April 25: IDF investigating after footage shows soldiers damaging solar panels in southern Lebanon town

Pezeshkian says Iran won’t negotiate with US under threats or blockade

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian tells Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by phone that Tehran will not enter “imposed negotiations” under threats or blockade, according to a statement from the Iranian government.

Pezeshkian says the United States should first remove “operational obstacles,” including its blockade of Iranian ports, before negotiators can lay any groundwork to resolve the conflict.

Sharif said earlier that he had spoken to Pezeshkian about the evolving regional situation.

“Pakistan remains committed to serve as an honest and sincere facilitator – working tirelessly to advance durable peace and lasting stability in the region,” Sharif said in a post on social media platform X.

As Netanyahu declines to give clear timeline, report says his prostate cancer diagnosis was six months ago

The Kan public broadcaster reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was diagnosed with prostate cancer around six months ago, after the premier revealed on Friday that he had successfully been treated for a malignant tumor, but did not say when.

The Kan report comes after the director of the Sharett Oncology Institute at Hadassah Medical Center, Prof. Aron Popovtzer, said on Friday only that Netanyahu was diagnosed “several months ago” and was administered radiation treatment around two and a half months ago.

According to the outlet, the treatments took place a few days apart from each other, with each one lasting about 20 minutes. The sessions are thought to have been scheduled early in the morning or late at night each time, to maintain the premier’s privacy and allow him to continue working as normal, it says.

Popovtzer, in his statement Friday, said the 76-year-old prime minister had a tumor measuring 0.9 centimeters that was early-stage adenocarcinoma of the prostate, which was found during a routine check-up.

He said that tests showed that the radiation treatment was successful, and Netanyahu would “continue with routine follow-up.”

Report: New US immigration policy could see green card applicants rejected for anti-Israel social media posts

A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer detains a protestor while clearing a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel encampment after dispersal orders were given at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (MARIO TAMA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Would-be immigrants to the United States could now have their green card applications rejected for expressing anti-Israel sentiment on social media or participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, according to a New York Times report, which cites internal documents distributed within the Department of Homeland Security.

According to the Times, the documents include updated training material that instructs agency employees to reject applications for a green card — a US permanent resident visa — if the applicant is found to have expressed opinions or beliefs deemed by the administration to be “anti-American.”

The report notes that although ideology has always played a part when vetting a green card applicant, it had previously only impacted people belonging to Communist or other totalitarian parties, or who had supported calls to overthrow the US government.

Now, however, the report says immigration officers have been instructed to reject applications from anyone with a history of “endorsing, promoting or supporting anti-American views” or “antisemitic terrorism, ideologies or groups.”

One example cited as potential grounds to reject an application was a mock-up of a social media post demanding to “Stop Israeli Terror in Palestine,” the Times says.

Another example seen by the Times showed a map of Israel with the country’s name crossed out and replaced with “Palestine,” while another is said to have called for revenge on Israel for the war in Gaza.

DHS also told immigration officers to pay particular attention to anyone who took part in the pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel campus protests in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and subsequent war in Gaza, the report says.

Six charged in UK after allegedly driving van into entrance of Elbit-owned drone maker

Six people are due to appear in a UK court Monday to face burglary and criminal damage charges after a van allegedly drove into a military drone maker’s entrance gate, police say.

The investigation into the incident in the early hours of Friday at the premises in central England has been led by counter-terrorism officers, Leicestershire Police said.

The business allegedly targeted is understood to be specialized military drone maker UAV Tactical Systems, according to Britain’s domestic Press Association (PA) news agency.

Israel-based defense firm Elbit Systems’ UK arm announced in January that it had fully acquired the British company, which supplies tactical uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones, to military and other customers.

Leicestershire Police say the six suspects — men and women from across southern England, aged between 25 and 41 years-old — have each been charged with one count of burglary and one count of causing criminal damage.

“The charges relate to a report that a van had driven into a gate at business premises just after 3 am yesterday,” the force adds in a brief statement.

“The investigation is led by Counter Terrorism Policing East Midlands with the support of Leicestershire Police.”

The six people charged are set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Monday.

UAV Tactical Systems has over the last two decades “supplied dozens of advanced tactical uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to the British Army,: according to Elbit Systems’ website.

It has also provided them “to international customers, including the United Nations and Nato member countries,” it notes.

UAV Tactical Systems and Elbit Systems’ UK arm do not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

US re-detains immigrant family of suspect in deadly antisemitic attack, their lawyer says

US immigration agents earlier today detained the family of an Egyptian man accused of firebombing a Jewish protest, days after their release from nearly 10 months in custody, their lawyer says.

“THE EL GAMAL FAMILY WAS REDETAINED BY ICE MOMENTS AGO,” attorney Eric Lee posts on X, referring to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“ICE SAYS DEPORTATION IS IMMINENT,” Lee adds.

Later in the day, US District Judge Fred Biery ordered a stay of removal, meaning the family can remain in the country while it petitions the justice system.

“A federal judge has ordered the El Gamal family’s removal to stop. We are working on getting them back home,” Chris Godshall-Bennett, another lawyer to the family, posts on X.

Hayam El Gamal and her five children, aged between five and 18 years old, had been released on Thursday from an immigrant family detention center in Dilley, Texas following a court order.

El Gamal’s ex-husband, Mohammed Sabry Soliman, faces federal charges over a June 2025 attack on a group rallying in support of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Soliman allegedly targeted the protest in Boulder, Colorado with Molotov cocktails and an improvised flamethrower.

Fifteen people were wounded in the attack, and one of them subsequently died.

The Trump administration had justified the months-long detention of Soliman’s family on the grounds they may have had prior knowledge of his intentions.

However, he and El Gamal, who were divorced after Soliman’s arrest, have maintained that he acted alone.

Biery on Thursday endorsed a recommendation by a magistrate judge to release the family and dismissed the government’s objections that they posed a danger or a flight risk. Biery conditioned the release of El Gamal and her adult daughter Habiba Soliman on wearing electronic monitoring devices.

Settler filmed hurling stones at Palestinian home in Hebron as troops look on; he’s later detained and released

An Israeli settler is filmed hurling stones at the home of a Palestinian activist in Hebron earlier today, as an IDF soldier is seen watching from a distance.

A separate clip shows soldiers detaining the settler shortly after the attack, but he was subsequently released.

In the second clip, the settler can be seen shoving and cursing at the soldiers trying to apprehend him.

The IDF said earlier today that it is looking into the matter but has yet to issue a response.

קורה ממש עכשיו בחברון!

מתנחל זורק אבנים על בית פלסטיני לעיניי חיילים שעומדים לא רחוק (סרטון 1)

החיילים מעכבים אותו והוא מתחיל לדחוף ולקלל גם אותם (סרטון 2)

למתנחלים לא אכפת מהביטחון של אף אחד ואם חיילים מפריעים להם, צה״ל הופך לאוייב ברגע.

אל תתנו להם רובים! pic.twitter.com/gg5ECRoozj

— נדב וימן Nadav Weiman (@weimanadav) April 25, 2026

IDF investigating after footage shows soldiers damaging solar panels in south Lebanon town

The IDF says it is investigating after footage published by Lebanese media showed military excavators damaging solar panels in the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon.

“The actions seen in the video do not align with the values of the IDF and the conduct expected of its soldiers,” the military says in response to a query by The Times of Israel.

The IDF says the incident is under investigation, and according to the findings, actions will be taken against the troops involved.

According to Lebanese media, damage was also caused to water infrastructure in Debel, along with homes, roads, and olive trees.

الجيش الاسرائيلي واصل عمليات الهدم والتخريب في بلدة دبل الحدودية حيث اقدم على جرف الواح الطاقات الشمسية التي تغذي البلدة بالكهرباء ومحطة المياه اضافة إلى بعض المنازل والطرقات وأشجار الزيتون pic.twitter.com/Etu9asXQGz

— LBCI Lebanon News (@LBCI_NEWS) April 25, 2026

Debel, like several other Christian communities in southern Lebanon, has not been ordered by Israel to evacuate amid the fighting against Hezbollah. Last week, a soldier smashed a statue of Jesus in the village, drawing widespread condemnation.

