Israel

Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida and his son, Meir Simcha Minkowicz, also a rabbi at the Fort Myers Chabad, were part of a group of 30 rabbis from the United States, Australia and Canada. They spent their week in Israel comforting the families of victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas raid, speaking with military units, praying over the remains of those killed and visiting other sites around the country.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday he’s arranged to send drones, weapons, and ammunition to Israel as it prepares for an incursion of Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack. It’s the latest official response DeSantis has taken to back Israel as he competes in the 2024 Republican primary.

Israeli troops and tanks launched an hourslong ground raid into northern Gaza overnight into Thursday, the military said, striking several militant targets in order to “prepare the battlefield” before a widely expected ground invasion after more than two weeks of devastating airstrikes.

The chancellor of Florida’s university system is calling on schools to disband chapters of the group National Students for Justice in Palestine amid the war between Israel and Hamas.

Legal experts are skeptical over a move by the DeSantis administration to shut down pro-Palestinian student organizations on college campuses in Florida by employing a state law intended to punish providing material support to terrorists.

A Naples rabbi and her Israeli-born and now U.S. citizen husband have collected more than a dozen duffel bags full of supplies for Israel which he is personally delivering to soldiers as well as to families and the victims of the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack.Another rabbi, from Fort Myers who has been in Israel since Sunday, was forced to hunker down in a bomb shelter when a missile alert was sounded near a hospital he was visiting.

Who is to blame for the fiery explosion has set off intense debate and finger pointing between the Israeli government and Palestinian militants, further escalating tensions in their two week-long war.The AP analyzed more than a dozen videos from the moments before, during and after the hospital explosion, as well as satellite imagery and photos. AP’s analysis shows that the rocket that broke up in the air was fired from within Palestinian territory, and that the hospital explosion was most likely caused when part of that rocket crashed to the ground.

Gasoline prices in Florida continued to decline last week despite rising global tensions potentially straining oil markets.

Israeli warplanes struck targets across Gaza early Monday, including in areas where Palestinian civilians have been told to seek refuge, after another small aid shipment was allowed into the besieged Hamas-ruled territory.

A Detroit synagogue president was found stabbed to death outside her home Saturday, police said. The motive wasn’t known.Emergency medical personnel declared the woman, identified in a statement from Mayor Mike Duggan as Samantha Woll, dead at the scene, Cpl. Dan Donakowski said.