Israel

30 June 2020; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main coalition partner, Benny Gantz, signalled his opposition on Monday to advance the  plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians want to establish a state.

But Netanyahu was quoted by a spokesman as telling legislators from his right-wing Likud party that annexation steps due to be debated by the cabinet as early as Wednesday did not depend on Gantz’s support.

JERUSALEM, June 30 (NNN-MA’AN) – The Israeli Ministry of Health reported 686 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, the highest daily number since Apr 2, taking the tally to 24,441.

The number of death cases increased from 318 to 319, while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 39 to 43 out of 224 patients currently hospitalised.

The number of recoveries rose to 17,218, with 144 new recoveries, while the number of active cases rose to 6,904, the highest since Apr 30.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears determined to carry out his pledge to begin annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, possibly as soon as Wednesday.

His vision of redrawing the map of the Holy Land, in line with President Donald Trump’s Mideast plan, has been welcomed by Israel’s religious and nationalist right wing and condemned by the Palestinians and the international community.

JERUSALEM, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Monday he is willing to negotiate with the Palestinians on the basis of U.S. President Donald Trump's Mideast "peace plan."

The remark was made overnight in a pre-recorded address to a conference organized by "Christians United for Israel," a U.S.-based pro-Israeli evangelical group.

Speaking two days before his set date for annexing part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Netanyahu urged the Palestinians to "embrace" Trump's plan.

Jerusalem, Jun 28 (AP/PTI) Hundreds of Israelis protested on Saturday evening against Benjamin Netanyahu outside his Jerusalem residence as the Israeli prime minister faces corruption charges.

The demonstration was fuelled by the detention of seven protesters on Friday who held a smaller rally against Netanyahu's continuation as premier despite being under indictment.

The demonstrators held banners describing Netanyahu as "crime minister".

JERUSALEM, June 28 (NNN-MA’AN) – A 19-year-old woman died of COVID-19 on Saturday, becoming the youngest victim of the virus in Israel.

The patient suffered from many other severe diseases, including pulmonary hypertension and heart failure, with extreme overweight, causing movement difficulty, said Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem.

The patient was infected with a massive viral load, and when admitted to the hospital, she immediately needed ventilation.

27 June 2020; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party is considering scrapping the rotation deal with Defence Minister and alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Friday.

Likud is deliberating offering presidency of Israel to Gantz in 2021 as an “honorable way out” of the rotation deal.

Jerusalem, Jun 26 (AP/PTI) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that his government and the United Arab Emirates will soon announce a partnership in the fight against the coronavirus.

The deal, which the UAE later said involved two private companies, comes despite recent warnings from UAE officials that Israel's planned annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank would harm its efforts to improve relations with Arab states.

25 June 2020; MEMO: The case of convicted sex offender and child rapist Jeffrey Epstein has taken another dramatic twist. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has been named in sealed court filings, along with several close associates of the deceased financier, of having sex with one of the underage girls Epstein trafficked.

24 June 2020; MEMO: Thousands of Israelis protested yesterday evening in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square against Israel’s decision to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank.

Celebrities, activists, entrepreneurs and security experts were in attendance and delivered speeches, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The protest comes after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel to drop its annexation plans in a report stating it would be a “serious violation of international law”.