3 d. ago Will Lebanon face further Israeli strikes after Netanyahu’s Hezbollah ultimatum?

Lebanon is bracing for intensified Israeli attacks in the new year, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration set a December 31 deadline for Hezbollah to disarm, following its assassination of the group’s military commander. Rather than heralding another land invasion like a year ago, however, analysts say the military ultimatum issued by Defence Minister Israel Katz last week aims to further diminish the role of Hezbollah – and its creator Iran – in Lebanon’s national...

Politics

3 d. ago ‘No calm in Beirut’ as more Israeli strikes expected after Hezbollah ultimatum

Lebanon is bracing for intensified Israeli attacks in the new year, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration set a December 31 deadline for Hezbollah to disarm, following its assassination of the group’s military commander. Rather than heralding another land invasion like a year ago, however, analysts say the military ultimatum issued by Defence Minister Israel Katz last week aims to further diminish the role of Hezbollah – and its creator Iran – in Lebanon’s national...

Politics

4 d. ago Trump invites Netanyahu to White House ‘in near future’: Israeli PM’s office

US President Donald Trump has invited Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House in the “near future”, the prime minister’s office said on Monday, soon after Trump said Israel should maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria. A visit to the White House would mark the Israeli prime minister’s fifth since Trump returned to office in January. The two leaders have publicly projected a close relationship, though US and Israeli sources have said Trump has at times expressed frustration with...

Politics

4 d. ago Trump invites Netanyahu to White House as US warms to Syria’s president

US President Donald Trump has invited Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House in the “near future”, the prime minister’s office said on Monday, soon after Trump said Israel should maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria. A visit to the White House would mark the Israeli prime minister’s fifth since Trump returned to office in January. The two leaders have publicly projected a close relationship, though US and Israeli sources have said Trump has at times expressed frustration with...

Politics

5 d. ago Netanyahu: corruption trial ‘impossible demand’, seeks pardon amid protests

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the country’s president on Sunday for a pardon in his years-long corruption trial, arguing that criminal proceedings were hindering his ability to govern and that a pardon would be good for Israel. Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, has long denied the bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges. His lawyers said in a letter to the president’s office that the prime minister still believes the legal proceedings would result in a...

Events

5 d. ago Israel’s Netanyahu seeks presidential pardon in corruption cases

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the country’s president on Sunday for a pardon in his long-running corruption trial, arguing that criminal proceedings were hindering his ability to govern and a pardon would be good for Israel. Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, denies the bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges. His lawyers said in a letter to the president’s office that the prime minister still believes the legal proceedings would result in a complete...

Politics

1 week ago Israel steps up strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah official

Israel targeted the chief of staff of Lebanon’s Iran-aligned Hezbollah group in a strike in the capital Beirut’s southern suburbs, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Sunday. The strike is the first on the capital’s southern suburbs in months and is known for housing Hezbollah officials. The target of the strike was military official Ali Tabtabai, according to an Israeli source briefed on the strike and a Lebanese security source. Netanyahu’s office did not say whether...

Politics

2 w. ago Netanyahu faces backlash for leading Israel’s October 7 probe

After repeated delays, Israel’s government has agreed to launch an investigation into the government failures that led to the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, that triggered the war in Gaza. But questions about the investigation’s independence drew accusations Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to evade personal responsibility in the worst attack in Israel’s history. Israel has traditionally appointed an independent state commission of inquiry, led by a retired judge,...

Politics

3 w. ago Trump urges Israeli president to pardon Netanyahu in corruption trial

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has received a letter from US President Donald Trump urging him to consider granting a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Herzog’s office said on Wednesday. Netanyahu has been facing a long-running corruption trial, and Trump has repeatedly asked for a pardon for his close ally. Netanyahu denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty. “While I absolutely respect the independence of the Israeli Justice System, and its requirements, I believe that this...

Politics

3 w. ago Trump urges Israel to pardon Netanyahu, sparking concerns over US influence

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday sent a letter to Israel’s president asking him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a long-running corruption trial that has bitterly divided the country. It was the latest attempt by Trump to intervene in the case on behalf of Netanyahu, raising questions about undue American influence over internal Israeli affairs. Trump also called for a pardon for Netanyahu during a speech to Israel’s parliament last month, when he made a brief visit to...

Politics