April 9: Israeli leaders hail confirmation of ‘dear friend’ Mike Huckabee as US ambassador

Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, answers questions from media members during a press conference in Istanbul, January 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Turkey has been holding technical talks with Israel for deconfliction in Syria when needed, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says in a live broadcast on private broadcaster CNN Turk.

9:14 pm

US Treasury chief says 10% duty on all imports to remain in place amid pause on ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

By Agencies

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tells reporters that Trump is pausing his so-called ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on most of the country’s biggest trading partners, but maintaining his 10% tariff on nearly all global imports.

It’s seemingly an attempt to narrow what had been an unprecedented trade war between the US and most of the world to one between the US and China.

“This was his strategy all along, and you might even say that he goaded China into a bad position,” Bessent also says after Trump’s abrupt backtrack.

9:06 pm

Vance to meet with group of freed captives and relatives of hostages still in Gaza

By Jacob Magid

US Vice President JD Vance arrives for a "Make America Wealthy Again" trade announcement in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP)

US Vice President JD Vance will meet later this afternoon in Washington with a group of former hostages and relatives of Israeli captives still held in Gaza, a source familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel.

This will be Vance’s first organized meeting with such a group, which met yesterday with US President Donald Trump at a National Republican Congressional Committee event in Washington.

Hostage families were hoping for a positive development in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas on freeing their loved ones when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House on Monday.

Trump lamented the conditions of the hostages in Gaza and said he’d like to see an end to the war soon, while also praising Netanyahu’s commitment to freeing the captives.

8:41 pm

Netanyahu hosts CIA director for talks in Jerusalem

By Lazar Berman

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with CIA chief (L) and Mossad David Barnea (R) at his office in Jerusalem on April 9. 2025. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Jerusalem, his office announces.

Netanyahu is joined by Mossad chief David Barnea.

The meeting comes after Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, where US President Donald Trump announced his administration would be talking this weekend with senior Iranian officials about their nuclear program.

8:38 pm

US stocks surge as Trump announces 90-day tariff pause on all nations but China

By AP

WASHINGTON — Facing a global market meltdown, US President Donald Trump abruptly backs down on his tariffs on most nations for 90 days, but raises his tax rate on Chinese imports to 125%.

It’s seemingly an attempt to narrow what had been an unprecedented trade war between the US and most of the world to one between the US and China.

Global markets surge on the development, but the precise details of Trump’s plans to ease tariffs on non-China trade partners are not immediately clear.

8:34 pm

US Senate votes largely along party lines to confirm Huckabee as next Israel envoy

By Jacob Magid

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, US President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Israel, testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/AFP)

The US Senate has voted almost entirely along party lines to confirm the nomination of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to be the Trump administration’s ambassador to Israel.

Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania — an ardent supporter of Israel and virtually the only Democratic ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — was the only lawmaker to break with his party to join Republicans in backing Huckabee’s nomination.

The final vote tally was 53 to 46 in favor of Huckabee, a passionate evangelical supporter of Israel and its settlement movement.

Despite his conservative views on Israel, which include support for Israel annexing the West Bank, Huckabee stressed during his confirmation hearing that he would work to advance the policies of the Trump administration, not his own personal agenda.

He said last month that he hopes to arrive in Israel by Passover, which starts on Saturday evening.

8:33 pm

Cabinet secretary: Netanyahu didn’t know that US-Iran talks would start on Shabbat

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads a cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem alongside cabinet secretary Yossi Fuchs, on July 30, 2023. (Marc Israel Sellem/Pool/Flash90)

Cabinet secretary Yossi Fuchs acknowledges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was caught off guard by US President Donald Trump’s announcement during their Oval Office meeting that the United States will hold direct nuclear talks with Iran this weekend.

Speaking with the Kol Berama radio station, Fuchs insists Netanyahu knew in advance about the planned US negotiations with Iran, but “he did not know the talks will take place on Shabbat.”

“There is a close connection between the president and the prime minister. The president’s team competes over who loves Israel the most,” says Fuchs.

8:06 pm

Police chief meets with Ben Gvir after public spat on obeying High Court orders

By Charlie Summers

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir meets with Israel Police chief Daniel Levy in the Prime Minister's Office ahead of a cabinet meeting on April 9, 2025. (Israel Police)

Israel Police chief Daniel Levy meets with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir this evening, in the wake of a brief public spat between the two.

A photo circulated by a police spokesperson seems to depict business as usual for Ben Gvir and Levy, who huddle at the Prime Minister’s Office ahead of a cabinet meeting.

The two discussed “a number of issues on the police agenda, including continuing the fight against criminal organizations and Operation ‘Emergency Brake’ to strengthen governance and public security,” says the spokesperson.

Earlier today, Ben Gvir interrupted the top officer mid-sentence during a press briefing, as Levy vowed to uphold a future High Court ruling on the dismissal of Shin Bet head Ronen Bar.

Responding to a reporter’s question on the matter, Levy asked how anyone could think “that the police commissioner… would not enforce the law and not listen to the court?” He went on to pledge to uphold the decision and “fight for democracy until our last drop of blood.”

Ben Gvir cut him off a few seconds later, saying, “They’re provoking you,” to which Levy retorted: “Let me finish.” Levy then said, “Anyone who thinks differently is wrong.”

7:39 pm

Israeli Air Force to forgo Independence Day flyover for 2nd straight year

IAF T-6 Texan II planes fly over Tel Aviv while performing during an air show as part of Independence Day celebrations on April 26, 2023. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)

Once again, the Israeli Air Force will not hold its annual Independence Day flyover this year, the military has decided.

The IDF says that the flyby, as well as the Navy’s flotilla in Eilat, will not be held due to the military’s focus on the war.

Four fighter jets will still fly over the Mount Herzl military cemetery as a “salute” during national memorial day.

The IDF made a similar move last year as well.

7:38 pm

Missile launched at Israel by Yemen’s Houthis lands in Saudi Arabia

A ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, apparently aimed at Israel, fell short in Saudi Arabia a short while ago.

