'#' : location.hash;window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery = location.search === '' && location.href.slice(0 location.href.length - window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash.length).indexOf('?') !== -1 '?' : location.search;if (window.history && window.history.replaceState) {var ogU = location.pathname + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash;history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/ashkelon-beersheba-modiin-and-others-cancel-independence-day-events-due-to-weather\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=nLj9gU8KkTshUDKwAbvxUAxDSzExLgxoFz734yCF48s-1746503662-1.0.1.1-ip1G_9kK5I8SgvQCwa1PLmDa5Wn1VjlyIwy7zW2O_8A" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null ogU);}}document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(cpo);}()); five room 20th floor apartment with a 28 square meter balcony overlooking the marina in Ashkelon with an open view of the sea has been sold for NIS 4.37 million The apartment is in the Dimri Yama project comprising three 24-floor towers at the junction of Yafe Nof and Moshe Dayan Streets The towers are opposite the Marina Mall and the apartments are expected to be occupied in February 2026 There are five apartments on each of the first 19 floors and four apartments on the 20th to 24th floors lounge for tenants with a small kitchen and furnishings and air-conditioned lobby apartments in the project have been selling for NIS 28,000 per square meter with prices reaching NIS 40,000 per square meter in the smaller apartments This latest deal on the 20th floor represents NIS 33,000 per square meter The highest amount paid in the project was in another tower where a 177 square meter penthouse on the 24th floor with a 35 square meter balcony was sold for NIS 6.09 million there are apartments that were built over the seafront in the late 1990s and early 2000s These projects mostly include small 2-3 room apartments and prices are about NIS 18,000 per square meter larger apartments in nearby projects reach prices of about NIS 20,000 per square meter Dimri (TASE: DIMRI) VP marketing Amir Cohen says that the apartment is especially luxurious with a panoramic view of the sea in three directions 150 meters from the seafront and this is what attracted the buyers "The apartment was bought by a family of new immigrants from the US he works in high-tech and she is an architect with family in Israel In the first stage this will be a vacation home for them Within a few years they will become pensioners and they plan to immigrate to Israel." The couple saw the apartment with an agent and within a week they made a decision with the sea view a top priority for them "We see a clear trend of increasing interest from North America and the rest are purchasing vacation apartments for use four-five months a year." "This is a high price by Ashkelon terms - about NIS 30,000 per square meter one of the highest prices we have seen in the city especially for a regular apartment (not a penthouse or garden apartment) The apartment is in one of the most sought-after locations in the city - Yaffe Nof Street in a prestigious project with high-quality technical specifications and a full sea view will remain open both in terms of the view and in terms of the feeling of privacy and luxury The Ashkelon market has undergone an upheaval recently but luxury apartments in prominent projects like this still maintain demand from a strong population including those buying a bigger apartment and foreign residents but not disconnected from the local reality of the luxury segment in the city It reflects the potential of certain areas in Ashkelon and especially the demand for quality properties with open sea views - even in a complex period." The price level of the project in general and the apartment that was sold in particular are probably the highest in the city for high density construction projects the level of the specifications is almost non-existent in competing properties in the area Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on April 20 © Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. The Hamas terror organization launched 10 rockets into southern Israel on Sunday evening the first such barrage since the start of the recent hostage-ceasefire deal in January After rocket sirens sounded in several southern communities the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement about the launches stating that half the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system “Following the sirens that sounded at 21:01-21:02 in the Lakhish area approximately ten projectiles were identified crossing into Israeli territory from central Gaza,” the statement read “Approximately five projectiles were successfully intercepted by the IAF [Israeli Air Force] IDF Home Front Command soldiers are dispatched to the scenes and are operating in cooperation with Israeli security forces.”  