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    Walls Are Put Up Walls Around Israeli Displays at French Weapons Show

    Israel called the move “outrageous.” A French official said Israeli companies were defying an agreement not to display so-called offensive weapons.Last year, Israeli weapons producers were initially barred from attending a prestigious arms industry show in Paris over objections to the war in Gaza. This year, the Israelis were allowed in — but then walled off from other global competitors.Israel’s Ministry of Defense said on Monday that the French government built a black wall overnight around some weapons systems displayed by Israeli companies, blocking them from view at the Paris Air Show, one of the world’s largest arms exhibitions.It marked the second time in as many years that French authorities have sought to stop Israel from marketing its tools of military might amid its massive bombing campaigns in Gaza. And it comes at a fraught moment between the two countries as President Emmanuel Macron of France considers whether to recognize a Palestinian state, a move that Israel strenuously opposes.The decision did not appear to be linked to Israel’s new military offensive in Iran, which aims in part to destroy Tehran’s nuclear program. France also has long worried about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.The wall was built “in the middle of the night, after Israeli defense officials and companies had already finished setting up their displays,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday.The wall was put up after Israeli officials objected to what they described as an earlier order by the French government to remove offensive weapons — a category that typically includes missile and rocket launchers, tanks, drones, cannons and a range of ammunition — from Israeli displays. The air show is expected to draw as many as 300,000 visitors, and feature defense displays from more than 2,400 companies in 48 countries.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    In Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, Iran’s missile barrages killed at least six people.

    Most of those confirmed dead were women and children, according to the authorities, although they have yet to name the victims publicly.Orange-vested emergency workers were clambering over rubble on Sunday morning in the central Israeli coastal city of Bat Yam in the wake of an Iranian missile strike that killed at least six people and wounded scores of others.Paramedics were still trying to save three people who were trapped under debris, according to the Israeli military, hours after the missile evaded Israel’s air defenses. Four people remained unaccounted for, the military said.Most of those confirmed dead were women and children, according to the authorities, although they have yet to publicly name the victims. Chaotic scenes were replicated across northern and central Israel after a long night of Iranian missile attacks.Many Israelis have a certain nonchalance about missile fire, the product of both near-constant rocket attacks and the country’s sophisticated aerial defenses. But the destructive attacks in Bat Yam and elsewhere overnight — in which 10 people were confirmed killed — underscored how Israel’s current escalation with heavily armed Iran differs from fighting armed paramilitaries like Hamas and Hezbollah.In Rehovot, another city south of Tel Aviv, debris from the overnight attack filled the streets. Bloodstained bandages and white surgical gloves lay by a roadside bench. Rescue workers picked through shattered glass, searching for survivors.“Is there anyone inside?” a police officer shouted, peering into a shop damaged by the strikes.In Bat Yam, hundreds of residents who had evacuated their homes near the blast site — many of which were left uninhabitable by the explosion — gathered at a nearby school to wait for officials to tell them where to go.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    ‘I Was Afraid I’d Die’: Iran’s Missiles Rained Down on Tel Aviv

    At least three people were killed and scores were wounded during an aerial battle over Tel Aviv, as Iranian missiles rained down and Israeli rockets attempted to intercept them.A chorus of alarms from damaged cars and buildings wailed on Saturday afternoon through the empty streets of central Tel Aviv. Iran’s missile attack the night before had left a gaping hole in one high-rise and had blown out windows for a block around.Six miles south, residents of the quiet suburb of Rishon LeZion were piling up shattered roof tiles and glass along the sidewalks after a projectile killed two of their neighbors in a two-story home on Saturday morning. Those who lived close to the impact site were busy gathering their belongings to evacuate to temporary housing.The Israeli government said 17 missile impact sites had been identified across the country after Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel between Friday evening and Saturday morning. The strikes were in retaliation for Israeli attacks earlier in the day. Three civilians in Israel were killed and over 170 wounded, including seven soldiers, the authorities said.It was not immediately clear whether the damage and deaths had been caused by the missiles themselves or interceptors sent to shoot them down, or falling fragments of both. The Israeli military said both missiles and interceptors had hit areas in Israel but declined to give details.The damaged high-rise in central Tel Aviv was near a government quarter and the military’s headquarters. Residents who had evacuated from their high-rise complex after it was struck on Friday lined up to speak with a municipal official at a makeshift checkpoint near the impact site. Many appeared shaken.Amit Tzur-Amrani, 26, said she and her husband were huddled in a fortified room in their apartment on Friday when the air-raid alarms went off after 9 p.m. Then there was a loud blast and smoke poured into their shelter.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    In its latest attack on Iran, Israel’s allies voice less support and more concern.

