April 10: IDF says it’s probing strike that Lebanon says killed 8 security personnel
Israeli envoy holds first-of-its-kind phone call with Lebanese counterpart ahead of in-person meet * Shin Bet unit tasked with combating Jewish terror said in crisis as agency chief deprioritizes issue
The Times of Israel liveblogged Friday’s events as they unfolded.
Israel pans South Korean leader who appears to liken IDF conduct to previous crimes against Jews
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung shared a video on X of IDF soldiers nudging the body of a Palestinian suspect off a roof in the West Bank.
Lee said he planned to verify the video and inquire into what measures were taken against the soldiers.
“Wartime homicide is no different from matters that we take issue with, such as the forced (enslavement of) comfort women, and the massacre of Jewish people,” he added.
Hours later, he posted an updated saying that the video was from two years ago, noting that the Biden administration expressed its alarm over the incident and that Israel said an investigation had been carried out.
이게 사실인지, 사실이라면 어떤 조치가 있었는지 알아봐야겠습니다.
우리가 문제삼는 위안부 강제, 유태인 학살이나 전시 살해는 다를 바가 없습니다. https://t.co/owqj9Rg1lk
— 이재명 (@Jaemyung_Lee) April 9, 2026
There’s no publicly reported outcome of that investigation, however, so it’s unclear if the soldiers involved were ever disciplined.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded to Lee, accusing him of “trivializing the massacre of Jews on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel.”
“President Lee Jae Myung, for some strange reason, chose to dig up a story from 2024 and to cite a fake account that falsely presented it as a current event,” the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
“The event discussed occurred during an operation against terrorists, at a time when Israeli soldiers were facing direct and immediate threats to their lives. The event was thoroughly investigated and addressed two years ago,” the post continued, calling out Lee for not condemning Iran or Hezbollah attacks on Israel
Settlers from illegal outpost filmed hurling stones at Palestinian village below
Settlers from the illegal outpost of Kol Mevaser are filmed hurling stones at the Palestinian village of Mukhmas below.
Kol Mevaser residents have been involved in a number of attacks against Mukhmas in recent months, leading Israeli authorities to demolish the outpost, only for it to be rebuilt again.
????Right now in Mukhams:
Settlers throw rocks at Palestinians in the village. The settlers descend to the village from the nearby outpost Kol Mevaser.It happens on a daily basis now. Imagine this was your routine and it was your life constantly in danger
Resist the occupation ✊ pic.twitter.com/3EpyIJ8NK8— Herd of Justice (@JustHerds) April 10, 2026
In latest effort to tip scale in Orban’s favor, Trump says he’s ready to use US economy to boost Hungary
In his latest effort to boost Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán ahead of his election next week, US President Donald Trump says his “administration stands ready to use the full economic might of the United States to strengthen Hungary’s economy… if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian people ever need it.”
“We are excited to invest in the future Prosperity that will be generated by Orbán’s continued Leadership!” Trump writes on Truth Social.
Orban is believed to be polling below rival Péter Magyar, but the longtime Hungarian leader’s critics fear he may try to tamper with the results of the election.
Lebanon says first contact with Israel held ahead of US-brokered talks
Lebanon’s presidency says that Lebanon and Israel held their first contact via a telephone call between their ambassadors in Washington on Friday, with the participation of the US ambassador to Lebanon.
The statement says the call was part of diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire and launching negotiations, adding that the two sides agreed to hold a first meeting on Tuesday at the US State Department under Washington’s mediation.
Ghalibaf-led delegation arrives in Islamabad for talks with US, as Iran ‘preconditions’ remain
An Iranian negotiating delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqher Ghalibaf has arrived in Islamabad for peace talks with the United States, Iranian media reports, adding that negotiations would begin if Washington accepted Tehran’s “preconditions.”
Ghalibaf stated earlier that those demands include a ceasefire in Lebanon, which Iran and mediating Pakistan have said was supposed to be part of the ceasefire with the US to begin with. The US and Israel have claimed otherwise. Ghalibaf has also called for the release of billions of dollars in frozen assets belonging to Iran.
Ghalibaf’s delegation includes senior political, military and economic officials, including the Iranian foreign minister, defense council secretary, central bank governor and several members of parliament.
IDF says it’s probing strike that Lebanon says killed 8 security personnel
The IDF says it is investigating after Lebanese media reported that a strike earlier today in the southern city of Nabatieh killed eight members of the country’s State Security agency.
The military says it had targeted buildings used by Hezbollah “for military activity,” and that it was aware of reports of casualties among Lebanon’s security forces.
“The incident is under review,” the IDF adds.
Pakistan PM confirms US, Iran leadership both attending Islamabad talks
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirms that leaders of both Iran and the United States would attend ceasefire talks set to take place in Islamabad.
“In response to my sincere invitation, the leaderships of both countries are coming to Islamabad. There, negotiations will be held for the establishment of peace,” Sharif says in an address to the nation.
US Vice President JD Vance was on his way to Pakistan, but Tehran has said certain conditions must be met before negotiations can occur, casting some doubt on the process.
Report: White House opted against televised address about Iran ceasefire, fearing it might not last
The White House considered but decided against a national televised address by President Donald Trump on Tuesday about his ceasefire deal with Iran, with some aides and advisers privately voicing concern about potentially overselling the still-nascent agreement, three US officials tell Reuters.
The decision suggests a balancing act by the Trump administration, which sought to project early confidence in the deal to pause fighting and open the Strait of Hormuz, even as aides recognized its fragility.
The sources say Trump was talked out of making the speech. But the White House, in a statement, denied the discussions rose to Trump’s level, saying, “This is fake news. This was never even discussed with the president.”
Trump ended up announcing the ceasefire in a social media post just hours before a Tuesday evening deadline, after which he had threatened to destroy Iran’s entire civilization.
The reversal was one of the most sudden wartime U-turns by an American president.
One of the sources says Trump was “adamant” about delivering the address. The officials say it had been under consideration, but the White House did not move forward with it because details of the ceasefire were still shaky.
Trump’s senior advisers were working through what was in the deal and did not think they had enough clarity for the president to address the nation, the sources said.
The previous week, on April 1, Trump delivered a 19-minute prime-time address to Americans, staunchly defending his handling of the war and outlining plans for aggressive strikes on Iran over the next two to three weeks. Another address would have allowed him to explain the change in course.
One senior White House official acknowledged internal discussions about Trump addressing the nation on Tuesday night.
“There was chatter about it, but obviously it didn’t come to fruition, and we didn’t alert the networks or anything; it didn’t get that far,” the official tells Reuters, without confirming Trump was talked out of giving an address.
Middle East war to cut growth, deliver cascading impact — World Bank chief
The war in the Middle East will have a cascading impact on the global economy, even if the fragile ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump takes hold, World Bank President Ajay Banga tells Reuters in an interview.
And the damage will be far deeper if the ceasefire fails and the conflict escalates, he says.
