April 28: Haredi extremists call ‘protest of rage’ for Thursday over arrests of draft dodgers

IDF says it downed Hezbollah drone before it crossed from Lebanon

A suspected Hezbollah drone that triggered sirens in the Western Galilee was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force, the military says.

The IDF says the “suspicious aerial target” was shot down before it crossed the border from Lebanon into Israeli territory.

Former FBI chief charged with threatening Trump’s life

Former FBI director James Comey talks with 'Fox News Sunday' anchor Chris Wallace, December 15, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Former FBI Director James Comey has been charged with threatening the life of US President Donald Trump and making a threat in interstate commerce, according to an indictment filed today.

Victim of Hezbollah drone attack in southern Lebanon named as Amer Hujirat

Amer Hujirat (Courtesy)

The Defense Ministry civilian contractor who was killed in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon today is named as Amer Hujirat, 44, from the northern Arab town of Shfaram.

His son, 19, who worked for the same company employed by the Defense Ministry, was lightly wounded in the incident.

More drone alerts sound, this time in Western Galilee; IDF investigating

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

The alerts are activated in Shlomi, Hanita, Betzet, Metzuba and Rosh Hanikra.

The IDF says it is investigating the incident.

Serbian protest urges boycott of Eurovision over Israel’s participation

Dozens of protesters gather outside the Serbian state RTS broadcaster to demand that the Balkan country pull out of the Eurovision Song Contest because of Israel’s participation.

The year’s main competition with 35 competing countries is scheduled to be held May 12-16 in Vienna. Serbia will be represented by Lavina, a six-member metal band.

The protesters in central Belgrade wave Palestinian flags and hold banners accusing Israel of atrocities during the war in Gaza. They call on RTS not to broadcast the contest and for Serbians to refrain from watching it.

“A Eurovision without Israel would mean defending the ideals that this event proclaims,” a statement by the protest organizers claims.

There is no immediate reaction from RTS.

Serbia has close ties with Israel, and its foreign minister is currently visiting the Jewish state.

IDF gives all-clear after ‘suspicious aerial target’ triggered sirens in north

The IDF says the sirens that sounded in Kiryat Shmona and nearby towns in the Galilee Panhandle were triggered by a “suspicious aerial target.”

The military says the “incident has concluded” and no injuries were caused.

Drone alert sounds in Kiryat Shmona area; IDF investigating

Sirens warning of a suspected drone attack from Lebanon sound in Kiryat Shmona and nearby towns in the Galilee Panhandle.

The IDF says it is investigating the incident.

Trump: German chancellor ‘doesn’t know what he’s talking about’ on Iran

US President Donald Trump says German Chancellor Friedrich Merz does not know what he is talking about regarding Iran, a day after Merz sharply rebuked the US over its handling of the conflict.

“The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” Trump writes on Truth Social.

US imposes sanctions on 35 individuals, entities for aiding Iran’s sanctions evasions

The US government says it is imposing sanctions on 35 entities and individuals for their role in Iran’s shadow banking architecture, accusing them of facilitating the movement of tens of billions of dollars tied to sanctions evasion and Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism.

Reports: Yesh Atid, struggling in polls, to get boosted power in merged slate with Bennett

Opposition Leader and Head of the Yesh Atid party Yair Lapid and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speak during a press conference announcing a joint list named “Together” ahead of upcoming elections, to be led by Bennett, in Herzliya, central Israel, April 26, 2026. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90 *** Local Caption *** אירוע הרצליה יאיר לפיד נפתלי בנט יש עתיד מסיבת עיתונאים פוליטיקה ישראל פודיום מרכז הארץ תקשורת

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party is set to receive 12 out of the first 29 spots on his joint electoral slate with former prime minister Naftali Bennett, with the rest reserved for representatives of Bennett’s party, Channel 12 reports.

The Kan public broadcaster says Yesh Atid will receive 10 out of the list’s first 24 spots.

This would likely greatly increase Yesh Atid’s power over a scenario in which it runs alone, as the party has been getting a single-digit number of seats in recent polls.

Lapid is planning on splitting from Bennett right after the election, Kan says.

On Sunday evening, Lapid and Bennett announced that they were uniting their two parties into a combined ticket called “Together – Led by Bennett.”

According to Channel 12, there are currently no agreements regarding the allocations of Knesset or cabinet positions, and the currently expected division of spots on the joint electoral list is dependent on Yashar! party chairman Gadi Eisenkot declining to join their alliance. Should Eisenkot become part of Together, Yesh Atid may only receive 12 out of the top 40 spots on the list, the network reports.

Lapid told Bennett this morning that he was willing to take third place, rather than second, on their joint electoral slate if it would help secure a broader merger with Eisenkot, a source close to Lapid said.

A source close to Eisenkot dismissed Lapid’s offer to join the new union despite the fact that Eisenkot was first reported to have proposed a merger in January.

“That’s not the point at all. We’re only interested in what will bring victory to the bloc,” the source told The Times of Israel this morning.

Kan also reports that Eisenkot had recommended that Lapid and Bennett engage in in-depth talks to resolve their policy disagreements — presumably in order to create a true unified party rather than just a technical alliance — but that they preferred to merge quickly rather than engage in protracted negotiations.

Israeli Defense Ministry contractor killed in Hezbollah drone attack in southern Lebanon

A Defense Ministry civilian contractor was killed and another was wounded by a Hezbollah explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon earlier today, the military announces.

The slain contractor, who is not immediately named, was operating heavy engineering machinery in the Aitaroun area, close to Bint Jbeil, amid efforts to demolish Hezbollah infrastructure.

The explosive-laden drone directly struck the excavator being operated by the contractor, killing him. The contractor’s son, who worked for the same company employed by the Defense Ministry, was lightly wounded by shrapnel in the incident, according to Ziv Hospital in Safed.

Hezbollah took responsibility for the attack, claiming to have targeted an Israeli bulldozer in Bint Jbeil while it was demolishing homes. The terror group said earlier that it hit the engineering vehicle with an explosive drone.

The IDF says the contractor’s family was notified by the police of the incident. Despite operating in war zones, civilian contractors who have been killed are not recognized as fallen soldiers.

“The IDF and Defense Ministry extend their condolences to the family,” the army adds.

Police vow to find, arrest rioters who breached home of Military Police chief

Senior officials and bodies continue to condemn the break-in to the backyard of Military Police chief Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin this evening — while his family were home — by ultra-Orthodox extremists decrying the arrest of a draft dodger.

Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy has “strongly condemned” the incident and ordered “determined and immediate” action against those involved, according to a statement by the police.

Levy calls the “unacceptable” incident “a dangerous crossing of a red line,” adding that while people have a right to protest, this doesn’t include trespassing, violence and threats to family members.

He says forces are working to locate and arrest those involved.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich earlier called on police “to act decisively to arrest the rioters, to bring them to justice to the fullest extent of the law, and to restore order to the streets.”

Meanwhile, Yashar party chairman and former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot condemns the extremists, alleging that the attack stems from “government policy that enables and even promotes evasion from service during wartime.”

“Israel is turning before our very eyes into a country where gangs sow fear in the streets,” says Eisenkot.

Sam Sokol contributed to this report.

Netanyahu, Katz condemn invasion of Military Police chief’s home by Haredi extremists

Police officers at the scene where Haredi extremists protesting the arrest of a draft evader broke into the backyard of the house of Military Police chief Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin in Ashkelon, April 28, 2026. (Israel Police)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz condemn the ultra-Orthodox extremists who broke into the backyard of the home of the chief of the Military Police this evening.

“I strongly condemn the wild and violent attack against the chief Military Police officer and demand that firm action be taken against those involved,” Netanyahu says in a terse statement.

Katz similarly says he “strongly” condemns the incident, saying the extremists are “a group of violent criminals who must be brought to justice with the full severity of the law.”

“I fully back behind Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin and make it clear: We will not allow harm to IDF commanders and soldiers,” he adds.

Herzog’s office invites AG, Netanyahu’s lawyer to launch talks for potential plea deal in PM’s trial

Left: Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attends a Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting in Jerusalem, April 27, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90); center: President Isaac Herzog at the president's residence in Jerusalem, March 12, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90); right: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, February 26, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

President Isaac Herzog’s legal adviser invites the attorney general and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lawyer to the President’s Residence to begin discussions to reach “agreements” over the premier’s ongoing criminal trial, meaning a plea bargain.

Earlier this week, Herzog ruled out granting Netanyahu’s request for a pardon at this stage, with Hebrew media reporting that the president is disinclined to go against the advice of the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department, which said that the prime minister’s request does not meet the criteria for a pardon.

Herzog’s legal adviser Michal Tzuk states in her letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, the head of Israel’s prosecution service, as well as to Netanyahu’s lawyer, Amit Hadad, that an “arrangement” would be in the interest of the country, adding that the president has publicly expressed this position several times.

“You are therefore invited to come to the President’s Residence as soon as possible to establish the necessary process for holding these talks with a willing heart and with good and appropriate intentions, with both sides entering the room free of commitments and conditions,” Tzuk writes to Baharav-Miara and Hadad.

She asks them to reply to the invitation by May 3.

Report: Ministers informed Iran rebuilding missile program, Lebanese minister facing death threats over talks with Israel

Iran is working to restore parts of its ballistic missile program, ministers were told during a recent Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting, Channel 12 reports.

The assessment was reportedly delivered in a closed-door briefing by an IDF intelligence representative, who said Tehran has made progress in rehabilitating elements of its missile capabilities.

In a post on X before the session, Committee chair Boaz Bismuth said that “the Iranian regime is about to pay a very heavy price,” urging the public to maintain routine activities while remaining alert.

According to the report, lawmakers who attended the discussion are not aware of what Bismuth’s remark was founded upon.

They also tell the news outlet that they were informed Iran’s supreme leader, who has been in hiding since a February 28 US-Israel strike reportedly left him seriously injured, is alive, as has been widely reported.

Regarding Lebanon, intelligence officials are said to assess that Beirut’s government is doing more than in the past to address the disarmament of Hezbollah, but still not enough. Ministers were also told that a senior Lebanese minister involved in negotiations with Israel faces threats to his life due to the ongoing talks between Israel and Lebanon.

Officials say there is currently no intention to strike in Beirut or its southern suburbs — a Hezbollah stronghold — adding that Israel retains freedom of action if a threat emerges.

IDF chief issues condemnation as police say Haredi extremists broke into Military Police chief’s backyard

Haredi extremists protesting the arrest of a draft evader break into the backyard of the house of Military Police chief Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin in Ashkelon, April 28, 2026. (Israel Police)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says he “strongly condemns” ultra-Orthodox extremists who breached the home of the chief of the Military Police.

The military says the extremists broke into the home of Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin in Ashkelon, “while his family was inside.”

The incident came amid anti-conscription protests taking place across the country in response to the arrest of a Haredi draft dodger.

“I strongly condemn the attack. Harm to security personnel and their families constitutes the crossing of a dangerous red line,” Zamir says in a statement.