IDF says it struck several buildings used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon

The IDF says it struck buildings used by Hezbollah in several areas of southern Lebanon a short while ago.

The buildings were used by the terror group to advance attacks on troops and against Israel, the military says.

The IDF says it will “continue to operate decisively against threats directed at Israeli civilians and IDF troops, in accordance with directives from the political echelon.”

Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he instructed the IDF to strike Hezbollah “with force,” after the terror group carried out multiple attacks on troops and northern Israel today.

Iran’s FM to head back to Pakistan after talks in Oman, state media says

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will head back to Pakistan after visiting Oman, state media reports, having just left Islamabad earlier in the day.

The IRNA news agency, citing the foreign ministry, reports that Araghchi “is scheduled to visit Pakistan again after completing his trip to Oman and before travelling to Russia.”

Part of his delegation had returned to Tehran, it added, “to consult and obtain the necessary instructions on issues related to ending the war, and is scheduled to rejoin Araghchi in Islamabad on Sunday night.”

Al Qaeda affiliate, Tuareg rebels claim responsibility for coordinated attacks on Mali forces

An al Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels claim ​responsibility ​on Saturday ​for coordinated attacks across Mali, in one of the boldest operations insurgents have mounted in their campaign against the military-led government.

Mali’s army says it killed “several hundred” assailants and repelled the assault, which hit multiple sites in or near the capital, Bamako. It says a large-scale sweep operation was underway in Bamako, the nearby barracks town of Kati and elsewhere in the gold-producing country.

Al Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) issues a statement, published by SITE ‌Intelligence Group, claiming responsibility for attacks in Kati, on the Bamako airport and in localities further north, including Mopti, Sevare and Gao.

It also says the city of Kidal was “captured” in an operation coordinated with the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-dominated rebel group.

FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane earlier said on social media that its forces had taken control of positions in Gao and one of two military camps in Kidal.

Reuters could not independently verify the JNIM and FLA claims.

“This looks like the biggest coordinated attack for years,” says Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Just over half of West Bank voters turn out in today’s Palestinian Authority elections

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reports that turnout in the local elections that concluded today stood at 53.44% of eligible voters in the West Bank (excluding Gaza).

This marks a lower figure compared to the previous local elections held in 2021, when 66.14% of eligible voters participated.

For the first time in 20 years, the elections were held not only in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas of the West Bank, but also in Gaza – though only in Deir al-Balah.

Lebanese media reports IDF strike outside Israeli-held security zone

Lebanese media reports an Israeli strike in the southern town of Haddatha, outside the IDF-held security zone.

There is no immediate comment from the military.

Orban says he will not take seat in Hungary’s parliament after landslide election loss

Hungary's outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives on the podium after a parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

BUDAPEST — Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will not take his seat in parliament following a landslide election loss this month, and will instead focus on rebuilding his nationalist-populist political community, he announces in a video on social media.

Hungary’s April 12 election brought an end to Orban’s 16 years in power when voters cast their ballots overwhelmingly for a center-right challenger who promised to crack down on endemic corruption and restore Hungary’s democratic institutions that had been eroded under Orban. Since the election, the long-serving prime minister’s future role in Hungarian political life, and whether he will retain a role in government, has been uncertain.

But in a video posted to Facebook, Orban says his party’s caucus in parliament would be “radically transformed” following the election loss, and that he would not take his seat.

“Our task now is not in parliament,” Orban says, but in the “reorganization” of his political camp that he calls the “national side.”

“I have led our community for nearly four decades,” Orban adds. “This camp has always been the most united and cohesive political community in Hungary.”

Settlers raid multiple Palestinian villages, wounding woman and child; no arrests made

Settlers raided the central West Bank Palestinian village of Duma this morning and assaulted a woman on the outskirts of the town, Haaretz reports.

Duma residents then sought to repel the attack, hurling stones that struck and lightly wounded one of the settler attackers.

Settlers then proceeded to attack a Bedouin hamlet adjacent to Duma, violating a closed military order that the IDF has put in place there.

During the attack, several Palestinian vehicles were vandalized and a child suffered a face injury caused by glass shards from a window of a makeshift home smashed by the attackers.

The settlers also doused the homes targeted in pepper spray.

שרשור לסיכום שבת קודש
1

מתנחלים פלשו הבוקר לפאתי הכפר דומא ותקפו את הקהילה הסמוכה.
עפ״י דיווחים לקראת השעה 07:00 מתנחל תקף אשה בפאתי הכפר דומא וצעירים יצאו להדוף את המתנחלים ובמקום התפתח עימות .

במד"א דיווחו כי ב07:09 צעיר ישראלי כבן 20 נפגע מיידוי אבנים סמוך לכפר דומא ופונה… pic.twitter.com/dCASqXtteR

— Matan Golan (@MatanGolanPhoto) April 25, 2026

Among the families targeted in the attack were ones who had fled the nearby Ein Rashash community after coming under repeated settler attacks that were ignored by Israeli authorities toward the end of 2023, Haaretz says.

Later in the afternoon, IDF forces finally arrived at Duma but proceeded to arrest one of the Israeli solidarity activists at the scene, rather than any of the settler attackers, who were allowed to flee the area and return to one of their neighboring illegal outposts.

The IDF issues a statement that only acknowledges the wounded Israeli suspect from the morning and makes no mention of the settler attacks.

Trump claims Iran submitted improved but still insufficient response minutes after he canceled envoys’ trip to Pakistan

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach Fla., Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

US President Donald Trump claims Iran submitted a response to Washington’s latest proposal for a nuclear deal minutes after he announced that his top envoys would not be making the trip to Pakistan to meet with the Islamic Republic’s negotiators.

Trump says the latest Iranian proposal was much better than the previous one, but still not adequate.

“The Iranians gave us a paper that should have been better and interestingly, the minute I cancelled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better… They offered a lot but not enough,” Trump tells reporters.

It’s unclear what this means for the negotiations, however. Trump has indicated that he prefers to keep the ceasefire with Iran in place, while at the same time maintaining the US blockade of Iranian ports, evidently believing that Tehran will capitulate to all of Washington’s demands under the economic pressure — something the Islamic Republic has yet to show any indication that it will do.

Hundreds gather in Petah Tikva to protest after murder of pizzeria worker, demand more security

People gather outside a Pizza Hut branch in Petah Tikva, lighting candles and placing flowers in memory of employee Yemanu Binyamin Zelka, who was killed at the site days earlier, April 25, 2026. (Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Hundreds gather outside the Pizza Hut branch in the Kfar Ganim neighborhood of Petah Tikva, where 21-year-old Yemanu Binyamin Zelka was murdered overnight Tuesday-Wednesday, Independence Day.

“Ben-Gvir, wake up,” participants can be heard chanting in footage aired on Ynet, referring to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Earlier today, seven minors ages 13 to 17 were arrested in connection with the killing. The group allegedly decided to take revenge on Zelka, shift manager at the branch, after he asked them to stop spraying party foam in the restaurant.

“It is utterly shocking how easily his blood was shed,” National Unity MK Pnina Tamano-Shata says at the protest, according to Haaretz. “This is a call for awakening. Blood is being spilled in the streets for no reason. This shows that something is breaking down in our society.”

“There’s another thing that cannot be ignored: it took the police three days to arrest the suspects, when every child in Petah Tikva knew their names,” she adds. “The videos and the names were going around, and the police did nothing.”

Many people are also leaving candles and messages of solidarity outside the pizzeria.

