Israel

UPDATED: Israeli PM warns of state of emergency due to new coronavirus variant

JERUSALEM, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met health experts on Friday to discuss how best to respond to a new variant of the coronavirus that has…

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Morocco and Israel sign defence MOU in Rabat, Israeli spokesperson says

Morocco and Israel signed a defence memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Rabat on Wednesday, opening the way for possible military sales and cooperation after the countries upgraded diplomatic ties last…

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Israel signals readiness to escalate Iran confrontation amid nuclear talks

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett signalled readiness on Tuesday to step up Israel's confrontation with Iran and reiterated that his country would not be bound by any new Iranian nuclear deal with world powers. Indirect…

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Vaccine passports would allow infections to be missed

“Vaccine passports” that exempt vaccinated people from regular COVID-19 testing would allow many infections to be missed, Israeli data suggest. Researchers analyzed infection rates in citizens returning to Israel through…

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Netanyahu makes rare appearance at his corruption trial

Former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a rare appearance at his corruption trial on Tuesday but an expected courtroom encounter with an ex-aide who has turned state's witness never happened as…

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Photo Story: Christmas greetings from Jerusalem Santa

Issa Annis Kassissieh, known as Jerusalem Santa, looks over the Sea of Galilee as he takes part in a pre-Christmas greetings event for the holiday season in the Golan Heights.…

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Israel pandemic advisory panel backs COVID vaccine for young children

Israel's pandemic advisory board backed administering Pfizer's and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine to children age 5-11, health officials said, as a fourth wave of infections subsides nationwide. The Health Ministry is…

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Palestinians facing Jerusalem evictions reject deal with Israeli settlers

Palestinians facing eviction from the flashpoint East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah rejected a deal on Tuesday that would have seen them accept the temporary ownership of their homes by an…

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Thailand, Australia, Israel ease travel curbs as lockdowns bite elsewhere

Thailand, Australia and Israel eased international border restrictions significantly on Monday for the first time in 18 months, offering a broad test of demand for travel worldwide amid the coronavirus pandemic. The…

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Israel opens to solo tourists for 1st time since pandemic

Israel on Monday began welcoming individual tourists for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Authorities hope that opening the country’s gates to solo travelers will breathe…

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Syrian air defences intercept Israeli missiles aimed at Damascus area -state media

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Syrian air defences on Saturday intercepted Israeli missiles targeted at sites in countryside around the capital Damascus and downed some of them, state media said, citing…

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Israeli court says boy who survived cable car disaster must be returned to Italy

JERUSALEM, Oct 25 (Reuters) - An Israeli court ruled on Monday that a six-year-old boy, who is the only survivor of an Italian cable car disaster, must be returned to…

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Israel designates Palestinian civil society groups as terrorists

Israel on Friday designated six Palestinian civil society groups as terrorist organisations and accused them of funnelling donor aid to militants, a move that drew criticism from the United Nations…

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Pfizer vaccine very effective against Delta variant in adolescents in Israel – study

JERUSALEM, Oct 21 (Reuters) - The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection and symptomatic disease from the Delta variant among 12- to 18-year-olds, research conducted in Israel…

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In a rocky Israeli crater, scientists simulate life on Mars

RAMON CRATER, Israel (Reuters) - From the door of the expedition base, a few small steps to the left an autonomous rover passes by. A few giant leaps to the…

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UPDATE – Merkel vows German commitment to Israel in farewell visit

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged on Sunday that her country would preserve its post-Holocaust commitment to Israel, which hailed her as a "moral compass" for Europeans at…

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Lebanon can’t dictate terms in sea border talks with Israel – minister

Israel is ready to renew efforts to solve its dispute with Lebanon over the delineation of their territorial waters in the Mediterranean, but it will not accept that Beirut dictates the terms…

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Israel requires COVID-19 booster shots for stricter “green pass”

Israel piled pressure on its vaccinated citizens to get a booster shot by making only those who received their third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine eligible for a "green pass"…

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Israel accuses Iran of Cyprus attack plot

Israel accused Iran on Monday of orchestrating an attempted attack on Israelis in Cyprus after police on the Mediterranean island said an armed individual had been arrested. "This was a…

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Israel reports very few myocarditis heart inflammation cases after Pfizer boosters

Israel’s Health Ministry has identified fewer than 10 cases of heart inflammation following a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine among millions administered, according to recently released data. Israel began…

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Israeli foreign minister flies to Bahrain to inaugurate embassy

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid flew to Bahrain on Thursday on the highest-level official Israeli visit to the Gulf state since the countries established formal relations last year. Lapid will…

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Israeli PM says Iran has crossed nuclear ‘red lines’; Tehran calls it ‘full of lies’

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Monday that Iran had crossed "all red lines" in its nuclear program and vowed that Israel would not allow Tehran to acquire a…

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Israeli troops kill five Hamas gunmen in West Bank raids: military

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed five Hamas militants in gun battles during raids on Sunday against one of the group's cells in the occupied West Bank,…

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Israeli PM to meet UAE, Bahrain ministers in New York

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will meet ministers from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, his first meetings with Gulf leaders since taking office in…

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Israeli carrier El Al raises demands for state aid, appeals to prime minister

Israel's flag carrier El Al airlines said on Thursday it requested $100 million in compensation from the government for its strict COVID-19 travel policies and asked the prime minister to…

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Israel captures last two escaped Palestinian militants, police say

