April 23: Son of shah says talks with Iran ‘appeasement,’ new leaders ‘different faces of the same machine’

In first since truce, Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel, as talks with Lebanon set to begin in DC

Hezbollah fired a barrage of some four rockets from Lebanon at the northern border community of Shtula a short while ago.

According to the IDF, all of the rockets that crossed the border were intercepted.

There are no reports of injuries.

Hezbollah has been carrying out multiple attacks a day on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon amid the fragile ceasefire.

Tonight’s incident marks the first Hezbollah rocket attack on Israeli territory since the ceasefire took effect last week, and as Israeli and Lebanese representatives are set to meet for talks at the White House.

IRGC placed more mines in Hormuz this week — report

A cargo ship sails in the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz, April 22, 2026. (AP)

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has placed more mines in the Strait of Hormuz this week, a US source and a source with knowledge on the matter tell the Axios news site.

The US has been tracking the mine-laying operation and knows how many have been placed, but the US official did not provide the number.

The White House declined to comment on the report.

According to Axios, after US President Donald Trump received a briefing on the matter, he posted on Truth Social that the US Navy would “shoot and kill” any boat mining the Strait of Hormuz.

Sirens warn of rocket fire in northern community

Sirens warning of rocket fire sound in the Lebanon border community of Shtula.

The IDF says it is investigating the incident.

Hezbollah claims it targeted IDF bulldozer in south Lebanon demolishing homes

IDF troops operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued on April 23, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Hezbollah claims to have targeted an IDF bulldozer in the southern Lebanon town of Rachaf this evening, while it was demolishing homes.

In another statement, Hezbollah says it fired rockets at Israeli troops stationed in the Bint Jbeil area.

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

Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that the IDF would raze all of the Lebanese border villages — with the exception of several Christian communities — though military commanders have insisted that the army is only destroying Hezbollah infrastructure, which they say is often embedded within civilian homes.

US feds investigating NYC schools for alleged antisemitic discrimination

The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announces an investigation into New York City’s public schools for antisemitic discrimination.

The investigation will probe whether the New York City Department of Education violated federal civil rights law by discriminating against Jewish students.

The investigation centers on a group called NYC Educators for Palestine that has organized seminars about “Palestine, Zionism and Resistance,” the federal office says.

The seminars teach children from the age of 5 about “Palestinian resistance,” that “Zionists” are “genocidal white supremacists,” and to support Hamas and its “martyrs,” the statement says.

“No child should be taught by his or her teachers to hate their peers. Neither should Jewish children be taught that being Jewish somehow makes them inherently guilty or proponents of hate and violence,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey says in a statement.

Trump says Americans should expect higher gas prices due to Iran war for ‘a little while’

US President Donald Trump speaks during an event on health care affordability in the Oval Office at the White House, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

WASHINGTON — Asked how much longer Americans should expect to pay higher gas prices due to the Iran war, US President Donald Trump responds, “for a little while.”

“And you know what they get for that? Iran without a nuclear weapon that’s going try to blow up one of our cities or the entire Middle East,” Trump tells reporters in the Oval Office.

Trump again declines to put a timeline for how long he is willing to wait for Iran to respond to the latest proposal for a permanent ceasefire.

“Don’t rush me,” Trump tells a reporter, noting that previous US wars were far longer than the current one with Iran.

Trump again claims that internal divisions are preventing Iran from producing a unified response in talks with the US. “They’re fighting like cats and dogs over who’s going to control. We’ve created a real mess for them.”

“We’ve hit about 75% of our targets. We stopped primarily because they wanted to have some peace,” Trump says.

Trump admits that Iran may have loaded up their weaponry “a little bit” during the the ongoing ceasefire but claims that the US military can knock that out in about one day.

Police interrogation of culture minister in Histadrut corruption probe wraps up after 12 hours — report

Police complete their questioning of Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar after 12 hours, the Ynet news site reports.

Zohar was summoned for questioning for the second time this week by police investigators in the Lahav 433 major crimes unit over his ties to the main suspect in the affair, Ezra Gabay.

Gabay, an insurance agent and Likud activist, is suspected of operating a large bribery network by exploiting his connections to Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David and Likud party officials to procure jobs in exchange for securing insurance contracts with labor unions.

Charlie Summers contributed to this report.

Petah Tikva pizzeria worker stabbed to death on Independence Day after asking teens not to use party spray, mayor says

A young pizzeria worker has died from his wounds after being stabbed multiple times by teens after asking them not to use party spray cans inside the shop on Independence Day, Petah Tikva Mayor Rami Greenberg says.

“This is a young man who worked for a living, who politely asked a group of teens not to use spray inside the pizzeria in which he worked, and in response was stabbed to death,” Greenberg writes on Facebook, condemning violence in the city.

US says third aircraft carrier has arrived in Mideast amid Iran ceasefire

The US military announces that a third aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East, amid the fragile truce with Iran.

In a post on X, the US Central Command publishes a photo showing USS George H.W. Bush sailing in the Indian Ocean, in the CENTCOM “area of responsibility.”

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) sails in the Indian Ocean in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, April 23. pic.twitter.com/oDcTM6YMLF

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 23, 2026

According to the US Naval Institute, the other two aircraft carriers, USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln, are stationed in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, respectively.

Trump: ‘I have all the time in the world, but Iran doesn’t — the clock is ticking’

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the Gaza International Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Amid speculation that the US is desperate to cut a deal with Iran to prevent rising costs, US President Donald Trump claims he is “possibly the least pressured person ever to be in this position.”

“I have all the time in the world, but Iran doesn’t — the clock is ticking,” he writes on Truth Social.

“A deal will only be made when it’s appropriate and good for the United States of America, our allies and, in fact, the rest of the World,” Trump insists.

Trump to greet Israeli and Lebanese negotiators when they arrive at White House

US President Donald Trump will greet representatives of Israel and Lebanon when they arrive at the White House for negotiations.

“The ambassador-level talks between Israel and Lebanon will now take place at the White House. President Trump will greet both representatives upon their arrival,” a US official tells The Times of Israel.

TV poll finds coalition parties would only win 50 seats at election; Bennett gains seat since last week

A Channel 12 news survey finds coalition parties would only win 50 seats in the 120-member Knesset if elections were held today.

The poll puts Likud at 25, Naftali Bennett’s Bennett 2026 at 21, one more than the previous poll, and Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar! steady at 14. The Democrats, led by Yair Golan, would win 10 seats, while Shas would win 9.

Otzma Yehudit would win 9, Yisrael Beytenu 8, Yesh Atid 7, United Torah Judaism 7, Hadash-Ta’al 5, and Ra’am 5.

Benny Gantz’s Blue and White and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism fail to cross the electoral threshold.

Per the poll, the coalition would get 50 seats while the opposition would garner 70 — but 60 without the Arab parties.

Asked about this week’s Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony, 45% of respondents say it was politicized, while 31% say it was stately, while 24% say they didn’t know.

Respondents want a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre, rather than a panel “appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” by a margin of 60-23%, the poll finds.

Pope Leo condemns killing of Iran’s anti-regime protesters after Trump criticism

Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists aboard the papal flight from Malabo to Rome, April 23, 2026, at the end of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT — Pope Leo firmly condemns the killing of protesters in Iran, after US President Donald Trump criticized the Catholic leader last week for not doing so while speaking out against the US-Israel war with Iran.

Leo, the first US pope, also decried the deaths of “so many” civilians in the war and lamented the collapse of US-Iran peace talks in comments aboard his return flight to Rome after a four-nation Africa tour.

“I condemn all actions that are unjust. I condemn the taking of people’s lives,” the pope says in response to a question in a press conference about reports that Iran has killed thousands of protesters.

“When a regime, when a country takes decisions which takes away the lives of other people unjustly, then obviously that is something that should be condemned,” he says.

Leo was attacked by Trump on social media as “terrible” on April 12, after the pope emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war and the president’s hardline anti-immigration policies.

In a post two days later, Trump asked “will someone please tell Pope Leo” about the deaths of Iranian protesters.

Iranian authorities killed thousands of people during anti-government protests in January, Iran’s worst domestic unrest since the era of its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Rights groups say the government has continued to crack down on opponents while war rages, with Tehran carrying out another execution this week.

Leo did not mention Trump in his remarks on Thursday. He said that as the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church, he does not support war.

Former top Toronto cop says antisemitic senior officers managed anti-Israel protests

Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel demonstrators make a rude gesture at pro-Israel counter-protesters in front of Roy Thomson Hall, where the documentary 'The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue' was set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, on September 10, 2025. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)

Former Toronto homicide inspector Hank Idsinga tells CBC News, Canada’s public broadcaster, that antisemitism is rife in police ranks.

The network describes Idsinga, a 34-year police veteran, as “once the most well-known cop in Canada’s biggest city,” citing his leading role in prominent murder cases.

Idsinga says a senior officer labeled a kosher barbecue as a “Jew-cue,” and said of a Jewish cop, “The only reason he gets away with this is because he’s a fucking Jew.”

The same officer later said, “I can’t believe we have to pander to this fucking Jew,” ahead of a meeting with a Jewish lawyer, Idsinga says.

Idsinga says his grandfather was a Holocaust victim, but that he kept his identity quiet, so other officers were comfortable speaking candidly around him.

Idsinga also reports anti-black racism and general “dysfunction in the senior ranks,” adding that there are many more examples of racism and antisemitism, including surrounding anti-Israel protests.

