A salvo of rockets was also fired from Lebanon into Israel on Tuesday, in an attack a security source in Lebanon said was carried out by Palestinian factions. Hezbollah, founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982, has close ties to the Palestinian groups fighting Israel.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Lebanon Joanna Wronecka, Abdallah Bouhabib, Joseph Aoun, General Security Elias Bayssari, Laila Bassam, Henriette Chacar, Maya Gebeily, Tom Perry, Alison Williams, David Gregorio, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian Hamas, Lebanese, Palestinian, Islamic, United Nations, General Security, Twitter, Iran's, Guards, Sunday, Israel, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Rights BEIRUT, Palestinian, Gaza, Iran, Lebanese, Tyre, Beirut, Jerusalem

☆ Israel freezes crypto accounts seeking Hamas donations, police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Israel has frozen cryptocurrency accounts used to solicit donations for the Palestinian militant group Hamas on social media, police said on Tuesday. Hamas launched devastating attacks from Gaza into Israel on Saturday, in one of the most serious escalations in the Israel-Palestinian conflict in years. The statement did not give further details of how many accounts were frozen, nor the value of crypto seized. "The data we use to pinpoint individuals, addresses, and infrastructures associated with specific organisations stems from intelligence provided by law enforcement and investigative tools we, and our partners, have developed." Reuters reported in May that Israel had seized around 190 crypto accounts at Binance since 2021, including two it said were linked to Islamic State and dozens it said were owned by Palestinian firms connected to Hamas.

Persons: Israel, Binance, Henriette Chacar, Tom Wilson, Nidal, Elizabeth Howcroft, Nick Macfie Organizations: Cyber Unit, Ministry of Defense, Reuters, Hamas, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Binance, Islamic State, Jerusalem, London

☆ Israeli Military Says Deploying Against Possible Infiltration From Lebanon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's military said it deployed troops against a suspected infiltration from Lebanon on Monday, which a local radio station said appeared to have taken place in the central part of the countries' border. Tensions in Israel's north have surged as it battles Palestinian Hamas gunmen who staged a mass-infiltration from the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday. "A report was received regarding the infiltration of a number of suspects into Israeli territory from Lebanese territory. IDF soldiers are deployed in the area," the military said in a statement. Israel's Army Radio gave the location as near Adamit, across from the Lebanese border towns of Aalma El Chaeb and Zahajra.

Persons: Aalma El, Henriette Chacar, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Israel's Army Radio Locations: JERUSALEM, Lebanon, Israel's, Gaza, Adamit, Lebanese, Aalma

☆ Israeli military says deploying against possible infiltration from Lebanon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

JERUSALEM, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Israel's military said it deployed troops against a suspected infiltration from Lebanon on Monday, which a local radio station said appeared to have taken place in the central part of the countries' border. Tensions in Israel's north have surged as it battles Palestinian Hamas gunmen who staged a mass-infiltration from the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday. "A report was received regarding the infiltration of a number of suspects into Israeli territory from Lebanese territory. IDF soldiers are deployed in the area," the military said in a statement. Israel's Army Radio gave the location as near Adamit, across from the Lebanese border towns of Aalma El Chaeb and Zahajra.

Persons: Aalma El, Henriette Chacar, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Israel's Army Radio, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Israel's, Gaza, Adamit, Lebanese, Aalma

☆ Israel retaliates after Hamas attacks, deaths pass 1,100
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said the country had called in around 100,000 soldiers. Iran is an ally of Hamas and while it congratulated Hamas on the attack, its mission to the United Nations said Tehran was not involved in the attacks. Several international air carriers have suspended flight services with Tel Aviv in light of the Hamas attack, saying they are waiting for conditions to improve before resuming. In Gaza, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem condemned the U.S. announcement as "an actual participation in the aggression against our people" and said the group would not be intimidated. The United States led Western denunciations of Hamas' attack, with Biden issuing a blunt warning to Iran and others on : "This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks."

