April 19: Iran’s president said to have told Pakistan the US is likely to ‘betray diplomacy’

Iran’s president said to have told Pakistan the US is likely to ‘betray diplomacy’

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, the head of the judiciary and Alireza Arafi, deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, attend the meeting of the interim leadership council of Iran in an unknown location, March 1, 2026. (Handout via IRIB/WANA)

The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency reports on comments made by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a phone conversation with Pakistan’s prime minister earlier today.

The report says Pezeshkian alleged bullying and unreasonable behavior by the United States during negotiations and the ceasefire.

Mizan also reports that Pezeshkian warned that the US’s actions and threatening rhetoric have led to increased suspicion among Iranian officials about the seriousness of the United States and the possibility that it will repeat previous patterns and “betray diplomacy.”

The report does not say whether Iran’s president commented on a potential second round of talks in Pakistan, or on Trump’s announcement that US forces had seized an Iranian-flagged ship.

French shipping company says one of its ships was targeted in Strait of Hormuz

French shipping company CMA CGM says that one of its vessels was the target of warning shots in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday.

US President Donald Trump said Iran had fired on French and British ships in the strait, with tensions high over the key waterway.

The International Maritime Organization confirmed that a French-flagged vessel was involved. The IMO, which regulates international shipping, said there have been 24 incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and across the Middle East since March 1.

The latest, on April 18, involved the CMA CGM Everglade, a container ship sailing under the French flag. The IMO said it was damaged north of Kumzar, Oman, though no pollution or injuries were reported.

Trump said today on his social media platform, Truth Social, that Iran had “fired bullets” in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that “many of them were aimed at a French ship and a freighter from the United Kingdom.”

Iran says it currently has ‘no plans’ to attend next round of talks with US: state media

Iranian state media reports that Tehran is not currently planning to take part in new talks with the United States, hours after US President Donald Trump said he was dispatching negotiators to Islamabad.

“There are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-US talks,” state broadcaster IRIB says, citing Iranian sources.

IDF says it killed Hezbollah operative who threatened troops in south Lebanon

The military says troops killed an armed Hezbollah operative who crossed the “forward defense line” in southern Lebanon earlier today.

Troops of the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade identified an “armed terrorist who violated the ceasefire understandings, crossed the forward defense line, and approached the troops in a manner that posed an immediate threat,” the military says.

The soldiers then “eliminated the terrorist and removed the threat,” the IDF adds.

Report: Settlers throw stones at Palestinian ambulance in West Bank

Israeli settlers hurled stones at a Palestinian ambulance traveling in the northern West Bank, the Palestinian Authority’s official Wafa news site says.

The rocks shattered the windshield of the ambulance, but the driver managed to maintain control of the vehicle and no one was injured.

HORRIFIC: Four Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian ambulance on the Ramallah–Nablus road in the West Bank, hurling rocks at it while it was transporting patients. pic.twitter.com/I3StbIHmUQ

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) April 19, 2026

Trump says US took control of Iranian cargo ship that tried to break blockade

US President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, April 18, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/ AP)

US President Donald Trump announces that the US has taken custody of an Iranian cargo ship that attempted to pass a blockade that Washington has been maintaining around Iranian ports.

“Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA — nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier — tried to get past our naval blockade, and it did not go well for them,” Trump claims in a Truth Social post.

“The US Navy guided missile destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman, and gave [it a] fair warning to stop,” Trump continues. “The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineer room. Right now, US Marines have custody of the vessel.”

“The TOUSKA is under US Treasury sanctions because of [its] prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!” the US president adds.

WATCH: Visiting Argentinian president joins singing at Independence Day rehearsal

Argentina's President Javier Milei sings on stage during a recorded rehearsal for the upcoming Israel Independence Day ceremony in Jerusalem, April 19, 2026. (AP/ Ohad Zwigenberg)

Visiting Argentinian President Javier Milei takes part in a rehearsal for Tuesday night’s Independence Day ceremony, and joins in vigorously singing the Spanish song “Libre” on stage.

Milei met today with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is slated to light a torch at the official ceremony this week, considered one of Israel’s highest honors.

הלהיב את הקהל: נשיא ארגנטינה הפתיע – והצטרף לשירה בחזרה לטקס המשואות @Nov_reuveny pic.twitter.com/FuaL3slZTT

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 19, 2026

British military says situation in Strait of Hormuz is ‘critical’

The British military has declared the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf to be “critical,” its highest risk level.

The military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, UKMTO, cites “a high level of activity by naval forces in the region.”

It says there is a “risk of attack or miscalculation” in the waterway.

The Iranian navy reimposed tight restrictions on transit through the strait as the US military implements a blockade on Iranian ports and waters. The UKMTO also cited multiple attacks yesterday by Iranian forces on vessels passing through the strait.

Man shot and killed in Or Akiva, say first responders

Magen David Adom paramedics arrive at the scene of a deadly shooting in Or Akiva on April 19, 2026. (Magen David Adom)

A man has been shot and killed in Or Akiva tonight, first responders say.

The victim in his 40s was found unconscious and suffering from several bullet wounds by Magen David Adom paramedics.

They took him to the hospital in critical condition, but pronounced him dead while on the way.

Officers from the Hadera police station arrived at the crime scene and launched an investigation into the shooting. No suspects have yet been arrested.

Pakistani and Iranian leaders talk, don’t confirm or deny upcoming talks

Six hours have passed since US President Donald Trump said negotiators would head to Pakistan on Monday for more talks with Iran, but neither Iran nor host Pakistan have confirmed it.

Pakistan has kept up the diplomacy today, with its prime minister holding a 45-minute call with Iran’s president and Pakistan’s foreign minister speaking with his Iranian counterpart.

But while authorities have begun tightening security in Islamabad, the only player that has openly committed to another round of talks is the Trump administration.

Netanyahu, Milei launch ‘Isaac Accords’ to foster cooperation between Israel and Western Hemisphere

Argentinian President Javier Milei (left), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center) and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee at a ceremony in Jerusalem on April 19, 2026. (Kobi Gideon/ GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Argentinian President Javier Milei launch the “Isaac Accords” in Jerusalem, meant to create a framework for strengthening ties between Israel and countries in the Western Hemisphere.

The Milei initiative will bring together “the descendants of Isaac and nations of the Judeo-Christian tradition, in defense of freedom and democracy, and in the fight against terrorism, antisemitism, and drug trafficking,” according to a joint statement.

Members of the accord will coordinate against “Iran’s attempts to expand its terrorist networks and operational presence across the Western Hemisphere,” says the statement. “The initiative also seeks to foster coordination and alignment in international forums and to promote a framework to expand cooperation in innovation, technology, trade, and economic openness.”

The initiative is inspired by the 2020 Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab countries.

“I stand here alongside two of President Trump’s greatest allies,” says US Ambassador Mike Huckabee at the signing. “I know of no leaders he respects more or with whom he has a closer personal bond.”

Milei calls the launch “a historic moment for our nations.”

“It will not only strengthen the relationship between Argentina and Israel, united by shared values, but also represents a step toward a freer and more prosperous hemisphere,” he says.

Lawmakers spar over media bill as committee accused of bulldozing objections

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has gone to “war” against the “two flagship laws of the Israeli government, the Conscription Law and the Communications Law,” and has “decided to take the rule of law into her own hands,” Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi declares during a meeting of the Knesset Committee for Deliberating the Communications Bill.

The bill, which would dramatically overhaul Israel’s media landscape and is opposed by the attorney general’s office, aims to provide the government significant control over broadcast media, news sites, and other media, by establishing a new regulatory council, with a majority of members chosen by the communications minister, that would have an array of authorities over broadcast media, including the ability to issue hefty fines.

Addressing the committee, Adv. Mesada Mazlavi, a member of the committee’s professional team tasked with suggesting amendments to the legislation, argues that none of the changes proposed by the panel’s lawyers had been adopted, with the resultant draft failing to address a significant “fundamental core” issue.

Mazlavi argues that leaving the director general of the Communications Ministry in charge of the search committee that would choose members of the council “may harm the professional integrity of the [panel] and the ability to ensure its recommendations are free from foreign considerations.”

During this afternoon’s debate, opposition MKs accuse chair Likud MK Galit Distel-Atbaryan of “putting on a show for the cameras, to make it look like there were real discussions here” while retaining the original version of the law, to which Distel-Atbaryan replied that she would not allow a “filibuster” in her committee.

“The way you disrespected the committee’s legal counsel, I haven’t seen anything like it in the three years I’ve been here,” Yesh Atid MK Shelly Tal Meron tells Distel-Atbaryan, who counters that “there is no one sitting in this room who can claim they were not given the right to speak.”

IDF reviewing image of soldier destroying Jesus statue in Lebanon

The IDF says it is examining the authenticity of a photo circulating online that appears to show a soldier in Lebanon smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer.

“If this is indeed a real, recent picture, these actions do not align with the IDF’s values and the behavior expected of IDF soldiers,” IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani writes on X, adding that the incident will be “investigated thoroughly and in depth,” with further steps taken based on the findings.

Lebanon |

An Israeli soldier smashing the head of a Jesus Christ statue during operations in southern Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/Sj1m16tj9q

— Younis Tirawi | يونس (@ytirawi) April 19, 2026

Trump says he’s optimistic about a deal; Israeli official: If we put his Iran statements into ChatGPT, ‘it will implode’

US President Donald Trump seen following an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House, April 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

US President Donald Trump tells Channel 12 that he is optimistic about the chances for a deal with Iran.

“The concept of the deal is done. I think we have a very good chance to get it completed,” Trump tells the Israeli TV channel’s Barak Ravid.

However, according to the same report, Trump did not talk about an impending deal with Iran during a meeting with his top advisers yesterday, which could be an indication that the US is gearing up for a return to fighting. Ravid adds that Iran’s leadership seems suspicious that Trump’s upbeat talk of a deal could be intended to create cover for a surprise US attack on Iranian targets.

At the same time, an unamed US official tells the outlet that Trump is serious about reaching an agreement with Iran during talks this week in Pakistan.

Israel believes that Trump does want to reach a negotiated solution, Channel 12 further reports, and that if he does not reach one this week, the sides will extend the ceasefire to give space to reach an agreement.

A senior Israeli official admits that it is impossible to gain a full read on Trump’s intentions, saying, “If we put Trump’s statements into ChatGPT, it will implode.”

If talks do collapse, reports Channel 12, Israel has prepared a series of Iranian targets to hit. Though Trump threatened to strike Iranian infrastructure if a deal is not reached, Israel’s targets are not necessarily infrastructure sites.

Iranian media: There is ‘no clear prospect’ of successful talks with US

Iran has yet to decide whether it will take part in a new round of talks with the United States, local media reports, with the IRNA state news agency saying, “There is no clear prospect of fruitful negotiations.”

The Fars and Tasnim news agencies, quoting anonymous sources, say Tehran has yet to decide whether it will participate and that “the overall atmosphere cannot be assessed as very positive,” with Fars citing one source as saying the lifting of a US blockade on Iranian ports is a precondition for talks.

IRNA, meanwhile, points to Washington’s “maximalism and unreasonable and unrealistic demands, frequent changes of positions, constant contradictions, and the continuation of the so-called naval blockade,” adding that “in these circumstances, there is no clear prospect of fruitful negotiations.”

8 children ages 1-14 killed in mass shooting incident in Louisiana

Eight children were killed in a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, multiple news outlets report, citing local police.

The children killed in the incident ranged in age from 1 to 14, Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Christopher Bordelon tells NBC.

The individual believed to be the gunman hijacked a car after the shooting and died after police fired at the vehicle during a chase, Bordelon tells NBC.

Police did not share any information about this individual, but Bordelon tells NBC that some of the slain children “were his descendants.”

Prosecutors say they’ve been unable to get Yisrael Einhorn extradited to Israel in PMO corruption cases

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's former aide Yisrael Einhorn. (KAN screenshot).

The State Attorney’s Office tells the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court that it has not been able to have Yisrael Einhorn, a former adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, brought to Israel to stand trial on charges of witness intimidation.

It further states that it cannot conduct the trial against Einhorn’s fellow defendants in the case, Ofer Golan and Jonatan Urich, two other advisers to Netanyahu, without Einhorn himself, Hebrew media report.

Einhorn lives in Serbia and has refused to return to Israel for the purposes of the legal proceedings against him in the witness intimidation case, or to answer questions under caution relating to his alleged role in the Bild-leaked documents affair and the Qatargate affair. He is a suspect in both cases.

In light of the prosecution’s inability to have Einhorn extradited, Judge Dror Kleitman asked the State Attorney’s representatives to inform the court within two weeks if it wishes to proceed with the trial against Golan and Urich.

Einhorn, Golan, and Urich were indicted in February 2025, on charges of witness intimidation for having sent a car with a megaphone to the home of a key witness in Netanyahu’s criminal trial in 2019 in order to harass him.

In 2019, Netanyahu was under investigation for wrongdoing during the three years he served as communications minister, in addition to serving as prime minister. Shlomo Filber was appointed by Netanyahu to serve as the director general of the Communications Ministry, and went on to turn state’s witness against Netanyahu.

Prosecutors alleged, in the indictment against the three Netanyahu advisers, that they arranged for two people to drive a vehicle with a loudspeaker to Filber’s home in Petah Tikva and play recorded messages criticizing him for his testimony to the police against Netanyahu.

El Al to launch direct Tel Aviv-Argentina flights later this year

Illustrative: An El Al flight at Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv, February 25, 2026. (Yossi Aloni/ FLASH90)

El Al will begin direct flights to Argentina this year, its longest route to date, says Chairman Amikam Ben-Zvi.

The route is announced at a news conference by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting Argentine President Javier Milei, in which the countries signed bilateral cooperation agreements that included an aviation deal.

Milei says the flights should begin in December.

Mount Herzl ceremony opens Memorial Day events as flags placed on graves of fallen soldiers

IDF soldiers place Israeli flags on graves of soldiers during the flag laying ceremony in Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, on April 19, 2026, ahead of Memorial Day. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

A ceremony at Mount Herzl, Israel’s national military cemetery, marks the start of commemoration events ahead of Memorial Day, which begins tomorrow evening, the IDF says.

As part of an annual tradition, Israeli flags are placed on the graves of fallen soldiers and victims of terror, alongside flowers and memorial candles, in a practice observed for more than two decades.

The ceremony is attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen Eyal Zamir, Shin Bet chief David Zini, Mossad Director David Barnea and Israel Police chief Danny Levy, along with other security officials.

“Every flag placed on their graves is a sign of a nation’s love – a nation that longed for the safe return of its soldiers and has carried the pain of loss ever since they did not return,” Zamir says.

Bennett: Netanyahu failed to deliver decisive victory, ‘only more rounds of conflict’

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett attends a funeral at the military cemetery in Beit She'an on April 9, 2026. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett slams Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war, accusing his political opponent of failing to secure a victory against Israel’s enemies.

“Here on the northern border, I met with hundreds of residents, and the truth must be told, Hezbollah recovered before Kiryat Shmona did, and Hamas recovered before Nir Oz did. We needed a decisive victory, but the government did not deliver one, only more rounds of conflict,” Bennett says, following a tour of the region.

“With God’s help, we will soon fix this,” he pledges.

Waltz says US threat to bomb Iranian bridges, power plants is ‘perfectly acceptable’

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz speaks after the United Nations Security Council voted on a resolution calling for the unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz, during a UN Security Council meeting on Iran and the Middle East at UN headquarters in New York on April 7, 2026. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)

After US President Donald Trump renewed his threat to “knock out” every Iranian power plant and bridge, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz defends such a move as valid on the battleground.

Waltz says going ahead with such a threat “would be an escalatory ladder.”

Iran and its proxies “have a long history of actually deliberately hiding military infrastructure in hospitals, schools, neighborhoods and… and other civilian assets… They have no ground to stand on,” Waltz tells ABC’s “This Week.”

