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Gaza and Israel have both suffered their deadliest day since the beginning of the current offensive.
Israel says that 13 of its soldiers died since Saturday night, the biggest one-day loss for its army in years.
At least 87 Gazans were reported killed on Sunday – 60 of them in the district of Shejaiya alone. The total death toll in Gaza now stands at more than 425.
Hamas said on Sunday evening that it had captured an Israeli soldier, but this has not been confirmed by Israel.
Celebratory gunfire and shouts could be heard in Gaza City after the claim was made.
Sunday’s death toll for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is higher than that sustained by the IDF during the entire three-week duration of Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009, the last time that Israel sent ground troops into Gaza.
It brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed in the current offensive to 18.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue operations in Gaza “as much as we need to” despite the casualties.
He said the Israeli government felt “deep pain” over deaths of its soldiers, and that Hamas, not Israel was responsible for the escalation in Gaza.
The UN says 83,695 people have now been displaced in Gaza and have taken refuge in 61 shelters
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the deaths in the Shejaiya district east of Gaza City were a “massacre”.
The UN says 83,695 people have now been displaced in Gaza and have taken refuge in 61 shelters and that the figure is “rising all the time”.
Witnesses spoke of bodies lying in the street.
A humanitarian truce was agreed in the area, but lasted less than an hour with both sides blaming each other for violating the truce.
Paramedics said that rescue workers had not been able to get to the eastern part of Shejaiya, an area very close to the Israeli border and about 1.2 miles away from Gaza City, which has seen heavy shelling.
Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli troops had no choice but to enter densely populated areas and that they had asked civilians to leave.
The death toll in Gaza rose sharply over the weekend, with the number of Palestinians killed now standing at more than 425 since the operation began, according to Palestinian health officials.
They say the number of wounded from the operation now stands at more than 3,000.
The majority of those killed are civilians, the UN says.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sent ground troops into Gaza on Thursday after days of heavy air and naval barrages failed to stop rocket fire from Gaza.
Two Israeli civilians have died since the offensive began on 8 July.
Israel says the operation is necessary to target Hamas tunnel networks, which it says it could not do from the air alone.
Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an IDF spokesman, said the offensive was being expanded “to restore security and stability to Israel’s residents and citizens”.
Meanwhile, the UN warned it was running out of supplies to help more than 50,000 Palestinians who have sought shelter at its schools in Gaza.
Qatar is expected to host a meeting between President Mahmoud Abbas and Ban Ki-moon on Sunday before the UN chief continues on to Kuwait, Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan.
Mahmoud Abbas is also due to meet Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.
Hamas rejected an Egypt-brokered ceasefire last week, saying any deal with Israel must include an end to a blockade of Gaza.
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Israel announces it has expanded its ground offensive in Gaza, with residents reporting the heaviest shelling since the conflict began 13 days ago.
In a statement, Israel’s military said “additional forces” had joined “the effort to combat terror” in Gaza.
Four Palestinians died, including two children and the son of a senior Hamas official, in new airstrikes on Sunday, July 19.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is due to arrive in Qatar later to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Ban Ki-moon’s visit is part of a regional tour aimed at helping Israelis and Palestinians “end the violence and find a way forward”, the UN said.
The death toll continued to rise at the weekend, with the number of Palestinians killed now at more than 350 – the vast majority of them civilians.
Israel has expanded its ground offensive in Gaza
Five Israeli soldiers and two Israeli civilians have died since PM Benjamin Netanyahu launched the military offensive on July 8.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sent ground troops into Gaza on Thursday after 10 days of heavy air and naval barrages failed to stop rocket fire from Gaza.
Israel says the ground operation is necessary to target a Hamas tunnel network, which it says it could not do only from the air.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed on Saturday during a gunfight with Palestinian militants who had used tunnels to cross into Israel to launch an attack, the IDF said.
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, an IDF spokesman, said the ground offensive was being expanded “to restore security and stability to Israel’s residents and citizens”.
Residents in Gaza reported hearing explosions throughout the night on Saturday.
An airstrike in the suburb of Shejaiya targeted the house of Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, killing four people including his son and daughter-in-law, Palestinian doctors said.
Meanwhile, the UN warned that it was running out of supplies to help more than 50,000 Palestinians who have sought shelter at its schools in Gaza.
A UN official said the number of people fleeing was much higher than expected, with both the Israeli and Egyptian borders closed to Gazans.
Diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire involving, among others, Egypt, Qatar, France and the UN, have failed to make any progress.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius met Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, but said that attempts to agree a ceasefire had failed.
“Sadly I can say that the call for a ceasefire has not been heard, and on the contrary, there’s a risk of more civilian casualties that worries us,” he told press.
Qatar is expected to host a meeting between President Abbas and Ban Ki-moon on Sunday before the UN chief continues on to Kuwait, Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan.
Mahmoud Abbas is also due to meet Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in a bid to convince the Islamist group to agree to Egyptian efforts to end the fighting.
Hamas rejected an Egypt-brokered ceasefire last week, saying any deal with Israel must include an end to a blockade of Gaza.
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Israel’s army has begun a ground offensive against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, stepping up its 11-day-old military operation.
Troops and tanks were sent into Gaza to deal “a significant blow to Hamas”, Israel said.
A Hamas spokesman said Israel would “pay a high price” for its actions.
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the invasion after days of intensive rocket fire and air strikes between the two sides.
Gaza’s health ministry said 11 Palestinians had been killed since the ground offensive began on Thursday night.
A five-month-old child was among the dead, Palestinian medics told AFP news agency. Israel said it had killed 14 “terrorists” overnight.
Israel meanwhile suffered its first military fatality, with the death of a soldier during the invasion, it said.
Some 258 Palestinians – three-quarters of them civilians – have died since the start of the wider Israeli operation on July 8, officials in Gaza say.
An Israeli civilian was killed from mortar fire, and several Israelis have been seriously injured, Israeli medics say.
Israel’s army has begun a ground offensive against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip
Announcing the ground offensive, the Israeli military said: “Following 10 days of Hamas attacks by land, air and sea, and after repeated rejections of offers to de-escalate the situation, the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] has initiated a ground operation within the Gaza Strip.”
