World News

Olympics – Israelis killed at 1972 Munich Games remembered in opening ceremony

TOKYO, July 23 (Reuters) - Israeli Olympic team members killed by Palestinian gunmen at the 1972 Munich Olympics were remembered during the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony on Friday with a…

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Israel to reimpose coronavirus ‘Green Pass’ as Delta variant hits

Israel announced plans to allow only people who are deemed immune to COVID-19 or have recently tested negative to enter some public spaces such as restaurants, gyms and synagogues after…

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Israel eyes spyware export curbs; Macron, Merkel troubled by abuse reports

An Israeli parliamentary panel may seek changes to defence export policy over reports that software sold by Israel's NSO Group was used to spy on journalists, officials and rights activists…

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Israel seeks to tax disposables to reduce plastic use

JERUSALEM, July 19 (Reuters) - Israel plans to impose a steep purchase tax on disposable utensils to discourage their use and protect the environment, government agencies said on Monday. "We…

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Israel’s FM Lapid says will travel to Morocco in late July

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said on Monday he will travel to Morocco at the end of July, the first official visit by Israel's top diplomat to the Arab state…

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Liberals in Israeli government to discuss NSO spyware with defence minister

JERUSALEM, July 19 (Reuters) - A liberal party in Israel's governing coalition said on Monday it would ask the Defence Ministry about exports of Israeli spyware that media reports have…

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Israeli firm’s spyware used to target journalists’ cell phones

An Israeli company's spyware was used in attempted and successful hacks of 37 smartphones belonging to journalists, government officials and human rights activists around the world, according to an investigation…

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Living with COVID-19: Israel changes strategy as Delta variant hits

Four weeks ago, Israel was celebrating a return to normal life in its battle with COVID-19. After a rapid vaccination drive that had driven down coronavirus infections and deaths, Israelis had stopped wearing…

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Israel offers third shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to adults at risk

Israel said on Sunday it will begin offering a third dose of Pfizer Inc's vaccine to adults with weak immune systems but it was still weighing whether to make the…

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Herzog takes office as Israel’s 11th president

Isaac Herzog took office on Wednesday as Israel’s 11th president after a day of ceremonies with outgoing President Reuven Rivlin. During his term in office, Rivlin consistently scored high public…

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Israel’s new government dealt blow in controversial citizenship vote

Israel failed on Tuesday to renew a controversial law that bars granting citizenship or residency to Palestinians from the occupied West Bank or Gaza who are married to Israeli citizens,…

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Israel sees drop in Pfizer vaccine protection against infections

Israel reported on Monday a decrease in the effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in preventing infections and symptomatic illness but said it remained highly effective in preventing serious illness. The decline…

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Israeli officials say cargo ship possibly attacked en route to UAE- Israeli media

JERUSALEM/DUBAI, July 3 (Reuters) - Israeli defence officials were checking whether Iranian forces were behind a possible attack on a cargo ship under partial Israeli ownership on Saturday on its…

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Israel strikes Hamas site in Gaza

Israeli aircraft bombed a Hamas site in the Gaza Strip overnight in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian enclave, Israel's military said on Friday. There were no immediate…

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UPDATED: Israel seeks to extend new Gulf ties to all Middle East, says Lapid

Israel's foreign minister said on Wednesday his visit to the United Arab Emirates was just the start of a road to peace with other Middle East countries, signalling an offer…

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Police, Palestinians clash as Israel begins demolition in Jerusalem’s Silwan

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel demolished a Palestinian shop in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan on Tuesday, triggering scuffles between police and protesters who accused authorities of discriminatory enforcement of…

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Israel requires masks indoors again as Delta variant drives up cases

Israel told its citizens on Friday they must again wear masks indoors, 10 days after being allowed to ditch them, amid a sustained surge in coronavirus infections attributed to the…

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Pfizer says COVID vaccine highly effective against Delta variant

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is highly effective against the Delta variant of COVID-19, a Pfizer official in Israel said on Thursday. First identified in India, Delta is becoming the globally dominant…

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Delta variant prompts Israeli rethink of quarantine waiver for COVID vaccinees

