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West Asia Conflict highlights| Hezbollah says fired missiles at Israel air base near Tel AvivThe Israeli military carried out at least five airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut earlier today, after which Lebanon said that 5 people have been killed. Israel's defence minister had ruled out any ceasefire in Lebanon until its goals had been met. This comes amid the backdrop of Netanyahu admitting to hand behind the pager blasts in Lebanon for the first time. Elsewhere in Gaza, aid groups have said that Israel has failed to meet the demands put forth by US to ease the Gaza situation. Track the latest news from the West Asia conflict only with DH!
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Hezbollah chief says indirect talks on ceasefire possible only if Israel stops attacks

In a pre-recorded televised address, Qassem said there would be a road to indirect negotiations through the Lebanese state only if Israel stopped its attacks on Lebanon.

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Hamas official says Trump will be tested on saying he can stop war within hours

"We urge Trump to learn from (President Joe) Biden's mistakes," Senior Hamas official Abu Zuhri said.

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Netanyahu and Trump speak, discuss 'Iranian threat,' says Israeli leader's office

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Donald Trump to congratulate the Republican leader on his US presidential election victory, Netanyahu's office said on Wednesday.

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Lebanon state media says Israeli drone targets car near Beirut

Lebanese state media said an Israeli drone strike on Thursday targeted a car on a key road linking the capital Beirut with the Bekaa plain and eastern neighbour Syria.

"An enemy drone targeted a car in Araya," the National News Agency said, adding the road had been cut off by the strike that comes after two cars were targets on the same route last week, including a van loaded with Hezbollah ammunition.

-AFP

At least 22 killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn

At least 14 of them were killed in northern Gaza, the sources said.

-Al Jazeera

Palestinians say one killed in Israeli West Bank strike

The Palestinian health ministry said an Israeli strike killed one person in Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, after the Israeli military announced it had targeted the area.

The ministry said in a statement that "a martyr shot by (Israeli) forces" had arrived at Tulkarem Governmental Hospital from the Tulkarem camp.

Hours before, the Israeli army said in a statement that "an Air Force aircraft attacked a squad of armed terrorists in Tulkarem". (AFP)

Israel signs $5.2 bln deal to acquire 25 F-15 fighter jets from Boeing

Delivery of the new F-15IA aircraft will begin in 2031, with 4-6 aircraft to be supplied annually, Israel's defence ministry announced on Thursday.

It said the $5.2 billion agreement was part of a broader package of US aid approved by the US administration and Congress earlier this year and included an option for 25 additional aircraft.

The aircraft will be equipped with weapons systems integrated with existing Israeli weapons as well as having increased range and payloads.

"These advantages will enable the Israeli Air Force to maintain its strategic superiority in addressing current and future challenges in the Middle East," the ministry said in a statement.

"This F-15 squadron, alongside the third F-35 squadron procured earlier this year, represents a historic enhancement of our air power and strategic reach - capabilities that proved crucial during the current war," the director general of the defence ministry, Eyal Zamir, said in the statement.

Zamir said that the government has secured procurement agreements worth nearly $40 billion since the onset of the war in Gaza that began Oct. 7, 2023.

"While focusing on immediate needs for advanced weaponry and ammunition at unprecedented levels, we're simultaneously investing in long-term strategic capabilities," he said.

For Boeing, the F-15 agreement is the second major deal this year. In August, flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines, signed a deal with Boeing for the purchase of up to 31 737 MAX aircraft worth as much as $2.5 billion, beating out rival Airbus.

Ido Nehushtan, president of Boeing Israel, said the company's relationship dates back to Israel's establishment and "will continue working with the U.S. and Israeli governments to deliver the advanced F-15IA aircraft through standard military procurement channels."

Middle East latest: Large airstrikes hit Beirut suburbs as Israel expands northern Gaza operations

Several large airstrikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs early Thursday, including one on a site adjacent to Lebanon's only international airport. The Israeli military had issued an evacuation notice for the site, saying there were Hezbollah facilities there, without giving more details.

Also Thursday, the Israeli military announced it expanded its month-old ground operation in northern Gaza to include part of Beit Lahiya, a town that has been heavily bombed since the earliest days of the war, where Israel says Hamas militants have regrouped.

Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said in a speech aired Wednesday that the Lebanese militant group is open for cease-fire negotiations only once “the enemy stops its aggression.” His speech marked the 40-day mourning period since former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in Beirut.

Hezbollah began firing into Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip. Since the conflict erupted, more than 3,000 people have been killed and some 13,600 wounded in Lebanon, the Health Ministry reported. (AP)

French minister slams PSG's 'Free Palestine' banner at soccer match

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau on Thursday criticised the unveiling of a giant 'Free Palestine' banner at a Paris Saint Germain (PSG) soccer match, saying it was "unacceptable."

Asked if he would seek sanctions against PSG, Retailleau told Sud Radio: "I am not ruling out anything. I will demand explanations from PSG."

On Wednesday night, fans from Paris St Germain's Auteuil Kop unveiled a giant 'Free Palestine' banner before their Champions League game against Atletico Madrid, eight days before France take on Israel in Paris in a Nations League game.

The huge banner covered an entire section of the stadium at PSG's home venue of Parc des Princes in Paris Wednesday night ahead of their defeat at the hands of Spanish rivals Atletico Madrid.

As well as the slogan "Free Palestine", the banner showed a bloodstained Palestinian flag, a gesticulating man with a keffiyeh scarf covering all his face except his eyes, the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and a young boy wrapped in the Lebanese flag.

It was shown as Israel presses military operations against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and the militant Shiite group Hezbollah in Lebanon and international concern grows over civilian casualties.

"This banner had no place in this stadium," right-wing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau wrote on X.

"If this were to happen again, we will have to consider forbidding banners for clubs that do not enforce the rules," he added.

In a later interview with Sud Radio, Retailleau made no attempt to hide his anger, saying the banner was "unacceptable".

"I want to know more and now how this banner came to be unfurled. The Paris police chief (Laurent Nunez) explained what happened. We agreed on a certain number of things but I am demanding accountability," he added.

The banner, which was unfurled by the Paris Ultras Collective (CUP) hard-core fan group, was shown above another slogan which read: "War on the pitch but peace in the world."

"The club was not aware of the plan to display such a message," PSG said in a statement Wednesday evening.

"PSG emphasises the Parc des Princes is -- and must remain -- a place of communion around a shared passion for football and firmly opposes any message of a political nature in the stadium."

The president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France, Yonathan Arfi, described the banner as "scandalous", saying it depicted "a masked Palestinian fighter" and that it also showed "a map where the State of Israel no longer exists" in an image of the Palestinian keffiyeh.