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Yoav Gallant, Jonathan Conricus, Brent, Ebrahim Raisi, they're, They're, Yoni Asher, Uri David, Mohammed Salem, Attar, Daniel Hagari, Netanyahu, Aaron David Miller, Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Gerald R, Hazem Qassem, Lebanon's, Peacemaking, Ismail Haniyeh, Gazans, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovitch, Nidal, Ammar Anwar, Henriette Chacar, Emily Rose, Dan Williams, Ali Sawafta, Steven Scheer, James Mackenzie, Angus McDowall, Andrew Cawthorne, Matt Spetalnick, Stephen Coates, Michael Perry Organizations: Fighters, United Nations, Nasdaq, Sunday, REUTERS, White, National Security, Islamic, Carnegie Endowment, International, . Defense, Ford Carrier Strike Group, Palestinian, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Jerusalem, United, Biden, Thomson Locations: Gaza, JERUSALEM, GAZA, Israel, Egypt, Yom, Ofakim, Iran, Tehran, Tel Aviv, Lebanon's Iran, Palestine, Gaza City, Palestinian, U.S, Saudi Arabia, United States, Jerusalem, Sderot, Ramallah, Modiin, Washington

Witnesses said several Hamas security headquarters and ministries were hit, and the strikes destroyed some roads and houses. He said Hamas would execute an Israeli captive for every Israeli bombing of a civilian house without warning. There was no immediate response from the Israeli military to that threat. [1/5]Flames and smoke billow during Israeli strikes in Gaza, October 9, 2023. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan called on Hamas and Israel to immediately end violence and protect civilians, the Egyptian presidency said.

Persons: Fighting, Witnesses, Abu Ubaida, Eli Cohen, Daniel Hagari, James, Joe Biden, Biden, Mohammed Salem, Israel, Yoav Gallant, Omar Shakir, Khan Younis, Antonio Guterres, Abdel Fattah al, Tayyip Erdogan, Emily Rose, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovitch, Nidal, Ammar Anwar, Henriette Chacar, Dan Williams, Ali Sawafta, Steven Scheer, Patricia Zengerle, Howard Goller Organizations: Israel, Gaza's Health, Palestinian Telecommunication Co, Israeli, BBC, United, REUTERS, Palestine, Human Rights, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: JERUSALEM, GAZA, Israel, Gaza, Israeli, Jihad, Italy, Thailand, Ukraine, Washington, United States, Beit Lahia, Khan, U.S, Lebanon, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Sderot, Ramallah, Modiin

Hamas fighters killed at least 250 Israelis in clashes through the day and escaped back into Gaza with dozens of hostages. More than 230 Gazans were killed when Israel responded with one of its most devastating days of retaliatory strikes. Israeli troops battled Hamas gunmen through the night in parts of southern Israel. The West Bank has seen stepped-up Israeli raids, Palestinian street attacks and assaults by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages. Hamas said the attack was driven by what it called escalated Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, Jerusalem and against Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

Persons: Mohammed Salem, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Peacemaking, YOU, Ismail Haniyeh, Gazans, Jerusalem's Al, BIDEN, Joe Biden, Osama Hamdan, Saleh al, Arouri, Al, Maayan Lubell, Nidal, Ammar Anwar, Henriette Chacar, Emily Rose, Dan Williams, Ali Sawafta, Patricia Zengerle, Robert Birsel, Lisa Shumaker, William Mallard Organizations: Rockets, REUTERS, Hamas, Palestinian, West Bank, Jerusalem, Senior, Islamic, NETANYAHU, White, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Israel JERUSALEM, GAZA, SDEROT, U.S, Iran, Israeli, Aqsa, Sderot, United States, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Al Jazeera, Jerusalem, Ramallah

In southern Israel, Hamas gunmen were still fighting Israeli security forces in several places 24 hours after their incursion in the early hours of Saturday, both sides said, as more rockets were fired from Gaza, sparking air raid sirens. More than 300 Gazans were killed when Israel responded with one of its most devastating days of retaliatory strikes. [1/23]Palestinian inspect a mosque destroyed in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 8, 2023. Bodies of Israeli civilians surrounded by broken glass were strewn across the streets of Sderot in southern Israel near Gaza in the aftermath of Saturday's assault. Senior military officers were among those killed in fighting near Gaza, the Israeli military said.

Persons: Israel, Israel Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, DAWN, Gunmen, Al Hadath, Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Peacemaking, YOU, Ismail Haniyeh, Gazans, Jerusalem's Al, Joe Biden, Osama Hamdan, Maayan Lubell, Nidal, Ammar Anwar, Henriette Chacar, Emily Rose, Dan Williams, Ali Sawafta, James Mackenzie, Angus McDowall, Robert Birsel, Lisa Shumaker, William Mallard, Alex Richardson Organizations: Hamas, Gaza, Jets, Palestinian, West Bank, REUTERS, Jerusalem, Senior, Islamic, BIDEN, NETANYAHU, White, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, Lebanon JERUSALEM, GAZA, SDEROT, Gaza, Lebanon, Israeli, Egypt, Syria, Yom, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Gaza's Beit Hanoun district, Aqsa, Sderot, United States, Iraq, Yemen, Jerusalem, Ramallah

