Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit that underscores the rapid expansion of India&ndash;Israel ties, according to The Times of Israel, even as his planned address to parliament faces a boycott by sections of the Israeli opposition and criticism from within India.&nbsp;Modi landed at Ben Gurion Airport and is scheduled to hold a private meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before travelling to Jerusalem.&nbsp;The visit, billed by New Delhi as an effort to strengthen relations with a key trade and defence partner, comes at a time when both governments face sustained international criticism over human rights and democratic backsliding.&nbsp;Modi is set to become the first Indian prime minister to address the Knesset, a move Israeli officials have described as a &ldquo;strategic leap&rdquo; in bilateral relations.&nbsp;&ldquo;Our nations share a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership,&rdquo; Modi said in a departure statement before leaving India.&nbsp;&ldquo;Ties have significantly strengthened in the last few years,&rdquo; he added, confirming he would meet Netanyahu and address the Knesset.&nbsp;However, the address is expected to be partially boycotted by Israel&rsquo;s opposition. According to Israeli media reports cited in the draft, opposition leader Yair Lapid is locked in a standoff with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana over the decision not to invite Supreme Court President Isaac Amit to the special parliamentary session.&nbsp;Lapid has urged Netanyahu to reverse the decision, calling the exclusion a break from parliamentary custom.&nbsp;Growing cooperationIndia has steadily expanded cooperation with Israel across defense, agriculture, technology, and cybersecurity, while publicly maintaining that it balances its interests across the Middle East.&nbsp;This week, Indian and Israeli technical teams opened talks in New Delhi on a proposed free trade agreement. India&rsquo;s government has said total merchandise trade between the two countries stood at $3.62 billion in 2024&ndash;25.&nbsp;Defense cooperation is expected to feature prominently during Modi&rsquo;s meetings. Israeli officials have signaled that discussions will include deeper defense integration, with media reports citing proposals for a multi-billion-dollar package covering advanced air defense and missile systems.&nbsp;For Netanyahu, the visit is being framed as part of a broader regional security vision that links Israel more closely with India and select European partners.&nbsp;Political backlashInside India, the visit has drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures, who say Modi is abandoning India&rsquo;s long-standing position on Palestine.&nbsp;Senior Congress Party leader Priyanka Gandhi wrote on social media that she hoped Modi would mention the killing of &ldquo;thousands of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza&rdquo; during his Knesset address.&nbsp;The criticism reflects wider unease over India&rsquo;s increasingly close alignment with Israel during the war in Gaza, which has drawn global condemnation.&nbsp;India has also faced scrutiny for its growing military ties with Israel. New Delhi used Israeli military drone technology during its May 2025 clash with Pakistan, while Indian arms firms supplied military equipment to Israel during its 2024 Gaza offensive.&nbsp;Wider regional stakesThe visit unfolds amid heightened regional tensions involving Iran and the United States, and as India seeks to maintain parallel relationships with Israel, Gulf Arab states, and Tehran.&nbsp;India, home to around 1.4 billion people, includes an estimated 220 million Muslims. Critics argue that Modi&rsquo;s embrace of Israel under Netanyahu sends a stark signal about India&rsquo;s shifting foreign policy priorities.&nbsp;Full diplomatic relations between India and Israel were established in 1992, but ties accelerated sharply after Modi, a Hindu nationalist leader, took office in 2014. Modi last visited Israel in 2017, with Netanyahu returning the visit in 2018. Both leaders have publicly referred to each other as a &ldquo;friend.&rdquo;&nbsp;As Modi prepares to address Israel&rsquo;s parliament, observers say the visit will be judged as much by what is left unsaid, particularly on Gaza, as by the promises of deeper strategic cooperation.

