Netanyahu defends Gaza ceasefire after Israeli criticism

A Palestinian protester holds up a sign on Tuesday, November 13, during a demonstration in the occupied West Bank town of Hebron against the Israeli air strikes on Gaza. (AFP)
Updated 14 November 2018
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Netanyahu defends Gaza ceasefire after Israeli criticism

  • ‘Our enemies begged for a ceasefire and they knew very well why’
  • The deal has provoked criticism from within Netanyahu’s government

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday defended his decision to accept a ceasefire after the worst escalation with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since a 2014 war.
“In times of emergency, when making decisions crucial to security, the public can’t always be privy to the considerations that must be hidden from the enemy,” he said at a ceremony in honor of Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion.
“Our enemies begged for a ceasefire and they knew very well why.”
The deal has provoked criticism from within Netanyahu’s government as well as from Israelis who live near the Gaza Strip and want further action against its Islamist rulers Hamas.


Drones downed over Iraq’s Irbil, debris fell near hotel: security forces

A view of the Irbil Arjaan by Rotana hotel, in Irbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on March 6, 2026. (AFP)
Updated 9 sec ago
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Drones downed over Iraq’s Irbil, debris fell near hotel: security forces

  • “Debris from one of the downed drones fell” near a hotel and no casualties were reported, they added

IRBIL, Iraq: The US-led coalition in Iraq intercepted on Friday explosive-laden drones over the Kurdish city of Irbil where debris fell near a hotel, Kurdish security forces said.
“The international coalition forces downed four explosive-laden drones over Irbil,” counter-terrorism forces in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region said in a statement.
“Debris from one of the downed drones fell” near a hotel and no casualties were reported, they added.
Earlier, the United States warned that Iranian-backed fighters may target hotels in Kurdistan that are frequented by foreigners.