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‘India, Israel to boost ties in innovation, start-ups’

The Minister said he is optimistic that this agreement will open a new phase in the India-Israel partnership in areas like Innovation, Technology and startups…reports Asian Lite News

India and Israel will enhance their partnership in areas like innovation and startups and usher in a new phase of deeper bilateral collaboration, said Union Minister of State, Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Tuesday.

The union minister made the above remarks when a high-level Israel delegation led by Dr Daniel Gold, Head of DDR&D, Israeli Ministry of Defence, called on him here, according to Ministry of Science and Technology.

On the occasion, India and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Industrial Research and Development Cooperation with focus on several key technology areas, like Aerospace, Electronics Instrumentation, Civil, Infrastructure and Engineering, Ecology, Environment, Earth and Ocean Sciences and Water, Mining, Minerals, Metals & Materials, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Energy (Conventional & Non-Conventional) and Energy Devices, Agri, Nutrition & Biotech and Healthcare, as per an official release of Ministry of Science and Technology.

The Multi-Sectoral Agreement was signed between CSIR and the Directorate of Defence Research and Development (DDR&D), Ministry of Defence of the State of Israel, in the August Presence of Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh at the CSIR-Science Centre, New Delhi.

Welcoming the signing of the agreement, Dr Jitendra Singh said that 2023 is a very important year for the country as India is holding the G20 presidency under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is also the year when India and Israel are celebrating 30 years of successful diplomatic relations.

The Minister said he is optimistic that this agreement will open a new phase in the India-Israel partnership in areas like Innovation, Technology and startups.

The Minister said that India-Israel is not only a bilateral partner, but plays a more prominent role to address some of the greatest challenges confronting our world, through joint investments and new initiatives in Water, Energy, Transportation, space, health and food security sectors, through the grouping of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America – “I2U2” Group, an official release from Ministry of Science and Technology read.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been promoting S&T developments and handholding start-up innovations in our country by providing necessary policy and budgetary support enabling action at the ground level. Science and Technology have always been an integral part of Indian culture. Indian Science has come to be regarded as one of the most powerful instruments of growth and development, especially in the emerging scenario and competitive economy, he said.

The Minister said that space, health, food, agriculture, energy, aerospace, smart cities, environment, infrastructure, materials and sustainable growth are key pillars and focused areas of our present government.

Brig Gen (Ret) Dr Daniel Gold, Head of DDR&D, Israeli Ministry of Defence said that it is heartening to see that, in 2022-23, India and Israel celebrated 30 years of successful diplomatic relations. India and Israel are very good friends and have lots of potentials to collaborate in high technology areas, he said.

The Minister was happy to note that India and Israel have bilateral consultation mechanisms in all cooperation fields, including water, agriculture, counter-terrorism, and defence. He said that Defence has particularly been the cooperation priority with Israel and in November 2021, Defence R&D Organization (DRDO) and DDR&D inked a Bilateral Innovation Agreement (BIA) to promote innovation and accelerated R&D in startups and MSMEs of both countries for the development of dual-use technologies, as per the official release.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that it is essential to strengthen bilateral ties, particularly for technology development and implementation. CSIR with its strong focus on Industrial research and development, could work with its Israeli peers for improving each other’s domestic industrial sector and also taking their joint developments to other countries.

The Minister expressed happiness in knowing that the joint activities have already begun in Healthcare, and a way ahead has been made for other important areas like aerospace, quantum technologies, lasers, green hydrogen, instrumentation and water.

Dr Jitendra Singh concluded by congratulating DG, CSIR and Head DDR&D for their efforts to strengthen the relationship, as per the official release. (ANI)

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Centcom chief visits Israel’s Naval Commandos

Halevi and Kurilla discussed the continued expansion of the cooperation and sharing of operational capabilities between the two militaries…reports Asian Lite News

General Michael E Kurilla, Commander of the US Military’s Central Command – CENTCOM – visited the Israeli Navy’s naval commando unit, Flotilla 13, as a guest of IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi. CENTCOM is responsible for the Middle East.

Halevi and Kurilla discussed the continued expansion of the cooperation and sharing of operational capabilities between the two militaries. Chief of Staff Halevi, “We are actively following the changes in the region, with an emphasis on the increase in Iranian hostility and terror activity. Precisely in this sensitive time period, there is great importance in the close relationship between the IDF and the US Armed Forces, we will continue the cooperation and the common commitment to the security in the Middle East.”

General Kurilla said, “As with every visit to the IDF, I was thoroughly impressed by the combat readiness I saw here. Our military-to-military relationship with Israel remains ironclad.”

“The US and the State of Israel maintain a strong military-to-military relationship as key partners committed to one another and to maintaining peace and security in the Middle East.” (ANI/TPS)

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Netanyahu to visit India by end of this year

JERUSALEM, April 11, 2018 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at an official ceremony marking the Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, on April 11, 2018. Israel marked its annual day of Holocaust remembrance on Wednesday evening with an official ceremony held in Jerusalem. (Xinhua/Du Zhen/IANS)

India and Israel celebrated 30 years of the upgradation of bilateral ties to full diplomatic relations in 2022…reports Asian Lite News

Israel Ambassador Naor Gilon has confirmed that the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit India by the end of this year.

“We can expect the Prime Minister of Israel to visit India by the end of this year… India and Israel have wonderful ties in all fields, it is based on the people-to-people element. Our relation now also has the government-to-government element,” Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon said while speaking to ANI. “If we take one example of wonderful cooperation that we have look at our commercial relations. We started full diplomatic relations for 30 years. This is a symbol of how we could have developed it so fast, so high,” he added.

“Technological cooperation, people-to-people cooperation,” the Isareli Ambassador added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and the people of Israel on their 75th Anniversary of Independence.

The Prime Minister tweeted, “Heartiest congratulations to my friend @netanyahu and the people of Israel on the 75th anniversary of independence. Mazel Tov!”

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar congratulated the Foreign Minister of Israel, Eli Cohen.

EAM Jaishankar tweeted, “Warmest congratulations for the momentous milestone of 75th anniversary of Independence, to FM @elicoh1, the Government and all Israelis. In the last decade, the real potential of our cooperation is beginning to be realised. Looking forward to many more achievements.

“India and Israel are strategic partners. India announced its recognition of Israel on September 17, 1950. Soon thereafter, the Jewish Agency established an immigration office in Mumbai.

This was later converted into a Trade Office and subsequently a Consulate. Regular Embassies were opened in 1992 when full diplomatic relations were established between the two countries.

India and Israel celebrated 30 years of the upgradation of bilateral ties to full diplomatic relations in 2022, according to an official MEA release.

The political ties between India and Israel are very warm and forward-looking. On November 2, 2021, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, UK.

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar paid an official visit to Israel on October 17-21, 2021, at the invitation of the Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Israel Yair Lapid.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook a historic first-ever visit to Israel by an Indian Prime Minister on July 4-6, 2017 during which the relationship was upgraded to a strategic partnership. The then Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu made a return visit to India on January 14-19, 2018.

The then President of India Pranab Mukherjee paid a state visit to Israel in October 2015 while former President of Israel Reuven Rivlin paid a state visit to India in November 2016.

India and Israel have established bilateral consultation mechanisms in all sectors of collaboration, including water, agriculture, counter-terrorism, and defence.

The 16th Foreign Office Consultations were held in December 2020, the MEA release noted.EAM Jaishankar has also extended his wishes to the Government and people of Tanzania on their Union Day.

He tweeted, “Warm greetings to FM Dr. Stregomena Tax and the Government & people of Tanzania on their Union Day. The rapid growth of our bilateral partnership only underlines its immense potential. @DrTaxs.” (ANI)

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Israel arrests Jordanian MP over alleged arms smuggling

The latest incident threatens to further strain tense relations between Jordan and the Jewish state…reports Asian Lite News

A Jordanian MP was arrested at the Allenby Crossing between Jordan and Israel by Israel Police, according to a news report on the Jordanian channel Al-Mamlaka, citing the Jordanian Foreign Ministry.

