Search focused on the Middle East

9+ min ago (228+ words) The data reveals that female officers in the IDF have surged by nine percentage points over the past five years, with women now accounting for 36% of the officer corps. Female non-commissioned officers have similarly increased by five percentage points over five years, with women now representing 31% of all IDF NCOs. Moreover, despite an acute manpower crisis and the voluntary departure of hundreds of career personnel, soldiers are returning to service. The data shows nearly half of the 1,386 career personnel who rejoined the military are women. Among second lieutenants and lieutenants, women's share rose from 41% in 2019 to 44% in 2024, while the captain rank saw an increase from 29% to 34%. More substantial advances occurred at the major rank, from 27% in 2019 to 33% in 2024, with the lieutenant colonel rank experiencing the sharpest jump, from 18% to 23%. Senior ranks tell a different story: Women's representation in the colonel…...

13+ min ago (161+ words) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded tonight (Monday) in the Knesset plenary to the opposition's claims during the 40-signature debate titled, "The Collapse of Israel's International Standing." He continued, "I am about to meet with President Trump for the sixth time since he entered the White House - more than any other leader in the world. Before every meeting, there's a regular ritual: You cry that there is 'collision' and 'arm twisting,' and every time, you're disappointed again." Netanyahu criticized the opposition's handling and claimed they are being exploited by anti-Israeli forces. "The antisemites of the world spread things that are said in this house." "The first quarter of this century was marked by an Islamic threat to the West. We are the hope in this struggle," Netanyahu said. The Prime Minister addressed the opposition's claims that he has not fought Hamas....

13+ min ago (40+ words) Real time news brief - Netanyahu: 'Antisemites of the world spread things said in the Knesset' - Israel National News flashes around the clock are waiting for you on the site Netanyahu: 'Antisemites of the world spread things said in the Knesset'...

18+ min ago (88+ words) [US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint press conference in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, September 29, 2025. (photo credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST)]The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump will hold a meeting on December 29. Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Trump to meet on Dec. 29, PMO confirms The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump will hold a meeting on December 29....

24+ min ago (261+ words) ALBAWABA- A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan late Monday, triggering urgent tsunami alerts and prompting thousands to evacuate coastal areas across Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)." The quake, hit at 11:15 p.m. local time with an epicenter about 73 kilometers east-northeast of Misawa in Aomori Prefecture, at a depth of 50 kilometers. The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed the magnitude, classifying the quake as a major event capable of widespread disruption. A 5.5-magnitude aftershock followed minutes later, intensifying concerns over structural vulnerabilities and additional seismic activity. Tsunami warnings forecast waves up to 3 meters along Japan's northeastern coast, an especially sensitive region still marked by the 2011 Tohoku catastrophe." Smaller waves were already recorded: 40-centimeter surges reached Mutsu Ogawara in Aomori and Urakawa in Hokkaido, while Iwate saw waves of up to 50 centimeters, prompting swift evacuations to higher ground....

24+ min ago (40+ words) Real time news brief - 'Life-changing': Shiloh visit leaves deep impact on US Christian delegation - Israel National News flashes around the clock are waiting for you on the site 'Life-changing': Shiloh visit leaves deep impact on US Christian delegation...

24+ min ago (480+ words) American Christian leaders who visited Shiloh told Arutz Sheva about the spiritual meaning of their visit, the welcome they received, and their commitment to support Israel. 'Life-changing': Shiloh visit leaves deep impact on US Christian delegation American Christian leaders who visited Shiloh told Arutz Sheva about the spiritual meaning of their visit, the welcome they received, and their commitment to support Israel. Participants in last week's tour of Shiloh, part of a mission that brought over 1,000 American Christian leaders and influencers to Israel, spoke with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News about their experience. They toured the ancient site of Shiloh last Friday as part of what organizers described as the flagship event of the largest public-diplomacy mission in Israel's history. Participants, brought to Israel through an initiative led by Dr. Mike Evans and the Friends of Zion organization in cooperation with…...

25+ min ago (593+ words) ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 794 Police raided the offices of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, in East Jerusalem Monday morning, according to the organization's chief, amid an ongoing Israeli crackdown on the organization's activities. Officers pulled down the UN flag atop the compound and replaced it with an Israeli flag, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said, accusing'Israel of "blatant disregard" for its obligation as a UN member state to respect the inviolability of UN premises. With trucks and forklifts, the authorities took "furniture, IT equipment and other property," Lazzarini said. The raid comes after the Knesset passed a pair of laws in late October 2024 banning UNRWA from operating within Israeli territory. Despite the ban, UNRWA operations, including schools, healthcare and other social services, are still hobbling along in East Jerusalem. Israeli police told AFP in a statement…...

26+ min ago (94+ words) [Children evacuated from Moshav Yevul at a hostel near the Dead Sea. (photo credit: Moshav Yevul/TPS-IL)]Among Jewish boys, David claimed the top spot, while Levi came in second, and Ariel ranked third. Avigail emerged as the most popular name for Jewish girls, followed by Ayala and Sarah. Israeli parents favor traditional names, Mohammed shows declining popularity among Arab Israelis Among Jewish boys, David claimed the top spot, while Levi came in second, and Ariel ranked third. Avigail emerged as the most popular name for Jewish girls, followed by Ayala and Sarah....

43+ min ago (201+ words) ALBAWABA- Seven Yemeni fishermen died early Sunday after their wooden boat capsized in stormy waters off the Aden coast, Yemeni maritime authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said." The crew had been returning from an overnight fishing trip in the Gulf of Aden when sudden high winds struck around 3 a.m., overturning their 12-meter dhow and tossing all aboard into rough seas. Rescue teams from the Yemeni Coast Guard, assisted by local fishing cooperatives, recovered six bodies by midday. A seventh was found drifting several kilometers offshore. Two survivors, both in their 40s, were hospitalized with exposure-related symptoms and are now in stable condition. Captain Ahmed al-Mansoori, head of Aden's maritime rescue operations, said the crew was caught in "unseasonable, deadly weather" and stressed that fishermen remain "the backbone of the economy yet operate without adequate safety gear." "Preliminary findings suggest…...