162-647: Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician, serving as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. He is chair of the Likud party. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history, having served a total of over 17 years. Born to secular Jewish parents, Netanyahu was raised in West Jerusalem and
324-404: A coma , observed Mashal's symptoms to be consistent with an opioid overdose . They administered the antidote, which saved Mashal's life. According to Ronen Bergman based on internal IDF sources, Mashal's antidote only secured the release of the two Mossad Kidon agents that were carrying out the assassination attempt. At least six other Mossad agents involved in the operations were holed up in
486-477: A rocket barrage and a few thousand militants breaching the Gaza–Israel barrier , attacking Israeli civilian communities and military bases. During this attack, 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, including 815 civilians. In addition, 251 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive into Gaza , with the stated goal to force Israel to release Palestinian prisoners and detainees . Hamas said its attack
648-421: A rotation agreement between Netanyahu and Benny Gantz . This collapsed in 2020, leading to a March 2021 election . In June 2021, Netanyahu was removed from the premiership, before returning after the 2022 election . Netanyahu's coalition pursued judicial reform , which was met with protests in early 2023 . In October 2023, Israel suffered a large-scale attack by Hamas -led Palestinian groups, triggering
810-434: A year old baby, his 4-year-old brother and their mother , 13 women aged 18–39, and 85 men, some over 80. Thousands of Palestinians remain in administrative detention . A Hamas official said that after the exchange, the only remaining hostages were civilian men and soldiers, and refused to exchange them until "all our prisoners are freed" and there is a ceasefire. US National Security Advisor Kirby said "Hamas agreed to allow
972-533: A Pittsburgh SWAT unit allowed his speeches to continue downtown at the hall and the Duquesne Club as well as suburban Robert Morris University . On 12 September 2002, Netanyahu testified (under oath as a private citizen) before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding the nuclear threat posed by the Iraqi régime: "There is no question whatsoever that Saddam
1134-399: A bloated public sector and excessive regulations were largely responsible for stifling economic growth. His plan involved a move toward more liberalized markets , although it was not without its critics. He instituted a program to end welfare dependency by requiring people to apply for jobs or training, reduced the size of the public sector, froze government spending for three years, and capped
1296-585: A civil war. Netanyahu refused, and the incident quickly grew in political significance. With Israeli-Jordanian relations rapidly deteriorating, King Hussein threatened to void the historic 1994 peace between the two countries should Mashal die. U.S President Bill Clinton intervened and compelled Netanyahu to turn over the antidote. The head of Mossad, Danny Yatom , flew to Jordan, with Netanyahu's consent, bringing an antidote to treat Mashal. The doctors at King Hussein Medical Center , where Mashal lay in
1458-455: A coalition, Netanyahu secured his third prime ministership. In 2015 , Netanyahu managed to stay in power. Multiple disagreements with his coalition members led to the 2019–2022 Israeli political crisis . In 2021, Naftali Bennett became prime minister. He was succeeded in July 2022 by his coalition partner, Yair Lapid . In December 2022, Benjamin Netanyahu returned to the prime ministership, as
1620-484: A colleague of Mitt Romney , with whom he formed a lasting friendship. Romney described Netanyahu at the time as "a strong personality with a distinct point of view", and said, "We can almost speak in shorthand ... [w]e share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar." Netanyahu said that their "easy communication" was a result of "B.C.G.'s intellectually rigorous boot camp". In 1978, Netanyahu appeared on Boston local television, under
1782-403: A device to Mashal's left ear that transmitted a fast-acting poison. Mashal's bodyguards were suspicious prior to the attack and were able to chase the agents down and capture them. Other agents were also found and captured. In an interview, he described the attack as "a loud noise in my ear ... like a boom, like an electric shock." Initially, he thought the agents had failed to hurt him but later in
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#17327650897481944-404: A government on 4 May 2006, becoming the official prime minister. Aside from the position of Acting Prime Minister, there are also vice prime ministers and deputy prime ministers. The interim prime minister ( Hebrew : ראש הממשלה בפועל , Rosh HaMemshala Ba-foal lit. "prime minister de facto") is appointed by the government if the incumbent is dead or permanently incapacitated, or if his tenure
2106-546: A half years, despite taking a break to fight in the Yom Kippur War. Professor Leon B. Groisser at MIT recalled: "He did superbly. He was very bright. Organized. Strong. Powerful. He knew what he wanted to do and how to get it done." At that time he changed his name to Benjamin " Ben " Nitai (Nitai, a reference to both Mount Nitai and to the eponymous Jewish sage Nittai of Arbela , was a pen name often used by his father for articles). Years later, in an interview with
2268-467: A majority in the Knesset. He then presents a government platform and must receive a vote of confidence from the Knesset to take office. In practice, the prime minister is usually the leader of the largest party in the governing coalition. Since it all but impossible for one party to win a majority in the Knesset, all Israeli governments have been coalitions between two or more parties. Between 1996 and 2001,
2430-402: A majority. While only two parties—Mapai/Labour and Likud—had ever led governments, the large number of parties or factions in a typical Knesset usually prevents one party from winning the 61 seats needed for a majority. In 1996, when the first such election took place, the outcome was a surprise win for Benjamin Netanyahu after election polls predicted that Peres was the winner. However, in
2592-413: A misfired Palestinian rocket as the cause, but stated that further investigation was required. Forensic Architecture 's investigation, as reported by The New York Times , Bloomberg News , BBC News , and El País , disputed Israel's account, concluding instead that the blast was the result of a munition fired from the direction of Israel. A second report by Forensic Architecture took into account
2754-575: A part of the order, the IDF announced a six-hour window from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time on 13 October, for refugees to flee south along specified routes within the Gaza Strip. An explosion at 5:30 p.m. along one of the safe routes killed 70 Palestinians. Israel and Hamas blamed each other for the attack. The IDF said Hamas set up roadblocks to keep Gaza residents from evacuating south and caused traffic jams. Israeli officials stated this
2916-571: A response, Netanyahu authorized the assassination of Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Jordan. On 25 September 1997, Mossad agents acting under orders from Netanyahu and his security cabinet attempted to assassinate him. The agents entered Jordan on fake Canadian passports and disguised as tourists. Two of them waited at the entrance of the Hamas offices in Jordan's capital Amman, and, as Mashal walked into his office, one of them came up from behind and held
3078-436: A result of the previous month's election . If the prime minister dies in office, the cabinet chooses an interim prime minister to run the government until a new government is placed in power. Yigal Allon served as interim prime minister following Levi Eshkol's death, as did Shimon Peres following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. According to Israeli law, if a prime minister is temporarily incapacitated rather than dies (as
3240-525: A role in his defeat in the 1999 Israeli general election . After being defeated by Ehud Barak in the 1999 Israeli prime ministerial election , Netanyahu temporarily retired from politics. He subsequently served as a senior consultant with Israeli communications equipment manufacturer BATM Advanced Communications for two years. With the fall of the Barak government in late 2000, Netanyahu expressed his desire to return to politics. By law, Barak's resignation
3402-402: A senior commander on the scene. The nearby Indonesia Hospital 's surgical director said they had received 120 dead bodies and treated 280 wounded, the majority of them women and children. The attack resulted in several ambassador recalls. According to The New York Times at least two 2,000-pound bombs, the second largest type in Israel's arsenal, were used. On 31 October, Israel bombed
