Benjamin Netanyahu

Reciprocal Response: Israel Signals Troop Reduction if Lebanon Disarms Hezbollah

Israel announced on Monday that it would take reciprocal steps, including a phased reduction of its military presence, should the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) implement the disarmament of Hezbollah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised what he called the “historic decision” by the Lebanese government, led by President Joseph Aoun ...

Row Breaks Out as US Diplomat Criticises France on Antisemitism

France's foreign ministry said Sunday it would summon the US ambassador after he criticized the government for what he said was its insufficient action against antisemitism in a letter to President Emmanuel Macron. The letter from Charles Kushner, dated August 25 but leaked to the media on Sunday, echoed Israel's criticism of France days earlier, ...

Barrack and Ortagus Expected in Lebanon with Senator Lindsey Graham

US special envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus are set to arrive to Beirut on Monday, accompanied by Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, according to Israeli media – i24 and the Jerusalem Post. The visit carries significant weight: “Graham serves as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, giving the trip both political and economic ...

Netanyahu Rival Offers Political Truce to Help Secure Gaza Hostage Deal

Israeli former defense minister Benny Gantz on Saturday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to forge a unity government along with members of the opposition in a bid to help release the hostages held in Gaza. Netanyahu's coalition government depends on support from far-right members who oppose ending the war and making any deal with ...

Israel Vows to Destroy Gaza City if Hamas Doesn't Disarm, Free Hostages

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed Friday to destroy Gaza City if Hamas did not agree to disarm, release all remaining hostages in the territory and end the war on Israel's terms. "Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas's murderers and rapists in Gaza - until they agree to Israel's conditions for ending the war, ...

Israel PM Orders Start of Immediate Negotiations to Release 'All Our Hostages'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said he had ordered the beginning of immediate negotiations to release the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. The announcement comes a day after the defence ministry approved a plan authorising the call-up of roughly 60,000 reservists to help capture Hamas's last major strongholds in Gaza ...

Israeli Citizen Repatriated from Lebanon After Year in Detention

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday the repatriation of an Israeli citizen who had been held in Lebanon for a year. Saleh Abu Hussein returned to Israel through the Naqoura border crossing, in a transfer coordinated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The handover followed several ...

Israel-France Row Flares Over Macron's Move to Recognize Palestinian State

A row between Israel and France over Paris's plan to recognize a Palestinian state next month escalated to crisis level on Tuesday when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused President Emmanuel Macron of fomenting "antisemitism". The Élysée hit back, calling Netanyahu's allegation "abject" and "erroneous". "This is a time for seriousness ...

Israel Recalls 60,000 Reservists Ahead of Offensive on Gaza City

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz approved on Tuesday tmilitary plans to launch an offensive aimed at taking control of Gaza City, Israeli media reported. The operation, named "Gideon’s Chariots B," includes the mobilization of an additional 60,000 reservists in the coming days. According to security sources cited by the Times of Israel, ...

Mediators Await Israeli Response to New Truce Offer

Mediators were awaiting an Israeli response Tuesday to a fresh Gaza ceasefire plan, a day after Hamas accepted the proposal and signalled its readiness for a new round of talks aimed at ending nearly two years of war. The foes have held on-and-off indirect negotiations throughout the war resulting in two short truces and the releases of Israeli ...

Israeli Far-Right Minister Backs Contentious West Bank Settlement Plan

Israel's finance minister on Thursday backed plans to build 3,400 homes in a particularly contentious area of the occupied West Bank, calling for the territory's annexation in response to several countries' plans to recognize a Palestinian state. In response, the United Nations chief warned that building Israeli homes in the area ...