    The last time Israel and Iran traded attacks, Israel received strong support from many allies.Britain and the United States provided backup for Israel in the form of fighter jets, refueling planes and air defense systems. Neighboring Jordan confirmed it had shot down Iranian missiles and drones. Some Mideast states allowed Israel to transit their airspace.This time around, after an audacious wave of attacks that targeted nuclear facilities and military leaders, there was less understanding and more concern.Some European allies worried that Israel was ratcheting up a military conflict with Iran after eight months of simmering tensions but no overt warfare.“Escalation serves no one in the region,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain said, while the European Union’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, called the situation “dangerous.”Those remarks followed a growing chorus of European condemnation of Israel over the past few months for escalating the war in Gaza after a cease-fire collapsed in mid-March, and for holding back humanitarian aid as the population in the enclave edges closer to the brink of starvation.The tepid support from some countries that traditionally are among Israel’s strongest allies reflected what Ellie Geranmayeh, a senior Middle East policy expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, called an “unprecedented” and “unprovoked” attack against Iran that risked “an active war scenario between the two countries.”Some of the sharpest condemnation on Friday came from countries in the region. Egypt, which has a longstanding peace treaty with Israel, called the latest Israeli strikes a violation of international law and “a direct threat to regional and international peace and security.”Turkey accused Israel of resorting to military force instead of diplomacy to resolve tensions.Still, a number of important allies stood behind Israel and expressed mounting frustration with Iran’s advancing nuclear program. And should Iran launch a powerful counterattack against Israel, allies could still come to the country’s defense militarily.President Trump told CNN that “we of course support Israel,” and called the strikes “a very successful attack.” He urged Iran to limit its nuclear activities “before it will be too late for them.”President Emmanuel Macron of France, who has recently sparred with Israel over its ongoing war in Gaza and the limiting of humanitarian aid to hungry and desperate Palestinians , said Israel has a “right to protect itself and ensure its security.”Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said Iran has refused to abide by agreements to limit its nuclear program and added that Tehran “poses a serious threat to the entire region, especially to the State of Israel.”Daniel B. Shapiro, who was a deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East during the Biden administration, said the fact the United States did not participate in the attack “does not mean the United States won’t assist in Israel’s defense. It will.” More

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    Why Israel May Be Considering an Attack on Iran

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to prevent Tehran, “one way or the other,” from building a nuclear bomb.Israel has long envisioned a military attack on Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites in an attempt to halt what it considers an existential threat. But any such military strike would risk igniting a major conflict that could draw in the United States.Many in the Middle East are now wondering whether that moment has arrived. But it is unclear whether the heightened tensions are the result of saber-rattling in an attempt to influence negotiations between the United States and Iran over a nuclear deal, or a genuine Israeli attempt to carry out a planned attack. On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that officials in the United States and Europe believed that Israel seemed to be gearing up for a potential strike, even as Trump administration is seeking a deal with Tehran to curb its nuclear program. The following day, the International Atomic Energy Agency declared that Iran was not complying with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations — the first such censure in two decades.It is unclear how extensive an attack Israel is considering. But the United States has withdrawn diplomats from the region over concerns about the attack and any Iranian retaliation.Here’s what we know.Why might Israel attack now?Iran’s nuclear program has advanced considerably over the past decade, analysts say. Iran is on the brink of being able to manufacture enough nuclear material to fuel 10 nuclear weapons, although producing a usable bomb would likely take many more months.But Iran has been weakened since Hamas launched the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that ignited the war in Gaza. Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are backed by Iran, have been decimated in the war with Israel.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Gaza Aid Group Says Hamas Attacked Its Palestinian Workers

