April 20: US reportedly plans to ask Lebanon to repeal law forbidding contact with Israeli citizens

US low-cost airlines seek temporary tax relief to address soaring fuel costs

The CEOs of major low-cost airlines are set to meet Tuesday with US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as they urge Congress to provide temporary tax relief to partially offset the soaring cost of jet fuel sparked by the war with Iran.

A group representing Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Allegiant Air, Sun Country, and Avelo last week wrote leaders in Congress asking lawmakers to pass legislation to suspend the 7.5% federal excise tax on airline tickets and $5.30 per segment tax.

Waiving the fees would offset about one-third of the incremental cost of higher jet fuel, says the Association of Value Airlines.

US reportedly plans to ask Lebanon to repeal law forbidding contact with Israeli citizens

The United States is expected to request that Lebanon repeal its law criminalizing any contact between Lebanese citizens and Israelis, during the ongoing direct talks it is hosting between Beirut and Jerusalem, sources tell Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat.

Repealing the legislation — rooted in Lebanon’s 1955 Israel Boycott Law, which was enacted as part of broader Arab efforts to block normalization with Jerusalem — would mark a significant step in the direct talks, which aim to reach a long-term security and potentially peace agreement between the countries. A second round of talks is expected to take place in Washington on Thursday.

The Prime Minister’s Office and the US State Department do not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.

US ‘continued violations of ceasefire’ an obstacle to continuation of diplomatic process, Iran tells Pakistan

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi tells his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar that the US “continued violations of the ceasefire” are a major obstacle to the continuation of the diplomatic process, an Iranian foreign ministry statement says.

Araqchi tells Dar in a phone call that Iran, while taking all aspects of the matter into account, will decide on how to proceed further.

Pakistan confident Iran will attend US talks, senior government source says

Pakistan is confident it can get Iran to attend talks with the United States, a senior Pakistani government official tells Reuters.

“We have received a positive signal from Iran. Things are fluid, but we are trying to ensure that they will be here when we start the talks tomorrow or a day after,” the source says, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The source adds that Pakistan is actively engaged with Tehran and Washington as US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire deadline looms.

Iraq Shi’ite alliance names Bassem al-Badry as PM nominee

Iraq’s alliance of Shi’ite political blocs, the Coordination Framework, has named Bassem al-Badry as its nominee for the post of prime minister, a brief statement from the bloc says.

Ultra-Orthodox brigade holds Memorial Day ceremony after report it wouldn’t do so

Troops of the Hasmonean Brigade attend a Memorial Day ceremony at the Tebetz Camp in the Jordan Valley, April 20, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF’s Hasmonean Brigade for ultra-Orthodox troops held a Memorial Day ceremony this evening at the unit’s training base in the Jordan Valley, despite a report claiming that the Haredi soldiers would not participate in such an event.

The ceremony included reading the Yizkor memorial prayer, lighting a flame, lowering the state flag to half-mast, and singing the Hatikva national anthem, according to the military.

Speaking at the ceremony, Hasmonean Brigade commander Col. Shemer Raviv says, “On this day, we pause our daily routine, bow our heads, and unite in remembrance of the fallen, those who gave their lives so that we may live here, in this land, in safety.”

“This day expresses the deep spiritual bond between all parts of the nation, a day on which an entire people gathers around a shared memory, shared pain, and immeasurable gratitude,” he adds, according to remarks published by the army.

In Lebanon, where some Hasmonean troops are deployed, the army says Memorial Day ceremonies were held “in accordance with operational activity.”

Channel 13 reported earlier that the ultra-Orthodox unit’s troops would not participate in Memorial Day or Independence Day events in an effort to prevent their exposure to Zionist content, which could be unsuitable for a Haredi audience.

Addressing a separate ceremony in memory of Israel’s fallen ultra-Orthodox soldiers, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich compares the country’s war dead to the students of the second-century Mishnaic sage Rabbi Akiva, whose followers are traditionally said to have died in a plague, but who some commentators believe died fighting against Rome during the Bar Kochba revolt.

“Rabbi Akiva had 24,000 students who have been joined by 25,648 students. Students of Torah and students of valor,” Smotrich says, referring to the 25,648 people who have died during service to the country since 1860, the year from which Israel, and, before it, the Jewish community in the region, began counting its fallen soldiers and defenders.

The ceremony is also attended by ultra-Orthodox politicians affiliated with the Shas party as well as former Sephardic chief rabbi Shlomo Amar and cabinet secretary Yossi Fuchs.

In a post on X, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri says that he is “lighting a candle and offering a prayer for the ascent of the souls of the IDF soldiers and security forces personnel, who bravely gave their lives to defend the nation and the land, and for the ascent of the souls of the victims of terror who were murdered in sanctification of God’s name.”

Deri has been a harsh critic of efforts to conscript ultra-Orthodox men, pushing hard for the passage of a bill to exempt yeshiva students from military service, despite an ongoing manpower shortage.

At Memorial Day ceremony, Herzog calls on ‘this generation of war’ to ‘dream of the day after’

President Isaac Herzog addresses a Memorial Day ceremony at the Western Wall on April 20, 2026. (Kobi Gideon/ GPO)

Speaking at the Memorial Day state ceremony, President Isaac Herzog pays tribute to “this generation” of Israeli soldiers, encouraging them to consider “what comes after the war” as Israel continues battles on multiple fronts.

“We are still in the midst of the campaign. In recent days, to our deep sorrow, more precious and beloved sons have been added to the list of the fallen,” Herzog says, referring to soldiers killed during renewed fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which was sparked by the US-Israeli war with Iran.

“War is a fateful time, a national test, and as a nation we are meeting it with extraordinary strength, and will continue to meet it with determination and resolve, through all the unbearable pain,” he says at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Herzog recounts stories and writings of several male and female soldiers killed during fighting against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon over the past two years, as well as in past wars.

Herzog stresses the need to balance military strength with moral purpose, saying, “We do not live by our sword, but alongside it. We will grasp it in times of need, such as now, with one hand, and the sword will be sharp and resolute. But the spirit will always be, and must be, mighty and rooted in our other hand…the spirit that yearns for peace, for freedom, and for dignity.”

“It is now the turn of this generation of war to dare and to dream of the day after, to write the song that comes after the war. It deserves a song of hope,” he adds.

Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony held amid far-right threats against participants

The 21st alternative Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony in Jaffa begins, conducted in both Hebrew and Arabic and featuring both Israelis and Palestinians who lost loved ones in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in Israel, the war in Gaza, and ongoing settler violence in the West Bank.

The ceremony has been held annually for two decades alongside Israel’s official ceremonies on the Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror. It is organized by the left-wing group Combatants for Peace and by the Parents Circle – Families Forum, a grassroots organization of bereaved Israelis and Palestinians who have lost family members to the conflict.

Palestinians participate in a parallel ceremony in the West Bank city of Jericho, unable to reach Jaffa due to the denial of entry permits by Israeli authorities.

The exact location of the Jaffa ceremony was not publicly disclosed to attendees in advance due to security concerns, particularly after a right-wing mob last year attacked a synagogue in Ra’anana that was hosting a screening of the event. The mob threw rocks, shouted racist slogans, spat at participants, and forced police to evacuate the venue.

Speakers include Liora Eylon, a survivor of the October 7 massacre at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, whose son Tal commanded the kibbutz’s emergency response team.

“Today I am here because this is the place of hope. Here is a place that gives me the strength to believe that one day we will talk, and it will end,” she says.

In a pre-recorded video, Kholoud Hushiah of Jenin speaks about the loss of her son, Mohammed, who was killed by IDF fire in 2023, which prompted her to join the Parents’ Circle.

“Despite all this pain, I stand here today to say: we chose the path of peace, despite all the losses, because we believe that blood brings only more blood, and that death and loss will never allow us, or our children, to live in peace,” says Hushiah.

Nahil Jamil Hanouna, a photographer from Gaza who lost her siblings and extended family in the war in Gaza, says in a pre-recorded video: “We Palestinians are human beings like everybody else. We want to live freely and in peace. We were created to build this world, not destroy it.”

Board of Peace envoy says Gaza plan needs quick progress, Hamas talks ‘not easy’

From left, High Representative for Gaza Nikolay Mladenov, Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, and Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, during a meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in Brussels, Belgium, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/ Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

The Board of Peace’s lead envoy for Gaza tells Reuters that he was “fairly optimistic” a plan for disarmament of Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza can be reached, but cautioned that it will still take time.

“We’ve had some very serious discussions with Hamas over the last few weeks. They’re not easy,” Nickolay Mladenov says in an interview during a visit to Brussels.

“I’m fairly optimistic that we will be able to come up with an arrangement that works for all sides and, most importantly, works for the people in Gaza,” he says.

Mladenov says work is underway on an implementation plan that would include disarmament, new governance in Gaza, and provisions for an Israeli withdrawal.

“It obviously will take time, but we’re trying to make sure that the arrangements for the implementation of the plan are agreed to as quickly as possible,” Mladenov, a former UN Middle East envoy and Bulgarian politician, says.

Asked about when an agreement could be reached on implementation, Mladenov said: “We have a matter of days, maximum, a couple of weeks. That is my assessment, because otherwise we will lose the momentum of what we have, and then every decision will become even more difficult.”

While declining to comment on the details of ongoing negotiations, the envoy says he believes there is “a good way forward that is being discussed with both sides.”

One of the issues under discussion was the “yellow line” demarcating the territory Israel has occupied since the October ceasefire, Mladenov said. Reuters has reported that Israel has moved the “yellow line” deeper into Gaza.

“There’s a whole set of issues that need to be handled on the ground, including the yellow line,” Mladenov says, adding that matters such as access for aid and medicine are also under discussion with Israel.