"This is not a message of peace but a call to hatred," he said. (AFP)

Lebanon's only international airport 'operating normally' after Israeli strikes

The transport minister Ali Hamie told AFP that planes were taking off and landing without any issue. A heater factory next to the airport's perimeter wall had been badly damaged in the Israeli strike.

European soccer's governing body UEFA said the PSG  won't face sanctions for fans' 'Free Palestine' banner

UEFA said on Thursday that PSG will not face disciplinary proceedings as it only bans political messages deemed insulting or provocative.

"There will therefore be no disciplinary case because the banner that was unfurled cannot be in this case be considered provocative or insulting in that precise case," a UEFA spokesperson said.

'Window' to end Gaza, Lebanon wars exists after Trump win: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot 

Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim al-Moussawi says Republicans, Democrats have similar policy on Israel

Hezbollah welcomes any effort to stop the war in Lebanon but does not pin its hopes for a ceasefire on any particular US administration, Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim al-Moussawi said on Thursday, when asked about Donald Trump's election victory.

Woman killed in Israeli strike on car near Beirut: security source

A woman was killed Thursday in an Israeli strike targeting a car on a key road linking the capital Beirut with the Bekaa Valley and Syria, a security source told AFP.

The source, who requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said a man was also injured in the strike.

Lebanon's National News Agency reported earlier that "an enemy drone targeted a car in Araya," adding that the strike left the route blocked to vehicle traffic.

UN peacekeepers hurt in Israeli strike: Lebanon media

UN peacekeepers in Lebanon were wounded on Thursday in an Israeli strike near their vehicle at the entrance to the southern city of Sidon, the official National News Agency said.

"Enemy aircraft targeted a car in Sidon near the army checkpoint," NNA said, adding vehicles from the UNIFIL peacekeeping force were in the "same lane" during the raid, which led to injuries among its members who were receiving treatment at the scene. (AFP)

More families stream out of north Gaza, as tanks push deeper

Israeli forces stepped up bombardment across the Gaza Strip on Thursday and ordered more evacuations, creating a fresh wave of displacement from northern Gaza where Palestinians fear they will not be able to return.

As Israeli tanks advanced in Beit Lahiya a month into a new push on northern Gaza, dozens of families streamed out, arriving at schools and other shelters housing displaced people in Gaza City with whatever belongings and food they could bring.

Drones hovered overhead broadcasting evacuation orders, which were also carried on social media outlets, audio and text messages sent to residents' phones, a displaced man said.

"After they displaced most or all of the people in Jabalia, now they are bombing everywhere, killing people on the roads and inside their houses to force everyone out," the man told Reuters via a chat app, giving only one name, Ahmed, for fear of repercussions.

Palestinian officials say Israel is carrying out a plan of "ethnic cleansing" and they and residents say no aid has entered Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun since the raid began on Oct 5.

The Israeli military says it was forced to evacuate Jabalia and start evacuating nearby Beit Lahiya on Wednesday so it can take on Hamas militants it says have regrouped there.

It denied press reports that people evacuated from northern Gaza would not be allowed to return and said it was continuing to allow aid into northern Gaza and the Jabalia area, where it said it was engaged in "intense combat".

"The statement attributed to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) in the past 24 hours, claiming that residents of northern Gaza will not be allowed to return to their homes, is incorrect and does not reflect the IDF’s objectives and values," it said.

Lebanon says three killed in Israeli strike on Sidon

Hezbollah calls for US action, not words, as Trump reclaims White House

Hezbollah welcomes any effort to stop the war in Lebanon but does not pin its hopes for a ceasefire on a particular US administration, Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim al-Moussawi said on Thursday when asked about Donald Trump's election victory.

"It might be a change in the party who is in power, but when it comes to Israel, they have more or less the same policy," Moussawi said. "We want to see actions, we want to see decisions taken," he said.

"Our hearts are broken - we are losing very dear lives. This feeling that cannot be punished or brought to international justice is a result of US support which renders them immune to accountability," he said.

"America is a full partner in what's happening because they can exercise influence to stop this destruction."

Israeli strike kills 10 in school sheltering displaced people in Gaza city, medics say

An Israeli strike killed 10 and wounded several others in a school sheltering displaced persons in Gaza City, said medics.

New law allows Israel to deport relatives of attackers, law experts expect it to be struck down

Israel's parliament passed a law early Thursday that would allow it to deport family members of Palestinian attackers, including the country's own citizens, to the war-ravaged Gaza Strip or other locations.

The law, which was championed by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and his far-right allies, passed with a 61-41 vote. But legal experts said that any attempt to implement it would likely lead to it being struck down by Israeli courts.

It would apply to Palestinian citizens of Israel and residents of annexed east Jerusalem who knew about their family members' attacks beforehand or who “express support or identification with the act of terrorism.”

They would be deported, either to the Gaza Strip or another location, for a period of seven to 20 years. The Israel-Hamas war is still raging in Gaza, where tens of thousands have been killed and most of the population has been internally displaced, often multiple times.

Dozens of Lebanon MPs demand UN protection of heritage sites from Israel attacks

Four UN peacekeepers wounded in Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon; three civilians killed too: Lebanese army

"The Israeli enemy targeted a car while it was passing through the Awali checkpoint in Sidon," the Lebanese army said in a statement.

Three civilians inside the car were killed, the military said, and four members of the Malaysian contingent in the UN peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, were injured.

Three soldiers at the checkpoint were also hurt, it said.

Huthi leader says Trump will 'fail' to end Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The leader of Yemen's Huthi rebels said on Thursday that Donald Trump will fail once more to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, after his historic re-election as US president this week.

"Trump failed in the project of... the deal of the century despite all his arrogance, haughtiness, recklessness and tyranny, and he will fail this time as well," Abdul Malik al-Huthi said in his weekly speech. (AFP)

Scenes from Gaza as families stream out of north Gaza

Terrorists eliminated during 'close-quarters combat' in Southern Lebanon: IDF

Following intelligence indications of terrorist activity in the area, Israeli troops raided a Hezbollah combat compound and encountered several terrorists who were embedded in one of the buildings. During the battle, 16 soldiers were wounded, and five reserve soldiers from the brigade fell in combat, IDF said in a post on Telegram.

Credit: IDF

Credit: IDF

Credit: IDF

70 projectiles fired by the Hezbollah cross from Lebanon into Israel: IDF

Sirens sounded in the Haifa Bay and surrounding areas, northern Israel

Israeli strike destroys Ottoman-era building near Baalbek ruins

Israel army tells north Gaza residents to leave 'combat zone'

The Israeli military called for the evacuation of several areas in northern Gaza on Thursday, again warning that Palestinian militants were launching rockets from there.

