US “deeply troubled” by Israel’s approval of settler building permits
Jerusalem/Washington DC, US Reuters The United States on Monday objected to a decision by Israel’s nationalist-religious government to approve the construction of around 5,700 additional housing units for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. The United States was “deeply troubled” by the move, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters, adding that US officials […]
Palestinian shooting attack in West Bank, settlers torch homes
Umm Safa, West Bank Reuters A Palestinian militant opened fire at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on Saturday before he was shot dead by forces at the scene, Israel’s police said, with settlers later setting fire to houses in a nearby Palestinian village. Police said a security guard was wounded in the attack […]
Israel set to approve thousands of building permits in West Bank
JerusalemReuters Israel’s nationalist-religious government on Sunday tabled plans to approve thousands of building permits in the occupied West Bank, despite US pressure to halt settlement expansion that Washington sees as an obstacle to peace with Palestinians. The plans for approval of 4,560 housing units in various areas of the West Bank were included on the […]
Recovering from Gaza fighting, Palestinians mark 1948 Nakba
GazaReuters In 1948, Intisar Muhana’s family fled al-Masmiyya village, north-east of Gaza during the war which accompanied the creation of Israel. Last week, she lost her home again when it was destroyed during Israeli airstrikes. Muhana’s family were among some 750,000 Palestinians who are estimated to have been forced out or fled their homes around […]
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 12, including three leaders of armed group
GazaReuters Israel killed three senior Islamic Jihad commanders in Gaza air strikes and at least nine civilians, including four children, on Tuesday, Palestinian officials said, as the Israeli military said it had launched strikes against the militant group. The air strikes were the latest incident in more than a year of surging violence that has […]
Israeli jets hit Gaza as fighting escalates after hunger striker death
Jerusalem/Gaza Reuters Israeli jets hit targets across the Gaza strip on Tuesday, in response to rocket barrages fired by militant groups earlier in the day following the death of a Palestinian hunger striker in Israeli custody. Plumes of smoke spiralled into the night sky as the jets hit targets including training camps of Hamas, the […]
Pilgrims flock to ancient Holy Land church as Palestinian congregation shrinks
Burqin, West Bank Reuters One of the world’s oldest churches, built on top of a cave in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and festooned with golden icons, attracts thousands of Christian pilgrims every year. But the Church of the Ten Lepers’ own congregation of Palestinian Christians grows ever smaller. Christian worshippers pray during Mass inside St […]
Israeli PM reverses course on sacking defence minister
JerusalemReuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he would leave Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in place given an escalating security crisis, reversing a decision to fire the minister that triggered protests and raised alarm abroad. He said the two had resolved their disagreement over Gallant’s public call last month for a halt to […]
Tensions high in Israel after deadly attacks
Tel Aviv, IsraelReuters An Italian tourist was killed and five people were wounded in a car ramming in Tel Aviv on Friday that came hours after two Israeli sisters were killed in a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank. The attacks, after a night of crossborder strikes in Gaza and Lebanon, added to an […]
Israel, Palestinians pledge moves to curb violence ahead of Ramadan
Cairo, Egypt Reuters Israeli and Palestinian officials agreed on Sunday to establish a mechanism to curb violence and incitement, in talks that stressed the need to prevent any disruptive actions at Jerusalem’s holy sites when Ramadan starts later this week. In a joint statement following talks in Egypt attended by US, Egyptian and Jordanian officials, […]