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☆ 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

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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Netanyahu defends judicial reforms, air force chief warns of security threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Henriette Chacar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, July 28 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said parliament's decision to trim Supreme Court powers to overrule government actions as part of his planned judicial overhaul would not hurt Israel's democracy. Now in its seventh month, the crisis escalated on Monday after parliament passed the first of the changes, trimming Supreme Court powers to overrule government actions and raising fears for the court's independence. While Netanyahu downplayed the consequences of his plans, air force chief, Tomer Bar, warned the crisis could be exploited by Israel's enemies. Political watchdog groups have appealed to the Supreme Court to strike the new law, paving the way to a showdown among branches of government when it hears the arguments in September. The prime minister says the changes will balance government branches.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, It's, Tomer, Michael Georgy, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: ABC News, CNN, Thomson

☆ Israeli troops kill three Palestinian militants in West Bank, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] A general view of the car in which, according to an Israeli military statement and Army Radio, three Palestinians who fired at Israeli forces were killed by Israeli troops, in Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Raneen SawaftaJERUSALEM, July 25 (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed three Palestinian militants who opened fire on them from a car near the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday, Israel's defence minister and army said. Congratulating the army on Twitter, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the incident had taken place at Mount Gerizim, a Samaritan community overlooking Nablus. Violence in the West Bank has surged for over a year, with increased Israeli raids, Palestinian street attacks and settler rampages in Palestinian villages. Nablus and the nearby northern West Bank city of Jenin have seen especially intense clashes.

Persons: Yoav Gallant, rampages, Henriette Chacar, Kim Coghill, Stephen Coates Organizations: Army Radio, Bank, REUTERS, West, Twitter, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Nablus, Raneen, JERUSALEM, West Bank, Palestine, Violence, Jenin

☆ Israel judicial overhaul: protests mount against Benjamin Netanyahu after bill passed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The bill curbing Supreme Court review of some government decisions passed in a stormy Knesset parliament on Monday after a walkout by lawmakers. Protest leaders said growing numbers of military reservists would no longer report for duty if the government continued with its plans. First elected to top office in 1996 and now in his sixth term, Netanyahu, 73, is facing his biggest domestic crisis. A Lebanese source familiar with the development said the men were members of a Hezbollah elite unit on a patrol that had nothing to do with Israel's domestic crisis. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Monday said Israel's domestic crisis showed it was on a "path of collapse and fragmentation".

Persons: Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yair Lapid, Zion Hagay, Kan, Corinna Kern, striding, Hassan Nasrallah, Bezalel Smotrich, Dan Williams, Ari Rabinovitch, Henriette Chacar, Andrew MacAskill, Laila Bassam, Tom Perry, Andrew Cawthorne, Nick Macfie Organizations: Israeli Democracy, Israel Bar Association, Israel Medical Association, Health Ministry, REUTERS, BANK, Orthodox Jewish, West Bank, Hamas, Hezbollah, Finance, Army Radio, Thomson Locations: JERUSALEM, Israel, Histadrut, United States, Britain, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Washington, Nablus, Palestinian, Lebanese, Iran, London, Beirut

☆ Israeli military assessing reservists' protest letter over judicial overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, July 21 (Reuters) - Israel's military said on Friday it was examining the impact of a letter sent by air force reservists who threatened to stop volunteering for service if the government goes ahead with a planned judicial overhaul. Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the military was checking details of the letter that he said was initialled by more than 1,100 reservists and "accordingly, will examine the implications". The letter, published in Israeli media without listing the signatories, was the latest sign of opposition within the military to judicial changes being pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition. Air force veterans say reservists who volunteer after completing their mandatory military service make up around half of crews sent on combat sorties. On Monday, Netanyahu pledged to crack down on no-shows for military reserve duty, which he said risked inviting attack by Israel's foes and undermining its democracy.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Daniel Hagari, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Bezalel Smotrich, Yoav Gallant, Hagari, Netanyahu, Henriette Chacar, Ari Rabinovitch, Alison Williams, David Holmes Organizations: Protesters, Israeli, REUTERS, Critics, ., Reuters, Thomson Locations: Shoresh, Israel, Jerusalem, Ronen, JERUSALEM