"We inform you that the designated area is considered a dangerous combat zone. For your safety, move south immediately," military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X along with a map of the area in Gaza City's northwest.

The latest call follows a series of evacuation orders for large swathes of the Gaza Strip's north, where Israeli forces have intensified their operations since early October.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told reporters that "we are isolating Gazan civilians away from Hamas terrorists so we can get to the terrorists" still in that area.

"Right now, there are residents of the northern part of Gaza who have been evacuated to safer places," he added.

Five peacekeepers wounded in Israel strike in Lebanon: UN

Five UN peacekeepers were wounded in an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon on Thursday, the United Nations said, in a raid that also killed three civilians.

Israel police enter French domain in Jerusalem: AFP report

Diplomatic incident in French-owned Jerusalem compound

Israeli police entered the French-owned Eleona church compound in Jerusalem, on Thursday, briefly detaining two gendarmes and prompting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to abandon a scheduled visit, as per an AFP report.

"I will not enter the Eleona Domain today, because Israeli security forces entered with weapons, without prior French authorisation, without agreeing to leave today," Barrot said at the scene, calling the standoff "unacceptable".

France claims the sanctuary on the Mount of Olives as its territory under international treaties. It has been the focus of diplomatic incidents in the past.

Iran downplays Trump victory but wary of US policy change

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the result of the U.S. election did not matter to his country, state media reported on Thursday, amid heightened tensions with Washington over its support for Iran's arch-enemy, Israel.

Donald Trump's return to the White House following his election victory this week could mean tougher enforcement of US oil sanctions against Iran, which he initiated in 2018 after quitting a nuclear pact between Tehran and global powers.

The Biden administration has strongly supported Israel in its wars against the Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as Israeli actions against Iran itself.

Some analysts believe Trump will give Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a greater free hand in dealing with Iran.

"To us it does not matter at all who has won the American election, because our country and system relies on its inner strength and a great and honourable nation," Pezeshkian said late on Wednesday, quoted by the state news agency IRNA.

It was his first comment on Trump's election victory.

"We will not be close-minded in developing our relations with other countries (while) we have made it our priority to develop relations with Islamic and neighboring countries," Pezeshkian said.

Israel police arrest two gendarmes at French-managed church in Jerusalem

UNESCO says to consider 'enhanced protection' of Lebanon cultural sites after Israeli strike destroys Ottoman-era building

IAF strikes Hezbollah command and control center in the Tyre area in Lebanon: IDF

IDF Troops destroy two 'Terror Tunnels' in southern Gaza

Israel envoy will be summoned over Jerusalem church incident: France's foreign ministry

Israeli police brief arrest of two French officials 'unacceptable': France's foreign minister Barrot

Two French officials deployed to a historic site under the country's administration in Jerusalem were briefly arrested by Israeli police on Thursday, France's foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.

The incident occurred when Barrot was due to visit the compound of The Church of the Pater Noster, located on the Mount of Olives in the city's historic east.

Barrot told journalists Israel's action action was "unacceptable", adding that he refused to enter the site in protest over Israeli police presence. His ministry said the Israeli ambassador to Paris will be summoned in coming days. 

Biden will keep pressing diplomatic efforts in Gaza, Lebanon, White House says

Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden will continue to advance diplomatic efforts to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of hostages, as well as continue to seek a resolution in Lebanon before he leaves office next January, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Thursday

Israel has made progress on assistance into Gaza but more needs to be done, Pentagon chief says

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday that Israel had made some progress in getting assistance into Gaza but more needed to be done.

The US told Israel in a letter last month it must take steps in the next month to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or face potential restrictions on U.S. military aid.

While Austin did not specifically comment on the letter, he said: "They have made some progress... but more needs to be made."

Iran's Pezeshkian says Tehran indifferent to US election result

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the result of the U.S. election did not matter to his country, state media reported on Thursday, amid heightened tensions with Washington over its support for Iran's arch-enemy, Israel.

Donald Trump's return to the White House following his election victory this week could mean tougher enforcement of U.S. oil sanctions against Iran, which he initiated in 2018 after quitting a nuclear pact between Tehran and global powers.

The Biden administration has strongly supported Israel in its wars against the Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as Israeli actions against Iran itself.

Israel says sending rescue team after 'very violent incident' against citizens in Amsterdam

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that two rescue planes be sent immediately to Amsterdam following "a very violent incident" targeting Israelis citizens, his office said on Friday, after attacks linked to a football game were reported.

Israel's national security ministry has also urged its citizens in the Dutch city to stay in their hotel rooms following the attacks, the prime minister's office said in a second statement.

Hezbollah claims second attack on Israel naval base in 24 hours: AFP Report

Amsterdam mayor says extent of violence against Israeli soccer fans still being ascertained

Amsterdam's mayor Femke Halsema said on Friday her services were still in the process of ascertaining the full extent of the violence that targeted Israeli soccer fans surrounding a Ajax - Maccabi Tel Aviv Europe League game.

"Despite the massive police deployment in the city, Israeli supporters were injured," Halsema said in an Instagram post, adding that the exact figure of victims and people arrested was not yet clear.

Khamenei aide warns against impulsive Iran response to Israel attack, AFP reports 

German minister: Amsterdam attacks on Israeli football fans 'deeply shameful'

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock voiced her shock and disgust on Friday at scenes out of Amsterdam, where Israeli fans were attacked during riots after a football game in the Dutch city.

"The images out of Amsterdam are awful and deeply shameful for us in Europe," Baerbock wrote in a post on X. "The outbreak of such violence against Jews breaks all boundaries. There is no justification for this."

She stressed that Jews must be able to feel safe in Europe.

IDF claims missile launched from Yemen intercepted, reports Al Jazeera

Germany's Scholz says attacks on Israeli football fans unacceptable

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that attacks on Israeli football fans in Amsterdam were unacceptable and stressed that Jews must feel safe in Europe.

"The reports of violence against Israeli fans in Amsterdam are unbearable. We cannot accept this," Scholz wrote in a post on X. "Jews must be able to feel safe in Europe."

Lebanon state media says Israel blows up houses on border, reports AFP

Israel foreign ministry says all unaccounted Israelis in Amsterdam located, reports AFP

43,508 Palestinians killed in Gaza offensive since October 7, 2023, health ministry says

Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 43,508 Palestinians and wounded 102,684 since October 7, 2023, the Palestinian enclave's health ministry said on Friday.

