Israeli armoured vehicles on Tuesday entered the vicinity of Saida al-Golan, a village south of the Quneitra governorate, according to local media reports.
The area is beyond the disengagement line between Israel and Syria that was agreed in 1974.
Archiv: Israel
UN food agency warns 2 million in Gaza face severe hunger
The head of the World Food Programme (WFP), Cindy McCain, has warned that two million people in Gaza are suffering from “acute hunger” as humanitarian aid struggles to reach those in need.
In a post on X, McCain highlighted the dire situation, noting that last month only one-third of trucks carrying WFP aid managed to enter the besieged enclave.
Gaza death toll passes 45,000 as UN school suffers new deadly strike
The development followed an update from the head of the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, that more than 14,500 youngsters have been reportedly killed in Gaza. Many thousands more are believed buried under the rubble.
Meanwhile, famine “continues to loom in the north” and humanitarian access remains “severely restricted”, said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, in a post on social media.
“Virtually all 1.1 million children in Gaza are in urgent need of protection and mental health support,” she added, amid media reports that Israeli military activity in the last 24 hours has left at least 69 Palestinians dead, from Beit Lahia in the north to Rafah in the south.
Israeli forces kill at least 4 Gaza journalists in the past week
“At least 95 journalists and media workers have been killed worldwide in 2024,” CPJ’s CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in New York. “Israel is responsible for two thirds of those deaths and yet continues to act with total impunity when it comes to the killing of journalists and its attacks on the media. The international community has failed in its obligations to hold Israel accountable for its actions.”
Government has not been ‘hostile’ to Israel – Tánaiste
Mr Martin, who is also Minister for Foreign Affairs, said supporting the ICJ and the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, should not be viewed as a hostile act.
“Recognising a state of Palestine, which we did with Norway and Spain and which other countries have done, is not a hostile act, and should not be seen as a hostile act,” he said.
The actions of the Israeli army in northern Gaza, where there are daily reports of the killing of men, women and children, is “beyond any moral compass,” Mr Martin said.
Why Israel is closing its embassy in Ireland and what will happen next
In May 2024, Ireland, along with Spain and Norway, formally recognised the Palestinian state. This decision led to Israel recalling its ambassadors from Ireland, Norway and Spain.
In October 2024, the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, announced plans to pass the Occupied Territories Bill, which would ban trade between Ireland and illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. This statement follows an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July that said states are under “an obligation to take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel” in the territories.
Gaza death toll approaches 45,000, with 46 killed in past day
(December 15, 2024)
At least 10,000 people are still missing, likely dead and buried under rubble.
Massive strike in Syria registers on Richter scale as Israel targets military sites in coastal Tartus region
“Earlier today, an Israeli fighter jet carried out an airstrike on radars in Deir Ezzor Military Airport,” it said.
“Moreover, an anonymous explosion took place at the only bridge on Euphrates River that connects between the city and Hatla Village, which is one of the seven villages in SDF-held areas.”
Israel attacks military facilities in Syria‘s Tartus, where Russian base is located – videos
Israeli military aircraft carried out a series of powerful airstrikes on military targets in the Syrian port city of Tartus, home to an important Russian naval base and ship repair facility, on the night of 15-16 December.
Israel approves plan to expand settlements on occupied Golan Heights
“Strengthening the Golan is strengthening the State of Israel, and it is especially important at this time. We will continue to hold onto it, cause it to blossom, and settle in it,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
Since Islamist rebels overthrew the decades-long Assad family regime on Dec. 8, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes across Syria and carried out a land incursion that stretches past the occupied Golan Heights into a previously demilitarized buffer zone.
Report: Russia draws down forces in Syria, removes S-300 system that troubled Israel
(Ooctober 20, 2022)
Though it has on several occasions harshly criticized Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Jerusalem has so far avoided providing direct military aid to Kyiv — neither offensive arms nor advanced defensive technology — in an attempt to avoid sparking a crisis with Moscow.
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An encrypted phone connection was installed in 2017 between a Russian air base in western Syria and the Israeli Air Force command center in Tel Aviv.
The S-300 system was moved to Syria is 2018. Control of the batteries was never handed over to Syrian government.
(…)
Russia still maintains its more advanced S-400 air defense system in Syria, but the missiles are reportedly tasked only with defending Russian assets.
