Israel
Israeli war spending in Gaza, Lebanon tops $30 billion in 2024 -Finance Ministry
Israel spent 112 billion shekels ($31 billion) on its military conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon in 2024, the Finance Ministry said in a report on Monday.
Protests aimed at pressuring the Israeli government to reach a hostage deal with Hamas began across the country on Sunday, with demonstrators blocking roads and picketing at the homes of government ministers.
A drone view shows a fire that was lit by anti-government protesters on a day of protests marking 9 months since the deadly October 7 attack, under the slogan "Israel comes to a standstill", near Shoresh, Israel, July 7, 2024. Reuters/Ilan Rosenberg
Protests aimed at pressuring the Israeli government to reach a hostage deal with Hamas began across the country on Sunday, with demonstrators blocking roads and picketing at the homes of government ministers.
Protests began at 6:29 am (0329 GMT), corresponding to the time of Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel, according to Israeli media.
The demonstrators took to the streets, blocking rush hour traffic at major intersections across the country. They briefly set fire to tires on the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway before police cleared the way.
Efforts to secure a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza after nine months of war have gained momentum in recent days, with officials expressing optimism but saying gaps remain between the sides.
Gaza health authorities say more than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive launched in response to Hamas' attack on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
Small groups with megaphones and banners also protested outside the houses of a number of ministers and coalition lawmakers.
"Total failure! Total failure!" a small crowd yelled outside the house of cabinet minister Ron Dermer, a member of Netanyahu's inner circle.
At Kibbutz Or Haner, near the border with Gaza, protesters hung a black balloon for every person killed in the attack and a yellow balloon for every hostage still held in Gaza.
Some Israelis disagree with the protesters' aims, and are pressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to spurn a deal and keep fighting until all the country's objectives have been met.
Reporting by Alessandro Diviggiano and Ilan Rosenberg
Israel spent 112 billion shekels ($31 billion) on its military conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon in 2024, the Finance Ministry said in a report on Monday.
Lebanon's Defence Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart Murhaf Abu Qasra agreed on a ceasefire, the Lebanese and Syrian defence ministries said in statements on Monday, as cross-border clashes in the last two days left 10 dead.
The interim government in Damascus will take part on Monday in an annual international conference to gather aid pledges for Syria, facing dire humanitarian problems and an uncertain political transition after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
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