It said the goal was to “establish a reality in which Israeli residents can live in safety and security without continuous indiscriminate terror, while striking a significant blow to Hamas’ terror infrastructure”.
In Gaza City overnight, plumes of black smoke could be seen from the border area where Israeli troops were operating, AP news agency reported.
Israel said the initial phase was aimed at targeting tunnels Hamas has dug under the border with Israel to use in attacks.
On Wednesday 13 militants infiltrated into Israel through a tunnel aiming to attack a kibbutz, Israeli officials said. The Israeli military said it killed at least one of the militants, while the others are retreated through the tunnel.
Reuters news agency said Palestinians reported heavy clashes along the length of the eastern border, as well as in the northern towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya.
Military spokesman Gen. Moti Almoz warned residents of Gaza to evacuate areas in which the army was operating.
“This operation will be extended as much as necessary,” he said.
Israel approved the drafting of 18,000 more reservists on Thursday evening, bringing the total of extra troops called up since July 8 to 65,000.
Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal said that the Israeli ground operation was “destined to failure”.
“What the occupier Israel failed to achieve through its air and sea raids, it will not be able to achieve with a ground offensive,” he said.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the ground operation would lead to “more bloodshed” and called on Israel to stop.
Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party recently agreed to a unity government with Hamas, was meeting Egyptian officials in Cairo amid efforts to negotiate a truce.
Israel says it has carried out more than 1,960 attacks on Gaza since July 9, while militants have fired some 1,380 rockets at Israel. It says more than 50 rockets have been fired at Israel since the ground operation began.
The UN says at least 1,370 homes have been destroyed in Gaza and more than 18,000 people displaced in recent hostilities.
The ground offensive follows attempts in Cairo to negotiate a new ceasefire.
There was a temporary ceasefire on Thursday to allow Palestinians to stock up on supplies and aid workers to distribute water, food and hygiene kits.
The truce lasted for five hours, although both sides reported violations.
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Israel has announced it will observe a “humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza on July 17, after days of deadly rocket and missile exchanges with militants.
A statement from the Israeli military said it would hold fire on Thursday, from 10:00 to 15:00, to allow residents to stock up on supplies.
Palestinian officials say Israeli raids have killed 220 Gazans and wounded almost 1,800 since July 8.
Hamas militants have fired more than 1,200 rockets, killing one Israeli.
The ceasefire had been requested by the UN and other international organizations.
Israel has agreed to 5-hour ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza
But the statement by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) added that Israel would respond “firmly and decisively” should the humanitarian window be used by militants “for the purpose of launching attacks against Israeli civilian or military targets”.
The move was announced hours after Hamas, the dominant force in Gaza, confirmed that it had rejected an earlier ceasefire proposed by Egypt.
Israel initially observed the ceasefire on Tuesday, but resumed its strikes amid continued rocket fire from Gaza.
Four children were among those killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday. They died while playing on a beach near Gaza City.
The IDF said they were “carefully investigating” the incident, adding that “based on preliminary results, the target of this strike was Hamas terrorist operatives”.
“The reported civilian causalities from this strike are a tragic outcome,” the statement said.
Israel launched its Operation Protective Edge on July 8. Its stated objective is to halt Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, but the UN says most of those killed in Gaza have been civilians.
Gaza militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Wednesday.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told reporters that the group did not accept Egypt’s ceasefire proposal and that Israel would pay a heavy price for its strikes.
Hamas – designated a terrorist organization by Israel and the US, among others – is demanding the easing of border closures in Gaza and the release of Hamas prisoners.
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Israel has restarted air strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza, after its brief truce was met with continuing rocket fire.
Israel had earlier accepted an Egyptian ceasefire proposal and halted operations on Tuesday morning.
But the armed wing of Hamas rejected the initiative as a “surrender”.
Palestinian officials say at least 192 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes launched eight days ago to stop militants firing rockets into Israel.
At least four Israelis have been seriously injured since the violence flared, but none have been killed.
The Israel Defense Forces said militants had fired 76 rockets into Israel on Tuesday.
Israel has restarted air strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza, after its brief truce was met with continuing rocket fire (photo AP)
It said that after resuming its air strikes, 30 targets had been attacked in Gaza, including 20 concealed rocket launchers, tunnels, a weapon storage facility and operational infrastructure used by a senior militant.
Under the terms of the Egyptian initiative, the ceasefire should have been followed by a series of meetings in Cairo with high-level delegations from the two sides.
There has been no definitive response to the initiative from Hamas.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said he could not “condemn strongly enough” Hamas’ actions in continuing to fire rockets.
Israel’s security cabinet, convened by PM Benjamin Netanyahu, had approved the truce on Tuesday morning, minutes before the proposed time for it to come into effect – at 09:00.
“We agreed to the Egyptian proposal in order to give an opportunity for the demilitarization of the [Gaza] Strip – from missiles, from rockets and from tunnels – through diplomatic means,” Benjamin Netanyahu had said.
But he had then added: “If Hamas does not accept the ceasefire proposal, as would now seem to be the case, Israel would have all international legitimacy to broaden the military operation to achieve the required quiet.”
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Egypt launched an initiative on Monday to halt Israel-Palestinian conflict.
On Tuesday, Israel has accepted the truce proposal for the conflict with Gaza.
Hamas, which controls Gaza, has not formally responded. But its armed wing has rejected the plan as a “surrender”.
Under the terms, the ceasefire should begin immediately, followed by a series of meetings in Cairo with high-level delegations from both sides.
Palestinian officials say at least 192 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes launched eight days ago to stop militants firing rockets into Israel.
There have been no Israeli air strikes into Gaza since the 09:00 truce, but at least one rocket has been fired from Gaza into Israel.
Egypt launched an initiative to halt Israel-Palestinian conflict
Israel’s security cabinet, convened by PM Benjamin Netanyahu, voted to approve the truce on Tuesday morning, minutes before the proposed time for it to come into effect.
Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the IDF, Israel’s military, said: “In accordance with the government directives, the IDF now holds fire. We remain alert and preserve high preparedness levels, both defensive and offensive. If the Hamas terror organization will fire at Israel, we shall respond.”