India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel for a two-day visit as Israeli opposition parties plan to boycott his Knesset address, highlighting political divisions amid deepening India–Israel strategic ties

Modi’s Israel visit spotlights deepening alliance amid Gaza, democracy concerns

JERUSALEM: Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted an invitation to join US President Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;Board of Peace&quot; aimed at resolving conflicts, Netanyahu&#39;s office said Wednesday. &quot;Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that he has accepted US President Donald Trump&#39;s invitation and will join as a member of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/uae-president-accepts-us-invitation-to-join-board-of-peace" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Board of Peace</a>, which will be composed of leaders of the world,&quot; the office said in a statement. The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of post-war Gaza, but its charter, as seen by AFP, does not appear to limit its role to the Palestinian territory, and members have to pay up to $1 billion for a permanent spot on it. The board &quot;seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict&quot;, reads the preamble of the charter sent to countries invited to participate. It will be chaired by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/muted-anniversary-trump-marks-first-year-back-with-familiar-grievances" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trump</a>&nbsp;himself, who will also &quot;separately serve&quot; as the representative of the United States. Dozens of countries and leaders have said they have received an invitation, including close US allies but also adversaries. Longtime US ally France, however, has indicated it will not join. While announcing the creation of the board last week, Trump also unveiled plans to establish a &quot;Gaza Executive Board&quot; operating under the body. The executive board would include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi. Netanyahu has strongly objected to their inclusion. Ties between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/10-countries-warn-of-catastrophic-gaza-situation" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Israel attacked Gaza</a>&nbsp;in October 2023. A separate committee of 15 Palestinian technocrats has also been formed to oversee the day-to-day administration of Gaza as part of the second phase of a truce plan announced by Trump in October. The committee, led by Gaza native and former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath, commenced its initial work in Cairo this week.

Trump and Netanyahu speak at a press conference

Middle East

Israel's Netanyahu accepts US President Donald Trump's invitation to join the 'Board of Peace', according to a statement. 

Israel's Netanyahu accepts Trump invitation to join 'Board of Peace'

ISLAMABAD: Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem to strengthen and expand the India-Israel strategic partnership across technology, economy, security, and regional cooperation, according to the minister&rsquo;s post on X on Wednesday. The Indian minister held high-level meetings to strengthen India-Israel&#39;s strategic partnership. The two leaders discussed expanding cooperation in technology, the economy, skills and talent, connectivity, and security, with Jaishankar expressing confidence that the partnership would grow from strength to strength. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2001013884191433092&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=741e82a8fe7a6c467c50d8877f20d6ee6f0f8d0d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 696px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Earlier, Jaishankar met President Isaac Herzog to convey greetings from Indian president Droupadi Murmu and prime minister Modi and to reaffirm India&rsquo;s support for enduring regional peace. He also met Israel&rsquo;s Minister of Economy and Industry, Nir Barkat, to advance investment and innovation cooperation, and expressed confidence in the early conclusion of the India-Israel Free Trade Agreement. In a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa&rsquo;ar, Jaishankar discussed terrorism, regional developments, and the Gaza Peace Plan, reiterating India&rsquo;s commitment to combating terrorism and strengthening strategic ties across multiple domains. The Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa&rsquo;ar, also visited India last month. According to an Indian media report, the visit comes amid preparations for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s proposed trip to India.&nbsp; Netanyahu was scheduled to travel to India earlier this month, but a phone call between him and prime minister Modi made it clear the visit would take place at a later date. Bilateral investment agreement&nbsp;Delhi and Tel Aviv signed a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) in New Delhi on Sept. 8 during the Israeli finance minister&#39;s visit to India. According to India&rsquo;s state-run Press Information Bureau, the agreement is expected to provide greater certainty and protection for investors, facilitate the growth of trade and mutual investments by ensuring a minimum standard of treatment, and provide an independent dispute resolution mechanism through arbitration. India-Israel defense ties&nbsp;A meeting on defense cooperation, co-chaired by Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Defense Maj Gen (Res) Amir Baram, took place in Tel Aviv on Nov. 4, according to PIB. An MoU on defense cooperation was signed during the meeting to provide a unified vision and policy direction to deepen the already strong defense cooperation between the two countries, it said.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to a Nov. 13 report published by a Washington-based think tank, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, in a deal reported last month to be worth $3.3 billion, the Indian Army is acquiring 425,000 carbine assault rifles from a joint Israeli-Indian venture. Pakistan-India conflict&nbsp;During the conflict with India, on May 8, the Pakistani military reported shooting down 25 Israeli-made drones used by India against Islamabad. &nbsp; &ldquo;The Pakistan Army, using their soft-kill (technical) and hard-kill (weapons) skills fully, has shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones,&rdquo; Pakistan military&rsquo;s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a press release issued on May 8.

India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar has held meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Herzog, and key ministers; discussions focused on strengthening strategic, economic, technological, and security partnerships, and finalizing a free trade agreement.

