Israel Financial News

Hamas militants on Friday freed two Americans — a mother and her teenage daughter who had been held hostage in Gaza since militants rampaged through Israel two weeks ago, the Israeli government said. The pair, who also hold Israeli citizenship, were the first hostages to be released, and more than 200 are still being held.

The price of bitcoin briefly crossed the $30,000 mark Friday for the first time since August on optimism that a spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) will likely be approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the near future.

By Andrea Shalal and Jeff Mason

The United States Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, issued an alert for financial institutions as part of efforts to identify “suspicious activity” related to funding terrorist groups.

Gaza Strip since Israel began bombarding the Palestinian enclave, the Hamas-controlled health ministry said Friday. The ministry said another 13,162 people have been wounded in the Israeli strikes, which have been ongoing since October 7. Among those killed were 16 people who died at the compound of Greek Orthodox church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City late on Thursday, the ministry said. Around 500 people had taken refuge at the church, including five members of Caritas staff, along with their families, NGO Cartias Internationalis said in a statement. «We were devastated to learn of the death of our colleague Viola, 26-year-old, who was killed alongside her husband and their infant daughter» in the strike, the NGO said in a statement. It said at least 17 people were killed and others are still under the rubble. Witnesses told AFP the strike appeared to have been aimed at a target close to the place of worship where many Gaza residents had taken refuge as the war raged in the Palestinian enclave. The army said its fighter jets had struck a «command and control centre» belonging to Hamas that was involved in firing rockets towards Israel. «As a result of the strike a wall of a church in the area was damaged. The Hamas health ministry also said that since the conflict erupted, 46 medical personnel had been killed and another 85 wounded in the enclave. Twenty-one health facilities were out of service due to lack of fuel, it added. Palestinians in Gaza are still waiting for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza from Egypt through the Rafah crossing. The war in Gaza began after Hamas carried out a deadly raid on southern Israel on October 7 that left more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, killed on Israeli soil.

Joe Biden on Thursday said the US and its allies through innovative projects like the India Middle East Economic Corridor are working to connect the Middle East countries to a better future. As he addressed the nation on his just concluded trip to Israel, Biden asked Congress for financial aid to the country that has been hit by a terrorist attack by Hamas. “The United States and our partners across the region are working to build a better future for the Middle East. One wherein the Middle East is more stable, better connected to its neighbours through innovative projects like the Indian Middle East Europe rail corridor that I announced this year at the summit of the world's biggest economies,” Biden said in his Oval Office address to the nation. “More predictable markets, more employment, less rage, less grievances, less war when connected.

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) — Brazil's federal police on Friday arrested two intelligence officials from the country's spy agency Abin for allegedly using phone hacking tools without judicial approval.

Indian Army deliberated on the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-Hamas conflict at a five-day conclave to draw relevant lessons besides focusing on ways to make the force «future ready» in line with with emerging contours of threats and challenges. The situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and ways to enhance the Army's combat readiness to deal with any contingencies also figured at the Army Commanders' Conference that took place in Delhi from October 16 to 20.

Jim Jordan on Friday lost a third vote to become speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, leaving the chamber unable to respond to President Joe Biden's request for aid to Ukraine and Israel. Opposition to his candidacy from within his party grew, with 25 Republican lawmakers voting against him, more than the 22 who had opposed in the second round on Wednesday.

Janet Yellen says US can 'certainly afford' two wars- Israel and Ukraine According to Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Republicans will be hypocritical to oppose Biden's proposal even after protesting against border management policies. And ever since the new asylum restrictions kicked in, illegal crossings have increased. "We will not be lectured by those who refuse to act.

Israel-Hamas war. Armed factions close to Iran have threatened to attack US interests in Iraq over Washington's support for Israel since Hamas militants killed more than 1,400 people in a shock cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7. Israel's retaliatory bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 4,100 people, according to its Hamas-controlled health ministry. «We can confirm a rocket attack on US and coalition forces at the Baghdad diplomatic support centre, near the Baghdad international airport, occurred Friday at approximately 2:50 am» (2350 GMT Thursday), a Pentagon official said. «Initial assessments indicate two rockets were fired. One was intercepted by acounter-rocket system and the other impacted an empty storage facility.

Djalili, who is currently on his tour in UK, cancels a gig called at the Shropshire, because of the security concerns that reated to his remarks regarding the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. This decision was take just before the show. The location gave the excuse that there were «circumstances beyond our control» for the postponement.

Israel's bombardment of Gaza after nearly two weeks of intense air and artillery strikes that authorities there say have killed 4,100 people. Israel is gearing up for a ground war in the tiny, crowded Palestinian enclave aimed at eradicating Hamas, the militant Islamist group that rampaged into Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people and seizing hostages.

FTX cryptocurrency empire, another reckoning for digital currencies is underway: Governments around the world are intensifying their crackdown on sources of funding for terrorist groups — including crypto — after Hamas’s bloody attack in Israel that claimed more than 1,400 lives and led to retaliatory attacks that have killed thousands. Crypto is a small but deadly slice of overall terrorism funding: Research by analytics firm Elliptic in 2021 estimated that wallets linked to Hamas’ military wing had received more than $7.3 million in crypto, including around $40,000 in Dogecoin, the dog-themed memecoin favored by Elon Musk. These sums aren’t much compared with the $100 million that Iran sends annually to Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups or with Qatar’s $360 million in aid for Gaza, or the approximately $300 million Hamas gets via business taxation and extortion estimated by the Washington Institute’s Matthew Levitt.

Hamas attack, Sigi Cohen lost contact with her son. All she knew was that he and his girlfriend were at a music festival that Hamas had targeted.But at around 11 a.m. that Saturday, she saw a photo of him in Gaza, and she knew: he was a prisoner of Hamas.The Oct.

As Israel fights its bloodiest war in decades, many Israelis have found comfort and strength from an unexpected wartime leader: President Biden. Biden’s popularity has soared in Israel, with the president’s staunch support for the country’s response to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack earning him widespread praise.

Oct. 13-19, 2023

Investing.com — Oil prices rose Friday, on track for a positive week, boosted by the news that the U.S. was looking to refill its strategic reserves as well as heightened fears that the Israel-Gaza crisis may spread in the Middle East, potentially disrupting supply.

Investing.com — Oil prices rose Friday, on track for a positive week, boosted by the news that the U.S. was looking to refill its strategic reserves as well as heightened fears that the Israel-Gaza crisis may spread in the Middle East, potentially disrupting supply.

By Shubham Batra and Shashwat Chauhan

By Naomi Rovnick and John Revill