According to the report, police arrested the man suspected of trying to smuggle gold and weapons. The customs officers, who are not supposed to inspect members of parliament, reportedly received intelligence information regarding the minister, who the Jordanian Ministry identified as MP Imad Al-Adwan, and carried out an inspection as a result.

During the inspection, they reportedly uncovered evidence of an attempt to smuggle 100 kg. of gold, 12 long weapons, 12 ZIG pistols and 167 Glock pistols into Israel.

Jordanian MP Khalil Atieh called on the Israeli authorities to release him “immediately”, according to Maariv.

Amman’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that a Jordanian lawmaker was arrested by Israel on Saturday night after being caught smuggling hundreds of weapons and massive amounts of gold into Israel.

The lawmaker, identified as Imad Al-Adwan, was said to have been arrested crossing the Allenby Bridge border crossing, located approximately five kilometres east of the Palestinian Authority-administered city of Jericho, Jordanian media reported Sunday.

According to the Jordanian ministry’s spokesman, officials were following the case “to find out the merits of the situation and address it as soon as possible.”

Adwan is on record for praising the Hamas terrorist group and calling for “resistance” against the “Zionist enemy,” World Israel News reported.

While Israel’s Foreign Ministry declined comment, Kan News reported that Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi would not answer calls from his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen regarding the incident.

There has been a surge in violence over the past year. Israel says the Palestinian areas of Judea and Samaria have been flooded with illegal weapons, including guns smuggled from neighbouring Jordan.

The latest incident threatens to further strain tense relations between Jordan and the Jewish state.

According to Israeli media outlet Maariv, Jordanian MP Khalil Atieh has demanded Al-Adwan’s immediate release.

Earlier this month, King Abdullah II told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that “every Muslim” should deter “Israeli escalations” in Jerusalem.

Jordan controlled Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem between 1948 – when the Kingdom and other surrounding Arab countries attacked the fledgling Jewish state – until the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel, in a war of defence, regained the territories. Jordan, however, retained custodianship of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount.

Jordan and Israel have maintained a cold peace, including security collaboration, since signing an agreement in 1994. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Israel proposes to expand FTA with India

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Israel proposes to expand FTA with India

Nir Barkat said that India will soon become the third-largest economy in the world…reports Asian Lite News

India has a lot to offer to the world and Israel will propose to expand the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Delhi, Israel’s Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat said during the India Israel Business Forum organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Nir Barkat said that FTA between Israel and India will be discussed with the Indian ministers today.Pointing that India is on track to become the world’s third-largest economy, the minister said that the FTA should be in various sectors, including agro-tech and health tech. “The FTA between Israel and India will be discussed with the Indian ministers today. The FTA should be in various areas including agro-tech and health tech. India’s economy is rising to be the third-largest in the world. What I see here is a huge mutual opportunity and we are here to exploit it,” Nir Barkat said.

“Look at the chip industry, Israel is very strong in the chip industry, it has a lot to offer. We should take a serious look at how to co-develop ideas, a lot of joint ventures are here,” he said while stressing on the need to push for semiconductors as these chips are found in practically every modern electrical appliance.

He said that Israel will focus on issues and business clusters. Nir Barkat said, “We are going to be focusing on issues and business clusters that we’re really good at that Israel has a competitive advantage, one of which I found that there’s interest here, which we call desert technologies to improve quality of life in deserts, managing water, creating water, saving water, creating energy from the sun from the wind in a distributed way and that tailors to deserts food production agrotech creating food from the sea using hydroponics.”

Nir Barkat said that India will soon become the third-largest economy in the world. He said that Israel sees a huge steep growth and India has a lot to offer to the world. He called the willingness of Indians to scale up the business and collaborate with the world “another great opportunity.”