Banga on Tuesday said global growth could be lowered by 0.3 to 0.4 percentage point in a baseline scenario, with an early end to the war, and by as much as 1 percentage point if it endures. Inflation could increase by 200 to 300 basis points, with a much higher impact — of up to 0.9 percentage point — if the war continues, he said.
The war, which has killed thousands of people across the Middle East, has sent the price of oil up by 50% while disrupting supplies of oil, gas, fertilizer, helium and other goods, as well as tourism and air travel.
“The question really is, does this current peace and the negotiations that are going to be happening this weekend, will this lead to a lasting peace and then a reopening of the Strait (of Hormuz)?” says Banga. “If it doesn’t lead to that, and if conflict were to break out again, would that have an even larger impact, or longer-term impact on energy infrastructure?”
Banga says the world’s largest development bank was already in discussions with some developing countries, including small island states with no natural energy resources, about tapping funds from existing programs under “crisis response windows.”
US March budget deficit rises slightly to $164 billion, war outlays delayed
The US federal government reported that the March budget deficit rose $4 billion or 2% to $164 billion from a year ago as new individual and corporate tax breaks pushed refunds sharply higher, while relief payments to farmers also grew, the US Treasury says.
The monthly budget data does not show a major increase in spending on the Iran war, with military and defense program outlays rising just $2 billion or 3% to $65 billion during the conflict’s first month.
A Treasury official says that many war-related outlays, such as for replenishing weapons inventories, would come in later months.
Customs duty collections also softened in the month following the US Supreme Court’s annulment of President Donald Trump’s broadest global tariffs imposed under an emergency law.
Customs receipts totaled $22.2 billion in March, down from $26.6 billion in February and monthly totals in the low $30 billion range late last year, but up from $8.2 billion in March 2025.
March receipts totaled $385 billion, up $17 billion or 5% from March 2025, while outlays totaled $549 billion, up $21 billion, or 4% from a year earlier.
After accounting for calendar-related adjustments of benefit payments, the March deficit would have been $250 billion, up $9 billion or 4% from March 2025.
US-Iran talks in Islamabad are ‘make or break’ for permanent ceasefire, Pakistan PM says
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says that the US-Iran talks in Islamabad slated to begin on Saturday are a “make or break” to achieve a permanent ceasefire in the weeks-long Middle East conflict.
IDF says it intercepted drone involved in apparent smuggling attempt on Jordan border
A small drone involved in an apparent smuggling attempt on the Jordanian border was intercepted by air defenses this evening, according to the IDF.
There have been frequent attempts to bring weapons, and sometimes drugs, over the Jordanian and Egyptian borders using drones in recent years.
Shin Bet unit tasked with combating Jewish terror said in crisis as agency chief deprioritizes issue
The Shin Bet unit responsible for combating Jewish terrorism is in a state of major crisis, with the security agency’s new chair downplaying the significance of settler violence, several security sources tell Haaretz on condition of anonymity.
The sources say that Shin Bet chief David Zini has been characterizing the settler attacks as mere “cases of friction” between Jews and Palestinians, rather than terrorism.
Zini comes from the Orthodox nationalist Hardal camp and studied at the ultraconservative Har Hamor Yeshiva in Jerusalem, which is led by Rabbi Zvi Tau, the spiritual leader of the far-right, anti-LGBTQ Noam party.
The security sources tell Haaretz that Zini has allocated resources away from the so-called Jewish Division, even though settler violence has reached unprecedented levels in recent months.
Several staff members in the division, including some who are the most experienced, have requested transfers due to the lack of seriousness with which the agency is approaching the issue.
The sources say Shin Bet agents have expressed concerns about the “politicization” of the Shin Bet and are also frustrated with the lack of cooperation from the IDF and the Israel Police in dealing with settler violence.
The previous head of the police’s West Bank division is under investigation for ignoring settler violence to curry favor with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
“Staff feel today that their hands are tied behind their backs, because the police and the army are not helping,” one security official tells Haaretz.
The official says the IDF is not even disciplining settler soldiers involved in deadly shootings of Palestinians.
The security officials also faulted the Israeli court system for regularly releasing suspects from custody shortly after they’re arrested for serious offenses.
IDF says Wednesday Lebanon strikes killed 180 Hezbollah operatives; Lebanese toll climbs to 357
The IDF provides new details on its wide-scale strikes against Hezbollah across Lebanon on Wednesday, saying it killed at least 180 members of the terror group.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that the strikes killed 357. It did not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The strikes hit around 100 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley, and Beirut, according to the military. The IDF says the strikes were carried out based on “precise, high-quality intelligence,” which enabled “simultaneous strikes in multiple areas within just one minute.”
The IDF says the strikes caused “a significant and deep blow” to Hezbollah.
“Following an initial intelligence assessment by the Military Intelligence Directorate, it can be determined that the IDF has eliminated more than 180 terrorists from the Hezbollah terror organization,” the IDF says, adding that it is continuing to verify additional deaths, meaning the true number may be higher.
The IDF says that the targets included more than 45 “central headquarters” and another 40 buildings used by the terror group to advance attacks on Israel, alongside other infrastructure belonging to the terror group’s leadership.
In Beirut alone, the IDF says it struck 35 Hezbollah sites, including an emergency headquarters of the terror group’s intelligence division, a headquarters of the elite Radwan Force, and a headquarters of the group’s missile unit.
In south Lebanon, the military says the strikes hit several weapon depots. And in the Beqaa Valley, the IDF struck several headquarters of the Radwan Force and Hezbollah’s intelligence division.
The military says that most of the Hezbollah sites were located “within the heart of a civilian population, as part of the cynical exploitation by the Hezbollah terror organization of Lebanese civilians as human shields.”
The IDF says it took steps to “minimize harm to civilians” in the strikes. According to Lebanese health authorities, among the dead in Wednesday’s strikes were women and children.
US said pushing Israel to agree to ceasefire ahead of Tuesday talks with Lebanon
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter is slated to hold a first-of-its-kind phone call this afternoon with his Lebanese counterpart Nada Hamadeh-Moawad in preparation for the pair meeting in-person in Washington for direct talks on a long-term ceasefire, the disarmament of Hezbollah, and normalization between Jerusalem and Beirut, Channel 12 reports.
A senior official from the US State Department will also be taking part in today’s phone call, as well as next week’s in-person meeting on Tuesday.
Ahead of the Tuesday meeting, Washington and Beirut are pushing Israel to agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon as a demonstration of Jerusalem’s seriousness about reaching an agreement, Channel 12 says.
In making the case to Israel, US officials have argued that the ceasefire would be framed as an achievement by the Lebanese government, as opposed to a win for Iran, which had been demanding its truce with the US cover Lebanon, to no avail.
Israel hasn’t yet made a decision on the matter, but there are some senior officials in Jerusalem arguing in favor of agreeing to a ceasefire, as it would merely return the sides to the terms of the previous truce from November 2024, under which the IDF is allowed to carry out attacks against threats deemed imminent.
Such strikes have taken place in southern Lebanon over the past year and a half on a very regular basis.
