https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/517788/feed The latest news on Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli politician and Prime Minister of Israel, Israel politics news and updates. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday vowed there would be no Hamas rule in Gaza as he attended a memorial event marking three years since the militant group’s October 7, 2023 attack. Monday is a national day of remembrance for the deadliest day in Israel’s history, with flags lowered to half mast on public buildings from 6.29am, the time the attack began. Speaking during a state ceremony at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said “we have achieved enormous... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369831/there-will-be-no-hamas-rule-gaza-netanyahu-vows-october-7-memorial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369831/there-will-be-no-hamas-rule-gaza-netanyahu-vows-october-7-memorial?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:05:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a security review of international flights to Israel on Sunday, after an attempt by an Omani co-pilot to crash an Israel-bound plane from Dubai. Netanyahu “has instructed the head of the National Security Council, Shmuel Ben Ezra, to appoint an examiner to conduct a thorough review of all security aspects of foreign civil aviation to Israel”, a statement from the premier’s office said. Calls have mounted in Israel for an investigation into the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369732/netanyahu-orders-security-review-international-flights-israel-after-flydubai-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369732/netanyahu-orders-security-review-international-flights-israel-after-flydubai-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 20:09:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Flydubai co-pilot who officials said nearly crashed a Tel Aviv-bound flight with 182 people aboard was barred from flying by his native Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views, a person familiar with the matter said on Saturday. The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, including a Gulf and Western diplomat. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. The United... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369644/flydubai-plane-attack-co-pilot-previously-barred-flying-oman-over-extremist-views?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369644/flydubai-plane-attack-co-pilot-previously-barred-flying-oman-over-extremist-views?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 04:53:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Indian airline captain who helped thwart an apparent attempt to crash a Flydubai flight described on Friday how he fought for his life in the minutes after his co-pilot stabbed him and the plane began a steep descent. Captain Smit Machchhar, recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital, told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised video call that he knew he had to get back on his feet to save his passengers. “I had so many wounds. I had fallen down,” he said from the hospital, his head... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369612/indian-pilot-hailed-hero-recalls-flydubai-cockpit-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369612/indian-pilot-hailed-hero-recalls-flydubai-cockpit-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 12:14:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Tehran was likely to be involved in an attack by a pilot on a Flydubai flight to Israel and that Iran would be “hit very hard” if it was. The co-pilot allegedly assaulted the captain before passengers managed to save the plane from crashing. Israel’s prime minister said the man had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination”. “I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said when asked by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369486/trump-vows-hit-iran-very-hard-if-linked-flydubai-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369486/trump-vows-hit-iran-very-hard-if-linked-flydubai-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:36:02 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado Chinese President Xi Jinping has left Washington, but he still has a place at the White House. At least two, in fact. Two different photographs of Xi with US President Donald Trump feature on its walls: a handshake image that Trump showed his guest during last week’s state visit, and another beside a Palm Room doorway showing the presidents standing side by side. Journalist Jacqueline Alemany shared an image of the Palm Room display on social media, noting that photographs of Trump with Xi and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369485/xi-leaves-washington-keeps-least-two-places-white-house-walls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369485/xi-leaves-washington-keeps-least-two-places-white-house-walls?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 19:10:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Investigators worked on Thursday to determine why an Omani pilot stabbed the captain of a flight to Israel, causing the plane to plummet dangerously before others on board landed it in Saudi Arabia. Passengers on the Flydubai plane – which was carrying 174 people, mostly Israelis, from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv – have described how the bloodied Indian captain managed to open the cockpit door to let them in before they grappled with the co-pilot and stabilised a descent so sharp that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369475/investigators-probe-why-co-pilot-stabbed-captain-flydubai-flight-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369475/investigators-probe-why-co-pilot-stabbed-captain-flydubai-flight-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:45:07 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk An Indian pilot’s extraordinary bravery during an apparent mid-air hijack attempt has ignited a wave of national pride, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailing the pilot as a hero for saving 174 lives on a Flydubai plane – adding a dramatic chapter to a career that began almost by chance. Captain Smit Machchhar was critically injured after taking the brunt of a knife attack on Wednesday, but managed to open the cockpit door so crew and passengers could overpower the attacker. “Captain Smit... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3369424/indian-pride-swells-flydubai-pilot-who-saved-174-lives-hailed-absolute-hero?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3369424/indian-pride-swells-flydubai-pilot-who-saved-174-lives-hailed-absolute-hero?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 05:18:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel’s leader credited the Indian pilot of a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, as well as the aircraft’s passengers, with averting catastrophe on Wednesday after the man was attacked by his co-pilot, sparking a fight for control of the aircraft and forcing an emergency landing. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot of the Flydubai jet had been trying to crash it and kill all its passengers, with Israel’s foreign ministry denouncing the incident as “an attempted terrorist attack” aimed at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369392/israel-pm-hails-indian-pilot-wounded-diverted-flydubai-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369392/israel-pm-hails-indian-pilot-wounded-diverted-flydubai-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 20:45:03 +0000 Reuters Reuters Passengers on a ⁠Flydubai flight reached Israel safely on Wednesday after customers and crew foiled a co-pilot’s attempt to ⁠crash the aircraft, Israeli officials said, in a struggle that began when he stabbed the pilot and sent the jet plunging nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Passengers and crew entered the cockpit, overpowered the co-pilot and enabled a second pair of Flydubai pilots who were aboard the flight to land the jet safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Israeli officials... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369318/flydubai-flight-israel-diverted-saudi-arabia-after-incident-cockpit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369318/flydubai-flight-israel-diverted-saudi-arabia-after-incident-cockpit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:54:04 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. Recently, Iran announced seven conditions for restarting negotiations with the United States. As it did in the failed memorandum of understanding signed earlier, Iran has made ending the conflict in Lebanon the first condition. Iran is no longer treating Lebanon only as a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3369157/why-lebanon-crucial-irans-negotiations-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3369157/why-lebanon-crucial-irans-negotiations-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel’s domestic security service filed a complaint against a television channel that reported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the UAE, his office said on Monday, the government’s first acknowledgement of the trip despite not naming the destination. “This evening the Shin Bet filed a complaint with the Chief Military Censor, demanding that Channel 12 be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law following a severe censorship violation,” read a statement from Netanyahu’s office, which... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369118/israel-security-agency-files-complaint-over-tv-report-netanyahu-visited-uae?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369118/israel-security-agency-files-complaint-over-tv-report-netanyahu-visited-uae?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 22:25:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ⁠visited Abu Dhabi and met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Sunday, a senior Israeli official told Reuters. There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office and the UAE’s foreign ministry. Israeli TV channels 12 and KAN, as well as newspapers Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post, also reported that Netanyahu undertook a one-day visit to the UAE to meet Mohamed. The visit comes ‌after Haaretz this month reported that Mohamed had... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3368981/israel-revokes-diplomatic-status-dutch-diplomats-ramallah?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3368981/israel-revokes-diplomatic-status-dutch-diplomats-ramallah?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2026 20:23:45 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press UK police said that five men arrested in the early hours of Sunday near an airbase used by the United States during its war against Iran are being held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act that appeared to involve three vehicles. London’s Metropolitan Police, which takes the lead on potential terrorist activities, said police received a call at 12.45am related to the three suspicious vehicles that appeared to be travelling towards RAF Fairford, a UK-owned base that is operated by the US... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3368968/uk-arrests-5-after-incident-near-airbase-used-us-bombers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3368968/uk-arrests-5-after-incident-near-airbase-used-us-bombers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2026 14:00:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The leader of Hamas brushed aside the possibility of change from Israel’s coming election in an interview, saying he expected Israelis to campaign off Gaza’s “blood”. “Whether this or that person comes to power, or this party or another – our people have suffered at the hands of all Israeli parties,” Khalil al-Hayya told the Qatari station Al-Araby on Saturday. “We absolutely refuse to allow the blood, suffering and cause of the Palestinian people to serve as fuel for Israeli elections. What... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3368926/hamas-leader-says-israel-use-blood-palestinians-fuel-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3368926/hamas-leader-says-israel-use-blood-palestinians-fuel-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2026 01:31:33 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Han Zheng, China’s vice-president, called on “major countries” to respect the sovereignty and security of Middle Eastern nations and bring about a two-state solution for the “Palestinian question” on Saturday at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in an implicit dig at the US and Israel. This came as some analysts questioned why Chinese President Xi Jinping opted not to address the global body given his three-day summit in Washington with US President Donald Trump this week – despite the short... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368923/why-xi-jinping-skipped-un-after-his-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368923/why-xi-jinping-skipped-un-after-his-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 23:04:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and Emmy winner Hannah Einbinder were among a reported 100 people detained by police in New York on Thursday as they broke up a protest against the Israeli prime minister. NYPD officers handcuffed and led away Thelma & Louise star Sarandon at the demonstration as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was readying to address the United Nations General Assembly. The New York Post reported Einbinder, of the show Hacks, had also been frogmarched from the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368728/hollywood-star-susan-sarandon-among-100-arrested-new-york-anti-netanyahu-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368728/hollywood-star-susan-sarandon-among-100-arrested-new-york-anti-netanyahu-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 23:43:58 +0000 dpa dpa UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has told Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a face-to-face meeting that Britain will “not tolerate intimidation, threats or hostile activity on UK soil” from groups linked to his country. Miliband met his Iranian counterpart in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday. The Foreign Office said the pair discussed the war in the Middle East, the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the UK’s “unwavering resolve to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368726/uk-will-not-tolerate-intimidation-foreign-secretary-tells-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368726/uk-will-not-tolerate-intimidation-foreign-secretary-tells-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 23:05:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Lashing out at his country’s critics, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu angrily dismissed allegations of Israeli genocide in Gaza as “the biggest lie of the century” in a defiant speech to the UN General Assembly that asserted his nation’s right to wage war against Iran. Scores of delegates trooped out of the hall in protest. Netanyahu addressed the plenum after days of speeches by world leaders condemning Israel’s war in Gaza and accusing him of orchestrating a genocide against the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368717/abbas-accuses-israel-waging-genocidal-war-gaza-pre-recorded-un-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368717/abbas-accuses-israel-waging-genocidal-war-gaza-pre-recorded-un-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 17:40:03 +0000 Reuters Reuters Hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza have returned to in-person teaching for the first time in nearly three years, albeit in damaged or makeshift school buildings and tents, and with uniforms, notebooks and pens unaffordable for many families. The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) says 98 per cent of schools in Gaza were either destroyed or damaged during the war, and Gaza education ‌officials say about 660,000 students have been deprived of in-person learning and regular... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3368299/gaza-children-return-person-schools-first-time-3-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3368299/gaza-children-return-person-schools-first-time-3-years?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 15:32:33 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Under a global cloud of wars and bitter divisions, world leaders meet at the United Nations in New York this week facing new fears that runaway artificial intelligence could threaten humanity even as climate shocks and escalating prices are already making life much tougher for hundreds of millions of people. The annual high-level gathering at the UN General Assembly will also be consumed with major wars in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo and Myanmar and a persisting question: can the leaders... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368291/world-leaders-meet-un-planet-grapples-climate-change-wars-runaway-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368291/world-leaders-meet-un-planet-grapples-climate-change-wars-runaway-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 13:54:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump’s administration has prepared sanctions against the entire International Criminal Court (ICC) and plans to announce them soon, two sources familiar with the matter said, ‌a move that would step up its attack on the global tribunal that prosecutes war crimes and genocide worldwide. The Trump administration has made no secret of its disdain for the court and has worked to undermine it. US officials want the court to drop its arrest warrants against Israeli leaders as well... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368180/trump-administration-prepares-sanctions-against-international-criminal-court-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368180/trump-administration-prepares-sanctions-against-international-criminal-court-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 22:22:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press For the Palestinian relief non-profit behind a US$1 million pledge from rapper Macklemore, the Grammy winner’s latest contributions offer more than just money. Macklemore committed to donate his net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after he was dropped for making pro-Palestinian comments on stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. The goal, he wrote in a Wednesday post on social media, was to “bring the conversation back to where it belongs” – the Palestinian people – after a 48-hour period... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3368123/macklemores-us1-million-pledge-brings-relief-attention-palestinians-suffering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3368123/macklemores-us1-million-pledge-brings-relief-attention-palestinians-suffering?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 13:22:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel’s defence minister said Wednesday it was only a matter of time before the country resumes full-scale war in Gaza and moves to force out its 2 million Palestinians. Israel Katz, who is known for outspoken remarks, was responding to criticism from another right-wing contender ahead of October 27 elections. Katz said 70 per cent of Gaza had already been emptied of its population in the Israeli offensive launched after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. He said that an October 2025... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367686/israel-prepared-finish-job-gaza-and-remove-palestinians-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367686/israel-prepared-finish-job-gaza-and-remove-palestinians-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 07:03:11 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain The Middle East stands on the precipice of a new nuclear age, with Saudi Arabia set to acquire American uranium enrichment technology and Turkey eager to follow suit, as Iran weighs withdrawal from the treaty that bars it from making atomic bombs. Momentum is building: last week, the United States and Israel both threatened further air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, accusing Tehran of attempting to resurrect its nuclear programme. The country’s three main complexes were buried deep... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367595/doing-north-korea-why-middle-east-could-be-entering-new-nuclear-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367595/doing-north-korea-why-middle-east-could-be-entering-new-nuclear-age?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:00:14 +0000 dpa dpa Israel’s top military officer on Monday ordered lawyers to examine steps against the filmmakers behind the Gaza war documentary NAZA that took the jury’s special prize at the Venice Film Festival. Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir instructed the military prosecutor to “examine and advance possible legal measures concerning the film and those involved in it”, the military posted on social media. The statement cited “the spread of false claims about soldiers of the Israeli army as well as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367509/israeli-army-chief-orders-legal-review-gaza-war-documentary-naza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367509/israeli-army-chief-orders-legal-review-gaza-war-documentary-naza?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 18:34:05 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Winston Churchill famously praised the resilience of the British people during the Blitz, describing the nightly bombings of London as a “cruel, wanton, indiscriminate” attempt by Adolf Hitler to break the spirit of a tough “island race”. He was not wrong about the toughness and courage of his fellow citizens. But as one of the United Kingdom’s greatest leaders and historical writers, he created a false impression of the uniqueness of the British wartime experience. Strategic bombing alone,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3366939/us-israeli-failure-bomb-iran-submission-was-preordained?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3366939/us-israeli-failure-bomb-iran-submission-was-preordained?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:30:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel said Thursday it demolished key tunnels built by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group beneath the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, triggering a 4.1 magnitude tremor. Agence France-Presse journalists in the area heard several explosions. In a video shared by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, a huge fireball can be seen rising into the night sky. The explosion comes a few days after Israeli authorities claimed to have taken control of the Ali al-Taher ridge, saying that the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367135/israel-destroys-hezbollah-tunnel-network-south-lebanon-triggering-tremor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367135/israel-destroys-hezbollah-tunnel-network-south-lebanon-triggering-tremor?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 03:19:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A chilling new documentary about Israel’s AI-powered mass killing of civilians in Gaza from two Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers received a 25-minute ovation at its premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday. The audience clapped continuously for Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor after the screening, setting what is thought to be a record in Venice after a 23-minute ovation for another film about Gaza last year. In their film NAZA, Abraham and Szor used conversations with 24 different Israeli... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367128/israeli-film-ai-backed-gaza-killings-gets-25-minute-venice-ovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367128/israeli-film-ai-backed-gaza-killings-gets-25-minute-venice-ovation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 02:42:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters Britain, France and Canada on Tuesday moved to block imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, while a wider group of Western countries signalled they may take further steps to defend the two-state solution amid mounting concern over settlement expansion and violence in the territory. The trade measures are the latest in a series of actions targeting Israel’s settlement policy and underscore its growing diplomatic isolation among some of its traditional allies. British ‌Foreign... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3366817/uk-imposes-trade-ban-goods-israeli-west-bank-settlements?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3366817/uk-imposes-trade-ban-goods-israeli-west-bank-settlements?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:21:49 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Gadi Eisenkot, the main challenger to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused the sitting premier of looking merely after his own political survival and not the country’s security at a rally in central Israel on Monday. Unveiling the candidates of the Yashar party for the October 27 election, the former military commander said nothing about how he would handle the Palestinian question or the wars against Iran and Lebanon launched by Netanyahu, but accused him of ducking responsibility... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366694/netanyahus-main-challenger-accuses-israeli-pm-prioritising-survival-over-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366694/netanyahus-main-challenger-accuses-israeli-pm-prioritising-survival-over-security?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2026 20:51:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States ambassador to Israel condemned Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank again on Saturday, calling the behaviour an “act of terror” as he visited Palestinian American residents shaken by months of attacks. Mike Huckabee referred to such settlers as “terrorists”, a word that US officials usually reserve for Palestinian militants. “If there are squatters that come in and put up their own flags and take possession of something that does not belong to them, if they burn a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366501/us-ambassador-calls-violent-israeli-settlers-terrorists-after-weeks-west-bank-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366501/us-ambassador-calls-violent-israeli-settlers-terrorists-after-weeks-west-bank-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Sep 2026 16:50:54 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel has plans ready to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip but is waiting for the United States to figure out where to take them, the defence minister has said. “There is no real solution for Gaza in the end without this migration,” Defence Minister Israel Katz told a conference hosted by Israeli news site Ynet and newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday. The Israeli government “is organised and prepared to get them out – by sea, by air, by every way possible”, he said. The US embassy... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366150/israel-ready-remove-palestinians-gaza-once-us-approves-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366150/israel-ready-remove-palestinians-gaza-once-us-approves-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:43:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused security officials on Tuesday of intentionally failing to wake him on the morning of Hamas’ October 7 attacks, a day after his wife claimed an opposition figure knew of the onslaught in advance. Netanyahu is heading into close-fought elections later this year, and has come in for sustained criticism in the national debate over who is responsible for the failures that led to the October 7, 2023 security fiasco. The prime minister has alleged in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366052/netanyahu-accuses-security-officials-intentionally-not-waking-him-october-7?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366052/netanyahu-accuses-security-officials-intentionally-not-waking-him-october-7?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 04:13:39 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The US military launched new air strikes on Iran on Tuesday, marking the latest escalation in a six-month war that has seen President Donald Trump alternate between threats, economic sanctions and force. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on social media that the attacks were in response to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) recent attempted attacks on commercial ships in the strategic Strait of ‌Hormuz and against American service ‌members deployed ‌to the ‌region. “The strikes... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3366032/us-military-carries-out-new-strikes-iranian-targets-hostilities-flare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3366032/us-military-carries-out-new-strikes-iranian-targets-hostilities-flare?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 18:15:55 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Trita Parsi is co-founder and executive vice-president of the Quincy Institute, a Washington-based think tank. He is an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy and the geopolitics of the Middle East. He has written four books on US foreign policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran and Israel. Born in Iran, Parsi moved to Sweden with his family as a child and then to the United States as an adult. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365735/trita-parsi-why-us-air-strikes-strengthened-irans-hand-and-failed-trigger-revolt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365735/trita-parsi-why-us-air-strikes-strengthened-irans-hand-and-failed-trigger-revolt?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2026 22:00:06 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Israel’s escalating campaign to stop Syria rebuilding its military with Turkish help looks set to backfire, after Damascus signalled it was considering joining the new mutual-defence pact formed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Securing a Washington-mediated security deal with Israel was still Damascus’ top priority, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani reportedly told Roman Gofman, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, at a meeting in Amman on Sunday. Such a deal would see... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3365172/israels-strikes-push-syria-towards-mecca-defence-pact-membership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3365172/israels-strikes-push-syria-towards-mecca-defence-pact-membership?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2026 08:00:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Iran had attempted to assassinate one of his two sons, without offering further details. “Something incredible happened: Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to kill one of my sons,” Netanyahu said during a phone interview with Israel’s Channel 14. The claim came during a discussion about reports that the Shin Bet domestic security agency had declined to provide a security detail for Gadi Eisenkot, the former army chief who is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3365128/netanyahu-says-iran-tried-kill-one-his-sons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3365128/netanyahu-says-iran-tried-kill-one-his-sons?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2026 01:57:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Military officials from Uganda and Burundi visited Israel last week to discuss deploying troops to Gaza as part of an international security force envisioned by US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” for the fragile ceasefire, according to officials. An official with the board said that Ugandan officials had joined a Burundian military delegation and that Uganda was finalising details of its participation after its parliament approved the troop contribution this month. Nothing has been... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3365030/east-african-troops-prepare-gaza-peacekeeping-role-us-backed-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3365030/east-african-troops-prepare-gaza-peacekeeping-role-us-backed-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2026 06:14:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Syria said it held talks with Israel in Jordan on Sunday on de-escalation after recent Israeli strikes, and on keeping the country out of tensions between Israel and Turkey, an ally of Damascus. The high-level negotiations came after the sides in January agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism as they edge towards a security agreement. They also came after Israel bombed the disused Abu Al-Duhur airbase in the country’s northwest earlier in the week, claiming it wanted to avert... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3364997/syria-holds-talks-israel-addressing-de-escalation-and-israel-turkey-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3364997/syria-holds-talks-israel-addressing-de-escalation-and-israel-turkey-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Aug 2026 23:04:18 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Fears of a military confrontation between Israel and Turkey are growing after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to assert dominance over Syria by ordering air strikes on a military airfield near the Turkish border. The eight strikes on the Abu Al-Duhur airbase in northwest Idlib province on Tuesday were characterised by Netanyahu as a warning to Turkey against expanding its military presence in Syria or helping rebuild the Syrian armed forces. Netanyahu’s office claimed Israel and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364901/israel-turkey-tensions-rise-after-netanyahu-orders-strikes-syrian-airbase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364901/israel-turkey-tensions-rise-after-netanyahu-orders-strikes-syrian-airbase?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Turkey has sought an international arrest warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of “genocide” linked to Israel’s interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, the justice minister announced Friday. Turkey has become a virulent critic of Israel’s war in Gaza. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has frequently accused Netanyahu of “genocide”. Israel’s interception of the flotilla carrying some 430 activists in May sparked an international outcry. France, Italy and Australia... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3364892/turkey-issues-genocide-warrant-israels-netanyahu-over-gaza-flotilla?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3364892/turkey-issues-genocide-warrant-israels-netanyahu-over-gaza-flotilla?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:58:27 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan has spent years casting the International Criminal Court as a pillar of the rules-based order. This week, its closest ally sanctioned the Japanese judge who leads it. The move has left Tokyo in an uncomfortable bind: defend Tomoko Akane, the Japanese president of The Hague-based court, and risk antagonising US leader Donald Trump, or temper its criticism and appear weak in the face of an attack on an institution central to Japan’s rule-of-law diplomacy. Washington’s sanctions, announced on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364741/japan-faces-nightmare-scenario-it-struggles-defend-icc-judge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364741/japan-faces-nightmare-scenario-it-struggles-defend-icc-judge?