Latest news with #Ha'aretz
Hans India
17-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Iranian strike shuts down Israel's largest oil refinery
Bazan, Israel's largest oil refinery company, announced that all of its facilities at the Haifa Port had been completely shut down due to the damage caused by an Iranian missile strike. Three company employees were killed in the pre-dawn attack on Monday night, which ignited fires at the strategic complex. Video footage showed visible flames, and firefighting teams were still struggling to extinguish the blaze, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Israeli daily Ha'aretz. "The power station responsible for part of the steam and electricity production used by the group's facilities sustained significant damage, alongside additional impacts," the company said in a filing to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. "At this stage, all refinery and subsidiary facilities have been shut down," it added. Bazan said it was still assessing the extent of the damage and its impact on operations, as well as the best way to address the situation. The Iranian attack came amid a four-day deadly aerial warfare between the Islamic Republic and Israel that has cost the lives of at least 244 people in Iran and 24 in Israel. The escalation was sparked by Israel's surprise airstrikes across Iran on Friday. Iran launched a new pre-dawn missile attack on Israel on Monday, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens, Israeli officials said, as the four-day conflict triggered by an Israeli surprise assault intensified. The missile barrage set off air raid sirens across Israel. Plumes of black smoke rose above Haifa, a major coastal city in northern Israel, and eyewitnesses reported multiple explosions in the north and central regions of the country. Local authorities confirmed fatalities in several locations. Four people were killed when a missile struck a residential building in Petah Tikva, a city east of Tel Aviv, according to Mayor Rami Greenberg. He stated that hundreds of residents from the damaged building and three adjacent structures were evacuated. Photos from the scene showed multi-story buildings with significant blast damage and scattered rubble.
India Gazette
17-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Daily World Briefing, June 17
Iranian strike shuts down Israel's largest oil refinery Bazan, Israel's largest oil refinery company, announced on Monday night that all of its facilities at the Haifa Port had been completely shut down due to the damage caused by an Iranian missile strike. Three company employees were killed in the pre-dawn attack, which ignited fires at the strategic complex. Video footage showed visible flames, and firefighting teams were still struggling to extinguish the blaze, according to the Israeli daily Ha'aretz. Toppling Iranian leadership "could be outcome" of ongoing conflict: Netanyahu Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled on Monday that Israel will not halt its offensive against Iran, not even for negotiations, saying that toppling Iran's leadership "could certainly be the outcome" of the ongoing aerial warfare. Netanyahu made the remarks during a press conference, as Iran called on U.S. President Donald Trump to push for a ceasefire in the aerial conflict that began with Israel's surprise attack on Friday. Gaza internet outage ends, killings of food-seeking civilians continue The internet outage which paralyzed humanitarian aid in Gaza has ended, but the famine threat and the killings of food-seeking Palestinians continue as fuel dips critically low, UN humanitarian said on Monday. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said telecommunications cables in Gaza were repaired over the weekend, allowing internet services to resume after days of complete outage. U.S. issues travel advisory for Israel U.S. States Department on Monday issued travel advisory on its website, suggesting U.S. citizens not travel to Israel due to armed conflict, terrorism and civil unrest. "The security situation in Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, is unpredictable," the advisory said, reminding U.S. citizens of remaining vigilant and taking appropriate steps to increase their security awareness as security incidents, including mortar and rocket fire and armed UAV intrusions and missiles, can take place without warning. Death toll hits 90 in South Africa's Eastern Cape floods The death toll from devastating floods in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province has risen to 90, as recovery operations continue to make progress in the affected areas, local authorities said Monday. "The latest report has indicated an increase in the number of fatalities from 88 to 90," said the Eastern Cape Provincial Government in a statement. "Out of the 90 fatalities, 60 are adults and 30 children, while 48 are male and 42 female." 48 dead after boats capsize in northwest DR Congo At least 48 people have died after boats capsized on Lake Tumba in the northwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the DRC government said on Sunday. Following the incident near Bikoro in Equateur Province on Wednesday, 46 passengers have been rescued, while 107 remain unaccounted for. Authorities have recovered and buried 48 bodies so far, said a statement issued by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Security Jacquemain Shabani. 20 killed in clashes in Chad At least 20 people have been killed and 16 others injured following some clashes in Chad, authorities said on Monday. In a statement, the country's communication ministry said the clashes ran from June 10 to 14 in Molou locality of Ouaddai province (east of Chad). The statement did not say what caused the clashes but local media reported that the conflict involved two rival tribes. 4 killed, 6 injured in explosion in firecracker factory in India's Uttar Pradesh At least four women were killed and six others injured Monday in an explosion in a firecracker factory in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said. The explosion took place in Atrasi village of Amroha district, about 402 km northwest of Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. Vietnam to establish first free trade zone in central region The Vietnamese government has approved the establishment of the country's first free trade zone in the central city of Da Nang, local media VnExpress reported Monday. Covering an area of 1,881 hectares, the zone is expected to become a major economic, logistics and technological hub in the Asia-Pacific region, the report added. Russia transfers bodies of over 6,000 soldiers to Ukraine Russia has transferred the bodies of 6,060 fallen soldiers to Ukraine, Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky said Monday. Russia agreed to return the bodies of 6,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers after Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul on June 2.