Slain hostage’s mother rails against government at Tel Aviv rally: ‘You can’t ask us to bury both our children and the truth’

Anti-government and anti-war protesters, many demanding a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, invasion and massacre, demonstrate in Habima Square in Tel Aviv on April 25, 2026. (Jack GUEZ / AFP)

Several hundred anti-government protesters gather at Tel Aviv’s Habima Square for a demonstration organized by the Movement for Quality Government corruption watchdog and other civil society groups.

The mostly staid crowd is addressed by a legal scholar, a retired general and bereaved parents who rail against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attacks on the judiciary, his efforts to codify the Haredi exemption from military service, and his failure to take responsibility for the security debacle that enabled the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023.

Ruby and Hagit Chen, parents of Israeli-American formerly captive slain soldier Itay Chen, slam the government for its silence after pro-Netanyahu bereaved families tried to storm the High Court on Thursday as justices weighed whether to order Netanyahu to establish a state commission of inquiry into the attack. Netanyahu has refused to do so, claiming such a committee would be biased against him because its chair would be appointed by the Supreme Court president and likely headed by a retired justice.

“It’s been nearly a thousand days,” says Hagit Chen. “The truth hasn’t been investigated, and responsibility hasn’t been taken.”

“The state keeps acting as though it can just go on without providing answers,” she says. “You can’t ask us to bury both our children and the truth.”

The atmosphere at the protest is less than electric.

Instead of the large stage and screen typically set up for these protests, speakers in this week’s demonstration address the audience from a stage set up in the container of a small truck.

Behind the truck, protesters stand in silence with signs that call to “stop settler terrorism.” Police pull away at least two right-wing provocateurs who clash with protesters near the truck.

Other than a drum circle comprising members of the Pink Front performing arts protest group, the crowd in front of the truck is mostly quiet ahead of and during the speeches.

The relative silence is disrupted when a column of some 200 more protesters arrives, having marched over from the Hungarian embassy in the Old North neighborhood. These protesters spread a large Hungarian flag on the ground, beat drums and chant slogans including “Seventh of October — the Netanyahu massacre.” They continue making noise for a time during the speeches, but soon enough fall silent with the rest of the crowd.

The Hungary motifs are an allusion to Netanyahu’s Hungarian counterpart and ally Viktor Orban, whose election loss last week put an end to 16 years of Christian nationalist rule in Budapest. Orban’s own attacks on Hungary’s judiciary made him a bogeyman for Israeli critics of Netanyahu, who seek to emulate the popular movement that elected Orban’s opponent Peter Magyar. But while Magyar rode to victory on a tide of young people’s resentment, the protesters at Habima overwhelmingly trend middle-aged and older.

Hundreds of people also demonstrated tonight in Jerusalem, and there were other protests elsewhere in the country.

Report: Government repeatedly chose not to increase interceptor funding, even after Iranian attacks in 2024

This image issued by the Defense Ministry on February 11, 2026, shows the David's Sling air defense system during a recent test. (Defense Ministry)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government repeatedly opted not to increase funding for interceptor missiles in recent years, despite rising tensions with Iran and multiple large-scale ballistic missile attacks, according to an investigation by Channel 12.

The report says Iran has produced ballistic missiles at a far higher rate than Israel’s interceptor output, estimating that for every interceptor manufactured in Israel, Tehran produced 10 of its own.

Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel in two major rounds of conflict in 2024 – in April and again in October – while Israel’s stockpile of long-range interceptors, particularly the Arrow 3, remained limited.

Despite the scale of the attacks, the investigation finds no emergency government or cabinet discussions were held to significantly ramp up interceptor production, with manufacturing rates largely unchanged.

A senior defense official cited in the report describes the situation as “crazy,” saying, “The Iranians fire at us twice — hundreds of missiles — and it doesn’t move anything.”

A special defense budget committee led by Prof. Jacob Nagel recommended an increase in Arrow 3 production at the end of 2024, but the proposal was not acted upon.

“After the Nagel Committee, they already knew they were heading toward a possible attack on Iran, and still, nothing moved,” the defense official says, seemingly in reference to preparations ahead of the June 2025 conflict. “It’s clear to everyone there aren’t enough Arrow 3s.”

An Israeli official cited in the report claims that members of Netanyahu’s government, namely Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, advocated for taking offensive measures against Iran instead of investing in defense in the form of interceptor missiles.

“Smotrich says in the meetings: ‘Anyways, we won’t be able to deal with [Iran’s] surface-to-surface missiles. They have many more missiles than we have interceptors, and the only way is to attack them, not invest in defense,” the official says.

From last year’s 12-day war through the latest round of fighting, which began on February 28, no additional steps were taken to expand Israel’s interceptor missile stockpile, Channel 12 reports – despite repeated efforts by defense officials, including Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram, to push for an increase.

The findings add to longstanding concerns that Israel’s interceptor stockpile has been under strain, particularly during repeated rounds of fighting with Iran.

Report: Senior right-wing figures organizing new ‘Likud B’ party ahead of upcoming elections

MK Yuli Edelstein speaks during a conference at Reichman University in Herzliya, on January 13, 2026. (Tal Gal/Flash90)

Senior right-wing figures, including members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, are organizing a new political party referred to as “Likud B,” aimed at creating a more ‘statesmanlike’ alternative to the ruling party, “free of extremists,” according to a Channel 12 report.

According to the unsourced report, the effort involves both current and former Likud figures who have had tensions with Netanyahu, including Likud MK Yuli Edelstein, who previously led the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee before being ousted by the coalition last year due to his blocking their draft exemption law for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students, and Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, who has also opposed the legislation.

A member of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope party, which merged with Likud last year, Haskel told the Times of Israel in an interview that the merger had made her “politically homeless.”

Other figures said to be involved include former Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, who served as a Likud MK and minister for 10 years before breaking away to form the Kulanu party, later joining a Netanyahu-led coalition and serving as finance minister from 2015 to 2020, and former UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan, who is reportedly weighing a future bid to lead Likud.

The group has already held initial talks centered on forming a broad government without extremist parties, but has yet to agree on whether to support a Netanyahu-led coalition or back a government headed by opposition leaders Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett or former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot, who have emerged as the leading frontrunners to unseat Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, former MK Matan Kahana, who resigned from the Knesset last year to join former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party, says that he will remain a member of Yashar, amid speculation that he may defect to join Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s party ahead of upcoming elections.

Kahana previously served as an MK in Bennett’s Yamina party, and later a minister in his government, and has advocated for a merger between Eisenkot and Bennett.

Netanyahu’s office says PM instructed IDF to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon ‘with force’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the IDF to “strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon with force,” his office says in a terse statement.

This comes after Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at northern Israel and troops stationed in southern Lebanon today.

Hezbollah has been carrying out multiple attacks per day on Israeli forces stationed in southern Lebanon amid the ceasefire, while claiming that it is responding to alleged Israeli violations of the truce.

IDF says suspected Hezbollah drone triggered sirens near Lebanon border, likely crashed

A suspected Hezbollah drone from Lebanon triggered the sirens in the northern border community of Malkia a short while ago, the military says.

The IDF says it lost contact with the “suspicious aerial target,” indicating it crashed somewhere.

The incident is a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement by the Hezbollah terror group,” the military adds.

Teen suspected of murdering pizzeria worker in Petah Tikva caught on camera holding knife covered in blood

A screengrab of an image aired on Channel 12 on April 25, 2026, purporting to show a suspect holding a knife, which was allegedly used in the killing of Yemanu Binyamin Zelka in Petah Tikvah. (Channel 12)

A 15-year-old suspected of stabbing to death a 21-year-old working at a pizzeria in Petah Tikva on Independence Day on Wednesday was caught on camera holding a knife covered in blood, Channel 12 reports, airing the image.

Yemanu Binyamin Zelka was working at the Pizza Hut restaurant in the Kfar Ganim neighborhood when he politely asked a group of youths to stop spraying party foam in the restaurant, police said.

According to the Kan public broadcaster, one of the minors stabbed Zelka while the others beat or watched the victim.

Earlier today, seven minors ages 13 to 17 were arrested in connection with the killing.