For now, Hamas sources are saying its attacks will “increase in ferocity and intensity” unless Israel releases prisoners and co-operates with Egypt to lift economic restrictions on Gaza.
That is not encouraging but does not mean that a deal will not ultimately be done – just that it will not be easy, our correspondent says.
Meanwhile the casualty figures continue to mount.
Three people were killed in Khan Younis, south of Gaza, on Tuesday morning, shortly before Israel accepted the proposed truce.
Of the 192 now reported dead by the Palestinian health authority, the UN estimates that over three-quarters were civilians.
An estimated 1,400 Palestinians have been injured.
Israel disputes the Palestinian casualty figures, saying they were based on Hamas sources and were not objective.
At least four Israelis have been seriously injured since the violence flared, but no-one has been killed.
Israeli sources said at least three rockets landed in and around the southern Israeli city of Eilat overnight.
Reports suggest they may have been fired from the Sinai peninsula in Egypt rather than from Gaza.
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Israel’s overnight air strikes hit Gaza’s security headquarters and police stations, in the heaviest bombardment since operations began on July 8.
Israel also said its troops had carried out a brief raid against a rocket-launching site in the coastal territory.
It added that Palestinian militants fired about 90 rockets from the Gaza Strip into its territory on Saturday.
At least 159 Palestinians have died in the air strikes, Gaza officials say.
They are said to include 17 members of one family who died in an Israeli missile strike on Saturday evening.
Israel says it is targeting Hamas militants and facilities, including the homes of senior operatives. However, the UN has estimated that 77% of the people killed in Gaza have been civilians.
Israel’s overnight air strikes hit Gaza’s security headquarters and police stations, in the heaviest bombardment since operations began on July 8
The UN Security Council called for a ceasefire and peace talks on Saturday. It is the first time since Israel’s offensive began that they have issued a statement, with members previously divided on their response.
Early on Sunday, Israeli air strikes destroyed most of the security headquarters and police stations run by Hamas Islamist militants.
The homes adjacent to the security compound suffered extensive damage, as the headquarters are located in the densely populated neighborhood of Tel al-Hawa in south Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops also raided a site used to fire long-range rockets at Israel.
“The mission was accomplished,” the IDF wrote on its official Twitter account.
It added: “During the mission, there was an exchange of fire. Four soldiers were lightly injured and all returned home safely.”
It is believed to be the first time Israeli troops – thought to be naval commandos on this occasion – have entered Gaza since Israel launched Operation Protective Edge, which it says is aimed at stopping rocket attacks and destroying Hamas’ capabilities.
The IDF said it was dropping leaflets over the city of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, warning residents to seek shelter from planned air strikes later on Sunday.
“We do not wish to harm civilians in Gaza, but these civilians must know that remaining in close proximity to Hamas terrorists and infrastructures is extremely unsafe,” the IDF said.
The IDF says it has so far struck some 1,320 “terror” sites across Gaza, while Hamas have launched more than 800 rockets at Israel.
Israel’s Iron Dome missile shield intercepted four rockets on Sunday morning above central and southern Israel, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports.
At least five Israelis have been injured this week by rocket and missile attacks, two of them seriously, but no Israelis have been killed by the attacks.
On Saturday evening, four Israeli missiles hit a three-storey house in Gaza belonging to police chief Tayseer al-Batsh, a Gaza health official said.
The strike killed 17 members of the same family, while Tayseer al-Batsh was wounded but survived, officials added.
A witness said: “We were praying in a mosque adjacent to the targeted house and suddenly we heard a huge explosion followed by another explosion.”
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri described the raid as “a heinous crime”, adding: “Israel will pay a heavy price for its aggression against the Palestinian people.”
Palestinian sources say more than 1,000 people have been injured since Israel began its operation six days ago.
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Several Jewish suspects have been arrested Israel over the murder of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdair, whose death sparked days of violent protests.
Mohammed Abu Khdair, 16, was abducted on Wednesday morning and found dead hours later, was killed “because of his nationality”.
He had reportedly been burnt to death.
Earlier, the bodies of three murdered Israeli students were found. Mohammed Abu Khdair’s family believes he was murdered in revenge.
Several Jewish suspects have been arrested Israel over the murder of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdair
Israel’s Shin Bet security agency issued a brief statement confirming the arrests, and said the suspects were being questioned at one of their facilities.
“In the wake of intelligence and operational information, the Israel Police and the ISA [Shin Bet] this morning arrested several Jewish suspects regarding the 2 July abduction and murder of Mohammed Abu Khdair,” the statement said.
The agency did not comment on any possible motive for the killing, saying details of the case were subject to a judicial gag order.
Several Israeli media outlets have reported that one of the six suspects has confessed to the killing.
The reports also claimed that the individual had given police information about the other suspects, but this has not yet been confirmed by officials.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would respond to the killings “with a firm hand”.
“We do not differentiate between the terrorists,” he said.
“We will not allow extremists from wherever they come to ignite the region and shed more blood.”
Thousands attended Mohammed Abu Khdair’s funeral on Friday near the family’s home in the Shufat district of East Jerusalem.
Hundreds of Palestinian youths clashed with Israeli police in East Jerusalem before and after the funeral.
Huge controversy was sparked when mobile-phone footage emerged showing two officers repeatedly beating a teenager suspected of taking part in the violence.
The teenager was Tariq Khdair, a 15-year-old Palestinian-American who is also a cousin of Mohammed Abu Khdair.
Tariq Khdair was bailed after appearing in court on Sunday, accused of attacking police officers during the unrest.
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A US teenager was beaten while in Israeli police custody in East Jerusalem.
Tariq Khdair, 15, from Florida, is a cousin of Mohammed Abu Khdair, the Palestinian 16-year-old whose abduction and murder has triggered riots.
The US State Department says it is “profoundly troubled” by reports.
Israeli officials say they are looking into the incident. Police say the youth was among a group attacking officers.
However, Tariq Khdair’s family denies that he was involved in the violence.
