Israel

Britain is considering expelling Israeli diplomats if Israel closes its East Jerusalem consulate Thursday, Reuters reports, citing four sources. Israel ordered the closure after Britain announced a ban on settlement goods. London still hopes to avert it; the ministries declined comment, and no retaliatory decision has been announced.

Church leaders say Maysa Abu Daoud and her daughter Mary Al-Najjar were killed in an October 3 Israeli airstrike on their Gaza City apartment building, Christian Daily International reports through the Christian Post. Israel says it targeted senior Hamas official Ali Al-Amoudi. The report does not establish whether he was killed.

Israel is holding national memorial ceremonies for victims of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and soldiers killed in the ensuing war, DW reports from Israeli media. State ceremonies are planned at Mount Herzl and flags are at half-mast. The date falls on October 5 this year because the observance follows the Hebrew calendar.

Passengers and crew overpowered a co-pilot who stabbed the captain on a Flydubai flight carrying 174 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the BBC reports. It landed safely in Saudi Arabia; the injured captain is stable. Flydubai suspended Israel flights pending investigation, AP and The Guardian report. The attacker’s motive remains unconfirmed.

The World Evangelical Alliance urged Israel at the UN Human Rights Council to protect Palestinian civilians and address settler violence, the Christian Post reports. Its statement highlighted threats reported by residents of Taybeh, a predominantly Christian village. The alliance called for accountability and protection of homes, livelihoods and places of worship.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s military actions in his UN General Assembly address Thursday. Delegates staged a walkout before the speech, and protesters gathered outside. Netanyahu rejected accusations against Israel and criticized those who left.

A news report says the United Arab Emirates passed a warning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a major Hamas operation days before the October 7, 2023 attack. The account adds to long-running questions about what Israeli leaders knew beforehand. Netanyahu's office has disputed similar claims in the past.

A group of Michigan rabbis and Jewish leaders is circulating a petition setting out five nonnegotiable demands for any Democratic candidate seeking their support. The letter appears aimed at the state's Senate race. Organizers say they will withhold backing from candidates who do not meet the conditions.

Britain is preparing to bar trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to officials familiar with the plan. Israel and the United States have warned London against the sanctions. British officials have accused Israel of failing to curb settler violence.

Christians who lived in Gaza describe being regarded as outsiders by their neighbors even after generations in the territory. One recalls being told that his community were merely guests. Their accounts describe a small minority squeezed between the war and local suspicion.

Adidas is facing an online backlash from anti-Israel activists after featuring an Israel Defense Forces veteran who lost part of his leg in an advertisement. Supporters of the campaign have defended it as a disability-representation story. Adidas has not withdrawn the ad.