The main suspect, aged 15, was reportedly arrested in an apartment where he was hiding in central Israel after officers broke in and then chased him down after he tried to flee.

Hadassah denies acting dishonestly over Netanyahu’s undisclosed prostate cancer treatment

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center) accompanied with his wife Sara, to his left, and Transportation Minister Miri Regev, along with Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ochana and his partner Alon Hadad, arrive at the 78th Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony, on Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, April 21, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital denies acting dishonestly over the delayed release of information surrounding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s treatment for prostate cancer earlier this year.

Netanyahu only acknowledged yesterday that he had undergone treatment, and Hadassah Ein Karem then confirmed that this was the case. It said the cancer was discovered “a few months ago,” that Netanyahu was given radiation therapy “two and a half months ago,” and that a follow-up check two and a half months later — evidently very recently — showed the disease to have “disappeared.”

Channel 12’s health reporter Yoav Even says he asked Hadassah 10 days ago whether Netanyahu had been undergoing any medical treatment at the hospital. Hadassah “did not respond officially,” Even says, “but they said, ‘there is no significant medical event at Hadassah Ein Karem that is being kept hidden from the public’.”

“That was a lie,” charges Even, as was demonstrated yesterday, he says, when Netanyahu acknowledged the cancer treatment.

In response, Hadassah issues a statement insisting it has “always only told the truth,” but adding that “publishing details from the prime minister’s personal medical file is the responsibility of the Prime Minister’s Office.”

“The hospital’s role is solely to give the best medical treatment to all, including the prime minister,” it adds.

Even notes that, when he spoke to the hospital 10 days ago, it did not refer him to the PMO for details.

He also notes that this is not the first time that hospitals have been caught in this kind of controversy, recalling the circumstances in which Netanyahu was fitted with a pacemaker in July 2023 and allegations that Tel Aviv’s Sheba Hospital kept the public in the dark about the severity of his condition at the time.

Araghchi: Iran ‘yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that it remains to be seen whether the United States is “truly serious” about diplomacy, after he completes a visit to Pakistan, where he met with senior officials.

In a post on X after leaving Islamabad, Araghchi says he had “shared Iran’s position concerning (a) workable framework to permanently end the war,” but he had “yet to see if the US is truly serious about diplomacy.”

Shortly after his departure, US President Donald Trump said Washington would no longer be sending envoys to Islamabad for talks.

Suspected drone sirens sound in Lebanon border community

Sirens warning of a suspected drone attack from Lebanon sound in the border community of Malkia.

The IDF says it is investigating.

IDF says recent Gaza strike killed several Hamas operatives, including terrorist who invaded on Oct. 7

The IDF says an airstrike in the Gaza Strip this week killed several Hamas operatives who planned attacks on Israeli troops, including a terrorist who invaded Israel during the October 7, 2023, onslaught.

The strike on Thursday targeted a cell of Hamas operatives who planned “imminent” attacks on Israeli troops stationed in central Gaza, according to the IDF.

The military and Shin Bet security agency say they can now confirm that the strike killed Hazem Rami Ali Aidi, a commander of a Hamas cell, who invaded Israel during the October 7 attack.

Additionally, the IDF and Shin Bet say the strike killed Ibrahim Mansour, a Hamas platoon commander and a “key figure” in the terror group’s efforts to restore its capabilities; and Maher Tantawi, a Hamas intelligence operative.

Report: Police confiscated Hungarian flag from recent protest due to resemblance to Palestinian flag

Israel Police last week confiscated a Hungarian flag from an anti-government protester, claiming that it looks too much like the Palestinian flag and could cause “provocation,” Haaretz reports.

Both the Hungarian and Palestinian flags feature green, white and red, though their arrangement is different and Hungary’s flag does not feature black. Displaying a Palestinian flag is not illegal in Israel, but police regularly confiscate flags at protests, claiming they disturb the peace.

According to the report, police officers approached the man waving the Hungarian flag during a demonstration last Saturday at the Karkur Junction in northern Israel, and demanded that he hand the flag over.

“When I explained to him that it was the Hungarian flag, he said, ‘You might understand that, but others don’t,” Haaretz quotes the protester as saying. “I suggested that I return the flag to the car, but he refused and confiscated it. Only when the demonstration was over did he relent to my request and return the flag to me.”

באמת, זה אין לתאר.
קצין משטרה החרים דגל של הונגריה שהניף מפגין בצומת כרכור בטענה שהוא דומה מדי לדגל פלסטין ו"עלול לעורר פרובוקציה".

מדווחת @adihashmonai https://t.co/vAoTeUtTd9

— Josh Breiner (@JoshBreiner) April 25, 2026

According to Haaretz, police have not responded to the outlet’s inquiry regarding the alleged confiscation of the protester’s flag.

The report comes days after police detained a resident of the central city of Modiin for wearing a kippa displaying a Palestinian flag alongside an Israeli one, and later cut up the religious head covering to remove the symbol.

Trump after cancelling US envoy’s trip to Pakistan talks: If Iran wants to talk, ‘all they have to do is call’

President Donald Trump, accompanied, from left to right, by Jared Kushner, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, not pictured, at his Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

In a post on Truth Social confirming and explaining his decision to cancel US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s trip to Islamabad for talks with Iran, US President Donald Trump says: “If they want to talk, all they have to do is call.”

With Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi already having left Pakistan, the efforts to reach a deal on ending the war appear to be deadlocked. Iran has demanded that the US end its blockade of Iranian ports as a condition for resuming talks, and the US has ruled this out.

“I just cancelled the trip of my representatives going to Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians. Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!” he writes.

“Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership.’ Nobody knows who is in charge, including them,” he says. “Also, we have all the cards, they have none!”

“If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” he concludes.

Hezbollah launches several explosive drones at Israeli troops in south Lebanon; IDF: no injuries

Hezbollah launched several explosive-laden drones at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon a short while ago.

The IDF says the drones exploded near the forces, but did not cause any injuries.

“The Hezbollah terror organization has again blatantly violated the ceasefire agreement,” the military says.

The terror group has made use of small first-person view (FPV) drones in its attacks on Israeli troops. Some of the drones are guided using a spool of fiber optic cable, which mitigates efforts to electronically jam their signal.

Trump says cancelling of envoys’ Pakistan trip does not mean resumption of war with Iran

US President Donald Trump says that the canceling of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s trip to Islamabad for talks does not automatically mean war with Iran would restart despite the setback in peace efforts.

Asked whether the cancellation meant he would resume the war, Trump tells Axios: “No. It doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet.”

Trump says he has canceled Witkoff, Kushner trip to Pakistan for Iran talks — Fox News

US President Donald Trump has canceled a planned trip to Pakistan by envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for peace talks with Iran, Fox News reports.

“I’ve told my people a little while ago they were getting ready to leave, and I said, ‘Nope, you’re not making an 18 hour flight to go there. We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want, but you’re not going to be making any more 18 hour flights to sit around talking about nothing,'” the network reports Trump as saying in a phone call.

Iran’s president urges his people to conserve electricity amid US blockade; no power cuts reported

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian calls on his people to conserve electricity, warning that while there were no shortages at present, the US and Israel aimed to sow “dissatisfaction” among the Iranian people.

“We have asked our dear people, who are now ready and present on the ground, a simple request. And that is to reduce their own electricity and energy consumption,” the president says on state TV.

“We do not need people to sacrifice for the time being, but we do need to control consumption. Instead of 10 lights, two lights should be turned on in the house — what is wrong with that?” he adds.

Despite the US-Israeli bombing campaign and subsequent blockade against Iran, there have been no reported power cuts in Tehran in recent days.

Pezeshkian accuses Iran’s enemies of hitting infrastructure and imposing a blockade “so that the current satisfaction turns into dissatisfaction.”

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to wipe out Iran’s power infrastructure, but has so far not followed through. Even before the current war with the United States and Israel, however, Iran suffered frequent power outages during the winter and summer peaks in demand.