Tariq Khdair’s cousin, Mohammed Abu Khdair, was abducted and murdered in Jerusalem
Unrest has spread from East Jerusalem to several Arab-Israeli towns after reports that an initial post-mortem examination found Mohammed Abu Khdair had been burned alive.
Mobile phone footage taken during Palestinian protests on Thursday appears to show two Israeli border policemen holding down Tariq Khdair on wasteland in East Jerusalem.
The footage shows one of the officers punching the teenager in the head before the boy is taken away. Photographs taken later show him with a severely swollen face.
US State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said Tariq Khdair, who is still in custody, was visited by a consulate official on Saturday.
“We are profoundly troubled by reports that he was severely beaten while in police custody and strongly condemn any excessive use of force,” she said.
“We are calling for a speedy, transparent and credible investigation and full accountability for any excessive use of force.”
The Israeli Justice Ministry said the police investigations department was looking into the incident.
Thousands attended Mohammad Abu Khdair’s funeral on Friday near the family’s home in the Shufat district of East Jerusalem.
Mohammad Abu Khdair’s believes he was killed by Jewish extremists in revenge for the murders of three Israeli teenagers – Naftali Frenkel and Gilad Shaar, both aged 16, and 19-year-old Eyal Yifrach.
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Mohammad Abu Khdair, the Palestinian teenager found dead in Jerusalem this week, was burned alive, first post mortem examination findings quoted by the Palestinian attorney-general say.
“The direct cause of death was burns as a result of fire,” Mohammed al-A’wewy was quoted as saying.
Israeli authorities say the circumstances surrounding the death of Mohammad Abu Khdair, 16, are unclear.
The teen’s death followed the abduction and murder of three young Israelis, with violent clashes spreading overnight.
The post mortem examination on Mohammad Abu Khdair was carried out by Israeli doctors, with Saber al-Aloul, the director of the Palestinian forensic institute, in attendance.
The Palestinian official news agency Wafa quoted the attorney-general as saying that Saber al-Aloul had reported fire dust in the respiratory canal, meaning the victim had “inhaled this material while he was burnt alive”.
Mohammad Abu Khdair’s death in Jerusalem followed the abduction and murder of three young Israelis
Mohammad Abu Khdair, who had also suffered a head injury, had burns to 90% of the body, it was reported.
The findings have not been officially released.
Mohammad Abu Khdair’s family believes he was killed in revenge for the murders of the three Israeli teenagers.
The bodies of Naftali Frenkel and Gilad Shaar, both aged 16, and 19-year-old Eyal Yifrach were found on June 30. Their funerals were held on Wednesday.
Thousands attended Mohammad Abu Khdair’s funeral on Friday near the family’s home in the Shufat district of East Jerusalem.
Hundreds of Palestinian youths clashed with Israeli police in East Jerusalem before and after the funeral.
The clashes continued overnight in the West Bank and spread to Israeli-Arab towns in northern Israel.
Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said protesters burned tyres and hurled rocks. Disturbances were reported in Taibe and Tira.
Police responded with tear gas and stun grenades and more than 20 people were arrested.
Clashes were also reported in the central town of Qalansawe overnight, with Jewish drivers attacked and some cars torched.
Haaretz reported that some 50 Palestinians and 13 policemen were hurt in clashes, which it said had spread to all of East Jerusalem’s districts.
Israeli officials handed the body of Mohammad Abu Khdair to his family on Friday morning.
Palestinians are preparing to hold the funeral of Mohammed Abu Khdair, the 17-year-old boy abducted and murdered in Jerusalem.
The killing of Mohammed Abu Khdair on Wednesday was condemned by both Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
The murder sparked fierce clashes amid claims it was in revenge for the killing of three Israeli youths.
Israel carried out a series of air strikes on Gaza early on Thursday in response to Palestinian militants launching rockets at Israel.
The killing of Mohammed Abu Khdair was condemned by both Israeli and Palestinian leaders (photo Twitter)
Israeli officials said militants had fired dozens of mortars and rockets since Wednesday morning and two had struck houses, but no-one was injured.
“The Israeli Air Force attacked 15 terror sites in Gaza early Thursday morning,” an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official said.
“The targets included weapons manufacturing sites as well as training facilities,” the official added.
Mohammed Abu Khdair’s funeral will be held on Thursday following noon prayers at around 13:00 local time.
Correspondents say there are fears the funeral will be followed by more clashes like those which erupted outside the teenager’s home on Wednesday.
Protesters threw stones at officers, who responded by firing sound bombs, tear gas and rubber bullets.
The boy was seen being forced into a car in Shufat, East Jerusalem, early on Wednesday.
His body was later found, bearing the marks of violence, in West Jerusalem.
On Wednesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Jewish settlers of killing Mohammed Abu Khdair, calling for the “strongest punishment against the murderers”.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the murder was “despicable” and that he had ordered police to work “as quickly as possible to find out who was behind the heinous murder of the youth”.
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The body of a Palestinian teenager, who was kidnapped overnight in East Jerusalem, has been found in a forest in Givat Shaul.
A boy was seen being forced into a car in Shufat early on Wednesday. Within hours, a partly-burned corpse was discovered in the forest.
Israeli police were unable to confirm the motive, but Palestinian sources said it appeared to be a revenge attack for the murder of three Israeli teens.
Later, Palestinians clashed with Israeli police near the boy’s home.
The protesters threw stones at the officers, who reportedly responded by firing sound bombs, tear gas and rubber bullets.
Funerals were held in the West Bank for the three Jewish seminary students whose bodies were found near the city of Hebron
The mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, called for restraint.
“This is a horrible and barbaric act which I strongly condemn,” he said in a statement.
“This is not our way and I am fully confident that our security forces will bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Initial reports said the boy was abducted in the early hours of the morning near his father’s shop in the Arab district of Shufat in East Jerusalem. Witnesses say he was bundled into a white car.
A few hours later his body, partly burned and bearing marks of violence, was found abandoned in a forest in the western outskirts of the city, the report said.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said they were looking to see if there was a connection between the missing teenager and the body that was found.
Officers were looking into possible criminal or nationalistic motives for the killing, he added.