He says he “fully backs” Yamin for the “dedicated fulfillment of his duties.”

“This is a grave incident, and decisive action is required by all law enforcement and security authorities to bring those involved to justice,” Zamir adds.

Police in a statement say that “rioters arrived at the home of a senior IDF officer, trespassed into the yard, acted violently, and disrupted the routine of life in the area.”

Police add that officers have begun arresting suspects involved in the rioting.

מפגינים חרדים פרצו לחצר ביתו של מפקד המשטרה הצבאית; גורם צבאי: המשטרה ידעה מראש על הכוונה לקיים הפגנה במקום@Doron_Kadosh @daniel_grovais pic.twitter.com/7TPtMLLwi8

— גלצ (@GLZRadio) April 28, 2026

Haredi hardliners protest outside Military Police commander’s home in Ashkelon

As part of widespread anti-conscription protests taking place across the country in response to the arrest of an ultra-Orthodox draft dodger, a large crowd of members of the hardline Jerusalem Faction gather to demonstrate outside the home of Military Police commander Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin in Ashkelon.

Video from the scene shows clashes between police and demonstrators, with law enforcement dragging Haredi protesters out of the street in front of the senior officer’s home.

The High Court of Justice ordered the government on Sunday to adopt a raft of measures that would punish ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers by denying them various welfare benefits unless they enlist for military service.

The court also ordered the state to open “actual criminal proceedings” against Haredi draft dodgers, calling the police’s failure to arrest such people “unacceptable” and describing the situation as a “knowing and ongoing mass violation of the law.”

Police have been systematically preventing the army from arresting draft evaders in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, IDF officials claimed during a meeting held by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara in late March.

תבינו את הדרמה באשקלון: עשרות מפגינים מהפלג הירושלמי נכנסו לתוך ביתו של מפקד המשטרה הצבאית תת אלוף יובל יאמין ומתבצרים שם https://t.co/2ohPMV8KN4 pic.twitter.com/iimgCNsbY3

— יואלי ברים yoeli brim (@yoeli_brim) April 28, 2026

Report: Lebanon’s president tells US he won’t meet Netanyahu at start of talks

Lebanese channel MTV reports that President Joseph Aoun has informed the Americans he is not willing to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the outset of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, but only at the end if the talks succeed.

According to the report, the US understands Aoun’s sensitivity on the issue and is expected to soon set a date for a meeting between Aoun and US President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu blasts ICC after Qatar alleged to have made offer to chief prosecutor

Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, while waiting for former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to appear via video link before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/ Peter Dejong, Pool/ File)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slams the International Criminal Court, calling it a “corrupt and morally bankrupt institution” that “should be closed,” amid renewed controversy surrounding the court’s prosecutor.

In a post on X, Netanyahu says the ICC has acted as a “lawfare platform used by rogue regimes,” insisting that the case against Israel over its war against Hamas was baseless from the outset.

“It was clear from Day 1 that there was no merit to the absurd accusations against the State of Israel,” he writes, adding that Israel has fought “a just war by just means against a terrorist organization.”

Netanyahu’s remarks follow an unsigned Wall Street Journal op-ed that claimed a new witness statement suggests that the Qatari government promised to “look after” ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan if he pursued legal action against the Israeli premier – claims denied by Khan’s legal team and rejected by Qatari officials.

According to the account, the alleged promise was discussed in the context of Khan’s hesitation about pursuing arrest warrants for Israel’s leadership.

Khan, who took leave in 2025 following allegations of sexual misconduct, is now facing advancing disciplinary proceedings after a UN inquiry found a “factual basis” for the claims, though a separate ICC panel said the evidence did not meet a criminal threshold.

IDF reviewing reported death of child in Gaza strike, says he entered building where suspect was targeted

The IDF responds to claims earlier today by Hamas-affiliated Gazan outlets that a 9-year-old boy, Adel al-Najjar, was killed in an IDF strike in eastern Khan Younis.

In response to a query from The Times of Israel, the military says that “earlier today, IDF forces operating in the southern Gaza Strip identified a suspect in the area of the Yellow Line who approached the troops in a manner that posed an immediate threat.”

“Immediately following the identification, the Israeli Air Force struck the suspect in order to remove the threat,” it continues, adding that steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.

“Following an initial inquiry, during the strike, an uninvolved person entered the building and was apparently hit as a result of the strike. The incident is under review,” it says.

Netanyahu: ‘Special project’ underway to counter Hezbollah FPV drones

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that two weeks ago, he ordered a “special project” to counter the growing threat of Hezbollah drones, adding that “it will take time – but we will take care of that.”

His comments come as Hezbollah has stepped up its use of explosive-laden first-person view (FPV) drones on Israeli forces stationed in southern Lebanon in recent weeks. One soldier was killed earlier this week, and another was severely wounded yesterday.

Netanyahu also notes that Israeli forces destroyed a “massive Hezbollah terror tunnel” earlier today as operations against the group continue across Lebanon, adding that troops are “destroying their terror infrastructure” and “killing dozens of their operatives – and there is more to come.”

He says the IDF is operating across multiple areas in Lebanon, including “south of the Litani, north of the Litani, [and] in the Beqaa Valley in northern Lebanon.”

פוצצנו היום מנהרת טרור ענקית של חיזבאללה. אנחנו משמידים להם את תשתיות הטרור, אנחנו הורגים להם עשרות רבות של מחבלים – ועוד היד נטויה pic.twitter.com/PKJpmsPALn

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 28, 2026

MK Elazar Stern suggests he may leave Yesh Atid and join Eisenkot’s Yashar if parties don’t merge

MK Elazar Stern attends a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, June 26, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Yesh Atid lawmaker Elazar Stern says that if he remains in politics, he will align himself with former IDF chief and Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, suggesting that if Eisenkot opts not to join Yesh Atid chief Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett’s new Together slate, he may leave Yesh Atid — after more than a decade in the party — for Yashar.

“If I remain in Israeli politics, I will be wherever Gadi Eisenkot is,” Stern says in an interview with Channel 12.

Eisenkot has welcomed Bennett and Lapid’s new union, calling them “allies,” but suggested the union might find it hard to draw votes away from the pro-Netanyahu right.

Stern says that regardless of whether the Yashar leader ultimately joins the slate, he is “certain that Gadi Eisenkot has done and will continue to do [what’s needed]. There is no one in Israeli politics whom people trust more than Gadi to do everything for the good of the state.”

“There may be good people like Gadi Eisenkot, but there is no one better than him,” he says.

He adds that he has spoken with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid about his intentions, while praising his current party as “the best party in the Knesset.”

“These are the best and hardest working MKs in the Knesset, and it is to Lapid’s credit,” he says.

Following the interview, Stern tells The Times of Israel that “at this time, there is no change” in his party affiliation and that he “remains a member of Yesh Atid.”

He adds that he will “continue to act from within the party to promote unity and block the advancement of the draft-evasion law.”

The veteran lawmaker has served as a Yesh Atid MK since 2015, after previously serving in Tzipi Livni’s Hatnua party.

Iran to likely send mediators revised proposal to end war in coming days — report

Iran will likely file a revised proposal for ending the war to Pakistani mediators in the coming days, after US President Donald Trump signaled he will reject an earlier offer that would push off any discussion of Tehran’s nuclear program, CNN reports, citing unnamed sources close to the mediation process.

The process of devising a new offer is expected to be slow, due to difficulties in communicating with injured Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the sources are cited as saying.

KKL-JNF halts most of its funding for West Bank programs, saying it unwittingly supported expulsion of Palestinians

Jewish National Fund-KKL says it has ended most of its funding to West Bank programs for at-risk Israeli youth after realizing that they were tools for expelling local Palestinians.

“Regretfully, under the guise of education, it turned out we were supporting activities aimed at bringing youth at risk to the settlements to help dispossess Palestinians from their land,” JNF-KKL chair Eyal Ostrinsky tells Haaretz.

“These outposts being set up by [Bezalel] Smotrich and [Orit] Strock we won’t be part of it anymore,” says Ostrinsky, referring to the far-right Religious Zionism party ministers who have championed farming outposts as a tool for expanding the Israeli settler grip on the West Bank at the expense of Palestinians.

Ostrinsky says JNF-KKL’s executive committee unanimously passed a decision earlier this month to end the funding to farming outposts, which have also hosted programs for at-risk youth. Last year, the same board passed a decision to temporarily halt the funding as reports mounted revealing the extent to which the farming outposts have become hotbeds for settler violence.

Ostrinsky, who took over JNF-KKL in January, says that funding for a small number of West Bank-based programs will continue after it was determined that they were indeed “purely educational.”

The JNF-KKL chairman also tells Haaretz that the organization will cease its purchase of lands in the West Bank, conduct that exposed the group to criticism that it was taking part in dispossessing local Palestinians of lands they own.

Haredi extremists block roads, call ‘protest of rage’ for tomorrow over arrests of draft dodgers

Ultra-Orthodox men block a road during a protest against the jailing of yeshiva students who dodge the military draft, near Bnei Brak, April 28, 2026. (Flash90)

Ultra-Orthodox demonstrators belonging to the extremist Jerusalem Faction, among other groups, block Route 4 near the central Israel city of Bnei Brak in order to protest the arrest of yeshiva students who have evaded IDF conscription.

“We prefer to die as Haredim rather than live as IDF soldiers,” one demonstrator screams. Photos from the scene show burning Israeli flags and a fake tombstone emblazoned with the slogan “We will die and not enlist,” a common refrain at such demonstrations.

In a statement, the Israel Police say that while they consider “the right to protest to be a cornerstone of a democratic state” as long as they are conducted “within the framework of the law,” they “will not “allow any kind of disorder or violation of freedom of movement, or any behavior that may endanger the safety of the public.”

Police report that officers are also working to remove rioters who are disrupting traffic in three locations, including Jerusalem’s Tsahal Square and Route 38 in Beit Shemesh.

In a statement, the Jerusalem Faction declares that the arrest of yeshiva student Nehorai Bachar “from within the walls of the yeshiva in Herzliya” and his incarceration in military prison crossed a “red line” and that faction’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Azriel Auerbach, has “instructed the public to take part in a mass “protest of rage” tomorrow at 5 p.m. at the entrance to Jerusalem.”

“Anyone who does not go out to protest the arrest of a yeshiva student from within the study hall takes part in the persecution of those who learn Torah,” the rabbi states. “It is an absolute obligation for every person who values the Torah and the name of heaven to protest its degradation and desecration.”

An extremist ultra-Orthodox group numbering some 60,000 members, the Jerusalem Faction regularly demonstrates raucously against the military enlistment of yeshiva students. It operates a hotline to mobilize protesters against the arrest of draft dodgers and has been involved in paying evaders financial rewards.

Over the past day, police arrested three members of the Breslov Hasidic sect on suspicion of assault over an attack on ultra-Orthodox soldier Yosef Rozenberger, a member of the IDF’s Hasmonean Brigade, at his home in Beit Shemesh on Saturday night. The attackers reportedly yelled, “We’ll burn down your house with the kids inside,” Channel 13 reported.

“The Israel Police will continue to act decisively against perpetrators of violence and anyone who chooses to disrupt public order and harm public security,” the police say.

כביש 4 נחסם לתנועה סמוך לבני ברק בגלל הפגנת חרדים נגד מעצר של בחורי ישיבות@AnnaPines_ pic.twitter.com/uz4qzaEuJt

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 28, 2026

Ben Gvir urges prisons chief to stay in office despite intention to indict him

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Israel Prison Service Chief Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi visit a prison in central Israel, January 8, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir calls on Prison Service chief Kobi Yaakobi to remain in his position, despite an indictment being expected to be filed against him in the coming days.

“I call on the Prison Service commissioner, hero of Israel, to remain in his position and continue the important work,” the far-right minister writes of Yaakobi, who used to serve as his security secretary before moving to the Prison Service.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara reportedly has decided to file charges against Yaakobi for breach of trust and obstructing an investigation. He is suspected of informing Avishai Muallem, a former senior police detective in the West Bank, of a covert probe in which he was suspected of papering over Jewish nationalist violence.

Ben Gvir adds in his statement that Yaakobi “brought about a true revolution in the Prison Service, fully implemented the policy and restored deterrence to the [prison] wings” after “dozens of years of negligence in which the terrorists ran the prisons in practice.”

Under Yaakobi’s leadership, conditions for prisoners have seriously deteriorated, especially in facilities that hold Palestinian security prisoners.

According to a report last year from the Public Defender’s Office, security inmates are given meager food rations, beaten regularly by guards and held in unsanitary conditions that have allowed diseases to spread quickly in crowded, tiny cells. Criminal prisoners, despite enjoying slightly better treatment and larger food portions, still suffer from chronic overcrowding.

IDF confirms it found, razed 2 vast Hezbollah attack tunnels built with ‘direct guidance’ from Iran

A major Hezbollah tunnel located by the IDF in the southern Lebanon town of Qantara, in footage issued by the military on April 28, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Israel Defense Forces confirms it located and destroyed two major Hezbollah tunnels in the southern Lebanon town of Qantara, which it says were constructed by the terror group with “direct guidance” from Iran.

The tunnels were built over a decade, reaching depths of some 25 meters, and were “funded by the Iranian terror regime and as part of Hezbollah’s plan to conquer the Galilee,” according to the military.

The two tunnels — located near each other but not connected — span a total of some two kilometers in length, making it one of the longest underground systems found by the military in southern Lebanon to date.

Major Hezbollah tunnels located by the IDF in the southern Lebanon town of Qantara, in videos issued by the military on April 28, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF says the tunnels are part of a larger underground network located in the towns of Rab al-Thalathin and Mays al-Jabal during the fighting in 2024.

The IDF believes the underground sites were intended by Hezbollah for use as a staging ground, where hundreds of terror operatives would arrive when called, gather equipment, and ready themselves to attack Israeli towns. Hezbollah’s invasion plans never materialized.

Troops of the 36th Division raided Qantara, some 10 kilometers from Israel’s border, during the current offensive against Hezbollah, following “precise intelligence” of the tunnel systems, the military says. The entrances to the tunnels were relatively hidden.

Inside the tunnels, the IDF says troops located numerous weapons and equipment that Hezbollah operatives could use to reside in the tunnels for long periods. One of the tunnels featured some 10 rooms, each with several bunk beds.

The tunnels also featured rocket-launching shafts, with launchers in them aimed at Israel, according to the military.

According to military officials, the tunnels were built “to Iranian standards,” and Iran was directly involved in the planning and funding of the underground systems.

This afternoon, using 450 tons of explosives, the military says it blew up the tunnels.

Footage shows the demolition of two major Hezbollah tunnels in the southern Lebanon town of Qantara on April 28, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF spokesman says Lebanese high school student jokingly asked for school to be bombed over Hezbollah arms there

The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee says a high school student in Lebanon, from Shuwayfat High School in the Beirut area, wrote to him on Facebook, jokingly asking him to bomb her school because it allegedly contains Hezbollah weapons. The student was apparently trying to avoid taking exams in the school, Hebrew media reported.

After the message circulated on social media, the school issues a statement saying that any student who harms the school or is involved in actions that violate the law “exposes themselves to legal measures.” The statement adds that an investigation –apparently regarding the identity of the student — is ongoing.

Adraee himself writes on X that “my message to the school administration is: do not search for the boy or girl [who wrote the message] in order to punish them. Speak with the students through dialogue — it may be that something is troubling or pressuring them. To young people and children I say: tell the truth, but report to your parents or the relevant authorities any danger or anything that disturbs you. These are violations by Hezbollah against you, against your future and your lives.”

رأيت هذا المنشور المتداول الذي أحدث بلبلة في لبنان، وقرأت جيدًا ما وراء السطور وتداعياته. إن انتشار مثل هذه الرسائل يحمل في طياته دلالات عميقة لا بد من الوقوف عندها:
​🔸أولاً، يبدو أن هناك فكرة تترسخ في لبنان، مفادها أن لكل مشكلة مهما كبرت أو صغرت، يوجد حلها لدى جيش الدفاع ولدى… pic.twitter.com/2gxTeIl7iW

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) April 28, 2026

Netanyahu speaks with families of 2 men slain by teen gangs

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke earlier today with the families of two young men killed in separate attacks last week by groups of minors in Petah Tikva and Beersheba, as the killings continue to fuel national concern over rising youth violence.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu spoke with the family of 21-year-old Yemanu Binyamin Zelka, who was beaten and stabbed to death by a group of teenagers in Petah Tikva on Independence Day, and with the family of 19-year-old Destao Tzakul, who was fatally stabbed in Beersheba on Friday.

In both cases, the suspects detained by police were all minors.

The prime minister expressed shock to the families over the murders that cut short the lives of “wonderful young men with their entire future ahead of them,” and conveyed condolences on behalf of himself, his wife, Sara Netanyahu, and the Israeli public.

Netanyahu also reiterated his call for the perpetrators to face the full force of the law, and has instructed National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Education Minister Yoav Kisch to step up enforcement and hold serious discussions in schools aimed at preventing future incidents.

Government expands IDF reservists’ protection from being fired from their jobs

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Labor Minister Yariv Levin sign an order to extend the period that protects IDF reservists and their spouses from being fired.

The order extends the period of protection from dismissal from 30 to 60 days, preventing employers from firing reservists or harming their work conditions, including vacation days, after they have returned to their workplace. It also includes entitlements to paid days of absence and to carry over vacation days that were not used due to the state of emergency.

“The move ensures that those who stand on the front lines will enjoy full employment security on the home front,” says Levin. “We will continue to support reservists and their families to ensure that their rights in the labor market are maintained without compromise.”

AG said set to indict prisons chief for obstructing probe into senior cop

Chief Commissioner of the Israel Prison Service Kobi Yaakobi, January 11, 2026. (Moshe Shai/FLASH90)

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has decided to file an indictment against Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, after nearly a year of deliberation on the matter, Hebrew media reports.

Yaakobi will be charged with breach of trust and obstructing an investigation. He is suspected of informing Avishai Muallem, a former senior police detective in the West Bank, of a covert probe in which he was a suspect.

In July, the State Attorney’s Office first announced it was considering filing charges, subject to a hearing, against the top warden.

Muallem, who has since been indicted, was being probed on suspicion of papering over investigations into Jewish nationalist violence in a bid to curry favor with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Yaakobi, who served as Ben Gvir’s security secretary at the time before moving to the Prison Service, is suspected of leaking the probe’s existence to Muallem over a wiretapped phone call.

He implied last year that he would resign if indicted.

UK summons Iranian envoy over embassy’s call for Brits to join ‘martyrdom’ program

Britain says the Iranian ambassador to the UK has been summoned in response to what the government describes as the Iranian embassy’s “unacceptable and inflammatory” comments on social media.

Britain’s minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, has made clear that the embassy “must cease any form of communications that could be interpreted as encouraging violence in the UK or internationally,” the foreign office statement says.

Iran’s embassy in London has allegedly urged British-based Iranians to sign up for a controversial “martyrdom” program, according to a report today by the Daily Mail, prompting concern among security experts.

The embassy’s official Telegram channel has called on “proud Iranian compatriots residing in Britain” to register for the “Jan Fada” (“sacrificing life”) initiative, inviting those with a “desire for the people’s defense of the land of Iran” to come forward. A message in Persian from April 15 reads, “Let us all, to a man, give our bodies to be slain; for it is better than giving our country to the enemy.”

The campaign, launched last month, directs participants to register through the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s consular platform.

IDF says sirens in northern town were triggered by interceptor sent toward suspected Hezbollah drone

Interceptor missiles were fired toward a suspected Hezbollah drone that was identified over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed, the military says.

The IDF says the results of the interception of the “suspicious aerial target” are under review.

Sirens had sounded in the border community of Misgav Am amid fears of falling fragments.

Footage shows IDF demolition of large Hezbollah tunnel system in southern Lebanon

The IDF demolished a large Hezbollah tunnel system in the southern Lebanon town of Qantara a short while ago.

Footage published by Lebanese media shows the blasts. Large explosions were heard across the area.

التفجير في القنطرة تردد صداه إلى العديد من المناطق pic.twitter.com/vz8WwMbAG2

— مصدر مسؤول (@fouadkhreiss) April 28, 2026

The Geological Survey of Israel says the massive controlled explosion was picked up by the seismic warning system. However, no earthquake sirens were activated.

The military told residents earlier it would ensure that the controlled blast would not set off the earthquake sirens, which has happened in the past.

Rocket alerts sound in northern Israeli town; IDF probing cause

Sirens warning of rocket fire sound in the northern border community of Misgav Am.

The IDF says it is investigating the cause.

Ben Gvir dismisses ‘twisted’ ombudsman report, claims he’s led a ‘revolution’ in Negev governance

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir tours the Bedouin town of Tarabin al-Sana, in southern Israel, December 31, 2025. (Dudu Greenspan/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir defends his record following a harsh state comptroller’s report on a lack of effective governance in the Negev, insisting that he has bolstered personal security and restored governance to the region.

“It is already clear: This is a twisted and distorted report that presents falsified and distorted data regarding the National Security Ministry’s activities in the Negev,” Ben Gvir’s office says in a statement, accusing State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman of choosing “to ignore the data provided to him, which completely contradicts what he published.”

According to Ben Gvir’s statement, the minister has led a “revolution” in the Negev by bringing about a 195% increase in the number of legal firearms held by citizens in the region; increasing the number of police officers on the ground by 13%; raising the number of quick reaction teams from two to 74; and increasing the demolition of illegal structures by 73%, thus “restoring governance and sovereignty.”

Under Ben Gvir, there has also been “a 317% surge in enforcement and the filing of indictments against ‘protection’ money,” his office claims.

Opposition lawmakers slammed the government for “losing control of the Negev” following the release of the report, which detailed increasing polygamy and resultant national insurance fraud, a lack of enforcement of environmental regulations, and the widespread practice of local contractors being forced into paying protection money.

