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Oded Balilty

A bride and her family sit in a bomb shelter after an alert warning of missiles fired from Iran at central Israel interrupted their wedding photo shoot in a nearby park in Ramat Gan, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
March 24, 2026, 12:13 pm
Weddings, yoga, medical care: Life goes on, somehow, in Israel’s underground shelters during war
Surreal images show country’s resilience; Tel Aviv’s Central Bus Station has become an impromptu home for a migrant community, while other shelters host kids’ play zones, prayer groups
By Oded Balilty and Melanie Lidman
Old railroad tracks once used to transport Jewish people and others from across Europe to Auschwitz, the Nazi German extermination and labor camp, runs along a road in the town of Oswiecim, Poland, January 23, 2025. (Oded Balilty/AP)
January 27, 2025, 10:36 am
Around Auschwitz, rail tracks are aging reminders of its horror
Lines that transported over a million people to their deaths during Holocaust remain embedded in the ground, passing through bus stations, along roads and over countryside
By Oded Balilty
Bullet holes cover the bedroom wall of hostage Ariel Bibas, 4, in Kibbutz Nir Oz, June 21, 2024. The name 'Ariel' appears on the wall in the top-right corner. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
July 12, 2024, 5:26 pm
‘This was a place of joy’: Time stands still in empty bedrooms of hostages held in Gaza
Families reflect on significance of captives’ inner sanctums, some of which bear witness to October 7 onslaught, while others exude an untouched tranquility
By Oded Balilty and Melanie Lidman
Green and brown sea turtles make their way to the Mediterranean Sea after being released by the Sea Turtle Rescue Center, run by the Israel National Nature and Parks Authority, in Beit Yanai beach, Friday, July 8, 2022 (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
July 8, 2022, 5:16 pm
Rescued sea turtles released back into the wild
Marine animals who suffered major injuries went through months of rehabilitation at the Sea Turtle Rescue Center north of Tel Aviv
By Oded Balilty
Yaakov Tabersky, carries his 30-day-old son Yossef, the great grandchild of the chief rabbi of the Lelov Hassidic dynasty, during the "Pidyon Haben" ceremony in Beit Shemesh, Israel, on September 16, 2021. (AP/Oded Balilty)
September 20, 2021, 12:17 pm
Great-grandson of Hasidic leader ‘redeemed’ in ancient Jewish ceremony
Yaakov Tabersky presents his firstborn child, descendant of chief rabbi of the Lelov dynasty, on a silver platter, as a priest takes 5 silver coins instead of the boy
By Oded Balilty
Contestants wearing protective face masks exercise backstage during the National Amateur Body Builders Association competition in Tel Aviv, Israel, Aug. 19, 2020 (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
August 22, 2020, 8:59 am
Masks, COVID-19 no match for Israeli bodybuilders
As they wait to go on stage, the 85 participants don protective face coverings in line with health codes, then whip them off before they stand in front of the audience
By Oded Balilty
An installation depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a mock 'Last Supper' by Israeli artist Itay Zalait, is placed at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, July 29, 2020. (Oded Balilty/AP)
July 29, 2020, 11:47 am
Artist takes aim at Netanyahu with life-size Last Supper installation
Creator Itay Zalait says his exhibit in central Tel Aviv square, which shows prime minister sitting by himself at feast, depicts the last minutes to save Israeli democracy
By Oded Balilty
In this March 25, 2020, photo, a "don't panic" sign hangs on the entrance of a food market that was shut down in order to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, in Tel Aviv, Israel. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
April 22, 2020, 1:25 pm
In empty Tel Aviv, only the clouds seem to move
Famed for its noisy bustle and crowded nightlife, Israel’s beachfront metropolis has grown eerily quiet under the coronavirus distancing rules
By Oded Balilty
This March 20, 2020 photo shows a free gym at Tel Aviv's beachfront taped off to prevent public access. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
March 21, 2020, 6:45 pm
No games today: Virus (mostly) clears out Tel Aviv beach, play areas
The lifeguard towers are taped off, so too the swings and slides
By Oded Balilty
In this Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 photo, Ommer Globerman, a member of the Israeli Mermaid Community, poses for a portrait as she wears a mermaid tail at her home in Ashkelon, Israel. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
April 17, 2019, 4:22 am
A tale of tails: Diving into Israel’s mermaid community
Donning glittery appendages that can cost up to $800, a 1,000-strong community of enthusiasts are hooked on a growing trend
By Oded Balilty and Isabel Debre
In this Wednesday, June 26, 2017 photo, performers dance next to a stuffed deer during an event at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History in Tel Aviv, Israel. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
June 12, 2018, 9:30 am
In Noah’s Ark of formaldehyde, long-dead critters animate Israel’s nature museum
Set to open in July, Tel Aviv institution’s first exhibits will showcase some of its 5.5-million specimen collection, focusing on indigenous animals
By Oded Balilty
Holocaust survivors dance during a weekly social meeting at the Cafe Europa community and culture center in Ramat Gan, Israel, a day before Israel begins it annual Holocaust Memorial Day, Tuesday, April 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
April 11, 2018, 8:39 am
A Ramat Gan cafe brings Holocaust survivors together
Named for a Swedish establishment where survivors searched for loved ones after the war, Cafe Europa’s clientele ‘never talk about the Holocaust’
By Oded Balilty
Camels rest at the night camp after grazing in the open all day near Kibbutz Kalya, in the West Bank, February 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
March 18, 2018, 2:47 pm
Bedouin revert to nomadic lifestyle for camel birthing season
Men leave modern life behind and bring sons and hundreds of camels to area near Kibbutz Kalya by the Dead Sea to continue ancient traditions
By Oded Balilty
In this photo from December 23, 2017, people walk along the Old City of Jerusalem's walls, next to Jaffa Gate. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
December 29, 2017, 8:28 pm
Old City walls offer glimpse of Jerusalem’s richness
Amid conflict and controversy, day-to-day life flourishes in the ancient Holy City
By Ilan Ben Zion and Oded Balilty
In this December 8, 2017, photo, people enjoy a spring water pool along the Dead Sea shore near the Israeli kibbutz of Ein Gedi. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
December 25, 2017, 12:58 pm
Lingering drought threatens Holy Land’s waters
Israel heading into fifth consecutive dry year, putting Sea of Galilee, Jordan River and Dead Sea at risk
By Oded Balilty and Ilan Ben Zion
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