Israel News for 8-13-2026
News Update
Defense Minister Katz visited IDF troops in southern Lebanon yesterday and said that, “the IDF is here to stay in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza. I instructed the IDF to take all necessary steps to prepare for a long-term presence in the area.” He did NOT say “permanent” presence.
Security forces arrived overnight to evacuate the outpost established near Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra in northern Samaria, which had left several Palestinian families trapped in their homes for 4 days. The failure to evacuate the outpost sooner sparked outrage in the international community and even led to a statement in which U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described those who established the outpost as “Israeli terrorists” and called on the state to “remove them” from the site. One of the besieged homes is owned by an American citizen who lives in Ohio. For further reading, click here.
Twenty-one years after the evacuation of settlements in northern Samaria, and following a Cabinet decision to legalize dozens of settlements, families from the Ganim community moved back to the site Thursday and reestablished the settlement. Dozens of caravans were placed there to house the families and a branch of the Bnei David educational institutions was established at the site. Alongside the return to Ganim and the resettlement of Homesh and Sa-Nur, the Kadim settlement is also expected to be reestablished soon, a move that would complete the reversal of the disengagement from northern Samaria.
