Late night shooting at Damascus Gate; two gunmen ‘neutralized’; nobody else hurt

Woman lightly hurt in alleged stabbing attempt in Jerusalem

An Israeli woman is lightly hurt in what she says was an attempted stabbing attack in the Emek Refaim area of Jerusalem.

The terrorist flees the scene, near Liberty Bell Park, Army Radio reports.

The woman is hospitalized suffering from shock, Ynet says.

Netanyahu: Biden may visit Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says staffers for US Vice President Joe Biden are arriving in Israel ahead of Biden’s possible visit to the country.

At a cabinet meeting Sunday, Netanyahu cites media reports that Biden is considering visiting Israel in the coming days. He says Biden’s staff is landing in Israel on Sunday, but dates for a visit have not been set.

Biden’s last visit to Israel sparked a diplomatic spat with Washington in 2010, when Israel announced settlement construction plans during Biden’s visit.

— AP

Report says Miri Regev sought jail furlough for Katsav

Haaretz reports that Culture Minister Miri Regev asked the Israel Prison Service for leniency for disgraced former president Moshe Katsav and businessman David Appel in 2013, during a stint as head of the Knesset’s Interior and Environment Committee.

Katsav, who is serving a seven-year sentence for rape and other offenses, and Appel, who was jailed for corruption, are both members of Regev’s Likud party.

According to Haaretz, the request came to light after the newspaper obtained a report on Regev’s visit to the two at Ma’asiyahu Prison in July 2013.

The report states that Regev asked the IPS why Katsav was denied furlough for Rosh Hashanah.

Would-be Har Homa attacker identified as East Jerusalem teen

Palestinian media names the would-be attacker killed in Jerusalem earlier today as Naim Ahmad Yusef, a 17-year-old from East Jerusalem.

Police say Yusef was shot dead when he rushed at a group of police at the Mazmoriya checkpoint near the Har Homa neighborhood with a knife.

Ya’alon: Israel decided from day 1 not to intervene in Syria

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon tells the Munich Security Conference that Israel made a strategic decision not to get involved in the civil war being waged in neighboring Syria.

“We decided from the beginning not to intervene in Syria,” he says, according to Channel 10. “Israel is in a very sensitive situation, but we will not tolerate any violation of our sovereignty, and if that does happens, we will respond harshly.”

He adds: “The Russian intervention in Syria has created for us two bad options – one is Islamic State and the second is Iran.”

Woman reports attempted stabbing in Jerusalem

A woman tells police that an Arab minor tries to stab her in the Talpiot neighborhood of Jerusalem before fleeing.

Police are called to the scene and are searching for the suspect, NRG says.

Iran: We’re ready to defend Syrian air space

Iran’s air defense chief says his country is ready to help defend Syria’s airspace.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency quotes Gen. Farzad Esmaili as saying, “We will help Syria in a full-fledged manner if the Syrian government requests help.” He says any such aid will be provided in an “advisory” capacity.

Iran is a close ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad and has sent weapons, money and military advisers to Syria to help bolster his forces. Tehran denies it has sent combat troops, but several Iranian soldiers, including senior officers, have been killed on Syrian battlefields.

This is the first time Iran is offering to assist with Syrian air defenses.

Esmaili’s remarks comes after Turkey and Saudi Arabia — leading supporters of the rebels battling to topple Assad — say they are open to sending ground troops into Syria to battle the Islamic State group.

— AP

PM appears in High Court to defend gas deal

Benjamin Netanyahu appears at a High Court hearing in an effort to defend a controversial deal to extract gas from new fields off Israel’s coast.

The PM maintains that the deal with Israeli and American conglomerates is the best option in terms of state security, and will bolster foreign relations as well as help improve the range of energy sources available.

Environmental activists also gather outside the court ahead of Netanyahu’s expected testimony.

“Netanyahu’s insistence on representing the state in its response to the petitions is an unprecedented act of aggression, whose sole purpose is to threaten the judges and send them a message that High Court intervention in ‘economic’ and ‘technical’ issues apparently exceeds their authority,” say the organizers of the demonstration.

PM to court: Last chance to take advantage of gas potential

Benjamin Netanyahu tells the High Court that this is Israel’s last chance to make the most of the natural gas find of the country’s coast, as he justifies circumventing the authority of the Antitrust Commission.