He also points to some changes on the ground.

“We’ve been able to, over the last few days, gradually and very carefully increase the number of people that are allowed to cross through the Rafah Crossing. We’re looking at increasing the number of trucks of goods that are going into Gaza,” he says. The Rafah Crossing connects Gaza to Egypt.

There is also a need to build trust, Mladenov says.

“It’s a very complicated process,” he says. “But it is a process that is taking a lot of small steps to get us ultimately to an agreement on the full implementation of the plan”.

Trump in February said that US allies have contributed over $7 billion to relief efforts in Gaza and the US will contribute $10 billion to the Board of Peace. Reuters has reported that the Board of Peace has received only a fraction of what was pledged.

“All the monies that were committed in Washington are there for the Board of Peace,” Mladenov says. “We don’t have any financial issues related to the work of the Board of Peace.”

Member states can earn permanent membership on the board by paying $1 billion.

Trump claims deal US brokering with Iran will be far better than JCPOA

US President Donald Trump claims the deal his administration is working to ink with Iran will be “FAR BETTER” than the one signed in 2015 by then-president Barack Obama.

That deal “was a guaranteed road to a nuclear weapon, which will not, and cannot, happen with the deal we’re working on,” Trump writes in a lengthy Truth Social post.

If a deal happens under Trump, it will guarantee peace, security, and safety, not only for Israel and the Middle East, but for Europe, America, and everywhere else,” Trump claims.

He adds that the US blockade of Iran ports will continue, claiming that it is costing Tehran $500 million in daily losses.

In a subsequent post, Trump attacks the “anti-America fake news media,” claiming it’s not reporting on how the US is winning the war against Iran.

In yet another post, Trump boasts that Iran’s blocking of the Strait of Hormuz has led countries to send hundreds of ships to the US to obtain oil.

In Memorial Day speech, IDF chief says army won’t allow Iran to ‘realize its ambitions’ against Israel

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir speaks at a Memorial Day ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, April 20, 2026. (Screen capture/Defense Ministry)

Speaking at the Memorial Day ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the military will not allow Iran to “realize its ambitions” against Israel.

“We returned the hostages home from Hamas captivity. We established new security anchors on the Gaza Strip border and on the Syrian border. In Lebanon, we are acting to create a new reality and to return security to the northern communities,” he says.

“We set out on an unprecedented campaign against the Iranian regime, which for years built a plan for the destruction of the State of Israel and developed practical capabilities to realize it,” Zamir continues.

He says the IDF “did not remain silent in the face of our historical mission. We struck with power and thwarted the regime’s plans. We will continue to stand on guard, we will not allow Iran to realize its ambitions, and we will ensure the eternity of Israel.”

Zamir says that the military will “forever walk girded with a sword to ensure a vision of prosperity, growth, and peace for our children and grandchildren.”

In comments aimed at the ultra-Orthodox community, who largely do not serve in the military, he says: “To realize the vision, we are required as a people, from all parts of the nation, to have deep partnership in the security mission and to bear the burden through learning and change.”

“This campaign teaches us that these are necessary conditions for our military strength and that cohesion is a condition for our existence,” Zamir adds.

Hungary’s Magyar affirms any ICC-wanted leaders will be detained if they visit, despite invite to Netanyahu

Hungarian Prime Minister-elect Peter Magyar affirms that Hungary will detain any leaders wanted by the International Criminal Court, should they visit the country, after pledging during elections that he would cancel outgoing leader Viktor Orban’s withdrawal from the body.

Asked by a reporter to reconcile that stance with his recent invitation to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – who faces an ICC arrest warrant over allegations of war crimes in Gaza – to visit Hungary for a national ceremony, Magyar says he spoke with many world leaders since being elected and “invited everyone, without exception, to Hungary for the 70th anniversary of the 1956 revolution.”

“I also made clear to the Israeli prime minister that we will not back down [from cancelling the ICC withdrawal] because my colleagues have examined it and we can still stop the withdrawal,” he continues, speaking in Hungarian.

“If someone is a member of the ICC and a person who is wanted enters the territory of our country, he or she must be detained…every state and head of government is aware of these laws,” he says.

JUST IN: PÉTER MAGYAR SAYS HE WOULD ARREST NETANYAHU IF HE COMES TO HUNGARY:

I made it clear that Hungary intends to remain a member of the International Criminal Court.

If someone enters the territory of a country that is a member of the ICC and that person is under an arrest… pic.twitter.com/KgOGKA1OJX

— Quadri (@Jibola1992) April 20, 2026

Trump appears to add day to Iran deadline, as nonstop phone interviews muddle US messaging

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 tells Bloomberg that the two-week ceasefire with Iran expires on Wednesday night, Washington time.

Trump announced the two-week truce on April 7, meaning the actual expiration date is Tuesday evening.

It is the latest in a string of seemingly contradictory statements that Trump has made in recent days, as he continues taking calls from reporters.

Trump on Sunday said that US Vice President JD Vance would not be attending the second round of Iran talks in Pakistan due to security concerns. The White House later clarified that Vance would in fact be leading the US delegation in Pakistan.

Earlier today, Trump claimed Vance had already departed for Islamabad when he in fact was still in Washington and has not left yet.

In a separate interview, Trump claimed that a deal with Iran would be reached later today, even though talks are not scheduled to begin until Tuesday and Tehran has not even confirmed that it will attend.

In his latest interview with Bloomberg, Trump says it is highly unlikely that he will agree to extend the two-week ceasefire, as the US aims instead to reach a comprehensive deal with Iran before it expires.

But given the long list of issues that need to be discussed, it is unclear whether there is enough time to reach a permanent ceasefire deal on such short notice.

Sirens ring out across Israel, marking beginning of Memorial Day; 25,648 have died during service to the country

President Isaac Herzog (center), IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other Israeli leaders at Israel's Memorial Day ceremony at the Western Wall, April 20, 2026. (Defense Ministry screenshot)

A minute-long siren begins to ring out across Israel as the clock strikes 8 p.m., bringing the country to a standstill to mark the start of Memorial Day.

The siren will be followed by the lighting of a memorial flame for the fallen at the Western Wall, at the start of the official state commemoration ceremony.

Memorial services for Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism will be held across the country throughout the evening.

Tomorrow morning, a two-minute siren will sound at 11 a.m. to mark the start of ceremonies at cemeteries nationwide.

Tomorrow night, another official ceremony will take place at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., marking the end of Memorial Day and the beginning of Independence Day.

A total of 174 members of Israel’s security forces have been killed during their service since last Memorial Day, according to fresh figures released by the Defense Ministry.

That includes two soldiers who were killed over the weekend by Hezbollah explosive devices in southern Lebanon.

Another 54 veterans died due to complications from injuries sustained during their service over the past year.

The annual figures include all soldiers, police, and members of other security services who died in the past year, whether in the line of duty, or as a result of an accident, illness, or suicide.

The numbers bring the total to 25,648 of those who have died during service to the country since 1860, the year from which Israel, and, before it, the Jewish community in the region began counting its fallen soldiers and defenders.

IDF says it struck several Hezbollah operatives who ‘violated ceasefire’

The Israeli Air Force killed several Hezbollah operatives who “violated the ceasefire understandings” and posed a threat to troops in southern Lebanon today, the military says.

In two separate incidents, soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade spotted several Hezbollah operatives in the Bint Jbeil area, which is located in the IDF-held security zone.

The military says the operatives “approached the forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat,” and a short while later, the IAF “struck and eliminated the terrorists to remove the threat.”

In another incident, troops of the Golani Brigade spotted several Hezbollah operatives near the Litani River.

The IDF says the operatives “operated within the forward defensive line area, and approached the forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat.”

A short while after the operatives were identified, the military says the IAF “struck and eliminated the terrorists.”

Lebanese media reported that the latter strike targeted several people at a previously destroyed Litani River crossing in the town of Qaaqaait al-Jisr.

Iran executes two opposition members, as judiciary vows ‘no leniency’

Iran has executed two members of opposition group the People’s Mujahedin (MEK), who were convicted of spying for Israel, with the judiciary chief warning of “no leniency.”

Mohammad Masoom Shahi, 38 and also known as Nima, and Hamed Validi, 45, were put to death at dawn in Karaj prison outside Tehran, the MEK’s political wing, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) says in a statement.

They were both members of the MEK, which is banned in Iran, it adds.

The hangings were the latest of detainees regarded as political prisoners by rights groups during the war between the Islamic Republic and the United States and Israel.

Since executions resumed in March during the war that erupted on February 28, Iran has executed eight members of the MEK and seven men convicted over protests in January.

“With today’s executions, at least 15 political prisoners have been executed since 19 March,” says Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam, director of Norway-based rights group Iran Human Rights.

He warns of “further executions of political prisoners and protesters in the coming days and weeks.”

“The two members of the MEK join a growing number of heroic members executed this month under the rule of religious dictatorship,” the group’s leader Maryam Rajavi writes on X.

“Their only ‘crime’ was their commitment to freedom and the liberation of their people,” she adds.

Trump says US energy chief ‘totally wrong,’ claims lower gas prices as soon as Iran war ends

US President Donald Trump dismisses his top energy official’s view that gas prices will not drop until 2027, saying Americans can expect lower costs as soon as the Iran war ends.

On Sunday, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN that while gasoline below $3 a gallon “could happen later this year, that might not happen until next year.”

“I think he’s wrong on that. Totally wrong,” Trump tells a reporter from The Hill, adding that prices are expected to come down “as soon as this ends.”

While Wright, also on CNN, agreed that “with the resolution of this conflict, you’ll see prices go down,” no clear end is in sight. A fragile ceasefire is set to expire shortly and the chances of another round of peace talks succeeding are unclear.

Trump and his fellow Republicans are under pressure ahead of November’s midterm elections after pledging to lower costs. With months left to go, US gasoline prices remain high, inflation is rising, and Trump’s approval ratings are down.

Russia’s Lavrov, Iran’s Araghchi spoke on Monday, Moscow’s foreign ministry says

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Monday, Russia’s foreign ministry says.

Lavrov reiterated the need to uphold the ceasefire and stressed the importance of continued diplomatic efforts, while the Iranian side confirmed its readiness to do everything in its power to ensure the uninterrupted passage of Russian ships and cargo through the Strait of Hormuz.

40 Israelis released after reported detention in Moscow airport over Iran war ties

At least 40 Israeli citizens were detained and later released after arriving in Moscow from Tel Aviv yesterday, the Foreign Ministry confirms, following a Russian report on the incident.

“Immediately upon learning of the incident, at the instruction of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, the Foreign Ministry acted both with the foreign ministry in Moscow and with the Russian embassy in Israel,” the ministry says in a statement.

“Following this intervention, the incident was resolved and the Israelis’ entry was approved. The Russians were made to understand that this conduct is completely unacceptable, and Israel views the incident with great seriousness,” the ministry adds.

While the ministry could not address other details of the detention, a source familiar with the details tells independent Russian outlet Mediazone that the travelers were interrogated by Russian security forces on suspicion of being involved in Israel’s war against Iran, and held for five hours without access to food, water, or restrooms.

Those detained reportedly included both dual citizens and Israelis without a Russian passport, and were demanded to unlock their phones. Security forces reportedly stressed to them that Iran is an ally of Russia and that anyone who is an enemy of Iran is “our enemy as well.”

The Israeli citizens were released only after signing documents stressing the “inadmissibility of violating the law” and warning against such violations, according to the report.

Iran president knocks ‘contradictory signals’ coming from US ahead of talks in Pakistan

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian knocks what he says are “contradictory signals” coming from US officials ahead Iran talks tomorrow.

“Honoring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue. Deep historical mistrust in Iran toward US gov conduct remains, while unconstructive and contradictory signals from American officials carry a bitter message; they seek Iran’s surrender. Iranians do not submit to force,” Pezeshkian tweets.

Iran has yet to confirm that it will participate in talks set for tomorrow in Pakistan.

Over $71 billion needed over next decade to rebuild Gaza — UN-EU assessment

More than $71 billion will be needed over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction in war-ravaged Gaza, according to an EU-UN assessment published today.

After more than two years of Israel’s war in the Palestinian territory, “recovery and reconstruction needs are estimated at around $71.4 billion,” says the final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment developed by the United Nations and the European Union, in coordination with the World Bank.

US confirms hosting 2nd round of ambassador-level Israel-Lebanon talks on Thursday

The US confirms that it will host a second round of ambassador-level talks between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday at the State Department.

“The United States welcomes the productive engagement that began on April 14,” a State Department official tells The Times of Israel. “We will continue to facilitate direct, good-faith discussions between the two governments.”

IDF says it killed Hamas operatives ‘who posed imminent threat’ in separate Gaza strikes

The IDF says two Hamas operatives “who posed an immediate threat” were killed in separate strikes in the Gaza Strip over the past day.

The first strike in central Gaza yesterday killed Ayman Housna, a Hamas operative who the military says was involved in manufacturing and repairing weapons for the terror group.

The second strike, carried out earlier today, killed Anas Khaled Safi, a Hamas operative who the IDF says was planning an “imminent” attack on troops.

“Both terrorists posed an immediate threat to the troops and were eliminated in precise aerial strikes,” the military says.

צה"ל חיסל שני מחבלים מארגון הטרור חמאס שתכננו לבצע מתווי טרור נגד כוחות צה"ל בטווח הזמן המיידי

כוחות צה"ל בפיקוד הדרום תקפו במרכז רצועת עזה וחיסלו אתמול, את האיימן חוסנה, מחבל מארגון הטרור חמאס שייצר ותיקן אמצעי לחימה שנודעו לשמש מחבלים מארגון הטרור חמאס לבצע מתווי טרור נגד… pic.twitter.com/oeiZqNj2LJ

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 20, 2026

Argentina’s Milei awarded Presidential Medal of Honor, honorary Bar Ilan doctorate for Israel support

Argentinian President Javier Milei receives the Presidential Medal of Honor from President Isaac Herzog at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, April 20, 2026. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

During an eventful diplomatic visit to Israel this week, Argentine President Javier Milei is awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor by President Isaac Herzog and an honorary doctorate from Bar Ilan University, in recognition of his support for the country.

The medal, received by Milei in a ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, “was awarded in recognition of [his] consistent and outspoken commitment to the State of Israel, his unwavering support for Israel on the international stage, his solidarity with the families of the [formerly Hamas-held Gaza] hostages, and his deep personal connection to the Jewish people and its heritage,” according to Herzog’s office.

At the ceremony, Milei, an outspoken Judeophile, welcomes “the increasingly closer ties between our peoples…the strengthening of this friendship, which has been one of the pillars of our government’s foreign policy, as part of a return to the Judeo-Christian values that once made us great.”

At a separate ceremony in Ramat Gan, Milei receives the doctorate from Bar Ilan University, which comes “in recognition of [Milei’s] public and diplomatic support for the State of Israel, and especially for his resolute stand in the international effort to secure the return of the Israeli hostages held captive by the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza,” according to the university.

Several former hostages with Argentine citizenship, who were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel, attended the ceremony, including Eitan Horn, David Cunio, Eitan Cunio, Fernando Marman, and Louis Har, according to Argentina’s embassy in Jerusalem.

Three said injured in Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon

Lebanese media reports an Israeli drone strike close to a Litani River crossing in the southern town of Qaaqaait al-Jisr.

At least three people are injured in the strike, according to the reports.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the incident.

مراسلة «الأخبار»: إصابة شخصين جراء استهداف مسيرة إسرائيلية سيارة عند جسر قعقعية الجسر في أطراف البلدة pic.twitter.com/wHOdjKxPNj

— جريدة الأخبار – Al-Akhbar (@AlakhbarNews) April 20, 2026

Despite Trump’s claim otherwise, source says Vance hasn’t left US for Iran talks

A source familiar with the matter says that JD Vance is still in the country after President Donald Trump claimed the vice president was already en route to Islamabad.

Iraq reopens Rabia border crossing to boost fuel oil exports via Syria

Iraq has reopened the Rabia border crossing with Syria after more than a decade to accelerate overland fuel oil exports and revive cross‑border trade amid disruption to Gulf shipping following the Iran war, Iraqi border officials says.

The crossing, located in Iraq’s northern Nineveh province, will allow fuel oil shipments to be trucked through Syria while also reopening the route to commercial trade traffic that has been halted since the conflict that followed Syria’s civil war, officials say.

The head of Iraq’s Border Ports Commission, Omar al-Waeli, says reopening Rabia would ease pressure on fuel shipments to Syria by allowing more fuel oil trucks to cross, with most convoys currently backed up at the al‑Waleed crossing in western Iraq, the only operating border point.

Iraq is struggling to clear swelling fuel oil inventories after maritime exports through the Gulf were badly hit by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iraq’s state oil marketer SOMO has recently turned to overland routes through Syria, despite higher costs, as one of the few viable alternatives to keep exports flowing.

SOMO awarded contracts to supply about 650,000 metric tons of fuel oil per month from April to June to be trucked overland via Syria.

Convoys of tanker trucks loaded with Iraqi fuel oil are expected to begin crossing in the coming days, adding capacity to an operation that energy officials say has already stretched Iraq’s trucking and border infrastructure.

Iraq had previously exported the bulk of its fuel oil through the Khor al‑Zubair terminal on the Gulf.

Trump claims Iran deal will be signed today, even though talks aren’t set to begin until tomorrow

US President Donald Trump claims to Fox News that an agreement with Iran will be signed today in Pakistan.

It’s unclear what Trump is talking about, as talks between the US and Iran aren’t even scheduled to take place until Tuesday and Tehran hasn’t yet confirmed it will attend.

UK PM admits he ‘should not have appointed’ Mandelson US envoy

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer admits to MPs that he should not have appointed disgraced Labour party grandee Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.

Addressing parliament about a deepening political scandal, Starmer says: “At the heart of this, there is also a judgment I made that was wrong. I should not have appointed Peter Mandelson.”

Starmer is seeking to quell anger over the scandal involving Mandelson, a long-time associate of late US convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, after new revelations that he had failed security vetting before taking up the post.

US military says it has redirected 27 vessels since Iran blockade

The US military has directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port since the beginning of its blockade on Iranian ports around the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command says in a statement on X.

Since the commencement of the blockade against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, U.S. forces have directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port. pic.twitter.com/G8dl96wN4H

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026

EU to widen Iran sanctions to those who block Hormuz

The European Union will expand the criteria of its Iran sanctions to include those responsible for blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely shut for nearly two months, upending global energy and commodities markets, two EU diplomats say.

Tehran effectively closed the strait after ​US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, cutting off roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

More than a dozen tankers sailed through Hormuz after Iran briefly declared it open on Friday, but the ceasefire agreement was thrown into jeopardy after the United States seized an Iranian cargo ship as it maintained its own military blockade of Iranian ports.

“There was a political agreement among ambassadors that we indeed would change the criteria in Iran’s sanctions regime so that we could also list persons and entities that are responsible for the obstruction of the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” one of the diplomats says.

A second diplomatic source says the European External Action Service would need a few weeks to prepare any new listings. The EEAS is in charge of placing people and companies under sanctions, while the European Commission handles sector-wide restrictions.

In January, the EU designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, and in March, it listed Iranian officials for human rights violations.

EU hopeful settler sanctions back on track, given new government in Hungary

One country in the European Union opposed sanctions on violent Israeli settlers but that country will now have a new government which may take a different approach, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says, referring to Hungary.

“Now this country had the elections and will have a new government. I will not speak for the new government, but definitely I think we can look into all these policies and see whether they have a new approach,” Kallas says.

Trump says ‘lots of bombs’ will go off if Iran ceasefire expires without a deal

US President Donald Trump tells PBS News “lots of bombs [will] start going off” if the two-week ceasefire with Iran expires on Tuesday evening without a deal reached.

Trump: ‘Israel never talked me into the war with Iran’

US President Donald Trump insists that Israel didn’t talk him into launching a war with Iran.

“Israel never talked me into the war with Iran,” Trump writes on Truth Social

“The results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON, did,” Trump adds, venting his frustration at “FAKE NEWS Pundits” suggesting the contrary.

“The results in Iran will be amazing – And if Iran’s new leaders… are smart, Iran can have a great and prosperous future!” he says.

Earlier this month, The New York Times revealed the details of a high-stakes pitch Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was allowed to give in the White House Situation Room, where he managed to sell Trump on a range of predictions regarding how swiftly a war with Iran would go that have largely not panned out.

Seven IDF, police officers indicted on corruption charges, pocketing NIS 50 million

State prosecutors file indictments in the Central-Lod District Court against seven IDF and police officers on charges of taking bribes, theft by a public servant, money laundering, obstruction of justice, tax offenses and other crimes.

The indictment was based on a joint investigation by the Shin Bet, the Israel Police, IDF Military Police, and the Department for Internal Police Investigations in the State Attorney’s Office.

The defendants, members of “operational units” in the IDF and police, “abused their office and their authorities” over the course of several months and pocketed sums of money and property amounting to tens of millions of shekels, the State Attorney’s Office said.

Most of the defendants laundered the money through cryptocurrency. State law enforcement agencies seized over NIS 50 million during the course of the investigation.

According to the indictment, three of the defendants sought to destroy evidence of their crimes after they discovered that an investigation was underway and one of the suspects had been arrested.

Exact details regarding the nature of the criminal activity committed by the seven defendants were banned from publication by the court.

The State Attorney’s Office has requested that the court keep four of the defendants in detention until the end of legal proceedings against them, and requested restricted release conditions against the other three.

IDF says it identified soldier who smashed Jesus statue in Lebanon

The Israeli soldier seen smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon has been identified by the IDF, according to the military.

The IDF has said that action would be taken against those involved in the incident in the Christian village of Debel.

Yesterday, after the photo circulated, the IDF said that it “views the incident with great severity and emphasizes that the soldier’s conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops.”

Catholic leaders in Israel: IDF destruction of Jesus statue reveals ‘disturbing moral failure’

The leaders of the Catholic churches in Israel say that the destruction of a statue of Jesus by an IDF soldier in Lebanon reveals “a disturbing failure in moral and human formation.”

The church leaders express their “profound indignation and unreserved condemnation” for the act, saying in a written statement that “even the most elementary reverence for the sacred and for the dignity of others has been gravely compromised.”

The smashing of the statue “constitutes a grave affront to the Christian faith and adds to other reported incidents of desecration of Christian symbols by IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon,” they continue.

They call for “immediate and decisive disciplinary action, a credible process of accountability, and clear assurances that such conduct will neither be tolerated nor repeated.”

Hezbollah says it planted IED before truce that detonated on IDF vehicle yesterday

Hezbollah takes responsibility for an explosive device that detonated on an IDF armored vehicle in southern Lebanon yesterday.

In a statement, the terror group says that a convoy of eight Israeli armored vehicles driving between Taybeh and Deir Siryan was hit by a “series of explosive devices planted earlier” by its operatives.

The military in response to a query confirms that one armored vehicle was “likely hit by an explosive device,” and that no injuries were caused.

The IDF says the incident is under further investigation.

EU proposes full resumption of cooperative agreement with Syria

The European Commission has proposed a full resumption of its 1978 cooperation agreement with Syria, deepening its engagement ahead of formal talks with Syria’s authorities in May.

Syria, which had most Western sanctions lifted at the end of last year, is ​seeking broader integration into the international community under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who headed an alliance of Islamist rebel factions to oust former ​leader Bashar al-Assad at the end of 2024 after a 14-year war.

It is also emerging as a critical transit point, particularly amid the energy crisis triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war.

The proposal will need to be formally adopted by the European Council.

We haven’t finished job in Iran, Netanyahu reiterates

Israeli pilots control Iran’s skies, but Israel “hasn’t finished the work” in Iran, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a Memorial Day ceremony in Jerusalem.

The world recognizes Israel’s determination to defend itself, he says, and “to defend mankind against barbarous zealotry.”

Israel and the US, says Netanyahu, “are carrying the entire Western civilization on their backs.”

US stocks dip after latest Hormuz Strait closure

Wall Street stocks dipped early Monday, giving back a fraction of their recent bounty as oil prices jumped following Iran’s renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Analysts described today’s early losses as a mild retreat following an almost unbroken string of gains so far in April.

“The sell-off reaction to the bad news has, throughout the course of this entire war, been much less in terms of percentage moves than the celebrations of potential end of the war,” says Art Hogan of B. Riley Wealth Management.

About five minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.1 percent at 49,417.01.

The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 0.2 percent to 7,115.44, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index also lost 0.2 percent at 24,430.94.

Oil prices fell sharply on Friday after Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz was reopened to commercial shipping. But Iran quickly shut the crucial waterway down again, citing the United States’ blockade of its ports.

US investors perceive US President Donald Trump’s posture in the war as similar to his approach to tariffs last year, when Trump retreated on the heaviest levies following a negative response in financial markets.

“The administration tends to change their mind on things, especially as directed by the markets,” Hogan says.

Vance, US team en route to Islamabad for Iran talks, Trump says

Vice President JD Vance and the US delegation are set to land in Pakistan within hours for talks on Iran, President Donald Trump tells the New York Post in an interview.

Trump adds that he would be willing to meet with Iranian leaders himself if progress is made.

Turkey says it arrested 90 people with suspected links to IS

Turkey on Monday says it has arrested 90 people with suspected links to Islamic State jihadist group, two weeks after a deadly shootout outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.

A total of 198 people were detained a day after the April 7 attack in a nationwide sweep against “the terrorist organization Daesh,” another name for the Islamic State terror group.

The 90 other suspects arrested in 24 of Turkey’s 81 provinces include “members of the terrorist organization,… people… involved in its financing… and suspects disseminating propaganda,” the interior ministry says.

Authorities have not officially connected these arrests to the shootout outside the Israeli consulate in which two police officers were wounded.

One of the three gunmen, who was killed by the police, was linked “to a terrorist organization that instrumentalizes religion,” the authorities said, without naming IS.

At the end of December, three Turkish police officers were killed during an anti-IS operation in the northwestern province of Yalova.

Six suspects, all Turkish nationals, were also shot dead in clashes that lasted several hours.

Music icon Boy George defends plan to appear at Eurovision despite Israel controversy

FILE: Eighties wonder Boy George reunites with Culture Club for a world tour that will stop in Tel Aviv on November 7, 2017 (Courtesy Culture Club website)

British singer Boy George is defending his appearance at this year’s Eurovision despite controversy over Israel’s participation in the annual song contest, saying he would never turn his back on his “Jewish friends.”

The singer is set to perform alongside artist Senhit on the entry from San Marino at the competition next month in Vienna. Last year, five countries — Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia — quit the contest after Israel was approved for participation following a vote by European Broadcasting Union members, causing outrage among many fans of the competition.

“I played in Israel, I got a letter from Roger Waters telling me not to go and I went, because I’ve got a lot of fans in Israel,” Boy George tells Sky News. “Plus, in the UK, I have a lot of Jewish friends — and I know them to be beautiful, good, kind, smart, loving people, so expecting me to turn against my friends is a lunacy, and it’s not going to happen.”

Boy George also tells The Daily Mail that “from the beginning of my career I wore a Jewish star. Go back and look at pictures of Culture Club. I am so affiliated with Jewish people. I am not necessarily affiliated with Israel. I don’t really have an opinion on that. But the job of music is to unite people.”

The British pop icon was also among the entertainment industry signatories on a letter published last week backing Israel’s appearance at this year’s competition, alongside Sharon Osborne, Helen Mirren, Amy Schumer and Mila Kunis.

Lebanon energy minister says Israeli ‘naval defense area’ map does not affect 2022 maritime border deal

Lebanese Energy Minister Joe Saddi tells Reuters that a map published by the Israeli military showing a “naval forward defense area” extending from the Lebanese coastline into the sea does not impact the maritime border agreed between Lebanon and Israel in 2022.

“From a legal point of view, this map doesn’t change anything about the fact that there is a maritime border agreement,” he says. “Very simply, the agreement is in effect and nothing is changing.”

Hezbollah MP says group will break Israel’s ‘yellow line,’ won’t disarm

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah says his terror group would work to break the “yellow line” that Israel established in southern Lebanon, adding that no one in the country or abroad can disarm the Iran-backed group.

In an interview with AFP, Fadlallah says, “we will bring down this yellow line through the resistance (Hezbollah).”

“The attempt by the Israeli army to establish a buffer zone, under the title of a defensive line, a yellow line, a green line, and a red line… all these lines will be broken, and we will not accept any of them.”

Fadlallah vows that “no one in Lebanon or abroad will be able to disarm the resistance.”

Iran reopens main airports in capital Tehran

Iran has reopened its main Imam Khomeini and Mehrabad airports in the capital Tehran on Monday, the country’s aviation authority says, after closures caused by the weeks-long war with the United States and Israel.

“Authorization for passenger flights at Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad Airport has been issued” from Monday, the Civil Aviation Organization says in a statement, according to ISNA news agency.

It adds that passenger flights from 10 airports across Iran “will also be possible from Saturday.”

Iran ‘positively’ reviewing US peace talks participation; no decision yet, official says

A senior Iranian official says that Tehran is positively reviewing its participation in potential peace talks with the United States but that no final decision has been made.

The Iranian official says positive efforts are underway by mediator Pakistan to end the US blockade and to ensure Iran’s participation in the peace talks.

A Pakistani source involved in the talks recalls that the two-week ceasefire expires on April 22 at 8 pm EST.

IDF officer indicted for smuggling prohibited goods into Gaza in exchange for $1.6 million

A lieutenant in the IDF has been indicted for smuggling contraband into the Gaza Strip in exchange for some 5 million shekels ($1.6 million), the military announces.

Military prosecutors charge the officer, who served as a deputy company commander, with “aiding the enemy,” taking a bribe, smuggling goods under aggravated circumstances, and other offenses, following an investigation by the Military Police.

According to the indictment, in September 2025, the junior officer and others planned to smuggle a truck containing contraband into Gaza.

The lieutenant, who was stationed at the Kerem Shalom border crossing at the time, agreed to “exploit his military position, familiarity with procedures, and operational authority to allow the truck’s entry into the Strip, in exchange for payment of millions of shekels,” the military says.

On the evening of September 19, the truck arrived at Kerem Shalom. The lieutenant, who arrived in an army jeep, ordered soldiers at the crossing to allow the truck through as he escorted it into Gaza.

The military says the truck contained mobile phones, cigarettes, tobacco, silicone, solar panels, and “large quantities” of electric bicycles, all of which Israel currently bans from entering Gaza.

Following the smuggling, those involved “received significant sums of money,” which was divided among them, with the lieutenant receiving approximately 5 million NIS, according to the IDF.

The military says it views the phenomenon of smuggling into Gaza “gravely, as it poses a risk to state security in general, and especially in cases where IDF personnel in the standing army or reserves are involved.”

In February, state prosecutors filed charges against 15 suspects, among them IDF reservists, accused of taking part in a major smuggling ring that trafficked goods into the Gaza Strip.

That alleged smuggling ring is linked to Bezalel Zini, the brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini, who is thought to have helped the network’s members smuggle cigarettes, taking advantage of his IDF reserve service in the Gaza Strip.

UAE says it dismantled terrorist cell linked to Iran

The United Arab Emirates says it has dismantled a terrorist cell linked to Iran and arrested its members over a plot to undermine stability, state news agency WAM reports.

WAM says that the cell members carried out recruitment and mobilization operations, with the aim of gaining access to sensitive sites.

Kuwait reportedly declares force majeure on oil shipments amid Hormuz blockade

Kuwait has declared force majeure on shipments of crude oil and refined products after a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz prevented some vessels from entering the Persian Gulf, hindering its ability to meet certain customer commitments, Bloomberg News reports.

State-run Kuwait Petroleum Corp. notified customers on Friday that it was invoking a contract clause allowing it to withhold scheduled deliveries, the report said.

It added that the decision is not expected to result in a complete halt in supply.

Second round of direct Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington to take place Thursday

The second round of direct talks between Israel’s ambassador in Washington Yechiel Leiter and his Lebanese counterpart Nada Hamadeh Moawad will take place on Thursday, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

The meeting will take place at the State Department in Washington, and will include staffers from the Israeli, Lebanese and US sides, says the official.

Last Tuesday, Leiter and Moawad met for roughly two-hours, marking the highest-level meeting to date between Israeli and Lebanese officials, and the first direct talks between the two neighboring countries in decades.

The talks were mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other American diplomats.

Israel set to mark Memorial Day under fragile ceasefires with Iran and Lebanon

Israel is set to mark its Memorial Day this evening, with ceremonies set to be held across the country.

This year’s Memorial Day comes as a fragile two-week ceasefire with Iran is set to end Wednesday, potentially plunging the region into war again. Israel also reached a 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon last week, halting its war with Hezbollah.

Public transport will be limited while several roads will be blocked off in major cities ahead of the memorial ceremonies this evening.

A one-minute siren at 8 p.m. nationwide will mark the beginning of ceremonies, while another two-minute siren will ring at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning to mark the beginning of the daytime ceremonies.

The official state Memorial Day ceremony will be held at the Old City of Jerusalem’s Western Wall at 8 p.m.

Polish FM: IDF soldiers ‘admit to war crimes,’ killed hostages; Sa’ar rejects ‘baseless’ accusations

Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Belgium, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Poland’s foreign minister says that Israeli soldiers “admit to war crimes” and killed Israeli hostages, in the wake of an IDF reservist putting a photo online of himself destroying a statue of Jesus in Lebanon.

“It’s good that Minister Sa’ar apologized quickly; there was something to apologize for,” wrote Radek Sikorski on X. “That soldier should be punished, but lessons should also be drawn regarding the way they are being trained.”

“IDF soldiers themselves admit to war crimes. They killed not only civilian Palestinians but even their own hostages,” he continues.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejects the “grave, baseless, and slanderous statements against the IDF.”

“What you wrote reveals profound ignorance and a deep lack of understanding,” he writes on X. “During every war, there are operational accidents, in which military forces are also harmed by fire from their own army.”

Sa’ar insists that “no Western army that fights terrorism more precisely and on the basis of better intelligence than the IDF, with a constant effort to minimize harm to non-combatants. The ratio of terrorist casualties to non-combatants is better than that of any other Western army. In fact — of any other fighting army in the world.”

“The IDF is a professional and ethical army,” he writes, adding that Western democratic armies learn from the IDF.

“I suggest that instead of preaching morality to others — you personally condemn the shameful antisemitic display we saw in the Polish parliament last week,” he says, referring to an MP unfurling an Israeli flag with a swastika in the middle instead of a Star of David.

IDF Haredi brigade set to hold Memorial Day ceremony, mark Independence Day, contrary to TV report

Troops of the Hasmonean Brigade operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued on March 23, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Despite a Channel 13 report to the contrary, the IDF’s ultra-Orthodox Hasmonean Brigade will hold a Memorial Day ceremony and celebrate Independence Day this week, according to the IDF and a source close to brigade co-founder Rabbi David Leybel.

This morning, Channel 13 reported that the unit’s troops would not participate in such events in an effort to prevent their exposure to Zionist content, which could be unsuitable for a Haredi audience. The report added that two soldiers who are set to receive a decoration from the president would not attend the ceremony in order to avoid hearing women singing.

While a spokesman for the president’s office did not respond to a request for comment, an associate of Rabbi Leybel tells The Times of Israel that the brigade would hold its own ceremony where troops would sing “songs of faith” as well as dedicated Torah learning sessions in memory of the fallen.

In a message to ultra-Orthodox reporter Yanki Farber seen by The Times of Israel, a spokesperson for the IDF stated that this evening a ceremony would be held at the brigade’s training base in the Jordan Valley, during which “they will salute the flag, sing Hatikvah, and read the order of the day, as is customary in every other brigade.”

“The soldiers currently stationed in Lebanon will hold ceremonies at their outposts,” the spokesperson continues, adding that members of the brigade have received praise from IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and have “excelled in offensive operations and located a significant amount of weaponry” during their operations.

19-year-old had ticket to meet Iranian-linked handler in Dubai, prosecutors say

A 19-year-old from central Israel accused of spying for Iranian interests had purchased a plane ticket to meet his handler in Dubai, the State Attorney’s Office says.

He and his alleged accomplice were formally charged today in the Lod-Central District Court, which issued a gag order on the case after they appeared before a judge.

Details that could identify either defendant are now barred for publication, despite police having previously named the two in a press release.

The main defendant, accused of contact with a foreign agent and passing information to the enemy, is suspected of having provided an Iranian agent with the personal information of his brother, an IDF soldier, and lying about his position in the army.

He created the false impression that his sibling served in the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate and had access to sensitive information, prosecutors say.

He allegedly enlisted the second defendant, a 21-year-old from central Israel, to forge a document detailing a fake US-Israeli plan to attack Iran, so he could send it to his handler.

Justifying their request to keep them in custody until convicted, prosecutors say the defendants are highly dangerous, since “the transfer of false information about Israel’s readiness for immediate war could have led to a surprise attack by Iran.”

Prosecutors say that as part of his contact with the agent, the main defendant attempted to negotiate his salary, and agreed to meet his handler in Dubai as part of the back-and-forth. Police previously stated that he had planned to fly to an Arab country to undergo “training.”

He allegedly received tens of thousands of shekels from the agent. Some of the money was paid to him in cryptocurrency, while some was transferred directly to his bank account from a company’s bank account, after Iran-linked hackers managed to access its funds, prosecutors add.

Ex-PM Bennett backs public transport on Shabbat, civil marriage, sparking Haredi backlash

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett speaks at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, on February 17, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett comes out in favor of public transportation on Shabbat and civil marriage, prompting backlash from the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties.

Speaking with Army Radio, Bennett says that “cities must be allowed to choose if they want public transportation on Shabbat” and that “every person in Israel should be able to realize their love in this country and not travel abroad” in order to get married outside of the rabbinate, which holds a monopoly on marriage and divorce.

“My compass in this matter is common sense and fairness,” Bennett says, signaling a change for the religious-Zionist politician.

“Those ready to trade away the country’s Jewish identity, our sacred Shabbat and marriage according to the laws of Moses and Israel, for political gain, will inevitably do the same with the Land of Israel and the communities in Judea and Samaria,” says Shas.

“I wouldn’t be impressed by Bennett’s promises regarding civil marriage and Sabbath desecration,” says United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf.

“He also promised not to sit in a coalition with Mansour Abbas and [pledged] that he would not allow Lapid to be prime minister. Even on the Left, they know he is a deceiver and a vote thief.”

Bennett’s statement is welcomed by The Democrats party chairman Yair Golan, who says that he has “come a long way” from his days as leader of the right-wing Jewish Home party.

“It’s heartening to see that even in politics there are positive surprises, and that even on the right they understand that only a strong liberal Israel will prevail,” Golan says, adding that he hopes Bennett will continue to shift his views on the West Bank as well.

Other members of the so-called change bloc opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have also called for overhauling the current religious status quo. Last month, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said that, if elected, the opposition will pass bills cutting off draft evaders from all government assistance; allowing mayors to “fire city rabbis, or to hire Reform and Conservative rabbis”; instituting civil marriage; and establishing “public transportation on Shabbat in secular majority localities.”

Last September, Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party released a proposed “document of principles and guidelines” containing a raft of social, security and economic measures intended to guide the next government, which called to diminish the power of the rabbinate in the field of religion by limiting Israel to only one chief rabbi, instituting civil marriage and allowing public transportation on Shabbat.

The proposal also called to abolish the government-funded local religious councils which provide state religious services, such as kosher supervision and mikvahs, to communities at the city and regional council levels.

According to Channel 12, Bennett is currently in contact with Lapid and Yashar! chief Gadi Eisenkot to discuss the potential formation of a new joint party called “New Israel.”

Lebanon’s Aoun: I have chosen to negotiate with Israel ‘to save Lebanon’

A photograph released by the Lebanese Presidency on April 17, 2026, shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun delivering a televised address to the Lebanese people from the Baabda Presidential Palace, east of the capital Beirut. (Lebanese Presidency)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun tells lawmakers that talks with Israel “are separate from any other negotiations,” a reference to US-Iran ceasefire discussions.

Iran insists that any agreement with the US would prohibit Israel from attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Lebanon, says Aoun, faces two options: “either the continuation of the war with all its humanitarian, social, economic, and sovereignty repercussions, or negotiations to put an end to this war and achieve sustainable stability.”

“I have chosen negotiation,” says Aoun, according to his office, “and I am full of hope that we will be able to save Lebanon.”

He stresses that Lebanon’s negotiating team will be headed by former envoy to Washington Simon Karam, who will not be replaced — a reference to domestic fights over the makeup of Lebanon’s delegation. Aoun says that the talks with Israel are meant to stop Israeli operations, end the IDF presence in Lebanon, and allow the Lebanese Armed Forces to deploy along the Lebanon-Israel border.

US President Donald Trump expressed support for Lebanon’s aims in Thursday’s phone call between the leaders, says Aoun.

Aoun does not indicate whether he is going to meet with Trump or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the near future.

Hamas clashes with Israel-backed militia; commander says one fighter killed by RPG

Palestinian media outlets in Gaza affiliated with Hamas have published footage showing armed men firing in Khan Younis, claiming they are Hamas operatives targeting militias backed by Israel.

Hussam al-Astal, the leader of a militia in the Khan Younis area established last year and supported by Israel, tells The Times of Israel that Hamas operatives opened fire on around 20 of his fighters as they were finishing distributing food to civilians in central Khan Younis.

“We were there for three hours — Hamas wasn’t there. As we were leaving, they hid among the people, opened fire, and launched an RPG at us,” al-Astal says.

According to him, one militia member was killed in the attack, and two others were lightly wounded. He adds that while the fighters were armed, they did not return fire in order to avoid harming Gazan civilians who were present at the scene. After the shooting, they left the scene.

كمين للمقاومة يستهدف ميليشيا متعاونة في خان يونس

تقدمت مجموعة من ميليشيات متعاونة مع الاحتلال صباح اليوم نحو منطقة قريبة من "الخط الأصفر" في خان يونس، حيث تجمع عدد من الأهالي ووقعت مناوشات محدودة.
وخلال انسحابها باتجاه "المنطقة الصفراء"، نفذت المقاومة كميناً محكماً استهدفها، ما… pic.twitter.com/mAT3Hh49PP

— غزة 24 | التغطية مستمرة (@Gaza24Live) April 20, 2026

Netanyahu: Like most Israelis, I was ‘stunned and saddened’ by IDF soldier’s smashing of Jesus statue

An IDF soldier smashes a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, in an image uploaded to social media on April 19, 2026. (X/used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he was “stunned and saddened” by an IDF reservist destroying a statue of Jesus in Lebanon yesterday.

“As the Jewish state, Israel cherishes and upholds the Jewish values of tolerance and mutual respect between Jews and worshippers of all faiths,” he says. “All religions flourish in our land and we view members of all faiths as equals in building our society and region.”

“Yesterday, like the overwhelming majority of Israelis, I was stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon,” he continues in a post on X. “I condemn the act in the strongest terms. Military authorities are conducting a criminal probe of the matter and will take appropriately harsh disciplinary action against the offender.”

The IDF said yesterday the incident would be investigated by the Northern Command and is being handled “through the chain of command.”

Netanyahu says that Christianity thrives in Israel while Christians “are being slaughtered in Syria and Lebanon by Muslims.”

“Israel is the only country in the region that the Christian population and standard of living is growing,” he says. “Israel is the only place in the Middle East that adheres to freedom of worship for all. We express regret for the incident and for any hurt this has caused to believers in Lebanon and around the world.”

As the Jewish state, Israel cherishes and upholds the Jewish values of tolerance and mutual respect between Jews and worshippers of all faiths. All religions flourish in our land and we view members of all faiths as equals in building our society and region.

Yesterday, like the…

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 20, 2026

Culture minister says he was probed on ‘purely political issues’ during police questioning

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar at the opening of the Israeli Cartoon Museum in the city of Holon, February 10, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar claims that he was asked about “purely political issues” while being questioned by police yesterday as part of a major corruption investigation into the Histadrut labor federation.

“As you know, I was asked yesterday to come and give my version of events. I answered all the questions I was asked, which, to my great regret, were all centered around purely political issues. I took the opportunity to explain extensively to the investigators how Israeli politics has always operated, without exception, and yes, that includes us in the Likud,” Zohar says in a video message posted to his X account.

“I can summarize by saying that I entered this investigation as a proud Likudnik, and I left it an even prouder Likudnik,” he adds.

Hebrew outlets reported yesterday 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 confirmed the summons in a social media post yesterday, saying he arrived yesterday 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 wrote on X.

Zohar is one of several high-profile Likud members currently under investigation or accused of criminal activity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial for corruption, while Social Equality Minister May Golan is at the center of an ongoing corruption probe, and Knesset Finance Committee chairman Hanoch Milwidsky is being investigated over allegations of rape and witness tampering.

Trump told Pakistan’s army chief he would mull advice that US blockade is hurdle to Iran talks, source says

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (L), Chief of the Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir (R) posing with US President Donald Trump (C) at the White House in Washington, DC, in an image published on September 26, 2025. (Handout / Pakistan's Prime Minister Office / AFP)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — US President Donald Trump told Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir that he would consider Munir’s advice on the US blockade of Iran’s ports being a hurdle to peace talks with Iran when the two spoke by phone, a Pakistani security source says.

EU hosts PA premier, dozens of countries in confab about Israeli-Palestinian peace

From left, Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, PA Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during a meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in Brussels, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

BRUSSELS, Belgium — More than 60 nations send representatives to Brussels to discuss with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa stability, security, and long-term peace in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, as global attention largely remains focused on the Middle East on the ongoing crises in Iran and Lebanon.

Ongoing attacks in the West Bank and continued devastation in Gaza dim the prospect for a two-state solution, says Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot ahead of the meeting today. He is co-hosting the meeting with the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.

“We observe without naivety that the two-state solution is being made more difficult by the day,” Prévot says. “But Belgium and many European and Arab partners continue to believe that this remains the only realistic path to a lasting peace, for Israelis, for Palestinians and for the stability of the entire region.”

7.4 earthquake strikes off Japan’s coast; tsunami warning issued

TOKYO, Japan — A powerful earthquake has struck off the northern Japanese coast, and the Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami alert in the region.

The quake, registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.4, occurred off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan at around 4:53 p.m. (0753 GMT), at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles) below the sea surface, the agency says.

Japan’s NHK public television says a tsunami of up to 3 meters (10 feet) could hit the area shortly.

Gaps on nuclear program remain, missile program not up for discussion with US, senior Iranian source says

Centrifuges line a hall at the Uranium Enrichment Facility in Natanz, Iran, in a still image from a video aired by the Islamic Republic Iran Broadcasting company on April 17, 2021, six days after the hall had been damaged in a mysterious attack. (IRIB via AP)

Differences over Iran’s nuclear program still remain, a senior Iranian source tells Reuters, as Iran and the United States try to reach a lasting peace with the two-week ceasefire ending soon.

The senior Iranian source says that Tehran’s “defensive capabilities,” including its missile program, are not open to negotiation with the United States.

“Continuation of the US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz undermines the peace talks,” the source says.

The IDF has said that the most significant blow during the war was to Iran’s arms production industry, with the military reporting that it struck all of the key sites used to develop weapons that threaten Israel. Israel has said that these strikes have caused significant damage to Iran’s ballistic missile production industry, and as a result, it currently cannot manufacture any new missiles.

However, in a briefing for reporters on Friday, senior military officials said that they assess that Iran will quickly work to return some manufacturing capabilities.