The military identified the launch, but no sirens sounded in Israel because the missile did not pose a threat.

Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched more than 18 ballistic missiles and two drones at Israel. Only 10 of the missiles set off sirens in Israel, while the others fell short.

The Houthis in Yemen, meanwhile, claim to have launched a drone at Israel today, though no sirens sounded.

7:00 pm

Trump administration to screen for antisemitism among immigrants requesting benefits

By AP

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services says in a press release that it will begin screening the social media activity of immigrants who request benefits, including those who apply for lawful permanent resident status, foreign students and people affiliated with educational institutions “linked to antisemitic activity.”

The guidance is “effective immediately,” USCIS says.

The administration is focusing on “antisemitic activity” on social media and “physical harassment of Jewish individuals” as grounds for denying immigration benefits requests.

The announcement does not say what it is considered as “antisemitism” or identify any educational institutions. USCIS doesn’t immediately respond to an Associated Press request for information.

USCIS says it will consider social media content that indicates “endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity as a negative factor.”

6:52 pm

Ahead of Passover, IDF chief Zamir visits wounded soldiers at rehabilitation center

By Stav Levaton

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visits an injured soldier in Loewenstein Hospital Rehabilitation Center in Ra'anana, April 9, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visits the Loewenstein Hospital Rehabilitation Center to meet with soldiers wounded in combat across various fronts.

Accompanied by the center’s director, Dr. Hagay Amir, Zamir tours the departments and speaks with injured soldiers and their families, offering holiday blessings ahead of Passover, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces.

During the visit, Zamir expresses appreciation for the wounded and the medical staff treating them.

“I came to strengthen you, but I’m the one who is moved by what I’ve seen here,” he tells the soldiers. “You sacrificed and were willing to give everything, and you were wounded, and I think that is heroism.”

Zamir, who is joined by his wife Orna, also addresses the ongoing efforts to return the remaining 59 hostages. “We have brought many of them back — some fallen, some alive — and we still have the mission of bringing them all home, and that is what we are doing.”

Calling the recovery process “the battle after the battle,” Zamir reaffirms the IDF’s stated commitment to supporting the wounded and honoring the memory of fallen soldiers.

6:13 pm

US hits Iran’s nuclear program with fresh sanctions ahead of planned talks

Iran's domestically built centrifuges are displayed in an exhibition of the country's nuclear achievements, in Tehran, Iran, February 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

WASHINGTON — The United States has issued fresh sanctions on Iran the Treasury Department says, two days after President Donald Trump announced the US planned direct talks with Tehran over its nuclear program.

The department designates five entities and one person based in Iran for their support of Iran’s nuclear program, Treasury says in a statement, with the aim of denying Iran a nuclear weapon.

The designated groups include the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and its subordinate, The Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, Treasury says.

The action comes after Trump made a surprise announcement on Monday that the United States and Iran were poised to begin direct talks on Tehran’s nuclear program. Iran’s foreign minister said the discussions in Oman would be indirect.

In a further sign of the difficult path to any deal between the two geopolitical foes, Trump issued a stark warning that if the talks were unsuccessful, “Iran is going to be in great danger.”

The Iran Centrifuge Technology Company is crucial to Iran’s uranium enrichment efforts through the production of centrifuges, Treasury says in a statement.

The person targeted by the new sanctions is Majid Mosallat, managing director of the Atbin Ista Technical and Engineering Company, which Treasury says helps the company acquire components from foreign suppliers.

“The Iranian regime’s reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons remains a grave threat to the United States and a menace to regional stability and global security,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says in the statement.

5:57 pm

Israeli military drone crashes in Lebanon; IDF says ‘no fear of information leaking’

An Israeli military drone crashed in Lebanon earlier today due to a technical fault, the IDF says.

The military says there is “no fear of information leaking,” and the incident is under further investigation.

5:57 pm

Israel’s UN envoy defends strikes in Syria ahead of Security Council meeting

By Nava Freiberg

Debris lies on the ground at the scene of an Israeli strike in a military facility in Syria's southern Hama governorate, on April 3, 2025. (Abdulaziz Ketaz/AFP)

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, asserts the importance of IDF military actions in Syria ahead of a UN Security Council meeting to be held on the matter tomorrow.

“The Security Council must understand: Failing to recognize Israel’s right and obligation to defend itself not only undermines the legitimacy of a sovereign nation, it endangers the stability of the entire region,” says Danon in a statement from his spokesperson.

Tomorrow’s meeting, which comes at the request of Algeria and Somalia, will address Israel’s recent strikes in Syria, according to the statement.

Israel has carried out a campaign to destroy Syrian military capabilities so that they cannot threaten the Jewish state, fearing that if Turkey establishes a military presence in Syria, it could hamper the Israeli Air Force’s freedom of action in the region.

“Israel will act by all necessary means to ensure the safety of its citizens. Those who question the importance of Israel’s operations in Syria ignore the serious threats along our border. Israel’s presence in the region is not a source of escalation, but a defensive barrier that prevents it in the face of terror, chaos and collapse. Israel is the responsible actor working to stabilize the region,” continues Danon.

On Saturday, Reuters reported that Turkey scoped out at least three airbases in Syria where it could deploy forces as part of a planned joint defense pact, before Israel hit the sites with airstrikes.

On April 2, the IDF struck “remaining military capabilities” at the Hama military airport and T-4 airbase in western Syria, as well as “military infrastructure” in the Damascus area, according to the IDF.

5:47 pm

Haredi housing minister inaugurates new municipal buildings in northern Arab town

By Diana Bletter

Mazra'a Mayor Foad Awad, second from left, and Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, far right, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Mazra'a on April 9, 2025 (Diana Bletter/Times of Israel)

Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new cultural center, municipal office building and library in the Arab village of Mazra’a in the Western Galilee, Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf says that his ministry “works for the Arab public and for all citizens of Israel, and you can see the results on the ground.”

About 200 people attend the festive event in Mazra’a’s newly developed neighborhood with a musical performance by a local youth band.

“It isn’t obvious that an Arab municipality would get this kind of money from a right-wing government,” Firas Badhe, of the Arab village of Kfar Kara, tells Goldknopf — who is chairman of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party — in a special meeting with a dozen representatives from the Arab Local Authorities.

“We are 18% of the population,” Ahmed Dabach, head of the Arab village of Deir Al-Assad, tells The Times of Israel. “It would be good if we get even 15% of the national budget.”

“There’s a dream and there’s reality and we’ll wait to see if the distance closes between them,” adds Dr. Ghazl Aboriya, spokesperson for the Arab town of Sahknin.

At the ceremony in the cultural center auditorium, Mazra’a Mayor Foad Awad thanks the minister for his help and says he is full of “happiness and pride.”

He points out that the new library will expand “knowledge and wisdom,” and the cultural center is a “symbol of the citizens.”

“This is all good news,” Awad says.

5:44 pm

IDF says Hezbollah attempting to rebuild Beirut arms production site in violation of ceasefire

The IDF says Hezbollah is attempting to rebuild a weapons manufacturing site in Beirut’s southern suburbs and trying to conceal its activity from a US-led mechanism monitoring the ceasefire.

In a post on X, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, says the weapons site, located under residential buildings and next to a school, was bombed by Israel in November 2024.

Adraee says that after the IDF sent the truce mechanism information on Hezbollah’s attempts to rebuild the site in early January, a surprise inspection was carried out.

“However, aerial photographs show that Hezbollah, which had been informed in advance of the date of the inspection, had evacuated the engineering equipment that had been operating at the site on the day the inspection was conducted, and then returned it after it had ended,” he says.

He says the Hezbollah activity at the site is a “blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon under the ceasefire agreement.”

#عاجل هكذا يحاول حزب الله اعمار موقع إنتاج في الضاحية الجنوبية ويُخفي نشاطه عن آلية الرقابة ويكذب على اللبنانيين: خلال تفتيش مفاجئ اختفت الآليات الهندسية، وعادت إلى العمل بعد انتهائه خلافًا لاتفاق وقف إطلاق النار

????يكشف جيش الدفاع أن حزب الله يحاول خلال الأشهر الأخيرة إعادة… pic.twitter.com/kdv9PoDog0

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) April 9, 2025

5:39 pm

Report: Witkoff may delay Oman trip if Iran refuses face-to-face meet; willing to visit Tehran if invited

This combination of pictures shows US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff after a meeting with Russian officials at Diriyah Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18, 2025 (L); and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaking to AFP during an interview at the Iranian consulate in Jeddah on March 7, 2025. (Photo by EVELYN HOCKSTEIN and Amer HILABI / various sources / AFP)

US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff may reportedly hold off on traveling to Oman on Saturday if Iran refuses to hold direct talks with him in Muscat.

US President Donald Trump announced Monday that his administration would hold direct talks with Iran on the latter’s nuclear program. Tehran subsequently confirmed the talks but has insisted that they’d be indirect — in an apparent effort to first determine that Washington is serious about making the concessions that the Islamic Republic would like to see before legitimizing the administration with face-to-face talks.

For their part, Trump officials have continued to insist that the negotiations will be direct, having argued that indirect talks aren’t as effective.

“We won’t be played for fools,” a Trump administration official tells The Washington Post, arguing that what is needed to break through the deep mistrust on both sides is a “full-fledged discussion” and a “meeting of minds.”

Witkoff would even be willing to travel to Tehran if invited, two administration officials tell the Post.

One of the officials speculated that Trump’s decision to announce the talks alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office on Monday was to keep the premier in check and preempt Israeli criticism.

Trump is more eager to engage in diplomacy than bombing, the officials tell the Post.

5:19 pm

IDF vastly expanding Gaza buffer zone, which is set to include all of Rafah city

FILE - Israeli military vehicles move inside the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, January 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)

During operations in Gaza in recent weeks, the IDF has been vastly expanding its buffer zone along the borders with the Strip, which is set to include the entire city of Rafah — around 20% of the Palestinian enclave.

Troops are in the midst of establishing the so-called Morag Corridor between Rafah and Khan Younis. The IDF also issued evacuation warnings for the entire Rafah area several weeks ago.

Once the Morag Corridor is fully established, the IDF’s buffer zone in southern Gaza will stretch from the Egypt border — the Philadelphi Corridor area — to the outskirts of Khan Younis, around 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) away, and include the entire city of Rafah within it.

The IDF’s buffer zone elsewhere on the border with Gaza is also being expanded, from several hundred meters to around 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) in most areas.

The expanded buffer zone can be seen on the IDF’s evacuation warning maps issued to Palestinians in recent weeks.

#عاجل ‼️ نكرر تحذيراتنا العاجلة إلى جميع سكان قطاع غزة المتواجدين في منطقة دير البلح في الأحياء: الصحابة، السماح, العودة، الزوايدة والصلاح
????هذا انذار مسبق وأخير قبل الهجوم!????
⭕️سنهاجم بقوة شديدة كل منطقة يتم استخدامها لإطلاق قذائف صاروخية.
⭕️تتحمل المنظمات الارهابية وفي مقدمتها… pic.twitter.com/63aN65wkLG

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) April 7, 2025

5:02 pm

Police investigating threatening letters sent to MKs and their families

By Charlie Summers

Police are investigating several threatening letters that were sent to elected officials and their families, a spokesman says.

The probe, carried out by investigators in the Lahav 433 major crimes unit, was placed under a gag order by the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court. The order expires on June 11.

Likud MK Shalom Danino and United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Roth were among the recipients of the suspicious letters, Channel 12 News reports.

Danino tells the outlet that he received a letter that contained personal information about his family members.

“It said, ‘Vote this way and that way, and if you don’t, then something will surely happen to your family,'” Danino says, adding that the message contained explicit threats.

Hebrew media reports speculate the case is connected to a similar incident last year, when coalition MKs received threatening letters from a group calling itself the “Israeli Avengers.”

The group wrote in messages to politicians that it initially formed to “harm individual terrorists or groups that have carried out attacks against Israelis,” adding that after October 7, it decided to also “act against” coalition members.

4:44 pm

As German conservatives secure coalition deal, far-right AfD tops poll for first time

BERLIN — German conservatives under Friedrich Merz have agreed a coalition deal with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), aiming to revive growth in Europe’s largest economy just as a global trade war threatens recession.

The deal caps weeks of haggling between chancellor-in-waiting Merz and the SPD after he topped elections in February but fell well short of a majority, with the far-right Alternative for Germany surging into second place.

Pressure to reach a deal has taken on new urgency as the government will take charge at a time of global turbulence in an escalating trade conflict sparked by US President Donald Trump’s sweeping import tariffs.

The coalition is the only possible two-party majority that excludes the AFD whose support has surged on a nativist, anti-migration agenda.

In a blow to Merz, a survey by Ipsos released on Wednesday shows the AfD topping the polls for the first time with 25%, overtaking Merz’s conservatives who slip to 24%.

It follows another poll by the Forsa institute, which showed 60% of respondents said Merz was not fit to be chancellor, including 28% of CDU/CSU voters.

4:20 pm

Citing court’s ruling on Ronen Bar, Likud MK doubles down in opposing Oct. 7 state commission

Likud MK Ariel Kallner attends a committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on December 9, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Tweeting in the wake of the Tuesday’s interim injunction preventing Shin Bet head Ronen Bar’s firing and giving the government and the attorney general until April 20 to reach a compromise, Likud MK Ariel Kallner claims the High Court’s conduct highlights why he says Chief Justice Isaac Amit cannot be trusted to select the members of a state commission of inquiry into October 7.

“So this is what a state commission of inquiry he appoints will look like: a committee in which the High Court of Justice will protect those who protected it,” he tweets — calling for “a committee of professionals [established] by broad consensus.”

Kallner has previously rejected a state commission of inquiry because its members are chosen by the president of the court, instead presenting a plan in February which would see members of a probe appointed by the Knesset.

4:17 pm

Lapid: ‘Anarchist’ government planned ‘violent riot’ at High Court

Security guards struggle with Itzik Bontzel, whose son Amit was killed fighting in Gaza in December 2023, on April 8, 2025, during a High Court hearing on petitions against the ouster of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. (Chaim Goldberg/FLASH90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slams Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for failing to condemn Tuesday’s “violent riot” at the High Court of Justice, claiming that the lack of censure was due to the fact that “they planned it.”

“A day has passed, and not a single member of the government or the coalition said a word about the violent riot at the Supreme Court, about the curses, about the threats, about the attempt to sabotage the rule of law, about the utter disrespect. There was not a single condemnation, not a single criticism, not even a word,” tweets Lapid.

“Why? Because they planned it. Because they are the anarchists. Because this government wants to dismantle the country.”

Protesters repeatedly and loudly disrupted a High Court hearing on the termination of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar on Tuesday. The court was forced to halt the proceedings following a lengthy speech by a father, Itzik Bontzel, whose son died during the current war with Hamas.

Bontzel denounced the court for hearing the petitions, saying that Bar’s hands “are dripping in blood” and that since he took responsibility for the failure to foresee the October 7 attacks, there is no reason to even discuss the petitions asking the court to reverse his dismissal.

Among those involved in the disturbance was Likud MK Tally Gotliv, who argued that she could not be removed because she has parliamentary immunity. She was ejected from the courtroom when she immediately interrupted the proceedings upon their resumption following an hour-long recess due to the protests.

4:09 pm

Pezeshkian insists Iran ‘not after a nuclear bomb,’ touts US investment opportunities

By AP

Iranian protesters burn representations of the Israeli flag during a demonstration at Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s president again pledges that his nation is “not after a nuclear bomb” ahead of talks between Tehran and the United States, going as far as dangling the prospect of direct American investment in the Islamic Republic if the countries can reach a deal.

“His excellency has no opposition to investment by American investors in Iran,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says in a speech in Tehran, referring to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “American investors: Come and invest.”

Such a business proposal could draw the interest of US President Donald Trump, who withdrew America from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers in his first term and now seeks a new agreement with the country.

Pezeshkian, who campaigned on a platform of outreach to the West during his election last year, also adds that Saturday’s talks in Oman between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff will be conducted “indirectly.” Trump has said the talks would be direct negotiations — something Tehran hasn’t ruled out after the first round of discussions.

“We are not after a nuclear bomb,” Pezeshkian adds. “You (in the West) have verified it 100 times. Do it 1,000 times again.”

4:07 pm

Military says strike in Gaza’s Shejaiya hit ‘senior Hamas terrorist’

By AFP and ToI Staff

Smoke billows at the site of an Israeli strike on a residential area in Gaza City's Shejaiya neighborhood, on April 9, 2025. (Omar al-Qattaa/AFP)

The military tells AFP that a strike on a residential building in Gaza City’s Shejaiya “struck a senior Hamas terrorist who was responsible for planning and executing terrorist attacks” from the area.

It does not give the target’s name, while accusing Hamas of using “human shields.”

Hamas authorities in Gaza say 23 people were killed in the strike, without differentiating between combatants and civilians.

3:45 pm

Hosting Passover meal, Israel’s UN envoy says ‘Let My People Go’ not just words for the hostages

By Nava Freiberg

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon (C) hosts an official Passover Seder at the UN headquarters in New York, April 8, 2025. (Ohad Kab/Spokesman)

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon held a traditional Passover seder yesterday ahead of the Jewish holiday at UN headquarters in New York, announces Danon’s office.

“It was deeply moving to preserve the Jewish tradition in a place like the UN, where antisemitism is on the rise,” writes Danon about the event.