“India is very soon becoming the third largest economy in the world. We see the huge steep growth that you have a lot to offer to the world. The fact that you Indian people are eager to grow and scale up the business and collaborate with the world is another great opportunity. What we need to do now is figure out the best way for our entrepreneurs who work with your entrepreneurs, for our small economy, to leverage your scale in huge economy, the size and scope of it and it’s a great match. We compete, we collaborate, we complement each other. We have a lot to offer and you certainly have a lot to offer to Israel,” Minister said.

Israeli minister said that 40 per cent of people in India are working in the agriculture sector.

Comparing India and Israel in agriculture sector, the minister said that 50 years back, 30 – 40 per cent of people were working in the agriculture field in Israel but currently “less than 5 per cent of people today are focusing on the agriculture sector in Israel”.

“We’re doing more agriculture by just using technology in a smart way. In India, once you scale quickly and adopt technology, that number will shrink dramatically in the next 20 years,” he said.

Israel’s minister said, “I am going to propose Indian Ministers to naturally expand the FTA. Focus on business development in a smart way, share knowledge and experience as much as possible.” (ANI)

ALSO READ: Israel extends  closure of Gaza Strip, West Bank

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Non-Muslims banned from Al-Aqsa until end of Ramadan

The decision comes after Israeli security forces allowed around 800 settlers to pray in the compound during the sixth day of the Passover holiday…reports Asian Lite News

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem has been declared off-limits to non-Muslim visitors by Israel until the end of Ramadan.

The decision comes after Israeli security forces allowed around 800 settlers to pray in the compound during the sixth day of the Passover holiday, which violated a longstanding agreement that prohibits such activity during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

It is not yet known whether the radical settler movement, which has gained significant power in Israel, will adhere to the ban on visits to Al-Aqsa.

Palestine warns Israel against eviction in East Jerusalem

Palestinians killed

Two Palestinian militants were killed on Tuesday in an exchange of fire near an Israeli settlement northeast of the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

Palestinian sources said that the two Palestinians were identified as Saud Al-Titi, an officer with the Palestinian Authority security forces, and Mohammed Al-Bouf, who had respectively spent 14 years and seven years in Israeli prisons, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Israeli army said in a statement that two Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers near the village of Deir al-Khatb, northeast of Nablus, after they opened fire at the settlement of Elon Mora.

Meanwhile, two other Palestinians were injured by Israeli soldiers near the village, said Director of Ambulance and Emergency in the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Ahmed Jibril.

He said that one of them was injured in the shoulder and was taken to the hospital in Nablus, adding that the Israeli army forces prevented the PRCS ambulances from reaching the other casualty.

Israel Radio reported that the Israeli army ambushed an armed Palestinian group that opened fire toward the Elon Moreh settlement, and confiscated an M-16 firearm and a pistol from the possession of the two Palestinians who were “neutralized.”

According to official Palestinian figures, the tension between Israel and the Palestinians has killed 98 Palestinians since early January. Israeli sources said that 19 Israelis were killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank.

ALSO READ: Hamas Seeks Status Quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque

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Israel extends  closure of Gaza Strip, West Bank

Israeli police stand guard at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, on April 5, 2023.. (Photo by Muammar Awad/Xinhua/IANS)

Tensions have been high in the region following Israeli police raids at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, triggering clashes with Palestinian worshippers, and sparking a fresh round of cross-border strikes between Israel and Gaza militants earlier this week…reports Asian Lite News

 Israel announced that all crossing points of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip would remain closed until Thursday for security reasons. Entry permits to Israel for working purposes or for Ramadan prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem during the period will be canceled, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement.

It was decided upon “an operational situation assessment” that the closure, originally planned to be lifted overnight on Saturday, will be in place until the end of the week-long Jewish holiday of Passover, according to the statement.

