Report: Hamas increases training ahead of possible war with Israel
Hamas has increased its training in preparation for a possible conflict with Israel, defense officials warned on Sunday.
Israel
Amid talk of early-2019 elections, Netanyahu, Kahlon squabble at cabinet table
In a sign of rising political tensions amid widespread expectations that the country is entering an election year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon bickered with unusual intensity in front of fellow ministers in the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.
Northern Israel experiences yet another earthquake
A 3.2 tremor was felt a little after 1pm on Thursday in the north of the country, the Geophysical Institute of Israel said.
Israel successfully tests missile defense systems
The Defense Ministry on Thursday said Israel’s missile defense systems had successfully completed a series of tests designed to ‘counter emerging threats in the region.’
IDF reportedly boosts Iron Dome deployment in Gaza vicinity
The IDF has boosted deployment of Iron Dome missile defense batteries around the Gaza Strip, according to a report Thursday night.
Russia blocks Security Council statement on Syria
Russia on Thursday blocked the UN Security Council from adopting a statement on the situation in southwestern Syria, where rebels are under intense bombardment, diplomats said after an urgent meeting requested by Sweden and Kuwait.
Iran set up terrorist infrastructure in Europe, experts say
Iran has set up terrorist and intelligence infrastructure across Europe with aim of assassinating exiled Iranian dissidents and moderate Arab leaders, particularly those whose countries rival Iran in the Persian Gulf, intelligence experts told Israel Hayom Tuesday.
PA: Law to deduct terrorists’ salaries from tax money ‘a declaration of war’
The Palestinian Authority strongly condemned the Knesset on Tuesday for passing into a law a bill proposal to deduct terrorists’ salaries from roughly $130 million in monthly tax revenues Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, defining the move as ‘a declaration of war on the Palestinian people.’
Jared Kushner says US will soon present Trump’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, with or without Abbas
Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump, said Washington would announce its Middle East peace plan soon, and press on with or without Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
4.1 magnitude earthquake shakes northern Israel
Residents of northern Israel were woken up with a bump on Wednesday morning as a 4.1 magnitude earthquake shook Haifa and the Galilee region shortly before 5:00 a.m.
Israel declares war on PA funding for terrorist kin after Knesset bill
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman is setting up a counterterrorist ‘economic warfare’ unit to go after the stipends that the PA provides for imprisoned terrorists and their families.
U.N. expert: Israel moving closer to formal West Bank annexation
Israel has taken steps that could lead to the formal annexation of the West Bank, UN legal expert Michael Lynk said in advance of Monday’s United Nations Human Rights Council meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Trump warns NATO leaders defense underspending could have consequences
US President Donald Trump has admonished several leaders of NATO allies for spending too little on the organization and has warned of possible unspecified consequences, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
Iranian-backed militia, Syria threaten to cut off rebels near Golan
On Monday elements of the Iranian-backed Liwa Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas and the Syrian regime’s Republican Guard were reported to be leading the Syrian regime’s offensive near the Golan, attempting to cut the Syrian rebels territory in half.
Iranian general blames water woes on Israeli ‘cloud theft’
An Iranian general on Monday accused Israel of manipulating weather to prevent rain over the Islamic Republic, alleging his country was facing cloud ‘theft,’ before being contradicted by the nation’s weather chief.
Qatari official: Israel, Hamas in indirect talks on Gaza crisis
The Qatari Ambassador to Gaza Mohammed Al-Emadi confirmed on Sunday evening for the first time that Israel is holding indirect discussions with the Hamas terror group in an effort to formulate a solution to the humanitarian crisis in the strip that will include infrastructure projects.
Palestinians: Calling Jerusalem Israel’s capital is ‘incitement’
The Palestinians consider statements such as ‘Jerusalem is the capital of Israel’ and ‘Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people’ as a form of ‘incitement,’ according to a report released on Sunday by the PLO Department of Culture and Information.
Palestinians planning mass protests against Trump’s peace plan
Palestinian activists in the West Bank said over the weekend they have received a green light from the Palestinian Authority to organize protests against US President Donald Trump’s yet-to-be-unveiled plan for peace in the Middle East.
Golan Heights: Israel Deploys Tanks And Artillery In Warning To Assad’s Syria
Israel beefed up its tank and artillery deployment on the Golan Heights frontier with Syria on Sunday, cautioning Damascus’ forces to keep a distance as they sweep rebel-held areas over the border.
House panel unanimously advances federal anti-BDS legislation
The House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed controversial legislation on Thursday to target boycott efforts against Israel and Israeli businesses, advancing the measure to now be considered by the entire House chamber.