Israel News for 9-1-2026
News Update
A senior Hamas terrorist who headed the organization’s general security apparatus and oversaw counterintelligence and intelligence operations was captured in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday and brought wounded to Israel. According to Israeli officials, the operation was carried out under Southern Command by local militias operating around Gaza City. No IDF ground troops participated in the operation, but drone strikes were used to neutralize threats. Defense Minister Katz said, “A short while ago, a senior Hamas terrorist was arrested, and this is our policy: We do not wait for threats, but pursue Hamas terrorists, thwart them and destroy their terror infrastructure. The response to every launch from Gaza will be powerful and clear. The test will not be their launches but our response, and it will be severe.”
Ra’am, the Islamist Arab party that had previously been part of the government led by Naftali Bennet and Yair Lapid, announced that former Deputy Public Security Minister Yoav Segalovitz will join its Knesset slate in the number 2 spot. Segalovitz will join Ra’am’s Knesset slate and parliamentary faction but will not become a member of the party itself, and no changes are planned to Ra’am’s constitution or internal decision-making mechanisms. This is the first time a Jewish Israeli has run on an Arab party list. Under the understandings reached between Segalovitz and Abbas, Segalovitz is expected to retain freedom to vote independently on issues including religion and state, national security and LGBTQ rights. He is also expected to promote a framework for national-civilian service in Arab society. Ra’am, for its part, is not seeking the National Security Ministry for him, but rather a role overseeing the fight against crime and violence. The primary reason for this move is most likely to increase the chances of allowing the party to potentially be included in a coalition government. For more, click here.
Police and the Shin Bet are continuing to investigate the weekend violence in Qusra, during which dozens of Jewish rioters entered the village, barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian home and also attacked foreign journalists, though none of them were arrested. The names of several suspects are known to security agencies, and attempts have already been made to arrest them. For more, click here.
Israeli students headed back to school today for the start of a new year.