“If you look at those senior officers who are still in control when we have our post-October 7th protests going on, and everyone’s scratching their head and saying, ‘Why aren’t the police doing anything here? Why are we not seeing a response when it’s this particular community that’s being victimized?’ and that very well might explain some of it,” he says.

Asked if antisemitic senior officers were “in charge of decisions around deployment around those protests,” Idsinga says, “Absolutely.”

“If you call to make a complaint about antisemitic behavior,” he says, “you need to be aware that the person you’re making that complaint to very well might be an antisemite themselves.”

“That’s why you have to constantly stay on top of that complaint,” he says.

Israel denies it is attacking Iran after air defenses reportedly fire at ‘hostile targets’ over Tehran

Israel denies involvement after Iranian media reported that air defense systems were engaging “hostile targets” in parts of the Iranian capital, Tehran.

An Israeli security official says Israel is not striking in Iran.

Police say they rescued teen from attempted kidnapping in Jerusalem

Police rescue a teen and arrest four kidnapping suspects in Jerusalem, April 23, 2026. (Israel Police)

Police say they thwarted the kidnapping of a 16-year-old in Jerusalem, arresting four suspects.

According to police, the teen was taken from the Beit Hanina neighborhood in Jerusalem, with kidnappers demanding a ransom for his release.

Police were able to find the suspected vehicle in which the teen was taken and rescued him, and arrested his suspected kidnappers.

The teen was unhurt in the incident.

IDF says it has killed 25 Hezbollah operatives posing threat to troops since truce began

IDF troops operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued on April 23, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Since the ceasefire took effect in Lebanon last week, the IDF says it has killed over 25 Hezbollah operatives who posed a threat to troops, and destroyed hundreds of the terror group’s sites.

The military says it continues to operate in the new southern Lebanon security zone to “serve as a buffer protecting residents of the north.”

“So far, the troops have located numerous weapons and, in cooperation with the Air Force, eliminated more than 25 terrorists who posed a threat to IDF troops in the area,” the military says, adding that the Israeli Air Force conducted some 50 airstrikes against Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure.

The IDF adds that in recent days, Hezbollah has carried out numerous attacks on Israeli forces stationed in southern Lebanon. Israel has not responded yet to the attacks.

“The IDF will continue to act decisively against threats directed at the citizens of the State of Israel and IDF troops, and is operating in accordance with the directives of the political echelon,” the army adds.

כ-50 תקיפות מהאוויר, יותר מ-25 מחבלים שחוסלו ומאות תשתיות טרור שהושמדו מעל ומתחת לקרקע: צה"ל ממשיך לפעול להגנה על אזרחי ישראל וכוחותיו בדרום לבנון

מכניסת הבנות הפסקת האש, כוחות צה"ל ממשיכים לפעול בדרום לבנון ולהוות חיץ המגן על תושבי הצפון. הכוחות פועלים לטיהור המרחב ממחבלים… pic.twitter.com/GJUVsUwjyN

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 23, 2026

Air defenses engaging ‘hostile targets’ over Tehran — Iranian media

Air defense systems were heard engaging what were described as “hostile targets” in parts of the Iranian capital Tehran, Iran’s Mehr news agency reports, after earlier reports that air defense batteries had been activated in the city.

Trump ‘may’ stop by at Israel-Lebanon talks at White House, Israeli source tells ToI

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

WASHINGTON — After the US moved the talks between Israel and Lebanon from the White House to the State Department at the last minute, an Israeli source tells The Times of Israel that President Donald Trump “may” stop by the meeting.

46% of young Americans see relationship with Israel as a burden, 16% see it as beneficial — poll

Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel demonstrators rally outside AIPAC headquarters and the offices of Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who've both been endorsed by the group, in New York City, February 22, 2024. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images/ via JTA)

Young Americans, by a wide margin, see the US relationship with Israel as a burden, according to a Harvard Youth Poll.

The poll finds that 46% of respondents view the US-Israel relationship as “mostly a burden to the US,” while 16% see it as mostly beneficial.

Respondents are also critical of the relationship with Ukraine, with 31% seeing it as a burden and 21% as a benefit.

Large majorities see the US relationships with Canada, Mexico, and the European Union as beneficial.

Respondents are also opposed to the war with Iran — 55% say the conflict is not in the best interest of Americans, while 18% are in favor, and the remainder are unsure.

A majority believes the Iran war could escalate into a larger conflict, is concerned about the impact on the cost of living, and worries about a direct attack on the US homeland.

A 55% majority also believes that Iran poses a threat to the US. For other countries, 59% view Russia as a threat, 54% for China, and 51% for North Korea.

The poll surveyed 2,018 Americans between the ages of 18-29 from March 26 to April 3 and has a margin of error of 2.74%.

Unsourced TV report says Iranian parliament speaker quit US talks amid internal rift

Iran's Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf poses during a group photo at the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum held at the Federal Senate in Brasilia, Brazil, June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has resigned from leading negotiations with the United States, according to an unsourced Channel 12 report.

According to the report, Ghalibaf stepped down from his role overseeing talks with Washington and mediation efforts led by Pakistan, citing growing interference from Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps generals.

The dispute reportedly came to a head over a Qatari proposal aimed at easing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, which would have allowed 20 Iranian vessels to transit the waterway in exchange for 20 ships from Arab Gulf ports to do the same. The proposal was ultimately blocked by Iranian officials, including Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Police locate explosives at home of Long Island teen who drew swastika in school

Long Island man Francisco Sanles, charged with making explosives at his home after his son drew a swastika in school, in a police photo released on April 23, 2026. (Nassau County Police Department)

Police on Long Island, New York, report finding explosives at the home of a teen who had drawn a swastika in a school bathroom.

Officers were investigating the antisemitic graffiti at Syosset High School, in the North Shore area, when they went to the 15-year-old’s home, the Nassau County Police Department says in a statement.

Officers discovered chemicals at the home “that had been combined to create explosive materials,” the statement says.

The discovery prompted an evacuation of the residence and nearby homes as the fire marshal, bomb squad, and HAZMAT teams rushed to the scene to remove the explosives.

Investigators found that the teen’s father, Francisco Sanles, 48, had bought the chemicals and arrested Sanles, the department says.

Sanles and the juvenile were arrested yesterday, police say.

Sanles is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal facilitation, endangering the welfare of a child, and reckless endangerment.

The teen is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, aggravated harassment, and making graffiti.

Israel-Lebanon talks moved from State Department to White House — source to ToI

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) speaks during a meeting with Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad (2R) and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter (2L) at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Oliver Contreras / AFP)

WASHINGTON — The US-brokered ambassador-level talks between Israel and Lebanon have been moved from the State Department to the White House, an Israeli source tells The Times of Israel.

The talks are supposed to begin at 4 p.m.

The last-minute change of venue would indicate an elevation of their importance in the eyes of the administration.

NY man charged for anti-Israel street takeover that sparked outrage

A New York man is charged with his alleged involvement in a street takeover by anti-Israel activists in Queens on Saturday.

Asil Assaidi, 22, is charged with reckless endangerment, riot, criminal mischief, and other crimes, the NYPD says.

This is Asil Assaidi, who the NYPD arrested and charged for his role in Saturday’s dangerous car meet-up.

This type of chaos has no place in our city, and we'll continue to crackdown on anyone who engages in this reckless behavior. pic.twitter.com/QzfqHTAg0s

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 23, 2026

Footage from the Saturday incident showed a crowd, some wearing keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags, igniting a ring of fire in an intersection, near two gas stations, and whipping cars around the streets.

Massive car takeover rocks NYC intersection — about 100 cars involved as calls grow for crackdown.

New video shows chaos unfolding early Saturday morning in a Queens neighborhood as mobs light fires in the street and cars spin out near a gas station, with one driver circling the… pic.twitter.com/bXMhtGzSmC

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 19, 2026

The NYPD had released photos of suspects wearing keffiyehs and offered a $3,500 dollar reward for information.

We are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the individuals and vehicles in these photos regarding an ongoing investigation.

If you have any information, please contact 1-800-577-8477 immediately. You can remain 100% anonymous. pic.twitter.com/mzsLgh8C5u

— NYPD 104th Precinct (@NYPD104Pct) April 22, 2026

The incident had sparked outrage for the dangerous stunts and disturbing a quiet neighborhood.

Two Hezbollah operatives killed in south Lebanon after approaching troops — IDF

Two armed Hezbollah operatives who approached Israeli troops in the southern Lebanon town of Aynata, adjacent to Bint Jbeil, earlier today were killed, the military says.

The IDF says troops of the Commando Brigade, stationed in the Bint Jbeil area, identified “two armed terrorists who approached the forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat.”

The soldiers then “eliminated the terrorists to remove the threat,” the army says.

Son of shah says talks with Iran ‘appeasement,’ new leaders ‘different faces of the same machine’

Iran's Reza Pahlavi, exiled son of Shah Reza Pahlavi, speaks during a news conference in Berlin, Germany, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

BERLIN, Germany — Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s ousted shah, argues that any negotiations with the clerical leadership in Tehran amount to “appeasement” and voiced hope that renewed street protests will topple it.

“The whole narrative of ceasefire and negotiation is still based on thinking that … you’re going to deal with people who all of a sudden have become pragmatists,” Pahlavi, who was visiting Germany after stops in Sweden and Italy, tells journalists.

“I don’t see that happening,” he says, condemning Iran’s new leaders after the killing of supreme leader Ali Khamenei and other senior figures as “different faces of the same machine.”

