Israel announced on Thursday that it will bar Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise and a candidate in France's presidential election, from entering the country, accusing him of seeking to harm it. The decision followed his pledge, days earlier, that if elected he would have French ships escort activists trying to deliver aid to Gaza. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called the move demagogic, according to RT Arabic.
The Board of Peace on Thursday called on Israel and Hamas to move ahead with US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza without delay, after an Israeli airstrike hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip. Palestinian sources said 6 people were killed, while Al Jazeera reported about 30 others wounded. Hamas rejected the Board's statement, accusing it of adopting Israel's narrative.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said on Wednesday that the group will not give up its weapons while Israeli occupation continues, and called on Lebanese authorities to withdraw from the framework agreement with Israel. According to Al Jazeera, he also said an overwhelming majority of the group's Shia base backs the path of resistance and regards its arms as necessary under occupation.
Donald Trump has ruled out resuming the war with Iran, citing progress in talks, while Tehran says the mediators' shuttle activity has stopped, BBC Arabic reports. Israel, for its part, has threatened to resume strikes on Iran, as the US moves to choke off Iran's land and sea trade routes. Tehran has vowed to thwart a plan called "Iron Gate".
Israeli journalist Barak David has criticized commentators Moria Asraf and Eyal Berkovich of Israel's Channel 13 over a TV segment he described as racist. According to RT Arabic, the segment mocked the idea of a Muslim or an Arab being a doctor. The available report gives no further detail on the segment and no response from the channel or the commentators.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog's office announced on Saturday that Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, has been tasked with forming the next government, a setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Sky News Arabia, the vote gave neither camp a parliamentary majority, while RT reported that Eisenkot secured the backing of 67 lawmakers. CNN Arabic said the formal mandate would be handed over on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump has announced a halt to American aid to Israel, according to RT Arabic and CNN Arabic. Both outlets link the announcement to an issue raised in election campaigns that has begun to affect policy as election day gets under way. They mention candidate Abdulrahman El-Sayed in this context, but the available material does not detail the decision or how it would be implemented.
President Donald Trump said in a phone interview with Fox News on US election day that Washington will end its annual military aid to Israel, worth nearly $4bn, at the end of this year. He said Israel does not need the funds, and the New York Times reported he described the move as part of an agreement reached months ago. Fox News quoted him as saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the idea, and that Israel will still be able to buy US weapons.
US President Donald Trump phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday morning, according to people familiar with the call. The sources said the conversation was meant to check in on a close ally as Washington prepares for a possible resumption of military operations against Iran.
Israeli media reports say the Israeli military has completed its preparations for a possible resumption of military confrontation with Iran. According to the reports, any decision to return to fighting still depends on US President Donald Trump.
Israeli authorities on Thursday charged a soldier with spying for Iran, according to Hebrew-language media. The Shin Bet, police and military were reported to be involved in the case. The soldier is accused of passing sensitive military information and photographing military sites and equipment, and of being paid in cryptocurrency.
Israel's Central Elections Committee says no winner has been determined even after every vote was counted. CNN Arabic describes Benjamin Netanyahu's position as neither a win nor a loss, and asks how the deadlock might be resolved.
Election estimates in Israel indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, have both fallen short of the 61 seats needed for a governing majority in the 120-seat Knesset. According to BBC Arabic, neither main bloc appears to have enough seats to form the next government without relying on Arab parties.
Israelis voted in legislative elections on Tuesday, with turnout reaching 77.7 percent, the highest in decades. Sky News Arabia reported that the results ended in what it described as a tie, leaving four possible scenarios for forming the next government.
Gadi Eisenkot, the main challenger to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the election, said Israelis voted for change. His remarks came as exit polls showed his bloc ahead of Netanyahu's coalition by only a narrow margin, according to CNN Arabic. Eisenkot urged patience until results are known.
Israel on Monday rejected a report by a UN commission of inquiry, calling its accusations "political propaganda". The report accuses Israel of crimes against humanity against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including extermination, and of continuing to commit genocide in the Gaza Strip. According to Al Jazeera, the commission said civilians were targeted through systematic operations and ongoing settler violence.
Israelis vote today, Tuesday, in an election that many regard as one of the most consequential in the country's history, according to BBC Arabic. RT Arabic reports that tensions with Iran and escalation in the West Bank dominate the race.
Spain's Marca newspaper reports that Barcelona is weighing adding young Israeli player Orian Gorin to its first-team squad for the Clasico against Real Madrid. According to CNN Arabic, the match takes place on Sunday at Spotify Camp Nou in the tenth round of La Liga. The fixture features 7 Ballon d'Or candidates.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening to protest against Benjamin Netanyahu's government, three days before the Knesset election. Al Jazeera reported that opposition leaders took part in the rally. The vote is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu himself.
Former footballer Mesut Özil and the president of Turkish club Başakşehir have criticized what they call double standards at FIFA. They point to Russian clubs being barred from competition while Israeli clubs continue to take part, and they call for all teams to be treated equally, according to Al Jazeera.
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