Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday stated that he “welcomes the closer relations between Israel and many Arab states” and that “the time has come for normalization and peace.”

Netanyahu tweeted the statement both in English and in Arabic, aiming his message towards the Arab world.

Netanyahu retweeted a tweet by Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in which he shared an article from the British Spectator, titled “Islam’s reformation: an Arab-Israeli alliance is taking shape in the Middle East.” The article describes the strengthening relations between Israel and some Arab states.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz thanked bin Zayed  and said that “now is a good time to advance the historic non-belligerency and economic cooperation agreements between Israel and the Arab Gulf countries.”

Israel’s ties with several Arab countries have significantly advanced in recent years, openly and covertly, as shared strategic interests, and primarily confronting Iran’s advent in the region, have brought both sides to the same table.

Katz in July attended a UN’s Climate Summit in Abu Dhabi, during which he met a high-ranking United Arab Emirates (UAE) official. This was the first official visit by an Israeli minister to the Arab country.

He visited Oman in November 2018, and his trip came two weeks after Netanyahu visited the country and met with its ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said. It was the first trip made by an Israeli prime minister since Shimon Peres in 1996.

In October, Katz revealed that Israel is in the process of working on a non-aggression pact with several Arab states in the Middle East to face the common threat emanating from Iran.

Gaza-based terrorists on Wednesday night fired a rocket at the southern town of Sderot.

The rocket was intercepted mid-air by the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System.

In response, Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets struck a Hamas weapons manufacturing site in Gaza.

“We hold Hamas responsible for the events transpiring in the Gaza Strip and emanating from it,” the IDF stated.

The IDF’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced Thursday that the fishing zone off the coast of the Gaza Strip was reduced to 10 nautical miles until further notice in response to the rocket attack.

This incident occurred just a night after IDF soldiers spotted an armed terrorist from the Gaza Strip approaching the security fence with Israel. An IDF aircraft targeted the terrorist. A hit was identified, the IDF stated. No Israelis were wounded in the incident.

Terrorists have launched over 35 rockets at Israel since the IDF’s operation in Gaza in November which commenced with the assassination of senior Islamic Jihad commander Bahaa Abu al-Atta and during which some 35 terrorists were killed and over 450 rockets were fired at Israel.

IDF forces on Tuesday night thwarted a terror attack after spotting a terrorist hurling a firebomb at Israeli vehicles driving on Route 60 near Bethlehem.

IDF troops fired at the terrorist and successfully apprehended him as he tried to escape. The terrorist reportedly sustained a moderate injury to his legs.

Route 60 is a major road traveled by tens of thousands of Israelis daily.

In related news, police forces operating in the neighborhood of Isawiya in Jerusalem were attacked by Arab rioters throwing rocks and launching fireworks at them. Several of the rioters were reportedly arrested.

IDF soldiers on Tuesday spotted an armed terrorist from the Gaza Strip approaching the security fence with Israel.

An IDF aircraft targeted the terrorist. A hit was identified, the IDF stated.

No Israelis were wounded in the incident.

Infiltration attempts on the border with the Strip happen several times a week, usually by Gazan Arabs seeking work in Israel. However, the Israeli forces treat each such incident as a potential terrorist attack.

Intel Corporation has acquired the Israeli startup Habana Labs for $ 2 billion, the tech giant announced Monday, in one of the largest hi-tech exits in Israel in 2019.

Established in 2016, Habana Labs specializes in the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) chips.

Habana will remain an independent business unit and will continue to be led by its current management team.

“The combination strengthens Intel’s artificial intelligence (AI) portfolio and accelerates its efforts in the nascent, fast-growing AI silicon market,” Intel stated.

Yuval Rotem, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the acquisition was “another vote of confidence in the Israeli tech industry, which continues to create innovative products and solutions used world-round!”

This is Intel’s second-largest acquisition in Israel after it purchased Mobileye a little less than three years ago for $15 billion.