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#17327650897483564-406: A six-story apartment building in central Gaza, killing at least 106 civilians including 54 children in what Human Rights Watch called an "apparent war crime." On 1 November, the first group of evacuees left Gaza for Egypt. 500 evacuees, comprising critically wounded and foreign nationals, would be evacuated over the course of several days, with 200 evacuees already waiting at the border crossing. On
3726-644: A street in Amman . The plot was exposed and two agents were arrested by the Jordanian police while three others hid in the Israeli embassy which was then surrounded by troops. An angry King Hussein demanded Israel to give out the antidote and threatened to annul the peace treaty. Netanyahu relented to the demands after pressure by US President Bill Clinton and ordered the release of 61 Jordanian and Palestinian prisoners including Sheikh Ahmad Yassin . The incident sent
3888-622: A stroke in January 2006, in the midst of election season, leading Ehud Olmert to become acting prime minister in the weeks leading to the elections. He was voted by the cabinet to be interim prime minister just after the 2006 elections , when Sharon had reached 100 days of incapacitation. He thus became Israel's third interim prime minister, only days before forming his own new government as the official Prime Minister of Israel. In 2008, amid accusations of corruption and challenges from his own party, Olmert resigned. However, his successor Tzipi Livni
4050-621: A surprise move, Sharon offered the Foreign Ministry to Silvan Shalom and offered Netanyahu the Finance Ministry . Some pundits speculated that Sharon made the move because he deemed Netanyahu a political threat given his demonstrated effectiveness as foreign minister, and that by placing him in the Finance Ministry during a time of economic uncertainty, he could diminish Netanyahu's popularity. Netanyahu accepted
4212-520: A temporary ceasefire agreement, providing for a four-day pause in hostilities to allow for the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza. The deal also provided for the release of approximately 150 Palestinian women and children incarcerated by Israel. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated Israel's intention to continue the war. Following the introduction of a Qatari-brokered truce on 24 November, starting at 7:00 am Israel time , active fighting in
4374-560: A third of its tree cover and farmland , most of its schools and universities , hundreds of cultural landmarks , and at least a dozen cemeteries . Nearly all of the strip's 2.3 million Palestinian population have been forcibly displaced . Over 100,000 Israelis were internally displaced as of February 2024. Throughout the war, Israel assassinated several Hamas leaders in and outside of Gaza. The war continues to have significant regional and international repercussions. Large, primarily pro-Palestinian protests have taken place across
4536-658: A total blockade under pressure from US President Joe Biden and a deal was made on 19 October for Israel and Egypt to allow aid into Gaza. The first aid convoy after the start of the war entered Gaza on 21 October 2023, while fuel did not enter Gaza until November. On 13 October, the IDF called for the evacuation of all civilians in Gaza City to areas south of the Wadi Gaza within 24 hours. The Hamas Authority for Refugee Affairs responded by telling residents in northern Gaza to "remain steadfast in your homes and stand firm in
4698-426: Is appointed by the cabinet to serve as interim prime minister. In the case of Sharon, elections were already due to occur within 100 days of the beginning of his coma; thus, the post-election coalition-building process pre-empted the emergency provisions for the selection of a new prime minister. Nevertheless, Olmert was appointed interim prime minister on 16 April 2006, after the elections , just days before he formed
4860-519: Is in Jerusalem . The current prime minister is Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud , the ninth person to hold the position (excluding caretakers). Following an election, the president nominates a member of the Knesset to become prime minister after asking party leaders whom they support for the position. The first candidate the president nominates has 28 days to form a viable government that can command
5022-493: Is predominantly Ashkenazi , he has said that a DNA test revealed him to have some Sephardic ancestry. He claims descent from the Vilna Gaon . Netanyahu was the second of three children. He was initially raised and educated in Jerusalem , where he attended Henrietta Szold Elementary School. A copy of his evaluation from his 6th grade teacher Ruth Rubenstein indicated that Netanyahu was courteous, polite, and helpful; that he
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5184-450: Is seeking and is working and is advancing towards the development of nuclear weapons – no question whatsoever", he said. "And there is no question that once he acquires it, history shifts immediately." In his testimony, Netanyahu also said, "If you take out Saddam, Saddam's regime, I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations on the region." After the 2003 Israeli legislative election , in what many observers regarded as
5346-576: The 1996 election , becoming the youngest person in the history of the position and the first Israeli prime minister to be born in the State of Israel ( Yitzhak Rabin was born in Jerusalem, under the British Mandate of Palestine, prior to the 1948 founding of the Israeli state). Netanyahu's victory over the pre-election favorite Shimon Peres surprised many. The main catalyst in the downfall of
5508-490: The 2008 Israel–Hamas ceasefire , like others in the Knesset opposition. Specifically, Netanyahu said: "This is not a relaxation, it's an Israeli agreement to the rearming of Hamas ... What are we getting for this?" In the first half of 2008, doctors removed a small colon polyp that proved to be benign. Prime minister of Israel The prime minister of Israel ( Hebrew : רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה , romanized : Rosh HaMemshala , lit. 'Head of
5670-602: The Gaza Strip and Israel since 7 October 2023. It is the fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict since 2008, and the most significant military engagement in the region since the Yom Kippur War in 1973. It is the deadliest war for Palestinians in the history of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict . The war began when Hamas-led militant groups launched a surprise attack on Israel on 7 October, which involved
5832-516: The Gaza disengagement plan . Netanyahu returned to lead Likud in 2005 and was leader of the opposition between 2006 and 2009. After the 2009 legislative election , Netanyahu formed a coalition with other right-wing parties and became prime minister again. He led Likud to victory in the 2013 and 2015 elections . Netanyahu made his closeness to Donald Trump , a friend since the 1980s, central to his appeal from 2016. During Trump's first presidency ,
5994-661: The International Court of Justice published in July 2024 affirmed the occupation as being illegal and said it violated Article 3 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination , which prohibits racial segregation and apartheid. The attacks took place during the Jewish holidays of Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret on Shabbat , and one day after
6156-539: The Israel Defense Forces . He trained as a combat soldier and served for five years in a special forces unit of the IDF, Sayeret Matkal . He took part in numerous cross-border raids during the 1967–70 War of Attrition , including the March 1968 Battle of Karameh , when the IDF attacked Jordan to capture PLO leader Yasser Arafat but were repulsed with heavy casualties, rising to become a team-leader in
6318-577: The Israeli Labor Party left the coalition and vacated the position of foreign minister, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon appointed Netanyahu as foreign minister. Netanyahu challenged Sharon for the leadership of the Likud party in the 2002 Likud leadership election , but failed to oust him. On 9 September 2002, a scheduled speech by Netanyahu at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
6480-582: The Israel–Hamas war . Due to the failure to anticipate the attack, Netanyahu has been criticized for presiding over Israel's biggest intelligence failure in 50 years, and has faced protests calling for his removal. Netanyahu's government has been accused of genocide , culminating in the South Africa v. Israel case before the International Court of Justice in December 2023. In May 2024, Karim Khan ,
6642-470: The Netiv HaAsara massacre . In Sderot, gunmen targeted civilians and set houses ablaze. In Ofakim , hostages were taken during Hamas's deepest incursion. In Be'eri , Hamas militants took up to 50 people hostage . At least 325 people were killed and more injured at an outdoor music festival near Re'im and Hamas took at least 37 attendees hostage. Around 240 people were taken hostage during
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6804-589: The Re'im music festival massacre . The Israeli police denied the Haaretz report. A subsequent Israeli investigation claimed that militants had been instructed not to run so that the air force would think they were Israelis. This deception worked for some time, but pilots began to realize the problem and ignore their restrictions. By around 9:00 am, some helicopters started laying down fire without prior authorization. A July 2024 Haaretz investigation revealed that