BREAKING: Hamas fired at least 10 rockets from Gaza into Israel.In this video you can see one rocket hitting Ashkelon in southern Israel.Image if this was your city. You would not tolerate it. pic.twitter.com/vWEqwjKcWs A man in his 30s was lightly injured due to shrapnel from a rocket in Ashkelon and was taken by Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services to Barzilai Hospital MDA also treated several people for anxiety and for minor injuries due to falls while running to shelters during the attacks 10 שיגורים נורו מעזה - פגיעה ישירה באשקלון, בנס אין נפגעים pic.twitter.com/DrPQBVGOnc The rockets were launched from the Deir al-Balah neighborhood in central Gaza an area where the IDF has not been operating since resuming military activity in the Strip IDF Arabic spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee issued a warning in Arabic for residents of the Deir al-Balah area instructing them to evacuate ahead of the IDF response “We will attack with great force every area from which rockets are launched,” Adraee wrote bear full responsibility for the displacement and suffering of civilians you must move immediately south to the known shelters in Al Mawasi.”  #عاجل ‼️ إلى جميع سكان قطاع غزة المتواجدين في منطقة دير البلح في الأحياء: الصحابة، السماح, العودة، الزوايدة والصلاح🔴هذا انذار مسبق وأخير قبل الهجوم!🔴⭕️سنهاجم بقوة شديدة كل منطقة يتم إطلاق قذائف صاروخية منها. ⭕️تتحمل المنظمات الارهابية وفي مقدمتها حماس المسؤولية الكاملة عن… pic.twitter.com/7WJfUH8vDT who was flying to the United States for his meeting with U.S called Defense Minister Israel Katz from the Wings of Zion plane Netanyahu instructed Katz to respond harshly to the attacks while also giving  approval for increased military operations against Hamas in Gaza “I instructed the IDF to carry out a powerful blow against Hamas We will not accept rocket fire at Israel,” Katz said in a statement adding “The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat to Israeli civilians.” the military struck the site of the launch The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Israeli defense company Ashot Ashkelon Industries Ltd. (TASE:ASHO) which is controlled by the FIMI Opportunity Funds saw its share price rise 5.36% today after announcing orders worth NIS 100 million from Israel's Ministry of Defense repairing and supplying systems (transmissions suspensions and drives) for Merkava tanks and the Namer armored personnel carriers (APCs) The latest increase in the stock comes after Ashot Ashkelon's share price has doubled in the past year managed by CEO Eli Damari and chairman Ishay Davidi (FIMI founder and CEO) transmissions and assemblies for armored vehicles and military and civil aviation the company has 500 employees in its offices and main factory in Ashkelon as well as in the US Ashot Ashkelon ended 2024 with a market cap of NIS 1.1 billion when FIMI completed acquisition of a controlling stake from Elbit Systems FIMI's stake in the company is currently worth almost NIS 970 million - an almost 3.5 times return on its investment in just three years Elbit Systems inherited control of Ashot when it purchased Israel Military Industries from the state in 2018 Its sale to FIMI has turned out to be a very successful move for the investment fund Ashot Ashkelon has continued to grow during a period of war in Israel and an arms race in Europe it received a previous order from the Ministry of Defense worth NIS 146 million also for the supply of transmissions for IDF armored vehicles Ashot reported a framework agreement with an existing US customer in the aviation sector to supply systems for Airbus 350A aircraft Ashot ended last year with a 20% growth in revenue to NIS 394 million mainly due to a rise in sales in the military sector due to the war in Israel although there was also an increase in revenue in the aviation sector Ashot's net profit jumped by 50% in 2024 to NIS 48.7 million Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on April 9 "\/liveblog_entry\/air-raid-sirens-sound-in-ashkelon-and-ashdod-after-rocket-fire-from-gaza\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=G._PGBNSlDxhiq1dLch0xBKKP0z5Lhgleyhv6wDEJj4-1746503696-1.0.1.1-4EJR0I.3Ev0dBZD7_RBQ4rTgphFqwfwDPKLFFhq5pZQ" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/man-lightly-wounded-by-shrapnel-in-ashkelon-after-hamas-rocket-barrage\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=oyEYd9YfTWFQoRb80cNE003B5ftUW9O__njGjXpJ4N0-1746503701-1.0.1.1-VpymuuFmkFKjU0zGIATR1s.6jvmi8.q7ft8nNeOpVTE" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null Ashot Ashkelon Industries Ltd. (TASE:ASHO) has received a NIS 146 million order from Israel's Ministry of Defense Procurement Administration for the manufacture and supply 1,200 horsepower transmissions Ashot Ashkelon's order backlog was worth NIS 1.662 billion with the Ministry of Defense instructing the company's management to prepare for a significant rise in activities and supply in