First flight with Israelis evacuated from Amsterdam lands in Tel Aviv; airport, reports AFP

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were "attacked, abused and pelted with fireworks" and that riot police had to intervene several times to protect them and escort them to hotels.

Antisemitic incidents in the Netherlands have arisen since Israel launched its assault on Gaza following the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by the Palestinian Hamas group, with many Jewish organizations and schools reporting threats and hate mail.

Read more here

Amsterdam mayor 'ashamed' by 'unbearable' attacks on Israel football fans, reports AFP

Israeli military says all service personnel banned from going to Netherlands until further notice

The Israeli military said on Friday that all Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) personnel have been banned from going to the Netherlands until further notice.

Israeli defence minister officially steps down, reports AP

Israel Katz, the former foreign minister will be replacing Yoav Gallant as the defence minister.

Hezbollah says fired missiles at central Israel air base, reports AFP

Israel PM orders Mossad to prepare plan to prevent unrest at sporting events, reports AFP

UN peacekeepers say Israel army damages south Lebanon position, reports AFP

Israel urges fans to skip Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball tie in Italy Friday, reports AFP

Israeli attacks in Lebanon since October 2023 kill 3,117, ministry says

Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed at least 3,117 people, and wounded 13,888 others since October 2023, Lebanon's health ministry said on Friday.

Israeli 'aggression' injures Syrian soldiers near Aleppo, state media says

Several Syrian soldiers were injured in an Israeli air "aggression" in the vicinity of the city of Al-Safira near Aleppo and Idlib, state media reported early on Saturday.

The air "aggression" targeted a number of sites in the countryside, outside Aleppo and Idlib, state media said, citing a military source.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israel has been carrying out strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria for years but has ramped up such raids since the Oct. 7 attack by armed group Hamas on Israeli territory.

Antisemitic attacks prompt emergency flights for Israeli football fans

Authorities in Amsterdam on Friday were investigating what they called antisemitic attacks on Israeli soccer fans that took place amid a charged atmosphere surrounding a soccer match involving a visiting Israeli team.

Police in Amsterdam said at least 62 people had been arrested in connection with attacks in the city, which unfolded over two tense days that saw people gather in support of the Israeli team while others protested its presence.

Dutch police said the violence included assaults on Israeli fans by people, some riding scooters, who kicked and beat them in “hit and runs.”

Most of those arrested were later released, police in Amsterdam said, though 10 people remained in custody as of Friday afternoon. Five Israelis who had been hospitalized with injuries were discharged, police said, and between 20 and 30 others sustained light injuries.

-NYT

Israeli football supporters back home after Amsterdam violence

Tel Aviv: A plane bringing Israeli football supporters home from Amsterdam landed at Israel's Ben Gurion airport on Friday after a night of violence that Israeli and Dutch officials condemned as "anti-Semitic".

Dutch police said 62 arrests were made in connection with the violence, which erupted after a Europa League football tie between Amsterdam club Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Israeli flag carrier El Al said it was sending six planes to the Netherlands to bring the fans home, after the first flight carrying evacuees landed on Friday afternoon, the Israel Airports Authority said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also ordered the Mossad spy agency to draw up a plan to prevent unrest at sporting events in the future.

-AFP

Sirens sounded in Upper Galilee area of northern Israel: IDF

Israeli strikes target over 50 locations in Gaza, Lebanon: IDF

Jordan's tourism industry struggling as Gaza war deters visitors

Petra, Jordan/London: Enas Al Hinti has cut staff pay in half and asked workers to take unpaid leave in an effort to keep her hotel in ancient Petra open as Western holidaymakers fearful of conflict shun destinations in the Middle East.

A crisis across the region's tourism industry since the start of the Israel-Hamas war 13 months ago is being felt acutely in Jordan, whose border with Israel along the Red Sea and Dead Sea is studded with beach resorts.

Sites such as Petra, Wadi Rum and crusader castles have been drawing visitors for decades - more than one million a year before the war, mainly Americans and Europeans.

But Reuters reporters on a recent trip to the city carved from rose-coloured rock - Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction - found businesses boarded up by their owners.

-Reuters

Gaza rescuers say 14 killed in Israeli strikes

Gaza: Gaza's civil defence agency said on Saturday that Israeli air strikes killed at least 14 Palestinians overnight, including women and children, while the Israeli military said it had eliminated dozens of militants in the territory's north.

An air strike hit tents housing displaced Palestinians in the southern area of Khan Yunis, killing at least nine people, including children and women, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP.

The Palestinian Red Crescent also confirmed the toll, saying 11 others were wounded in the strike and were taken to Nasser Hospital.

-AFP

Iran warns of risk of 'expansion of war' beyond Middle East, reports AFP

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,552, reports AFP

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon's Tyre kill 7, Lebanon says

At least seven have been killed and 46 others injured in an initial toll following Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon's coastal city of Tyre, Lebanon's health ministry said on Saturday.

Iran urges Trump to change 'maximum pressure' policy, reports AFP

AFP reported that Iran has asked US President-elect Donald Trump to change his policy of 'maximum pressure' which he adopted during his first tenure as president of the United States.

Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif said, "Trump must show that he is not following the wrong policies of the past,"

Air sirens sounded in central Israel, military says

Air sirens were activated on Saturday in central Israel following a hostile aircraft infiltration, with details currently under review, the Israeli military said.

Israeli rejects 'biased' warning of famine in Gaza

Israel rejected on Saturday a group of global food security experts' warning of famine in parts of northern Gaza where it is waging war against Palestinian militant group Hamas.

"Unfortunately, the researchers continue to rely on partial, biased data and superficial sources with vested interests," the military said in a statement.

The independent Famine Review Committee (FRC) said on Friday in a rare alert that there was a strong likelihood of imminent famine in parts of north Gaza with immediate action required from the warring parties to ease a catastrophic situation.

Israel's military said it had increased aid efforts including opening an additional crossing on Friday.

In the last two months, 39,000 trucks carrying more than 840,000 tons of food have entered Gaza, it said, and meetings were taking place daily with the UN which had 700 trucks of aid awaiting pickup and distribution.

With some critics decrying a starvation tactic in north Gaza, Israel's main ally the US has set a deadline within days for it to improve the humanitarian situation or face potential restrictions on military cooperation.

Qatar to pull out of Gaza ceasefire mediations until Hamas and Israel 'demonstrate a sincere willingness to return to the 'negotiating table' 

Gaza mourns children killed in Israeli strike as death toll rises

A Gaza family sat weeping on Saturday over children killed by an Israeli strike as they were getting ready to play soccer, amid an intensified bombardment that Palestinian health authorities said has killed 44 people over the past 24 hours.