☆ Israeli secret service says it captured plot leader in Iran, foiling attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, June 29 (Reuters) - Israel said on Thursday its Mossad intelligence service carried out an operation in Iran to capture the suspected leader of an Iranian plot to attack Israeli businesspeople in Cyprus and thwart the attack. Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment. Mossad did not say when the capture took place, where the suspect is now nor when the Cyprus attack would have happened. Israel accuses Iran of backing militant attacks against it, while Iran says Israel has carried out a number of killings of Iranian officials. U.S., European and Israeli officials fear Iran may seek nuclear weapons.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yousef Shahabazi Abbasalilu, Netanyahu, Henriette Chacar, Mark Heinrich, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Sunday, Revolutionary Guard, Thomson Locations: Iran, Cyprus, Hatzerim, Israel, Tehran, United States

☆ Israeli settlers build new outposts amid rising West Bank violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] A European diplomat checks a Palestinian house that was torched by Israeli settlers, during a visit to Turmus Ayya, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank June 23, 2023. The developments followed some of the worst violence in years involving Palestinians, Israeli forces and Jewish settlers in the West Bank in the past week. The Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported at least seven new outposts were built in the West Bank since Thursday with the government's knowledge. Since taking office in January, Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition has approved the promotion of more than 7,000 new housing units, most deep in the West Bank. According to the United Nations, some 700,000 settlers live in 279 settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, up from 520,000 in 2012.

Persons: Ammar Awad JERUSALEM, Itamar Ben, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Gvir, Israel, Netanyahu, Eli, Daniel Hagari, Henriette Chacar, Angus MacSwan Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Palestinian, National, United Nations, Military, Israel, Thomson Locations: European, Ramallah, Geneva, Israel, Palestinian, Jenin, West, Turmus, East Jerusalem

Henriette Borgund knows attackers can find weaknesses in the defences of a big renewables power company - she's found them herself. She joined Norway's Hydro (NHY.OL) as an "ethical hacker" last April, bringing years of experience in military cyberdefence to bear at a time of war in Europe and chaos in energy markets. They're nervously monitoring a hybrid war where physical energy infrastructure has already been targeted, from the Nord Stream gas pipelines to the Kakhovka dam. It said Russia had tried to destroy digital networks and cause power cuts, and that missile attacks on facilities were often accompanied by cyberattacks. "Companies in the energy space, their core business is producing energy, not cybersecurity," said Jalal Bouhdada, CEO of cybersecurity firm Applied Risk, a division of DNV.

Persons: Nora Buli, Henriette Borgund, she's, shoring, Michael Ebner, cyberattacks, didn't, Swantje Westpfahl, James Forrest, Cem Gocgoren, Stephan Gerling, Mathias Boeswetter, Leonhard Birnbaum, Jalal Bouhdada, Nina Chestney, Christoph Steitz, America Hernandez, Paris Pavel Polityuk, Guy Faulconbridge, Pravin Organizations: REUTERS, Norway's Hydro, Reuters, Hydro's Oslo, Hydro, Ukraine, cyberattacks, Germany's Institute for Security, TRITON, Triton, Svenska, ICS CERT, University of Tulsa, E.ON, " Companies, Pravin Char, Thomson Locations: Norwegian, Fosen, Norway, Ukraine, OSLO, LONDON, FRANKFURT, Europe, Nord, Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, United States, Russian, Capgemini, Saudi, Swedish, DNV, Oslo, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Kiev