Gallant also instructed the defence establishment to allocate more resources and soldiers to enforce the activities of the Israeli police.

The decision came after two deadly attacks which Israel deemed as acts of terror by Palestinians. On Friday, two British-Israeli sisters were killed and their mother seriously injured in a drive-by shooting attack in the West Bank Jordan Valley. At night, an Arab citizen of Israel rammed his car at a group of tourists at Tel Aviv’s coastal promenade, killing an Italian tourist and injuring seven others.

Fire and smoke are seen following an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis on April 7, 2023. Israel on Friday intensified airstrikes on military posts in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, in response to rockets fired from the areas at several parts in Israel, escalating tensions with Palestine over the past three days after Israeli police forcibly expelled Palestinian worshippers from the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)

Tensions have been high in the region following Israeli police raids at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, triggering clashes with Palestinian worshippers, and sparking a fresh round of cross-border strikes between Israel and Gaza militants earlier this week.

Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war and has continued to control these territories, where Palestinians hope to establish their future state.

Meanwhile, the Jordanian armed forces said that a rocket exploded in the air over Jordanian territories near the border with Syria, and no injuries were reported.

The army said around 10:25 p.m. local time (GMT 1925) on Saturday, a rocket exploded in the air over Wadi Aqraba Valley in Irbid governorate, which led to its shrapnel falling on the ground in the same area.

The army said no loss of lives or properties was reported, adding that the Royal Engineering Corps’ teams headed to the site to deal with the incident.

The army added that they are closely following up on the situation in the area

More Killings

A Palestinian was killed on Saturday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the village of Azzoun, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses said.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a press release that A’ahead Isleem, 20, was shot in the chest and abdomen by Israeli soldiers and died later on the way to the hospital. No other injuries were reported, the statement added.

Palestinian eyewitnesses said the incident took place during clashes in the village between stones-hurling Palestinians and Israeli soldiers, who responded with teargas, stun grenades, and live ammunition.

The ministry said that since the beginning of this year, the Israeli army and the security forces have killed 95 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including 17 children and a woman.

Official Israeli figures said that 18 Israelis were killed in a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the official Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported that four Palestinians were injured Saturday in an attack by Israeli settlers on Palestinian vehicles at the north entrance to the city of Al-Bireh in the West Bank.

The report said that several Israeli settlers hurled stones at Palestinian vehicles as they crossed the Israeli military checkpoint of Beit El at the north entrance to the city, injuring four Palestinian passengers and damaging their vehicles.

Israel, which occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967, has constructed dozens of Israeli settlements since then. According to official Palestinian figures, more than 500,000 settlers live there. The international community considers Israeli settlement illegal.

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Israel strikes Gaza and Lebanon

Israel has struck two tunnels, first, one is located in the northern Gaza city of Beit Hanoun and the second one is near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis…reports Asian Lite News

In response to a major rocket attack, Israel on Friday launched airstrikes in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon amid escalating tensions in the region.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it “struck targets including terrorist infrastructures belonging to Hamas in southern Lebanon”.

It has struck two tunnels, first, one is located in the northern Gaza city of Beit Hanoun and the second one is near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

“The IDF will not allow the Hamas terrorist organisation to operate from within Lebanon and hold the state of Lebanon responsible for every directed fire emanating from its territory,” the statement said.

This comes in retaliation after 34 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel late Thursday night, said the IDF.

It said that 25 rockets were intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array, while five landed in Israeli territory and four additional launches were under review.



Meanwhile in the Gaza Strip, Israeli warplanes stepped up airstrikes with around 20 missiles hitting four new sites in 10 minutes, the BBC reported.

Meanwhile, Hamas, the militant organisation which controls the besieged Palestinian enclave, said that it was not aware of who launched the rockets into Israel from Lebanon.

The attack was the biggest single barrage from Israel’s northern neighbour in 17 years.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was in Lebanon when the rockets were launched, said Palestinians would not “sit with their arms crossed” in the face of Israeli aggression.

