Israeli team said to arrive in Paris for hostage deal talks; IDF hits Hezbollah targets
Guterres urges donors to reconsider UNRWA funding halt, says 9 staffers involved in Oct. 7 fired, 1 is dead * Activists block Gaza crossing for 5th day: 'No aid until hostages are home'The Times of Israel is liveblogging Sunday’s events as they happen.
UK says British warship repelled Houthi drone attack in Red Sea
A British warship, the HMS Diamond, repelled a drone attack yesterday from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea, British officials say.
“Deploying her Sea Viper missile system, Diamond destroyed a drone targeting her with no injuries or damage sustained to Diamond or her crew,” the British Defense Ministry says in a statement.
“These intolerable and illegal attacks are completely unacceptable and it is our duty to protect the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”
The Houthis began launching waves of exploding drones and missiles at vessels on Nov. 19 in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which themselves were sparked by the Hamas terror group’s devastating October 7 attack.
On Friday, a tanker vessel was attacked, sparking a fire on board.
US and British warplanes, ships and submarines have responded to the Houthi attacks on shipping with dozens of retaliatory strikes across Yemen against Houthi forces.
Rocket sirens sound in Kiryat Shmona near Lebanon border
Sirens sound in Kiryat Shmona, close to the border with Lebanon, warning of incoming rocket fire.
Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.
So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in six civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of nine IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.
Israeli team said to arrive in Paris for hostage deal talks; IDF hits Hezbollah targets
Guterres urges donors to reconsider UNRWA funding halt, says 9 staffers involved in Oct. 7 fired, 1 is dead * Activists block Gaza crossing for 5th day: 'No aid until hostages are home'
' x='0' y='0' height='100%25' width='100%25' xlink%3Ahref='data%3Aimage/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wAARCAAGAAkDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT/xAAfEAABAwMFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAIDBAURBhRUk7H/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/8QAFhEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAER/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwCRmoLnJSmITsGRguDMH1R7yr5EvYURFYxH/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
' x='0' y='0' height='100%25' width='100%25' xlink%3Ahref='data%3Aimage/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wAARCAAGAAkDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQF/8QAIBAAAQMCBwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQREhMhQlOR4f/EABUBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEC/8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8A0YopmU2k2IEbmgWUGXVcjOvERWH/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Sunday’s events as they happen.
2 rockets fired from Gaza at Sderot, 3 fired from Lebanon at Kiryat Shmona
Two rockets are fired from the Gaza Strip at the southern city of Sderot.
One was intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system, while the other landed outside the city, according to the municipality.
In the north, at least three rockets are fired from Lebanon at Kiryat Shmona.
Footage posted to social media shows three plumes of smoke from the projectiles that apparently landed in open areas.
There are no reports of damage or injuries in the attacks.
Rocket sirens sound in Gaza border communities
Rocket sirens sound in three communities close to the border with the Gaza Strip.
Alerts are heard in Sderot, Ibim and Nir Am.
Amid protests to prevent aid entering Gaza, IDF declares Kerem Shalom crossing a closed military zone
Amid protests at the Kerem Shalom border crossing preventing aid from entering the Gaza Strip, the IDF has announced a closed military zone in the area.
The IDF says the chief of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, signed the order last night, following a new assessment of the situation.
The order means it will be illegal for civilians to be in the area of the crossing, as well as on nearby roads.
Activists, including the families of some of the hostages held by terrorists in Gaza, have been blocking the Kerem Shalom crossing for several days, to prevent humanitarian aid from entering the Strip.
The cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government voted last month to reopen the crossing for the entry of aid into the Strip amid a growing humanitarian crisis there.
Channel 12 estimates that 200-300 activists are currently protesting at the border crossing.
UK says British warship repelled Houthi drone attack in Red Sea
A British warship, the HMS Diamond, repelled a drone attack yesterday from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea, British officials say.
“Deploying her Sea Viper missile system, Diamond destroyed a drone targeting her with no injuries or damage sustained to Diamond or her crew,” the British Defense Ministry says in a statement.
“These intolerable and illegal attacks are completely unacceptable and it is our duty to protect the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”
The Houthis began launching waves of exploding drones and missiles at vessels on Nov. 19 in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which themselves were sparked by the Hamas terror group’s devastating October 7 attack.
On Friday, a tanker vessel was attacked, sparking a fire on board.
US and British warplanes, ships and submarines have responded to the Houthi attacks on shipping with dozens of retaliatory strikes across Yemen against Houthi forces.
