Iran Signals Escalated Fighting in North as State Dept Urges Ramadan 'Religious Freedom' on Temple Mount

JERUSALEM, Israel – Fighting between Hezbollah and Israel intensified Thursday with fears of a wider war in the near future. That conflict may include Iranian-backed forces in Syria and Iraq.  The Syrian government accused Israel of major attacks in and around Damascus Wednesday. One building reportedly served as the headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in … Read more

Hezbollah Attacks Church in Israel, Fighting Intensifies on Lebanon Border Threatening Regional War

JERUSALEM, Israel – As the war with Hamas in Gaza rages with little sign of ending soon, fighting along Israel’s northern border is intensifying. Israel says Hezbollah is trying to draw the military into another conflict along the border with Lebanon and Syria, and Iran is backing all three of Israel’s foes, including the Houthis in Yemen. … Read more

Church leaders and aid agencies call for end to fighting in Gaza

(Photo: Christian Aid) Dozens of Church leaders and aid agencies have written a joint letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging an end to fighting in Gaza.  The letter says that generations of Palestinian families are being “wiped out” and expresses heartache at the destruction of schools, hospitals and religious sites. Nearly 70 church leaders … Read more

Battle Rages in Southern Gaza as Blinken Presses for Next Pause in Fighting

JERUSALEM, Israel – Tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East, as Iranian-backed Houthi rebels hit three commercial ships in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles. A U.S. warship patrolling the region shot down three Houthi drones in a skirmish that lasted for hours. There were no injuries, but the U.S. is vowing to consider all … Read more

Pause in Fighting Extended 48 Hours as Israelis Await Further Release of Hostages

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the four-day ceasefire two more days, in hopes that the pause will see the release of an additional 20 hostages. On Monday, 11 Israelis, including 2 mothers and 9 children, returned home after 52 days in captivity by Hamas.  Among the reunions: 15-year-old Dafna and her … Read more

Israeli Sources Say Hostage Deal Nearer, as Sirens Sound, Fighting Intensifies Around Gaza and North

JERUSALEM, Israel – Families of Israeli hostages gathered Monday outside Israeli’s military headquarters in Tel Aviv ahead of their meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet. The prime minister told the families that the return of the hostages is a “sacred mission,” and that he and his “friends” are responsible for their return. … Read more

As First US Citizens Leave Gaza, Biden Calls for Humanitarian 'Pause' in Fighting

JERUSALEM, Israel – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel Friday. His visit comes as Israel’s ground campaign moves to encircle Gaza City, and for the first time since the war began, foreign nationals, including Americans, are getting out of Gaza.  President Biden called Wednesday for a humanitarian “pause” in the conflict. The State … Read more

New Israeli Museum Honors Jewish Fighting Spirit, Victories During World War II and Israel's Independence

LATRUN, Israel – A new museum near Jerusalem aims to honor and expand the Jewish story of World War II. The result turns that story from one of victimhood to victory. A talking time elevator plays a film that recounts the story of that era: “From the start of the war til its end, the Germans and their … Read more