The strike was in Mawasi, a southern coastal area where hundreds of thousands of people have sought shelter after Israel's military told them to leave other areas it was bombing in its war against Hamas.

"The rocket struck them. There were no wanted or targeted people there and there was nobody else in the street. Just the children who were killed yesterday," said Mohammed Zanoun, a relative of the dead children. Palestinian health authorities say Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 43,500 people, with another 10,000 believed to be dead and uncounted under the rubble.

Israel launched its offensive in response to the attack on Oct. 7 2023, when Hamas gunmen stormed border defences and rampaged through Israeli communities killing 1,200 people and seizing around 250 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. On-off talks for a ceasefire and hostage release deal mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have made little progress and on Saturday a Qatari official said Doha would pull out of negotiations unless the two sides committed more fully.

Iran foreign minister denies plot to kill Trump, urges confidence building with US

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denied US charges that Tehran was linked to an alleged plot to kill Donald Trump and called on Saturday in a post on X for confidence building between the two hostile countries. 

Nigeria's Tinubu to call for Gaza ceasefire at Riyadh summit

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu will call for an immediate ceasefire and peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict when he attends the upcoming Arab-Islamic summit in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.

Gaza mourns children killed in Israeli strike as death toll rises

A Gaza family sat weeping on Saturday over children killed by an Israeli strike as they were getting ready to play soccer, amid an intensified bombardment that Palestinian health authorities said has killed 44 people over the past 24 hours.

Qatar says its Gaza ceasefire mediation efforts 'currently stalled'

Qatar's foreign ministry said on Saturday that its efforts in mediating a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas were currently stalled.

Israeli rejects 'biased' warning of famine in Gaza

Jerusalem: Israel rejected on Saturday a group of global food security experts' warning of famine in parts of northern Gaza where it is waging war against Palestinian militant group Hamas.

"Unfortunately, the researchers continue to rely on partial, biased data and superficial sources with vested interests," the military said in a statement.

The independent Famine Review Committee (FRC) said on Friday in a rare alert that there was a strong likelihood of imminent famine in parts of north Gaza with immediate action required from the warring parties to ease a catastrophic situation.

Israel said it had increased aid efforts including opening an additional crossing on Friday.

-Reuters

Qatar suspends its mediation efforts on Gaza, Hamas office there may have to leave

Deir Al-Balah: Qatar has suspended its key mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel, it said Saturday, after growing frustration with the lack of progress on a cease-fire deal for Gaza.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the remaining Hamas leadership hosted by Qatar must leave, or where it would go. Hamas has good relations with Iran and Turkiye, and some of its leaders are now in Lebanon.

However, Qatar is highly likely to return to mediation efforts if both sides show “serious political willingness” to reach a deal, according to an official with Egypt, the other key mediator.

Qatar told Israel and Hamas it can't continue to mediate “as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith” and "as a consequence, the Hamas political office no longer serves its purpose” in Qatar, a diplomatic source briefed on the matter said. Qatar told Hamas it will have to leave if it isn't ready to engage in serious negotiations, the source said.

-AP

Iranian charged for plotting Trump assassination tasked with targeting Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka: US authority

Washington: An Iranian national charged by the FBI for plotting assassination on president-elect Donald Trump was tasked by the Iranians to target Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka, the Department of Justice has alleged.

Farhad Shakeri, 51, of Iran was charged Friday in a criminal complaint in connection with their alleged involvement in a plot to murder a Trump. Shakeri is an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) asset, remains at large and is believed to reside in Tehran, Iran.

"He was also tasked with targeting Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka,” the Department of Justice said. According to documents filed in a federal court, Shakeri was asked by IRGC to target Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka and to plan a mass shooting event in October 2024.

-PTI

Gaza rescuers say 13 children among 30 killed in 2 Israeli strikes

Gaza: Gaza's civil defence agency on Sunday said 30 people, including 13 children, were killed in two Israeli strikes on two houses in the Palestinian territory.

The first strike on a house in Jabalia in northern Gaza killed "at least 25" people, including 13 children, and injured more than 30, the civil defence said, adding that another strike on the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City killed five.

-AFP

Dozens killed in Israeli strike on northern Gaza's Jabalia, medics say

Dozens were killed and others wounded in an Israeli strike on a house in Jabalia in the northern Gaza strip at dawn on Sunday, medics said.

There was no immediate breakdown on the number of people killed.

The bodies of Palestinians, killed in an Israeli strike on a house in Jabalia, are placed in a vehicle, at Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City November 10, 2024.

Reuters

Israel's strikes on Iran spark interest in air-launched ballistic missiles

Israel's effective use of air-launched ballistic missiles in its airstrikes against Iran is expected to pique interest elsewhere in acquiring the weapons, which most major powers have avoided in favour of cruise missiles and glide bombs.

The Israel Defense Forces said its October 26 raid knocked out Iranian missile factories and air defences in three waves of strikes. Researchers said that based on satellite imagery, targets included buildings once used in Iran's nuclear programme.

Tehran defends such targets with "a huge variety" of anti-aircraft systems, said Justin Bronk, an airpower and technology expert at London's Royal United Services Institute.

Cruise missiles are easier targets for dense, integrated air defences than ballistic missiles are. But ballistic missiles are often fired from known launch points, and most cannot change course in flight.

-Reuters

Lebanon says 12 killed in Israeli strike north of Beirut

Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli strike on Sunday killed 12 people including three children in the village of Almat, north of the capital Beirut.

"The Israeli enemy strike on Almat in the Jbeil district killed 12 people including three children, in a preliminary toll," the ministry said in a statement.

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,603

At least 43,603 Palestinians were killed, with 102,929 injured, since Israel's military offensive on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, Gaza's health ministry said on Sunday.

Israeli strikes today target Jabalia in North Gaza and Sabra neighbourhood

Israel launched deadly strikes on Gaza, Lebanon, ahead of a US deadline for improved aid delivery to the Palestinian territory. Rescuers in Gaza on Sunday said 30 people, including 13 children, were killed by Israeli strikes in the territory's north.

The first strike early Sunday hit a house in Jabalia, killing "at least 25" people including 13 children and injuring more than 30, the Palestinian territory's civil defence agency said.

Vowing to stop Hamas militants from regrouping in north Gaza, Israel on October 6 began a major air and ground assault.

The United Nations has described the area as under "siege" and Washington set a deadline of this coming week for Israel to get more aid in or face possible cuts to military assistance.

Another strike on the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City killed five people, with others still missing, civil defence said.

"A number of civilians are still under the rubble," it said.

