Israel
Israeli President to pay historic visit to Turkey next week
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will travel to Turkey next week for a state visit, the office of the presidency has announcedAt the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Herzog will be in Ankara and Istanbul for two days. It would be the first Israeli president to visit Turkey since 2003, Xinhua news agency reported. Erdogan is a vocal critic of Israel.
Hamas denies progress on prisoner exchange deal with Israel
Zaher Jabarin, a member of Hamas's politburo, said in a statement sent to Xinhua news agency that "until now, there is no progress because the Israeli side is not taking any serious steps" regarding the issue. Jabarin was responding to Israeli Labor Party lawmaker Emilie Haya Moatti's remark that indirect negotiations between the two sides for a prisoner exchange deal have witnessed progress.
Israel to open to unvaccinated tourists from March
All tourists would be required to undergo two PCR tests, one prior to departure and the other after landing, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said in a joint statement on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported. For Israeli nationals, the requirement to take an antigen test before boarding the plane was cancelled. Instead, only a PCR test upon arrival will be mandatory.
'Bahraini crown prince to visit Israel soon'
The Hebrew-language Ynet news site quoted Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani as saying that the crown prince accepted the invitation and would visit Israel "soon." During his visit to the Gulf kingdom, the first by an Israeli leader, Bennett met with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince al-Khalifa, several ministers, and representatives of the Bahraini Jewish community, Xinhua news agency reported.
Turkey's thawing ties with Israel not mean change in Palestinian policy: FM
"Normalising our relations with Israel does not mean giving up our basic positions on the Jerusalem cause, the Palestinian cause, and the Masjid al-Aqsa (Al-Aqsa mosque). We will not normalise our relations at the expense of the Palestinian cause," Cavusoglu added on Thursday when speaking to state-run TRT Haber broadcaster.
Palestinian Central Council to terminate commitment to all agreements with Israel
The announcement was made on Wednesday at the end of the three-day PCC meetings held in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Xinhua news agency reported. "In view of Israel's ongoing denial of the signed agreements, the PCC decided to terminate the obligations of the PLO and the Palestinian Authority of all agreements signed with Israel," the statement said, adding that Israel's persistence in accelerating the confiscation of the Palestinian land also contributed to the decision.
Iran's Prez says normalising ties with Israel to increase regional problems
The President made the remarks on Tuesday in a meeting with Salam Zawawi, the new Palestinian Ambassador to Iran, to receive her credentials, reported the Iranian presidency's website. Raisi noted that certain Arab states' move to establish diplomatic relations with Israel will not ensure protection and security for them, and instead, it will create more problems for the region and Arab countries, Xinhua news agency reported.
Opportunity exists for Lebanese-Israeli maritime border demarcation: US mediator
"There is an opportunity today... We can reach an agreement, but we will not conclude it ourselves, as Lebanon and Israel must decide to do so," Hochstein said on Tuesday in an interview with Lebanese MTV local TV channel. The US official arrived in Beirut on Tuesday to look into ways to resume talks over Lebanese-Israeli maritime border demarcation, Xinhua news agency reported.
Israel to investigate domestic use of Pegasus spyware
On Monday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the deputy attorney general was "looking quickly into" the claims, while the Public Security Minister Omer Barlev said he would begin an official state inquiry. The efforts reflect Israel's most significant interventions in the NSO controversy since the Israeli firm began attracting global scrutiny nearly six years ago, the report said.
Israeli PM, US Prez hold phone talks on Iranian nuclear issue
The two leaders on Sunday discussed "regional challenges" and in particular the "growing Iranian aggression, and the steps to block the Iranian nuclear program," it added. Bennett congratulated Biden on the operation to kill the IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, noting that "the world is now a safer place". Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.
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