“It’s perfectly acceptable in the rules of land warfare,” Waltz adds, noting that Iran has used drones and missiles to strike hotels, resorts and homes across the Gulf.

“So this is just a ridiculous argument,” he says.

Fight against Iran is ‘not over yet,’ says Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) greets Argentinian President Javier Milei in Jerusalem, April 19, 2026. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

The US-Israeli effort against Iran is “not over yet,” says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an address alongside Argentinian President Javier Milei.

“Any moment could bring us new developments,” says Netanyahu. “Who knows what tomorrow or the day after tomorrow will bring.”

Netanyahu says the US and Israel “shall achieve our objectives and achieve more hope more light for the free peoples of the world.”

IDF probes soldier over ‘Time for violence’ patch on uniform

The IDF says it is reviewing the conduct of a soldier photographed in the West Bank wearing patches reading “Stop the hatred, it is time for violence,” and “Hamas hunters,” after the image circulated online.

In a statement, the military stresses that wearing non-military symbols on IDF uniforms is strictly prohibited, and says the patch “does not represent the IDF or its values.”

“The IDF operates in accordance with the law, condemns violence of any kind, and views with severity any use of symbols that undermine the army’s stately character,” it adds.

The incident comes amid growing scrutiny of soldiers wearing unauthorized patches bearing religious, messianic and political messages — particularly in the West Bank — where unprecedented settler violence has drawn allegations that some troops have failed to intervene or, in certain cases, even assisted in attacks.

"STOP THE HATRED, IT IS TIME FOR VIOLENCE" pic.twitter.com/GGoF2wLAxu

— מחוץ לעדר/ kivsa shchora (@masafering) April 17, 2026

Culture Minister Miki Zohar questioned by police in Histadrut corruption probe

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar attends a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, in Jerusalem, November 26, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar was summoned by police for interrogation today as part of a major corruption investigation into the Histadrut labor federation.

Police confirm that investigators in the Lahav 433 major crimes unit summoned “a sitting minister” for questioning in the probe. “He is currently giving his version,” police add.

Hebrew outlets report that the Likud minister was questioned about his ties to the main suspect in the affair, Ezra Gabay. The insurance agent is thought to have exploited his close connections to Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David and Likud party officials to fix jobs for associates in the organization.

Zohar confirms the summons in a social media post, saying he arrived this morning for questioning in order to “respond to all the questions and to refute all the claims that will arise.”

“My friendships with various people cannot turn me into a suspect. I have no doubt that the full answers I will provide will refute everything and clarify that I have no connection to this affair,” he writes on X.

US energy secretary says talks with Iranians over Strait of Hormuz are ‘going well’

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright listens as US President Donald Trump meets with Argentina's President Javier Milei in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, October 14, 2025. (AP/ Alex Brandon)

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the United States “is not too far away from a deal” with the Iranians.

“There are negotiations with the Iranians going on, despite what you hear in the chatter in public, I think those are actually going well,” Wright says on “Fox News Sunday.”

Wright says Trump is “a creative negotiator” who uses “pressure in different ways, uses uncertainty in different ways.”

“I think we’ll have a nice end of this conflict,” Wright predicts, adding that restarting shipping “will take time but probably not too much time” once the Strait of Hormuz is reopened — a key flashpoint in negotiations.

Netanyahu gives warm welcome to Argentina’s Milei in Jerusalem

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) greets Argentinian President Javier Milei in Jerusalem, April 19, 2026. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets Argentinian President Javier Milei in Jerusalem.

The two greet each other with a hug, then Netanyahu jokes about how similar “Javier” and the Hebrew word for friend — “chaver” — sound.

The pair both give a thumbs up for photographers ahead of their meeting, as Netanyahu tells his guest, “It warms my heart that you’re here.”

The two will announce the launch of the Isaac Accords to promote ties between Israel and Latin America after the meeting.

Milei is also slated to light a torch at the annual state Independence Day ceremony on Tuesday evening.

Despite Trump remarks, White House says Vance will go to Pakistan talks

US Vice President JD Vance (L) shaking hands with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during their meeting before US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, on April 11, 2026. (Pakistan's Prime Minister Office / AFP)

US Vice President JD Vance will lead the US delegation for talks with Iran in Pakistan, a White House official says, shortly after US President Donald Trump indicated Vance would not make the trip.

Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will attend the talks, a White House official tells AFP on condition of anonymity when asked about the makeup of the delegation after Trump’s comments.

Trump told ABC News earlier that Vance wouldn’t be going due to security concerns about the short-notice nature of the trip.

Zini said to instruct Shin Bet legal advisers not to oppose lie detector law

Shin Bet chief David Zini reportedly instructed the agency’s legal advisers not to oppose a Knesset bill that would mandate lie-detector tests every two years for the attorney general, the state attorney and other senior officials.

According to a report in Haaretz, legal advisers in the Shin Bet opposed the bill, in part because the Shin Bet would be responsible for conducting the tests.

But Zini reportedly ordered the advisers not to express this position during hearings in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.

The bill has yet to come to the Knesset plenum for its first reading, but was advanced by a ministerial committee in January.

Iran reportedly has not decided if it will send delegation to Pakistan talks

There is currently no decision by Iran to send a negotiating delegation to Pakistan “as long as there is a naval blockade,” Iran’s Tasnim news agency reports, citing its reporter.

British police investigating if Iranian proxies behind arson attacks on Jewish sites

A police forensic officer works inside a cordon set up near to Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, northwest London on April 19, 2026, the scene of an overnight arson attack. (JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

LONDON (AP) — British police say they are investigating whether a series of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London are the work of Iranian proxies.

The Metropolitan Police force says counterterror officers are probing the attacks on synagogues and other sites linked to the Jewish community, as well as an attack on a Persian-language media company.

No one has been injured in the blazes, the latest of which caused minor damage to a north London synagogue last night.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans says: “I’ve spoken previously about the Iranian regime’s use of criminal proxies, and we’re considering whether this tactic is being used here in London.”

Pakistani and Iranian top diplomats speak ahead of new round of talks

In this photo released by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, center right, and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, center left, are greeted by Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, right, and Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir, left, upon their arrival at Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, April 11, 2026. (Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar speaks by phone with his Iranian counterpart, ahead of a new round of negotiations between the United States and Iran.

The Pakistani foreign ministry says Dar discussed with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi “the need for continued dialogue and engagement as essential to resolving the current issues as soon as possible.”

According to the ministry, Iran’s president will speak by phone with Pakistan’s prime minister later today.

Smotrich reiterates call to establish settlements inside Gaza

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at an event in Sa-Nur in the West Bank on April 19, 2026. (Courtesy Bezalel Smotrich)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to occupy and settle the Gaza Strip, insisting that the end of the war in Gaza must be accompanied by territorial expansion.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the resettlement of the West Bank town of Sa-Nur, which was evacuated during the 2005 Disengagement from Gaza and the northern West Bank, Smotrich criticizes members of the opposition who have demanded that Israel’s military accomplishments be followed by political and diplomatic achievements, saying they are pushing for “surrender and defeat,” while he wants a conclusion which “establishes military achievements and expands the state’s borders as defensible borders.”

Sa-Nur was one of a number of settlements approved or retroactively legalized by the government in May 2025.

“Instead of handing over territory to the enemy,” Israel must “take territory from the enemy,” he says, arguing that unless Hamas complies with US President Donald Trump’s demand to disarm and demilitarize the the Palestinian enclave, Netanyahu should “order the IDF to immediately prepare for the full occupation of the Gaza Strip and the central camps, to establish Israeli control over the entire territory of the strip and to establish Israeli settlements there.”

“Without settlements, there will be no security,” Smotrich insists, adding that the war “must end with the expansion of the borders of the State of Israel.”

Smotrich has a history of publicly calling on Netanyahu to annex and settle territories in the West Bank and Gaza. Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any Israeli intention to establish settlements inside Gaza.

Israel’s Raz Hershko wins gold at the European Judo Championships

Israel's Raz Hershko celebrates her win against France's Lea Fontaine in the women's over 78 kg category gold medal bout at the Judo European Senior Championships 2026 in Tbilisi on April 19, 2026. (Giorgi ARJEVANIDZE / AFP)

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko wins a gold medal in the women’s over-78kg category on the last day of the European Judo Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Hershko beats France’s Lea Fontaine to clinch the gold, after earlier overcoming Croatia’s Helena Vukovic in the semifinal.

At the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Hershko won silver in her weight category after losing the final match to her Brazilian competitor.

Earlier in the European Judo Championships, Israeli Timna Nelson-Levy won a silver medal in the women’s under-57kg category, losing the final match to Georgia’s Eteri Liparteliani.

And Israel’s Izhak Ashpiz won bronze against Ukraine’s Dilshot Khalmatov in the men’s under-60kg category.

Trump says Vance not going to Pakistan for Iran talks due to security concerns

US Vice President JD Vance waves as he boards Air Force Two after attending talks on Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 12, 2026. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

US Vice President JD Vance will not lead the US delegation for new talks with Iran in Pakistan, US President Donald Trump tells ABC News, citing security concerns — despite top officials suggesting Vance would make the trip.

Earlier in the day, both the US envoy to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright had indicated that Vance would lead the round of negotiations in Islamabad.

“It’s only because of security,” Trump tells ABC News of the reason Vance is not making the trip. “JD’s great.”

IDF unveils map of forward defense line in southern Lebanon amid ceasefire

A map published by the IDF, showing its forward defense line in southern Lebanon, April 19, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF publishes a map outlining its new forward defense line in Lebanon, as its forces maintain a presence in the country’s south amid a fragile 10-day ceasefire.

The military says five IDF divisions, alongside naval forces, are operating south of the line to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and prevent threats to northern Israeli communities.

The map shows that the security zone crosses the Litani River, a key geographic marker long associated with efforts to push Hezbollah forces northward, and includes the historically strategic Beaufort Ridge.

Residents report settlers stole sheep from Palestinian herders in al-Mughayyir

Settler extremists steal dozens of sheep from Palestinian herders in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir in the central West Bank, residents of the village report.

According to Muhammad Abu Alia, one of the residents, the extremists came from the west, attacked one of his uncles this morning, beat him with clubs, and then made off with some 80 sheep back toward their outpost.

There are several illegal farming settlement outposts close to al-Mughayyir and it is not immediately clear which one the settlers came from.

Abu Alia says that some 80 sheep were stolen, although the official Palestinian news agency WAFA put the number at 150.

Police and IDF forces came to the site of the attack, but Abu Alia says they did not prevent the theft of the sheep, and that IDF forces fired tear gas at the villagers as the settlers were attacking.

An hour later, a second attempt was made by the settlers to steal more sheep from the center of al-Mughayyir. Abu Alia says that during the second incident, police and military vehicles were accompanied by two settlers who claimed that the sheep in the village belonged to them.

The second attempt to remove the sheep from al-Mughayyir was prevented by villagers who gathered to stop the extremists making off with more of their livestock, Abu Alia says.

Footage published by Palestinian media of sheep in the streets of al-Mughayyir is from this second incident, Abu Alia says, adding that the 80 sheep stolen in the first incident have not been recovered.

The IDF says in response to a query from The Times of Israel that “there was a gathering between Palestinians and settlers in the area. An IDF force was dispatched to disperse the gathering, and it was dispersed.” The IDF adds that it is not aware of any livestock theft during the incident.

Nurit Yohanan contributed to this report.

Katz vows to use ‘full force’ in Lebanon to counter any threat to troops

Troops operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued by the military on April 16, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Defense Minister Israel Katz says the IDF has been instructed to use “full force” in Lebanon — even during the ongoing ceasefire — should Israeli troops face any threat.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have instructed the IDF to act with full force, both on the ground and from the air, including during the ceasefire, in order to protect our soldiers in Lebanon from any threat,” Katz says at a event in the West Bank.

He says that the military has also been ordered “to remove the houses in the [frontline] villages near the border that served in every respect as Hezbollah terror outposts and threatened Israeli communities.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

France’s Macron to meet with Lebanon’s PM in Paris on Tuesday

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) greets Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam (C) next to King Philippe of Belgium (R) during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 20, 2026. (Ludovic Marin/AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron will meet on Tuesday with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Paris, the Elysee says, as a fragile 10-day truce holds between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The visit highlights Macron’s commitment to seeing “full and complete respect for the ceasefire in Lebanon” as well as France’s support for Lebanon’s “territorial integrity,” the president’s office says.

The announcement of the visit comes a day after France blamed Hezbollah for the death of a French peacekeeper in Lebanon.

Iran calls US naval blockade a ‘violation’ of ceasefire, ‘unlawful and criminal’

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei during the weekly press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the capital Tehran, on February 10, 2026. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iran’s foreign ministry says the US naval blockade on Iranian ports is a violation of the ceasefire as well as an “unlawful and criminal” act.

“The United States’ so-called ‘blockade’ of Iran’s ports or coastline is not only a violation of Pakistani-mediated ceasefire but also both unlawful and criminal,” says foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei in a post on X, just as US President Donald Trump also accused Iran of ceasefire violations by firing on ships.

“Moreover, by deliberately inflicting collective punishment on the Iranian population, it amounts to [a] war crime and crime against humanity,” Baghaei adds.

Spanish PM urges EU to end association agreement with Israel

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gestures as he speaks during a press conference in Beijing, China, April 14, 2026. (AP/Ng Han Guan)

Spain will ask the European Union to end its association agreement with Israel over alleged violations of international law, says Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

“On Tuesday, Spain’s government will present a proposal to the EU that the European Union break off its association agreement with Israel,” which has been in place since June 2000, Sanchez tells a political rally in Andalusia.

The Spanish PM, who has sharply ramped up his criticism of Israel over the past year, alleges that Israel “violates international law” and therefore “cannot be a partner of the European Union… it’s as simple as that.”

Kiryat Shmona residents protest Lebanon ceasefire outside US Embassy

Residents of Kiryat Shmona protest against the ceasefire with Hezbollah outside the United States embassy in Jerusalem, April 19, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

Hundreds of residents from the northern border city of Kiryat Shmona are protesting against the ceasefire signed with Lebanon on Thursday outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem and the United States Embassy.

“After two years of being evacuated with our children growing up in hotels and shelters, we will not lend a hand to an agreement that means abandoning the north and allowing Hezbollah to continue arming itself on our fence,” the city’s municipality says in a statement.

“President Trump, you wouldn’t let your kids live under threat. Why are you letting our children live like this?” Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avichai Stern asks during the demonstration.

Trump threatens to destroy every bridge, power plant in Iran if Tehran doesn’t take deal: ‘NO MORE MR. NICE GUY’; Iran’s Ghalibaf mocks Trump’s ‘foolish’ blockade

US President Donald Trump seen following an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House, April 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

After telling Fox News that talks with Iran will resume on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump says on Truth Social, “We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran.”

“NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” he writes.

He says that the bridges and plants will “come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years.”

“IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!” he concludes.

Trump’s comments come after one of Iran’s chief negotiators, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, termed Trump’s blockade of Iran’s ports “ignorant” and “foolish”, and said Tehran would not allow others to transit the Strait of Hormuz if its ships were blocked. He also said Iran’s forces were “fully prepared” for the US to resume hostilities at any moment.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday said Trump has no legitimacy for depriving Tehran of its ostensible nuclear rights. “Trump says Iran ⁠cannot make use of its nuclear ⁠rights, but doesn’t say ⁠for what crime. ⁠Who is he to deprive a nation ‌of its rights?” Pezeshkian said.

Court cancels Netanyahu’s testimony in his trial for this week

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the Tel Aviv District Court to testify in his criminal trial, January 27, 2025. (Yariv Katz/POOL)

The Jerusalem District Court accedes to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to cancel his testimony in his corruption trial this week.

Another witness will testify tomorrow instead of Netanyahu, and the hearing that had been scheduled for Tuesday is canceled.

Netanyahu’s lawyers said the prime minister was unable to testify this week for “security and diplomatic” reasons, although the State Attorney’s Office opposed the decision.

Health Ministry: All northern hospitals to resume aboveground operations amid ceasefire

Hospital staff move operations back to above-ground facilities at the Galilee Medical Center, April 19, 2026. (Galilee Medical Center/Eli Cohen)

The Health Ministry says that following Home Front Command’s instructions and the assessment of the situation, it has directed all hospitals in the north to resume aboveground operations.

The ministry states that northern hospitals remain ready to resume underground operations within a few hours if necessary.

Prof. Masad Barhoum, CEO of Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, tells hospital staff that after 50 days of operating in protected underground areas, “your preparedness, resilience, and performance under relentless fire and fear along the front line are exemplary.”

He says the hospital remains vigilant, “as our preparedness may be tested again.”

Trump says US-Iran talks to take place Tuesday, Witkoff and Kushner heading to Pakistan

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight aboard Air Force One, April 17, 2026, while in route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

US-Iran talks will resume in Pakistan on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump tells Fox News.

White House envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are heading to Islamabad for the negotiations, says the US president.

If Tehran does not agree to a deal, Trump says, the whole of Iran will be “blown up.”

He tells the outlet that bridges and power plants in Iran will be targeted.

Trump says he is demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz and give up its highly enriched uranium.

The ceasefire is set to expire on Wednesday.

UK’s Starmer ‘appalled’ by antisemitic arson attacks, vows perpetrators will face justice

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves after the multinational virtual summit and press conference at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, April 17, 2026 (Tom Nicholson/Pool Photo via AP)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he is “appalled” by a recent string of arson attacks targeting the Jewish community, and vows that the perpetrators will face justice.

“I am appalled by recent attempted antisemitic arson attacks in North London,” writes Starmer on X. “This is abhorrent and it will not be tolerated. Attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain.”

“We are increasing visible policing and those responsible will be found and brought to justice. We will not rest in the pursuit of perpetrators,” says the UK premier.

Netanyahu requests cancellation of his testimony in corruption trial for second week

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the courtroom at the District Court in Tel Aviv, before the start of his testimony in the trial against him, October 28, 2025. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requests that his testimony in hearings in his corruption trial this week be canceled for the second week running due to “security and diplomacy” reasons.

Netanyahu’s lawyers requested at the beginning of last week that the Jerusalem District Court cancel the prime minister’s testimony for two weeks in the wake of the war with Iran and the demands on his time, but the court canceled only last week’s hearings and told the premier’s lawyers to refile a cancellation request this week if it was still necessary.

The specific reasoning for today’s request was explained to the judges in a confidential letter.

The State Attorney’s Office has opposed the cancellation request, asserting that there is nothing so pressing on Netanyahu’s schedule that cannot be accommodated within the timetable for his court hearings.

Iran says it’s replenishing missile, drone launchers at faster rate than before the war

Boys stand on a launcher of an Iranian domestically built missile during an annual rally marking the 1979 Islamic Revolution at the Azadi (Freedom) Square in Tehran, Iran, on February 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran is now updating and replenishing its missile and drone launchers at a higher speed than it did prior to the war with the US and Israel, the Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force commander says, according to Nournews.

Israel and the US launched attacks on Iran on February 28, with one of their aims being the neutralization of Iran’s missile strike force.

Majid Mousavi’s statement is shared alongside an edited video of him inspecting an unspecified underground missile facility. The video also includes footage of drones, missiles and launchers inside underground facilities as well as ground missile launches.

Reuters is unable to verify the footage.

US intelligence assessments have suggested that Iran likely still has access to around 60 percent of its missile launchers, The New York Times reported yesterday.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that the US-Israel bombing campaign had “functionally destroyed” Iran’s missile program and rendered its military “combat ineffective for years to come.”

However, US officials cited by the Wall Street Journal said Iran could dig out or fix many of the launchers that were damaged or buried underground in the US-Israeli bombing campaign.

Iran’s armed forces said to prevent two tankers from transiting Strait of Hormuz

The sun rises behind tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Asghar Besharati)

Iran’s armed forces turned back two tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz after issuing warnings, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reports, saying it came as a result of the continuing US maritime blockade on Iran.

The vessels, sailing under the flags of Botswana and Angola, were forced to change course after what the report described as “unauthorized transit” through the strategic waterway.

Turkish FM ‘optimistic’ that US-Iran ceasefire will be extended to allow talks

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during the open ceremony at Antalya Diplomacy Forum, in Antalya, southern Turkey, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Riza Ozel)

Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says that US-Iran talks are nearly complete, but that a few disagreements remain.

He says that he is “optimistic” that both sides will extend the ceasefire to keep talks alive.

The 14-day ceasefire will end Wednesday if there is no extension.

Fidan also says that Israel is run by a “fundamentalist government. They are a problem for the whole world. This is not just a problem for Turkey.”

IDF confirms Hezbollah behind deadly attack on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon

A French contingent of UNIFIL peacekeepers patrols the area as displaced residents waving Hezbollah flags make their way back to their homes on a makeshift road, built at the site where the Qasmieh bridge was destroyed in Israeli strikes, in the southern Lebanese area of al-Qasmiyeh on April 18, 2026. (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)

IDF intelligence confirms that Hezbollah operatives opened fire on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon yesterday during the ongoing ceasefire, killing one and wounding three others, two of them seriously, the military says.

According to the IDF, which conducted an operational and intelligence investigation, the incident occurred as a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) team was operating in the Ghandouriyeh area to clear unexploded ordnance, when a Hezbollah cell shot at the force.

The statement appears to bolster claims by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said Hezbollah was responsible for the death of a French soldier in what France described as an “ambush.”

The slain peacekeeper was identified as Staff Sergeant Florian Montorio, who was killed by a direct gunshot, according to France’s armed forces minister.

UNIFIL condemned the attack, attributing it to “non-state actors,” code for the Iran-backed terror group, and said it had also launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

Hezbollah denied involvement, urging “caution in issuing judgments” and expressing surprise at what it called rushed accusations.

The IDF accuses Hezbollah of exploiting the ceasefire to carry out “terrorist activity,” adding that the group is “endangering and harming civilians and international organizations in Lebanon.”

Aujourd'hui, le sergent-chef Florian Montorio est mort pour la France dans le cadre de l'opération DAMAN, engagement français au sein de la Force intérimaire des Nations-Unies au Liban.

Pris à partie par des tirs, avec sa patrouille au cours d'une mission d'ouverture… https://t.co/7iSCyDAVfo pic.twitter.com/D2NFSRVjgB

— Chef d'état-major des armées (@CEMA_FR) April 18, 2026

Ahead of its 78th Independence Day, Israel’s population rises 1.4% to 10.244 million

Medical staff pose for photos with babies born during the recent war, at the Nahariya Medical Center, April 13, 2026 (Yossi Aloni/FLASH90)

Ahead of its 78th Independence Day, which begins on Tuesday night, Israel’s population — including foreign residents — stands at 10.244 million people, some 146,000 (1.4 percent) more than last year, according to a report by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

The report says 7.790 million, or 76% of the population, are Jews plus those categorized as “other,” while 2.157 million (21.1%) are Arabs and 296,000 (2.9%) are foreign nationals living in the country.

Four out of five citizens are Israeli-born (“sabras”).

Over the past year, about 177,000 babies have been born in the country.

Some 21,000 people immigrated to Israel in the past year.

The CBS says the population of Israel is more than 12.5 times the population at the time of the state’s establishment in 1948.

Netanyahu, Milei to present Isaac Accords initiative in Latin America after signing bilateral agreements

Argentinian President Javier Milei (L) signs the guestbook at the Western Wall, alongside his ambassador Rabbi Shimon Axel Wahnish (C) and Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, April 19, 2026 (Courtesy)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Argentinian President Javier Milei at his office in Jerusalem at 5:30 p.m., his office says.

The two will give statements at 6 p.m., then will sign bilateral agreements on air travel, security, and AI, says the PMO.

Afterward, the leaders will declare the opening of the Isaac Accords, Milei’s initiative to strengthen Israel’s ties with Latin America. The name is a reference to the 2020 Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab countries.

UK chief rabbi after latest arson attack: Society must understand ‘how dangerous this moment is’

UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis (C) tours the area in the Golders Green neighborhood of north London on March 23, 2026, after volunteer ambulances run by a Jewish organization were set on fire overnight. (Henry Nicholls / AFP)

Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis slams the “cowardly” arson attack on a London synagogue, saying that society must understand “how dangerous this moment is.”

Kenton United Synagogue was lightly damaged in the overnight attack, the third Jewish site targeted in a number of days in the British capital.

“Last night yet another synagogue, this time in Kenton, was targeted in a cowardly arson attack. It follows the attack in Finchley on Wednesday and the attempted attack on what was the Jewish Futures building in Hendon on Friday night, making three Jewish sites attacked in London in less than a week,” he says.

“A sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the UK is gathering momentum. This sustained attack on our community’s ability to worship and live in safety is an attack on the values that bind us all together,” he writes on X. “Thank God, no lives have been lost, but we cannot, and must not, wait for that to change before we understand just how dangerous this moment is for all of our society.”

Argentina’s Milei lands in Israel, heads to Western Wall to meet Netanyahu

Argentinian President Javier Milei lands at Ben Gurion Airport for a three-day visit to Israel, during which he is not expected to make any dramatic announcement about moving his country’s embassy to Jerusalem.

Milei, one of Israel’s most ardent supporters on the international stage, will head directly to the Western Wall to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and will also meet President Isaac Herzog during his visit.

Tomorrow, Milei will receive an honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan University.

This will be the third visit to Israel as leader by the libertarian Milei, an ardent defender of the policies of both Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.

Milei, who was raised in a Catholic family but studied Jewish scripture, has cheered the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Last month, he called Israel a “strategic ally” of Argentina with “shared values.”

Milei’s government recently expelled Tehran’s diplomatic envoy after Iran objected to Argentina calling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization.

El Presidente Javier Milei ya está en Israel pic.twitter.com/Cx0QJLFoYM

— SheIby (@TommyShelby_30) April 19, 2026

WSJ: Trump’s Iran war decisions, social media posts are improvised, he screamed at aides ‘for hours’ when jet was shot down

People walk next to a large banner depicting US President Donald Trump with the slogan 'The Deliverer' in Jerusalem, April 19, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

US President Donald Trump has been making key decisions about the war in Iran in a slapdash manner without input from his advisers, and was eager for a ceasefire to address rising fuel prices, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

Throughout the war, Trump was focused on tactical metrics like how many Iranian targets were destroyed, and enjoyed seeing footage of spectacular explosions in Iran, US officials say.

When he learned that two US pilots were shot down over Iran, Trump screamed at aides “for hours,” according to the report.

His team kept him away from the situation room, because “they believed his impatience wouldn’t be helpful,” according to a senior administration official.

After the second airman was rescued in a dramatic US operation, Trump unleashed a series of threats on Truth Social. On the morning of Easter Sunday, Trump wrote, “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell,” and signed off with “Praise be to Allah.”

Republican senators and Christian leaders called the White House that day, concerned about the president using vulgar language and a Muslim saying on Easter, according to the report.

Trump told an adviser that he came up with the Allah line himself in order to scare the Iranians to the negotiating table by seeming unstable.

His threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight” days later was also done off-the-cuff without coordination with advisers, according to administration officials, and was another Trump move to try to spook the Iranians and get them to agree to a deal.

A major reason for Trump’s eagerness to reach a deal with the Iranians is the economic pressure created by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the report says, with some White House officials surprised at how quickly and easily the Iranians were able to shut down the waterway.

According to WSJ, Trump has also marveled at how easily “a guy with a drone” can close Hormuz.

CEOs of energy companies expressed their concerns to Trump’s Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about closure’s impact on the energy market, which at times seemed to weigh heavily on Trump’s considerations — while at other times the US president showed that he was willing to keep fighting.

Trump’s frequent phone interviews with the press were also not coordinated with his press team, who have told him that he should curtail his media appearances because of the contradictory messages that he was putting out. He listened to them for a short time, then went back to speaking with multiple media outlets every day.

His senior advisers pushed him to give an address, but Trump was skeptical, the report says. “What would he say? He couldn’t declare victory. He didn’t know where it was going,” reports the Journal. In the end he gave the talk on April 1, but didn’t clarify how the war would end or do much to increase support.

As Trump’s deadline approached for Iran to agree to talks or else face the destruction of its civilization, Trump was focused on other topics, aides tell the outlet, including an Indiana state election race, the US midterms, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrency. On Iran, he told top aides, including envoy Steve Witkoff, to simply push Iran to make a deal.

Trump has tried to shift attention to pet projects, including the renovation of the White House ballroom and the 250th anniversary of American independence, aides say.

Supreme Court justices accuse Levin of abusing his power to block judicial appointments

Justice Minister Yariv Levin at the annual Jerusalem Conference of the 'Besheva' group in Jerusalem, February 16, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg and Justice Daphne Barak-Erez send a letter to Justice Minister Yariv Levin accusing him of abusing his power as chairman of the Judicial Selection Committee to veto judicial candidates he does not approve of, and block votes on their appointment.

The three justices, all members of the Judicial Selection Committee, point out that there is a severe shortage of judges on numerous magistrate’s and district courts around the country due to Levin’s ongoing refusal to convene the committee, and call on him to schedule five committee hearings and votes within 45 days to fill the empty positions.

Levin sent a letter on Friday to committee members stating that he intends to convene the committee in order to appoint judges to traffic, family, and youth courts which he said were heavily understaffed.

The Supreme Court justices insist that the lack of judges in the magistrate’s and district courts is more pressing, accuse him of “crassly ignoring” the need to appoint fully 13 judges to the Haifa and Beersheba District Courts, and further assert that Levin’s claims regarding the needs of the traffic, family and youth courts are not backed up by professional assessments from the Israel Courts Administration.

“Your numbers appear to be totally arbitrary,” Amit, Sohlberg and Barak-Erez tell Levin.

“The delay in appointing judges to all courts — not just those you chose to mention in your letter — harms service to the citizen, and there is no reasonable explanation for your refusal to appoint judges to all courts,” they add.

“It goes without saying that to this day, even though the law does not grant you more than one vote on the committee, and even though, according to… the law, voting on the appointment of a judge to the courts is done by a simple majority, you have abused your authority as the person in charge of convening the committee and under the cover of [demanding] ‘broad consensus,’ imposed a veto in practice that is not within your authority over various candidates and on the votes on the committee,” the three justices conclude.

There are 67 open judicial positions across all magistrate’s and district courts around the country, as well as four open spots on the Supreme Court, which Levin also refuses to fill since he does not have the votes to elect two of his favored candidates for those positions.

Levin last convened the Judicial Selection Committee in January last year. The coalition passed highly contentious and far-reaching legislation last year giving politicians greater control of the Judicial Selection Committee, and Levin has vowed not to fill key positions in the courts until that law takes effect after the next election.

Police: Haifa man kidnapped, held for ransom in Negev over weekend due to debts; 11 arrested

A man from Haifa was kidnapped and held for ransom in a Negev apartment building over the weekend due to his unpaid debts, police say.

Police say the man was released overnight and that his captors had threatened to kill him if they didn’t receive ransom money, adding that he was abducted due to a “dispute over financial debts that arose between the two parties.”

It is unclear if the man was injured.

Officers arrested 11 individuals, including four minors, suspected of guarding the kidnapped man in the southern apartment.

The minors were released this morning subject to restrictions, while the seven other suspects are to remain in custody until Thursday.

NW London synagogue targeted in arson attack, the 3rd Jewish site hit in less than a week

A police forensic officer works inside a cordon set up near to Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, northwest London on April 19, 2026, the scene of an overnight arson attack. (JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

A synagogue in northwest London was targeted in an arson attack overnight, the latest in a string of assaults on Britain’s Jewish community in recent weeks, a community security organization says.