According to the International Energy Agency, Iran generates nearly four-fifths of its electricity from burning natural gas, a resource in which it is self-sufficient thanks to vast gas fields. It supplements this with low-quality heavy fuel oil, known as mazout, used at older power stations.

Nevertheless, ageing infrastructure, a lack of investment and the impact of fierce international sanctions that cut off access to technology and investment have left the electricity grid unable to cope with demand.

Pezeshkian has previously launched several public awareness campaigns to reduce energy use.

US military strike on alleged drug boat kills 2 in eastern Pacific

WASHINGTON — The US military says it launched another strike yesterday on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people.

The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and has killed at least 183 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the Caribbean Sea.

The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.

Regarding the latest attack yesterday, US Southern Command repeats previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. It posts a video on X showing a boat floating in the water before an explosion left it in flames.

On April 24, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/FRHwqXsHm2

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) April 25, 2026

US President Donald Trump has said the country is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

Critics, meanwhile, have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes.

Police announce arrest of 2 minors in connection to killing of 19-year-old in Beersheba

Israel Police say they have arrested two suspects, both minors, in connection with the killing of a 19-year-old resident of Beersheba last night.

According to Hebrew media reports, the victim, Destao Tzakul, was stabbed to death during an apparent nighttime brawl in the southern city.

Tzakul was taken to Soroka Medical Center with critical injuries, where he was pronounced dead.

According to the police statement, an investigation was immediately launched into the incident, with officers arresting two minors, both residents of Beersheba, on suspicion of their involvement in the killing.

דסטאו צקול בן ה-19 נרצח ממש מתחת לביתו בבאר שבע ברחוב משה שרת. קרובי משפחה סיפרו כי יצא החוצה לחברים, שם ככל הנראה המתינו לו. צוות מד"א נגב פינה אותו לביה"ח סורוקה בעיר. מותו נקבע זמן קצר לאחר מכן. המשטרה טרם עצרה חשודים במעשה. לדברי המשפחה הוא סיים מכינה לקראת גיוסו לצבא pic.twitter.com/I0UVYPBHIt

— ilana curiel (@ilanacuriel) April 24, 2026

The incident came two nights after 21-year old pizzeria worker Yemanu Binyamin Zelka was stabbed to death in Petah Tikva after he asked a group of youths to stop spraying party foam in the restaurant during Independence Day celebrations.

Police have since announced the arrest of seven people, including a main suspect, who police say is 15.

IDF says it struck several Hezbollah sites in south Lebanon security zone

The IDF says it struck several buildings used by Hezbollah, including its elite Radwan Force, in the Israeli-held security zone in southern Lebanon a short while ago.

The buildings were used for storing weapons and carrying out attacks, the IDF says.

“The buildings were struck to remove a threat to IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians,” the military says.

Witkoff, Kushner yet to depart for Pakistan for talks; Iran’s FM has already left

While the White House said yesterday that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would depart this morning for talks with Iranian counterparts in Islamabad, the pair have yet to depart Florida as of 11 a.m. local time, a source familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel.

The White House also claimed yesterday that Iran had reached out and expressed an interest in meeting in person to discuss its latest proposal for a permanent ceasefire.

If that is the case, there doesn’t seem to be urgency on either side to make that happen.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi did fly to Islamabad on Friday, but he has already left the country after finishing his meetings with Pakistani officials, continuing his diplomatic tour with subsequent planned stops in Oman and Russia.

The fact that Kushner and Witkoff have yet to depart Washington could signal that Araghchi’s meetings with Pakistani mediators didn’t lead to progress toward a deal with the US.

But the source familiar with the matter says that Araghchi could return to Pakistan to meet with Witkoff and Kushner early next week after completing his trips to Oman and Russia.

Gunfire and blasts rock Mali’s capital and other cities, in apparent coordinated assault

An ariel view of Bamako, Mali, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo)

Gunmen attacked several locations in Mali’s capital and other cities early today in a possible coordinated assault, residents and authorities say.

Mali’s army says in a statement that “unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks” in Bamako and that soldiers were “engaged in eliminating the attackers.”

In another statement later, it says the situation was brought under control.

Mali has been plagued by insurgencies fought by affiliates of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the north.

An Associated Press journalist in Bamako reports hearing sustained heavy weapons and automatic rifle gunfire coming from Modibo Keïta International Airport, around 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the city center, and saw a helicopter over nearby neighborhoods. The airport is adjacent to an air base used by Mali’s air force. A resident living near the airport also reports gunfire and three helicopters patrolling overhead.

The US Embassy in Bamako has issued a security alert citing reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and the international airport, and urges US citizens to shelter in place and avoid travel there.

IDF says it shot down suspected Hezbollah drone that triggered sirens in Galilee

A suspected Hezbollah drone was shot down by air defenses over the Western Galilee a short while ago, the military says.

The IDF says it lost contact with a second “suspicious aerial target,” indicating it crashed somewhere.

No injuries are caused.

The IDF says the attack is a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement by the Hezbollah terror group.”

Syria to begin trying Assad-era figures tomorrow, justice ministry official says

Relatives of victims demand the execution of Amjad Yousef, a former intelligence officer allegedly linked to their killings, after the Interior Ministry announced his arrest, in the Tadamon neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Damascus is set to begin trials of prominent figures from the rule of ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, a justice ministry official tells AFP, starting tomorrow with a former security official.

“The first trial sessions for symbolic former Syrian regime figures will begin on Sunday” with Atif Najib, who was arrested in January of last year, the official says, on condition of anonymity.

Najib is the former head of political security in south Syria’s Daraa province, the cradle of the country’s 2011 uprising, and is accused of orchestrating a crackdown there. He is on a US Treasury sanctions list alongside other Syrian officials, and is a cousin of the ousted leader.

Next Sunday marks the start of the public trial of Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin and former security chief in Daraa, who led the 2011 crackdown on peaceful protesters that catalyzed 14 years of brutal repression.

This marks a critical step towards justice and accountability for… pic.twitter.com/wZYrAAzNRo

— Syrian Emergency Task Force (@syrianetf) April 24, 2026

The ministry official says trials would follow for Wassim al-Assad — another of the former president’s cousins — and Amjad Youssef, the main suspect in a 2013 massacre who was arrested this week, as well as “pilots who took part in bombing Syrian cities and towns.”

Wassim al-Assad was arrested last June. The US Treasury sanctioned him in 2023, saying he had led a paramilitary unit and was “a key figure in the regional drug trafficking network.”

Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais said yesterday on X that the Damascus criminal court was ready “for the moment that victims have long waited for: the start of public trials,” calling them “part of the transitional justice process.”

Rights groups, activists and the international community have repeatedly emphasized the importance of transitional justice in the war-ravaged country.

Sirens warning of suspected drone attack from Lebanon sound in Western Galilee

Sirens warning of a suspected drone attack from Lebanon sound in the Western Galilee.

The IDF says it is investigating the incident.

Funeral held for pregnant Gaza woman, 2 children, said killed in IDF strike; IDF says it targeted gunmen who posed a threat to troops nearby

Palestinians mourn over people killed in an Israeli strike during their funeral at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Yousef Alzanoun)

Palestinians today held a funeral for a woman pregnant with twins and two of her children who were reportedly killed in an Israeli strike the day before in the northern Gaza Strip.

Khalid Al-Tanani, of Beit Lahiya, recalls the series of strikes that killed his wife and two of his four children: “With the first shell, thank God we all survived and were calling out to each other. Then they fired the second, third and fourth shells one after the other. Their voices fell silent.”

“I went inside and found my wife, Islam Al-Tanani, martyred, and my son, Hamza, and Naya in her mother’s arms,” he said. “I found them martyred.”

The children were 4 and 13 years old.

Hamza’s 13-year-old twin survived, along with another of the couple’s children. Al-Tanani said they had just started talking about gathering baby items and clothes for the twins.