He adds: “We will continue to act on behalf of the Jewish people and for the legitimacy of Israel on the world stage, and to act and pray for the immediate release of the hostages.”

President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis, senior officials and 60 ambassadors, including those of the US, the United Kingdom, India, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, France, Argentina, Paraguay, Hungary, arrived to participate, Danon’s spokesperson says in an overnight statement.

“In the coming days, we will sit together and read in the Haggadah the story of our people’s liberation,” Danon told the attendees, according to the statement.

“We do so with great sorrow because our hostages are still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza. They have no Seder plate, no wine, no matzah. Only darkness, silence and pain. For them, the words ‘Let My People Go’ are not part of a simple ritual. They are a prayer. A plea. A desperate hope that the world has not forgotten them,” Danon continued in his remarks.

“You must do everything in your power to bring them home,” he concluded.

3:25 pm

Shas chair Deri says Israel willing to pay ‘heavy price’ for hostage deal, but only if Hamas leaders exiled, Gaza demilitarized

In an interview with his ultra-Orthodox party’s HaDerech newspaper, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri says that Israel is ready to agree to a “comprehensive deal” to release all of the hostages, “even if it means paying a heavy price.”

But, he says, this will only happen if Hamas agrees to “the complete demilitarization of the [Gaza] Strip, the expulsion of all Hamas senior officials and commanders…and the establishment of another government that will be agreed upon in advance.”

However, Hamas has rejected such terms, he states.

“It’s been more than a month since we completely stopped aid to Gaza, and we have no intention of renewing it,” he continues, adding that “nothing is entering the Strip.”

Once the public begins to feel the pressure of shortages, “Hamas will be forced to face the painful and frustrated population, which will understand very well who is to blame for its situation,” he says.

3:20 pm

IDF says it has expanded northern West Bank counter-terrorism op to Nablus area

IDF troops operate in the West Bank city of Nablus, in a handout photo published April 9, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF says it has expanded its ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the northern West Bank, with troops now operating in the Nablus area.

The military has been carrying out a major offensive in the northern West Bank, dubbed Operation Iron Wall, since January 21, mainly focusing on the Jenin and Tulkarem areas.

Yesterday, officers of the police’s elite Gideonim unit (Unit 33), alongside the IDF and Shin Bet security agency, detained Mohammed al-Bana, a senior member of the former Lion’s Den terror group, the military says.

The IDF says Bana was armed with an assault rifle and a grenade when he was arrested. He was also shot in the leg during the arrest. Bana was involved in numerous shooting and explosive attacks against troops in the West Bank, the military adds.

Troops of the Duvedavan commando unit, meanwhile, detained another wanted Palestinian who the IDF says was involved in shooting attacks on soldiers and was a “prominent weapons dealer” in the West Bank.

3:19 pm

Haredi minister fines kitchenware firm NIS 280,000 for operating on Shabbat, vows crackdown on new mall near Tel Aviv

Labor and Welfare Minister Yoav Ben Tzur addresses the Shas party annual conference, on January 16, 2025. (Screenshot, Shas)

After levying a NIS 280,000 ($73,506) fine on a kitchenware firm Millennium Marketing for opening one of its branches in the Seven Stars Mall in Herzliya on Shabbat, Labor Minister Yoav Ben-Tzur (Shas) warns that he will likewise penalize any shop that opens on the Jewish day of rest at the new BIG Fashion Glilot mall in Ramat Hasharon.

According to Hebrew media reports, the ultra-Orthodox politician states that his ministry “will increase supervision and fine all businesses that operate in violation of the law.”

In response, Yisrael Beytenu chief Avidgor Liberman writes on X that while Ben-Tzur is “fighting businesses in secular areas that are open on Shabbat,” Yisrael Beytenu “will continue to fight for the simple principle: live and let live.”

The Ramat Hasharon municipality in central Israel said last week that it would not enforce orders to shut BIG Fashion Glilot mall on Saturdays, the Jewish sabbath, despite a ruling from its own legal adviser and threats from the ultra-Orthodox community to boycott chains in the mall.

3:13 pm

Immigration to Israel down 27% since last Passover

By Zev Stub

Aliyah and Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer and director general of the ministry Avichai Kahana greet immigrants from France in 2024. (Sivan Shahar/GPO)

Some 27,281 new immigrants have moved to Israel since Passover 2024, the Aliyah and Absorption Ministry says. That’s 27% less than the 37,328 that arrived during the same period a year earlier.

As usual, the majority — 15,188, or 56 percent of the total — arrived from Russia. Another 3,209 came from the United States, 2,265 from France and 878 from Ukraine.

Since the beginning of 2025, 4,849 new olim have been registered, the ministry notes.

Immigration to Israel has been on the decline since Hamas launched its war against Israel on October 7, 2023. After registering 46,590 new immigrants in 2023, aliyah declined by 30% in 2024 to 32,161, despite rising antisemitism worldwide, the Aliyah and Absorption Ministry says.

New immigrants from the past year include 212 aged 85 or older, and 5,700 children under the age of 18, the ministry notes.

3:00 pm

Hamas health authorities say 23 killed in airstrike on residential building in Gaza City

By Agencies and ToI Staff

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says at least 23 people were killed earlier today in an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in northern Gaza.

The Al-Ahli hospital also says at least 23 people were killed in the strike, including eight women and eight children. The figures could not be independently verified.

According to the Gaza health ministry, whose figures cannot be independently verified and do not differentiate between civilians and combatants, the strike hit a four-story building in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City and rescue teams were searching for victims under the rubble.

The Hamas-linked Palestinian Civil Defense says other neighboring buildings were damaged in the strike.

The IDF says it has struck several terror operatives in Shejaiya in the last day, including in direct airstrikes, as troops advance through the Gaza City neighborhood.

Israel accuses Hamas of fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools and mosques.

2:47 pm

PM to convene cabinet tonight to discuss his visits to Hungary and US

By Lazar Berman

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene the cabinet tonight to discuss his recent trips to Hungary and the United States, with a focus on the US.