Lebanon's health ministry meanwhile said an Israeli strike on the village of Almat north of Beirut killed at least 12 people including three children on Sunday.

At least 20 killed in Israeli strike on Lebanon's Alamat, ministry says

At least 20 people, including three children, were killed and six others injured in an Israeli strike on Almat in Lebanon's Mount Lebanon province, the country's health ministry said on Sunday.

At least 17 killed as per updated figures in Israeli strike on Northern Gaza on home in Jabaliya refugee camp

An Israeli strike early Sunday on a home sheltering displaced people in the northern Gaza Strip killed at least 17 people, according to the director of a nearby hospital that received the bodies.

Dr Fadel Naim, director of the Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza City, said the dead include nine women, and that the toll was likely to rise as rescue efforts continue. He said they were killed in a strike on a home in the urban refugee camp of Jabaliya, where Israel has been carrying out an offensive for over a month.

The military said it targeted a site where militants were operating, without providing evidence. It said the details of the strike are under review.

Saudi armed forces general chief of staff to hold talks in Iran

The general chief of staff of Saudi Arabia's armed forces, Fayyad al-Ruwaili, will visit Tehran on Sunday to meet with his Iranian counterpart and discuss defence ties, state media reported the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff as saying.

The visit follows the election of Donald Trump, who will take office for a second term as US President in January, and who has promised to bring peace to the Middle East.

UN nuclear head to visit Iran for talks on country's nuclear programme as next Trump presidency looms

The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said Sunday he will travel to Iran in the coming days to hold talks regarding the country's nuclear program. The visit comes amid wider tensions gripping the Mideast over the Israel-Hamas war and uncertainty over how US President-elect Donald Trump will approach Iran after his inauguration in January.

Specifically, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mariano Grossi, will have high level meetings with the Iranian government and will hold technical discussions on all aspects related to the joint statement agreed with Iran in March 2023.

It is intended as a path forward for cooperation between the IAEA and Iran on how to expand inspections of the Islamic Republic's rapidly advancing atomic program.

The 2023 statement included a pledge by Iran to resolve issues around sites where inspectors have questions about possible undeclared nuclear activity, and to allow the IAEA to “implement further appropriate verification and monitoring activities.”

The meetings in Tehran will build on Grossi's discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September, a statement by the IAEA said.

“It is essential that we make substantive progress in the implementation of the joint statement agreed with Iran in March 2023," Grossi said. “My visit to Tehran will be very important in that regard.”

Updated death toll: At least 23 killed in Israeli strike on Lebanon's Almat

At least 23 people, including seven children, were killed and six others injured in an Israeli strike on Almat in Lebanon's Mount Lebanon province, the country's health ministry said on Sunday, adding that the death toll was likely to climb.

Three people were also killed and two others wounded in an Israeli strike on Mashghara in the western part of Lebanon's Bekaa Valley late on Saturday, while one person was killed and four others injured in a strike on Sahmar, also in western Bekaa, that occurred the same night, the health ministry added.

Arab, Muslim leaders fly to Saudi for talks on Mideast wars

Arab and Muslim leaders have begun arriving in Saudi Arabia for a summit scheduled for Monday that will focus on Israel's wars in Gaza and Lebanon, Saudi state media said.

The Saudi foreign ministry announced the summit in late October during the first meeting of an "international alliance" pushing for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Attendees will "discuss the continued Israeli aggression on the Palestinian territories and the Lebanese Republic, and the current developments in the region," the official Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.

It comes one year after a similar gathering in Riyadh of the Cairo-based Arab League and the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) during which leaders condemned Israeli forces' actions in Gaza as "barbaric".

Dutch judges ban pro-Palestinian demo after Amsterdam clashes, police to arrest those defying ban

Dutch judges on Sunday turned down an urgent request for a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Amsterdam, backing a ban called by its mayor following clashes between Israeli football fans and groups of youths.

The Amsterdam District Court's decision comes three days after the Dutch capital was rocked by violence between Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans and men on scooters in several areas of the city.

Five Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were briefly hospitalised in attacks that sparked outrage around the world.

"The Mayor has rightly decided that there will be a ban on demonstrating in the city this weekend," the court announced on X.

It therefore "rejected the request," the court said.

Dutch activist Frank van der Linde had applied for an urgent ban to demonstrate on the city's famous Dam Square, despite a temporary ban on protests announced by mayor Femke Halsema on Friday.

Van der Linde wanted to protest on the Dam against the "genocide in Gaza, but also because our right to protest has been taken away," Dutch national news agency ANP quoted him as saying.

Amsterdam police have instructed protesters to leave Dam Square, located in the city center and said it will arrest people who refuse to leave, the city of Amsterdam said on social media platform X.

Security boosted for France-Israel match amid tensions between both nations over Israel's war in Gaza, Lebanon

A high police presence is being prepared for the France v Israel Nations League match at the Stade de France in Paris on Thursday.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez described the event as high risk and revealed 4,000 gendarmes would be around the stadium, on public transport and in Paris.

The match follows on the heels of an Ajax v Maccabie Tel Aviv game which descended into violence on the streets of Amsterdam in midweek with Tel Aviv fans being tracked, chased and beaten.

"An elite unit of national police will also protect the Israel team," Nunez said. "The geopolitical context is extremely delicate."

Nunez said the police would adopt an attitude of zero tolerance of disorder before and after the event.

Israel strikes residential building near Damascus, Syrian state news agency says

An Israeli strike targeted a residential building in the Sayeda Zainab district south of Damascus on Sunday, the Syrian state news agency said.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. There was no immediate comment from Israel.

Dozens arrested after defying Amsterdam ban on pro-Palestinian protest

Dutch police detain a pro-Palestinian protester during a banned demonstration in Amsterdam, Netherlands November 10, 2024.

Reuters

War monitor says Israeli strike kills seven south of Damascus

An Israeli strike on an apartment belonging to the Lebanese Hezbollah group killed seven people Sunday in a stronghold of pro-Iran groups south of Damascus, a war monitor said.

"An Israeli strike killed seven people and wounded 14, including women and children, in the Sayyida Zeinab area," Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP, revising an earlier toll of three dead.

The Britain-based monitor, which has a network of sources inside Syria, earlier said that "the Israeli attack targeted (Hezbollah) figures in the building where Lebanese families and members of the movement live."

Syria's official SANA news agency reported an "Israeli aggression targeting a residential building in the Sayyida Zeinab" area, home to a major Shiite shrine, that killed and injured an unspecified number of people.

Netanyahu says spoke again with Trump about Iran 'threat'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Sunday he had spoken three times with US president-elect Donald Trump over the past few days about the "Iranian threat" to Israeli security.