India seeks to deepen strategic partnership with Israel

Reuters

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed peacemaker who has campaigned for a Nobel Prize, finally got a camera-ready diplomatic victory on Monday as world leaders flew to Egypt for the signing of the ceasefire and hostage-release deal he brokered between Israel and Hamas.&nbsp;But if lasting peace is to take root, analysts and diplomats say, Trump will have to maintain pressure on the man whose support he&#39;ll need in the next phases of his plan: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.&nbsp;US presidents from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden have found the strong-willed Israeli leader difficult to work with, and even Trump administration officials have been frustrated by some Israeli military strikes they see as undermining US policy.&nbsp;But this month, Trump managed to push Netanyahu into accepting his framework for a broader peace deal while persuading other Middle Eastern countries to convince Hamas to return all the Israeli hostages, its key leverage in the war.&nbsp;The work could get harder from here, however.&nbsp;Israel and Hamas remain sharply divided over many aspects of Trump&#39;s 20-point plan, and, as Israel prepares for next year&#39;s elections, Netanyahu&#39;s approach may shift as he attempts to keep his right-wing coalition together.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re entering a political year where everything is related to campaigns, and Netanyahu&#39;s calculations may flip from caving to pressure to trying to ensure his political survival,&quot; said Nimrod Goren, the president of Mitvim, an Israeli foreign policy think tank.&nbsp;The strength of Trump&#39;s peace plan, said the diplomats and analysts, is also its weakness.&nbsp;The document at the heart of the deal leaves much undefined, and neither side actually agreed to the fine print of each term. That vagueness was key to getting both sides to sign on, but it also means some of the most difficult diplomatic work is just beginning.&nbsp;Among the potential sticking points of Trump&#39;s peace plan is an agreement that Hamas disarm and play no role in Gaza&#39;s future administration. While Hamas agreed to Trump&#39;s plan generally, the group&#39;s official response made no mention of those specific terms, and Hamas leaders have indicated that they do, in fact, see a role for themselves in governing a post-war Gaza.&nbsp;&quot;There are any number of ways this could go sideways,&quot; said Jon Alterman, a Middle East expert at Washington&#39;s Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former State Department official.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s hard to remember an international agreement that left so much to be worked out later.&quot;&nbsp;The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;A senior US official suggested that Trump had gained influence with Netanyahu in part by strongly supporting Israel on other important matters.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s first administration formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the disputed Golan Heights as part of the country, two things long sought by the Israeli government.&nbsp;&quot;One thing President Trump&#39;s done with Israel ... is that he&#39;s not trying to be a middle-of-the-roader,&quot; the US official said. &quot;He&#39;s basically stood shoulder to shoulder with Israel 100%. But because of that, he&#39;s been able to help guide them in the right direction.&quot;&nbsp;A sterner TrumpTrump has a mixed record when it comes to applying political pressure on Netanyahu.&nbsp;In July, Israel bombed the Syrian defense ministry in Damascus even as the US had made a point of expanding ties with the new Syrian government. The US president gave political cover in Gaza to Netanyahu for months amid mounting humanitarian concerns among European and Arab allies.&nbsp;But in recent weeks, a sterner Trump has emerged. He forced Netanyahu to call the leader of Qatar to apologize after a failed bombing raid targeting Hamas negotiators in that country in September. Ultimately, he muscled Netanyahu into signing onto his 20-point plan despite the Israeli leader&#39;s misgivings.&nbsp;At the moment, said Alterman, the Middle East expert, Trump can likely exert leverage over Netanyahu given the US president&#39;s significant popularity in Israel.&nbsp;&quot;Trump&#39;s greatest leverage is he&#39;s much more politically popular in Israel than Netanyahu,&quot; Alterman said, &quot;and he can either support Netanyahu&#39;s political future or sabotage it.&quot;&nbsp;At the speech before the Israeli parliament on Monday, Trump playfully poked at the Israeli leader in ways that indicated he did not feel the need to treat Netanyahu with special deference.&nbsp;&quot;Well, see, now you can be a little bit nicer, Bibi, because you&#39;re not at war anymore,&quot; Trump said to laughs.&nbsp;But next year&#39;s elections could change Netanyahu&#39;s political calculations in ways that are difficult to predict.&nbsp;Supporters of right-wing politicians Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich could, in theory, threaten Netanyahu&#39;s governing coalition if they are sufficiently angered by the decision to halt military operations against Hamas.&nbsp;Analysts warn that foot-dragging by the Palestinian group over disarming could lead right-wing elements of the coalition to pressure Netanyahu to resume military operations in Gaza, effectively scuttling Trump&#39;s deal.&nbsp;&quot;We are troubled with the fact that Hamas still, today, declares it will stay in power in Gaza,&quot; Simcha Rothman, a member of the Religious Zionism party and of Netanyahu&#39;s governing coalition, told Reuters on Monday.&nbsp;&quot;We are not happy with any deal that is not a total surrender of Hamas ... We will not accept any partial victory.&quot;&nbsp;Another issue that could prove an irritant: a provision in the peace plan that admits the possibility of a future Palestinian state, which analysts say most Israelis would struggle to accept after Hamas&#39; cross-border attack of October 7, 2023.&nbsp;Dan Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Israel, said that if government and opposition politicians&#39; campaign heavily against the creation of such a state, it could limit the willingness of Arab countries to push Hamas to fulfill its obligations under Trump&#39;s deal.&nbsp;&quot;That was a very important inclusion to get the support of the Arab states to do their part,&quot; Shapiro said.&nbsp;&quot;If the political discourse is a full-on rejection of a Palestinian state for all time, I think that could color the enthusiasm of the Arab parties to play the parts that they need to play.&quot;