Report: Israel Sees Opportunity To Bomb Iran After Downfall of Assad
Israeli officials now say they have total air superiority over Syria due to the lack of air defenses, which could make it easier to launch airstrikes on Iran. Israeli warplanes used to have to avoid air defenses when bombing Syria, but now Israeli officials say they’re able to fly over Damascus without having to worry about getting shot down by Russian-made air defenses.
‘As much and as quickly as possible’: Israeli settlers eye land in Syria, Lebanon
(December 12,2024)
With the Israeli army advancing into Syria following Assad‘s fall, a group promoting settlements in Lebanon is casting its gaze eastward.
Israel launches over 60 air strikes on Syria in last few hours
14 December 2024 22:42 GMT
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is reporting that Israel has launched 61 fresh air strikes on Syrian territory in the last few hours.
Gaza death toll reaches 44,930
The death toll of Palestinians killed in Gaza has risen to 44,930 with another 106,624 injured, the enclave‘s health ministry said today.
It added in a statement that Israeli forces killed 55 people and injured 170 hours in „four massacres“ in the last 24 hours.
Racist Minister Ben Gvir Wants to Deport Hadash MK Ayman Odeh
Calling Odeh the “representative of the terrorists in the Knesset,” Ben Gvir posts a video of the lawmaker’s remarks and quips that soon legislation allowing for the deportation of the families of terrorists “will soon also apply to you.”
Latterly, Odeh published on X, “Ben Gvir, you are a disgusting liar. The only convicted supporter of terrorism in the Knesset is you. My terrible shock and condemnation of the murder of innocent people on October 7 was sharp and clear, and unlike you, I also support the families of the hostages in Gaza and their demand to put an end to the war. These are my positions throughout the war. And unlike you, I do not differentiate between blood and blood, between child and child, and do not support the supremacy of a people, but equality between peoples. So, to the question of which of us represents the interests of all citizens in the country, the answer seems to be clear.”
Gaza live news: Gaza City faces ‘horrific’ Israeli bombardment
Israel bombs the Nassr and Sabra neighbourhoods of Gaza City, killing several Palestinians in “horrific” attacks, our correspondent reports.
Health ministry in Gaza says war death toll at 44,875
The health ministry in Gaza said Friday that at least 44,875 people have been killed in more than 14 months of war between Israel and Palestinian militants.
Turkey, Israel seize the moment as region reels from Syria’s implosion
(December 11, 2024)
Erdogan, Netanyahu aren‘t letting the crisis on their borders go to waste
Turkey and Israel are reaping rewards from the chaos in Syria
(December 5, 2024)
How the incoming Trump administration intends to deal with the situation in Syria is anyone’s guess. Given that the president-elect has chosen staunch Israeli supporters to occupy senior posts in his cabinet, there appears to be strong reason to believe that Trump 2.0 policy towards Damascus will be determined to a large degree by Israeli preferences. If so, Washington’s approach may be to weaken and possibly oust Assad from power given the latter’s longstanding alliance with Iran, which remains Public Enemy Number One for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israeli forces to occupy Mount Hermon peaks in Syria, says foreign minister
Israeli Defence Minister Yisrael Katz has confirmed that the peaks of Mount Hermon in Syria have been fully occupied.
In a statement, Katz described the moment as „a touching historical moment,“ recalling a visit to the Golan Heights with Prime Minister Netanyahu, where they observed the occupied peaks of Syrian Mount Hermon.
IDF: Troops will stay in Syria buffer zone and strategic Mount Hermon as long as needed
(December 9, 2024)
After the Israel Defense Forces on Sunday captured the Syrian side of the strategic Mount Hermon, along with a buffer zone that has existed between the countries since the 1970s, the military stressed that the move was temporary, but also acknowledged that troops would likely remain inside Syrian territory for the foreseeable future.
After Another US Security Council Veto, UN General Assembly Votes for Gaza Cease-Fire
The 193-member U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) subsequently voted 158-9, with 13 abstentions, for a resolution demanding „an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire, to be respected by all parties,“ and calling for the „immediate and unconditional release of all hostages“ held by Hamas.
The nine countries that opposed the measure are the United States, Israel, Argentina, Czechia, Hungary, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Tonga.
In a separate vote Wednesday, 159 UNGA members voted in favor of a resolution affirming the body‘s „full support“ for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
UN General Assembly demands ceasefire in Gaza and backs UN agency helping Palestinian refugees
Israel and its close ally, the United States, were in a tiny minority speaking and voting against the resolutions. Other opposing both resolutions included Argentina, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga.