6966-465: The Red Cross access to these hostages" during the pause, which "didn't happen and is still not happening". The Palestinian Prisoners' Club said that although 240 Palestinian prisoners were released as part of the ceasefire deal, another 240 Palestinians were incarcerated. Released Palestinian prisoners reported mistreatment including beatings, overcrowding, food deprivation, and suspension of access to
7128-754: The US recognized Jerusalem as capital of Israel , Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights , and brokered the Abraham Accords , normalization agreements between Israel and the Arab world . Netanyahu has faced criticism over expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank , deemed illegal under international law . In 2019, Netanyahu was indicted on charges of breach of trust, bribery and fraud , and relinquished all ministerial posts, except prime minister. The 2018–2022 Israeli political crisis led to
7290-622: The Yom Kippur War . He took part in special forces raids along the Suez Canal against Egyptian forces before leading a commando attack deep inside Syrian territory, the details of which remain classified today. Netanyahu returned to the United States in late 1972 to study architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After briefly returning to Israel to fight in the Yom Kippur War, he returned to
7452-723: The counter-terrorism hostage-rescue mission Operation Thunderbolt in which his unit rescued more than 100 mostly Israeli hostages hijacked by terrorists and flown to the Entebbe Airport in Uganda. Netanyahu was headhunted to be an economic consultant for the Boston Consulting Group in Boston, Massachusetts, working at the company between 1976 and 1978. At the Boston Consulting Group, he was
7614-459: The debate club , chess club , and soccer . He and his brother Yonatan grew dissatisfied with what they saw as the superficial way of life they encountered in the area, including the prevalent youth counterculture movement and the liberal sensibilities of the Reform synagogue, Temple Judea of Philadelphia , that the family attended. I have great respect for the unit. This is a unit that changes
7776-465: The first government was formed. Ben-Gurion retained his role until late 1953, when he resigned to settle in the Kibbutz of Sde Boker . He was replaced by Moshe Sharett . However, Ben-Gurion returned in a little under two years to reclaim his position. He resigned for a second time in 1963, breaking away from Mapai to form Rafi . Levi Eshkol took over as head of Mapai and prime minister. He became
7938-699: The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), announced his intention to apply for an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, along with members of his cabinet and Hamas leadership, for war crimes and crimes against humanity as part of the ICC investigation in Palestine . The ICC issued an arrest warrant on 21 November of the same year for Netanyahu along with former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas militant Mohammed Deif , whom Israel presumes dead after an airstrike . Netanyahu
8100-547: The "destruction of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad ". The Israel Electric Corporation , which supplies 80% of the Gaza Strip's electricity, cut off power to the area. This reduced Gaza's power supply from 120 MW to 20 MW, provided by power plants paid for by the Palestinian Authority. On 9 or 10 October, Hamas offered to release all civilian hostages held in Gaza if Israel would call off its planned invasion of
8262-769: The 1996 Israeli election were marred by a series of Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. After the Shin Bet assassinated Hamas military leader Yahya Ayyash on 5 January 1996, Mohammed Deif , now commander of the Qassam Brigades , organized a mass-casualty bombing campaign inside Israel as retaliation, including the Dizengoff Center suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and the two Jaffa Road bus bombings in Jerusalem. These operations were, in their scale, scope and sophistication, different and larger than any attacks of
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#17327650897488424-469: The 50th anniversary of the start of the Yom Kippur War , which also began with a surprise attack on Israel. At around 6:30 a.m. IDT (UTC+03:00) on 7 October 2023, Hamas announced the start of what it called " Operation Al-Aqsa Flood ", stating it had fired over 5,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel within a span of 20 minutes. Israeli sources reported that at least 3,000 projectiles had been launched from Gaza. At least five people were killed by
8586-614: The 7 October attack was a calculated effort to create a "permanent" state of war and revive interest in the Palestinian cause. After the initial breach of the Gaza perimeter by Palestinian militants, it took hours for the IDF to start its counter-attack. The first helicopters sent to support the military were launched from the north of Israel, and arrived at the Gaza Strip an hour after fighting began. They encountered difficulty in determining which outposts and communities were occupied, and distinguishing between Palestinian militants and
8748-547: The Alignment nor Likud able to form a government, a national unity government was formed with a rotating prime ministership – Shimon Peres took the first two years, and was replaced by Shamir midway through the Knesset term. Although the 1988 elections produced another national unity government, Shamir was able to take the role alone. Peres made an abortive bid to form a left-wing government in 1990, but failed, leaving Shamir in power until 1992. Rabin became prime minister for
8910-484: The Ansariya ambush. Netanyahu called it "one of the worst tragedies that has ever occurred to us". These major Israeli failures against Hamas and Hezbollah under Netanyahu's first premiership and their results in the subsequent releases of imprisoned Palestinian and Lebanese leaders from Israeli jails are thought to have dealt a blow to Netanyahu's rhetoric of a "tough stance" towards enemies of Israel, and to have played
9072-436: The Gaza Strip ceased and some of the Israeli and foreign hostages were released by Hamas in exchange for the release of some of the Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel. The truce was announced for a period of four days but was extended for a longer period. From 24 to 30 November, Hamas released hostages and Israel released prisoners. On 27 November, Qatar announced that an agreement between Israel and Hamas to extend
9234-417: The Gaza Strip, but the Israeli government rejected the offer. The IDF declared a "state of readiness for war", mobilized tens of thousands of army reservists , and declared a state of emergency for areas within 80 kilometers (50 mi) of Gaza. The Yamam counterterrorism unit was deployed, along with four new divisions, augmenting 31 existing battalions. Reservists were reported deployed in Gaza, in
9396-480: The Gaza Strip. In a televised broadcast, Netanyahu said, "We are at war". He threatened to "turn all the places where Hamas is organized and hiding into cities of ruins", called Gaza "the city of evil", and urged its residents to leave. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant conducted security assessments at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv . Overnight, Israel's Security Cabinet voted to act to bring about
9558-612: The Gaza-Israel border , which were violently suppressed by Israel, whose forces killed hundreds and injured thousands of Palestinians by sniper fire. Soon after the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis began, Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades , started planning the 7 October 2023 operation against Israel. According to diplomats, Hamas had repeatedly said in the months leading up to October 2023 that it did not want another military escalation in Gaza as it would worsen
9720-460: The Golan Heights, no discussion of the case of Jerusalem, no negotiations under any preconditions. In 1997, Netanyahu authorized a Mossad operation to assassinate Hamas leader Khaled Mashal in Jordan , just three years after the two countries had signed a peace treaty . The Mossad team, covering as five Canadian tourists, entered Jordan on 27 September 1997 and injected poison into Mashal's ears in
9882-529: The Government';, Hebrew acronym : רה״מ ; Arabic : رئيس الحكومة , Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma ) is the head of government and chief executive of the State of Israel . Israel is a parliamentary republic with a president as the head of state . The president's powers are largely ceremonial, while the prime minister holds the executive power. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Aghion ,