“You took my soul with you, Hamza, you took me with you and broke me, Hamza,” his grandmother sobbed.

The IDF yesterday confirmed the strike, saying it targeted armed operatives who “posed a threat” to troops stationed nearby.

According to the Hamas-run interior ministry, the strike targeted members of the Hamas police force while they were patrolling near a police station in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in western Gaza City. Two men were also killed in the strike, according to Palestinian reports.

IDF says several Hezbollah operatives killed in strikes in southern Lebanon

The IDF says it struck and killed several Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon today.

In one incident, the military says it struck and killed “three Hezbollah terrorists who were traveling in a pickup truck armed with weapons.” The strike took place in Yohmor, just north of the Israeli-held security zone.

In another incident, in the security zone, the military says it struck and killed a “terrorist riding a motorcycle.”

Meanwhile, two more Hezbollah armed operatives, who were identified by troops in the security zone, were killed in an airstrike, the military says.

The IDF says all the operatives “posed a threat to IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon.”

חיסול מחבלי חיזבאללה נמשך: צה"ל חיסל יותר מ-15 מחבלים בדרום לבנון במהלך סוף השבוע

לפני זמן קצר, כוחות אוגדה 36 תקפו וחיסלו שלושה מחבלים מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שנסעו על טנדר חמוש באמצעי לחימה. בנוסף, חוסל מחבל שנסע על אופנוע בדרום לבנון, דרומית לקו ההגנה הקדמי.

מוקדם יותר היום,… pic.twitter.com/G7CYQvvp8k

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 25, 2026

2 rockets fired from Lebanon at northern Israel; no injuries

Two rockets were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel a short while ago.

According to the IDF, one of the rockets was intercepted while the second struck an open area.

No injuries were caused.

The IDF says the attack is a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement by the Hezbollah terror group.”

Sirens warning of rocket fire sound in Galilee Panhandle

Sirens warning of rocket fire sound in the Galilee Panhandle in northern Israel

The alerts are activated in the communities of Margaliot, Manara, and Misgav Am.

The IDF says it is investigating the incident.

Kite apparently flown from Gaza lands in Kibbutz Nir Oz, 2nd such incident in recent weeks; residents express concern

A kite apparently flown from the Gaza Strip landed in Kibbutz Nir Oz yesterday, the second such incident in recent weeks, according to the border community.

“In the past two weeks, two kites that crossed from the Gaza Strip were located and landed within the kibbutz area. For the residents of Nahal Oz, this is a serious incident that illustrates that the security reality has not changed sufficiently,” the community says in a statement.

In response to a query, the IDF says that yesterday it located a kite in Nahal Oz.

“No suspicious findings were identified on the kite,” the military says.

The IDF says the incident is still under review, while a military source says that the kite likely came from the Gaza Strip.

In 2018, Palestinian terrorists launched kites carrying incendiary devices at Israeli border communities, setting fire to wide swaths of land.

עוד חוזר הניגון, ומה הפלא. קיבוץ נחל עוז: "בשבועיים האחרונים אותרו שני עפיפונים שחצו משטח רצועת עזה ונחתו בתוך שטח הקיבוץ. מתריעים על חזרה לקונספציה. חמאס מתחזק ומתחמש, פקע האולטימטום הבינלאומי לפירוז הארגון ב8 באפריל, בלי שהוצגה לציבור תמונת מצב ברורה לגבי ההשלכות" pic.twitter.com/qyGA3JdA4N

— אסף פוזיילוב (@pozailov1) April 25, 2026

IDF says it intercepted suspected Hezbollah drone over area of Lebanon where troops are deployed

The IDF says it intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” over an area of southern Lebanon where Israeli troops are deployed.

The military says the target, suspected to be a Hezbollah drone, did not cross into Israeli territory.

Iran military says will respond if US port blockade and ‘banditry’ continue

US forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska, April 20, 2026, after the Iranian-flagged vessel attempted to violate the US naval blockade (US Navy photo)

Iran’s military says it will respond if the United States maintains its blockade of Iranian ports, calling it “banditry” and “piracy.”

In a statement carried by state-run media outlet IRIB, the military’s central command Khatam Al-Anbiya says that if “the invading US military continues blockading, banditry, and piracy in the region, they should be certain that they will face a response from Iran’s powerful armed forces.”

“We are ready and determined, while monitoring the behaviour and movements of enemies,” it adds.

Germany to deploy minesweeper ships for possible Strait of Hormuz operation

A boat sails past a tanker anchored on the Strait of Hormuz off the coast Qeshm island, Iran, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Asghar Besharati)

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says his country plans to deploy minesweeper ships to the Mediterranean, which later could be transferred to the Strait of Hormuz.

“We will deploy a minesweeper to the Mediterranean and provide it with a command and supply ship,” Pistorius tells the Rheinische Post newspaper.

He does not say exactly when the ships are scheduled to depart.

After an end to hostilities between the US, Israel and Iran, the German minesweepers could be deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, though such a mission would need to be approved by Germany’s parliament.

“To save time, we have decided to deploy part of the German units to the Mediterranean early on so that — once the mandate is approved — we do not lose any further time,” Pistorius says.

4 killed in Israeli strikes in south Lebanon, says Lebanese health ministry

Smoke billows from explosions in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on April 25, 2026. (AFP)

Lebanon’s health ministry says Israeli strikes in the country’s south killed four people, despite a ceasefire that was extended this week in the war between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group.

“Two Israeli enemy strikes, on a truck and a motorbike, in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqeef in the Nabatieh district, killed four people,” a ministry statement says.

There has been no comment from the Israel Defense Forces, which has continued to respond to what it says are violations of the ceasefire.

Pezeshkian urges Iranians to reduce their use of electricity

In this handout picture provided by Iranian presidency, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian addresses cabinet members, as they visit of the tomb of the late Iranian revolutionary leader ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran on January 31, 2026. (Handout/Iranian Presidency/AFP)

Iran’s president has urged people to reduce their use of electricity after American and Israeli strikes damaged the country’s energy infrastructure, state media reports.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said the government aims to “control consumption” of electricity, according to the Iranian state television.

“Instead of turning on 10 lights at home, turn on two lights. What is wrong with that?” he said.

He said the US and Israel “destroyed our infrastructure,” and noted that the US imposed a blockade on Iran’s ports.

IDF says it struck armed terror operatives in Gaza who planned ‘imminent’ attacks on troops

The IDF says it struck and killed armed Palestinian terror operatives in the southern Gaza Strip who were planning to carry out “imminent” attacks on troops yesterday.

Troops yesterday identified a pickup truck “carrying several armed terrorists,” the military says, adding that “the terrorists were working to advance imminent” attacks on soldiers stationed in the Strip.

The terror operatives were then targeted in an airstrike “to remove the threat,” the IDF says.

Iran delivered Tehran’s negotiating demands to Pakistan ahead of US talks, source says

In this photo released by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, center left, meets with Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, center right, and Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, third left, upon his arrival at Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, April 24, 2026. (Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivered Tehran’s negotiating demands, as well as its reservations about US demands, to Pakistani officials during his visit to Islamabad, a Pakistani source involved in the talks tells Reuters.

15-year-old central suspect arrested in killing of pizzeria worker Yemanu Binyamin Zelka on Independence Day

People gather outside a Pizza Hut branch in Petah Tikva where employee Yamenu Binyamin Zelka, was stabbed and killed on Independence Day, April 24, 2026 (Roy Alima/Flash90)

The central suspect has been arrested in the killing of 21-year old pizzeria worker Yemanu Binyamin Zelka in Petah Tikva on Independence Day after he asked a group of teens not to use party spray in the restaurant, Hebrew media reports.

According to the reports, the suspect is 15 years old.

Some 10 youths were involved in the assault, though police believe one of them was primarily responsible for the lethal stabbing.

Seven teenagers have been arrested in connection with the killing, reports say.