Pahlavi says Iran had “slaughtered innocent citizens by the thousands” and threatens Europe with long-range missiles. “No deal will solve this. No negotiations will solve this. It is in their DNA.”

Lebanon says 3 killed in Israeli strike in south Lebanon

Three people were killed in an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanon town of Shoukin, close to Nabatieh, the Lebanese health ministry says.

The ministry says Israeli artillery shelling on the town of Yater also injured two, including a child.

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

Limited security cabinet meeting reportedly to be held at 8 p.m.

A limited security cabinet meeting is set to convene at 8 p.m., Channel 12 reports.

Earlier, Ynet news reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was planning to hold a security discussion by phone this evening with ministers and senior defense officials to discuss developments in Lebanon and Iran.

The call comes ahead of today’s round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Washington, reportedly set for 4 p.m. local time (11 p.m. Israel time).

According to Channel 12, Israeli officials assess that a decision point regarding Iran is nearing in Washington, with US President Donald Trump expected to determine the next course of action within days. Meanwhile, the news outlet also reports that the assessment in Jerusalem is increasingly pointing to a resumption of fighting with Iran drawing closer, amid stalled negotiations and a lack of response from Tehran.

IDF says Palestinian teen killed earlier was hurling stones at troops in West Bank

IDF soldiers operate during a raid on a cafe in the West Bank city of Nablus, April 23, 2026. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)

The IDF says that troops opened fire on a Palestinian who hurled stones at troops during a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus earlier today.

The Palestinian Authority’s health ministry reported earlier that 15-year-old Youssef Sameh Shtayyeh was killed by Israeli fire in the area.

In response to a query by The Times of Israel, the IDF says that “during operational activity by security forces in Nablus… a terrorist threw stones at the forces.”

“The troops carried out a suspect arrest procedure, at the end of which they opened fire at the terrorist,” the IDF says, adding that it is aware of reports that one Palestinian was killed.

Katz says Israel waiting for ‘green light’ to renew war against Iran

Defense Minister Israel Katz (center) holds a security assessment with military officials, April 23, 2026. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Israel Katz during a security assessment says that Israel is ready to resume the fighting against Iran, and is waiting for a “green light from the United States” to target the new supreme leader and Iranian energy sites.

“Israel is prepared to renew the war against Iran. The IDF is ready in defense and offense, and the targets are marked,” Katz says.

Katz says Israel is “awaiting a green light from the United States, first and foremost to complete the elimination of the Khamenei dynasty, the initiator of the extermination plan against Israel, and the successors of the successors of the leadership of the Iranian terror regime, and in addition to return Iran to the age of darkness and stone by blowing up central energy and electricity facilities and crushing national economic infrastructure.”

He adds that “this time the attack will be different and deadly and will add devastating blows in the most painful places, following the enormous blows the Iranian terror regime has already suffered so far, that will shake and collapse its foundations.”

IDF says Hezbollah command center found 25 meters below clothing store in south Lebanon

The IDF says it uncovered an underground Hezbollah command center, 25 meters below a clothing store in the southern Lebanon town of Khiam.

Inside the tunnel, the military says troops found weapons and several rooms that were used by Hezbollah “for managing the fighting.”

The IDF says it uncovered an underground Hezbollah command center, 25 meters below a clothing store in the southern Lebanon town of Khiam.

Inside the tunnel, the military says troops found weapons and several rooms that were used by Hezbollah "for managing the fighting." pic.twitter.com/NtcOp8pAPN

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 23, 2026

IDF says attempted car-ramming carried out against soldiers in north West Bank

The IDF says that an attempted car-ramming attack was carried out against Israeli troops operating in the northern West Bank town of Burqa.

No injuries were caused.

“IDF troops launched a pursuit of the suspects,” the army says.

France says EU may adopt sanctions on violent Israeli settlers ‘in the coming days’

Palestinians stand at the scene where vehicles and a home were set on fire following an attack by extremist Jewish settlers in the village of Beit Amrin, west of Nablus, in the West Bank, April 22, 2026. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot says that the European Union may impose sanctions on Israelis linked to violent settler attacks “in the coming days,” warning that Israel cannot be treated “as if nothing is happening” if its policies do not change.

Speaking to French broadcaster franceinfo, Barrot says he has been pushing “for a year” for sanctions against those responsible for the killings of Palestinians and arson attacks in the West Bank.

He notes the measures are currently blocked at the EU level by a Hungarian veto, but expresses optimism that “we will be able to adopt sanctions in the coming days.”

Barrot reiterates France’s criticisms of Israeli policy, saying Paris condemns Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Lebanon, and calling for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza as well as an end to “illegal settlement activity and the surge in violence by extremist settlers” in the West Bank.

At the same time, he stresses that the aim is not to suspend EU-Israel ties for their own sake, but to drive policy change.

“Our objective is not to suspend for the sake of suspending; our objective is for things to change and for the Israeli government to change its policy,” he says.

Israel delivers air defense system to Slovakia, ahead of schedule

An undated photo of the Barak MX system. (Israel Aerospace Industries)

Israel has delivered the Barak MX air defense system to Slovakia following a 560 million euro (NIS 2 billion) deal signed in 2024.

In a statement, the Defense Ministry notes that the delivery to the Slovak Air Force was completed ahead of schedule.

The ministry says the delivery “marks a significant enhancement in Slovakia’s ability to defend its airspace against the full spectrum of modern aerial threats… while further reinforcing NATO’s collective security architecture.”

Barak MX, produced by Israel Aerospace Industries, is designed to counter various types of aerial threats, including fighter jets, helicopters, drones, cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles and tactical ballistic missiles, according to the ministry.

The system is equipped with three types of interceptor missiles for threats within ranges of up to 35, 70, and 150 kilometers.

Ahead of peace talks, Lebanese PM says Beirut ‘cannot live’ with Israeli buffer zone in country’s south

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam speaks at a joint declaration press event with France's President Emmanuel Macron following their meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, France, April 21, 2026. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says Beirut is urging the United States to press Israel to moderate its demands and withdraw from southern Lebanon ahead of a second round of direct talks, set for today in Washington, in an interview with The Washington Post.

Salam says Lebanon cannot accept any deal that does not include a “full withdrawal” of Israeli forces, rejecting Israel’s plans for a security zone.

“We cannot live with a so-called buffer zone,” he says, describing it as “an Israeli presence where Lebanese displaced people are not allowed to return, where destroyed villages and towns cannot be rebuilt.”

He stresses that Washington’s role in negotiations is key, saying Lebanon is entering the talks “convinced that the US is the party that can have leverage over Israel.” He adds, “Their role was critical in reaching the ceasefire, and we hope they will continue exercising their leverage over Israel.”

Salam also calls for extending the fragile US-brokered ceasefire, and acknowledges uncertainty over the outcome of negotiations.

“I don’t know what we can achieve through negotiation, but I know what we want,” he says. “We don’t want to leave any stone unturned to reach our objectives.”

Addressing the issue of Hezbollah, Salam says the “only way” to disarm the terror group is by bolstering the Lebanese army, adding that “a state cannot have two armies.” He emphasizes that “disarmament is a process; it’s not something that’s going to happen overnight,” but says the government has already shown “seriousness” in taking steps toward that goal and is not “intimidated” by Hezbollah.

Palestinian teen killed during IDF raid in Nablus, PA health ministry says

IDF soldiers operate during a raid on a cafe in the West Bank city of Nablus, April 23, 2026. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)

A Palestinian teenager was killed during an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian health officials say.

The Palestinian Authority’s health ministry identifies the teen as 15-year-old Youssef Sameh Shtayyeh.

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

Two IAF technicians charged with spying for Iran, one leaked fighter jet info

An Israel Air Force F-15 fighter jet, seen at the Tel Nof Air Force base, on January 1, 2024. (Moshe Shai/Flash90)

Two Israeli Air Force technicians have been charged with spying on behalf of Iran, Israeli authorities announce.

An indictment filed by military prosecutors this morning accuses the pair, who served at the Tel Nof Airbase, of a series of “security offenses on behalf of Iranian intelligence elements.”

One soldier is charged with aiding an enemy in wartime, providing information to an enemy, facilitating contact with a foreign agent, and additional offenses. The second soldier is charged with contact with a foreign agent, providing information to the enemy, and additional offenses.

In a joint statement, the Shin Bet security agency, the IDF, and the police say that the two technicians claimed in their interrogation that contact with their Iranian handlers was severed after they refused to carry out tasks involving weapons.

“However, even after the contact was cut off at the initiative of the handler, they did not cease attempts to renew contact, for the purpose of financial gain,” the statement says.

According to the indictment, over the course of several months, the two soldiers “maintained contact with Iranian intelligence elements and carried out various tasks under their direction in exchange for money.”

The indictment also says that one of the soldiers transferred to an Iranian agent “materials from his military training relating to fighter aircraft systems, as well as documentation of facilities and areas within a military base.”

The investigation was carried out jointly by the Shin Bet, Military Police, and Israel Police. In the joint statement, the authorities say they “again warn Israeli citizens, including soldiers, about the very act of maintaining contact with foreign elements from enemy states, let alone carrying out tasks for them in exchange for payment or any other benefit.”

Florida students engaged in tropes about Epstein, made Nazi salutes, complaint says

Image shows a slide from a Florida school presentation in September 2025, according to an ADL complaint. (ADL)

Students at a Florida school presented their classmates with antisemitic tropes while making Nazi gestures, according to a complaint announced today.