Saturday's incident marked an unprecedented infiltration by Hamas gunmen into Israel from Gaza, and was the most serious escalation since Israel and Hamas fought a 10-day war in 2021. Israeli media reported gunbattles between bands of Palestinian fighters and security forces in towns in southern Israel. Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif announced the start of the operation in a broadcast on Hamas media, calling on Palestinians everywhere to fight. The Israeli military was aware of reports of captives, a security source said, but provided no further details. Israel's ambulance service said teams had been dispatched to areas in southern Israel near Gaza and residents were warned to stay inside.

Persons: Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mohammad Deif, Amir Cohen, Yoav Gallant, Khan Younis, Abu Hamza, ”, Henriette Chacar, Dan Williams, Nidal Al, James Mackenzie, William Mallard, Robert Birsel, Alex Richardson Organizations: Israel Hamas, Hamas, Israeli Army Radio, REUTERS, Islamic, Qassam, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, JERUSALEM, GAZA, Palestinian, Jerusalem, Sderot, Beeri, Ashkelon, Khan, Syria, Egypt, Mughrabi

☆ Arab Family of Five Shot Dead as Crime Rates in Israel Soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Five members of an Arab family were shot dead in their home in Israel, police said on Wednesday, in the latest in a wave of crime-related killings in Israel's Arab communities that has reached a new peak this year. Arab mayors have accused the government and police of deliberately neglecting their communities and of enabling criminals to act with impunity. With Israel facing its worst political crisis in decades, over Netanyahu's drive to push through divisive changes to the judiciary, Arab citizens say the collapse of personal safety in their communities must receive more government attention. "As police, we will do everything to get to the killers," police spokesman Eli Levi told reporters at the scene of Wednesday's crime. Arab citizens, most of whom are descendants of Palestinians who remained in Israel during the mass exodus of refugees in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation, make up about a fifth of the country's population.

Persons: Basmat Tab'un, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Mansour Abbas, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Netanyahu, Eli Levi, Henriette Chacar, James Mackenzie, William Maclean Organizations: National, Israel, Jewish Locations: JERUSALEM, Israel, Basmat

☆ Arab family of five shot dead as crime rates in Israel soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] People attend a protest against a spike in deadly crime-related violence in Israel's Arab communities after a family of five, including a woman and two teenagers, were shot dead in their home in Basmat Tab'un, northern Israel September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Five members of an Arab family were shot dead in their home in Israel, police said on Wednesday, in the latest in a wave of crime-related killings in Israel's Arab communities that has reached a new peak this year. Arab mayors have accused the government and police of deliberately neglecting their communities and of enabling criminals to act with impunity. "As police, we will do everything to get to the killers," police spokesman Eli Levi told reporters at the scene of Wednesday's crime. Arab citizens, most of whom are descendants of Palestinians who remained in Israel during the mass exodus of refugees in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation, make up about a fifth of the country's population.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Basmat Tab'un, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Mansour Abbas, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Netanyahu, Eli Levi, Henriette Chacar, James Mackenzie, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National, Israel, Jewish, Thomson Locations: Basmat Tab'un, Israel, Basmat

☆ US admits Israel into visa waiver program
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Some Palestinians have protested against Israel's entry into the program, saying Israel for decades has discriminated against Arab Americans and harassed them at its borders. They also must treat all U.S. travelers equally, so Israel must allow free passage for Palestinian Americans at Ben Gurion airport. In a pilot period since July 20, Israel has eased access for Palestinian Americans through its borders and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. According to Israel's Interior Ministry, more than 130,000 Americans entered Israel since the pilot began, including 6,070 Palestinian Americans. Between 45,000 and 60,000 Palestinian Americans live in the West Bank, a U.S. official estimated.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ronen, Chris Van Hollen, Alejandro Mayorkas, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, David Shepardson, Dan Williams, Ali Sawafta, Henriette Chacar, Clarence Fernandez, William Maclean, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S, Israeli, White, Consulate, REUTERS, Rights, Visa, Arab, . Four Democratic U.S, Israel, U.S . Homeland, West Bank, Palestinian, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Israel's Interior Ministry, Homeland Security Department, Thomson Locations: U.S, Israeli, Tel Aviv, Israel, Washington, United States, Ben Gurion, Croatia, Palestinian Territories, American, Detroit

☆ Israel says US to announce it has joined Visa Waiver Program
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen speaks during a press conference with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis at the Foreign Ministry in Athens, Greece, July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Monday it expects the United States to announce this week that it will be admitted to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which would allow Israeli citizens visa-free entry to America as of November. "Israel joining the Visa Waiver Program is a diplomatic achievement and good news for all Israeli citizens," said Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. In Israel's case, that would mean free passage for Palestinian Americans at its airports and when travelling into and out of the occupied Palestinian territories. Between 45,000 and 60,000 Palestinian Americans live in the West Bank, a U.S. official estimated.

