Netanyahu Calls on Ministers, Lawmakers Not to Criticize Security Forces During War

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (dpa)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (dpa)
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Netanyahu Calls on Ministers, Lawmakers Not to Criticize Security Forces During War

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (dpa)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (dpa)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Likud ministers and lawmakers on Sunday to avoid getting into personal arguments, including criticizing security forces.

“Be careful with your words, in particular during a time of war.”

According to the Times of Israel, the prime minister said that the war cabinet is acting “quickly but not recklessly” in its decisions about fighting and added that the focus remains on both the southern and northern fronts.

Netanyahu discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages in Gaza through military operations.

“We are continuing now to speak with our enemy about continuing to free hostages — speaking with fire,” he added.

Israel resumed its shelling on the Gaza Strip on Friday following a 7-day humanitarian truce that witnessed an exchange of captives and detainees held by Hamas.



US Journalist Missing in Syria Since 2012 Is Believed to Be Alive, Says Aid Group

A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
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US Journalist Missing in Syria Since 2012 Is Believed to Be Alive, Says Aid Group

A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)

American journalist Austin Tice is believed to be still alive, according to the head of an international aid group.

Nizar Zakka, who runs the Hostage Aid Worldwide organization, said there has never been any proof that Tice, who has been missing since 2012, is dead.

He told reporters in Damascus on Tuesday that Tice was alive in January and being held by the authorities of ousted Bashar al-Assad. He added that US President Joe Biden said in August that Tice was alive.

Zakka said Tice was transferred between security agencies over the past 12 years, including in an area where Iranian-backed fighters were operating.

Asked if it was possible Tice had been taken out of the country, Zakka said Assad most likely kept him in Syria as a potential bargaining chip.

Biden said Dec. 8 that his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged that “we have no direct evidence” of his status.