Hamas-linked media claims 4 killed, including a child, in IDF strike on Gaza car

Palestinian media outlets in Gaza affiliated with Hamas report that four Palestinians, one of them a child, have been killed in an Israeli strike targeting a vehicle in western Gaza City.

The IDF has not yet commented.

The Times of Israel cannot independently verify the reports.

عاجل | في أحدث حصيلة: 4 شهداء من بينهم طفل وعدد من الجرحى؛ جرّاء قصف الاحتلال لمركبة قرب دوار حيدر، غرب مدينة غزة. pic.twitter.com/nLgB2g6gbb

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) April 28, 2026

‘Anarchy’: Opposition slams government after ombudsman report on lack of governance in Negev

A demonstration calling for increased security for residents of the Negev, near the village of Tarabin al-Sana in southern Israel, January 9, 2026. (Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90)

Opposition lawmakers slam the government for “losing control of the Negev,” following the release of a state comptroller report detailing increasing polygamy and resultant national insurance fraud, a lack of enforcement of environmental regulations, and the widespread practice of local contractors being forced into paying “protection” money.

“Under Netanyahu-Ben Gvir-Deri, the Negev has become Palestine,” declares former prime minister Naftali Bennett, attacking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Shas party leader Aryeh Deri.

“Nearly all contractors in the Negev are subject to protection rackets; there is gunfire into Air Force bases. There is complete anarchy; there is no law in the entire State of Israel. The only solution is to replace this government already, and bring in a good, new government headed by me that will restore law and order to the State of Israel.”

Yisrael Beytenu party chairman Avigdor Liberman argues that “the October 7 government has lost control of the Negev.”

“The state comptroller’s report reveals what every Israeli citizen already feels: governance is collapsing. Contractors are forced to pay exorbitant sums to protection racketeering, massive quantities of illegal weapons, polygamy, and a lack of effective enforcement — this is simply anarchy,” Liberman says, accusing the government of having “abandoned the ordinary citizen.”

“Itamar Ben Gvir is a danger to Israel’s security,” declares The Democrats party chairman Yair Golan.

“While Ben Gvir is busy with public relations and publicity stunts, crime is rampant, personal security has collapsed, and the Negev has been completely abandoned. Of all the bombastic ‘governance’ promises made before the elections, nothing remains but zero actions and neglect that cries out to the heavens,” he posts on X.

Comptroller finds severe lack of governance, law enforcement in Bedouin towns in Negev

National Guard fighters and other Border Police forces stand at the entrance to the Bedouin town of Tarabin al-Sana, which has been closed off with cinderblocks, on December 31, 2025. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)

A report published today by State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman points to a breakdown of effective governance and lack of law enforcement in the Negev, particularly in Bedouin towns.

“It’s on the prime minister to address the issue of the lack of governance in the Negev, a strategic issue with weighty implications for the State of Israel,” writes Englman in the report.

The report reveals that police stations in the southern desert region are consistently understaffed due to law enforcement’s unsuccessful efforts to enlist new recruits in recent years.

This has led to an upsurge in crime, especially when it comes to the collection of “protection” fees, a form of extortion in which criminals blackmail businesses into paying them money under the pretense of security services.

From 2020 to 2024, police launched 1,743 investigations into the collection of protection fees, but only 319 were transferred to the State Attorney’s Office for an indictment to be filed. Another 94 cases are in the process of being closed, per the document.

Troops stood by as settlers beat elderly Palestinian man — report

Israeli soldiers stood by during critical minutes of a settler attack on the Palestinian village of Jalud yesterday and refrained from interfering even as the Jewish terrorists beat an elderly man, Army Radio reports.

Instead of apprehending the suspects, one of the soldiers was heard telling them to scram so they wouldn’t face consequences.

The soldiers had an opportunity to detain the roughly 12 settler rioters, but ended up only stopping one of them, Army Radio says, citing witness testimony.

The soldiers failed to act even though the rioters rammed an IDF vehicle with one of their cars, Army Radio says.

One of the settlers even threatened to kill one of the officers at the scene.

Responding to the report, the IDF does not deny its details but says that the decision to only detain one of the settlers was made due to the conditions in the field, which required prioritizing a fire that the Jewish terrorists had started in a Palestinian home in the village.

IDF says Hezbollah fired more attack drones at troops in Lebanon, causing no injuries

Hezbollah launched several more explosive-laden drones at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon a short while ago, the military says.

The IDF says the drones exploded near the forces but did not cause any injuries. Hezbollah claimed to have targeted Israeli forces in the town of Qantara.

Meanwhile, interceptor missiles were fired at a suspected Hezbollah drone that was detected over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed, the military says.

The IDF says the results of the interception of the “suspicious aerial target” are under review.

Reports: Iran improvising oil storage and export routes as US blockade cuts shipments

Iran is resorting to improvised oil storage and alternative export routes as a US naval blockade chokes off its crude shipments, according to multiple international media reports citing commodity analytics firm Kpler.

With exports backing up, Tehran is reportedly reviving disused “junk storage” sites, using makeshift containers and exploring crude shipments by rail to China, in an effort to delay a wider infrastructure crisis and avoid a sharper shutdown in production.

Kpler data cited by The New York Times shows exports dropped dramatically after the blockade took hold in mid-April. While shipments averaged just over 2 million barrels per day in early April, activity slowed sharply in the following days, with only five cargoes tracked and volumes falling to roughly 567,000 barrels exported per day.

The squeeze is already forcing Iran’s national oil company to curb output, reports say, noting that production is often reduced before storage is completely full to prevent dangerous bottlenecks in the system.

The country is also rapidly running out of storage space, with Kpler estimating remaining capacity could be exhausted within 12 to 22 days. That raises the prospect of further output reductions of up to 1.5 million barrels per day, if the blockade continues.

Goldman Sachs separately estimated last week that Iran has already cut as much as 2.5 million barrels per day of crude production, while other Gulf producers, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE, have also been forced to scale back output since the war began on February 28.

Despite the export collapse, Kpler says Tehran may not feel the full revenue hit for another three to four months, due to delays in payment flows and existing sales.

Doctors Without Borders accuses Israel of ‘using water as weapon’ in Gaza; Jerusalem says that’s ‘factually incorrect’

Children stand next to water containers at a makeshift camp sheltering displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on February 24, 2026. (Bashar Taleb / AFP)

The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) nonprofit accuses Israel of “systemically depriving” people in Gaza of water in what it calls a “campaign of collective punishment” against Palestinians.

The COGAT agency of the Defense Ministry rejects the claim, stating that the water supply for the territory exceeds humanitarian thresholds. It publishes the total amount of water supplied to Gaza daily through four water pipelines and the desalination capacity in Gaza.

In its new report, MSF accuses Israel of having “destroyed or damaged nearly 90%” of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure, including desalination plants, boreholes, pipelines and sewage systems, and alleges that these actions are “an integral part of Israel’s genocide” against Gazans.

“Israeli authorities know that without water life ends, yet they have deliberately and systematically obliterated water infrastructure in Gaza, whilst consistently blocking water-related supplies from entering,” argues Claire San Filippo, MSF emergency manager.

COGAT points out in rebuttal that at present, three water pipelines from Israel to Gaza supply between 30,000 and 32,000 cubic meters of water to Gaza per day; a pipeline from Egypt to Gaza provides another 5,000 cubic meters; and desalination capacity in Gaza provides another 18,400 cubic meters of water, totaling 55,400 cubic meters of water per day.

The agency says further that water from local wells in Gaza brings the total water supply in the territory up to “well over” 70,000 cubic meters per day.

The World Health Organization says that between 50 and 100 liters of water are needed per capita each day to ensure that basic needs are met, including water for cleaning homes and washing clothes. The organization notes, however, that 15 liters of water per person per day could suffice in emergencies.

The 70,000 cubic meters of water available daily in Gaza, according to COGAT’s numbers, amounts to around 33 liters of water per day per person, based on Gaza’s population of approximately 2.1 million people.

“Water supply in Gaza consistently exceeds humanitarian thresholds, as we constantly prove,” says COGAT.

“Far from ‘preventing’ access, Israel facilitates and provides water from its own sources,” the agency adds.

Hezbollah claims to hit IDF bulldozer razing homes in southern Lebanon; army doesn’t comment

Hezbollah claims to have targeted an Israeli military bulldozer in the southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil this afternoon, while it was demolishing homes.

The terror group says it hit the bulldozer with an explosive-laden drone.

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

Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that the IDF will raze all of the Lebanese border villages — with the exception of several Christian communities — to prevent Hezbollah from staging attacks from the area. The IDF has insisted that it is only destroying Hezbollah infrastructure, which it says is often embedded within civilian homes.

Trump claims Iran has told US it is in a state of collapse

US President Donald Trump claims Iran has just informed the US that it is in a state of collapse.

“They want us to open the Hormuz Strait as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation (Which I believe they will be able to do!),” Trump adds in a Truth Social post.

It is not immediately possible to verify Trump’s claims.

IDF says explosions to be heard in coming hours as troops raze a major Hezbollah site

The Israeli military warns residents of northern Israel that large explosions will be heard in the coming hours as the IDF demolishes a major Hezbollah site in southern Lebanon.

The blasts are expected to be heard across the Galilee and Golan Heights. There are no changes in guidelines for civilians.

California weighing changes after state mails antisemitic candidate statement to voters

An antisemitic statement sent out in California's voter guide, April 2026. (Screenshot)

California’s secretary of state is weighing legislative changes after the office sent an antisemitic candidate statement to voters.

Earlier this month, the office sent out a guide to all registered voters in the US state with information on candidates in an upcoming election.

The guide included a statement from a fringe candidate, Don Grundmann, full of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel conspiracies, sparking outrage from Jewish groups as first reported by The Times of Israel.

Grundmann’s statement said that Israel assassinated Charlie Kirk with the knowledge of the US government; Israel murdered US sailors on the USS Liberty in 1967; Israelis perpetrated the September 11, 2001, terror attack; and that Israel plans to “suitcase nuke” the US.

“We are ‘goyim’ (less than human/animals/cattle) that they will enslave,” the statement said. “Talmud — their Bible — says Christ boiling in in [sic] Israel allowed/planned/promoted Hamas attack (they murdered their own people) to justify genocide and steal billion$.”

Jewish groups protested to the California secretary of state, saying Grundmann’s statement violated the office’s guidelines, and, by sending out the anti-Jewish conspiracies, the office had given the statement tacit approval.

The secretary of state’s office tells The Times of Israel: “The statements and opinions expressed by the candidates are their own and do not represent the views or policies of the Office of the Secretary of State.”

“We are working with the legislature to propose changes addressing concerns raised related to candidate statements,” the office says. “California Elections Code provisions must be updated to clearly address content that is not permitted, while preserving the ability of candidates to present their qualifications to voters.”

Grundmann’s statement remains on the office’s website.

3 arrested over Friday brawl at Tiberias hotel

Police have arrested three suspects in a knife fight that broke out Friday at a Tiberias hotel.