☆ Israeli construction in West Bank no bar to peace, Netanyahu says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, June 9 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank were not an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians in an interview published Friday, testing ties between Washington and its main Middle East ally. The expansion of settlements in the West Bank has been among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community for decades. I think that's the obstacle to peace," said Netanyahu. The West Bank is among territories Israel occupied in a 1967 Middle East war where Palestinians exercise limited self-governance under decades of Israeli military rule. According to a report by the U.N. Human Rights Committee, just under 700,000 settlers live in 279 settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, up from 520,000 in 2012.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Biden, Israel, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Mahmoud Abbas, Henriette Chacar, Ali Sawafta, Nick Macfie Organizations: West Bank, Sky News, The West Bank, Human Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington, Israel, United States, East Jerusalem, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Tehran

☆ Israeli army mounts rare raid into Palestinian city of Ramallah, clashes ensue
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Ali Sawafta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A Palestinians throws stones as the Israeli army raids Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed TorokmanRAMALLAH, West Bank, June 8 (Reuters) - Clashes erupted after Israeli forces mounted a rare raid into the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank early on Thursday, in what the military said was an operation to demolish the house of an assailant. Some Palestinian youth hurled stones at the Israeli forces, who fired live bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at the crowd, the witness said. Violence in the West Bank, among territories where Palestinians seek statehood, has risen during the past year. Israel's foreign ministry said 20 Israelis and two foreign nationals have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the same period.

Persons: Mohammed Torokman, Abdel Fattah Dola, Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah, Hady Amr, Hussein Al, Ali Sawafta, Henriette Chacar, Grant McCool Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Reuters, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Ramallah, Mohammed Torokman RAMALLAH, West, Palestinian, Jerusalem, Israel, U.S

☆ Mother of slain Palestinian child calls for justice
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Mohamad Torokman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/ Mohammed TorokmanNABI SALEH, West Bank, June 6 (Reuters) - The mother of a Palestinian toddler who died of his wounds after being shot by Israeli soldiers last week called for justice on Tuesday as she attended his funeral in the occupied West Bank. "I want justice for my son, and for every person who shot at my husband and son to be held accountable," she said. "When I went to check on my son, I told (the soldiers) that my son was killed. "Without accountability, Israel's crimes against our people/children will continue unabated," Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh wrote in a tweet on Tuesday. The U.S. Office for Palestinian Affairs urged Israel "to evaluate all use of deadly force that involves civilian casualties".

Persons: Mohammad al, Tamimi, Mohammed Torokman NABI SALEH, Marwa, Mohammad, Haitham, Mohammad Shtayyeh, Israel, Henriette Chacar, James Mackenzie, Christina Fincher Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Reuters, Defense, Children International, Palestinian, U.S, Office, Palestinian Affairs, EU, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Ramallah, West, Gaza, Israel

☆ Egypt's Sisi and Israel's Netanyahu discuss border shooting, emphasise joint investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, June 6 (Reuters) - Egypt's President Abdelfattah al-Sisi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Saturday's rare border shooting in which three Israeli soldiers and an Egyptian security officer were killed, the leaders said in separate statements on Tuesday. Sisi and Netanyahu emphasised the importance of coordination on investigating the incident, Egypt's presidency said. "Egypt's President Sisi expressed his deep condolences over the incident on the Egyptian border. The Prime Minister thanked the Egyptian president, as well as for his commitment to a thorough and joint investigation into the incident," the statement from Netanyahu's office said, adding that the leaders pledged to continue strengthening peace and security cooperation. Reporting by Ahmed Elimam and Henriette Chacar; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Abdelfattah, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sisi, Netanyahu, Egypt's, Ahmed Elimam, Henriette Chacar, Alex Richardson Organizations: Thomson Locations: CAIRO

☆ Three Israeli soldiers and gunman killed near Egypt border
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, June 3 (Reuters) - Israel's military said three of its soldiers and a gunman were killed near the border with Egypt on Saturday, and a military spokesperson said a group had infiltrated the frontier leading to a firefight. The Israeli military said two soldiers were shot and killed near the border early on Saturday. It said the gunman and a third Israeli soldier were killed in a confrontation inside Israeli territory hours later. Another Israeli military spokesperson said the two soldiers had been shot while on duty early on Saturday and their bodies were found later. The Israeli military later identified an infiltration into Israeli territory and its forces were fired on, leading to a gunfight in which the gunman and the third Israeli soldier were killed, it said.