According to reports, a number of the teens were known to police and one came from a criminal family.

The Ynet news site says the teens had “behaved like senior criminals,” turning off their cellphones in the wake of the killing, and not returning to their homes.

Zelka was on shift at a Pizza Hut restaurant in the Kfar Ganim neighborhood at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday when he approached a group of teenagers who were acting disruptively and using the party spray popular with children and teens on the holiday.

After Zelka politely asked them to stop, the teens waited outside for him to finish his shift, and then attacked him when he left the building.

Some 20 Palestinians enter Jenin refugee camp, a closed military zone; most of them detained by troops

A short while ago, some 20 Palestinians managed to enter the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, which has been a closed military zone for over a year.

The military believes that the suspects likely entered Jenin to retrieve their belongings, although this remains under investigation.

The Israel Defense Forces says troops stationed in the camp identified the suspects and, together with Border Police officers, managed to detain most of them.

The detained Palestinians are being questioned by Israeli security forces, the IDF says, adding that troops are searching for the remaining suspects.

The IDF has been deployed to the Jenin camp since January 2025, when it launched a major counterterrorism raid, dubbed “Operation Iron Wall.” Residents of the camp were displaced and have not been permitted to return since.

Car targeted in Israeli strike near southern Lebanon town of Yohmor – reports

Lebanese media reports that a car was targeted in an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanon town of Yohmor.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

استهداف سيارة في يحمر الشقيف قضاء النبطية pic.twitter.com/IxP1HjZv1F

— هنا لبنان (@thisislebnews) April 25, 2026

Iran says US is ‘looking for a face-saving way to escape the war quagmire’

The United States “is looking for a face-saving way to escape the war quagmire it has become trapped in,” a spokesman for Iran’s defense ministry says.

The comment, reported by Iran’s ISNA media outlet, comes as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner head to Pakistan, where Iran’s foreign minister is.

The White House says the two will have “talks” with Iranian representatives. But Iranian state media says that direct negotiations are not in the cards.

Report: Police open probe into attempt to storm High Court Oct. 7 hearing by pro-government mob

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)

Police have decided to open an investigation into the attempt to storm the High Court by pro-government activists during a hearing on petitions demanding a state commission of inquiry into October 7, Channel 12 reports.

According to the unsourced report, the decision was made after police consulted with the State Attorney’s Office.

Supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government were heard chanting “Judge the judges” as they converged on the courtroom on Thursday.

It is unclear how many people tried to break into the hearing, which was briefly paused and the High Court justices evacuated.

Netanyahu’s government has steadfastly refused to establish a state commission of inquiry, the only available independent public forum with investigative powers, into the October 7 disaster.

Critics have repeatedly accused the government of trying to shirk responsibility for the massacre that took place on its watch.

Iran resumes commercial flights from Tehran’s international airport for 1st time since war

Illustrative: An airplane lands at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, February 4, 2021. (Saeed Kaari/IKAC via AP)

Iran resumes commercial flights from Tehran’s international airport for the first time since the conflict with the US and Israel began about two months ago.

Iran’s state-run television reports that flights took off from the Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran bound for Istanbul, Oman’s capital of Muscat and the Saudi city of Medina.

Iran partly reopened its airspace earlier this month amid a ceasefire.

Turkey says it may consider role in demining Strait of Hormuz after potential Iran-US deal

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

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Turkey could consider taking part in demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz following a possible peace agreement between Iran and the United States.

Fidan, speaking to reporters in London, says a technical team is expected to carry out mine‑clearing work in the strait after any agreement, adding that Turkey viewed such efforts positively in principle as a humanitarian duty.

6 teenagers arrested in connection with killing of pizzeria worker on Independence Day

Yamenu Binyamin Zelka, who was stabbed and killed at his Pizza Hut job in the early hours of Independence Day. (Social media, undated; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Six teenagers have been arrested over the killing of 21-year old pizzeria worker Yemanu Binyamin Zelka in Petah Tikva on Independence Day. He was stabbed to death after he asked a group of teenagers not to use party spray in the restaurant.

The six are aged 13 to 17, according to Haaretz.

Reports say some 10 youths were involved in the assault, though they indicate police believe one of them was primarily responsible for the lethal stabbing.

Zelka was on shift at a Pizza Hut restaurant in the Kfar Ganim neighborhood at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday when he approached a group of teenagers who were acting disruptively and using the party spray popular with children and teens on the holiday.

After Zelka politely asked them to stop, the teens waited outside for him to finish his shift, and then attacked him when he left the building, according to Hebrew media reports and a statement by Petah Tikva Mayor Rami Greenberg.

Islamabad in near-lockdown ahead of expected talks on US-Iran conflict

A police officer walks past posters of US and Iran talks near a possible venue in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan’s capital Islamabad appears to be in a near-lockdown, hours after Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived on a closely watched visit as Pakistan attempts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran.

The weeklong security restrictions have disrupted daily life, with hundreds of thousands of residents struggling to commute even short distances. Checkpoints, road closures and diversions have become routine sights, particularly around sensitive zones.

The usually busy arteries leading to the airport and the heavily fortified Red Zone are largely deserted, with movement tightly restricted. Soldiers and police are at key intersections while helicopters circle overhead.

The measures were reinforced over the past 24 hours on the city’s outskirts with additional forces stationed along key airport access routes.

Soldiers are visible on rooftops overlooking major approach roads, particularly near the airport where the Iranian delegation arrived late yesterday.

IDF again warns Lebanese civilians not to return to southern villages

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.

Lebanese authorities say the Israeli offensive in Lebanon has forced more than 1.2 million to flee.

Iran says it executed man who carried out sabotage on behalf of Israel during January protests

Iran said it had hanged an Iranian working for Israeli intelligence on Saturday for vandalism and violence during nationwide protests this year, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reports.

It says Erfan Kiani, a “hired thug of Mossad,” had engaged in the destruction and arson of public and private property, spreading fear and terror across the central city of Isfahan, and wielding a machete.

He was hanged early in the morning after his sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court and following legal procedures, Tasnim says.

IDF says it struck Hezbollah rocket launchers in south Lebanon overnight

The Israeli Air Force struck Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon overnight, the military says.

The launchers were struck in the towns of Deir ez-Zahrani, Kfar Reman, and Sammaaiyeh, all north of the IDF-held security zone.

The military says the launchers “posed a real threat to IDF troops and Israeli civilians.”

בשלושה מרחבים בדרום לבנון: חיל-האוויר תקף הלילה משגרים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחבים דיר א-זהרני, כפר רמן וא-סעמיה שבדרום לבנון, צפונית לקו ההגנה הקדמי.

המשגרים שהותקפו היוו איום ממשי על כוחות צה"ל ואזרחי מדינת ישראל. pic.twitter.com/NpWdlcz6bg

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) April 25, 2026

Protesters at Huckabee’s Jerusalem home say US supporting policies to consolidate Netanyahu’s power

Protesters rally outside the residence of US Ambassador Mike Huckabee in Jerusalem on April 25, 2026 (Orna Kupferman/pro-democracy protest groups)

Dozens of protesters gather outside the Jerusalem home of US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, calling for him to promote the shared values of Israel and the US.

Organizers say they are encouraging “the United States to withhold support for policies that are designed to consolidate Netanyahu’s personal hold on power at the expense of both Israeli and American stability and security interests, as well as their traditionally shared values.”

The demonstrators hold banners depicting violent West Bank settlers, under the title “Not Judaism, Un-American.” A second banner depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says “he fooled you on Gaza and Iran.”

דבריו של ערן עציון , סגן ראש המל"ל לשעבר, כעת מול בית השגריר האמריקני
צילום אורנה קופרמן pic.twitter.com/k8xTywqDlt

— לירי בורק שביט (@lirishavit) April 25, 2026

Iran’s Araghchi meets Pakistani FM as Witkoff, Kushner set to travel to Islamabad

In this photo released by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, center left, meets with Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, center right, and Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, third left, upon his arrival at Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, April 24, 2026. (Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met overnight with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir shortly after arriving in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, officials say.