The filmed brawl, which took place on the lawn near the hotel’s swimming pool, led to the stabbing of two individuals involved. They were taken to the hospital in light and moderate condition, police say.

Footage from the scene over the weekend shows around a dozen men and women gathered around a man who appears to have pinned somebody else down near a palm tree. Amid shouting, a young man throws a table at someone else, before a security guard arrives and attempts to break up the fight.

המשטרה עצרה הבוקר שלושה חשודים בקטטה ודקירות שהתרחשו בבית מלון בטבריה במהלך סוף השבוע, שגרמה לפציעתם של שניים במצב קל ובינוני | @lee_ayash

(סרטון: שימוש לפי סעיף 27א') pic.twitter.com/HVsTRAO5eS

— i24NEWS (@i24NEWS_HE) April 28, 2026

The three men arrested this morning are from Nesher, a city south of Haifa. According to Channel 12 news, those involved in the fight were not guests at the hotel.

Officers brought the trio before a judge in the Tiberias Magistrate’s Court, who has ordered them kept in custody until tomorrow, as police continue to investigate the incident.

British government challenges ‘overstated and wrong’ court decision that Palestine Action ban is unlawful

Britain seeks to uphold a ban on pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, which it has designated a terrorist organization, after a court ruling that the move unlawfully interferes with freedom of expression.

Palestine Action, which has increasingly targeted Israel‑linked defense companies in Britain with a particular focus on Israel’s largest defense firm Elbit Systems, was proscribed under UK terrorism laws last year.

London’s High Court ruled in February that the ban is unlawful, although it remains in force pending the outcome of the government’s appeal, which has begun today.

Lawyers for Britain’s interior minister, Shabana Mahmood, tells the Court of Appeal that the finding that the ban has a significant impact on freedom of expression is “overstated and wrong.”

Huda Ammori, who co-founded Palestine Action in 2020 and brought the successful challenge, argues proscription has imposed “severe restrictions on the fundamental free speech and assembly rights of vast numbers of people.”

UAE energy minister says no direct consultations held on leaving OPEC, including with Saudi Arabia

UAE Energy Minister tells Reuters that leaving OPEC and OPEC+ gives the United Arab Emirates flexibility as it has no obligations under the group, and says the country did not directly consult others, including Saudi Arabia, before the decision.

Sa’ar slams Ukraine’s ‘Twitter diplomacy,’ says Kyiv has given no evidence grain from Russia is stolen

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar speaks at a joint press conference with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić (not pictured) in Jerusalem, April 28, 2026. (Screen capture: GPO)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar pushes back against Ukrainian allegations that Israel is allowing stolen grain to enter its ports, accusing Kyiv of conducting “Twitter diplomacy” and failing to provide evidence that the Russian cargo waiting to dock in Israel was stolen from occupied Ukrainian territory.

“Clearly, we reject this kind of Twitter diplomacy,” Sa’ar says at a press conference, in a response to accusations made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on X earlier today.

Sa’ar says he spoke with the Israel Tax Authority on the matter today but stresses that, at this stage, “the vessel has not entered the port and has yet to submit its documents,” and that it is impossible to verify claims that shipping records were forged.

“Up until this point, the Ukrainian government has not submitted a request for legal assistance. They submitted tweets,” he says. “Nor has the Ukrainian government provided evidence for its claims.”

Israel, he adds, “is a state that abides by the rule of law,” and any legal action must be based on substantiated evidence submitted through proper channels.

“We say again to our Ukrainian friends: if you have any evidence of theft, submit it through the appropriate channels,” Sa’ar says, adding that Israel “will not be influenced” by public pressure.

He also expresses surprise at the criticism, noting Israel’s past support for Ukraine in international forums and through humanitarian assistance during its ongoing war with Russia.

UAE says it will withdraw from OPEC and OPEC+ oil cartels

The United Arab Emirates will withdraw from the OPEC and OPEC+ oil cartels on May 1, state media says, calling it a strategic decision by the major producer.

“This decision reflects the UAE’s long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile,” the official WAM news agency says.

Israel, Serbia push for free trade agreement, touting deepening ties

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar (right), speaking at a joint press conference with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić in Jerusalem, April 28, 2026. (Screen capture: GPO)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić announce steps toward a free trade agreement and the launch of a new strategic dialogue, hailing deepening ties between the two countries.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Sa’ar says relations between Israel and Serbia “have historic depth” and have “withstood the test of challenging times,” praising Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s leadership and Belgrade’s support since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and during the subsequent war.

“We are negotiating a free trade agreement,” Sa’ar says, adding that a joint economic committee would convene “soon” and that Israel plans to establish “permanent economic representation” in Belgrade. He also announces the launch of an Israel-Serbia Chamber of Commerce tomorrow and efforts to expand cooperation in “defense, economy, tourism, agriculture and beyond.”

Đurić says that “like-minded countries like Serbia and Israel have a national interest in advancing our relations.”

He says the two sides were launching a formal “strategic dialogue” following a year of preparatory work, with talks focused in part on expanding economic cooperation.

“There will be… a free trade agreement, which will open widely the doors for Serbian and Israeli companies,” Đurić says, also thanking Israel for its participation in Expo 2027 in Belgrade.

“When I was planning my trip here, President Vučić told me that this is by far the most important task for me at the moment,” he adds about the agreement.

Both ministers emphasize the growing partnership, with Đurić saying he looks forward to hosting Sa’ar in Belgrade.

Iran bans steel exports after industry heavily damaged in war

Iran has banned the export of steel products, local media reports, citing customs authorities, after airstrikes targeted the country’s steel industry in the war with Israel and the United States.

Fars news agency reports a directive from the Islamic Republic’s customs authorities “regarding the prohibition of the export” of steel products, effective from April 26.

North London memorial wall for victims of Iranian regime targeted in suspected arson attack

British police say they are investigating a suspected arson attack overnight at a memorial wall for victims of the Iranian regime in a north London area that is home to a large Jewish community, amid a recent spate of incidents in the British capital.

London’s Metropolitan Police say the investigation is being led by Counter Terror Policing, though it is not being treated as a terrorist incident.

They say that no arrests have been made and that the memorial wall was not damaged.

“We recognise that this incident will heighten concerns in the Golders Green area, where residents have already faced a series of attacks,” Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams says in a statement.

Over the last month, counterterrorism officers have arrested more than two dozen people as part of investigations into attacks on Jewish-linked premises, including the torching of ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola in Golders Green on March 23.

⭕️Breaking news

Last night in Golders Green, London, individuals attempted to set fire to a memorial wall dedicated to the fallen victims who took to the streets after the call by Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and were killed by the Islamic Terrorist Regime. This memorial wall,… pic.twitter.com/p45DvMQRdz

— Niyak Ghorbani (نیاک) (@GhorbaniiNiyak) April 28, 2026

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Source close to Eisenkot dismisses Lapid’s attempt to bring Yashar party into merger

A source close to Gadi Eisenkot dismisses Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s offer to move down to the number three slot on his joint electoral slate with former prime minister Naftali Bennett in order to create the conditions for “a major merger” with Eisenkot’s Yashar party.

“That’s not the point at all. We’re only interested in what will bring victory to the bloc,” the source tells The Times of Israel.

According to a source in Lapid’s circle, the Yesh Atid chairman informed Bennett that he is willing to go down to the third spot on their joint electoral slate if doing so would create the conditions for Eisenkot’s entry into their alliance, because “his personal ranking is far less important than the need to unite forces and win the election.”

On Sunday evening, Lapid and Bennett announced that they were uniting their two parties into a combined ticket called “Together – Led by Bennett.”

Eisenkot has thus far declined to join the new union despite the fact that he was first reported to have proposed the merger in January.

Former budget chief Shaul Meridor joins Eisenkot’s Yashar party

Shaul Meridor speaking at the anti-government rally in Tel Aviv, June 1, 2024. (Omer Yalin)

Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party announces that former Finance Ministry budget chief Shaul Meridor is joining its slate ahead of the upcoming elections.

Meridor, the son of former Likud justice-minister-turned-government-critic Dan Meridor, entered the public eye in 2020 for resigning in protest of then-finance minister Israel Katz’s budgetary moves and what he described as the government’s “irresponsible” economic policies.

Since leaving public service, Meridor has served as chief financial officer of tech company Lightricks and has spoken out against the government at anti-government rallies.

Eisenkot says in a statement that Meridor has for months played “a central role” in formulating Yashar’s economic policy and calls him “an Israeli patriot, with extensive public service experience, who deeply understands the failures that have developed in Israel’s economy and who for years stood up to attempts to harm it.”

Meridor says he decided to return to public service following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

“Israel now needs deep repair – something I want to take part in and contribute to,” he says, adding that he decided to join Eisenkot, whom he has known since Eisenkot served as IDF chief while Meridor led the budget department, because he is “a leader with moral backbone, wisdom, and the calm strategic thinking needed to analyze problems in depth.”

Meridor joins a slate that includes former MK and communications minister Matan Kahana, who resigned from Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party and the Knesset last year alongside Eisenkot, MK Orit Farkash-Hacohen, who also resigned from Blue and White but remains in the Knesset, and Inbar Harush Gity, who led the Defense Ministry’s Directorate for Promoting the Recruitment and Integration of Haredim in the IDF.

Israel designates 5 Hamas-linked media platforms as terror groups

Defense Minister Israel Katz designates five Hamas-linked media platforms as terrorist organizations following a prolonged intelligence effort by the Shin Bet, the agency announces.

The move targets the outlets Quds Plus, Maydan Al Quds, Al-Quds al-Bawsala, Al-Maaraj and Al-Asima, which the Shin Bet says operated under the guise of legitimate journalism while serving as incitement arms of Hamas.

According to the agency, the platforms were run by Hamas operatives and followed directives from the group’s leadership in Gaza, Turkey and other countries, disseminating content across websites and social media including Facebook, Telegram, YouTube, Instagram and X.

The Shin Bet says the outlets sought to incite Arab Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank, encouraging unrest and nationalist attacks under the pretext of protest over key issues.

Under Israeli law, the designation renders activity tied to the platforms illegal, with security forces authorized to act against those operating them or promoting their content.

The Shin Bet says it will continue working with other security agencies to “act decisively” to thwart such activity and safeguard public security.

Report: Iranian embassy in London urging locals to join ‘martyrdom’ program

Demonstrators supporting the Iranian regime hold flags and placards during an anti-Israel al-Quds Day rally in London, England, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Iran’s embassy in London has allegedly urged British-based Iranians to sign up for a controversial “martyrdom” program, according to a report by the Daily Mail, prompting concern among security experts.

The embassy’s official Telegram channel has called on “proud Iranian compatriots residing in Britain” to register for the “Jan Fada” (“sacrificing life”) initiative, inviting those with a “desire for the people’s defense of the land of Iran” to come forward. A message in Persian from April 15 reads, “Let us all, to a man, give our bodies to be slain; for it is better than giving our country to the enemy.”