UK to convene more talks on Strait of Hormuz next week, official says
Britain will convene a latest round of talks with allies next week over ways to free up the Strait of Hormuz to shipping without resorting to paying tolls to Iran, a British official with knowledge of the planned discussions says.
Officials from Britain’s foreign ministry were due to meet counterparts from countries that took part in discussions on April 2 that were led by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, the official says, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The discussions would include coordinated economic and political measures, including possible sanctions and ways to secure the release of thousands of ships and sailors trapped in the Strait, the official says.
Settlers said to raid Palestinian village, assaulting residents and stealing livestock; no arrests made
Settlers were filmed raiding the Palestinian village of Yabroud earlier this evening, with the official Palestinian Authority news site Wafa reporting that the suspects attacked locals and stole livestock.
Footage shows one of the suspects armed with a machine gun, akin to those that have been supplied to settlers by the IDF and the National Security Ministry. They are supposed to be used for the protection of settlements, but have increasingly been employed by settlers in attacks on neighboring Palestinian villages that have gone almost entirely unchecked by Israeli authorities.
Wafa says that Yabroud residents tried to repel the attack, but that one of them was assaulted by settlers with clubs.
Wafa also cites a witness who said that the settlers stole a horse and dozens of sheep during the raid.
There are no reports of arrests.
A video shows Israeli settlers attacking the village of Yabrud in the West Bank — stealing sheep and shooting at civilians. pic.twitter.com/iuN7RRHzcJ
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) April 10, 2026
Rescue forces responding to reports of Kiryat Shmona rocket impact; siren wasn’t triggered
Rescue forces are responding to reports of a rocket impact in the northern border city of Kiryat Shmona without sirens sounding.
There are no immediate reports of injuries, and the IDF is looking into the details.
Over 100,000 Muslim worshipers perform Friday prayers at Temple Mount
More than 100,000 Muslim worshipers performed Friday prayers at the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem after it reopened the previous day following a truce agreed between the United States and Iran.
Jerusalem’s Old City is home to major holy sites for all three Abrahamic religions, which had been shuttered since the start of the war sparked by the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28.
Within the Old City lie the Al‑Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, the Western Wall for Jews and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians.
The sites reopened to worshipers on Thursday, a day after Washington and Tehran declared a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East war.
Earlier today, more than 100,000 Muslims performed the weekly Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa, according to the Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian body that administers the site.
“Hopefully they will not close Al-Aqsa again, and everyone will be able to come to this holy place — whether residents of Jerusalem or from the West Bank,” says 30-year-old Mohammad Saaedeh.
“Friday prayer is an obligation for us, but performing it at Al-Aqsa is something entirely different,” says Sharif Mohammad, 39, referring to the site’s status as Islam’s third-holiest shrine.
UN rights chief slams ‘unrelenting pattern of killings’ in Gaza
UN rights chief Volker Turk condemns the ongoing killings of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, six months into the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
“The unrelenting pattern of killings reflects continuing disregard for Palestinian lives, enabled by sweeping impunity,” Turk says in a statement, adding that there was no blueprint for survival in the territory, regardless of where people might seek safety.
Trump: Iranians don’t realize they have no cards, except short-term extortion in international waterways
US President Donald Trump says, “The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short-term extortion of the world by using international waterways.”
“The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!” he claims, in yet another post about the Iran conflict on Truth Social.
Trump claims Iran better at PR than they are at fighting
“The Iranians are better at handling the fake news media and public relations than they are at fighting!” US President Donald Trump writes on Truth Social.
US inflation surges to 3.3% as Iran war impact bites
Inflation in the United States rose sharply in March, government data shows, as higher energy prices due to the war in the Middle East hit Americans hard.
The nationwide sticker shock put pressure on President Donald Trump, who has ordered peace talks with Iran and faces mid-term elections in November.
The rate of inflation rose to 3.3 percent year-on-year in March, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). By comparison, this same consumer price index (CPI) was 2.4 percent year-on-year a month earlier.
Gasoline prices surged by 21.2 percent between February and March — the largest monthly increase since the government began publishing a related index in 1967, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says.
Markets had anticipated the surge, according to the consensus published by MarketWatch.
Despite being the world’s top producer of crude oil, the United States also felt the pain, as prices at the gas pump shot up.
A gallon (3.78 liters) of regular gasoline currently costs an average of $4.15 in the United States, compared to approximately $3 just before the war.
The Trump administration — elected in part on a promise to quash inflation — maintains that the war’s economic disruptions will be temporary.
Trump again warns of fresh strikes if Iran talks fail
US President Donald Trump says that US warships are being reloaded with weaponry to strike Iran if talks in Pakistan fail to produce a deal, in an interview with the New York Post.
“We have a reset going. We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made — even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart,” the Post quotes Trump as saying.
“And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively.”
In a brief and cryptic message on his Truth Social network earlier, Trump had spoken of the “WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL RESET!!!”
First meeting in Israel-Lebanon talks to take place Tuesday in DC – US official
The first in-person meeting in the expected negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will take place on Tuesday at the US State Department, a US official familiar with the details tells The Times of Israel.
Lebanese ambassador to Washington Nada Hamadeh-Moawad, Israeli ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter, and US ambassador to Beirut Michel Issa – respectively leading the Lebanese, Israeli, and US delegations – will be in attendance, according to the official.
A preparatory phone meeting between the three officials, as well as State Department counselor Mike Needham, is taking place today, the official adds.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office does not immediately confirm the meeting.
Netanyahu said last night that Israel would begin negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible,” aimed at disarming Hezbollah and reaching a full peace agreement between the countries.
German court bans anti-Israel protest at Nazi camp memorial
Anti-Israel activists who planned a protest at the Buchenwald concentration camp memorial in Germany will instead rally in the nearby city of Weimar Sunday after a court upheld a police ban on the demonstration.
The planned vigil, called by a campaign dubbed “Kufiyas in Buchenwald,” had provoked a sharp debate in Germany, with a number of politicians denouncing the protest as inappropriate.
The court in Weimar has now upheld an early decision by officials to ban the vigil and instead move protesters to a square in the city, according to a decision seen by AFP.
The Nazi concentration camp memorial is located on a hill just outside of the central German city.
The activists had called their demonstration to remember “the victims of genocide and fascism” and the struggle “against all genocides, particularly the genocide currently taking place in Palestine.”
But judges ruled that the protest would likely “violate the dignity of victims” of the Nazi regime who suffered in the camp, according to a court statement.
Board of Peace has received only tiny fraction of $17 billion pledged for Gaza — sources
Donald Trump’s Board of Peace has received only a tiny fraction of the $17 billion pledged for Gaza, preventing the US president from pushing ahead with his plan for the shattered Palestinian enclave’s future, sources tell Reuters.
One of the sources, a person with direct knowledge of the peace board’s operations, says that out of 10 countries that pledged funds, only three – the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and the US itself – had contributed funding.
