Israel

TEL AVIV, December 1. /TASS/: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continues to advance in the Gaza Strip and will use all its power to accomplish its goals in the fight against the Palestinian movement Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

"Our forces are advancing. We will keep on fighting with all our might until all our goals are accomplished," his office reported, publishing the prime minister’s statement.

JERUSALEM, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Israel's army published a map Friday, splitting the Gaza Strip into "evacuation zones" in full-force strikes on the Palestinian enclave following a seven-day truce.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that the online map divides the Gaza Strip into numbered areas, aiming to help civilians understand from which areas they are required to evacuate ahead of Israeli strikes.

JERUSALEM (AP) — There was no trace of Hanan Yablonka — not on the 42-year-old Israeli’s social media accounts nor on his phone, found in the bullet-riddled car he and four friends tried to flee in after Hamas militants attacked the music festival they were attending in southern Israel.

The friends were killed in the Oct. 7 attack. But nearly two months later, Yablonka’s family still has no news about what happened to him. He is one of dozens of people still unaccounted for after Hamas infiltrated Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages.

JERUSALEM, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli government confirmed on Tuesday that the fifth batch of hostages released from the Gaza Strip by Hamas has returned to Israel.

The 12 hostages, including 10 Israelis and two Thai nationals, will undergo an initial medical examination before being escorted by security forces to the hospital to be reunited with their families, according to the statements issued by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office and Israel Defense Forces.

JERUSALEM (AP) — It has become an Israeli mantra throughout the latest war in Gaza: Hamas is ISIS.

Since the bloody Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that triggered the conflict, Israeli leaders and commanders have likened the Palestinian militant group to the Islamic State group in virtually every speech and public statement. They point to Hamas’ slaughter of hundreds of civilians and compare their mission to defeat Hamas to the U.S.-led campaign to defeat IS in Iraq and Syria.

28 November 2023; MEMO: Testimonies collected from Israelis released by Hamas indicate that they were treated “extremely well” and that they were “not subjected to any kind of violence or insult.” The testimonies are in line with the public statements of Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, who was released in late October, and told reporters after her release that the Hamas fighters took good care of her and other captives and made sure to provide them with everything they needed in terms of medication, food and even hygie

28 November 2023; MEMO: Over 17,000 foreign workers have left Israel since 7 October, after Israel launched its bombing campaign against the besieged Gaza Strip, the Maariv newspaper reported citing a senior official.

28 November 2023; MEMO: The office of Israel’s far-right Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has announced that his ministry is set to receive an extra 1.8 billion shekels ($500 million) for equipment for the police, civilian response teams, the prison service and firefighters.

29 November 2023; MEMO: Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has threatened to dissolve the coalition government if the bombing of Gaza stops.

Ben-Gvir said in a post on X yesterday: “Stopping the war = dissolution of the government.”

The far-right minister’s threat coincided with talk about a possible new agreement for a long-term humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip.

JERUSALEM, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli defense electronics company Elbit Systems will supply advanced laser defense systems to Canada's new fleet of refueling and military transport aircraft, the company announced on Monday evening.

The Elbit's Direct Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) and Infrared (IR) Missile Warning systems will be installed on the Airbus A330 multi role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft.