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Israel news summary

Israel News for 9-11-2026

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News Update

PM Netanyahu and DM Katz said in a joint statement that the IDF had completed the destruction of Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure on the Ali Taher Ridge (Lebanon) — “The terror infrastructure and the command center on the ridge were designed to serve as the staging base for the conquest of the Galilee, and had observation and fire dominance over Metula and Kiryat Shmona. Their destruction completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali Taher ridge – above and below ground.” Iran has repeatedly threatened to strike Israel if Israel destroys the complex. The IDF is prepared both defensively and offensively and continues to closely monitor the Houthi arena, particularly in light of the latest developments. For more, click here.

The IDF announced that it had eliminated a Hamas Nukhba terrorist who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre and took part in the killing of Nahal Brigade commander Col. Yonatan Steinberg.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins tonight. According to Jewish tradition, the world, as well as every individual, is judged. It is meant to be a time of repentance and reflection, and of recognizing that God is the ultimate sovereign of the world. May this Rosh Hashanah result in a judgement of peace and prosperity for each of us and for the entire world.

Israel news summary

Israel News for 9-9-2026

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News Update

Haaretz reported that, according to a forthcoming book by Shlomi Eldar and Ruti Yuval, the president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, telephoned Prime Minister Netanyahu around 10 days before October 7, 2023 and warned him that Hamas was planning some sort of very large operation. Netanyahu allegedly played down the warning and said that Hamas would most likely act in the West Bank and that Israel was ready for anything. According to the report, Netanyahu did not share the warning with Israel’s security chiefs. The Prime Minister’s Office has called the report an “absolute lie,” alleging that there was no conversation or warning. The Emiratis just issued a “no comment”.

According to a senior Egyptian source, three days before Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel, Egyptian intelligence chief Gen. Abbas Kamel contacted Netanyahu’s office and relayed a message warning that “something unusual, a horrific operation” was about to take place from Gaza. The chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee also said the Egyptian warning had indeed been passed along. The Egyptian intelligence official told ynet that Kamel “was stunned by the indifference” displayed in Israel. Egyptian sources said the response to the Egyptian intelligence chief was that the IDF and Israeli security forces were “preoccupied” with dealing with cities in the West Bank from which terrorist attacks against Israel were being carried out. According to the source, senior Israeli officials told their Egyptian counterparts that “the situation in Gaza, and particularly along the border, is under control.” Netanyahu has denied all of this.

Delegates from 24 countries including Israel, the United States and 12 Arab countries, including states that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, gathered in Washington on Tuesday for the fourth MEAD conference, a closely guarded forum focused on regional security and cooperation. The event brings together political leaders, senior policymakers and other officials for discussions intended to strengthen alliances, encourage dialogue and develop strategic approaches to regional challenges. Discussions cover security, intelligence, technology, business, energy, finance and governance, with a broader focus on strengthening U.S. engagement in the Middle East and encouraging greater regional integration.

The IDF and Shin Bet that they had destroyed three weapons depots and a rocket launch pit in Gaza, belonging to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, that had been used to fire rockets at Israel during the war. A statement said, “The terrorist organizations stored dozens of different kinds of weapons inside the storage facilities, including rockets, Kalachnikov rifles, and additional combat equipment. Furthermore, the IDF identified that recently, Hamas terrorists have been arriving at the storage facilities and using the weapons stored inside them to establish control in the Gaza Strip and carry out operations.”

Great Britain yesterday imposed sanctions on products produced in Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and on the individuals Bentzi Gopstein, Baruch Marzel, Meir Mordechai Ettinger, Avichai Suissa and Eliav Libi, calling them “extremist settlers”. In response, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar ordered the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, the removal of British representatives from the Gaza coordination headquarters in the southern city of Kiryat Gat and an end to British involvement in training Palestinian Authority security forces in Ramallah. Israel also barred 12 Britons from entering the country, accusing them of involvement in antisemitic and anti-Israel activities and of denying Israel’s right to exist. Despite a warning from U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, the U.S. did not protest the new British sanctions.

According to the latest Central Bureau of Statistics figures ahead of Rosh Hashanah, Israel’s population is at an estimated 10.305 million, with 7.828 million Jews and 2.173 million are Arabs. For more, click here.

Israel news summary

Israel News for 9-4-2026

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News Update

The IDF announced that it has completed clearing and destroying the massive Hezbollah underground terror command and control complex on Lebanon’s Ali Taher ridge. Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “Today we can already say it: We eliminated a great many terrorists there.” The operation took several weeks, and many terrorists fled or were killed. The complex contained underground command centers, weapons storage rooms, generator rooms, living quarters, showers and a kitchen, which enabled the terrorists to manage the fighting and remain there for extended periods. The IDF said, “This is strategic infrastructure that was built over two decades and funded and planned by the Iranian terror regime.” Earlier Thursday, Iran warned the United States that it would “respond forcefully” to an Israeli attack on the Ali Taher ridge, where, according to the Iranian claim, Iranian military personnel were trapped alongside Hezbollah terrorists.