The source says funding so far was under $1 billion, but did not give more details. The Iran war “has affected everything,” exacerbating previous funding difficulties, the source says.
The Palestinian technocratic committee slated to replace Hamas in governing Gaza cannot enter the Strip due to both funding and security issues, the source adds.
The second source, a Palestinian official familiar with the matter, says the board informed Hamas and other Palestinian factions that NCAG is unable to enter Gaza right now due to a lack of funding.
“No money is currently available,” the official cites Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov as informing Palestinian groups.
Representatives for the Board of Peace and NCAG do not immediately respond to a request for comment.
With trial set to resume on Sunday after wartime pause, PM asks court to postpone his testimony
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked to postpone giving testimony in his long-running corruption trial that is set to resume next week, citing the ongoing security situation in the region, the premier’s lawyer says in a court filing on Friday.
Netanyahu’s trial was set to resume on Sunday, after Israel lifted a state of emergency imposed over its war with Iran following Wednesday’s ceasefire announcement. The defense said it was prepared to continue hearing the testimony of a prosecution witness.
“Due to classified security and diplomatic reasons connected… to the dramatic events that have taken place in the State of Israel and throughout the Middle East in recent times, the prime minister will not be able to testify in the proceeding for at least the next two weeks,” the filing to the Jerusalem District Court says.
It says that a sealed envelope detailing the classified reasons was delivered to the court, which will rule once the prosecution submits its response.
Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli prime minister to be charged with a crime, denies charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust brought in 2019 after years of investigations.
His trial, which began in 2020 and could lead to jail terms, has been repeatedly delayed due to his official commitments, with no end date in sight.
The charges against Netanyahu, along with the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, have damaged his standing. Israel is due to hold an election in October that Netanyahu’s coalition, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, is likely to lose, according to polls.
Kuwait says Iranian attack hit National Guard facilities, caused injuries
Kuwait’s army says that an Iranian attack targeted several vital National Guard facilities, wounding a number of personnel and causing significant material damage.
Iran speaker demands Lebanon truce, release of assets ‘before negotiations’
Iran’s parliament speaker sets a ceasefire in Lebanon and the “release of Iran’s blocked assets” as preconditions for the start of negotiations with the United States.
“Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf writes in a post on X in English.
“These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.”
Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations.
These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 10, 2026
After tense call, Netanyahu feared Trump would declare Lebanon ceasefire if PM didn’t announce talks
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a “tense” phone call with US President Donald Trump on Thursday, with the premier realizing at the end of the conversation that if he didn’t publicly express his readiness to launch peace talks with Lebanon, Trump would unilaterally announce a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, CNN reports.
It was at least the third phone call the pair had held this week, with Netanyahu using a Tuesday call to successfully lobby Trump against including Lebanon in the Iran ceasefire.
But Trump called Netanyahu again on Wednesday to express his alarm after Israel launched the largest wave of strikes in Lebanon since the beginning of the war, killing over 300 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Trump said afterward that he urged Netanyahu for a more “low-key” campaign against Hezbollah.
Still ostensibly unhappy on Thursday, Trump phoned Netanyahu again to discuss Lebanon.
Shortly after the call, Netanyahu announced that Israel would enter direct talks with Lebanon regarding a ceasefire with Hezbollah and a peace deal with Beirut, while stressing that strikes against the Iran-backed terror group would continue in the meantime.
Israel has refrained targeting Beirut over the past 24 hours, though.
IDF reservist seriously wounded by Hezbollah drone attack in south Lebanon
A IDF reservist was seriously wounded and another soldier was lightly hurt in a Hezbollah drone attack in southern Lebanon earlier today, the military says.
The IDF says the explosive-laden drone struck next to the forces, and flying shrapnel injured the two troops.
They were taken to a hospital and their families were notified, the army adds.
Hezbollah rocket damages building at Nahariya sports facility; no injuries reported
A Hezbollah rocket struck a building at a sports court in the northern city of Nahariya a short while ago, causing damage but no injuries, according to rescue services.
According to the IDF, Hezbollah has fired some 30 rockets from Lebanon at northern Israel since this morning.
A Hezbollah rocket struck a building at a sports court in the northern city of Nahariya a short while ago, causing damage but no injuries, according to rescue services.
According to the IDF, Hezbollah has fired some 30 rockets from Lebanon at northern Israel since this morning. pic.twitter.com/Ivdv0MXfI5
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 10, 2026
Amid US pressure, IDF holding off on strikes in Beirut’s south suburbs
More than 24 hours have passed since the IDF issued a new evacuation warning for Beirut’s southern suburbs, yet no strikes have been carried out.
US President Donald Trump asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to scale back Israeli strikes on Lebanon to prevent the collapse of the fragile ceasefire with Iran.
As of today, the Israeli Air Force has continued strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, albeit at a slightly lower intensity than in previous days.
The IDF said earlier that in the past day, the IAF hit 120 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon to “remove threats” to ground troops.
Settler filmed pointing weapon at Palestinian farmer trying to work his land in central West Bank
Palestinian media airs footage of what appears to be a settler pointing a semi-automatic weapon at a Palestinian farmer trying to work his land in the central West Bank village of al-Mughayyir.
Such weapons are typically supplied to settlers by the National Security Ministry or the IDF for protection purposes, but settlers have increasingly been seen using them in violent attacks against Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank.
A video of an Israeli settler storming the private property of Palestinians in the village of Al-Mughayir, pointing his gun at farmers and preventing them from entering their own land. pic.twitter.com/6uQkE3yLzO
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) April 10, 2026
مستوطنون مسلحون اقتحموا صباح اليوم السهل الشرقي لقرية المغير شمال شرق رام الله وأطلقوا النار تجاه الأهالي pic.twitter.com/LM6i8v4jGG
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) April 10, 2026
مستوطن مسلح يمنع المزارعين من الوصول إلى أراضيهم في قرية المغير شرق رام الله #فيديو pic.twitter.com/ntwi0CfLKD
— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) April 10, 2026
US to reportedly request Iran to free detained Americans
US negotiators intend to request the release of Americans detained in Iran as part of upcoming talks aimed at permanently ending the war, the Washington Post reports, citing people briefed on the plans.
Czech airline Smartwings will restart flights to Israel from April 15
Czech Airline Smartwings will restart regular flights to Tel Aviv from April 15, the airline says.
Smartwings says it will operate seven flights per week to Tel Aviv while observing the security situation in Israel and following guidance from authorities. Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines agreed to buy Smartwings in December last year.
White House adviser predicts Fed rate cuts after energy prices fall
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett says that the US Federal Reserve should be able to cut interest rates once a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz triggers a rapid decline in energy prices.
“There’s going to be, you know, a rapid reduction in energy prices once we get the straits open,” Hassett tells Fox Business Network. “Once the energy prices start to come down, don’t forget that that will put downward pressure on inflation and…I think that the outlook for the Fed having the room to cut rates is going to be very solid.”
Police brand anti-government protest members as ‘far-left activists’
Israel Police have branded participants of a planned protest tomorrow at Tel Aviv’s Habimah Square as “far-left activists.
