No choice but to finish job: Netanyahu defends his planned military offensive in Gaza
He is speaking to foreign media in Jerusalem and defending a planned military offensive. He asserts that "our goal is not to occupy Gaza, our goal is to free Gaza." He is also pushing back against what he calls a "global campaign of lies" as condemnation of the plan grows both inside and outside Israel.
Netanyahu said there is a "fairly short timetable" in mind for next steps in Gaza.
The goals there, he said, include demilitarising Gaza, the Israeli military having "overriding security control" there and a non-Israeli civilian administration in charge.
The prime minister also said he had directed Israel's military in recent days to "bring in more foreign journalists" — which would be a striking development as they have not been allowed into Gaza beyond military embeds.
Netanyahu again blamed many of Gaza's problems on the Hamas militant group, including civilian deaths, destruction and shortages of aid.
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Economic Times
20 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Israelis stage nationwide protests to demand end to Gaza war and release of hostages
Synopsis Demonstrators waved Israeli flags and carried photos of hostages as whistles, horns, and drums echoed at rallies across the country, while some protesters blocked streets and highways, including the main route between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Reuters Police tackle protesters in Tel Aviv, Israel after families of hostages have called for a nationwide strike to demand the return of all hostages and an end to the war in Gaza, August 17, 2025. TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM: Thousands of Israelis took part in a nationwide strike on Sunday in support of families of hostages held in Gaza, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war and release the remaining captives. Demonstrators waved Israeli flags and carried photos of hostages as whistles, horns, and drums echoed at rallies across the country, while some protesters blocked streets and highways, including the main route between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. 'Today, everything stops to remember the highest value: the sanctity of life,' Anat Angrest, the mother of hostage Matan Angrest, told reporters at a public square in Tel those who met with families of hostages in Tel Aviv was Israeli Hollywood actress Gal Gadot, known for her role as Wonder Woman and starring in the Fast & the Furious of Sunday, some businesses and institutions said they would allow staff to join the nationwide strike, which was called by the hostages' families. While some businesses closed, many also remained open across the country on what is a working day in Israel. Schools are on summer recess and were not affected. A major rally is scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv in the police said that 38 demonstrators had been detained by 2 p.m. (11 a.m. GMT) Some protesters blocking roads scuffled with police, and were carried away by across the country were briefly halted around 4 p.m. local time when air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and elsewhere, warning of an incoming missile fired from Yemen. The missile was intercepted without CAMPAIGNOn Sunday, Netanyahu told the cabinet: "Those who call today for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas' position and delaying the release of our hostages. They are also ensuring that the horrors of October 7 will repeat themselves over and over again."The prime minister, who leads the country's most right-wing government in history, said his government was determined to implement a decision for the military to seize Gaza City, one of the last major areas of the enclave it does not already decision is widely unpopular among Israelis and many of the hostages' families, who fear an expanded military campaign in Gaza could risk the lives of their loved ones still held captive. There are 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza, of which Israeli officials believe around 20 are still alive."There is no time – not for the lives wasting away in hell, nor for the fallen who may vanish in the ruins of Gaza," said the Hostages Families Forum, which represents many families of captives held in Gaza, on nearly two years of war in Gaza, ignited by the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023, most of the hostages who have been freed so far emerged as a result of diplomatic towards a ceasefire that could have seen more hostages released collapsed in July. The Palestinian militant group Hamas has said it would only free the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war, while Netanyahu has vowed that Hamas cannot stay in Israeli government has faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, including from some of its closest European allies, over the announcement that the military would soon seize Gaza Sunday, Hamas called the plan criminal, saying it would force the displacement of hundreds of thousands from Gaza than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza, according to local health officials there. They said on Sunday at least 29 had been killed in the past 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken into Gaza during Hamas' attack on Israel. Over 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since leader Yair Lapid, who attended a rally in Tel Aviv, expressed support for the protesters."The only thing that strengthens the country is the wonderful spirit of the people who are going out from home today for Israeli solidarity," he wrote on X.
