9 Iran-backed fighters killed in 2nd raid in Syria in 24 hours — monitor
Airstrikes targeting positions of Iran-backed militias in eastern Syria killed nine fighters on Sunday in the second such raid in 24 hours, a war monitor said.
Israel
Israel War Planes Struck Targets In Gaza Strip Ahead Of “Annexation”
Tensions remained high Sunday after two Israeli warplanes struck targets in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said it was a response to two rockets fired at Israeli territory from the coastal enclave, Worthy News learned.
Israel and United Arab Emirates to cooperate on COVID-19
Israel and the United Arab Emirates are set to join forces in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jerusalem Post reports. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the partnership in a statement on Thursday, saying the decision to cooperate had come after months of intense negotiation.
Belgium votes today on whether to recognize a Palestinian state and on whether to threaten Israel with sanctions
Belgium’s Chamber of Representatives will vote today on whether to recognize a Palestinian state and on whether Israel should be threatened with economic sanctions if it unilaterally annexes parts of the West Bank, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Archaeologists find remains of Christian settlement in Galilee
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has published a report on its finding an ancient Christian settlement in northern Israel in 2007, CBN News reported. Located in the Galilee area, the rural settlement was likely destroyed during the Persian conquest in 613 AD, the IAA report says.
At UN, Arab League head warns of ‘religious war’ if Israel annexes in West Bank
The United Nations, European Union countries, and the Arab League joined Wednesday in calling for Israel to abandon its plans to annex parts of the West Bank, as the Jewish state’s envoy to the international body insisted the step would not stand in the way of peace with the Palestinians.
Knesset advances bill to enable Shin Bet surveillance in coronavirus fight
The cabinet and the Knesset voted on Wednesday to advance legislation that would enable the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) to use its digital tools to track coronavirus patients. The bill passed a preliminary reading in the Knesset plenum by a vote of 44 to 33, but still must pass additional readings in a Knesset committee and the plenum next week in order to become law.
Former head of Military Intelligence: Iran could respond to Syria strikes
The former head of the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin warned on Wednesday that Iran could respond to overnight airstrikes in Syria that the Syrian regime has attributed to Israel.
Under Trump’s peace plan major Israeli archaeological sites would be located in future Palestinian state
According to a survey conducted for the Shiloh Policy Forum, US President Trump’s Mideast peace plan would place hundreds of Jewish archaeological sites inside a future Palestinian state, CBN News reports. Among the sites concerned are Shiloh and an ancient synagogue discovered in Shomron, the Biblical capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel.
IDF chief warns Iran now the ‘most dangerous country’ in Middle East
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi on Sunday said Iran is now the most dangerous country in the Middle East, not just because of its nuclear program, but also through its conventional weapons and support for terror activities against Israel.
Libyan Government says Egypt Made Declaration of War
Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) said Sunday that Egypt has made a “declaration of war,” against it, the Times of Israel reported.
Frustration and Hope as World Deals with Virus and Visitors
Hope but also frustration and uncertainty marked the world’s efforts Sunday to deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. officials to meet this week on Israel annexation plan
U.S. officials will gather this week to discuss whether to give Israel a green light for its plan to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s target date of July 1 approaches.
Israel’s ‘Corona Cabinet’ Approves New Restrictions, as Economy Continues to Take Hit
The Israeli government’s ad hoc “Corona Cabinet” approved on Monday several new measures to deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
PM: Gov’t will pass sovereignty next week, even if Blue and White opposes bid
Even the most contentious disagreements in previous governments – including coalitions that comprised Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked – didn’t prepare Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the miseries of this current government. The combination of an equal share unity government with deadbeats such as Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, his dominant deputy with an independent agenda in the form of Gabi Ashkenazi, and a cohort of inexperienced Knesset members who haven’t graduated political boot camp yet, spurred Netanyahu to utter the word “election” more than once this week in closed-door conversations.
Netanyahu’s new idea: Sovereignty in 2 stages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told various officials over the past few days that he is considering a two-stage plan to implement Israel’s declaration of sovereignty in the Jordan Valley parts of Judea and Samaria.
Boris Johnson: Israel’s planned annexation breaches international law
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank would “amount to a breach of international law.”
Archaeologists briefly pause Jerusalem dig in fear of damage to ancient road
The Israel Antiquities Authority briefly halted an underground excavation in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem due to fears of a structural collapse in the area, according to a Monday report in Haaretz. According to the report the authority made the decision after finding out the land around the dig was sinking.
Hezbollah: US sanctions will “starve” Syria and Lebanon
The leader of Lebanese terror group Hezbollah said Tuesday that new US sanctions are intended to “starve” both Syria and Lebanon, the Times of Israel (ToI) reports.
Israel’s Pangea offers digital health ‘passport’ to ease travel amid pandemic
Israeli firm Pangea, a maker of smart digital ID cards and border control software, is hoping to use its know-how to help airports reopen during the coronavirus pandemic to jumpstart travel and tourism.