    The group, which has been harshly criticized by the U.N. and other aid providers, said at least five people had died in an attack on one of its buses.An aid group in Gaza backed by Israel and the United States said that on Wednesday night a bus carrying some of its Palestinian workers was attacked by Hamas, leaving at least five people dead and others injured.At the time of the attack, the bus was carrying about two dozen of the group’s workers and was en route to an aid distribution site in southern Gaza, according to a statement from the group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Some of the workers “may have been taken hostage,” it said, adding that it was still gathering information.“We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms,” said the foundation, which is run by American contractors. “These were aid workers. Humanitarians. Fathers, brothers, sons, and friends, who were risking their lives every day to help others.”The New York Times could not independently verify the attack. Hamas did not comment on the accusation that it had attacked workers from the group, and the Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The foundation said it held the militant group “fully responsible” for the deaths of “dedicated workers who have been distributing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.” The group called on the international community to condemn Hamas for the attack.“Tonight, the world must see this for what it is: an attack on humanity,” it said.The aid organization has repeatedly criticized Hamas, saying that for days it had “openly” threatened workers and civilians. On Saturday, the foundation said it was “impossible to proceed” with aid distribution because Hamas had menaced its staff.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Palestinian Authority President Says Hamas Must Exit Gaza

    Mahmoud Abbas gave assurances to President Emmanuel Macron of France, who has set conditions for possible recognition of a Palestinian state at a U.N. conference next week.Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, has called for Hamas to “hand over its weapons,” immediately free all hostages and cease ruling Gaza, the French presidency said on Tuesday after receiving a letter from him.The letter was addressed to President Emmanuel Macron of France and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who will jointly chair a U.N. conference in New York next week to explore the creation of a Palestinian state. Mr. Macron has set a number of conditions for the possible French recognition of such a state at that meeting, including the disarmament of Hamas.“Hamas will no longer rule Gaza and must hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian security forces,” Mr. Abbas said in the letter, according to a statement from the Élysée Palace. He added that the Palestinian forces would oversee the removal of Hamas with Arab and international support, an undertaking that is certain to provoke skepticism in Israel, and probably also in Washington.“Hamas must immediately release all hostages and captives,” the letter said, reiterating a demand that Mr. Abbas has made before.A bitter feud has divided Mr. Abbas’s Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, and Hamas in Gaza for many years. The rival factions in the two Palestinian territories have defied several attempts at reconciliation, something that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has seized on to dismiss a two-state solution.Mr. Abbas condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people in some of the strongest terms that he has used, calling it “unacceptable and reprehensible.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Israel Recovers Body of Thai Farmworker in Gaza

    Nattapong Pinta was taken hostage and later killed by members of a small militant group in Gaza, the Israeli military said.Israeli security forces have recovered the body of a Thai citizen who was abducted and taken back to Gaza in the 2023 Hamas-led attack, the military said on Saturday.Nattapong Pinta was in his 30s and was a farmworker at Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel when he was taken hostage. He was held and later killed by members of the Mujahideen Brigades, a small militant group in Gaza, according to the Israeli military statement.Security forces brought the body back from the Rafah area in southern Gaza after the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency obtained intelligence from a Palestinian militant during an interrogation, the statement added.Palestinian militants took dozens of Thai farmworkers hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. During a short cease-fire in November of that year, 23 Thai captives were released and five more were freed during another cease-fire this year.A handout photograph from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum showing Nattapong Pinta, left, with his wife and son.Hostages and Missing Families Forum, via Associated PressThat cease-fire broke down and Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza against Hamas in mid-March with regular air bombardments and ground operations.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More