Secures a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, but analysts warn that vague terms, Netanyahu's political pressures, and Hamas' disarmament could jeopardize lasting peace.

Trump convinced Netanyahu to take a deal. Can he keep him onboard?

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LJUBLJANA: Slovenia on Thursday said it was banning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from entering the European Union country to underscore its defense of international law. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The decision was linked to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against the Israeli prime minister, Foreign Ministry official Neva Grasic said, according to the official STA news agency. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The EU nation of some 2 million people, which recognized a Palestinian state last year, has been a vocal critic of Israeli actions in Gaza and Thursday&rsquo;s move against Netanyahu was apparently designed to underscore the country&rsquo;s policies. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Slovenia had already barred Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country and imposed an arms embargo on Israel. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;All countries that are bound by the international court, including Slovenia, must not recognize the situation resulting from Israel&rsquo;s illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, and must not offer any support in maintaining this situation,&rdquo; she added. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Slovenian government said on X that the decision sends &ldquo;a clear message to the state of Israel that Slovenia expects consistent respect for the decisions of international courts and international humanitarian law.&rdquo; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By doing so, Slovenia &ldquo;confirms its commitment to international law, universal values of human rights and a principled and consistent foreign policy,&rdquo; the government added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacts at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (not pictured) at the Prime Minister's Office, in Jerusalem

Europe

Slovenia on Thursday said it was banning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from entering the European Union country to underscore its defense of international law.

Slovenia bars Netanyahu entry over International Criminal Court warrant

<p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Knowledge; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" id="isPasted">TEL AVIV: Israeli protesters unveiled a large banner at the hostages square, Saturday (September 13), urging Netanyahu to &#39;stop deceiving&#39; President Trump.<p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Knowledge; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Earlier on Saturday hostage families gathered in Tel Aviv, blaming Netanyahu for derailing ceasefire negotiations and hindering a hostage deal. Israel&#39;s&nbsp;attack in Qatar on Tuesday, where Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas,&nbsp;risked derailing U.S.-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-old conflict.<p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Knowledge; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.<p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Knowledge; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Israel&#39;s assault on Gaza since October 2023 has killed over 64,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials, while internally displacing almost all Gaza&#39;s population, and set off a starvation crisis. Multiple rights experts and scholars say Israel&#39;s military assault on Gaza amounts to genocide.<p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Knowledge; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Israel has rejected that determination. It launched its offensive in Gaza after an October 2023 attack by Hamas-led militants in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies, of which 20 are believed to be alive.

Protesters in Tel Aviv unfurled a banner urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to “stop deceiving President Trump,” as hostage families accused him of blocking ceasefire talks. The move follows Israel’s attempted strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar, which drew international condemnation.