Tensions remain high after Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem on consecutive nights earlier this week.

The violence first broke out on Tuesday night during a sensitive holiday time when tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers observe the holy month of Ramzan through prayers at the hilltop compound.

Below the compound, scores of Jewish pilgrims commemorate the Passover holiday with prayers at the Western Wall.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site for Muslims and the most sacred place for Jews.

In the past, the shrine has often seen clashes between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli security forces, triggering wider unrest.

In May 2021, an Israeli raid here contributed to an 11-day full-scale conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist militant group which governs the Gaza Strip.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called on countries in the Arab world to help Lebanon overcome its unprecedented crisis, the Council of Ministers said in a statement

Lebanon rejects military escalation

Lebanon rejects any military escalation from its lands and the use of Lebanese territories to carry out operations that may jeopardise the country’s stability, said Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Mikati’s remarks on Thursday came following the rocket attacks launched from Lebanon at Israel, hours after Israeli police forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City for a second consecutive day, triggering fresh clashes with Palestinian worshippers.

“Lebanon is committed to UN Resolution 1701 and the close coordination between the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),” the Lebanese Prime Minister was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Council of Ministers.

Meanwhile, the UNIFIL issued orders to civilian and military staff to resort to shelters inside their bases amid the escalation on the Lebanese-Israeli border, Xinhua news agency reported.

“UNIFIL’s peacekeepers continue to perform their duties and do everything they can during this day of an explosive and dangerous situation,” the UNIFIL said in a statement released by the National News Agency.

On Thursday evening, three new rockets were fired from the Lebanese district of Marjeyoun into northern Israel. It came after dozens of rockets were fired into Israel from Lebanon, prompting the Israeli Army to shell the outskirts of the southern Lebanese town of al-Qulayla with artillery.

This was one of the worst rocket attacks at northern Israel since the full-fledged war between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese group, in 2006.

ALSO READ: Israel calls for bringing 26/11 masterminds to justice

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Clashes erupt at Al Aqsa

File photo shows Muslims attending a night prayer during Laylat Al-Qadr at al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem. (Xinhua/Muammar Awad/IANS)

There were injuries during the clashes late Tuesday night that broke out in the mosque and some other neighbourhoods in the old city….reports Asian Lite News

Israeli police clashed with dozens of Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City after the latter barricaded themselves in the shrine ahead of the eve of the Jewish Passover holiday.

There were injuries during the clashes late Tuesday night that broke out in the mosque and some other neighbourhoods in the old city, Xinhua news agency reported citing local media.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesman of the Palestinian presidency, on Wednesday warned against the Israeli violations in the mosque, saying that “the Israeli occupation authorities” crossing the red lines in the holy places would lead to a big explosion in the entire region.

Israeli police said in a statement that dozens of young adults armed with sticks, stones, and fireworks barricaded themselves in the mosque earlier in the evening to start a violent disturbance.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the most sacred site, is regarded by Muslims as their third holiest site.

The holy site has been administered by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, a Jordanian body, since 1948.

Under a 1967 agreement between Israel and Jordan, non-Muslim worshippers can visit the compound but are prohibited from praying there.

In April 2022, the mosque compound witnessed violent clashes between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli police forces when Jews visited the holy site.

This latest incident comes amid growing tensions between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that have been going on since the beginning of this year.

At least 89 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed since January, while 15 Israelis were killed in a series of attacks in the same period of time, according to official figures.

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Air strikes on Gaza

Israel on early Wednesday carried out intensive airstrikes on military facilities in the Gaza Strip in response to rockets fired from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

Security sources in Gaza said that the airstrikes targeted two military posts of the armed wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement of Hamas in southwest and central Gaza Strip.

The posts suffered severe damage with no injuries reported.

Israeli Radio reported that Palestinians fired rockets and mortars from the enclave to southern Israel, causing no injuries but damage to a building.

