Israel

 Israel’s foreign ministry on Saturday condemned Iran’s newly-elected president Ebrahim Raisi, saying he was its most extreme president yet and committed to quickly advancing Tehran’s nuclear programme. “After the Supreme Leader effectively dictated to the Iranian public who they could choose, less than 50% of Iranian citizens eligible to vote …

Israeli far-right nationalists began a flag-waving march through East Jerusalem on Tuesday that risks reigniting tensions with Palestinians and poses an early challenge for Israel’s new government. Last month, Israeli-Palestinian tensions and violence in contested Jerusalem helped trigger 11 days of cross-border fighting between Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas militant …

The new Israeli government set to end Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year tenure as prime minister signed its final coalition agreements on Friday, pointedly including term limits. The coalition of parties from far-right to left is expected to focus mostly on economic and social issues rather than risk exposing internal rifts by …

Israeli officials said on Tuesday they would allow a right-wing march in Jerusalem’s Old City to go ahead next week under certain conditions, a day after police barred the event’s route fearing it would rekindle conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza. Several right-wing Israeli groups had planned a …

Syrian air defences on Tuesday intercepted an Israeli missile strike over the capital Damascus, state media reported, while military defectors said the missiles may have targeted Iranian-backed militias. “Syrian air defences intercepted an Israeli aggression coming from Lebanese airspace,” state media said. Earlier, state media said large explosions were heard. …

British school history books have been withdrawn following accusations of pro-Israel bias. This is the second time that the textbooks, published by education company Pearson, have been removed.  On the first occasion, in 2019, they were withdrawn after pro-Israel groups claimed the books favored Palestine. Pearson made changes to the …

Israeli police detained two prominent Palestinian activists on Sunday who have become the faces of a campaign to halt Palestinian evictions from the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Footage on social media on Sunday showed Muna El-Kurd, 23, whose family faces eviction from their home in Sheikh Jarrah after …

An Israeli military spokesman said Monday that the army was carrying out a security sweep operation at the border fence with Lebanon and that it was still ongoing. The military are searching for two people who might have infiltrated from Lebanon: Al-Arabiya news reported. Source: Arab News

It has been revealed that the Biden Administration’s State Department discourages officials and employees from referring to the UAE/Bahrain-Israel normalization agreements as the ‘“Abraham Accords” — despite that being their official name. According to US daily The Washington Free Beacon, emails to employees stated that the agreements will only be referred …

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz was heading to the United States for a one-day visit on Thursday to discuss ongoing efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal, which Israel opposes. He was to meet his counterpart Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan “for …

Israel has summoned the Filipino Ambassador in Tel Aviv over the Philippines’ vote backing the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) probe into violations committed during the latest conflict in Gaza. In a statement on Sunday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Philippines Ambassador Macairog Alberto was summoned for “clarification” regarding …

Egypt’s work to broker and secure a truce in the Gaza Strip this month has thrust it into the diplomatic spotlight, prompting top-level reengagement from Washington and overshadowing moves by several Arab states to normalise ties with Israel. The efforts have earned Cairo recognition at a time when it was …

The next phase of international diplomacy to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must focus on ending Israel’s occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state, according to Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN. He told Arab News said that efforts at the UN relating to Palestine this year have fallen …

The UN launched an emergency appeal on Thursday to raise $95 million of funding for urgent humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, along with repairs to key infrastructure damaged by Israeli attacks this month. The conflict has left 800,000 Palestinians without access to clean water. More than 1,000 housing …

Jordan’s King Abdullah II warned against a continuation of the provocative Israeli violations in Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa mosque, and the repeated and illegal attempts to displace residents in a number of east Jerusalem neighborhoods, especially Sheikh Jarrah, which led to the recent escalation, state news agency Petra reported. Speaking …

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged on a Middle East mission on Tuesday that Washington would provide new aid to help rebuild Gaza as part of efforts to bolster a ceasefire between its Hamas Islamist rulers and Israel. Hoping to reverse a move taken by former President Donald Trump …

Iran’s supreme leader struck a defiant tone in a rare public sermon on Friday, calling the United States an “arrogant power” and telling tens of thousands of chanting worshipers that God’s backing had allowed his country to “slap the face” of the United States. In his first such address in …

China’s UN ambassador says France is seeking a UN Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants who control Gaza. Zhang Jun, the current council president, confirmed that France’s UN Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere informed the council during the third round of closed consultations Tuesday on …

France’s President Emmanuel Macron, his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II will hold talks Tuesday aimed at seeking a cease-fire in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, the French presidency said. El-Sisi is currently in Paris for summits on Africa while Abdullah will …

Six shells were fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel on Monday but fell short of crossing the border, the Israeli military said. It said that in response, artillery was fired at “the sources of the launches” in Lebanon. A Lebanese security source said shells were heard being fired from south …

WELLINGTON, New Zealand: Two years after a white supremacist in New Zealand livestreamed the slaughter of 51 Muslim worshippers on Facebook, French President Emmanuel Macron says the Internet continues to be be used by terrorists as a weapon to propagate hate. Macron and other leaders from tech giants and governments …

An Israeli airstrike on Saturday destroyed a high-rise building that housed The Associated Press office in the Gaza Strip, despite repeated urgent calls from the news agency to the military to halt the impending attack. AP called the strike “shocking and horrifying.” Twelve AP staffers and freelancers were working and …