The Star
16-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, June 16
JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled on Monday that Israel will not halt its offensive against Iran, not even for negotiations, saying that toppling Iran's leadership "could certainly be the outcome" of the ongoing aerial warfare. Netanyahu made the remarks during a press conference, as Iran called on U.S. President Donald Trump to push for a ceasefire in the aerial conflict that began with Israel's surprise attack on Friday. (Israel-Iran-Airstrikes) - - - - TEHRAN -- Iran's state broadcaster IRIB said one of its buildings was hit on Monday in a "brutal aggression" by Israel, but added that live broadcasts continued without major disruption. IRIB said the strike targeted its news network in an apparent effort "to silence the voice of the Iranian nation and the voice of truth." It said staff continued to provide coverage "at full capacity." (Iran-Israel-Attacks) - - - - JERUSALEM -- Bazan, Israel's largest oil refinery company, announced on Monday night that all of its facilities at the Haifa Port had been completely shut down due to the damage caused by an Iranian missile strike. Three company employees were killed in the pre-dawn attack, which ignited fires at the strategic complex. Video footage showed visible flames, and firefighting teams were still struggling to extinguish the blaze, according to the Israeli daily Ha'aretz. (Iran-Israel-Attacks) - - - - ANKARA -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan engaged in separate telephone discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday, urging a diplomatic resolution to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency. In his conversation with Putin, Erdogan characterized recent Israeli actions against Iran as instigating a "dangerous cycle of violence" that jeopardizes regional security. He asserted that the Israeli government's "lawless attitude" constitutes a significant threat to the international order and cautioned that "the region cannot tolerate another war." (Türkiye-Russia-Iran-Phone Talks)
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Israel faces diplomatic 'tsunami', Trump is staying quiet
A headline in Israel's liberal daily Ha'aretz this week put it starkly: "Diplomatic tsunami nears," it warned, "as Europe begins to act against Israel's 'complete madness' in Gaza." This week's diplomatic assault has taken many forms, not all of them foreseen. From concerted international condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza, to the shocking murder of two young Israeli embassy staff members in Washington, this has been, to put it mildly, a tumultuous week for the Jewish state. The waves started crashing on Israel's shores on Monday evening, when Britain, France and Canada issued a joint statement condemning its "egregious" actions in Gaza. All three warned of the possibility of "further concrete actions" if Israel continued its renewed military offensive and failed to lift restrictions on humanitarian aid. They also threatened "targeted sanctions" in response to Israel's settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. A statement from 24 donor nations followed, condemning a new, Israeli-backed aid delivery model for Gaza. But that was just the start. On Tuesday, Britain suspended trade talks with Israel and said a 2023 road map for future cooperation was being reviewed. A fresh round of sanctions was imposed on Jewish settlers, including Daniela Weiss, a prominent figure who featured in Louis Theroux's recent documentary, The Settlers. Israel's ambassador in London, Tzipi Hotovely, was summoned to the Foreign Office, a move generally reserved for the representatives of countries like Russia and Iran. To make matters worse for Israel, the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said a "strong majority" of the bloc's members favoured reviewing the 25-year-old Association Agreement with Israel. The reasons for this flurry of diplomatic condemnation seemed clear enough. Evidence that Gaza was closer to mass starvation than at any time since the war began, following Hamas's attack in October 2023, was sending ripples of horror across the world. Israel's military offensive, and the rhetoric surrounding it, suggested that conditions in the stricken territory were about to deteriorate once more. Addressing MPs on Tuesday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy singled out the words of Israel's hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who had spoken of "cleansing" Gaza, "destroying what's left" and relocating the civilian population to third countries. "We must call this what it is," Lammy said. "It's extremism. It is dangerous. It is repellent. It is monstrous. And I condemn it in the strongest possible terms." Smotrich is not a decision-maker when it comes to conduct of the war in Gaza. Before now, his incendiary remarks might have been set to one side. But those days appear to be over. Rightly or wrongly, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen as in thrall to his far-right colleagues. Critics accuse him of relentlessly pursuing a war, without regard for the lives of Palestinian civilians or the remaining Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza. Countries that have long supported Israel's right to defend itself are beginning to say "enough is enough." This week was clearly a significant moment for Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, a staunch defender of Israel (he once said "I support Zionism without qualification") who faced strong criticism from within the Labour Party for his reluctance last year to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. On Tuesday, Sir Keir said the suffering of innocent children in Gaza was "utterly intolerable". In the face of this unusually concerted action from some of his country's strongest allies, Netanyahu reacted furiously, suggesting Britain, France and Canada were guilty of supporting Hamas. "When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you're on the wrong side of justice," he posted on X. "You're on the wrong side of humanity and you're on the wrong side of history." Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar went further, suggesting there was a "direct line" between Israel's critics, including Starmer, and Wednesday night's killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, the two Israeli embassy employees gunned down outside the Jewish Museum in Washington. But despite the outpourings of sympathy following the shooting, the Israeli government seems increasingly isolated, with western allies and prominent members of the Jewish diaspora all voicing anger – and anguish – over the war in Gaza. Lord Levy, former Middle East envoy and advisor to Tony Blair, said he endorsed the current government's criticisms, even suggesting they might have come "a little late". "There has to be a stand, not just from us in this country but internationally, against what is going on in Gaza," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One, describing himself as "a very proud Jew…who passionately cares for Israel". But silent, throughout all this, is the one man who could, if he wanted, stop the war. At the end of his recent tour of the Gulf, Donald Trump said "a lot of people are starving". White House officials indicated the US president was frustrated with the war and wanted the Israeli government to "wrap it up". But while other western leaders release expressions of outrage, Trump is saying almost nothing.
