Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to alleviate new tensions with the United States on Tuesday, after an announcement that Israel will build 1,600 new homes in an ultra-Orthodox East Jerusalem neighborhood drew strong condemnation from the White House, and visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.Read More
A video of captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit was broadcast on Israeli television on Thursday, showing the gaunt soldier holding a Palestinian newspaper dated September 14, 2009. In the video, Shalit is seen saying that he was feeling healthy and being treated well by his captors.Read More
This weekend Israel’s “troika” — composed of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni — held an unusual meeting to discuss the negotiations for a cease-fire deal in the Gaza Strip. One of the main points of the deal is thought to be the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and the reopening of border crossings.Read More
Hamas representatives held a press conference in Cairo Wednesday evening following talks with Egyptian officials, and announced that they have accepted in principle an Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire agreement to end the fighting between the Islamist group and Israel in the Gaza Strip.Read More