There was minor smoke damage to a room inside Kenton United Synagogue, the Community Security Trust (CST) says, after police and fire teams were called overnight to the Jewish house of worship.

It is the third attack on a Jewish site in the UK capital in recent days.

On Friday night there was an arson attack on a London building that was formerly used by a Jewish organization. The building in the Hendon neighborhood still displayed the sign for Jewish Futures, an educational organization.

On Wednesday, an arson attack was carried out on a synagogue in nearby Finchley.

Additionally, on Wednesday evening, a burning object was thrown toward the offices of Persian media outlet Iran International, which is heavily critical of Iran’s clerical leadership.

On Friday, British police said they were investigating a security incident near the Israeli Embassy after a group posted online that it had targeted the premises with drones carrying “dangerous substances.”

In late March, four Jewish community ambulances were torched in Golders Green, also in north London.

All of the attacks prior to the Kenton incident were claimed by an Iran-tied group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyyah.

These attacks have usually involved arson or small improvised explosive devices, attacks conducted at night, and the rapid release online of propaganda videos.

Jewish premises targeted in other countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands, have included synagogues, restaurants, and a Jewish school.

Given this heightened risk, all Jewish institutions must strictly adhere to existing security protocols, CST says.

IDF: Over 150 Hezbollah operatives, including Bint Jbeil commander, killed on day before ceasefire

Smoke rises from the site of a series of Israeli strikes that targeted the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh on April 16, 2026. (Abbas FAKIH / AFP)

More than 150 Hezbollah operatives, including several commanders, were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the day before the ceasefire in Lebanon took effect, the military says.

The IDF says that on Thursday, it struck some 300 Hezbollah sites, including rocket launchers, command centers, and weapon depots across Lebanon.

The strikes killed over 150 Hezbollah operatives, including the commander of the Bint Jbeil area, Ali Reda Abbas, and other commanders, according to the military.

The IDF says Abbas is the fourth commander of the Bint Jbeil sector who has been killed by Israel amid the multifront war in recent years.

The military adds that since hostilities with Lebanon escalated amid the Iran war, when the terror group resumed rocket and drone attacks on Israel, over 1,800 of the terror group’s operatives have been killed in Lebanon.

As ceasefire deadline looms, Pezeshkian says Trump cannot deprive Iran of its nuclear ‘rights’

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian takes questions from the media at a press briefing in New York, September 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

US President Donald Trump has no justification to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights, the Iranian Student News Agency quotes Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as saying, as Washington and Tehran continue to face disagreements.

“Trump says Iran cannot make use of its nuclear rights but doesn’t say for what crime. Who is he to deprive a nation of its rights?” Pezeshkian is quoted as saying.

The comments come amid the looming expiration of a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday, and the persistence of powder-keg tensions between the US and Iran on key issues that have fueled the conflict.

According to reports, the main areas of dispute remain the matter of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the Strait of Hormuz.

Report: Hamas, Fatah held series of rare meetings in Gaza to reach understandings on key issues

Representatives of Hamas and Fatah recently held a series of unusual meetings in the Gaza Strip aimed at reaching understandings on a number of Palestinian issues, Egyptian newspaper Al-Shorouk reports.

According to the report, the two Palestinian groups discussed formulating a vision regarding Hamas’s weapons, as well as a central and active role for the Palestinian Authority in governing the Strip.

A senior Hamas official apparently tells the paper that the terror group expressed willingness to cooperate with the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority and transfer to it all governing powers in Gaza.

A Fatah official adds that the atmosphere in the discussions in Gaza were markedly more positive on this occasion, and notes that this was the first round of negotiations held between field-level representatives inside the Strip itself.

Hamas ousted Fatah, which controls the PA, from Gaza in a violent coup in 2007.

Lebanese army says it has reopened road and bridge damaged by Israeli strikes

Lebanon’s military says it has reopened a road and bridge damaged by Israeli strikes in the country’s south.

In a statement, the military says it “fully reopened” a road linking the city of Nabatieh with the Khardali area, and has “partially reopened the Burj Rahal-Tyre bridge.”

“Work is also underway to rehabilitate the Tayr Falsay-Tyre bridge… following damage caused by the Israeli aggression,” the army adds.

Israeli strikes on bridges that cross Lebanon’s Litani river, which flows around 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Israel, have largely cut off the area south of the waterway from the rest of Lebanon, according to the army.

Israel says it has targeted bridges and roads used by Hezbollah to move operatives and weapons into the country’s south, as it works to end the terror group’s missile fire.

Kiryat Shmona municipality holds strike to protest Lebanon ceasefire

Smoke rises from the northern city of Kiryat Shmona after a rocket fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon struck the city, April 16, 2026. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)

The Kiryat Shmona municipality holds a strike to protest the ceasefire with Lebanon, with the education system in the northern border town shut down.

A convoy of vehicles has left the border town and is en route to protest in Jerusalem.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch comes out against the action, saying that schools should not be involved.

“I am not making any claims about the mayor’s political protest. It is a big mistake to involve the education system in any strike. Harming children and taking the education system hostage for any purpose is a big mistake,” he tells Army Radio.

The Democrats chair Yair Golan says that he understands why the residents of the city are angry.

“They are absolutely right, what is happening is simply a disgrace. This city is empty, 40 percent of its residents have left and will probably not return. This city is not receiving the proper government support to recover,” he says.

The municipality has said that special education and emergency services will be in operation today.

Signs of increased security in Islamabad ahead of expected US-Iran talks in coming days

There are signs that security is being ramped up in the Pakistani capital, though preparations are not at last weekend’s levels.

More police officers were deployed and checkpoints installed around the Serena hotel in Islamabad, the location of the highest-level US-Iran negotiations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ended without agreement.

Pakistan is expected to host the second round of talks between Iran and the US in the coming days.

Iran-linked group says it carried out arson attack on London building tied to Jewish organization

Forensic police officers outside an office formerly used by the Jewish Futures organization in Hendon, northwest London, April 18, 2026. (Justin Tallis / AFP)

An Iranian-tied group has claimed responsibility for an arson attack on a London building that was formerly used by a Jewish organization.

The building in the Hendon neighborhood still displayed the sign for Jewish Futures, an educational organization, when it was attacked yesterday. There were no injuries.

According to The Times, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), with links to Iran, claims responsibility for the attack.

The newspaper says that British police are examining whether HAYI is a front for Iran’s security forces.

A British security source tells the outlet that a string of recent attacks in London by the group amount to “psychological warfare” against Jews.

On Friday, British police said they were investigating a security incident near the Israeli Embassy after Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya posted online that it had targeted the premises with drones carrying “dangerous substances.”

The group also claimed responsibility for an arson attack was carried out on a synagogue in nearby Finchley on Wednesday.

On Wednesday evening, a burning object was thrown toward the offices of Persian media outlet Iran International, which is heavily critical of Iran’s clerical leadership. The group also said it was behind that attack.

In late March, four Jewish community ambulances were torched in Golders Green, also in north London.

The group previously claimed similar attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Female soldiers told to run in long pants for sweltering Jerusalem race, male soldiers wore shorts

Thousands of runners take part in the annual Jerusalem marathon on April 17, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Female soldiers who participated in the Jerusalem five-kilometer run were told they needed to wear long pants, while the male soldiers were not given such an order, Channel 12 reports.

The run was held under the umbrella of the Jerusalem Marathon — organizers decided that due to a forecast of a heatwave and high air pollution, the day’s events would not include a full marathon.

“They didn’t even think to be indignant and complain about being required to run in long clothes,” the mother of one of the female soldiers tells Channel 12.

“Unfortunately, in the current reality, it is taken for granted that their rights are different from those of the male soldiers – ostensibly for reasons of modesty,” she says.

According to Haaretz, the Israel Defense Forces claimed that “there is no difference between male and female soldiers in the required dress code,” and that if “any discrimination was committed in enforcing the procedures, the matter will be investigated.”