A senior official from the Fatah movement of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the Reuters news agency that his family had identified the body.
“The Israeli government bears responsibility for Jewish terrorism and for the kidnapping and murder in occupied Jerusalem,” said the official, Dmitry Diliani.
The killing comes a day after funerals were held in the West Bank for the three Jewish seminary students whose bodies were found near the city of Hebron on Monday, two-and-a-half weeks after they were abducted.
Thousands of people attended the ceremony in Modein, among them Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres.
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Israel is holding the funerals of three teenagers who were abducted and murdered while hitch-hiking in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli has blamed the Palestinian militant group Hamas for the deaths.
Hamas has denied any involvement.
The teenagers’ bodies were found on Monday evening more than two weeks after the youths went missing.
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said Hamas will be made to “pay” a price for the killings.
The abductions of Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frenkel sparked a massive search operation in Israel
Overnight, Israel launched more than 30 air strikes on facilities linked to militant groups in the Gaza Strip after 18 rockets were fired into Israel since Sunday night, the Israeli military said.
Benjamin Netanyahu, who will attend the joint funeral held for Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach, said the teenagers had been “kidnapped and murdered in cold blood by animal”.
The funeral will take place from 17:30 local time at Modiin cemetery in central Israel. Modiin, which is between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, is close to the boys’ family homes.
The teenagers’ bodies were found under a pile of rocks near the Palestinian town of Halhul. An Israeli official said it appeared the youths had been shot soon after their abduction.
Israeli troops flooded into Halhul after the discovery.
Its Shin Bet security agency had named two Hamas members from Hebron – Ayoub al-Kawasma and Abu Aisheh – as suspects. The Israeli military raided the homes of both men, setting off explosives.
Palestinian witnesses said Abu Aisheh’s home was destroyed.
The disappearance of the teenagers on June 12 sparked a huge search operation in Palestinian towns and cities across the West Bank.
More than 400 Palestinians were arrested, while five were killed in fighting with Israeli troops.
Benjamin Netanyahu has said the incident is a consequence of “the partnership” between Hamas, which rejects Israel’s right to exist, and the Fatah movement of Mahmoud Abbas.
Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu signed a reconciliation deal in April after years of division and formed a unity government last month.
NASA’s skyTran and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) are to build the world’s first public pilot project for elevated transit network in Tel Aviv.
A 500m loop will be built on the campus of IAI followed by a commercial network, according to skyTran.
Two-person vehicles will be suspended from elevated magnetic tracks, as an alternative transport method to congested roads, the firm promised.
NASA’s skyTran and Israel Aerospace Industries are to build the world’s first public pilot project for elevated transit network in Tel Aviv
The system should be up and running by the end of 2015.
The company hopes the test track will prove that the technology works and lead to a commercial version of the network.
The plan is to allow passengers to order a vehicle on their smartphone to meet them at a specific station and then head directly to their destination.
The vehicles will achieve speeds of up to 43mph although the commercial rollout is expected to offer much faster vehicles.
A number of skyTran projects are planned globally, including in India and the US, but will depend upon the success of the Israeli pilot.
SkyTran, based at the NASA research park in California, hopes to revolutionise public transport.
Chief executive Jerry Sanders described the agreement to build a test track with IAI as a “breakthrough” for the project.
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Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas of kidnapping three Israeli teenagers.
The students went missing on Thursday near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank on their way back from lessons.
Hamas has denied it was involved in their disappearance.
The disappearance is being seen as the biggest strain on relations between the two sides since a Palestinian unity government was announced in April.
As tensions mounted, Israeli troops surrounded a house in the West Bank city of Hebron late on Sunday and gunfire was heard.
Unconfirmed reports said two men were arrested. It is not clear if the incident was connected to the search for the missing teenagers.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas of kidnapping three Israeli teenagers
“Those who carried out the kidnapping of our youngsters are Hamas people,” Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Benjamin Netanyahu pointed to the fact that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently announced a unity government backed by Hamas.
Israel suspended crisis-hit peace talks with the Palestinians when the government was announced and insists it will not deal with a Palestinian government backed by Hamas.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements “silly” and said the arrests of Hamas figures were “aimed at breaking the will of the Hamas movement in the West Bank”.
The Israeli army says it has arrested about 80 Palestinians in the search for the teenagers.
Israel says an “intensive operation” is under way to find the two 16-year-olds – Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar – and 19-year-old Eyal Yifrach.
They were last seen in the area of Gush Etzion, a bloc of Jewish settlements located between Jerusalem and the predominantly Palestinian city of Hebron.
Palestinian officials have said they are co-operating with the search.
Benjamin Netanyahu previously said he holds the Palestinian Authority responsible for the teenagers’ wellbeing but Palestinian officials have pointed out that the three went missing in an area under full Israeli control.
Israel has said it suspects militants may try to trade the teenagers for Palestinian prisoners, as happened after the 2006 kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Sgt. Gilad Shalit was freed in 2011 after Israel and Hamas agreed a deal under which more than 1,000 Palestinians were released from Israeli detention.
Also on Sunday, the Israeli army said it had conducted aerial raids on the Gaza Strip overnight in retaliation for rockets fired from the Strip into Israel.
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The three Israeli teenagers missing from the West Bank since Thursday have been abducted by a “terror group”, Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu says.
Benjamin Netanyahu said an “intensive operation” is under way to find the two 16-year-olds and one 19-year-old.
The three seminary students went missing near an Israeli settlement north of Hebron as they were returning from evening lessons.
Palestinian officials say they are co-operating with the search.
“Our children were kidnapped by a terror group,” Benjamin Netanyahu said.
An intensive operation is under way to find the three teenagers missing from the West Bank since Thursday
“There is no doubt about that.”
The teenagers have been identified as Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar – both 16 – and Eyal Yifrach, 19.
They were last seen in the area of Gush Etzion, a bloc of Jewish settlements located between Jerusalem and the predominantly Palestinian city of Hebron.
The Israeli army says it is conducting house-to-house searches in the West Bank.
The search is being seen as the biggest strain on relations between the two sides since a Palestinian unity government was announced in April.