According to the Military Intelligence Directorate’s assessments, had Israel and the US not launched the war against Iran in late February, Iran would have built a stockpile of some 8,000 ballistic missiles within a year and a half. Such a quantity of missiles would challenge Israel’s air defenses and would be able to cause massive and widespread damage in Israel.

Now, within a few years, Iran will likely be able to amass several thousand missiles, according to the Intelligence Directorate’s assessments, although it depends on numerous variables.

Such variables include possible limitations on Iran’s missile program as part of a deal with the US; whether Iran receives raw materials and equipment from its allies, like China; and how much money Iran will invest in restoring its missile production industry.

Iran says it still hasn’t decided whether to attend talks with US

Police officers stand guard at a checkpoint to ensure security ahead of the second round of negotiations between the US and Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s foreign ministry says it has yet to reach a decision on whether to attend the next round of talks with the United States.

“As of now, while I am at your service, we have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says in a weekly press briefing.

Israel announces exposure of Iranian terror cell working to attack Israeli, Western sites abroad

An image showing the command structure of an Iranian terror cell, in an image released April 20, 2026. (Courtesy IDF, Mossad, Shin Bet)

Israel exposed in recent months an Iranian terror network that targeted Israeli officials and assets around the world, the Mossad, IDF, and Shin Bet say in a joint statement.

Senior operatives in the network were killed during the US-Israeli campaign against Iran that began on February 28.

Azerbaijan said in March that it had foiled a series of Iranian terror attacks on its territory, including against the Israeli embassy in Baku, a synagogue, and Jewish community leaders.

In a video statement, Azerbaijan’s state security service said at the time it had “prevented terrorist acts and intelligence operations in Azerbaijan organized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).”

Also among the planned targets was the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which runs through neighboring Georgia and Turkey and carries around a third of Israel’s oil imports, it said.

At least seven Azerbaijani nationals were detained in connection with the probe, said Baku.

According to the new Israeli statement, the cell had smuggled explosive drones into Azerbaijan and was gathering intelligence on potential targets under the direct instructions of their Iranian handlers.

The arrests led to the uncovering of the terror network and its chain of command.

Rahman Moqadam, head of the Special Operations Division (4000) within IRGC intelligence, was in charge of the network and was killed at the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion.

Moqadam recruited and trained operatives inside and outside of Iran, and asked them to gather intelligence on Israeli political leaders, security officials, Israeli and Western military installations, ports, and Israeli ships around the world.

Moqadam served under senior IRGC intelligence official Majid Khademi, says Israel, who was also killed by Israel during the war.

A central player in Moqadam’s network was Mohsen Suri, also a member of Division 4000. He met with terror cells outside of Iran, and was killed in an Israeli strike on an IRGC safehouse.

Mahdi Yekeh-Dehghan, known as “the Doctor,” led the network in Azerbaijan and beyond. His role was discovered in January, when Turkish authorities arrested six people, including an Iranian national, on charges of political and military espionage for Iran after coordinated raids across five provinces. Yekeh-Deghan directed the cell, working to smuggle explosive drones from Iran, through Turkey to Cyprus, and to gather intelligence on US forces at the Incirlik base.

In the wake of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the IRGC has redoubled its efforts to establish terror cells abroad and carry out attacks, says the Israeli statement.

Pakistan intensifying diplomatic efforts to ensure US-Iran talks go ahead Tuesday

Workers walk past billboards near the Serena Hotel ahead of the second round of negotiations between the US and Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan has intensified diplomatic contacts since yesterday with Washington and Tehran to ensure talks proceed as soon as tomorrow, officials tell AP on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker at the US Embassy in Islamabad today.

The meeting focused on strengthening Pakistan-US relations and preparations for a second round of talks scheduled to take place in Islamabad this week, Naqvi’s office says.

The statement did not specify when the talks are expected to begin.

Naqvi briefed Baker on security arrangements, saying special measures had been taken to ensure the safety of visiting delegations.

“We have made comprehensive security arrangements for our distinguished guests,” Naqvi says in the statement.

Baker offered appreciation for Pakistan’s role in easing regional tensions and efforts to facilitate dialogue.

Separately, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke by phone late Sunday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Sharif’s office says in a statement that did not mention the planned talks.

Authorities began closing key roads and stepping up security in the capital Islamabad over the weekend, particularly around a luxury hotel where the delegations are expected to meet.

Authorities deployed troops at checkpoints, closed tourist sites, and instructed major hotels to limit bookings to ensure availability.

UK police nab two suspects over attempted arson attack on London synagogue

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 — British police say they have arrested two people over an attempted arson attack against a synagogue in north London over the weekend, which caused minor smoke damage but no injuries.

A 17-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man were taken into custody overnight in connection with the incident, which occurred around midnight on Sunday, the police say.

The attack was the latest in a series of arson incidents targeting Jewish sites across the capital in recent weeks.

Iran’s Pezeshkian highlights importance of diplomacy, but says distrust of US ‘undeniable necessity’

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian addresses cabinet members as they visit of the tomb of the late Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran on January 31, 2026. (Handout / Iranian Presidency / AFP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says that every rational and diplomatic path should be used to reduce tensions with the US, while stressing that vigilance and distrust in interactions with Washington were an “undeniable necessity,” according to state media IRNA.

A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US is set to expire on Wednesday, with US representatives set to reach Islamabad for Iran negotiations today, while Tehran is yet to announce whether it will send a delegation to Pakistan.

Two nabbed on suspicion of spying for Iran; one planned to train in Arab country — police

Two young men have been arrested on suspicion of espionage for Iran, police announce, adding that one of them planned to undergo training in an Arab country.

Nineteen-year-old Sagi Haik, from Ness Ziona, was allegedly in contact with an Iranian agent for several months before his March arrest.

“Haik agreed to undergo training in one of the Arab countries, and was even asked to recruit additional people to carry out missions under their [the Iranians’] direction,” police say.

According to law enforcement, several of Haik’s family members received “threatening messages” from the Iranian agent after the young man disclosed their personal details to him.

During his interrogation, Haik allegedly confessed to assisting another Israeli recruited by Iran, 21-year-old Assaf Shitrit, in carrying out a mission for his handler. Shitrit, from Beit Oved, was arrested as well.

Both are set to be charged later today in the Lod-Central District Court.

Merav Edri-Vanunu, 40, named as woman stabbed to death in Beersheba

Merav Edri-Vanunu, 40. (social media)

Merav Edri-Vanunu, 40, is named as the woman who was stabbed to death in Beersheba last night.

Her 9-year-old son was seriously injured and taken to Soroka Medical Center for treatment, according to police.

The woman’s husband, 39, is suspected of committing the stabbings. Police arrested the man and have taken him for questioning.

FM Sa’ar calls soldier’s smashing of Jesus statue in Lebanon ‘shameful’

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says an IDF soldier’s damaging of a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon is a “shameful action” and apologizes for the incident.

An image shared on social media yesterday by a Lebanese journalist and authenticated by the IDF showed the soldier smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer.

“The damaging of a Christian religious symbol by an IDF soldier in southern Lebanon is grave and disgraceful. I commend the IDF for its statement, for condemning the incident, and for conducting an investigation into the matter,” Sa’ar writes on X.

“I’m confident that the necessary strict measures will be taken against whoever carried out this ugly act. This shameful action is completely contrary to our values. Israel is a country that respects the different religions and their sacred symbols, and upholds tolerance and respect among faiths. We apologize for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt,” he adds.

The damaging of a Christian religious symbol by an IDF soldier in southern Lebanon is grave and disgraceful.

I commend the IDF for its statement,
for condemning the incident, and for conducting an investigation into the matter. I’m confident that the necessary strict measures…

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) April 20, 2026

IDF warns residents not to return to southern Lebanese villages amid truce

The IDF warns Lebanese civilians against returning to villages in southern Lebanon amid the fragile truce.

“During the ceasefire agreement, the IDF continues to remain deployed in its positions in southern Lebanon in the face of the ongoing terror activity of Hezbollah,” says army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee in a post on X.

He lists dozens of villages where civilians cannot return. “In addition, do not approach the Litani River area, Wadi al-Salhani, and Saluki,” Adraee adds.

During the ceasefire, the military has said that it would continue to clear the area currently under its control of Hezbollah infrastructure, operatives, and any other threats.

Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that the IDF would raze all of the Lebanese border villages, with the exception of several Christian communities.

IDF says it struck primed Hezbollah rocket launcher in south Lebanon

The IDF says it struck a primed Hezbollah rocket launcher north of its “forward defense line” in southern Lebanon overnight.

The loaded launcher in the Qalaouiyah area “posed an immediate threat to IDF troops and Israeli citizens,” the military says.

The incident takes place during a ceasefire in Lebanon. The IDF says that during the truce it will “continue to take the necessary measures for self-defense against threats, while maintaining the security of Israeli civilians and the troops deployed on the ground.”

להסרת איום מיידי: צה"ל תקף משגר טעון ומוכן לשיגור בדרום לבנון צפונית לקו ההגנה הקדמי למניעת איום ישיר על יישובי הצפון

צה"ל תקף במהלך הלילה משגר טעון ומוכן לשיגור במרחב קלאוויה שבדרום לבנון, צפונית לקו ההגנה הקדמי למניעת איום ישיר על יישובי הצפון.

המשגר הטעון היווה איום מיידי על… pic.twitter.com/hUzVt5pjbx

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 20, 2026

Iran’s envoy to Russia says Tehran ensures ‘safety of passage’ through Hormuz

Tankers and bulk carriers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo)

MOSCOW, Russia — Iran ensures the safe passage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz under a new legal regime, the Vedomosti newspaper quotes Iran’s ambassador to Moscow as saying.

Ambassador Kazem Jalali says the US and Israeli attacks on Iran had failed, as their declared intention had been to enact regime change, and yet the Islamic Republic was more united than before.