Israeli protesters urge Netanyahu to 'stop deceiving' Trump

Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: In a speech delivered on the eve of the 24th anniversary of the tragic 9/11 attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning to Israel&#39;s adversaries across the globe, declaring that &ldquo;no place is safe&rdquo; for those who harbor or support the Palestinian group Hamas.&nbsp; The remarks followed Israeli airstrikes in Qatar, an unprecedented military action against a U.S. ally, which killed six people, including a Qatari security officer, and targeted senior Hamas leaders. The strike, carried out in Doha on Tuesday, drew swift international condemnation and escalated fears of a broader regional conflict. Netanyahu defended the move as a &ldquo;lawful act of self-defense,&rdquo; comparing Hamas&rsquo; October 7, 2023 attack on Israel to the 9/11 attacks on the United States. &ldquo;Just as the U.S. hunted down Al-Qaeda after 9/11, Israel will pursue those responsible for October 7, no matter where they hide,&rdquo; Netanyahu said. &ldquo;Expel them or bring them to justice. Otherwise, we will do it ourselves.&rdquo; He singled out Qatar as a &ldquo;safe haven&rdquo; for Hamas leadership, accusing the Gulf state of offering &ldquo;luxurious villas and full protection&rdquo; to individuals Israel considers terrorists. &ldquo;This is not harboring diplomacy; this is harboring terror,&rdquo; Netanyahu added. The remarks and the strike mark a dramatic expansion of Israel&rsquo;s doctrine of extraterritorial military operations, sending a message that Israel will act unilaterally, even in allied nations, if it believes its security is threatened. Saudi Arabia condemns &ldquo;brutal aggression&rdquo;The Israeli attack on Doha sparked a sharp rebuke from Saudi Arabia. In an annual address to the Shura Council delivered on behalf of King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman condemned what he described as Israel&rsquo;s &quot;brutal aggression&quot; against Qatar and the broader Palestinian population. &ldquo;We will stand with Qatar without limit,&rdquo; the crown prince said. &ldquo;Arab, Islamic, and international action is urgently needed to confront such aggression. These actions not only threaten Qatar but endanger the entire region&rsquo;s stability.&rdquo; He reaffirmed Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, calling Israel&rsquo;s recent actions &ldquo;flagrant violations of international law.&rdquo; Pakistan seeks emergency UN actionPakistan joined the chorus of international concern, labeling Israel&rsquo;s strike in Qatar a &ldquo;dangerous escalation.&rdquo; Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Wednesday that Islamabad has formally requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), along with Algeria and Somalia, to address Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;brazen violation&rdquo; of international norms. &ldquo;The attack is an open challenge to international peace and security,&rdquo; Dar said on X. &ldquo;Israel has shown it is willing to attack any state it deems supportive of Palestinian resistance, even at the risk of global conflict.&rdquo; Dar revealed that Pakistan, in coordination with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has also called for an urgent session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to hold Israel accountable for its strikes on Doha. Pakistan praised Qatar&rsquo;s decision to host an Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on September 15, offering to co-sponsor the gathering to forge a united response.Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the attack, describing it as a &ldquo;barbaric violation of every legal and moral boundary.&rdquo; Global tensions rise amid Gaza onslaughtThe timing of Netanyahu&rsquo;s threat, on the anniversary of 9/11, has raised alarms across the diplomatic world, with many interpreting the rhetoric as a direct challenge to the international system. Critics warn that Israel&rsquo;s expanding military actions risk triggering a wider regional war. The airstrike in Qatar came amid ongoing Israeli military aggression in Gaza, where over 64,600 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, according to local health authorities. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, and ceasefire negotiations have stalled. Qatari officials condemned Tuesday&rsquo;s airstrike as a &ldquo;criminal attack&rdquo; and a &ldquo;flagrant violation&rdquo; of sovereignty and international law. A government spokesperson said the strike endangered the safety of both Qatari citizens and the thousands of foreign nationals residing in the capital. Despite global outrage, Netanyahu doubled down, stating that Israel would not apologize for defending itself. &ldquo;We are not seeking war with the world,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but we will not be constrained by borders when our citizens are under threat.&rdquo; As world leaders prepare for the upcoming Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha, the question now is whether Israel&rsquo;s unprecedented action will force a diplomatic reckoning, or ignite a new front in an already volatile region.

Security

Israeli strikes in Doha draws global outrage; Pakistan urges UN action, calling it a threat to regional peace.

Articles tagged with "Benjamin Netanyahu"