Israel Advises Citizens To Leave Sinai Due To Attack Risk, Israel Approves 2,500 New Settlement Homes In West Bank - PLO Complains, Cites UNSC Resolution 2334, Calls Settlement A 'War Crime'

Israel advises citizens in Egypt's Sinai to leave, cites attack risk - Israel News

Israel on Tuesday advised its citizens in Egypt's insurgency-hit Sinai peninsula to leave the region, warning of the threat of an imminent attack.

Israeli holidaymakers are often warned of the risks they face in Sinai, which borders Israel, but the "Level 1" alert issued by the anti-terrorism directorate is its most severe warning.

It described the threat as "very high and concrete."

"The directorate warns of the possibility of attacks against tourist sites in the Sinai area in the immediate term," a statement said.

An Islamist insurgency in the rugged, thinly populated Sinai has gained pace since the military toppled President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's oldest Islamist movement, in mid-2013 following mass protests against his rule.

Militants have launched a number of deadly cross-border attacks on Israel in the past few years and have occasionally fired rockets across the border into the southern Israeli resort city of Eilat.

The anti-terrorism directorate said that while there was a "constant high threat" in Sinai, Jan. 25, the anniversary of the 2011 revolution in Egypt, was a day that had witnessed attacks in previous years.

Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1978 and the eastern coast of the peninsula is a popular international tourist destination.

Israeli politicians heading to Washington to forge ties with new administration

A growing number of Israeli politicians are expected to descend on Washington in the coming months as part of an effort by the government to forge ties with the Trump administration.

The first to meet with the administration will be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who President Donald Trump invited to visit the White House during their phone call on Sunday.

While a date has not yet been finalized, Netanyahu is expected to fly to Washington the first week of February for a few days during which he will meet with Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson and congressional leaders.

Other ministers said to be exploring the possibility of traveling to Washington in the coming weeks include Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan.

“A lot of politicians are interested in getting to Washington to start coordinating with their new American counterparts,” one member of the coalition explained.

Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer was planning to return to Israel had Hillary Clinton won the presidential election, but his term has now been extended indefinitely by Netanyahu.

Dermer is said to have a close relationship with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a top adviser to the president.

Israel okays 2,500 new settlement homes, 2 days after PM talks to Trump

Israel approved the construction of approximately 2,500 homes in the West Bank, most of them in existing settlement blocs it hopes to keep in any peace deal, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman announced on Tuesday.

The decision came two days after a Jerusalem planning committee approved the construction of 566 housing units in East Jerusalem, and on the heels of a phone conversation Sunday between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, in which the two discussed their plans for the region.

Most of the housing units will be built in the large settlement areas, notably in the city of Ariel and in Givat Ze’ev, outside Jerusalem. But some will also go up in settlements outside the larger blocs, due to prior agreements and court decisions.

“We’re building — and will continue to build,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, following the approval.

Palestinians quickly condemned the announcement, calling it “land theft and colonialism.”

“Such a deliberate escalation of Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise constitutes a war crime and the flagrant violation of international law and conventions, in particular UN Security Council resolution 2334,” said PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, referring to an anti-settlements UN decision passed last month.

Liberman also said he would request permission from the cabinet for the construction of a Palestinian industrial park in Tarkumiya, northwest of Hebron.

“It will be one of the largest industrial zones in the West Bank, in which we are planning to set up warehouse and fuel storage infrastructure, along with other elements,” Liberman’s office said in a statement.

According to the defense minister, the decision to approve the settlement construction was made in order to “provide a response to the housing needs.”

In total, 2,502 housing units were approved for construction in settlements across the West Bank, with most in the north.

Also on Sunday, Netanyahu had his first phone call with Trump since he became US president.

On the call, the two leaders discussed ways to “advance and strengthen the US-Israel special relationship” and to boost security and stability in the region, the White House said. Trump stressed “the importance the United States places on our close military, intelligence and security cooperation with Israel, which reflects the deep and abiding partnership between our countries.”

IDF shells Hamas position in Gaza after troops come under fire

An IDF tank destroyed a Hamas position in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday night after Israeli troops came under fire near the border, the army said.

No Israeli troops were injured in the exchange.

The soldiers were involved in “routine activities” near the security fence when the shots were fired at them, the army said.

In response, an Israeli tank shelled the Hamas post, the IDF said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the gunfire.

This was the second such incident in as many week.

On Sunday, an Israeli tank also shelled a Hamas post in the southern Gaza Strip, after a military bulldozer was attacked near the security fence.