Israel News for 4-16-2026
News Update
President Trump said that Prime Minister Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun are set to speak today, which would be the first time the prime ministers of the 2 countries have spoken directly in over 3 decades. It is thought that a ceasefire will be implemented, with Israeli forces controlling most of southern Lebanon.
A U.S. delegation led by Aryeh Lightstone, an adviser to the Trump administration who currently resides in Tel Aviv, met with senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya in Cairo on Tuesday night. Lightstone was joined by Nikolay Mladenov, who heads the Gaza Peace Council. According to the report, al-Hayya pressed Lightstone to ensure that Israel fully meets its commitments under the first phase of the deal — including halting strikes and allowing more humanitarian aid — so that it would be possible to move to the next stage. For more, click here. Meanwhile, over the last couple of days, the IDF eliminated 3 Hamas commanders in a precise airstrikes in Gaza.
Yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted on a pair of resolutions, sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, aimed at blocking the sale of over $600 million in heavy bombs and armored bulldozers to Israel. The proposals were defeated 59-40 on the bulldozers and 63-36 on the bombs. Three quarters of the 47 Senate Democrats voted in favor of the resolutions, while Republicans voted almost unanimously against. It’s clear that support for Israel, at least in the Democrat party, is significantly weakening. For more, click here.
The Israeli shekel dipped slightly below 3 shekels per dollar yesterday, to hit its strongest level ever. If the Iran war results in a new, and more peaceful Middle East, the shekel might get even stronger. For more analysis, click here.