"In the last few days, I have spoken three times with President-elect Donald Trump... Talks designed to further tighten the strong alliance between Israel and the US," Netanyahu said, quoted in a statement issued by his office.

"We see eye to eye on the Iranian threat in every aspect," he added during a weekly cabinet meeting, according to the statement.

Netanyahu also said he had talked to Trump about "great opportunities before Israel in the field of peace and its expansion".

Israel Defence minister Katz says Israel has 'defeated Hezbollah'

Israel has defeated Hezbollah on the battlefield, said incoming Defense Minister Israel Katz at a ceremony for new Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who has taken Katz’s place.

“The blows we inflicted defeated Hezbollah and the elimination of [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah is the crowning jewel,” he added.

Shortly before the ceremony, Hezbollah had launched a barrage of 15 rockets into the Western Galilee. More rocket attacks on Metula and other areas of the north followed, without any immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Hamas standing in way of Gaza ceasefire, not Israel: US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan

US will judge progress Israel has made on humanitarian aid to Gaza

Paris to deploy 4,000 police officers for France-Israel soccer match following violence in Amsterdam

Netanyahu and Trump speak even as Israeli strikes kill dozens in Lebanon, isolated northern Gaza

 Israeli strikes killed dozens of people including children on Sunday in Lebanon and isolated northern Gaza, as the world watched for signs of how the US election might affect the war against Iranian-backed militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has spoken three times with Donald Trump since Tuesday's election and they “see eye-to-eye regarding the Iranian threat and all of its components”. Israel's president Isaac Herzog is scheduled to meet with US President Joe Biden on Tuesday.

The Israeli airstrike in Lebanon killed at least 23 people including seven children in Aalmat village north of Beirut, far from the areas in the east and south where Hezbollah militants have a major presence. Lebanon's Health Ministry said another six people were wounded. There was no Israeli evacuation warning. There was no immediate Israeli comment.

Israeli attacks kill 53 in Lebanon on Saturday, ministry says, taking total toll to 3,186

Netanyahu confirms he greenlit pager attacks in Lebanon

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he okayed a deadly September attack on Hezbollah communications devices which exploded in Lebanon, the first time Israel has admitted involvement.

Hezbollah had previously blamed its arch-foe for the blasts that dealt a major blow to the Iran-backed militant group, and vowed revenge.

"Netanyahu confirmed Sunday that he greenlighted the pager operation in Lebanon," his spokesman Omer Dostri said.

Hand-held devices used by Hezbollah operatives detonated two days in a row in supermarkets, on streets and at funerals in mid-September.

They killed nearly 40 people and wounded nearly 3,000, and preceded Israel's ongoing military operation in Lebanon. (AFP)

More than 100 people detained at Amsterdam pro-Palestine rally

Dutch police took away more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters on Sunday who defied a ban on demonstrations in Amsterdam following clashes this week involving Israeli soccer fans.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the capital's Dam Square, chanting "Free Palestine" and "Amsterdam says no to genocide", in reference to the Gaza war.

Israel denies allegations of genocide in its more than year-long offensive against Palestinian militant group Hamas.

After a local court ratified the city council's ban, police moved in, instructing protesters to leave and rounding up more than 100 of them, according to a Reuters journalist.

They were put on buses and dropped off on the outskirts of the city, police spokesperson Ramona van den Ochtend said, without confirming how many had been picked up.

One protester was taken to an ambulance bleeding.

The ban, which authorities extended for another four days until Thursday, has been in place since Friday after attacks on Israeli soccer supporters following a soccer match between visiting Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax Amsterdam.

Jewish group plans pro-Israel rally ahead of Paris football match

Israel tells citizens to avoid cultural, sports events abroad after Amsterdam violence

Israel told citizens on Sunday to avoid going to cultural and sports events abroad involving Israelis in the coming week, following attacks last week on Israeli soccer supporters in Amsterdam.

Israel Defence Minister Katz says Israel has defeated Hezbollah

Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that his country has defeated Hezbollah and that eliminating its leader Hassan Nasrallah was the crowning achievement.

Saudi armed forces chief of staff in Iran for talks with officials

The chief of staff of Saudi Arabia's armed forces, Fayyad al-Ruwaili, visited Tehran on Sunday to meet with his Iranian counterpart and discuss defence ties.

Ukraine says reports it was informed in advance of Trump-Putin call are false

Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Sunday that reports Kyiv was informed in advance of a phone call between US President- elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were false.

Israeli military claim they eliminated head of operations for Islamic Jihad on Gaza Strip 

"Yesterday (Saturday), with the direction of precise IDF and ISA intelligence, the IAF conducted a precise strike and eliminated the terrorist Muhammad Abu Sakhil, head of operations for the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. Abu Sakhil operated in a command and control center that was embedded inside a compound that previously served as the 'Fahed al-Sabah' School in the northern Gaza Strip," the IDF statement read.

Biden to meet Israel, Indonesia Presidents on Nov 12

Pro-Iran factions in Iraq claim responsibility for four drone attacks on Israel

Overnight, the IAF successfully intercepted four UAVs that approached Israel from the east. Two of the UAVs were intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory, IDF said.

Hezbollah says Israeli army 'unable' to occupy any Lebanese villages

Hezbollah said on Monday that the Israeli military has been unable to occupy even a single village in Lebanon since launching cross-border ground operations in September. (AFP)

Initial reports of Israeli attack on Syria's Homs countryside, Syrian state news agency reports

Syrian state news agency SANA said on Monday that there were initial reports of an Israeli attack on the Chenchar area in Homs' southern countryside in central Syria. (Reuters)

Israel top diplomat says Palestinian state creation not 'realistic'; IDF strikes Syria’s Homs countryside

Syria's main Homs-Damascus highway was temporarily cut off after an Israeli strike targeted an aid gathering centre for displaced Lebanese south of the city of Homs, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported on Monday.

SANA said earlier there were initial reports of an Israeli attack on the Chenchar area in Homs' southern countryside in central Syria.

Meanwhile, a top Israeli diplomat said that Palestinian state creation not 'realistic', reported news agency AFP.

Israel sees progress in Lebanon ceasefire talks, says Russia can help

Israel said on Monday there was progress in talks about a ceasefire in Lebanon and indicated Russia could play a part by stopping Hezbollah from rearming via Syria, although the Iran-backed group said it had not received any truce proposals yet.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the main challenge would be enforcing any ceasefire agreement, and that Israel was working with the United States on the diplomatic efforts.