the coming years The new order has sent Ashot's share price sharply higher on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange recognized the opportunity in Ashot at the right moment which was part of government-owned Israel Military Industries (IMI) was sold to Elbit Systems as part of the privatization in 2018 Elbit sold its 85% holdings in Ashot to FIMI for almost NIS 300 million with the market value of the shares today (according to their TASE price) worth over NIS 1 billion Ashot Ashkelon was founded in 1967 and has been traded in the TASE since 1992 The company has 500 employees in Israel and the US and manufactures jet engine shafts landing gear components and tungsten products for the aerospace and defense industries including for armored vehicles and tanks like the Merkava and Namer Ashot expanded its operations in the US market Reliance Gear specializes in the production of gear systems and advanced components and product range through the acquisition of EDC an Israeli multidisciplinary company providing solutions for development and maintenance services to customers in Israel and around the world operating in both the military and civilian sectors with the sophisticated systems it has developed Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 18 "\/liveblog_entry\/idf-says-that-the-ashkelon-sderot-train-line-closed-since-october-7-2023-is-safe-to-reopen-next-month\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=nk1UAttjSgSqXQBW698PnD2ill5txG2JovtGaGPy2WU-1746503705-1.0.1.1-uwYVY0AmDH4d3HUHIbFMSCKEXLY9LBgqz1GbEzMF4eg" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/footage-shows-impact-in-ashkelon-after-rocket-barrage-from-gaza\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=vtvgZYpilHWywLfBQczUS.Rv5s6frEDEOS.aCiyXGWI-1746503710-1.0.1.1-UJKkUWaUujV25d5k7aDn1MjHKQucKq52tPHb9O5qrYE" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/10-rockets-fired-from-gaza-at-ashdod-most-intercepted-says-idf\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=6jnuQ2m9u8AW_1ZFwObsFrsmPJ_8o9OFZfme6jKe42s-1746503711-1.0.1.1-xHr5FveBAtYkoA0GeHER529FImYnbTxvNmxKGGzV5ik" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/houthis-claim-ashkelon-drone-attack\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=8XlWomZwj6NChoPcO_yPbE7ftVN2N5mrZQehpjXjiCQ-1746503713-1.0.1.1-xlYhZsMyVzWnEGZyGktBuMa.3TdUMTb54RbL7ye2PuI" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/houthi-drone-crashes-near-ashkelon-no-injuries\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=ULv0dEqGT8st_QrsKJqQLzG7xeajzlVkMa3fygY2YA4-1746503719-1.0.1.1-MfE9EGUalf1g7EJf_UAJ_QDuzgCHLDjDAKylzuBpAi8" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null the Israeli railway line connecting the cities of Ashkelon and Sderot suspended its service in response to the ongoing risks associated with its proximity to Gaza.  the IDF has implemented advanced security measures state-of-the-art technology and enhanced surveillance capabilities to ensure the safety of passengers and operations the line will resume operations starting February 1 marking major progress in the process of restoring the strategic infrastructure in the western Negev The railway line was also one of the main targets during the massive attack on 7 October 2023 Sderot station suffered significant damage and railway operations were halted as a precaution Although the station partially reopened in March 2024 doubling travel time between Sderot and Tel Aviv The Planning Authority approved the construction of a protective wall in the most vulnerable areas of the route particularly from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich who called the investment a concession to attacks from Gaza If the railway service was suspended since May 23 for safety reasons email and website in this browser for the next time you comment This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Aurora Israel News in Spanish Minute by minute on all the events in Israel © Copyright 2024 Aurora Israel. All Rights Reserved. | Site Developed by Codetribe Israel | Contact Us The police said it was operating in an area of Ashkelon where an impact had been reported, while the Ashkelon Municipality noted a rocket that had crashed in the city had caused damage to property.  Hamas's military wing subsequently claimed responsibility for the rocket barrage.Responses to the rockets"If anyone needed a reminder of why we must not stop just before the destruction of Hamas they received it this evening in the form of rocket launches from Gaza to the cities of the South," Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich shared on X/Twitter shortly after. אם מישהו צריך היה תזכורת מדוע אסור לנו לעצור רגע לפני השמדת חמאס הוא קיבל אותם הערב בדמות שיגורי הרקטות שיצאו מעזה לערי הדרום התחייבנו בפני אזרחי ישראל שחמאס יושמד ותושבי הדרום יוכלו לחיות בשקט ובביטחון שנים רבות "We promised the citizens of Israel that Hamas will be destroyed and the residents of the South will be able to live in peace and security for many years," Smotrich added "we will stand by that." National Unity head Benny Gantz wrote on Twitter/X following the barrage is still firing missiles at Israeli citizens."  "Israeli citizens didn't really need a reminder the Prime Minister and coalition members did," Gantz asserted adding the enemy was "not the head of the Shin Bet not the High Court of Justice.אזרחי ישראל לא באמת היו צריכים תזכורת אבל כנראה שראש הממשלה וחברי הקואליציה כן.החמאס הוא האויב אחרי שנה וחצי של מלחמה יורה על אזרחי ישראל טילים למדינת ישראל מגיעה הנהגה שעוסקת בניצחון על אויבינו מבחוץ only to be reburied and excavated again in the 1990 the city of Ashkelon will create a special archaeology park to display the two tombs 2024Get email notification for articles from Ruth Schuster FollowAug 27 2024Stunning tomb art from the Roman period that was discovered near the beach in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon is being revealed to the public for the first time in one case a century after the vaulted structure was found the decision to let the public see the art took about 30 years The vaulted burial structures are at least 1,700 years old The fact of their existence had not been secret but the circumstances hadn't enabled their exposure before Elena Kogan-Zehavi of the Israel Antiquities Authority who excavated the second tomb in the 1990s The first tomb was excavated in the 1930s by a British expedition, during the British Mandate. They dated it to roughly the 4th century and the discovery was reburied and stayed where it had been made amid the dunes of Ashkelon about 300 meters from the shoreline It was not presented or formally reported and "waiting for somebody to put it out of its misery," according to Kogan-Zehavi the decision fell to the city of Ashkelon to create a special archaeology park for the two tombs This involved removing the second one from the earth and relocating it next to the first "The graves were made of poured cement," Kogan-Zehavi explains The archaeologists could remove it as a single huge unit vaulted tomb pictured near the beach of Ashkelon August.Credit: Amir Cohen/ REUTERSBoth tombs were built in the ancient Roman style consisting of a central hall with burial niches The tomb found nearly a century ago consists of a central hall decorated with depictions of gods including what seems to be the earth goddess Demeter frisking nymphs and other mythological creatures It also includes imagery of plenty showing, fruits, leaves and baskets. Other images show a reveler playing a Pan flute and a Medusa head with serpentine hair. These are motifs characteristic of the Roman world has a central hall and burial niches – between which the artisans created niches of a type seen in Roman temples for statuary But in this case each has the image of a young August.Credit: Amir Cohen/ REUTERS"Each man has a different offering," she says the imagery is supposed to indicate victory over death Why hadn't the tombs been presented to the public until now Partly because proper presentation that would evoke the requisite awe required extensive and expensive conservation work the paintings suffered following their exposure "Some paintings had to be removed from the walls for thorough treatment in the Israel Antiquities Authority's conservation laboratories until they were returned to the site," Abrahami said "The other walls of the structure were cleaned the pigments in the colors of the paintings were accentuated and the entire building was strengthened and stabilized to preserve it for future generations." Open gallery viewWall paintings on the wall of a vaulted tomb that according to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) Teusday.Credit: Amir Cohen/ REUTERSKogan-Zehavi elaborates that while their preservation was fantastic for the time and place relative to other tombs from the time – but they didn't look brand new The key to the conservation effort was the ability to see enough to reconstitute them The conservation work was done by Vladimir Bitman Both tombs date to roughly the same period: the second or third century The art is not actually open to the public just yet but the city intends to open the park near the city marina for the holidays "\/liveblog_entry\/yemens-houthis-launched-drones-towards-ashkelon-spokesperson-says\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=lAA.iKdiiIXpaFn_yHcKVEtHpIuiKyxGSIFrMnXnG3k-1746503733-1.0.1.1-1AozuztsAQLUWMojnvKAg6_c5DF..xrVL2_3mEVE1oU" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/idf-says-drone-that-hit-ashkelon-was-launched-from-yemen\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=Z..EWRhDA1DDBH8nyX3UtlU1LdYps62GUvn4jlL1rUg-1746503740-1.0.1.1-TshKdzghMDxfbNjRyEFyu1TMLV4XXeu2hqzQVUVgH8k" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null Thousands of liters of crude oil have leaked from the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline since 2019 according to documents obtained by Shomrim through a freedom-of-information request While it seems that the company’s regulations provide a satisfactory response to incidents inside its facilities when leaks happen at more remote locations it’s a very different story – and the potential harm to the environment is much greater the government wants to significantly increase the amount of oil that flows through the pipeline the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company said: ‘We meet the most stringent standards.’ A Shomrim exposé there have been at least 11 leaks in the Israeli pipeline carrying oil between the Red Sea port of Eilat and Ashkelon on the Mediterranean coast All were caused by equipment failure and holes in the pipeline there have been nine leaks or other environmental incidents resulting from sabotage These are the findings from documents obtained by Shomrim from the company that operates the 254-kilometer-long pipeline Most of the leaks occurred within the company’s facilities and were contained after no more than a dozen liters of oil had been leaked – but they speak volumes about the poor state of the pipes and other equipment Israel is considering allowing the company to increase the amount of oil it transports every year and there was a meeting on the matter chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Shomrim has obtained a list of the environmental incidents recorded by the company since 2019 as well as the internal investigations that the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company conducted in their aftermath The information was made available after the government scaled back the confidentiality order imposed on the company’s activities and following a request submitted by the Movement for Freedom of Information The list details 20 incidents of various nature and severity occurred in April 2019 when there was a small leak at the company’s terminal in Eilat While working on one of the oil storage tanks a contractor leaned on part of the pipeline being cleaned and repaired there was primarily water inside Work on the storage tank was halted immediately the leak was plugged using technical equipment; 15 liters of contaminated soil were removed from the site the most serious incident on the list happened in August 2021 near Moshav Mishan around 150,000 liters of crude oil leaked from the company’s pipeline Engineers managed to collect around 94,000 liters using vacuums and skimmers and at least 5,000 tons of contaminated soil was removed which happened while the company was repairing a storage tanker that had already been identified as a weak point an official from the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company told Shomrim that the Mishan incident happened during routine operations These are the most dangerous incidents since it necessarily takes time to identify and respond to them – while crude oil continues to gush from the damaged pipeline The investigation into the Mishan incident like that into the 2020 oil leak off the coast of Ashkelon was not submitted as part of the freedom of information request since both incidents are still under criminal investigation by the Environmental Protection Ministry’s enforcement and deterrence arm The Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company only submitted general details with regard to those two incidents along with statements issued by the Environmental Protection Ministry after the incident the company did not submit any information about incidents that were the result of sabotage one of the company’s storage tankers at its Ashkelon depot was damaged by a rocket This incident was not included in the list submitted to Shomrim and it is not possible to know how many other such incidents occurred – if any An analysis of the list of incidents shows that the company’s safety procedures are effective when it comes to leaks within EAPC facilities where incidents are identified as soon as they occur and are dealt with quickly – before they can become major leaks is that not every leak happens in an EAPC facility The worst cases of contamination – the Nahal Zin leak in 2011 when 1.5 million liters of jet fuel leaked and the Evrona nature reserve disaster in 2014 – happened outside the company’s facilities It is no coincidence that the worst leak on the list at a random point along the hundreds of kilometers of pipeline The list can also tell us something about the state of the infrastructure the company uses to transport crude oil the incident was caused by equipment failure – usually a hole or crack in an underground pipe Three of the incidents were caused by sabotage of an exposed pipeline including the above-mentioned rocket in 2021 Human error was the cause in just two of the cases Of the 11 cases that were caused by equipment failure it was specifically noted during the investigation that the pipeline suffered from internal corrosion of the type that