Josh Lederman

TEL AVIV — Israel says five of its military brigades, including many reservists, will be withdrawing from the Gaza Strip this week in an effort to pace itself for an expected long-term conflict and to mitigate damage to Israel’s economy. The Israel Defense Forces said the 828th Brigade, 261st Brigade and 460th Brigade, composed of active duty troops, will all return to their normal training missions. The 551st Brigade and 14th Brigade, comprising reservists, will be allowed to go home and resume…

HASTINGS, England — Ever since she was old enough to walk, Terrilea Coglan was climbing aboard fishing boats that set sail each morning from the rocky beachfront of Hastings to harvest the key ingredient in Britain’s most iconic dish: fish and chips. The day’s catch travels just a short way from the boats up to the seaside fish and chips shops, or “chippies,” that pride themselves as much in the freshness of the fish as in the secret recipes for their gooey batter. Coglan’s parents and grandpare…

YERUCHAM, Israel — Peering over tightly packed rows of books in the great hall of the white-brick seminary, the students pause their study of the Torah and Talmud each day for afternoon prayers, chanting the same words that Jews have been recited for centuries. But these days, as the young men rock back and forth gently in worship, they add a new prayer. “May the one who blessed our forefathers bless our soldiers standing guard from the Lebanese border to Egypt, from the sea, air and land,” they…

TEL AVIV — It was a moment of elation amid tragedy in December as baby Tala Rouqa was pulled from the rubble, unconscious but miraculously alive, after an airstrike crushed the home in Rafah where she and her family had hoped to find refuge from Israeli bombardment. “She’s alive!” rescuers cheered, as a neighbor bundled her in his arms and raced her to the nearby hospital, in a scene captured by NBC News’ crew on the ground. Her mother’s limp hand could be seen nearby in the rubble — perhaps rea…

The fate of the U.N.’s aid agency for Palestinians is hanging in the balance after Israel’s allegations that U.N. workers participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks.

South Africa’s threat to arrest its own citizens who serve in the Israel Defense Forces is raising legal, moral and strategic questions for a military that relies heavily on foreign-born troops to fill its ranks. What effect will the decision have on IDF readiness amid the Israel-Hamas war? Could South Africa’s move create a chilling effect that would dissuade people from taking the risk of serving? And what about dual nationals, who have no choice under Israeli law but to complete mandatory mil…

CAMEMBERT, France — On a tiny farm tucked into the lush, green hillside of Normandy, Aude Sementzeff heats raw milk from cows up the hill until it curdles, then scoops it into molds to make a round, pearly white Camembert cheese. For eight years, Sementzeff has been making the earthy, soft cheese in small batches to be sold in Paris stores, continuing a tradition that dates to the 18th century. So ubiquitous is Camembert in France that soldiers in the trenches of World War I ate it as part of th…

LONDON — In a global first for equality in sports, wheelchair athletes and non-disabled runners participating in the London Marathon on Sunday will compete for the exact same prize money. The move makes the event the only marathon in the world to award winners the same sum — $55,000 for first place, $30,000 for the runners-up and $22,500 for third-place finishers. Organizers said they were unaware of any other major athletic event in any sport that has taken a similar step. By equalizing the pri…

For three decades, power in South Africa has had a three-letter name: the ANC, or the African National Congress. The political party once led by Nelson Mandela has been a powerful symbol of liberation from white minority rule, attracting loyalty from millions of South Africans who remember life under apartheid. But after winning election after election for 30 years, the ANC led by President Cyril Ramaphosa is now facing its biggest challenge since taking power in 1994, potentially marking a wate…

“They break your rudder and water and waves begin to enter your boat, and once the water enters there is nothing you can do,” a fisherman told NBC News.