Israeli residents began clearing rubble on Wednesday from a damaged two-storey house in Beersheba in southern Israel that was hit by a rocket launched from Gaza.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/west-asia/rocket-fired-on-israel-from-gaza-israeli-army-171840">Rocket</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/west-asia/rocket-fired-on-israel-from-gaza-israeli-army-171840"> fired on Israel from Gaza: Israeli army</a>

Israeli jets responded by striking targets in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said.

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the closure of both of Israel's border crossings with Gaza on Wednesday after a Palestinian rocket attack hit a southern city prompting retaliatory air strikes.

Lieberman ordered the closure of the Kerem Shalom goods crossing and the Erez crossing for people, and the reduction of the permitted fishing zone along the Gaza coast to three nautical miles, the defence ministry body responsible for Palestinian civil affairs, COGAT, said.

A medical official told Israel Radio that three people were taken to hospital after the rocket struck the house. Residents in the Gaza Strip said jets had targeted eight locations. The military said another rocket had been launched from Gaza, falling into the sea.

Health ministry officials in Gaza said three people were wounded in an Israeli air strike against an armed training camp in Rafah, in the south of the coastal strip. There were no reports of serious injuries in Israel.

Tensions along the Israel-Gaza border have been simmering for months amid weekly border protests and the launching by Palestinian militants of incendiary balloons and kites across the border fence.

Israeli leaders have warned that they are prepared to escalate military action on Gaza to curb attacks and protests. Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, fought a war in 2014.

Israeli residents began clearing rubble on Wednesday from a damaged two-storey house in Beersheba in southern Israel that was hit by a rocket launched from Gaza.

Israeli residents began clearing rubble on Wednesday from a damaged two-storey house in Beersheba in southern Israel that was hit by a rocket launched from Gaza. Rocket fired on Israel from Gaza: Israeli army Israeli jets responded by striking targets in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said. Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the closure of both of Israel's border crossings with Gaza on Wednesday after a Palestinian rocket attack hit a southern city prompting retaliatory air strikes. Lieberman ordered the closure of the Kerem Shalom goods crossing and the Erez crossing for people, and the reduction of the permitted fishing zone along the Gaza coast to three nautical miles, the defence ministry body responsible for Palestinian civil affairs, COGAT, said. A medical official told Israel Radio that three people were taken to hospital after the rocket struck the house. Residents in the Gaza Strip said jets had targeted eight locations. The military said another rocket had been launched from Gaza, falling into the sea. Health ministry officials in Gaza said three people were wounded in an Israeli air strike against an armed training camp in Rafah, in the south of the coastal strip. There were no reports of serious injuries in Israel. Tensions along the Israel-Gaza border have been simmering for months amid weekly border protests and the launching by Palestinian militants of incendiary balloons and kites across the border fence. Israeli leaders have warned that they are prepared to escalate military action on Gaza to curb attacks and protests. Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, fought a war in 2014.

Watch: Israel closes border crossing with Gaza after rocket attack

German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday as they seek to publicly brush past their list of differences and promote cooperation between their countries.

The visit by Merkel and members of her cabinet comes as part of German-Israeli government consultations held regularly, though the last one in 2017 was postponed, with scheduling conflicts cited as the official reason.

There were reports however that Merkel was unhappy with a law passed then related to Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

There has been no shortage of controversy ahead of this week's visit.

Last week at the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu accused Europe of "appeasement" of Iran, a word evoking European capitals' reluctance to stand up to Adolf Hitler in the run-up to World War II.

Netanyahu has been seeking to convince European countries to follow US President Donald Trump's lead and withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.

Germany, like the other signatories to the hard-fought deal, has sought to keep it alive, saying it is preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons for now. 
Netanyahu has also hit out at what he calls the EU's "absolutely crazy" demands of Israel, such as those related to his country's occupation of Palestinian territory.

As a counterweight, he has sought sympathetic ears within the EU among countries whose leaders' nationalist stances have been a thorn in Brussels' side, including Hungary.

Despite those issues and others, both sides seem determined to have the visit run smoothly.

Germany says the discussions will focus on economic ties, innovation and technology, while noting that the government-to-government consultations have been in place for 10 years.

It mentions Merkel's previous comments on the responsibility toward Israel that Germany bears as the perpetrator of the Holocaust.