Benjamin Netanyahu has already said he holds the Palestinian Authority responsible for the teenagers’ wellbeing.
In response, Palestinian officials have pointed out that the three went missing in an area under full Israeli control.
Israel has arrested at least 12 people in the Hebron area, they say.
In an earlier statement on the operation, the Israeli army pointed to the 2006 kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and said the three may have been taken to be traded for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Sgt. Gilad Shalit was freed in 2011 after Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas agreed a deal under which more than 1,000 Palestinians were released.
In April, Israel suspended crisis-hit peace talks with the Palestinians when a Hamas-backed Palestinian unity government was announced.
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Pope Francis has prayed at Bethlehem wall during his three-day tour of the Middle East.
The unscheduled stop came after he called for an end to the “increasingly unacceptable” Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Speaking in Bethlehem, Pope Francis invited the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to the Vatican to pray for peace.
The tour’s official purpose is to improve ties with the Orthodox Church.
Pope Francis has prayed at Bethlehem wall during his three-day tour of the Middle East
Pope Francis is to meet Bartholomew I, the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, in Jerusalem later – to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a historic meeting of Catholic and Orthodox leaders who moved to end 900 years of division between the two churches.
The Pope’s visit comes just weeks after peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down, and his invitation to Rome for Presidents Peres and Abbas – quickly welcomed by both – is an intriguing development.
Following the Mass in Bethlehem, Pope Francis flew by helicopter to Tel Aviv where he was formally welcomed to Israel by President Shimon Peres and PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The time has come to put an end to this situation which has become increasingly unacceptable,” the Pope said on Sunday as he met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Pope Francis talked of the “tragic consequences of the protracted conflict” and the need “to intensify efforts and initiatives” to create a stable peace – based on a two-state solution.
He later held an open-air Mass for 8,000 local Christians by Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, during which he said he wished to invite Mahmoud Abbas and Shimon Peres to join him at the Vatican “in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace”.
According to Pope Francis’ spokesman, Federico Lombardi, the move was papal peace initiative and believed to be the first of its kind.
Pope Francis has insisted the purpose of his Middle East trip is purely religious, but his first speech on his arrival in Bethlehem showed he is also willing to address pressing political issues, correspondents say.
On his way to Bethlehem, Pope Francis stopped to pray at an 8 m concrete wall that is part of the barrier Israel is building in and around the West Bank.
The Pope rested his head against the wall – which Israel says is needed for security, but the Palestinians see as a land grab – near graffiti reading: “Free Palestine.”
Palestinian officials have noted that Pope Francis is the first pontiff to travel directly to the West Bank rather than enter via Israel: Many Palestinians see that as a recognition of their push for full statehood.
The Pope’s tour began on Saturday with a visit to Jordan.
On Monday Pope Francis is due to visit the al-Aqsa mosque complex in Jerusalem’s Old City followed by the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall.
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Pope Francis has urged for an end to the “increasingly unacceptable” Palestinian-Israeli conflict during a visit to the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
The Pope’s comments came as he met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas as part of a three-day tour of the Middle East.
The pontiff is holding an open-air mass for 8,000 local Christians by Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity.
The tour’s official purpose is to improve ties with the Orthodox Church.
Later, Pope Francis will travel to Tel Aviv and then Jerusalem where he will meet Bartholomew I, the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople.
However, correspondents say Palestinians are hoping for a show of support as his visit comes just weeks after peace talks with Israel broke down.
Palestinian officials have already noted that Pope Francis is the first pontiff to travel directly to the West Bank rather than enter via Israel.
Speaking in Bethlehem on Sunday, the Pope said: “The time has come to put an end to this situation which has become increasingly unacceptable.”
Pope Francis is holding an open-air mass for 8,000 local Christians by Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity (photo AFP)
He talked of the “tragic consequences of the protracted conflict” and the need “to intensify efforts and initiatives” to create a stable peace – based on a two-state solution.
Pope Francis has insisted the purpose of his Middle East trip is purely religious.
However, the first speech on his arrival in Bethlehem showed that he is also willing to address pressing political issues.
On his way to Manger Square where he is holding an open-air mass, Pope Francis stopped to look at a high concrete wall that is part of the barrier Israel is building in and around the West Bank.
Israel says it is needed for security but the Palestinians see it as a land grab.
During the afternoon, Pope Francis will take a short flight to Tel Aviv where he will be formally welcomed to Israel by President Shimon Peres before flying on to Jerusalem.
Israel has issued restraining orders against several Jewish right-wing activists this week over concerns that they could try to disrupt the visit.
Twenty-six people were arrested overnight for throwing stones and bottles at police during a protest at a holy site on Mount Zion, reports say.
In Jerusalem, the Pope will commemorate the 50th anniversary of a historic meeting of Catholic and Orthodox leaders who moved to end 900 years of division between the two churches.
Pope Francis’ tour began on Saturday with a visit to Jordan.
He was welcomed by King Abdullah II. In a speech at the royal palace, he stressed the need for an “urgent” solution to the Syrian conflict.
Pope Francis praised Jordan for its “generous welcome” to Syrian refugees.
On Monday, Pope Francis is due visit the al-Aqsa mosque complex in Jerusalem’s Old City followed by the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall.
Pope Francis will be the fourth leader of the Roman Catholic Church to visit Jerusalem, after Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who went there in 2009.
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Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has been sentenced to six years in prison for bribery and fined 1 million shekels ($289,000).
Ehud Olmert’s spokesman said he would appeal to the Supreme Court and ask to be freed on bail until it had ruled. He had sought a non-custodial sentence.
He would be the first former head of government in Israel to be jailed.
Ehud Olmert, 68, was convicted in March over a real estate deal that took place while he served as mayor of Jerusalem.
Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has been sentenced to six years in prison for bribery
The Tel Aviv District Court found him guilty of two bribery charges and said he had accepted 500,000 shekels ($145,000) from the developers of a controversial apartment complex, known as Holyland, and another 60,000 shekels in a separate real estate project.
On Tuesday, Judge Uri Rozen said bribery offences “contaminate the public sector” and “cause the structure of government to collapse”.
