Latest Israel News

Bethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas during the war in Gaza

Dec. 24, 2024 13:11 PM EST

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem marked another somber Christmas Eve on Tuesday in the traditional birthplace of Jesus under the shadow of war in Gaza. The excitement and cheer that typically descends on the West Bank during Christmas week were nowhere to be found. The festive...

Middle East latest: Bethlehem marks a somber Christmas Eve amid war in Gaza

Dec. 24, 2024 10:56 AM EST

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Palestinian city of Bethlehem is preparing for a somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza, with most festivities cancelled and crowds of tourists absent Tuesday in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel's bombardment and ground invasion in...

Global monitor says famine is weeks away in north Gaza. A US diplomat calls warning 'irresponsible'

Dec. 24, 2024 10:55 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Deaths from starvation will likely pass famine levels in northern Gaza as soon as next month owing to Israel's “near-total blockade” of food and other aid, the U.S.-created global food-crisis monitor said on Tuesday. The finding by the Famine Early Warning...

Middle East latest: Israeli's defense minister acknowledges it killed Hamas leader

Dec. 23, 2024 22:47 PM EST

Israel’s defense minister has confirmed that Israel assassinated Hamas’ top leader last summer and is threatening to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. The comments by Israel Katz appeared to mark the first time that Israel has...

Former Israeli spies describe attack using exploding electronic devices against Hezbollah

Dec. 23, 2024 16:48 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two recently retired senior Israeli intelligence agents shared new details about a deadly clandestine operation years in the making that targeted Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Syria using exploding pagers and walkie talkies three months ago. Hezbollah began...

Bethlehem plans another somber Christmas under the shadow of war in Gaza

Dec. 23, 2024 00:12 AM EST

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — The Nativity Store in Manger Square has sold handmade olive wood carvings and religious items to people visiting the traditional birthplace of Jesus since 1927. But as Bethlehem prepares to mark its second Christmas under the shadow of the war in Gaza, there are almost...

Winter is hitting Gaza and many Palestinians have little protection from the cold

Dec. 22, 2024 16:39 PM EST

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 14-month war with Israel are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. There is a shortage of blankets and warm clothing,...

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 22 as Vatican envoy visits Christians for pre-Christmas Mass

Dec. 22, 2024 14:24 PM EST

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into Sunday killed at least 22 people, including five children, Palestinian medical officials said, while Gaza's small Christian community celebrated a pre-Christmas Mass. Israeli authorities...

A rocket from Yemen strikes Tel Aviv, injuring 16, and Palestinians mourn a dozen children in Gaza

Dec. 21, 2024 16:34 PM EST

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A rocket fired from Yemen hit an area of Tel Aviv overnight, leaving 16 people injured by shattered glass, the Israeli military said Saturday, days after Israeli airstrikes hit Houthi rebels who have been launching missiles in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. ...

Two AP journalists in Ukraine and the Mideast break down the wars they covered in 2024

Dec. 20, 2024 08:30 AM EST

For the world, 2024 was riven by — and in some ways defined by — conflict on two fronts. The ripples after the previous year's Hamas attacks in Israel left Gaza a shambles and tens of thousands dead, and an adjacent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is playing out across the...