Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israel said on Sunday it would put on hold for "a number of weeks" its threatened razing of a Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank amid international calls to drop the plan, saying it would try to negotiate an evacuation.
The decision was announced after a meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet.
Israel, which has long sought to clear the Arab nomads from tracts of land between the Jewish settlements of Maale Adumim and Kfar Adumim, has said the hamlet of Khan al-Ahmar was built without the required permits.
Palestinians, who lost an Israeli Supreme Court appeal against the evacuation, say such documents are impossible to obtain.
The European Union and the United Nations have urged Israel to abandon the plan to demolish Khan al-Ahmar and relocate its 180 residents to an area about 12 km (seven miles) away next to a landfill in the West Bank.
Foreign pressure was ramped up on Wednesday when the International Criminal Court prosecutor said in a statement about Khan al-Ahmar that population transfers in occupied territory constitute war crimes. Israel captured the West Bank in a 1967 war.
"The security cabinet is allowing an extension of a number of weeks for negotiations on a consensual evacuation to be exhausted," the Israeli statement said.
Members of an Egyptian security delegation have met with senior Israeli officials to discuss the situation in blockaded Gaza, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA) reported Friday.At a Thursday meeting in Israel, the Egyptian delegation -- which includes deputy intelligence chief Ayman Badie -- held talks with Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and senior officials from Israel’s Shabak security agency, according to the IBA.Thursday’s meeting came within the framework of ongoing efforts by Cairo to mediate a truce between Israel and Gaza-based resistance groups.Earlier this week, members of the same delegation met with officials from both Hamas -- which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007 -- and rival Palestinian faction Fatah.Israel has repeatedly threatened to launch a military offensive against Gaza if Palestinians do not stop holding weekly mass demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone.Israel spying industry aids repressive regimes: HaaretzIsrael deploys fresh troops, tanks on Gaza’s outskirts
Egypt delegation meets Israel officials to discuss Gaza
Israel’s espionage industry aids repressive regimes around the world, including some Muslim and Arab states, according to an extensive investigation carried out by Israeli daily Haaretz, findings of which were published Friday. According to the newspaper, the investigation was based on 100 separate sources in 15 countries. “Findings show that Israeli industry has not hesitated to sell offensive capabilities to many countries that lack a strong democratic tradition -- even when they have no way to ascertain whether the items sold were being used to violate the rights of civilians,” Haaretz reported. According to testimony gathered during the investigation, Israeli surveillance equipment has been used to find and detain activists and dissidents in several countries. Israel deploys fresh troops, tanks on Gaza’s outskirtsThe investigation also found that Israeli firms had sold espionage equipment to buyers who were publicly known to be using them for malicious purposes. Israeli companies, the probe found, had sold spying and intelligence-gathering software to more than 25 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Arab world. These countries, according to Haartetz, include Bahrain, Indonesia, Angola, Mozambique, the Dominican Republic, Azerbaijan, Swaziland, Botswana, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Panama and Nicaragua. The newspaper went on to say that the probe had corroborated earlier reports of Israeli sales to Mexico, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, South Sudan, Honduras, Peru, Colombia, Uganda, Nigeria, Ecuador and the United Arab Emirates, among others.US to merge Jerusalem consulate in to new embassyAccording to Haaretz, most of the employees with whom the newspaper spoke declined to have their testimonies appear in the report, mainly because they had signed strict non-disclosure agreements. Those who agreed to discuss their role in the industry, meanwhile, appear in the report under false names.“While some CEOs spoke, others preferred to toe the secrecy line and spout the usual response,” the paper asserted.The Israeli Defense Ministry, for its part, said in a statement: “The Defense Exports Control Agency operates under the aegis of the Supervision Law to safeguard Israel’s strategic interests. The supervision is carried out according to [international] conventions and is applied in the light of international standards.”It added: “The supervision policy is examined frequently in accordance with diverse considerations, including considerations of upholding human rights. The Foreign Ministry, which also attaches great importance to human rights, takes part in the decision-making process.”
Israel spying industry aids repressive regimes: Haaretz
Israeli authorities have been expected to send in bulldozers at any time after an Oct. 1 deadline for the villagers to demolish their own homes expired. Pro-Palestinian foreign activists have flocked to the site.
In remarks to reporters earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu echoed a statement on Saturday by an official in his office who said the eviction had been postponed and an alternative relocation plan was being considered, in coordination with the Palestinian Authority.
But Netanyahu said the demolition would not be delayed indefinitely.