He added: “People who receive bribes give rise to a feeling of disgust and cause the public to despise the state’s institutions. The taker of bribes is like a traitor who betrays the public trust that was given to him – trust without which a proper public service cannot be maintained.”
Ehud Olmert’s spokesman, Amir Dan, insisted he was innocent.
“This is a sad day where a serious and unjust verdict is expected to be delivered against an innocent man,” he said.
Ehud Olmert served as prime minister from 2006 to 2009, until a flurry of corruption allegations led to his resignation.
He was acquitted of most of the major charges eventually brought against him by prosecutors but was also found guilty of breach of trust and given a one-year suspended jail sentence.
Ehud Olmert was found to have made decision when he was minister of trade and industry that benefited clients of a close associate.
Israel has decided to cancel the release of a fourth group of Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said Palestinian actions had violated the terms of the release, which was part of a US-backed peace process.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has applied to 15 UN conventions, accusing Israel of backtracking on its promises.
Washington said Israel’s latest move “creates challenges”.
But White House spokesman Jay Carney said it would not deter US Secretary of State John Kerry from keeping talks between both sides going.
“There has been progress in narrowing some of the questions that have arisen as a result of the events of the last few days,” he said.
The previous three releases of Palestinian prisoners were deeply unpopular with the Israeli public
“Neither side has indicated that they want to walk away from the talks. They both indicated they want to find a way to move forward.”
Tzipi Livni was quoted as saying “new conditions were established and Israel cannot release the fourth batch of prisoners”.
She urged the Palestinians to avoid unilateral measures and return to the negotiating table, her spokesperson said.
In recent days, the US had reportedly been trying to broker a deal in which the Palestinians would agree to extend the peace talks beyond the end of April deadline in exchange for the releasing of prisoners by Israel, and the US would free Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard in return.
The previous three releases of Palestinian prisoners were deeply unpopular with the Israeli public because many of those freed had been convicted of murdering Israelis.
But the Palestinians – many of whom regard the prisoners as heroes – believed the final batch of prisoners would be freed under a US deal that got the talks started last year.
Each side blames the other for initiating that sequence of backward steps.
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Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has been convicted of bribery in a case which forced him to resign to office in 2008.
Ehud Olmert was convicted in what is known as the “Holyland affair” in which bribes were paid and received to speed up a luxury property development.
Ehud Olmert has been convicted of bribery in a case which forced him to resign to office in 2008 (photo Flash90)
The 68-year-old former prime minister has already been cleared in several other corruption trials.
He had denied wrongdoing and had hinted at a political comeback.
Delivering the verdict in Tel Aviv on Monday, Judge David Rozen said the case “exposed governance that grew more corrupt and rotten over the years”, with bribes paid to public officials,” the Associated Press news agency reported.
Former Kadima party leader Ehud Olmert succeeded Ariel Sharon as prime minister after the latter had a stroke in January 2006. He was mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003.
In 2012, Ehud Olmert was cleared of two major corruption charges but convicted of illegally granting favors to a business friend during his time as trade and industry minister under Ariel Sharon.
Israel has attacked several Syrian military sites in retaliation for a bombing that wounded four of its troops in the occupied Golan Heights.
Among the targets were a headquarters, a training facility and artillery batteries, the Israeli military said.
The Syrian army had “aided and abetted” the attack on a patrol near the ceasefire line on Tuesday, it added.
There has been no comment yet on the air strikes from Syria and it is not clear if there were any casualties.
The Israeli air force has conducted several aerial attacks on Syria since the uprising began three years ago.
Those air strikes are believed to have prevented the transfer of stockpiles of rockets from the Syrian government to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia Islamist movement that supports President Bashar al-Assad.
Israel has attacked several Syrian military sites in retaliation for a bombing that wounded four of its troops in the occupied Golan Heights
The choice of targets demonstrates that Israel is clearly blaming Syrian government forces, and not rebel fighters or units of Hezbollah for the attack on its patrol.
Israel has used artillery against Syrian targets on the Golan to respond in previous incidents, but its use of military aircraft on this occasion raises the incident to a more significant level.
At the start of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu warned that his country would act “forcefully” to defend itself against any attack.
The Golan Heights, a rocky plateau in south-western Syria, has a political and strategic significance that belies its size.
Israel seized the region from Syria in the closing stages of the 1967 Middle East War, and thwarted a Syrian attempt to retake it in 1973.
The two countries remain technically in a state of war, and UN observers are deployed to monitor a 44-mile-long demilitarized zone.
On Tuesday, the four Israeli soldiers were wounded, one of them seriously, when an explosive device was detonated as they approached the fence demarcating the demilitarized zone.
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Former PM Ariel Sharon have been described as an “indomitable” man devoted to the security of his people at his state memorial in Israel.
Israel’s current PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Ariel Sharon was “one of the greatest military commanders the Jewish people have had”.
Ariel Sharon, regarded by many Israelis as a great statesmen but widely loathed in the Arab world, died on Saturday at the age of 85 after 8 years in a coma.
He will be buried later at the family ranch in the Negev desert.
Thousands of mourners paid their final respects on Sunday, when Ariel Sharon’s coffin lay in state outside parliament – the Knesset – in Jerusalem.
There were some 20 foreign delegates and hundreds of Israeli dignitaries attending Monday’s memorial service.
They included US Vice-President Joe Biden, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Middle East international envoy Tony Blair, Czech PM Jiri Rusnok and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Delivering the first speech at the memorial, President Shimon Peres said Ariel Sharon was a “living military legend” who also always dreamed of peace for Israel.
He said Ariel Sharon’s shoulders had “borne the weight of the security of our people”.
Thousands of mourners paid their final respects to Ariel Sharon
Benjamin Netanyahu said Ariel Sharon’s “unique contribution to the security of the state is engraved in our historical writings”, adding: “Your memory will be part of this nation forever.”
Joe Biden described Ariel Sharon as an “indomitable bulldozer… The security of his people was his unwavering mission”.
The US vice-president also told the Israeli people: “As long as there is a United States of America, you are not alone.”
