Headlines

Netanyahu seeks delay in ultra-Orthodox conscription row

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Israel's top court Thursday for a new delay on compulsory military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews, an issue that has put his ruling coalition at risk. Conscription of ultra-Orthodox men has long been a divisive issue in Israeli politics,

Mother recounts 'horror' of son's Gaza captivity

Four months after he was freed from captivity in Gaza, Eitan Yahalomi celebrated his bar mitzvah -- but his coming-of-age last week was far from a joyous occasion, his mother told AFP. In her first interview with international media since her son's release last November,

US-Israel rift heads for moment of truth over Rafah

The United States has taken a public distance from Israel as never before over the Gaza war but the decisive test will be Rafah and whether Israel heeds US warnings against an offensive in the packed city. The United States on Monday abstained at the Security Council, allowing