“We are in the final minutes of our ability to realize the potential of the gas,” Netanyahu says, according to Channel 2. “Any delay will lead to the collapse of the draft agreement and cause severe damage in the long term.”

Denmark honors victims of 2015 Copenhagen attacks

Denmark marks a year since a gunman killed a filmmaker and a Jewish security guard in twin attacks in Copenhagen, honoring the victims under tight security.

Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen leaves flowers outside the cultural center and the synagogue targeted on February 14, 2015 by Omar El-Hussein, a 22-year-old Dane of Palestinian origin.

“The Danes have shown that we insist on living our peaceful life,” Rasmussen tells journalists. “And that is perhaps the most important message we can send here today — that we will never give in, we will never give up.

“We’re in a situation where there is still a serious terror threat against Denmark — that is unchanged. But it is also a situation where we have acted… We have equipped our intelligence service, we have equipped our police.”

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen talks to Bodil Uzan (L), the mother of Dan Uzan who was killed while working as a security guard at the synagoge, during a commemoration in Copenhagen February 14, 2016. (AFP/Scanpix/Liselotte SABROE)

— AFP

Poll: Most Israelis believe families can take any form

A new polls finds that 84% of Israeli Jews think every Israeli citizen should have “the right to found a family in Israel with whomever they want, in whatever manner they want, and according to their beliefs.”

The survey by Hiddush, the movement for religious freedom and equality in Israel, also finds that 71% of Israelis believe that “the Chief Rabbinate’s and rabbinical courts’ monopoly over marriage and divorce distances Jews from Judaism.”

Pinto to serve jail time in medical facility due to ill health

The Israel Prison Service decides convicted rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto will serve his upcoming sentence for corruption under close medical supervision, due to health issues.

Beginning Tuesday, Pinto will serve out his one-year jail term for bribing a police officer at the IPS medical center at Ramla prison, Channel 2 reports.

Tel Aviv cyclists allowed to use bus lanes

From tomorrow, cyclists in Tel Aviv will be able to use some lanes reserved for public transport, Ynet says.

The new law — an initiative from Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz — applies solely to Ibn Gvirol and Namir roads, two major arteries in the city, for six months, after which further lanes are expected to open to cyclists.

Saudi Arabia deploys jets in Turkey to fight Islamic State

Saudi Arabia is deploying warplanes to a Turkish airbase in order to “intensify” its operations against the Islamic State group in Syria, a senior Saudi defense official says.

“The Saudi kingdom now has a presence at Incirlik airbase in Turkey,” Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri is quoted as saying by Al-Arabiya television.

“Saudi warplanes are present with their crews to intensify aerial operations along with missions launched from bases in Saudi Arabia,” Assiri says, without providing further details.

Riyadh and Ankara are both opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose foreign minister last week warned that any ground intervention would “amount to aggression that must be resisted.”

Assiri says the Saudi decision is in coordination with the coalition and that a ground operation is being planned.

— AFP

Military Police probing graft claims in unit building border fence

The Military Police are investigating suspected corruption in the government body responsible for the construction of the fence around Israel’s boundaries, Haaretz says.

The suspicions reportedly center on irregularities in the allocation of tenders.

The Military Police have for the best part of a year been investigating suspicions that external companies with personal ties to officers in the unit have been awarded contracts.

The completed investigation is now in hands of the military prosecutor’s office, Haaretz says.

UK to ban public bodies from boycotting Israel

The British government is set to announce a plan to prevent local authorities and other public bodies from joining the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, the International Business Times reports.

The new rules will bar NHS (National Health Service) trusts, councils, universities, student unions, and others from placing an embargo on Israeli goods.

Cabinet Office Minister Matthew Hancock is expected to present details of the new ban during a visit to Israel this week, the Times of London says. Hancock calls the boycotts divisive and potentially damaging to the UK’s relationship with Israel, and, he says, could fuel anti-Semitism.

According to the Times, the new rules will allow the government to take action against organizations imposing a boycott, as well as make it easier for others to take such bodies to court.

PM quits gas deal hearing before judges’ questions

Benjamin Netanyahu walks out of a High Court hearing on the controversial gas deal without answering any questions from the five-judge panel, Haaretz reports.

In an unusual move, the prime minister had made an appearance in order to defend the much-criticized deal.