Persons: Henriette Chacar, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Emily Rose, Toby Chopra, Angus McDowall Organizations: Thomson Locations: Egypt, Israeli, Israel

☆ Tiananmen Square masacre anniversary: vigils go global as authorities in China and Hong Kong stamp out remembrance
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“I think it’s sad to say that what Beijing and Hong Kong are doing is trying to erase history and the memory,” said Kevin Yam, a former lawyer in Hong Kong, who will be attending a ceremony in Melbourne, Australia, where he now resides. “Hong Kong has been carrying the torch for commemorating the Tiananmen massacre, keeping the legacy alive. When the museum was shut down, with the Hong Kong alliance’s leaders in prison, we knew it was a critical moment,” he said. Thousands gathered at a candlelit vigil in Hong Kong on June 4, 2017, to mark 28 years since China's bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown. “It is true that the commemorations around June 4th have expanded and become more global since it has become impossible to do anything in Hong Kong,” he told CNN.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Hong Kongers, ”, Kevin Yam, Zhou, Zhou Fengsuo, Wang Dan, Hong Kong’s, “, Hong Kong, Isaac Lawrence, Chris Tang –, –, Louise Delmotte, Richard Tsoi, Catherine Henriette, Jens Galschiot, Anthony Kwan, Kongers Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, Reuters, CNN, Hong, People’s Liberation Army, Authorities, Getty, Victoria Park, Chinese Communist Party, Hong Kong Alliance, Police, . Police, of, Los, “, Britain –, London Locations: Hong Kong, China, Victoria, Beijing, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Europe, United States, Canada, Melbourne, New York, York, “ Hong Kong, Hong, AFP, Tiananmen, Berlin, Danish, Germany, Los Angeles, Boston, Norway, Causeway, Britain, Nottingham, Manchester, London

☆ Factbox: What is 'Jerusalem Day' and why is it an Israeli-Palestinian flashpoint?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Israelis and Palestinians stand opposite to each other near Damascus gate to Jerusalem's Old city as Israel mark Jerusalem Day, in Jerusalem May 18, 2023. Here are details on "Jerusalem Day" and why it stirs fears of renewed violence:WHAT IS JERUSALEM DAY? Israel fought a number of Arab armies in a 1967 war, during which it captured territories including East Jerusalem. Israel has since annexed East Jerusalem, in a move that has not won international recognition, and regards the entire city as its eternal and undivided capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

☆ Holy cow! Endangered seal draws dozens to Jaffa shore
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] An endangered and rare female Mediterranean monk seal visits the shore of Jaffa in Israel, May 15, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYJAFFA, Israel, May 15 (Reuters) - An endangered Mediterranean monk seal swam onto a beach in Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, to rest on the beach and shed her skin, drawing an excited crowd to watch. The female seal, or cow, was named Yulia by the boy who found her before notifying the Nature and Parks Authority. She will likely stay for a few days until she has finished shedding her skin, marine ranger Harel Baz said. The global Mediterranean monk seal population is estimated at between 400 and 500, placing it among the rarest marine mammals, Baz said.