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#173276508974810044-529: The IDF ordered the Hannibal Directive to be used, adding: "Haaretz does not know whether or how many civilians and soldiers were hit due to these procedures, but the cumulative data indicates that many of the kidnapped people were at risk, exposed to Israeli gunfire, even if they were not the target." At 7:18 a.m., an observation post reported someone had been kidnapped at the Erez crossing, close to
10206-467: The IDF released a review exonerating itself, but it left many at Kibbutz Be'eri unsatisfied and contradicted the testimony from one of the survivors, Yasmin Porat, who told Israel's Kan radio on 15 October that Hamas gunmen had not threatened the hostages and instead intended to negotiate with police for their safe return to Gaza. She said an Israeli police special unit had started the gun battle by firing upon
10368-476: The IDF's liaison office. At 6:40 p.m. military intelligence believed militants were intending to flee back to Gaza in an organized manner from near Kibbutz Be'eri, Kfar Azza and Kissufim. In response the army launched artillery at the border fence area, very close to some of these communities. Shells were also fired at the Erez border crossing shortly thereafter. The IDF said it was not aware of any civilians being hurt in these bombardments. 14 hostages were in
10530-507: The IDF's role in fostering uncertainty through misinformation. On 27 October, the IDF launched a large-scale, multi-pronged ground incursion into parts of northern Gaza. The IDF was building up a force of over 100,000 soldiers in the cities of Ashkelon , Sderot and Kiryat Gat . Clashes between Hamas and the IDF were reported near Beit Hanoun and Bureij . Israeli airstrikes targeted the area around al-Quds hospital , where around 14,000 civilians were believed to be sheltering in or near
10692-462: The IDF, and the ongoing conflict prevented independent on-site analysis. Palestinian statements that it was an Israeli airstrike were denied by the IDF, which stated that the explosion resulted from a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad . The PIJ denied any involvement. The cause of the explosion at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital is contested. In the days after the blast, US, Canadian, French and UK defense and intelligence services concluded it
10854-649: The Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., while Arens was ambassador to the United States, a position he held from 1982 until 1984. During the 1982 Lebanon War , he was called up for reserve duty in Sayeret Matkal and requested to be released from service, preferring to remain in the US and serve as a spokesperson for Israel in the wake of harsh international criticism of the war. He presented Israel's case to
11016-483: The Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Following the defeat of the Likud party in the 1992 Israeli legislative elections the Likud party held a party leadership election in 1993 , and Netanyahu was victorious, defeating Benny Begin , son of the late prime minister Menachem Begin , and veteran politician David Levy (Sharon initially sought Likud party leadership as well, but quickly withdrew when it
11178-584: The Israeli cabinet voted 17 to 5 to approve the initial phase of withdrawal from Gaza . Following the withdrawal of Sharon from the Likud, Netanyahu was one of several candidates who vied for the Likud leadership. His most recent attempt prior to this was in September 2005 when he had tried to hold early primaries for the position of the head of the Likud party, while the party held the office of prime minister – thus effectively pushing Ariel Sharon out of office. The party rejected this initiative. Netanyahu retook
11340-477: The Israeli economy started booming and unemployment fell significantly, Netanyahu was widely credited by commentators as having performed an 'economic miracle' by the end of his tenure. However, opponents in the Labor party (and even a few within his own Likud) viewed Netanyahu's policies as "Thatcherite" attacks on the venerated Israeli social safety net. Ultimately, unemployment declined while economic growth soared,
11502-402: The Israeli embassy. King Hussein would only release them if Israel released Ahmed Yassin and a large number of other Palestinian prisoners. King Hussein needed the demands to be "enough to enable the king to be able to publicly defend the release of the hit team." In a 2008 interview, Mashal said of the attempt on his life: "[It] made me more positive about life. I became more courageous in
11664-640: The Jonathan Netanyahu Anti-Terror Institute, a non-governmental organization devoted to the study of terrorism; the Institute held a number of international conferences focused on the discussion of international terrorism. From 1980 to 1982, he was director of marketing for Rim Industries in Jerusalem. During this period Netanyahu made his first connections with several Israeli politicians, including Minister Moshe Arens . Arens appointed him as his Deputy Chief of Mission at
11826-413: The Knesset election held at the same time, Labour won more votes than any other party (27%). Thus Netanyahu, despite his theoretical position of power, needed the support of the religious parties to form a viable government. Ultimately Netanyahu failed to hold the government together, and early elections for both prime minister and the Knesset were called in 1999 . Although five candidates intended to run,
11988-450: The Knesset election, they garnered only 26 seats, the lowest ever by a winning party or alliance. Barak needed to form a coalition with six smaller parties to form a government. In early 2001, Barak resigned following the outbreak of the al-Aqsa Intifada . However, the government was not brought down, and only elections for prime minister were necessary. In the election itself , Ariel Sharon of Likud comfortably beat Barak, taking 62.4% of
12150-447: The Likud campaign slogan was, "Netanyahu – making a safe peace ". However, although Netanyahu won the election for prime minister, Peres's Israeli Labor Party received more seats in the Knesset elections . Netanyahu had to rely on a coalition with the ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and UTJ in order to form a government. A spate of suicide bombings reinforced the Likud position for security. Hamas claimed responsibility for most of
12312-630: The Middle East . Additionally, the Yemeni Houthi movement have engaged in attacks in the Red Sea on commercial vessels allegedly linked to Israel, incurring a US-led military response . The ongoing exchange of strikes between Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel escalated into an Israeli invasion of Lebanon on 1 October 2024. The 1948 Palestine war saw the establishment of Israel over most of what had been Mandatory Palestine , with
12474-767: The Oslo Accords, Prime Minister Netanyahu continued their implementation, but his Premiership saw a marked slow-down in the peace process. In 1996, Netanyahu and Jerusalem 's mayor Ehud Olmert decided to open an exit in the Arab Quarter for the Western Wall Tunnel , which prior prime minister Shimon Peres had instructed to be put on hold for the sake of peace. This sparked three days of rioting by Palestinians, resulting in dozens of both Israelis and Palestinians being killed. Netanyahu first met Palestinian President Arafat on 4 September 1996. Prior to
12636-693: The United States and, under the name Ben Nitay , completed a bachelor's degree in architecture in February 1975 and earned a master's degree from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1976. Concurrently, he was studying towards a doctorate in political science, until his studies were broken off by the death of his brother in the Entebbe raid . At MIT, Netanyahu studied a double-load while simultaneously taking courses at Harvard University , completing his bachelor's degree in architecture in two and
12798-582: The United States. He returned to Israel in 1967 to join the Israel Defense Forces and served in the Sayeret Matkal special forces as a captain before being honorably discharged. After graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Netanyahu worked for the Boston Consulting Group and moved back to Israel in 1978 to found the Yonatan Netanyahu Anti-Terror Institute . Between 1984 and 1988 Netanyahu
12960-541: The West Bank, and along borders with Lebanon and Syria. Residents near Gaza were asked to stay inside, while civilians in southern and central Israel were "required to stay next to shelters". The southern region of Israel was closed to civilian movement, and roads were closed around Gaza and Tel Aviv. While Ben Gurion Airport and Ramon Airport remained operational, multiple airlines cancelled flights to and from Israel. Israel Railways suspended service in parts of
13122-422: The attacks , mostly civilians. Captives in Gaza included children, festivalgoers, peace activists, caregivers, elderly people, and soldiers. Hamas militants also reportedly engaged in mutilation, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence . The 7 October attack was described as "an intelligence failure for the ages" and a " failure of imagination " on the part of the Israeli government. A BBC report on