is known to eat away at the inner walls of the pipeline and increase the risk of oil leaks Shomrim reported that the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company’s own survey found that certain parts of its pipelines from Eilat to Haifa had lost up to 70 percent of the thickness of the pipeline due to corrosion On one stretch of pipeline between Glilot and Haifa the company found that the pipeline was down to just 15 percent of its original thickness “We noticed that there were many failure incidents [at the EAPC],” Ofri Haziz acting head of the Environmental Protection Ministry’s Department of Prevention of Water Pollution from infrastructure one of the reasons for this is that the company is the only one in Israel whose main activity is transporting crude oil which corrodes the insides of the pipeline which Haziz says is “the main factor that causes damage to the pipeline.” That the Environmental Protection Ministry’s demands of the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company are much stricter than for other companies – sometimes even going further than the international standard “We recognized that there is a risk here for more failure incidents on a much larger scale,” Haziz adds “so we implemented more demands from the company – beyond what we demand of other companies so that we can manage the risk and have a complete picture of the situation.” the ministry demanded that the company examine all the pipelines within its storage container terminal the company dug up the soil adjacent to its pipeline at 250 locations across Israel and there were physical examinations of the protective outer casing of the pipeline the company conducted ultrasound tests to determine the condition of the inner casing of the pipeline international standards demand that these tests be conducted once a decade while the Environmental Protection Ministry is insisting that the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company conduct a repeat test next year the company itself decides to adopt more stringent standards The ministry demands that companies involved in the transportation or storage of fuel conduct periodical safety checks where part of the pipeline is isolated from the rest and the internal pressure is increased for a defined period of time in order to identify leaks The EAPC decided to be more stringent and adopted a system of “smart pigging” tests which sends a kind of robot into the pipeline equipped with diagnostic tools that show engineers the state of the inner casing in real-time The robot is also capable of identifying anomalies and damage to the pipeline have greatly reduced the number of failure incidents,” Haziz says “We are all about managing risks and the more the company adopts and uses these advanced technologies he says that even the most advanced tests cannot guarantee that there will be no accidents including accidents that can lead to an ecological disaster the moment that you use equipment very frequently it is natural that the likelihood of an accident increases we are in favor of maintaining the status quo – let the activity continue and let it be supervised A failure can also be caused by a human and operational component the condition of the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline infrastructure is critical given that the government plans on significantly increasing the amount of oil it transports the company signed an agreement known as the Red-Med deal with companies from the United Arab Emirates whereby it is supposed to increase the amount of oil that the government-owned oil company transports via Israel Implementation of the agreement is expected to generate around $50 million a year in revenue for Israel according to a recent report written by an inter-ministerial team headed by the director general of the Prime Minister’s Office was concerned about potential oil leaks that could devastate the Gulf of Eilat and its ecologically precarious coral reef and adopted a policy of “no-added-risk” in Eilat The ministry refused to amend the company’s license to transport hazardous materials via the Eilat port beyond its current limit – 2 million liters a year – which had the practical result of thwarting plans to increase the amount of crude oil moving through the terminal This policy was adopted during the tenure of the previous minister the government – in a move spearheaded by the director general of the PMO and Minister for Regional Cooperation David Amsalem – tried to reverse the Environmental Protection Ministry’s “no-added-risk” policy essentially bypassing it and ignoring the positions of the experts responsible for issuing hazardous material transportation licenses as did green organizations and the mayors of Eilat and Ashkelon in whose districts the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline terminals are located The issue has been raised several times in cabinet meetings over the past few months