The Anti-Defamation League and the Akerman law firm announce the complaint, filed with the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, on behalf of a Jewish student from the district. The complaint was filed in February, but kept under wraps until today.

The student, a 16-year-old 11th grader, was enrolled at A. Crawford Mosley High School, part of the Bay District Schools system in the Florida panhandle. The student was one of the only Jews in the district, the complaint says.

Last year, in the student’s media studies class, other pupils presented a PowerPoint rife with antisemitic stereotypes, with the support of teachers, according to the complaint.

Photos included in the complaint show that the presentation included images of Jeffrey Epstein alongside an Israeli flag and IDF logo, images of Prime Minister Banjamin Netanyahu, and a cartoonish illustration of a man in a kippah.

Weeks later, in another class, other students presented antisemitic tropes about Jews and money, dual loyalty, and other conspiracies. The non-Jewish students also wore kippahs and made Nazi salutes, and teachers did not interrupt.

Images in the presentation included Jeffrey Epstein and a Mossad logo next to text about “propaganda in the media,” a meme that features a religious Jewish man saying, “The goyim know. Shut it down,” which is popular in white supremacist circles, tropes about AIPAC and Jewish influence over government, and caricatures of religious Jews.

The student’s mother complained, prompting an investigation by the district, which found that the presentation amounted to antisemitic harassment. The district did not take any action in response, however.

The student also saw swastikas drawn onto desks and bathroom stalls. Classmates found out the student was Jewish and responded with a Sieg Heil salute and antisemitic tropes about Jews and money, the complaint says, adding that the student had been targeted in antisemitic bullying and harassment since elementary school, and has since moved to another school in a different state.

The complaint urges the federal Office for Civil Rights to compel the school district to recognize the IHRA definition of antisemitism, enact a zero-tolerance policy for antisemitism, and implement antisemitism training, among other measures to bring the school into compliance with Title VI.

The school district did not respond to a request for comment

Modiin resident says police questioned him over kippa with Palestinian flag, returned it with flag cut out

Alex Sinclair's mutilated kippa, with an Israeli flag intact and a Palestinian flag removed, as pictured on April 23, 2026. (Alex Sinclair)

A Modiin resident says he was questioned by police because his kippa displayed both an Israeli and a Palestinian flag. After the interrogation, the kippa was returned to him with the Palestinian flag cut out, he tells Channel 12 news.

Dr. Alex Sinclair tells Channel 12 he was wearing his kippa in a cafe in Modiin when a person came up to him and said, “I am calling the police.”

After police arrived and told him the image on his kippa was illegal, he says he did not receive a clear answer as to what law they were talking about.

Displaying a Palestinian flag is not illegal, but police regularly confiscate flags at protests, claiming they disturb the peace.

“At the police station, they asked me questions and told me they would allow me to go, but I must leave the kippa with them. I said that I can’t and that the kippa is important to me; I’ve been wearing it for years. In the end, the police entered the room and returned the kippa cut up,” he says.

“As I sat in the interrogation, I thought surely someone would come in and tell me this is an April Fool’s joke. I am horrified at the behavior of the police officers. I, as a citizen, want to believe that the police are there to protect me. I now feel the police in my city see me as an enemy. And this is a terrible feeling.”

זו המדינה שאנחנו חיים בה: ד"ר אלכס סינקלר ישב בבית קפה במודיעין. לקוחה אחרת הבחינה שעל הכיפה שלו יש דגלי ישראל ופלסטין ביחד, סמל לשלום, והזמינה את המשטרה. המשטרה הגיעה והודיעה לו ש"הכיפה שלו נגד החוק". משסירב להסירה, נקלחה הכיפה בכוח, והוחזרה לו אחרי שדגל פלסטין נגזר ממנה. זהו. pic.twitter.com/cqCik3dUov

— Alon-Lee Green – ألون-لي جرين – אלון-לי גרין ???? (@AlonLeeGreen) April 23, 2026

Trump delights in apparent rifts in Tehran: ‘Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is’

US President Donald Trump revels in what he claims are the internal divisions within Iran, which have prevented the country from submitting a response to the latest proposal for a permanent ceasefire agreement between the two countries.

“Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is! They just don’t know!” Trump writes on Truth Social.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen publicly since he was appointed, with reports stating that he was severely injured in the strike that killed his father.

Regardless, the hardline leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is said to be making decisions in Tehran, while parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who have been tasked with negotiating with the US, are said to be more amicable to making a deal.

“The infighting is between the ‘hardliners’ who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the ‘moderates,’ who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY!” Trump writes on Truth Social.

“We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz. No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy. It is sealed up tight until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!” Trump adds.

The White House schedule says Trump has three hours of “executive time” this morning, which he often spends by posting on Truth Social and taking cold calls from journalists.

The White House claims that internal divisions in Iran have prevented Tehran from coming up with a unified response to the latest proposal for a permanent ceasefire, leading Trump to indefinitely extend a truce that was supposed to expire earlier this week.

Report: IRGC generals effectively ruling Iran, sidelining ‘gravely injured’ supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei

An Iranian woman walks past a poster featuring a portrait of Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader, in the capital Tehran on April 13, 2026 (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is not exercising the same centralized authority as his father, the late Ali Khamenei, with power instead shifting to senior commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a report by The New York Times.

Access to Khamenei “is extremely difficult and limited now,” the report says. “He is surrounded mostly by a team of doctors and medical staff who are treating the injuries” he sustained in the airstrikes at the start of the war.

It adds that senior officials and military chiefs do not visit him, for fear of being targeted by Israel. And it says Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon, has helped with his medical care.

Khamenei was “gravely wounded” but is “sharp and engaged,” the report says, citing four senior Iranian officials familiar with his health. “One leg was operated on three times, and he is awaiting a prosthetic. He had surgery on one hand and is slowly regaining function. His face and lips have been burned severely, making it difficult for him to speak,” the report elaborates. “Eventually, he will need plastic surgery.

The report is based on interviews with current and former Iranian officials, members of the IRGC, a senior cleric, and individuals familiar with Khamenei and the country’s leadership structure.

Abdolreza Davari, a former adviser to former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, says the younger Khamenei – who has not been seen or heard publicly since taking office in March after his father was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike – is “managing the country as though he is the director of the board,” adding that “he relies heavily on the advice and guidance of the board members… The generals are the board members.”

“Mojtaba is not yet in full command or control,” says Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa for Chatham House, with contacts in Iran, adding that he is largely presented with “fait accompli” decisions.

Khamenei has reportedly been in hiding since US and Israeli strikes on February 28 killed his father and left him seriously wounded, with severe burns and injuries that have limited his ability to speak. Communication with him is conducted through handwritten messages passed via couriers, the report says.

Officials cited in the report say he has refrained from issuing any video or audio statements so far, seeking to avoid appearing weakened or vulnerable in his first public address.

The combination of his injuries, security concerns, and limited access has reportedly led him to delegate authority to IRGC generals, who now dominate decisions on wartime strategy and diplomacy.

The shift marks a significant change from the previous system, in which the elder Khamenei held final authority. Now, Ali Vaez, the Iran director of the International Crisis Group, says, “Mojtaba is subservient to the Revolutionary Guards,” calling him a leader only in name.

According to the report, the generals have led key wartime decisions, including attacks on Israel, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and engagement in ceasefire and diplomatic talks with the United States.

Disagreements are said to persist within Iran’s leadership, including over talks with Washington, but the report says the generals have prevailed over political figures, including in a recent decision to halt negotiations with the US amid tensions over a maritime blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump says he has ordered US Navy ‘to shoot and kill’ mine-laying boats in Hormuz

US President Donald Trump speaks during an event for NCAA national champions in the State Dining Room of the White House, April 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump says he has ordered the US Navy “to shoot and kill” any boat “that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz.”

“Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now,” Trump writes on Truth Social. “I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level!”

The US has yet to confirm that Iranian ships have been placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, but says it has taken a series of preventative steps just in case.

US military seizes another Iran-linked oil tanker in Indian Ocean

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The US military seizes another tanker associated with the smuggling of Iranian oil, ratcheting up a standoff with Iran a day after its paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps took control of two vessels in the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

The US Defense Department releases video footage of US forces on the deck of the oil tanker Majestic X, which was seized in the Indian Ocean.

“We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” a Pentagon statement says.

Ship-tracking data showed the Majestic X in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia, roughly the same location as the oil tanker Tifani, earlier seized by American forces. It had been bound for Zhoushan, China.

There is no immediate response from Iran on the news of the seizure.

The seizure comes a day after Iran attacked three cargo ships in the strait, capturing two of them, in a move that intensified its assault on shipping in the key waterway through which 20% of the world’s traded oil passes in peacetime.

The Majestic X is a Guyana-flagged oil tanker. It previously had been named Phonix and had been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2024 for smuggling Iranian crude oil in contravention of US sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X transporting oil from Iran, in the Indian Ocean within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.

We will continue global maritime enforcement to… pic.twitter.com/SWF6Jt9Ci4

— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) April 23, 2026

Israel appoints special envoy to Christian world after scandals strain ties

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar (left) speaks with Special Envoy to the Christian World George Deek, in a photo released on April 23, 2026. (Foreign Ministry)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar appoints veteran diplomat George Deek to a newly created role as special envoy to the Christian world, in a move “intended to deepen Israel’s ties with Christian communities around the world,” the ministry announces.