Netanyahu called on Monday for the forum to convene, immediately after he finished his meeting with US President Donald Trump, The Times of Israel has learned.

The Trump meeting contained a series of unwelcome surprises for Netanyahu on Iran talks, tariff relief, and tensions with Turkey.

Only cabinet ministers will be at the meeting. As of now, security chiefs, including Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, have not been invited, according to Channel 12.

2:46 pm

Golan welcomes police chief’s vow to uphold High Court rulings, but says ‘real test’ is actions, not words

The Democrats chairman Yair Golan welcomes police chief Daniel Levy’s vow to uphold the High Court’s ruling on the dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, but warns that “with all due respect to words, the real test will be in actions.”

“Compliance with High Court rulings is a basic condition, but the rule of law does not end there,” he writes on X. “The rule of law also requires preventing obstruction of investigations, protecting investigators, and maintaining their independence — especially in cases involving the prime minister, primarily the Qatargate affair.”

“The public expects the police commissioner to be a true gatekeeper – one who holds the door and stands between it and anyone who tries to break it down, even if he is the prime minister.”

Golan’s comments come after National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir interrupted Levy during a press conference, after Levy was asked by a reporter if he would respect the High Court’s ruling on the matter.

After Levy replied that the police would “fight for democracy until our last drop of blood,” a reporter asks if he would also do so even if instructed otherwise by Ben Gvir — prompting the minister to tell the senior law enforcement official that the press was “provoking” him.

Also weighing in, Democrats MK Naama Lazimi says, “Ben Gvir tries to prevent the commissioner from answering a basic question about maintaining the rule of law, only because he answered that he would uphold the High Court ruling.”

“It will be interesting whether the commissioner will be forced to issue a clarification on the ‘severe’ answer [in which he provided] a commitment to obey the court and the law.”

Both Lazimi and Golan have recently been the targets of police violence.

During a protest outside the Knesset last week, security forces were filmed grabbing and shoving Lazimi despite people screaming that she was a lawmaker.

On March 20, Golan was knocked to the ground by police during a demonstration in Jerusalem, after which he declared that “after 38 years in the IDF, a few shoves won’t stop me.”

In contrast to the Democrats, Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech backs efforts to oust Bar, claiming after Levy’s press conference that the court was “breaking the law” by intervening in Bar’s firing.

“The law is clear and explicit: the authority to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet is vested solely in the prime minister and the government. This is not an interpretation — this is the language of the law,” she writes on X.

“The one acting here in violation of the law is not the government, but the High Court. Once again, they are blatantly interfering in the decisions of elected officials in an improper and draconian manner.”

2:14 pm

IDF, Defense Ministry announce plan to commemorate slain civilians who showed ‘extraordinary courage’

By Stav Levaton

The IDF and Defense Ministry announce a new national framework to honor civilians who acted with exceptional bravery or died under unique circumstances during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack and the subsequent war.

Under the government decision, civilians who fought in the battles during the Hamas-led onslaught in southern Israel on October 7-8, hostages murdered in captivity after taking courageous action, and individuals who served in the military during the ongoing war and were killed while off duty, will now be eligible for official recognition and commemoration — subject to defined criteria.

The plan includes military representation at civilian funerals, special plaques on graves marked with the state emblem, and formal mention during national memorial ceremonies and on the state website for victims of hostilities.

According to the statement, families may submit applications through the IDF’s “Kesher Ad” casualty support system.

The decision comes amid growing calls to honor civilians who played active roles in the defense effort or were killed in extraordinary circumstances.

An advisory committee was established in April 2024 by then IDF Personnel Directorate head Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, at the request of former IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi and with the approval of then defense minister Yoav Gallant, to evaluate how it would “recognize and honor” hostages and other civilians who participated in the fighting or were in unique situations amid the war.

The committee includes senior figures from the Defense Ministry, casualty departments, and public memorial bodies.

2:14 pm

Netanyahu lashes out at law enforcement, says police tried to overthrow him and ‘trample on democracy’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the Tel Aviv District Court to give testimony in his ongoing criminal trial, April 9, 2025. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses law enforcement establishments of being behind leaks of testimonies given to police years ago by key figures in his corruption cases.

He makes the claim during a trial hearing at the Tel Aviv District Court.

The testimonies in question were leaked to various Hebrew media outlets over the course of several weeks in 2019. At the time, Netanyahu’s Likud party unsuccessfully sought to prevent the publication of the leaks, asserting that they were intended to harm the party’s chances in the September 2019 elections.

Questioned about the leaks by his lawyer Amit Hadad, Netanyahu asserts that “one hundred percent of the leaked material from the investigation came from law enforcement.”

“There is no other explanation,” he says, adding that the leaks hurt him “immensely” and were intended to make him look like “a criminal who accepted bribes.”

Going on the attack, the premier asserts that the leaks were part of a wider effort by law enforcement — chiefly the Israel Police and the State Attorney’s Office — to “trample on democracy” and “influence the elections.”

“When 100 percent of the investigative material is in their hands, and then they pretend that they didn’t leak it, it’s a pile of lies,” he insists.

A short while later, Netanyahu is prompted into another anti-police tirade when asked by Hadad about his former chief of staff Ari Harow, who turned state witness in the premier’s corruption trial as part of a plea bargain.

“The police want to overthrow a prime minister. There is no crime, so they invent a crime, take the people closest to him and tell them to find something on him,” Netanyahu fumes.

“The police and the state attorney can say ‘we don’t like the prime minister, we want to replace him, so we’ll take the people closest to him. This is a crime on steroids, and it happens again and again and again,” he declares.

Then, asked by Hadad if he trusts law enforcement, Netanyahu declares that he feels as though he lives in “East Germany or Tehran.”

“They are corrupting the investigation, and making false accusations against me,” he says, reiterating: “They are all making false accusations and are trying to hunt me down.”