but has yet to come to a vote because of the pressure exerted by Silman and the mayors at a meeting chaired by the prime minister and attended by Silman the government will drop its sweeping plan to bypass the authority of the Environmental Protection Ministry and the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company will submit individual requests to the ministry every time it wants to exceed the current limit The ministry will respond to each such request within 60 days The Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company submitted the following response: “The EAPC is owned supervised and controlled by the government which operates in accordance with the guidelines and complies with all the requirements of the law and the most stringent standards; the company has advanced equipment and means The company’s network of pipelines is regularly treated and maintained – and risk-assessment surveys carried out and approved by the Environmental Protection Ministry determined that the company’s pipeline is ‘in good working order.’ All the tests indicate unequivocally that the pipeline is in good working order – as evidenced by the fact that as the documents in your possession also indicate there has been no failure in the national pipeline network resulting from wear and tear or corrosion “The company also uses a ‘smart pigging,’ using a robot that travels along the pipeline and checks its integrity twice as often as the strictest international standard The company investigates and reports every incident transparently and fully to the Environmental Protection Ministry Any populist attempt to link the amount of oil transported to the quantity and severity of leaks is doomed to failure and shows a lack of understanding of how such systems work The EAPC will continue to safeguard the energy security of the security agencies and the citizens of Israel despite the extensive campaign being waged against the company and its dedicated employees.” Shomrim - The Center for Media and DemocracyWe believe investigative journalism is the foundation for safekeeping the fundamental human rights of every Israeli citizen We are committed to investing our time and resources to promote it The Center for Media and Democracy© Copyright The Center for Media and Democracy Inc "\/liveblog_entry\/houthis-boast-they-fired-missile-drone-at-ashkelon-and-tel-aviv-overnight\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=IUOVyjoAyqlL4XTnKHao6Julqw4LspQSd4RzZQ4xEzg-1746503752-1.0.1.1-vzBt9Jj3MI4MkRp0oScNLO6pW7KNfhOfUNXcAgeJAwc" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/idf-says-only-5-out-of-10-rockets-from-gaza-intercepted\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=rVxs5XiJ.B92zbvtTiN7RSdG5Bb4DevmZ1GaetyF42o-1746503753-1.0.1.1-_r6SAYeOWo6Vt7FFRv7pLODjXofFZyPckAM_cx0jXeE" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null The least relevant item in the Central Bureau of Statistics’ figures for home prices is the annual rise between June-July 2023 and  June-July 2024 the latest period for which information is available But the Israeli real estate market after November last year is quite unlike the market as it was before then The relevant datum for the current market is that after eight successive monthly rises in the Home Price Index If we connect the price data to the number of transactions in July and the figures for mortgage taking in July and August we can see that we are promised a continuation of the weird movie in which the Israeli real estate market stars: rising prices at the same time as the supply of homes grows To state that in numbers: the Central Bureau of Statistics puts the number of unsold new housing units at the end of July at 69,430 Israel has not known such a large supply of unsold new homes And yet prices are galloping ahead uncontrollably Our view at "Globes" is that this paradoxical phenomenon is not caused by a breakdown in the effect on prices of supply and demand but by large gaps between the supply of homes on paper and the supply of homes actually in demand The supply of homes on paper includes all the unsold new homes and all the secondhand homes offered for sale which altogether amounts to about 100,000 housing units but the public selects from these the homes that are relevant to it people mainly seek those that will soon be complete those that have protected spaces against air raids When potential buyers discount the homes that are irrelevant to them they take into account homes on the plan that which did not expedite urban renewal and TAMA 38 reinforcement and expansion programs and short term failures of the current government which have caused a drastic decline in the construction workforce The market’s hunger for homes that people actually want to buy finds its strongest expression in the proportion of new homes sold they represent 47% of all transaction in the market which is mostly based on old apartments with no protected spaces where