Israel empowered health officials on Wednesday to quarantine anyone deemed to have been exposed to an especially infectious variant of COVID-19 even if they were previously vaccinated against or recovered…

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Israel urges vaccination for all teens, citing Delta variant

Israel recommended that all 12-15 year-olds be vaccinated against COVID-19, citing new outbreaks attributed to the more infectious Delta variant. Israel expanded vaccine eligibility to include adolescents last month but until…

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Israel says COVID-19 vaccines rejected by Palestinians were safe

COVID-19 vaccines delivered by Israel and then rejected by the Palestinian Authority (PA) over their expiration date were fine, the Israeli health ministry said on Saturday. Israel and the PA…

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UPDATED: Israel says COVID-19 vaccines rejected by Palestinians were safe

COVID-19 vaccines delivered by Israel and then rejected by the Palestinian Authority (PA) over their expiration date were fine, the Israeli health ministry said on Saturday. Israel and the PA…

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Israel to give Palestinians 1 mln COVID vaccine doses in exchange deal

Israel will give at least 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Palestinian Authority (PA) under a deal to share shots, officials said on Friday, in a boost for the…

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Israel keen to establish ties with SE Asia’s Muslim nations

Israel is willing to work towards establishing ties with Southeast Asia's Muslim majority nations, its ambassador to Singapore said on Thursday, despite their condemnation in May of Israeli air strikes…

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UPDATED: Israel strikes Hamas sites over fire balloons, challenging truce

Israeli aircraft struck Hamas sites in Gaza on Wednesday after incendiary balloons were launched from the Palestinian enclave in the first such attacks since a fragile ceasefire ended 11 days…

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Photo Story – Reactions to Israel’s new unity government

Israeli activists and supporters of a new government during a rally outside the Israeli Knesset (parliament) ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the new government at the Israel Knesset in…

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New Israeli government approves nationalist march in Jerusalem

Israel's new government on Monday approved a Jewish nationalist march in Jerusalem, a step that risks inflaming tensions with Palestinians hours after veteran leader Benjamin Netanyahu handed over power to…

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Who’s who in Israel’s new patchwork coalition government

Israel's new government is a hodgepodge of political parties that had little in common other than a desire to unseat veteran right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The coalition, sworn in…

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UPDATED: Israel’s new government begins, Netanyahu era ends

The first Israeli government in 12 years not led by Benjamin Netanyahu got down to business on Monday, with the former prime minister shying away from a handover ceremony with…

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New Israeli government wins majority vote, ending Netanyahu tenure

Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year run as Israel's prime minister ended on Sunday with parliament approving a new "government of change" led by nationalist Naftali Bennett. Heading into opposition, Netanyahu, 71, the…

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Out, but not down, Netanyahu could be tough opposition leader

Long the familiar face of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is headed to the political sidelines after serving as prime minister for more than a decade. But even as he battles in…

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UPDATED: Israel’s Knesset to vote on new government, end Netanyahu’s record reign

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's record 12-year hold on power was set to end on Sunday when parliament votes on a new government, ushering in an administration that has pledged…

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New Israeli government seals coalition deals as Netanyahu era approaches its end

The new Israeli government set to end Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year tenure as prime minister signed its final coalition agreements on Friday, pointedly including term limits. The coalition of parties from…

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Netanyahu faces end of rule in parliamentary vote on new government

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces an end to his long hold on power in Israel on Sunday when the country's legislature votes on approving an improbable government of diverse parties that came together to unseat him. "It's happening!"…

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Israel domestic security warns of violence as Netanyahu faces unseating

The head of Israel's domestic security service issued a rare warning on Saturday of possible violence during one of the most politically charged periods in decades, with the country on…

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Israel is set for a change of government. Who? When? Why?