New Mossad chief makes US secret trip

The new director of the Mossad intelligence agency, Yossi Cohen, made a secret visit to Washington, DC, for the first time since he took up the post last month.

According to Haaretz, Cohen held a series of introductory meetings with senior members of the American intelligence community, including CIA chief John Brennan. The officials discuss intelligence cooperation between Israel and the United States.

US marks 5 years of detention for Iran opposition leaders

The US State Department marks the five years since the imprisonment of Iranian opposition leaders, and calls for their release.

“Five years ago today, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran placed former senior Iranian officials and 2009 presidential election candidates Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, as well as Mousavi’s wife, women’s rights advocate Zahra Rahnavard, under house arrest without formally charging them with any crimes,” the State Department says in a statement.

“We join the international community in condemning their continued detention and the harassment of their family members, and in calling for their immediate release.”

Police foil attempted stabbing attack in Hebron

Initial reports say that Border Police officers shot a woman as she tried to carry out a stabbing attack near the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron.

The condition of the assailant was not immediately clear.

There are no Israeli injuries in the incident, Channel 2 says.

Police find knife near site of reported Jerusalem attack attempt

Police find a knife close to Talpiot in Jerusalem, where a woman claimed she was attacked earlier today, a police spokesperson says.

Officers are now investigating whether the knife is connected to the incident.

The police, who have yet to locate the suspect, call on the population “to show vigilance and report any suspicious people or incidents to the 100 hotline.”

Police close internal probe into Ethiopian Israeli’s death

The Police Investigations Department says it is closing an internal probe into the 2014 death of Ethiopian Israeli Yosef Salamsa, who community activists say was harassed by police.

Salamas’ body was found in a quarry in Binyamina, near his home, in July 2014, and police determined that he had committed suicide.

According to community activist Ziva Birsaw, police officers attacked Salamsa in Zichron Yaakov in March 2014, although he was never investigated or charged with any crime. After the incident, Birsaw says, Salamsa fell into a deep depression and his family registered a complaint with the PID, which led to police harassment that only ended with the discovery of his body.

The PID says the case against the policemen is being closed due to a lack of evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Nonetheless, the police have decided to transfer the findings to a police disciplinary action panel, after the probe turned up evidence of inappropriate behavior, Ynet says.

Police: Hebron attacker in critical condition

Police say the Palestinian woman who was shot while trying to stab security forces in Hebron is alive and in critical condition in the hospital.

The woman tried to attack troops near the Tomb of the Patriarchs earlier today.

Police disperse rioters in Hebron

Police say officers quelled a violent protest by Palestinians following an attempted attack near the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron.

Border Police use riot control gear to push the protesters back after a Palestinian woman was shot and critically wounded by troops as she tried to stab them.

At least 15 hurt in bus crash near Ramle

At least 15 people are injured in a collision between a bus and a car on Route 431, between Ramle and Modiin.

5 in serious condition after bus collision

Five people are in serious condition in the bus collision near Ramle, Channel 2 reports.

Some 10 others are hurt, and four people are trapped inside the bus, it reports.

4 said killed in bus crash

Channel 2 reports that four people are killed in the deadly crash between a bus and truck near Ramle. Between 15 and 20 people are hurt, with several in serious condition.

Heavy jams reported after deadly road accident on Route 1

There are heavy traffic jams on Route 1, after a deadly road accident on the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Four people died and at least 20 were injured when a truck and bus collided near the Anava intersection, approximately midway between the two cities, Channel 2 says.

Scene of the accident between a bus and a truck on Rte 1 highway outside of Ramle. (Credit United Hatzalah) pic.twitter.com/JpM2huUEdU

— Judah Ari Gross (@JudahAriGross) February 14, 2016

1 hurt in explosion in car in Rehovot

One person is moderately-seriously wounded in an explosion in a car in the central city of Rehovot, Army Radio says.

According to the report, the police are investigating the cause of the blast.

Death toll in Route 1 accident rises to five

The number of people killed in a road accident on Route 1 rises to five, Channel 2 says. Children are reported to be among the dead.

The accident occurred when a bus and a truck collided near the Anava intersection, approximately halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Police question truck driver in Route 1 crash

The police are questioning the driver of a truck involved in this evening’s deadly crash on Route 1.

The 40-year-old man, a resident of East Jerusalem, is lightly injured in the collision that killed five people, Ynet says.