Earlier today, IDF soldiers completed a special counterterrorism operation in the Qabatiya area, during which they apprehended a terrorist cell consisting of five terrorists who were planning to carry out a terrorist attack against Israeli civilians and security forces.

IDF soldiers completed a 48-hour counterterrorism operation in the area of Shechem (Nablus) and the surrounding areas.As part of the operation, the soldiers dismantled more than 30 weapon production machines used for the production of weapons and confiscated concealed weapons, including firearms, handguns, and ammunition. In addition, the soldiers searched hundreds of sites, questioned dozens of suspects, and apprehended more than 10 wanted individuals.

The UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon is set to withdraw in 2027 and transfer responsibility for security there to the Lebanese government and army. But France has now backed Lebanon’s request to revisit that decision, arguing that the deteriorating security situation and ongoing contacts with Israel justify keeping the force in place longer. The United States strongly rejected the idea. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said Washington did not want to extend the mandate of a force it believes has failed in its mission, saying the United States would not repeat “the mistakes of the past.” Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said, “UNIFIL failed for years in the mission assigned to it and did not prevent Hezbollah’s military buildup in southern Lebanon. The decision to end its mandate has already been made, and there is no reason to go backward. In the months remaining until the end of its activity, the force must focus on enforcing Resolution 1701 and disarming Hezbollah. Responsibility afterward will rest with the Lebanese government and the Lebanese army.”

Israel released 5 Lebanese prisoners and returned them to Lebanon yesterday, as a goodwill gesture to the Lebanese government amid ongoing negotiations between the 2 countries.

Five days after the violence in the Palestinian village of Qusra, police on Thursday arrested the first suspect in the attack, a 19 year old, after he allegedly fled and hid at a construction site in the settlement of Eli. Investigators are continuing to collect evidence and testimony in an effort to identify and arrest others suspected of taking part in the attack.

Israel news summary

Israel News for 9-1-2026

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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.

Israel news summary

Israel News for 8-31-2026

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News Update

Israeli elections are set to take place on October 27, and pretty much everything happening until then, at least by choice, will be directly related to them. That includes both internal and external policy decisions, especially relating to Judea and Samaria, Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, the IDF draft and other hot political issues. There’s a long list of parties vying for the 120 Knesset seats, each with its list of MK hopefuls, Right, Left, Center and within the spaces in between. The bottom line is that, as of now, neither the Right nor the Left has a clear path to forming a government, which has been the case for years. Will Netanyahu manage to continue his streak as Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister, or will other contenders including Eisenkot, Bennett, Lapid or someone take the prize (and headache)? To get a clearer picture of the election landscape, you can read this in depth explanatory article in the Jerusalem Report — Click Here. 

Reporting on the daily, blow by blow, pre-election activities and posturing, is like chasing your shadow, because statements and opinions change by the minute and polls have limited usefulness because, when the day of reckoning finally arrives and a voters stand at the ballot box, they will follow what their gut is telling them, regardless of any polls, promises or pledges made before.

So when actual news happens, we’ll let you know about it. Regarding election posturing, we’ll pretty much let that play out until something concrete emerges.

 

Israel news summary

Israel News for 8-28-2026

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News Update

Israel and Greece are set to sign a deal next week for Greece to purchase advanced Israeli systems, including Spyder, Barak MX and David’s Sling, which would be integrated into the country’s existing defense systems. The project is called “Achilles’ Shield,” with an estimated cost of about 3.1 billion euros. The expected signing on Monday marks another significant stage in the defense relationship between Israel and Greece.

Finance Minister Smotrich is promising that his Religious Zionist party would demand control, in the next government, of the Planning Administration and the Israel Land Authority, the state bodies that play central roles in planning, development and management of most of Israel’s land, and then implement a plan to dramatically expand Jewish settlement in the Negev and Galilee by 1 million people through the establishment of 40 new communities, dozens of agricultural farms, major expansions of existing towns and hundreds of thousands of new housing units. A major section of Smotrich’s program also focuses on crime, illegal weapons and state authority in Arab communities. Israeli Arab politicians condemned the plan. [But what’s wrong with strengthening Jewish communities in the Galilee and Negev?]

Prime Minister Netanyahu would like Smotrich and Ben Gvir to unite their parties in the upcoming election like they did in the last election. Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party quickly responded to the invitation, stating, “The Otzma Yehudit party and the Religious Zionist Party will not run together in the upcoming Knesset elections. This decision is final and absolute and will not change under any circumstances.There will be no negotiations, meetings, or discussions on the matter, either directly or indirectly.”