The campaign, launched last month, directs participants to register through the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s consular platform.

According to the report, an embassy spokesperson insists the initiative “does not promote any form of hostility.”

“Any claims or assumptions to the contrary are simply unfounded. Such biased judgments are made hastily and without proper understanding,” the spokesperson says.

However, analysts cited in the report warn that the effort could amount to online radicalization. Roger Macmillan, a former security director at Iran International, tells the Daily Mail that the campaign represents “a significant threat,” arguing it could be used to identify and mobilize regime supporters in the UK.

“This is an attempt at radicalization online of people who could be persuaded by the regime to commit acts in support of the Islamic Republic in the UK,” he says.

The report comes amid heightened scrutiny of Iran-linked activity in Britain, following a wave of attacks claimed by the newly formed terror group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, largely targeting Jewish institutions.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged last week to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, though legislation has yet to be introduced.

Scotland Yard has not yet publicly commented on the embassy’s messaging, but similar outreach efforts are reportedly under investigation in Australia.

IDF says several more explosive drones launched at troops in southern Lebanon yesterday

Hezbollah launched several more explosive-laden drones at Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon yesterday, the military says.

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

Meanwhile, the military says it razed a Hezbollah tunnel in the western sector of southern Lebanon.

ביממה האחרונה: כוחות אוגדה 146 השמידו תוואי תת-קרקעי ואמצעי לחימה רבים של חיזבאללה

כוחות חטיבה 226, בפיקוד אוגדה 146, ממשיכים לפעול דרומית לקו ההגנה הקדמי במטרה להסיר איומים על אזרחי מדינת ישראל.

אמש, כוחות החטיבה איתרו ותקפו מחסן אמצעי לחימה, עמדות נ"ט, תצפית ומבנים ששימשו את… pic.twitter.com/NO64ovz4Sa

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 28, 2026

Pizza Hut to continue paying salary to family of murdered employee

People light candles and post messages outside a Pizza Hut in Petah Tikva, central Israel, on April 24, 2026, in memory of slain worker Yemanu Binyamin Zelka, 21, who was ambushed at the end of his shift on Independence Day night by a group of teens he had asked to stop using party spray in the restaurant. A picture of Zelka is captioned with Gen. 4:10, 'Your brother's blood cries out at me from the ground.' (Roy Alima/Flash90)

Pizza Hut will continue to pay the monthly salary of Yemanu Zelka, an employee at one of its branches in Petah Tikva who was killed outside his workplace last week on Independence Day eve — giving the money to his family.

The 21-year-old, who used his salary from the fast food chain to help support his family, was stabbed to death Tuesday night by a group of adolescents after he told them not to spray party foam in the restaurant.

After waiting outside for Zelka to finish his shift on Tuesday night, the youths ambushed and beat him. One of the assailants then took out a knife and stabbed the young man, causing him to bleed out on the ground while the group fled.

In addition to paying Zelka’s salary, the restaurant chain has also established a financial aid fund for his family members, and has been providing them food and drink as they sit shiva, the seven-day mourning period in Jewish tradition, Channel 12 reports.

The deadly stabbing came as a shock to many Israelis and spurred police to ramp up their efforts against juvenile delinquency, particularly in Tel Aviv and its environs. So far, police have arrested nine minors on suspicion of partipating in Zelka’s killing.

Over the past week, Israelis from across the country have been coming to visit the family as they mourn outside their home in Petah Tikva.

96% of Gaza’s agricultural land destroyed or made inaccessible by war, study finds

The Israeli army deployed near the border fence with Gaza, southern Israel. February 9, 2026. (Tsafrir Abayov/FLASH90)

The war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza has left 96% of the Palestinian enclave’s cropland damaged or inaccessible, a study has found.

The study released today by aid group Mercy Corps finds only 7% of Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure remains functional.

The group says water systems have been severely degraded, wells have been damaged, salinity has risen and wastewater has infiltrated Gaza’s farmland.

“This destruction is not just environmental,” Mercy Corps sats. “It is directly linked to the food crisis.”

The group warns that full recovery of Gaza’s cropland could be hindered for years if Israel continues its restriction on goods delivery and the contamination of land and water is not addressed.

An October ceasefire stopped heavy fighting in Gaza and allowed for the increased entry of humanitarian aid, although rights groups have warned that there is still a way to go in solving food scarcity issues in the war-torn enclave.

In a periodic Humanitarian Situation Report earlier this month, the UN’s humanitarian affairs agency noted that there appeared to be declining access to fresh food, with people in Gaza consuming vegetables an average of 1.8 days a week, down from 2.5 days a week in early March.

Zelensky threatens Israel with sanctions over ‘stolen’ Ukrainian grain shipments from Russia

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky listens to a journalist's question during a joint press conference with Bulgaria's Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov (not pictured) in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accuses Israel of allowing “stolen” Ukrainian grain to enter its ports, warning that Kyiv is preparing sanctions against those involved in the trade.

In a post on X, Zelensky says “another vessel carrying such grain has arrived at a port in Israel and is preparing to unload,” saying it is “not – and cannot be – legitimate business.” He adds that Israeli authorities “cannot be unaware of which ships are arriving… and what cargo they are carrying.”

The remarks come amid a growing diplomatic spat, after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha summoned Israel’s ambassador yesterday over what he described as Israeli inaction in allowing shipments of grain to enter the country from Russian-occupied Ukraine.

According to a report by Haaretz, the vessel Panormitis – allegedly carrying grain from occupied areas – was awaiting permission to dock in Haifa, with four similar shipments already unloaded in Israel this year.

Israel has pushed back on the claims. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told Sybiha that Ukraine had provided no evidence that the grain was stolen and accused Kyiv of conducting diplomacy through the media.

Zelensky, however, claims Russia is “systematically seizing grain” from occupied Ukrainian territory and exporting it “through individuals linked to the occupiers,” arguing that such “schemes” violate Israeli law. He says Ukraine has taken diplomatic steps to prevent the shipments, but that “yet another such vessel has not been stopped.”

Kyiv is now preparing a sanctions package targeting “both those directly transporting this grain and the individuals and legal entities attempting to profit from this criminal scheme,” Zelensky says, adding that Ukraine would coordinate with European partners to expand sanctions.

Last night, the European Union similarly warned it may sanction individuals linked to reports of Russian grain ships docking in Israel.

“Ukraine counts on partnership and mutual respect with every state,” Zelensky writes. “We expect that the Israeli authorities will respect Ukraine and refrain from actions that undermine our bilateral relations,” he says while stressing Kyiv’s interest in maintaining cooperation, including on regional security.

UK’s two top Progressive rabbis: Israel’s policies risk becoming ‘incompatible with Jewish values’

Rabbi Charley Baginsky (right) and Rabbi Josh Levy on stage at a march for the release of hostages held in Gaza, in London, August 10, 2025. (Instagram screenshot: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Israel’s political direction is at risk of becoming “incompatible with Jewish values,” two of the UK’s progressive rabbinical leaders tell The Guardian.

Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy, co-leads of the country’s Progressive Judaism movement, say that criticism of Israel’s government is “a Jewish obligation” rather than an act of disloyalty.

“We’ve often talked about the direction of Israel being an existential threat not to Jews per se, but to Judaism,” Baginsky says in an interview promoting the movement’s new book. “What happens when the direction of the government within Israel takes Israel down a line that makes it incompatible with our Jewish values? That’s a huge worry.”

The Progressive Judaism movement was formed last year in a merger of the Liberal Judaism and Reform Judaism movements. It claims to represent about 30% of the country’s Jews who are affiliated with synagogues.

The movement’s first book, “Progressive Judaism, Zionism and the State of Israel,” is a collection of 40 essays from Jewish clergy and community leaders debating issues surrounding Jewish identity, Zionism and Israel.

“We have a responsibility to show that our religious Zionism is not the religious Zionism that we see sometimes coming out of the West Bank,” Baginsky says. “My Zionism is also a recognition of Palestinian self-determination.”

Last summer, the two rabbis were booed off the stage at a London rally in support of Israeli hostages held in Gaza after they called for an end to the war in Gaza and expressed support for the idea of a Palestinian state.

Tanker loaded with liquefied natural gas leaves Gulf for first time since early March

A ship fully loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG) has passed through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since Iran virtually closed the route in early March, marine tracking firm Kpler says.

The LNG carrier Mubaraz, operated by the Emirati national oil company Adnoc, left the Gulf some time in April with 132,890 cubic meters of LNG on board, having loaded at Das Island in the United Arab Emirates on March 2, according to Kpler data analyzed by AFP.

The vessel switched off its AIS transponder at the end of March for a month, before transmitting again off the coast of India yesterday.

“It could be the case that the vessel managed to cross the strait during the weekend of 18–19 April, when multiple vessels attempted to cross the strait (including seven LNG tankers), however this is not yet confirmed,” Kpler analyst Charles Costerousse, says in a note.

The Sohar LNG was the only LNG carrier to previously have crossed the strait since March 1, but it was empty or very lightly loaded.

The LNG market, in which Qatar is one of the main players, is among the hardest hit by the traffic restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Around 20 percent of global LNG trade normally transits the strait in peacetime.

More than 70 vessels carrying crude cargo have left the Gulf since March 1, mainly originating from Iran.

Germany awards top honors to Israeli officials for Arrow 3 deal

Moshe Patel, head of the Homa Administration in the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (MAFAT), alongside German defense officials at a ceremony in Germany, awarding Patel a Gold Cross of Honor of the Bundeswehr, April 28, 2026.

Germany awards top military honors to two senior Israeli defense officials for their role in deploying the Arrow 3 missile defense system to the European nation, in a deal that marked the largest defense export in Israel’s history, the Defense Ministry announces.

At a ceremony held at a German Air Force base, Moshe Patel, head of the Homa Administration in the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (MAFAT), receives a Gold Cross of Honor of the Bundeswehr, while Col. R., a senior official in the program, is awarded the silver grade.

The awards recognize their contribution to bringing the Arrow 3 system to initial operational capability in Germany in December 2025, as part of a $6.7 billion agreement.

The Arrow 3 system is jointly developed by Israel and the United States, with Israel Aerospace Industries serving as the prime contractor alongside multiple Israeli defense firms.

German officials say the honors reflect the deepening defense partnership between the two countries.

Judges agree to end Netanyahu cross-examination at 2 p.m. today, 2 hours early

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cross-examination in his corruption trial will end at 2 p.m. today, instead of at 4 p.m. as had been expected.

The judges do not explain the reason for granting the request to end the hearing early, but the decision was made after the premier received a message in an envelope and briefly exited the courtroom, Channel 12 reports.

Lapid says he’s willing to drop to #3 spot on ‘Together’ slate in order to bring Eisenkot on board

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid (right) and former prime minister Naftali Bennett at a press conference announcing their joint run in the coming elections, in Herzliya, central Israel, April 26, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid has informed his political partner, former prime minister Naftali Bennett, that he is willing to go down to the third spot on their joint electoral slate if doing so would create the conditions for “a major merger with Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot,” according to a source in Lapid’s circle.