Deek, who most recently served as Israel’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, was the country’s first Christian ambassador and is a member of the Arab Christian community in Jaffa.

“The State of Israel attaches great importance to its relations with the Christian world and with its Christian friends around the world,” Sa’ar says, expressing confidence that Deek will help bolster those ties.

The appointment follows a string of incidents that have strained Israel’s relations with the Christian community, including controversy last month when Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic official in the Holy Land, and other senior clergy were barred from Palm Sunday worship at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre due to wartime restrictions.

More recently, an IDF soldier was photographed smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon, an act that drew widespread condemnation in Israel and abroad. The soldier involved, along with another who documented the incident, was removed from combat duty and sentenced to jail following an investigation.

In first, 6 women to take Chief Rabbinate tests as spring examination period begins

Six women have registered to take a rabbinical test administered by the Chief Rabbinate during the examination period that begins today, a rabbinate spokesperson tells The Times of Israel.

The development marks a first, following a landmark High Court decision last July after a lengthy legal battle.

The Chief Rabbinate administers tests in the major areas of halacha (Jewish law). Today, the rabbinate held tests on Shabbat, kashrut, and marriage laws.

According to the spokesperson, five female candidates have signed up for the test on the laws of mourning, and one for the test on family purity, both to be held on Monday.

Several thousand people are taking a test in this session, according to a statement by the rabbinate.

The tests usually take place three times a year, but this is the first time they have been held since the court’s ruling.

Man throws red liquid at Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi as he leaves Berlin building

Iran's Reza Pahlavi, exiled son of Shah Reza Pahlavi, waves to supporters after an attacker threw red fluid at him following a news conference in Berlin, Germany, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the ousted shah, is splattered with red liquid as he left a building in Berlin.

Pahlavi had just departed a news briefing, during which he criticized the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, when the incident occurs outside Germany’s federal press conference building.

He appears unhurt by the liquid coating the back of his blazer and neck, and waves to his supporters before he gets into a car that drives away.

Police say the liquid appears to be tomato juice.

The alleged perpetrator, whose name is not released in line with German privacy rules, is immediately detained by police.

Iran's exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi was sprayed with a red liquid — reported to be tomato paste or tomato juice — by a protester as he left a press conference in Berlin on Thursday. The suspect was immediately detained by police. pic.twitter.com/Rb6asfqYZ6

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) April 23, 2026

UK, France defense ministers say they are ‘confident’ progress can be made on Strait of Hormuz

British defense minister John Healey and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin say they are confident that real progress can be made on the key Strait of Hormuz, as the two countries host a meeting with military planners on the issue.

“Turning diplomatic momentum into action demands sharp planning, frank discussion and firm commitments from allied and partner nations,” they say in a joint statement released by Britain’s Ministry of Defense.

The Strait of Hormuz has effectively been blocked by Iran since the US and Israel launched the war in February.

“We are grateful to those nations who have already indicated their willingness to contribute. We are confident that real progress can be made,” the statement, described as a message to those attending the meeting, adds.

France claims key role in Israel-Lebanon ceasefire despite absence from negotiations

France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot arrives to attend a Franco-German cabinet meeting in Toulon, south-eastern France, on August 29, 2025. (Manon Cruz / POOL / AFP)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot says that France played a key role in securing the current 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon and in initiating talks between Israel and Lebanon, despite Paris’s absence from today’s round of negotiations in Washington, reportedly set for 4 p.m. local time.

“Without France’s intervention, there would likely not be a ceasefire in Lebanon today, and likely no discussions between Israelis and Lebanese,” Barrot says in an interview with French broadcaster franceinfo.

Barrot also asserts that the US-Iran ceasefire “covers Lebanon,” despite American and Israeli claims to the contrary, and argues that it is “illusory” to believe Hezbollah can be disarmed through force alone, calling instead for high-level dialogue with the Lebanese government.

Addressing France’s absence from the talks, Barrot says Paris had been instrumental in bringing the sides to the table, pointing to diplomatic efforts led by Frence President Emmanuel Macron — whom he said alerted US President Donald Trump to the scale of Israel’s April 8 strikes on Hezbollah — as well as his own recent visits to Beirut and Jerusalem.

His remarks come after Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, said earlier this month that Israel does not want France involved in the negotiations, adding that it would prefer to keep Paris “as far away as possible” from the process.

Netanyahu to hold security discussion on Lebanon, Iran with ministers, defense officials – report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a limited security discussion by phone this evening with ministers and senior defense officials to discuss developments in Lebanon and Iran, Ynet news reports.

The call comes ahead of today’s round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Washington, reportedly set for 4 p.m. local time (11 p.m. Israel time).

7-year-old girl critically injured in Iranian missile attack in March released from hospital

The 7-year-old girl who was critically injured in an Iranian missile attack in Arad in March is released from hospital in a picture published on April 23, 2026. (Schneider Children's Hospital)

The 7-year-old girl who was critically injured in an Iranian ballistic missile strike in Arad in March has been discharged from Schneider Children’s Medical Center after a series of surgeries and is in good condition.

“We went through moments that cannot be described in words,” the girl’s father says. “We saw our daughter fighting for her life.”

The child suffered from extensive bleeding due to shards of glass when a window shattered as a result of the impact.

Dr. Michael Gurvitz, director of the Schneider Liver Transplant Unit who operated on the girl, said that she had “a complex, multi-system injury with immediate life-threatening consequences.”

Palestinian media reports 3 killed in strike on vehicle in Gaza; no comment from IDF

Gaza media outlets affiliated with Hamas report that three people were killed in a strike on a vehicle along Salah a-Din Road in the al-Maghazi refugee camp area in the central Strip.

There is no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.

Man accused of raping 13-year-old girl he met online while playing Roblox

A man from northern Israel is accused in court of raping a 13-year-old girl he met online while playing Roblox, a popular multiplayer video game.

The defendant, Ilai David Nidam, is in his 20s. He allegedly traveled from his home in Rekhasim, south of Haifa, to central Israel to meet the victim.

The young girl only agreed to meet the man after he threatened to post revealing photos of her on the internet, the State Attorney’s Office says in its announcement of the indictment.

Nidam is accused of raping his victim during these meetings, using the threat of the photos to keep her silent.

When the girl stopped contacting the defendant, he became enraged and demanded she talk to him at least once a day, prosecutors write.

According to the indictment, Nidam continued to dangle the threat of the photos above the victim’s head and warned her: “You won’t be glad to be alive.”

The defendant also allegedly exposed his naked body to the girl during several video calls.

He is indicted on a litany of sex-related offenses including rape of a minor below age 16, indecent assault of a minor below age 16, and making threats.

Prosecutors have requested he remain in custody until trial.

Germany urges Iran to ‘seize opportunity’ to continue talks with US

The German government urges Iran to seize the opportunity to continue peace talks with the United States, adding that the Strait of Hormuz should be kept open permanently.

“The Federal Government welcomes the extension of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran. This presents an important opportunity to resume diplomatic negotiations in Islamabad with the aim of making peace and averting further escalation of the war. Tehran should seize this opportunity,” a statement says.

UN ‘working on’ keeping presence in Lebanon in 2027 even after UNIFIL mandate expires

French contingent vehicles serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) cross the Qasmiyeh Bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut, on April 19, 2026. (MAHMOUD ZAYYAT / AFP)

The United Nations says it is “working on” maintaining a presence in Lebanon once the mandate of its UNIFIL peacekeeping force expires at the end of the year.

“In terms of the post-UNIFIL, we’re currently in the process of working on these options,” Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, tells a press conference in Geneva, with Beirut “very clear that they would want to keep a UN presence.”

Head of Rabbis for Human Rights Avi Dabush announces run in primary for The Democrats

Avi Dabush (right) alongside The Democrats MK Naama Lazimi and chairman Yair Golan in an undated photograph (Courtesy Avi Dabush)

Rabbi Avi Dabush, the head of Rabbis for Human Rights and a leader of the anti-government protest movement in the Negev, announces that he is joining The Democrats and will run for a spot on its slate in the upcoming party primary.

In a Facebook post, Dabush says he is running on behalf of Meretz, which merged with Labor to form The Democrats in June 2024, “in order to bring to the Knesset the voice of the Gaza border area, the voice of the periphery, the voice of the Negev and the voice of the residents of the north” as well as “the voice of all those who seek a different leadership — a leadership of responsibility, integrity, courage and statesmanship.”

Dabush recalls his experience living through October 7 at his home in Kibbutz Nirim when he and his family hid from Hamas terrorists as friends and neighbors were murdered or abducted.

“This disaster happened under a government that abandoned security, disregarded warnings and prioritized political considerations over the good of the country. This is the same government that even today refuses to take responsibility for the greatest failure in Israeli history,” Dabush writes, accusing the government of having “abandoned” the hostages “for the sake of political survival.”

“This is a government that includes Kahanists, a government that gives a tailwind to Jewish terrorism, fuels racism and hatred. A government that is disconnected from the people, abandons the periphery and robs young people of hope for a better future. I am running to offer a different path: a democratic, equal and just Israel, in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence,” Dabush declares.

Hezbollah fired anti-tank guided missile at troops in south Lebanon, IDF says

Hezbollah fired an anti-tank guided missile at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon this morning, the military says.

According to the IDF, the missile struck near the forces, but no injuries were caused.

The IDF says the attack is a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.”

