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The White House has urged Israel “to find a compromise as soon as possible” after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacked his defence minister for objecting to judicial reforms, triggering widespread protests.

Mr Netanyahu fired Yoav Gallant on Sunday – a day after Mr Gallant broke ranks as an increasing number of Israeli Defence Force reservists have been going on strike in protest at the government’s proposals.

The proposals would see ministers hold more control over the appointments of judges, including in the Supreme Court, while diminishing that body’s ability to veto legislation or rule against the government.

Tens of thousands of protesters turned out on Sunday night, blocking Tel Aviv’s main highway and breaking barricades near Mr Netanyahu’s home in Jerusalem.

Demonstrations also took place in Beersheba and Haifa.

People attend a demonstration after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the defense minister and his nationalist coalition government presses on with its judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, March 26, 2023. REUTERS/Nir Elias
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Large bonfires were lit in Tel Aviv
People attend a demonstration after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the defense minister and his nationalist coalition government presses on with its judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel, March 26, 2023. REUTERS/Nir Elias

In a statement on Sunday night, White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said: “We continue to strongly urge Israeli leaders to find a compromise as soon as possible. We believe that is the best path forward for Israel and all of its citizens.

“As the president (Joe Biden) recently discussed with Prime Minister Netanyahu, democratic values have always been, and must remain, a hallmark of the US-Israel relationship.

“Democratic societies are strengthened by checks and balances, and fundamental changes to a democratic system should be pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support.”

People attend a demonstration after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the defense minister and his nationalist coalition government presses on with its judicial overhaul, in Jerusalem, March 26, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
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Protesters broke barricades near the home of Benjamin Netanyahu

People have taken to the streets over the past 13 weeks to protest against the judicial plan in the largest demonstrations in the country’s 75-year history.

One of those demonstrating on Sunday told Sky’s Alistair Bunkall that the proposed overhaul of the judiciary was “damaging the country […] and the unity of the country”.

“I’m really scared for the future of this country,” he said.

Read more:
Is Israel’s democracy on the brink?

A water cannon is used as people attend a demonstration after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the defense minister and his nationalist coalition government presses on with its judicial overhaul, in Jerusalem, March 26, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
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A water cannon is used against protesters in Jerusalem

Protests are set to continue this week as the right-wing and staunchly conservative government moves to push its proposals through the Knesset, its legislature, with universities announcing a general strike for Monday.

Israel’s police chief said officers would not allow public disturbances and damage to symbols of government.

Netanyahu ‘a threat to security’

Hours after the announcement that Mr Gallant had been fired, Israel’s consul general in New York, Asaf Zamir, quit.

He said it was time for him “to join the fight for Israel’s future”.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid tweeted that Mr Netanyahu had become “a threat to the security of the state of Israel”.

People attend a demonstration, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nationalist coalition government presses on with its judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel
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Tel Aviv

Sacked minister remains defiant

Mr Gallant had called for a pause in the legislation until after next month’s Independence Day holidays, citing a threat to Israel’s national security.

On Saturday, he said: “I declare loudly and publicly, for the sake of Israel’s security, for the sake of our sons and daughters, the legislative process should be stopped.

“The victory of a single side, whether it be in the halls of the Knesset [Israeli parliament], or on the streets of our cities, will lead to a loss for the State of Israel.”

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant
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Yoav Gallant has been sacked as Israel’s defence minister

Mr Netanyahu’s office did not provide further details, but his public diplomacy minister said Mr Gallant was told of his sacking after being summoned to the PM’s office.

He was told Mr Netanyahu “doesn’t have any faith in him any more, and therefore he is fired”.

Read more:
Defence minister breaking ranks is significant moment

In a statement after his sacking, Mr Gallant said: “The security of the state of Israel has always been and will always remain the mission of my life.”

A replacement for him has not been announced.

NETANYAHU’S DRAMATIC MOVE IS A RISKY ONE – WITH NO GOOD SOLUTION IN SIGHT

This dramatic move isn’t without its risks.

Mr Gallant wasn’t the only one to voice concerns about the protests gripping Israel.

Other senior figures in Israel’s security establishment, including the IDF chief of staff and head of the internal intelligence agency, Shin Bet, have also warned of the corrosive effect the reforms are having on Israel’s security.

Hundreds of Israeli military reservists have gone on strike in protest, threatening the military’s operational capabilities.

By firing Mr Gallant, Mr Netanyahu is effectively siding with the far-right voices in his coalition over the people entrusted with Israel’s security.

The previous defence minister, Benny Gantz, has accused Mr Netanyahu of putting “politics and himself above security”.

The main opposition leader and former prime minister Yaid Lapid has described it as “an act of madness, indicating a complete lack of judgement”.

