Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel Approves Plan to Seize Gaza, Citing Push to ‘Defeat’ Hamas

Israel's military will "take control" of Gaza City under a plan proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and approved by his security cabinet, his office said in a statement Friday. Nearly two years into the war in Gaza, Netanyahu faces mounting pressure at home and abroad for a truce to pull the territory's more than two ...

Former Hostages Rally for Gaza War to End as Israel Mulls Updated Plan

Hundreds of demonstrators including Israelis released from captivity in Gaza rallied on Thursday in Jerusalem as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his cabinet to review new plans for the war. Waving Israeli flags and holding portraits of hostages still held by Palestinian militants in Gaza, the protesters gathered outside Netanyahu's ...

Hamas Accuses Israel PM of Sacrificing Hostages for Personal Interest

Palestinian militant group Hamas on Thursday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government was debating expanding military operations in Gaza, of sacrificing the Israeli hostages held there. "Netanyahu's plans to escalate the aggression confirm beyond any doubt his desire to get rid of the captives and sacrifice them in ...

Israel Seeks Control of Gaza, Won't 'Keep it': Netanyahu

Israel intends to take full control of Gaza but does not want to keep or govern it, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said ahead of a security cabinet meeting on Thursday. "We intend to," Netanyahu replied, when asked in a televised Fox News interview if Israel will take control of "all of Gaza." Fox News said the interview occurred just before ...

Israeli Minister Vows 'Return' to Evacuated West Bank Settlement

An Israeli minister announced on Thursday plans to rebuild Sa-Nur, a settlement in the occupied West Bank that was evacuated two decades ago, as the far right spearheads a major settlement expansion push. Sa-Nur's settlers were evicted in 2005 as part of Israel's so-called disengagement policy that also saw the country withdrawing troops and ...

Israeli Security Cabinet to Hold Talks Over Future Gaza War Plans

Israel's security cabinet is expected to meet later Thursday to discuss future military plans in Gaza, according to Israeli media reports, amid speculation of a full takeover of the besieged Palestinian territory. The planned meeting comes as international outrage over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza has ratcheted up pressure on Israel, ...

Israel PM Says to Instruct Army on Gaza War Plan this Week

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said he would convene a cabinet meeting later in the week to decide on how to proceed in the war in Gaza. "Later this week, I will convene the cabinet to instruct the [army] on how to achieve the three war objectives we have set," he said at the opening of a government meeting. He ...

Israeli Ex-Security Chiefs Urge Trump to Help end Gaza War

Hundreds of retired Israeli security officials including former heads of intelligence agencies have urged US President Donald Trump to pressure their own government to end the war in Gaza. "It is our professional judgment that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the former officials wrote in an open letter shared with the media ...

Security Council to Meet on Gaza Hostages: Israeli Ambassador

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on the hostages in Gaza, Israel's ambassador said Sunday, as outrage built over their fate in the war-torn enclave, where experts say a famine is unfolding. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Monday said he wants the issue of hostages held in Gaza at the "front and center" ...

Israeli Hostage Videos: Standoff Between Netanyahu and Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Sunday to aid hostages in Gaza, as outrage built at videos showing two of them emaciated. The premier's office said he spoke to the ICRC coordinator for the region, Julien Lerisson, and "requested his involvement in providing ...

Welcome Back!

As soon as press leaks emerged suggesting that the Lebanese file was being taken away from US envoy Tom Barrack and handed back to former envoy Morgan Ortagus, a certain optimism resurfaced among the Lebanese. This might be explained by the fact that Ortagus is seen as more than just a US envoy; she has indeed become some kind of celebrity in ...