The incident came amid renewed criticism of religious coercion in the armed forces.

Last week the IDF court-martialed female soldiers and docked a third of their salaries for wearing purportedly revealing clothes to base when they arrived to be discharged.

Also last week, four Border Police combat medics were jailed after they were accused of “harming religion and Judaism” by barbecuing in a non-populated part of a base during the Jewish Sabbath.

Iran’s IRGC navy extends full closure of Strait of Hormuz, state media reports

The sun rises behind tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Asghar Besharati)

The navy of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps says it extended the closure to the corridor it had earlier designated for the safe passage of vessels through the strategic waterway and declares the strait fully closed until the US blockade on Iranian ports and ships is lifted.

On Friday, Iran said vessels could move through the strait in coordination with it and against the payment of a toll.

But in a statement carried by Iran’s state media, the navy warns that any violating vessel will be targeted.

Iran considers the US blockade a violation of the ceasefire between the two countries.

Ahead of Memorial Day, bereaved families hold small protests outside homes of PM, ministers

Bereaved families and members of the October Council protest near the home of Education Minister Yoav Kisch in Hod Hasharon on April 19, 2026 (Ilan Faigenbaum/pro-democracy protest groups)

Bereaved relatives hold small protests outside the homes of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a number of other ministers, calling for a state commission of inquiry into the failures leading to the October 7, 2023, attack.

The protest was organized by the October Council, a group of relatives of victims of October 7. It took place ahead of Israel’s official Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism, which will begin Monday night.

“This week an entire country stops and remembers the fallen and the victims and stands in support of the families who lost their dearest. We will not forget and not forgive those who were responsible for the greatest massacre and disaster since the founding of Israel, but who are attempting to evade their responsibility and hide the truth,” organizers say in a statement.

“When we are all called upon to remember, they do their best to make us forget. The only way to truly heal the wounds and rise again as a people is to establish a state commission of inquiry that would make sure the disaster will not be repeated and that those responsible will go home,” they say.

IDF reservist killed, nine wounded by explosive in southern Lebanon

Sgt. First Class (res.) Lidor Porat. (Israel Defense Forces)

An IDF reservist was killed and nine soldiers were wounded, including one seriously, after being hit by an explosive device in southern Lebanon yesterday, the military announces.

The slain soldier is named as Sgt. First Class (res.) Lidor Porat, 31, of the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade’s 7106th Battalion, from Ashdod.

The incident took place amid the ongoing ceasefire in Lebanon.

During operations of the battalion in IDF-controlled territory in southern Lebanon, an engineering vehicle drove over a bomb that had been planted by Hezbollah, according to an initial military probe.

Soldiers stationed in the area to secure the heavy machinery were hit by the blast, leading to Porat’s death and the injury of nine others, including one seriously, four moderately, and four lightly.

Immediately after the blast, the IDF struck several targets in the area.

The wounded soldiers were airlifted to a hospital and their families were notified, the army adds.

Further details surrounding the incident are under investigation by the military.

Trump: Israel is a ‘great ally’ of the US, it ‘fights hard and knows how to win’

Israel has proven itself to be a “GREAT ally” of the United States, US President Donald Trump declares in a post on his Truth Social platform, showering the Jewish State with praise.

“Whether people like Israel or not, they have proven to be a GREAT Ally of the United States of America,” he declares.

“They are Courageous, Bold, Loyal, and Smart and, unlike others that have shown their true colors in a moment of conflict and stress, Israel fights hard, and knows how to WIN!” he declares.

It is unclear what prompted the statement, although it comes not long after former US vice president Kamala Harris accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging the US into an unwanted war with Iran.

Former VP Harris accuses Netanyahu of dragging Trump into Iran war

US President Donald Trump was “pulled into” the war with Iran by Israel against the will of the American people, former vice president Kamala Harris claims.

Trump “entered a war, got pulled into it by Bibi Netanyahu, let’s be clear about that,” says Harris, referring to Israel’s prime minister by a common moniker.

“He entered a war that the American people do not want, putting at risk American service members,” she tells a Democratic Party fundraiser in Detroit.

Netanyahu has repeatedly derided the idea that he dragged the US into war with Iran, calling it “fake news,” and insisting that Trump only bases his decision on “what he thinks is good for America.”

Former VP Kamala Harris on the war with Iran:

"He entered a war, got pulled into it by Bibi Netanyahu, let us be clear about that, entered a war that the American people do not want, putting at risk American service members." pic.twitter.com/Sqn5rghQuD

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) April 18, 2026

Iranian parliament speaker touts ‘progress’ in talks with US but says ‘big distance’ still remains

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf tells state television that there has been “progress” in negotiations with the United States for a permanent end to the US-Israeli war with Iran.

He cautions, however, that there is still a “big distance” between the two sides regarding the proposed details of any agreement to end the fighting.

According to reports, the main areas of dispute remain the matter of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the Strait of Hormuz.

Still, Ghalibaf says “the American and Iranian negotiating teams now have a more realistic understanding of each other,” according to an English translation of his remarks carried by Turkish outlet TRT World.

His comments come after US President Donald Trump told reporters that dialogue with Iran, mediated by Pakistan, was “working out really well.”

Pakistan is expected to host the second round of talks between Iran and the United States in the coming days.

Shin Bet chief Zini said to have changed background on all agency PCs to Temple Mount photo on first day at the job

Shin Bet chief David Zini attends the state memorial ceremony marking 30 years since the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, November 3, 2025. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

Days after David Zini entered his post as head of the Shin Bet, the backgrounds on all computers at the agency were changed from logo of the internal security service to a photo of the Temple Mount, Channel 12 reveals.

Sources who disclosed the development to the network say it was an indicator of Zini’s plans to take the agency in a more religious messianic direction — one in line with his own religious background, as a student at the ultra-conservative Har Hamor yeshiva in Jerusalem.

Zini’s views were seen as so extremist in the past that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly refrained from appointing him as his military secretary because he was “too messianic.”

After enough Shin Bet agents pushed back on the change to the computer backgrounds, they were changed back to the agency’s logo, Channel 12 says.

Shin Bet employees were told that Zini had asked to change his own screen background to an image of the Temple Mount, and a technician accidentally changed the backgrounds for the entire agency, Channel 12 says.

This was one of a series of controversies surrounding Zini who is marking six months as head of the agency.

The network says that upon entering his role in the Shin Bet, Zini changed the agency’s priorities to downgrade the importance of combatting Jewish terror. The phenomenon was reclassified as “skirmishes.”

A former senior official in the Shin Bet reveals to Channel 12 that Zini’s own son was involved in racially-motivated attacks against Druze towns near where the family lives in the Golan Heights.

An agent from the Shin Bet department responsible for combatting Jewish terror phoned Zini shortly after he entered his post warning him that his son was a target of the agency and that he should keep an eye on him.

The agency declined Channel 12’s request for comment on the matter.

Report: Iran still able to access around 70% of its pre-war missile stocks, 60% of launchers

US intelligence assessments have suggested that Iran likely still has access to around 70 percent of its pre-war ballistic missile stockpiles, and around 60 percent of its missile launchers, The New York Times reports.

It also still retains around 40% of its drone arsenal, the report says, citing US intelligence and military officials.

According to the Times, when a two-week ceasefire came into effect between Iran and the US on April 8, Tehran had access to around half of its ballistic missile launchers. Since then, the report says it has managed to dig out another 100 launchers from under the ground, bringing the total of operational missile launchers to around 60% of the pre-war total.

Along with the launchers, the report says Iran is also working to dig out any missile stocks that became buried under the rubble of the US and Israeli strikes. Once complete, the US intelligence officials believe Tehran will have missile stockpiles amounting to around 70% of its pre-war stockpiles.

UN chief condemns killing of French soldier in Lebanon, assesses Hezbollah responsible

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns an attack on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon that left a French soldier dead and three wounded.

France blamed the attack on Hezbollah and Guterres says, in a statement issued by his spokesman, that an initial assessment by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was that it was carried out by the Iranian-backed terror group.