“Iran ensures safety of passage. Based on the security measures and the legal regime of the Strait of Hormuz, ships and vessels can pass through,” Jalali says, Vedomosti reports.

Hamas willing to give up only internal security arms as part of disarmament — report

Armed members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad greet people gathering for Eid al-Fitr prayers in Gaza City, March 20, 2026. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Hamas is only willing to give up thousands of automatic rifles and “other weapons” held by its internal security forces, two officials from the terror group tell The New York Times.

The concession falls short of the demand by Israel and the United States that the terror group, especially its military wing, give up all its heavy weapons and rockets.

The two officials say that they would turn over the weapons to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the technocratic panel set up by US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace to govern Gaza after two years of war.

The two officials did not provide a clear answer to the Times when asked if the NCAG could seize weapons belonging to Hamas’s military wing.

Iran says it executed two men convicted of planning attacks on behalf of Israel

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran executed two men convicted of cooperating with Israel’s Mossad intelligence service and planning attacks inside the country, the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan reports.

Mizan says the two, identified as Mohammad Masoum Shahi and Hamed Validi, were accused of belonging to a spy network linked to Mossad and had received training abroad, including in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

They had been convicted on charges including “enmity against God” and cooperation with hostile groups, and their death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court before being carried out, Mizan reports.

Ex-PM Bennett says ‘draft evasion is killing our soldiers,’ calls to halt funding for draft evaders, yeshivas

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett attends the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, on February 17, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett says that “draft evasion is killing our soldiers,” speaking to Kan radio about the refusal of ultra-Orthodox community members to serve in the military.

“It is a difficult sentence, and I stand by it,” Bennett tells Kan. “Reservists are tired. It harms our operational performance, and it costs lives.”

He continues, “There are 100,000 healthy Haredim of draft age. Draft then in a simple way: halting the transfer of money to those who don’t draft, and those who are studying [in yeshivas]. What sustains the evasion are the budgets that [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, [Shas chairman Aryeh] Deri and [UTJ chairman Yitzhak] Goldknopf transfer.”

Bennett, who is a favorite to replace Netanyahu at the next elections, vows: “I will not sit under Netanyahu, I will replace him.”

CENTCOM posts footage of US Marines seizing Iranian ship

US Central Command posts footage of Marines rappelling onto the Iranian-flagged vessel Touska, which it seized last night as part of its blockade of Iranian ports.

“U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 20, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s propulsion when the commercial ship failed to comply with repeated warnings from U.S. forces over a six-hour period,” CETCOM writes on X, describing the operation.

U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 20, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s… pic.twitter.com/Vk88389cDr

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026

Avdija notches double-double as Trail Blazers lose game 1 of playoffs

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the first half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in San Antonio, April 19, 2026. (AP/Eric Gay)

Israeli NBA star Deni Avdija scores 30 points and nabs 10 rebounds, along with five assists, in his first playoff game ever.

The forward’s Portland Trail Blazers lose the game 111-98 to the San Antonio Spurs.

Deni Avdija scores 19 in first half of his first playoff game, but Portland trails

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) drives against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) during the first half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in San Antonio, April 19, 2026. (AP/Eric Gay)

Israeli NBA star Deni Avdija puts up 19 points in the first half of his first-ever playoff game.

His Portland Trail Blazers entered the second half 10 points down to their opponents, the San Antonio Spurs, with the score at 59-49 at halftime. But they began the third quarter with eight unanswered points, drawing within two of the Spurs.

Portland won the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs, led by the Israeli forward, who had a breakout season and played in his first All-Star Game. San Antonio, the No. 2 seed, is favored to win the best-of-seven series.

Avdija’s 19 points at the half are the second-highest for any player in the game, behind the 21 scored by the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama.

Avdija also has three assists and six rebounds.

Woman stabbed to death in Beersheba, son, 9, seriously injured; husband suspected

A 40-year-old woman was stabbed to death in Beersheba and her 9-year-old son was seriously injured, according to police.

The boy has been taken to Soroka Medical Center for treatment.

The woman’s husband, 39, is suspected of committing the stabbings. Police arrested the man and have taken him for questioning.

Report: IDF proceeding with demolition of south Lebanese towns despite ceasefire

A soldier stands near a destroyed home in the southern Lebanon village of Ayta ash-Shab, April 19, 2026. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)

The IDF is reportedly moving ahead with the destruction of buildings in southern Lebanese villages, even though a ceasefire is currently in place in its conflict with Hezbollah.

Several IDF commanders tell the Haaretz daily that civilian homes, public buildings and schools are being systematically razed as part of a policy to “clear the area,” which is currently part of the buffer zone created by the Israeli military inside Lebanon.

Israel says Hezbollah has been using civilian infrastructure to store weapons or dig tunnels under homes, and previously, IDF officers have said the military is only demolishing the infrastructure of Hezbollah.

But according to Haaretz, the IDF doesn’t appear to be differentiating between buildings exploited by the terror group and ones untouched, as entire towns are reportedly being razed to the ground.

The demolitions are carried out by paid contractors, including some who are compensated based on the number of buildings they destroy, the commanders tell Haaretz.

The commanders say the IDF is replicating its policy from Gaza in Lebanon as it pertains to demolishing civilian infrastructure. One commander tells Haaretz that the goal is to prevent Lebanese civilians from returning to towns along Israel’s border.

Last month, Defense Minister Israel Katz described the policy, saying, “All houses in villages near the Lebanese border will be demolished according to the model of Rafah and Beit Hanoun in Gaza” in order “to remove, once and for all, the threats near the border.”

The IDF does not respond to Haaretz’s request for comment.

Policeman gets head injury, 10 arrested in brawl at soccer game in Jerusalem

A police officer sustains a head injury, and 10 people are arrested, as a brawl breaks out at the end of a soccer match between Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Haifa at Teddy Stadium in the capital.

The police officer’s head can be seen bleeding in a photo of the incident, and he received medical attention, Hebrew media outlets report.

The police condemn violence that endangers the public at sporting events, and call for those who participated in the brawl to be prosecuted.

LA woman arrested on charge of helping Iran traffic weapons to Sudan

Shamim Mafi, 44, is arrested in Los Angeles on a charge of helping Iran traffic weapons to Sudan, April 18, 2026. (First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli/X)

US federal prosecutors say a 44-year-old Los Angeles woman was arrested Saturday night at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of helping Iran traffic weapons to Sudan, which is in its fourth year of a bloody civil war.

Shamim Mafi will face charges that she brokered the sale of “drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition” between Iran and the Sudanese Armed Forces, First US Attorney Bill Essayli says on social media.

A phone number for Mafi could not be located and it isn’t known if she has an attorney who can speak on her behalf.

Essayli posts a photo of someone in an FBI jacket escorting a woman into the back of a sedan outside a terminal at LAX.

Last night, Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for trafficking arms on behalf of the government of Iran. She is charged with a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 1705 for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of… pic.twitter.com/l39Gf1WVed

— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) April 19, 2026

Mafi is an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016, Essayli says.

A criminal complaint dated March 12 alleges that Mafi and an unnamed co-conspirator operated a company in Oman called Atlas International Business through which weapons and ammunition were trafficked. The company received over $7 million in payments in 2025.

Separately, Mafi and the co-conspirator brokered the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to the Sudanese Ministry of Defense, according to the court documents.

“In connection with the transaction, Mafi submitted a letter of intent to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (‘IRGC’) to purchase the bomb fuses for Sudan,” the complaint says.

Mafi is scheduled to appear in US District Court in Los Angeles on Monday. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison.

The Sudanese civil war has created a humanitarian crisis in the North African country, where food supplies are dwindling and millions of people have fled their homes.

Iran accuses US of ceasefire breach, vows retaliation over attack on ship

Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, accuses the US of violating the ceasefire in their war by firing at one of Iran’s commercial ships in the Gulf of Oman, and vows to retaliate.

State media quotes a Khatam al-Anbiya spokesperson as saying that the vessel was en route from China to Iran.

“We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military,” the spokesperson says.

US military posts footage of its navy firing on Iranian ship it later seized

The American military publishes footage showing a US Navy missile destroyer opening fire on an Iranian cargo ship that attempted to pass a blockade that Washington has been maintaining around Iranian ports.

“Guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea at 17 knots en route to Bandar Abbas, Iran. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade,” the US Central Command says in a statement.

CENTCOM says that after Touska’s crew “failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, Spruance directed the vessel to evacuate its engine room.”

The missile destroyer disabled the Iranian cargo ship’s propulsion “by firing several rounds from the destroyer’s 5-inch MK 45 Gun into Touska’s engine room.”

“U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in U.S. custody,” CENTCOM says.

CENTCOM says its forces “acted in a deliberate, professional, and proportional manner to ensure compliance.”

U.S. forces operating in the Arabian Sea enforced naval blockade measures against an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port, April 19.

Guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea at… https://t.co/iyzOQd93C3 pic.twitter.com/HwU4XS48Oq

— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) April 19, 2026

IDF says image of soldier destroying Jesus statue in Lebanon is real, vows action

An IDF soldier smashes a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, in an image uploaded to social media on April 19, 2026. (X/used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The Israel Defense Forces confirms the authenticity of a photo showing a soldier in southern Lebanon smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer, and says it will take action against those involved.

Following an initial review of the photo, the military says that “it was determined that the photograph depicts an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon.”

“The IDF views the incident with great severity and emphasizes that the soldier’s conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops,” the military says.

The incident is being investigated by the Northern Command and is being handled “through the chain of command,” the IDF says, adding that “appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings.”

The Northern Command will also assist the Christian community in restoring the statue to its place, the military adds.