Police told to prepare for ‘inevitable’ nationwide lockdown
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has instructed the Israel Police to prepare for a complete lockdown of the country, calling such a move ‘inevitable.’
Israel
IDF says Hezbollah, Syrian army behind attempted sniper attack on border
The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday accused the Hezbollah terror group and the Syrian army of being behind an attempted sniping attack against Israeli soldiers in the Golan Heights earlier this month, which was thwarted by an Israeli strike on the suspects’ car.
Ministers approve controversial phone tracking program to halt virus
Israel’s caretaker government unanimously approved on Tuesday a measure allowing security services to deploy advanced digital monitoring tools in an effort track carriers of the coronavirus, despite widespread privacy concerns.
Coronavirus kills leading Iranian ayatollah, as worries intensify
A member of the Assembly of Experts, which has the power to appoint or dismiss the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died from the COVID-19 illness caused by the virus, the semi-official Fars and Tasnim news agencies reported Monday.
IDF indicates Iran scaling back terror activity in light of coronavirus
The Israel Defense Forces indicated Monday its primary foe in the region, Iran, was curbing its activities as it grapples with a major outbreak of the coronavirus.
Netanyahu sparks privacy scare with move to track corona patients’ phones
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday announced that Israel would begin using advanced digital monitoring tools to track carriers of the coronavirus, raising major privacy concerns and prompting accusations of mass surveillance.
Gantz receives unexpected majority, tasked with forming Israeli government
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will task Blue and White leader Benny Gantz with forming the next government, after the leftist former IDF chief gained a majority of seats in the Knesset with unexpected support.
All 16 Dead Sea scroll fragments at DC museum revealed as fake
The 16 Dead Seas scroll fragments housed at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, are forgeries, museum officials said Friday.
Israel coronavirus cases climb to 164; nearly 40,000 in quarantine
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel climbed to 164 on Saturday, up 21 from Friday, with nearly 40,000 currently in home quarantines according to the Israeli Health Ministry. Of those with the virus, two are still in serious condition, 10 are in moderate condition, and four have recovered.
Netanyahu weighs new, stricter measures to halt coronavirus pandemic
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting at his office in Jerusalem late on Saturday afternoon to discuss further, more stringent measures Israel may take to halt the coronavirus pandemic.
Syria war enters tenth year with no hope in sight
As it enters its tenth year, the war in Syria is anything but abating, as foreign powers scrap over a ravaged country where human suffering keeps reaching new levels.
Powerful storm set to batter Israel with 100-kph winds, massive flooding
Already buffeted by political gridlock and facing a shuttering of key industries over the coronavirus threat, Israelis were informed on Thursday they should brace themselves for yet another storm — a literal one this time.
‘Zionist’ Christian in Iran receives extension on prison sentence
‘Evangelical Zionist Christianity’ is the charge laid against a Christian convert in Iran whose prison sentence the government recently extended.
Coronavirus turns Israeli politics towards unity
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will task Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White rival Benny Gantz with forming the next government Sunday, as lawmakers across the political spectrum are calling for an emergency government to deal with the novel coronavirus.
Israeli-made oral vaccine for coronavirus on track, but testing will take months
An effective Israeli-developed vaccine for coronavirus is on track to be ready for testing within “a few weeks,” though it won’t be available for months because of the lengthy and sometimes bureaucratic testing and approval process, a member of the development team said Tuesday.
Israel responds to UN blacklist of companies in Judea and Samaria
The Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy responded in February to a UN ‘blacklist’ of Israeli companies highlighted for supposed human rights abuses with an expose detailing the terror-links of the groups that lobbied for the list’s creation.
Israel requires foreign citizens flying into the country to quarantine themselves for fourteen days
Israel has imposed quarantine conditions on all incoming flights in a move that the Finance Ministry predicts will cost the country $1.4 billion.
US Army scraps $1b. Iron Dome project, after Israel refuses to provide key codes
The US Army said it was curbing its plans to adopt the Iron Dome missile defense system due to concerns about its compatibility with existing US technologies, scrapping its plans to buy two more batteries and explore long-term integration of the Israel-developed system.
Netanyahu calls virus ‘pandemic’ as Israel plans restrictions on some US flights
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the coronavirus was a pandemic more severe than any disease outbreak in the past century, as a senior official said Israel was likely hours away from placing restrictions on flights arriving from some parts of the United States.
Coronavirus outbreak already at pandemic levels, Israeli health official warns
The novel coronavirus spreading across the world is already at a ‘pandemic’ stage, a top Israeli health official said Thursday, though world health authorities have held off from declaring a global outbreak.