Separately, the IDF announces that a Hezbollah operative who was operating at a rocket launching site in southern Lebanon was killed in an airstrike yesterday.

The military says the operative was targeted at the rocket launching site in Sejoud to “prevent a direct threat to the communities of northern Israel.”

“The terrorist was eliminated in an aerial strike in order to prevent the continuation of his activity at the launch site,” the IDF says.

After protesters try to storm High Court, opposition leaders say government’s incitement leading to violence

Members of the public opposing a state commission of inquiry into October 7 crowd the door to a hearing at the High Court in Jerusalem, April 23, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says the “rampage” at the High Court of Justice is the fault of the government’s rhetoric against the judicial system, after the justices are forced to briefly pause a hearing over petitions demanding a state commission of inquiry into October 7 when several people tried to enter the courtroom without permission.

“The rampage at the High Court is the result of incitement by the prime minister and his ministers against the Supreme Court. Their violent statements are endangering lives,” says Lapid. “Instead of encouraging these scenes, the government should have done one simple thing — establish a state commission of inquiry to investigate the massacre. They won’t do it [so] we will do it in the next government.”

The Democrats chairman Yair Golan likewise slams the government, stating that “Netanyahu and [Justice Minister] Yariv Levin’s severe incitement against the Supreme Court is leading to violence on the ground” and warning that they would be responsible for “any harm” to the justices.

Pentagon denies report that clearing Iranian mines from Strait of Hormuz could take 6 months

A cargo ship sails in the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz, April 22, 2026. (AP)

The Pentagon blasted as cherry picking and false a report saying that the department assessed it could take six months to completely clear the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian-laid mines.

The Washington Post reported yesterday that the Pentagon shared the six-month estimate during a classified briefing for the members of the House Armed Services Committee, citing three unidentified officials familiar with the discussion.

Iran has vowed not to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as long as the United States blockades its ports, with the blocked waterway sharply driving up oil and gas prices and disrupting the global economy.

Asked about the report, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell says “the media cherry picking leaked information, much of which is false, from a classified, closed briefing is dishonest journalism.”

“One assessment does not mean the assessment is plausible, and a six-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz is an impossibility and completely unacceptable to the Secretary,” Parnell tells AFP.

Lawmakers were told that Iran could have placed 20 or more mines in and around the strait, some floated remotely using GPS technology that makes them harder to detect, according to the Washington Post.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned of a “danger zone” covering 1,400 square kilometers — 14 times the size of Paris — where mines may be present.

After meeting US official, Pakistan minister says he hopes for ‘positive progress’ from Iran

Pakistan's Interior Minister and Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board Mohsin Naqvi speaks during a press conference in Lahore, Pakistan, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi says in a statement he hopes for “positive progress” from Iran after a meeting with US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker.

The meeting in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad included discussion of diplomatic efforts related to a second round of US-Iran ceasefire talks, which was delayed after Tehran did not confirm it would send its delegation.

Naqvi says Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir are making efforts “at every level” to support a peaceful settlement and hope all sides will give diplomacy a chance.

Naqvi praises US President Donald Trump for extending the ceasefire, calling it a welcome step toward de-escalation.

Baker appreciated Pakistan’s “constructive role” in promoting peace, the statement says.

IDF reiterates warning for civilians not to return to their homes in south Lebanon

The IDF again reiterates its warning to Lebanese civilians against returning to villages in southern Lebanon amid the fragile truce.

“We reiterate that 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,” army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee says in a post on X.

“We again warn that, for your safety and the safety of your family members, until further notice, you are required not to move south of the line of the displayed villages and their surroundings,” he says, attaching a map showing the IDF’s new security zone.

“It is also prohibited to approach the Litani River area, Wadi al-Salhani, and Saluki,” he adds.

#عاجل ‼️رسالة عاجلة إلى سكان جنوب لبنان

⭕️نجدد تأكيدنا انه خلال فترة اتفاق وقف إطلاق النار يواصل جيش الدفاع تمركزه في مواقعه بجنوب لبنان في مواجهة النشاطات الإرهابية المستمرة لمنظمة حزب الله.

⭕️نعود ونحذر انه وحرصًا على سلامتكم وسلامة أبناء عائلاتكم وحتى إشعار آخر انتم مطالبون… pic.twitter.com/YBjksAhVja

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) April 23, 2026

High Court justices ask whether it would be better to leave Oct. 7 probe decision until after election

A hearing on a petition demanding the formation of a state commission of inquiry into October 7 at the High Court in Jerusalem, April 23, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

High Court justices ask the attorney general’s representative if it would not be better to wait until after the pending general election to decide on whether or not it should order the government to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 invasion and atrocities.

“There are very heavy prices at this time to a judicial order to establish a state commission,” says Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg.

“The elections are very close, and we want public trust in this committee. If we have come this far, should we leave it to the government after the elections?” he asks.

Justice Yael Wilner makes similar comments, saying, “Maybe it should be left to the public. The public will have its say in the elections.”

5-year-old lightly wounded by glass shards as Palestinian hurls stones at vehicle in West Bank

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says a 5-year-old boy was lightly wounded by glass shards when an Israeli vehicle came under attack on Route 60 in the West Bank.

The IDF says it has encircled the West Bank village of Madama amid the search for a Palestinian who hurled stones at the vehicle on the nearby highway.

“IDF soldiers are conducting searches for the terrorist and a temporary security cordon has been placed around the area of Madama,” the army says.

Iran official says Tehran has received first revenue from Strait of Hormuz tolls

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

A senior Iranian parliament official says that Tehran has received the first revenue from tolls it imposed on the strategic Strait of Hormuz in its war with the United States and Israel.

“The first revenue received from the Strait of Hormuz tolls was deposited into the Central Bank account,” says deputy speaker of parliament Hamidreza Hajibabaei, according to Tasnim news agency.

Other Iranian media outlets carry the same statement, without elaborating.

Likud MK Gotliv removed from High Court Oct. 7 probe hearing after repeated interruptions

Likud MK Tali Gotliv at a hearing on a petition demanding the formation of a state commission of inquiry into October 7 at the High Court in Jerusalem, April 23, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg has Likud MK Tali Gotliv removed from the High Court hearing over a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 catastrophe, due to her repeated interruptions of the proceedings.

Gotliv attends many High Court hearings on controversial cases and routinely interrupts the proceedings, and has been repeatedly ejected from the courtroom.

Trump envoy Paolo Zampolli says he asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at World Cup

Italian-US businessman and US Special Representative for Global Partnerships Paolo Zampolli (C) looks on during his visit to Belgrade on April 21, 2026. (OLIVER BUNIC / AFP)

An envoy for US President Donald Trump has asked world soccer’s governing body FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at the World Cup, according to the Financial Times.

US special envoy Paolo Zampolli tells the FT it would be a “dream” to see four-time World Cup winners Italy at the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada despite the fact its team lost in a qualification playoff last month.

The suggestion is an effort to repair ties between Trump and Giorgia Meloni after the Italian prime minister fell out with the US president after criticizing his attack on Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war, the newspaper reports.

“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (FIFA President Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion,” Zampolli tells the FT.

Italy missed out on the World Cup for the third successive time after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the qualifying playoff final.

Iran’s participation in the World Cup has been thrown into doubt by the war with the US and Israel that broke out on February 28.

The Iranian football federation (FFIRI) had said in April it was “negotiating” with FIFA to relocate the country’s World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico.

But Infantino told AFP last month, while attending Iran’s friendly against Costa Rica in Turkey, that Iran will be at the World Cup and will play “where they are supposed to be, according to the draw.”

Zampolli is an Italian-American socialite, businessman and former modeling agent who claims to have introduced Trump to his current wife Melania Trump.

High Court hearing on Oct. 7 probe restarts after opponents tried to storm courtroom

Members of the public opposing a state commission of inquiry into October 7 protest outside a hearing at the High Court in Jerusalem, April 23, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The High Court hearing over petitions demanding a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 invasion and atrocities restarts, after right-wing supporters of the government tried to break into the courtroom.

The hearing was stopped for security reasons, after several people tried to enter the courtroom without permission. The court security guards “dealt with the situation,” Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg says tersely.

Sohlberg and the other justices were evacuated form the courtroom for some 30 minutes amid the incident.

Footage from outside the courtroom shows one woman who entered through the outer door of the courtroom being ejected back through it by a security guard. A mob of protesters then gathers outside the outer doors which are locked by guards, with the crowd chanting anti-court slogans in front of the courtroom door, including “Judge the judges,” calling Supreme Court President Isaac Amit “a dictator,” and demanding to be let into the hearing.

One woman can be seen rattling the door of the courtroom during the uproar before being stopped by the security guards.

בג"ץ ועדת חקירה ממלכתית לטבח השבעה באוקטובר: הדיון בבג"ץ הופסק בשל ניסיון של אזרחים להתפרץ לאולם. בתוך האולם באמצע הדיון, לפתע הודיעו ממשמר בית המשפט: השופטים צריכים להיכנס ללשכות, והדיון הופסק. בסרטון: זה מה שקרה מחוץ לאולם, בניסיון להתפרץ לתוכו👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/6Izo9Iwrr2

— Or-ly Barlev 🎗 אור-לי ברלב (@orlybarlev) April 23, 2026

Report: Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington set for 4 p.m. local time

The second round of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington is set to begin at 4 p.m. local time, a source at the Lebanese embassy tells Lebanese daily An-Nahar.