Israel has deployed fresh troops and tanks to the Gaza-Israel buffer zone in anticipation of weekly Friday protests against its 12-year blockade of the Palestinian enclave.The Israeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA) reported Friday that the army had deployed “large numbers in south”, referring to the region of Israel that borders Gaza.“The nature of the Israeli army's response to violence along the fence [i.e., buffer zone] is expected to change with the deployment of armor and engineering and artillery forces around Gaza,” the IBA reported.On Thursday, Israel’s Security Cabinet ordered the military to step up its response to ongoing Palestinian demonstrations -- now in their seventh month -- along the buffer zone.Since the demonstrations began on March 30, more than 200 Palestinians have been martyred near the buffer zone -- and thousands more injured -- by Israeli army gunfire.Protesters demand the right to return to their homes and villages in historical Palestine, from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.They also demand an end to Israel’s 12-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its roughly two million inhabitants of many basic commodities.Israeli army to step up response to Gaza demonstrationsUN signs agreements with Israeli security firms: ReportIsraeli Knesset rebukes Lieberman over ‘terrorist’ jibePalestinian gov’t condemns Israeli attacks in Gaza
Israel deploys fresh troops, tanks on Gaza’s outskirts
Israel’s Security Cabinet on Thursday ordered the military to step up its response to ongoing Palestinian demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone, according to Israeli media reports.“Starting Friday, the military will intensify its response to airborne firebombs from Gaza and will extend its range of fire during protests along the border,” Israeli daily Haaretz reported.According to the new policy, Palestinian protesters will have to maintain a greater distance from the buffer zone -- otherwise, Israeli troops have been ordered to open fire.“The response to incendiary balloons and kites launched from Gaza will be more forceful,” the paper asserted.According to Haaretz, the Security Cabinet convened for five hours late Wednesday after a number of rockets were fired into Israeli territory from Gaza.Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Education Minister Naftali Bennett have both repeatedly called for a harsher military response to the ongoing rallies along the buffer zone.US to merge Jerusalem consulate in to new embassyMost other members of the Security Cabinet, however, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly want to avoid a broader military operation.Cabinet members were reportedly told not to speak to the media about issues discussed at the meeting.This did not prevent Housing Minister Yoav Galant, however, from making provocative comments to reporters."I am not commenting on the content of the cabinet discussions, but I can say one thing very explicitly: the rules of the game are about to change,” he said.“We will no longer accept the terror along the border fence,” Galant asserted.UN signs agreements with Israeli security firms: ReportIn a related development, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, threatened on Thursday to respond to any Israeli attack on Gaza.On its official website, the Brigades posted a brief video showing a Brigades fighter preparing to fire a salvo of rockets into Israeli territory.Since the rallies along the buffer zone began on March 30, more than 200 Palestinians have been martyred -- and thousands more injured -- by Israeli army gunfire. Protesters demand the right to return to their homes in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel. They also demand an end to Israel’s 12-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its roughly two million inhabitants of many basic commodities.The ongoing Gaza rallies and Palestine’s unsung heroes
Israeli army to step up response to Gaza demonstrations
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry, commenting on those remarks in statement, dismissed the postponement as "nothing more than an Israeli attempt to calm foreign and local criticism".
The Palestinians say razing Khan al-Ahmar's tents and tin shacks is part of an Israeli plan to create an arc of Jewish settlements that could effectively cut off East Jerusalem from the West Bank, areas occupied by Israel since a 1967 war.
Most countries consider settlements built by Israel on land it captured in 1967 as illegal and say they reduce and fragment the territory Palestinians seek for a viable state. Israel disputes this.
Israeli forces on Saturday detained the Palestinian intelligence chief in Jerusalem, according to the official Wafa news agency.Colonel Jihad al-Faqih was stopped while driving to his work at an Israeli military checkpoint in al-Judeira village in northwestern Jerusalem, Wafa said.The Palestinian official was taken for interrogation in Jerusalem.Israeli authorities have yet to comment on the report.Egypt delegation meets Israel officials to discuss GazaIsrael spying industry aids repressive regimes: HaaretzIsrael deploys fresh troops, tanks on Gaza’s outskirtsIsraeli army to step up response to Gaza demonstrations
Israeli army arrests Palestinian intelligence chief
Israeli naval forces on Saturday detained two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to a local official.The two fishermen were identified as Karim and Mohamed Abu Hassan, who were arrested three miles away from the shore of the northern city of Beit Lahia, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, an NGO, said in a statement.The Israeli forces confiscated their boat and fishing equipment, the union said.There was no comment from the Israeli Navy on the report.After Israel's devastating 2014 military onslaught on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip (which left more than 2,150 Palestinians dead), Israel began to allow Palestinian fishermen to ply their trade up to six nautical miles off the coast (as opposed to three previously).US to merge Jerusalem consulate in to new embassyUN signs agreements with Israeli security firms: ReportIn May of this year, Israel increased this to nine nautical miles.One month later, however, Israel reduced this again to only three nautical miles in response to the launching of incendiary kites and balloons into Israel by Palestinian activists in Gaza.The kite/balloon attacks came as part of ongoing Palestinian rallies along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone to protest Israel’s 12-year blockade of the coastal enclave.Since the rallies -- which have continued on an almost-daily basis -- began on March 30, more than 200 Palestinians have been martyred by Israeli troops deployed along the other side of the buffer zone.Egypt delegation meets Israel officials to discuss GazaIsrael spying industry aids repressive regimes: HaaretzIsrael deploys fresh troops, tanks on Gaza’s outskirtsIsraeli army to step up response to Gaza demonstrations
Israel arrests two Palestinian fishermen off Gaza coast
At least 130 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli army fire during Friday’s protests near border of the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.A journalist, four medical staff and 25 minors were among those injured in the rallies, the ministry said in a statement.According to the ministry, two of the injured were in a serious condition.The Health Ministry had earlier put the number of the injured at 77.On Friday, the Israeli army beefed up its troop-strength along the buffer zone on Gaza border in anticipation of Friday’s protests.Israeli army to step up response to Gaza demonstrationsUS to merge Jerusalem consulate in to new embassyUN signs agreements with Israeli security firms: ReportOn Thursday, Israel’s Security Cabinet ordered the military to step up its response to the ongoing rallies along the buffer zone.Since the demonstrations began on March 30, more than 200 Palestinians have been killed near the buffer zone -- and thousands more injured -- by Israeli army gunfire.Protesters demand the right to return to their homes and villages in historical Palestine, from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.They also demand an end to Israel’s 12-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its more than two million inhabitants of many basic commodities.Egypt delegation meets Israel officials to discuss GazaIsrael spying industry aids repressive regimes: HaaretzIsrael deploys fresh troops, tanks on Gaza’s outskirts
Injury toll climbs to 130 in Israeli gunfire in Gaza