13284-645: The blockade as a form of collective punishment . Due to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip , UNRWA reported that 81% of people were living below the poverty level in 2023, with 63% being food insecure and dependent on international assistance. Since 2007, Israel and Hamas, along with other Palestinian militant groups based in Gaza, have engaged in conflict, including in four wars in 2008–2009 , 2012 , 2014 , and 2021 . These conflicts killed approximately 6,400 Palestinians and 300 Israelis . In 2018–2019, there were large weekly organized protests near
13446-649: The bombings. As prime minister, Netanyahu raised many questions about many central premises of the Oslo Accords . One of his main points was disagreement with the Oslo premise that the negotiations should proceed in stages, meaning that concessions should be made to Palestinians before any resolution was reached on major issues, such as the status of Jerusalem , and the amending of the Palestinian National Charter . Oslo supporters had claimed that
13608-562: The border fence in five other places. Hamas militants also carried out an amphibious landing in Zikim . Militants killed civilians at Nir Oz , Be'eri , and Netiv HaAsara , and other agricultural communities , where they took hostages and set fire to homes. 52 civilians were killed in the Kfar Aza massacre , 108 in the Be'eri massacre (a loss of 10% of the kibbutz 's population) and 15 in
13770-473: The broader context of Israeli occupation as a cause of the war. The Associated Press wrote that Palestinians are "in despair over a never-ending occupation in the West Bank and suffocating blockade of Gaza". Several human rights organizations, including Amnesty International , B'Tselem and Human Rights Watch have likened the Israeli occupation to apartheid , although supporters of Israel dispute this characterization. However, an advisory opinion by
13932-660: The budget deficit at 1%. The taxation system was streamlined and taxes were cut, with the top individual tax rate reduced from 64% to 44% and the corporate tax rate from 36% to 18%. A host of state assets worth billions of dollars were privatized, including banks, oil refineries, the El Al national airline, and Zim Integrated Shipping Services . The retirement ages for both men and women were raised, and currency exchange laws were further liberalized. Commercial banks were forced to spin off their long-term savings. In addition, Netanyahu attacked monopolies and cartels to increase competition. As
14094-534: The country and replaced some routes with temporary bus routes, while cruise ships removed the ports of Ashdod and Haifa from their itineraries. Following the surprise attack, the Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes that they said targeted Hamas compounds, command centers, tunnels, and other targets. Israel employed its artificial intelligence Habsora ("The Gospel") software to automatically generate targets to be attacked. Two days after
14256-682: The country, open foreign bank accounts, hold foreign currency, and invest freely in other countries. Throughout his term, Netanyahu was opposed by the political left wing in Israel and lost support from the right because of his concessions to the Palestinians in Hebron and elsewhere, and due to his negotiations with Arafat generally. Netanyahu lost favor with the Israeli public after a long chain of scandals involving his marriage and corruption charges. In 1997, police recommended that Netanyahu be indicted on corruption charges for influence-peddling. He
14418-444: The day he developed a severe headache and began vomiting. He was rushed to a Jordanian hospital where his condition rapidly deteriorated. Immediately after the incident, Jordan's King Hussein demanded that Netanyahu turn over the antidote for the poison, threatening to sever diplomatic relations and to try the detained Mossad agents. King Hussein feared that the death of a Hamas leader would trigger riots in his kingdom, perhaps even
14580-461: The debt-to-GDP ratio dropped to one of the lowest in the world, and foreign investment reached record highs. Netanyahu threatened to resign from office in 2004 unless the Gaza pullout plan was put to a referendum. He later modified the ultimatum and voted for the program in the Knesset, indicating immediately thereafter that he would resign unless a referendum was held within 14 days. He submitted his resignation letter on 7 August 2005, shortly before
14742-450: The end of the eighth Knesset's term following a series of scandals. Those included the suicide of Housing Minister Avraham Ofer after police began investigating allegations that he had used party funds illegally, and the affair involving Asher Yadlin (the governor-designate of the Bank of Israel), who was sentenced to five years in prison for having accepted bribes. Rabin's wife, Leah ,
14904-504: The entry of food and fuel, saying "We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly". This drew criticism from Human Rights Watch (HRW) who described the order as "abhorrent" and as a "call to commit a war crime" and accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions over Gaza in violation of international law. On 10 October, an Israeli airstrike on a house in Deir al-Balah killed 18 people. Gallant backed down from implementing
15066-615: The exception of two separated territories that became known as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip , which were held by Jordan and Egypt respectively. Following the 1967 Six-Day War , Israel occupied the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The upcoming period witnessed two popular uprisings by Palestinians against the Israeli occupation ; the First and Second Intifadas in 1987 and 2000 respectively, with
15228-515: The face of death. My faith became stronger that a man does not die until his time comes. That is, I will die when God decides, not when Mossad decides. It also made me more resolute in fulfilling my responsibilities." On the same day that Hamas bombed the Ben Yehuda street in Jerusalem, Hezbollah executed a well-planned ambush on the IDF's naval specia forces Shayetet 13 in Ansariya, South Lebanon, killing 12 Israeli commandos. On 25 May 1998,
15390-619: The face of this disgusting psychological war waged by the occupation". The statement by Israel faced widespread backlash with numerous agencies such as Doctors Without Borders , the World Health Organization , the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and others condemning it as "outrageous" and "impossible" while calling for an immediate reversal of the order. As
15552-445: The father of future U.S. President Donald Trump . Prior to the 1988 Israeli legislative election , Netanyahu returned to Israel and joined the Likud party. In the Likud's internal elections, Netanyahu was placed fifth on the party list. Later on he was elected as a Knesset member of the 12th Knesset, and was appointed as a deputy of the foreign minister Moshe Arens , and later on David Levy . Netanyahu and Levy did not cooperate and
15714-466: The first prime minister to head the country under the banner of two parties when Mapai formed the Alignment with Ahdut HaAvoda in 1965. In 1968 he also became the only party leader to command an absolute majority in the Knesset, after Mapam and Rafi merged into the Alignment, giving it 63 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. On 26 February 1969, Eshkol became the first prime minister to die in office. He
15876-413: The hospital. Associated Press reported that Israeli airstrikes also destroyed roads leading to Al-Shifa hospital , making it increasingly difficult to reach. The following day, the IDF struck Jabalia refugee camp , killing 50 and wounding 150 Palestinians. Israel said a senior Hamas commander and dozens of militants in an underground tunnel complex were among those killed. Hamas denied the presence of
16038-492: The house of Pessi Cohen at Kibbutz Be'eri as the IDF attacked it, with 13 of them killed. Former Israeli Air Force officer Colonel Nof Erez said: "This was a mass Hannibal. It was tons and tons of openings in the fence, and thousands of people in every type of vehicle, some with hostages and some without." ABC News (Australia) said that not only soldiers but also Israeli civilians were targeted, citing testimonies from two incidents at Kibbutz Be'eri and Nir Oz. Six months later
16200-466: The house, catching "five or six" kibbutz residents outside in "very, very heavy crossfire". In the interview, she was asked: "So our forces may have shot them?" "Undoubtedly," she replied." The attack appeared to have been a complete surprise to the Israelis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency gathering of security authorities, and the IDF launched Operation Swords of Iron in
16362-422: The humanitarian crisis that occurred after the 2021 conflict. Hamas officials stated that the attack was a response to the Israeli occupation , blockade of the Gaza Strip , Israeli settler violence against Palestinians, restrictions on the movement of Palestinians , and imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians , whom Hamas sought to release by taking Israeli hostages. Numerous commentators have identified