News18
20 minutes ago
- News18
Israels growing frustration over war in Gaza explodes in nationwide protests
Jerusalem, Aug 17 (AP) Israeli police blasted crowds with water cannons and made dozens of arrests on Sunday as thousands of protesters demanding a deal to free hostages in Gaza aimed to shut down the country with a one-day strike that blocked roads and closed businesses. Groups representing families of hostages organised the demonstrations as frustration grows in Israel over plans for a new military offensive in some of Gaza's most populated areas, which many fear could further endanger the remaining hostages. Fifty hostages remain, and 20 of them are believed to still be alive. 'We don't win a war over the bodies of hostages," protesters chanted in one of the largest and fiercest protests in 22 months of war. Even some former Israeli army and intelligence chiefs now call for a deal to end the fighting. Protesters gathered at dozens of places including outside politicians' homes, military headquarters and on major highways. They blocked lanes and lit bonfires. Some restaurants and theaters closed in solidarity. Police said they arrested 38 people. 'The only way to bring (hostages) back is through a deal, all at once, without games," former hostage Arbel Yehoud said at a demonstration in Tel Aviv. Her boyfriend Ariel Cunio is still being held by Hamas. One protester carried a photo of an emaciated Palestinian child from Gaza. Such images were once rare at Israeli demonstrations but now appear more often as outrage grows over conditions there for civilians after more than 250 malnutrition-related deaths. Netanyahu opposes any deal that leaves Hamas in power An end to the conflict does not seem near. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is balancing competing pressures including the potential for mutiny within his coalition. 'Those who today call for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas' position and delaying the release of our hostages, they are also ensuring that the horrors of Oct 7 will be repeated," Netanyahu said, referencing the Hamas-led attack in 2023 that killed some 1,200 people and sparked the war. The last time Israel agreed to a ceasefire that released hostages earlier this year, far-right members of his cabinet threatened to topple Netanyahu's government. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday called the demonstrations 'a bad and harmful campaign that plays into Hamas' hands, buries the hostages in the tunnels and attempts to get Israel to surrender to its enemies and jeopardize its security and future." The new offensive would require the call-up of thousands of reservists, another concern for many Israelis. Another 17 aid-seekers killed in Gaza Hospitals and witnesses in Gaza said Israeli forces killed at least 17 aid-seekers on Sunday, including nine awaiting UN aid trucks close to the Morag corridor. Hamza Asfour said he was just north of the corridor awaiting a convoy when Israeli snipers fired, first to disperse the crowds, then from tanks hundreds of meters (yards) away. He saw two people with gunshot wounds. 'It's either to take this risk or wait and see my family die of starvation," he said. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which runs the Israeli-backed and US-supported distribution points that have become the main source of aid since they opened in May, said there was no gunfire 'at or near" its sites, which are located in military-controlled areas. Israel's military did not immediately respond to questions. Israel's air and ground war has displaced most of Gaza's population and killed more than 61,900 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not specify how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. Two children and five adults died of malnutrition-related causes Sunday, according to the ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The UN and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own. The United Nations has warned that levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest since the war began. Most aid has been blocked from entering Gaza since Israel imposed a total blockade in March after ending a ceasefire. Deliveries have since partially resumed, though aid organisations say the flow is far below what is needed. Fears of the coming military offensive It is not clear when Israel's military will begin the new offensive in the crowded Gaza City, Muwasi and what Netanyahu has called the 'central camps" of Gaza. The military body that coordinates its humanitarian aid to Gaza, COGAT, this weekend noted plans to forcibly evacuate people from combat zones to southern Gaza 'for their protection." Designated 'safe zones," however, also have been bombed during the war. War-weary Palestinians on Sunday insisted that they won't leave, arguing that there is 'no safe place" in Gaza. 'There are no humanitarian zones at all," said Raghda Abu Dhaher, who said she has been displaced 10 times during the war and now shelters in a school in western Gaza City. Mohamed Ahmed also insisted that he won't move south. 'Here is bombing and there is bombing," he said. Airstrike on power plant in Yemen Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's capital Sunday, escalating strikes on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who since the war in Gaza began have fired missiles at Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea. The Houthi-run Al-Masirah Television said the strikes targeted a power plant in the southern district of Sanhan, sparking a fire and knocking it out of service. Israel's military said the strikes were launched in response to missiles and drones aimed at Israel. While some projectiles have breached its missile defences — notably during its 12-day war with Iran in June — Israel has intercepted the vast majority of missiles launched from Yemen. Its military later Sunday said it had intercepted another. (AP) RD RD (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 18, 2025, 00:00 IST News agency-feeds Israels growing frustration over war in Gaza explodes in nationwide protests Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘One language, one voice': Trump admin enforces English-only policy; Housing Dept removes translated material from website
Department of Housing and Urban Development (Image: X/@HUDgov) The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is moving to make English the sole language for nearly all of its services and operations, New York Post reported quoting an internal memo. HUD Deputy Secretary Andrew Hughes wrote that the policy shift follows President Trump's March executive order declaring English the official language of the United States. The memo, to be sent Monday, instructs HUD leadership to begin implementing the changes immediately. 'We are one people, united, and we will speak with one voice and one language to deliver on our mission of expanding housing that is affordable, helping those in need, caring for our most vulnerable Americans, and revitalizing rural, tribal, and urban communities,' the memo read. The policy does include limited exceptions. HUD will still provide translation services in cases required by law, such as under the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Violence Against Women Act. The department will also continue to provide accommodations for people who are hearing- or vision-impaired. 'HUD will continue to ensure that all persons have meaningful access to HUD programs and services,' Hughes stressed, adding that the department also 'will continue to provide communication services to the hearing and seeing impaired, and persons with related disabilities.' Until now, HUD supported translation into more than 200 languages and even operated a dedicated interpretation line for immigrants with limited English proficiency. That approach began under President Bill Clinton in 2001, who signed an executive order to expand language access to federal services. Trump's executive order revoked Clinton's directive and HUD officials say rolling back translation services will cut costs. It noted that 'nothing in this order, however, requires or directs any change in the services provided by any agency.' Hughes directed that all non-English materials be removed from HUD offices and websites and replaced with English-only versions. The new changes at department are set to be 'effective immediately'. 'All HUD communications, correspondence, and physical and digital published materials will be produced exclusively in English and that we will no longer offer non-English translation services,' Hughes' memo states. 'Additionally, please immediately remove all printed or digital collateral about non-English translation services currently displayed in HUD offices or HUD-funded facilities. Printed or digital collateral not in English can be replaced with an English-only version.' The justice department issued guidance to all federal agencies last month on implementing Trump's executive order. It plans to release updated instructions in about six months, along with a public comment period to consider possible revisions.