The characterization is featured on the official police website, listing out upcoming demonstrations that have received permits from police.
“A protest of far left-wing activists against the government,” reads the posting on the police website.
Critics say the uncharacteristically politicized rhetoric further demonstrates just how politicized the police force has become under far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Some members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government regularly brand their critics as leftists in what they view as an attempt to delegitimize them, even though opponents of the coalition span much of the political spectrum.
The High Court of Justice earlier this month ruled that police had to allow the Tel Aviv protest to move forward, despite restrictions on gathering during the Iran war.
Officers have been filmed brutally cracking down on members of the weekly protest.
וכך קוראים באתר משטרת ישראל להפגנה מחר בכיכר הבימה: "הפגנת פעילי שמאל קיצוני נגד הממשלה".
הבנתם?המשטרה נפלה. pic.twitter.com/JjO3hpRzWA
— Josh Breiner (@JoshBreiner) April 10, 2026
Hezbollah says last night’s missile attack on Ashdod targeted Israeli Navy base
The Hezbollah terror group takes responsibility for last night’s missile attack on Ashdod, claiming to have targeted an Israeli Navy base at the city’s port.
In a statement, Hezbollah says it targeted the Ashdod Naval Base with “precision missiles.”
According to the IDF, one missile was launched from Lebanon shortly after 1 a.m., and it was successfully intercepted.
No damage or injuries were reported in the attack, one of the deepest in Israel carried out by Hezbollah.
After kicking Spain out of Gaza ceasefire center, Netanyahu promises that countries opposing Israel will pay ‘immediate price’
Countries that “wage a diplomatic war” against Israel will pay “an immediate price,” says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Israel boots Spain from the Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat.
The CMCC oversees the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Spain had a permanent presence at the headquarters, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
“Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who attack us,” he says in a video statement.
“Spain has defamed our heroes, IDF soldiers — the soldiers of the most moral army in the world,” Netanyahu continues.
The move is sure to play well in the White House. Spain closed its airspace to US planes involved in attacks on Iran, after it denied use of jointly-operated military bases.
Ties between Jerusalem and Madrid steadily deteriorated over the following two years as Spain’s government expressed increasing anger and frustration against Israel over the war in Gaza.
Last month, Spain permanently withdrew its ambassador to Israel. It sent its ambassador back to Iran this week.
“Those who attack Israel instead of terrorist regimes — whoever does so — will not be our partner regarding the future of the region,” says Netanyahu.
“I am not prepared to tolerate this hypocrisy and this hostility,” he concludes. “I do not intend to allow any country to wage a diplomatic war against us without paying an immediate price.”
Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes in south kill 8 state security personnel
Lebanese official media says Israeli strikes on Friday in the southern city of Nabatiyeh killed eight members of the country’s State Security agency.
The state-run National News Agency says, “Enemy warplanes launched a series of heavy strikes” on the city, including one in the vicinity of the Nabatiyeh government building that hit the nearby State Security office, killing at least eight of its personnel.
An AFP photographer saw extensive damage at the site, where a fire was still raging.
Hezbollah rocket impacts in Safed parking lot, causing damage
Several rockets were launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon at the northern city of Safed a short while ago.
The IDF says some of the rockets were intercepted and others hit open areas. However, rescue forces say damage was caused as a result of an impact in a parking lot.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
Departing for Islamabad, Vance expresses optimism about potential for Iran deal
US Vice President JD Vance expresses optimism about the potential for a deal with Iran before boarding a plane for Islamabad, Pakistan where the first round of talks will be held tomorrow.
“We’re looking forward to the negotiation. I think it’s going to be positive. We’ll of course see,” Vance tells reporters.
“If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand,” says Vance, who is leading the US negotiating team for the first time in talks with Iran. Previous waves of negotiations have been led by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
“If they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive,” Vance warns.
IDF claims it killed 1,400 Hezbollah operatives since start of Iran war; Lebanon toll at 1,800
The Israeli military claims it has killed more than 1,400 Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon since hostilities escalated on March 2.
They include hundreds of members of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force, according to the IDF.
Lebanon’s health ministry says Israeli attacks have killed over 1,800 people since the war began, including over 300 on Wednesday alone.
The IDF says it has also destroyed some 4,300 Hezbollah “terror infrastructures” and seized more than 1,000 weapons during ground operations in southern Lebanon.
In the past day, the Israeli Air Force hit 120 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon “to remove threats to the forces,” the IDF adds.
IDF says it located and destroyed primed Hezbollah rocket launcher in south Lebanon
IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon located a primed Hezbollah rocket launcher that was aimed at Israel, the military says.
The IDF says that shortly after the launcher was identified by troops of the 401st Armored Brigade, it was destroyed in a strike.
The soldiers also raided a Hezbollah site where the army says they found a tunnel shaft. Several weapons, including anti-tank missiles, were also found by the brigade, the IDF adds.
כמו כן, אותרו והושמדו אמצעי לחימה בהם טילי נ״ט, כלי נשק ומחסניות pic.twitter.com/ebGp3hR2hC
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 10, 2026
Hezbollah chief warns Beirut against giving ‘free concessions’ to Israel ahead of talks next week
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem calls on the Lebanese government to stop giving “free concessions” to Israel, with the two governments due to begin negotiations in Washington next week.
“We will not accept a return to the previous situation, and we call on officials to stop offering free concessions,” Qassem says in a written message broadcast on the party’s Al-Manar TV, in which he also denounces the “bloody criminality on Wednesday,” when Lebanon said Israeli strikes killed more than 300 people.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday that Israel would begin negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible,” aimed at disarming Hezbollah and reaching a full peace agreement between the two countries.
Lebanese media shows heavy Israeli strikes in Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon
Footage published by Lebanese media shows heavy Israeli strikes in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon a short while ago.
The IDF has said that it continues its offensive against the Hezbollah terror group amid the ceasefire in Iran.
????سلسلة غارات على النبطية pic.twitter.com/NJu5kcxqJh
— bintjbeil.org (@bintjbeilnews) April 10, 2026
IDF strikes southern Lebanon school it says was site of Hezbollah rocket launch
Hezbollah operatives launched rockets from a school in southern Lebanon a short while ago, the IDF says, attaching footage of the incident.
The IDF says that in the drone video from the southern Lebanese village of Shihabiyah (Tayr Zibna), “the thermal signature of the launcher can be clearly seen, as well as its transfer in real time into the school grounds.”
Hezbollah’s launching of rockets from the school “constitutes a violation of international law,” the IDF says.
The military adds that it struck the facility “to remove the threat to the State of Israel.”
צפו בתיעוד: מחבלי חיזבאללה ירו רקטות לצפון הארץ והסתירו משגר בתוך בית ספר
לפרטים המלאים >> https://t.co/UF9AnWog9Z pic.twitter.com/wRZBWOxad8
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 10, 2026
IDF intercepts Hezbollah rocket barrage fired at Karmiel, northern Israel
Hezbollah launched a barrage of five rockets at the northern city of Karmiel a short while ago.