the average monthly number of new homes sold has tripled within seven months Two-thirds of the home buyers in Tel Aviv are buying new homes while in Petah Tikvah purchases are evenly divided between new homes and secondhand homes where the trauma associated with homes without protected spaces is especially strong there is practically no secondhand homes market while these cities are at the top of the tables for new home purchases The geographical districts pulling the Home Price Index upwards are Haifa where prices have risen since last November by 9.7%; the central district where prices have risen 7.8%; and Tel Aviv Prices of new homes in this period have risen by just 3% indicating that the price rise is mainly in the secondhand sector which strengthens the hypothesis that secondhand homes with protected spaces are in short supply and those that do have them are rapidly becoming more expensive In the first months of the war and during the winter but in the three summer months it has regained momentum Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on September 16 "\/liveblog_entry\/idf-says-it-hit-launcher-in-north-gaza-used-to-fire-2-rockets-at-ashkelon-earlier-today\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=MCa_a9DTglUGWuwrOC5JY4N4eKB0rUmQcGw7fPQx6co-1746503761-1.0.1.1-avMZJBmnpRdZLgUA9ITCzPpfcES59fnQJyYUImE6JWU" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null A UAV launched by the Houthi terrorist rebels in Yemen set off sirens on Wednesday evening in the Ashkelon area just as residents were lighting the first light of Hanukkah The aircraft crashed in an open area and no one was injured and Judea due to a missile launched from Yemen The IDF updated that one missile from Yemen was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory Sirens regarding rocket and missile launches were activated due to the possibility of falling shrapnel from the interception Magen David Adom (MDA) reported that MDA paramedics treated approximately nine people who were injured on their way to a shelter and two people who suffered from anxiety arrivals at Ben Gurion Airport were suspended for about half an hour One plane that was on its way to land at the airport changed its course to the north a city in central Israel located near Ness Ziona and Rishon Lezion updated that a report was received about debris from the interception of a rocket that fell in the yard of a home in the center of the city the Shfela and in the Arad area following a launch from Yemen Residents reported hearing the sounds of explosions "Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago a projectile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory." "Rocket and missile sirens were sounded following the possibility of falling shrapnel from the interception," the IDF statement added The Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson says the country’s air and missile units have launched separate strikes on targets in the occupied territories citing solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the Lebanese nation enduring relentless Israeli aggression Brigadier General Yahya Saree said in a televised address on Friday afternoon that the missile force of the Yemeni army had launched a Palestine 2 ballistic missile at a military target in the coastal city of Tel Aviv Yemeni Armed Forces also struck a vital target in the city of Ashkelon using a homegrown and long-range Yafa kamikaze drone The Yemeni spokesman said both operations were part of the fifth phase of the battle against the Israeli enemy and could successfully achieve their desired objectives Saree noted that Yemeni forces will continue their strikes in support of and in solidarity with Palestinian and Lebanese nations until Israeli brutalities against the Gaza Strip and Lebanon come to an end Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine’s struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 last year killing more than 41,500 Palestinians to date The Yemeni Armed Forces have said that they won’t stop their attacks until unrelenting Israeli ground and aerial attacks in Gaza end Israel launched its brutal campaign of genocide in Gaza after Palestinian resistance groups conducted a surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm into the occupied territories The regime has had in place a near-total siege on the coastal territory which has reduced to a trickle the flow of foodstuffs Leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has said it is “a great honor and blessing to be confronting America directly.” Yemeni operations to stop Israeli-linked ships in the past year have forced some of the world’s biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes Tankers are instead adding thousands of miles to international shipping routes by sailing around the continent of Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses: www.presstv.co.uk Click the "share" button in the bottom bar