“What is this? What kind of dark regime do we have here? It’s monstrous,” he adds.

The day’s hearing ends shortly after, the court having accepted the prime minister’s request to cut it short because he had returned on an overnight flight after a visit to Washington and headed straight to the courthouse.

1:36 pm

Ben Gvir cuts off police chief as he vows to uphold High Court ruling on Shin Bet head’s dismissal

By Charlie Summers

Israel Police chief Daniel Levy (left) and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir address reporters at press briefing on April 9, 2025. (Screenshot: X, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Israel Police chief Daniel Levy has a brief run-in with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who interrupts the top officer as he vows to uphold the High Court’s ruling on the dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

While speaking at a press briefing, Levy is asked by a reporter whether he will “act according to the High Court ruling… or are you afraid of the minister?” referring to Ben Gvir, who is standing right next to him.

“How can one think that the police commissioner… would not enforce the law and not listen to the court?” Levy replies, stressing that his police force will “protect democracy… struggle for the sake of democracy and fight for democracy until our last drop of blood.”

Ben Gvir cuts him off mid-sentence.

“They’re provoking you,” he says, and positions himself between the crowd of reporters and Levy, who is still trying to finish his sentence.

The far-right minister is a vocal proponent of Bar’s sacking. Last month, Ben Gvir said Bar should “sit in prison” following reports that the Shin Bet had been investigating the possible infiltration of far-right elements into the police under Ben Gvir’s leadership.

המפכ"ל אומר מול בן גביר לשאלה האם יפעל לפי פסיקת בג"ץ: "אני לא מפחד מאף אחד. איך אפשר לחשוב ריבונו של עולם שהמפכ"ל והמשטרה לא ישמרו על החוק ולא יישמעו לפסיקת בית המשפט? אנחנו שומרי הסף של הדמוקרטיה ונשמור על הדמוקרטיה עד טיפת הדם האחרונה"
בן גביר צוחק ומנסה לחתוך אותו: "הוא עושה… pic.twitter.com/Vv3RL1S9Xa

— Josh Breiner (@JoshBreiner) April 9, 2025

1:14 pm

Hezbollah MP says issue of disarmament is internal Lebanese matter

By Nurit Yohanan

Ihab Hamadeh, a Lebanese MP for Hezbollah, responds to a Reuters report quoting an unnamed Hezbollah official who claimed that the terror group would agree to disarm if Israel withdrew from Lebanon.

Hamadeh tells Qatar’s Al-Araby TV that Hezbollah does not have unnamed “sources,” and when it has something to say, it says it in an official capacity.

He adds that the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons is an internal Lebanese matter and will be discussed within the framework of Lebanon’s national policy, with no relation to any external party.

1:11 pm

IDF says strikes carried out on 45 targets in Gaza over last day alongside ongoing ground op

IDF troops operate in the Gaza Strip in an image cleared for publication on April 9, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

Over the past day, the IDF says, it carried out airstrikes on over 45 targets in the Gaza Strip.

The targets included weapons manufacturing sites, primed rocket launchers, buildings used by terror groups, weapon depots, and cells of terror operatives, the military says.

Meanwhile, ground forces continue to operate across the Strip.

In southern Gaza’s Rafah, the IDF says troops of the Gaza Division located several tunnel shafts in the Tel Sultan area.

Nearby, between Rafah and Khan Younis, the 36th Division is advancing in the Morag Corridor area. The IDF says troops located and destroyed several buildings and other infrastructure used by Hamas, along with tunnels, and also killed several operatives.

A tunnel shaft uncovered by IDF troops in the Tel Sultan area of Rafah, in southern Gaza, in an image cleared for publication on April 9, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

In northern Gaza, the 252nd Division is advancing in Gaza City’s eastern Shejaiya neighborhood, where the military says troops killed several operatives in the past day, including by directing airstrikes.

12:59 pm

IDF demolishes West Bank home of Palestinian gunman who killed soldier near Dolev settlement last year

During operations in the West Bank town of Dayr Ibzi’ overnight, the IDF says, it demolished the home of a Palestinian gunman who killed a soldier in a sniper attack last year.

On March 22, 2024, Mujahid Barakat Mansour opened fire on civilians and soldiers near the settlement of Dolev, killing Sgt. First Class Ilay David Garfinkel and wounding several other soldiers.

Mansour was killed in a helicopter strike after an hours-long exchange of fire with soldiers.

As a matter of policy, Israel demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out deadly attacks.

כוחות הביטחון הרסו הלילה את ביתו של המחבל מג'אהד מנצור שהרג את רס״ל עילי דוד גורפינקל ז״ל ופצע שישה לוחמים נוספים בהיתקלות בצומת הפרסה

כוחות צה״ל מחטיבת בנימין ולוחמי יחידת יהל״ם הרסו הלילה את ביתו של המחבל מג'אהד מנצור בדיר איבזיע שבחטיבת בנימין.
המחבל הרג את רס״ל עילי דוד… pic.twitter.com/bMSuuEXrg8

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 9, 2025

12:36 pm

Israel concludes humanitarian mission in Thailand earthquake disaster zone

By Stav Levaton

Israeli search and rescue experts are seen in Thailand to assist following a major earthquake, in a photo cleared for publication on April 9, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF, Defense Ministry, and Foreign Ministry have concluded their joint humanitarian mission in Thailand following a recent earthquake, the military says.

Last month, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake and an aftershock measuring 6.4 rocked Myanmar and Thailand, destroying buildings, a bridge, and a dam.

An Israeli delegation consisting of engineers, doctors, and rescue professionals from the Home Front Command search and rescue unit assisted local authorities in building a situational assessment and sharing technological expertise. Using advanced tools, the Israeli experts operated in the disaster zone to help locate trapped individuals, the IDF says.

12:18 pm

Court grants Netanyahu’s request to cut short today’s corruption trial hearing

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asks to end today’s corruption trial hearing early, cutting short his testimony, due to having flown back to Israel from Washington overnight.