The discussions come amid a fragile 10-day ceasefire between the two countries, with Lebanon expected to request a one-month extension.

IDF says suspected Hezbollah drone intercepted over south Lebanon earlier

The IDF says the “suspicious aerial target” that was identified over southern Lebanon earlier was successfully intercepted.

The target is suspected by the IDF to be a Hezbollah drone.

High Court justices evacuated by security as opponents of Oct. 7 probe try to enter courtroom

Bereaved families opposing a state commission of inquiry into October 7 protest outside a hearing at the High Court in Jerusalem, April 23, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The seven High Court justices in the hearing over establishing a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7 are evacuated from the courtroom by security guards as members of the public who are against the probe try to gain entrance.

Footage from outside the courtroom shows a large crowd chanting against the court.

A court security guard enters the courtroom and tells the justices they need to stop the hearing and leave.

Video appears to show security guards scuffling with members of the public.

In a decision Wednesday night, the court closed the hearing to the public due to suspicions that there was a plan to interrupt the proceedings.

מהומה בבג"ץ: מתנגדים לוועדת חקירה ממלכתית ניסו לפרוץ לאולם, מאבטחים פינו את השופטיםhttps://t.co/kqIZBRB0LA@aviadglickman pic.twitter.com/r1N4lPuA8b

— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) April 23, 2026

בג"ץ ועדת חקירה ממלכתית לטבח השבעה באוקטובר: הדיון בבג"ץ הופסק בשל ניסיון של אזרחים להתפרץ לאולם. בתוך האולם באמצע הדיון, לפתע הודיעו ממשמר בית המשפט: השופטים צריכים להיכנס ללשכות, והדיון הופסק. בסרטון: זה מה שקרה מחוץ לאולם, בניסיון להתפרץ לתוכו???????? pic.twitter.com/6Izo9Iwrr2

— Or-ly Barlev ???? אור-לי ברלב (@orlybarlev) April 23, 2026

Government representative tells High Court that Oct. 7 probe should only begin after war

A hearing on a petition demanding the formation of a state commission of inquiry into October 7 at the High Court in Jerusalem, April 23, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

A government representative tells the High Court that a probe into October 7 should only begin after the war is won, which a High Court justice called a bombshell.

“The time is not yet ripe to establish an investigative committee. We are now in a very fragile ceasefire, I was afraid that we would not be able to get to the hearing,” government representative Michael Rabello tells the court, according to Hebrew media reports.

Justice Noam Sohlberg responds, “How many years can we wait?”

Rabello tells the court: “The main thing right now is that the State of Israel will win the fighting on all fronts. We need to win, that is the main thing.”

Justice Yael Wilner responds: “Only after the war ends will we investigate what happened three to four years ago? In my opinion, your position is dramatic and you are dropping a bombshell. It is not a question of how to investigate. Right now, we are not investigating at all. We will wait until we win on all fronts? This is what you saying — that if we win, then we will start investigating?”

Bennett says government does not ever intend to establish Oct. 7 probe

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett at the scene of an Iranian ballistic missile impact in Tel Aviv on March 1, 2026 (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Former premier Naftali Bennett alleges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government does not intend to ever investigate the failures of October 7, after a government representative tells the High Court of Justice that it is “not the time to establish an investigative commission” and that “the main thing right now is for the State of Israel to win the war on all fronts.”

“Anyone who says ‘later’ about the investigation into the October 7 massacre means ‘never,'” says Bennett, insisting that “as long as the Netanyahu-Smotrich-Deri-Ben Gvir coalition is in office, no commission of inquiry will be established.”

Bereaved relatives interrupt hearing, blame High Court for October 7

The parents of two people killed on October 7, 2023, in the Hamas invasion and massacres interrupt the hearing in the High Court of Justice on whether the government should establish a state commission of inquiry, and accuse the court of responsibility for the attack.

“Everyone who touched October 7 will be investigated. This court has a part. You all need to be investigated,” says Itzik Fitousi, the father of Yishai Fitousi, a soldier who was killed on October 7.

Tamar Teshuva, whose brother Barak Davidi was killed at the Nova party, says, “I’m sorry that we don’t have trust in this institution. We need for everyone to be investigated, including you. Everyone needs to be investigated. We have no trust, and if a state committee will be established the circle will never be closed.”

Some of the bereaved families claim that the High Court has in the past restrained the Israel Defense Forces and tightened the rules of engagement, which they say enabled the Hamas-led invasion.

Culture Minister Miki Zohar questioned for 2nd time this week in Histadrut corruption probe

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)

Police are questioning Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar for a second time this week on corruption suspicions as part of a major investigation into the Histadrut, Israel’s main labor federation.

The Likud minister was summoned and interrogated for 11 hours Sunday by police investigators in the Lahav 433 major crimes unit over his ties to the main suspect in the affair, Ezra Gabay.

Gabay, an insurance agent and Likud activist, is suspected of operating a large bribery network by exploiting his connections to Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David and Likud party officials to procure jobs in exchange for securing insurance contracts with labor unions.

Zohar’s office confirms the summons in a statement, saying the minister will “stay for as long as necessary in order to respond to everything and make clear that political activity is not a criminal offense.”

Police announced Sunday that they questioned the minister on suspicion of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Opposition leaders say Netanyahu fostering division by refusing to establish Oct. 7 inquiry

Bereaved families clash outside the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem, April 23, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Opposition politicians accuse the government of fostering division and demand the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into October 7, as bereaved families clash on the matter amid a High Court hearing.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid accuses the government of being “afraid of the truth” while Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman pledges to make establishing a state commission of inquiry the next government’s first decision.

Yashar party head Gadi Eisenkot, whose son Gal was killed in the war, notes  that Memorial Day was marked this week and says that rather than establishing a proper investigation and “instead of uniting us, the government is leading us to a situation where bereaved families are attacking one another.”

“This is the essence of this government: to stir up strife and discord and refuse to take responsibility,” says Eisenkot.

These clashes, “less than 48 hours” after Memorial Day, “tear the heart,” says Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz. “Israel must go to elections, and establish a broad and Zionist unity government that will stop this fratricidal strife and break down the opposing camps.”

Bereaved families supportive and critical of the government clashed ahead of this morning’s hearing on petitions demanding that the government establish a state commission of inquiry into the events surrounding the catastrophic attack.

‘What part of the government’s conduct hasn’t been extreme?’ demands High Court justice at Oct. 7 hearing

A hearing on a petition demanding the formation of a state commission of inquiry into October 7 at the High Court in Jerusalem, April 23, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The High Court justices express skepticism over the arguments of government representative Michael Rabello that the court has no authority to order the government to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion and atrocities.

The judges point out that even though the court has to date never ordered the government to establish a state commission, it has ruled previously that in extreme circumstances it would have the authority to do so.

“All the rulings of the High Court establish that the court has the authority to intervene in irregular and extreme circumstances. Is this an irregular situation?” Justice Yael Wilner asks Rabello.

Justice Noam Sohlberg makes a similar point even more forcefully.

“Is the decision of the government not extreme,” asks Sohlberg, in reference to the government’s refusal to establish a state commission of inquiry, alongside its failure to advance legislation enabling the establishment of a politically appointed commission of inquiry.

“In practice, nothing has been done. Is this not an extreme situation? What part of the government’s conduct hasn’t been extreme up to this point?” Sohlberg demands.

IDF: Interceptor fired at ‘suspicious aerial target’ over area of south Lebanon where troops stationed

An interceptor missile was launched at a “suspicious aerial target” that was identified over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are stationed, the military says.

The IDF says the target did not cross into Israeli territory, and the results of the interception are under investigation.

After court hearing, Ben Gvir says he’ll approve promotion of officer whose advancement he blocked

Ch. Supt. Ruti Hauslich arrives for a hearing at the District Court in Jerusalem, April 16, 2026, after filing a lawsuit against Itamar Ben Gvir over his refusal to promote her, despite the opinion of police's senior command. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir announces he will approve the promotion of Ch. Supt. Ruti Hauslich to the rank of commander, after having refused to sign off on the police detective’s advancement since last summer.

The far-right minister’s announcement comes after he agreed last week to reevaluate his decision to block her promotion at the behest of a Jerusalem District Court judge, during a hearing on Hauslich’s petition against him.

Hauslich, who deals with incitement-related probes in police’s investigations and intelligence division, is the second female police detective whose promotion Ben Gvir has refused to approve, bucking the counsel of senior brass.

The minister claimed in last week’s hearing that Hauslich misled a Knesset committee during a discussion on incitement-related investigations, for not conveying the position of the Jerusalem District police during testimony she gave before lawmakers.

However, Hauslich’s lawyer, whose argument was accepted by the judge, contended that she did what was expected of her at the meeting by presenting the stance of the branch she serves in, the investigations and intelligence division, which is responsible for handling incitement probes.

The lawyer further claimed that Ben Gvir’s stonewalling was part of a series of larger “struggles between the minister and certain officials in the investigations and intelligence division.”

In March, the Jerusalem District Court ordered Ben Gvir to sign off the promotion of Ch. Supt. Rinat Saban, who had given testimony in the graft trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The judge in the case said Ben Gvir’s refusal was likely motivated by “extraneous considerations.”

Last week, the High Court of Justice told Ben Gvir, Netanyahu and the attorney general to reach an agreement to curb any undue influence by Ben Gvir on police work.