The UK government under new prime minister Andy Burnham is preparing a comprehensive package of sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria. Such measures have already been taken by Spain and the Netherlands, and are being considered by other European countries. The Netherlands adopted a particularly strict law not only banning imports of goods from Israeli settlements but also forbidding their sale and purchase, making that an offence that could result in a prison sentence of up to six years. The Dutch law will come into effect on September 22. Meanwhile, Israel’s minister of foreign affairs, Gideon Sa’ar, has ordered that the expulsion of representatives of the Netherlands from the International Support Center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat.

Israel news summary

Israel News for 8-21-2026

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News Update

Senior Egyptian officials reportedly told senior U.S. officials that the only way to bring about Hamas’ disarmament would be under Israel’s next government. They said they had no expectation of meaningful progress under Israel’s current government and warned that Hamas would only grow stronger. Following Jared Kushner’s meeting in Egypt with senior Hamas officials, sources told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya that Kushner and Mladenov had rejected a Hamas proposal concerning the storage of its weapons. According to the report, they insisted that Hamas surrender its weapons and dismantle its military infrastructure.

France, Germany, Britain and Italy issued a joint condemnation Thursday evening following a tender published by Israel’s Housing Ministry for the construction of 1,234 housing units in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim. Part of their statement said, “The E1 settlement will undermine the prospect of the two-state solution by driving a wedge through the West Bank and harming the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian Territories. International law is clear that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.” A European diplomat said: “Israel explicitly promised its friends on the continent that there would be no progress on construction in E1. This therefore crosses a red line and is a very bad development.” According to the diplomat, European countries are now discussing whether to take measures against Israel even before the election. He estimated that Finance Minister Smotrich was behind the move and that “he is doing it for political reasons.” He also warned that, from the perspective of European countries, advancing construction in E1 could justify a significant shift in policy toward Israel.

Israel’s High Court of Justice unanimously overturned the government’s decision to shut down Army Radio, ruling that the move was based on an improper and invalid consideration. Judges wrote that the decision was driven by “the dissatisfaction of the decision-makers with the fact that the broadcasts, in their view, contradicted their positions.” At the same time, the court rejected the argument that the government lacked the authority to decide Army Radio’s future or that closing the station would necessarily require primary legislation. Justice Kasher wrote: “It cannot be accepted that a holder of governmental authority should decide that because a broadcaster’s words are not to his liking, the broadcaster’s ‘microphone should be shut down’. A government that acts in this way acts in a blatantly undemocratic manner, because the cornerstone on which every democratic government rests is the recognition that the government may not use its power to silence those whose opinions are not to its liking.”

Operations at Ben Gurion airport were disrupted for several hours yesterday by a surprise worker’s strike, causing massive delays and chaos. For more, click here.

Israel news summary

Israel News for 8-19-2026

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News Update

Overnight, Israeli jets struck the Abu al-Duhur military airport in the eastern countryside of Idlib, Syria. According to the Sabereen news agency, runways and storage facilities were targeted by four aircraft. It is one of the largest and most prominent military bases in northern Syria. There were reportedly no casualties. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying: “Israel and Syria agreed on a status quo in security matters, which Syria almost violated by allowing Turkish soldiers to deploy at the air force base near Aleppo. Israel has repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security – and Syria has chosen to ignore the warnings. Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and will welcome a return to the status quo.” US Ambassador to Turkey and the Trump administration’s special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said that the strike “carried a real risk of rapid escalation into a direct military confrontation between Israel and Turkey as well as Syria.”

The base was being reconstructed with significant Turkish assistance, and Israel was concerned about them being used and about the possible deployment of air defense systems that could threaten Israel’s control of the airspace, as well as advanced drones. A Turkish delegation visited the base only recently. Israel has previously conveyed messages to Turkey that it would not accept the rebuilding of the Syrian military or any threat to its air superiority. Israel struck the same airfield in April, 2025.

The IDF carried out an airstrike against several Hamas commanders in the Shati area near Gaza City’s port, who were planning attacks against Israeli forces. The IDF said measures were taken before the strike to reduce harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.

The IDF confirmed Tuesday that the remains of Staff Sgt. Yehuda Yekutiel Katz, an armored corps soldier who had been missing since the Battle of Sultan Yacoub in the First Lebanon War 44 years ago, were returned to Israel and formally identified. The IDF said his remains were located in an operation led by Military Intelligence and conducted jointly with the Mossad. Katz’s return completes the recovery of all Israeli soldiers who had remained missing from the Battle of Sultan Yacoub. Staff Sgt. Zachary Baumel’s remains were returned to Israel in 2019, while Staff Sgt. Tzvi Feldman was returned in 2025.

Israel news summary

Israel News for 8-13-2026

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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.

Israel news summary

Israel News for 8-10-2026

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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.