"I think there is a certain progress," Saar told a press conference in Jerusalem. "We are working with the Americans on the issue." (Reuters)

Saudi crown prince says Israel must respect Iran's sovereignty, not attack its territory

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler on Monday called on Israel to respect Iran's sovereignty and refrain from attacking Iranian soil, highlighting warming ties between the Middle East rivals.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders that the international community should oblige Israel "to respect the sovereignty of the sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran and not to violate its lands". (AFP)

New EU sanctions on violent Israeli settlers could happen soon, France says

France's foreign minister said on Monday that a new round of sanctions targeting violent Israeli settlers could happen soon.

"We were instrumental in setting up the (EU) sanctions regime that was already activated two times, and that might be activated a third time soon," Jean-Noel Barrot told the Paris Peace Forum.

"We believe that those violent settlers and these intensive settlement activities are illegal, that it should stop in the interest of Israel and its security."

As much of the world's attention has focused on the war in Gaza, growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank and land grabs in the occupied territory have raised concern among some of Israel's Western allies. (Reuters)

75 Hezbollah missiles cross from Lebanon into Israel, says IDF 

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in a statement on Monday said that at least 75 missiles crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory.

"As of 15:00, approximately 75 projectiles that were fired by the Hezbollah terrorist organization have crossed from Lebanon into Israel today (Monday, November 11th)," the statement read.

"The IDF will continue to defend the State of Israel and its people against the threat posed by the Hezbollah terrorist organization," it added.

Far-right minister calls for Israeli sovereignty in West Bank in 2025

Israel's far-right finance minister said on Monday that he hopes Israel will extend sovereignty into the occupied West Bank in 2025.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also wields a defence ministry supervisory role for settlers as part of his coalition deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said he hopes the incoming Trump administration in Washington will recognise an Israeli sovereignty push, according to a statement from Smotrich's office.

Smotrich has for years called for Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank, land the Palestinians want for a future state. (Reuters)

Iran says 'world waiting' for Trump government to stop Gaza, Lebanon wars

"The world is waiting" for Donald Trump's incoming US government to "immediately" end Israel's wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref told a summit of Arab and Islamic countries on Monday.

"The American government is the main supporter of the actions of the Zionist regime (Israel), and the world is waiting for the promise of the new government of this country to immediately stop the war against the innocent people of Gaza and Lebanon," Aref told the joint Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit. (AFP)

Israeli attacks on Lebanon kill 3,243 since Oct 7, 2023, Lebanese health ministry says

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 3,243 people and injured 14,134 since Oct 7, 2023, the Lebanese health ministry said on Monday. It said 54 had been killed and 56 others injured on Sunday. (Reuters)

Lebanon state media says Israel struck village in far north, reports AFP

Lebanese state-run media said Israel struck a house in the northern Akkar region on Monday, one of the farthest attacks from the border in its war against Hezbollah militants.

"An enemy strike targeted a house in the village of Ain Yaacoub," some 150 kilometres (93 miles) from Israel, said Lebanon's official National News Agency, with local official Rony al-Hage telling AFP that displaced people lived there and that it was the northernmost Israeli attack since a full-blown war erupted in September. (AFP)

Saudi crown prince condemns Israel's attacks on Palestinians as 'genocide'

Saudi Arabia's crown prince and de facto ruler condemned what he called the "genocide" committed by Israel against Palestinians when he spoke at a summit of Muslim and Arab leaders on Monday.

Israeli airstrike hits cafe in southern Gaza, killing 7, medics say

An Israeli airstrike killed at least seven people at a cafe west of southern Gaza's Khan Younis, medics said.

Five new arrests in attacks against Israeli soccer supporters, Dutch police say

Dutch police on Monday said they had arrested five more people for their suspected involvement in attacks on Israeli football supporters late last week which authorities have condemned as antisemitic.

Israeli strikes kill 37 as attacks intensify in central and southern Gaza, medics say

An Israeli airstrike killed seven people late Monday at a café near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, Palestinian medics said, bringing the death toll from Israeli strikes since Sunday night to at least 37.

US carried out strikes against Iranian linked targets in Syria

The United States military said on Monday it had carried out strikes against nine targets associated with Iranian groups in Syria.

Israel Defence Minister Katz: In Lebanon there will be no ceasefire, will continue to hit Hezbollah with full force

Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz, said on X on Tuesday that during a meeting with military officials, he reiterated that Israel will continue hitting Hezbollah with full force and that there will be no ceasefire.

Pak PM speaks out against Israel

Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut suburbs

The Israeli military carried out at least five airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday, after Israel's defence minister ruled out any ceasefire in Lebanon until Israel's goals had been met. (Reuters)

Vessel reports explosions in its vicinity off Yemen's Hodeidah, UKMTO says

- A vessel 70 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's Hodeidah reported multiple explosions in its vicinity on Tuesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

No damage was reported and the crew was safe, it added. (Reuters)

Israel fails to meet US aid demands to ease Gaza catastrophe, say aid groups

International aid groups said that Israel had failed to meet a series of U.S. demands intended to improve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by a Tuesday deadline.

The United States told its ally Israel in a letter on Oct. 13 that it must take steps to improve the aid situation in war-ravaged Gaza within 30 days. If not, it could face potential restrictions on US military aid. (Reuters)

Lebanon says five killed in Israeli strike east of Beirut

Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli strike killed five people in the mountains east of Beirut on Tuesday, after a security official said a house was targeted.

"The Israeli enemy strike on Baalshmay killed five people," the ministry said in an initial report, news agency AFP said.

Hezbollah says fired missiles at Israel air base south of Tel Aviv

Hezbollah said it fired missiles at an air base near Tel Aviv on Tuesday, after the Israeli military said it had intercepted projectiles fired from Lebanon.

Blinken speaks to Israel's Dermer about humanitarian situation in Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza in a meeting with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Washington.

Netanyahu says Iran's government fears its people more than Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday in a direct message to Iranians that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's government feared the people of Iran more than Israel.

Two killed in northern Israel building strike, police say

Two people were killed on Tuesday in Nahariya, northern Israel, after a residential building was struck, Israeli police said.

Yemen's Houthis say they launch attacks against US naval vessels

Yemen's Houthis said on Tuesday they conducted two military operations against US naval vessels in the Red and Arabian seas which the group's military spokesperson said lasted for eight hours.

Blinken tells Israel it must show improvement in Gaza humanitarian crisis

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday told a senior Israeli official that the steps Israel has taken to better the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza must lead to actual improvement on the ground, the State Department said.

Netanyahu says Iran's government fears its people more than Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a direct message to Iranians on Tuesday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's government feared the people of Iran more than Israel.

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(Published 07 November 2024, 15:24 IST)
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