Mr Gallant said he had tried to raise his concerns in private and had asked for cabinet meetings to talk about a different way forward.

His calls were ignored, and he has now been punished for airing his views in public.

The security situation in the West Bank is as fragile as it has been for decades.

Talk of a Third Intifada (uprising) has been increasing and the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, just a few days old, is being seen as a crucial moment.

Removing the defence minister, at this point in time, is a big call.

Mr Gallant was supported by three other politicians from Mr Netanyahu’s party when he spoke out last night.

His firing might harden those views and threaten Mr Netanyahu’s majority of four in the Knesset. If other politicians are harbouring private doubts, they too might now feel forced to speak out.

Neither side is backing down. The national demonstrations are growing in size, almost by the day now, and Mr Netanyahu has said he will continue to drive through reforms at the pace before the Passover recess.

Right now, it’s hard to see any good solution to Israel’s crisis.

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Ukraine is turning warfare into a sci-fi battle of machines – and the West has work to do

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Ukraine is turning warfare into a sci-fi battle of machines - and the West has work to do

Ukrainians say they are in danger of losing the drone arms race with Russia and need more help.

And that is worrying not just for Ukraine, because the drone is becoming the likely weapon of choice in other future conflicts.

Sky News has been given exclusive access to a Ukrainian drone factory to watch its start up ingenuity at work. Ukrainians have turned the drone into their most effective weapon against the invaders.

But they are now, we are told, losing the upper hand in the skies over Ukraine.

General Cherry Drones was started by volunteers at the beginning of the war, making a 100 a month, but is now producing 1,000 times that. The company’s Andriy Lavrenovych said it is never enough.

Andriy Lavrenovych
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Andriy Lavrenovych

“The Russians have a lot of troops, a lot of vehicles and our soldiers every day tell us we need more, we need more weapons, we need better, we need faster, we need higher.”

The comments echo the words of Ukraine’s leader, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who told reporters this week “the Russians have increased the number of drones, while due to a lack of funding, we have not yet been able to scale up.”

The factory’s location is a closely-guarded secret, moved often. Russia strikes weapons factories when it can.

In a nondescript office building we watched drones being assembled and stacked in their thousands. Put together like toys, they are hand assembled and customised.

The quadcopters vary in size, some carry explosives to attack the enemy. Others fly as high as six kilometres to ambush Russian surveillance drones.

A combat drone is prepared by a Ukrainian soldier in the frontline town of Chasiv Yar. Pic:24th King Danylo Separate Brigade/Reuters
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A combat drone is prepared by a Ukrainian soldier in the frontline town of Chasiv Yar. Pic:24th King Danylo Separate Brigade/Reuters

A $1,000 (£743) Ukrainian drone can bring down an enemy aircraft worth 300 times as much.

Downstairs each drone is tested before it’s sent to the front. Nineteen-year-old Dima – not his real name – used to play with drones at home before it was occupied in Kherson Oblast.

Now he works here using his skills to check the drones are fit for battle.

But Russia is catching up. Sinister propaganda released this week filmed at one of its vast new drone factories shows hundreds of Geranium delta wing attack drones lined up ready to be launched at Ukraine.

Russia has refined the technology provided by Iranians to produce faster, more lethal versions of their Shahed drones. They have wreaked havoc and carnage, coming in their hundreds every night and killing scores of civilians. Ukraine expects 1,000 a night in the months ahead.

Russia is using scale and quantity to turn the tables on Ukrainians. And it is mastering drones controlled by fibre optic thread, trailing in their wake, that cannot be jammed.

Read more:
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Oleksandr "Drakar", head of new product development
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Oleksandr “Drakar”, head of new product development

Oleksandr “Drakar”, head of new product development, showed us his company’s prototype fibre optic model. It is more effective than the Russians, he told us, but added: “The Russians began using the technology earlier and have scaled up production.

“They’ve had considerable help from the Chinese – entire factories there are under contract to supply fibre exclusively to Russia, producing it in vast quantities.”

Russia’s Chinese allies, who claim to be neutral in this conflict, are also throttling the supply of microchips and other parts vital to drone production. The West is not doing enough, say Ukrainians, to counterbalance the threat.

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Is NATO ready for drone war?

It is a constant race to beat the other side, innovation met by more innovation. This conflict is revolutionising warfare into a sci-fi battle of machines.

Ukrainians say 80% of battlefield strikes are now carried out by drones.

Whoever has the upper hand with them in this conflict is likely to have the edge in future wars. If the West wants to be on the winning side, it will need to give Zelenskyy and his drone start-up companies more help to maintain their edge.

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Israel may not be targeting journalists but it is certainly killing a lot of them

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Israel may not be targeting journalists but it is certainly killing a lot of them

It is an innocuous term for a horrible tactic. A “double tap” sounds so innocent and unthreatening. In fact, it is a term saved for a particularly brutal kind of attack.