Felix Klein, who heads the German government's fight against anti-Semitism, will be part of the delegation. Fears of a resurgence in anti-Semitism in Germany are expected to be discussed.

"Germany and Israel are linked by a unique relationship," Merkel said in her weekly podcast. 
"And we are grateful that we are now close partners and friends."

There will be no meetings with Palestinian officials during the one-day visit.

'She's lost hope'

EU nations have repeatedly criticised Israeli settlement building and warned over threats to remaining prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Germany has remained steadfast on the issue.

In recent weeks, it has joined calls against Israel's planned demolition of a Bedouin village located in a strategic area of the occupied West Bank.

On Tuesday, residents of the village, Khan al-Ahmar, displayed signs with Merkel's picture calling for help.

Yoram Ben-Zeev, a former Israeli ambassador to Germany, said Merkel would likely only "go through the motions" during the visit on issues related to the conflict with the Palestinians.

"I think that for the time being she's lost hope that things can move," Ben-Zeev told AFP, noting Trump's confusing statements on the conflict, Netanyahu's right-wing stance and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's unpopularity.

"Why should she put her hands in the fire?"&nbsp;

Netanyahu will likely want to speak about his country's main enemy Iran while possibly requesting Merkel's assistance in dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Ben-Zeev.

Russia has been angered by the recent accidental downing of one of its planes by Syrian air defences during an Israeli raid in Syria.

It has delivered the advanced S-300 air defence system to Syria as part of its response, which could limit Israel's strikes against Iranian and Hezbollah targets there.

A visit to Israel by Germany's then-foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel in 2017 ended in acrimony when Netanyahu cancelled their meeting.

Netanyahu made the decision after Gabriel refused to call off meetings with rights groups critical of Israel's government.

When Gabriel visited again in January, the two met but Netanyahu publicly corrected him over his stance on a two-state solution.

Gabriel had said he was "very thankful to hear that, of course, also the government of Israel wants to have two states" with secure Israeli borders.

Netanyahu interjected to reiterate his position that Israel must maintain security control in the Palestinian territories under any peace arrangement.

He declined to say whether that would mean Palestinian statehood or some lesser form of autonomy. 
&nbsp;

German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday as they seek to publicly brush past their list of differences and promote cooperation between their countries.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday as they seek to publicly brush past their list of differences and promote cooperation between their countries. The visit by Merkel and members of her cabinet comes as part of German-Israeli government consultations held regularly, though the last one in 2017 was postponed, with scheduling conflicts cited as the official reason. There were reports however that Merkel was unhappy with a law passed then related to Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank. There has been no shortage of controversy ahead of this week's visit. Last week at the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu accused Europe of "appeasement" of Iran, a word evoking European capitals' reluctance to stand up to Adolf Hitler in the run-up to World War II. Netanyahu has been seeking to convince European countries to follow US President Donald Trump's lead and withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. Germany, like the other signatories to the hard-fought deal, has sought to keep it alive, saying it is preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons for now. Netanyahu has also hit out at what he calls the EU's "absolutely crazy" demands of Israel, such as those related to his country's occupation of Palestinian territory. As a counterweight, he has sought sympathetic ears within the EU among countries whose leaders' nationalist stances have been a thorn in Brussels' side, including Hungary. Despite those issues and others, both sides seem determined to have the visit run smoothly. Germany says the discussions will focus on economic ties, innovation and technology, while noting that the government-to-government consultations have been in place for 10 years. It mentions Merkel's previous comments on the responsibility toward Israel that Germany bears as the perpetrator of the Holocaust. Felix Klein, who heads the German government's fight against anti-Semitism, will be part of the delegation. Fears of a resurgence in anti-Semitism in Germany are expected to be discussed. "Germany and Israel are linked by a unique relationship," Merkel said in her weekly podcast. "And we are grateful that we are now close partners and friends." There will be no meetings with Palestinian officials during the one-day visit. 'She's lost hope' EU nations have repeatedly criticised Israeli settlement building and warned over threats to remaining prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Germany has remained steadfast on the issue. In recent weeks, it has joined calls against Israel's planned demolition of a Bedouin village located in a strategic area of the occupied West Bank. On Tuesday, residents of the village, Khan al-Ahmar, displayed signs with Merkel's picture calling for help. Yoram Ben-Zeev, a former Israeli ambassador to Germany, said Merkel would likely only "go through the motions" during the visit on issues related to the conflict with the Palestinians. "I think that for the time being she's lost hope that things can move," Ben-Zeev told AFP, noting Trump's confusing statements on the conflict, Netanyahu's right-wing stance and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's unpopularity. "Why should she put her hands in the fire?" Netanyahu will likely want to speak about his country's main enemy Iran while possibly requesting Merkel's assistance in dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Ben-Zeev. Russia has been angered by the recent accidental downing of one of its planes by Syrian air defences during an Israeli raid in Syria. It has delivered the advanced S-300 air defence system to Syria as part of its response, which could limit Israel's strikes against Iranian and Hezbollah targets there. A visit to Israel by Germany's then-foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel in 2017 ended in acrimony when Netanyahu cancelled their meeting. Netanyahu made the decision after Gabriel refused to call off meetings with rights groups critical of Israel's government. When Gabriel visited again in January, the two met but Netanyahu publicly corrected him over his stance on a two-state solution. Gabriel had said he was "very thankful to hear that, of course, also the government of Israel wants to have two states" with secure Israeli borders. Netanyahu interjected to reiterate his position that Israel must maintain security control in the Palestinian territories under any peace arrangement. He declined to say whether that would mean Palestinian statehood or some lesser form of autonomy.