According to the IDF, all five were intercepted by air defenses.
A school in the nearby town of Deir al-Asad was reportedly damaged by falling fragments. There are no reports of injuries.
Since this morning, Hezbollah has launched several dozen rockets from Lebanon at northern Israel.
Iran-linked ships make up majority of vessels sailing through Strait of Hormuz, shipping data shows
The majority of ships that have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past day were linked to Iran, ship tracking data shows, with other vessels putting off making voyages despite a two-week ceasefire agreed this week between Tehran and Washington, according to data and shipping sources.
Three tankers – a crude supertanker that can carry 2 million barrels of oil, a bunkering tanker and a smaller oil ship – all left Iranian waters in the past 24 hours, based on separate data analysis from Kpler and Lloyd’s List Intelligence platforms.
Four dry bulk ships – including one that loaded iron ore from Iran bound for China – also sailed in the past day, the data shows.
Greek airline Bluebird Airways to resume Tel Aviv-Athens route on Sunday
Greek airline Bluebird Airways plans to resume flight operations on the Tel Aviv-Athens route starting Sunday, April 12.
Starting Sunday, there will be one daily flight, and later in the week, the frequency is expected to increase to two daily flights, alongside other destinations.
Israeli shekel hits 30-year high against the dollar
Israel’s shekel gains, hitting a 30-year high against the dollar as the local currency’s strength continues to be driven by cautious optimism about an improving geopolitical environment, as the ceasefire halts fighting with Iran and amid prospects for Lebanon talks.
The shekel is trading at NIS 3.0448 to the dollar. It marks the shekel’s strongest value since November 1995.
Israel bars Spanish presence at Gaza ceasefire HQ in Kiryat Gat
Citing Spain’s “anti-Israel obsession” and its policies during the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announces that Spain will not be allowed to participate in the Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat.
The CMCC is the multi-national center overseeing the Gaza ceasefire.
“The Sánchez government has such a blatant anti-Israeli bias that it has lost any ability to serve as a useful actor in implementing President Trump’s peace plan and in the CMCC center operating within the framework of the plan,” says Sa’ar.
Spain has been formally notified of the decision, says the Foreign Ministry, adding that the US was informed in advance as well.
Many European countries, including Spain, have a small military presence at the CMCC.
The move marks the latest escalation in a diplomatic spat between the two countries, whose relations have been heavily strained since the start of the Gaza war, triggered by the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Ties between Jerusalem and Madrid steadily deteriorated over the following two years as Spain’s government expressed increasing anger and frustration against Israel over the war in Gaza.
Madrid had prohibited sales and purchases of military equipment with Israel from the start of the war; however, last September, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced measures to enshrine the prohibition in law. Sa’ar criticized Spain as leading “a hostile, anti-Israel line,” after which Madrid also recalled its ambassador.
Last month, Spain permanently withdrew its ambassador to Israel. It sent its ambassador back to Iran this week.
During the war with Iran, Spain closed its airspace to US planes involved in attacks on Iran, a step beyond its previous denial of use of jointly-operated military bases.
Home Front Command says no changes to remaining wartime guidelines until Saturday night
The Home Front Command says its wartime guidelines, which were significantly eased on Wednesday, remain unchanged until Saturday night.
By Saturday at 8 p.m., a new assessment will be held by the Home Front Command.
As part of the changes announced on Wednesday, communities on the Lebanon border, in most of the Golan Heights, Upper Galilee and Haifa Bay area, will be allowed to hold educational activities only inside bomb shelters.
Gatherings in those areas are permitted up to 50 people outdoors and 200 indoors, and workplaces are allowed to operate if an adequate shelter can be reached in time.
In the rest of the country, nearly all restrictions were lifted, allowing schools and workplaces to operate as usual. However, gatherings are limited to 1,000 in many areas.
IDF says it killed two operatives in Gaza who were planning ‘imminent’ attack on troops
The IDF says it struck and killed two Palestinian terror operatives in the Gaza Strip yesterday who were planning “imminent” attacks on troops.
In southern Gaza, the IDF killed Mahmoud Barim, a member of the Mujahideen Brigades terror group, who the military says had been carrying out surveillance on troops and “possessed a large amount of weaponry.
In northern Gaza, the IDF killed Ahmad Muhammad Saleh, a member of Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force, “who had advanced several terror attack plans against IDF troops,” the military says.
The IDF says the strike targeting Saleh also killed several more Hamas operatives.
“The terrorists posed a real threat to IDF troops and were eliminated in precise strikes,” the military adds.
Vice Adm. Eyal Harel to begin role as Israeli Navy chief next week after delay due to Iran war
Vice Adm. Eyal Harel will enter the role of Israeli Navy chief next week, after an initial handover date was delayed due to the war in Iran.
Harel is replacing Vice Adm. David Saar Salama, who has been Navy chief for over four years.
The initial handover date was set for late March. It will now take place on Thursday, the military says.
IDF: More than 250 members of Hezbollah artillery units killed since March 2
The IDF says it has destroyed more than 200 Hezbollah rocket launchers and killed over 250 members of the terror group’s artillery units since the start of the fighting in Lebanon.
According to the IDF, the 200 launchers included some 1,300 separate launch barrels.
Among the 250 Hezbollah artillery operatives were 15 commanders, the IDF says, adding that this week it killed the chief of artillery in the terror group’s Nasr regional division, which is responsible for the area between Mount Dov and Bint Jbeil.
יותר מ-200 משגרים הושמדו ומאות פעילי אריטלריה חוסלו מתחילת המערכה מול ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה
כחלק מהמאמץ לסיכול ושיבוש יכולות הירי של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה, צה"ל תקף והשמיד עד כה יותר מ-200 משגרי רקטות ובהם כ-1,300 קני שיגור.
השבוע חוסל עלי כאמל עבר אלחסן, אחראי הארטילריה ביחידת… pic.twitter.com/Ywuc1yKK3X
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 10, 2026
Low-cost giant Wizz Air to resume Tel Aviv operations from April 25
Hungarian low-cost airline giant Wizz Air is preparing to gradually resume flight operations to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport starting April 25.
Following the ceasefire agreement announced overnight Tuesday that halted the joint US-Israel military campaign against Iran, Wizz Air is opening ticket sales starting April 25 in a gradual manner in line with international safety guidelines.
Previously, Wizz Air suspended flights to and from Israel through April 27, amid the war with Iran.
Spanish FM calls on Iranian counterpart to engage in negotiations ‘in good faith’
Spain’s foreign minister says that he has spoken with his Iranian counterpart and urged him to negotiate in good faith during talks with the United States in Islamabad.
“I encourage Iran — this is what I conveyed to the Iranian foreign minister — to take part in those negotiations and to participate in good faith,” Jose Manuel Albares tells the press, adding that he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, “the day before yesterday” and had also asked him to halt “all missile and drone launches.”
Albares once again slammed Israel for continuing its attacks on Lebanon, where it has been fighting Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah.