The court grants his request.

Earlier today, his defense attorney Amit Hadad told the court that the premier was “very tired” as he hadn’t slept last night, and said he didn’t think it was “in the court’s interest for a person to testify bleary-eyed.”

12:09 pm

24-hour strike in Greece shuts down airports, throwing Israeli airlines into chaos amid pre-Passover travel rush

By ToI Staff and AP

A nationwide general strike in Greece disrupts public services across the country, with ferries tied up in port, flights grounded and public transportation running only part-time as labor unions press for an end to lingering austerity measures imposed on Greece by international creditors a decade ago.

The 24-hour strike, called by the two main umbrella unions covering the public and private sectors, has thrown international airlines into chaos as commercial flights to and from Greece and between domestic destinations have been canceled from midnight Wednesday until midnight Thursday.

Israeli airlines have been caught up in the turmoil, as some 25 flights had been scheduled to depart for airports across Greece on Wednesday, ahead of the Passover holiday according to Ynet.

According to Israeli tourism website Lametayel, some 7,500 Israelis are scheduled to fly to or from Greece for Passover, which begins on Saturday night.

In a statement, El Al says it is “making adjustments” to its flight schedule and that of its subsidiary Sun D’or to ensure that flights could still take place. It said passengers booked to travel to Greece on Wednesday would be given the details of their alternative flight.

Budget option Arkia Airlines says that passengers should expect “delays in takeoffs and landings” and will be updated as necessary, while Israir said yesterday that it was “making every effort to find alternative solutions,” and that customers would receive their updated flight information by the early evening.

The 24-hour strike was called by the two main umbrella unions covering the public and private sectors. They are seeking increases in salaries and a full return of collective bargaining rights which were scrapped as part of international bailouts during Greece’s financial crisis.

The country is currently battling a hike in the cost of living amid concern that global financial turmoil triggered by US tariffs could lead to further hardship.

11:32 am

Shekel falls sharply against US dollar as Trump’s latest tariffs take effect

By Sharon Wrobel

The Israeli shekel weakens sharply and local shares drop as a wave of US tariffs takes effect against dozens of trading partners, and as US President Donald Trump takes specific aim at China, igniting investor concern over a global trade war intensifying.

The shekel depreciates more than 1 percent against the US dollar, trading around NIS 3.82, and almost 2% against the euro to NIS 4.22 earlier this morning.

The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange’s benchmark TA-125 index falls 1%. The TA-35 index of blue-chip companies is down 0.9%. The TA-90 index, which tracks the shares with the highest capitalization not included in the TA-35 index, declines 1.3%, and the TA-Insurance and Financial Services index retreats 1%. Shares in Asia and Europe continue to fall after US stock indexes dropped on Tuesday.

The market reaction comes “against the backdrop of Trump’s tariff plan coming into effect and the US’s fierce confrontation with China,” says Mizrahi Tefahot Bank’s chief markets economist, Ronen Menahem.

“The shekel has crossed the NIS 3.81 mark against the dollar, a level not seen since August 2024, at the height of the fighting on the northern front,” says Menahem. “In the past week alone, the shekel weakened by 3.2% against the dollar and 5.8% against the euro.”

Menahem explains that the Trump tariff effect, pulling stock indexes down on Wall Street, is lowering the value of US securities held by Israeli financial institutions.

“As a result local financial institutions need to rebalance their dollar exposure, which means that they need to buy dollars and sell the local currency,” says Menahem.

10:12 am

Netanyahu’s lawyer: PM ‘very tired’ after flight, not in court’s best interest to have him testify like this

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the Tel Aviv District Court to give testimony in his ongoing criminal trial, April 9, 2025. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Two hours after his return to Israel from Washington, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the Tel Aviv District Court to give testimony in his ongoing criminal trial.

At the start of the hearing, Netanyahu’s defense attorney Amit Hadad tells the court that the premier is “very tired” after his overnight flight aboard the Wing of Zion plane.

“The prime minister landed at 8 a.m. and didn’t sleep last night,” Hadad says.

Justice Rivka Friedman-Feldman says that the court will “see what the situation is” as the day goes on.

Hadad reiterates: “The premier is very tired, I don’t think it’s in the court’s interest for a person to testify bleary-eyed.”

“We’ll see,” the judge says.

9:05 am

IDF set to approve slew of dress code changes, will now allow soldiers to grow beards

The IDF is set to approve a series of changes to its dress code for soldiers, including allowing all troops to grow a beard.

Previously, only observant Jewish soldiers were able to get a permit to grow a beard. Under the new changes, all troops can have a beard, provided it is neat and meets the guidelines.

Also under the changes, female soldiers will be allowed to wear almost any color of nail polish. Previously, nail polish was limited to a handful of colors, such as pink, black, and grey.

Another change is allowing soldiers to go home while wearing their tactical uniform. Previously, when troops left their base for furlough, they had to wear dress uniforms, known as Madei Aleph.

The changes have not yet been officially approved, although they are expected to be later today.

8:22 am

Netanyahu lands back in Israel after week away, heads to court to testify in graft trial

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara have landed back at Ben Gurion Airport after a week abroad.

The premier departed Israel for Hungary last Wednesday, and from there continued to Washington on Saturday for a visit to the White House and US President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu is due at the Tel Aviv District Court later this morning to give testimony in his ongoing criminal trial.

7:33 am

Higher US tariffs on nearly 60 economies take effect

By AFP

A fresh wave of US tariffs takes effect against dozens of trading partners shortly after midnight Wednesday, with US President Donald Trump taking specific aim at China and accelerating his trade war.

The customized rates for nearly 60 economies supersede baseline duties that took effect Saturday. New levels largely range from 11 percent to 50 percent, but retaliation from Beijing will see the US tariffs imposed on China this year rise to a staggering 104 percent.

6:37 am

Indonesian president says ready to temporarily house ‘wounded, traumatized and orphaned’ Gazans