Rocket sirens sound in Kiryat Shmona near Lebanon border
Sirens sound in Kiryat Shmona, close to the border with Lebanon, warning of incoming rocket fire.
Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.
So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in six civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of nine IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.
FM Katz meets with GOP senator Graham to discuss ‘future regional prospects’
Foreign Minister Israel Katz meets with US GOP Senator Lindsey Graham in Tel Aviv to discuss “future regional prospects,” says Katz.
Graham was also in Israel earlier this month before flying to Saudi Arabia to further a normalization deal with Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman.
Before the October 7 Hamas onslaught, the US had been trying to broker a landmark agreement in which Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with Israel in exchange for US security guarantees, aid in establishing a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom, and progress toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said last week that the kingdom will not normalize relations with Israel nor contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction without a credible pathway to a Palestinian state.
Israeli team said to arrive in Paris for hostage deal talks; IDF hits Hezbollah targets
Guterres urges donors to reconsider UNRWA funding halt, says 9 staffers involved in Oct. 7 fired, 1 is dead * Activists block Gaza crossing for 5th day: 'No aid until hostages are home'
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Sunday’s events as they happen.
2 rockets fired from Gaza at Sderot, 3 fired from Lebanon at Kiryat Shmona
Two rockets are fired from the Gaza Strip at the southern city of Sderot.
One was intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system, while the other landed outside the city, according to the municipality.
In the north, at least three rockets are fired from Lebanon at Kiryat Shmona.
Footage posted to social media shows three plumes of smoke from the projectiles that apparently landed in open areas.
There are no reports of damage or injuries in the attacks.
Rocket sirens sound in Gaza border communities
Rocket sirens sound in three communities close to the border with the Gaza Strip.
Alerts are heard in Sderot, Ibim and Nir Am.
Amid protests to prevent aid entering Gaza, IDF declares Kerem Shalom crossing a closed military zone
Amid protests at the Kerem Shalom border crossing preventing aid from entering the Gaza Strip, the IDF has announced a closed military zone in the area.
The IDF says the chief of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, signed the order last night, following a new assessment of the situation.
The order means it will be illegal for civilians to be in the area of the crossing, as well as on nearby roads.
Activists, including the families of some of the hostages held by terrorists in Gaza, have been blocking the Kerem Shalom crossing for several days, to prevent humanitarian aid from entering the Strip.
The cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government voted last month to reopen the crossing for the entry of aid into the Strip amid a growing humanitarian crisis there.
Channel 12 estimates that 200-300 activists are currently protesting at the border crossing.
UK says British warship repelled Houthi drone attack in Red Sea
A British warship, the HMS Diamond, repelled a drone attack yesterday from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea, British officials say.
“Deploying her Sea Viper missile system, Diamond destroyed a drone targeting her with no injuries or damage sustained to Diamond or her crew,” the British Defense Ministry says in a statement.
“These intolerable and illegal attacks are completely unacceptable and it is our duty to protect the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”
The Houthis began launching waves of exploding drones and missiles at vessels on Nov. 19 in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which themselves were sparked by the Hamas terror group’s devastating October 7 attack.
On Friday, a tanker vessel was attacked, sparking a fire on board.
US and British warplanes, ships and submarines have responded to the Houthi attacks on shipping with dozens of retaliatory strikes across Yemen against Houthi forces.
Rocket sirens sound in Kiryat Shmona near Lebanon border
Sirens sound in Kiryat Shmona, close to the border with Lebanon, warning of incoming rocket fire.
Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.
So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in six civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of nine IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.
FM Katz meets with GOP senator Graham to discuss ‘future regional prospects’
Foreign Minister Israel Katz meets with US GOP Senator Lindsey Graham in Tel Aviv to discuss “future regional prospects,” says Katz.
Graham was also in Israel earlier this month before flying to Saudi Arabia to further a normalization deal with Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman.
Before the October 7 Hamas onslaught, the US had been trying to broker a landmark agreement in which Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with Israel in exchange for US security guarantees, aid in establishing a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom, and progress toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said last week that the kingdom will not normalize relations with Israel nor contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction without a credible pathway to a Palestinian state.
Argentina president to visit Israel next month
Argentina’s President Javier Milei will visit Israel on February 6-9, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
Milei, who was elected last month, has been an outspoken supporter of Israel, and has said he wants to convert to Judaism.
On Friday, Milei said he would come to to Israel in the “coming weeks,” a visit that would “constitute a new chapter in the brotherhood between our two nations.”