“Lebanon is a disgrace on the conscience of humanity. The level of violence, the violation of international law and international humanitarian law by Israel is unacceptable,” Albares says.
IDF footage shows targeting of Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon
The IDF publishes footage showing the identification of Hezbollah operatives and subsequent strikes against them during ongoing ground operations in southern Lebanon.
During one incident on Wednesday, troops of the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade spotted a cell of Hezbollah operatives in their area of operations.
“One of the terrorists was identified hiding in the bushes. Immediately after the identification, the terrorist was eliminated by the Air Force,” the military says, adding that a vehicle with the remaining members of the cell was seen fleeing the scene, and it was also struck.
תיעוד מדרום לבנון: חיל האוויר וכוחות אוגדה 91, מחסלים חוליית מחבלים
כוחות האוגדה חיסלו עד כה מאות מחבלי חיזבאללה
שלשום, כוחות צוות הקרב החטיבתי 769 זיהו חוליית מחבלים סמוך לכוחות הפועלים במרחב. אחד המחבלים זוהה מסתתר בשיחים. מיד לאחר הזיהוי, המחבל חוסל על ידי חיל האוויר,… pic.twitter.com/xIUWkb4CQS
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 10, 2026
Jewish-owned Israeli restaurant vandalized in Munich; police suspect antisemitic motive
Authorities believe an antisemitic motive prompted vandalism at an Israeli restaurant in Munich where the windows were broken this morning, police say. No one was injured.
The owners of the restaurant are Jewish, police tell German news agency dpa.
Visuals of the aftermath show that the restaurant is the Eclipse Grillbar, though police do not name it. The restaurant’s website says it is Munich’s first authentic Israeli restaurant; it does not immediately return a request for comment.
Investigators believe pyrotechnic devices — potentially fireworks — were thrown into the restaurant, breaking the windows in three places. No suspects were discovered in the area after police were called around 12:45 a.m. and it was not clear who the perpetrator or perpetrators are. The damage is estimated at several thousand euros (dollars).
Antisemitism has risen in Germany since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza.
UN warns Lebanon facing food security crisis due to Iran war
Lebanon is facing a food security crisis as the Iran war disrupts supplies of goods inside the country, the United Nations World Food Programme says
“What we’re witnessing is not just a displacement crisis, it is rapidly becoming a food security crisis,” says World Food Programme country director Allison Oman, speaking via video link from Beirut.
She warns that food is becoming increasingly unaffordable due to rising prices and rising demand among displaced families.
Iranian medical official puts war toll at over 3,000
A top medical official in Iran has put the death toll in the war with Israel and the United States at over 3,000 people.
The state-run IRAN daily newspaper quotes Abbas Masjedi, head of the Legal Medicine Organization, as saying “more than 3,000 people were killed in enemy attacks.”
Masjedi does not elaborate on the breakdown in civilian versus military casualties.
Iran’s government has not provided any definitive death toll from the weekslong war.
Pakistan’s capital falls quiet as security is tightened ahead of US-Iran talks
Pakistan’s capital is unusually quiet as authorities lock down Islamabad ahead of high-stakes talks between the United States and Iran aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire after weeks of war.
Roads lie nearly empty, checkpoints have been set up at major arteries, and a two-day public holiday keeps residents indoors.
Behind the calm, diplomatic activity has intensified.
US Vice President JD Vance is set to leave for Pakistan later today, while the Wall Street Journal reports that the Iranian delegation has already arrived ahead of tomorrow’s talks.
Security is tightened, with additional troops and police deployed across Islamabad.
Pakistan said earlier today that it will issue visas on arrival for those traveling to Islamabad for the Iran-US talks, signaling the interest in the world’s media in the event.
Ukraine shot down Iranian drones in several Middle East states, Zelensky reveals
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that Ukrainian military experts downed Iranian drones in several Middle East countries.
Kyiv dispatched dozens of anti-drone personnel to at least four countries in the Middle East after US and Israeli strikes on Iran sparked a wave of retaliatory drone attacks.
“We demonstrated to some countries how to work with interceptors. Did we destroy them? Yes, we did. Did we do it in just one country? No, in several,” Zelensky tells journalists in comments released under embargo.
“This was not about a training mission or exercises, but about support in building a modern air defense system that can actually work. Yes, they were shooting down Shaheds,” he says, referring to the Iranian drones.
Zelensky had said earlier this week that the Ukrainian drone units would remain in the region even after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.
“In return for our support and expertise, we will receive various things. In some cases, it involves interceptors to protect our energy infrastructure; in others, there are financial arrangements,” he says, adding Ukraine could also receive oil supplies.
21-year-old Jerusalem man charged with gathering intelligence on behalf of Iran
A Jerusalem man has been charged with security offenses after he was arrested last month on suspicion of gathering intelligence for an Iranian agent.
The State Attorney’s Office says that it filed an indictment at the Jerusalem District Court this morning against 21-year-old Moshe Lachovitz, after he allegedly carried out tasks from his Iranian handler in exchange for pay.
The indictment alleges that Lachovitz reached out to the Iranian, who identified himself as “Michael,” while looking for employment.
He was asked to carry out various tasks such as documenting and photographing sites across the country, including in Jerusalem and Ra’anana, where former prime minister Naftali Bennett lives. He was paid thousands of dollars for his work, transferred to him in cryptocurrency, the State Attorney’s Office says.
The period in which Lachovitz was working for his Iranian handler included the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June 2025, the indictment says.
According to the indictment, Lachovitz did not immediately realise that “Michael” was an Iranian agent, but after discovering the truth, continued to work for him anyway.
Iranian delegation said to arrive in Islamabad ahead of negotiations with US
An Iranian delegation has arrived in Islamabad ahead of ceasefire negotiations with the US due to begin tomorrow, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf are leading the delegation, the report says.
Washington’s delegation will be led by Vice President JD Vance.
Fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon is IDF’s ‘primary combat zone,’ Zamir says
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon is the military’s “primary combat zone.”
“The IDF is in a state of war, we are not in a ceasefire. We continue to fight here in this sector, this is our primary combat zone,” he said during a visit to the outskirts of Bint Jbeil yesterday, where the IDF has been battling Hezbollah.
“In Iran, we are in a ceasefire, and we can return to fighting there at any moment, and in a very powerful way,” Zamir added, in a video released this morning by the army.
Health Ministry: 7,527 people admitted to hospital with war-related injuries since February 28
The Health Ministry says that since the beginning of the war with Iran on February 28, 7,527 people have been admitted to hospitals for war-related injuries.
Of them, 108 are currently hospitalized. Two are in critical condition, 13 are in serious condition, 27 are in moderate condition, and 66 are in good condition. The casualty figures include soldiers and civilians.
The ministry does not give a breakdown of the causes of injuries. Some were indirect, such as people injured while trying to reach shelters, rather than as a direct result of missile fire.
