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Israel's Parliament has passed a law to deport first-degree relatives of Palestinian attackers to the Gaza Strip and elsewhere.
The move was passed in a 61-41 vote on Thursday. It’s been widely criticised by human rights groups but welcomed by the country’s right wing. The law would result in deportation for seven to 20 years and would apply to family members who knew of an attack or expressed support for one.
Palestinian citizens of Israel make up about 20 per cent of its population. The law also applies to Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem, but it’s unclear whether it would apply to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Russian president Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Donald Trump on his election win. He praised him as a “real man” for his response to an assassination attempt earlier this year and signalled what appears to be a mutual desire for talks.
Mr Trump told NBC News, “I think we’ll speak.” The president-elect has already spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said their conversation was “warm” and “productive”.
Putin’s congratulations follow Biden’s rush of aid to Ukraine after Trump’s election victory.
Israel is continuing its bombing campaign on Hezbollah strongholds in Syria. A war monitor reported Israeli planes struck smuggling routes near the Syrian city of Qusayr, on the border with Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. Strikes on Lebanon continue.
![A damaged car and a damaged building are seen at the site of a strike in Bartalla in the northern Iraqi Nineveh province on July 29, 2026. US-Saudi strikes on Iraq on July 29 killed at least 20 members of a former paramilitary alliance that includes pro-Iran groups, the alliance said. The United States and Saudi Arabia said they had struck Iran-backed militants in Iraq in response to attacks on US forces and Saudi oil facilities. (Photo by Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP) / Attention editors: AFP covers the war in the Middle East through its extensive regional network, including bureaus in Tehran, Jerusalem and several neighboring countries. Since the start of the conflict, journalists have been working under increasingly restrictive conditions. Authorities in several countries have limited reporters’ movements, photo and live video coverage from sensitive locations. Some governments and armed groups have banned images of missile or drone strikes and other security-related sites. / “The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Ziad OBEID has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: corrects byline [Zaid AL-OBEIDI] instead of [Ziad OBEID]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. ”](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/PLSC2TSQZTFNYGSCPBJVUPIB2I.jpg?smart=true&auth=b0d3bd2d2b21bfcd8f9d5a89db763ef91727ee31e46f2bd5651027a66d97a8f5&width=188&height=104)
