Israel News for 8-10-2026
News Update
Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly rejected the Board of Peace’s 15-point Gaza roadmap on Sunday, saying Israel would not carry out any IDF withdrawal from the Strip before Hamas is fully disarmed. The roadmap calls for a gradual Israeli withdrawal in parallel with partial stages of Hamas disarmament, rather than requiring Hamas to fully disarm before any withdrawal begins. Cabinet Ministers also criticized the disarmament, saying that the weapons would simply be transferred to Palestinian custodianship, and could then still be used against Israel. As of now, the IDF holds about 70% of Gazan territory.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed mutual defense pact called the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. The pact is modeled on NATO’s Article 5 principle that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. Egypt could also join the pact. Iranian officials argued that the agreement would not protect Saudi Arabia.
A ceremony marking the establishment of the new settlement of Emek Dotan in northern Samaria was held Sunday morning. Ahead of the ceremony, 22 families from the community’s founding group moved into temporary structures placed at the site where the community will be built. It is the fifth community established within the Samaria Regional Council in less than a year. The new community is being established as part of a Cabinet decision spearheaded by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, under which a total of 19 new communities are slated to be established in northern Samaria.