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:38 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse After more than two years of taking on Israel’s enemies across the Middle East, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a tough re-election fight, is zeroing in on another perceived villain – Turkey. On Tuesday, warplanes bombed a base in northern Syria a short drive from the Turkish border. Netanyahu said Turkey was looking to establish a military presence there and that, after it ignored Israel’s warnings: “We made sure they understood it more clearly.” Heading into the October 27 election,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3364623/netanyahu-casts-turkey-israels-new-villain-amid-tough-re-election-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3364623/netanyahu-casts-turkey-israels-new-villain-amid-tough-re-election-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:36:37 +0000 Reuters Reuters The United States imposed sanctions on Tuesday on the International Criminal Court’s president and a senior trial lawyer at the court, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. The move is the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign against The Hague-based court, which was established ‌in 2002 by the international community to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. The US is not a member of the court. Rubio said in a statement that he was imposing sanctions on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3364483/us-sanctions-international-criminal-court-chief-tomoko-akane?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3364483/us-sanctions-international-criminal-court-chief-tomoko-akane?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2026 19:48:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner on Monday wrapped up two days of meetings with Israeli and Hamas leaders to break a stalemate over the US president’s Gaza plan, but no breakthrough appeared imminent as both sides dug in. Kushner met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, a day after meeting Hamas’ political leader in Egypt to revive the plan, which has ‌stalled as Israel has carried out air strikes and grabbed more territory in Gaza despite an October ceasefire, while... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3364309/us-envoy-kushner-meets-netanyahu-after-visiting-hamas-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3364309/us-envoy-kushner-meets-netanyahu-after-visiting-hamas-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:25:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press An extremist Israeli lawmaker in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition publicly advocated for killing “30 to 40” people in Gaza each night, comments that surfaced Sunday and were quickly shared by Palestinian media. Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir made the statement while speaking to a former Gaza-held hostage, Rom Braslavski, on Braslavski’s podcast. The two were discussing Israel’s recovery from the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, when Ben-Gvir criticised Israel’s recent... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3364239/far-right-ben-gvir-urges-israel-kill-30-40-every-night-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3364239/far-right-ben-gvir-urges-israel-kill-30-40-every-night-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2026 04:21:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US negotiator and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with the Hamas chief on Sunday in a new diplomatic effort to make progress in the stalled Gaza ceasefire. Kushner will meet Israel’s prime minister on Monday. The talks aim to salvage the new 15-point, US-backed road map for Hamas to disarm in Gaza and Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territory shattered by war. At stake are the lives of some 2 million people in Gaza and the reconstruction of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3364218/us-envoy-kushner-visits-hamas-leader-push-gaza-road-map-netanyahu-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3364218/us-envoy-kushner-visits-hamas-leader-push-gaza-road-map-netanyahu-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:14:26 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people on Saturday, in the deadliest attacks since a truce between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect on June 20. Lebanon’s health ministry and state news agency said an air strike that targeted a home on the edge of Ansar village killed seven people, including three children, and wounded two. The second, on the village of Deir al-Zahrani, killed four and wounded 17. Israel and the Lebanese government announced a “framework agreement”... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3364163/israeli-air-strikes-lebanon-kill-11-people-another-test-truce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3364163/israeli-air-strikes-lebanon-kill-11-people-another-test-truce?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2026 18:15:51 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel on Wednesday carried out its first air strike in more than a week in Gaza, both sides said, breaking a relative lull as the US pressed a peace plan. The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas commander, charging that he had been planning attacks against Israeli forces operating in the war-battered territory. “The terrorist was struck in an aerial strike in order to remove the threat to IDF troops,” a military statement said, adding that it tried to mitigate civilian harm. Gaza’s civil... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3363827/1-killed-israels-first-gaza-strike-over-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3363827/1-killed-israels-first-gaza-strike-over-week?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:42:46 +0000