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is on the verge of being toppled from power after more than a decade in office. The 71-year-old right-winger looks set to be ousted…

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Netanyahu, fighting for political life, hits back at deal to unseat him

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday fought back against an agreement by his political opponents for a government of left-wing, centrist and right-wing parties aimed at unseating him. Netanyahu,…

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UPDATED: Israel’s opposition declares new government, set to unseat Netanyahu

Israel's opposition leader moved closer to unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announcing an agreement with a coalition of diverse political allies to form a new government. But the fragile alliance,…

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Israel to gradually end jobless benefits as economy recovers

Israel will gradually end jobless benefits as the economy begins recovering from the COVID-19 crisis, starting with people younger than 28 and without children, the Finance Ministry said. The government…

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UPDATED: Israel sees probable link between Pfizer vaccine and heart inflammation cases

Israel's Health Ministry said on Tuesday it had found the small number of heart inflammation cases observed mainly in young men who received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in Israel were likely…

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Israel’s Lapid enlists Gantz, moves closer to unseating Netanyahu

Israel's opposition leader moved closer to unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday after agreeing terms with several parties, including one led by Defence Minister Benny Gantz, for a proposed…

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UPDATED: Veteran politician Herzog elected president of Israel

Israel's parliament on Wednesday elected former centre-left politician Isaac Herzog as the country's president, a role that is largely ceremonial but also meant to promote unity among ethnic and religious…

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Netanyahu’s disparate rivals try to nail down pact to unseat him

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rivals on Monday sought to finalise a unity coalition that would unseat the veteran Israeli leader, but political commentators saw a bitter fight ahead. Centrist opposition chief…

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Netanyahu’s grip on power loosens as rival moves to unseat him

Far-right party leader Naftali Bennett threw his crucial support on Sunday behind a "unity government" in Israel to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in what would be the end of…

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End of Netanyahu era could be in the cards in Israeli political drama

Israel was gripped by political drama on Sunday over the possibly imminent end of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's record run as the country's leader. After four inconclusive parliamentary elections in…

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Egypt’s foreign minister to meet Israeli counterpart on Sunday

Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry is due to meet his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi on Sunday for talks, Egypt's foreign ministry said on Saturday. Egypt is working with the United…

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Blinken seeks to bolster ceasefire with Gaza visit

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began a Middle East visit in Israel this morning, seeking to bolster its ceasefire with Gaza's ruling Hamas group and help speed humanitarian aid to the devastated…

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Israel-Hamas ceasefire holds, U.N. to launch Gaza aid appeal

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas held into a fourth day on Monday as mediators spoke to all sides about extending the period of calm after the worst outbreak of…

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Israel to end COVID-19 restrictions after vaccine success

Israel will end local COVID-19 restrictions following a successful vaccine rollout that has nearly stamped out new infections, the country's Health Ministry said on Sunday. With the majority of the…

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Israel reopens borders to small groups of foreign tourists

Israel reopened its borders to foreign tourists on Sunday after a fall in COVID-19 infections but said it would take time for visitors to start arriving and to revive the…

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UPDATED: Gaza ceasefire holding, Blinken to visit Israel, West Bank

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip held into Saturday as officials said Egyptian mediators conferred with the sides on securing longer-term calm. The ceasefire…

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Germany’s foreign minister defends Israel’s right to self-defence

Israel's right to defend itself includes the right to destroy infrastructure from which future attacks can be launched, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Thursday at the start of…

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UPDATED: Renewed violence over Gaza despite ceasefire moves gaining speed

Diplomatic moves towards a ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict gathered pace on Thursday after U.S. President Joe Biden called for a de-escalation, but Israel kept up its bombardment of Gaza…

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Speaker Farrugia calls for the ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Malta's Speaker Anġlu Farrugia has called for the immediate ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. He has encouraged the two sides to revert to talks to find…

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Israel-Gaza conflict rages on despite U.S., regional diplomacy

GAZA/TEL AVIV, May 17 - Israel pummeled Gaza with air strikes on Monday and Palestinian militants launched rockets at Israeli cities despite a flurry of U.S. and regional diplomacy that…

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UPDATED: Israel kills Islamic Jihad commander, Palestinians renew rocket barrage

Israel killed a senior Palestinian militant commander in Gaza on Monday in air strikes which it said also targeted underground tunnels used by Hamas, and Islamist groups renewed rocket attacks…

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UPDATE – Israel synagogue tribune collapse, many injured

At least 60 worshippers were injured, some of them critically, on Sunday when a grandstand seating area collapsed in a crowded synagogue in a Jewish settlement in the occupied West…

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