Eleven Argentinian citizens are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
PA official: If Hamas were to win Palestinian elections, we’d hand over government to them
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the deputy prime minister of the Palestinian Authority and spokesperson for President Mahmoud Abbas, says that were Hamas to win in future Palestinian general elections, Abbas would be ready to hand over control of the PA to the terror group.
In an interview with the Saudi news channel Al Arabiya yesterday, Abu Rudeineh stresses that the Palestinian people need to find common ground and formulate a unified position, and that for the time being “the address for political decisions is the Palestine Liberation Organization and its President Mahmoud Abbas,” but after the war the PA “is ready to hold general elections, and if Hamas wins, the president will hand over the Authority.”
The Palestinian Authority has not held general elections since 2006, when Hamas won a majority of the seats in the legislative council, and subsequently staged a violent coup in the Gaza Strip.
Since the outbreak of the war, various PA officials have called for integrating the political wing of Hamas in a future Palestinian government, claiming that it is an essential component of Palestinian society.
Elections are seen by many in the international community as a key stage in the reform and revival of the Palestinian Authority, a body that is perceived as corrupt and ineffective, in order to boost its legitimacy and potentially enable it to take control over the Gaza Strip after the war.
Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that their goal in the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 onslaught is the eradication of the terror group.
1 killed in armed attack on church in Istanbul, minister says
Two masked gunmen attack an Istanbul church during Sunday Mass, killing one, says Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. More were injured at the Santa Maria Church, according to reports.
Local media also report the deceased was a 72-year-old woman.
Yerlikaya says that “a large-scale investigation” has begun, as well as an effort to apprehend the attackers.
“We strongly condemn this vile attack,” he tweets.
In light of Oct. 7, Holocaust section of matriculation exam won’t be mandatory this year
In light of the October 7 atrocities perpetrated upon southern Israeli communities by Hamas-led terrorists, high school students will not be required to take the Holocaust section of the history matriculation exam, which is normally mandatory, the Education Ministry says in a statement.
“Many inquiries were received from professionals and parents noting that dealing with the Holocaust raises great emotional and mental difficulties. Therefore it was decided to, temporarily, not obligate the students to take the Holocaust chapter of the matriculation exam,” the ministry says in a statement, the day after Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The decision is only valid for the current academic year.
The Holocaust section will remain in the history exam, the ministry notes, but will not be mandatory and students will have the option to refrain from taking it, subject to the discretion of the teacher and school officials.
The annual high school Holocaust education trips to concentration camps in Poland, which were to have resumed this year after a three-year absence, were canceled in November due to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war the previous month, triggered by the October 7 onslaught.
Israeli team said to arrive in Paris for hostage deal talks; IDF hits Hezbollah targets
Guterres urges donors to reconsider UNRWA funding halt, says 9 staffers involved in Oct. 7 fired, 1 is dead * Activists block Gaza crossing for 5th day: 'No aid until hostages are home'
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Sunday’s events as they happen.
2 rockets fired from Gaza at Sderot, 3 fired from Lebanon at Kiryat Shmona
Two rockets are fired from the Gaza Strip at the southern city of Sderot.
One was intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system, while the other landed outside the city, according to the municipality.
In the north, at least three rockets are fired from Lebanon at Kiryat Shmona.
Footage posted to social media shows three plumes of smoke from the projectiles that apparently landed in open areas.
There are no reports of damage or injuries in the attacks.
Rocket sirens sound in Gaza border communities
Rocket sirens sound in three communities close to the border with the Gaza Strip.
Alerts are heard in Sderot, Ibim and Nir Am.
Amid protests to prevent aid entering Gaza, IDF declares Kerem Shalom crossing a closed military zone
Amid protests at the Kerem Shalom border crossing preventing aid from entering the Gaza Strip, the IDF has announced a closed military zone in the area.
The IDF says the chief of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, signed the order last night, following a new assessment of the situation.
The order means it will be illegal for civilians to be in the area of the crossing, as well as on nearby roads.
Activists, including the families of some of the hostages held by terrorists in Gaza, have been blocking the Kerem Shalom crossing for several days, to prevent humanitarian aid from entering the Strip.
The cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government voted last month to reopen the crossing for the entry of aid into the Strip amid a growing humanitarian crisis there.
Channel 12 estimates that 200-300 activists are currently protesting at the border crossing.
UK says British warship repelled Houthi drone attack in Red Sea
A British warship, the HMS Diamond, repelled a drone attack yesterday from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea, British officials say.