Section of Route 1 closed after deadly crash

A stretch of Route 1 is closed to traffic after a deadly crash on the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway.

The road is closed between the Anava intersection and Latrun, Channel 2 says.

Another video from the scene of the truck/bus accident on Rte 1 near Ramle. (Credit United Hatzalah) pic.twitter.com/TGebZKGF41

— Judah Ari Gross (@JudahAriGross) February 14, 2016

At least 3 children among the dead in Route 1 crash

At least three children are among the dead in a collision between a truck and a bus on Route 1, the major highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

The wounded have all been evacuated from the scene of the crash, the Israel National News website says.

9 hospitalized after deadly Route 1 crash

Nine people are in hospital after the deadly crash on Route 1, the Magen David Adom rescue service says.

The injured include one person in critical condition, one in serious condition, three who have moderate wounds, and three who are lightly hurt, the NRG website says.

Health Minister Yaakov Litzman is at the scene of the crash, Israel National News reports.

Police: Investigation into Route 1 crash underway

Police are investigating the causes of the deadly crash on Route 1 this evening, a spokesperson says.

The Egged bus company confirms that the vehicle in question left Jerusalem at 5:40 p.m., heading for Bnei Brak.

Most of damage in Route 1 crash caused by truck’s crane

Channel 2 television says most of the damage in the deadly collision on Route 1 this evening was caused by a crane mounted on the truck that was hit by a bus.

The crane tore open the right side of the packed bus when it plowed into the truck that was stationary on the shoulder of the major Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway.

Five people are killed and at least 15 others are injured in the crash.

Rehovot car blast caused by gas cylinder

The explosion in a car in the central city of Rehovot was caused by a gas cylinder, an initial investigation shows.

The car was transporting cylinders when the blast occurred, wounding the 58-year-old driver, the NRG website says.

Police question bus driver in Route 1 crash

Police are questioning the driver of a bus that crashed into a truck on Route 1 this evening, killing five people, Walla news reports.

According to Channel 2, an initial probe finds that the driver did not see the truck as it was parked up on the shoulder approximately midway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Biden’s Israel trip linked to Turkey ties

Joe Biden’s anticipated visit to Israel is linked to efforts to include Turkey in a new regional bloc that includes Israel, Egypt, Cyprus and Greece, the Maariv website says.

Biden is expected at the start of next month, the report says.

Israel and Turkey are currently negotiating a reconciliation agreement that would end years of hostility between the two once-close regional allies.

Death toll in Route 1 crash rises to 6

The number of people killed in a deadly road accident on the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway this evening rises to six.

The police say the collision between a packed bus and a stationary truck on Route 1 was an accident, and no foul play is involved.

Brother of Route 1 truck driver: He told me his gears had gone

The brother of the truck driver involved in a deadly collision on Route 1 this evening says his sibling called him shortly before the incident to say he was stuck on the side of the highway with faulty gears.

The bus plowed into the truck as it stood on the shoulder approximately halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, killing six people in what police now say was an accident.

Shots fired at house in Beit El; no one hurt

Shots are fired at a house in the West Bank settlement of Beit El, north of Jerusalem.

No one is injured in the incident, but the house is damaged.

The gunfire comes from the direction of the Jalazoun refugee camp, the Maariv website says. Security forces are searching the area.

פגיעת הקליע ביישוב בית אל: צילום: צעירי עופרה. pic.twitter.com/YQt5W3ePtZ

— מבזקים ודיווחים (@S0503281) February 14, 2016

Netanyahu: Terror states, not individuals, cause global terror

Benjamin Netanyahu says the best way to fight terrorism is to target the states behind it.

“International terrorism is not the result of the activities of individuals, but the work of terror states,” Netanyahu says at an event in Jerusalem to honor former US secretary of state George Shultz.

The prime minister says Shultz understood this, and that when the US understood this it made an impactful difference in combating terrorist threats. “That is what is required today.”

The prime minister also says Shultz set the tone for the success of Israel’s economy — and that this is a vision that Israel continues to follow to this day.

Shooting at Damascus Gate; 2 attackers ‘neutralized’; nobody else hurt

A shooting is reported at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City.

First reports indicate two gunmen opened fire, and were “neutralized,” police said.

Nobody else is reported injured.

There are also reports of an explosive device in the area. Troops at the scene are said to be staying clear of the suspicious device.