The radio added that the rocket attack happened after clashes broke out between Israeli police and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem and some other neighborhoods in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in 1967, to be the capital of their future Palestinian state, while Israel considers the whole of Jerusalem as its eternal capital. 

Netanyahu speaks with MBZ

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received a phone call from Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu during which they discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in a manner that serves common interests.

Sheikh Mohamed affirmed the UAE’s ongoing commitment to bilateral relations with Israel, describing its cooperation as a strategic approach to peace and development, which is an aspiration for the entire region. His Highness also confirmed the UAE’s willingness to augment efforts to further develop this promising relationship.

The President indicated that the Abraham Accords provides an effective framework to further foster bilateral cooperation, and emphasised the UAE’s continued effort to collaborate across multiple fields and sectors.

He pointed to the countries’ Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into effect 1st April 2023, as well as the joint efforts on climate action, and working towards delivering a successful COP28 in the UAE later this year, as practical examples of what this growing relationship is achieving on a daily basis.

The President also reaffirmed that the UAE will work with Israel, fellow Arab nations, and international partners to avoid regional escalation and advance a path to peace and stability. His Highness reconfirmed that the UAE will support all positive action towards achieving these important goals.

ALSO READ: Israel calls for bringing 26/11 masterminds to justice

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Israel calls for bringing 26/11 masterminds to justice

On Tuesday, Ohana recalled Netanyahu’s visit as he toured Moishi’s childhood room and the place where the terrorist incident took place. ..writes Ateet Sharma

Echoing the sentiments of a “vast majority” of Indians, Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana on Tuesday called for bringing to justice the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

Ohana is on an official visit to India – the first-ever to the country by a sitting Knesset (Israeli Parliament) Speaker. After visiting Delhi, he paid tribute to victims of the 26/11 terror attack at the Nariman House in Mumbai on Tuesday.

“Everyone who took part in this terrible terror attack should be brought to justice. This is a major part of counter-terrorism. So, first we need to prevent, but once we didn’t succeed to prevent, everyone needs to be brought to justice. And this is our expectation, and I think it is the vast majority of the Indian people’s expectation,” Ohana was quoted as saying by ANI.

“Visiting this place, there are two issues that are very, very close to my heart. One is Chabad, which symbolizes the love of mankind and the bridges between us. And the second is Counter-terrorism, which I spent over twelve years of my life, both in the IDF and the Shin Bet Israeli Security Agency. Terror, as we all know, does not differentiate between religions, between race,” he added.

In January 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also visited the Chabad home where 2008 Mumbai terror attack survivor Moshe Holzberg, known as ‘Baby Moshe’ in India, lost his parents.

On Tuesday, Ohana recalled Netanyahu’s visit as he toured Moishi’s childhood room and the place where the terrorist incident took place. Moishi’s mother had marked her son’s height on the wall in the room when he was a baby.

“And we just visited Moshe’s room, who was two years old when this event took place. And we saw the wall that represents his height when he was eleven months old, and then later on, when he was, what, 11 years of age, and someone wrote there three words that someone was and still is the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. And those three words are Hum Israel Hai – the people of Israel live,” said the Israeli Speaker.

In a heartwarming gesture, 16-year-old Moshe Holzberg attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new Israeli parliament last year, reciting Psalms from the book with which his parents prayed.

The parliamentary delegation headed by Ohana also visited the National Stock Exchange of India and meet with its chairman, Girish Chandra Chaturvedi.

Earlier in Delhi, Ohana visited the Parliament to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and signed an MoU on the first cooperation and exchange of information agreement between the parliaments of Israel and India.

“I chose India as the destination for my first official visit as Speaker of the Knesset because I see the impressive development of this superpower in every aspect, and also because no sitting Knesset Speaker has ever visited India. This is an important milestone in the diplomatic relations between Israel and India, which were established some 31 years ago,” he said.

The delegation also met President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar.

(India Narrative)

ALSO READ: Jaishankar, Israel speaker cement bilateral ties