“Deploying her Sea Viper missile system, Diamond destroyed a drone targeting her with no injuries or damage sustained to Diamond or her crew,” the British Defense Ministry says in a statement.
“These intolerable and illegal attacks are completely unacceptable and it is our duty to protect the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”
The Houthis began launching waves of exploding drones and missiles at vessels on Nov. 19 in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which themselves were sparked by the Hamas terror group’s devastating October 7 attack.
On Friday, a tanker vessel was attacked, sparking a fire on board.
US and British warplanes, ships and submarines have responded to the Houthi attacks on shipping with dozens of retaliatory strikes across Yemen against Houthi forces.
Rocket sirens sound in Kiryat Shmona near Lebanon border
Sirens sound in Kiryat Shmona, close to the border with Lebanon, warning of incoming rocket fire.
Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.
So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in six civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of nine IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.
FM Katz meets with GOP senator Graham to discuss ‘future regional prospects’
Foreign Minister Israel Katz meets with US GOP Senator Lindsey Graham in Tel Aviv to discuss “future regional prospects,” says Katz.
Graham was also in Israel earlier this month before flying to Saudi Arabia to further a normalization deal with Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman.
Before the October 7 Hamas onslaught, the US had been trying to broker a landmark agreement in which Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with Israel in exchange for US security guarantees, aid in establishing a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom, and progress toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said last week that the kingdom will not normalize relations with Israel nor contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction without a credible pathway to a Palestinian state.
Argentina president to visit Israel next month
Argentina’s President Javier Milei will visit Israel on February 6-9, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
Milei, who was elected last month, has been an outspoken supporter of Israel, and has said he wants to convert to Judaism.
On Friday, Milei said he would come to to Israel in the “coming weeks,” a visit that would “constitute a new chapter in the brotherhood between our two nations.”
Eleven Argentinian citizens are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
PA official: If Hamas were to win Palestinian elections, we’d hand over government to them
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the deputy prime minister of the Palestinian Authority and spokesperson for President Mahmoud Abbas, says that were Hamas to win in future Palestinian general elections, Abbas would be ready to hand over control of the PA to the terror group.
In an interview with the Saudi news channel Al Arabiya yesterday, Abu Rudeineh stresses that the Palestinian people need to find common ground and formulate a unified position, and that for the time being “the address for political decisions is the Palestine Liberation Organization and its President Mahmoud Abbas,” but after the war the PA “is ready to hold general elections, and if Hamas wins, the president will hand over the Authority.”
The Palestinian Authority has not held general elections since 2006, when Hamas won a majority of the seats in the legislative council, and subsequently staged a violent coup in the Gaza Strip.
Since the outbreak of the war, various PA officials have called for integrating the political wing of Hamas in a future Palestinian government, claiming that it is an essential component of Palestinian society.
Elections are seen by many in the international community as a key stage in the reform and revival of the Palestinian Authority, a body that is perceived as corrupt and ineffective, in order to boost its legitimacy and potentially enable it to take control over the Gaza Strip after the war.
Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that their goal in the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 onslaught is the eradication of the terror group.
1 killed in armed attack on church in Istanbul, minister says
Two masked gunmen attack an Istanbul church during Sunday Mass, killing one, says Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. More were injured at the Santa Maria Church, according to reports.
Local media also report the deceased was a 72-year-old woman.
Yerlikaya says that “a large-scale investigation” has begun, as well as an effort to apprehend the attackers.
“We strongly condemn this vile attack,” he tweets.
In light of Oct. 7, Holocaust section of matriculation exam won’t be mandatory this year
In light of the October 7 atrocities perpetrated upon southern Israeli communities by Hamas-led terrorists, high school students will not be required to take the Holocaust section of the history matriculation exam, which is normally mandatory, the Education Ministry says in a statement.
“Many inquiries were received from professionals and parents noting that dealing with the Holocaust raises great emotional and mental difficulties. Therefore it was decided to, temporarily, not obligate the students to take the Holocaust chapter of the matriculation exam,” the ministry says in a statement, the day after Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The decision is only valid for the current academic year.
The Holocaust section will remain in the history exam, the ministry notes, but will not be mandatory and students will have the option to refrain from taking it, subject to the discretion of the teacher and school officials.
The annual high school Holocaust education trips to concentration camps in Poland, which were to have resumed this year after a three-year absence, were canceled in November due to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war the previous month, triggered by the October 7 onslaught.
टिप्पणियाँ
एक टिप्पणी भेजें