16524-615: The incumbent's office and will be standing in for him for up to 100 consecutive days, while the incumbent is in office. Legally, the "100 consecutive days" limit, in the language of the law, only stipulates that the incumbent then is deemed to be permanently incapacitated and that the limited time for an acting prime minister to act in the incumbent's office is over. In 2006, Ehud Olmert, after standing in for Prime Minister Sharon for 100 consecutive days, as acting prime minister, did not automatically assume office as an interim prime minister. The government voted to appoint him, and in addition, he
16686-454: The intelligence failure commented that "it must have taken extraordinary levels of operational security by Hamas". Israeli officials later anonymously reported to Axios that the IDF and Shin Bet had detected abnormal movements by Hamas the day before the attack, but decided to wait for additional intelligence before raising the military's alert level. They also did not inform political leaders of
16848-707: The intelligence reports. A briefing in The Economist noted that "the assault dwarf[ed] all other mass murders of Israeli civilians", reasoning that "the last time before October 7th that this many Jews were murdered on a single day was during the Holocaust ." Hamas stated that its attack was a response to the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements , rising Israeli settler violence and recent escalations at Al-Aqsa . Intelligence and security officials from multiple Western countries, along with Hamas political officials, claimed that
17010-419: The interim and acting prime ministers' authorities are identical to those of a prime minister, with the exception of not having the authority to dissolve the Knesset. An 'interim government' ( Hebrew : ממשלת מעבר , Memshelet Ma'avar lit. "transitional government") is the same government, having been changed in their legal status, after the death, resignation, permanent incapacitation, or criminal conviction of
17172-494: The latter was a wave of suicide bombings shortly before the elections; on 3 and 4 March 1996 , Palestinians carried out two suicide bombings , killing 32 Israelis, with Peres seemingly unable to stop the attacks. During the campaign, Netanyahu stressed that progress in the peace process would be based on the Palestinian National Authority fulfilling its obligations – mainly fighting terrorism – and
17334-540: The latter's end seeing Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been governed by Hamas , an Islamist militant group, while the West Bank remained under the control of the Fatah -led Palestinian Authority . After Hamas' takeover, Israel imposed a blockade of the Gaza Strip , that significantly damaged its economy . The blockade was justified by Israel citing security concerns, but international rights groups have characterized
17496-614: The leadership on 20 December 2005, with 47% of the primary vote, to 32% for Silvan Shalom and 15% for Moshe Feiglin . In the March 2006 Knesset elections , Likud took the third place behind Kadima and Labor and Netanyahu served as Leader of the Opposition. On 14 August 2007, Netanyahu was reelected as chairman of the Likud and its candidate for the post of prime minister with 73% of the vote, against far-right candidate Moshe Feiglin and World Likud chairman Danny Danon . He opposed
17658-501: The media during the war and established a highly efficient public relations system in the Israeli embassy. Between 1984 and 1988, Netanyahu served as the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations . Netanyahu was influenced by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson , with whom he formed a relationship during the 1980s. He referred to Schneerson as "the most influential man of our time". At this time Netanyahu became friends with Fred Trump ,
17820-404: The media, Netanyahu clarified that he decided to do so to make it easier for Americans to pronounce his name. This fact has been used by his political rivals to accuse him indirectly of a lack of Israeli national identity and loyalty. In 1976, Netanyahu's older brother Yonatan Netanyahu was killed. Yonatan was serving as the commander of Benjamin's former unit, the Sayeret Matkal, and died during
17982-490: The meeting, the two leaders spoke by telephone. The meetings would continue through Autumn 1996. On their first meeting, Netanyahu said: "I would like to emphasize that we have to take into account the needs and the requirements of both sides on the basis of reciprocity and the assurance of the security and well-being of both Israelis and Palestinian alike." Arafat said: "We are determined to work with Mr. Netanyahu and with his government." The talks culminated on 14 January 1997, in
18144-425: The multi-stage approach would build goodwill among Palestinians and would propel them to seek reconciliation when these major issues were raised in later stages. Netanyahu said that these concessions only gave encouragement to extremist elements, without receiving any tangible gestures in return. He called for tangible gestures of Palestinian goodwill in return for Israeli concessions. Despite his stated differences with
18306-486: The murder of Ayyash. According to Mike Kelly , Hamas operative Hassan Salameh, who planned three of the attacks, was trained in Iran . In 2000, families of American victims of the attacks filed a lawsuit against Tlass, Kanaan and Iranian Minister of Intelligence Ali Fallahian . According to Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman , Deif's campaign of massive retaliation and the failure of Israeli intelligence services to prevent it,
18468-463: The name "Ben Nitai", where he argued: "The real core of the conflict is the unfortunate Arab refusal to accept the State of Israel ... For 20 years the Arabs had both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip , and if self-determination, as they now say, is the core of the conflict, they could have easily established a Palestinian state." In 1978, Netanyahu returned to Israel. Between 1978 and 1980, he ran
18630-409: The nascent Israeli-Jordanian relations plummeting. During his term, Netanyahu also began a process of economic liberalization, taking steps towards a free-market economy. Under his watch, the government began selling its shares in banks and major state-run companies. Netanyahu also greatly eased Israel's strict foreign exchange controls , enabling Israelis to take an unrestricted amount of money out of
18792-502: The new appointment. Sharon and Netanyahu came to an agreement that Netanyahu would have complete freedom as finance minister and have Sharon back all of his reforms, in exchange for Netanyahu's silence over Sharon's management of Israel's military and foreign affairs. As finance minister, Netanyahu undertook an economic plan in order to restore Israel's economy from its low point during the Second Intifada . Netanyahu claimed that
18954-556: The north. One of the airstrikes killed a senior Hamas military commander Ayman Nofal . In the afternoon, an Israeli strike hit a UNRWA school in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp , killing six and injuring 12. Late in the evening, an explosion occurred in the parking lot of the Al-Ahli Arabi Baptist Hospital in the center of Gaza City, killing hundreds. The cause of the explosion was disputed by Hamas and
19116-513: The past, and it has been alleged that both Syria and Iran had helped in their planning and financing. According to a report, Syrian Minister of Defense Mustafa Tlass instructed Ghazi Kanaan , the commander of Syrian forces in Lebanon , to establish links between Hezbollah and Hamas fighters, who were then trained both in Lebanon and in Iran and participated in the retaliatory operations for
19278-573: The peace process, which was the short-term goal of the attacks anyway. In 1997 Ali Fallahian, the iranian Intelligence Minister, authorized a new Hamas bombing campaign to further disrupt the peace process, and Hamas leader Khaled Meshal , then living in Amman , Jordan, picked Mahmoud Abu Hanoud, an expert bomb-maker in the West Bank , to construct the bombs, and sent five suicide bombers to detonate them simultaneously in Jerusalem on 30 July 1997 ( Mahane Yehuda market bombings ) and 4 September 1997 ( Ben Yehuda street bombings) ), killing 21 Israelis. As
19440-483: The peace process," in the words of the deputy head of the Shin Bet, Yisrael Hasson . Curiously enough, though, after the election, the attacks stopped for almost a year. Some said this was because of Arafat 's campaign against Hamas, and the arrest of many members of its military wing. Others believed that Hamas no longer had any reason to carry out suicide attacks, because Netanyahu had already almost completely stopped
19602-656: The president is at least nominal chief executive, while usually required by convention to act on the advice of the cabinet. The office of Prime Minister came into existence on 14 May 1948, the date of the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel , when the provisional government was created. David Ben-Gurion , leader of Mapai and head of the Jewish Agency , became Israel's first prime minister. The position became permanent on 8 March 1949, when
19764-665: The prime minister is Beit Aghion , at the corner of Balfour and Smolenskin streets in Rehavia , Jerusalem. Israel%E2%80%93Hamas war Ongoing Gaza Strip : West Bank : Militants inside Israel: Israel : Hezbollah–Israel conflict Gaza–Israel conflict Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war Israel–Yemen conflict Nuclear program of Iran International incidents An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas -led Palestinian militant groups has been taking place in