“Lapid states that his personal ranking is far less important than the need to unite forces and win the election,” the source states.

On Sunday evening, Lapid and Bennett announced that they were uniting their two parties into a combined ticket called “Together – Led by Bennett.”

Declaring that he and Lapid were “racing forward to victory,” Bennett also invited Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot to join them, stating that “our door is open for you too.”

Eisenkot has thus far declined to join the new union despite the fact that he was first reported to have proposed the merger in January. He welcomed Bennett and Lapid’s new union, calling them “allies,” but seemed to suggest the union might find it hard to draw votes away from the pro-Netanyahu right.

“For this victory to happen, we need to bring in more votes — that is our only test. Every union must be judged by that,” Eisenkot said on Sunday.

He subsequently invited most anti-Netanyahu party leaders to convene to coordinate a path to a victory by a “Zionist majority” over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in elections set for October.

According to a Channel 12 poll released on Monday evening, in the event that Eisenkot would join Bennett and Lapid in a single list, their united party would garner 41 seats, but the overall balance of the blocs would remain unaffected, with 50 seats for the coalition, 60 for the Zionist opposition, and 10 for Arab parties.

IDF warns 16 southern Lebanon villages, towns to evacuate ahead of strikes on Hezbollah

Ahead of airstrikes, the IDF orders 16 villages and towns in southern Lebanon to evacuate due to Hezbollah’s repeated attacks on troops amid the ceasefire.

The warning covers an area south of the Litani River that is already under a blanket evacuation warning.

“In light of the Hezbollah terror group’s violations of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is compelled to act against it with force,” warns army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.

Civilians are instructed to head to the Sidon area on the coast, north of the Litani River.

“Anyone who is near Hezbollah elements, its facilities, or its weapons is putting their life at risk,” Adraee adds.

#عاجل ‼️انذار عاجل الى سكان لبنان المتواجدين في القرى والبلدات التالية: الغندورية, برج قلاويه, قلويه، الصوانة, الجميجمة, صفد البطيخ, برعشيت, شقرا, عيتا الجبل, تبنين, السلطانية, بير السناسل, دونين, خربة سلم, سلع, دير كيفا

🔸في ضوء قيام حزب الله الارهابي بخرق اتفاق وقف اطلاق النار… pic.twitter.com/QNFDjCfxvH

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) April 28, 2026

Gantz claims Lapid-Bennett union makes it harder to defeat government

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s decision to merge their slates ahead of this year’s election “harms the ability to replace this terrible government,” alleges Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz, insisting that “the best solution is a broad, Zionist government.”

“Instead of calling out to right-wing voters, Likudniks, and Religious Zionists who are looking for a new home today — and telling them that we will ensure the establishment of a broad Zionist government without extremists, that will handle conscription and security and economic challenges — they chose to continue entrenching themselves in intra-bloc battles and obsessing over ‘who’ will lead, rather than ‘where’ we will lead,” Gantz writes on Facebook.

“Both Bennett and Lapid are people I respect, but each of them has once again chosen what serves them personally, rather than what serves the country,” he continues.

For voters who want “a victory for the entire people of Israel,” he says, “I am your insurance policy to do everything possible to replace Netanyahu and the government of extremists, and to ensure the establishment of a broad Zionist government. In today’s political arena, only Blue and White guarantees that an extremist government won’t rise here again, nor a narrow minority government that relies on Arab parties and would collapse in the face of the first security challenge.”

Gantz is currently polling under the electoral threshold and is the only member of the Zionist opposition not invited to a meeting of anti-Netanyahu party leaders proposed by Yashar chairman and his former political ally, Gadi Eisenkot.

Gantz has broken with other opposition leaders by suggesting he could join a Netanyahu-led government and has resisted attempts to be categorized as part of the opposition bloc.

Palestinian media reports 9-year-old boy killed in Israeli strike in southern Gaza

Hamas-affiliated media outlets in the Gaza Strip report that a 9-year-old boy has been killed in an IDF strike east of Khan Younis in the south of the enclave.

The IDF has not yet commented, and the Times of Israel cannot independently verify the report.

Hasidic man from Brooklyn found dead in Colombia; initial probe suggests he was killed in a robbery

A member of the Belz Hasidic community from New York was killed while traveling in Colombia, authorities confirmed yesterday.

The victim, identified as Rabbi Nachum Israel Eber, 51, had traveled to Colombia for a visit when contact with his family was lost.

After several days of searching, he was found dead in a remote area, with signs of violence on his body, according to officials. Preliminary findings indicate that Eber was attacked by a local criminal group in what authorities believe was a robbery. He was killed at the scene, and the assailants fled.

Authorities in Colombia continue to investigate the death, while coordinating with Israeli and Jewish officials, according to reports.

Eber is survived by his immediate family and 16 siblings living in Belz communities across the United States, Canada and Israel.

Members of ZAKA, together with members of the local Jewish community, are working with Colombian authorities to secure the release of the body and expedite legal procedures, the organization says.

“This is a difficult and painful incident of a Jew murdered far from home,” says Yossi Landau, a member of its international unit. “We thank the local Jewish community in Colombia and all those working to bring him to Jewish burial as soon as possible.”

✡️ HEARTBREAKING: Tragedy struck the Boro Park community on Monday morning as the horrific news arrived of the petirah of R’ Nachum Yisrael Eber, Hy”d, 51, a respected member of the Belzer kehillah. R’ Nachum was the victim of a brutal murder reportedly at the hands of a violent… pic.twitter.com/mRd9j3a0y4

— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) April 27, 2026

Police launch operation to combat youth violence after recent deadly stabbings

People gather outside a Pizza Hut branch in Petah Tikva, lighting candles and placing flowers in memory of employee Yemanu Binyamin Zelka, who was stabbed and later died of his wounds on the eve of Independence Day, April 27, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Police announce the launch of a nationwide operation to combat juvenile delinquency and violence by youth gangs in the wake of a series of lethal stabbings involving minors last week.

Police chief Danny Levy announced the operation following a situation assessment held on the matter this morning.

Increased police forces will begin operating in recreational areas and other public places, particularly in the Tel Aviv District. Law enforcement will also take proactive steps against gangs and other instigators, police say.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who oversees police, says in a separate statement that the operation will focus specifically on south Tel Aviv and Petah Tikva, the latter being the site of a lethal stabbing last week on Independence Day eve.

Hundreds of officers in the National Guard, a controversial policing force spearheaded by Ben Gvir, will reinforce local police in the operation. The initiative will be coordinated with police detectives in the Investigations and Intelligence Division.

Ex-Tel Aviv police chief who resigned under Ben Gvir appointed by Bennett as election monitor

Police's Tel Aviv District Commander Amichai Eshed holds a press conference in Tel Aviv, on July 5, 2023 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett appoints the ex-commander of the Tel Aviv District Police, Amichai Eshed, to oversee the integrity of the upcoming elections on behalf of the Together party — his new political union with Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid — and to ensure they are held freely and fairly.

Eshed will share the role with MK Karin Elharrar, who previously held the same post within Yesh Atid.

Confirming Eshed’s appointment in a post on X, Bennett says he is taking every necessary step to “unite, organize, and coordinate” with the other parties in the anti-Netanyahu bloc, “to ensure that the elections are held in a correct and clean manner.”

Eshed resigned from the police force in 2023 following a public spat with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir over the Tel Aviv police chief’s allegedly lenient approach to traffic disruptions caused by anti-government protesters.

He alleged at the time that Ben Gvir had sought to demote him for refusing to use “disproportionate force” against protesters.

“Ami is an outstanding and valuable officer, and he is the most suitable person in the country for this important position,” Bennett writes.

Iran says Washington no longer in position to ‘dictate’ policy to other nations

Iran says that the United States is no longer able to “dictate” what other countries do, as Washington weighs a new proposal from Tehran on ending the Middle East war.

The proposal suggests reopening the Strait of Hormuz while pushing off talks on Iran’s nuclear program to a later date.

“The United States is no longer in a position to dictate its policy to independent nations,” Iran’s defense ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik says, according to state TV, adding Washington must “accept that it must abandon its illegal and irrational demands.”

IDF investigating after commander allowed unauthorized visit to Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil

The IDF is investigating after the commander of the Givati Infantry Brigade allowed four soldiers to enter the southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil for “non-operational purposes” last week.

The four — three reservists and one soldier from the standing army — are bereaved family members whose relatives were killed in Bint Jbeil in previous wars.

Last week, during the ceasefire in Lebanon, Col. Netanel Shamaka allowed the four to enter Bint Jbeil to recite Kaddish, the mourner’s prayer, even though Hezbollah operatives were still holed up in the town.

The IDF, in response to a query, says the soldiers were “brought into southern Lebanon for non-operational purposes” and their entry was carried out “without authorization from the relevant authorities.”

“The incident is under investigation,” the military says.

Yesterday, while speaking at a conference of senior officers, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir mentioned the incident, saying, “He is an excellent brigade commander, but made a mistake. There is a risk in this area. It is still a combat zone.”

“You [tried to do a good thing], and in the end, another bereaved family will also want to enter and recite Kaddish at the place where their son fell,” Zamir said at the conference, according to Army Radio.

Interceptor fired at another suspected Hezbollah drone in southern Lebanon, IDF says

An interceptor missile was fired at another suspected Hezbollah drone that was detected over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed, the military says.

The IDF says the results of the interception of the “suspicious aerial target” are under review.

Netanyahu returns to court to testify in corruption trial after months-long break due to Iran war

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns to the courtroom to testify in his ongoing corruption trial, after a more than two-month pause due to the Iran war.

The trial had initially been set to resume yesterday, but was canceled at the last minute due to security concerns submitted to the court by Netanyahu’s lawyer Amit Hadad.

The testimony is expected to pick up from where the premier left off during his last hearing on February 24.

Netanyahu has testified 80 times so far, and is almost done being cross-examined on Case 4000, involving allegations that he authorized regulatory decisions that financially benefited telecommunications mogul Shaul Elovitch by hundreds of millions of shekels.

According to prosecutors’ assessments, cited by the Haaretz daily, Netanyahu has four to eight more sessions left regarding Case 2000, involving a suspected quid pro quo arrangement between himself and Arnon Mozes, publisher of the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

The resumption of hearings comes in the shadow of a statement by President Isaac Herzog on Sunday rebuffing, at least for the time being, the prospect of granting Netanyahu a pardon, despite an official request from the prime minister and heavy pressure from US President Donald Trump.

Iran’s security council expects anti-regime protests to return as economic woes worsen — report

In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council convened recently amid concerns that the mass protests that plunged the country into chaos back in January could soon begin anew, the Iranian opposition outlet Iran International reports.

The meeting was called after internal intelligence reports suggested that conditions were ripe for renewed protests, due to rising prices, high unemployment rates, and damage to key industries as a result of the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic, the outlet reports.

