Israel

By Bradley Klapper | AP | 16 Nov 2012

The Obama administration struggled Thursday to deal with the biggest flare-up in Israeli-Palestinian violence in years, unable to call on its old ally, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, to negotiate an end to rocket attacks on the Jewish state.

Instead, the administration relied on Egypt’s untested Islamist President Mohammed Mursi, who - like the Gaza Strip’s rulers, Hamas - is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

By Jim Lobe | IPS | 15 Nov 2012

Israel tops the list of the world’s most militarised nations, according to the latest Global Militarisation Index released Tuesday by the Bonn International Centre for Conversion (BICC).

Source : Agencies | 09 Nov 2012

President Omar Hassan al-Bashir promised on Thursday that Sudan would respond robustly to an Israeli bombing of a Khartoum arms factory.

Bashir, in a speech from the Sudanese embassy in Saudi Arabia broadcast on Sudan's Blue Nile TV, also said he was in "perfect health" after undergoing surgery in the Gulf kingdom.

Sudan last month accused Israel of carrying out an air strike on the Yarmouk weapons plant in the south of Khartoum, causing a blast that killed four people.

Israel has not commented.

Source : Agencies | 06 Nov 2012

A Turkish court began on Tuesday a trial of Israeli military officers in regard to a 2010 raid on the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara, which left eight Turks and one Turkish-American dead.

Four Israeli officers former Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of General Staff Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, Naval Forces commander Vice Adm. Eliezer Marom, Israel's military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin and Air Forces Intelligence head Brig. Gen. Avishai Levi are facing trial in absentia for the raid of the Turkish Mavi Marmara flotilla.

By Abdelmoneim Abu Edris Ali | AFP | 31 Oct 2012

The visit of two Iranian naval ships to Sudan reflects strong ties between the countries, Sudan’s military said on Tuesday after Khartoum denied Iranian involvement in weapons manufacturing.

Sudan’s links to Iran have come under scrutiny after Khartoum accused Israel of sending four radar-evading aircraft to strike the Yarmouk military factory in the heart of the capital at midnight on Oct. 23.

The factory compound exploded and burst into flames, and speculation followed that Iranian weapons were stored or manufactured there.

Source : Agencies | 24 Oct 2012

Former President Jimmy Carter has criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Israel's push towards a "Greater Israel," worsening the crisis for Palestinians and thwarting progress towards a two-state solution.

Carter made the comments during a two-day visit to Israel and the West Bank, a trip he made with former prime minister of Norway Gro Harlem Brundtland and the former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson. The three are members of The Elders, a group of 10 former world leaders.

By Jim Lobe | Agencies | 23 Oct 2012

As a bastion of foreign-policy realism, the Center for the National Interest (CNI), formerly the Nixon Center, is known around Washington for hosting very lively discussions among experts, and Friday’s session, entitled “War With Iran: Economic and Military Considerations”, was particularly engaging, and virtually unanimous — and almost unanimously scary — in its conclusions.

By Amy Teibel | AP | 18 Oct 2012

The Israeli military meticulously calculated the number of calories Gaza’s residents would need to consume to avoid malnutrition during a sweeping blockade imposed on the Palestinian territory between 2007 and mid-2010, according to a document the Defense Ministry released under a court order and that was made public Wednesday.

Source : Agencies | 12 Oct 2012

Sweden's third aid ship 'Estelle' and 20 peace supporters on board have been on their way to Gaza since June 20.

Rights activists on the "Ship to Gaza Sweden 'Estella'" which is sailing to bring relief equipment to Gaza have said, "If Israeli government commits another terrible crime, we cannot stop them."

Media coordinator of the Ship to Gaza Estella campaign, Mikael Lofgren informed Anadolu Agency about the ship and their initiative.

Source : Agencies | 08 Oct 2012

Israeli forces fired a barrage of artillery shells on the southern Gaza Strip early Monday injuring five Palestinians, witnesses said, as Gaza brigades fired dozens of rockets into southern Israel.

More than ten Israeli artillery shells landed near Ammar Ibn Yasser Mosque east of Khan Younis, causing damage to the minaret and a water tower, they said.

Later Monday morning, residents said a missile was fired at Rafah by an Israeli military aircraft, with no reports of casualties.