Pakistan also is preparing to receive US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for the start of the renewed talks, although officials have not specified when they are due in Islamabad.

US freezes $344 million in cryptocurrency over ties to Iran

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies on his agency's proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2027 at a Senate Appropriation subcommittee, at the Capitol in Washington, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The United States has frozen $344 million in cryptocurrency assets over ties to Iran, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says, as Washington seeks to raise pressure on Tehran amid energy supply disruptions due to the war.

“Under Economic Fury, the US Treasury will continue to systematically degrade Tehran’s ability to generate, move, and repatriate funds,” Bessant says on X.

“We will follow the money that Tehran is desperately attempting to move outside of the country and target all financial lifelines tied to the regime,” he writes.

Israeli man lightly injured in stone-throwing near Duma in the West Bank, medics say

An Israeli man was lightly injured when an assailant threw stones at him close to the Palestinian village of Duma near Nablus in the West Bank, medics say.

The Magen David Adom emergency service says the man was taken to Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center for treatment for a light head injury.

Egyptian, Pakistani foreign ministers hold call to discuss US-Iran diplomatic efforts

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a phone call to discuss ways in which a diplomatic path between the US and Iran can be advanced, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry says.

The call comes as US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to depart for Pakistan. Tehran has said there will not be direct talks in Islamabad.

Palestinians vote in West Bank, part of Gaza for municipal elections; polls open in Deir el-Balah for 1st time in over 20 years

A Palestinian candidate (L) and a voter cast their ballots in a makeshift polling station during municipal elections in Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip, on April 25, 2026 (Eyad Baba / AFP)

Palestinians begin voting in municipal elections in the West Bank and a part of Gaza this morning in a first vote since the Gaza war.

Polling stations opened in the West Bank and in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah area at 7 a.m.

Voters are casting ballots in Deir el-Balah for the first time in over 20 years.

Residents of the city, like all other Gazans, have not been able to vote for their own local representatives since Hamas took over the Strip in 2007.

Throughout its decades of controlling the enclave, Hamas has appointed city council members, repeatedly preventing municipal elections from being held alongside those that have continued in Palestinian Authority areas in the West Bank.

It is unclear if the terror group will honor the results.

Read more: For first time in decades, PA bringing municipal vote to city in Gaza

American journalist freed after held in Kuwait for sharing footage of Iran war

WASHINGTON — An American-Kuwaiti journalist has been released after being held for weeks in Kuwait during a crackdown on sharing footage of the US-Iran war, a US State Department official says.

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, who has contributed to The New York Times, PBS, and Al Jazeera English, was arrested on March 3 for allegedly spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his mobile phone.

A US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, tells AFP that Shihab-Eldin “has safely departed Kuwait.”

“While in detention, the State Department was in contact with Mr Shihab-Eldin and provided consular assistance,” the official adds.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday that Shihab-Eldin had been cleared of all the charges against him after 52 days in detention.

One of Shihab-Eldin’s last social media posts before his arrest included a geolocated video, verified by CNN, that showed a US fighter jet crash near a US air base in Kuwait, according to the CPJ.

Hundreds of people have been arrested across the Gulf for sharing images of attacks and the resulting damage.

The strikes occurred almost daily from the start of the Middle East conflict on February 28 until a ceasefire came into effect on April 8.

Israel’s Deni Avdija finishes 3rd in vote for NBA’s Most Improved Player

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) drives past San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in San Antonio, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Israeli basketball star Deni Avdija finishes third in the vote for the NBA’s Most Improved Player.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 27, became the second straight Atlanta Hawks player to be named the NBA’s Most Improved Player when he was announced as the winner yesterday.

Alexander-Walker is just the third player in league history to win the award in his seventh season or later, joining Julius Randle (seventh season in 2020-21) and Hedo Turkoglu (eighth season in 2007-08).

A 100-member global panel selected Alexander-Walker, who received 66 first-place votes, 19 for second and nine for third for a total of 396 points. Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons was second with 254 points (23 first-place votes), followed by Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers with 135 (seven).

Boston’s Neemias Queta was fourth with 41 points (zero), Milwaukee’s Ryan Rollins was fifth with 33 (three) and the Hawks’ Jalen Johnson was sixth with 21 points, including the other first-place vote.

US treasury secretary says renewal of waiver on Iranian oil sanctions won’t happen

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies on his agency's proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2027 at a Senate Appropriation subcommittee, at the Capitol in Washington, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that the US does not plan to renew a waiver allowing the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products that are currently at sea. And, he says, a renewal of the one-time waiver for Iranian oil at sea is totally off the table.

“Not the Iranians,” Bessent tells The Associated Press. “We have the blockade, and there’s no oil coming out.”

“And we think in the next two, three days, they’re going to have to start shuttering production, which will be very bad for their wells.”

Bessent’s statements come as the world is on edge over the US-Israeli war in Iran, and global energy markets have been ensnarled by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The US originally issued a waiver for Russian oil sales and petroleum products in March with the intent of stabilizing global energy markets after crude oil prices surged above $100 per barrel.

The Treasury Department renewed the waiver two days after Bessent said at the White House that he had no plans to extend the sanctions relief.

Hamas-run agency says 13 killed yesterday in Israeli strikes on Gaza

The Hamas-run Gaza’s civil defense agency says Israeli strikes across the Palestinian territory yesterday killed at least 13 people, including five in an attack that targeted a police vehicle.

Eight people, including a child, were killed and several others injured when an Israeli airstrike hit a police vehicle in the Al-Mawasi area of the southern city of Khan Yunis, the agency says, which operates as a rescue service under Hamas.

According to the territory’s Hamas-run interior ministry, two of those were police officers.

In a separate incident, three people — a woman and her two children — were killed when Israeli artillery struck residential homes near Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.

In a third attack, an Israeli aircraft struck another police patrol in Gaza City, the territory’s largest urban centre, killing two people and injuring two others, it adds.

The interior ministry confirms that the two killed were police officers.

Gaza’s Al-Shifa and Nasser published the names of 12 of the 13 victims.

The 13th victim was a 12-year-old whose identity could not immediately be confirmed.

The IDF said it struck and killed several armed Hamas operatives who “posed a threat” to Israeli forces stationed nearby in the northern Gaza Strip.

The operatives were targeted in an airstrike “to remove the threat to our forces,” the military said in a statement.

Emanuel Fabian and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Tehran says no meeting planned between Iranian and US officials in Pakistan

No meeting is planned between Iranian and US officials during talks in Islamabad, and Tehran’s “observations” would be conveyed to Pakistani officials, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson says in a post on X.

“We arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, for an official visit. FM [Abbas] Araghchi will be meeting with Pakistani high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation & good offices for ending American imposed war of aggression and the restitution of peace in our region,” the post reads.

“No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the U.S. Iran’s observations would be conveyed to Pakistan,” the post adds.

We arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, for an official visit. FM Araghchi will be meeting with Pakistani high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation & good offices for ending American imposed war of aggression and the restitution of peace in our region.

No meeting… pic.twitter.com/1vP51xIoep

— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) April 24, 2026

Israel reportedly agreed to, but did not implement US request to curb Gaza strikes

Amina Al-Abed, center, grieves during the funeral of her two sons, Salah and Abdullah who were killed in an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Israel did not implement an agreement with the US to halt airstrikes in the Gaza Strip beyond the Yellow Line — the line demarcating the part of the enclave controlled by the military since the October ceasefire-hostage release deal, the Haaretz daily reports.

According to the report, citing an official familiar with the matter and defense officials, around the time of the ceasefire with Iran earlier this month, the US asked Israel to halt the strikes unless there was an immediate threat to the lives of troops.

Israel reportedly agreed to the request, but continued carrying out strikes beyond the Yellow Line.