Israeli forces on Sunday caught the last two of six Palestinian militants who had tunnelled out of a maximum security Israeli jail nearly two weeks ago, in an escape that…

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Israeli court petitioned over suspected kidnapping of Italy cable crash survivor

The family of the only survivor of an Italian cable car disaster, a six-year old boy, petitioned a Tel Aviv court on Tuesday for his return after his grandfather took him to…

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Israeli prime minister visits Egypt in first official trip for a decade

CAIRO (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday for talks on Israeli-Palestinian relations and bilateral issues, Egypt's presidency said, in the first…

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Israel to reopen for small foreign tour groups

Israel will allow small foreign tour groups from selective countries to visit from Sept. 19 under a pilot programme to kick-start tourism, the government said. Tour groups of between 5…

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UPDATED: Six Palestinians escape from high-security Israeli prison

Six Palestinian militants broke out of a high-security Israeli prison on Monday in what Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called a grave incident. Israeli police and the military had started a…

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Israeli students return to school amid surge in COVID-19 cases

Israeli pupils returned to school on Wednesday with mask requirements and mandatory COVID-19 testing aimed at stemming a surge in coronavirus cases that has overshadowed the highly-vaccinated country's reopening. Health…

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Israel says it will loan Palestinians money after highest-level talks in years

Israel will lend the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority more than $150 million after the sides held their highest-level meeting in years, Israeli officials said on Monday, while playing down prospects of any major…

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Israeli PM moves to play down defence chief’s talks with Palestinian leader

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett sought on Monday to play down any notion of a move towards renewed peace negotiations with the Palestinians after the highest-level Israeli-Palestinian meeting in years.…

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Israel offers COVID-19 booster to all vaccinated people

JERUSALEM, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Israel on Sunday began offering a COVID-19 booster to children as young as 12, and its prime minister said a campaign that began a month…

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Israel bombs Hamas sites in Gaza over fire balloons – military

JERUSALEM/GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli aircraft struck Hamas sites in Gaza early on Sunday in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian enclave, the military said, as a recent rise…

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Israel’s new leader to present Iran plan in first White House visit

New Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett plans to push for a new Iran strategy during his first White House visit, saying he will urge U.S. President Joe Biden not to revive the 2015…

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Israel bombs Hamas sites in Gaza over fire balloons -military

Israeli warplanes bombed Hamas sites in Gaza in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian enclave that caused brush fires in southern Israel, its military said early on Tuesday. There…

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Israel finds COVID-19 vaccine booster significantly lowers infection risk

A third dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has significantly improved protection from infection and serious illness among people aged 60 and older in Israel compared with those who received two…

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Israeli aircraft strike Hamas sites in Gaza after border clashes

Israeli aircraft struck Hamas sites in Gaza late on Saturday, the military said, in an escalation of hostilities after earlier cross-border gunfire seriously injured an Israeli soldier and wounded 41…

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Israeli PM has third COVID-19 shot as Israel extends booster campaign

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett received a third shot of Pfizer/BioNtech's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, after Israel extended its booster campaign for people over 40 to try to curb the…

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Israel extends COVID-19 vaccine boosters to people over 40, teachers

Israelis over 40 and teachers are now eligible for a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the health minister said, hoping an expansion of the booster campaign will fend…

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Photo Story: The aftermath of the wildfire in Jerusalem

A general view of a road surrounded by burned forests near Moshav Ramat Raziel in Jerusalem hills near Jerusalem, Israel, 19 August 2021. According to Israel's Fire and Rescue Service,…

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Third Pfizer dose 86% effective in over 60s, Israeli HMO says

A third dose of Pfizer /BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine was found to be 86% effective in people aged over 60, an Israeli healthcare provider said on Wednesday, citing initial results from…

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Wildfires outside Jerusalem contained

Wildfires in wooded hills near Jerusalem were contained, the Israeli fire brigade said, after crews waged a three-day battle joined by Palestinian firefighters and the Israeli Air Force. No serious…

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Israel economy rebounds

Israel's economy grew an annualised 15.4% in the second quarter from the prior three months, bouncing back from a weak first quarter with big gains in exports, consumer spending and…

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Wildfire in Jerusalem hills sends smoke clouds over city

Wildfires in wooded hills outside Jerusalem sent smoke clouds billowing over the city on Sunday as planes and crews on the ground fought flames that forced the evacuation of several…

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Gaza militants fire rocket at Israel, Israeli military says

Militants in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket at Israel on Monday that was intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system, the military said, in the first such attack since…

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Israeli forces kill 4 Palestinians in West Bank clash

Israeli forces on a raid in the occupied West Bank exchanged fire on Monday with Palestinian gunmen, Israeli police said, while a Palestinian local official said at least four Palestinians…

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Israel expands COVID vaccine booster campaign to over 50s, health workers

Israel on Friday lowered to 50 from 60 the minimum age of eligibility for a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot and will also offer them to health workers, hoping to stem…

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Israeli survey finds 3rd Pfizer vaccine dose has similar side effects to 2nd

Most people who received a third dose of Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine felt similar or fewer side effects than they did after receiving the second shot, according to an initial…

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Iran ‘very close’ to point of ‘no return’ in drive for nuclear bomb, Israel warns

Iran has been emboldened by a lack of action by Britain and other countries across the world, Israel has warned, as a senior official said the state was now “very…

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Israel strikes Hamas sites in Gaza in response to fire balloons – military

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli aircraft bombed Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip on Saturday in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian enclave, Israel's military said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the strike that targeted what…

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