Lebanon’s response to the violence in Gaza and its relationship with Palestine is the subject of angry debate after rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward Israeli settlements. Former MP Nadim Gemayel warned that “Lebanon is neither a military base nor a missile platform for Palestinian factions or Iranian militias.” …

 French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday about the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestinians and called for a return to peace in the region. In a statement, Macron condemned rocket attacks by Hamas and said Israel had the right to defend itself. He …

The United States has objected to a request by China, Norway and Tunisia for a public, virtual meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to discuss the worsening violence between Israel and Palestinian militants, diplomats said. The United States, a close ally of Israel, cited diplomatic efforts as …

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the situation in Jerusalem and Gaza, at the request of Saudi Arabia, it was reported on Thursday. The meeting between foreign ministers of OIC member nations will address continuing Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territories, which have …

Saudi Arabia has condemned attacks carried out by Israeli forces at Al-Aqsa, a foreign ministry statement said early Tuesday. The actions have caused concern in the Muslim world as the site is one of the most religious in Islam.  The Saudi ministry of foreign affairs strongly condemns the attacks carried …

Turkey criticised Israel and accused it of unleashing “terror” on Palestinians after Israeli police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades towards rock-hurling Palestinian youth at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque late on Friday. The clashes at Islam’s third holiest site and around East Jerusalem, which injured 205 Palestinians and 17 police officers, …

A Palestinian woman was killed and two Israelis were seriously wounded in two separate shooting incidents in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, Israeli and Palestinian officials said. An Israeli soldier shot a Palestinian woman who tried to carry out a stabbing attack, the military said. Palestinian officials said the …

Lebanon and Israel are expected to resume US-mediated talks on a dispute about their Mediterranean Sea border next week, two Lebanese official sources said on Thursday. Negotiations between old foes Lebanon and Israel were launched in October to try to resolve the dispute, which has held up hydrocarbon exploration in …

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi held talks with the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland on Sunday over violent clashes in Jerusalem. Anti-Arab Israeli extremists, emboldened by the election of their allies to parliament, began a march over the weekend calling for violence against Arabs. …

Israel’s Foreign Minister discussed on Tuesday the threat Iran poses on the region with UK Minister Michael Gove. Gabi Ashkenazi discussed other regional issues, bilateral ties and “the need for a travel corridor,” with the British Cabinet Office minister. Gove is visiting Israel to study a COVID “green pass” smartphone …

The United States stands ready to facilitate maritime border talks between Lebanon and Israel that will have benefits for the crisis-hit Lebanese economy, a U.S. envoy said on Thursday. On a visit to Beirut, Under Secretary of State David Hale blamed Lebanese leaders for failing to end a deadlock in …

A commercial vessel owned by an Israeli firm was attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in Gulf waters, pro-Iran media and an Israeli television channel said on Tuesday. Israel’s top-rated Channel 12 quoted unnamed Israeli officials as blaming arch-foe Iran for the assault, which it described as …

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister on Monday approved a draft decree expanding the country’s claims in a dispute with Israel over their maritime border that has held up hydrocarbon exploration in the potentially gas-rich area. Hassan Diab signed off on the document after both the minister of public works and the …

Israel will work with Washington to ensure any “new agreement” on Iran’s nuclear program will safeguard regional security, Defense Minister Benny Gantz told his US counterpart Lloyd Austin on Sunday. The comments came as Austin made the first high-level US trip to Israel since talks resumed on reviving the 2015 …

Israel’s president planned on Tuesday to announce a candidate to try to form a government after consultations he held with political parties left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the apparent favourite with the most endorsements. But the president, Reuven Rivlin, has wide discretion under law in making his choice. He said …

Senior U.S. and Israel officials focused on concerns about Iran during the first virtual meeting of a bilateral strategic group on Thursday, the White House said, an issue on which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has differences with the new Biden administration. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, …

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Iran on Monday for an explosion aboard an Israeli-owned ship in the Gulf of Oman last week, an accusation rejected by Tehran. The vehicle-carrier MV Helios Ray was hit between Thursday night and Friday morning by a blast above the water line that a …

Jordanian officials have denounced the Israeli government’s decision to allow 230 radical Jews to break into Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday. The radicals were celebrating the Jewish festival of Purim and had called the day earlier to hold  “carnival”  festivities on this holiday, which is often celebrated with Jews wearing costumes …

U.S. President Joe Biden made a long-awaited first phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday after a delay that had seen Washington deny it was snubbing Israel’s leader. There had been speculation that the Democratic president was signaling displeasure over Netanyahu’s close ties with former President Donald …

U.S. President Joe Biden plans to speak with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu soon, the White House said on Thursday without providing a date. Biden’s failure to include Netanyahu so far in his calls with foreign leaders has raised eyebrows in Israel and among Middle East experts. Former Presidents Barack Obama …

Qatar is working to de-escalate tension in the region by advocating for a return to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, state media quoted its foreign minister as saying. “The State of Qatar is working on de-escalation through a political and diplomatic process to return to the nuclear agreement,” Foreign Minister …

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in court on Monday to formally respond to corruption charges, as his trial enters an intensified phase six weeks before he faces re-election. Netanyahu, the first Israeli premier to be indicted in office, was charged last year over allegations that he accepted improper gifts …