☆ EU in Israel cancels Europe Day event over far-right minister's participation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, May 8 (Reuters) - The European Union delegation in Israel on Monday cancelled its Europe Day diplomatic reception over the planned participation of far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who criticised the decision as a form of "undiplomatic silencing". Brussels marks May 9 as "Europe Day", honouring a 1950 French declaration that led to the founding of the body that became the EU. National Security Minister Ben-Gvir was set to represent the Israeli government at this year's event. "It is a shame that the European Union, which claims to represent the values of democracy and multiculturalism, is engaging in undiplomatic silencing," Ben-Gvir said in a statement. (This story has been refiled to say 'undiplomatic silencing,' not 'undemocratic silencing,' in paragraph 1)Writing by Henriette Chacar; Editing by Ari RabinovitchOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Israeli strikes in Gaza kill three senior Palestinian armed group commanders
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A fire burns in a building after the Israeli military struck Islamic Jihad targets, it said in a statement, in Gaza, May 9, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed SalemJERUSALEM, May 9 (Reuters) - Israel killed three senior Islamic Jihad commanders in Gaza air strikes, Palestinian officials said, as the Israeli military confirmed it was carrying out an operation against the group before dawn on Tuesday. The Israeli military said it targeted three senior commanders of the Islamic Jihad, the second most powerful armed group in the Hamas-ruled, blockaded coastal enclave. Two Islamic Jihad sources confirmed the deaths. Last week, the death of a Palestinian hunger striker in Israeli custody triggered several hours of cross-border fighting between Israel and armed groups in Gaza, in which one Palestinian man was killed.

☆ Israel publishes tenders for new West Bank settlement units
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, May 7 (Reuters) - Israel has published tenders for more than 1,000 new housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite a commitment it made in U.S.-backed talks in February that discussion of new settlement units would be halted for the next four months. Since the meeting in Jordan, attended by U.S., Egyptian, Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli officials, the Israel Land Authority has published on its website separate tenders for 1,248 new housing units in West Bank settlements. The settlements include Beitar Illit, Efrat, Kiryat Arba, Ma'ale Efraim and Karnei Shomron in addition to 89 units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Gilo. The expansion of settlements in the West Bank has been among the most contentious issues between Israel and the Palestinians and the international community for decades. Israel disputes that and cites biblical, historical and political ties to the West Bank, as well as security interests.

☆ Orthodox Christians await Holy Light in Jerusalem under heavy police restrictions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, April 14 (Reuters) - Thousands of Palestinian Christians and pilgrims from around the world filled Jerusalem's Old City on Saturday to celebrate the Orthodox Holy Light ceremony, under a heavy Israeli police presence that has drawn anger from churches. Additional checkpoints around the Old City will also restrict access to the area around the church. Israel annexed East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City and its holy sites, after a 1967 Middle East War in a move not recognised internationally. Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. The Holy Sepulchre lies at the heart of the Old City's Christian Quarter in East Jerusalem.

☆ Pilgrims flock to ancient Holy Land church as Palestinian congregation shrinks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Mohamad Torokman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Christian worshipers pray during Mass inside St. George Church, also known as the Church of the Ten Lepers, in Burqin, near Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank March 31, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamad TorokmanBURQIN, West Bank, April 13 (Reuters) - One of the world's oldest churches, built on top of a cave in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and festooned with golden icons, attracts thousands of Christian pilgrims every year. But the Church of the Ten Lepers' own congregation of Palestinian Christians grows ever smaller. The first church on the site, in the northern West Bank town of Burqin, was built more than 1,600 years ago to commemorate a miracle. Today, only about 70 Palestinian Christians remain in the town of 8,500 people, said Moeen Jabbour, its administrative manager.

☆ Israeli curbs on Orthodox Church crowds in Jerusalem for Easter draw ire
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( James Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

JERUSALEM, April 12 (Reuters) - Israeli police will curb the number of worshippers in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem for safety reasons during Orthodox Easter ceremonies on Saturday, drawing anger from church leaders who said they would not cooperate. However, the decision to limit access on Saturday to the Holy Fire, the most important Easter celebration for the Eastern Orthodox Church, angered church leaders who saw it as part of what they consider long-standing efforts by Israel to restrict the rights and freedoms of the local Christian community. Additional checkpoints around the Old City will also restrict access to the area around the church. But it reflected complaints from Christians that they are being gradually but systematically shut out of the Old City by Israeli authorities, who they say are upsetting longstanding status quo arrangements between the three communities. Additional reporting by Henriette Chacar and Emily Rose; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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