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Israel's government pushes ahead with judicial overhaul plan despite protests

Israel's governing coalition pushed ahead on Monday with its contentious plan to overhaul the country's judiciary, despite growing opposition from within the country's military and a wave of mass protests expected this week.

A parliamentary committee was preparing a bill that would limit judicial oversight on some government decisions, legislation that has sparked intensifying criticism from military reservists in elite units, including the air force and cyberwarfare.

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Palestinian gunman wounds 3 Israelis in occupied West Bank

A Palestinian gunman opened fire on a car in the occupied West Bank on Sunday wounding three Israelis before fleeing, Israeli authorities said.

The attack was the latest in a relentless cycle of violence that has gripped the region, driving up the death toll and sparking the worst fighting between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank in nearly two decades.

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Netanyahu feeling 'very good' after overnight hospitalization

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was still undergoing tests in hospital on Sunday after a dizzy spell but was expected to be released later in the day, his office said.

Netanyahu, 73, was rushed to hospital on Saturday after feeling mild dizziness. His office said test results on Sunday were normal and that Netanyahu was feeling "very good."

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UN says Damascus conditions for cross-border aid 'unacceptable'

The United Nations is concerned about "unacceptable conditions" set by Damascus for allowing aid to flow through its Bab al-Hawa crossing to rebel-held areas in northwest Syria, according to a document reviewed by AFP.

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Cyprus says probe backs Mossad claims that hitman plotted to kill Israelis on island

Cyprus police investigations support claims by Israel's Mossad spy service that an Iranian-backed hit squad planned to kill Israelis and other Jews in the east Mediterranean island nation, an official said.

The security official told The Associated Press that Cypriot police had tracked an Iranian national identified as Yusef Shahabazi Abbasalilu following information from "friendly intelligence services."

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UN 'deeply disturbed' by campaign of arrests in Libya

The United Nations mission in Libya has expressed its concern over "continued abductions, arbitrary arrests, and disappearances of citizens and public figures by various security actors" in the war-ravaged country.

Among those who have gone missing is Faraj Abderrahmane Boumtari, a former finance minister.

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Israel's defense chief travels to Azerbaijan, reaffirming shared opposition to Iran

Israel's defense minister has visited Azerbaijan, seeking to strengthen ties between countries with shared opposition to Iran.

Defense Minster Yoav Gallant and Azerbaijani officials agreed to work together to deter threats from Iran, the Israeli Defense Ministry said. Israel views Iran as its archenemy, while Azerbaijan, which borders Iran to the north, also has a rocky relationship with Iran.

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Syria OKs reopening of key crossing to rebel-held northwest from Turkey

The Syrian government gave a green light Thursday for the United Nations to use a key crossing from Turkey to the country's rebel-held northwest that was closed earlier this week, but it wants to take away U.N. control over aid deliveries to the region.

Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bassam Sabbagh, said the government is granting the U.N. and its agencies "permission" to use the Bab al-Hawa crossing for six months starting Thursday, but he said it must be done "in full cooperation and coordination with the government."

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Iraqi officials say barter deal with Iran doesn't violate US sanctions

Iraqi officials have defended a deal inked this week to barter oil for gas with Iran, saying that the deal does not violate U.S. sanctions on Tehran and that it will help alleviate a worsening electricity crisis in Iraq.

The remarks come as the government in Baghdad struggles to maintain a balance between its two key allies, Washington and Tehran. A previous arrangement in which Iraq was buying gas from Iran and paying dollars for it was held up because Washington declined to approve sanctions waivers. That in turn led Iran to cut the gas supply, triggering severe power shortages in Iraq.

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Thousands protest outside US offices in Tel Aviv

Thousands of protesters have gathered outside the main U.S. diplomatic office in Tel Aviv, calling upon the U.S. to condemn Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the country's judiciary.

The gathering came days after President Joe Biden called members of Netanyahu's far-right government "extreme" and said that supporters of Israel's West Bank settlements were "part of the problem."

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