While Security Council resolutions are legally binding, General Assembly resolutions are not, though they do reflect world opinion. There are no vetoes in the assembly.
At least 35 Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrikes Gaza on Thursday morning
12 December 2024 06:53 GMT
At least 35 Palestinians were killed early on Thursday in Israeli bombings of various areas in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
Health ministry in Gaza says war death toll at 44,805
The health ministry in Gaza said Wednesday that at least 44,805 people have been killed in more than 14 months of war between Israel and Hamas.
Israeli raids on Gaza claim 40 Palestinian lives since dawn
11 December 2024 11:38 GMT
Medical sources reported to Al Jazeera Arabic that Israeli air strikes on Gaza since Wednesday morning have resulted in the deaths of 40 Palestinians
Israel conducts more than 300 air strikes across Syria since Assad‘s removal
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Israel has carried out approximately 310 airstrikes in Syria, targeting a variety of military sites, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Health ministry in Gaza says war death toll at 44,786
The health ministry in Gaza said Tuesday that at least 44,786 people have been killed in more than 14 months of war between Israel and Hamas.
Israeli air strike wipes out 25 family members in northern Gaza
„The Israeli occupation forces targeted a multi-storey house in Beit Hanoun, this house belongs to the Kahlout family,“ said Basal.
„So far 16 people have been identified and they were taken from under the rubble. The rest remain under the rubble,“ said Basal adding that „until now civilians are trying to take them out. We’re talking about at least five children and five women“.
Israel establishes ‚sterile defence zone‘ inside Syrian territory as it continues air strikes
„Together with the prime minister, I have instructed the [military] to establish a sterile defence zone free of weapons and terrorist threats in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence,“ Katz said during a visit to a naval base in the Israeli city of Haifa.
He claimed it was in order to „to prevent the establishment and organisation of terrorism in Syria“.
Explosions shake various areas in Syria, including scientific research centers
In turn, the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights reported over 250 Israeli airstrikes on Syria in 48 hours.
These strikes follow Sunday‘s attacks on strategic locations in Syria, where Israel targeted a major security complex and missile research center in Damascus‘s Kafr Sousa district, as well as military sites in southern Syria.
We have agreed on Syria. But why did Russia need to give in to Turkey?
Russia maintains its military bases and embassy in Syria after the overthrow of the government of Bashar al-Assad. The agreements with Turkey are obvious.
Al Arabiya: Russia handed over facilities to Israel in the Golan Heights area
Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the opening of a front in Syria. Israeli forces occupied Mount Hermon from the Syrian side in the Golan Heights, from where the Syrian army withdrew, Israeli and Arab media reported. N12 TV channel noted that „in fact, this is the first IDF presence in the area after the Yom Kippur War.“
UNSC consultations on Syria, requested by Russia, will take place on December 9, according to the mission
„In light of the current developments in Syria, the impact of which on this country and the entire region is yet to be realized, Russia has requested urgent closed-door consultations of the UN Security Council. In particular, it is important to know what is going on in this environment around the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights. We expect that these consultations will ne held in the second half of the day on Monday, December 9,“ he wrote on his Telegram channel.
Netanyahu Says „Central Link In Iran‘s Axis Of Evil“ Has Fallen In Syria
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in Syria was a „historic day in the… Middle East“ and the fall of a „central link in Iran‘s axis of evil“.
Netanyahu said the events are „a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, Assad‘s main supporters. It has triggered a chain reaction across the Middle East, empowering those seeking to break free from this oppressive regime.“
He spoke on a visit to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Suspected Israeli strikes hit a part of Damascus, two security sources say
The regional security sources said at least six strikes hit the main air base in the north of the city of Suweida that has a large stockpile of rockets and missiles left by Syrian troops.
The attack appeared aimed at prevent these weapons from falling into the hands of radical groups, one source told Reuters.
UN Palestine Expert: Israel Should Be Removed From UN Over UNRWA Attacks
(December 6, 2024)
The UN’s top independent expert on Palestinian human rights has repeated a call for Israel to be removed from its membership in the United Nations, citing its “relentless attacks” against the institution’s top aid group for Palestinian refugees.
On Thursday, UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese said on social media that Israel should be unseated, echoing calls from numerous international law experts and advocates for Palestinian rights.
Health ministry in Gaza says war death toll at 44,664
The health ministry in Gaza said Saturday that at least 44,664 people have been killed in nearly 14 months of war between Israel and Palestinian militants.