19926-483: The prime minister was directly elected, separately from the Knesset. The prime minister's position is greatly enhanced compared to his counterparts in other parliamentary republics because he is both de jure and de facto chief executive. This is because Basic Law: The Government explicitly vests executive power in the Government , of which the prime minister is the leader. In most other parliamentary republics,
20088-465: The prime minister, as well as after the prime minister's request to dissolve the Knesset (Israeli parliament) was published through the president's decree, or after it was defeated by a motion of no confidence (these actions are regarded by the law as "the Government shall be deemed to have resigned"), or after election and before the forming of a new government. Since 1974, the official residence of
20250-479: The reality of our lives even though its actions are a secret. Although it is a small unit, it influences all branches of the military ... My service in the unit strengthened my understanding of the risks involved behind approving operations and the risks that fighters are taking on. It is tangible and not theoretical for me. Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sayeret Matkal ( Maariv 2007) After graduating from high school in 1967, Netanyahu returned to Israel to enlist in
20412-411: The remains of Itamar Ilyah as well as body parts of at least two other soldiers who died in the Ansariya ambush were exchanged for 65 Lebanese prisoners and the bodies of 40 Hizbullah fighters and Lebanese soldiers captured by Israel. Among those returned to Lebanon, were the remains of Hadi Nasrallah, the son of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah , who was killed in a clash with IDF a week after
20574-706: The rivalry between the two only intensified afterwards. During the Gulf War in early 1991, the English-fluent Netanyahu emerged as the principal spokesman for Israel in media interviews on CNN and other news outlets. During the Madrid Conference of 1991 Netanyahu was a member of the Israeli delegation headed by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir . After the Madrid Conference Netanyahu was appointed as Deputy Minister in
20736-871: The rocket attacks. Explosions were reported in areas surrounding the strip and in cities in the Sharon plain including Gedera , Herzliya , Tel Aviv , and Ashkelon . Hamas employed tactics such as using aerial drones to disable Israeli observation posts, paragliders for infiltration into Israel, and motorcycles, which was unusual for Hamas. In the evening, Hamas launched another barrage of 150 rockets towards Israel, with explosions reported in Yavne , Givatayim , Bat Yam , Beit Dagan , Tel Aviv, and Rishon LeZion. Simultaneously, around 3,000 Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from Gaza using trucks, motorcycles, bulldozers, speedboats, and paragliders. They took over checkpoints at Kerem Shalom and Erez , and created openings in
20898-484: The same day, the Jabalia refugee camp was bombed for a second time. On 3 November, Israel struck an ambulance convoy directly in front of Al-Shifa Hospital, killing at least 15 people and injuring 60 more. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said one of its ambulances was struck "by a missile fired by the Israeli forces" about two meters from the entrance to al-Shifa hospital. The PRCS said another ambulance
21060-430: The second time when he led Labour to victory in the 1992 elections . After his assassination on 4 November 1995, Peres took over as prime minister. During the thirteenth Knesset (1992–1996) it was decided to hold a separate ballot for prime minister modeled after American presidential elections . This system was instituted in part because the Israeli electoral system makes it all but impossible for one party to win
21222-687: The signing of the Hebron Protocol . The signing of the Hebron Protocol with the Palestinian Authority resulted in the redeployment of Israeli forces in Hebron and the turnover of civilian authority in much of the area to the control of the Palestinian Authority . Eventually, the lack of progress of the peace process led to new negotiations which produced the Wye River Memorandum in 1998 which detailed
21384-404: The situated testimony of doctors, survivors, and journalists on the ground, as well as photogrammetry and 3D reconstruction, and gave additional credibility to the incident being an Israeli attack instead of a misfired Palestinian rocket. In April 2024 The New Yorker , citing investigations from Earshot and Forensic Architecture, highlighted doubts about a Palestinian rocket involvement and noted
21546-445: The soldiers and civilians on the ground. The helicopter crews initially sustained a high rate of fire, attacking approximately 300 targets in four hours. Later on the crews began to slow down the attacks and carefully select targets. According to Haaretz ' s journalist, a police source said that a police investigation indicated an IDF helicopter which had fired on Hamas militants "apparently also hit some festival participants" in
21708-536: The stated objectives of destroying Hamas and freeing hostages. Since the start of the Israeli invasion, over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed , more than half of them women and children . Israel's tightened blockade cut off basic necessities and attacks on infrastructure have destroyed Gaza's healthcare system and caused a severe hunger crisis, with a high risk of famine persisting as of November 2024 . By early 2024, Israeli forces had destroyed or damaged over half of Gaza's houses, at least
21870-510: The steps to be taken by the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority to implement the earlier Interim Agreement of 1995. It was signed by Netanyahu and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat , and on 17 November 1998, Israel's 120 member parliament, the Knesset , approved the Wye River Memorandum by a vote of 75–19. In a nod to the 1967 Khartoum conference , Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized a policy of "three no(s)": no withdrawal from
22032-487: The surprise attack, Israel said that 426 targets had been hit, including Beit Hanoun , homes of Hamas officials, a mosque, and the Watan Tower, an internet infrastructure hub. Israel also rescued two hostages before declaring a state of war for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War . On 9 October, Defense Minister Gallant announced a "total" blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off electricity and blocking
22194-486: The three representing minor parties ( Benny Begin of Herut – The National Movement , Azmi Bishara of Balad , and Yitzhak Mordechai of the Centre Party ) dropped out before election day, and Ehud Barak beat Netanyahu in the election . However, the new system again appeared to have failed; although Barak's One Israel alliance (an alliance of Labour, Gesher , and Meimad ) won more votes than any other party in
22356-584: The truce by two days had been reached. Both Israel and Hamas accused each other of violating the truce on 28 November. On 30 November, in a "last-minute agreement", Hamas released eight hostages in exchange for the release of 30 imprisoned Palestinians and a one-day truce extension. The truce expired on 1 December, as Israel and Hamas blamed each other for failing to agree on an extension. The disagreement centered on "how to define soldiers versus civilians and how many Palestinian prisoners Israel would release for its hostages". The remaining Israeli hostages include
22518-543: The unit. He was wounded in combat on multiple occasions. He was involved in many other missions, including the 1968 Israeli raid on Lebanon and the rescue of the hijacked Sabena Flight 571 in May 1972, in which he was shot in the shoulder. He was discharged from active service in 1972 but remained in the Sayeret Matkal reserves. Following his discharge, he left to study in the United States but returned in October 1973 to serve in
22680-412: The vote. However, because Likud only had 21 seats in the Knesset, Sharon had to form a national unity government. Following Sharon's victory, it was decided to do away with separate elections for prime minister and return to the previous system. The 2003 elections were carried out in the same manner as prior to 1996. Likud won 38 seats, the highest by a party for over a decade, and as party leader Sharon
22842-505: The world, calling for a ceasefire . The International Court of Justice is reviewing a case accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza , while the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders. The United States has given Israel extensive military aid and vetoed multiple UN Security Council ceasefire resolutions. Groups of the Axis of Resistance have attacked American military bases in