Persons: Eli Cohen, Giorgos Gerapetritis, Louiza, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Israel, Henriette Chacar, Simon Lewis, Caitlin Webber, James Mackenzie, Mark Heinrich, Sonali Paul Organizations: Israel, Greek Foreign, Foreign Ministry, REUTERS, Rights, Visa, Israeli, U.S . State Department, Homeland Security, State, Palestinian, West Bank, U.S, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, United States, America, Israel, U.S, Washington, Palestinian, Croatia

☆ Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Fighter in Northern West Bank Raid
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian militant during a raid in the occupied West Bank on Friday, the seventh person killed this week as President Mahmoud Abbas sought to revive statehood talks amid efforts to further integrate Israel into the Middle East. In a statement, they said he was shot while confronting Israeli soldiers who raided the village of Kafr Dan near the northern West Bank city of Jenin. The Israeli military said soldiers opened fire at suspects who shot at and hurled an explosive device at its forces during a weapons search operation in Kafr Dan. Violence in the West Bank violence has surged for over a year, with stepped up Israeli military raids, increased settler assaults on Palestinian villages and a spate of Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis. Israel occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state, in a 1967 Middle East war.

Persons: Mahmoud Abbas, Kafr Dan, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Abbas, Ali Sawafta, Henriette Chacar, James Mackenzie, Christina Fincher Organizations: West Bank, Reuters, Islamic, Defense, Children International, U.S, United Nations General Assembly, UN Locations: RAMALLAH, West, Palestinian, Israel, Kafr, West Bank, Jenin, Kafr Dan, Palestine, New York, Saudi Arabia

☆ Israel's health ministry recommends some wear masks indoors amid rise in COVID cases
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Amir Cohen Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Israel's health ministry on Tuesday advised people with compromised immune systems to wear masks in crowded indoor spaces as it marks an increase in COVID-19 hospitalisations ahead of the Jewish holidays. In a statement, the ministry said there was a "moderate rise" in hospitalisations due to a number of COVID variants found both in Israel and around the world. "Ahead of the holidays and as a result of increased morbidity, the health ministry recommends people in at-risk groups or those who want to limit the risk of infection wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces." Large family gatherings are common during the Jewish holiday season, which begins on Sept. 15 and extends over about a month. COVID infections and hospitalisations have been on the rise in the U.S., Europe and Asia but are well below previous peaks.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Henriette Chacar, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Arazim Elementary, REUTERS, Rights, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, COVID, hospitalisations, U.S, Europe, Asia

☆ Suspected Palestinian gunmen kill Israeli woman in West Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Israeli troops stand guard, at the scene of a shooting, near Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank August 21, 2023. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma Acquire Licensing RightsNEAR HEBRON, West Bank, Aug 21 (Reuters) - An Israeli woman was killed in a suspected Palestinian shooting attack near the occupied West Bank city of Hebron on Monday, the Israeli military said. Violence in the West Bank has surged over the past 15 months with stepped up military raids, Israeli settler rampages, and Palestinian street attacks. U.S.-brokered peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, collapsed in 2014 and show no sign of revival. Its growing settlements in the West Bank, where Palestinian have limited self-rule, are considered by most countries as illegal, a view that Israel disputes.

Persons: Mussa, Hazem Qassem, rampages, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gallant, Jerusalem's, Israel, Yosri al, Jamal, Maayan Lubell, Nidal, Ali Sawfta, Ari Rabinovitch, Henriette Chacar, Angus MacSwan, Bill Berkrot, Mark Potter Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, West, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Hebron, HEBRON, West, Israeli, West Bank, Gaza, Israel, Iran, Tehran, Nablus, Jerusalem's Al, Aqsa, U.S, East Jerusalem

