Results for: Israel

As the Jewish festival of Passover approaches, many Israelis are in a somber mood due to the ongoing captivity of over 130 hostages in the Gaza Strip. The holiday, which traditionally involves joyful gatherings and a retelling of the biblical story of liberation, will be marked with a focus on the missing hostages and the ongoing conflict. The Seder meal, a central part of the Passover celebration, will carry a profound meaning this year, with many families placing an empty chair at their tables to represent the absent loved ones.

Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel on Monday evening, triggering sirens in Safed and nearby towns. The IDF responded with artillery strikes on launch sites and airstrikes on three Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. The attacks came after a Hezbollah missile downed an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon earlier in the day. Since October 8, Hezbollah and allied terror groups have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border daily.

The head of Israel’s intelligence agency has stepped down following criticism over the agency’s failure to anticipate a series of attacks by Hamas militants that left several Israelis dead in October.

Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah has escalated its attacks on Israeli military targets along the border in response to Israeli raids on southern Lebanese villages. The group fired dozens of Katyusha rockets at an army headquarters in northern Israel, prompting retaliatory strikes by the Israeli military. The ongoing cross-border exchanges have been fueled by escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, Hezbollah’s main backer. The situation underscores the potential for wider conflict in the region.

The US State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices highlighted concerns over Israel’s precautions to minimize civilian casualties during the conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that Israel needs to follow international law and take feasible precautions to protect civilians, raising concerns about civilian deaths, humanitarian aid access, and journalist deaths. The report also condemned Hamas’ October 7th attack on Israel and its abhorrent use of civilians as human shields.

The State Department is investigating allegations of Israeli human rights abuses and will announce restrictions on military aid for specific units, including one with a high conviction rate for abuses against Palestinian civilians. Secretary of State Blinken said the investigation follows the same standards as for any other country and will consider evidence of possible violations involving U.S. weapons.

Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating freedom from slavery, was observed in Israel under the shadow of ongoing conflict and the continued detention of 133 hostages by Hamas. While some families marked the holiday with traditional rituals and symbolic acts of remembrance, others protested outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home, demanding a deal to release the hostages.

A Labour candidate has been suspended just days after the party’s Chief Whip campaigned for him in the local elections. Mr Razaq’s posts included comparing Israel to Nazi Germany and accusing Israel of being a ‘terrorist nation’. The Labour Party has pulled all support for Mr Razaq’s campaign and will not provide further backing. However, he will still appear on ballot papers in the upcoming local elections.

Satellite images suggest an Israeli strike on Isfahan, Iran, targeted an S-300 radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery, despite Iranian denials. The precision of the strike, which may have penetrated Iran’s air defenses, sends a message about Israel’s capabilities and Iran’s vulnerabilities. Both Iran and Israel are now trying to dial back tensions after a series of escalatory attacks, while the relationship between Iran and Russia deepens in the face of international isolation and the war in Ukraine.

An independent review of the neutrality of the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) found that Israel had not raised any concerns about staff lists received since 2011. The review also highlighted gaps in the agency’s implementation of neutrality principles, including staff expressing political views, questionable textbook content, and union disruptions.