Describing Ariel Sharon as “bold, unorthodox and unyielding”, but also “warm-hearted, humorous, charming and passionate”, Tony Blair called the former PM “a giant of this land” who would “take his place in the history of Israel with pride”.
Ariel Sharon’s body was then taken in a funeral cortege for a brief military ceremony at Latrun, west of Jerusalem, where he was severely wounded in the 1948 war of independence.
His final journey is to the Sycamore ranch he owned near Sderot, close to Gaza.
Ariel Sharon will be buried beside his wife Lili, who died in 2000.
Because of its proximity to Gaza, three security rings are being placed around the farm.
The inner ring closest to the grave will be for family and invited guests alone, the second will be open to the public and the third will be a security measure surrounding the perimeter.
An Israeli security source said the Hamas government in Gaza had been warned to prevent any rocket attacks.
The Israeli military says a battery of the Iron Dome missile defense system is located nearby and that two rockets were launched from Gaza on Monday morning but did not reach Israel.
No-one from the Arab world, Africa or Latin America was attending Monday’s ceremonies.
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Arnon Milchan behind Hollywood hits Pretty Woman, LA Confidential and Fight Club has admitted he served for years as an Israeli spy, buying arms on its behalf and boosting its alleged nuclear program.
In a far-reaching interview aired Monday with Israel’s Channel 2 TV’s flagship investigative program Uvda, Arnon Milchan detailed a series of clandestine affairs in which he was involved and particularly how he helped purchase technologies Israel allegedly needed to operate nuclear bombs.
“I did it for my country and I’m proud of it,” said Arnon Milchan, who ran a successful fertilizer company in Israel before making it big in Hollywood.
Even there, Arnon Milchan says he continued with his clandestine work while maintaining close ties with Israel’s leadership.
Arnon Milchan has admitted he served for years as an Israeli spy
According to an unauthorized biography published two years ago, Arnon Milchan worked for Israel’s now-defunct Bureau of Scientific Relations, known as Lekem, which worked to obtain information for secret defense programs. The bureau was disbanded in 1987 after it was implicated in the spying affair for which Jonathan Pollard, a civilian intelligence analyst for the US Navy, was sentenced to life in prison.
Arnon Milchan, 68, also says other big Hollywood names were connected to his covert affairs.
“When I came to Hollywood I detached myself completely from my physical activities to dedicate myself to what I really wanted – filmmaking,” he said.
“(But) sometimes it gets mixed up.”
Arnon Milchan founded the New Regency film company and has produced more than 120 movies since the 1970s, working closely with directors such as Martin Scorsese, Sergio Leone, Roman Polanski and Oliver Stone. He forged an especially close relationship with Robert De Niro, who along with actors Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck, is featured in Uvda‘s broadcast.
“I had heard but I wasn’t sure,” Robert De Niro said, of Arnon Milchan’s activities.
“I did ask him once and he told me that he was an Israeli and of course he would do these things for his country.”
The new Iran nuclear deal has been called a “historic mistake”by Israel and some Republicans in US Congress.
“What was achieved last night in Geneva is not a historic agreement. It was a historic mistake,” Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting Sunday morning.
“Today the world become a much more dangerous place, because the most dangerous regime in the world took a significant step towards getting the most dangerous weapon in the world.”
The agreement between Iran and the US, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia aims to halt the progress of the Iranian nuclear program and rolls back key parts of it.
Earlier, Israel’s Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon called the agreement “extremely dangerous for the free world.”
“It goes without saying that all options remain on the table and that Israel has the capability – and the responsibility – to defend itself using any means necessary,” Danny Danon said in a statement.
The West and Israel fear that Iran has been seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Tehran denies this, saying its nuclear program is a peaceful energy project.
The White House has tried to reassure Israel that its fear that a deal would leave it vulnerable was unfounded. Late Saturday, President Barack Obama admitted huge challenges remain and said Iran’s promises will be put to the test over the next six months.
“As we go forward, the resolve of the United States will remain firm, as will our commitment to our friends and allies – particularly Israel and our Gulf partners, who have good reason to be skeptical about Iran’s intentions,” the president said.
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu called the new nuclear agreement with Iran as a historic mistake
Emphasizing the US commitment to Israel as well as his personal relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu, John Kerry said on Sunday that the two allies continue to share the same strategy and the US will not tolerate a nuclear Iran threatening Israel.
“There is no difference whatsoever between the United States and Israel about what the end goal is,” John Kerry said.
Earlier in the news conference, John Kerry said the agreement could not have been reached without the Iranians’ decision to come to the negotiating table. He said the next phase of talks, while even more difficult will also be more important
“If this first step leads to what is our ultimate goal – which is a comprehensive agreement – that will make the world safer,” he said.
An agreement with Iran will likely also affect US relations with Saudi Arabia, a Sunni nation, which is threatened by signs of improved US relations with Shiite Iran.
The UAE officially has welcomed the deal but at least one senior Gulf diplomat was much more critical and expressed skepticism over the deal.
The deal stipulates that Iran will commit to halt uranium enrichment above 5% and also to neutralize its stockpile of near-20% uranium. The Islamic Republic has also committed to halt progress on its enrichment capacity. Iran will also halt work at its plutonium reactor and provide access to nuclear inspectors.
In exchange, the US and its allies have agreed to offer Iran “modest relief” from economic sanctions and access to a portion of the revenue that the country has been denied through these sanctions. No new sanctions will be imposed.
The Obama administration also faces skeptics in Congress. Reaction poured in late Saturday and early Sunday and appeared to be divided along party lines.
Rep. Ed Royce, R-California, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, warned that the deal does not meet the standards necessary to protect the US and its allies.
“Instead of rolling back Iran’s program, Tehran would be able to keep the key elements of its nuclear weapons-making capability. Yet we are the ones doing the dismantling – relieving Iran of the sanctions pressure built up over years,” Ed Royce said in a statement.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, echoed those concerns, saying in a statement he found it “troubling” that the agreement “still permits the Iranians to continue enriching.”
“Iran’s long history of noncompliance with the U.N. Security Council is well known, as is its use of secret facilities to pursue its nuclear program,” Eric Cantor added.
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