And so it seems was the fate of those who died in the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. First one strike hit the building, ripping away a chunk of the wall and injuring the people inside.

Fifteen minutes later, as rescuers and journalists rushed in, and as the scene was being broadcast live, a second explosion ripped through the courtyard, killing those who had come to help.

Nasser hospital in Gaza was damaged by an Israeli strike. Pic: AP
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Nasser hospital in Gaza was damaged by an Israeli strike. Pic: AP

Latest updates: Israel strikes Nasser hospital

So the first tap causes harm and brings people to the scene; the second inflicts yet more devastation upon the people who came to help.

It’s a tactic that’s been used by a variety of countries over the years, most recently by Russia in Ukraine and, enthusiastically, by Bashar al Assad while he was president of Syria.

This time, it left more than 20 people dead, among them medics, patients, and five journalists. The scenes of carnage were horrendous – we saw images of death and destruction. One man, a journalist who survived the explosions, was filmed sitting in the hospital, his head and body soaked in blood, utterly dazed.

Nasser is the last fully functioning hospital in southern Gaza. To see it struck again was, in the words of British surgeon Professor Nick Maynard, “barbarism in the extreme”.

He told Sky News: “This hospital has been bombed several times over the last 22 months. It is murder. These are war crimes killing innocent civilians. As barbaric as anything I have seen in Gaza.”

Relatives and friends pray over the body of journalist Mariam Dagga. Pic: AP
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Relatives and friends pray over the body of journalist Mariam Dagga. Pic: AP

Among the dead was photographer Mariam Daqqa. Hours before her death, her name appeared on the front page of a leading Israeli newspaper, a credit for a haunting photo she had taken of an emaciated child.

Her press vest, recovered from the rubble, was later laid across her coffin while her camera, still marked by her own blood, was held aloft.

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Who were the journalists killed by Israel?

Amanda Nasser, an American emergency nurse who had been working inside the hospital, survived by chance. “We were told to leave for [a] training session,” she said. “Thirty minutes later, the hospital was hit twice. Mariam was a dear friend. Getting that news broke me down.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the attack as “a tragic mishap” and an investigation has been opened. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) insists it does not deliberately target civilians; Mr Netanyahu says that Israel values the work of “journalists, health workers and all citizens”.

But it’s also a fact that Nasser hospital is a popular place for media workers to gather, to use the internet and to chase and trade stories. And if we know that, so does the Israeli military.

It would be naive to think that the chance of killing journalists, as well as, obviously, health workers, was not obvious to those who launched this attack. “We do not intentionally target civilians,” says the IDF’s spokesperson Effie Defrin. “We regret any harm to uninvolved individuals.”

And yet, somehow, it happened. Not just one explosion, but two.

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There are at least five different groups who try to keep track of how many journalists have been killed in Gaza. They all come up with different figures, but they agree that the total is above 200, and may even be more than 300.

And remember – foreign journalists are barred from entering Gaza, so the ability of the world to scrutinise what is actually happening on the ground in Gaza is largely dependent upon the work of these people, hundreds of whom are now dead.

Israel may not be targeting them, but it is certainly killing a lot of journalists along the way.

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This is a crucial moment in this conflict. Parts of Gaza have been designated as suffering from famine, just as Israel’s military might is readied for a huge operation to encircle and overwhelm Gaza City.

A ceasefire proposal is on the table, but Netanyahu seems reluctant to negotiate. On Tuesday, once again, Israel will face protests and strikes from those, including the families of hostages, demanding that their prime minister stop the war.

It is a volatile time, and Israel is a volatile country.

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Five journalists among 20 killed in Israeli strikes on hospital, Gaza health ministry says

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Five journalists among 20 killed in Israeli strikes on hospital, Gaza health ministry says

Israeli strikes on a hospital in southern Gaza have killed at least 20 people, including five journalists, according to the Gaza health ministry and the media organisations the journalists worked for.

Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis was struck twice on Monday in what has been described as a “double-tap” attack.

The initial strike hit the top floor of a building at Nasser Hospital. Minutes later, as journalists and rescue workers rushed to the scene, a second missile struck the same location, according to Dr Ahmed al Farra, head of the hospital’s paediatrics department.

Al Jazeera, the Associated Press (AP), and Reuters said their journalists were among those killed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he “deeply regrets” the incident, calling it a “tragic mishap”.

“Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians,” he added. “The military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation.”