Merkel, Netanyahu seek to brush past differences for Israel talks

A top Syrian official has said a new air defence system from ally Russia will force Israel to "think carefully" before carrying out any more air strikes in the country.

Moscow announced on Monday it would deliver the advanced S-300 air defence system, a week after the Syrian military downed a Russian plane by mistake following an Israeli air strike.

Russia has blamed the friendly fire on Israeli pilots using the larger Russian plane as "cover".

Late Tuesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Meqdad said Damascus welcomed the delivery of the advanced S-300 system promised to arrive within two weeks.

It replaces Syria's existing Russian-built S-200 system, which dates back to the Soviet era, in a move that had been due to take place in 2013 but was held up by Russia at Israel's request.

"I think that Israel, which is accustomed to carrying out many attacks under different pretexts, will have to think carefully about attacking Syria again," Meqdad said.

In recent years, Israel has carried out repeated air strikes in war-torn Syria against Iranian targets and what is says are advanced arm deliveries to Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

Iran and Hezbollah are allies of President Bashar al-Assad in the seven-year civil war.

"Let the Israelis try, we will defend ourselves as we always do," the state SANA news agency quoted Meqdad as saying.

The downing of the Russian plane late Monday last week killed all 15 soldiers on board, after an Israeli plane targeted a military position in the northwestern province of Latakia.

The accident was the deadliest friendly fire between Syria and Russia since Moscow's game-changing military intervention in the war in 2015.

More than 360,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

A top Syrian official has said a new air defence system from ally Russia will force Israel to "think carefully" before carrying out any more air strikes in the country.

A top Syrian official has said a new air defence system from ally Russia will force Israel to "think carefully" before carrying out any more air strikes in the country. Moscow announced on Monday it would deliver the advanced S-300 air defence system, a week after the Syrian military downed a Russian plane by mistake following an Israeli air strike. Russia has blamed the friendly fire on Israeli pilots using the larger Russian plane as "cover". Late Tuesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Meqdad said Damascus welcomed the delivery of the advanced S-300 system promised to arrive within two weeks. It replaces Syria's existing Russian-built S-200 system, which dates back to the Soviet era, in a move that had been due to take place in 2013 but was held up by Russia at Israel's request. "I think that Israel, which is accustomed to carrying out many attacks under different pretexts, will have to think carefully about attacking Syria again," Meqdad said. In recent years, Israel has carried out repeated air strikes in war-torn Syria against Iranian targets and what is says are advanced arm deliveries to Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Iran and Hezbollah are allies of President Bashar al-Assad in the seven-year civil war. "Let the Israelis try, we will defend ourselves as we always do," the state SANA news agency quoted Meqdad as saying. The downing of the Russian plane late Monday last week killed all 15 soldiers on board, after an Israeli plane targeted a military position in the northwestern province of Latakia. The accident was the deadliest friendly fire between Syria and Russia since Moscow's game-changing military intervention in the war in 2015. More than 360,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Syria says new air defences will make Israel think twice

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Watch: Israel closes border crossing with Gaza after rocket attack

Merkel, Netanyahu seek to brush past differences for Israel talks

Syria says new air defences will make Israel think twice