23004-518: Was Israel's ambassador to the United Nations . Netanyahu rose to prominence after election as chair of Likud in 1993 , becoming leader of the opposition . In the 1996 general election , Netanyahu became the first Israeli prime minister elected directly by popular vote, and its youngest. Netanyahu was defeated in the 1999 election and retired from politics, entering the private sector. He returned and served as minister of foreign affairs and finance , initiating economic reforms , before resigning over
23166-477: Was "responsible and punctual"; and that he was friendly, disciplined, cheerful, brave, active, and obedient. Between 1956 and 1958, and again from 1963 to 1967, his family lived in the United States in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania , a suburb of Philadelphia, while father Benzion Netanyahu taught at Dropsie College . Benjamin attended and graduated from Cheltenham High School and was active in
23328-488: Was accused of appointing an attorney general who would reduce the charges but prosecutors ruled that there was insufficient evidence to go to trial. In 1999, Netanyahu faced another scandal when the Israel Police recommended that he be tried for corruption for $ 100,000 in free services from a government contractor; Israel's attorney general did not prosecute, citing difficulties with evidence. The months leading up to
23490-504: Was also a member of prime minister's party, which enabled them to appoint him to the role. Shimon Peres was the foreign minister when Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated, and was voted unanimously to assume office as an interim prime minister until a new Government would be placed in power (that he later formed by himself). Yigal Allon was also voted to be the interim prime minister after Prime Minister Levi Eshkol suddenly died and served until Golda Meir formed her government. Both
23652-401: Was also found to have had an overseas bank account , which was illegal in Israel at the time. Menachem Begin became the first right-wing prime minister when his Likud won the 1977 elections , and retained the post in the 1981 elections . He resigned in 1983 for health reasons, passing the reins of power to Yitzhak Shamir . After the 1984 elections had proved inconclusive with neither
23814-729: Was born in 1949 in Tel Aviv . His mother, Tzila Segal (1912–2000), was born in Petah Tikva in the Ottoman Empire's Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem , and his father, Warsaw -born Benzion Netanyahu ( né Mileikowsky; 1910–2012), was a historian specializing in the Jewish Golden age of Spain . His paternal grandfather, Nathan Mileikowsky , was a rabbi and Zionist writer. When Netanyahu's father immigrated to Mandatory Palestine , he hebraized his surname from "Mileikowsky" to "Netanyahu", meaning "God has given." While his family
23976-513: Was canceled after hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters overwhelmed security and smashed through a glass window. Netanyahu was not present at the protest, having remained at his hotel throughout the duration. He later accused the activists of supporting terrorism and "mad zealotry". Weeks later on 1 October 2002 around 200 protesters met Netanyahu outside his Heinz Hall appearance in Pittsburgh although Pittsburgh Police , Israeli security and
24138-420: Was caused by an errant Palestinian rocket. Channel 4 news cast doubt on Israeli claims of a misfired Hamas rocket being responsible for the blast. The Associated Press , CNN , The Economist , The Guardian , and The Wall Street Journal concluded a Palestinian missile was the most likely explanation for the blast. In late November, an analysis by Human Rights Watch indicated the evidence pointed to
24300-410: Was done to use civilians as "human shields", which Hamas denied. A number of countries and international organizations condemned what they called Hamas's use of hospitals and civilians as human shields . On 17 October, Israel bombed areas of southern Gaza. Gazan Ministry of Health officials reported heavy overnight bombing killing over 70 people, including families who had evacuated from Gaza City in
24462-414: Was duly appointed Prime Minister. However, towards the end of his term and largely as a result of the deep divisions within Likud over Israel's unilateral disengagement plan , Sharon broke away from his party to form Kadima , managing to maintain his position as prime minister and also becoming the first prime minister not to be a member of either Labour or Likud (or their predecessors). However, he suffered
24624-408: Was ended due to a criminal conviction. Israeli law distinguishes the terms acting prime minister (מלא מקום ראש הממשלה), filling in for the incumbent prime minister, temporarily, and acting in the incumbent's office, while the incumbent is in office, and an interim prime minister in office. Only if the incumbent prime minister becomes temporarily incapacitated will the acting prime minister act in
24786-401: Was evident that he was attracting minimal support). Shamir retired from politics shortly after the Likud's defeat in the 1992 elections. Following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin at the end of a rally in support of the Oslo Accords , Rabin 's temporary successor Shimon Peres decided to call early elections in order to give the government a mandate to advance the peace process. Netanyahu
24948-437: Was fired on about a kilometer from the hospital. The next day, a UNRWA spokeswoman confirmed reports that Israel had conducted an airstrike against a UN-run school in the Jabalia refugee camp, killing 15 people. On 18 November Israeli strikes killed over 80 people in Jabalia refugee camp. Israel also attacked a clearly marked Médecins Sans Frontières convoy, killing two aid workers. On 22 November, Israel and Hamas reached
25110-469: Was in response to Israel's continued occupation , blockade of Gaza , expansion of settlements , Israel's disregard for international law , as well as alleged threats to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the general plight of Palestinians. After clearing militants from its territory, Israel launched one of the most destructive bombing campaigns in modern history and invaded Gaza on 27 October with
25272-456: Was one of the factors that led to the defeat of Prime Minister Shimon Peres and the Israeli Labor Party in the 1996 Israeli general election and the victory of the right-wing Likud party of Netanyahu, who opposed the Oslo peace process : The wave of terror in February and March 1996 was a case study in how suicide attacks could alter the course of history. At the beginning of February, Peres
25434-426: Was supposed to lead to elections for the prime minister position only. Netanyahu insisted that general elections should be held, claiming that otherwise it would be impossible to have a stable government. Netanyahu decided eventually not to run for the prime minister position, a move which facilitated the surprising rise to power of Ariel Sharon , who at the time was considered less popular than Netanyahu. In 2002, after
25596-583: Was temporarily replaced by Yigal Allon , whose stint lasted less than a month, as the party persuaded Golda Meir to return to political life and become prime minister in March 1969. Meir was Israel's first woman prime minister, and the third in the world (after Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Indira Gandhi ). Meir resigned in 1974 after the Agranat Commission published its findings on the Yom Kippur War , even though it had absolved her of blame. Yitzhak Rabin took over, though he also resigned towards
25758-476: Was the Likud's candidate for prime minister in the 1996 Israeli legislative election which took place on 29 May 1996 and were the first Israeli elections in which Israelis elected their prime minister directly. Netanyahu hired American Republican political operative Arthur Finkelstein to run his campaign, and although the American style of sound bites and sharp attacks elicited harsh criticism, Netanyahu won
25920-449: Was the case following Ariel Sharon's stroke in early 2006), power is transferred to the acting prime minister , until the prime minister recovers (Ehud Olmert took over from Sharon), for up to 100 days. If the prime minister is declared permanently incapacitated, or that period expires, the president of Israel oversees the process of assembling a new governing coalition, and in the meantime the acting prime minister or other incumbent minister
26082-473: Was unable to form a coalition government. In the election in the following year , while Kadima won the most seats, it was the Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu who was given the task of forming a government. He was able to do so, thus beginning his second term as Prime Minister of Israel. In the 2013 election , the Likud Yisrael Beiteinu alliance emerged as the largest faction. After forming
26244-418: Was up twenty points in the polls over his opposition, the conservative hawk Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu. By the middle of March, Netanyahu had closed the gap significantly, and Peres led by only five percentage points. On May 29, Netanyahu won by 1 percent of the vote. This was all due to the terror attacks, which Peres simply couldn't stop. Yahya Ayyash's disciples had ensured the right wing's victory and "derailed
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