A man holds the equipment used by Palestinian cameraman Hussam al Masri. Pic: Reuters
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A man holds the equipment used by Palestinian cameraman Hussam al Masri. Pic: Reuters

Rescuers work to recover the body of Palestinian cameraman Hussam al Masri. Pic: Reuters
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Rescuers work to recover the body of Palestinian cameraman Hussam al Masri. Pic: Reuters

A British consultant surgeon, who worked at the Nasser Hospital earlier this summer, described the attack on Monday morning as “barbarism in the extreme”.

More on Gaza

Consultant surgeon Professor Nick Maynard told Sky News it was a “typical double strike that the Israelis use frequently”. It targets an area, then hits it shortly afterwards, often when emergency services respond, he explained.

The Israeli military said its troops carried out a strike in the area of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and that it would conduct an investigation into the incident. The military said it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and does not target journalists as such”.

In a further statement, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Effie Defrin said: “We are aware of reports that harm was caused to civilians, including journalists. I would like to be clear from the start – the IDF does not intentionally target civilians.

“The IDF makes every effort to mitigate harm to civilians, while ensuring the safety of our troops.”

He said forces were “operating in an extremely complex reality” and that Hamas “deliberately use civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as shields”.

He said the findings of Israel’s investigation will be presented “as transparently as possible”.

Who are the journalists?

Mariam Dagga
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Mariam Dagga

Mariam Dagga, 33, a visual journalist who freelanced for AP during the war, as well as other news outlets, was killed in Monday’s strike.

AP said in a statement that it was shocked and saddened by the death of Dagga and the loss of other journalists.

Dagga, a mother of a 12-year-old son who was evacuated from Gaza earlier in the war, frequently based herself at Nasser, the news agency said. Most recently, she reported on the hospital’s doctors struggling to save starving and malnourished children.

“We are doing everything we can to keep our journalists in Gaza safe as they continue to provide crucial eyewitness reporting in difficult and dangerous conditions,” AP said.

Independent Arabia, the Arabic-language edition of The Independent, said it also collaborated with Dagga.

Mohammed Salama
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Mohammed Salama

Al Jazeera confirmed cameraman Mohammed Salama was among those killed.

Mohamed Moawad, managing editor of Al Jazeera, spoke to Sky News from Doha, Qatar, after Mr Salama was killed.

“They were reporting closer to the hospital, knowing that was somehow safer than the frontline,” he said. “We’re talking about a crime against journalism.”

Hussam al Masri
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Hussam al Masri

Reuters said in a statement that it was “devastated” after two of its journalists were killed at the Nasser Hospital, and one was injured.

Moaz Abu Taha
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Moaz Abu Taha

Contractor cameraman Hussam al Masri was also killed in the strikes on Nasser Hospital, Reuters said.

Moaz Abu Taha, a freelance journalist whose work had been occasionally published by Reuters, was also killed. Photographer Hatem Khaled, a Reuters contractor, was wounded.

Ahmed Abu Aziz
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Ahmed Abu Aziz

A fifth journalist, Ahmed Abu Aziz, who worked as a freelance reporter, succumbed to his wounds following the strikes at the Nasser Hospital.

One of the bloodiest conflicts for media workers

The Israel-Hamas war has been among the deadliest conflicts for journalists, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reporting at least 192 media workers killed in Gaza during the 22-month-long conflict.

The CPJ says that 18 journalists have died so far in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Thibaut Bruttin, director general of Reporters Without Borders, said press freedom advocates have never witnessed such a significant decline in journalist safety. He said journalists had been killed in both indiscriminate bombings and deliberate attacks.

“They are doing everything they can to silence independent voices that are trying to report on Gaza,” said Mr Bruttin.

Israel has accused journalists in Gaza of ties to militant groups, as in the case of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al Sharif, who was targeted and killed by Israeli forces earlier this month.

The Israeli military claimed Sharif led a Hamas cell, a charge both Al Jazeera and Sharif rejected as unfounded.

In the absence of direct access, news organisations largely depend on Palestinian journalists and local residents in Gaza to document and provide first-hand accounts of the events unfolding on the ground.

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Israel faces a decision after it kills at least 20 at hospital

Many journalists reporting from Gaza are enduring the same hardships as those they cover, including the daily struggle to secure food for themselves and their families.

“It is a particular burden that they carry, as well as living in a war zone,” Sky Middle East correspondent Adam Parsons said.

Additional casualties on Monday

In addition to the casualties at Nasser Hospital, medical officials in northern Gaza reported further fatalities resulting from strikes and gunfire along routes leading to aid distribution sites.

According to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, an airstrike on a neighbourhood claimed the lives of three Palestinians, including a child.

Al Awda Hospital in Deir al Balah reported six people attempting to reach a central Gaza aid distribution point were shot and killed in Israeli gunfire. The hospital said 15 others were wounded in the incident.

The IDF has previously “strongly rejected” accusations it targets civilians – and maintained its forces operate near aid sites to stop supplies from falling into the hands of militants.

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