☆ Arab towns in Israel strike in protest at funding freeze
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Arab local councils in Israel held a strike on Monday in protest at the finance minister's freeze earlier this month on hundreds of millions of shekels to their municipalities, a decision that has prompted accusations of racism. That the finance minister was casting Arabs as thieves and criminals was "ridiculous" and "false", the mayor of the Arab city of Umm al-Fahm, Samir Mahameed, told Israeli Army Radio. The ultra-nationalist Smotrich's move drew accusations of racism from Arab and Jewish lawmakers, including opposition leader Yair Lapid, as well as Arab mayors. Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel urged Smotrich to release the funds and voiced support for the municipal strike. Videos circulating on social media showed police pushing some of the demonstrators, including Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Samir Mahameed, Netanyahu, Smotrich, Yair Lapid, Moshe Arbel, Ayman Odeh, Henriette Chacar, Maayan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Finance, Israeli Army Radio, Police, Thomson Locations: Israel, Umm

REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File PhotoSummary Funds were meant to narrow socio-economic gapsSmotrich says money would go to criminals, militantsLawmakers, colleges criticise decision as racistJERUSALEM, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has frozen funds for Arab towns and Palestinian education programmes in East Jerusalem, citing crime and safety fears and prompting accusations of racism. "Arab citizens are entitled to those funds, which were meant to close the gaps between Arab and Jewish communities," he told Reuters. 'HATRED AND RACISM'Smotrich said a separate 200 million shekels for encouraging academic studies among Palestinians from East Jerusalem would also be frozen until what he described as "extremist Islamic activity" on campus was eradicated. Smotrich said the new East Jerusalem plan would have a total increased budget but that although encouraging academic studies among the city's Palestinians was a worthy cause, this also had unwelcome consequences. Reporting by Henriette Chacar and Maayan Lubell; Editing by James Mackenzie and Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Bezalel Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Kan, Moshe Arbel, Mansour Abbas, Yair Lapid, Smotrich, Ameer Bisharat, Israel, Netanyahu, Henriette Chacar, James Mackenzie, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Israeli, Reuters, National Committee of, Facebook, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Thomson Locations: Rahat, Israel, JERUSALEM, East Jerusalem, Smotrich, Arab, Jerusalem, Gaza

☆ Israel PM adviser says road to deal on Saudi ties is 'still long'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

JERUSALEM, July 31 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's national security adviser on Monday said the road to normalising ties with Saudi Arabia was "still long" while members of his hard-right cabinet ruled out concessions to Palestinians as part of any deal. U.S. President Joe Biden last week dispatched his national security adviser to Riyadh to discuss a possible deal, and on Friday said a rapprochement was "maybe under way". PALESTINIAN CONCESSIONSThe idea of Israel and Saudi Arabia formally cementing ties has been under discussion since the Saudis gave their quiet assent to Gulf neighbours United Arab Emirates and Bahrain establishing ties with Israel in 2020. "We certainly won't agree to such a thing," National Missions Minister Orit Strock told Kan."We are done with withdrawals. Her remarks were echoed by the head of another government member, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir who heads the far-right Jewish Power party.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Tzachi Hanegbi, Eli Cohen, Minister Orit Strock, Kan, Strock, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Cohen, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovitch, Henriette Chacar, Conor Humphries, Grant McCool Organizations: Monday, U.S, United, Kan, U.S ., Israel, National, Minister, West Bank, Jewish, Army Radio, Authority, Netanyahu's, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, U.S, Riyadh, Israel, Saudi, Gulf, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Judea, Samaria, East Jerusalem, Gaza

☆ All 15 Israel Supreme Court judges to hear judicial overhaul petitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, July 31 (Reuters) - Israel's Supreme Court on Monday said all 15 judges in a historic first would take part in a hearing on arguments against a law that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition passed as part of an overhaul of the judiciary. The Supreme Court agreed to discuss on Sept. 12 petitions to strike down the bill ratified last week that limits its powers to void some decisions made by government and ministers, setting the scene for a constitutional showdown. Netanyahu's coalition says the judicial changes are needed to curb what it describes as overreach by a Supreme Court that it says has become too politically interventionist. "These two elements form the basis of rule of law in Israel and of the balance between the authorities in any democracy." Israel's democratic foundations are relatively fragile and the Supreme Court is seen as crucial for protecting civil rights and the rule of law.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Henriette Chacar, Ari Rabinovitch, Barbara Lewis, Bill Berkrot, Leslie Adler Organizations: Supreme, Israeli, parliament's Foreign Affairs, Defence Committee, Israel Bar Association, Thomson Locations: Israel

Search resuls for: "Henriette Chacar"

25 mentions found