Specifically, it says that damage to the country’s petrochemical and steel industries could become the main trigger for renewed civil unrest.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Iran International reports that the council believes a new round of protests to be inevitable, and a matter of when, not if.

Some of the officials are said to believe the protests could renew sooner rather than later, it adds, as labor groups inside Iran and out have called for demonstrations on the country’s International Workers’ Day on May 1.

With the outbreak of war with Iran on February 28, Israeli and US officials initially insisted that one of the key goals of the fighting was to topple the Islamic Republic and enable regime change.

As the weeks went by, however, some admitted that this may not be an achievable goal, and the IDF said it wasn’t concerning itself with the goal of toppling the regime.

Mossad chief says agency penetrated ‘core’ of Iran, Lebanon secrets, hails ‘groundbreaking’ operations

Mossad chief David Barnea speaks at a ceremony recognizing the agency’s 2025 achievements, April 27, 2026. (Courtesy)

Mossad chief David Barnea says the agency has penetrated “the core of the enemy’s secrets” and carried out “groundbreaking” operations in Iran and beyond, during a ceremony honoring outstanding missions from 2025.

Speaking at the Mossad headquarters last night, Barnea highlighted what he described as a shift in the agency’s role during wartime, saying it has become a more offensive and effective organization alongside the IDF in campaigns against Iran and its proxy terror group Hezbollah.

“We obtained strategic and tactical intelligence at the core of the enemy’s secrets,” he said. “We demonstrated new and groundbreaking operational capabilities in target countries.”

Barnea said Mossad operations had helped enable strikes “in the heart of Tehran,” the “thwarting of senior operatives,” and efforts to secure Israel’s air superiority and defend the home front.

“The operations recognized this year enabled us to break boundaries in Lebanon and Iran,” he said, adding that the agency had also “carried out the covert diplomatic campaign, whose importance is critical for forging regional alliances and expanding Israel’s strategic depth.”

He stressed that cooperation with the military had “changed Israel’s strategic posture,” but warned that threats remain.

“We will not rest on our laurels,” Barnea said. “When we identify a threat, we will act with full force.”

IDF: Interceptor missile fired at suspected Hezbollah drone over southern Lebanon

An interceptor missile was fired at a suspected Hezbollah drone that was spotted over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed, the military says.

The IDF says the results of the interception of the “suspicious aerial target” are under review.

Google signs classified AI deal with Pentagon — report

Alphabet’s Google has signed a deal with the US Department of Defense to use its AI models for classified work, the Information reports, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Reuters cannot immediately verify the report.

IDF soldier severely wounded, another lightly hurt, in Hezbollah explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon

An IDF soldier was severely wounded and another was lightly hurt in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon yesterday, the military announces.

The soldiers, one of them in serious condition, were taken to a hospital and their families were notified, the army adds.

Hezbollah has made frequent use of small FPV drones in its attacks on Israeli troops in recent weeks.

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

Northern council head, four others arrested on suspicion of bribery

The sitting head of a local council in northern Israel and four other people were arrested this morning on suspicion of bribery.

Investigators in the Lahav 433 major crimes unit have for months been conducting a covert probe into suspicions of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust involving local officials across several towns in the north.

Police go public with the probe today after arresting the five suspects, detaining five others for questioning and conducting searches in the offices of local officials.

Evidence gathered so far points to bribery ties between the officials and service providers in the computing field, who allegedly offered them benefits in exchange for tenders from local government, police say.

Police also believe the suspects collaborated to fraudulently pocket public funds.

Officers plan to bring the suspects to court later today and request that a judge extend their remand.

US treasury chief says businesses working with Iranian airlines risk sanctions

Businesses working with Iranian airlines risk US sanctions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says, calling the warning a part of a campaign to put economic pressure on Tehran amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Iranian state media reported over the weekend that Iran has resumed commercial flights from Tehran’s international airport for the first time since the start of the war.

Iran’s state media reported that flights were scheduled to depart for Istanbul, Oman’s capital of Muscat, the Saudi city of Medina and for Iraq and Qatar.

The US Treasury Department has said Washington is imposing a “financial stranglehold” on the ​Iranian government.

“Doing business with sanctioned Iranian airlines risks exposure to US sanctions,” Bessent says in a post on X.

“Foreign governments should take all actions necessary to ensure that companies in their jurisdictions do not provide services to those aircraft, including the provision of jet fuel, catering, landing fees or maintenance,” he says.

Bessent says the Treasury Department “will not hesitate to act against any third parties that facilitate or conduct business with Iranian entities.”

A Trump administration official says the Treasury Department will impose secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions “that continue to facilitate Iran’s activities.”

Iranian foreign minister praises Russia ties, welcomes Moscow’s support for diplomacy

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says he welcomes Russia’s support for diplomacy and praised the strength of ties between the two countries, after meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Monday, saying recent events had demonstrated the depth of their strategic partnership.

Russia has offered to mediate to try to help restore calm to the Middle East following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran that Moscow has strongly condemned.

Russia has also repeatedly offered to store Iran’s enriched uranium as a way of defusing tensions, a proposal spurned by the United States.

Iranian defense official holds talks with Russian, Belarusian ministers

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov held talks in Kyrgyzstan on Monday with Iran’s Deputy Defense Minister Reza Talaei-Nik, state-run TASS news agency reports.

Belousov reiterated Russia’s longstanding position that the Iran war should be resolved exclusively through diplomatic means and said he was confident Moscow and Tehran would continue to support one another.

Talaei-Nik also traveled to Belarus, one of Russia’s closest allies, where Belarus’ Defense Ministry said he discussed the Middle East situation with Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin.

The ministry, quoted by the state BelTA news agency, said both officials agreed that the sole way to resolve the conflict was “a return to the sphere of a political-diplomatic settlement and the intensification of the process of negotiations.”

The ministry statement said the meeting “confirmed the mutual interest of Minsk and Tehran for a further deepening of their joint interaction.”

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and praised the Iranian people for battling to stay independent in the face of US and Israeli pressure and said Moscow would do all it could to help Tehran.

Trump reportedly unhappy with Iranian proposal to reopen Hormuz but shelve nuclear issue

A US official says that President Donald Trump is unhappy with an Iranian proposal because it did not address Iran’s nuclear program.

“He doesn’t love the proposal,” the US official says, referring to Trump.

Earlier in the day, Trump discussed the proposal with his top national security aides. The US-Iran conflict remains in a stalemate, with energy supplies from the region reduced.

Iranian sources earlier on Monday said the proposal would set ‌aside discussion of Iran’s nuclear program until the war has ended and disputes over shipping from the Gulf are resolved. Washington has said nuclear issues must be dealt with from the outset.

Work to bridge gaps between the US and Iran has not halted, sources from mediator Pakistan have said.

But hopes of reviving peace efforts have receded since Trump announced this weekend he had scrapped a visit ⁠by his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Islamabad, the Pakistani capital.

Ex-Mossad chief: Settler violence an existential threat, but curbing it could spark civil war

A still from video footage appearing to show Israeli settlers aim weapons and fire towards Palestinians in the village of Sa'ir, near Hebron, March 13, 2026. (X / used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Former head of the Mossad spy agency Tamir Pardo brands the ongoing settler terror attacks against Palestinians an “existential threat” to the State of Israel.

Pardo makes the comments to Channel 13 while touring some of the Palestinian villages that have come under repeated settler attack in recent months.

“My mother was a Holocaust survivor, and what I saw reminded me of the events that happened against Jews in the last century. I feel ashamed,” Pardo says.

He recalls the late Israeli philosopher Yeshayahu Leibowitz, who controversially warned that control over millions of Palestinians in the territories would ultimately corrupt Israeli society.

Pardo says he used to think that Leibowitz had gone off the rails, but after witnessing what settler extremists have been doing to Palestinians in recent months, now believes “there was a lot of truth” to what the Israeli philosopher had said.

Pardo warns that the settlers behind these attacks and the government that has failed to stop them are creating the conditions for the next October 7 attack to come from the West Bank.

Asked whether the issue can still be fixed, Pardo says that it can, but laments the high cost.

He says pushing back on the violent settlers — many of them armed by the state — could spark a civil war, given how well connected many of the extremists are in the halls of power.

תמיר פרדו בסיור בעקבות הטרור היהודי ביו"ש: "אימי ניצולת שואה, ומה שראיתי פה הזכיר את אירועי המאה הקודמת כלפי היהודים"https://t.co/YaQjUeg4iY@baruchikra pic.twitter.com/6E28yObih2

— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) April 27, 2026

Biden’s deputy secretary of state: Netanyahu helped ‘create a genocide in Gaza’

File: US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in Seoul, South Korea, June 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Wendy Sherman, who served as deputy secretary of state for much of former US president Joe Biden’s administration, accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being responsible for the perpetration of a genocide in Gaza.

Speaking to Bloomberg’s The Mishal Husain Show, Sherman says, “I think that it is critical that Israel remain an ally of the United States, and that we protect the right of a Jewish state.”

“But I also believe that the prime minister has led us down a road — and we have been part of it that has, in essence — created a genocide in Gaza that has destabilized the Middle East,” Sherman adds.

Sherman later appears to walk back the allegation.

“I can’t make the legal analysis about whether it is literally a genocide. But there is no doubt that Gaza was demolished. Palestinians deserve a home and dignity and peace. And Israel absolutely deserves security and peace.”

While most Biden officials have expressed significant frustration with Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza, they have refrained from lodging accusations of genocide.

The remarks by Sherman indicate an ongoing shift within the Democratic Party regarding where such rhetoric of Israel is becoming increasingly mainstream.

Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State under Joe Biden, Wendy Sherman:

I believe that Netanyahu has led us down a road, and we have been part of it.

That has, in essence, created a genocide in Gaza, that has destabilized the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/GSeOTwXGwV

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 27, 2026

EU warns it may sanction individuals linked to reports of Russian grain ships docking in Israel

The European Union has “taken note” of reports that Israel allowed a Russian vessel carrying grain from Russian-occupied Ukraine to unload at the port of Haifa, condemning the alleged transactions and warning that those involved could face EU sanctions.

“We condemn all actions that help fund Russia’s illegal war effort and circumvent EU sanctions, and remain ready to target such actions by listing individuals and entities in third countries if necessary,” an EU spokesperson tells The Times of Israel in a statement, confirming earlier reports.

“In a joint démarche with Ukraine, we are requesting additional information from the Israeli authorities on this subject,” the spokesperson adds, after Ukraine summoned Israel’s envoy to Kyiv today to protest the alleged incident and prevent Israel from accepting an additional vessel.

Iranian envoy: Tehran needs ‘credible guarantees’ against attacks before Gulf can be stable

Iran needs guarantees against another US-Israeli attack before it can ensure security in the oil-rich Gulf, says Tehran’s envoy to the United Nations.

“Lasting stability and security in the Persian Gulf and the wider region can only be achieved through a durable and permanent cessation of aggression against Iran supplemented by credible guarantees of non-recurrence and full respect for the legitimate sovereign rights and interests of Iran,” Amir Saeid Iravani tells a UN Security Council session.