Zelensky urges oil sanctions to be reimposed on Russia following Iran ceasefire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he wants energy sanctions reinstated on Russia following a US-Iran ceasefire agreement that has opened the Strait of Hormuz waterway, vital to global energy supplies.
“Now a ceasefire is beginning in the Middle East and the Gulf. And I am waiting for sanctions on Russian oil to be fully reimposed, as they were before,” Zelensky says in comments released under embargo to journalists.
Hezbollah rocket hits home in Misgav Am, causing damage but no injuries
A Hezbollah rocket struck a home in the northern border community of Misgav Am this morning, local authorities say.
Damage was caused, but there are no reports of injuries.
הירי מלבנון נמשך: תיעוד פגיעה בבית ללא מיגון במשגב עם שבאצבע הגליל@rubih67 (צילום: דוברות משגב עם) pic.twitter.com/j6alcDKQ4I
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 10, 2026
Iranian reports: Former FM Kamal Kharazi dies of wounds sustained in April 1 strike
A former Iranian foreign minister, Kamal Kharazi, died yesterday from wounds suffered in US-Israel strikes on April 1, Iranian media reports.
Kharazi, 81, had been serving as the head of the Strategic Council for International Relations, which is part of the foreign ministry.
The veteran diplomat, “who was injured in a terrorist attack carried out by the American-Zionist enemy a few days ago, died a martyr tonight”, the Mehr and Isna agencies report on Telegram.
His wife was killed in the strike on their home in Tehran, media reported at the time.
Kharazi was Iran’s envoy at the United Nations in New York and then became foreign minister from 1997 to 2005, under reformist president Mohammad Khatami.
Man shot and killed in southern Bedouin town of Tel Sheva
A man in his 50s has been shot and killed in the Bedouin town of Tel Sheva, in southern Israel.
According to media reports, the man was brought to Soroka Medical Center in nearby Beersheba in serious condition, suffering from penetrating trauma, and was later pronounced dead.
Police have opened an investigation into the circumstances of his death, and reports say they believe that the incident is criminal in nature, indicating that they do not suspect any terror motive.
Reports around Tehran of air defense fire, explosions overnight
Multiple times overnight into this morning, people around Iran’s capital, Tehran, and other parts of the country say they heard what sounded like air defense fire and explosions.
However, Iran’s government does not acknowledge any attack during that period.
After past exchanges of fire with Israel, similar incidents occurred as troops remained on edge.
Pakistani defense minister deletes X post calling ‘cancerous’ Israel ‘a curse for humanity’
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has deleted a post on X in which he called Israel “a curse for humanity.”
The post published Thursday sparked outcry in Jerusalem, which said it called into question Pakistan’s ability to mediate between the US and Iran.
In the since deleted post, Asif wrote that as “peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated. I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews [sic] burn in hell.”
Kuwait accuses Iran and its proxies of attacking despite ceasefire; Saudi Arabia acknowledges pipeline struck
Kuwait accuses Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks targeting it on Thursday despite the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war as Saudi Arabia says recent attacks damaged a key pipeline in the kingdom.
A statement from Kuwait’s foreign ministry, carried by the state-run KUNA news agency, puts new pressure on the ceasefire ahead of planned talks Saturday between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
Kuwait’s foreign ministry says the drone attacks “targeted some vital Kuwaiti facilities Thursday night.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s state-run Saudi Press Agency, quoting an anonymous official, acknowledges a recent attack in the war that damaged its crucial East-West pipeline. That pipeline carries oil out to the Red Sea and avoids the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran maintains a chokehold on despite the pause in the fighting.
Such an assault would mirror the continuing pressure campaign Tehran is waging on the US and its allies, particularly as it tries to force a a halt to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Following Kuwait’s announcement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a statement carried by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency denies launching attacks on Persian Gulf states on Thursday.
“If these reports published by the media are true, without a doubt it is the work of the Zionist enemy or America,” the IRGC says.
However, the IRGC also launched repeated attacks on civilian targets in the war and also could be using Shiite militias in Iraq to launch assaults, providing deniability for Iran ahead of the talks.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Drone sirens activated in communities near Lebanese border
Air raid sirens are activated in several northern communities due a suspected drone infiltration from Lebanon.
Trump slams Iran for ‘doing very poor job’ of allowing oil through Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump slams Iran for “doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz.”
“That is not the agreement we have!” he adds on his Truth Social platform.
No injuries reported after IDF downs Hezbollah missile fired at Ashdod, says sirens in Tel Aviv were due to falling debris
One missile fired by Hezbollah in Lebanon at the southern coastal city of Ashdod a short while ago was intercepted, according to the IDF.
There are no reports of injuries.
The Home Front Command for the first time issued an early warning for the missile attack, around two minutes before sirens sounded in the port city.
Sirens were also activated in Tel Aviv and surrounding towns in central Israel due to the interception of the missile and fear of falling fragments.
The missile fire marks one of the deepest attacks in Israel attempted by Hezbollah amid the current fighting.
https://x.com/kann_news/status/2042367366219129119
Hezbollah rocket fire triggers sirens in Tel Aviv area, southern port city of Ashdod
Sirens sound across central Israel and parts of the south amid a Hezbollah missile attack from Lebanon.
The alerts are activated in Tel Aviv and nearby towns, as well as in the southern coastal city of Ashdod.
A short while before the sirens sounded the Home Front Command issued an early warning in Ashdod.
Earlier, the military warned that Hezbollah may launch attacks beyond northern Israel.
IDF says it struck 10 Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon after they were used to attack Israel
The Israeli Air Force struck some 10 Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon that were used to fire at northern Israel in the past few hours, the military says.
The IDF says it continues to operate to locate and destroy additional launchers.
The military publishes footage showing one of the strikes.
בסגירות מעגל מהירות: צה"ל תקף כ-10 משגרים שירו לעבר צפון הארץ בשעות האחרונות
בסגירות מעגל מהירות, צה"ל תקף מהאוויר בשעות האחרונות כ-10 משגרים שירו לעבר צפון הארץ.
גם ברגעים אלו, צה"ל ממשיך לאתר ולהשמיד משגרים נוספים pic.twitter.com/UZYOlYBrzQ— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 9, 2026
Israel denounces truce mediator Pakistan after its defense minister calls Israel ‘curse for humanity, cancerous’
Israeli leaders denounce Pakistan, which is mediating the US-Iran ceasefire negotiations, after the nuclear-armed country’s defense minister called Israel “evil and a curse for humanity, “cancerous” and “to get rid of European jews.”
In a post on X, Khawaja Asif claimed that as “peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated.”
“I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews [sic] burn in hell,” he added.
Israel is evil and a curse for humanity, while peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated. I hope and pray people who created…
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) April 9, 2026
Responding to Asif, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says his “call for Israel’s annihilation is outrageous. This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemns Asif’s “these blatant antisemitic blood libels from a government claiming to ‘mediate peace,'” while echoing the Prime Minister’s Office in saying that “calling the Jewish state ‘cancerous’ is effectively calling for its annihilation.”
“Israel will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction,” says Sa’ar.