Bereaved families clash outside High Court as justices hear petitions on Oct. 7 commission of inquiry

Bereaved families clash outside the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem, April 23, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Bereaved families of the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion and the subsequent war engage in mutual recriminations outside the High Court of Justice this morning, shortly before a hearing on petitions demanding that the government establish a state commission of inquiry into the catastrophic attack begins.

Bereaved families supportive of the government shout at those demanding a state commission of inquiry, saying they are trying to “whitewash” the October 7 attack, and accuse them of “having opened the gates to the massacre,” Channel 12 reports.

Says one of the pro-government protesters, “You are the ones who tied the hands of our soldiers and freed the hands of the enemy,” reflecting right-wing claims that the High Court has in the past restrained the IDF, which they claim enabled the Hamas invasion.

Eyal Eshel, the father of Roni Eshel, a surveillance soldier who was killed on October 7 on the Nahal Oz base, says he “came to support the justices of the Supreme Court.”

“This is your job, this is why you are sitting here in Jerusalem. After long months, there is no more room for tears, no more room for cover-ups, the time has come for the historic verdict. The prime minister chooses again and again the path of division, the prime minister chose civil war, this is what it looks like here this morning.”

The government has refused to establish a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7, claiming it would not objective since its members are chosen by Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, whom the justice minister and other ministers do not recognize as the head of the court.

Opponents of the government point out that a state commission is the only completely independent form of inquiry that has true investigative powers and is not connected to the political leadership, and reject the government’s efforts to establish an inquiry whose members are appointed by politicians.

תיעוד: עימות בין מפגינים, בהם הורים שכולים, מחוץ לביהמ"ש העליון – לקראת הדיון בבג"ץ בעתירות הדורשות הקמת ועדת חקירה@almog_tamar pic.twitter.com/M6NDpaD1CL

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 23, 2026

Defense Ministry orders $200 million worth of aerial munitions from Elbit

An Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jet takes off for strikes in Iran, in a handout photo published April 6, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Defense Ministry says it has ordered another $200 million (NIS 600 million) worth of aerial munitions from arms manufacturer Elbit.

The ministry says the multiyear order comes as part of “bolstering readiness for near-term combat scenarios and preparing for an intense security decade.”

Aerial munitions are missiles and other bombs used by Israeli Air Force aircraft for strikes and interceptions.

In January, a similar $183 million deal was signed between the ministry and Elbit for aerial munitions.

UK police arrest two more suspects amid arson attacks on Jewish targets in London

UK counter-terrorism officers investigating a spate of arson attacks on Jewish and other sites in London have made two further arrests, bringing the total number to 25, police say.

The capital’s Metropolitan Police announce two new arrests as part of “a proactive investigation” into an “alleged conspiracy to commit arson at a venue related to the Jewish community.”

Police say the latest arrests, of men aged 19 and 26 in Watford, north of London, were made on Tuesday. These suspects remain in custody.

The men were arrested on suspicion of planning an arson attack, but the Jewish community venue targeted was “unknown,” police say.

Six sites, all of them Jewish save a Persian media outlet that is critical of Iran, have been targeted by arson attacks in recent weeks.

While no injuries have been reported, Jewish leaders have denounced rising antisemitism.

Little-known group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), with links to Iran, has claimed responsibility for many of the attacks, according to SITE Intelligence Group.

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

IDF says troops captured member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in south Lebanon

Troops of the 146th Division operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued on April 23, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF troops captured a member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in southern Lebanon yesterday, the military says.

According to the IDF, troops spotted the Radwan operative who was planning to carry out “imminent” attacks on Israeli forces stationed in southern Lebanon.

“A short while after being identified, the terrorist surrendered and was apprehended by the forces,” the military says, adding that he was taken to Israel to be interrogated by the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504, which specializes in human intelligence.

Iran says it executed man accused of cooperating with Israel, membership of opposition group

Iran executed a man convicted of links to both the exiled opposition group Mujahideen-e-Khalq and Israel’s intelligence service, the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan reports.

Mizan identifies the man as Soltanali Shirzadi Fakhr, saying he had been a long-time member of the MEK and was found guilty of cooperating with Israeli intelligence.

His death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court and carried out after legal procedures were completed, Mizan adds.

UNIFIL troops replace Jesus statue smashed by IDF soldier in south Lebanon

Soldiers of UNIFIL's Italian contingent and members of the Christian community of Debel in southern Lebanon stand by a newly erected statue of Jesus in the village, April 22, 2026. (Via Debel Alerts on Facebook)

The statue of Jesus that was smashed by an Israeli soldier in the southern Lebanon village of Debel was replaced by a new statue donated by soldiers of UNIFIL’s Italian contingent.

The Israeli military also delivered a replacement statue following the incident, although smaller and styled differently from the original.

Lebanese media published photos showing that the statue donated by the UN peacekeepers more closely resembles the original statue.

Italian UNIFIL forces in Lebanon replaced the crucifix destroyed by an Israeli soldier using a heavy sledgehammer in the town of Debel, southern Lebanon, installing a new one pic.twitter.com/6EEMk96o3k

— Creativity (@Creativity15778) April 23, 2026

The statue delivered by the IDF is also seen in photos being carried by members of the community, as it was apparently moved elsewhere.

IDF says it killed 2 Palestinian terror operatives who posed threat to troops in Gaza

The IDF says it killed two Palestinian terror operatives who posed a threat to troops in the Gaza Strip yesterday.

In one incident in northern Gaza, troops of the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade identified “a terrorist who operated in the area of ​​the Yellow Line and approached the forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat,” according to the military. The troops opened fire and “eliminated the terrorist to remove the threat.”

The IDF says that in a second incident, in the Strip’s south, troops of the Negev Brigade killed a “terrorist who crossed the Yellow Line and approached the forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat.”

Panama denounces Iran for seizing ship flying its flag

Panama condemns the “illegal seizure” of a vessel traveling under its flag through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Central American nation’s foreign ministry writes in a statement that the boat, owned by the Italian company MSC Francesca, was “forcibly taken” into Iranian waters on Wednesday, and it accuses Iran of violating international law.

The seizure “represents a serious attack on maritime security and constitutes an unnecessary escalation,” it writes.

Panama has one of the largest ship registries, with around 16% of the world’s ships flying under the country’s flag, according to 2024 data from Panamanian authorities.

Pentagon predicts 6 months needed to clear mines from Strait of Hormuz — source

The Pentagon told US lawmakers this week it will likely take six months to clear the mines set in the strait, according to a person familiar with the situation who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive information.

Officials from the Department of Defense delivered the information during a classified briefing at the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

The session left more questions than answers as lawmakers probed for information about the cost of the war against Iran, the strategy and objectives, the person says. The lawmakers also raised questions that have still gone unanswered about the strike on a school compound during the early days of the war.

Pentagon says Navy secretary is leaving, in latest departure of a top defense leader

FILE - US Secretary of the Navy John Phelan speaks, as President Donald Trump listens, at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, December 22, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file)

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon announces that the US Navy’s top civilian official, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, is leaving his job.

In a statement posted to social media, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell says Phelan is “departing the administration, effective immediately.”

Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao will become acting secretary of the Navy, Parnell says.

The sudden departure comes just a day after Phelan addressed a large crowd of sailors and industry professionals at the Navy’s annual conference in Washington, DC, and spoke with reporters about his agenda.

Phelan’s departure also comes just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the Army’s top officer, Gen. Randy George, as well as two other top generals in the Army.

Phelan had not served in the military or had a civilian leadership role in the service before President Donald Trump nominated him for secretary in late 2024.

Phelan was a major donor to Trump’s campaign and founded the private investment firm Rugger Management LLC. According to his biography, Phelan’s primary exposure to the military came from an advisory position he held on the Spirit of America, a non-profit that supported the defense of Ukraine and the defense of Taiwan.

Body of journalist for pro-Hezbollah paper pulled from rubble of building hit in IDF strike

Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, who works for the pro-Hezbollah daily Al-Akhbar newspaper, reports near a destroyed bridge in Qasmiyeh, Lebanon, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

The body of a Lebanese journalist killed in an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon on Wednesday has been pulled from under the rubble hours after the attack.

The pro-Hezbollah daily Al-Akhbar newspaper confirms that its reporter, Amal Khalil, was killed in the strike on the southern village of al-Tiri.

Information Minister Paul Morcos also confirms Khalil’s death.

Khalil and freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj were covering developments near al-Tiri when an Israeli strike hit the vehicle in front of them. They ran into a nearby house, which was then also targeted by an Israeli strike, Lebanon’s health ministry, a senior Lebanese military official and press advocates say.

Lebanese rescuers were able to retrieve Faraj, who had suffered a head wound, according to Elsy Moufarrej, who runs the Union of Journalists in Lebanon.

There is no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces on Khalil’s death. The IDF said earlier in a statement that it ​received reports two journalists were injured in a strike.

According to the IDF, the incident began when troops identified two vehicles setting out from a building known to be used by Hezbollah. After “the terrorists crossed the forward defense line and approached the forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat,” the military said the air force struck one of the vehicles and then the building “to which the terrorists fled.”

Two men shot dead in Lod, central Israel

Two men have been shot and killed in the central city of Lod, emergency services say.

Magen David Adom says it received a report at around 11:15 p.m. of two people injured in a violent incident at a junction along Highway 40.

The two men, both in their 30s, were pronounced dead at the scene upon the arrival of the MDA medics and paramedics.

An investigation has been opened into the circumstances of the murders, with Hebrew media reporting that police believe the motive to be an ongoing blood feud between families.